FSX carriers

I have a question. When I land any carrier based aircraft on a carrier in FSX:SE, no matter if I added it or its a default one, the arrestor hook doesn't catch and stop me. Could someone please tell me if I need to change config files or if its a bug or something?

Note: I am landing on an AI carrier.

Thanks, cab1994

I don't think AI carriers support cats and wires. Some of the default carriers are live,

and some are not. Unless you don't actually have the hook down, or you are missing

the wires, you are probably not landing on a live carrier. The carrier that sometimes

parks near the Golden Gate bridge out in FS bay is a live carrier. Also one of the two

carriers that parks at Norfolk is live. And the other one isn't.

Same thing for the catapults. The live ones do both.

Try going to this thread: http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,11293.msg86978.html#msg86978

and downloading and installing AICarriers.NET, not EXE. it's specifically coded for Steam, and works extremely well.

Also, the package htthttps://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?do=copyright&fid=140822p:// of carriers in the library here.

Couple those to downloads together, throw in the FSXBA Hornet, v15.2 found on page 38, here: http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,6944.msg87619.html#msg87619 and you have an unbeatable set up for doing carrier traps/cat launches.

The FSX BA Hornet on Cat 1 of Javier's Nimitz, placed with AICarriers.NET

Carrier work on the 23rd, near Widbey Island and NOLF Coupeville...

I spend 3-5 hours a day doing that. Toss in a couple good FCLP fields (links available on request) and you can be a super Sim-Navy pilot in no time!

Pat☺

There are two sorts of default carriers in FSX, the one near the Golden Gate bridge which doesn't move, and I'm not sure if its got arrester wires.

The other sort are moving carriers and I think they do have wires.

Have a rummage through these two threads and see if you can pick up some clues..:)

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?249165-fsx-acceleration-aircraft-carriers-aren-t-working

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?246384-Is-there-an-aircraft-carrier-out-there-that-i-can-spawn-on&highlight=toko

AICarriers.NET has a number of menu options to move the ships as you like. I just hit Forward and away it goes at 25 Kts. You can order it to turn left or right, 10, 25 or 90°. Many options available in it. Great program for making a carrier do what you want. Once you have it (Or them, there are several options for misc. Task Forces) all set up, you can shoot trap/cat's all day long, or go perform ACM or BFM then set a boat or boats asail and start doing trap/cat's.

I like to set the Weather in the Sim for about 10kts down the angle deck as the boat moves, which gives me a nice (and correct according to the NATOPS) 35kt WOD reading in vLSO. Set the ILS to 111.00 on the UFC, and the HUD to display the ILS needles (Or not, I still have trouble with the glideslope, so I use the ILS needles...), and away you go!

Only problem is, with a moving carrier you can't save a flight at a point behind the boat, for if you then reset to the saved flight, you have to place the boat again.

So, I take off from a shore station, fly out over the water, aim away from any landmass, like continents, islands, etc, place the boat 10nmi ahead of me, set it to forward, and then do traps and cats all day. If you think it's too far out, just have it turn 90° in the same direction twice, and back you go!

All very easy, and menu driven in the Sim. It also makes a number of moving boats in various places around the world for you to use if you prefer. Including cruisers and destroyers for the Helo's to land/take off from. I think those might be separate downloads, but well worth the time to get them installed. And I may be wrong. But anyway, those are there all the time, once you have them installed in the AICarriers cfg files properly. Most military boats come with pre-made AICarrier set-ups for making preset boats on travel on paths in various world locations, so you get moving boats all over the place, without needing any actions on your part. :)

Heck, it even starts if you want it to when you start FSX-SE, with a simple addition to the EXE.XML file, done with Notepad.

Hope all my rambling helps a little :)

Pat☺

I have a question. When I land any carrier based aircraft on a carrier in FSX:SE, no matter if I added it or its a default one, the arrestor hook doesn't catch and stop me. Could someone please tell me if I need to change config files or if its a bug or something?

 

Note: I am landing on an AI carrier.

 

Thanks, cab1994

There are 3 difffernt type Carriers. Some are Static some are AI and move.

The carriers that move have working fresnel lens and lighted landing decks. They support catapult launch system and arrestor cable landings using the F-18 Hornet.

Static Carriers

USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 sits southwest of the Golder Gate Bridge (held over from FS2004)

New highly detailed carries in FSX/FSX:SE. These are static carriers with scenery added to the decks. Some Naval Air Stations have more then 1 in port.

Naval Air Station North Island (KNZY), California, USA

Naval Station Norfolk (KNGU), Virginia, USA

Apra Harbor (SW of PGUM), Guam

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (NE of KPWT), Washington, USA

Naval Station Everett (NE of KPAE), Washington, USA

The AI Traffic Carriers that move and support the F-18 Hornet have round trip or TO/FROM same station waterplans.

