Community A-4E

Community A-4E November Update

 

Great news! :thumbup:

Good day Gentlemen,

 

As most of us know the A-4E does not have a steerable nose wheel, does the SFM allow for differential braking? I am sorry if this was under discusion already, I must have missed it somewhere. I can't wait to get this beauty in the air! I know the typical aggressor configuration is not planned, but will we have the option to mount or dismount the weapons pylons? (Clean wings).

 

-Woog

There is an AFC for nosewheel steering, that could be applied to the A-4E, as gyrovague mentioned. We don't yet know whether gyrovague's code will work or not, and it's helpful to have a realistic fallback explanation.

Some A-4E received it, though as I understand, they were mostly USMC squadrons using land bases in Chu Lai.

Some A-4F had their nosewheel steering removed (via a different AFC) for carrier use, because it tended to break. The free-castoring nosewheel was ultimately more reliable.

As to removing the pylons, we're not currently planning on that being an option.

--gos

Maybe this has been answered already, but insofar as you have been creating the A4, have you guys created a "best practices" document that you might be able to release for other modders to follow in your footsteps? I know I personally plan to dissect everything I can discover once the A4 is released but finding information about _how_ to mod DCS could be helped by a project like this. By and large I have compiled plenty of my own information but I am just one person--I would love to hear that the A4 team has not only made an aircraft but a set of documents that would help the community create more aircraft in the future.

Don't get me wrong, I fully understand that creating an aircraft is a huge undertaking--what is most frustrating though is the lack of documentation about how things in DCS work.

Maybe this has been answered already, but insofar as you have been creating the A4, have you guys created a "best practices" document that you might be able to release for other modders to follow in your footsteps? I know I personally plan to dissect everything I can discover once the A4 is released but finding information about _how_ to mod DCS could be helped by a project like this. By and large I have compiled plenty of my own information but I am just one person--I would love to hear that the A4 team has not only made an aircraft but a set of documents that would help the community create more aircraft in the future.

 

Don't get me wrong, I fully understand that creating an aircraft is a huge undertaking--what is most frustrating though is the lack of documentation about how things in DCS work.

We would like to give back to the community, beyond just the mod.

We are still figuring out how we might do so. Our most recent idea is maybe an addendum to the awesome BGDAM which was what we used to get started.

A few of us have also written various blog posts or howtos for certain things, but you'd likely have to scour the forums to find each one. If we go the addendum route, maybe we'll include a link to all those works as well.

--gos

We would like to give back to the community, beyond just the mod.

 

We are still figuring out how we might do so. Our most recent idea is maybe an addendum to the awesome BGDAM which was what we used to get started.

 

A few of us have also written various blog posts or howtos for certain things, but you'd likely have to scour the forums to find each one. If we go the addendum route, maybe we'll include a link to all those works as well.

 

--gos

That's pretty much exactly what I'd be looking for! Very much looking forward to it. Thanks! Just consolidating all of the information would be a great start(and is what the BGDAM attempted to do).

What will the policy be on using the A4 as a base for other aircraft? Like say I wanted to make a different jet, that had similar equipment, would you be upset if your code was re-used, tweaked for the appropriate numbers(and the correct art), and added any systems that aren't native to the A4?

That's pretty much exactly what I'd be looking for! Very much looking forward to it. Thanks! Just consolidating all of the information would be a great start(and is what the BGDAM attempted to do).

 

What will the policy be on using the A4 as a base for other aircraft? Like say I wanted to make a different jet, that had similar equipment, would you be upset if your code was re-used, tweaked for the appropriate numbers(and the correct art), and added any systems that aren't native to the A4?

I think that in general, we would prefer it if this didn't happen.

cant wait

I could see a chaff-dispenser panel in your teasers, left of the gun-sight panel. Will the A-4E also have a radar warning receiver and a flare-dispenser?

I could see a chaff-dispenser panel in your teasers, left of the gun-sight panel. Will the A-4E also have a radar warning receiver and a flare-dispenser?

From other documents, we know that the A-4E and A-4F with the avionics hump had both chaff dispensers and a primitive RWR capability to let pilots know SA-2 sites were locking them, to aid in both situational awareness and Shrike deployment. However, documentation on countermeasures, RWR, and ECM are all classified, so what we're implementing is an educated guess.

As such, we've implemented a small chaff dispenser that can optionally be loaded with flares with a 2:1 size penalty. (Options are 60 chaff, 30 chaff + 15 flares, or 30 flares). We have no proof at this time that flares were an option, but for gameplay purposes it's nice. We plan to integrate the countermeasure counter display into the left console object as has been seen in videos and screenshots so far.

As to RWR, we don't yet know what we'll be able to implement without access to the SDK. This is ultimately the same limitation that impacts our Shrike implementation too.

--gos

Out of interest, what did you find the BGDAM was lacking for you Hedhunta? Apart from the brevity in certain sections, it's all there, it's a very broad topic. I'm interested in what people think they don't know as I'm collecting the information as I go. Everytime I come across a useful post I've noted it, but these mostly expand on my original misunderstanding of something the doc mentioned.

That's pretty much exactly what I'd be looking for! Very much looking forward to it. Thanks! Just consolidating all of the information would be a great start(and is what the BGDAM attempted to do).

 

What will the policy be on using the A4 as a base for other aircraft? Like say I wanted to make a different jet, that had similar equipment, would you be upset if your code was re-used, tweaked for the appropriate numbers(and the correct art), and added any systems that aren't native to the A4?

Out of interest, what did you find the BGDAM was lacking for you Hedhunta? Apart from the brevity in certain sections, it's all there, it's a very broad topic. I'm interested in what people think they don't know as I'm collecting the information as I go. Everytime I come across a useful post I've noted it, but these mostly expand on my original misunderstanding of something the doc mentioned.

Specifically it is very light on Cockpit related items. Most of what I have figured out about creating gauges and switches has been from looking at the code and experimenting. It would be cool if there was a document explaining how to go from completed 3D Cockpit model to working in-game so for example:

Basic animation guide that explains what parameters each animation should have for different types of devices and switches such as knobs, 2 and 3 position switches, rotary switches, rotary gauges and on/off style gauges and how they are related to the code. And possibly how that relates to external animations.

Guide for all the known hard-coded animation arguments that exist now-currently the only list available is very old and some of the arguments don't work or have changed how they work.

Guide for all of the collision, damage, and bounding box's..specifically how to place all of the "extra" things like gun ports, wheel smoke, etc. I believe this is in the BDGAM but the list of the available things to put on the aircraft and how/where to place them is not very detailed.

Maybe some basic systems tutorials for creating working systems and how they relate to the clickable functions in the code.

I'm sure there is more but like you I have learned most of my stuff from reading the scattered threads over and over and it would be nice if it was all centralized.

@ gospadin: According to German wikipedia the A-4 (version is not specified) was equipped with 2 Tracor AN/ALE-29A countermeasures dispensing sets with 30 cartridges each. The cartridges have a diameter of 36 mm and the dispensers were loaded with RR-129 chaff cartridges or MJU-8/B flares. The dispensers were installed in the lower rear of the A-4 (markings in the attached picture?).

Passive countermeasures were provided by up to 3 Itek AN/APR-25-ESM pods with a radar-warning sensor each or by up to 4 Litton AN/ALR-45C(V)-ESM pods with a radar-warning sensor each.

I don’t know how reliable this data is and if it is of any interest for you. The source of this info can be found here: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-4#Selbstverteidigung

The dispensers are already modelled in the external model (and working), and the APR 25 control panel is also already present in our cockpit :)

And one of the dispenser is located near the tailhook end, as you can see (barely) here: http://i.imgur.com/WNTjkt2.jpg. The skyhawk of your thumbnail is an F variant.

The dispensers are already modelled in the external model (and working), and the APR 25 control panel is also already present in our cockpit :)

 

And one of the dispenser is located near the tailhook end, as you can see (barely) here: http://i.imgur.com/WNTjkt2.jpg. The skyhawk of your thumbnail is an F variant.

Thanks for your reply! Nice to hear it's already working. :thumbup:

Actually, the screenshot is a Brazilian A-4KU, which was an A-4M variant. The square windshield and the horizontal tabs on the vertical stabilizer (and the Brazilian roundel) give it away. =P

While we would love to do an A-4M, it requires even more SDK features than our A-4E.

--gos

Right, I only checked the nose and the probe when looking at the picture.

The A-4E variant is OK for me. Can't wait to fly it. :D

wow its amazing and really free?!?!? at least open paypal account if anyone wants to donate you guys totaly deserve it!

keep up with the good work

when you'll finish with that whats the next target? maybe phantom? (plzzzzzz)

wow its amazing and really free?!?!? at least open paypal account if anyone wants to donate you guys totaly deserve it!

keep up with the good work

when you'll finish with that whats the next target? maybe phantom? (plzzzzzz)

Yes, we will release the A-4E for free.

We do not want any money to exchange hands for this work, even donations, though we appreciate the thought.

Future plans (whether as a team or individually) are still up in the air at this point. Everyone is focused on finishing up the A-4E at this point, as there's still a ton of work to do. Modeling, animations, texturing, new weapons, systems code, sound, etc.

--gos

Yes, we will release the A-4E for free.

 

We do not want any money to exchange hands for this work, even donations, though we appreciate the thought.

 

Future plans (whether as a team or individually) are still up in the air at this point. Everyone is focused on finishing up the A-4E at this point, as there's still a ton of work to do. Modeling, animations, texturing, new weapons, systems code, sound, etc.

 

--gos

is there anything i (and the rest of the community) can help?

is there anything i (and the rest of the community) can help?

patience and well wishes are sufficient =P

patience and well wishes are sufficient =P

Ah, so you're asking the impossible then. :smartass:

Ah, so you're asking the impossible then. :smartass:

Not quite impossible, more like "Christmas Miracle" level. :thumbup:

Not quite impossible, more like "Christmas Miracle" level. :thumbup:

Christmas release confirmed.

Man if this was released for xmas I think Id have to call out sick from work and just fly for hours. This would be AWESOME! just saying!