I have been making minor adjustments in some of the Simdata aircraft files for the past few weeks and it occured to me that I never see these changes take effect.

Today I ran some test that I consider quite severe just as a test of my suspicions. I copied the Block 40 data into a special folder and saved it and then I replaced the data in the simdata block 40 file with several other aircraft --- Cg, Cj and Dj models.

I looked on the net and the Cj and Dj models are the Block 50/52 series. The program data does not provide us with a block 50 file but I assume the Cj is the one.

There are differences between the block 40 and the block 50 in the sim. However I cannot get these differences to show up by substituting data from other models into the block 40 model.

I am wondering ---- it appears that changes in the data files are not having any effect on how they perform in the sim. They just seem to be a lot of numbers that look nice but do not have any effect on the performance of the various models in the sim.

How can this be. What does effect things like drag, lift, fuel flow, speed , etc.

In the old days a minor change in something like drag or fuel flow in the Simdata files would instantly show up in the sim.

A second major test ----- I deleted all flight data from the block 40 simdata file except for the 3 lines of Identification at the top of the page and saved it.

This had no effect on the aircraft in the sim.

I certainly would have liked to have had the opportunity to at least adjust the roll rates --- they are to fast to suit me.

Did you check for an extra copy of simdata.zip in the game root directory? Delete it if it is there.

You hit the nail on the head ---- I found an unzipped file of flight model data inside the Falcon 4 BMS 4.32 folder tucked inside the Sim folder.

This must be the primary file that the aircraft are getting their data from.

Thanks a lot for the heads up.

The real aircraft has a very fast roll rate.

+1

Why on earth would you take such a wonderful FM and throw it out the window by tweaking values?

Something tells me they have much more accurate data for their FM values than you do.

That's like buying a Ferrari and then putting a minivan's engine in it.

I am trying to adjust the roll rate in the F-16 data files.

I have played around with the roll rate multipliers and other variables that relate to roll rate and nothing I have done so far has made any difference.

I have my roll saturation setting in the setup menu set at large but I would still like to slow it down some more

Any ideas

EASY ANSWER --- I payed my hard earned money for a computer and the original F4 Cd and I fly my planes in any sim and set up the flight models to suit me.

Saying that the F-16 roll rate is fast is a qualifying word ---not a quantifying word. What is fast for one person may not be for another and too fast for another.

I have spent many years dogfighting with guns in F4 and close in combat is my preference. The current flight model does not lend itself to this. The plane is not controllable in quick breaks ---at least not as controllable as it has historically been.

Their source: NASA FM tests and the real FLCS coded line-by-line.
Your source: Anecdotal expertise based entirely on previous video games.

Good luck to you. Sorry that you'll be ruining your sim.