India India Alpha Foxtrot Echo

What do I do with your donations... and bonus screenshot!

2013-05-21T01:05:00.003+02:00

(F-35 testing over Edwards... after all these years, sometimes FSX still surprises me)

First, I'd like to thank everybody who kindly donated money for my projects. My apologies for not having replied to each one of you - the fact is that the Paypal account is pointing to an old email account which has been receving tons of spam for years, and it is a web-based service that it has become full of ads and difficult to navigate - so I have almost abandoned it. Again, my apologies - each donation has been greatly appreciated.

It has been really helpful in several instances - and allowed me to do several things which greatly helped my Flight Simulator projects.

However, the fact is that I have a relatively secure job which is also relatively well paid - I don't have a wife and family nor a mortgage, so I can't say that I really do not have the money to support my projects. But they can get expensive, and, although I can't complain about my incomes, I still feel bad (for some reason) to invest hundreds (if not thousands!) of euros in what is basically a videogame. So, being able to spill some money from the Paypal account made some purchase decisions easier. It was thanks to your donations that I have been able to acquire the base mesh for the Tomcat and for the Viking - and it was a great help to achieve the current quality and progress of those projects. So a most sincere THANK YOU.

However, after the S-3 purchase, I do not foresee any imminent usage of the money in the Paypal account...so the money is sitting there basically giving interests to Paypal.
Therefore I have decided to start giving it away, at least partially, to selected charity and no-profit organizations. It is not a huge amount of money, but at least someone is getting a tangible value for the countless hours spent in having fun with my virtual toys.

Donations are still welcome - and I will continue using it also to fund my simulation projects if need be - I just wanted to let you guys know what I did with the money you have donated.

Avsim Reader's Choice Award (and project updates)!

2013-05-13T10:26:00.001+02:00

The T-45C won the AVSIM PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD in the Freeware Aicraft category! Thanks to Avsim and thanks to all the people who voted for it, and thanks again to all the contributors, testers and user who helped to bring this project to the current quality level!

Here is a quick update to current projects:

T-45C Goshawk
I am quite happy with the current quality level of the T-45, and there are very few things I'd like to add or change. All changes have a very low priority, compared to my other projects. On my to do list:

Addition of cockpit sounds
Weight dependant models (and possibly droppable BDUs)
New, custom built, MFD code - I've started creating some graphics - straight from the NATOPs..

F-14D Tomcat
There are a number of small changes coming in the F-14 update, most of which have been designed to support the Tacpack. The feature list is not complete yet, and wil partially depend on VRS schedule. Unfortunately full Tacpack integration is beyond my resources, so support will be limited (guns and visual SW for sure... everything else is "optional")... More news as the F-35 update is related.

F-35 Lightning II
As you probably know, I am rewriting the MFD code so that its interface and usage is MUCH closer to the real deal. It will be quite close to the Block 1 software - although many functions will be INOP.
The next update will also bring a number of other improvements - like weight dependant loadouts and several fixes to the models and the textures. I am confident this will be a significant improvement.
This update is almost done - most probably it will be out in a couple of weeks.

S-3B Viking
I am continuing to work on this, from time to time. Nose and tails are done... everything in between needs a lot of work. Do not expect anything before autumn. And by the way, should you have detailed, high res picture of the ejection seats would be much welcome.

That's it for the moment - all projects may be significantly slowed down due to the fact that summer is coming and I will spend most of my time at the beach....

Frequently Asked Questions

2013-04-21T01:37:00.000+02:00

...Unrelated to the post, but I always add a picture...so here is the S-3 model so far. Hopefully it will be flyable in October/November or so.

Browsing on the internet, and looking at the emails I get, I believe it is worth to write down an FAQ post which will hopefully cover some of the most recurrent questions. So, here we go:

Your aicrafts don't work and crash my computer! Why?

In 99% of the cases is because you are using an unsupported version of FSX. My projects require either FSX:Acceleration or FSX:Gold Edition (which is basically FSX SP2+Acceleration in the same box).
My projects will not work correctly or at all with out-of-the-box FSX, or with Service Pack 1 or 2.

Wait, but isn't SP2 the same as Acceleration minus the additional planes, sceneries and missions?

No, it is not the same. Acceleration has some additional, hardcoded features which may make Acceleration aicraft incompatible with other versions of FSX. Aside, some of my projects are aliasing assets from the stock F/A-18 Hornet in the Acceleration package.

I can see you planes in the game but the MFDs are not working...why?

Same as above - Acceleration (or Gold) versions of FSX should be correctly installed. Some of my projects are aliasing the MFD code from the stock Hornet in the Acceleration package. So, cases are two:

1) you do not have Acceleration package installed but the aicraft does not crash (I believe this is the case of the current T-45 version)...if it is so, FSX does not find the Hornet code so leaves the MFDs blank.

2) you are sure you have Acceleration installed, but still MFDs are blank. In this case you need to check the default Hornet MFDs. If they work, also the T-45C or F-14D ones should. If stock Hornet's MFDs do not work, you may need to reinstall/repair Accerelation which may be corrupt. I've seen several users with corrupt Acceleration installation (not caused by my planes) which lost MFD functionality.

This problem is anyway limited to the T-45C and F-14D, and should not affect the F-35 (and the S-3) as they do not rely on external code. This may change in future, as I may want to write new code for the T-45 and the F-14. Please note however that all the projects require Acceleration.

Can I use your planes in Lockheed Martin Prepar3d?

