.air file editing
Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2014 1:53 pmI have been playing around with some old freeware planes for my own personal fun. I have a thing about having the flight controls move accurately. I hate it when a simulator shows a plane having 30 degrees of up elevator or stabilator to do a normal climb when I know that at a normal cruising airspeed, especially in a jet of some kind, it takes very little elevator or stabilator movement to induce said climb or turn. I know that many higher end jets have mechanisms in their flight controls that limit the amount of flight control movement for a given stick input depending on airspeed, attitude, etc. A good example of this is an Alphajet. They have such a device that prevents excessive stabilator movement above a certain airspeed so a student cannot easily over G the airframe. I have been trying with some success to simulate this effect.
I figured out how to do this in the .air file and while it works on some planes, it doesn't work on others. At least it doesn't work correctly. What I mean is... when it works, the stabilator movement is limited at higher speeds when the plane is airborne. Full stick movement causes only about 5, maybe 10 degrees of stabilator movement. But it has full movement when the plane is flying slow and dirty. An easy adjustment in the .air file can create this effect. But on some planes, when I make this adjustment, the stabilator still moves a full 25-30 degrees or whatever. Aerodynamically the plane flies correct, i.e. I pull the stick all the way back at higher airspeed and I may get a high G climb but it doesn't yank straight up and pull 15 G's. But the flight controls still move the same full throw. I am wondering why this works on some planes and not on others. What would cause the flight controls to move full throw regardless of how I adjust #517, 518, or 519 in the .air file?
As I said, I am experimenting with this on some older freeway planes for my own fun.
I figured out how to do this in the .air file and while it works on some planes, it doesn't work on others. At least it doesn't work correctly. What I mean is... when it works, the stabilator movement is limited at higher speeds when the plane is airborne. Full stick movement causes only about 5, maybe 10 degrees of stabilator movement. But it has full movement when the plane is flying slow and dirty. An easy adjustment in the .air file can create this effect. But on some planes, when I make this adjustment, the stabilator still moves a full 25-30 degrees or whatever. Aerodynamically the plane flies correct, i.e. I pull the stick all the way back at higher airspeed and I may get a high G climb but it doesn't yank straight up and pull 15 G's. But the flight controls still move the same full throw. I am wondering why this works on some planes and not on others. What would cause the flight controls to move full throw regardless of how I adjust #517, 518, or 519 in the .air file?
As I said, I am experimenting with this on some older freeway planes for my own fun.
Bearing mind that what the model SHOWS and what it DOES can be two different animals. Tailhooks on older aircraft, such as the IRIS F-14B Bombcat, are the prime example of this. Having said that, check out the #300 settings. I makes a huge difference in what's shown and what the aircraft does both. At least in the Team FSKBIT FA-18's and Dino's F-14's. I will presume the effects hold for all aircraft, but haven't tested any but those yet. 
Getting nailed in a fast, agail fighter like the Kfir by a huge hog like the 141 was awfull embarrassing. Orca never lived it down!