This Challege really has me stumped--any thoughts?

[reball 0]

Hi everyone. Have not spent a lot of time on this forum, but have had a lot of questions answered here, so am posing this question- the second RV-6 Landing Challenge has gotten the better of me. I'm greedy for the Gold, but have never reached it--max of 1432 pt I think. Here is the issue--the set up invites one to descend down to Kalaupapa against a 29 knot headwind with a strong right to left component. I have tried every trick I know of, varying degrees of flaps, speed, using a crab approach, a side-slip, and combinations. I can get nearly 500 pts for a soft landing and center line contact, but the sideskid score has always been under 350. Then, to be perverse, I tried flying around from the other direction and doing a fast with the wind approach. Guess what--several times got near or at 500 pts for centerline and the elusive side skid, but alas, lousy soft touchdown scores. Generally, my totals are higher using the wild downwind approach. When I went on to the next two Vans landing challenges, I found the same result, namely that darned side skid is easier managed downwind. Has anyone mastered that Kalaupapa strip, and if so, what technique works best for you? I have to say that Flight has really hooked my with these activities, but also with it amazing detail or its scenery (as Steve A pointed out in a nearby post). Maybe we ought to not press too hard for Alaska and let them take the time necessary to do it justice.

Dick

[EastCoastGuy 0]

I did a long approach with 100% flaps and about 10-15% throttle, mainly to get the crab angle to settle down, and to keep one of those PAPI lights red. When I crossed the runway threshold I turned it straight with the runway and let it settle easily.

 

 

From your description, it sounds like all you need to do is straighten at the last minute too?

[dburne 2]

That is a tough one reball!

We had several discussions on it in the early days - very difficult to get the gold in , at least for some of us. I myself have not attained gold in that one yet, though I have come really close a couple of times. It has been a while since I have tried it, I may go back and give it a few more shots.

 

Here is one of the earlier threads on the topic, may be some useful info in there for ya:

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/365975-rv-6a-landing-challenge-2-help-please/page__st__25

 

Good luck,

[Oracle427 45]

It's a long runway, so I tackled it by coming in fast in a sideslip with partial flaps into the wind.

 

This one takes a steady hand and feet.

 

I think the later Stearman challenges are harder, but this one is right alongside them.

[EastCoastGuy 0]

It's a long runway, so I tackled it by coming in fast in a sideslip with partial flaps into the wind.

 

This one takes a steady hand and feet.

 

I think the later Stearman challenges are harder, but this one is right alongside them.

 

I found the Stearman challenges a lot harder than the RV-6 ones. And I still don't have gold yet on any of the Maule challenges. (I guess I just suck at landing tail draggers.) :Doh:

[garwig3 0]

Of all the scoring gimicks they've put into Flight, I think they got this one right. I love going for better and better scores on the landings and the 3 criteria were good choices.

 

- Gary Letona

[jcomm 6,020]

I found the Stearman challenges a lot harder than the RV-6 ones. And I still don't have gold yet on any of the Maule challenges. (I guess I just suck at landing tail draggers.) :Doh:

 

My advantage :-) - gliders are preferably landed like tail draggers :-) tail wheel/skid 1st, almost in stall :-)

 

Yet, the Stearman requires sidesliping to see the rw, something not nice to do when you do not have the rudders...

[Oracle427 45]

I prefer wheel landings in both the Maule and Stearman. That extra touch of airspeed gives a lot more control.

[tom79 6]

Good to see that I'm not the only one struggeling with that particular challenge. I got gold on all the other landing challenges (except for the Maule which I don't have), but I'm stuck with silver on this one.

 

I personally find it easier to do a sideslip instead of a crabbed approach, but I also get can't get 500 points on all three criteria.

 

Does anybody know if the skidding criteria is only measured at touchdown or during the entire rollout?

[EastCoastGuy 0]

My advantage :-) - gliders are preferably landed like tail draggers :-) tail wheel/skid 1st, almost in stall :-)

 

Yet, the Stearman requires sidesliping to see the rw, something not nice to do when you do not have the rudders...

 

One thing that helped me was moving the viewpoint up so it's between the wing and the top of the windshield so I could see the airstrip.

[Oracle427 45]

Skidding is measured at touchdown as best as I can tell.

 

I have flown crabbing approaches and then slipped in right at the last minute to ensure that there is no side loading of the landing gear at touchdown.

 

As long as there is no sideways drift at touchdown, that score will be high.

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

As many others have mentioned and noticed, the score is not for side slipping, but for side skidding. One of the devs mentioned this during beta, so this will only affect the portion of the landing on the ground, I think.

 

Best regards.

Luis

[reball 0]

Thanks Don and all the others for their suggestions. I have still not got the gold on this challenge when landing into the wind, but yesterday after several failures I managed 1479 pts!! However, to do this, I did other things quite wrong. I circled around to the east and landed with the wind, really crazy in a 29 knot wind. Here's what worked, a low approach keeping the runway off to the right a bit (so the compass wouldn't block the view on short final, full flaps, hand on throttle and finessing it just to keep above a stall speed, and try to touch down as early as possible. With that tailwind, you still might not touch down till mid runway. Just at touchdown I did a slip, bank a bit left with right rudder, and viola, 500 pts for sideskid, nearly 500 for centerline hit, and most of the loss of points was for a not quite soft touchdown. After many tries on other challenges, too, I find that the sideskid component is very small (easy to get 450 pts). I don't know whether this is an artifact of the coding, or perhaps is that a realistic factor in real landings. Compensation for this advantage of going in with a tailwind is that the soft touchdown score really drops quickly. The one time I was successful, I really kept of the throttle to avoid dropping in. Also, I think well modeled, is when you land with a strong tailwind, then once on ground and slowing, it is very easy to groundloop, and I think that's what would happen when a tailwind hits a deflected rudder, making wild swings inevitable. I do feel I cheated and still will try to do the proper thing, to land into the wind, but that sideskid factor seems really tough. Even if you touch with nose pointing straight down the runway, that sidewind component will be pushing you . Maybe one should, after working to keep the nose to the right, right before touchdown try to quickly yaw left of center, but that's really hard if you're right at stall speed. Still a challenge!!

Dick

[Oracle427 45]

In no particular order.

 

I would keep your speed up for additional control in this challenge.

Use partial flaps

Transition to a sideslip over the runway and land with crosswind corrections held.

Arrest any drift using the ailerons and opposite rudder (cross controls)

use rudder as needed to keep the nose pointed down the runway

hold crosswind corrections all the time even on the ground. If the wind is from the right, use full right aileron after landing.

Land into the wind.

Retract flaps after landing.

 

Keep a little power in even after touchdown to keep the rudder effective. Just a little.

[Kerberos42 0]

Sorry to hijack slightly. What's the difference between slipping and crabbing? I understand a slip to be left rudder countered with right aileron (or vice versa). Used to lose altitude and speed quickly. Crabbing is putting the nose into the wind but you still have to do the same crossed controls maneuver to maintain runway heading, at least thats how I do it.