Answer is yes *BUT*... In terms of functions and functionalities Prepar3d expands on FSX:Acceleration. So my planes should load and be compatible. But Prepar3d does not include the stock F/A-18 Hornet, so the current F-14D and T-45C will show blank MFDs.
If you have a valid installation of FSX:A, you can fix this as follows:
- Navigate to your main FSX installation folder, and then in the Gauges subfolder.
- Locate the FA-18.dll file (which is the file that contains the Hornet MFD code) and copy it
- Paste a copy of that file in the Prepa3d/Gauges subfolder

Do not ask me to provide that file. This would break the EULA and I will not do that, sorry.
F-35 should work fine in Prepar3d - no action required.

Your F-35 is nice and everything... but it cannot make short takeoffs and landings! Should I buy a separate module or what?

The freeware installation of the F-35 is perfectly capable of making STOVL flights. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BUY ANYTHING. Please read the manual or look for tutorials on youtube! I know nobody does read the manual. I am an engineer, which means I don't. BUT the manual is there for a purpose: you can find it in the /docs folder of the F-35A installation folder. There are some conditions for the STOVL module to work and load, but if you do see the green message when you load the F-35, everything should be OK. If the message does not show, please read the manual.

Now: assuming the STOVL mode is correctly loaded (green message appears) here is some essential information which IS in the manual, but anyway...

- Only the F-35B (I believe the community nickname is converging to "Bee" for this version) is STOVL capable. It may sound obvious but it seems it is not, so make sure you have a -B version loaded. On the -B version, the HOOK/STOVL button activates the conversion.

- You must be below 240kts to activate the conversion. If the a/c is not able to convert because of its current attitude/speed or anthing, the conversion is rejected.

- On pressing the button the aicraft converts to "slow flight" mode: that is controls are the same of any other aicrafts. This mode is used for short take-offs, and for approaches prior to HOVER mode conversion. This is NOT the vertical landing / takeoff mode.

- When you are is "slow flight" mode, you can convert to HOVER mode only if your TOTAL weight is below 40600 lbs (like in the real deal). You may want to activate an FCS portal in the MFD - once you are in slow flight mode, you will see an "HOVER" indication. If it is RED you are too heavy, and you may want to DUMP fuel. When it turns CYAN, your weight is OK and you can convert by clicking the HOVER indication itself (NOTE this is not like the real thing - in the real thing you would click a button on the throttle).

- Control scheme in HOVER mode changes and is somewhat like an helicopter. See the manual for details.

Is there a good scenery for Eglin AFB?

Not that I know of. There is a payware photoreal that covers the area, but it is not that good and not worth the money IMHO. I made my own with FSET, but I have never adjusted the runways nor placed much autogen. I am improving it from time to time, but I am not sure I will ever release it publicly.

Can you PLEASE do (insert name of your favourite aicraft here)?

Unfortunately I do not have much time for FSX and that will not change in future. So my bandwith is roughly 1 new aircraft every 8-10 months (best case) + upgrades to the existing fleet. Sorry...but I have a job and a social life.

Mini-review: Frank's Dolomites

2013-04-06T00:05:00.000+02:00

I love my country (Italy, that is)! Surely it has its own share of problems, but it is a wondeful and incredibly diverse and culturally rich country.
Unfortunately for our hobby, the great variety of the landscape means that it is not easy to develop complete scenery for the whole country - let alone the ugly FSX default rendition that looks nothing like the real thing (colors, vegetation, buildings...everything is not only ugly, but completely wrong).
Several people tried to create very large sceneries to cover the whole country - but failed. On the other hand, few dedicated developers created wonderful sceneries for specific parts of Italy - which resulted in true masterpieces, like the freeware rendition of Isola d'Elba and Northern Tuscany, or the amazing rendition of Venice from Aerosoft.

In this scattered coverage, Frank Dainese's wonderful rendition of the Dolomites is an authentic masterpiece. Frank has been developing mountain sceneries for quite a while, and its sceneries are works of pure love for our mountains.
His sceneries are simply breathtaking: detailed, crisp and amazing. With an almost unique feature: 3D modeled mountains. That is, instead of relying on FSX's terrain engine, most of the mountains are sculpted in 3D and then textured with high-resolution pictures straight from Frank's camera. The result is incredibly realistic and the washed-out effect of the default engine at high slope angles (where the engine must stretch the photo-texture) is gone!
Also, its sceneries are completely covered with Autogen buildings and trees (both accurately placed down to the individual building) and there are lots of custom building.
The current scenery covers the airport of Bolzano (which is however on a corner of the scenery), the airstrip of Dobbiaco and the (abandoned) airport of Cortina D'Ampezzo (a much popular winter resot whose airport has been closed and abandoned for several reasons, including the fact that the approach is challenging and dangerous - it is worth googling for its story!).
Frank is also constantly upgrading and expanding his sceneries, which however are only distributed privately by email.

PROs
- 3D sculpted mountains with custom, high resolution textures are incredibly detailed and realistic.
- The whole scenery is covered with accurately placed Autogen (including alternate textures for better color match)
- Custom buildings where needed
- Freeware does not get much better than this

CONs
- As with all photoreal sceneries at a certain point it comes to an end. And this means to see the ugly FSX default.

To get this scenery, you must go and visit Frank's blog, navigate to Frank's profile and send him an email requesting the scenery. Frank's blog address is this:

http://scenarialpinifsx.blogspot.it/

Happy flying!

Projects updates...suggestions welcome!

2013-03-31T23:33:00.001+02:00

In the past weeks I have been mostly working on the Tacpack SDK - understanding the basics and exploring its possibilities...therefore my plans have changed a little. Also, in order to make the Tacpack work, I had to venture into features which I had not implemented before, with benefits also to non-Tacpack versions of my models. In general, however, I am trying to code Tacpack features so that the model are "Tacpack aware" i.e. they can be used with and without the Tacpack (although, of course, weapons and tactical systems will only operate if the Tacpack is present). Anyway here is a brief update of all the projects I am working on. Suggestions are welcome!

