Traffic Explorer: "Cannot Create Aircraft"

[Mace 1,918]

As I am sure some of you are aware, you can use Traffic Explorer (with the SDK) to instantly create an AI aircraft in your sim. (right click on the explorer window, and select, "create...")Well, I have one aircraft (AIA 767-300PW) that gives the error message "cannot create aircraft" when trying this command in Traffic Explorer.To test, I assigned this aircraft a panel and sound folder, so that it would be user flyable in the sim. Worked great. Loaded fine, I taxied it around.But, when I try "create..." it gives the error message just with that one aircraft.I tried swapping aircraft.cfg's with the AIA 767-200 but no go.I tried looking for an AI flag in the .air file using AirEd but no go.I tried the a/c at different airports, in case it was some sort of parking issue, and no go.Oddly, in my flight plan, the Mexicana 767-300PW flies its route, but ONLY on the 2nd and subsequent legs. In other words, the plane will not appear at any airport, but suddenly appears at it's first flight plan waypoint, flying happily along towards its destination.What's going on here? Is there something wrong with the AI Aardvark 767-300PW?RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case

[Guest jbrians]

Sounds like it can't find an acceptable parking spot. Check to see if the wing_span value in aircraft.cfg is an off-the-wall big number, or if atc_parking_types is specified with invalid types.

[Mace 1,918]

>Sounds like it can't find an acceptable parking spot. Check>to see if the wing_span value in aircraft.cfg is an>off-the-wall big number, or if atc_parking_types is specified>with invalid types.@ wing_spanThe wing_span in the aircraft.cfg?? I thought parking val was set wholly in the aircrafttypes.csv file that went into TDBB. I will have to check wing_span.@ parkingRoughly speaking, I thought an aircraft chose parking in the following priority:1) atc_parking_code=2) GATE/RAMP setting3) any parking spot of applicable size4) any cargo spotI bet wing_span is off. I will check and advise. If it's not, I'm at a loss.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case

[jvile 1]

RhettThe aircrafttypes.csv file information has not changed since FS2002 except for different aircraft in FS that have come and gone.Many Modelers do not pay attention to key areas in FS9/FSX such as empty weight and wingspan.Many 3rd party AI Planes have the FS9 default .cfg and .air files that cooresponds to the aircraft type that was modeled. The following link helps in explaining why the wingspan of a modeled AI/USER plane must be accurate.http://www.htaimodels.com/forum/view_topic...=307&forum_id=4The following link helps in knowing what size parking spot radius is needed for the one half wingspan foot value.http://www.projectai.com/discuss/index.php...ic,53521.0.htmlThere is only one absolute when it comes to where a AI Plane will park at a Airport.FS9 = model.mdl radius must be same as or smaller then the parking spot radius valueFSX = one half wingspan (cfg) must be the same as or smaller then the parking spot radius value.AFter that, AI Parking is based on a pecking order that may or may not work the same for all airports.

[Mace 1,918]

>Sounds like it can't find an acceptable parking spot. Check>to see if the wing_span value in aircraft.cfg is an>off-the-wall big number, or if atc_parking_types is specified>with invalid types.wing_span val in the aircraft.cfg was exactly it Brian, thank you. (!)The wing_span val was set to 170.95, which is higher than the model is in real life I believe. Lowered it by quite a bit and all worked.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case

[Mace 1,918]

>FSX = one half wingspan (cfg) must be the same as or smaller>then the parking spot radius value.>Oh, I thought it was one half wingspan of the radius value in the aircrafttypes.csv file. I see now that the radius value in that file only seems to affect the TDBB compiler's parking checking routines.That is good info to know!!And to anyone else who is going to use the AI Aardvark 767-300 Pratt model, be forewarned...alter its wing_span value to something much lower than the 160-170 it is by default. RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case

[jvile 1]

RhettIf you continue to research wingspan settings you will see that many are based on the default FS9 B737 for the AI medium size jets. Smaller Jets used the default FS9 Lear wingspan value.This was not a real problem in FS9 but we see alot of the AI Planes being copied over to FSX using a wingspan that is not correct for the model type (cfg).Even after modifing a FSX airport including adding and changing Parking Spot code and radius, Airlines will still have parking problems due to the incorrect wingspan foot value. This also applies to GA Traffic.

