Classic British Flight Sim

Some info for AI buffs. I've always used AI Smooth to try to space the AI traffic evenly, but it's never been very effective. You still get flocks of a/c arriving at an airport a few minutes after startup and when they've finished overshooting they go off in a hold somewhere and never come out again :roll: I thought I'd give AI Separation a go and AI Archie has been out in all weathers doing some observations at Heathrow for me.



We tried different settings in AI Smooth and AI Separation and we even tried them together. But the best result (at least for LHR) was AI Separation alone - set to a desired spacing of 8nm and a minimum spacing of 7nm and filtered to the specific airport. Which looks something like this:



It gives 3-4 mins between a/c which is more than RW but it allows for the slow default taxi speed of FS AI vacating the runway. I know FS Configurator can increase the taxi speed but I've lost it and I think the only place that has it is Avsim :-(

AI Separation works by slewing the number two aircraft backwards to increase the spacing, (or sometimes the number three sideways!) which looks odd if you're watching the landing queue, but if you're within about 5nm of the threshold the spacing looks pretty good and I've only seen a couple slip through and have to overshoot. A single runway airport with a lot of traffic would need a bigger separation to allow for take-offs.

It's available at Project AI. http://www.projectai.com/library_archiv ... .php?cat=8 File name: Flight Simulator AI Traffic Separation_FSAISVv11.zip

I haven't tried it at Kai Tak yet. With a scheduled movement of AI every two and a half minutes it might be too much to ask!

Ian

Hello Matey

That sounds cool. The 'rush' of traffic trying to land (or takeoff) in the first 20mins is always a bit of a bind at some airports as I recently found out with Belfast Xtreme. If I used CalClassic late 50's (either one), there wasn't a problem. As soon as I went to '62.. the brown stuff hit the fan. 'My' Merchantmen were going around twice.. sometimes 3 times. It's an odd airport with a short turnoff.. depending on weather (which is usually leaning toward the 25) and the CC traffic ALWAYS make the stop and turnoff regardless of separation. AI Sep will go a long way to sorting this particular airport out ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

Hi Dave. It's not perfect but I really hate that five minutes of nothing and then a whole bunch of them jostling for the threshold at the same time! It's early days but I haven't seen that yet. It's set to start the separation process 40nm out. It can be quite ruthless in policing the separation and a/c in the far distance can be seen to streak sideways at the speed of sound or even plummet into the ground nose first. But at the airport everything seems calm

The fora suggest that it doesn't allow for the user aircraft so you'll have to find your own slot, but I haven't tried that yet. Just observing ;-)

So swings and roundabouts, but so far I prefer it.

Ian

Cool, thanks, I didn't know there were such tools.

But when we're talking AI:
After a near miss with a Ryanair 737 last week I wondered if I could get a TCAS for DM's OneEleven somewhere. DOn't think that would kill the classic patina of the aircraft. There's one delivered with UltimateTraffic (which I'm running) but I don't seem to be able to use it in the BAC. Any ideas anyone?

Cheers,

Nick

Hi Nick

AI using TCAS?? :o Why not I say It certainly wouldn't be out of place in DM's One-Eleven.. European had it fitted to their 500's and if I'm not mistaken, a facsimile still lives in the cab for the 500 ;-) It's not a 'working' one though.. it's borrowed off the Lear I think

ATB

DaveB :tab:

The weather radar screen in Rick's HS 748 displays basic AI traffic if you have FSUIPC. It's not proper TCAS but you might be able to use it.

If you find a proper TCAS let us know because that would be very desirable

Ian

speedbird591 wrote: I know FS Configurator can increase the taxi speed but I've lost it and I think the only place that has it is Avsim :-(

Ian

I believe I have that little utility on a back up disc Ian. If you want it & PM me an e-mail address I can send it over, if no one else has volunteered first.

Bob

Thanks for that, Bob - much appreciated.

Initial experiments at Kai Tak look promising. Because of the single runway operation I've increased the separation slightly to 9nm desired and 8nm minimum. There was no initial rush and when the AI started arriving it was in an orderly fashion with no overshoots. This pic is typical of the separation I've been getting. The Lufthansa has landed and is taxying in. JAL is on his take-off roll and you can just see the next for landing in the distance (Air China 737-200) while PanAm is taxying to the holding point. I'm very impressed. I don't think I'll be able to reduce the separation any more here, but with a faster taxi speed I should speed things up at Heathrow.



Ian

EDIT: Yep, that's as tight as it will go at Kai Tak

DaveB wrote: AI using TCAS?? :o Why not I say It certainly wouldn't be out of place in DM's One-Eleven.. European had it fitted to their 500's and if I'm not mistaken, a facsimile still lives in the cab for the 500 ;-) It's not a 'working' one though.. it's borrowed off the Lear I think

Hi Dave,

well, it would just give me a traffic warning just before I look straight into the eyes of an AI pilot...

Good to hear - I most frequently use MikeFox. I already thought it was fitted in later planes. I think I've seen TCAS in the cockpit shots of Select Leasing's 1-11s as well. And then - the dreamfleet 727 is equipped with a TCAS , so I don't mind...

I know the AI Radar fitted in the 748, but maybe I'll get a chance for a real TCAS to download somewhere...
Or maybe anyone knows how to fit the Ultimate Traffic TCAS that works well in the default aircraft in the 1-11...

And if that doesn't work - no worries, the current status keeps it quite thrilling in highly frequented airspace... it was just an idea...

Cheers to you all,

Nick

There is a particular line in the fs9.cfg that can be adjusted to change taxi speed but I can't remember what it is. PeterM knows as he advised the change for PAMA to enable all those F16's to get out of the way and parked. I'm sure he'll pop up here and advise ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab: