Experimental explosive nosegear makes for interesting take offs and landings

[agathorn]

So I checked out a bird to do some ILS training, and what followed was .. interesting. I never did get the ILS practice lol.

 

On my takeoff roll my nose gear literally just exploded, launching my aircraft up into the sky quite quickly. I didn't realize what had happened at first, other than the thought that "uh oh, something just broke!" I was already climbing out though, and the caution panel looked clear, so I continued to my destination.

 

Once at my destination, as I was preparing to land, I lowered my gear and noticed that the warning beep that usually comes and then goes away, was not going away. Something was wrong. The caution panel still looked clear, but wait, whats this? I notice that the gear indicators only show safe for my main gear. This is when I realized that something was wrong. In the replay after I noticed that the nose gear was completely gone!

 

I landed with just the main gear, and while the sim let me live, i'm pretty sure if this had been real I would have been dead.

 

I need to check the track again, but I THINK this happened because I forgot to turn off nosewheel steering, so I probably overstressed the gear. Of course in reality I would have expected it to just break, not explode!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

no nosewheel landing.trk

Edited September 27, 2012 by agathorn

[Eddie]

What airfield was this at? There are some long existing, and VERY hard to pin down bugs with runways at a few airfields that sometimes cause gear damage.

[Speed]

I've had this happen, and I have no idea what causes it. I had guessed it might be a rare bug with certain runways, but that was just my guess based on zero research into the subject.

 

Basically, you'll be approaching rotation speed when WHAMO- there is a loud noise (sorta like a tire bursting) and you are literally catapulted into the air. Maybe if we tracked down the sound file that is played, we might know more about what this is.

 

Maybe you're right, it's related to nosewheel steering. That would explain why I get this issue so rarely- I always (or at least, I try to remember to always) turn off nosewheel steering once I get above 50 knots or so.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Speed

[Eddie]

I have spent (literally) hours trying to replicate the nose gear being ripped off at airfields such as Vaziani, but it just never happens when you want it too. Of course halfway through a 4 hour MP flight with a track that can't be used for bug reporting and you can be sure it'll happen.

[cichlidfan]

Yep. I think I still have a track where my nose gear vanished in a bright explosion that was far worse than any of the tires I have blown on landing.

[agathorn]

What airfield was this at? There are some long existing, and VERY hard to pin down bugs with runways at a few airfields that sometimes cause gear damage.

 

I edited the original post to include the TRK, which I thought I had done the first time. IIRC The takeoff was at Mozdak.

[FreeFall]

 

Maybe you're right, it's related to nosewheel steering.

 

I think this is the reason. You cannot nosewheel steer with high speed.

[Stuka]

I've had this bug at Vaziani, Tbilisi, Beslan and Nalchik already. Pretty sure there's more.

No way to replicate it.

[NC_Cyborg]

I have noticed something similar at Belsan. I would begin my takeoff run for runway 10 at the taxiway vice the far end of the runway. I normally de-activate nose wheel steering at 50 knots. I will normally lift off from the runway at the numbers.

 

When I go to the end of the runway and turn around to use the full runway I have not noticed the nose wheel collapse.

 

I will have to post a track.

[NC_Cyborg]

 

My first video. Be gentle. :smilewink:

 

But it proves the point of landing gear failure (Bug?) at Beslan. I didn't think my landing was that bad.

[FreeFall]

I didn't think my landing was that bad.

 

Couldn't notice any excessive strain whatsoever.

 

BTW, nothing to do with nosegear failure, but I think you didn't have 40% speedbrakes before touch down? I think 40% speedbrakes is the normal procedure. Just curious.

[NC_Cyborg]

BTW, nothing to do with nosegear failure, but I think you didn't have 40% speedbrakes before touch down? I think 40% speedbrakes is the normal procedure. Just curious.

 

For me, I guess it is habit to extend them at touch down.;)

[FreeFall]

For me, I guess it is habit to extend them at touch down.;)

 

So, you just skip the "best practice"? Who am I to judge anyway... ;)

[Pyroflash]

So, you just skip the "best practice"? Who am I to judge anyway... ;)

 

Well depends. You come in at whatever speed you need to get your approach AoA. If you need more braking power, than you need more braking power. Though normally, if doing a good approach, the speed will be bled off in the descent/turns, so speed brake usage should be at a minimum, but it is nothing to criticize people over if they need them to nail that AoA. After that, it is pretty normal to use speedbrakes and AoA to slow down, as aircraft brakes heat up and wear down easily, and you don't want to be using them at high speeds.

 

Take a look at some mass landings when they land planes for major training sorties. You will see A-10's, F-15's, F-16's, F/A-18's, etc, come in with every speedbrake configuration imaginable.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Pyroflash

[NC_Cyborg]

More often than not, I am at the appropriate AoA during my approach. I have never had a problem with stopping the A-10 before the edge of the runway. Alot of the time, I am on the taxiway between midfield and 3/4 of the runway.

 

I understand the reasoning behind throttle response lag and such. I have yet run into a problem where I needed to abort my approach seconds before touchdown. I am commited at that point anyway. :joystick:

[ENO]

I don't have anything to contribute to landing but yes this bug where you're catapulted into the sky has affected me as well. Often in my instances the airfield in question has been under attack by artillery or something so I wrote it off as damage that was not immediately visible but that existed in the game. Sounds like it goes beyond that-

 

I'm somewhat relieved to see that this is a well known bug- it'll bother me less when I get catapulted into the sky in a similar fashion.

 

Interestingly enough- generally when it happens I am able to fly away... I've never crashed afterwards (until the GAU-8 becomes my nose landing gear.) It always seems to happen once I am near rotation speed.

[Pyroflash]

I have yet run into a problem where I needed to abort my approach seconds before touchdown. I am commited at that point anyway. :joystick:

 

I have, multiple times with wild animals, and in one case an airfield tractor who was apparently deaf/blind (He drove right in front of me on the runway).

[NC_Cyborg]

I have, multiple times with wild animals, and in one case an airfield tractor who was apparently deaf/blind (He drove right in front of me on the runway).

:megalol:

 

I thought we were talking about the sim. I only had a flock of geese keep me from taking off. I had to make a dry run down the runway to get them to move off the runway.

 

That would be some realism for a random guy in a tracker on the runway for DCS.