Sim Skunk Works F/RF 104 G ready for the sky

blkbart · Sep 9, 2012

F-104G in USAF Livery?

 I am just about ready to download the 104G but I have a question concerning the liveries offered in the package. Pluto16’s announcement said:
“The package contains F/RF-104 G MAP and Consortium models in Belgian, Danish, Dutch, German, Hellenic, Italian, Spanish, Turkish versions,…..”
Then I saw the post by ErnstF that showed the 104 in USAF livery. Can you confirm the new model comes with USAF markings?
Thanks
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hschuit · Sep 9, 2012

blkbart said:
I am just about ready to download the 104G but I have a question concerning the liveries offered in the package. Pluto16’s announcement said:
“The package contains F/RF-104 G MAP and Consortium models in Belgian, Danish, Dutch, German, Hellenic, Italian, Spanish, Turkish versions,…..”
Then I saw the post by ErnstF that showed the 104 in USAF livery. Can you confirm the new model comes with USAF markings?
Thanks

Sure does - 58th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, AZ:

blkbart · Sep 9, 2012

That did it! I have been looking for a USAF livery ever since version 1 of this wonderful airplane. It is important to me because the F-104A made an indelible impression on me when I first saw it at Larson AFB in Moses Lake, Washington in 1959. My father was a General Electric technical representative on the J-79 engine and took me out to the base one day where I got to see the airplane up close and personal-- including the felt pads fitted on the sharp leading edge of the wings to prevent personal injury. I will never forget the mournful wail of the engine sound as the airplane flew around the base.
Downloading it now……and thanks for the livery!
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blkbart · Sep 13, 2012

More on the USAF Livery.....

 This version of the Zipper is the best yet and I would rank its flying qualities at the very top of any of the jet fighters I have in my hangar. The amount of work that went in to producing this model must have been absolutely staggering. Congratulations to the team that produced it!

On occasion, I will continue to fly the Version 2 model since sometimes I just “want to go fly” and jump into an airplane with the engines running and the radios tuned and fly multiple closed patterns in the local area. I would like to take the USAF skin with me.

I wonder if it might be possible to adapt the USAF livery from the G model to the Version 2 without too much trouble? Obviously, a lot of man-hours have already been spent on creating this livery and if a conversion will involve a lot of extra work I will certainly understand if the answer is to be no.

Thanks for your consideration.
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Pluto12 · Sep 13, 2012

blkbart said:
 This version of the Zipper is the best yet and I would rank its flying qualities at the very top of any of the jet fighters I have in my hangar. The amount of work that went in to producing this model must have been absolutely staggering. Congratulations to the team that produced it!

On occasion, I will continue to fly the Version 2 model since sometimes I just “want to go fly” and jump into an airplane with the engines running and the radios tuned and fly multiple closed patterns in the local area. I would like to take the USAF skin with me.

I wonder if it might be possible to adapt the USAF livery from the G model to the Version 2 without too much trouble? Obviously, a lot of man-hours have already been spent on creating this livery and if a conversion will involve a lot of extra work I will certainly understand if the answer is to be no.

Thanks for your consideration.

Hi....
both the F104S version 3.2 and F104G version 1.0 have a totally new external model, material and for this reason also the Mapping on the texture.....
It means that no textures of this two version is compatible with previous version of our F104 freeware or donationware.....
Regards
Emanuele

blkbart · Sep 13, 2012

I understand. Thank you for the prompt reply.

JIMJAM · Sep 13, 2012

Ok I am in.

Bought it a few hours ago and waiting for my DL link. Look forward to taming this plane.

cortomalteseit · Sep 13, 2012

If you've added to the basket 1 copy of your F-104G, and ordered it, you'll receive an email from the SSW Staff - as soon as they can - with a pdf attached that contain the download link.
Download the package, install it and send to the e-mail indicated in the instructions, the file .ssw that you've obtained after the installation (it's into the FSX directory).
If you've done the donation, you'll receive via e-mail the file necessary to activate definitely your Zipper.
Have fun!
:cowboy:

JIMJAM · Sep 14, 2012

Ok I sent the .ssw file to your email a few hours ago. Like alot of people emails are getting less and less dependable with all the spam and AV so I will be on the look out for it. James

Javis · Sep 15, 2012

Lots of pdf's in the root and docs folders but i haven't been able to locate the 'AFM' sofar.... It's not like it's a seperate download from the website, is it ?....

Thanks for any hint !

Barfly · Sep 15, 2012

You have to log into the "Support" section of the website. Under the heading "Sim Skunk Works Users Benefits", you will find links to a full S or G manual.

http://www.vaafse.org/simskunkBB/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=77

Javis · Sep 15, 2012

Ah, thanks! I figured it must be something like that. Got the Zipper unzipped, got the reg.key, but can't seem to get registered at the forum.... I know it's not easy to handle the Zipper ( used to have the CS and Cloud9 Zippers, loved 'em both ) but i hope the Skunk Zipper is not as cumbersome to fly than to get it organised ! :mix-smi:

As it will probabely still take a while before i can get to the manual can you tell me where i can find the EPU switch ?... I can start/stop it with Ctrl/W (according to the EPU light on the Systems Check placard ), engine running, but the sound of the EPU remains when i hit Ctrl/W again...

Thanks for your help!

