Landing Light Pointing

Aye, the transition occurs 5 seconds after touchdown. That's what we are missing it seems - I would assume that it's an automatic transition to one-bulb illumination from two-bulb illumination as opposed to a pilot toggle.

 

Then again, you know what they say about ass-u-ming.

 

Also still does not explain the three-bulb illumination during taxi of the other vid....

Since we started this video comparison, I've found another video also showing all three lights on during the touchdown sequence:

As you watch further, though, during the takeoff that follows it appears that only the taxi light is illuminated. But it's hard to tell. In places it looks like there's a 2nd light source. I was hoping for the same camera location on the subsequent landing sequence but...no such luck.

BTW, I assume that, when you refer to "one-bulb illumination", you're referring to the taxi light and not that one of the two landing lights (far) is extinguished.

BTW, I assume that, when you refer to "one-bulb illumination", you're referring to the taxi light and not that one of the two landing lights (far) is extinguished.

Yep.

 

 

BTW, anyone know how to display a YT link with a timestamp using the YT brackets? I've never been able to get it to work. I can only get it to work using the URL brackets. Without a timestamp, there's no problem.

I figured it out with a little help from google. Copy your YT link that you put between the YT tags and add ?start=XXX

XXX = position in seconds for example 8minutes * 60seconds + 32seconds = 532 seconds in your video?

[ YOUTUBE ]u-DmK-x2-bo?start=532[ /YOUTUBE ]

I figured it out with a little help from google. Copy your YT link that you put between the YT tags and add ?start=XXX

XXX = position in seconds for example 8minutes * 60seconds + 32seconds = 532 seconds in your video?

Thank you!!! :) I knew there had to be a way.

:)

AFAIK, DIS made this fix when they researched the landing/taxi light of J-11A

:)

AFAIK, DIS made this fix when they researched the landing/taxi light of J-11A

In your pic above we have one light bulb only illuminated. That's another aspect we do not have access to in-SIM.

Might help to give us a comprehensive explanation of how things actually work IRL vs how they are currently implemented In-SIM so as to better understand what we are working with. Are all three bulbs independantly contrrolled on the real bird? What bulb is used when and so on and so on.

Wouild be appreciated, if only to sqatisfy our curiosity :)

no they don't permacrab into the runway, when i said sight the runway out of the left pane i mean leaning your body/head to the left to look 'around' the nose because downward visibility is better out of the side panes (especially for aircraft predating the su-27).

So if they are just leaning over to look out the side window it doesn't make much sense for the beam to be aimed that far left. As you could see in the videos, the light was centered in the window with the head in the middle. If you were to lean over the light would be in the wrong place.

Definitely shows that the twin lights angle off to the left, though it seems to be a bit less extreme than what we see in the sim. But it's hard to tell.

That looks pretty similar to the light in the sim. Notice how it does absolutely nothing to illuminate the runway. He switches it off once he has landed. Of course you don't technically need a landing light to land at night provided the runway is illuminated, but from the real life video I don't understand their reasoning at all.

afaik its for gauging height, not checking for deer on the runway that you're gonna run over anyways

...but from the real life video I don't understand their reasoning at all.

I obviously can't speak from real life experience. But I suspect that my experience in the sim is similar to real life.

I have the runway lights etc. to keep me lined up but, once close to the runway (and,therefore, closer to the ground) it greatly enhances my depth perception. I can more easily judge any adjustments I have to make in sink rate, etc, while keeping my eyes outside the cockpit. That's less true if I can only see straight ahead and can't see the ground off to the side. That's my experience, at least.

In your pic above we have one light bulb only illuminated. That's another aspect we do not have access to in-SIM.

 

Might help to give us a comprehensive explanation of how things actually work IRL vs how they are currently implemented In-SIM so as to better understand what we are working with. Are all three bulbs independantly contrrolled on the real bird? What bulb is used when and so on and so on.

 

Wouild be appreciated, if only to sqatisfy our curiosity :)

That small one is for taxi, and the other two larger ones are landing lights (different layout from Su-27).

That small one is for taxi, and the other two larger ones are landing lights (different layout from Su-27).

Ah, yes. Now that you've pointed it out, it's easy to see...

Ah, yes. Now that you've pointed it out, it's easy to see...

see video here

https://www.facebook.com/dekaironworksims/videos/330653440731126/

Ah that's interesting. I never really thought you needed a side light to judge your height or flare, I mean the plane has a freaking radar altimeter. I'd be much more concerned about the runway. I hope all Russian airbases have a good supply of fuel for the backup generators as I'd hate to try landing that thing with no runway lighting or ILS. Real landing lights can light up reflectors from several miles away, but not this thing. Of course they'd probably just park vehicles along the runway.

