| Rolladen-Schneider LS4 Standard Class Glider
With a glide ratio of 40:1, this is a good performance easy-handling glider, suitable for cross-country flights but also intended as an introduction to cross-country soaring before flying the more complex AS33.
Updated to 1.1.0:
* Adjustable adverse yaw implemented on radio frequency swap button (see pic)
* Liveries added, visible in multiplayer
* Ballast programming updated, visible in multiplayer
* Sound improvements for spoilers, gear, vario beep range, winch
* Strobe lights added on fin (no switch, default to on, use MSFS key to toggle if needed.)
* Spoilers drag/lift fine-tuned
* Minor bug-fixes
The soaring instrument panel is fully-implemented, with the same capabilities as available in the AS33 but with an intentionally simpler set of instruments. These include TWO variometers providing Total-Energy climb rate, Netto air-mass movement rate, and Speed-to-Fly and a Nav instrument displaying distance, bearing and predicted arrival height to the current selected waypoint (from the MSFS Flight Plan) and also the arrival height at the waypoint after that one. The glider supports water ballast, which the pilot has to 'fill' while on the ground. For this aircraft a default of flying without the ballast is better for early-stage glider pilots so the difference when flying with ballast is more noticeable.
Winch launch: clicking the 'cable release' handle will initiate a winch launch without the requirement for any other add-ons.
Other features: those that have flown the AS33 will know the amount of effort we put into our MSFS gliders, and we are aiming for a similar standard with the LS4. The flight model is fairly accurate and the instruments and interaction with the controls will be familiar to any RL glider pilot.
Henkerhaus
You should update the aircraft.cfg file parameter ui_typerole to "Glider" so this aircraft will be identified and organized in the Hangar aircraft filters as a "Glider" instead of an "Other" aircraft type.
Snoopy7412
Thanks for this wonderful glider that I also fly in real life. Yes I also feel the airbrakes are still to weak. If you pull them on any LS-type you go down like in an elevator and it's not recommended touching down with full flaps as that might easily result in a very hard landing. Yep, on all LS-types the brakes are integrated in the rudder pedals and usually don't do much at all, at least the standard brake by the manufacturer. However there are probably no 2 LS4 in this world being exactly the same and there might be some with a modification as a brake in the spoiler leaver is much easier to operate than the terrible heel-brake. If a decent wheel brake is installed you can easily tip the LS4 on its nose on landing.
BTW is this supposed to be an A or B-type? According to the fixed instrument panel it should be an A. I flew one lately. In this type the gear leaver in the up position blocks the spoiler. Nice feature because you can't forget to lower the gear before landing but on the other hand you can't use the airbrakes in normal flight (unless you lower the gear as well). Flight characteristics are not 100% to the point but good enough for a freeware.
I like the paintjob which is very common but I'd love to be able to change the registration. Definitely a wish for un update.
Also cool, that a winch launch is integrated even though the mostly constant angle is not realistic. However I guess we can wait until November until we hopefully get a good simulation by Asobo.
The views could be optimised. I use a coolie-hat for views and it hardly gives me a chance to see the trim or the water-ballast lever.
38group
Flys well but doesn't react as well to ridge soaring as your AS33ME.A wind direction indicator is sorely midded,perhaps you could include one in the next iteration....................................................
Mr1x
I really LOVE your addon. I've just got some idears for improvements. One thing is that I would love to see my custom registration on the tail of the plane. The other thing is, that my trimm is mirrored, so it allways does the opposite. I have the same problem with the AS 33 Me. It would be awesome if you could change that. 😊
Maverick333rd
Nice glider! Well done guys!
yksratnak
Help me with settings please. None of the controls "control" what they are suppose to. Cable release, Ballast, Canopy. They light up, change from cursor into hand, but no action. Thank you.
B21 3 month(s) ago
you just need to 'click' each of those things (as they're all on or off, rather than sliding values). Maybe you were trying to 'drag' those cockpit objects.
yksratnak
Need help, Why I cannot activate winch launch? Or how to please.
B21 3 month(s) ago
click the yellow winch release knob...
Gromit64
Thanks for another great glider a joy to fly
Kiwi0ne
Is there any chance to update this for SU9 please? 😊
Skypilotessen
...runtergeladen, eingestiegen, hochgezogen..... Superflug und vor allem glückliche Landung! Bin zwar absoluter Laien im Segeln, aber schon der erste Flug hat geklappt. Danke für die tolle Arbeit. Werde mir jetzt mal paar schöne Plätze suchen.
Glück auf aus Essen!
PaulHolmes
Very nice, easy to operate. All I need now is a rope for my tug plane! Can you make a rope, even just for cosmetic effect, that would be awesome. Here's the tug plane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9yIPugFKII
MADoloSimulations 4 month(s) ago
Thanks for the feedback. I want to wait and see what the official glider release brings to the sim. I would suspect that will include a tow rope.
sin
pedals (animation) do not work for everyone?(((
MADoloSimulations 8 month(s) ago
Thanks, we are taking a look at this.
