Improve gear lever and gear animation

[gilbertohasnofb]

Using this video as reference, we can improve the gear lever:

• improve animations of retracting/extending landing gears
• make gear retractions/extension slightly offset for the left and right pontoons
• improve light animation in the cockpit and take into consideration the offset above
• add mechanical sound for the retraction/extension of gears
• add voice call outs:
  • 'Gear is up for water landing'
  • 'Gear is down for runway landing'
• confirm the orange light is lighting up in the correct circumstances. In the video above it does NOT light up when gear is being retracted nor extended, so perhaps this button does not work unless the extra 'laser gear advisory' is installed? See below in my next comments. I am now suspecting this will remain completely unlit if the laser system is not installed (probably it was easier for them to produce just a single type of lever regardless if the laser system was being installed or not). The orange light should turn on when below a certain speed but will have no call outs without the laser system

Also this is the manual of the default system (without the advisory system).

[gilbertohasnofb]

@wlbragg perhaps let's tackle this after we finish that PR, as it is already massive as it is. For the sounds I would need some help figuring out if those two call outs are the only ones or if there is anything else this equipment says

[gilbertohasnofb]

One more reference: https://www.wipaire.com/wipline-floats/laser-gear-advisory/

Checking the Terrain

At about 400 feet above ground level while preparing for landing the Laser Gear Advisory detects if you are over a water or land surface. After detecting the surface a light illuminates on the gear advisory display indicating either land or water surface.

Confirming Gear Position

At about 50 feet above ground level and below a certain speed if your gear is in the correct position for the landing surface there will be no further alerts and the surface landing light will remain lit to help advise your landing.

Alert

If the gear position is incorrect for the landing surface (or an asymmetrical gear position is detected) then a alert will sound. An audio alert of “check gear” will be repeated indicating that a go-around should be initiated and the gear position checked and adjusted. This alert may also be triggered if a water surface is very shallow, has large or dense debris or is extremely choppy. These may all be good reasons to reconsider your landing location.

edit: though this seems to be an extra system that can be installed on top of the default Wipaire’s amphibious gear advisory system. Since this stuff is really tough to simulate (water detection for instance) we might be best skipping it

[gilbertohasnofb]

[...] a lighted Gear Advisory push button switch flashed upon system activation. The pilot may cancel the advisory and audible advisory by pressing the switch.

From https://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20100801X90445&ntsbno=ERA10LA390&akey=1

But I believe this also requires the 'laser gear advisory' system as in the video I posted in the issue description this button never lights up.

[gilbertohasnofb]

Wipaire states:

Laser Gear Advisory is now included at no additional cost on new Wipline float purchases,
and is available for retrofit on Wipline-equipped aircraft.

But then again, our aircraft could have had the amphibian pontoon system installed prior to the laser gear advisory being included.

[gilbertohasnofb]

Just in case, here is a video explaining the Laser Gear Advisory:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN1kSOEHWKk

[wlbragg]

In the video above it does NOT light up when gear is being retracted nor extended, so perhaps this button does not work unless the extra 'laser gear advisory' is installed?

It does light up in our version and I am pretty sure it has some kind of audible. The older advisory is based on airspeed, I read that somewhere. It is pilot adjustable, as in the pilot can set the airspeed at which they want the advisory, read that also.

The new upgrade if the "laser" version and it is based on land cover type. Its advisory lamp not only has the orange advisory, but also has a blue water symbol and a green land symbol.

perhaps let's tackle this after we finish that PR, as it is already massive as it is.

Yeah, we can verify all this later and finish this. The current set up is sufficient for now.

By the way, nice find!

[gilbertohasnofb]

So what you are suggesting is that it lights up when below a certain speed like 80 knots, just that. And then the system has two call outs like what I found above, correct? That is simple enough.

So once we are over with the mega PR we can work on this. Do you agree with all the rest I proposed in the main post? I will update it with what you wrote above.

[wlbragg]

So what you are suggesting is that it lights up when below a certain speed like 80 knots, just that. And then the system has two call outs like what I found above, correct? That is simple enough.

Yes

Do you agree with all the rest I proposed in the main post? I will update it with what you wrote above.

I think so.

[gilbertohasnofb]

@wlbragg what about this one, would you be interested in doing some work on it? I would happily work on the sounds.

[wlbragg]

@gilbertohasnofb I think I need to clarify what we need to do here. I am a bit confused as to what the sounds are supposed to be. My confusion is between the laser version and the one we are using. I don't know what the audible sounds are for the version we are using. Or are you suggesting we go ahead and upgrade to the laser version?
My other issue with looking for anything to do right now is I really think my priority should be state support and maybe variants.

[wlbragg]

If we can verify what sounds are used and when to use them for the current system, I would hook them up.

[gilbertohasnofb]

I think I need to clarify what we need to do here.

It would involve improvements to the animations of the gears (particularly the front one) and some coding to make the gears raise asymmetrically. This asymmetry would also show up in the lights (they would not go all fully bright at once). Then there are the sound implementations as well.

If we can verify what sounds are used and when to use them for the current system, I would hook them up.

I think the two basic call outs of gear up and gear down are standard across all Wipline equipment. They are just a reminder for the pilot that the gear lever has changed position.

But I think this might be a lot of work so let's maybe postpone this for the next release.

[gilbertohasnofb]

@wlbragg I managed to create the audio calls. They are far from perfect, particularly since the RL ones are recorded with human voices and I had to use a synthesiser to do the same. But they are acceptable and better than nothing. Check the files Sounds/gear-up and Sounds/gear-down on branch Issue-1134 and let me know what you think.