DG-IV Reentry Video Tutorial

[n122vu]

Oceanic, thanks so much for this tutorial. I was able to bring the DGIV back for the first time without using the full reentry autopilot and closer to the base than I've ever been.

Awesome, greatly appreciated, and has been needed by many for a long time. Great work!

 

[PhantomCruiser]

Yes, very shiny! I managed to finally recover where I wanted reather than whichever runway was closest to me after the re-entry. Thanks for putting this together.

 

[cr1]

Just finished a quick reentry yesterday. Had to cheat with scenario editor... I dumped too much fuel.
Next step, I guess, would be to try that again with XR-1, which is apparently easier?

So a tip for everyone... save at least some fuel for your powered landing if you're flying a DGIV.

 

[Tommy]

A bit easier, perhaps. The XR series has a shallower glideslope which makes it a bit easier, but you just have to fly the DGIV in a bit more aggressively.

 

[lowerlowerhk]

Finally I can deorbit without blowing up! Thanks Oceanic!

Now I can land on KCS as I wish, but how can I align with the runway before deorbit so that I don't need to make correction burns in atmo?

 

[brandonman]

Lol, thanks. I just made my first successful re-entry thanks to this. The only problem: I fell short by about 1.0M ;P At least it *looked* close on the map. :rofl:

 

[caviglione]

thanks this is very helpfull, amazing tutorial!

 

[Oceanic]

wonderful to see that this tutorial helped you all.

happy reentry & don't burn up

 

[kevinvr]

Thanks again for the tutorial
It is great, Ive made a few re-entries without burning up and now I am practicing these landings at cape canaveral and wideawake. I will get it right, just need more practice.
have an excellent week.

 

[Hmuda]

Great tutorial.

I managed to arrive at the perfect spot. I noticed a few irregularities in the synch MFD and corrected them for myself and arrived perfectly aligned with the runways.

The only problem is that I messed up the final aproach and busted my gears, but otherwise, it was a successful landing.

Are there any missions around for the GDIV where I could practice? The WAI sceneries only include Doug's ships, no the DGIV.

 

[Tommy]

Are there any missions around for the GDIV where I could practice? The WAI sceneries only include Doug's ships, no the DGIV.

There should be a DGIV scenario in the Wideawake/launch folder. Otherwise, you can add one in the scenario editor by replacing an XR-2. Just add a DGIV. use the copy state option, and then delete the XR-2.

 

[Hmuda]

Thanks, I'll do that. As far as I can tell, there is only a launch scenario for the DGIV, there is no landing for it.

 

[Oceanic]

try the attached scenario,

some tips that might help with your final approach:

-if you have a joystick or joypad (i'm using my ps3 controller :blush use the holdspeed pro400specNN autopilot while landing to train your landings
-know you ship, deploying the landing gear will make you loose speed faster, don't get surprised if your nose starts dropping
-use only your elevons during landing
-be aggressive, pull up as late as you can (set trim to max to help you recover faster)
-don't panic when your alignment to the runway goes a bit out of the window, you have to be careful especially using the numpad not roll more than a few degrees
-try some acrobatics with a light DGIV (~20 tonnes) and use only elevons + trim

 

[Hmuda]

Thanks mate. I'll try this scn. I'm more fond of the gentle gliding kind of landing, maybe due to my prolonged exposure to FSX.

EDIT: managed to land on first try. I guess it was just bad luck the last time.

 

[Tommy]

I also had a hard time landing for a while. Like you, I was much more successful at the gently sloped powered landings. I practiced re-entry and landings, and slowly steepened my final approach slope a tiny bit each time. That way I extended my "comfort zone" until I became more or less at ease with the high slope of the "deadstick" landing. I wouldn't quite call it "routine", but I'm almost always successful. But I still can't get a fully fueled (minus a de-orbit burn) and loaded XR-5 on the ground without breaking the gear - even powered!

Someday ....

 

[joey1405]

Recording?

What software did you use to record this? I really want to make an Orbiter Film, but I have literally no cash and can't find anything to fit my budget. :sos:

 

[cachorrorbiter]

Mr Oceanic:
Great tutorial!!!!, although I made bigger the cemetery of wrecked ships it was worth it, nothing like the satisfaction of bringing your bird back home.

Thanks a lot

 

[Revolpathon]

What software did you use to record this? I really want to make an Orbiter Film, but I have literally no cash and can't find anything to fit my budget. :sos:

it's in the credits at the end of the video

frapper i believe.

anyhow great tut, i'll try it out next year when i'm sobering up

 

[n122vu]

What software did you use to record this? I really want to make an Orbiter Film, but I have literally no cash and can't find anything to fit my budget. :sos:

It's called Fraps. There is a free version, it just leaves a www.fraps.com watermark at the top of the videos.

Also, you might look into Camstudio. It is also a free program. I've used it at work.

 

[Revolpathon]

-if you have a joystick or joypad (i'm using my ps3 controller :blush use the holdspeed pro400specNN autopilot while landing to train your landings

i'm using a logitech rumblepad (would love to get the vibration function supported inside orbiter but alas

anyhow, when i try to fly using the joystick on that thing in the atmosphere the controls are so damn twitchy that i just can't land the plane. i also used to fly with a joystick on fsx primarily with the f18 from the acceleration addon, and i could do an overfly of the run way turn my plane upside down when i just passed it and touch down like a pro, somehow i just can't get the same skills i have with the joystick translated to the gamepad joystick, is there a way to make it less twitchy?

[edit] decided to just buy a decent joystick, i can now fly a heck of allot better inside orbiter
is it necessery to "flare" the wings when landing any of the aircrafts in orbiter? so far my experience tells me that i have to but i don't see it happening with a deadstick landing.
explanation for fellow newbies: flaring the wings is a manouver where you come over the runway but keep the nose up to get your vertical velocity down (basicly riding the air cushion beneath the wings) to within safe norms for the landing gear and also to get an as smooth as silk touchdown.