FSLabs airbus ground steering behaviour

[737Andi 6]

Hi,

I have tried several ways of improving the ground steering behaviour of the A319/A320 using different settings of null zones and sensitivities for my tiller hardware (an usb wheel, a joystick and also the normal tiller key programmed by FSLabs).

Unfortunately nothing is satisfying me. When using the tiller the plane is reacting very late to the input (although the null zones are set to small values and the sensitivity is set to maximum values) and when reacting it is always kind of overshooting. I find this behaviour only with my FSLabs airbusses but not with the PMDG and Qualitywings planes.

Was the airbus just programmed this way to simulate a realistic environment or are my settings just bad?

What are your observations in this case?

Thanks!

Best regards

Andreas

[Bob Scott 7,719]

I agree...the nosewheel steering response is pretty horrible with most consumer input devices.

See my last post in this thread:  https://forums.flightsimlabs.com/index.php?/topic/14575-tiller-lag-and-overcontrol/&tab=comments#comment-112560

Regards

[vc10man 732]

As it's implemented as in real-life nose-wheel steering, I have no problems steering the nose-wheel as described by FSL on how it's done. Just because developer A does things one way, does not necessarily follow that developer B should follow suit. Almost like saying why don't General Motors build their Oldsmobile cars like Ferrari build theirs!

[Bob Scott 7,719]

10 minutes ago, vc10man said:

As it's implemented as in real-life nose-wheel steering, I have no problems steering the nose-wheel as described by FSL on how it's done. Just because developer A does things one way, does not necessarily follow that developer B should follow suit. Almost like saying why don't General Motors build their Oldsmobile cars like Ferrari build theirs!

It'd probably be fine if we all had steering controllers with ~180 deg of travel instead of twist-grip joysticks with maybe 15 deg of travel.  At some point the simulation software has to take into account the environment the simmer is operating in.

I still don't believe that the lag experienced between input and nosewheel movement is realistic, though...I think there'd be Scarebus wheel tracks in the mud off the sides of runways/taxiways all over the world if it really behaved that way IRL.

Regards

[Nyxx 6,993]

I use Rudder pedals and find the FSL by far the best and most accurate aircraft to taxi. I only use the "," key with it held down for corners. As long as I take corners at the correct speed 7-8 kts, 5kts if tight, 10 if just a steady bend. 

Straight line I always keep to 15kts. If its IAE I let the speed run up to 20-22 then brake down to 12-13 and repeat. If your taking corners to fast you will get into a mess. Also >20kts in a straight line is not a good idea. Its an aircraft and it's better in the air 🙂 

If like now I do 10-15 flights in the FSL then I find the NG/747 a real mess to taxi. Need to be treated very differently.

Also like a car you need to steer out of the corner to straight. Release the "," before your "straight" and then you can fine turn to place bang on the taxi line. How much before? it's down to "feel" If your steering until the straight line then releasing it's going to end badly.

Edited March 7, 2019 by Nyxx

[Dreamflight767 312]

I too have difficulty w/ ground steering and have tried different settings and suggestions but nothing seems to help.  My biggest issue is that when I turn to the left, the airplane just makes this tight fast turn.  I actually immediately need to tap my right rudder so the airplane doesn't swing so much. 

[vc10man 732]

1 hour ago, w6kd said:

twist-grip joysticks

Have exactly the same...........

1 hour ago, Nyxx said:

I only use the "," key with it held down for

.................and achieve my turns this way.......and

1 hour ago, Nyxx said:

the "," before your "straight"

...........this way too. Q.E.D!

Edited March 7, 2019 by vc10man

[dbw1 445]

I've mapped a "wheel" on the throttle of my X65 controllers. I'm happy how it works for me. Your mileage may vary....

Dave

[Irishcurse 234]

I mapped the "," key to the top button on my joy stick and use the rudder pedals to turn. Taken some getting use to but I get better at it every flight.

[out 769]

1 hour ago, Irishcurse said:

I mapped the "," key to the top button on my joy stick and use the rudder pedals to turn

I use a similar solution with acceptable results. I still find taxiing in the FSL bus (especially with IAE engines, for obvious reasons) to be quite difficult, but since I love/adore almost everything else about this aircraft, I learned to live with it. 😀

[vc10man 732]

28 minutes ago, Rafal said:

taxiing in the FSL bus

Rafal would that by any chance be because of either FSX or P3D's inherent friction problems, i.e. initial thrust required to get rolling along but then the ground friction causing a crawl?

[out 769]

41 minutes ago, vc10man said:

would that by any chance be because of either FSX or P3D's inherent friction problems

I have no idea to be honest, Rick. Simmers over at the FSL forums seem divided. Many complain about the taxi difficulty, but there are some who don't (see David's reply above).
The FSL team claim this taxi behaviour is realistic, which I have no reasons or scientific knowledge to put in doubt.
However how much you can compare the real aircraft's behaviour to the one in a home sim with all its limitations is a good question I don't even dare to answer.

As I am neither in the FSL team nor even in the beta team, I have no insight on the full changelog for the upcoming update.
So I can only hope maybe something has been fine tuned about the ground behaviour. If not though - I will take it as it is.
All in all I am more in the air than on the ground (well, usually, unless I fly EDDF-EDDM for example, lol). 🙂

[vc10man 732]

12 minutes ago, Rafal said:

David's reply

I am in the same boat with David. Never had an issue with the taxi-ing nor nose-wheel steering.

14 minutes ago, Rafal said:

more in the air than on the ground

Precisely same here. I spend 95% of the sim usage time in the air. BTW that EDDM sounds familiar. I bought it recently but have not got the foggiest idea who from, and where I downloaded it to😀🤔

[BrianW 124]

I use the twist function of a T.16000m, which works well.

I think FSL tried to make the steering function as close to the real thing as they could.  

Keep in mind this statement from an Airbus training document:

"Nose wheel steering is "fly by wire" with no mechanical connection between tiller and nose
wheel. The relationship between tiller deflection and nosewheel angle is not linear. Forces
are light and care is necessary to make gentle movements on the tiller to avoid unnecessary
high rate turns. Very tight turns may be made, but over controlling may be noticeable. When
turning at low speed, maintain chosen tiller position and if necessary, accept a tighter turn
radius than intended to achieve a smooth turn. The sensitivity of nosewheel steering
responses to inputs from rudder pedals or hand wheels reduces as speed increases (FCOM
1.32.20."

I usually use the small deflections of the nosewheel that the rudder input gives to maintain the center line and only use the tiller for larger turns. 

 

 

Brian

 

[regis9 4,012]

I'd love to get a good plug and play steering tiller.