SOH Team Project - Grumman Tracker, Trader, Tracer

[Milton Shupe]

Cool, dont think I've ever seen the nose wheel spin freely like that after trapping on any other model.
Been watching this one for a while, cant believe how fast its coming together

Craig.

ps. whos arm do the FSX guys have to twist to get that Majestic class carrier. Don't know if it would even be possible but it would fill a gap in the carriers available

It has come together fast because of all the very helpful folks here doing the research, finding the reference pictures and data needed so that I could spend my 8-12 hours per day modeling. The support and involvement has been awesome.

The nose gear is setup as non-steerable except by brakes or differential power. So as a free wheeling gear, once the aircraft is pulled backwards, the gear spins around to follow the movement.
For those without pedals or wheel brakes, you can modify the contact point 0 as follows:

From this: point.0 = 1.000, 14.087, 0.000, -7.668, 1950.000, 0.000, 1.050, 180.0, 0.1500, 6.470, 1.000, 6.000, 6.000, 0.000, 150.000, 150.000

To this:
point.0 = 1.000, 14.087, 0.000, -7.668, 1950.000, 0.000, 1.050, 45.0, 0.1500, 6.470, 1.000, 6.000, 6.000, 0.000, 150.000, 150.000

This will eliminate the spinning gear as well as making the nose gear steerable.

EDIT: Attaching pictures illustrating tail hook coordinates at the pivot point.

[Milton Shupe]

Does anyone have performance data for the S2T military version? That would be a great help.

[p3aewguy]

Does anyone have performance data for the S2T military version? That would be a great help.

Milton,

Here's a little info. I'm still searching.

The S-2T were all converted from the S-2E or S-2G while they were assigned to the ROCAF. The original plan, valued at $260 million USD, called for conversion of 32 S-2T (from 25 S-2E and 7 S-2G). Two S-2G were first sent to US for modification to the S-2T standards by Grumman (later Northrop Grumman). The first flight took place in July 1988 and the two converted aircraft returned to Taiwan in August 1991. The rest of the fleet were then converted in Taiwan using kits supplied by the contractors. The S-2T conversion program turned out to be a political scandal and it was probably for this reason that only 27 aircraft has been converted. (In 2001, eight ROCAF officials involved in the S-2T scandal were impeached, including former ROCAF CinC General Kuo.) The most significant improvement of the S-2T over the old S-2E/G is that the original Curtiss-Wright R-1820-82 piston engines, each rated 1141 kW (1530 shp), have been replaced by two Garret TPE-331-15AW turboprops, each rated 1227 kW (1645 shp), with four-blade propellers, resulting in an increase of 500 kg in payload. New mission equipment includes the AN/AQS-92F digital sonobuoy processor, A/NARR-84 99-channel sonobuoy receiver, Litton AN/APS-504 radar, AN/ASQ-504 MAD, and AN/AAS-40 FLIR (replacing the search light on the wing).

[p3aewguy]

Milton,

Here's a CDF sheet with a few general specs.

Dave

[fliger747]

Milton:

At least in FSX I don't get any hook engagement unless I reduce the minus verticle value of the hook to 1.8 ft or so. Anyone have any experience with this in FS9, as I don't have any arrestable carriers in that sim anymore.

Cheers: T

[Rich]

What are the hook settings that Milton has, I do'nt have the model so can't really check with show markers, I am using FSX

[mgr]

Does anyone have performance data for the S2T military version? That would be a great help.

From JANE's 1994-5:

Marsh S-2F3T:
1227 kW (1645 shp) Garrett TPE331-15AW
Hartzel 5 blade prop 9ft 7 in
max useable fuel 518 US Gal (1960 liters)
Empty weight: 6282 kg
MTOW: 13.163 kg
Max payload: 6881 kg
Wingload: 286.6 kg/m2

Max speed sealevel: 260 kts
Max speed at alt: 296 kts
Ceiling: 24.000 ft
Range (no reserve): 647 nm (1200 km).

Grumman S-2T Turbo Tracker:
1227 kW (1645 shp) Garrett TPE331-15AW
Dowty advanced technology four-blade prop
Max speed: 270 kts at 5000 ft

Regards,

Marcel

PS.
Just found the offical FAA spec on the Marsh version, you can get it here:
http://www.airweb.faa.gov/Regulatory...FILE/A51NM.pdf

[mgr]

Milton is it correct that i see no spinning props?

[Milton Shupe]

Attachment 49631[QUOTE=mgr;633492]Milton is it correct that i see no spinning props?

QUOTE]

Hmmm, looks like I may have left the spinprop bmp out of the S2F-3 package. You can copy that from the E-1B package.

EDIT: Oh wait! You are in the E-1B. Then you must be in FSX. Let me adjust that for FSX.
EDIT2: Hmmm, I see the prop fine in FSX and FS9 so I do not know what you have there. The spinprop.bmp is the texture in question. Check that you have it, that it is 32-bit, and the alpha channel is near black with a faint blurred prop inset.

[mgr]

Attachment 49631

Hmmm, looks like I may have left the spinprop bmp out of the S2F-3 package. You can copy that from the E-1B package.

EDIT: Oh wait! You are in the E-1B. Then you must be in FSX. Let me adjust that for FSX.

Flying in FS9 (FS2004) not FSX also i do have the "spinprop.bmp" texture in the texture folder.

Marcel

EDIT: The alfa-layer is completely black (color 5,5,5), not faint blurred prop inset.

[Milton Shupe]

What are the hook settings that Milton has, I do'nt have the model so can't really check with show markers, I am using FSX

Fliger747 is doing the flight model and is testing the effectiveness of the new coordinates and lengths I posted on the previous page.

Check your PM's please.

[Milton Shupe]

Flying in FS9 (FS2004) not FSX also i do have the "spinprop.bmp" texture in the texture folder.

Marcel

EDIT: The alfa-layer is completely black (color 5,5,5), not faint blurred prop inset.

Hmmm, that must have gotten changed somehow. Borrow the texture from the A26B/C or any 3 bladed aircraft and rename to spinprop.bmp.

EDIT: And, thanks for the performance data from "Jane's"

[mgr]

Hmmm, that must have gotten changed somehow. Borrow the texture from the A26B/C or any 3 bladed aircraft and rename to spinprop.bmp.

EDIT: And, thanks for the performance data from "Jane's"

Works, got the texture of your Grizzly :-) btw seems the "faulty" texture is also on the Tiger Cat so far i could check...

Marcel

[fliger747]

I get the hook to engage with a verticle entry of -1.8 in FSX Accel. Interesting that on my laptop I get the black disks for props but works just fine on my "Mainframe".

Thanks for the info on the turbine aircraft. Empty weight seems a bit low? Any info on the empty weight of the military aircraft?

Cheers: T

[Milton Shupe]

Got the basics done, now to clean up and add the small elements, then map the fuselage and nacelles for textures.