Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Yesterday Eric McClintock and Mark Stewart over at FSBreak interview Mathijs Kok from Aerosoft. Very interesting content in this interview, when you get a chance stop by FSBreak. They talk about Aerosoft as a company, the new Aerosoft Simulator, and talk a little about Piracy in the FS community.



Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Dino still hard at work =)

Good Morning all! I hope your Monday went by uneventful.

Looks like Dino Cattaneo is still trying to improve his F-14D Tomcat. Main concerns for Dino looks to be the canopy and the afterburner effects. The following is from Dinos blog and please make sure to visit his blog for up to the date news on his work.:



"As the weather has been very nice here in Italy, I have not dedicated much time to FSX lately so most of the projects I am doing have been suffering some delays.
The tail section of the F-35 is done...and I have to confess am pretty happy with it, but the main work I am doing in these days is trying to imporve the Tomcat.

I've playing with a "modeled" afterburner effect, that is the burner is not an .fx file (2d sprites and particoles) but 3d geomtery with special materials proprieties. Results are nice...in still pictures only. As the geometry is static, the overall effects does not give the proper sense of speed....on the other hand, you may hand draw the differnet textures for zone 1-5 so thaat the diffenece is visible.
Pictures above show how the latest build looks like. As some users may not like this approach, I will probably release also an optional .mdl with no burners at all.
The new build will also bring some changes in flight dynamics.
FOR REPAINTERS:
As announced previously the new build will bring a change in the canopy texture. Now the area on which the crew names are usually painted will not be anymore "mirrored" on both sides.
Updated texture can be found here for your reference:
http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/9625/f14canopyt.png
As result, some existing repaints may need a small adjustment - sorry for the inconvenience guys...but I really could not stand mirrored crew names on some otherwise stunning repaints :-)

The update will be released (hopefully) during the next weekend."

I found this little plane from Premaircraft the other day and just though I would roll it by you guys. Its not bad for freeware.



Sunday, July 12, 2009

I hope you all are having a great weekend. My weekend has been eventful with another install of my operating system. Actually I installed Windows 7, all 7 is is a much needed service pack of Vista, I cant believe they are actually trying to sell this instead of being a patch. Anywho........

Today I wanted to talk about some utilities I use on my computer to keep it in tip top shape (when my computer wants to cooperate with me). First piece of software is called Advanced System Care.

Trusted by 35 Million Users to Care for Their PCs
Advanced SystemCare Free (formerly Advanced WindowsCare Personal) has a one-click approach to help protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. With over 35 MILLION downloads since 2006, this fantastic, award-winning, free PC repair software is a "must-have" tool for your computer. 100% safe with no adware, spyware, or viruses; a PC maintenance program that’s incredibly easy to use.
Why waste money on expensive "registry cleaners" to fix your PC when Advanced SystemCare Free will repair, tune, and maintain it for you – for free!



The second piece of software comes from the same company that brings us Advanced System Care and it is called Game Booster. I would recommend this little gem to anybody who uses flight simulator or any game for that matter. Designed to help optimize your PC for smoother, more responsive game play in the latest PC games with the touch of a button, Game Booster helps achieve the performance edge previously only available to highly technical enthusiasts. It works by temporarily shutting down background processes, cleaning RAM, and intensifying processor performance. That means you can keep all the features of Microsoft® Windows Vista® and XP® ready for when you need them, but turn them off when you are ready to get down to serious business – gaming. Game Booster makes it simpler to enjoy the latest games and take your experience to a new level. All systems go!



The third piece of software I use is called CCleaner. CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)



I use an Anti Malware called Ad-Aware. And Anti Spyware called Spybot Search and Destroy. I hope some of these programs help you out.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Happy Friday once again. I hope your week went well.

Do not forget our friends at FlightSim Hangout is hosting a flight tonight, which will probably roll over into the weekend due to the length of the trip. We will be following Route 66 from the skys. Chicago IL. to Los Angeles CA. I know most of us are taking props. I may take the Carenado Cessna 152.



