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Has anyone developed procedures for landing the F4-U on carriers? I just got this aircraft, so I'm a newbie, and I've been experimenting with AI ship carriers that are fully equipped with arresting gear and catapaults. The animation tail hook is long but at an angle making it only somewhat lower than the tail wheel and more difficult to catch the cables. However, I checked the .cfg file and find there is no [tailhook] section. I take it from this that even with the animation tailhook deployed there cannot be an arrest using the tailhook and my testing confirms this. The only way I can figure out to catch an arresting cable is to add a [trailhook] section in the .cfg file (trailhook length, location and cable setting). Even with that added, the aircraft will have to hit the deck nose high and on the cables, i.e., do a full stall 3-point landing on the cables and hope that the hook catches. So far I haven't been able to do that. Any other suggestions? Does anyone have the [tailhook] sections specs for this aircraft? Does that make arrests possible?

Jim C

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Trailboss

Jim :
This is slightly off topic, but I had noticed no one had responded to your post, so I thought you might find this useful if you do not already have it installed in your game. I am speaking of a couple of small programs that allow you to practice carrier landings on a land base. They are aicarriers2 and flols trailer; the first program allows you a place and control single ships or complete naval fleets anywhere you want. The second program, is a model of a FLOLS trailer used for Field Carrier Landing Practice. You use aircarriers2 to place FLOLS trailers anywhere you want. Now the real FCLP does not use arresting gear, but it's added to enhance your practice and also your fun.
Hope this helps, if only a little.

FIDO

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For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards...
Leonardo da Vinci

Hello Fido,
Thanks for the information about AI carriers and FCLPs. I have the carrier AI application and have been using it for some time, but I didn't know about the FCLP application. That's what I need, a place to practice landings in a less threatening environment. I have still not succeeded in making a carrier landing with the Corsair, so I don't know for sure if the tailhook is working or not. I added the [tailhook] lines to the .cfg file, but everytime I come in for a landing as soon as I go nose high to best present the hook to the deck, even with the engine at idle and a fast rate of descent, the aircraft takes off again without touching the deck. I have made a number of WWII style Corsair carrier takeoffs, no catapult, just hold the brakes, run up to full rpm, release and--just as we see in the WWII movies of carrier takeoffs--a sickening drop toward the waves off the end of the flight deck, and then a very gradual increase in airspeed and altitude as the gear and flaps come up.
Thanks again for the headsup.

Jim C

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Trailboss