Landing skis up on an airstrip

[Bruce66]

Today I was flying the skis version and skis STOL for the first time since the recent update and I noticed something which may just be me.

When I fly out of an airport (Hay River NWT today) and land on a frozen lake everything is fine but on return to the airport with skis up the right landing gear seems to grab or the left is not there as I have a sudden drop on the left wing and crash.

Several attempts with skis and skis STOL with same everyone. Then turned all addons off and same result. Very light head wind so not a cross wind landing.

Tried again with just wheels (not on the ice, just a circuit) and landed no problem.

Anyone else have this experience?

[Bruce66]

Have done more testing with this.

I taxi out to the snow on the airfield next to the runway, lower the skis and start a high speed taxi. From outside view I can see at about take off speed the left landing gear drops down into the ground and the wingtip catches, crash.

I suspect this is supposed to be landing gear failure but why is it only the left that fails? When I get time I will try an even slower landing on the runway to see if it still happens.

[Bruce66]

I just noticed I posted this thread in the support forum in error.

Please Admins could this be moved to the Beaver General Discussion forum?

Thanks (can't see anything on this bloody phone, mutter, mutter!)

[Krazycolin]

We can't do anything for you if it's in the general....

@Tom/Chuck... please take a look at this.

[Fliger747]

Sim version?

Stock scenery or otherwise?

Thanks!

[Bruce66]

FSX Steam Edition with GEX/UTX Canada and I was flying out of Hay River from FlyOntario freeware. I tried turning Hay River off and also tried the Manfred Jahn C-47 with skis. The C-47 had no problems.

Tried with AccuFeel both on and off. Made no difference either way.

This is why I don't necessarily think this is a technical fault. I suspect it is landing gear failure as when I do a normal take off its OK but if I do a high speed taxi the left landing gear drops through the ground. On landing I suspect I am going a bit fast. Need to get some time to test more things like other airfields. I have flown on skis out of Banff before the last update with no problems so I should try that airfield again.

[Bruce66]

I have turned UTX and everything else off and tried Banff and Regina Beach. Skis up take off is normal. Skis down and just before take off speed the left landing gear drops through the ground.

Testing without my controllers as it's half term and the kids are all over me. I know I can get it in the air as I have before but landing is impossible as the gear just goes straight into the ground.

I also notice with taxi skis down there is a marked pull to the right requiring constant rudder to taxi straight. Skis up taxi is normal.

[Chuck Jodry]

I have been trying to replicate this issue without success , with default scenery in FSXA at Hay River .

My first thought when reading the report was a possible issue with max weight in the CFG but all of these parameters were ok in both STOL and Regular Ski Planes .

A few questions , was the aircraft fully loaded , did you break your gear taking off on the lake , were you landing slowly with flaps deployed and What Sim were you using ?

Best CJ

[Bruce66]

I have been trying to replicate this issue without success , with default scenery in FSXA at Hay River .

My first thought when reading the report was a possible issue with max weight in the CFG but all of these parameters were ok in both STOL and Regular Ski Planes .

A few questions , was the aircraft fully loaded , did you break your gear taking off on the lake , were you landing slowly with flaps deployed and What Sim were you using ?

Best CJ

Empty plane, pilot and half fuel in all tanks. On the lake it was fine, only on landing back at the field did I notice a problem. First time I was approaching as usual with the Beaver, landing flaps and nice and slow. The very first time I thought it was a crosswind gust that caused me to lose control so I went on a new flight the same as the last - land on the lake and fly back to the field but the same problem so I started to look into it a bit deeper.

I am in FSX Steam Edition and in the recent tests I have only used default scenery with other airfields - Banff, Alberta and Regina Beach, Saskatchewan. Same result when taxi with skis - left ski goes under ground once I approach take off speed regardless of flap setting.

For a while I was convinced it must be my flying but now I'm not so sure. What I don't know is how broken landing gear is simulated in FSX because I have never broken it before. Does it just fall into the ground? Also it seems unlikely that I would break the left landing gear every time unless it is modled weaker than the right.

I originally meant to post this in general just to see if anyone else had this experience - posted it in the support in error.

Just to be clear, both the ski and STOL ski do this for me but all the others I have tried are not a problem; wheels, spray, tundra, amphibious, straight floats and straight floats STOL.

[Fliger747]

Have you tried re installing the aircraft yet? There can be ways in which the sim reads the text coding or doesn't read it which can do strange things. I flew this rather extensively on skis ( I have about 1000 hrs in Beavers on skis ) during the development. It would be helpful if other examples were to come in as far as tracing this down. I don't have the Steam version which doesn't help me much in tracking this down.

I'll look carefully through the files and see if anything is strange, such as a period instead of a comma and whatnot. Can't really test fly at the moment as we are having a snow storm and power keeps blinking on and off.

Cheers: Tom

[Bruce66]

I was just re-downloading as I read your post.

If the kids dont wake up I will finish re-installing and re-test tonight and post back.

Cheers

[Bruce66]

So here is some more information:

First off I have done a complete re-download and re-install with all antivirus off and as an administrator.

Ensured correct version and most recent update.

I was mistaken in the first post about when the skis are up and down as in my cockpit the lever says up when I lower the skis. I only just figured this out.

Anyway with skis down I can not take off or land and I have added a couple screenshots to show what is happening.

As soon as I reach 60 MPH the left ski and gear drop into the ground. No amount of cajoling will get it out and then I crash.

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ ... B0273B7F6/

https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 575B54FDF/

Hope this helps!

[Fliger747]

Harumph!

FSX Accel, everything stock. Went to Hay River NYT. Takeoff go land on the snow, come back to Hay River and it's like a gear up landing!
So yes some sort of issue acting like the gear is retracted or not there after going through a ski down/up down cycle. Takes off and lands on snow and takes off fine, it's the return to the airport that is an issue.

[Bruce66]

Harumph!

FSX Accel, everything stock. Went to Hay River NYT. Takeoff go land on the snow, come back to Hay River and it's like a gear up landing!
So yes some sort of issue acting like the gear is retracted or not there after going through a ski down/up down cycle. Takes off and lands on snow and takes off fine, it's the return to the airport that is an issue.

Thanks for confirming the issue.

I will sit back and wait for more knowledgeable people to find the cause/solution.

Cheers

[Chuck Jodry]

Hello Bruce , I have attached an aircraft.cfg for the Base DHC2 Ski Version , can you test this to see if it resolves the issue please ?

Best CJ