***ALPHASIM claims there will be no customer support by e-mail for the next few days due to staff vacation. New store account activation will still occur, although a longer than usual wait may be experienced,possibly up to 24 hrs. Normal service will be resumed on 16th July at about 6am GMT.



***Upgrade your flight simulation experience for Microsoft Flight Simulator X with the Saitek Pro Flight Radio Panel.
* A set of switches and LED displays for use in controlling various aspects of flight simulation
Includes:
o COM1/COM2/NAV1/NAV2 function
o DME/ADF/XPDR functions
* Works with Microsoft Flight Simulator X and 2004
* LED displays work fully in real time with Flight Simulator X and 2004, removing the need to bring the radio stack up on screen
* Standby switch - set your standby frequencies and then set to active at the touch of a button
* Twin concentric adjustment dials adjust frequency units incrementally for quicker selection of your required frequency
* Mounts onto the Pro Flight Yoke System (sold separately) or into your own home cockpit setup
* Multiple Radio Panels will allow simultaneous display of the various radio stack functions
* Compatible: Windows XP/XP64 and Vista
Connectivity: USB 1.1/2.0
Works with: Windows XP, XP64 and Vista (all versions)





***Upgrade your flight simulation experience for Microsoft Flight Simulator X with the Saitek Pro Flight Radio Panel.
* A set of switches and LED displays for use in controlling various aspects of flight simulation
Includes:
o COM1/COM2/NAV1/NAV2 function
o DME/ADF/XPDR functions
* Works with Microsoft Flight Simulator X and 2004
* LED displays work fully in real time with Flight Simulator X and 2004, removing the need to bring the radio stack up on screen
* Standby switch - set your standby frequencies and then set to active at the touch of a button
* Twin concentric adjustment dials adjust frequency units incrementally for quicker selection of your required frequency
* Mounts onto the Pro Flight Yoke System (sold separately) or into your own home cockpit setup
* Multiple Radio Panels will allow simultaneous display of the various radio stack functions
* Compatible: Windows XP/XP64 and Vista
Connectivity: USB 1.1/2.0
Works with: Windows XP, XP64 and Vista (all versions)





***Striking Software Announces Screen Shot Contest



Striking Software in conjunction with CH Products is very pleased to announce the one-year anniversary of the release of FS Water Configurator Mega-Contest! The winner can pick a free CH controller as his or her prize! Learn more about this fantastic opportunity here.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Happy Hump day all, hang in there the weekend is just right around the corner.

Join me and my friends at FlightSim Hangout this Friday @ 6pm Pacific Standard Time as we take a trip back in time and follow the imfamous Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles for more information please visit FlightSim Hangout.



I have some news from Dino Cattaneos Blog regarding some lingering questions about his F-14D. The following is from Dinos blog:

Grumman F-14D Tomcat
While I think the 0.95 was a relatively good release, I am still working on it. The planned changes are as follows:
- Change to the canopy texture so that left and right sides are separate (at least in the lower area): this is to allow repainters to write the crew names onto the canopy without having the right side "mirrored". NOTE: this will impact actual repaints
- Fix the animation glitch when opening the radome
- Improve the flight model (reduce the overpower condition at medium speeds)
- Integrate a couple of repaints (namely VF-101 by BananaBob and VF-31 by Yago9)

FAQs:

Q:Can I host the Tomcat on my website? Can I repack it (with an installer/repaints/missions/whatever)?
A:The current release (v0.95) has still some (minor) issues...so I'd like to keep control on the release by limiting the download sources, if possible. The next release will be probably good enough to be uploaded to other sites.
Please do not repack the Tomcat - it will make it impossible to keep track of the versions as it happened on my Fs2004 Tomcat which was extensively reworked and repackaged by several individuals (often without my authorization)... I guess it is the price of the popularity :-)

Q: Is a repaint kit available?
A: No. The simple reason is I never did it one from myself - I use the "photoreal" approach, so textures are made from actual photos....

