F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

[ricnunes 0]

Ok, I tested the version 0.2! Awesome work there, this version definitly feels much better than previous ones (which were already great) specially in terms of Pitch sensitivity, Stall Speed, reduced afterburner aceleration, etc...

Thanks very much Franze.

But I also agree with was said before, the aceleration without afterburner seems too slow and it definitly need improvement (I think that I've already sugested this before).

[Inkompetent 0]

A little bit more thrust without AB would be nice. I found I had to take gentle turns to avoid bleeding off too much energy. If I had to make evasive manuevers, I felt like I was falling out of the sky and the stick got heavy.

I'm not sure if what it is set to now is realistic... but if it is... kudo's to the real deal F/A-18 pilots.

The amount of speed the aicraft bleeds isn't the F/A-18's fault. It's the flight model in ArmA that bleeds ridiculously much speed at high-G turns (and which allows ridiculously high Gs in turns, since no sane pilot would go over 9-10 Gs, and for example the F-16 can't even turn more than 9G. The flight computer makes it impossible).

However the flight model is getting improvements in the next patch. Hopefully including weaker turn rates and less speed-bleeding.

[Yuka 0]

However the flight model is getting improvements in the next patch. Hopefully including weaker turn rates and less speed-bleeding.

And fixed rudder! Hopefully!

[Inkompetent 0]

Yep. Fixed rudder is on the list, so finally it should be possible to gun-strafe with the A-10 with some sort of accuracy.

[the_shadow 0]

i dont know if this might be a addon conflict bug or if it´s related to the addon itself.

but the pilot of the planes are standing on top of the cockpit glass :P

looks quite wierd.

other than that the keyboard version works quite good with AI..

and i´d like if there was a way to add invisible targets in the mission editor for the planes to attack..

targets that would be destroyed after 1 or 2 hits (depending on weapon fired)

thats a bug with some replacement pack or so...FFN or how it's called. read back some posts and you will find a anwser to your problem

Erm, download Map_misc, they have invisible targets!

ok, thanks...

btw, i use map_misc but i dont get AI to attack the targets.

[franze 196]

@Sgt_Eversmann, Yuka, & ricnunes

Footmunch's F-16 is a different can of worms, honestly. Essentially, my aircraft is treated as a fixed-gear aircraft, so the game thinks it's more draggy than it really is. This unfortunately means that the aircraft is slower and bleeds speed faster in turns. The benefit is you won't explode if you land without putting your gear down and the aircraft will be able to operate from carriers. Considering that the F/A-18E/F are pretty draggy in real life too, I think it's a fair compromise.

I'd like to squeeze more acceleration out of it without afterburner but that's a little bit out of my hands. I'm unwilling to lose the carrier compatibility and "ditch" capability.

I think we all have to admit that the fixed wing physics engine in ArmA does need some work, too.

[the_shadow 0]

i was thinking.. the AGM-154, shouldnt that work as a slow missile? i noticed AI used it as a bomb... dropped it like 300m away from the target..

and btw, it´s GPS guided right? so it would need the gpstarget array?

i have some difficulties figuring out how that works exactly...

could you explain it?

[Yuka 0]

Yep. Fixed rudder is on the list, so finally it should be possible to gun-strafe with the A-10 with some sort of accuracy.

Is there an official list? I haven't seen it.

Searching now....

[franze 196]

@the_shadow

AI won't use the special weapons (AGM-154A, AGM-84D/H) properly. They'll treat them as standard weapons and use them as such. Guidance is purely manual - someone on the aircraft has to use the GPS target function and click the map area for the target.

I did find out a possible workaround for the human/AI in F/A-18F though: if the AI is the commander of the group and is also the pilot, the plane won't get 'stuck' and you can command him to use weapons and vice versa.

[rubberkite 19]

Hi Franze I've added the following code to enable six tracer

( off course they are already installed )

but this dosen't work?

This solution works for some other addons but not here, do you have some info for me to solve this and enable tracer ?

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

class fz_f18_m61 : B_20mm_AA {

hit = 50;

indirectHit = 3;

indirectHitRange = 0.5;

thrust = 510;

explosive = 0;

minRange = 100;

minRangeProbab = 0.4;

midRange = 500;

midRangeProbab = 0.9;

maxRange = 1500;

maxRangeProbab = 0.8;

cost = 10;

airlock = 1;

laserLock = 0;

irLock = 1;

SIX_tracerEnable = 1;

SIX_tracerColor = "R";

SIX_tracerPer = 6;

SIX_tracerSize = "Medium";

SIX_tracerLife = 1.445;

};

[ArmaVidz 0]

I wanted to get some air-to-air going on so I switched the F-18's to the opfor side in the config and went at them with the F-16's.

One thing is painfully evident: If we don't get the chaff system on other jets, one missile and those without the evasion systems go down. Great plane to fly against, the Ai use the evasion systems well.

Question: Do you know the areas around the instruments in the cockpit seem to be semi transparent? (You can see right through the plane).

Great work Franze, thanks for putting this out there.

[the_shadow 0]

@the_shadow

AI won't use the special weapons (AGM-154A, AGM-84D/H) properly. They'll treat them as standard weapons and use them as such. Guidance is purely manual - someone on the aircraft has to use the GPS target function and click the map area for the target.

