High-resolution realistic HUD for default FSX Acceleration F/A-18. 2D and VC HUD included. The symbology is almost identical to the real F/A-18 Hornet and includes:
Courseline steering arrow
Ability to link to NAV1, NAV2, or GPS
Multiple clock modes
Realistic HUD reject options
Altitude options
Energy caret
AOA bracket
ILS needles
ACLS tadpole
HUD switch panel
Image reference charts
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HUD SWITCH PANEL
This panel is not realistic, but is needed to execute the HUDs realistic features, and was designed with that in mind. Many of its features would normally be accomplished through the HSI and HUD control panel. Working features include:
ILS (ICLS) Glideslope needle: +/- 1.4 degrees deflection in elevation
Localizer needle: +/- 6.0 degrees deflection in azimuth
ACLS: tadpole limits are +/- 0.5 degrees in both azimuth and elevation
HUD Reject modes:
Reject 1: removes mach, G, peak G, bank angle scale/pointer (if gear down), energy caret (if gear down), and airspeed / altitude boxes
Reject 2: removes reject 1 items, plus heading scale, caret, pointer, and NAV info
HUD steering (courseline): each dot out = +/- 4 degrees; the dots are not displayed if within 1.25 degrees of the selected course.
Heading pointer: The pointer is NONLINEAR, as per the real F/A-18; The NAV station or GPS waypoint is +/- 30 degrees off nose if at the edge of tape visibility. Near the center of the tape, at +/-5 degrees, the scale does become linear.
AoA bracket: There are about 2.4 degrees of AoA inside the E-bracket.
HUD OPERATION
Velocity Vector / Pitch Ladder:
The velocity vector / flight path marker shows the true flight path of your aircraft. Its position within the pitch ladder shows the aircraft climb angle. The ladder normally rotates around the velocity vector. However, if the true flight path leaves the HUD field of view, the velocity vector blinks at the edge of the HUD glass, and the pitch ladder then rotates around the waterline / longitudinal axis. (This shift is most appreciated when in a stall or during high AoA flight.) Note that the pitch ladder defaults to on, but can be turned completely off. A switch is on the switches panel. (This is one of the very few unrealistic features of this HUD but is useful and often desirable in cleaning up the clutter.)
So long as the installation instructions and aircraft setup have been followed, the velocity vector and pitch ladder are accurate with respect to the outside sim world. This is the point of the HUD, really. What this means is that your aircraft is actually traveling to the point the velocity vector overlays. And the +10 degree rung on the pitch ladder, for example, marks the point in the sky that is 10 degrees up. There is no offset or non-linearity.
At the correct zoom, and if you havent modified the VIEW_FORWARD_DIRECTION parameter within the panel.cfg, the 2D panel vector and ladder are very accurate. (As in the real HUD, though, the symbology sometimes lags behind by a few milliseconds.)
In the virtual cockpit, there is one and only one eyepoint setting which yields an accurate, precise velocity vector and pitch ladder. This eyepoint value is in the aircraft.cfg, and I recommend that it not be touched. (CTRL-SPACE resets this eyepoint while in flight.) One caveat: most people probably have dynamic head movement on, as it is by default, within the VC. What this very neat little feature does is actually shift the eyepoint slightly in response to aircraft accelerations. And what this means for the HUD user is that, during rapid accelerations (takeoff, for example), the ladder and velocity vector become slightly less accurate. They still behave properly in relation to one another, but may be a bit off as to the scenery. You MAY want to slightly reduce the dynamic head movement values the reside in the [DynamicHeadMovement] section within FSX.cfg. Many people, if the forums are any indication, believe these effects are overdone anyway.
Please note that the HUD horizon SHOULD move up with respect to the real horizon as altitude increases. The degree to which this occurs is not a function of this HUD, but of the inner workings of the sim. It may be slightly overdone, and is not something I or anyone can correct.
Courseline Steering:
This is essentially an HSI tacked onto the velocity vector. It can be linked to either NAV1, NAV2, or GPS, via the switches on the HUD controls panel. The desired course can be selected using the dials at the bottom.
In the carrier pattern:
Link the NAV1 radio to the carriers ILS system. Link the NAV2 to the carriers VOR, or the GPS to the carriers GPS waypoint. (Nav 2 is preferred, as the position of its needle is updated more frequently than is that of the needle linked to the GPS.) Tune the NAV 1 course to the carrier runways heading (not essential, but a good reminder.) Tune the NAV 2 or GPS course to the CARRIERS heading, called the Base Recovery Course (BRC), which is about 8 degrees to the right of the runway heading (depending on the carrier or the carrier model designer.) Turn the HUD steering switch to NAV2 or GPS, as appropriate.
These dots / needle are useful because they give an instant reference as to your heading with respect to the BRC. Theyre especially nice when in the turn from base to final, as the needle crosses the center of the vector at the instant youve crossed the ships stern. This tells you whether you need to tighten your turn or widen it in order to roll out on the runway extended centerline. Though you should be primarily visual at this point.
HUD Clock:
Theres a switch on the HUD control panel which allows you to adjust what the HUD clock displays. The following are available:
1) Local time
2) Zulu time
3) ET, or Elapsed Time (Basically a stopwatch, which runs from the moment the ET Reset buttons pressed.)
4) ETE, or Estimated Time En Route (Time until arrival at navaid / waypoint)
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ISSUES:
- With the wonderful Dynamic Head Movement feature in FSX, the eyepoint changes a bit when significant accelerations occur. This means that, when rapidly speeding up or slowing down, the vector / ladder become a bit less accurate. Its not much, but it is noticable.
- In VC mode, there is now way to place an AoA Indexer where it belongs.
- Energy caret is actually an acceleration caret, not a speed trend indicator. Its less jumpy this way, though is too responsive to added Gs. Its basically the same when in landing config at approach speeds and little load.
- Eyepoint needs to be precise in VC mode. CTRL-SPACE resets it back to its precise default.
- The ladders switching between rotation points (vector vs. waterline) is too abrupt.
- There is no look ahead radar. The recovery arrow / pull up cue bases its calculation on current radar altitude, using the terrain height directly underneath the aircraft. Therefore, in hilly or mountainous areas, its less reliable.
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USE IN OTHER AIRCRAFT PANELS
When placed in other aircraft panels, this gauge must be used in proportion to its full, original dimensions (659 x 725), or else there will be strange results, distortions or ghost images in the ladder, etc. For accuracy with respect to the outside sim world, zoom must be adjusted accordingly. Note that zoom 1.0 in FS9 corresponds to a zoom of about 0.7 in FSX. (The FSX zoom 1 setting is more realistic with respect to forward angles, perceived distances, etc., but at the loss of peripheral visual input.)
Heres a small list of possible gauge sizes, for a given zoom.
zoom 1.00 0.95 0.90 0.85 0.80 0.75 0.70 0.65 0.60 0.55 0.50 0.45 0.40 0.35 0.30 0.25
X size 659 626 593 560 527 494 461 428 395 362 330 297 264 231 198 165
Y size 725 689 653 616 580 544 508 471 435 399 363 326 290 254 218 181
Finally, the gauge should be placed in the panel.cfg so that its X coordinate is at (1024 - desired gauge horizontal dimension) / 2 . The Y coordinate can be any, but you must use and adjust the VIEW_FORWARD_DIRECTION in the panel.cfg to accurately pin the HUD horizon to the sim horizon and scenery.
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CREDITS:
F/A-18 HUD used with freeware permission...special thanks to Scott Printz for the excellent realistic HUD.
Modified for FSX Acceleration default F/A-18 by Damien13N.
