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New F-15 (C,D)

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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Richard » Sun Dec 20, 2015 12:20 am

V1.3 of the F-15 has now been released to my site and FGAddon.

Image

V1.3 Changes

* Add support for walker.
* New livery for CR77-0157. This is for an F-15A
* Rework ALS flame to be more realistic.
* Centre HUD projected display on combiners.
* Support ground refuelling, walker support enhancments.
* Added ground vehicles (tanker/cart).
* Fix contrails and engine smoke.
* Add 144FW livery
* remove lumpy bit from the middle of the exhaust sound
* ALS lights off when no power
* Sounds for MP to reasonable value.
* Revised engine simulation PB such that pressure is 1.0 (ambient) when engine not turning.
* Changed sound to use volumes computed in FDM so we can have realistic inside / outside volumes based on canopy position.
Last edited by Richard on Fri Sep 14, 2018 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby GabrielYV » Mon Dec 21, 2015 2:08 am

this very good thank you :) :) You can pass the link please
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby legoboyvdlp » Mon Dec 21, 2015 3:14 am

Gabriel -- buenas noches de un Venezolano :)

Please download it from here:
http://www.zaretto.com/content/f-15-sim ... flightgear

Or it is also in FGADDON, (y por eso, FGMEMBERS)
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Richard » Mon Dec 21, 2015 11:42 am

Please not that only FGAddon and my site are currently at the right version. fgmembers is a version from last week.

* FG 3.6 or later : http://www.zaretto.com/sites/zaretto.co ... -11-30.zip
* FG 3.4 http://www.zaretto.com/sites/zaretto.co ... -11-30.zip

FGAddon is for FG 3.6 or later.

Other repositories will catch up eventually; usually not longer than a few days. Generally best to download official release versions from my site.

Anyone using either 3.6RC or 3.7 nightly can use the FGAddon version.

My git repository github.com/Zaretto/fg-aircraft/ will generally be the most up to date version, but sometimes might have wip stuff between releases.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Raider1 » Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:08 am

Hi Richard:

I am having a little trouble with the 1.3 F-15. The autopilot used to engage both Alt and Att well, but it seems that, at least for me, the aircraft will not hold its position in the air. Once AP is engaged, the AC begins to list to one side, and within 20-30 seconds I am in a 45 degree bank with my heading having changed by 40-80 degrees. Also, the heading mode used to automatically hold the current heading, but now it seems to switch to heading bug (as set in NAV 2, which is even more problematic). Am I doing something wrong?

Also, the AP is sometimes not disengaging, even when I manually flip the switches. Instead, it puts the aircraft into a sharp nose-up (very high AOA) attitude, and depending on power, a climb.

Any thoughts, or additional info you need from me?

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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Thorsten » Mon Dec 28, 2015 8:32 am

I'm not sure how the F-15 AP operates in detail, but I've learned the hard way that strange behavior when disengaging AP is often related to trim (or lack of) when engaging it.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby wkitty42 » Mon Dec 28, 2015 5:33 pm

agreed there! i've gotten to where i always hit the #5 key in the middle of the keypad to ensure that my controls are centered when engaging and disengaging the APs... that doesn't help with the #7 and #1 trims, though... getting them centered is a real chore at times... especially when taking over from the AP and it has them adjusted away from center...

to clarify: if you have two presses on #2 key to raise the nose to about 10 degrees climb and you turn the AP on, it will retain that 10 degree and use the trim to counter it... other APs will move the full control to center and then use the trim to adjust with... some APs use both... this is one of the reasons why i keep the HUD on screen for all craft... then i can easily see the coarse and fine trim indicators to know what may happen when i release the AP... joystick users may not see this... mouse user could very well see it like keyboard users do...
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Richard » Mon Dec 28, 2015 11:49 pm

Raider1 wrote in Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:08 am:I am having a little trouble with the 1.3 F-15. The autopilot used to engage both Alt and Att well, but it seems that, at least for me, the aircraft will not hold its position in the air. Once AP is engaged, the AC begins to list to one side, and within 20-30 seconds I am in a 45 degree bank with my heading having changed by 40-80 degrees. Also, the heading mode used to automatically hold the current heading, but now it seems to switch to heading bug (as set in NAV 2, which is even more problematic).


If it starts to roll after att/alt hold then it probably means that your stick isn't correctly centered. The autopilot hasn't changed for this release.

However I've looked at the code and it is a bit of a mess - it's based on the autopilot logic in the F-14 with changes to work like the F-15; but I also started to wire it up to the normal autopilot dialog.

I just did a test and Ctrl-T Ctrl-A activated altitude hold and that worked. I then used route manager to setup a route, activate it and used Ctrl-H Ctrl-H to turn on route following.

