Can't steer the Hurricane; tail wheel locked.

I recently purchased Sky Unlimited's Hawker Hurricane set from FSPilot Shop. Not a bad rendition overall. Navigation equipment is lacking a bit but the difficult thing about this rendition is the fact that the tail wheel seems to be locked....making it almost impossible to taxi the thing. I end up using the slew command while on the ground or else I have to creep around punching differential brake keys...really takes the fun out of it! :(

The standard Shift +G keystroke doesn't seem to have any effect, or maybe I missed a separate instruction somewhere.

Has anyone experienced the same problem with Sky Unlimited's Hurricane, and if so is there a way to unlock the darn thing? :confused:

Would appreciate any help. JonB :D

Try this. It's for a DC-3 but it should work for your Hurricane.

Open your DC3 aircraft.cfg file (notepad works well) and find the “contact

points” section.

If it has not been altered, the first line should read

point.0=1, -56.00, 0.0, -2.3, 1200.0, 0, 0.60, 180.0, 0.200, 2.5, 0.695,

0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0

Comment this line out by adding two / marks in front of it,

Example:

//point.0=1, -56.00, 0.0, -2.3, 1200.0, 0, 0.60, 180.0, 0.200, 2.5, 0.695,

0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0

Cut and paste the following BEFORE point.0

point.0=1, -56.00, 0.0, -2.3, 1200.0, 0, 0.60, 60.0, 0.200, 2.5, 0.695, 0.0,

0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0

What we have done is to change the seventh variable number from 180.0 to

60.0. (Variable numbers are separated by a comma)

This should allow the tail wheel to be steerable (not visually). Works fine

on my DC3’s and from what I can tell, it may work on other tail draggers

whose contact point first entry is the same as the DC3. Just remember, we

are only changing the seventh variable.

Dijvid

Thanks for the reply Dijvid; I gave it a try but that didn't make the Hurricane's tailwheel unlock. It just sunk the planes rear end into the ground up to the elevators. Tried replacing that particular value with one from a Spitfire (about 45)...no luck there either!

This is the whole section for the Hurricane....

"

[contact_points]

max_number_of_points = 10

point.0 = 1, -18, 0, -2.8, 4000, 0, 0.5, .180, 0.38, 1.5, 0.345, 0, 0, 0, 140.8, 157.52

point.1 = 1, 2.5, -4.02, -6.7, 4000, 1, 1.25, 0, 0.5, 2.5, 0.797, 5, 6, 2, 140.8, 157.52

point.2 = 1, 2.5, 4.02, -6.7, 4000, 2, 1.25, 0, 0.5, 2.5, 0.797, 7, 8, 3, 140.8, 157.52

point.3 = 2, -0.35, -19, 0, 16000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 5

point.4 = 2, -0.35, 19, 0, 16000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 6

point.5 = 2, 9, 0, 1, 2100, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4

point.6 = 2, -18, 0, -1.3, 16000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4

point.7 = 2, -19.5, 0, 5.5, 5000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 9

point.8 = 2, 3.6, 0, -2, 16000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4

point.9 = 2, -2.3, 0, -2, 16000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4

static_pitch= 10.771454160198

static_cg_height= 5.72236632933725

gear_system_type = 1 "

Any idea which value in there allows the tail wheel to turn with the rudder and can be locked and unlocked normally? I'm stumped!

JonB

Would adding this to the [Contacts_ Points] section be of any use?

static_pitch= 10.771454160198

static_cg_height= 5.72236632933725

gear_system_type = 1 "

tailwheel_lock = 0

This was on a freeware FS2004 Hurricane that I just tried and the tailweel steered using the rudder.

I also noticed that your tail wheel steering has a decimal point in it:

point.0 = 1, -18, 0, -2.8, 4000, 0, 0.5, .180, 0.38, 1.5, 0.345, 0, 0, 0, 140.8, 157.52

This says that the tail wheel can only steer less that 2/10ths of 1 degree. Try it without the decimal point:

point.0 = 1, -18, 0, -2.8, 4000, 0, 0.5, 180, 0.38, 1.5, 0.345, 0, 0, 0, 140.8, 157.52

The default install for the Sky Unlimited Hurricane has a free castoring tail wheel and is steered by differential braking. To change to rudder and tail wheel steering, change the "180" entry as shown in the previous post) to a value between 60 and 80.

So:

point.0 = 1, -18, 0, -2.8, 4000, 0, 0.5, 180, 0.38, 1.5, 0.345, 0, 0, 0, 140.8, 157.52

becomes

point.0 = 1, -18, 0, -2.8, 4000, 0, 0.5, 60, 0.38, 1.5, 0.345, 0, 0, 0, 140.8, 157.52

You will now be able to steer with the tail wheel.

Hope that helps

Elmo

The default install for the Sky Unlimited Hurricane has a free castoring tail wheel and is steered by differential braking. To change to rudder and tail wheel steering, change the "180" entry as shown in the previous post) to a value between 60 and 80.

 

So:

 

point.0 = 1, -18, 0, -2.8, 4000, 0, 0.5, 180, 0.38, 1.5, 0.345, 0, 0, 0, 140.8, 157.52

 

becomes

 

point.0 = 1, -18, 0, -2.8, 4000, 0, 0.5, 60, 0.38, 1.5, 0.345, 0, 0, 0, 140.8, 157.52

 

You will now be able to steer with the tail wheel.

 

Hope that helps

 

Elmo

If you read this thread you will see that I suggested doing this in #2 and the OP said in #3 that it didn't work. Not much point in telling him to do this again :confused:

Dijvid

Success! I eliminated the decimal point (had not noticed that small point), changed the 180 entry to 60, even added the "tail wheel_locked = 0" line, and it seems to work.

The tail wheel itself remains rigid, but the aircraft now turns with the rudder, not the brakes. It's very sensitive though; you can't make drastic motions with the rudder or the plane will tip onto a wingtip, so I increased the value from 60 to 80 and then 100 just to see the effect: not noticable. But since I use a joystick on the sim this is a practical solution. I use the rudder pedals for differential steering when I fly...a more natural motion then reaching for a keyboard and trying to control a careening simulator aircraft with F11 & F12 brake keys. At home it's a joystick. So this problem is solved. ;)

While I have the floor, so to speak, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all you gents for your help. In fact if it wasn't for the folks I've turned to on this forum I would have given up on both Microsoft's Flight and Train simulator programs long, long ago. Flt sim can be difficult at times but the train sim is downright querky!! Thanks again for the help. I'm much obliged!!

JonB :)

Glad you got it sorted, Jon.

Dijvid

If you want LESS sensitivity ('steering ratio') for your joystick steering you went the wrong way. Try a lower value. Try 40, then 32, and maybe even 20. You would not change your ENTIRE system just for that 'problem' now would you? Of course not.

And the tail being burried in ground suggests (1). wrong HEIGHT value (ie: -2.80) and/or (2). compression values (ie: 0.38, 1.5, 0.345). Try (1). -1.50 for starters and (2). 0.30, 2.50, 0.90 for compression values. Let us know how it went.

Chuck B