My tailsstrike point

 

// starts tailstrike sound
point.6=2, -35.386, 0.0, -3.25 , 1000.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 9.0, 0.0, 0.0

 

 

Edi,

this line represents the contact point of the aft fuselage. On the NGX it is similar, but I changed the values, because they are not the point where the tail skid is located, but a point in the lower fuselage that is too forward. I changed that -35 to -60 and that -3.25 to -1.40. I did that by trial and error in order to find the point where the tail skid is located. I put 4 in field 13 instead of 9, because 4 is "fuselage scrape", while 9 is "tail scrape", so I think 4 fits better.

Now I need to see, as you advice, the sound options, maybe I have the related slider too much to the left.

James,

 

if you use Number 4 so i think this will be linked to

 

[FUSELAGE_SCRAPE]

filename=lgblylnd

flags=0

minimum_speed=1.00

maximum_speed=60.00

maximum_volume=10000

minimum_rate=1.00

maximum_rate=1.00

 

posted above by yourself.

 

But there is a

minimum_speed=1.00

maximum_speed=60.00

 

Tailstrikes , let's say, would occur above 80, 90, 100 ...

 

Number 9 is linked to my sound.cfg entry.

 

But this playing was 2 years ago....

 

Edi

Just to let you know Guys. After reviewing a landing of my PMDG NGX with the fsrecorder, I realized a tail strike. The simmulation showed as well some sparks as I touched slightly the ground. I did it with standard configurations, realism on highest level and advanced animations. Conclusion for me, the PMDG and FSX should be able to simmulate tail strikes.

I put the file lgblylnd in SimObjects\Airplanes\PMDG 737-800NGX\sound, correct?

I can't hear any scrape sound, though, neither from the cockpit nor from outside. Where am I wrong?

 

James,

 

If "lgblylnd" is a sound file (probably ending in .wav) then it may belong in Flight Simulator X\Sound, rather than the PMDG sound folder. Just a thought.

 

Mike

James,

 

I just poked around in my FS X directories and there is a file in my Flight Simulator X\Sound directory called lgblylnd.wav. The default 737-800 uses it for fuselage scrape sound, so you probably already have the file in the FS X>sound folder.

 

Mike

The simmulation showed as well some sparks as I touched slightly the ground.

 

Do you remember at which point of the lower fuselage you saw the sparks?

Another weird thing I noticed is that, if I takeoff with the aircraft mistrimmed with the stabilizer trim set for full nose up, if I rotate way before Vr, in order to simulate tail strike, the lower aft fuselage sinks a lot into the ground and no tail strike, no sparks and no sound at all.

 

 

I just poked around in my FS X directories and there is a file in my Flight Simulator X\Sound directory called lgblylnd.wav. The default 737-800 uses it for fuselage scrape sound, so you probably already have the file in the FS X>sound folder.

 

Mike, I do have that file in the FSX\Sound directory, but I also copied it into the 737 NGX\Sound directory. I don't get any scrape sound, though. I even increased the maximum volume to 100, as Edi suggested a few posts above.

I'm glad you asked about this. I had pondered recently about the differences in handling between the 900 vs the 700, and was aware that the main difference to look out for is rotation on takeoff and flare attitude, and was about to ask this question but you beat me to it!

 

It would be nice to have feedback, as this helps the user learn correct technique, and I had noticed that I have never received aural notice in all my times with the NGX, and I'm sure there have been a few tailstrikes in my history.

James and everyone,

 

This entry is interesting to me as I never fly with crash detection on for many reasons, and just recently I noticed I was over-rotating in the Level-D 767, so now I will notice it! Thanks for bringing up this topic James.

 

I don't have any PMDG aircraft in FS X (yet), but I do have the Level-D 767. I didn't see either a contact point that would create a tail strike or an entry in the sound.cfg file that would create the scraping sound. I did succeed in getting both to work, but the scraping sound was not very impressive either from the inside (VC) or outside spot view. I put in an additional contact point to create a scrape point where the skid is, and experimented with the 4th number, vertical position. Without this contact point, the plane''s tail did sink into the ground. I found that setting the 4th number to -10 prevented the plane from rotating very much at all -- a "phantom" tail strike. But at -3 it seems about right. The sound type was set to 4 as suggested above.