Ctrl-S is now autothrottle; it will hold the current IAS (used to be A but moved due to walker key clash)

Use CTRL-T to disengage it (you should get a caution light to confirm this). I'm not sure if the cockpit is correctly bound as it's been a good while since I used the cockpit switches directly.

The controls / trim aren't used for the altitude hold mode (not sure about the rest) - as the aircraft that use these directly will leave things in an undesirable state - and that's just not how autopilots work - they add input in much the same way as the pilot moving the controls (or at least in the autopilots I've used).

I will investigate further.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Raider1 » Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am

Hi Richard, thank you for the reply and for the great airframe. I am a bit confused by your reply, so I went and did some further tests. Before I say anything further, please understand that I am not a programmer. In fact, the limit of my skills is apparently livery tail number changes (and even that took me hours). I don't know if you saw my ET 84-0042 or not, but it was terrible. :cry:

You mention that ctrl-T should "disengage something, but I am not sure if you are referring to the IAS or the Alt hold... but at any rate, the ctrl-T "toggles" the ATT HOLD" (attitude hold). Personally, I think the "toggle" process for both ATT and ALT work perfectly and in a manner appropriate for the aircraft. Being able to quickly turn them off/on during formation flight or during maneuvers is handy.... being able to just keep a pinkie on the ctrl and alternate between off/on is very true to life and allows a "busy" pilot the ability to engage and disengage the attitude hold while making fast adjustments elsewhere in the CP (such as checking the VSD, designating a new target, choosing a maneuver based on viewing the TEWS and VSD zoomed, etc).

Right now, in the airframe I have downloaded (1.3 from your site) the following is the case after re-testing:

    Altitude hold (ALT HOLD) Switch toggles up for on, down for off: ctrl-a operates the toggle both on and off.

    Attitude hold (ATT HOLD) Switch toggles up for on, down for off: ctrl-t operates the toggle both on and off.

    Heading hold (not a true feature AFAIK) No switch to toggle, as the NAV CONTROL is not functional: ctrl-h operates the function both on and off.

EDIT 2: I figured I would try and provide more information, so I went ahead and moved 1.3 out of my directory and replaced it with 1.2 from my trashcan. I took a flight in 1.2 and did the following:

1) Flew the ac at 4000 ft in a 30 degree left bank at 400 kts IAS..
2) Hit ctrl-A and ctrl-t, and the aircraft maintained it's alt and bank but not heading. after 3 seconds, I hit ctrl-h and the wings leveled and the aircraft held it's alt, att, and heading.

I then reloaded 1.3 and did the following:
1) Flew the ac at 4000 ft in a 30 degree left bank at 400 kts IAS.
2) Hit ctrl-A and ctrl-t, and the aircraft maintained its altitude but not heading, then began to drop at a rate of 250-300 fpm. I watched it for a few seconds, maybe 5, just to conffirm the drop, then hit ctrl-h. rather than bringing the wings level like the 1.2, it immediately (although not violently) rolled the plane toward 029, which is what was set as the course. At about 050, I hit ctrl-h a second time (to disable the heading bug) and it brought the wings flat.

I know that you mention that no code here changed, so I don't assume there really is anything to worry about or fix. I did, though, want you to know that, at least for my 1.2 and 1.3, there is a difference in the functionality of the AP system. My workaround is easy, in that I will just hit ctrl-hh in order to get to flat if I activate the AP in a turn.


Here is where I have questions and/or comments.

    ALT HOLD: This used to function independently of the other features so long as the CAS was on. What I mean is that it used to hold the altitude even when the AC was rolled one way or another. It now only functions when used in tandem with ATT HOLD... meaning you need to hit ctrl a, then ctrl c in order for ctrl a to have any actual effect (although the toggle still switches up and down if you dont activate them both, the actual impact on altitude is not recognizable unless both ALT and ATT are engaged.

    ATT HOLD: This still functions somewhat as it used to, and you may be right about my joystick, although I just checked it's calibration and it appears fine. I could have some dust or something that is creating a contact, but then again, it would have to be on both sides since it does it both directions. At any rate, its not a huge issue... just something I was asking about. EDIT: I flew a number of VERY gradual turns this evening to see if my stick felt any different with a delicate touch, and indeed it does. After some research, it seems that hard use of this particular stick leads to some over-sensitivity... so that is likely why ATT HOLD isn't functioning well for me.

