Comments by FSAviator on the hydroplane problem in FS2002.
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I finally figured out what the hydroplane problem in FS2002 really is:

Some well meant disinformation has been posted in the forums about
hydroplane operation in FS2002. Whilst writing 'realistic' FDE for a
particularly under-powered floatplane I have discovered the real
situation in FS2002.

In real life and in FS2002 waves break the surface tension of the water
making it easier for a hydroplane to take off. Historically many real
hydroplanes could not take off from flat calm water at high weights.

To succeed in taking off in a hydroplane with realistic float immersion,
realistic weight, and realistic power in FS2002 two things must be true;

1) The wave state must be adequate.
2) The aircraft must be adequately into wind (*aligned to the waves*).

If you cannot move on the water with full throttle you must;
a) slew the aircraft into wind (using slew controls)
And if you still cannot move,
b) increase the wind speed at the surface

The latter will increase the wave state and reduce the surface tension.

I am not entirely sure whether the wave state is physically simulated or
just virtually calculated. There seems to be at least some physical
simulation of variable wave state.

In general you can avoid the need to slew or mess with the weather menu
by remembering to land into wind, and with enough wind to take off
again.

Of course if you taxied to a dock you may have to slew away from the
dock, (push off from the dock or get a tow from a boat), into wind
before you can taxi under engine power.

It occurs to me that it might be possible for a skilled gauge maker to
make a 'slew back (distance) and turn into wind' gauge to be the
floatplane undocking equivalent of a pushback gauge?

Personally, I moor into wind on a vacant buoy and call for the duty
launch :->

The bottom line is FS2002 will prevent movement from rest on water if
either your alignment to the wind (waves) or current wave state make
take off from that start position impossible.

That is the nature and extent of the 'sticky water' bug.

In practice it is often a chosen user setting in FSUIPC which frustrates
hydroplane movement, but other weather related modules must also be set
to allow sufficient wind at the surface. Don't blame the authors of the
modules. They don't choose the settings. You may have to disable taxi
wind controls, max surface wind controls etc., you have set in modules
such as FSUIPC to achieve the wave states needed for take off in a
hydroplane with a realistic flight model. Don't forget to reset FSUIPC
etc., afterwards for normal runway operations.

If you are using real weather you can wait for it to change just like
real life :-< or you can increase the wind speed (wave state) manually
in the local weather. The warning above re external modules still
applies.

If you create an appropriate wind condition (wave state) and take off
into wind, any hydroplane with a realistic flight model, however heavy,
and however under powered, that can take off in real life, will take off
in FS2002.

The max take off weight (useful load) from water is dependent on the
relative wind vector at the moment of throttle up. You can take off
cross wind (along a river) only if you are light enough.

You can however start moving into wind and turn out of wind so long as
you keep your speed up enough. The take off will be longer of course.
Watch those river bends.

Real as it gets?

Maybe not, but this is the real reason behind reports in the forums that
hydroplanes with realistic flight models, which will normally take off,
sometimes get 'stuck'. Various incorrect explanations varying from sand
banks to only water with this or that texture are enabled for
hydroplanes have been given.

FDE authors should note that therefore it is not our job to create
'bouncy floats' with the knock on problems that can cause. The user
should instead be waiting for, and pointing the aircraft into, 'bouncy
water'.

In any event It does not matter how ridiculously bouncy an FDE author
makes the floats, an adequate into wind (wave) alignment is still
required.

There are of course overpowered flight models which will take off from
anywhere at any weight. The 'sticky water bug' only afflicts realistic
hydroplane flight models. Some of existing realistic hydroplane flight
models may appear to be 'broken', but in reality it is just a case of
learning to use them correctly.

Hope that helps everyone.

FSAviator, November 2002
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