From my testing, it looks like the wind doesn’t follow the ground as it should. This is certainly not a problem if you fly a heavy transporter at FL 350 but if gliders are coming to MSFS 2020, it would be nice to practice ridge soaring in a mountainous area.
You then fly on the weather side of the mountain, following the ridge and gain, or maintain altitude by the effect of the wind rising over the hill or mountain.
Incidentally this effect is simulated in X-Plane. It would be nice to have it also in MSFS 2020.
It is currently possible to ‘ridge soar’ light aircraft with the engine off in MSFS. Try the ridge of mountains to the east of Salt Lake City, with a strong wind from the west.
I’m not sure how accurately ridge lift is modelled though - it seems to take a stronger wind than I’d expect, and doesn’t seem to come into effect unless you are quite far up the slope. Without a proper sailplane, with a compensating variometer, it is hard to be sure though, as obviously most GA aircraft don’t glide very well.
Thank you for your answer, my friend. I tried to fly the Savage Cub, which is similar to the Kitfox I flew in real-life, for 14 years, here in Norway, and I tested ridge soaring from Notodden ENNO, which is a place I know well myself, with a strong SW wind. I couldn’t feel any difference from the weather and the lee side of the mountains. However, it seems to work in X-Plane.
I don’t want to criticise MSFS 2020, I only try to help with a few ideas. I am now 72 years old and my real-life flying time is over. But I hope to fly the sim for as long as I live.
Thank you so much. Indeed, this aircraft seems to benefit from the lifting air along the coastline. Perhaps the Cub Savage isn’t the right aircraft to try this ? Anyway, should I delete my post and forget about it?
But there is another thing I would like to see in the simulator. As you know, the thermal convections, like those found under a cumulus, vary from the type of ground under. Over the sea or a lake, no convection and smooth flight. Over a field, some rising air, over a dark forest, even more rising and over a large concrete surface such as a parking lot, a lot of convection. You know it because you can even see seagulls turning in the rising air. Could we get something similar in the simulator since things like roads and rivers have different surface types ?
Thank you so much, my friend. From what I read it shows that the idea of flying gliders with all of its challenges, is already considered and discussed by other learned aficionados. I will then rest and wait to see how it will develop with time. Greetings from Norway. Michel
I have been ridge soaring in Gibraltar with a cub. A 20kt wind blowing directly at the face made a ridge soar easy.
I tried to land on the top with comedic consequences
With the MSFS Legacy importer now in development there are several passable sailplanes online available for either download or your own “packaged” converter ( to get around legalities.) if you posses FSX and the target sailplane, the DG 808S, I have used the converter myself to process a few sailplanes for my own use, and with some tweaking using the converter, some work well enough to get a taste of genuine soaring in MSFS. I know there are some guys working in the background to give Asobo a good and accurate working model of a a sailplane with appropriate gauges, and vario. You can indeed add a vario to the sailplane conversions using Alex’s converter. MSFS Legacy Importer - Touching Cloud
link to downloads of various semi working examples: MSFS 2020 sailplane (andreadrian.de)
Pictures are my own examples.
Thank you, my friend, I will look at it. I also wonder about an importer from X-Plane 11 because, since 1998, this is what I have been flying and developed aircraft for. For exemple, the Flying Boxcar C-119 that my father flew in real-life, for the Belgian air force in the 1950s.
Like you I flew and used X plane most recently and developed aircraft for same, as well as scenery ported over from the days when I had FSX, but now I have to re learn FSX CFG files etc. because it’s been years since I developed scenery for that platform. I am not aware of an Xplane import tool but I have not been so active of late.