    Heading hold: While this is not an actual feature in the F15 that I know of outside the NAV CONTROL system, it now defaults to the heading bug instead of wings level. It used to be that you could activate it, and it would hold wings level... you could then enter the AP menu, select your next desired heading, and click the button next to the heading as the deviation indicator (on the ADI) rolled toward center. Now, it moves immediately to the new heading, meaning a process change. The more I think about this, the less I believe it is an issue. It is simply a process change, meaning we cannot use ctrl-h while in a bank to return the AC to a wings-level attitude. While this isn't ideal for combat, it is probably more realistic so I withdraw my concern!

New, unrelated questions...

    Is there any plan to add additional features to the HSI, such as TO/FROM indicator?

    Is there any reason (might be my system) that beginning with 1.2, the altimeter is set roughly 60-70 ft lower than actual altitude upon start-up? It was normally around 40 ft deviation with 1.2, but with 1.3 its now 50-60ft... and the other day, it was off by 400 ft at KLSV. EDIT 3: After doing the reloading experiment above with 1.2, it is now also showing at 60 ft below, so I assume it is something messed up in my system and not with the AC.

    Is there a reason that the Course Selector and the HSI default to the course set in NAV2 rather than NAV1, considering we cannot change the primary freq in NAV2 (constant 116.8). It would seem to make more sense to have it as the NAV1 Course, and that way an ILS frequency can be programmed backup to NAV1, and once the intercept is made, the ADI can serve to guide the ac on point. Right now, with the HUD functional and the ADI indicating intercept, the benefit of the HSI is limited (I may be totally missing something here, so please forgive my ignorance).

    What is the second number/alpha on the top of the VSD (a # followed by "R") representing? I know what the rest of them are, but that still puzzles me and the flight manual and weapons employment manual aren't helping me at all.

In closing, I am not technically competent enough to give you real feedback, but I log a lot of time in this particular airframe (I've about 70 or so wheels-up hours in it in the last two months), so I am always happy to provide feedback, etc. I do understand though, if you want me to (as a non-contributor) "go pound sand". I will still happily fly this great machine in whatever configuration you see fit.

I hope you are having lovely holidays.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Richard » Thu Dec 31, 2015 9:59 pm

Raider1 wrote in Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am: livery tail number changes (and even that took me hours). I don't know if you saw my ET 84-0042 or not, but it was terrible.

I think I saw it on a screenshot. You should grab a copy of https://github.com/Zaretto/fg-aircraft/ ... f?raw=true which is much easier as it's all separated into layers.

Raider1 wrote in Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am:
You mention that ctrl-T should "disengage something, but I am not sure if you are referring to the IAS or the Alt hold... but at any rate, the ctrl-T "toggles" the ATT HOLD" (attitude hold). Personally, I think the "toggle" process for both ATT and ALT work perfectly and in a manner appropriate


You need to turn on ATT Hold before anything autopilot will work, If you try to alt-hold then it shouldn't turn on. I will check the manual again; as I think it may be wrong as it's based on the F-14. You also need all of the CAS turned on (not sure if this is as per the avionics).

The heading hold is probably a bit wrong too as it's identical to the F-14; what it does is with one CTRL-H it will hold the heading and the knob on the HSI should change this (except that this doesn't work on 1.3). A second CTRL-H will engage the route planner mode, in this mode it should fly the route in terms of altitude and heading; again this may be buggy.


Raider1 wrote in Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am:
Is there any plan to add additional features to the HSI, such as TO/FROM indicator?


This should work so I'll have a look at it.

Raider1 wrote in Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am:
Is there any reason (might be my system) that beginning with 1.2, the altimeter is set roughly 60-70 ft lower than actual altitude upon start-up? It was normally around 40 ft deviation with 1.2, but with 1.3 its now 50-60ft... and the other day, it was off by 400 ft at KLSV. EDIT 3: After doing the reloading experiment above with 1.2, it is now also showing at 60 ft below, so I assume it is something messed up in my system and not with the AC.


Sounds like atmospheric pressure differences because of changing the weather; you need to either set QNH or QFE into the altimeter. 1013Hpa or 29.92InHg are ISA settings.


Raider1 wrote in Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am:
Is there a reason that the Course Selector and the HSI default to the course set in NAV2 rather than NAV1, considering we cannot change the primary freq in NAV2 (constant 116.8). It would seem to make more sense to have it as the NAV1 Course, and that way an ILS frequency can be programmed backup to NAV1, and once the intercept is made, the ADI can serve to guide the ac on point. Right now, with the HUD functional and the ADI indicating intercept, the benefit of the HSI is limited (I may be totally missing something here, so please forgive my ignorance).

It should all use what's in Nav1 (usually by tuning the right TACAN channel). There is a second interaction that uses NAV2 that allows you to use civilian ILS. I've checked the code and there are a few glitches in the nav1 handling.

