This looks fantastic. I think this may be the first working gyro ball in a PC simulator cockpit. At least, I haven't seen one anywhere else. :)
On question, unrelated to the ball actually, is exactly what we're trying to simulate. You seem to be aiming at an A-4C cockpit, but the aero model is for an A-4E which has a bigger engine. The 3D model claims to be a C, but it's dolled up in Blue Angels paint, and they flew the A-4F. To nit further: the slats are down, but the Blue Angels planes had their slats bolted shut*. And the refueling probe is the cranked shape that wasn't introduced until the A-4M. :) Maybe this is more detail than we should worry about. A foolish consistency being the hobgoblin of little minds and all that, but we should probably just pick something to aim for. My vote, so long as the blue paint is on the thing, is to model the A-4F. I'm cool with the C, though. The difference to the YASim file is basically engine thrust and performance numbers; pretty simple. * For safety. The A-4 had automatic slats that were retracted by aerodynamic force -- they dropped automatically at low airspeeds and high AoA's. On the ground, they just hung open. This was a great idea for maintenance purposes, but left open the possibility that they might get stuck and deploy asymmetrically. That's a recoverable situation normally, but not when there's another plane a few feet under or above your wing tip. :) > 1) The flags. There are four of them in the photos I've seen but so > far I haven't found any information on which is which. One has the > word "Off" on it, and I assume that it means the entire assembly is > unpowered. I'm clueless here. Obvious warning flags for the instrument would be the same as for a normal AI or HSI -- vacuum failure (or maybe electrical failure or low gyro RPM), lack of radio signal (VOR/TACAN/LOC/GS). > 2) The calibration of the turn-rate indicator is just a wild guess. > If anyone knows how it should respond please let me know. My book has some shots that show the turn indicator marked with "4 minute" markings to the left and right of the top of the display, perhaps 30-40 degrees apart. A four minute turn corresponds to 1.5 degrees per second. Dunno why they picked four minutes instead of two. > 3) The GS indicator is not enabled yet. Also note that there is an > aircraft sillohette behind the cross hairs. I'm not sure how to > animate it (maybe it stays with the gs arrow)? This one's easy -- leave it out. The A-4F was the first version to have an ILS receiver. This was around 1965 or so, which probably corresponded to the initial installation of ILS equipment at Navy installations and on carriers. For late model aircraft, the horizontal bar probably also doubled as a flight director indicator. > 4) The size of this thing is somewhat difficult to judge from the > photos, but comparing it to other items on the panel, my guess is the > ball is about 4" in diameter and the outer bezel is about 5 or 6". It > looks bigger in the one A4-C cockpit photo that I have, but I believe > that the A4-C panel is narrower than later models. I'm pretty sure it's the same size -- there were no significant changes (other than to the radome in the nose) to the forward fuselage during the Skyhawk's lifespan. I know they used the same ejection seat until the marines replaced it in their A-4Ms. > AFAIK the A4-C is the first in the A4 series to have this "all > attitude" instrument. I think that's right. I have a cockpit photo of one of the original A4D's delivered in 1956, and it shows a WWII-looking flat card gyro. > 5) The X15 (see http://www.sierrafoot.org/x-15/panel_large.jpg ) > used what appears to be the exact same instrument (with the > exception of the glide slope scale in this diagram). I've seen a photo of an AV-8A cockpit with the ball, too. I agree, we need to decide on placement for these things. Anywhere is fine with me. 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) _______________________________________________ Flightgear-devel mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.flightgear.org/mailman/listinfo/flightgear-devel
