RF/VS F6F Hellcat Arr Hook Help

[Duckie]

I've been having some fun revising the exterior of the old Real Flight/Vertigo Studios Hellcat. I only picked it up a couple months ago and got around to installing it a couple weeks ago. New/revised panel lines, rivets, and bump maps and, thanks to some helpful folks here, modified the material settings for the diffuse alphas and specs to control the material shine/gloss.

[IMG]-2018-sep-15-004 by Steve Bryant, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]-2018-sep-15-001 by Steve Bryant, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]-2018-sep-15-003 by Steve Bryant, on Flickr[/IMG]

Now, taking a break to rest the eyes, I thought I'd do a little flying in it and find I need some help adjusting the arresting hook. No matter what I try in coming aboard it noses over. I varied the speeds from about 75 up to about 98 KIAS and no mater the angle of attack it noses over. Fuel is @800 lbs with 10 lbs of that in the drop tank just to keep it visible. I'm using CV-9 Essex in AICarriers.

I can land the AF Corsair and the AH SB2C all day long on this boat so I don't think it's a skill issue.

The original hook section looks like this:

[TailHook]
tailhook_length = 4
tailhook_position = -15, 0, -1
cable_force_adjust = 1

The only adjustments I've tried are
1. lengthening the hook to 5'
2. shortening the hook to 3'
3. reducing the cable force to .8

Any help is muchly appreciated.

Steve

[fallenphoenix1986]

Just eyeballing it the hook position looks high... -1' doesn't seem low enough.

[Duckie]

Just eyeballing it the hook position looks high... -1' doesn't seem low enough.

Thanks fallenphoenix1986. I believe the vertical attachment position is probably about right. The length of the hook was the culprit. Going off an older thread with comments from PhantomTweak and Milton Shupe re hook length as it relates to main gear length, this hook was about 3 feet short. I lengthened it from 4 to 7 feet. The MG length is 7.85'. taking into account the 1' below the fuselage position, 7' hook gives 0.15' longer than the length of the MG.

Tests now give 8 out of 8 traps with only 1 of the 8 giving me a port wing tip strike and that was because I think I was a bit off center when the hook caught. 7 of 8 were good traps with the aircraft remaining on all 3 after coming to a full stop!

So, I think I fixed my problem, but only after finding the above mentioned thread. Thanks to Tarpsbird for starting the thread, and thanks to PhantomTweak and Milton Shupe for their insight. I'm good to go!

[mal998]

While you're at it see if these numbers work:

[TailHook]
tailhook_length = 4.5
tailhook_position = -24.4, 0.0, 0.0
cable_force_adjust = 1.4

[llanning08]

Try these Hellcat tweaks:


Un-official Hellcat Mods:


1. Revised tailhook entry if you have the problem of nosing over when trapping a wire

In the aircraft.cfg modify the following lines

[TailHook]
tailhook_length = 4
tailhook_position = -19.8, 0, -1 // -15, 0, -1
cable_force_adjust = 1

2. To add catapult assisted launch add these lines to the aircraft.cfg

[LAUNCH_ASSISTANCE]
launch_bar_pivot= 3.0, 0, -3.1
launch_bar_lug = 3.0, 0, -3.1

3. To remove engine damage modify the panel.cfg found in the panel folder

find the Vcockpit01 entry ans add // to the start of gauge07 like below


[Vcockpit01]
File=hell.bmp
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=400,400
visible=1
pixel_size=400,400
texture=$hell

gauge00=realflight_gauges!RFSNDOFF, 2,2
gauge01=realflight_gauges!spoiler, 4,4
gauge02=realflight_gauges!su_combustion, 0,0
gauge03=realflight_gauges!trigger1, 5,5,00,00
gauge04=realflight_gauges!RFSND, 1,1
gauge05=realflight_gauges!RFSND1, 3,3
gauge06=trigger!trigger2, 0,0
//gauge07=F6FSys!Doa, 6,6 //remove engine damage

[Duckie]

Hey llaning08 and mal998, thanks very much for the additional settings. I will definitely give them a look see.

Steve

[PhantomTweak]

Just a thought, if I may: If you have a problem with the plane"winging" over, if you're just a tiny bit off-center-line, increase the hook's longitudinal setting behind the Datum Reference Point, as llaning08 did, only more. Make it 23, or 25, then land a little off center, to see how it reacts. The farther back it is, the farther off center you can be without it "winging" over.
But honestly, keep it relatively realistic, yes? Don't make it -200, and then land beside the island for fun, you know?

BTW, I'm glad I could be some small help.
Now, climb in the cockpit, and go...
Have fun!
Pat☺

[expat]

Tailhook settings aside (yes, I too have problems with rolling over hooking the wire on various aircraft . .) I really like the look of what you have done with the Hellcat. The default one looks too glossy and fresh out of Bethpage.

[Duckie]

@ mal998: I tested yours and llanning08's hook settings and I liked mal998 settings the best for my taste. Got aboard within a range of speeds; on catching a wire the tail is picked up with definite "snatch" by the cable and you're thrown against the harness, but the nose never dips below the horizontal plane and you never get the sense of tipping over.

@ llanning08: Thanks for the tip on disabling the engine failure effect. It's in place.

@ PhantomTweak: as you can see, I used mal998's hook settings which incorporate your suggestion re longitudinal coordinate. And, helpful suggestions and advice are always welcomed. Thanks.

@ expat: Thanks. Still lots to do but its getting there. The Hellcat has always been a favorite since, as a first grader back in the early fifties, I'd watch 'em do TnG's out of NAS Atlanta (now KPDK). Had to do some work on the model file to get the textures to work the way I wanted (with some help of a few other good folks here). Unfortunately, these textures won't work with the stock model, so I won't be publishing these textures because the model is still payware.

Thanks to all for the help!

Steve

[expat]

Unfortunately, these textures won't work with the stock model, so I won't be publishing these textures because the model is still payware.

Hmm, that's too bad. Will have to come up with a work around. Maybe send my "proof of purchase" - or send you my model for an overhaul. The change you achieved is dramatic.

[Duckie]

Hmm, that's too bad. Will have to come up with a work around. Maybe send my "proof of purchase" - or send you my model for an overhaul. The change you achieved is dramatic.

Thanks expat. We can probably work something out if you still want a copy when I'm done.

[Duckie]

Hey guys, need to ask for some more help for this "Cat". Does anyone who has the model and paint kit have the "wire frame" texture layer for the "02body.PSD" textures? The paint kit that shipped with my model is missing that texture layer. They all may be missing it. However, if your paint kit texture has it, and you are so inclined, would you mind sharing that layer with me. I'm going nuts trying to match up some effects layers both across texture sheets and within that texture sheet.

Thanks in advance,

Steve