Grumman F-14D Super TomcatThis is my testbed for Tacpack integration. To properly intergrate the Tacpack, I would have to write completely new codes for the avionics (which are currently aliased from the stock Hornet) - and I do not have the time to do that. Besides, Aerosoft is working on a top-notch F-14A which will surely be much better, realistic and more detailed than mine...and it makes no sense to compete with them in realism. So, for the moment: Guns, AIM-9M (visual launch), ECM, NVG and refuel features will be implemented. Actually most of the already are in place and they seem to work fine. AIM-7M and JDAM implementation is also feasible, but it may come at a later date. The new .mdl file will have weight-dependent loadouts.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II
Since the F-35 already has code for custom avionics, it will be much easier, for me, to integrate Tacpack functions in it. F-35A and -B have already been modified to include variable, weight dependent loadouts (AIM9X, AIM120, GBU31, GBU12, CBU-not supported by Tacpack, JSOW and fuel tanks and missionized gun pod) - I am not sure I will be able to achieve "full" intergration with Tacpack (again, lack of time). Also, several minor fixes to texturing and modeling are planned.

Boeing T-45C Goshawk
At the moment the Tacpack does not support BDU-33...so I am not sure it is work updating the Goshawk for this. However, some minor tweaks to the cockpit (like "click" sounds when you activate the switches) could be a nice addition...

S-3B Viking
I have to confess I have neglected the Viking a little lately... but work is proceeding and the tail section of the outer model is done - and just needs animations. Given several factors, it will be a early (i.e. prior to MAD boom removal) S-3B...

Suggestions and comments are welcome as usual!

VRS Tacpack integration (i.e. WORKING WEAPONS!)

2013-03-24T17:29:00.000+01:00

Killing drones over NAS Fallon

Shooting drones is a quite fun way to learn the basics...

...although I have to admit I am pretty bad at aerial combat!

Guns only for the moment....but still, it is quite fun!

I never ventured into the "working weapons" functionalities so far, for several reasons - mainly the lack of time, and the fact that I am more interested in flying rather than shooting things. However, the people at Vertical Reality Simulations were kind enough to provide me with access to the Tacpack Software Development Kit - and I was very impressed.
For those who don't know (very few I assume), VRS has developed an incredibly complete and realistic rendition of the F/A-18E Super Hornet - which is IMHO the best military plane for FSX - and, on top of that, they have developed the Tacpack - an add-on module for FSX which implements working weapons (an a lot of other features, like the drones you see in the screenshots). Not only weapons are working, but they have a realistic behaviour and can be used in multiplayer. For the moment, their Superbug is the only plane supported, and it is required for the installation - but this will change in future. More information here:

http://www.vrsimulations.com

Long story short, I fell in love with the Tacpack - and I am working to integrate some of its functionalities into my projects. For one, the F-14D has now a working gun and can shoot down things in Tacpack (well, only in the SDK build for the moment...you will have to wait a little!).
The Tacpack module provides many functionalities that, I have to confess, I thought they were impossible to implement in FSX and they bring a completely new perspective for military flying in FSX.
Unfortunately, due to my (ever increasing) lack of time, it is unlikely that I will be able to fully support the package - so the Tacpack integration from my side will be limited to very basic functionalities. But still, shooting things is fun!

F-35 Lightning II updated to version 2.12 - screenshots over NAS Fallon

2013-03-17T02:15:00.002+01:00

NOTE: IT TOOK LONGER THAN I EXPECTED TO UPLOAD THE FILES...BUT THEY SHOULD BE UP AT GOOGLE DOCS NOW, AND SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AT AVSIM AND FLIGHTSIM SOON.

In order to create the RIO PTID screen, I had to learn a thing or two I did not know on FSX mapping functions - thanks to a wonderful manual from Bob McElrath: "CustomDraw fs9gps:Map - An empirical xml guide"... It is a really good an informative document for the FSX standard mapping and radar functions - I highly suggest you Goggle for it and read it if you want to develop this kind of features.
Of course I could not resist and implemented some changes to the MAP mode of all the F-35 models. So here is an update to the F-35, which is now upgraded to version 2.12.

Here is the list of changes:

Version 2.12

March 17th 2013

Minor fix to F-35C VFA-101 “Grim Reapers” livery

Redone code and graphics of radar/map and terrain mode of MFD for better readability.

Terrain graphics closer to the real deal (NOTE:extremely heavy on fps – use at your own risk!)

Airborne and ground vehicles should be visible with details in map mode

Minor fix to external views pan rate

Minor adjustment to HMD superimposed graphics

So it is a minor update, but you may still want to download it from the link on the side column of this blog, in either the "full install" (about 220Mb) or "upgrade only" (about 70Mb). Upgrade also includes version 2.11, so it works with either version 2.10 or version 2.11.

I will also upload the upgrade to avsim and flightsim (although lately I had many difficulties sending file to flightsim...).

By the way, let me remind you that in the "docs" subfolder of the F-35A (in your SimObjects/Airplanes folder) there is a short user manual tha goes through all the features of the package - including the STOVL operations and limitations.

Below are some screens of the F-35B neraby NAS Fallon, Nevada. Photoreal scenery by Blue Sky Scenery (http://www.blueskyscenery.com/), airport by Jim Dhaenens (BTW my understanding is that Jim wanted his files to be removed from all repositories)

T-45C Goshawk officially updated to version 2.40

2013-03-14T01:56:00.001+01:00

Following the largely positive feedback on the new flight model, the T-45 is now officially upgraded to version 2.40 and has is being uploaded to both avsim and flightsim. No further modifications to the file posted previously on this blog have been applied. Download link to version 2.35 has been removed.

