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Landing Gear Deployment

B

BigDawg205

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23
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us-mississippi
First, before I ask my question, I wanted to share that I have spent days trying to figure this out on my own

I did AI Helicopters, mostly wheeled ones the I can get off the ground in 300 feet and land in 200feet max. I did the repaints and airports and flight plans. It all works great.

One problem: I can't get the gear to retract on any of them. Here's what I know:

1. The AI air file is no more elaborate or less elaborate than the original with the usual piston aircraft stuff, electricals and gear parameter from working fixed wing files. It all lines up, I mean all electrical won't work, neither will hydraulic but when I provision for one I don't cross provision.

2. The aircraft cfg has every parameter I could glean from working gear models including contact points, systems, etc.

3. I thought it might be altitude related so I got the helos up above 1000 feet and still no joy.

Is there anything written about how the gear retraction process works from soup to nuts? Thanks!!

BD205
 
Well, if you could share the solution in this thread (even in abriged form), it would help others who might have the same problem.
 
It got down to understanding the contact points as a matrix better.


[contact_points]
point.0=1, 4.83, 3.33, -4.45, 1574.8, 1, 0.5187, 50.0, 0.286975, 2.5, 0.605067, 5.0, 4.0, 2.0, 0.0, 0.0
point.1=1, -3.50, -3.33, -4.45, 1574.8, 0, 0.5187, 0.00, 0.396299, 2.5, 0.728164, 4.0, 3.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
point.2=1, -3.50, 3.33, -4.45, 1574.8, 0, 0.5187, 0.00, 0.396299, 2.5, 0.728164, 6.0, 5.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0
point.3=1, 4.83, -3.33, -4.45, 1574.8, 2, 0.5187, 50.0, 0.286975, 2.5, 0.605067, 7.0, 5.0, 3.0, 0.0, 0.0

The underlined values are the retraction and extension times in seconds for the gear. In my original file, these were "0" which is interpreted as fixed gear. I varied what I thought were the right parameters, but it belied my misunderstanding of the contact point matrix.

Once I saw the light, I checked out values used by other aircraft and settled on the values you see. Try it yourself on any aircraft. Make those values "0" and the gear won't retract.

BD205

P.S. It's a shame we have to figure these things out. The Microsoft site could be a tad more clear. Explain the contact matrix better and gear function. But that's why they pay us the big bucks, right? :rolleyes:
 
The FSX SDK does explain it:

12 (1.0) Extension Time The amount of time it takes the landing gear to fully extend under normal conditions (seconds). A value of zero indicates a fixed gear.

13 (4.0) Retraction Time The amount of time it takes the landing gear to fully retract under normal conditions (seconds). A value of zero indicates a fixed gear.
Click to expand...
 
BigDawg205 said:
First, before I ask my question, I wanted to share that I have spent days trying to figure this out on my own ... Is there anything written about how the gear retraction process works from soup to nuts?
Click to expand...

BigDawg205 said:
Like most things, I figure them out with enough mental elbow grease. Problem solved on the landing gear.
Click to expand...

We applaud your efforts BigDawg205, it's just that the FSX sdk already gives all you need to know.

It's supplied with FSX Deluxe or Gold and the section on contact points is in SimObject Creation Kit/SimObject Container SDK/Aircraft Configuration Files
 
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