Project Glider for O2016

[zachary77]

EDIT: V1.00 is out! Get it [ame="https://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=7234"]here[/ame] at last

Features:

• Glide ratio 70:1
• Stable at 10x time acc.
• Ballast to fine-tune glide speed
• New touchdown points fully supported
• Flaps (8 stages, positive/negative)
• Jet engine for powered flight
• Thermal support
• Variometer
• Auto-trim for hands-off flight
• HUD readouts for flaps, auto-trim and vert. speed
• Damage model
• Warning sounds
• Open-source, under GNU GPL

It requires XRSound to work. D3D9 client recommended. See manual in Doc/Glider for information on this addon.

Happy soaring,
zachary77

ORIGINAL POST:
So, O2016 is out with wonderful terrain. Problem is, whizzing past at >Mach 1 makes it hard to sightsee. Addons-wise, we have lots of spacecraft, some fast aircraft, a few slow props (thanks Kev33) and basically no unpowered aircraft. With that in mind, I've begun development of a glider for low and slow trips across mountain ranges. Still very basic, but here's what I have so far;

Current features:

• Glide ratio 20:1
• Stable at 100x time acc.
• Ballast to fine-tune glide speed
• New touchdown points fully supported

So, what do you guys think? Feature requests? Fire away!

zachary77

 

[Face]

With that in mind, I've begun development of a glider for low and slow trips across mountain ranges.

Now that's a nice idea. :tiphat:

Feature requests? Fire away!

• Thread "instrument" AKA yaw string
• Need to use coordinated rudder control up to accurate slip attitude
• Various start methods (winch, towplane, engine)
• Thermal lift
• Hill/slope lift
• Continuous spoilers (not only in/out)

 

[zachary77]

Now that's a nice idea. :tiphat:

• Thread "instrument" AKA yaw string
• Need to use coordinated rudder control up to accurate slip attitude
• Various start methods (winch, towplane, engine)
• Thermal lift
• Hill/slope lift
• Continuous spoilers (not only in/out)

Well, I’m not too sure about the other requests (kind of a newbie), but I am currently working on an engine for it. Because any protruding bits will cause drag when not used for thrust, it’s jettisoned after use. Exhaust is tilted up so it doesn’t hit the tail or fuselage. Good so far, but the thrust is not in line with the CoM, so it creates nasty pitching moments when used. Tried shifting CoP and the engine position itself, but each of these has their own problems. Any suggestions for that?

 

[Ripley]

A variometer instrument maybe?
Higher pitched beeps as you gain altitude, opposed to lower pitched ones when you loose it?

 

[zachary77]

A variometer instrument maybe?
Higher pitched beeps as you gain altitude, opposed to lower pitched ones when you loose it?

I'll look at XRSound for that

 

[Face]

Well, I’m not too sure about the other requests (kind of a newbie), but I am currently working on an engine for it. Because any protruding bits will cause drag when not used for thrust, it’s jettisoned after use. Exhaust is tilted up so it doesn’t hit the tail or fuselage. Good so far, but the thrust is not in line with the CoM, so it creates nasty pitching moments when used. Tried shifting CoP and the engine position itself, but each of these has their own problems. Any suggestions for that?

Many gliders with motor start capabilities use retractable propeller engines. You could do a simple animation deploying and stowing that arm like e.g. seen on photos here: https://www.schempp-hirth.com/en/individual/engine-options/self-launching-two-stroke-engine.html. A thruster definition without exhaust-trail and exhaust texture together with a continuous prop-animation should look nice.

Pitching moments on such machines are usually compensated by elevator trim. With most gliders being classic designs, the tail unit has ample range of stabilization trims.

 

[Notebook]

Nice looking glider!

Had a demo flight in one of these many years ago:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe_Falke

Was making my mind up choosing what to start learning to fly on.

N.

 

[zachary77]

Well, I have good news. I fixed the excessive moment issue. Still need quite a bit of pitch trim, but flyable. The reason why it happened was because of excessive thrust. And THAT was because of excessive (default) friction coefficients. To fix that I had to define them in the dll. Will post more as I test it further.

---------- Post added at 12:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:58 AM ----------

Many gliders with motor start capabilities use retractable propeller engines. You could do a simple animation deploying and stowing that arm like e.g. seen on photos here: https://www.schempp-hirth.com/en/individual/engine-options/self-launching-two-stroke-engine.html. A thruster definition without exhaust-trail and exhaust texture together with a continuous prop-animation should look nice.