VERSION 2.40

- Completely redone flight dynamics. All input values to match NATOPS as close as possible with some corrections when needed.
- Changed all MOIs using Roskam methods and changed many Mach tables, resulting dynamics are less responsive at low speeds, but also much less prone to uncontrollable departures.
- Roll rate dependency on Mach no should be more accurate, also rudder authority vs. Mach and roll moment due to rudder deflection should be more accurate (rudder effectiveness decreases significantly above Mach 0.80 and A/C will roll in the opposite direction above Mach 0.85)
- Added speedbrake blowback feature (as in the real thing, extending the speedbrake above 340kts may result in partial extension only).
- Fixed AoA needle bug, failing to report actual AoA
- Fixed Reference HTML documents
- Fixed main landing gear "wobble"
- Fixed several typos in the VNATOPs manual

F-14D Tomcat for Flight Simulator X:Acceleration version 2.00 Initial Release (limited introduction)

2013-03-11T02:03:00.001+01:00

VF-101 Grim Reapers "retro" demo bird BuNo.164601. The virtual cockpit has been modeled on pictures of this very same bird, as preserved at Castle Air Museum - courtesy of its "plane captain" at the museum, mr.Ken Simmons.

Virtual cockpit features highly accurate HUD from Jivko Rusev. Some of the graphics on the lower corners can be difficult to read due to the projection method used...

VF-2 Bounty Hunters, high visibility repaint courtesy of Jiri Soukup, who also kindly provided other amazing liveries. Also, the package has accurate custom sounds courtesy of Serge Luzin.

Ok...it is ready, more or less.Here is the release build of the F-14D. It is not 100% bug free, and some functions are not working as they should or could... but at this point I believe it is good enough for release and, although I do not like too much patches and fixes, they are a good method of improving the product quality - so expect some coming for the F-14, too.
This is a "limited" introduction - that is the file will initially be available only on Google Docs. This is done ONLY to verify that the file works (i.e. there are no catastrophic issues) before releasing to repositories like Avsim or Flightsim. The file is 128Mb so, Google Docs is likely to have bandwith issues. Rest assued that the file will be released to the usual servers asap.

I'd like to thank all the contributors, the testers and the supporters that allowed this freeware project to reach its current level of quality and features. Credits as follows:3D model,textures,virtual cockpit and flight model by: Dino Cattaneo;
Head Up display by Jivko Rusev, based on code by Scott Printz;

Custom XML controls by Rob Barendregt;

Sound package by Serge Luzin;

VF-31 and VF-2 repaints by Jiri Soukup;

VF-213 repaint reworked on an original by Hanimichal;

After installation, you may want to read the manual (in the SimObjects/Airplanes/Grumman_F14D/docs folder of your main FSX installation folder) or at least read the Readme file, as some special functions (like the auto/manual wingsweep) may require some explanation.

You can download the file from Google Drive by clicking HERE

Please note that Beta and development files have been deleted from the server.

T-45C Version 2.40 limited introduction, F-14D draft manual, and facebook

2013-03-06T02:51:00.002+01:00

The latest modifications I have made to the T-45C dynamics have been a bit controversial - and I have to admit that some of them were a bit rushed and not properly tested. In the past few weeks, while I was fine-tuning the F-14, I've made a number of changes to T-45 which will hopefully make it a better trainer.

So here is a link to the TEST version 2.40 - I will not upload it to Avsim or Flightsim until more testing has been performed - which you are welcome to do if you have some time. IMHO even if dynamics are less responsive now, they are more suitable to the training purposes of the T-45C.

VERSION 2.40

- Completely redone flight dynamics. All input values to match NATOPS as close as possible with some corrections when needed.
- Changed all MOIs using Roskam methods and changed many Mach tables, resulting dynamics are less responsive at low speeds, but also much less prone to uncontrollable departures.
- Roll rate dependency on Mach no should be more accurate, also rudder authority vs. Mach and roll moment due to rudder deflection should be more accurate (rudder effectiveness decreases significantly above Mach 0.80 and A/C will roll in the opposite direction above Mach 0.85)
- Added speedbrake blowback feature (as in the real thing, extending the speedbrake above 340kts may result in partial extension only).
- Fixed AoA needle bug, failing to report actual AoA
- Fixed Reference HTML documents
- Fixed main landing gear "wobble"
- Fixed several typos in the VNATOPs manual

Download link by clicking HERE.

As for the Tomcat, it is almost cleared for takeoff. The only outstanding item is to clean some bugs minor in the cockpit and write the Caution/Advisory lights code (most of which is missing).

Here is a preview of the F-14D VNATOPs manal - download by clicking HERE

Last, the very first days of IndiaFoxtEcho on facebook were quite positive and I think it is a very quick method of keeping in touch. I'll probably use it more - using the blog for main updates/news only.

Facebook and Tomcat

2013-03-02T20:28:00.000+01:00

Past and present of the Tomcatters

F-14D 164601 in Grim Reaper retro livery flying with F-35C Lightning II CF-6

I've received several friend requests on facebook from many fellow simmers - I am sorry but I use facebook to connect only with my "real-world" friends, so I do not accept friend requests from people I don't know in person.

Still, facebook is a great tool - so I have created an indiafoxtecho page at facebook. Just search for it in the search bar... at the moment there are just a couple of placeholder images... but it may become a good tool to stay connected.

As for the Tomcat - it is very close to relase. I took some extra time to write down a manual, much like the "Virtual NATOPS" I created for the T-45C Goshawk. It is almost complete... then there are few minor things to be fixed and it will be released. It is a question of (hopefully very few) days!

