How to do an AI squadron?

col1948 · Post by **col1948** » 23 Apr 2022, 09:28

I tried to do a small squadron of aircraft, the way I tried was do single flight plans for each aircraft and have them takeoff at more or less the same time, they appeared at first but then split up and then I could only see one other next to the spot plane.
I could hear ATC talking to them but they were no where in sight, so is there a trick to get them to fly in a kind of formation or a least together?

Col.

Firebird · Post by **Firebird** » 23 Apr 2022, 10:01

In simplistic terms, you can't.
The AI engine does not allow pairs take offs, pairs landings or pairs formation.

Now having said that it can be done but it is very fiddly, very time consuming, and the more difficult a flight the vastly more difficult an exercise. The formation can only be made as an airborne entity, so you would have to avoid going into game to see take offs.

In simplistic terms each aircraft has to fly its own waypoints and route. They can't use the same one.

If you are really interested then have a look at our old MAIW Airshow package of the Coningsby package to see the Jaguar flypast.
You will need to read the docs carefully and pull the plans apart to see it work.

My advice is to do like the rest of us and just accept the limitations of the game/engine.

Incidentally, in case you were thinking of asking the situation did not improve in FSX, nor P3D (so far) nd we just don't know yet about MSFS.

TimC340 · Post by **TimC340** » 23 Apr 2022, 13:36

As Steve alludes, duplicate flight plans will produce something like formations in the cruise part of a flight. If you’re using P3D, the radar display will reveal the presence of these in your area (in my case, generally because I inadvertently allowed duplicates!) and you can then use the traffic view to observe them - but don’t be surprised if the aircraft are occupying exactly the same bit of 3D space. Realistic it is not!

Pairs take offs can be achieved with very carefully constructed AFDs and flight plans, which essentially means that each participant is using a separate runway positioned to look like they’re using one side of the visible runway. But that illusion quickly deteriorates as minute differences accumulate in the individual AI behaviour. Georgio made this work in some of the FS9 Italian sceneries, but my attempts to update this behaviour to P3D had limited success.

TheFoufure · Post by **TheFoufure** » 23 Apr 2022, 15:46

Dual runway for double takeoff are also used in MAIW package for Finland. (with BAe Hawk)

col1948 · Post by **col1948** » 23 Apr 2022, 16:52

There is a program for FSX that lets you do this, it is called AITrackerX, there is a function in it that lets you have multiple aircraft in the sky in formation, I did use it a few times but I was wondering if there was a way in FS2004.

I tried doing a plan using the spawn method from a waypoint not taking off from an airfield and had them fly to another waypoint to do a TNG, it kind of worked but not perfect, it might need more work on it.

Col.

col1948 · Post by **col1948** » 23 Apr 2022, 17:28

This is the one I set them off to spawn from a waypoint and this time land at an airfield, as you see the split up rather than fly close together, I had them spawn at the same time and same flight level, I'm just experimenting hoping to hit on a method.
I had to do separate plans for each aircraft too by the way.

Col

leuen · Post by **leuen** » 23 Apr 2022, 18:21

Really, not easy at all. This AI traffic uses the same aircraft, the same ADE and the same fligthplan for each plane. But after some few feets the formation already is disparated.

It's quite disappointing!

Bernard

col1948 · Post by **col1948** » 24 Apr 2022, 07:28

It's a pity AITrackerX doesn't work in FS2004 as that has a facility to do as I/we are trying to do. I wonder how they did it?

Col.

gsnde · Post by **gsnde** » 24 Apr 2022, 13:15

leuen wrote: ↑23 Apr 2022, 18:21 Really, not easy at all. This AI traffic uses the same aircraft, the same ADE and the same fligthplan for each plane. But after some few feets the formation already is disparated.

It's quite disappointing!

Bernard

What AI is that, Bernard?

col1948 · Post by **col1948** » 24 Apr 2022, 14:11

I was looking in my old folders and saw (OK I know its a different sim) but in Xplane someone wrote a scripts for 'Formation Flying' in the text it says when you are in the air select 'Fly as Wingman' apparently the script attaches other AI aircraft to the your aircraft to form a formation.
I remember when I used to play in Subsim (Submarine Simulation) a guy there did a similar thing where you could attach vessels to your boat, so obviously where you went the they followed.

Side issue those aircraft above look like (Grumman Avengers) I may be wrong I usually am lol.

Col.

gsnde · Post by **gsnde** » 24 Apr 2022, 14:15

Yes they certainly are…:-)

I need to rephrase my question. Where can this AI be downloaded? Or is it a flyable one used as AI?

From mobile hence short

leuen · Post by **leuen** » 24 Apr 2022, 19:40

The traffic shown above recreates the famous and very enigmatic Flight 19 in which five Avenger airplanes were lost in the Bermuda triangle.

The Grumman TBF-1 Avenger and the five repaints are available here:
https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.ph ... fid=118265

Bernard

col1948 · Post by **col1948** » 25 Apr 2022, 07:00

At first I thought were NAAM sim aircraft, they too have the Grumman Avenger in many paints.

Did you know the Bermuda Triangle used to be known as the 'Bermuda Square' but one of the sides went missing?

Sorry couldn't resist lol.

Col.

Firebird · Post by **Firebird** » 25 Apr 2022, 08:09

Saw a program a couple of years ago when they found Flight 19 aircraft. They were only a couple of miles off Miami beach amazingly, if I remember correctly.

leuen · Post by **leuen** » 25 Apr 2022, 22:22

These Mitsubishi Zero are respectively duo package and keep ordenly the formation

as well as these Sopwith Camel.

Bernard

col1948 · Post by **col1948** » 01 May 2022, 09:43

Bernard is that FS2004 and if so what program did this?

Col.