3-position command for the flaps

[Naquaii]

Yes I have but what about making 2-position command, flaps up-down? I really want to use the flaps switch on the throttle.

 

If it's a three position switch, just set the two end positions as flaps up and down respectively, that's what I do on my WH.

[fat creason]

I wasn't talking about the drag value, I was talking about the actual tube damage model fat creason announced for the hotfix.

 

Regards,

 

Snappy

 

The damage model is in there, just made a few more small tweaks to it that will show up in the next update, but it is mostly complete in current OB.

[Snappy]

Ok, thank you fat creason for replying so quickly! Appreciate it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Snappy

[royphsle]

If it's a three position switch, just set the two end positions as flaps up and down respectively, that's what I do on my WH.

 

That's not a good solution, much better with a 2 or 3-position command for the flaps axis.

[Spiceman]

What would the three positions be, given that the F-14 only has two flap positions?

[draconus]

That's not a good solution, much better with a 2 or 3-position command for the flaps axis.

 

Head to the mods subforum. I'm sure you'll get what you want with some lua modifications.

[Vertigo72]

What would the three positions be, given that the F-14 only has two flap positions?

 

I think he wants one position to move the flaps further down, the other to move them further up, when the center not moving them. Which of course implies we must be able to set them in any arbitrary position like the maneuvering flaps. What difference that makes is kinda beyond me too though.

[Spiceman]

I think he wants one position to move the flaps further down, the other to move them further up, when the center not moving them. Which of course implies we must be able to set them in any arbitrary position like the maneuvering flaps. What difference that makes is kinda beyond me too though.

 

That's the whole thing... the F-14's flaps don't have an intermediate position. As soon as you come off the micro switch by moving the flap handle a couple degrees, the flaps move from full up to full down. There is no intermediate position for the flaps. The flap *handle* can be left in any position between up and down, but the flaps will always either be fully up or fully down.

 

The flap handle could very well have just been a two-position toggle switch in real life. It's not because the F-14 is a very mechanical system and there was a physical interlock between the wing sweep and the flap handle which prevented the flap handle from physically being moved if the wings were aft of 50 degrees.

[Vertigo72]

As soon as you come off the micro switch by moving the flap handle a couple degrees, the flaps move from full up to full down. There is no intermediate position for the flaps. The flap *handle* can be left in any position between up and down, but the flaps will always either be fully up or fully down. .

 

Ah! that wasnt clear to me.. I didnt know the handle really just triggered a microswitch and any position inbetween had no effect. I wonder if others understood that. Not sure what would need to be changed in the F14 module then. Seems a bit pointless to mimic a flap lever position that does nothing? Might a well do that for the gear or carrier hook levers too, Im guessing a pilot could also hold those levers in some inbetween position that really didnt do anything. Is anyone going to bind an analog control of their hotas to the gear lever then?

 

I would much prefer if HB can spend their time on far more useful things. Like Jester using the lantirn.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Vertigo72

[Spiceman]

Yes, we’ve been having that discussion. There’s just no application for a flap axis mapping for the Tomcat.

[captain_dalan]

Has this been confirmed by actual documentaion? As in the manual we have:

 

"Flaps down greater than 10° enables the

wheels warning light interlock, and greater than 25°

enables direct lift control"

 

Which seams to imply that states between 10 and 25 degrees are possible? :huh:

 

[Spiceman]

Those interlocks exist because the flap handle can be lowered as long as the wings are greater than 50 degrees. The flaps, however, will not completely deploy until the wings come all the way forward. So while the pilot can only select flaps up or flaps down, the flaps have various stages of deployment. Our SME crew consists of avionics techs and electricians who maintained the system, rigged the flaps, adjusted the micro switches I mentioned, and were turn-qual’ed on the Tomcat and operated the flaps literally hundreds of times.

[Falby]

F-15s liked to drag the Tomcat high and use their superior thrust to gain an advantage. An off-the-books tactic we used to counter this was to manually extend the wings to the fullest, then incrementally lower the flaps beyond the normal maneuver setting. It was hugely successful, but the danger was that the flap torque tubes were not designed for this and could become stuck.

 

An excerpt from an article by an F 14 pilot

 

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27889/confessions-of-a-navy-f-14-fleet-pilot-turned-f-5-aggressor.

 

Now I'm even more confused!

[Spiceman]

He may very well be saying that he dropped the flap handle, which would indeed drop the main flaps. That does not contradict anything said here.

[draconus]

Yes, we’ve been having that discussion. There’s just no application for a flap axis mapping for the Tomcat.

 

I have it binded as axis and it works well - I just use it either full up or full down.

Edited June 14, 2020 by draconus

[Vertigo72]

F-15s liked to drag the Tomcat high and use their superior thrust to gain an advantage. An off-the-books tactic we used to counter this was to manually extend the wings to the fullest, then incrementally lower the flaps beyond the normal maneuver setting. It was hugely successful, but the danger was that the flap torque tubes were not designed for this and could become stuck.

 

An excerpt from an article by an F 14 pilot

 

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/27889/confessions-of-a-navy-f-14-fleet-pilot-turned-f-5-aggressor.

 

Now I'm even more confused!

 

Maybe they "toggled" the microswitch to keep the flaps constantly moving back and forth in an inbetween position?

[Falby]

Whatever he meant I'm playing safe and just using them full up or full down!

[Spiceman]

I think what some guys used to do is override the CADC by using the emergency wingsweep handle and driving the wings full forward so that they could drop full flaps or drive them forward of 50 degrees to get main flaps.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Spiceman

[Falby]

Wouldn't the maneuver flaps be the way to go? At least they would retract automatically as speed increased.

[Spiceman]

Yeah that’s why they talk about how much skill it took. Once you raise that handle, you are solely responsible for the wing position and there’s no failsafe. Drive them too far forward and go too fast and you could break all kinds of stuff.

[royphsle]

I understand the flaps in the Tomcat better now, and I hope HB can make a 2-position command, flaps up-down.

[royphsle]

Hi Heatblur Simulations, would you make a 2-position command for the flaps in the Tomcat as I wrote about earlier? I really want to use a 2-position switch for the flaps like you have done with the arresting hook!  

[Cab]

22 hours ago, royphsle said:

Hi Heatblur Simulations, would you make a 2-position command for the flaps in the Tomcat as I wrote about earlier? I really want to use a 2-position switch for the flaps like you have done with the arresting hook!  

Aren't there already a "Flaps Up" and "Flaps Down" key bindings?

[Jackjack171]

28 minutes ago, Cab said:

Aren't there already a "Flaps Up" and "Flaps Down" key bindings?

Yes, it is.

[royphsle]

Not a ON/OFF command.