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FSXA Reversing problem

MEPaquette

MEPaquette

Messages
235
Country
ca-ontario
Hi folks
Trying to get reverse on my boat.
starting from the basic single prop engine(based on C172), I tried to make changes as follows to get a reversing prop

[GeneralEngineData]
engine_type = 0
Engine.0 = 2.4, 0.0, 0.0
ThrustAnglesPitchHeading.0 = 0,0
fuel_flow_scalar= 0.88
min_throttle_limit = -0.35

[propeller]
thrust_scalar = 1.0
propeller_type= 0
propeller_diameter= 6.3
propeller_blades= 4
propeller_moi= 5.0
beta_max= 45.0
beta_min= 15.2
min_gov_rpm= 1450
prop_tc= 0
gear_reduction_ratio= 1.0
fixed_pitch_beta= 0
low_speed_theory_limit= 80
prop_sync_available= 0
prop_deice_available= 0
prop_feathering_available= 1
prop_auto_feathering_available= 1
min_rpm_for_feather= 700
beta_feather= 60
power_absorbed_cf= 0
defeathering_accumulators_available= 0
prop_reverse_available= 1
minimum_on_ground_beta= 1.0
minimum_reverse_beta= -14.0

Now here is what happens after I start my engines.
Push throttle forward, boat goes forward
Push throttle back from neutral to send into reverse, no movement
Push throttle forward to max again, boat reverses
Then boat is stuck in reverse.
I need to exit flight and when I go back in and start engine, I can go forward again, but as soon as I send my throttle back to reverse, I get stuck in reverse

I have also attempted to change to turboprop by copying "Engines prop and fuel" section form King air 350 which has reversing feature, but my engine keeps stalling.

Can anyone help me here? Am I missing some changes in either case?

Michel E Paquette
 
Hey Michel,

How about some WIP's on Your Boat - You must be making Good Progress !! :)

Johnman
 
Actually Johnman, there as not been much changes in the appearance of my boat since I posted. I have been working on animation, texturing and engine control.
On the animation front, I have successfully animated the steering wheel with the rudder. and the throttle lever.
As for texturing, I am not having any luck. But this problem will be addressed in another post I will be starting within the next week(I hope).
Then I decided to try to get my boat to reverse. As shown at the beginning, no luck there either.

To me personally, my priority is to first of all, get my boat "functional". At the moment I have the basic, which is the basic boat construction, the ability to place myself in the "captain chair" and see the gauges and see thru the windows as I would in the real thing, and the ability to steer the boat. Now I need to be able to go in reverse.
My second priority would be animation, which I am confident I will be able to do progress on after I resolve the first issue. I am still wandering about exits animation as I have many doors that would need animation, but I think FSX has a limit?
And my last priority is texturing. Since this project is only for my personal pleasure, I am not so concern about appearance, but it would be nice if I could get to do a paint job on it. My first main goal for texturing is to paint the "water level boot line" which would show me if I am at the right height in the water when at rest. If I can get more. then bonus.

Back to this post, my main concern at the moment is to get reverse, but I also have a couple off other questions on "propellers and motors".
Is there a way to have a limit on my top speed? According to the boat designer, because this is a semi displacement hull, the top speed would be about 14 knots. So the 40 knots that I am getting at the moment is unrealistic.
Is there a way to have more thrust at lower RPM, gradually diminishing as the boat speed increases?

I know this might be asking too much from a "flight" base program, but if I don't ask, I will never now.

Michel E Paquette
 
Hello Michel,

Sounds Like You are up to Your Eyeballs in Total Enjoyment !! :laughing::)

I found a couple of Areas in the Sdk - and The Aircraft Cfg file that may be of interest to You - Animation tags ( Door_0 thru Door_4 ) Also I believe that You can use Like "Door_0_1a" - to have as many Doors as You like . Also Animation Tags in the sdk " thrust_rev_1 thru thrust_rev_4" Maybe could be used for reverse ??

