Tony Peden wrote:
 > OK, JSBSim now reports control surface positions.  I set up the
 > following properties:
 >
 > /surface-positions/elevator-pos-deg
 > /surface-positions/left-aileron-pos-deg
 > /surface-positions/right-aileron-pos-deg
 > /surface-positions/rudder-pos-deg
 > /surface-positions/flap-pos-deg
 >
 > I believe the sign conventions are the same as those used by FGControls,
 > but holler if they need to be different.

Hrm... I'm not liking the idea of specifying explicit, absolute angles
as the interface here.  First off is the problem of configuration --
what are the appropriate angles?  If we put them in the property
interface, then both the FDMs and the model need to know.  If we use
abstract coordinates, only the model cares.

Also, this ties us to a particular style of surface design.  Not all
control surfaces simply rotate around a joint.  In particular, flaps,
slats, spoilers and speedbrakes often have a translational component.
Should the FDM worry about this too?  Even among small planes, this
doesn't always hold.  Piper cherokees have a tailplane with a hinge in
the middle.  The whole assembly rotates, and the middle hinge rotates
about a different angle for any given deflection.

And then there's the fact that YASim cares nothing at all about these
numbers.  Adding them to the FDM would do nothing but add complexity;
there is nothing useful I can do with them.

Remind me what the specific complaints were about the use of abstract,
range-bounded numbers for control surface positions?

Andy

-- 
Andrew J. Ross                NextBus Information Systems
Senior Software Engineer      Emeryville, CA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]              http://www.nextbus.com
"Men go crazy in conflagrations.  They only get better one by one."
  - Sting (misquoted)


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