RCBCO V2 upgrade files
By Todd McKee Jan 11 2005
tkjake@tds.net

****NOTE****
You must have the RCBCO v2 package (rcbco-20.zip) installed in order to use these files. See the extensive documents included with the package for comprehensive instuctions!!!


The two files you see here contain the complete set of catapults and landing zones for all 18 carriers included in File: car2004a.zip, by Rich Hogen (packaged for FS2004 by Alejandro Villa). The file is available at SurClaro.com and SurClaro, and probably other sites also.

I have also included the zones for the carrier in San Francisco Bay, Which is built into FS2004.

All the carriers have 2 catapults activated, cats 2 and 4. For you non Navy guys out there, that would be the left front and left side catapults. For us ex and current sailors, thats the port bow and outboard waist catapults. In order for the catapult gauge to become active, you must be LINED UP on the cat and in FRONT of the JBD, jet blast deflector. Depending on the size of the aircraft you use, this may look either a little further forward or back as compared to other aircraft. All the zones were defined using Dino Cattaneo's F-14B model. The F-14 is a big plane. An F4F Wildcat is not, therefore the small difference. The cat zones are only about 6 feet wide, and you must be within a few degrees of the heading in order to get a green light on the cat gauge.

****Important*****
Be sure you adjust your launch speed as needed on the gauge. An F-14 needs around 150 knots, a WWII fighter needs around 100 knots. If using a taildragger, you get a very exciting launch whereas a modern fighter just goes straight.

The following carriers have all 4 cats active
HMNZS Waikato
CVN-67 near Jaxsonville, Florida (JAX OPAREA)
CVN-69 of Oceana NAS , Virginia Beach, Virginia (VACAPES OPAREA)
CVN-72 Off Miramar MCAS , Southern California

I used all the available cat zones in making this, so in order to add a new area, you will need to delete one.

The landing zones are all defined by the arresting wires on the flightdecks. I gave a little wiggle room forward and back, but not much. The sides are wider than they really should be since they extend to the landing zone boundary lines (the thick white lines), but what the heck.

****Installation*****

Just copy the two files to your main Gauges folder and OVERWRITE the old ones when asked

dsd_arrester_zones
dsd_catapult_zones


******Important*******
for users of FS Panel Studio, or the older CFG Edit programs.

Be aware that if you are customizing panels to use the RCBCO gauges, the progam WIL NOT write the entire gauge line for either the COP_Config!config or COP_Sound!dsd_xml_sound3 gauges. These gauges MUST have the path written after the gauge location, or FS9 will CRASH every time!!!!

Must read like this
gauge39=COP_Config!config, 0,0,,, ./gauges/rcb-miljet/COP_Config.ini
gauge40=COP_Sound!dsd_xml_sound3, 0,0,,, ./gauges/rcb-miljet/COP_Sound.ini


NOT THIS
gauge39=COP_Config!config, 0,0,,
gauge40=COP_Sound!dsd_xml_sound3, 0,0,,

You will need to maually edit these gauge lines to include the path after you place the gauge OR modify a panel that includes these gauges, since FS Panel Studio will write or alter the line as seen in the bad example above.


My greatest thanks to Rob Barendregt and Doug Dawson for their RCBCO v2 package. I have contacted Rob and been given permission to alter these files for upload.