Problem Tanker Single Player

[Tritolo41]

After the latest update, tanker does not maintain the circular pattern. Does not maintain altitude with continuous changes in direction and does not keep a stable circular pattern.

[buur]

not only tankers. Seems that the orbit task is a kind of broken.

Before the planes do a real circle. Now they do more an oval.

[KevinAu]

This is besides the point of the circular orbit function being broken, but tankers should be flying racetracks, not circular patterns. That would be a lot of work to be tanking while flying in a continuous circle.

[Tom P]

Are the tankers set up like this. And still having issues?

1) tanker start point at 15,000ft at 0.65 mach. Waypoint 1 set the same.

2) starting waypoint function set to orbit race-track. Set up 15,000ft at 0.65 mach

See if that helps.

[buur]

vor 22 Minuten schrieb Tom P:

Are the tankers set up like this. And still having issues?

1) tanker start point at 15,000ft at 0.65 mach. Waypoint 1 set the same.

2) starting waypoint function set to orbit race-track. Set up 15,000ft at 0.65 mach

See if that helps.

have you checked if the tanker is flying a real circle with your settings? Or is the tanker flying a short straight line?

[Tom P]

6 minutes ago, buur said:

have you checked if the tanker is flying a real circle with your settings? Or is the tanker flying a short straight line?

I haven't played dcs in a couple days but last I checked all my tankers were still doing what I have them set up to do. Which is a racetrack orbit

[buur]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Tom P:

I haven't played dcs in a couple days but last I checked all my tankers were still doing what I have them set up to do. Which is a racetrack orbit

ok, this thread is about circular pattern.

[Tom P]

1 hour ago, buur said:

ok, this thread is about circular pattern.

Ok, OP also stated the tanker does not maintain altitude or direction. So I gave him something to test out as well to see if that works as a solution. Could make it a small racetrack. Who tanks in a circle pattern. 

[Tom P]

I tested what OP claimed, "After the latest update, tanker does not maintain the circular pattern. Does not maintain altitude with continuous changes in direction and does not keep a stable circular pattern."
The KC-135, MPRS, KC-130, and S-3B Tanker all maintained their circular orbit, maintained a constant altitude, continued their course and kept a stable circular pattern.

Only thing I did not test was the IL-78 as 4 tankers all behaved the same way, and I did not test me trying to hook up as I did not set up my hotas. Again I would recommend setting them up in a racetrack pattern instead of a constant bank.
 Tanker circle orbit test(S-3B).trkTanker circle orbit test(MPRS).trkTanker circle orbit test(KC-135).trkTanker circle orbit test(KC-130).trk

Edited December 28, 2024 by Tom P

[buur]

Did again a test and cannot reproduce my own results from yesterday. So I'm wondering now.

[jaz85]

On 12/27/2024 at 6:02 AM, Tritolo41 said:

After the latest update, tanker does not maintain the circular pattern. Does not maintain altitude with continuous changes in direction and does not keep a stable circular pattern.

I have also noticed this in circular orbits and also with when the tanker is a carrier recovery tanker.  I suspect this is not intended behavior.  To be sure, the tanker will still fly a nominally circular orbit (or recovery tanker orbit) at roughly the same altitude, but there are many disturbances now that did not used to be there, for example: small right hand turns (though the overall orbit still is a left-hand turn circle) accompanied by nearly instantaneous acceleration of four or five knots, and also accompanied by a small but quick change in altitude (maybe fifty feet?).  With something like the S-3B tanker with its short hose or the KC-135 (boom, not MPRS), it is nearly impossible to stay connected to the tanker when these happen.  It is a bit easier with the KC-130 and KC-135 MPRS because their long hoses have more play in them.

 

On first post-most-recent update test, a tanker on a race-track orbit (but not carrier recovery) does not seem to show these behaviors.  So it seems, to me at least, that these happen on circular and recovery tanker orbits.

I understand that circular tanker orbits might not be a thing in real life, but they can be helpful in DCS especially for newer digital aviators who might have trouble trying to end up at a good intercept position for a race-track orbit.  But I think the recovery tanker orbit in DCS probably is not all that far off of what might be used in real life.  Anyway, even if not particularly realistic, if the capability exists in DCS, I suspect everyone would like it to work well.

[Tritolo41]

So in reality refueling is never done with the tanker in circular flight? I am not an expert in military flight. If so, because it is not programmed properly! The tanker could be positioned in circular flight to cover a "hot zone" when the refueling call is made, the tanker aligns itself following a level and straight flight...

[buur]

vor 48 Minuten schrieb Tritolo41:

The tanker could be positioned in circular flight to cover a "hot zone" when the refueling call is made, the tanker aligns itself following a level and straight flight...

This is the case In some refueling procedures. Unfortunately not so easy to achieve in DCS.

But we should not discuss this here, because nothing to do with the bug report.

Edited December 30, 2024 by buur
some addition

[Foka]

There is a problem with racetrack pattern.

Tanker can not maintain altitude in turn. During 180 deg turn it looses 1-3k ft. Then after the turn it climbs back to designated altitude with high VS (3000 fps). And it repeats with each turn on and on and on...

[Tom P]

Question for those with the issues. Are you setting up the tankers yourself and having these issues? Or are you on single player, multiplayer?

Because I have not had any issues at all. I have tanked off a tanker in racetrack just fine multiple times since the last patch. I also have already sent the circle orbit tracks showing they worked when I set them up. 

Also if you're having issues send a track file so they have more stuff to look into instead of just "hey there's a problem."

[Kula66]

I've also seen this behaviour ... set a circular orbit for an S-3. Every few minutes, it turns and flies straight, then turns away, the back straight then back into a circle for a time, then repeat. Near impossible to follow.

This used to work as you'd expect, fly continuous circles. Stopped in the last patch.

Yes, I've set up the tanker myself and this is in SP.