Designed with the Mosquito and multi-crew Helicopters in mind (but functional with any aircraft), NavigatorAI puts your copilot to work. Get bearing/distance/eta to waypoints, map markers, and diversion airfields, fuel burn and endurance, ammunition status, local wind and temperature, and level bombing calculations. MIST is required for navigation to mission-editor-created waypoints only; other functions are independent.
Version 1.1 Added ETA to Nav Display and QNH (altimeter setting) to weather tab
Version 1.2 Changed ETA output from nearest minute to HH:MM:SS to better reflect tactical navigation.
Version 1.3 Added demo mission and Mist to zip file. No change to NavigatorAI script
NavigatorAI.lua User Manual
1. Overview
NavigatorAI.lua functions as your copilot/navigator/bombardier like a mini-Jester, performing some of the navigation tasks of the second crew member.
It's meant to simulate your crew giving you verbal nav guidance (sorry, no text-to-speech). Works with any aircraft, including single-pilot.
2. Requirements
- MIST scripting library (mist45x.lua) loaded before NavigatorAI.
3. Installation
1) Copy mist45x.lua and NavigatorAI.lua into your mission Scripts or a known path.
2) In the mission editor add triggers ON MISSION START (This is important: load MIST first, then NavigatorAI next ON MISSION START.
NavigatorAI has to load before you spawn in, or it can't detect your aircraft, so don't use "time is more" in the trigger.
If you exit and respawn, NavigatorAI will detect your new aircraft.
- DO SCRIPT FILE mist45x.lua
- DO SCRIPT FILE NavigatorAI.lua
3) Enter your player aircraft; the script will detect your unit and create a "Navigator" F10 menu for your group.
4. Core Features
- Bearing/Range Display: True bearing, range (km or NM), ground track, groundspeed, ETA and ETE to selected marker, waypoint, or divert airfield.
- Fuel Planning: Samples fuel burn rate and estimates fuel at target and total endurance.
- Bombardier Mode: Calculates bomb release timing to a TGT marker, accounting for wind, speed, and altitude.
- Divert Planning: Lists nearest friendly airfields by minimum runway length.
- Status Checks: Weapons ammo, airframe damage, and wind/OAT at player altitude.
5. F10 Menu Structure
Navigator (per player group):
- Weapons > Current ammo
- Damage > Airframe status
- Wind, Temp, QNH
- Fuel > Start Fuel Display, Stop Fuel Display, Fuel Status one-time
- Divert to nearest airfield > Planning, Sel ect Airfield, Refresh divert list, Request Signal Flare at Divert Airfield
- Toggle Nav Updates
- Bombardier > Start Bomb Run, Stop Bomb Run
- Sel ect Marker
- Select Waypoint > Refresh waypoints fr om mission
Upd ate Intervals
- Normal nav: 12-second cycle.
- Bomb run nav: 3-second cycle.
- Fuel display: integrated into the main update loop.
6. Basic Navigation: Step-by-Step
1) Place an F10 map marker at your desired navigation point.
- In the marker text, include one of the following tags: IP, TGT, LZ, PZ, or HOME(case-insensitive).NavigatorAI looks for these tags, plus "Nearest" when using divert airfield.
2) Open the F10 communications menu in your aircraft.
3) Go to Navigator > Sel ect Marker.
4) Choose the marker entry that matches your tag (for example, "IP").
5) In Navigator, select "Toggle Nav Updates" to start continuous navigation messages.
6) Watch the on-screen text such as:
NAV TO IP BRG 045 RNG 12.3 km ETA 20:37 CURRENT TRK 050 GS 420 kt ETE 1.7 min
7) To stop navigation updates, select "Toggle Nav Updates" again.
7. Using Mission Waypoints (MIST)
1) Ensure your player group has mission editor waypoints.
2) In the aircraft, open F10 > Navigator > Select Waypoint.
3) Select a waypoint fr om the list (e.g., "WP1 index 1").
4) If waypoints change or do not appear, use "Refresh waypoints fr om mission".
5) Use "Toggle Nav Updates" to receive bearing/range and ETE to the selected waypoint.
8. Divert to Nearest Airfield
1) In flight, open F10 > Navigator > Divert to nearest airfield.
2) Under "Planning se t runway length and refresh", you can choose a minimum runway length (default is zero):
- 0 ft: any airfield.