 

Looking at the above entry and the FS X SDK, I added the following to the Level-D sound configuration file. I copied the entry from the default 737 sound file and added a few things. There are two entries to create an inside and an outside sound (View entry). (BTW the "maximum_speed" entry is the point at which the sound reaches maximum, not the point beyond which it stops.) Note that the "Maximum_Volume can be set to 10000, the highest number according to the SDK.

 

---------------

[FUSELAGE_SCRAPE]

filename=lgblylnd

minimum_volume=10000

minimum_speed=1

maximum_speed=60

minimum_rate=0.5

maximum_rate=2.0

maximum_volume=10000

viewpoint=1

 

[FUSELAGE_SCRAPE]

filename=lgblylnd

minimum_volume=10000

minimum_speed=1

maximum_speed=60

minimum_rate=0.5

maximum_rate=2.0

maximum_volume=10000

viewpoint=2

--------------------------------

 

Regarding the placing of the contact point in the PMDG, in looking at the FS9 737-800 which I do own, the reference point is way off from center, unlike most other designers, so if this is true for FS X, you would have to take that into account in placing the new contact/scrape point. The other thing is to remember to change the entry for "Maximum_Number_of_Points" to include the new point (and the first point is 0, so if the last point is 18 you actually have 19 contact points). IF I get a chance I will fire up FS9 and see what my PMDGs do in that sim.

 

Mike

. (BTW the "maximum_speed" entry is the point at which the sound reaches maximum, not the point beyond which it stops.)

 

You are correct. My fault.

 

For finding the proper point you can use the light section!

Some format.

 

Edi

Unfortunately no way of getting the scrape sound. Anyway I managed to get the optimal condition of the tail skid by editing contact point 6 with the following:

 

point.6=3, -60.120, 0.000, 0.050, 800, 0, 0.000, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 4, 0.0, 0.0 // Tail Skid

 

This way the lower aft fuselage skids on the tarmac but doesn't penetrate it, any trim setting and/or elevator angle, even with the maximum stabilizer trim up. If I use 2 instead of 3, the fuselage penetrates the ground when overrotating with high stabilizer trim up.

The contact point -60.120, 0.000, 0.050 is just the tip of the tail skid.

point.6=3, -60.120, 0.000, 0.050, 800, 0, 0.000, 0.00, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 4, 0.0, 0.0 // Tail Skid

 

James, do I add this line into the aircraft.cfg for 800 version?

In there I have 9 contact points lines. The entry you posted should replace the original in line 6, or add a new one on the bottom of "contact points" section as new line 10?

Thanks for the input!

Martin,

yes, aircraft.cfg of the -800. You just need to replace line 6, no need to add a new line.

Anyway, if you wish, you could add that as line nr. 10, but this way you maintain a useless contact point (the original nr. 6); I say useless because I guess that, having longitudinal coordinate -38.123, it is somewhere below the center part of the fuselage and doesn't scrape the ground, since in that area there are the engines that are closer to the ground.

Regards.

Thanks James! I'll have my .cfg file updated as per your suggestion.

Posted 09 October 2012 - 07:15 AM

peterpan1903, on 08 October 2012 - 09:50 PM, said:

The simmulation showed as well some sparks as I touched slightly the ground.

 

Do you remember at which point of the lower fuselage you saw the sparks?

Another weird thing I noticed is that, if I takeoff with the aircraft mistrimmed with the stabilizer trim set for full nose up, if I rotate way before Vr, in order to simulate tail strike, the lower aft fuselage sinks a lot into the ground and no tail strike, no sparks and no sound at all.

 

Guys

I tried to reproduce this, but it does not work. The fuselage was sinking into the runway, as mentioned from all of you, no sparks anymore.

Gents,

if you rotate properly (at about 5°-7° of pitch) and don't disregard the Vr, then it should not be possible to cause a tail strike on the -800. I can't speak for the -900 though.

In RL, you just don't pull your yoke all the way back as soon as you hear "rotate".

Keep in mind, a 737NG is not an Airbus with tail strike protections.

 

I don't really see the need of PMDG simulating tail strikes, I am curious though if and how often they occure in RL.