US EAST COAST

Naval Station Norfolk

Depart Tue 07:35z

Naval Station Norfolk

Arrive Wed 05:24z

Naval Station Norfolk

Depart Fri 19:35z

Naval Station Norfolk

Arrive Sat 17:24z

------------------------------------------------

HAWAIIAN ISLAND

Pearl Harbor

Depart Tue 14:40z

Pearl Harbor

Arrive Fri 02:56z

Pearl Harbor

Depart Mon 02:40z

Pearl Harbor

Arrive Mon 14:56z

---------------------------------------------

US WEST COAST

San Francisco Bay

Depart Sun 00:38z

Naval Air Station North Island

Arrive Sun 18:18z

Naval Air Station North Island

Depart Wed 12:38z

San Francisco Bay

Arrive Thu 06:18z

--------------------------------------------

US WEST COAST

San Francisco Bay

Depart Tue 02:11z

Naval Station Everett

Arrive Wed 13:07z

Naval Station Everett

Depart Fri 14:11z

San Francisco Bay

Arrive Sat 01:07z

Be sure to Increase the AI Traffic density of ships.

Times are GMT

Weekdays in FS are local time.

Example: Monday at 2:40 GMT is still Sunday local in Hawaii so select Sunday in FSX/FSX:SE.

The SDK has a TrafficTool Box .dll that can be added to the FSX/FSX:SE dropdown menu (called Tools) so you can monitor AI Planes and Large Ships (on flight/water plans) based on day and time.

I have been attempting to land on a live carrier. The aircraft in the picture is Tim Conrad's A-1 Skyraider

Hi cab1994

In your above picture that is not a FSX default live AI Carrier but a static carrier. Please see my post above for times.

This is a live carrier coming into San Diego Sunday afternoon 2PM local time (1800 GMT)

http://s12.postimg.org/3ogxxyyfx/fsscr012.jpg

I had the old version that used java so I overwrote it with the .NET version.

That's why I was so specific in stating AICarriers.NET, not EXE. the .NET version was specifically made for FSX-SE :D

Also, make sure if you have FSUIPC that you go to the Pete Dowson forums and DL the very latest version (v4.93). He busted his tail, as the original FSUIPC, written for FSX, would lock up FSX-SE, and the day after SE was released he had the fixed, updated version available.

Just a little heads-up.

I am glad you have the carriers working and doing what you want, where and how you want them to :D

Pat☺

PS: Just so you know there are a number of AICarriers ship routes available in the libraries, here, on Avsim, and so on. They let you have carriers departing a number locations around the world, and arriving at either other places or back around a log route to where they started. Off the coast of France, the North Sea, Rio de Janero etc etc.

Pat,

I agree, the carriers are much easier to work off of when in they are in motion. Though 25 knots is a little slow for them. I'd think 30+ would be a truer example. They also generally turn so the flight decks are into the wind to raise the air speed even higher.

So in the cockpit you're showing 35+ knots IAS before you start the main engines. That extra air speed sure helps when you're at or, as we often were, over gross weight limits for takeoff! And of course that movement also makes the jet jockey's over water speed 30+ knots lower than if the ship were stationary.

Pat, a question.

In all those carriers you're talking about, are there any LPHS? Or if no LPHS, is there a WWII type straight top? Since most of our LPHS in use during the Vietnam era were converted old straight tops anyway.

2nd Question?

Have you ever tried carrier operations with a C-130 on a stationary carrier? I saw a C-130 land and take off on the Enterprise while it was at anchor in Olongapo(probably not spelled right) Bay! Scared me to death!!!

Pat, a question.

 

In all those carriers you're talking about, are there any LPHS? Or if no LPHS, is there a WWII type straight top? Since most of our LPHS in use during the Vietnam era were converted old straight tops anyway.

You mean like this? :D

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?do=copyright&fid=159569

The above is in the Library here, and is an extensive and detailed repaint for the below, also in the library:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?do=copyright&fid=134832

I agree, the carriers are much easier to work off of when in they are in motion. Though 25 knots is a little slow for them. I'd think 30+ would be a truer example. They also generally turn so the flight decks are into the wind to raise the air speed even higher.

 

So in the cockpit you're showing 35+ knots IAS before you start the main engines. That extra air speed sure helps when you're at or, as we often were, over gross weight limits for takeoff! And of course that movement also makes the jet jockey's over water speed 30+ knots lower than if the ship were stationary.

I am not certain just why they made the speed 25Kts by default, and I think I can find a way to speed them up. What they intend, and I fully concur that 35-40 knots is perfect for the fast-movers at least, is that you then set the wind in the sim, presuming you are willing to set your own wind, which they did for multiplayer purposes (porpoises??? :D ). If you do that, you can vary the direction to a)cancel out the leftward drift of a moving carrier, and b) I think they managed to code in the "burble" just aft of the ramp. I know it's there somehow, anyway! I always get the boat going on a specific heading, then set the wind to go MOSTLY down the angle deck, but a little bit down the BRC, to help with the leftward drift, which invariably screws me up, no matter how carefully I aim at the "crotch".

Also, the wind in real life can have turbulence, variable direction relative to the ship, etc etc., which you can also set in the SIm.

I also think they did it for the guys that want to do the WWII flight-ops with the straight-deck boats, of which there are a couple in the library here. For example:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?do=copyright&fid=133699

Read the Readme file. You will need to DL a number of other boats, but as I said before, well worth the time and effort!

