Pushback-/Tow-tractor

[berk.kp]

It would be really nice to have a pushback option or a towtruck, because except the Viggen and helicopters of course no other aircraft is capable of taxiing backward. A pushback option would be very useful for more "precise parking", or even to have the option to reverse-park your aircraft into an hardened shelter so you can get it out after. Other uses would be pulling your aircraft back onto the taxiway after overshooting it, pulling it out of the mud. Also it would be very useful on carrier decks, especially in multiplayer. A simple option to reverse the aircraft and steer left or right with any kind of key binding would be nice (or you could use the radio menu interface). Of course one could go further and add animated tow trucks which actually move you. Never the less, I think we really need it, it would make things certainly a lot more convinient. I'd really like to hear the opinion of the ED staff here.

[StormBat]

+1

 

I would like this as well as an option, and it makes it more helpful/realistic with big groups landing at areas where backing up and being able to guide it as well would be wonderful. Imagine backing into a hanger, or out of one. I know not a Priority, but maybe a seed planted for the long future road-map?

[sirrah]

It would be really nice to have a pushback option or a towtruck, because except the Viggen and helicopters of course no other aircraft is capable of taxiing backward.

 

Don't forget the AV-8B ;)

 

Anyways.. a push back option would be very helpfull indeed. Would have saved me from having to do many 360 turns in the Tomcat :P

[Mr_sukebe]

If this isn’t included in the capabilities of the new carriers, I’ll be disappointed

[Fri13]

The DCS should have a dynamic ground crew.

 

Each aircraft has a static locations for the corresponding crew members, vehicles and all.

And then when the aircraft is parked, the chocks gets inserted by the crew and you can't move anymore easily until removed.

 

On the moment one sets the parking breaks, or holds down the breaks, the ground crew will move near the aircraft and position themselves in the attitude of the aircraft, and all animations etc can be performed correctly as it is relation to the aircraft attitude than the ground position.

 

This would allow the ground crew to perform the tasks at any given parking slot, even on the roads or even fields even (MiG's, Sukhoi's, Harrier and Viggen).

 

On the roads and airfields there would be several different vehicles for towing. A truck, a tractor and a tow-tractor.

 

Some of those (truck, tractor) would operate in the airfields correct paths, taxi ways, runways etc, with a little dynamics there, so example they can be used to come and pull you away from the runway after wheel damage or engine malfunction, or simply facing a building/tree etc. You would request the reverse or front direction.

 

The actual tow-tractor would be for carriers and taxiways as well the bunkers etc. Those used for pulling out, position you to correct location or even correct parking slot, all the typical common daily operations with those.

 

Examples of my point. The yellow boxes are the areas for corresponding ground crew personnel and equipment, vehicles etc. I don't know the correct ones etc so just the idea.

The red lines are the path routes for the ground crew elements, personnel moving those routes or equipment/vehicles moving those routes like a civilian cars now move on the roads or AI taxiis etc.

 

 

The problem in that is if player doesn't align the aircraft correctly on the parking slot, then the animations don't work right if it is based to parking slot locations. A personnel or equipment would walk through the aircraft and other silly animations would happen or failure of the tasks. And what can the pilot then do if failed in the first place? Sure the pilot would hear about the bad behavior toward ground crew and failed procedures, but just make the coder work and virtual pilots life easier.

 

 

But making the ground crew part of the invisible position of the vehicles, then no matter which way the aircraft is parked, all the ground crew animations would operate.

 

Now there is the little extra possibilities like the aircraft needs to be on the parking slot, within 15 degree correct angle etc rules before ground crew accepts the services. Otherwise there comes just the towing truck to drive you around and park you on correct position.

That towing tractor coding is even more difficult as it needs to have little dynamics in it, so it knows how to get around the place.

 

Then the same thing can be applied for all the other services. Like a firefighters who would drive at max speed to crashed aircraft and position correctly around it and perform the emergency procedures etc. No matter how your aircraft is on the ground, they would be at correct places and ranges.

 

It would be the module developers task to position the ground crew equipment and personnel, as well then their skinning and final animations for example the missile carriage operations (under correct wing and one pylon there, up/down movement on the elevator and back). No need to go tricky where each pylon is done, just that there is at least some pylon being operated and handled for rearming procedure.

 

The most important ones really would have the corresponding ground vehicles and equipment, so no western ones for red side vehicles etc. And then based to the airfield side, the equipment and personnel would change based that as well.

 

But point is that you would see a generators, a refueling truck and pipes and hoses around, missile carriages, ladders, signal officers and ground grew moving under your wings and so on.

 

In the longer distance of the future, one could even see a ground crew person to climb up the ladders to assist you in cockpit opening/closing, but that could be a very freaky moment with staring eyes :megalol:

[Andrew8604]

The DCS should have a dynamic ground crew.

 

 

But point is that you would see a generators, a refueling truck and pipes and hoses around, missile carriages, ladders, signal officers and ground grew moving under your wings and so on.

 

 

 

 

At the least, I'd like to see static vehicles for various airbase ground support equipment. It looks as if the new supercarrier will have some of these.

 

 

Right now, the A-4E-C module has a portable starter cart/pod with hose that connects to the correct place on the aircraft. I would like to see this type of ground equipment for all aircraft that require it. It could be static objects with dynamic hose interaction, or dynamic vehicles. Some way that you can see the ground support equipment and even an animated crew chief and 1 or 2 other ground support personnel giving hand/arm signals. They would have to be linked to individual modules, too. This would make it feel more like a "live" airbase instead of a "ghost town" airbase. But at least more static US Air Base ground support vehicles that we can place in Mission Editor...especially US vehicles from different periods in time. The F-86F would probably not be serviced by the same vehicles as an F-4 Phantom. Although a Phantom II might use the same equipment as an F-5E. Some of these static object appear in NTTR Map, but we don't seem to be able to place them where we want them. They are Map objects, I guess.

[Nealius]

Back when the Hornet entered EA, Wags implied that pushback/tractors were in the works. Radio silence since then.

[Northstar98]

+ absolutely 1

 

It would be such a useful feature, especially on the new carrier module.

[Tippis]

Who needs pushback when you have GAU-8 + ground safety off. :P

 

 

But yes, just a form of recovery akin to (or as a part of) aircraft repair to get you back on solid ground would be an immense improvement — if it could also point you in a slightly useful direction, it would be golden.