Legacy Hornet / F/A-18C Hornet V3.0
I still have some time over Summer, so I'm going to try to squeeze another plane in before grad school gets busy again. Keeping with the theme of remaking older builds, I'm making the F/A-18C Hornet.
This time around, I wanted to get the flap system right. Using custom and default control surfaces, I was able to replicate the single slotted trailing edge flaps. At 0% flaps, the flaps are set to auto; the inboard trailing edge flaps and leading edge flap will react to AOA. Manually setting the flaps activates the outboard trailing edge flaperons. The rudders also deflect with the flaps and all in all, it makes the aircraft pretty stable at high(ish) AOA.
Full flap deflection
The aircraft will have fly-by-wire as well, and I'll probably borrow the code from the F-35A to make the aircraft even more stable at high AOA, since it has some weird tendencies, like roll reversal and unrecoverable spins at high AOA. Granted, the aircraft only weighs as much as its empty weight right now.
Empty bays prepped for landing gear installation
Right now, the F/A-18C sits at 131 parts and it's in a pretty early state. There's still work to be done finishing up the fuselage and other major details, like the landing gear and airbrake.
@ReinMcDeer
I feel like using the wing's control surface instead of putting it in the slat can give you the stability at high AOA and extra lift to the plane when landing or taking off.
@ToeTips That also works, and you can also try hiding a wing inside the fuselage leading edge flaps with liftScale=-1.
From my experience, sometimes you actually want that slight decrease in lift at high AOA since it helps with stability, especially when you're using canards. Except for those, I keep the liftScale positive and I do actually want them to pitch the aircraft down when deflecting downwards to increase high AOA stability.
@ReinMcDeer
Oh I see, well I'm using the control surface itself as the slat, but it goes up instead of down, I use fuselage wings so I can just hide it.
Also, from what I've tested, after a certain angle of attack the control surface makes less lift once it's engaged, no matter what direction it deflects.
@ToeTips It's actually kinda weird. The leading edge flaps normally pitch the aircraft down in SP. So by inverting the liftScale, it makes it do the opposite. I usually just increase liftScale elsewhere to compensate
@MonsNotTheMonster
Why that value? Don't you want more lift?
Rein you mind shedding some light here
@ToeTips from his recent G4 builds, he uses wings with -1 liftScale. So probably yes
Do the slats do anything functional?
i cannot wait to see it :))
@SpearSystems Probably both, AIM-7M and AIM-120C
@MonsNotTheMonster Not at the moment
@ReinMcDeer will this variant be equipped with AMRAAMs, Sparrows, or both?
@ReinMcDeer ahh, that's good to know. Also, any plans for the F-5C or E?
@MonsNotTheMonster Yep, legacy hornets have them 👍
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Nice. Would it also have maneuvering flaps? Or that thing only existed on Super Hornets?
Also I'm not gonna T, cuz I know you don't do tags xD
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