Ah that's interesting. I never really thought you needed a side light to judge your height or flare, I mean the plane has a freaking radar altimeter. I'd be much more concerned about the runway. I hope all Russian airbases have a good supply of fuel for the backup generators as I'd hate to try landing that thing with no runway lighting or ILS. Real landing lights can light up reflectors from several miles away, but not this thing. Of course they'd probably just park vehicles along the runway.

That's just my observation. In twilight or night conditions it really helps. The actual reason could be nothing of the sort, I suppose. But with the ground lit up at the point your eyes should be out of the cockpit anyway, I find that side lighting really helps.

Again, all conjecture on my part. And it'd be even better if all three lights were on.

And it'd be even better if all three lights were on.

And that's probably what they really do as I would think there would be two separate switches rather than a 3 position switch. The taxi light might give just enough illumination of the runway.

Maybe ED could change it from "Off-Near-Far" to "Off-Near-Far-Both" if not a separate on/off for each light.

I never really thought you needed a side light to judge your height or flare, I mean the plane has a freaking radar altimeter.

On real aircraft, the radar altimeter value is displayed on HUD with 10m increment. The 1m increment is a gameplay compromise. So IRL you don't have the luxury of knowing radar altitude down to the last meter. When you land, after you see 10m on HUD, the next value displayed will be 0.

Sure, you could try to look at cockpit instrument for a more accurate reading when below 10m, but I very much doubt IRL anybody is looking low on the instrument panel during landing flare at night.

I wasn't intending to suggest using your rad alt for the flare, just to judge height when a couple hundred feet. How do pilots land at night in the hundreds of aircraft that don't have a side light? I can't imagine needing that light for the flare is what I was really saying. By the time you flare, especially if you have taxi lights on too, the runway will be illuminated out the sides just as the su-27 landing light is doing there. The only practical use that light has is from 1000 to 100ft, for which as I said you have a radar altimeter.

And much much more important than your apparent height is your approach angle to the runway, which that light will not help you with at all.

I just find it a very strange design choice.

I just checked the flight manuals I have (MiG-21, -23, -29) and for all they say the pilot before landing flare should look left and down to visually estimate the height. The MiG-21 and -29 also have landing lights pointing slightly to the left (demonstrable fact). On MiG-31 landing lights are also pointing to the left, see picture.

The purpose of this is not for the pilot to admire the landscape left of the aircraft during landing approach when he is at 100m altitude. The purpose is to aid the pilot in visually judging height immediately before and during landing flare. And it's not like the left side is bright from the lights and in front of the aircraft you have a big and fat darkness. The lights are pointed to the left just a few degrees, IRL they are illuminating left AND forward.

So MiG has built for decades aircraft with landing lights pointing slightly to the left but, BREAKING NEWS, Sideslip finds it a very strange design choice.

whether or not procedure calls for short ranged taxi lights are switched on before the flare is unconfirmed, but we can at least dismiss the landing light alignment issue

From Su-27 flight manual:

Thanks, Fox One, for the Russian text. That was helpful. It told me exactly what to look for.

So turn on landing lights as you pass over the Outer Marker. After the runout, reposition the selector switch to taxi (lights) and head for the parking area. And that's what the switchology indicates as well. Three positions: Landing-Off-Taxi:

So it seems that what we have is correct. Offset landing lights and a three-position switch: LANDING-OFF-TAXI.

So MiG has built for decades aircraft with landing lights pointing slightly to the left but, BREAKING NEWS, Sideslip finds it a very strange design choice.

Pointing slightly to the left is different then only to the left, which is what was both shown in DCS and that in-cockpit SU-27 landing video. If on a MiG it illuminates in front and left, then sure I guess that makes sense.

Just because MiG and Sukhoi have done it for decades doesn't make it normal. It's normal for MiG and maybe most Russian aircraft. It is not normal for the rest of the world, which makes it unusual. Of the hundreds of aircraft designed, how many do that exactly? Even the SU-25 light is straight. If all they needed is for the light to illuminate more of the sides why didn't they just mount them on the main gear pointed straight? Or in the wingtips like the SU-25?

It's not unusual to look out the side to gauge their height, and it's fantastic to see the documentation detailing their procedure. But it is unusual to point a nose wheel landing light way off to the left. It's not a few degrees on the SU-27, it's way off.

The question of whether the light is supposed to be straight or not was answered in the first two pages, no one is questioning that anymore. I'm sorry if it somehow offends you that I consider it to be unusual.

they may consider it better to not wash out the runway lights with landing lights since it already contrasts pretty nicely in the dark. landing dark is not unknown in the west either, as night carrier traps are all done without a landing light spotlighting the deck.

I'm sorry if it somehow offends you that I consider it to be unusual.

i think his point was more that your repeated remarks on the perceived impracticability of this practice echos the same sort of presumptuous reasoning that began this thread.

there's more than one way to skin a cat and if you keep your eyes open you might learn something new.