S-3 Viking project

2013-02-23T19:58:00.000+01:00

After a long evaluation, I've finally started working on the S-3 Viking... I have not decided yet if it will be an S-3A or an S-3B, and I am struggling to find the best way to generate good base textures... but it is definitely a very interesting machine.
As you know, aircraft development in FSX is a quite complex and long porocess.. so it will take months before I'll have anything to share.
I think I had gathered all the pictures I could find on the web...but should you have interesting Viking pictures to share (especially for the interiors), they'd be welcome.

By the way I have not abandoned the MB.339 but the preliminary work was not satisfactory, especially if you consider that, to make sense, the project would need to be substantially better than the existing renditions - so I'll put in on hold at the moment.

Last Tomcat Demo repaint

2013-02-14T01:19:00.000+01:00

I am still slowly debugging the Tomcat... very slowly, unfortunately. Most probably the new F-14D will be released by the end of the month. Not all the bugs will be fixed, not all the defects will be adjusted, and it will not be the perfect Tomcat rendition we are all dreaming for (Aerosoft's one, may be?)...still I am pretty happy with it.
I have made another repaint and it is 164601, VF-101 "Grim Reapers" Last Tomcat Demo, which is another of the very few "retro" schemes.
In doing so I have noticed that there UVW coordinates for texturing are misplaced rearby the edges of the crew access ladder steps... This may be a major incovenience for some repaints - sorry for that, but it is not an easy fix for this...

By the way, I have been evaluating the next projects for a while, now...decision has not been taken yet, but I am leaning towards the S-3 Viking, as I am not satisfied by the preliminary work I did for the MB.339. Will let you my decision soon.

F-14D upated MDL and retro scheme

2013-02-12T01:03:00.002+01:00

Debugging is a very tedious process... so I took a break and made the repaint above, that is the high-visibility, retro livery of the "Tomcat Sunset" cerimony.
While making this repaint I noticed that there were some mistakes in the texturing placement which I had to fix in order to complete the livery...and so I did. I also fixed some other minor mistakes highlighted by the Beta 1 testing and some minor modeling errors...

Here is a link to the latest model (and the retro livery) - everybody is welcome to download it, although requires the Beta 1 version to work.

DOWNLOAD LINK: UPDATED MDL AND RETRO LIVERY from Google Drive

Repainters: you may want to check that your repaints are working fine with this new model, list of changes are as follows:
- antenna flare on nose landing gear door resized and moved slightly backwards
- fixed texturing misplacement in engine nacelle area (nearby landing gear, should have no impact at all)
- fixed UVW misplacement on the canopy (crew names area, right side)
- changed UVW texturing on main landing gear wheels door to allow two-color painting (picked from blank area in the texture...you may want to check this - should have no impact if you stick to the default texturing in that area as you probably did)
- fixed visual interference between flaps and inflatable area when fully swept
- added high-g vapor (used F-35 effects)
well...I believe that is it.

This is not yet the final model, but the only thing I have to fix is the landing light and the animation interference of the main landing gear...

Minor tweaks to the F-35

2013-02-07T01:23:00.000+01:00

Elections are just few weeks away here in Italy, and the F-35 is a recurring argument in the debates. This poor jet is taking a lot of flak from politicians and newspapers. It is true that the F-35 has its share of problems, but some of its issues have been greatly dramatized - and it is quickly becoming a common discussion topic (thanks also to a popular TV-show that basically said it is a waste of money and Italy should bail out asap). Whatever. I decided to show some love to this jet by releasing a small upgrade to my FSX/Prepar3d rendition. Changes are as follows:

Version 2.11
February 5th 2013

Minor fixes to F-35A USAF Textures (more accurate fonts and sizes)
Minor fixes to F-35B USMC Texture (more accurate font size)
Added texture set: VMFA-121 “Green Knights”,USMC,Yuma MCAS
Added texture set: VFA-101 “Grim Reapers”, USN, Eglin AFB
Fixed default zoom ratio on all external models
Fixed pan rate for fixed external views

Files will be available for download by the side bar (a full install version and an "update only" version...the latter will be released at the usual libraries) - I am writing this during the upload process but it may take a while. Anyway, no big changes. Just some random fix I had on my hard disk - apart from the VFA-101 Grim Reapers paintscheme which I did right now, and which is based on official pictures, although may be a little inaccurate in some minor details. BTW I thought there was a repainter working on this, but since I had no news for a while nor I saw the repaint released anywhere, well, I thought to do it myself.

And, maybe I am getting old, but I have to admit that Grim Reapers colors look MUCH better on the Tomcat. May be this is the reason why the Lightning II is not getting much love...it simply is not so pretty. But it could have been worse... it could have been the X-32...

Repainting the F-14D

2013-02-05T22:19:00.003+01:00

Some quick notes for those who may be repainting the F-14D Tomcat:

- I've been noticed that there are some minor texture misplacements in the tail area (specifically textures misplacement in the white navigation light area and on the sides of the beaver tail). This may create some difficulties in schemes which have a non-grey tail. They have been fixed in the latest model, link is below.

DOWNLOAD LATEST 3D MODEL (BUILD 31 5/2/2013)

- I do not have layered clean texture, sorry... I almost work in the Jurassic fashion of using no layers. The cleanest texture sheet is below. Note that Beta 1 texture had some minor detail missing on the lower side of the outer tails surface. It is there in this set.

DOWNLOAD TACTICAL LOW VISIBILITY CLEAN TEXTURES.

- Fuel tank side have only "one sided" texture... this will not change sorry.

- There is an intentional "shift" of the rudder textures with respect to the tail textures... this was done on purpose for separate rudder painting on a retro scheme which was abandoned. Shift will not change, but the image below provides guidance hopefully.

I encourage you to post pictures of your repaints and let other repainters know what you are working on. Please do not release repaints until the F-14 is officially released. In the meantime, you may want to send them to me for possible inclusion in the base package.

163904 of VF-31, in low viz "Tomcat Sunset" markings will be the only paintscheme from my side.