I did find out a possible workaround for the human/AI in F/A-18F though: if the AI is the commander of the group and is also the pilot, the plane won't get 'stuck' and you can command him to use weapons and vice versa.

would it be possible to add some kind of script system to mark the targets for AI when making the mission in the editor?

or make it possible for a soldier on the ground (FAC) to "send" the target´s gps coordinates to the planes?

sort of like an artillery script but with the special weapons on the F18..

then we could also make JDAM´s

[mattxr 9]

Yeah these jets are awesome

[Sgt_Eversmann 1]

@Sgt_Eversmann, Yuka, & ricnunes

Footmunch's F-16 is a different can of worms, honestly. Essentially, my aircraft is treated as a fixed-gear aircraft, so the game thinks it's more draggy than it really is. This unfortunately means that the aircraft is slower and bleeds speed faster in turns. The benefit is you won't explode if you land without putting your gear down and the aircraft will be able to operate from carriers. Considering that the F/A-18E/F are pretty draggy in real life too, I think it's a fair compromise.

I'd like to squeeze more acceleration out of it without afterburner but that's a little bit out of my hands. I'm unwilling to lose the carrier compatibility and "ditch" capability.

I think we all have to admit that the fixed wing physics engine in ArmA does need some work, too.

ok no problem Franze.

If that's the way it works on Carriers its ok, better that way then

[NoRailgunner 0]

Those fuel MFD shows only internal fuel - would be "nice to have" that externals tanks get+show "empty" first if they in use.

Now Bluefor (US) have air superiorty till OPFOR activate some missile scripts from Mandoble. (Hopefully someday there will be little countermeasures for all ArmA military air vehicles on all sides as replacement! )

[mandoble 1]

Now Bluefor (US) have air superiorty.

<span style='color:blue'>Really ?</span>

OPFOR is in fact far from being even matched with near 20Km away air-air interceptions, anti-radar, cruise missiles, RWR able to track up to four incoming missiles, chaff/flares, plane guidance from gunner weapon consoles ... Ask Deanos

[Kaio23 0]

Just thought I'd pop in since me and Franze have been talking for awhile.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/685/nimitzatseagj5.jpg

I am currently working with some people on getting a working Nimitz port into ArmA, and the Hornet works superbly with it. Was very nice to see this ship out at sea with Franz's birds on it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4VJETXfCK4

A video of the F/A-18 landing on the Nimitz, version 0.15. The rocking back and forth was fixed in 0.2 once the center of gravity was changed, so just ignore that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGapZZ5WYLw

Landing with version 0.2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHnnZDcK2Ys

Taking off

to Franz for a great add on.

[wld427 1705]

Franze i am using the KB version on my server and it gives me an error.

"wep6 = = _deadcarg |#|Select5

error zero divisor"

and the weapons do not show on the wings.The AIM-9s are on the wingtips and Aim 120s on side of fuselage....but

any idea what i might have screwed up to make this happen?

I copied and pasted straight from your example mission.

[rubberkite 19]

wep6 = = _deadcarg |#|Select5

error zero divisor"

Same as mine tested tonight

pls some one help me with tracer enabling

thank you.

[franze 196]

@Rubberkite & wld427

I'd have to download SIX tracers but I haven't done that and I can't promise that I will for a couple days.

The error message is due to not having a BLUFOR unit named "fz_weaponcmd" on the map. It isn't required for single player but multiplayer dedicated servers will require it.

@ArmaVidz

Corrected that bug by reconverting textures with TexView2.

@NoRailgunner

The external tanks are indicated just below the internal fuel gauge. You don't draw off of the external fuel - you draw off of internal and then replenish internal by dropping tanks.

@Mandoble

Sweet... You can engage from a greater distance than the average size of most maps.

Fortunately the F/A-18E/F have JSOW and AGM-84H on their side!

@all

Hope to have an update again soon - expanded the arming GUI, various bug fixes and other tweaking.

[havocsquad 0]

The version with the "keyboard" handling, that was a much better representation than the standard AWS version.  I  could pull expected high G manuvers with good turning rate and get the expected amount of resistance.  It seems those who want to turn on a dime using the standard "loose" version are going to pay a steep penalty in airspeed.

[Baron von Beer 0]

I could be mistaken, but believe the event handlers will block the tracers. (Xeh use needed). This is the case with Mapfact aircraft.

[franze 196]

@havocsquad

That's sort of the point - only pull back when you need it, not when you want to. If you're flying along in the KB version and you need to make a quick, instantaneous pullout, chances are you'll go right into the dirt.

That said, I'm implementing a G-force script on the aircraft right now that should help to prevent too much abuse with the stick. Pull over 7.5Gs for too long and risk damage!

@Baron von Beer

I'd need to call some additional eventhandlers then?

[mandoble 1]

Not sure if it has been pointed out before, but having the back seat as commander instead of gunner might be an issue. Does the commander send attack/engange orders to the driver of his vehicle? Did some tests and it seems there is an "authority" problem within the plane. Is there any known advantage with driver+commander combo for air units instead of the "standard" driver + gunner?

[franze 196]

@Mandoble

The only advantage is the pilot in multiplayer games gets control of the weapons regardless of who's in the back seat. If the WSO were the gunner, then when a human gets into the back seat the pilot loses weapon control. This is kind of a pain in the butt because the pilot directly controls where the weaponry goes, unlike a helicopter where the gunner generally controls the direction.

I tried several methods, such as making the gunner not the primary or giving the pilot all the weapons, but these had some nagging side effects such as the weaponry not showing or the gunner dying for no reason. I decided the WSO position was primarily for multiplayer anyways, so put fixing AI issues with it at the bottom of the list.

As I said a page ago, for some reason, if the group commander is in the pilot's seat, they don't seem to have issues with it.