anfieldroad Posted January 9, 2022 Posted January 9, 2022 Hi, As part of an upcoming historically authentic mosquito campaign I want to have a virtual instructor. In the scenario, as was historically the case for the squadron I am representing missions from the pilots were moving from single engined RAF Mustangs to Mosquitos which, being twin engined, required a lot of training before the squadron could become combat operational. What I would like is, on top of the usual "click here" with the highlight box and voice files to explain, is to do what every student has to do in reality, watch an instructor 'demonstrate'. Now I can manipulate instruments, controls and switches using the usual cockpit parameters, devices and controls, but can I actually control the aircraft using 'automation'? The first thing that springs to mind is to manipulate the the controls using scripting. It would mean monitoring in a loop the parameters for things like rate of climb/descent, speed, bank angle, slip ball and heading and incrementing and decrementing cockpit axis parameters in order to achieve the result. For example - the specific scenario I want to demonstrate is an assymetric flight with an engine failure in cruise flight. The virtual instructor takes over - somehow I need to disable all ability for the player to manage the axes of the aircraft but lets figure that out later. The script loops checking the above listed parameters and increments and decrements them at FIXED throttle and Prop RPM settings, we need a constant as the pitch will be manipulated to control climb/descent for level flight. Heading will be set by controlling bank angle with a fixed maximum bank angle and an automatically calculated bank angle that reduces depending on the difference between current heading and the intended heading to roll out on. Rudder can be manipulated left or right to center the ball so that it sets +/- 5-10% or so from center with the instrument reading between -1 and +1. These sound straightforward enough, right? We haven't mentioned altitude yet but we can figure that part later as it is not necessarily needed. Level flight is the intention here. Once we have stable flight we can begin with a demonstration with instrument/switch highlights when needed. As we would do in the real world of instructing we will demonstrate an engine failure and what to expect so we'll pull power and it will be the right 'non-critical' engine. As we want to demonstrate the effects we won't be monitoring slip ball or bank angle. The aircraft will begin yawing and rolling to the left, the 'instructor' explaining with VO what is going on and pointing out the importance of maintaining an airspeed above Minimum Control Airspeed or VMCA aka 'blue line' as we call it in today. Then we enable monitoring of slip ball and bank angle with the bank angle now set to 5 degrees to the right and the VO explaining this.. The power will be increased to the left engine, all along with the VO explaining that in reality we would push power and RPM up on both engines and identify the dead engine by which foot is not doing anything confirming this with throttle and instrument indications. The VO will explain how the airspeed is starting to bleed and the rudder is reaching limits so we now would feather the dead engine. At this point the instructor ends that demonstration by pushing power back up on the 'dead' engine. Once stable parameters are re-attained control is handed back to the student sans the right throttle axis (if we can disable axes from human control that is). The 'instructor' pulls the power to idle on the right engine and the student repeats what was demonstrated. The 'instructor' is now monitoring parameters and can advise what should be done ie "watch your bank angle" or "Step on the ball! More right rudder!". We could have a trigger that after x seconds if the right engine is not feathered a verbal warning occurs, or if the parameters go out such as airspeed decreasing towards minimum tolerable airspeed the control is taken back and power is returned and stable flight re-attained. No instructor in real life will let a student bleed off airspeed towards VMCA so we shouldn't here either. My aim is as authentic as possible a feeling of actually being instructed. If the above can be done imagine what this could mean for DCS as a training tool or for players to really get a sense of learning something as part of a story driven campaign? Thoughts?
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