A400M Suggestions
Nice though the A400M is, I would suggest the following improvements:
The speedbrakes/slats whatever seem to offer very limited slowing-down capabilities.
in a400m-yasim.xml (around lines 90-91 they are set to
<mstab x="5.86" y="1.2" z="2.29"
chord="1"
length="1"
which is pretty small to try to slow down an aircraft of this size. More realistic might be:
<mstab x="5.86" y="1.2" z="2.29"
chord="0.83"
length="7.4"
That should help slow it down enough to land in a steep approach (100 kts with full flap? Maybe even less).
Once down, reverse thrust would be nice - especially on a small airfield.
The existing a400m/Nasal/keyboard.xml calls
<script>reversethrust.togglereverser()</script>
which is defined by a400m/Nasal/reverse-thrust.nas
and this appears to be a jsbsim routine for vectoring the engines through 180 deg.
But a400m-yasim.xml uses two thrusters to achieve this operation:
<!-- trusters for reverse -->
<thruster x="3.764" y="4.929" z="3.307"
vx="-1" vy="0" vz="0"
thrust="15000">
<control-input axis="/controls/engines/engine[0]/reverser" control="THROTTLE" src0="0" src1="1" dst0="0" dst1="1"/>
</thruster>
<thruster x="3.764" y="-4.929" z="3.307"
vx="-1" vy="0" vz="0"
thrust="15000">
<control-input axis="/controls/engines/engine[0]/reverser" control="THROTTLE" src0="0" src1="1" dst0="0" dst1="1"/>
</thruster>
Note that their power outputs are both controlled by "THROTTLE" (ie: "/controls/engines/engine[0]/throttle" )
which makes it a bit tricky potentially, because the throttle typically controls all four engines.
Anyway, something like this works for me as a keyboard <script>:
if(getprop("/controls/engines/engine[0]/reverser") == 1){
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[0]/reverser", 0);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[0]/throttle", 0.0);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[1]/throttle", 0.0);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[2]/throttle", 0.0);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[3]/throttle", 0.0);
}
else{
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[0]/reverser", 1);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[0]/throttle", 1.0);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[1]/throttle", 0.0);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[2]/throttle", 0.0);
setprop("/controls/engines/engine[3]/throttle", 0.0);
}
A good test of whether it is ok is landing at ENRA rwy 32 and being able to turn off right at the ramp exit.
Comments
The Curret 3d model is apparently un mappable for texturing.
However, I have acquired a new one. I just need time to get in into FG.
It could be certainly be texture-mapped. By me, anyway. Problem is that it is from an anonymous source and has no (obvious) license. I only do GPL.
Also, they all look much the same - dull grey apart from some small country roundels :o) So I'm not sure it would be worth the time and effort.
Having got one to fly nicely, that's probably enough for me.