- 2000 ft: short strips.
- 4000 ft or 6000 ft: suitable for jets/heavy aircraft.
3) Under "Sel ect Airfield", choose one of the listed airfields (sorted by distance).
4) The script creates a "NEAREST" marker at the chosen airfield and sets it active.
6) To visually identify the divert airfield, sel ect "Request Signal Flare at Divert Airfield". Green flares will fire at that location for 5 seconds.
7) Use "Refresh divert list" to upd ate the list if your position has changed and you need a new "Nearest" airfield.
9. Fuel Planning: Step-by-Step
1) After takeoff, fly normally for at least about 3 minutes to allow the script to sample fuel burn rate.
2) In F10 > Navigator, open the Fuel submenu.
3) Select "Start Fuel Display".
4) Select a navigation target (marker, waypoint, or divert airfield) so the script has a destination.
5) Periodically, the script will display messages like:
Navigator Fuel 2.3%/hr now 78% at TGT 65% ETE 12 min 45 min to 0
- This indicates an estimated burn rate, current fuel, predicted fuel at target, and total endurance.
6) To get a one-time snapshot without continuous updates, use "Fuel Status one-time".
7) When finished, choose "Stop Fuel Display" to turn the periodic fuel messages off.
10. Bombardier Bomb Run
Designed for medium-high altitude level bombing in the Mosquito or similar. Not deadly accurate, but simulates a pretty good navigator
working with a map.
1) On the F10 map, place a marker on the intended target and include the text "TGT" in the marker name.
2) Fly your aircraft to the desired bombing altitude and stabilize your speed and heading.
3) Open F10 > Navigator > Bombardier and select "Start Bomb Run".
4) The script will calculate a release solution using your current altitude, airspeed, wind, and the TGT marker position.
5) Navigation updates will switch to fast bomb-run mode (3 second update interval), showing:
NAV TO TGT BRG 090 RNG 4.2 km CURRENT TRK 088 GS 430 kt Drop in 15.2 s
6) Maintain your current speed and altitude and release weapons when the "Drop in" countdown reaches zero.
7) To cancel bombing guidance, select "Stop Bomb Run".
11. Weapons, Damage, and Weather Checks
Weapons
1) Open F10 > Navigator > Weapons > Current ammo.
2) The script prints a list of onboard weapons with counts and type names.
Your copilot/navigator has been keeping track while you've been recklessly blazing away.
Damage
1) Open F10 > Navigator > Damage > Airframe status.
2) The script displays aircraft health percentage and estimated damage (e.g., "98.5% life, 1.5% dmg").
Weather
1) Open F10 > Navigator > Wind, Temp, QNH
2) The script reports:
- true altitude (may differ fr om indicated altitude in non-standard temperatures)
- wind direction/speed, and outside air temperature at your current altitude
- QNH (altimeter setting) in inHg and millibars at your current location
12. Units and Display Behavior
- Distance Units: Use "Toggle distance units km/NM" in the Navigator menu to switch between kilometers and nautical miles.
13. Multiplayer Behavior
- Menus are built per player group (GROUP ID based).
- Messages are sent only to the currently controlled unit for that player.
- When a player leaves a unit, navigation and fuel displays are stopped and will resume when they enter a unit again and re-enable them through the menu.
14. Customization (Script Variables)
You can adjust behavior by editing globals near the top of NavigatorAI.lua before loading it:
- USENAUTICALMILES: Se t to true to use NM by default instead of km.
- DIVERTMINRWYOPTIONSFT: Modify the list of minimum runway length options.
- UPDATEINTERVALNAV and UPDATEINTERVALBOMB: Adjust timing for normal nav and bomb-run updates.
15. Troubleshooting
- No Navigator menu:
- Ensure MIST loaded before NavigatorAI.
- Confirm you executed "DO SCRIPT FILE NavigatorAI.lua".
- Enter a controllable player aircraft.
- No waypoints listed:
- Verify your group has waypoints in the mission editor.
- Confirm MIST is present and mist.getGroupRoute is available.
- Use "Refresh waypoints fr om mission".
- Fuel planning says "Still calculating burn rate":
- Continue flying; at least about 3 minutes of data is required.
- No divert airfields:
- Ensure friendly airbases exist within range and runway length filter is not too restrictive.
End of Manual.