Q:Is the flight model overpowered?
A: Yes. Not as much as some users believe IMHO, but the flight model should show roughly a 10% more power than the real one. I've increased the thrust so that it is possible to reach and exceed the maximum allowable speed for the given configuration (Mach 1.8 above 10000ft) as requested by some early users. In general, I think the engine behaviour at very slow and very high speeds is acceptable... but in other flight conditions it is definitely too powerful.
Some users have complained about the "spool time" (the time needed for the engine to react to a throttle change). Jet engines are known to have a slow reaction...but things have evolved from the early jet era... In doubt, I've kept the default Hornet value.

Q:What is the correct approach speed?
A:It depends on the fuel quantity: if you launch with the tanks fully loaded and then immediately try to land, you are too heavy (and in the real world you might severely damage the a/c trying to land) so you need to dump fuel before landing. With proper weight, the flight model should allow an approach speed of 125 to 130 Knots (close to the real one).

Q:Is there a manual? Or at least a checklist?
A:I never had time to write them. Writing a check list that is both as close as possible to the real one and still works with FSX model takes more time than you expect. I am not sure I will have the time to do it anytime soon...

Q:What is your next project?
Definitely the F-35 Lighting II. It is very likely to be payware. It is shaping up really nicely, and I've just completed the tails and the engine - will post some pics as soon as it makes some sense.
I am taking the "HD" approach, that the main textures will be 4096x4096 and the smaller ones will be 1024x1024. The main subject is the AA-1 bird (the CTOL system development prototype). Possibly the BF-1 (STOVL development bird) will be modeled too, but given the FSX restriction in the STOVL dynamics it is a second priority.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Good morning all I hope you enjoyed your weekend. For many of us it was an extended weekend and I know many of you got an extra day or two to get some extra flight time in, I know I did for sure. Me, Dave, and Jason flew some hops from Snohomish Wa. to Eureka Ca.

I found a new website that was created on the 4th that is on a mission to update
airports throughout Microsoft Flight Simulator
FS Airport Updates (FSAU) is a new Airport Updating Community for Microsoft Flight Simulator. You can request and download Airport Updates wherever you want. FSAU makes your airports more realistic and up-to-date than the default versions. They are small files, but can change alot to your airports, and are very frame rate friendly*. So come along and see our web site, and experience the realism. Tell us what you think of our files by rating and comment.

* On Capable Systems

FSAU
http://fs-airportupdates.webs.com




Another website that I found redoing airports but only for California State airports is called Clear Sky Simulations




The Newly released FSX Aeroworks ARX-5X Coyote - Version 2 The ARX-5X (Concept 5) is a single-seat unlimited category aerobatic aircraft built around the 495c.i. 600hp Trace-Orenda OE600 V-8 aircraft engine and designed specifically for freestyle airshow type aerobatics. Version 2 has a totally new airfile and flight dynamics and the plane can easily handle compulsory competition manoeuvre's as well as more advanced gyroscopic manoeuvre's such as lomcovaks and tumbles. The ARX-5X cruises around 200kts, with a never-exceed speed of 240kts. This FSX native model contains animations, reflections, environment mapping, spec mapping and a full dynamic virtual cockpit. Although it is not a real aircraft it does have several real-world components such as the Chelton Flight Systems EAU (engine airdata unit) display, and a Hartzell "scimitar" swept blade propeller. This release is not a quick & dirty update simply "ported" into FSX, it is a full FSX rebuild by the original authors, compiled with XtoMDL and conforming the FSX SDK using dds textures and new modelling techniques for the best overall end-user performance. Includes 2 configs, 7 models, and 20 schemes with a custom smoke system and night time pyrotechnic effects.
When I downloaded the aircraft I was expecting it to behave like the Extra 300 but to my surprise it was really stable and would probably do great in formation. The smoke and pyrotechics effects are just awesome as well. I think it is a pretty good aircraft. I flew it both in calm and in windy conditions and it was a little hard to keep stable in windy conditions so I recommend flying this bird in calm winds. You can at download the Aeroworks ARX-5X Coyote HERE.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Independance Day!!!



