Aircraft rating system: Difference between revisions
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*4: 3D model with animated control surfaces, gear, prop, livery support. | *4: 3D model with animated control surfaces, gear, prop, livery support. | ||
*5: 3D model with animated control surfaces, gear, prop, livery support, | *5: 3D model with animated control surfaces, gear, prop, livery support, shader effects. | ||
=== Overall Status === | === Overall Status === |
Revision as of 21:26, 25 May 2011
With hundreds of aircraft available for FlightGear, it is very difficult to find the true gems. The rating system below attempts to solve this by providing a quick objective way to rate aircraft. This was discussed in some detail on the -dev mailing list in December 2010.
The rating system scores an aircraft (0-5) in 4 individual criteria - FDM, Systems, Cockpit and External Model.
These ratings can then be encoded in the aircraft -set.xml file from where they can be picked up by launchers, web pages etc.
The sum of the scores in the 4 criteria provides an overall score from 0 to 20, which can be mapped to a textual overall aircraft status.
Flight Dynamics Model
- 0: None, or using FDM from other aircraft
- 1: JSBSim Aeromatic or YASim geometric model used without tuning. Flaps modeled.
- 2: FDM tuned for cruise configuration.
- 3: FDM tuned for rate of climb and cruise PoH performance numbers
- 4: FDM matches PoH in 90% of configurations
- 5: FDM matches PoH and most known test data.
Systems
- 0: No controllable systems: engine is always on, generic radio,
- 1: Generic engine start/stop (}}s), correct size/number of fuel tanks, generic (untuned) autopilot, working flaps/gear
- 2: Working electrical system, fuel feed cockpit controls, stable autopilot
- 3: Accurate startup procedure, tuned autopilot with cockpit controls matching real aircraft systems, generic failure modelling (Vne, +ve/-ve G, gear limits)
- 4: Primary aircraft-specific systems modelled (aero-tow, radar, GPWS). User able to follow normal PoH checklists (e.g. startup, shutdown) in entirety
- 5: Some aircraft-specific failure modes implemented (e.g. flame-out, inverted engine limitations). Some emergency procedures implemented (RAT, emergency gear release), able to follow some emergency PoH checklists in entirety.
Cockpit
- 0: No cockpit
- 1: 2D panel, no cockpit.
- 2: 2D panel in 3D cockpit, or incomplete 3D panel
- 3: 3D panel and cockpit
- 4: 3D panel and accurately modelled 3D cockpit, plain texturing. Hotspots for majority of controls.
- 5: 3D panel and accurately modelled 3D cockpit with photo-realistic texturing.
External Model
- 0: None
- 1: Simple 3D model, no animations
- 2: 3D model with animated control surfaces (elevator, aileron, rudder, flaps)
- 3: 3D model with animated control surfaces, gear detailing (retraction), prop
- 4: 3D model with animated control surfaces, gear, prop, livery support.
- 5: 3D model with animated control surfaces, gear, prop, livery support, shader effects.
Overall Status
Sum the ratings of the 4 criteria, to produce an overall score from 0 to 20.
This maps to overall status as follows:
- 18 or higher : advanced production (minimum 4 in each rating)
- 16 to 17 : production (minimum 4 in each rating)
- 12 to 15 : early production (minimum 3 in each rating)
- 9 to 11 : beta
- 8 or lower : alpha
Encoding the rating
The ratings can be encoded in the -set.xml file for the aircraft, under <sim> as follows.
<status>early production</status>
<rating>
<FDM type="int">5</FDM>
<systems type="int">4</systems>
<cockpit type="int">3</cockpit>
<model type="int">3</model>
</rating>