Suggestion for War Thunder Forum: Own Key for Arrestor Hook
I would like to propose an option that allows players to manually deploy the arrestor hook using their own keybinding. Currently, the arrestor hook deploys automatically with the landing gear, which is dependent on your speed and altitude. While this system works in some cases, it can lead to problems, especially on carrier landings, where you may not be able to tell if the hook has been deployed. Since the cockpit isn’t fully animated, there’s no visual indicator to confirm its status.
In addition, relying on the automatic deployment tied to the landing gear can sometimes result in unsuccessful carrier landings if the arrestor hook doesn’t deploy at the right time or speed. This adds an element of frustration for players trying to land successfully.
My suggestion is to introduce an option in the settings that lets players choose between the current automatic deployment of the arrestor hook or manually deploying it using a dedicated key. This would give players more control, especially in simulator mode, where you can’t check your aircraft from a third-person perspective to confirm if the arrestor hook is deployed.
This feature would improve gameplay by reducing the risk of unsuccessful landings due to an undetected arrestor hook, leading to a more immersive and reliable carrier landing experience. It would also add an extra layer of realism and player agency, allowing for more accurate and deliberate carrier operations.
kinda whacky too, for the nieche scenario of needing to emergency takeoff after having landed with the hook. you’ll get recaught on the wires (if there’s more following, e.g. catching the first wire and coming to a stop before the 3rd wire) because the hook doesn’t retract
another intresting thing: if you extend your gear between the two ends of a friendly runway, the hook will not extend. so e.g.: you make an aggressive landing where you only extend the gear after the first trio of wires passed, your hook will not extend and thus you’re kinda in a pickle: low runway length, no emergency hook, and probably a bunch of speed
SInce they recently added arresting wires to regular airfields, I feel like its neccesary. I like doing roleplays with my pals (like airshows) on custom battles, and of course, landing is a huge part of it. While in regular battles stopping as fast as u can is neccesary, in roleplays normal landings look just better, and now they became harder to pull off, since your hook is automatically deployed when you get near to it, and I would really appriciate if it was changed.
Not really, I fly either ARB or CAP in GRB and the forced arrestor hook still annoys me. It’s amazing when you are damaged and cannot brake due to missing gear or you have to come in hot due to missing part of your wing etc, but when undamaged I actively try to avoid the wires and find it a little insulting that I’m forced to use them like I’m too stupid to land without them.
having an extra OPTIONAL key bind hurts no one and isn’t an issue with the new key binding system, make G gear and double G gear and hook.
I did a little test about that time saving a few days ago during DevServer:
Following scenario: F/A-18C early with 3 fuel pods and 5x Mk.83. Take off from airfield, after take off drop 4 of the bombs, turn into downwind, then into final and land at about 160 knots. This with the new arrested landing (Dev), then “normal” (Touchdown, after touchdown apply full brakes and airbrakes), and belly landing (gear up).
Measured was the time from touching down until respawning after rearming/repair.
Result:
Arrested: 50 seconds
Normal: 55 seconds
Belly landing: 45 seconds
So the amount you “save” when you land arrested or crash landing is not much more than 5 seconds!
You still are faster if you crash land - the very method I assume they wanted to replace with the arrested landing - saving yet another 5 seconds so… = /
It’s difficult to reproduce the situation, so I haven’t been able to verify it, but if all the landing gear is lost after the landing gear retraction operation (which could happen due to being blown off by excessive speed during retraction or being hit), wouldn’t the landing gear become unresponsive, making it impossible to lower the hook?
I think this is an extremely rare situation, but there’s a possibility that the hook would become unusable in a situation where it’s normally needed.
I’ve seen footage of an F-111 performing a complete belly landing using an arresting wire.
I managed to break off all my gear once, and still got a hooked landing, because i extended gear in the right moment. But, if you mean when coming in with already destroyed gear, then i doubt the hook’ll be able to extend
alright so, i tested it on the Taiwanese M2K-5Ei, when the gear is inoperable (i.e. broken off due to being extended too early, or too late [being sheared off by too little ground clearance]), it counts as extending/fully extended. So, the hook will extend, even if the landing gear is inoperable (seeing as there’s currently no other ways of becoming inoperable, besides fully breaking it off)
Anyway, putting that aside…
It’s regrettable that this proposal didn’t pass this time either. What’s the reason for being so stubbornly unwilling to do something as simple as adding one row to the control?
Did they think that if they didn’t force everyone to use the new feature, the staff who worked so hard to create it would lose face?
Doubt it, it’s more like the archaic implementation of the carrier landings
though still surprising that it wasn’t added along with the proliferation of hooks to airfields