Solomons Carrier Traffic: Testers Needed

[dswo]

SOLOMON ISLANDS CARRIER TRACKS ver 1.0
Testers' temporary download: http://www.box.net/shared/d6m4ysmla2

This project was inspired by Mark Schimmer's World War II-era Solomon Islands scenery. See http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...omon-1943-long.

This package will install (1) a traffic file and (2) the boat models that go with it. If you already have all of the boat models (see credits below for the full list), you can just install the one traffic file, trafficSolomonsCarriers.bgl. But the safest thing is to install the models in this zip file. The models called by the traffic file are AI only; you may have pilotable models by the same authors, but they won't work as intended.

There are two US carrier groups, comprised of one carrier, one battleship, and two destroyers. Yes, I'm sure the real groups would have had more ships. One group leaves Kula Gulf, north of Munda Field (AGGM), sails west to Vella Gulf and around Vella Lavella, pausing off the coast of Kumbolia. It begins at 2000 GMT and ends at about 0025; the return starts at 0030 and ends at 0455 GMT. Then it begins again. The second group starts in the Solomon Sea, south of Munda Field (AGGM) and sails south around Rendova Island and then around New Georgia, ending in the same Kula Gulf where the other group began. It begins at 2000 GMT and reaches Kula Gulf about 0351; at 0400 it sails back.

Plying the Santa Isabel Trough (a.k.a., "the Slot") are two smaller carriers: the light carrier USS Cabot and the escort carrier USS Bougainville. The Cabot patrols the northern shores and the Bougainville patrols the southern shores. The Cabot starts in the west, near AGGO and AGGE, at 0800 and 2000 GMT; it reaches the eastern end at 2336 and 1136, respectively, before turning west for the return trip. The Bougainville starts in the east, near AGGP, at 0800 and 2000 GMT; it reaches the western end of the slot, near AGGC, at 0037 and 1237, respectively, before turning east for the return trip. Both carriers are escorted by Fletcher-class destroyers.

No saved flights in this release, unless someone wants to make them...

CREDITS AND PERMISSIONS
USS Gambier Bay and Bougainville by Mark Fitch, distributed here by permission of the modeler
USS New Jersey battleship by Bruce Fitzgerald, distributed here by permission of the modeler
USS Enterprise carrier by Bruce Fitzgerald, distributed here by permission of the modeler
USS Fletcher destroyer by Bruce Fitzgerald, distributed here by permission of the modeler
USS Cabot light carrier by Alberto Garcia, distributed here by permission of the modeler

Tracks were created with Google Earth and Lamont Clark's AI Boat Traffic Compiler.

[JamesChams]

Mr. David "DSWO"

SOLOMON ISLANDS CARRIER TRACKS ver 1.0
Testers' temporary download: http://www.box.net/shared/d6m4ysmla2
...

Count me in on this... :salute: ...as time permits over the next month. Glad your doing another project like this; your Carrier Tracks 1 & 2 were a good addition to my Ship AI traffic and lots of fun to do a SAR for.

Later!


Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
From,
James F. Chams

[roger-wilco-66]

Excellent work, David!

I'll try them out tonight!



Cheers,
Mark

[MartinM]

Cool. I'll give it a try tonight.

Cheers
Martin

[roger-wilco-66]

OK, I checked them out and it's great! Works like a charm, as far as I can see.
Thanks for the effort!

:ernae:

Cheers,
Mark

[MartinM]

Hi

I have flown a few sorties yesterday. I have not found a single carrier. Got to search again today

Cheers
Martin

[dswo]

I have flown a few sorties yesterday. I have not found a single carrier. Got to search again today.

I have the same problem. The sea is big and ships are small. Try starting at 2000 GMT at one of the airports mentioned in the readme. The screenshot from Google Earth is somewhat helpful.

In real life, the USN sometimes had a good idea of where the IJN was going to be, because we were reading their codes. But if the sim is anything like real life, luck was still a factor. I've spent several hours on scouting missions, and the first glimpse -- esp. of the smaller carriers and their destroyer escorts -- is often very fleeting, even when you know where to look. A lot depends on weather, sun, and whether you happen to be looking out of the right window.

I am assuming, though, that in real life the big carrier groups (with Enterprise) had more ships and were therefore easier to spot.

[MartinM]

I have the same problem. The sea is big and ships are small. Try starting at 2000 GMT at one of the airports mentioned in the readme. The screenshot from Google Earth is somewhat helpful.

In real life, the USN sometimes had a good idea of where the IJN was going to be, because we were reading their codes. But if the sim is anything like real life, luck was still a factor. I've spent several hours on scouting missions, and the first glimpse -- esp. of the smaller carriers and their destroyer escorts -- is often very fleeting, even when you know where to look. A lot depends on weather, sun, and whether you happen to be looking out of the right window.

I am assuming, though, that in real life the big carrier groups (with Enterprise) had more ships and were therefore easier to spot.

The cool thing about this. Like in real life during WW2. You are flying a Catalina searching for the fleet This time, however, the own one

Cheers
Martin

[MudMarine]

For some reason I can't seem to get the add-on scenery folder to show up in my library?

Remember also that often the first thing searching aircraft saw was a ships wake which lead them to the actual thing. Just a thought

[dswo]

For some reason I can't seem to get the add-on scenery folder to show up in my library?

