I've got an idea relating to landing gear and i'm wondering....

[Guest CX001]

if it is possible. I'm working on a freeware aircraft whose main gear can be rotated a few degrees right or left for crosswind landings(the aircraft should be obvious). The visual model's gear could be rotated as needed with some of that fancy XML stuff i'm sure, but what about the actual gear units in the airfile? Is it totally impossible? Any ideas/input are very welcome. Thanks in advance!

[n4gix 4,947]

What you want to accomplish isn't all that difficult in concept, but the execution of it will require a couple of constraints:1) the model must be built in GMax2) the animation is realized by embedded XML in the .mdl3) the animation control is accomplished via a gauge (either C or XMLThere is nothing in the FDE (either aircraft.cfg or .air file) that is needed.The implementation will require a key-frame animation on both main gear struts, so that you will have a left/right rotation of X

[Guest CX001]

Hi Bill,Thanks for the reply. I'm going to be incorporating airspeed controlled wing flexing, so incorporating some more .xml code won't be a problem. Writing it will, as I have no clue about writing XML. With regards to the airfile, I want to be able to LAND crabbed, not just have the visual model's gear units turned and then groundloop when I touch down. Are you familiar with the B-52's crosswind landing gear? Here is a photo of either the XB-52 or YB-52 traveling allong a runway centerline in a crabbed condition. I hope i'm not sounding demanding. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-468/p373.jpg

[n4gix 4,947]

>Hi Bill,>>Thanks for the reply. With regards to the airfile, I want to>be able to LAND crabbed, not just have the visual model's gear>units turned.In that case, you'd simply tie the main gear & nosegear to the rudder variable.The nosegear would require one control node above the node that controls normal steering, so that you'd have both 'crab angle' and still be able to control the steering angle.That would "automate" the angle on the gear...But, I think that there is a manual control to adjust the gear angle, isn't there?In either case though, there's still no 'monkeying around' with the .air file needed.