Raider1 wrote in Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am:
What is the second number/alpha on the top of the VSD (a # followed by "R") representing? I know what the rest of them are, but that still puzzles me and the flight manual and weapons employment manual aren't helping me at all. [/list]


It should be the reciprocal bearing (divided by 10) with a L or R to indicate whether it is to the left or right of you. I've just checked and I'm not quite sure it's right so I'll revist this.

Raider1 wrote in Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:29 am:
In closing, I am not technically competent enough to give you real feedback, but I log a lot of time in this particular airframe (I've about 70 or so wheels-up hours in it in the last two months), so I am always happy to provide feedback, etc. I do understand though, if you want me to (as a non-contributor) "go pound sand". I will still happily fly this great machine in whatever configuration you see fit.


I'm always happy to have feedback and time permitting will get things fixed. All I ask is that you have a working knowledge of the aircraft from reading the pilot's manual and ideally check the pilot's manual to really narrow down what should happen before posting. It doesn't really matter if you use the right terms; and as an example the message I'm quoting is a good bug report.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Raider1 » Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:30 am

Hi Richard!

I know you are busy, but I wanted to report another item or two in the F15.

It has been present for quite some time, but really hasn't become an issue worth addressing until the last few months as we are flying the 15 so much over Homey.

The "m" and "M" button cycles the HUD-indicated selected weapon system. However, it does not always cycle the "switch" on the throttle, meaning that even though you have changed your selection, you still end up employing the previous weapon-type. I have tried a few different scenarios, and it seems that it successfully switches "up" in the cycle sometimes if you have exhausted the previous munition-type. It does not switch "down". Once again, this is an issue with the short-key, as actuating the button itself works every time if you find and press it.

The CLOS indicator on the HUD... I have always thought was the rate of closer in meters to the 1/100th, either positive or negative. However, we did some tests this weekend, and I realized that couldn't be the case. Since I never use it (I rely on the data on the VSD), it hadn't occured to me to ask.... but what is that number?

The direction to target (left or right, in 10s of degrees) on the VSD only shows R. It does not show left. If the calculation is past 180 degrees, it often shows the wrong number, off by a variety of degrees (I could find no pattern).

There are a few other things I am working to figure out (I know nothing about code) but these are the ones I wanted to mention. Hope you have a great day, and that you saw the video with the 144th practicing intercepts for the SuperBowl!

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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Richard » Sun Apr 10, 2016 1:33 am

Raider1 wrote in Fri Feb 05, 2016 2:30 am:1:The "m" and "M" button cycles the HUD-indicated selected weapon system.

2: The CLOS indicator on the HUD...


1. The m/M buttons should now be fixed.

2. The CLOS indicator is the instantaneous closure rate as calculated by the radar in knots. I've recently changed this as the formula I had was wrong.

These changes aren't in FGAddon yet - but are in my repository.

.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Richard » Fri Feb 02, 2018 8:22 am

New version release V1.8[1] to FGAddon; requires at least 2017.2


* hardpoint and armament locations corrected; better launch animations
* improved radar simulation, support for RWR, RCS simulation (thanks pinto)
* better TEWS simulation; detects emissions based on aircraft properties (MP)
* support for new redout/blackout system (ALS supported, requires ALS filtering turned on)
* Gear damage by landing at too high descent rate. Each gear can be damaged individually
* AI wake turbulence supported
* Aerodynamics drag model for missiles, tanks (on hardpoints)
* Improved autopilot (thanks Joshua Davidson (it0uchpods))
* Aerodynamics model for ground effect added, NASA-TM-104278, p228
* F15-D canopy improved
* AOA gauge improved; added max / min needles (reset every flight)
* gauges for engines, fuel now need electrical power
* HUD reworked to have better combiner models, recalibrated and runtime performance improved.
* HUD now has DLZ
* radar can be powered off
* added takeoff trim switch support (simply trims to a generally good value)
* changed missile firing order to match aircraft
* Improved missile simulation (thanks Leto)
* CFT
* Chaff and flares
* PTC retuned

-----------
[1] aka (V1.8)
Last edited by Richard on Mon Feb 05, 2018 5:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby legoboyvdlp » Fri Feb 02, 2018 3:11 pm

v1.cool?

Anyway, thank you for all you have done on these aircraft :)
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Re: New F-15 (C,D)

Postby Octal450 » Fri Nov 30, 2018 9:20 pm

Recently I rewrote the entire FCS system for this aircraft, including the CAS system. If anyone wants to try the latest develop and report back, would be awesome!

https://github.com/Zaretto/fg-aircraft/tree/develop (Richard's repo, develop branch)

Kind Regards,
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