What happens when you try to add it? Also: are you using Windows 7?

[MartinM]

"Ship spotted - northwest of AGGM" !!!

On my last sortie yesterday i found a battle group northwest of AGGM with heading Vella Lavella. One carrier, two destroyers and a battleship. No support carrier.

Thats loads of fun!!

All we would need now, some Japanese battle groups!!

Cheers
Martin

[dswo]

On my last sortie yesterday i found a battle group northwest of AGGM with heading Vella Lavella. One carrier, two destroyers and a battleship. No support carrier.

I've been looking for a way to fatten up the main groups. There are two other carrier types currrently patrolling the Slot: light and escort. Which would be appropriate; and where in the group should it go?

All we would need now, some Japanese battle groups!!

Agreed: we just need some models!

[MudMarine]

What happens when you try to add it? Also: are you using Windows 7?

Yes, W7. It doesn't do anything when I click on it.........? Admin. rights thing?

[MartinM]

Agreed: we just need some models!

There are a few models over at fs-shipyard. Not all of them WW2, but would anyway give a good picture.

There is a WW hornet mission package for FSX that contains japanese AI ships.

Cheers
Martin

[dswo]

Yes, W7. It doesn't do anything when I click on it.........?

This is a known problem with FSX and W7. Fortunately, there's an easy fix: http://forums1.avsim.net/index.php?showtopic=265677.

[dswo]

There is a WW hornet mission package for FSX that contains japanese AI ships.

Do you have a link for this? I searched for hornet mission and fsx hornet at Flightsim.com and AVSIM but -- no joy.

[warchild]

David? Would you be so kind as to include me as a tester?? The Solomons are of major importance to me, and i've been flying around them in fs for about four years now. it would provide me a test bed for my own work, as well as helping you with yours, and provide a historical backdrop as well..
Let me know..
Pam

[MartinM]

Do you have a link for this? I searched for hornet mission and fsx hornet at Flightsim.com and AVSIM but -- no joy.

Sure.

http://www.fs-shipyards.com/index.ph..._view&iden=228

The great package was done by Ron Jeffers.

Cheers
Martin

[warchild]

Welll, i spent a couple hours flying around and didnt see them, but knowing me, i was probably flying everywhere but the correct place.. did a few runs up the slot, and around kuma gulf. i must have dived on a hundred yachts, but nothing a big a a battleship was there.. Checked out the area between vella and rendova too ( have a airport on rendova ) and there was nothing there either. i'm gonna go back in though and use a different search pattern and see hat i can come up with..

[dswo]

Welll, i spent a couple hours flying around and didnt see them, but knowing me, i was probably flying everywhere but the correct place.. did a few runs up the slot, and around kuma gulf. i must have dived on a hundred yachts, but nothing a big a a battleship was there.. Checked out the area between vella and rendova too ( have a airport on rendova ) and there was nothing there either. i'm gonna go back in though and use a different search pattern and see hat i can come up with..

Thanks for checking, Pam. The best way to locate the carriers is to start where they start (see readme for this) and when they start (a little after 2000 GMT).

Oh how I wish we had a utility to display boat traffic along with air!

I think the next step (for me) is to make some saved flights that begin on deck. Question is: using what aircraft? I've been doing my own flights in the Vertigo Dauntless, but for the saved flights I want to use something that's (a) free and (b) commonly installed.

I'd also like to fatten up the main carrier groups with another ship type, light carrier or escort, if that's historically appropriate.

[dswo]

The great package was done by Ron Jeffers.

Thanks, Martin. I've sent Jeffers an email.

[warchild]

ok, so maybe its time for some of them "stupid newbie" questions..

I followed the instructions for installing the carrier track files and effects. i also started at 2000 hours from aggm and flew northwest over the gulf, several times.. thinking that i had obviously missed something somewhere, i installed the new landclass as well as ai carriers and then re-flew the route. As an aid to help with scaling and visualization, i used ai carrier to place one carrier in the gulf so i could judge size and distance.. There was stil no battle group, so, this left me wondering..

Does the carrier track and battle group depend on ai carriers?? and if so, do the entries for the individual ships need to be placed in an ai carriers config file somewhere?? Or is the entire carrier track self supporting and self actuating?? Is there anything besides install the scenry and adjust my traffic sliders ( they are now at 100% ) that i need to do ??

Thanks
Pam

[warchild]

I'd also like to fatten up the main carrier groups with another ship type, light carrier or escort, if that's historically appropriate.

I found this little page while i was looking around. it gives descriptions of each of the solomons battles as well as ship strengths for both us and japan for each battle.. http://www.combinedfleet.com/battles...ign#Vella_Gulf

[dswo]

Does the carrier track and battle group depend on ai carriers?? and if so, do the entries for the individual ships need to be placed in an ai carriers config file somewhere?? Or is the entire carrier track self supporting and self actuating?? Is there anything besides install the scenry and adjust my traffic sliders ( they are now at 100% ) that i need to do ??

You don't need AI carriers; the tracks here are all self-standing, so long as the files are copied in the right places, the proper folder is added to the scenery library, and boat traffic is >= 5%.

I really need to make at least one saved flight so that people can test whether the tracks are working. Any suggestions for a freeware plane?

[roger-wilco-66]

David, what about the FM-2 from the escort carrier package ( http://library.avsim.net/download.php?DLID=144429 ) ?



Mark