Author Topic: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator  (Read 2225 times)

Offline boomerlu

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"Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« on: November 06, 2009, 08:44:37 PM »
Since HiTech supports making flying easier in line with how real flying is... how about a sideslip indicator that follows your view?

I.e., doesn't matter if you are looking left, right, checking six, etc.... you have a sideslip indicator on your screen showing you if you have Yaw AoA. This would represent the feeling you get from seat of the pants flying - fly straight and you feel no sideslip forces. Make it moveable like the chat window with adjustable transparency.
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Offline Bronk

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2009, 10:32:25 AM »
center the ball?
See Rule #4

Offline boomerlu

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2009, 12:15:25 PM »
Yeah, that's the point of it - to be able to center the ball when you're looking out the side or out the back. A way to center WITHOUT having to be in "forward" view.
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Offline Ghosth

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2009, 12:18:24 PM »
Sounds pretty gamey to me.

Offline Motherland

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2009, 12:22:01 PM »
After a while you do get to 'feel' it just a little bit, even if it's just muscle memory, and you can keep the ball centered without looking at it.

Offline boomerlu

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2009, 12:26:59 PM »
Sounds pretty gamey to me.
Then I suppose you also don't want Combat Trim anymore?

Edit: It's the same type of "sacrifice" of realism that ends up making the game more "realistic" to fly as real pilots don't need to always look forward to reduce sideslip. They would simply feel the inertial forces and compensate with rudder so as to remove them. Since it's impossible to produce such inertial forces in a simulator, next best thing is a virtual sideslip indicator that follows your view.

If you want to argue, give something more substantial than "sounds gamey" especially in Aces High which has implemented MANY "gamey" features (E6B, Combat Trim, ammo counters, English instruments in foreign airplanes, standardized MPH indicators, the list goes on and on). Rejecting something like this on the basis of "it's gamey" basically entails rejecting every one of these other features.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2009, 12:40:41 PM by boomerlu »
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Offline Anaxogoras

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2009, 12:29:07 PM »
IIRC, HT's Warbirds 1.x had a HUD with horizontal dashes and a virtual slip indicator above the gunsight.  These days when I go through films, the ball is frequently off center if I wasn't in the forward view.
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Offline EskimoJoe

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2009, 02:47:30 PM »
I wouldn't care for it. Give me the option to turn it off and I'll be happy, you'll be happy  :)
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Offline Stalwart

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #8 on: November 07, 2009, 06:14:24 PM »
I wouldn't care for it. Give me the option to turn it off and I'll be happy, you'll be happy  :)
ditto

Offline boomerlu

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #9 on: November 07, 2009, 07:47:26 PM »
I wouldn't have a problem with it being toggle-able. For the guys who wouldn't like it... why not? Distraction? Lack of "realism"? Don't even care about sideslip? (To be honest, I personally don't have the pedals to make a lot of use of this, but when I do get a set...).
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Offline Nemisis

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #10 on: November 07, 2009, 07:53:38 PM »
me neither boomerlu. Aside from the screen and the CPU, all I need is a mouse, keyboard and a joystick, and I'm set.
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Offline Simba

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2009, 01:31:57 AM »
Good suggestion. When I learnt to fly in gliders, we had a red cord tied to the ASI pitot in front of us to act as a simple side-slip indicator. Very useful even in an open-cockpit T.21 Sedburgh or TX.Mk.III.

Something like it will be essential when we finally get to fly the WWI aircraft, same as it was in DoA, because they need accurate rudder all the time; unless HT provides each of them with auto-pilot and/or a totally anachronistic instrument panel, of course.

 :cool:

« Last Edit: November 08, 2009, 01:46:22 AM by Simba »
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Offline boomerlu

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2009, 02:25:51 AM »
Good suggestion. When I learnt to fly in gliders, we had a red cord tied to the ASI pitot in front of us to act as a simple side-slip indicator. Very useful even in an open-cockpit T.21 Sedburgh or TX.Mk.III.

Something like it will be essential when we finally get to fly the WWI aircraft, same as it was in DoA, because they need accurate rudder all the time; unless HT provides each of them with auto-pilot and/or a totally anachronistic instrument panel, of course.

 :cool:
Finally someone who gets where I am going with this :x. Truth be told I hadn't even considered the WWI necessity - why was it more necessary to have accurate rudder than in the WWII case?

Anyways, thanks Simba... cheers mate. :cheers:

Edit: Nemisis, what I'm asking for here is something that's supposed to be displayed on the screen.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2009, 02:31:31 AM by boomerlu »
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Air Power rests at the apex of the first triad of victory, for it combines mobility, flexibility, and initiative.

Offline Stoney

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2009, 02:52:34 AM »
Finally someone who gets where I am going with this :x. Truth be told I hadn't even considered the WWI necessity - why was it more necessary to have accurate rudder than in the WWII case?

[Generalization Disclaimer]WWI airplane designs were much less stable than WWII designs, and required a lot more stick and rudder skill to fly.  I wouldn't use it, but an interesting request, nonetheless.
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Offline boomerlu

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Re: "Seat of Pants" Sideslip indicator
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2009, 02:58:27 AM »
I wouldn't use it, but an interesting request, nonetheless.
I'm curious - you guys who wouldn't use it... do you not fly coordinated at all and don't ever intend to? Or are you saying that you are just so good that you can already fly coordinated without looking at any sideslip indicators (ala Bubi up there).

As for myself - if/when I get a set of pedals, I intend to practice some coordinated flying to squeeze that last bit of E and turning ability out of my plane when applicable. Having an ever-present indicator would help.
boomerlu
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Air Power rests at the apex of the first triad of victory, for it combines mobility, flexibility, and initiative.