For anyone having ground/water handling problems with the X Cub floats and the C172 G1000 floats, I’ve edited the [CONTACT_POINTS] in each plane’s flight_model.cfg file to create steerable front wheels and steerable rear floats - that’s right, since at least FS2004 all floatplanes have four floats (two front & two rear) because with only two floats they just do a backward somersault and sink. All FS floatplanes with good water handling have had steerable rear floats for as long as I can remember (FS2002).
Both planes can now turn on a dime on ground and water - be careful not to turn too sharply on water or you’ll tip over and “overstress the airframe” or whatever the “game over” message is!
Cub Crafter X Cub floats:
[CONTACT_POINTS]
static_pitch =-0.1
static_cg_height =6.49
gear_system_type = 5 ; gear system type (betweeen 0 and 4) 0 = electrical, 1 = hydraulic, 2 = pneumatic, 3 = manual, 4 = none, 5 = undefined
tailwheel_lock =0
max_number_of_points =18
gear_locked_on_ground = 0 ; Defines whether or not the landing gear handle is locked to down when the plane is on the ground.
gear_locked_above_speed = -1 ; Defines the speed at which the landing gear handle becomes locked in the up position. (-1 = Disabled)
max_speed_full_steering =110
max_speed_decreasing_steering = 120 ; Defines the speed above which the angle of steering stops decreasing (in feet/second).
min_available_steering_angle_pct = 0.2 ; Defines the percentage of steering which will always be available even above max_speed_decreasing_steering (in percent over 100).
max_speed_full_steering_castering = 120 ; Defines the speed under which the full angle of steering is available for free castering wheels (in feet/second).
max_speed_decreasing_steering_castering = 140 ; Defines the speed above which the angle of steering stops decreasing for free castering wheels (in feet/second).
min_castering_angle = 0.05236 ; Defines the minimum angle a free castering wheel can take (in radians).
max_castering_angle = 3.14159265358979 ; Defines the maximum angle a free castering wheel can take (in radians).
point.0 = 1, 4.4, -3.5, -6.8, 2200, 1, 0.75, 60, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 8, 8, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.1 = 1, -4.9, -3.5, -7.05, 2200, 1, 0.75, 0, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 8, 8, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.2 = 4, 3, -3.29, -5.65, 2200, 0, 0.75, 0, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.3 = 4, -9.5, -3.55, -4.95, 2200, 0, 0.75, 90, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.4 = 5, -11.55, -3.55, -8.3, 2200, 0, 0.75, 90, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 1, 2, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.9 = 5, -11.55, 3.55, -8.3, 2200, 0, 0.75, 90, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 1, 2, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.5 = 1, 4.4, 3.5, -6.8, 2200, 2, 0.75, 60, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 11, 11, 3, 0, 0, 1
point.6 = 1, -4.9, 3.5, -7.05, 2200, 1, 0.75, 0, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 11, 11, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.7 = 4, 3, 3.29, -5.65, 2200, 0, 0.75, 0, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
steering_time_constants= 3, 5
point.8= 4, -9.5, 3.55, -4.95, 2200, 0, 0.75, 90, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.10= 2, -3.9, -17, 2, 100, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0, 1
point.11= 2, -3.9, 17, 2, 100, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 6, 0, 0, 1
point.12= 2, -18.2, 0, 3.9, 100, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0, 1
point.13= 17, 4.2, 0, 0.1, 100, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 7, 0, 0, 1
point.14= 2, 4.0, -3.5, -4.7, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.15= 2, -4.0, -3.5, -5.8, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.16= 2, 4.0, 3.5, -4.7, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.17= 2, -4.0, 3.5, -5.8, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
C172 G1000 floats:
[CONTACT_POINTS]
static_pitch = 1.2 ; degrees, pitch when at rest on the ground (+=Up, -=Dn)
static_cg_height = 6.2 ; feet, altitude of CG when at rest on the ground
gear_system_type = 0 ; gear system type (betweeen 0 and 4) 0 = electrical, 1 = hydraulic, 2 = pneumatic, 3 = manual, 4 = none, 5 = undefined
tailwheel_lock = 0 ; Is tailwheel lock available TRUE/FALSE
max_number_of_points = 21 ; Number of contact points
gear_locked_on_ground = 0 ; Defines whether or not the landing gear handle is locked to down when the plane is on the ground.
gear_locked_above_speed = -1 ; Defines the speed at which the landing gear handle becomes locked in the up position. (-1 = Disabled)
max_speed_full_steering = 110 ; Defines the speed under which the full angle of steering is available (in feet/second).
max_speed_decreasing_steering = 120 ; Defines the speed above which the angle of steering stops decreasing (in feet/second).
min_available_steering_angle_pct = 0.2 ; Defines the percentage of steering which will always be available even above max_speed_decreasing_steering (in percent over 100).
max_speed_full_steering_castering = 120 ; Defines the speed under which the full angle of steering is available for free castering wheels (in feet/second).
max_speed_decreasing_steering_castering = 140 ; Defines the speed above which the angle of steering stops decreasing for free castering wheels (in feet/second).
min_castering_angle = 0.05236 ; Defines the minimum angle a free castering wheel can take (in radians).
max_castering_angle = 3.14159265358979 ; Defines the maximum angle a free castering wheel can take (in radians).
point.0 = 1, 4.4, -3.5, -6.5, 750, 0, 0.5, 60, 0.424, 1.5, 0.75, 8, 8, 0, 0, 0, 4
point.1 = 1, 4.4, 3.5, -6.5, 750, 0, 0.5, 60, 0.424, 1.5, 0.75, 8, 8, 0, 0, 0, 4
point.2 = 1, -4.2, -3.5, -6.2, 1500, 1, 0.5, 0, 0.132, 2, 0.75, 11, 11, 2, 0, 0, 4
point.3 = 1, -4.2, 3.5, -6.2, 1500, 2, 0.5, 0, 0.132, 2, 0.75, 11, 11, 3, 0, 0, 4
point.4 = 4, 3.6, -3.75, -5.2, 1500, 0, 0, 0, 0.3, 2.5, 0.39, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 1
point.5 = 4, 3.6, 3.75, -5.2, 1500, 0, 0, 0, 0.3, 2.5, 0.39, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 1
point.6 = 4, -7.550428, -3.75, -4.590277, 1500, 0, 90, 0.3, 2.5, 0.39, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 1
point.7 = 4, -7.550428, 3.75, -4.590277, 1500, 0, 0, 90, 0.3, 2.5, 0.39, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0, 1
point.8 = 5, -10.2, -3.55, -7.9, 2200, 0, 0.75, 90, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 1, 2, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.9 = 5, -10.2, 3.55, -7.9, 2200, 0, 0.75, 90, 0.237, 4, 0.8, 1, 2, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.10 = 17, 3.6, 0, 0.9, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 7, 0, 0
point.11 = 2, -3.9, -17.8, 3.5, 350, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 5, 0, 0
point.12 = 2, -3.9, 17.8, 3.5, 350, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 6, 0, 0
point.13 = 2, -18.4, 0, -0.3, 720, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 9, 0, 0
point.14 = 2, -22, 0, 5.3, 350, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4, 0, 0
point.15= 2, 4.390305, -3.49685, -4.181302, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.16= 2, 4.390305, 3.49685, -4.181301, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.17= 2, -0.526055, -3.500003, -5.370309, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.18= 2, -0.526055, 3.500003, -5.370309, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.19= 2, -10.207049, -3.499701, -4.113675, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1
point.20= 2, -10.207049, 3.499701, -4.113675, 500, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 1