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Idea

tml avatar image
tml suggested RXP commented

Please add a way to describe landing gear geometry realistically (and then make the simulator use it)

Currently, the way you describe an aircraft's landing gear is very simplistic. Each gear is just described as one contact point. Even if the gear consists of, to take a typical airliner main gear as an example, a bogie with two axles, with two wheels on each axle. The bogie is able to rotate a bit around its axle, which is attached to the oleo strut. The simulator has no idea about this, to it the gear is just described as if it was a single wheel with no other degrees of freedom than that which the vertical compression of the oleo strut gives.

aircraftflightmodel
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5 Comments

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tml avatar image
tml commented tml edited

Until such functionality is implemented in the sim itself, I guess one could use a WASM module (or perhaps JS) to make sure the bogie is horizontal while even a small weight is on the gear when landing (in a prominent nose-high attitude, like for instance delta-winged aircraft tend to do) or when rotating for take-off. At landing, the bogie would be in the typical tilted attitude where the aft wheels are lower, at the exact moment the aft wheels of the main gear touches the ground. A few seconds later when the plane is a bit lower the bogie would be horizontal (even if the aircraft is still in a more lr less prominent nose-up attitude, after the flare, or because it is a delta that lands like that) and all wheels are touching ground, and only then does it actually carry weight and the oleo (simulated as a spring) starts compressing. Sigh, sounds complicated.

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OzWookiee avatar image
OzWookiee commented OzWookiee published

Oleo compression is already handled with the static and max/static values of the contact points. I would think maybe that you would describe the contact point as being directly below the oleo at the appropriate distance.

Handling the rotation animation of bogie could be achieved by using the AOA SimVar or some other appropriate variable (on lunch break so can't dig too deep) that describes the current angle of the aircraft relative to the ground and animating the rotation based on that.

IIRC they did mention something about animations for airliner gear in a recent dev update.

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Krazycolin avatar image
Krazycolin commented

See this video for the problem....https://youtu.be/ZXQG66NK-Zw?t=888

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RXP avatar image
RXP commented

@tml I believe I've found a video showing what you are describing:
https://youtu.be/b3VTN6iAxQ0?t=78

For comparison:
https://youtu.be/bj0KTzg_pew?t=19

IIRC, even when only the rear wheels of the A330 landing gear are touching the ground, the main oleo can already absorb some of the forces and compresses a little. It is not simulated in XP11 but will be in XP12, enjoy:
https://youtu.be/xxL_hUqo64s?t=1224


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RXP avatar image
RXP commented

@tml is this what you're looking for?

https://developer.x-plane.com/article/x-plane-12-flight-model-report/#Gear_and_Tires

The A330 has an Eagle-Claw landing gear system that is NOT just for looks...

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