Carrier Landings

[deltaleader]

Now that I have the acceleration add on pack installed.  I have noticed the flight characteristics are vastly different than some of the user designed planes like the KBT f18 and the f14 in the downloads area.  I can rarely have been able to land the FSX-A F18 on the carrier during the carrier landing practice mission.  Previous planes I have had no problems what so ever landing.  Everytime I land, I catch the cable but plane always nose dives on the deck even though I just did a 3 point landing.  Anyone having the same problem with the F18 being over sensitive like this?  seems like the gear is to springy or something...

[J.]

try landing on the back 2 wheels ONLY,

[deltaleader]

ya, same deal...always nose dives into the deck and tips over.  :(

[J.]

hmm...... what speed are you touching down at?

[deltaleader]

130-135 knots, full flaps.

[Vuikag]

It's probably because your landing on the offset deck, because of it's offset, when you touchdown FS detects it as though you were sliding diagonally, causing a gear collapse. That's what I think it is because when I landed straight in on the main deck everything was fine.

[deltaleader]

It's probably because your landing on the offset deck, because of it's offset, when you touchdown FS detects it as though you were sliding diagonally, causing a gear collapse. That's what I think it is because when I landed straight in on the main deck everything was fine.

hmmm interesting... I will try it some more and try to make sure I am straight. its kind of hard though when you have a crosswind

[Flying Mouse]

You mentioned your speed to be at around 130 which is fine.

When you touch down what is your drop rate? Make sure you keep it well withing 500 feet p/m. The F/18's gear allow up to 700 feet p/m but that allready is tickeling the lions nose with a short straw.

ALSO do not try and flare the aircraft.

Also make sure you DONT apply brake when you land. I found the force of slowing you down and applying brake places too much down weight on the nose wheel. That ofcourse leading to a nose dive.

If you dont apply brakes, make sure your desent rate is below 500 feet p/m when you touch down on the deck.

Mouse

[BAW0343]

I'll repeat what he just said, don't use breaks, that will send the nose into the deck, hard.

The way the F-18 is reacting is quite good actually.

Do the math:

A 28,000 lb plane hitting the deck at a rough 500 fpm drop, add in a stopping distance of (1000 ft?) doing 130 - 0 Knots within a second or two upon landing. If the nose doesn't sink you need to hit the afterburners and try again  ;)

Just practice your landings and remember as soon as you hit the deck go full power until you've stopped. Don't use breaks and only use minimal flight controls, just to keep going straight.

[deltaleader]

I will give it another try tonight.  I know I dont use the brakes and ft p/m I am in the neighborhood definitely under 700 fpm.  usually the last 10-15 seconds of the approach it seems like the crosswind hits hard and I have to make big corrections just to keep center line.

What angle of attack are you using on the approach when 130 knots full flaps?

[BFMF]

In real life, carriers usually turn into the wind for landing and takeoff operations. If you're using the AI Carrier addon, turn the carriers into the wind, or completely clear the weather and/or disable the wind

[Gypsy_Baron]

I will give it another try tonight.  I know I dont use the brakes and ft p/m I am in the neighborhood definitely under 700 fpm.  usually the last 10-15 seconds of the approach it seems like the crosswind hits hard and I have to make big corrections just to keep center line.

What angle of attack are you using on the approach when 130 knots full flaps?

Monitor the AOA indexer next to the HUD....

And as the previous poster pointed out, you should have some decent wind over the deck.
Check your local wind and if it is not "down the deck" adjust the carriers course ( if using
the aicarriers2r2 package ) or use custom weather settings to get 20 knots or so down
the centerline.

You will still need to compensate for the ships forward movement and the slight apparent
cross wind when landing on the angle deck ( the ONLY "legal" way to do it ) but it
can be done.
You can also strengthen your nose gear in the "contact points"  section of the aircraft.cfg
file if you become totally frustrated...this will avoid those "crashes" due to nose gear collapse.

I'm not sure what sort of wind velocity\directions the  Acelleration test missions set up
but it may be totally unrealistic ala the "default CVN off San Francisco" that has been
perpetuated for years, sailing WITH the normal westerly wind off the coast here instead
of west, into the prevailing wind as any sensible person would place it...

   Paul

[deltaleader]

Well...I have spent several days trying to figure out carrier landings in FSX-A.  It seems to me there is some kind of flaw in the flight dymnamics of the jet.  If I fly the meatball in at 130kts, I will exceed the threshold for FPM, over shoot the deck and crash.  I have messed around with the supension but cannot keep the plane from constantly nose diving in to the deck.  What I did have more success with was a shallow approach and 120knts. That kept me around 250 fpm or so on descent. Just ignore the meatball because it is not correct for any speed that I can figure out.  At 130 knots on a moving carrier as per the tuturial, you cannot keep the ball centered...you will always over shoot the deck if you try to stay under 700fpm and even then you will probably nose dive.

Has anyone had any luck completing the carrier practice mission in FSX-A???

[Flying Mouse]

I completed both, the one where you do a take off, approach flight & land.

I also completed the one where you have to land 5 times.

I must mention my reality sliders are all to the right with 90%.

3 important things here,

Practise, practise and practise.

Goodluck.

[BFMF]

Has anyone had any luck completing the carrier practice mission in FSX-A???

Yep, I went through the first practice mission once without any problems. I've done a couple other carrier landings. On one of them I hit the deck hard, but other than that, I still made it