Crash Dynamics - perhaps a little more deformation/absorption is needed

[...srqbones]

 

I was watching PhlyDaily's video about crash dynamics (YouTube link posted above).

I really loved the description of how flight simulator models are created, from several weeks back in the weekly developer's blog.  Indeed, like watching a billiards table, the forces and momentum's do seem to apply quite well to all the different parts of each airplane.  Flies video, though, makes it look as if there is just too much transfer of momentum without energy absorption and deformation during each interaction.  For example, in one of the earlier clips on his video, a de-winged fuselage begins to spin like a top, almost instantly.  Furthermore, very large pieces of metal tend to bounce almost with the rigidity of a small rigid plastic toy thrown by a young child.

Perhaps what is missing is the energy absorption that comes with the deformation.  Racing car videos from the 1950s show parts flying in all directions.  By the 1980s, with construction of vehicles to absorb energy, less of this flying-part phenomena is seen.  In IL-2 BOS, there still seems to be too much rigidity to the parts, without enough deformation and energy absorption – planes just weren't made that rigid, as they would be too heavy.  For example, in the clip where the fuselage start spinning, the fuselage itself would of likely deformed quite a bit as it tried to absorb that rotational energy, and there would've been less transfer of momentum and thus less speed of rotation for a plane part that was that large.

Still, Phly's video follows along the lines of Nassault's video from Rise of Flight showing how incredibly well the physics is modeled in these two flight simulators.

 

[TyphoonOneB]

Yeah,I saw this video and all the war thunder fans said it looked like lego pieces falling off. I can't put my finger on it but it needs something extra, maybe when pieces of the plane hit the ground they bend, and more slightly smaller parts coming off the aircraft

[Marcomies]

I think rise of flight has the best flight simulator crash physics of all time and the small explosion when the fuel tank is hit is one of the most satisfying effects I have ever seen.

 

I was pretty disappointed when I saw that planes get totally annihilated when they hit the ground hard in BoS and while I doubt we'll ever see soft-body deformation in the game I really hope there will be a bit more debris flying around when crashing. Currently the Bf-109 wing seems to have only two places where it can snap right? Some twisted metal would also add nice flavor to the damage.

[FlatSpinMan]

There are a lot of effect placeholders in still. 35% done, right?

[Lusekofte]

I worry less about the damage model since it is so good in ROF . The major thing lacking right now is the lack of a DM on the  propeller. The bending of these are the first you see as a pilot when wheels up landing. 

[Cybermat47]

Yeah,I saw this video and all the war thunder fans said it looked like lego pieces falling off.

Well they'll have to cope with that now. Begun, the crappy WT patches have.

[VR-DriftaholiC]

The plane doesn't have enough weight. It bounces to much and the pieces break off to easy. It's that or the game is lacking gravity.

[Rama]

The plane doesn't have enough weight. It bounces to much and the pieces break off to easy. It's that or the game is lacking gravity.

Bouncing don't depend just on weight and gravity. energy absorption is also important. So it's not that simple as a "or".

[Tone71]

There are a lot of effect placeholders in still. 35% done, right?

 

Yup. Interesting discussion but come on, these effects are far from final. They're not going to make them worse than RoF now, are they!?

[Riderocket]

The game sure has come a long way!

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

I literally just watched a YT video yesterday where the dude gives high praise to BoX crash dynamics in the current build. I might have to dig around and post it.