Tutorial G42-200 Starliner operations tutorial

[Staiduk]

Hello - I'm starting this thread because I didn't want to pirate the G42 thread in the Addons forum any more than I have already done. That's for Moach's superb work; not my mediocre attempts at support.

Anyhoo; since the G42 has no documentation I offered to make a tutorial video on how to start and fly this magnificent craft. I ran into trouble - couldn't get Fraps to work and have been assisted with suggestions of other recording equipment.
I finished yesterday but must admit my first attempt was terrible; simply not up to the standard of the Orbiter community. So I'm trying again. I said I'd have it uploaded yesterday; then today - now it looks like it'll take longer than that so bear with me.
I'm running into a problem that should have been obvious: I don't know how to fly a G42. No-one does really; it's a fictional plane. I'd intended to make a video similar to the FS9 C-152 video I released years ago - a plane I do know how to fly quite well.
So I've got to ingraine the procedures even while trying to record them. I think I handle the G42 quite well but I've no checkride instructor beside me to tell me if I'm right or wrong. So it'll take a couple more days; bear with me. I'd rather release something good rather than something now.

 

[Eccentrus]

perhaps rather than taking the work all by yourself you can ask people (who have the time and silicon horsepower) to retry several flight profiles and improve upon them until you find the "sweet spot" profile that can be taught to everyone, but yes, I'm struggling to put this one hell of a mustang to orbit, I can imagine myself being in the Great Plains, finding a black mustang and trying to tame the beast, to no avail.

 

[Ripley]

Somebody kindly made a checklist, buried somewhere in the long G42-200 development thread. Moach edited the opening post and included it in it. Have you seen it?

Sorry for asking the obvious...

http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=21197

 

[Eccentrus]

well what Staiduk is trying to do is making a video comprising what those checklists have done, albeit in a more integrated manner. For example a low-skilled pilot like me can't just follow the checklist and hope that it will fly well, I know this from experience that there are many lines to read between those checklists, and if someone can put in a video the proper way to follow that checklist and fly, it will greatly help the piloting-challenged people such as myself, a picture is worth a thousand words after all

 

[Cras]

there is also that profile for Calculation MFD that will keep your ship on the ascent path, if you find it too difficult to keep on top of the pitch using the trim.

It too is buried somewhere in the G42 thread. You can also use Launch MFD to control just your roll channel and act as a Heading Autopilot to get you on the right path during initial climb/sub-sonic cruise. I recommend having that turned off when you go supersonic and plan on using Calculation MFD, otherwise leave it on and control pitch using trim by hand.

 

[Staiduk]

Hello all; sorry for being so late in answering; the last 3 days have been a total...er...backside? drive at work. I've had just enough energy to stagger home, boil myself in hot water and fall asleep. Good though; I love hard work and though exhausting the last 3 days have been enormously satisfying.
Anyhoo; I'd love to provide the optimal orbital insertion path for the G42 and I suspect strongly that I'm very close - I reach an orbital altitude of 200kms with an ECC of less than 0.200 (probably mixing my terms there), but easily circular enough for the frustratingly gentle OMS to achieve circularization. Anyhoo; I'm back at it - it might not be perfect (in terms of flight path) but will certainly help those who have trouble getting this magnificent beast into orbit. Upload coming soon.