QUICK DISCUS-2C UPDATE:
Our team is happy that you guys are enjoying this addon and finally taking flight in a motor-less gliding fashion! That being said, let’s take care of some housekeeping by first answering some FAQs and then addressing details on the next update.
FAQ #1: Gliders aren’t officially supported, how are you able to generate Ridge Lift, Thermals, Winch Launch, and Stay Afloat?
Answer #1: Yes, gliders are not officially supported. All the coding originally used in FSX and P3D is locked and unusable in the new Simulator. We had to get extremely creative to get this addon working. We could have waited for official support, but what’s the fun in that right? You all are having a blast! Ridge Lift and Wind Weather Mechanics are already built into the simulator. Although not perfect, Asobo has incorporated this feature rather well so far. Thermals are a different story. At normal temperatures and cloud layers, Thermals are not possible in the game. HOWEVER, if we manually pump up the temperature and cloud layers to unrealistic levels, we do indeed receive Thermals in game. So we have once again meticulously hand crafted 6 weather presets (Alps Summer, Alps Winter, Coastal, Ridge Lift, Standard and Cross Country) so they you may enjoy these early Thermal results. They are not perfect and highly experimental. However, they produce enough lift to experience flight. The glider itself is not hiding anything! There is no invisible motor or invisible velocity boosting. The glider’s flight dynamics have been modeled off of real data gathered from Polar Charts and NASA databases. In regards to Ballast tanks, they are also realistically incorperated and there is no magic going on there either. The Winch Launch is a custom sequence of codes. It manipulates the gliders velocities and rotations in various ways to “fake” a glider Launch.
In the future when Asobo starts adding real Thermals, better ridge flying, and internal Launch/Tow systems, we will phase out our experimental features. These are all temporary solutions. But once again, rest assured the glider itself is working as close to real flight dynamics as possible. Therefore, when Asobo updates their weather systems, the glider will act and behave accordingly without the need for a major overhaul.
FAQ #2: Are there hotkeys for various events?
Answer #2: Yes (Currently) and No (Next Update). Once again, there is no official Glider support in the game. Hotkeys require events ingame. For that reason, we had to custom code certain events to work with already existing events. Once again, this is a temporary limitation and it will be addressed as official Glider support comes out.
Current Hotkeys:
- Disconnect Rope (Assign Water Rudder)
- Flarm On/Off (Assign Taxi Light)
- Spoilers (Assign Spoiler Axis to Throttle or Slider)
Do Not Assign the Spoiler Axis 0 - 100, use the option under it!
Next Update:
- Ballast Open/Closed (Still Finding an Event Key)
- Canopy (Still Finding an Event Key)
FAQ #3: Is there better documentation?
Answer #3: We apologize for the lack of information in the current PDF included with the download. In the next update we will include multiple pages explaining each gauge and their functions. We will also be providing a new video on YouTube to explain how to properly Winch Launch and get Towed by another player or AI using Kinetic Assistant.
FAQ #4: This is just a pretty looking brick, gliders don’t work in game without 3rd Party Software.
Answer #4: As you know, this is a false statement. We have provided everything you need to get into the air and stay in the air. We have Winch launch ingame and weather presets to keep you afloat. You do not need to use Kinetic Assistant, however that 3rd party application is great if you want to further your experience in game and don’t mind running additional software.
This is nothing new… take a look at Helicopters and AirlandFS for example.
Think of our glider as the HPG H-135. No External Applications are needed. All the functions are hidden under layers of coding. However, you can also use Kinetic Assistant to increase your experience and we highly recommend it!
FAQ #5: What do you recommend for a fun flight?
Answer #5: Use the Alps - Summer Weather Preset and head down to LSGR or use the Cross Country weather preset and head down to FYBJ.
WHAT WILL BE IN THE NEXT UPDATE:
Next update is going to be rather small and we will address minor issues. Most of these are Day 1 Bugs and will simply smooth the release to a more stable version.
Pending Changelog:
- New Winch Control v2 (More Realistic and Easier).
- Increased Brake Sensitivity
- Gear Locked on Ground.
- Changed Default Energy to “Total Energy” on Spawn
- Fixed Registration Numbers Disappearing after Restarts.
- Basic Sound with Big Door Open.
- Basic Sound with Small Door Open.
- Basic Sound with Ventilation Lever.
- VR Camera Fixes
- Add Ballast Dump to Hotkey SimVar.
- Various Texture Fixes.
- More In-Depth PDF Manual
- Remove Pitot Heat Switch
- Small 3D Model Adjustments
- Adjust Loading Screen Tips
This update is near complete and should be out by the end of this week.
A quick preview from Got Gravel on Winch Launch Version #2:
A work in progress, but we’re currently coding a physically accurate winch cable simulation. This will be a major improvement on the one you have now, which is simply “forcing” you onto a pre-determined flight path. There really was no cable. It works for what it was intended though, it gets your glider in the air, independenlty. The new system however is the real deal. An actual cable, real physics, tension-adjusted winch speeds, automatic cable release when the cable vector exceeds 70 degrees (in any direction), and so on. The math behind this was a bit mindbending so we did not want to say anything yet. However, we’ve reached a stage of development where we are confident all math problems have been pretty much cracked. Lots of 3D vector stuff and such. The UI will receive an update to match, also displaying actual cable length remaining and cable angle. Winch acceleration will also be accurate, basically meaning you’ll be ready for take-off in about 3.5 seconds. We’ll also be adding a 3 second countdown, and level the wings for you.
Thank you all for your support! I will leave you with some excellent community photos! Don’t forget to consider leaving a good review on FlightSim.to and spreading the good word! We could use as much publicity and support as possible! We are working overtime to get the community outreach to get the glider on PC and Xbox on the ingame marketplace. We are still finalizing that conversation with Asobo.