Pitching moments on such machines are usually compensated by elevator trim. With most gliders being classic designs, the tail unit has ample range of stabilization trims.

I’ll need to research animations. Anyone know how the best tool to convert from sketchup? My current one dumps all the materials and groups, so can’t animate at present.

 

[zachary77]

Settled on jet engine for it. Currently working on auto trim feature. Clbkprestep is awesome

 

[Marijn]

A variometer instrument maybe?
Higher pitched beeps as you gain altitude, opposed to lower pitched ones when you loose it?

Variometers used in gliders measure gains or losses in Total Energy. Not altitude.

If you pull up, the altitude increases but the speed decreases. So there is more potential energy but less kinetic energy. The sum of these, the Total Energy, is not changed by pulling up or diving.

As a glider pilot, you want to measure the movement of the airmass itself.

However, Orbiter has no weather. So a TE variometer would always indicate zero.

 

[Urwumpe]

Damn... I know somebody had made a SB-13 addon some years ago. But I can't find it.

Or the 1988 report in a lower saxon regional TV show:

 

[Ripley]

Variometers used in gliders measure gains or losses in Total Energy. Not altitude...

Without knowing it, I was thinking about the "uncompensated" variometer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variometer#Total_energy_compensation

 

[Marijn]

Settled on jet engine for it.

Actually a fellow club member of mine owns a ASW27 which was recently modified so it has a jet engine inside the fuselage. Like this one:

I think I have a 3d model of this glider somewhere. You can have it if you are interested.

 

[Urwumpe]

About the thermals ... would it be possible to mod the wind simulation of Orbiter 2016 to simulate those?

 

[Marijn]

About the thermals ... would it be possible to mod the wind simulation of Orbiter 2016 to simulate those?

There are some threads where atmospheric effects are discussed. But it seems that a realistic implementation of atmospheric effects is outside the scope of Orbiter. And that was mainly about winds. Thermals are vertical movements affecting horizontal movements of airmasses as well, adding to the complexity.

So I don't think we can expect the implementation of thermals in Orbiter anytime soon. And I think that's fine. Atmospheric effects are at best a minor part of a space flight simulator and it's probably not worth the effort.

But who knows.

 

[Face]

So I don't think we can expect the implementation of thermals in Orbiter anytime soon.

I think it would be good enough to implement the effects directly into the vessel class. It is not necessary to have a generalized simulation of thermals in Orbiter. Ideas for implementation:

1. Detect sun angle on surface as well as texture brightness of surface directly beneath the vessel's position.
2. Use both to calculate thermal effect from a look-up table.
3. Get Orbiter's wind vector as well as terrain slope directly beneath the vessel's position.
4. Use both to calculate a slope wind effect from a look-up table.
5. Add both to get an upwind/downwind effect.

Of course that's not the perfect real-world simulation, but it could be enough to get the idea and have some fun.

 

[zachary77]

Actually a fellow club member of mine owns a ASW27 which was recently modified so it has a jet engine inside the fuselage. Like this one: ASW27-J powered by PSR T01 KS | Hoya Weser Germany - YouTube

I think I have a 3d model of this glider somewhere. You can have it if you are interested.

Yes please. My modelling skills leave much to be desired. I’d really like the model, thanks.

 

[zachary77]

Alpha V0.1 Released!

I'm happy to announce that the very first Alpha, V0.1, has been released. The zip is attached, please do report bugs!

Release Notes

Current features:

• Jet engine for launch and climb (hover thrust)
• Ballast dump (mains)
• Auto trim with [K]
• Jet only works in atmo

To-do list:

• Spoilers (from Face)
• Variometer (Ripley)
• Better mesh
• D3D9 features for said mesh
• Better jet simulation

Wishlist (might or might not, if I can figure it out):
Thermals, other launch methods and animations

Do turn off auto trim for takeoff/landing, and have fun!

zachary77

 

[zachary77]

The exhaust flame shouldn’t be there. It’ll be fixed in the next release.
Also, thanks to Hlynkacg for his excellent tutorial that I used extensively.

 

[Marijn]

Yes please. My modelling skills leave much to be desired. I’d really like the model, thanks.

Ok. I have to look for it on some old disks. One moment..