In the Aircraft Cfg File - take a look at [Piston_Engine] Max_Rated_Rpm=XXXX - [Propeller] - [Exits] and [Reference Speeds]

Your Water Line Level Will most likely Be Done with Contact Points - I have never really Gotten involved with coding in Xml - so far - Beyond My Pay grade !

Let Us Know how You make out - We'll have You Applying for a job at Boeing ( Ship Yard ) before You're done !!

Remember - When You are up to Your Ears in Alligators - It is Hard to remember that You came to drain the Swamp !! :);):cool:

Johnman
 
Johnman
On animation tags for extra doors, I done a search on "animation tags" and according to a post I have found, lionheart talks about making custom animation tags, but this involves .XML programing, which I am not familiar with.
As for making the boat go in reverse, animating a lever for reverse will not make the boat go in reverse. I am sure this needs to be done in the "aircraft.cfg" file.
As for waterline, when it comes to contacts point, changing the "z" values will not change the waterline. this is done with this line:

static_cg_height= 1.67

As for the values in [reference speed], SDK states that "values given in this section are mainly for reference, as performance of the aircraft is held in the .air file"

Michel E Paquette
 
MEPaquette,

Try using a plane that already has reverse thrust and see if you can find the details that make it roll backwards, or slow down. If the thrust is powerful enough, it will roll backwards, (or in your case, boat backwards). Could it be that the prop needs to be a negative sum in the Beta_min= section? I cant remember. Its been like 6+ years that I did a plane with reverse thrust. You might put this post in at the Flight Dynamics room of this forum. They will definately know.
 
What commands are you using to get your boat to reverse? We found that the typical F2 reverse did not work in FS9 piston aircraft so we had to create our own, using prop pitch.
 
Lionheart
As mentioned in my original post, I have tried to copy the engine and prop section of a plane that does reverse, but my engine keeps stalling. Could it have something to do with the .air file that I am using? in other words, I am still using the .air file from the C172, but the engine from the King Air 350.

Tom
I have made 2 attempts. First as shown in my original post. Since I have revised and customized my command keys, the command that I am using is "Throttle (decrease)"
In a second attempt, I have tried leaving "min_throttle_limit = 0", and changing prop setting "beta_max= 45.0" and "beta_min= -14" and using the 2 commands to increase and decrease "feather" (although in the commands lines in says increase and decrease RPM????)

I would need to go back and test again, but I think in both cases, I can go forward, but as soon a I go in reverse, I am stuck in reverse and can't go forward again.

At first I tried using "pushback" and this was not even working. But I have discovered by looking at my "Deltasim" boat, that in order to use pushback, I needed to add "wheels" in my contact points.

Michel E Paquette
 
Hey Michel,

Yes, the airfiles have to match the configs for propulsion. Jets with jets, engines with engines, turboprops with turboprops. But props have the ability to reverse thrust also.

I was once able to copy/paste in the jet tables into a turboprop AIR file, converting it to pure jet. Very tricky. The config file was a turboprop also, and I copied over the jet sections into it. Took a while of figuring out things and finding bits that were missing to get it all working, but it is possible.

Pushback. Makes sense that this doesnt work in the water. It replicates a small truck pushing back an airliner. This wouldnt be so in the water.

To get out of reverse thrust, you simply give the craft throttle (normally), like slide the throttle in to 50% or 20% quickly and back down to idle and your reverse thrust should cut out and prop angles return to normal. To reverse thrust, your throttle would be at zero (idle) and you would hold down F2 for 2 long seconds. Then to shut down reversers, you birp the throttle up for a second and that shuts it down.
 
Lionheart
I know the procedure to go into reverse thrusts and out. It works fine on the Deltasim boat (its a turboprop). But on my boat, whatever changes to the propeller section I have tried, once into reverse mode, I can't get out of it.
but now that I know about .air file having to match the engine, I might try to copy King Air engine and prop again, using King Air .air file.

Michel E Paquette
 
If you're taking the engines from the King Air, then you must set the engine type to turboprop (not type 0):

engine_type = 5 //0=Piston, 1=Jet, 2=None, 3=Helo-Turbine, 4=Rocket, 5=Turboprop

Hope this helps,
 
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