Navaids: How to add a TACAN frequency?

[MSFS 2020] Questions & Community Discussions Airports & Sceneries
1

Hi! I just did some reading on TACAN navaids that should be part of my next
scenery addon. As I understand it, MSFS does support TACAN. At least there’s
some extensive coverage on creating TACAN gauges in the SDK - however nothing
on actually placing them in a scenery. The P3D SDK states some code like this:

Sadly this throws an error with the MSFS SDK, which is not that surprising
since it’s not mentioned in the SDK. Judging by topics like these
(<https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/designate-tacan-as-tacan-instead-of-
vor-dme/259877>) I assume there are already TACAN frequencies in MSFS by
default but no documentation on how to create new one (and if I understand
right, even the same applies to VOR navaids). Due to the nature of TACAN
navaids being available on ships and rather temporary “pop up airfields” it
would make a lot of sense to have the ability to add them in custom sceneries

  • as with the NDB. Is there a chance of that being possible in the future or
    is it maybe already possible? Thanks!
2

definitely of interest

3

MSFS does not support TACAN object type like P3D. But VOR object supports
TACAN flag, if it set to TRUE - not just NAV variables will pass data from the
station, but TACAN as well. You can’t set channel manually, VOR frequency will
be converted into TACAN channel automatically

1564×808 85.2 KB
In attachment airport project
near KWAL which we have used for F/A-18 TACAN/ICLS testing. Two issues:

  1. magvar should be set properly (reversed) or avionics will indicate wrong bearing angle
  2. SDK editor can’t read VOR object and erase it if you will open project and save it (maybe workaround exists idk), but you can open and publish project without saving. TEST RUNWAY.zip
4

Bloody legend!

5

I’ll look into that, thank you very much! :slight_smile: