I'm trying to get my head around how the carrier ILS works for the F-14X.  I'm flying P3D v3.2 and the Kitty Hawk has been returned to port due to visibility issues with the meatball.  I have both Javier's Nimitz/Ike and Team SDB Enterprise.  Because of issues with the wire placement on the Javier Nimitz (http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,4915.msg104761.html#msg104761) and an affinity for the Big E, I'd like to do my flying off the Team SDB Enterprise.

 

I set my carriers up using TacPack.  My defaults are TCN 27X and ILS 111.00 MHz.  For the first trap of the session I spawn the carrier with settings of ownship and heading +10 NM and set speed/heading with wind.

 

So here is where I'm getting confused.  If I just leave the weather at basically default, my TCN and ILS needles seem to work.  I've been tending to set the wind at 180 and fly 180 when I spawn the carrier (just because of the direction of water from where I'm flying). 

 

However, if I try to be more realistic and use AS16 for my weather, the carrier spawns and turns in to the wind just fine.  My TCN works, but I get no ILS needles.  BRC is "dynamic", but I'm not sure why this would keep the needles from showing up at all.  Setting the TCN alters my NAV radio frequencies, so I assume this is linked in the F-14X

 

So, from all of you experts out there, any thoughts as to what's going on?  I'd love it if I could make this work with real world weather and headings other than 180, but failing that if I could at least understand where the system breaks down so I can avoid those situations.

how the meatball on SDB Enterprise works with Aerosoft F-14X? Do you catch 3 wire if you keep ball centered? I use Javiers Nimitz and I noticed I have to keep high ball in close to catch 3 wire. If I keep centered ball I always catch 1 wire

 

Yes, it is much better!  The post I linked is about halfway down this page (http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,4915.1380.html).

 

It turns out that basically any carrier other than the Javier Nimitz places the wires much more accurately and the ball is therefore more accurate.  The Javier's Nimitz wires are too far astern.  The FLOLS guides you past the wires (so a bit opposite of what you're seeing). 

 

So for wire placement you'd want the default Acceleration, Team SDB CVN-65, or Aerosoft Kittyhawk.  The visuals on the acceleration aren't as good as the other two, and I can't see the meatball on the AS Kittyhawk >0.4 NM out, so that leaves me with the Team SDB Enterprise.

Ok, a little bit of a stupid issue on my end.  I can't explain why it was seeming the ILS was working without AS16 real world weather.  However, using the hard coded 42X/110.50 for the Team SDB Enterprise, everything works.

I have no problem with Javier's Nimitz FLOLS when I fly VRS F/A-18E. I always catch 3 wire when I keep ball centered. But I noticed F-14X eyepoint is much more higher and forward than VRS F/A-18E, so I think that's the problem. That's why I have to keep high ball in close to catch 3 wire on Javier's Nimitz. Here is example of two screenshots. Note that hook is touching the deck while main wheels are still in the air. Pitching of aircraft is same as during on speed approach. I made these pictures on Slew mode so that's why airspeed and AOA indicator don't match values for landing. 

That may be part of the issue as well.  Part of why I wish the Kittyhawk would work better for me with the meatball visibility.  The RFN gauge is supposed to account for H/E distance as well and would overcome that.  As well as being able to have the 3.5 degree GS instead of 4 degree.  I just can't see the meatball >0.4 NM out.

 

With that said, the post from the vLSO thread is pretty clear that the wires are too far aft.  However, the default FLOLS doesn't account for H/E distance and this effect may not be so significant for certain aircraft with different distances.

 

 

Each aircraft carrier has a distinct H/E distance and glideslope. However, it's a bit tricky, because the only carrier that the F-14X can tune really well (glideslope) is the Kitty Hawk, because there is a 2-way gauge such the aircraft and the ship are both a part of the feedback loop. All other carriers use a 4.0 deg glideslope (Static TACAN/ILS), because we can't tell exactly what the glide slope is set to on the carrier's side. For dynamic TacPack ILS, then the glideslope angle is fed into the HUD via TacPack.

 

If you are a particularly bold coder, you can go into the HUD.CAB->HUD_F14AB,xml->Line 440 and manually set the glide slope to match your preferred carrier (see the number to edit below). If it's a one off adjustment, then I'm happy to make it and upload to the forum.

 

[Line 440] <Macro Name="GlideslopeAngle">@TP_ILS_GSA dgrd (L:Carrier_model, enum) 5 >= if{ 3.50 } els{ 3.99 } dgrd @TP_ILS_SIG ?</Macro>

 

Best,

John