Preview: Aerosoft Gliders

[Private-Cowboy 3]

Looks like a T-Mobile MDA II. Ancient, but trusty workhorse. I'm more a fan of the HTC version of those devices without the crappy magenta branding. Man, just imagine you could feed google maps into that device (just like GMap) - that would be perfect.

[J.Schweigler 203]

You are right, that is a MDAII

I still use it as mobile phone (without branding). For me there is still no better one available.

I also use it in real planes like the discus.

So I built it in.

We will see, if / how we use it ;-)

[B21 19]

An informal update on the SDI C4 programming...

The core code for the computer functionality has been mostly fixed for a while now, and I've been connecting the gauge to the 3D switches implemented as in the real DiscusBT. There is a pneumatic switch that connects the vario to *either* forward static or the Prandtl TE probe on the fin, and an electrical switch on the panel (originally intended by SDI as a 'flap switch' for 15m gliders to detect thermalling flap) that toggles the 'speed-to-fly' or 'total energy' reading on the vario. The C4 now responds appropriately to each of these 'external' inputs.

In addition some programming has been completed that simulates gauge behaviour that SDI did *not* have to program, because it emerges from the installation of the instrument in the real glider. These include the extreme adverse affect of the engine running on the reading from the rear fin probe, and some momentary 'spike' inputs when switching the pneumatic feed. My modelling colleague Joachim, bless him, has been unbelievably picky about the accuracy of the time-constants involved in the response of the vario to the pneumatic switch 'spikes', but the end result is an instrument that has been modelled accurately in the context of a real installation.

We're currently extending the programming of the C4 to drive the other vario's on the panel. The C4 slave displays netto and the Winter vario displays total-energy, and both respond in an accurate way to the 'environmental' effects mentioned above.

I thought at the beginning of this project that most of the C4 code would be for the classic gliding computation of total-energy, netto, speed-to-fly, and arrival height, and finished those pretty quickly. The stock FSX DG808S just has a vario driven by uncompensated 'vertical climb' so this seems a good advance. Actually, those gliding computations now represent about 500 lines of code out of the total 3000 in the C4, with the rest being user interface or behaviour details such as those mentioned above. There may now be more code in the FSX C4 than the original SDI implementation...

I've had the fun of flying Joachim's model for the past few weeks, and it's a pleasure to go through the correct sequence to start up the engine and watch the animations - if you don't know it's worth pointing out this is the 'BT' model of Discus with retractable 'turbo' engine, which requires an in-air start of it's sustainer engine. The sounds have been done pretty well also. I think the .air file modelling is yet to be agreed so the development model is still flying on a 'borrowed' .air file.

B21

[ChrisB 11]

Thanks for such an interesting update on and fascinating insight to progress, B21. It is interesting to realise just how much work goes in to developing an addon for our hobby.

Having been on quite a few beta tests now, I have pestered the devs enough to learn just how much work actually does go on and I can wholeheartedly say that these guys really do love our hobby to do that much for so little financial return.

So to all those who rant about pricing - if you can do better, please do, but at least respect the fact that the developers are giving us a lot for our money.

[J.Schweigler 203]

..."The sounds have been done pretty well also. I think the .air file modelling is yet to be agreed so the development model is still flying on a 'borrowed' .air file."...

And the sounds are borrowed files also.

Of course there will be accurate startupsounds, or should I say NOISE , and so on.

The flightmodel will contain all performancedata and handling as accurate as possible to the real thing.

In fact, there are at least 5 realpilots and 4 pilots who have flowen this plane in the betateam plus me. (Fly it very often, too)

We got very good assistance from Schempp-Hirth Flugzeugbau, and many other companies to realize the project, and I think the result will be the most realistic (motor)glidersimulation for FSX.

In both, form and fuction.

Bets Joachim

[Private-Cowboy 3]

Is there an updated eta on when we might start gliding ourselfes?

[J.Schweigler 203]

Some pictures about the engine

Bests Joachim

[RobdeVries 2]

Love it, can't wait to do some Alps soaring, hope she will be releases soon...

[Hiropemonkey 0]

Where do the propellor blades go when the engine is storing?

[Aerosoft Team [Inactive Account] 51558]

Where do the propellor blades go when the engine is storing?

The rip a large hole in the fuselage

No seriously, the fold forwards.