F-14D Tomcat Public Beta 1

2013-02-03T03:36:00.001+01:00

This post is intended to be the repository of the F-14D Tomcat Beta 1 feedback. The Beta 1 release is the first public release of the new version of my Tomcat project. This project is, for my standards, very complex and many systems of the real Tomcat are simulated only partially or not at all. Please consider that this is not a professional product, and definitely not a "full realism" rendition of this great aicraft.

Everybody is welcome to download the Beta, *BUT* please follow these rules:
- DO NOT UPLOAD THE FILE ANYWHERE ELSE. This is just a test version.
- If you have a bug to report, please first check it is not already in the list below, and if it is not please report it by adding a comment to this post.
- Take your time. I do not need immediate feedback. And if you spot a strange bug, please try to replicate it and report in which conditions it shows, if applicable.
- Suggestions are welcome. I am not planning to add features, but I'll do that if I can and it makes sense.
- If you are a repainter, I encourage you to repaint this model but if you do, please do not upload it anywhere for the moment, and send it to me, if possible - I may want to include it in the base package (and of course proper credit will be given).
- Please bear in mind this is for FSX:Acceleration or Gold versions ONLY. May crash FSX if used on other versions.

DOWNLOAD LINK (By downloading the file you certify you have read the rules above and promise to do your best to follow them)

Repainters, you may want to download the file below. I have been noticed that there are minor mistakes is faces painting, they will be fixed later on and will not affect the repaint.

DOWNLOAD LINK FOR CLEAN, UNCOMPRESSED TEXTURE FILES FOR REPAINTERS

I wish I had the time to create a manual as detailed as the one of the T-45C but I had no time to do so, so here is some basic information you need to know.
- Wing sweep is automatic when flaps are raised. Oversweep is controlled by Wingfold command. Direct Lift is not completely simulated, but is activated automatically at certain AoAs when full flaps is commanded.
- Doors/exit animations are as follows: Exit-0 is the canopy. Exit-1 is the refuel probe, Exit-2 (shift+E then 3) is the crew access ladder, Exit-3 (shift+E then 4) opens some maintenance panels.
- The layout of the RIO cockpit is not the one of a typical F-14D, but it reflects the one preserved in the Castle Air Museum (with thanks to Ken Simmons for having sent me a lot of very detailed cockpit pictures - I could not reach this level of detail in the cockpit without those images!).
- The Tactical Information Display is off by default, as it may give an hit to fps...you can turn it on with the knob on the upper-right corner.

Well... this probably is not all you need to know, but I'll let you discover the rest.

F-14D TOMCAT BETA 1 TEST REPORT
**********************************
Last updated: Monday 10th February 2013

External model

1) Missing high-G wing vapor effects. Status: CLOSED. Added to model build 30, 4/2/13

2) Missing weapons/loadouts variants. Status: OPEN. I am not sure if I am willing to add them for several reasons, including model size and frame-per-second burden...

3) Evaluate replacement of LAU-7 with more historically accurate LAU-138. Status: OPEN. Action - this was known while modeling...thing is I had the LAU-7 already modeled....

4) Launch bar does not engage the shuttle visually. Status: OPEN. Root cause: this is due to the fact that the kneel function is not implemented. Action: TBD

5) Tire textures are not perfectly aligned, and the tires seem to wobbe. Status: CLOSED. Texture redone and improve nose strut texture. 4/2/13

6) Fuel tanks undersized. Status: CLOSED. Changed 3D model. 5/2/13

7) Texture misplacement in tail areas preventing some repaints. Status: CLOSED. Fixed 3D model mapping 5/2/13 NOTE: This does not cover intentional shift in rudder texture which will stay.

8) Texture misplacement in canopy area create warps on crew name area. Status: CLOSED. Fixed 3D model.

9) Move antenna flare on nose gear door to fit the actual position. Status: CLOSED. Slightly adjusted 3d model - it is not possible at this point to completely get rid of the issue without a major rework of the model.

10) Wingtip contrails not aligned with geometry. Status: CLOSED. Got rid of contrails effects.

Pilot Virtual cockpit

1) Fuel quantity indicator bars do not work as intended. Status: CLOSED. Fixed .XML code 12/2/2013

2) Caution/advisory light system incomplete. Status: OPEN. Needs some more work.

3) HUD AoA indications do not match the AoA Indexer. STATUS:CLOSED. Root cause: Indexer is using default F/A-18 conditions, which do not match the F-14. Action: change XML code. Critical for realistic carrier ops. Fixed thanks to JR. 5/2/13

4) SHIFT+E keys do not wok anymore if ILS/VOR is tracked in the HUD. Status: CLOSED. Root cause: this is a known bug in some of JR's HUDs... fixed on T-45 and F-35. Action: Updated HUD from JR. Problem persists for other reasons (TBD) 5/2/13

5) AoA indicator graphic issues during extreme conditions (inidicator slips away from its case). Status: CLOSED. Could not replicate the issue, however added animation constraints to AoA needle, so that it should never overshoot the case. 4/2/13

6) Radio knobs not working as intended. Status: OPEN. Root cause: not identified... I have double checked .XML code and it seems correct...

7) Update HUD and HUD functionality. Status: CLOSED. Implemented thanks to Jivko. 5/2/13

8) HUD frame is slightly shifted sideways. Status: CLOSED. Modified 3D model. 10/2/13

9) Slight increase in windshield and HUD transparency for better visibility. Status: CLOSED. Modified 3D model. 10/2/13

10) Missing altimeter setting knob. Status: CLOSED. Modified 3D model. 10/2/13

Rio Virtual cokpit

1) Caution/advisory light system incomplete. Status: OPEN. Needs some more work.

