Weathervaning and Nose Wheel/Rudder animation

[domc712]

Pete,

Is there any way for a future update for FSUIPC to implement these features:

1. A way to switch off the rudder animations below a certain speed. This is so that when taxiing, only the nose wheel would turn and the rudder would stay stationary. Currently when I taxi, the rudder would turn when I twist my joystick (rudder control of course), but I feel like the rudder should only move when the aircraft is above a certain speed, let's say 40 knots. This would allow the rudder to stay still during taxi but would move above 30kts in situations for example to compensate for crosswinds during takeoff and landing. Of course, some aircraft don't have steerable nosewheels, so this option could be controlled to specific aircraft or simply a tick-check box in the user interface.

2. This is perhaps one feature that I would really desire in FSX. At the moment, when I accelerate up the runway for takeoff, any wind above 1 knot would force the aircraft to turn into the direction of the wind and will not go in a straight line.This also applies when taxiing the aircraft. Now this is a natural occurrence called Weathervaning, but I feel that FSX has really exaggerated it. I shouldn't have to wrestle with the rudder controls to hold the aircraft on the centerline if there isn't a crosswind above 10kts. The same thing happens when I'm landing and touch down, the aircraft would drift off erratically and I struggle to keep it on the centerline. I think there should be a feature to prevent this effect, I feel like it should be controlled realistically by the wind in FSX. For example, if there is a headwind at windspeed below 10kts there should be absolutely no weathervaning effects on the aircraft. During crosswinds, the effect should be proportional to the windspeed again, below 10kts, again there shouldn't really be any effect. If the windspeed is higher, then the weathervaning would gradually increase in intensity to simulate it realistically.

I hope you can take these suggestions into consideration. I have no idea on how FSUIPC works so I'm not going to expect these to be implemented, maybe I'm just being ambitious, though I would really like it if they somehow where.

[Pete Dowson]

1. A way to switch off the rudder animations below a certain speed. This is so that when taxiing, only the nose wheel would turn and the rudder would stay stationary.

How are they separated? I know no way. This is a question for aircraft makers and animators. (And why is it important -- aren't you inside the aircraft acctualy doing the steering?)

2. This is perhaps one feature that I would really desire in FSX. At the moment, when I accelerate up the runway for takeoff, any wind above 1 knot would force the aircraft to turn into the direction of the wind and will not go in a straight line.This also applies when taxiing the aircraft. Now this is a natural occurrence called Weathervaning, but I feel that FSX has really exaggerated it.

Turn down the realism settings. The full "realistic" setting is way overdone. And it varies enormously by aircraft model. Some of the add-on aircraft are extremely good in this respect. You may actually be able to deal with it too in the AIRCRAFT.CFG file -- check aircraft design forums, eg on AVSIM.

I shouldn't have to wrestle with the rudder controls to hold the aircraft on the centerline if there isn't a crosswind above 10kts. The same thing happens when I'm landing and touch down, the aircraft would drift off erratically and I struggle to keep it on the centerline. I think there should be a feature to prevent this effect

Perhaps you could tell me how to do these things? I have no control over them.

Regards

Pete