Happy Independances Day everyone. Let us take a moment to reflect and remember those who made it possible for us to enjoy are freedoms. Also thank anyone you know who serves or who have served for our country may it be law enforcement or in the Armed Forces. People say that there is nothing they could do to repay us for our service. Well a hand shake or hug and a heart felt thank you is priceless in my book. ......a pay raise is always good too =) hahaha. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and stay safe.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Good Friday morning everybody. I had a good flight last night with my bro Todd in FSX. Todd was finally able to figure out how to transfer his repaints of the Carenado T-34B from FS2004 to FSX so we was able to take up the LIMA LIMA Flight Team paints and flew them 295nm from Oklahoma City to Kansas City. Our flight plan was as followed:

Tinker AFB Airport-KTIK
Clarence E Page Municipal Airport-KRCE
Bartlesville Municipal Airport-KBVO
Allen County Airport-K88
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport-KMKC

I was able to get some good formation wing time in so thank you Todd, it was an awesome flight.

Here are a few pics of the repaints that were converted to FSX.




Thursday, July 2, 2009

Thursday July 2nd 2009

Well happy Thursday all, its a Friday for some of us since Saterday is Independance Day. My wifes got a 4 day weekend so Im happy =)

Have you heard any news from RAZBAM lately? Well I have! They have been working hard updating there website and Forum. They have also been working on the F-102 a claim it is near completion here are a few pics:









Set includes firing missiles model (for missions) complete clickable cockpit (even those switches intended for combat use)custom gauge set, custom sound set that will tremble your desk(in 3d) made by IRIS AudiworX and a paint kit. Price to be announced (but you know us..), detailed flight model by our in-house and former USMC pilot, no learjet handling here!
Model is going into BETA stage as i type this.

Razbam is also working on close concert with TopGun Simulations, on a brand new special F-18.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Carenado Releases Their First Twin!

Happy hump day all, and what a happy day it is. Carenado released there first twin engine aircraft, the PA-34 200T Seneca II. I can not wait to get this one!



ONLY FOR FSX. PA-34 200T SENECA II. DEVELOPED ONLY FOR FSX. SUPPORTS SP2, ACCELERATION PACK and DX10. FSX features: external dynamic shadows, internal dynamic shadows on VC, volumetric normal mapping, specular mapping and bloom lights – Polygon optimized model – Friendly FPS – IFR certification – Two models: two and three blade propeller - Three different paints plus a blank texture - Maximum details and realistic textures - **Original HQ digital stereo sounds (44100 HZ) recorded from the original aircraft (NEW FEATURE OF CARENADO)** - Includes: Interactive virtual cockpit - Full moving parts: Ailerons, elevators, rudders, flaps, rolling wheels and trim tab – Animated sections such as: doors, sun visor, vibrating antenna and vibrating static wicks - Lights: Navigation lights, beacons, landing lights, ice light on the left wing - Transparent windows - 3D modeled pilot and cockpit area - Many details as: pitot, antennas, chocks, cowl plugs, baggage area - Custom VC panel and gauges – This model doesn’t have a 2D panel - Realistic light effects on gauges - Nightlight effects on panel – Built-in zoom gauges - Separate switches for instruments lights and dome light – Toggle yoke at VC – Full checklist and reference text about the procedures - Realistic performance - Real behavior compared to the real airplane - Real weight and balance – Pilot, copilot and passenger views - PDF manual of VC – Original Autopilot and Flight Director installed - By CARENADO
USD $ 29.95