2) Some buttons in the MFD are not working. Status: CLOSED. Root cause: FSX bug, does not recognize mouse areas from certain angles, now all button work with new default RIO view. 4/2/13

3) RIO point of view need to be moved forward a little. STATUS: CLOSED. Fixed configuration file. 4/2/13

4) Colors of some TID features are incorrect. STATUS: OPEN. Action: check TID gauge.

5) Evaluate addition of MAP mode to TID. STATUS: OPEN. Action: check TID gauge.

10) Missing altimeter setting knob. Status: CLOSED. Modified 3D model. 10/2/13

Flight model

1) Roll rate may be too low in some conditions. STATUS: OPEN. Action: check against NATOPS values.

2) A/C is more stable with less tendency to departures at high AoA than the real deal. STATUS: OPEN. Action: evaluate changes against risk of messing up the slow speed behavior, which seems OK at the moment...

3) Transonic drag may be a little low, and drag at high Mach No. is probably a little low, too, for the default configuration. Action: evaluate changes in the .air file. CLOSED. Increased transonic drag, slightly better performance above Mach 1.6, closer to NATOPS values. 4/2/13.

4) Improve stall dynamics as per NATOPS (see 2). Action: evaluate any change carefully - risk is to compromise low speed behavior which seems OK at the moment.

5) Evaluate a possible increase of the damaging threshold of the nose gear (value seem realistic at the moment but is preceived as fragile by some users). Action: check against NATOPS.

6) Miscellaneous issues with speedbrake control. Bug spotted in Rob's control gauge and

7) Evaluate implementation of possible engine flameout when engine sump depletes (prolonged inverted flight or A/B engagement at negative g's). STATUS: CLOSED. Newest control gauge from Rob implements it.

Miscellaneous

1) Nose strut kneeling not implemented - I have studied that, and though a way to do it on the external visual model...but takes a lot of work to do and may screw other animation, so I am not sure it is worth doing...

2) Sound pack by Serge Luzin, with mods from Aaron Swindle is actually designed for an F/A-18 Hornet (BLASPHEMY!)... I have tried to explore other routes, but this is the best I can use (and sounds great!).

3) Pan Rate in some views is too slow. STATUS: CLOSED. Fixed configuration file. 4/2/2013.

Color key:
Green - issue solved, or mitigated to the point is acceptable or not perceived by most users, or issue open but really a minor annoyance to the vast majority of the users.
Yellow -issue open, and could be perceived as product defect by a significant number of users. Awaiting action or investigation. Or issue open, mitigated to the best of my knowledge but will still be perceived as defect by users. Or issue open but appears easy to fix.
Red - root cause not identified as of today. Or the problem is beyond my knowledge or impossible or difficult to solve. Or, issue open and it is critical to solve it before release.

Yet another update for the T-45C Goshawk...

2013-01-28T22:54:00.002+01:00

It's been three (3!) weeks from my latest Goshawk update! How could I not to release another minor version of the Goshawk? Well, let's just hope this does not screw up too much like 2.31...
Changes are are follows:

VERSION 2.35
- Fixed inertia effects and departures during roll of more 180°, thanks to Brandon.
Flight model retains departure in case of abrupt full deflection forward/side movements as it should be.
- Fixed unusable fuel entry in flight model, thanks to Jorge.
- Slight changes to HUD frame modeling to enhance visibility of HUD symbology.
- Left MFD in instructor cockpit is now independent from the pilot/student cockpit.
- General optimization & cleanup of graphic rendering of the vitual cockpit.
- Added animation to most of scratchpad keys.
- Fixed zoom factor for outside view.

Hopefully they are all for the better.

Evaluating the candidates for next projects...MB339PAN, S-3 Viking and X-47C Pegasus.

2013-01-25T15:18:00.002+01:00

While I am testing and debugging the Tomcat, I am evaluating the candidates for my next project... it is always a difficult choice and it is based on many factors: documentation, development time and costs, need in FSX community...and personal taste of course!
I am currently considering three projects:

1) MB339PAN, that is the Aerobatic vesion of the MB339, used by our beloved Frecce Tricolori. In my mind it would be essential, for this project, to be graphically efficient and with very low impact on FSX to allow large formation flights. Some preliminary work done.

2) S-3 Viking. Because I believe we desperately need an up-to-date model in FSX and because it is one of those plane whose design reflects his purpose. Development costs and time would be by far the highest of the candidates, unfortunately.

3) X-47C Pegasus. Because it may well be shape of future military aviation. This is probably the easiest to make (well...mainly because there is no virtual cockpit to be modeled!).

I am desperately looking for flight manuals of both the MB-339 and the S-3. Should anyone have them in .pdf format and be so kind to send it to me I would really appreciate it. I would also appreciate your opinions and suggestions.

T-45C Goshawk won the flusinews.de Freeware Award!

2013-01-21T17:04:00.001+01:00

The T-45C Goshawk won the flusinews.de Freeware Award for the best GA Freeware Aircraft!

Well, technically it is not a GA aircraft :-) , but, well, I am very happy that my work has been appreciated so much by the community and I wish to thank flusinews.de and its reader for this award.

I'd also like to thank all the contibutors who provided an unvaluable help to this project, and all the people who supported it. Thank you all!

Also, I would like to congratulate Frank Dainese fo winning both the Best Freeware Scenery and Overall Best Freeware. He truly deserved both awards. Frank is a master in scenery design - and his speciality are absolutely incredible sceneries for the Italian mountains. He loves the mountains and his passion shows in his sceneries.

