Fast Jet Flight Model

With the growing number of Military Jets on msfs I think a separate more focused flight model should be developed that’s appropriate for fast jets.

Hello,
Could you please be more specific? What problem are you wishing to solve?

Just after feedback from a few Devs with jets when I’ve raised the issue off bouncy handling on pitch and some other odd handling characteristics it’s seems to be something that’s mentioned a fair bit that the standard flight model is designed for slower flying commercial and ga aircraft and not for military fast jets.

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I suspect this is something that’s naturally addressed over time, without any specific fast jet flight model, as the SDK is reinforced with greater range of options and some incorrect behaviour in the model is fixed.

This would include for example allowing the developers to correctly set the shape of an object, those objects behaving in believable manner in relation to that accurate shape and for example allowing greater customization of the parameters of the jet engines.

Also the aircraft that inspired you to make this entry, the F-104, is a pre-CFD aircraft so it’s not even using the most current sim model for aerodynamics.

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Well I’ll see where it goes with the wishlist thought it was worth an ask, I doubt CFD would correct the issues though anyway.

I rather meant that Asobo is probably not going to be investing much or any to non-CFD based flight modelling at this stage. It’s the way forward, eventually.

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Two things make the implementation of a modern fighter jet in the flight simulator difficult:

  • The location of center of mass and center of lift : The center of mass is often behind the center of lift. Since the center of lift shifts aft during the transition from subsonic to supersonic speed, there are then no trim problems. The aerodynamically unstable aircraft is finally made controllable again for the pilot by a fly by wire system.
  • Implementing an afterburner engine with a correct performance characteristic in conjunction with correct aerodynamics of a known modern fighter jet is very difficult in the MSFS, but it is possible.

So I expect that there will be very few third party fighter jets with really good flight physics for the MSFS in the near future and even less for the XP-12!

Stick to my principle: With some exceptions that are justified for me, military aircraft belong to the Combat Flight Simulator (DCS, IL-2,…) and civil aircraft to the MSFS.

Even CFD, which may well be the way forward, is not a ‘miracle pill’ which will suddenly make aircraft fly correctly in the game. It is still entirely reliant on what has been programmed into it by the person who integrates it into the core flight model. There is absolutely nothing to say that the resultant behaviours (even were we able to define the aircraft shape in really fine detail) would be correct.

I have mentioned elsewhere that I have had to remove CFD from the JF PA38 as it removes any ability to spin, whereas the same file with no CFD lines gives what has been described by an RAF pilot as particularly good spin characteristics. I recently tried out another aircraft which has CFD enabled and is being raved about - took it to the stall, introduced rudder hoping for a nice spin and instead got a series of 360 degree rolls around the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. Faster than I could do aileron rolls, in fact!

There are some basic behaviours which are not present in the core flight model, which will probably not be noticed often because GA and airliners don’t tend to exhibit them or get into the flight regime where they are present. The really frustrating thing is that these could be built in by 3rd party devs in previous sims, it’s been taken out of our hands now and there are what I consider to be substandard products (including my own) because the reliance is all on the core flight model. Or to put it another way, on what somebody else coded and then took away our ability to vary it, so everything has to fly their way even if it is entirely wrong.

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Fast jet modeling definitely needs help. Per the dev for the F104 in his own thread, it’s a simplistic model designed for slow aircraft. In particular he called out something I experience every time I fly a fast jet: Bouncing on the pitch axis. It’s there for basically every jet. Even the upcoming PC21 looks to be extremely wobbly on most axes. Anything with enough speed just doesn’t perform correctly in MSFS in my experience.

For those experiencing “bouncing” as you describe it, could you elaborate what exactly you are trying to describe. I fly the DC Designs F-14 and the F-14D in XP and have not noticed the bouncing you mention. I have not flown either in a month because trying to learn RNAV in the PMDG 737, striking out on that too. I felt free flying both those models plane flew excellent for me, not pilot by any means. Just curious, point out video, or screenshot please. I do fly at locations where there is just not any other traffic so I can practice and not bother others.

Yeah had a few with this bouncy tendancy now and every time I’m told it’s due to the limitations of the msfs flight model or the fact it’s meant for slow planes not fast jets.

The bouncing is mainly in pitch you get a tendancy for the planes to bounce or yo yo up and a fair bit a times.

I will have to check it tonight and climb at 20 degree angle and see, it would be in F-14 I try it in. I will try to remember and let you know.

All - Just took off from Wake Island, flew up to 35,000 agl, turned around and flew around island and landed, no jerk, no yo yo period. Plane flies just fine to me, would guess some setting is giving you fits or an aftermarket add on is doing it. Landed just fine, love the DC Designs F-14.
Empty Community Folder one item at time and then check plane after each remove, see if something in there is causing it. Good Luck.