Question.: F18c reverse taxi on carrier

[delevero]

Hello.

As you all know it can be difficult to park a plane on an carrier, since there are limited space and allot of planes and stuff moving arround.

In real life they use a little tractor to pull/push planes. ( I guess )

 

since there are no tractor on the carrier in dcs and the f18c cannot taxi backwards then I can forsee some issues when people get to close to something and get "stuck" unable to move any further. This would be rather annoying especially in MP.

 

+ I like to ask will there be some kind of "cheat" feature so we can reverse the f18c or maybe a little tow tractor we can drive ?

 

+ And will it be possible on the new upcommin carrier to use the elevator and park the f18c below deck ?

 

Thank you for answer in advance.

[jrsteensen]

I'm gonna laugh a little if DCS becomes "Aircraft Tow Simulator".

 

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[Rammit]

Giving players the opportunity to push jets off boats is going to go well

[Weasel]

I don't know if a tractor is always necessary (but would be really cool if it could be requested in DCSW). In this video the pilot is taxiing without a tractor:

 

https://youtu.be/NmGDl5WS0yk

[Kang]

Maybe a ground crew option for 'push back 30 feet' or 'turn plane around 180°' isn't entirely unrealistic, though.

[Jhuss96]

I recall Wags or someone from ED mentioning they were not going to comment on carriers beyond confirming Case I, II, & III operations being implemented at some point. My guess is they are going to start working out updated carrier mechanics, I'm sure to include pushing back, after the hornet is stable & released.

[Mr_sukebe]

Would that tractor fall under the "Combined Arms" umbrella?

[aileron]

Giving players the opportunity to push jets off boats is going to go well

 

Yes but does the tow guy go with the jet over the side? If so, I don't think it will be terribly popular.

[ebabil]

I don't know if a tractor is always necessary (but would be really cool if it could be requested in DCSW). In this video the pilot is taxiing without a tractor:

 

https://youtu.be/NmGDl5WS0yk

 

he says "backwards"

[muehlema]

I don't know if a tractor is always necessary (but would be really cool if it could be requested in DCSW). In this video the pilot is taxiing without a tractor:

 

https://youtu.be/NmGDl5WS0yk

 

He is not taxiing backwards - This is due to the cable retracting while still on tailhook.

[Steel Jaw]

Maybe an option to slew like in FSX.

[Alfa]

 

+ I like to ask will there be some kind of "cheat" feature so we can reverse the f18c or maybe a little tow tractor we can drive ?

 

+ And will it be possible on the new upcommin carrier to use the elevator and park the f18c below deck ?

 

Thank you for answer in advance.

 

Don't know about the first item - good question. Aside from this particular issue, the flight deck is(as you know) a highly "orchestrated" place with lots of procedures and interaction with the deck crew and it will be interesting to see how and to what extend Eagle manages this aspect.

 

For the second question though - this is done by handlers and is actually a rather cumbersome and slow process that involves tying the aircraft down to the elevator before it descends....so letting the pilot "drive" it down to the hanger deck would not be a realistic proposition.

[firmek]

A simple solution would be the best. No need for a towing simulator. Just a simple F8 ground crew option with push back commands like: push back 1m, 2m, 5m, 10m, ..., "untill stop" and "stop" would work.

[Alfa]

A simple solution would be the best. No need for a towing simulator. Just a simple F8 ground crew option with push back commands like: push back 1m, 2m, 5m, 10m, ..., "untill stop" and "stop" would work.

 

Yeah I was thinking the same - a radio command menu(like for refuel and arming) with extended options for deck handling.

[Freeroamer]

That could also be useful for commanding the deckcrew to attach you to the catapult as well as handling pushbacks and other commands such as raising the JBDs and other things like that.

[Frederf]

Towing is always done engines-off right? Perhaps an \ F8 F5 "Begin towing" radio menu to ground crew and then your pitch-bank axes steer the tractor since you don't need them for their normal duties.

[jrsteensen]

Towing is always done engines-off right? Perhaps an \ F8 F5 "Begin towing" radio menu to ground crew and then your pitch-bank axes steer the tractor since you don't need them for their normal duties.

I think I'd prefer for ground crew to be mostly automated. Radio I'm ready for towing. They take me to the CAT, and we go through the procedure to fix the launch bar to the shuttle, test holdback, and launch.

 

It's not my job to not hit things, that why we have yellow(?) shirts.

[BavarianPilot]

Another Solution could be a option in the kneeboard to push arrows wich direction you want to push your airplane.

[muehlema]

I think the XP version of TugMaster is probably the best way to go. You basically drive the tug

 

[Bloodhound57]

Eh. I hope that we can taxi to the catapult ourselves. I do not want that simulated. Dropping the launch bar also should not be simulated.

[Revelation]

Eh. I hope that we can taxi to the catapult ourselves. I do not want that simulated. Dropping the launch bar also should not be simulated.

 

Agreed, I hope we can as well. You would need some type of ground crew lining you up, especially if a server has exterior views disabled.

[jrsteensen]

Agreed, I hope we can as well. You would need some type of ground crew lining you up, especially if a server has exterior views disabled.

I may not have been clear enough. That's exactly what I want.

 

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[Frederf]

I think I'd prefer for ground crew to be mostly automated. Radio I'm ready for towing. They take me to the CAT, and we go through the procedure to fix the launch bar to the shuttle, test holdback, and launch.

 

It's not my job to not hit things, that why we have yellow(?) shirts.

 

That's not how real F-18s operate I don't think. Tractor towing is on deck into a spot where they start engines and self-propel toward the catapult. The tractor destination should usually be well clear of the launch and recovery areas.

 

Automated tractor pathing sounds like a bad idea as the deck situation is highly variable and the operators often untrained. A user-directed tractor can adapt and react to various situations much better than an algorithm.

[jrsteensen]

That's not how real F-18s operate I don't think. Tractor towing is on deck into a spot where they start engines and self-propel toward the catapult. The tractor destination should usually be well clear of the launch and recovery areas.

 

Automated tractor pathing sounds like a bad idea as the deck situation is highly variable and the operators often untrained. A user-directed tractor can adapt and react to various situations much better than an algorithm.

I misspoke. I intended to say that I would want to be taken to the engine start location, i.e. no backing up reqd, then can startup and taxi per normal. Maybe with deck crew directing me.

 

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[Sierra99]

The only time tugs are used is prior to a launch when spotting aircraft for sequencing...

 

Aircraft are taxied around the flight deck all the time..