Frank's blog can be reached by clicking HERE (Scenari Alpini per FSX)

You may want to read the other winners HERE (Flusinews.de 2012 Freeware Awards)

T-45C Goshawk updated to version 2.32

2013-01-03T01:36:00.001+01:00

I am sorry to release an update so soon, but the latest Goshawk version (2.31) had some issue in the new flight model that needed to be addressed, specifically the stabilizers and trim authority were not strong enough to maintain the proper landing speed and attitude without huge movement of the control stick.
Aside, I was notified that the roll rate was signficantly slower than the real deal, and so I improved the roll rate too (which is now in the area of 170° - 180° /sec as per NATOPs value). Changes are as follows.

VERSION 2.32
- Roll rate increased and now much closer to the NATOPs value
- Increased stabilizer and stabilizer trim authority

Latest version 2.32 can be downloaded from the side bar, while files at avsim and flightsim are being uploaded as I write.
Since the only thing that is changed is the aicraft configuration file, you may want to dowload that file only by using the link below.

DOWNLOAD aircraft configuration file only by clicking HERE

Hopefully there will not be any further change or update in the near future. Sorry for the incovenience!

What's up with the Tomcat?

2013-01-02T19:04:00.001+01:00

I guess it is time for a brief Tomcat update, since so many are asking. Well, basically an Alpha version is ready...and has been ready for some weeks now. There are just few bits missing here and there, specifically:

- The outer model is done, but there is chance to add some more eye candy...

- The RIO cockpiy is practically done, but mostly INOP. And need some minor details.

- The code for some systems and gauges is buggy and incomplete.

So it is flyable (and fun!), but I'd prefer to make some progress before releasing a public Beta. I cannot say how long it will take...it is mainly depending on the time I will have. I believe it will require no less than 10 hours to bring it where I'd like it to be for the Beta...so maybe it will be ready in a couple of weeks or so.

Here are some pictures:

F-35 Freeware version released!

2012-12-31T00:04:00.004+01:00

I have changed my plans and released the freeware F-35 before the F-14D... The reason is that the F-14D Beta need more work than I though to make it a more meaningful release, and, well, I am not in the right mood to go through the tedious process of writing the missing code right now.
On the other hand, I've made several minor updates to the F-35, and I prefer to release it now. So here we go.

Version 2.10 – FREEWARE RELEASE

December 30^th 2012 – CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS VERSION:

Minor changes to .air files, less drag at transonic and supersonic speeds (to bring behavior closer to lates official claims)
Slightly reduced A/B thrust for B version (as in the real thing, B version has a different nozzle design)
Removed MFD and wide cockpit screens, unused by most users
Solved autothrottle bug (unable to engage A/T due to missing A/T arm flag in aircraft.cfg)
Fixed event firing bug in HMD code
Added specific inner bay doors animation to F-35B (inner doors open while hovering to improve lift, as in the real thing)
Fixed pilot animations in F-35B model
Added miscellaneous external views
Fixed pan rate for external views
Added custom sound package, courtesy of Serge Luzin
Changed hovering mode weight limit to 40600lbs (was 42000) according to the latest official data
Removed .exe installer, now manual installation is required

NOTE: FROM THIS RELEASE (2.10) ONWARDS THE LICENCE IS CHANGED TO FREEWARE:USAGE IS FREE, AND YOU ARE NOW FREE TO COPY THIS SOFTWARE, HOWEVER ANY MODIFICATION OR ALTERATION OF THE FILES IS STILL PROHIBITED.

It can be downloaded from the link on the side bar. Will be uploaded to avsim later on. Have fun!

T-45C Version 2.31 and download links in hindsight

2012-12-20T00:09:00.001+01:00

Ok, there is a small bug on version 2.30 which prevented keys 1,2 and 0 from the scratchpad to work properly... this was due to the compiler being configured for the new F-14.
So, I've released version 2.31 which you can download from my Google Drive by clicking on the link in the column aside.
In hindsight, I believe it is a much easier way for me to provide download links, and they are also easier to find for the visitors... so disregard my previous post: I will keep download links on the side column, at least until I change my mind again...

Download links for my projects!

2012-12-18T01:44:00.002+01:00

I have decided to consolidate all the download links of the lastest versions of my projects in this post.
This post will be constantly updated with download links to the lastest official releases, although I will continue to release them at both avsim and flightsim.

T-45C GOSHAWK for Flight Simulator X:Acceleration

The T-45C Goshawk is a heavily modified version of the Bae Hawk single engine jet trainer,adapted to aircraft carrier operation and employed by United States Navy and Marine Corps as intermediate and advanced jet trainer, including carrier qualification mission.
This package contains an detailed external visual model,with self shadowing,bump mapping and hi-res textures, a detailed working virtual cockpit with 3D gauges for both pilot and instructor stations, a reasonably accurate flight model and various repaints including Centennial of Naval Aviation special colors.

Credits:

Visual model, cockpit, flight model, textures...well...almost everything :-) by Dino Cattaneo
Custom HUD (including DEP and GUN mode) by Jivko "Neutrino" Rusev, built upon original HUD code by Scott Printz
Custom T-45C Sound package, based on real world audio samples, by Serge "Fsxnavypilot" Lsa.
VT-86 repaint by Russel R. Smith.
VX-23, VT-21 CoNA, VT-22 CoNA repaints by Jiri Soukup
Improved flight dynamics by Tom Falley

Latest official version is 2.30, released on December 18th 2012 and can be downloaded from my Google Docs folder HERE

The file is not yet available anywhere else at the moment.

F-14D TOMCAT for Flight Simulator X: Acceleration

This project is not available for download at the moment, however a Public Beta release of version 2.00 is coming soon (hopefully before Chirstmas)... NOTE: All previous versions will not be supported

F-35 LIGHTNING II for Flight Simulator X: Acceleration and Lockheed Martin Prepar3d

This project is not available for download at the moment, and was previously avaiable only as payware at SimMarket. It will be re-released as freeware in early 2013.