MSFS2020 Soaring Thread

Flight Sims Microsoft Flight Simulator
#1

Hey y’all!

This thread is there to discuss soaring in MSFS2020.
Once the official gliders and soaring mechanics are in the sim (fingers crossed for some point this year) this will probably get some more traction. Until then it is mods and tools that let us get our soaring fix in this beautiful sim.

I’ll start with some links:

I have tried a few things posted above myself already. This has potential.

EDIT: This thread needs some pictures. Here is the DG808 I am trying most stuff with, as it seems to be the most complete glider in the sim right now.

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MSFS - Add-ons and Releases thread 2020
MSFS - Add-ons and Releases thread 2020
#2

Crossposted from the addons thread, here are my current problems with Kinetic Assistant:

Did some more soaring using the kinetic assistant today.
I am almost in control of the winch right now, except that if I wait for auto-release I am almost certain to end up doing an immelmann turn. :smiley:

I then tried the thermals.
They don’t seem to work at all for me.

  • I used Little Navmap for creating them, and followed the tutorial. Kinetic Assistant seems to load them fine (the display says “10 thermals loaded”).
  • Enabling disableing them is kinda wonky. Half of the time when I press the key (I use the strobe light key, “o”) it does nothing, and if I continue hammering that key it displays “disabled”, then “enabled”, then “disabled” again.
  • Even if it stops at “enabled” there are no thermals it seems.

I even tried to give them some more extreme values in case they were just weak and I missed them. No joy.

Here is one of the lines from my CSV:
Location , thermal ,49.81046,8.62854, 3000 ,1.16750, 0.5 25 ,250,2021-01-17T17:24:50.349,

Questions:

  • That altitude, as far as I understood this is the “middle” of the thermal.
    But where would it actually start? At ground level?
  • Is that altitude AGL or MSL?

EDIT: It were still some fun flights. Just in case the thermals don’t work I used conditions that created some nice ridge lift.

#3

actually people confirm that thermals works, but it is difficult to configure them, that is true.

  1. usually it means all numbers are correct

  2. you need to press selected key twice - with interval from 0.25 to 1s, half of the second is safe delay. don’t click it like a mouse button, program will not capture second click

  3. you have to ensure that you are below “elevation” point (altitude above ground, like radio altimeter indication), and not at ground level (thermal weak there). something in the middle is fine for testing.

  4. elevation is a top of the thermal above ground level where it positioned. starting from the ground, ending at ground altitude + elevation

  5. AGL

Next week I will try to implement dynamic thermals generation, so hope these are temporary complications.

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#4

Sounds great, thanks!

I’ll try again soon. :slight_smile:

#5

I’m following with interest. I have to admit that I am kind of spoiled by Condor 2. I’m taking a bit of a break from Condor though because the VR support for any headset other than the Rift is clunky to say the least.

1 Like
#6

Reminds me to test VR with the DG808.

#7

CTD for me… (Rift)

#8

Did you use the VR livery?

#9

issue found with flight plans and VR livery. by coincidence, maybe you are loading flight plan?

If your game crashing in VR when you are trying to load flight plan, you need to fix livery value in the FLT file. Open it in the notepad, find [Sim.0] line, below it replace “Sim=DG808S” (or anything similar) on “Sim=Default“, save file, load flight plan in MSFS.

#10

Did the auto installer. thought I read the VR livery is included? Not using a flight plan.

#11

It is included, but you have to pick it on the livery screen of course.

#12

… :woozy_face:

Works amazing! I set the wind at 22kts and did some ridge soaring in the Alps. You have to search a bit and know where the wind is coming from but the updraft is there ( and the downdraft!) Woow!
Managed to get from a start at 4000 to 6500ft and fly over some mountain tops. You have to look for the updraft, you don’t get it for free :slight_smile:

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#13

I just soared a bit in VR and can confirm the DG808 works.
A stunning experience. Even though I get nauseous after 20 minutes, it’s worth it.

Still no joy with the thermals though. I changed a few settings (made them quite strong) and will try again in a few minutes.

I am getting used to the winch though. :slight_smile:

#14

Still no joy. I have no clue what I am doing wrong.
Can anyone post a thermal here that works for you (anywhere in the world)?

#15

Brigham City MSFS Task.zip (2.9 KB)
Several test thermals in Brigham, you can open lnmpln in LNM to see how close you are to thermal locations

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#16

Will try that tomorrow, thanks a lot!

#17

Follow-up question:

How is the maximum lift of the thermal set when I only give a radius (like in your file) and not
radius–space–maxlift like I did?

#18

I’ve made this file before radius-strength pair was implemented, but it still safe to use - in this case default strength value (~15) will be used. You can leave one like that, and set strength for another - who knows, maybe one of them will not work with latest version.

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#19

I tried again, copied just the values from your thermals over to mine.
Still didn’t work it seems, but I only had a few minutes to test.

I will try your mission tomorrow if I have the time.

#20

New version with improved towing/winch simulation on final testing stage

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