Jself

coming in next update. Wags released a youtube video today on it

yep..I want to se the basket flapping around like it does IRL

vCSG-3 is recruiting Tomcat and Hornet pilots/RIOs. We have four full squadrons in our airwing (3 Hornet and 1 Tomcat) with well over 50 active members. We have 2 dedicated servers that run 24hrs and several other member servers available. Each Squadron has 2 training nights a week and most fly casually daily. We're ramping up for deployment soon so we're looking for pilots that already somewhat know their way around the jet. You don't have to be perfect at everything, we still have time to train you up. We have a very active discord and a great group from all walks of life. We currently have openings for: 5 Hornet drivers 1 Tomcat driver 5 Tomcat RIOs Stop by our website or discord and check us out. Most training flights start at 8pm Est. https://vcsg3.com/ https://discord.gg/DxaBQ7b

I noticed the same thing as well. Then the wing lights on the tanker are blinding trying to use NVGs. Nighttime refueling is a cluster right now. I oddest thing is it works sometimes... We did a flight of 3 a couple days ago and 1 had working probe light the other 2 did not.

But it does work sometimes...

Is the refueling probe light bugged? My squadron is having issues getting it come on consistently. We’ve tried every combination of external lights switch and day/nite/NVG switch on the right console. Sometimes it comes on and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s off more than it’s on. It will work for some and not others on the same flight. Anyone else having this issue?

I used Onshape. I think with the free accounts, all the projects are public, so you can probably get in there and search for it. If not, PM me your user name and I think I can share it with you. I will warn you ,they are a mess. I was teaching myself CAD along the way and especially those first few panels (DDIs) are not done very well. Way too many sketches/extrudes. I didn't mirror the right side to left before I designed a lot of detail into the right side. There are actually 2 parts studios (One has right and center and the other has all 3 sections, but just the left side is good). But even then I think I used some of the parts from the other studio... I'm not even sure if I can remember what I did...lol. If you just needed to design supports it probably wouldn't be too bad. MY export options are: Parasolid ACIS STEP IGES Solidworks Collada Rhino GLTF STL If anyone of those would be better, let me know and I'll add them to the google drive

No hand controllers. I scaled the UFC that Brun designed off the buttons I wanted to use, then based everything else off that from the NATOPS fold outs. It does take a little fiddling with the VR center when you first get in to get it positioned right. But once that is set I can usually get close enough to feel the button/knob/switch very quickly with very little feeling around. I typically base it off the DDI Day/night knobs. If I can reach out and those two are in the right place, then I know I'm good to go. The Thrustmaster MFDs are more narrow than the Hornet DDIs, so even if you get everything centered up right, the outer column of buttons on those are not far enough to the outside, I end up reaching for them and hitting the Master/arm or spin panel. It didn't take long to develop some muscle memory and I don't even realize it now. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. It way more immersive than fiddling with the mouse. I can hand jam way points much faster now, its awesome to be able to reach down and click up the CM bypass switch when a sam launched at you and you forgot to do that during fence in.

I had it with the face parallel to the bed (face up). It still didn't turn out great, but out of the 3 ways I tried it, this was the best. The support is a HUGE PITA to remove. I used the experimental Tree support (in CURA) the last time I printed it and it was much easier to remove (still a PITA). I did everything at .2mm layer height. There isn't enough detail in the Z axis of any of the parts to go any smaller than that with layer height

Is anyone else having issues with the first mission?? I can unload every gun round into one of the Su-25s and it won't go down... smoke is flying off it, parts falling off but I can't down it. I've ran it 10 times and I either run out of ammo before downing even 1 or get killed by a heater from the 2nd plane. I've never had a problem with gun kills before. I set up a simple scenario in ME with a single F-18 and an SU-25 and I can down it with 2-3 solid gun bursts easily.

Thank you!!

No, I just printed images off the web and put them under a clear plastic sheet... they are convincing though !

paypal is jself1@gmail.com - not necessary, but appreciated

I had 3 tries at it before I was happy(ish). I ended up with it face up, parallel to the bed and used Tree supports in Cura. It was much easier to clear them out than with standard supports.

This is the first one, I did re print several of the panel faces once I settled on the raised text method. I'm keeping it for my own use, no intention of making any for anyone else...Its a time suck and I would have to charge way more than anyone would want to pay to cover my time.

