All stock ILS + NDB/DME systems !

[Angorek]

Hi

Since the release of 1.0 I`ve been flying planes all the time ! I`m an aircraft mechanic student ( 3rd year ) so I`ve started to think which real-life equipement can be made in KSP. And yesterday the ILS and NDB/DME system was born !

So let`s start from the basics, what the hell do thes letters mean ?

- ILS - Instrument Landing System - it`s used to help the pilot fly the perfect glideslope and line up with the runway. The most advanced Cat3b systems can land the plane fully on autopilot.

-NDB - Non-directional Beacon - it`s a simple transmitter, used for navigation. It constantly sends a signal, aircraft receives it and determines the heading to the transmitter.

- DME - Distance Measuring Equipement - It`s used with ILS so basicaly it tells the pilot how far from the runway he is.

So let`s begin with simple NDB :

All you need to do is drop a probe core somewhere in the field, and use it as your target when flying a plane. When you set it as a target, pink marker (circle with a dot ) will appear. If you fly towards it you will reach your NDB.

The DME is simple, the game shows you the distance to target, and that`s your DME

And now the difficult part :

ILS

So basically it consists of two elements, Inner Marker (also called Localiser) and the Outer Marker.

The Outer Marker is simple it`s just like NDB probe cory lying in the field. It has to be placed on runway axis, 10-15 from the runway.

The Localiser is a little more complicated. It`s a mast placed about 100m before the runway. On the top there is a probe core used for navigation and two 2x2 steel panels with red lights so you can avoid hitting that on the approach (especially during night). NDB does not require power, but the localisers lights does, so add the RTG.

So now the flying stuff. All you need in your plane is... Navball. (also the ehnanced navball mod is recomended)

Our maps are divided into 4 directions, N,E,S,W or 0,90,180,270 degrees. Our runway has two directions 270 and 90 which are marked on the navball with vertical lines. Now take a look at the prograde marker. As you can see, it has 3 lines, two horziontal showing roll, and one vertical showing course, and the second one is now the most important. Set the outer marker as target and approach it with course of 80 or 100 degrees. Before you fly over it switch target to inner marker and watch the navball carefully. Target marker will be aproaching the 90* line, and just before it lines up you need to make a turn so finally your target marker, prograde vertical line and the 90* line are all lined up. And that`s it, you`re going straight into the runway. Just before you fly over the Localiser pitch up a little and few seconds later you are on the ground

Here is the video :

(Yes I paniced at the end, and yes it`s my first video, but I hope you will understand what`s going on down there )

You can download my localiser craft here : https://www.dropbox.com/s/9tznivw4end19ed/ILS2.craft?dl=0

Best Regards from Poland !

Daniel

Edited April 30, 2015 by Angorek

[Spraki]

Just wanted to say, thanks for the effort. 

I have to test this though. 

I am really hungry for ILS stuff. NavUtil just wont work for me now with 1.0.5. Not sure if I am doing something wrong. 

[Stoney3K]

Splitting hairs here, but lining up two probe cores is still an NDB/DME approach. You can do the same by just planting two flags at the appropriate locations, although this looks a LOT cooler than a few flags do.

If you want to have an ILS (or even a VOR) approach, you would need some way of aligning with a specific radial outward of your beacon. An ILS transmitter has radials in two directions, horizontally (localizer) and vertically (glide slope). Stock KSP does not have any way to simulate that.

NDB approaches are fine, if you pass each beacon at a specific altitude so you can maintain glide slope. Just flying SAS towards the target will slam your aircraft down short of the runway threshold. 

Edited December 24, 2015 by Stoney3K

[dlrk]

Closer to an RNAV approach, or a localizer/dme.

[suicidejunkie]

What if you were to put a second beacon closer to the runway and lower, or a bit further and higher?  That way you just need to vertically align the red and green brackets of the targeted and untargeted objects.