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[Thrasher]

Il2 BAT 4.2.2

Hi guys

I recently downloaded a mission (obviously built by somebody else) and I noticed that over the airfield was a grind of objects  4574 Blank Field Plate.
I hadn't come across this before and wondered what they did.  Obviously they must have a function or they would not have been included in the sim. So I conducted a test to try and figure this out.

- First- I took off did a circuit and landed. Result:  everything worked perfectly with no noticeable difference in behaviour.
- Second - I made a copy of the mission and deleted all the Blank Field Objects
- Third- I took off again flew a circuit and landed.  Result:  Absolutely nothing was different to before.

So what do this Blank Field Plates do?
Are they supposed to have a special function that I hadn't tested or noticed in my flight?


Thanks for your insights on this

[vonofterdingen]

It's kind of a long story, but...

Long ago there was a mod called the Zuti Friction mod. Mapmakers used it to smooth airfields for ease of landings. Around the time of version 4.11 or 4.12, TD's stock game made a fundamental change that rendered Zuti's Friction mod inoperable. The solution to fix old maps was to apply these plates over runways.

Now, with 4.2 versions and beyond, some mission builders still use these plates as a precaution. I am not one to name names, but these mission builders (usually the really smart and good-looking ones) feel that the smoothing plates ensure that the airfield will provide the proper landing surface, and ensure that that outer areas of airfields that might be used for taxiing will not be bumpy.

So the are probably not necessary, but they are good insurance.

[Thrasher]

Ah very interesting!
Now the mission I ran this test on used The Netherlands map which I think is fairly new. So perhaps the map builder did a good job of smoothing out the ground on the airfield which explains why I found no difference.

I do have a few missions in my library where there are "folds" in the ground and runways don't lay flat on them. These folds can make take offs and landings pretty hairy.  Perhaps I'll experiment by placing these Blank Plates over the field and see if they solve the problem.

Anyway thanks for the explanation

[vonofterdingen]

This tool is very useful when working with the plates in the FMB

https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,43134.msg535072.html#msg535072

[Dimlee]

I assume we can resolve the "bumping" problem today by changing the "Field friction value on this home base" value.
The default value is 3.8 (BAT, Ultrapack). I usually reduce it to 2.0-3.0.

So, are those "blank field plates" still needed?

[vonofterdingen]

I personally do not know. I build offline missions only and don't use home base functions. It's worth a try.

[Thrasher]

Yes indeed I always "smooth" the field a little in the Home base properties but that cannot (I assuming) correct any "folds" in the map
By folds I mean when the ground is flat and then at a certain point it suddenly starts going downhill (albeit very gradually)  Then if you lay a runway object over the ground one end of the runway is suspended in the air.

But I appreciate the suggestion

[vonofterdingen]

Oh, yes, that is a different issue altogether. I don't think that blank plates will help you there.