Here is a link to my Google drive with all the STL files, Arduino sketches and the start of my documentation. I'm still working on cleaning up the wiring diagrams , I'll try and have those uploaded soon https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CxYMFzfWFkWKXHwS2IiQCrdIfeTMGgU4?usp=sharing

I got the last couple bugs worked out and the panel mounted. Its 100% functional and I'm very please with the way it turned out. Its definitely not a 1:1 Hornet replica, but it's close enough to get all the controls within reach in VR..exactly what I intended. I"m working up a parts list and documentation. I'll post links to those just as soon as I get them completed. Again, shout out to Brun for inspiring me and providing the UFC design for this project.

I figured it out...was missing an '_' in the valueup line

I've built a complete front cockpit and need some help with the default.lua to make it work properly. Basically the guarded switches. I have a single button that I would like to make hold the guards open while the button is held. Once the button is released then the guard would close. I thought this should do it but it isn't working. It will open the guard, but releasing the button does not make it close: { down = ctrl_commands.SpinRecCover, up = ctrl_commands.SpinRecCover, cockpit_device_id = devices.CONTROL_INTERFACE, valuedown = 0.0, valueup = 1.0, name = ('ALT Spin Recovery Switch Cover - OPEN/CLOSE'), category = {('Special For Joystick'), ('Instrument Panel')}} { down = engines_commands.LENG_FireSwCover_ITER, cockpit_device_id = devices.ENGINES_INTERFACE, value_down = 0.0, valueup=1.0, name = _('Left Engine/AMAD Fire Warning/Extinguisher Light Cover - OPEN/CLOSE'), category = {_('Instrument Panel')}}, { down = engines_commands.RENG_FireSwCover_ITER, cockpit_device_id = devices.ENGINES_INTERFACE, value_down = 0.0, valueup=1.0, name = _('Right Engine/AMAD Fire Warning/Extinguisher Light Cover - OPEN/CLOSE'), category = {_('Instrument Panel')}},

If everything goes well.. I'll write up some documentation and publish the stl files in ~2 weeks. I will say, with the way I designed it to mount to my pit, it may be slightly challenging to get it mounted another way. I designed all the access to the panels form the rear..I should've done it from the front. Too late now.. lol

I think I'm down to the home stretch... I got my printer running well again and reprinted the UFC..it looked awful the first time.. I got the raised text/color change figured out, so I'll be reprinting the spin and master arm panel faces. The UFC is wired, most of the LEDs are wired. I'm hoping to have the front panel finished, wired and mounted to my pit by this time next week. Its coming together nicely. The MFDs are just sitting in place. They are not bolted down yet..that is why they are little crooked. I have 1 bad LED in the UFC round switches but I didn't order a spare, so I'm stuck with it now.

I've been having some issues with my printer so progress has been slow the last week or so. I think I got it straightened out so we should be back to knocking parts out. I did get the UFC structure and the UFC printed. I may try the UFC again since I got the kinks worked out of my printer. I'm not super happy with the way it turned out. I also redesigned the HUD Panel face with the txt a little deeper. I'll print that at some point as well. Still waiting on the yellow square buttons...ignore the 2 remaining green ones for now

I tried painting them but wasn't happy with the results. I just took a white crayon and rubbed it pretty hard over the lettering. The waxy type substance of the crayon will fill the gap made by the lettering. You can wipe off about 95% of the excess with a rag and you're left with the white text. I couldn't get it 100% off but its good enough for me

Design is complete:

I've gone back and forth on the text. I ended up at 1.5mm deep text and then the color is a white crayon rubbed into the groove. It is much brighter than paint. Its not coming off rest of the parts as well as I would like, but its good enough. Gives it a bit of a worn look. A 3D print is never going to look like like a laser etched acrylic panel. I got the right side completed and am printing the structure that will hold Braun's UFC design. I'll work on the UFC next and then start the lower panels. I messed up the UFC I already had printed. I left it outside to dry after painting and the sun was hot enough to deform it pretty severely. I"ll have to print it again. I was able to come up with a way to activate the guard opening on the spin recovery switch. I couldn't figure out a way to recognize it closing, but this will have to do. I may be able to do it with an else statement in the lua. If anyone knows the code for that I would greatly appreciate it.