[Mace 1,918]

In theory, though, wouldn't it work well in FSX parking if wing_span vals were set fairly low...i.e.small size (737,A319) wing_span=60 (approx)mid-size (757, 767) wing_span=90 (approx)large (777, A340) wing_span=something larger like 120-130...and in so doing one would insure that said AI aircraft could park at the spot(s) it is supposed to park at in real life? I suppose much depends on the radius of the parking spots in the bgl as well as the wing_span val.In any case, lowering wing_span from 160 to 90 cured the 767-300 Pratt AI plane at Mexico City Intl MMMX.If wing_span does nothing but determine parking, then it seems to me that setting it to a little lower value is a win-win.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case

[jvile 1]

RhettIn the B767-300 Aircraft Data and History section of Airliners.net it sayswing_span = 156.10 feet767-300 - Empty with PW-4050s 175,400lb, with CF6-80C2B2s 175,000lb 767-300ER - Empty with PW-4060s 179,400lb, with CF6-80C2B4s 177,700lb aia B763-300 GE/PW/RRwing_span = 170.75empty_weight = 74170 (used FS9 default e_w for a B737-400)In your theory and your new settings you have now gone from bad to worst>>In theory, though, wouldn't it work well >in FSX parking if wing_span vals were >set fairly low...>OK, with that theory I design a airport parking structure and align all my ERJ 140, 145, 170 and G-V's all in a neat row wingtip to wingtip. You download my new designed airport and then along comes all your B767-300's and park right in the middle of my neat little row. What do you thing the wingtips are going to look like with a 767 parking between two G-V's that are not spaced for the 767 wings.There is a standard in FSX that is not based on theory's or approximates.>>In any case, lowering wing_span from 160 to 90 >cured the 767-300 Pratt AI plane at >Mexico City Intl MMMX.>Half of 90 is 45 which is smaller then the Aircraft I listed above >>If wing_span does nothing but determine parking, >then it seems to me that setting it to a little >lower value is a win-win.>More like lose-lose170.75 to 90 is more then a little lower. Why not 170.75 down to 156.10 which is the correct wingspan in feet. That way if anyone is designing a properly 100 percent compliant FSX airport with the correct size parking spot radius values your B767-300 will park in the spots it is designed for. It will also have proper wing clearance between other parked planes in the same row. None of the above addresses the Living World Animation of ground vehicles that FSX introduced which is now another lose-lose situation when dealing with the visual aspects of FSX.

[RFields5421 1]

Almost all AI Aardvark aircraft have much too small wing_span= values.The radius values listed in the file are for allocating parking and not overloading airports when creating flight plans.However, the actual aircraft value is used in every parking decision in FSX.The wing_span= value has to be in feet, FS takes 1/2 that value, and rounds it up to the next whole meter. Then the aircraft has to have a parking spot to large enough for the aircraft.Unlike FS2004, FSX appears to delete some aircraft where the aircraft parking radius value is much small than the parking spot radius value. i.e. no C-172 in 50M cargo parking spots.

[Mace 1,918]

>>OK, with that theory I design a airport parking structure and>align all my ERJ 140, 145, 170 and G-V's all in a neat row>wingtip to wingtip. You download my new designed airport and>then along comes all your B767-300's and park right in the>middle of my neat little row. What do you thing the wingtips>are going to look like with a 767 parking between two G-V's>that are not spaced for the 767 wings.>Ah, I see the importance of an accurate wing_span value now.I was speaking off-the-cuff and did not realize fully what wing_span did.I have a nice fat reference book with just about every plane from 1903 to the present, so I will make sure all of the wing_span vals are accurate in my sim now.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2310 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 2.5-3-3-8 (1T), WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian case