Issue with Golden Wings AI Sikorsky S-42 flying boat

[Deleted]

I installed the S-42 flying boat at Dinner Key. When I start the saved flight there with 'pause' mode activated, the propeller are shown. When I deactivate 'pause', they aren't visible anymore.



Has anyone of the few remaining GW users noticed the same issue? I would appreciate your observation.

Bernard

[Tom/CalClassic]

Are the engines running?

[Deleted]

The engines are "running" as they generate the sound and the aircraft is moving. 

Bernard

[Tom/CalClassic]

Then perhaps the "blurred" props are either completely transparent or don't exist?

[Jorge]

Bernard,

It's one of several reasons I had the idea to start updating things. It's an older model where the props just disappear when the engines start.

I haven't gotten around to it, but you can substitute the airplane with another one.

If your system can handle it, you can use the George Demier (sp?) model in place of the default. Just copy the George's Sikorsky so you have another folder that'll be AI-only. You then open the aircraft.cfg of George's aircraft and backup the contact points and lights so you don't lose that info. Copy all the other contents of the original aircraft.cfg in the screenshot over to the Demier model.

Save it and close out and then copy the air file over to the AI Demier folder and you should have a working model since you replaced everything except the contact points and lights. As long as you deactivate the original aircraft the sim should use the "new" aircraft in its place.

You can get rid of the panel and sound folders if you like.

I haven't gotten around to any of the PAA things in PW yet. Other than NYC and Bermuda, the majority of the Maritime stuff is in Europe and over the Med on the Imperial Airways routes.

Alas, no AI except for some shuttle runs between Alexandria and Cairo as a "check" to see if the piping worked.

I hope I explained this well enough. I'm trying to go off memory from something I read on here a while back, but can't remember when. If someone can explain better than me, please do.

Regards,

Jorge
Miami, FL

[Deleted]

Exactly the same situation as above, but without "pause". The engines shouldn't run anyway. The flight isn't scheduled at this time. The propellers aren't shown anymore.



Bernard

[Deleted]

Jorge,



I already dried some of George Demier's models. They would work correctly as AI, but these are all amphibians, As most Sikorsky flying boats BTW, and therefore not suitable. I first tried Paul Clawson's and yours Consolidated Commodore. After a short time, the plane begins to swing. I know this phenomenon from other high wing aircraft used as AI. Mostly it could be resolved by changing air file. In most cases it works fine with CL_415.air file. But neither with this, nor with others it got a normal behaviour.

Bernard

[Jorge]

Yes, I completely forgot about the included "beaching" gear in George's models.

The Sikorsky for the AI in GW3 is an older model. When the engines are off, the props are visible. When they turn on, the props disappear.

Have you tried using the air file and configuration information (aerodynamics, weight and balance, etc) from the Goose in the CalClassic traffic package? There are two versions from the traffic file: one for land and the other for water. The Commodore should work if you combine the contact points and lights from the Commodore with the cfg file information from the aircraft.cfg file of the Goose's water model.

Then just copy the air file from the water model as well. The only original things that should be left in the Commodore's aircraft.cfg file are the contact points (but with the CG height from the Goose), lights section, "title=" line, and "model=" line. Everything else should be from the AI that works. That will ensure the aerodynamic data is the same. If you don't keep the CG height from the AI model, things will get a little interesting.

If you need longer range, just lower the "fuel_flow_scalar=1.0" entry. An entry of 0.8 would give you 80% the consumption, or a 20% reduction of fuel consumption. I'm not sure what the Commodore would need compared to the Goose, but that's the entry you would need to change.

Let me know if any of these work. They're things I've been meaning to test out with the PAA stuff, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I can post what I have for the Shorts S-17 if you would like. I believe I'm using the default "Douglas_DC3.air" file for the AI version I did, but I have to check. I haven't messed with the flight dynamics for the flyable one.

Regards,

Jorge
Miami, FL

[Tom/CalClassic]

AFAIK all AI have unlimited range, so I don’t think editing the fuel is needed.

Hope this helps,

[Deleted]

Jorge, thanks for your tips. The plane now has a normal approaching behaviour. That's the good thing. BUT, it doesn't land! As soon as the aircraft reaches the water runway, it does a kind of TNG.

Concerning Golden Wings S-42 I'm quite surprised that nobody complained about the graohic issues in other forums. Not even in the 'The Old Hangar' which is almost dead but still accessable.

Bernard

[Jorge]

Bernard,

I checked the model in MCX and it's 30.568m in wingspan, so the things won't park anywhere with a spot not big enough. In my scenery I use 20m slots, which has worked well with the JBK Shorts S-17 so far. Haven't done anything with other airplanes yet, but I'm going to need larger spots for some of the other aircraft just from past checks.

I opened the AF2_MIDK.bgl file in ADE and saw it was equipped with two (2) 38m spots, so there's more than enough room for the thing to park. The only thing I can think of is that there were other aircraft already there at the airport, so the inbound plane did a touch and go. If there are no spots -- or if the flightplan calls for it -- the thing will just do a touch and go.

The two spots are coded as "Gate Medium" as well, so it shouldn't be an issue.

As for the S-42 in use, I guess most just accepted the fact it was an older plane that was converted for AI use. The main thing back then was to have something with a small number of triangles so the AI would not cause an issue with frame rates, so if the moving parts were negligible it wasn't an issue.

I'm stumped as far as the reason for the touch and go if the above two things don't apply in your case.

Have you noticed if there are other aircraft on the ground/water? I know there are usually two birds parked at the terminal, so they may have been full when the other one arrived?

Regards,

Jorge
Miami, FL

[Deleted]

The larger spot radius was indeed the trick and solution.



After fifteen years I still have to learn! Thanks Jorge for your precious advices and help. Finally I now will be able to complete the 1933 PAA South America route. According to the principle 'never give up'.

Bernard

[Jorge]

Glad I could help!

Jorge
Miami, FL

[Al]

Wow, I did not know that no suitable parking would cause ai to do a missed approach. All my experience says they will land and then disappear if there is no suitable parking. Did just adding a suitable parking spot allow the plane to land on the water and then park?