ACE airport lots

[TV-VCR 14]

This is kind of embarrassing to ask, but how exactly do I use them? I'm not exactly good with airport jargon. I looked at some airports in google maps but I'm still confused.

[TV-VCR 14]

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[psander5 195]

what is it that you're having problews with?  Is it the taxiways and runways?  I guess so as your terminal looks fine to me!

I'm no expert at using the lots 'correctly', so I suggest you have a good look at the show us your airport thread!  It took me ages to get used to placing the right pieces.  It seems to take forever to find the right peice sometimes! My scroll wheel finger started to hurt!!

Open up a blank, completely flat city tile then do some kind of money cheat... I usually place loads of 747 gates and hit cheetah speed.   Then just play... alot! 

Start by making a small airport before diving into a major international!  Heres an example of how i've used them so far:

Good luck!

[TV-VCR 14]

Thank you for the tips! Indeed, that's pretty much my problem, I'm not sure where certain peices should go. I have an idea about how the terminal stuff would work, but for the runways, taxiways, and pretty much everything else I'm confused.

Cheers.

[psander5 195]

If you still have the readme from the download there's a guide to runway markings and lengths for North America (I didn't quite understand it, but it helped me a bit)

Personally, I don't think it's necessary to go overboard with the realism (at least at first) Just go for something that looks 'near enough'. If you post your airport in the airport thread there's some pretty knowlegable people who read that that will probably point out where you could change things.

[skybuilder109 4]

where do you download stuff to make custom airports?

[irdesi 0]

Skybuilder, search the STEX for RMIP.

TV-VCR, yes, the number of pieces can be intimidating. The key is to go step by step. Chances are you won't construct a perfect airport the first time. There are three places to look to understand proper airport construction.

The readme included in the first segment of RMIP-2 is key to understanding how to construct a proper runway. Everything is expressed in tiles, so just count when you are using the pieces. I'd suggest printing a copy and keeping it for reference.

The airports thread, linked above. That'll definitely give you some ideas.

Take a look at satellite photos. That'll especially help you get the runway markings right if you want to model a specific country.

Some general tips:

One of the biggest issues in airports has been too much compression. Airports are big. Ideally, it's great to have a runway at least 3000m, so including the guidance systems at each end of the runway, you need an area around the full length of a large city tile.

When you construct your airport, remember the width of aircraft. You want aircraft to be able to move around the airfield without any clearance issues against planes on parallel taxiways, parked at gate stands etc. In the game, the 747 is about 5 tiles wide. Generally, I like to have 3 tiles clearance on each side of the taxiway plus two for the taxiway itself. (so total width 8 tiles). On runways, it's nice to have 5 tiles on each side plus 2 for the runway (12 total). That makes for a 6 tile gap between taxiways and 8 tiles between runways and taxiways.

Some layout ideas,

Generally, runways will have a taxiway running their full length. Often, this is ignored but is critical. Whatever runway extends beyond the taxiway is useless unless there is space given to turn aircraft.

Runways can either be paralleled by 1 or 2 taxiways. Although 1 is fine, most new airports have 2. This allows planes to move in both directions around the airfield without having to use the runway. When there is one taxiway, there will be either low traffic volumes so aircraft can move in either direction using a single taxiway without slowing down the movements of other aircraft, or the airfield will be set up so that all aircraft arrive from the hypothetical east end of the runway and depart from the west end (or vice versa - the point is no aircraft has to break the flow by traveling the other direction as the majority of aircraft).

It would be too much to go into all the situations as to when to use two taxiways or one taxiway. Generally speaking, if the airport is more complex than one runway and one parallel terminal, you need two taxiways. Else, 1 will do just fine. Also, you pretty much only need 2 when there is a terminal present. Once you are outside of the terminal area, 1 is fine.

This is because for the most part, runways operate uni-directionally. What I mean is, let's say you take runway 9/27. Runway 9 faces east, Runway 27 faces west (I think, it might be opposite). It's the same runway, the same pavement, but each direction is identified as a separate runway. At any given time, because it is preferred for aircraft to land and take off the same direction into the wind, only runway 9 or runway 27 would be used, not both. The plane will be facing the same direction when it touches the ground as when it lifts off. So since the runway is operating in one direction, the taxiway only needs to operate in the opposite direction. 2 taxiways are needed so that planes can move around a complicated terminal.

I'm starting to ramble and I'm not sure how much detail you want, so I'll just provide you with a few extra useful links if you want to learn the terms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxiway

http://virtualskies.arc.nasa.gov/main/mdesign.html

One last thing:

Arrows - for they will usually face in parallel with the taxiway or towards the inside for pieces constructed as half width. For runways, the arrows will face away from the midpoint of the runway, towards the far ends.

Hope that helps.

[pilotdaryl 25]

Originally posted by: irdesi

Generally, runways will have a taxiway running their full length. Often, this is ignored but is critical. Whatever runway extends beyond the taxiway is useless unless there is space given to turn aircraft.quote>

 

You're wrong.  Many new (as well as old) airports do not have a taxiway running their full length; planes can turn around on a runway.  Sometimes a bit of extra space at the end of the runway (a short section that is wider than the actual runway) is used for turnarounds.

Here are a few more tips for you:

If you downloaded the RMIP packs, each one will include a read-me with thorough instructions on how to use the lots.  These will really help you, so don't hesitate to skip them after download.

-Pilot

[GMT 389]

Originally posted by: pilotdaryl

Originally posted by: irdesi

Generally, runways will have a taxiway running their full length. Often, this is ignored but is critical. Whatever runway extends beyond the taxiway is useless unless there is space given to turn aircraft.quote>

 

You're wrong.  Many new (as well as old) airports do not have a taxiway running their full length; planes can turn around on a runway.  Sometimes a bit of extra space at the end of the runway (a short section that is wider than the actual runway) is used for turnarounds.

quote>

that's right. there's actually a worldfamous example for runways, even occupied by large aircrafts like the 747 series, that don't have a taxiway but a turnaround area, it's Princess Juliana Intl. Airport (TNCM in Icao) at Saint Martin

[irdesi 0]

Yes, that is why I used "generally". I would totally agree with you, there are a number of situations where a turnaround must be used. One of the busiest airports with such a design is CSIA in Mumbai, which requires a turnaround at the end of its (I think) crosswind runway I'm always amazed as to how they manage to keep an airport operating way over its capacity running in such situations without abominable delays.

The context I had in making that comment was that

1) I was already getting longwinded and wanted to simplify

2) often, in the airports thread there have been airports constructed with the threshold beyond the last taxiway junction without any turnaround. That's what I wanted to avoid.

[edit] Question, I was looking at a picture of Chennai airport. Its secondary runway has access from one end, but nothing at the other end, not even a turnaround. Most of its length has no adjoining taxiway. Still, the runway is fully marked from both ends, and although the airport is currently under renovation, from the grading it doesn't look like there ever was a parallel taxiway for that runway. Can someone explain this? Are small aircraft like CRJs and 737s able to turnaround within the confines of a runway? Thanks

[pilotdaryl 25]

If the runway is wide enough, yes.  150 ft. and 200 ft. runways can be wide enough to accomodate turnarounds for smaller aircraft like 737s A320s CRJS and E-Jets.  Larger aircraft will need wider spaces to turn around resulting in the construction of a turnaround bay.

[Bjarstkular 0]

Where can I download it? I had been searching on the real thread but I dont find the download link T.T

Can anybody put it?