Contrails

[bloom25]

How many people would like to see contrails implemented for high alt fighters/bombers?  I think it would be not only good eye candy, but useful in judging the altitude of bombers etc.  It shouldn't be too hard to do, as HTC has already implemented smoke.  Just make it a lighter version of white smoke.

Another possible addition I thought of.  Normally in the wake of an aircraft there is an area of turbulent air.  Flying through this wake should create turbulence for the plane flying through it.  Obviously this would have a detremental effect on gunnery, so it should be a mild effect.

Just a couple ideas I thought I might throw out.  What do you think?

bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[juzz]

Not normally, always. If there was no "turbulent air" in the wake of an aircraft, it wouldn't be able to fly.  

Contrails are a good idea. I have a couple of screenshots of a B-26 with "contrails" - it was (un)lucky enough to get two fuel leaks I think, but it looks really nice.  

[Ripsnort]

I would hate to see what one's frame rate would be when 20 LW aircraft attacked 20 B17's!

Like the idea, just don't know if everyone has a P600 and fiber-optics yet!

------------------
Brian "Ripsnort" Nelson
++JG2++ ~Richthofen~ XO
(Formerly VF-101 Grim Reapers~Rip1~Warbirds~)

"In training, upon being told it was time to
solo, the instructor said, “You tried to kill
me enough times, now try it with a check pilot.”"

[Westy]

 I love the idea. Though of it after a flight Thurs when there was an enemy B-26 27k over one of our bases.
 Then again I also realise that Ripsnort is right and those types of details are still out of reach even if we all had 600mhz PIII's.  (in my opinion)

-Westy
 

[pzvg]

600mhz? sorry Rip, that's obsolete junk  
AMD just unveiled a 1.1 Ghz Athlon  
Yeeoch!

------------------
pzvg- "5 years and I still can't shoot"

[bloom25]

I thought of this very same negative effect, but I wonder if this could be implemented into a sort of high detail setting.  Those without the computing horsepower could turn off this and other framerate killing effects.  (The prop comes to mind, my video card absolutely dies trying to rendar the spinning of it.)

As for the turbulance idea, it is a realistic touch that many simulators have, but it does have a detremental effect on gunnery.  Attacking from the 6 of a bomber would become even more difficult.  I guess this one is totally up to HTC to decide on.

(You're right of course Juzz, "normally" was a poor choice of words.   )

bloom25
THUNDERBIRDS

[Robert]

I have a gun cam film of a german plane attacking a B17 at very close range.
not sure what kinda german plane it is but was told it was german. looks to be about 200 to 300 foot of the dead 6 of the bomber. the attacking plane seems to be very stable at that close of a range .the file is rather big about 3.70meg. you can Dl it at this site.http://members.xoom.com/awcon99/guncam4s.avi

[juzz]

If it's that training film from Planestuff(?), it's a Bf110G-2 attacking the B-17. Yup, it is...

[This message has been edited by juzz (edited 02-13-2000).]

[Morbid]

Wake turbulence (in still air) spreads out from the aircraft and also drops below the aircraft. In training films and diagrams for a pilot's certificate, they like to show how the wake moves so people can more effectively avoid it. In a 6 trail right on the centerline, the air should be pretty clear. Were the trailing aircraft to drop down and to either side it might get flipped though depending on the lead configuration.

Wake turbulence is also proprotional to how much lift a plane is trying to get out of how much air. A lightly-loaded airplane at cruise doesn't make all that much. Get heavy and slow you produce tornados off each wing. Some interesting stories of mixed landings (bombers and fighters) at various fields in WWII. One of a P-38 that was landing behind a B-24 (if I remember correctly) that was almost rolled into the ground by the wake and just barely missed catching a wing and going in.

I've got a picture I took of a Spitfire tucked in about 40 feet to the left of the tailgunner position in a B-17. You can easily see the deflections he was holding in his control surfaces as he rode the wave, but he was very stable. He wasn't in the curl off the wingtips but he was in the waves produced byt the air going around the plane and the disturbance by the wing itself.

Will post it here in a few minutes.