Tanker Aircraft

[SandVoss]

Has anyone ever considered making a tanker aircraft addon? Would it be possible? I think it would be really cool to have a functional tanker, it would be very useful.

I'm really getting into using fighter aircraft in OFP, especially the F16C by Footmunch, which is no-doubt the best F16 addon out there. But the the thing is, just taking off with afterburner consumes alot of fuel. But if u then have to conduct in dogfights, using the afterburer alot, u can quickly go through your fuel reserves. A tanker, such as an KC-130 or especially a  KC-10 Extender would be great to have in the game!  

Technically it should be possible, i think, because it is possible for helicopters to refuel mid-air near ships. If you could equip an aircraft with a refueling scripts, it should be possible for another aircraft to refuel by coming in close proximity. For visual effect it would be nice to have fuel boom, that can move up and down.

Does anybody with the skill and interest want to make such an addon? It would be nice to see a  KC-10 Extender, but a KC-130 would be easier to make, since you could simply convert one of the existing C-130's.

[oyman]

i remember Hawk did one in his c130 pack but removed it in the next version

ok i found a link http://ofp.gamezone.cz/index.php?showthis=4292

[SandVoss]

Thank u for posting the link!  

I tried it out, and although it is a functional refueller, its just too damn hard to use... The C130 MUST be human, absolutely no way his AI, and then still its impossibly hard. U really have to put ur nose into the tiny end of the hose, and this all takes too much time, space, and fuel...  

It would be great if someone would make a dedicated refueling plane from which it is relatively easy to refuel...  ;D

[bigdog632]

imagine doing it in real life with killer turbulence

[Dubieman]

Can helis refuel from this too?

I recall the scene from The Perfect Storm where the blackhawk (pretty sure it was) was running low on fuel trying to find the Andrea Gail and couldn't refuel with the tanker cause of turbulence and they were flying in a hurricane. Anyways they went down....

I can see it as a hard thing to do with planes and helis in OFP. Me I'd rather hover over the fuel truck. ;D

[SandVoss]

Can heli's refuel? Im sure they can, ill try it later. It actually seems like a pretty good idea. The plane I've tried to refuel was the F16C by Footmunch. The problem with jets in the ofp engine is that they are too instable. You can really just bank 1m to the right or left, your immidiatly role over quite some distance. The other problem is that the pilot of the aircraft that wants to refuel has to activate the refueling from his action menu, taking his precious right hand off the controls...  ;D

Helicopters should actually be much easier to refuel. In OFP helicopters are really quite stable, which should make the refueling process easier. Ill try it as soon as i can get someone to fly me the C-130. Ill try the BAS Pavehawks, as they have refueling probes, which are hopefully functional, ie. part of the model, because the refueling action is activated through proximity of the 2 aircrafts. Without refueling probes would be hard, cuz the rotor will be in the way, and chop up the hose...

[DBR_ONIX]

Isn't the front of a blackhawk sticking out from where the blades aare (If you see what I mean )
Also, it would be really hard to
1. Keep the heli at a steady pace
2. Raise/Lower the nose to get the hose, without the speed changing
3. Keep the thing inplace for as long as it takes to refule (I guess it is held in place, but in game that would be hard to simulate)

Maybe make the hose thing home in on the heli/plane.. Might make it a bit easier..
Just something to make it easier..
- Ben

[Dubieman]

 I've heard of choppers refueling from tankers somewhere in the national guard or the coast guard.

Shan't be too hard since the probes are supposed to extend (probably to get past the rotors). In OFP I find that if I hit around 200 and level off with a slight forward tilt, I can hold my speed and altitude relatively easily. The tanker can fly at 200 right? For adjustments I'd use the tail rotor buttons X and C I think? But I don't think the pavehawks probes can extend so this idea might not work...

[SandVoss]

In real life helicopters really can refuel from tankers. I dont know if u guys ever noticed that long pole on the Blackhawks by BAS and others, those are fuel probes...  ;D

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v298/SandVoss/Refuelling.jpg
This is the first attempt i made with a pavehawk. The pavehawk can keep up with the C130, as long as it flies on 'limited' speed. The first problem is that you cant order the c130 to lower its boom when ur not on its group, but im sure it can be scripted to just stay down. The next problem is that it indeed takes alot of space and time, which u dont have on the relatively small ofp islands.

Another problem is that an AI driven C130 wil tend to move away from u, as planes are scripted to move away from other flying objects. If i could tweak it so that it doenst do this, it would make the refueling thing much easier. Also, the idea of having a fuel boom homing in on the incoming jet is a good one. And refuelling should be really fast.

 If only sum1 could make a KC-10 extender, with such atributes...  ;D For the time being ill see what i can do with the existing C130 refueler. Respect to Hawk for making it.

[bigdog632]

refuelling from a heli is tricky because most planes are almost at stall speed and the helo is at full speed i saw a video of a helo hitting turbulence and chopping its fueling probe off

[Dubieman]

How can a heli chop its own fuel probe off?

[SandVoss]

I think he meant that the heli chopped off the fuel boomb of the tanker aircraft. Not its own fuel probe, that would mean that the chopper would be in a weird shape...  

[oyman]

I think he meant that the heli chopped off the fuel boomb of the tanker aircraft. Not its own fuel probe, that would mean that the chopper would be in a weird shape...  

it did cut its own fueling probe off ;D http://sitrep.us/files/Military%20Helicopter%20-%20Inflight%20Refueling.mpg

[DBR_ONIX]

I bet that was expensive...
(For anyone not beothering to download it, the blades flopped down, and hit the refuling probe, and smashed it of.. )

Anyway, good luck with the, uhh.. stuff (Is it a new addon your making..? )
- Ben

[SandVoss]

Actually i was trying to get someone who can make addons to make a tanker by convincing them that a KDC-10 would be a valuable asset to the community.  ;D