Quatnum_Qck
For Freeware the glider is really good but If you fly the aircraft in RL your really feel the difference.
1. the Roll rate is way too slow
2. the speedbrakes are way more effective
3. the stall behauviour is completely different
4. due to the lese effective speedbrakes the aircraft floats too much in ground
5. the wheelbrake of the aircraft ist not integrated in the speedbrakes lever (it is integrated in the ruddder pedals)
MADoloSimulations 8 month(s) ago
Thanks for the great feedback, I will PM you to get some more information.
supra01
good but need work
MADoloSimulations 8 month(s) ago
feel free to mention any details you think could be improved. This LS4 builds upon everything we learned with the AS33 (although with no engine, no flaps, and a simpler-to-read panel) - I'm quite happy with the result but maybe I missed something.
B21
fStopper
Great sail plane, thank you!
Atkamen
Great work, thank you again! https://youtu.be/-noCTJxFYVo
MADoloSimulations 9 month(s) ago
hey nice job on that video! I wasn't certain you were going to survive that pullup at the end, but that was nice flying. Thanks a lot. B21
Atkamen 9 month(s) ago
haha, me neither, it was close to impact 😊
bm98ch
This plane is great - thank you for all the work.
Very easy to start with - with no RL/Sim experience other than the intro video - 45Min first flight - A happy SimPilot.
Atkamen
great glider - indeed easier to fly but at least as much fun than the as33me! You did a great job, I hope I can get the inspiration to make a video again 😊 There is one thing I did not get - if I release the ballast (blue handle on the right hand, bottom position) there is nothing happening altghough I did set it up before flying in the fs-menu (110 lbs each side). there was no water effect like on the pictures here (and the AS33ME) and I clicked while flying on the white top-menu-bar to check if "fuel" levels are changing but nothing happened. I guess I landed with full ballast... did I miss something?
Teneus 9 month(s) ago
Yeah you have to refluel your water balast on the ground by pressing the switch "request" 2 times, no fuel/mass tuning needed
Atkamen 9 month(s) ago
thanks! I got it. but does it change flight dynamics? the FS-settings seem to be totally independent by the button. you can still change extra weight +/- in the settings... which one makes real changes?
Teneus 9 month(s) ago
That's a nice question, let's wait for an answer 😊
MADoloSimulations 9 month(s) ago
We wanted to keep the glider as simple as possible so it is a good choice for newbie glider pilots. So by default it loads with zero ballast.
As mentioned before, while on the ground, you have to click the ballast request button once to request ballast, then a 2nd time for the tanks to be filled. When doing this, the flight dynamics are 100% effected by the ballast.
In fact, you will even notice the extra weight of the glider registers and it drops slightly on the suspension.
Not only does the flight polar change to adjust for the extra weight, but Ian even programmed it so things like the role rate is slightly slower l as it would be in real life with the extra weight in the wings.
Atkamen 9 month(s) ago
thank you for the details! spent already around 5 hours in it - it is due to its simplicity such a pleasure! I really see how the glider is getting lower when filled with ballast. but also when filling it via the fueling function of the sim... that means - 100 lbs in the menu + 100 lbs via button in the cockpit = 200 lbs of load?
MADoloSimulations 9 month(s) ago
ignore the payload menu in the UI when using water ballast - MSFS supports 'payload stations' at set positions in the airacraft and we are controlling the weight at those positions via programming. To fill: on the ground, click the ballast switch two times, see the ballat indicator change from 0 to 100%. The ballast positions are in the wings, and the water makes the glider slightly nose-heavy. This is an aviation requirement - any risk of the ballast making the glider tail-heavy would be deadly. The MSFS payload UI does not update as the pilot loads and dumps ballast, so the UI is useless for water ballast and you should ignore it completely. Maybe in the upcoming gliding support Asobo will implement proper UI support for carrying dumpable ballast that that is not there today. But the basic 'payload' support in MSFS allows us to position ballast and dump it via programming so it all ok.
Ideally you should fly the glider a reasonable amount WITHOUT water ballast, including some timed cross-country flights. And then fill the glider up with water ballast and you'll easily notice the difference. I flew the Nickolsdorf - Klagenfurt flight a few times (10 knots wind from the S) and adding ballast takes 10 minutes off the task time (i.e. unballasted ~ 50 mins, with ballast ~40).
Just remember soaring isn't just about racing from A to B as fast as possible - just floating around and enjoying the scenery is ok.
B21
Atkamen 9 month(s) ago
great description, thank you for your time! I think ballast is also essential when your route should take you against the wind. cheers guys
FurtherAM
Most Excellent! thank you
Miserato
Excellent glider - thank you !
Is it possible to map the "tow release" lever to a keyboard shortcut or button? I have the same challenge with engine controls in AS33. Could you publish a list of commands available for binding in the gliders? I am flying in VR and try to avoid using a mouse as much as possible.
MADoloSimulations 9 month(s) ago
Glad you like it. Yes, we will prepare it so functions can be mapped in a future update.
We are also getting a v2 of the AS33 ready and will make it possible to mape function of that to keys too.