[Maverick322 1]

Little question, I fly gliders myself, and what I notice about i.e the DG800 in FSX are the speedbrakes. When extracting the speedbrakes in a glider, you will lose altitude. Aircraft with spoilers lose speed. But when I use the speedbrake in the DG800, I lose speed instead of altitude. I hope that this is correctly modeled in the Discus?

[J.Schweigler 203]

Hi Maverick322.

The behaviour U posted depends on the type of the aircraft.

Of course a glider loses speed, too. (You have a far higher drag) The one more, the other less.

In a discus You dont feel much of the drag at normal landing speed but the faster U get, the higher is the drag, and You feel serious braking.

And that is in every glider the same.

Of course we will try to model this behaviour as close as possible to the real discus.

[B21 19]

yeah the simple design technique in any real (modern) glider is to have the airbrakes affect the lift slightly *forward* of the c-of-g so as they open, the nose pitches down at the correct rate (i.e. a little) as the airbrakes come out. The extra drag matches the acceleration due to the nose going down so you lose height but not airspeed.

Frankly if real airbrakes killed the speed like in the FSX DG there'd be bodies all over the approach to any gliding airfield. Also the FSX DG seems to have spectacular speed-limiting airbrakes in a vertical dive which is too unreal to even comment on.

I know the goal is to get the Discus air config 'better' but I have no idea what's actually possible in FSX.

B21

[}SkOrPn--7 0]

Nice images we need more to keep me going I keep popping back to check to see if a sniff of release has been mentioned.

[J.Schweigler 203]

What about this one?

This is the BT Cockpit.

There are only small changes done since the last screenshots.

For example the shading.

The only missing thing is the yawstring now. All the other things in the cockpit are done.

I will show some screenshots of the other cockpits/cockpitdesigns soon

[JamesChams 108]

What about this one?

This is the BT Cockpit.

There are only small changes done since the last screenshots.

For example the shading.

The only missing thing is the yawstring now. All the other things in the cockpit are done.

I will show some screenshots of the other cockpits/cockpitdesigns soon

Its looking real nice... Does your PDA with GPS gauge work as expected?

When are you expecting to release it?

Thanks and keep up the good work!

[J.Schweigler 203]

The gauge (C4) works with GPS of course, but the MDA doen't has a funtion yet.

We simply have no good moving map system like in a real glider.

I have an idea there, but it will not work for sure.

I think, the MDA is black in the release, or simply not there ;-)

But C4 is enough for really intresting navigation.

It has no moving map, You have to think a little bit :-)

Bests Joachim

[AlexJ 0]

Are you allsow gonna make a tug plane? like the Piper pawnee?

[MDIvey 0]

Glad to see things progressing well... I keep checking in from time to to time.

[J.Schweigler 203]

@AlexJ, Not for this project, no

Wouldn't make sense anyway, because the gliders with engine are not able to be towed...

FSX knows, there is an engine, so it is no glider... You have no chance to be towed by plane.

The Discus CS can be launched via standard tug

The Discus BM can be selvlaunched

And for the Discus BT a good friend of ours makes a winch, wich will work for all 3 types by the way, so You have at least one type of launch for every plane. And for CS and BM even two.

[JamesChams 108]

@AlexJ, Not for this project, no

Wouldn't make sense anyway, because the gliders with engine are not able to be towed...

FSX knows, there is an engine, so it is no glider... You have no chance to be towed by plane.

The Discus CS can be launched via standard tug

The Discus BM can be selvlaunched

And for the Discus BT a good friend of ours makes a winch, wich will work for all 3 types by the way, so You have at least one type of launch for every plane. And for CS and BM even two.

Mr. J. Schweigler,

That's very interesting ... would you post a video or screenshots when you're able?

Thank you!

[J.Schweigler 203]

The features will be showen in the promovideo ;-)

[smithcorp 0]

The features will be showen in the promovideo ;-)

Hi guys - any update on this project please?

[Marc W. 0]

Hi guys - any update on this project please?

I too am looking forward to this ... the ideal add-on for a low and slow flyer like myself

[J.Schweigler 203]

Oh yes there are :-)

But please wait a week for new screens. One for now: There WILL be a moving map system in the PDA :-)

Screens in the near future

Bests Joachim