2nd Question?

 

Have you ever tried carrier operations with a C-130 on a stationary carrier? I saw a C-130 land and take off on the Enterprise while it was at anchor in Olongapo(probably not spelled right) Bay! Scared me to death!!!

I've seen the video of that, back when "video" was the gigantic 35mm (I think) tape, but usually the 16mm (I think, again) film on the projectors you had to thread the film from the top spool through the machine and down to the bottom spool. Used that system in Highschool a lot :D

I really thought that C-130 was going to leave the wingtip, at least, on the aft side of the Island! I am NOT going to try it myself! Scared me to death, riding in the C-130 after that, wondering if our pilot was going to have delusions of gender sometime and try it himself!

By the by, you did spell Olongapo correctly :D We went to Clark Airbase up in Angeles City, but a lot of the guys took the bus down there to visit friends on liberty from boats :) 20 Pesos to the dollar, and Monkey Meat on a stick at a street cart was 10 Pesos, and some of hte best meat I ever ate, by the way, girls' "bar-fine" was 40 Pesos...

Honestly, I wound up in a bar with male strippers by accident one night, full of American women, and the Mamasan offered up free beer if anyone got up on stage and danced naked, so I did! Went home with a couple officer's wives (the officers were on a 3 month det, lucky for me). Spent most of my liberties after that with them, hehehehe.

I finally wound up moving in with a pair of Air Force girls that lived across a parking lot from one of the chow halls. Phillipino cooks, DARN good food!! Had everything a man could ask for, 2 Bi girls that had moved into one room together, very pretty, room maid service, including laundry, really good food and lots of it, and all free! A Marine's idea of heaven on Earth ;) And a LOT better than the condemned piles called barracks with another guy in my room they stuck us in, too. The bus that took us to work stopped at the chow hall too. Saved me a lot of walking, no question.

Marine Heaven!

A while after we left, Pinatubo blew, and Clark vanished under a layer of ash. I occaisonally wonder whatever became of those two AF girls...

Pat☺

I am not certain just why they made the speed 25Kts by default, and I think I can find a way to speed them up...

You can do this by decompiling trafficCarriers.bgl, changing the speed in the source files and recompiling them.

You'll need "AI Boat Traffic Compiler" for that purpose (try googling it, the link where I got it from is broken, btw it's from the same developer as AiCarriers2 IIRC).

Wim

Pat,

Thanks for the link! And yes, I actually saw the C-130 landing and taking off on the Enterprise from another ship in the bay. Some VIP flying in for a meeting is the scuttlebut we were told.

I was also impressed when they set off all the JATO bottles to get that thing off the deck! From probably a mile away it sounded almost like a tornado.

You'll need "AI Boat Traffic Compiler" for that purpose (try googling it, the link where I got it from is broken, btw it's from the same developer as AiCarriers2 IIRC).

That's the critter! I have that around someplace. Thanks, Wim!

Thanks for the link!

My pleasure! Hope that's what you were looking for :D

I was also impressed when they set off all the JATO bottles to get that thing off the deck! From probably a mile away it sounded almost like a tornado.

I love watching the Herc blasting off on JATO bottles. The Angels used to do it every year at the show in El Centro, and the one in Yuma too. Thank goodness for motorcycles! Shorten up the traffic jam on the way in and out both a lot :D

Sadly, I haven't been to see them in a while so I don't know if they still do, though. I don't even know if JATO bottles are still made, and if not, I'll wager they're getting pretty scarce, so...

Pat☺

Ai boat traffic compiler.

Google: aibtc

here's the link:

http://lc0277.gratisim.fr/boat/

here's the link:

http://lc0277.gratisim.fr/boat/

Thanks, bookmarked that.

Now I remember the developer's name as well : Lamont Clark.

Wim

That's the critter! I have that around someplace. Thanks, Wim!

 

 

My pleasure! Hope that's what you were looking for :D

 

 

I love watching the Herc blasting off on JATO bottles. The Angels used to do it every year at the show in El Centro, and the one in Yuma too.

Pat☺

I went to the air show at Langely AFB last year. Nice show, kinda different seeing the zoomer guys instead of the squid and grunts we're both used to. Even nicer getting to go to a lot of the VIP stuff! I have a buddy who recently retired from NASA at what was apparently a pretty good job. I didn't see any Generals get treated any better than we did.

25 knots wind down the angle is the Navy's optimum situation in normal conditions. This is based on each type of plane being able to make a safe approach with some room for error - especially wire engagement speed, gross weight, and sink rate. At 25 knots the ship handles well with respect to response in waves, and optimizes the "burble" or shed wake air currents at the ramp (caused by the Island, and irregular surface of the Flight Deck due to airplanes moving around, where they are parked, etc.)

"Recovery Bulletins" detail all this info for each type of plane, as well as what must be changed for such things as a problem with flap extension, engine out, pitching deck, etc.

obviously, varying ship speed to change relative wind is not an easy, or quick matter, so standard conditions work out best for a quick and efficient recovery period.

Former "Air Boss"

USS NIMITZ (CVN68)