It all started with a slightly crazy idea: what if I tried to make a simple egg fly in FPS2? No, seriously. Just take a basic object, create a configuration for it, hook it up to JSBSim, and see if I can get it airborne. No programming, no custom code for a specific aircraft. Just
This update is focused on the VTOL control logic in JSBSim, along with a few fixes to ground handling. JSBSim VTOL AutoLevel The VTOL AutoLevel configuration has been simplified and separated into independent roll, pitch, and yaw control loops.Each axis has its own enable property: Setting the property to 1.0 enables the corresponding AutoLevel loop,
This is an intermediate, but logically complete build where the full ground behavior of the aircraft has been implemented. This was necessary in order to smoothly approach loading areas and prepare for cargo operations. At this stage, cargo loading into the Scarab and testing flight physics with a loaded aircraft are not yet implemented. However,
New Loading Screen Subsystem I completely rewrote the level loading subsystem.The new system now works on a separate thread instead of the main game thread, which allowed me to remove a huge amount of old loading code, widgets, hacks, and temporary workarounds. The biggest improvement is that the game window now stays hidden until the
New CollisionComponent I wrote a new CollisionComponent to track aircraft collisions with obstacles. It handles detection, processes the impact, calculates the hit normal and force at the contact point, and passes all of that to JSBSim. From there, JSBSim takes over the physics calculations and produces a much more realistic aircraft response. New CrashController I also added
Hi pilots. First of all, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the project and kept testing the builds. This has been a long phase. There were countless rewrites, endless hours of engineering routine, and honestly, a lot of doubts along the way – wondering if I was doing
The entire Input System has been completely rewritten from the ground up. I moved away from Unreal’s built-in RawInput system and switched fully to JoystickPlugin. This gives us much broader hardware compatibility and significantly deeper customization options. This was a massive task. I iterated on the architecture multiple times to get it right. It took
Airbrake Pitch Behavior Previously, deploying the airbrake caused a strong nose-up reaction, almost like an extra elevator.This happened because the aerodynamic effects behind the brake weren’t modeled correctly. The drag values have been corrected for the actual brake angles, and the airflow behind the brake now properly affects the tail. Result: The airbrake still feels
This build is essentially a beta version of the prototype. The full flight physics are now implemented: all aerodynamic coefficients have been calculated and integrated. What remains is tuning and balancing. Airbrake implementation Added an airbrake on the X key (keyboard) or B button (controller). The aerodynamics now respond properly to it – you can