StormILM · Sep 15, 2012

Javis said:
Ah, thanks! I figured it must be something like that. Got the Zipper unzipped, got the reg.key, but can't seem to get registered at the forum.... I know it's not easy to handle the Zipper ( used to have the CS and Cloud9 Zippers, loved 'em both ) but i hope the Skunk Zipper is not as cumbersome to fly than to get it organised ! :mix-smi:

As it will probabely still take a while before i can get to the manual can you tell me where i can find the EPU switch ?... I can start/stop it with Ctrl/W (according to the EPU light on the Systems Check placard ), engine running, but the sound of the EPU remains when i hit Ctrl/W again...

Thanks for your help!

Javis, if the model is correctly initialized(where you hear the female voice saying the model is correctly initialized), then when you hit control+w, the EPU should start. As far as shutting the EPU down post engine start, right click the left starter switch and the EPU should shut down.

Barfly · Sep 15, 2012

The Zipperhints doc is very useful for properly setting up key commands if you haven't looked at that yet. You definitely want to set up steering on/off or taxiing will be painful, lol

Don't worry about flight dynamics - they're fantastic

. Can't stop flying the thing.

Javis · Sep 15, 2012

Thanks,Storm, that's a relief!

Now to kill one more sound : i'm flying with the canopy open... tuut,tuut,tuut,tuut.....

I managed to close the canopy a few times by left click hold and shove mouse to one side or another, but not always... What exactly is the right 'procedure' ?....

@ Barfly: yes got the Zipperhint doc and nosewheel steering on/off but what i really want is the AFM of course. I suppose there's an elaborate cockpit layout description provided ?...

Love the external model, VC and sounds but get no external canopy glass with DX10. Bummer cause i get way more fps in DX10 ( plus shaders patch). Hope something can be done about that in the near future.

Thanks much, guys ! :salute:

Barfly · Sep 15, 2012

Not sure what the procedure should be, but this is what I use to close the canopy:

Left click twice on the yellow lever on the edge of the open canopy rail. Then move your mouse cursor perpedicularly across the plexiglass part of the canopy about 6 virtual inches, then hold left click, and slide the cursor out away from the rail a little more and hold. You only need to hold the left click and move a little to get the canopy to rotate completely down. Then drag the large canopy locking lever located on the forward right side of cockpit to the aft; the canopy open annunciator light should go out.

If it doesn't work, just start over by double left clicking on the yellow lever, and try a slightly different location on the canopy to 'pull'. Works pretty much every time.

G.

JIMJAM · Sep 15, 2012

Ive only flown a few shake down flights but my overall impression is its alot more forgiving than I was expecting. The old Cloud 9 104 had you putting a death grip on the stick and really sweating it out. A stall meant ejection. Exceed the aoa on take off and it meant ejection. Airspeed to slow or rpm to low on landing and, yup, probably going to have to blast out.
I have only flown with the "fun" fuel load with no externals. I even tempted fate and at around 10 grand did a accelerated stall. Fairly easy recovery. I intentionally got sloppy on final. The Starfighter gives you plenty of audio warnings and lets you know its not happy but nothing drastic happens unless you really just ignore the signs. I am yet to crash it. Either the Cloud9 had exxagerated flight characteristics, I am one heck of a better pilot now or the ssw is a little on the easy side. I dunno.
Its a very fun plane but not nearly as exhausting and picky to fly as the T-38 thats currently out there.
Tommorow I hope to load it up with some fuel,stores,light the burners and take it upstairs until I can see some stars. :cost1:

Barfly · Sep 15, 2012

The problem with the Cloud 9 104 was that it didn't model the APC which pitched the nose over automatically to prevent a high aoa out of control situation. So you were essentially flying with it off, which was possible IRL but require a lot of extra caution.

You can see the simulated APC in the SSW 104 activate in external view by watching the elevator.

cortomalteseit · Sep 15, 2012

Javis said:
As it will probabely still take a while before i can get to the manual can you tell me where i can find the EPU switch ?... I can start/stop it with Ctrl/W (according to the EPU light on the Systems Check placard ), engine running, but the sound of the EPU remains when i hit Ctrl/W again...
Thanks for your help!

The EPU switch (red covered) is hidden with default point of view. Move your POV to the left and you'll see it, in the back left panel.

Javis said:
Thanks,Storm, that's a relief!
Now to kill one more sound : i'm flying with the canopy open... tuut,tuut,tuut,tuut.....
I managed to close the canopy a few times by left click hold and shove mouse to one side or another, but not always... What exactly is the right 'procedure' ?....

Go to the SSW site, on the top right corner there are different tutorial clips, one of them is related to the canopy closing.

JIMJAM said:
Ive only flown a few shake down flights but my overall impression is its alot more forgiving than I was expecting. The old Cloud 9 104 had you putting a death grip on the stick and really sweating it out. A stall meant ejection. Exceed the aoa on take off and it meant ejection. Airspeed to slow or rpm to low on landing and, yup, probably going to have to blast out.
I have only flown with the "fun" fuel load with no externals. I even tempted fate and at around 10 grand did a accelerated stall. Fairly easy recovery. I intentionally got sloppy on final. The Starfighter gives you plenty of audio warnings and lets you know its not happy but nothing drastic happens unless you really just ignore the signs. I am yet to crash it. Either the Cloud9 had exxagerated flight characteristics, I am one heck of a better pilot now or the ssw is a little on the easy side. I dunno.
Its a very fun plane but not nearly as exhausting and picky to fly as the T-38 thats currently out there.
Tommorow I hope to load it up with some fuel,stores,light the burners and take it upstairs until I can see some stars. :cost1:

The flight characteristics of the SSW are so far more accurate than any other Zipper simulated in the world

Two former pilots of F-104 are in the team and they modeled this aircraft according to the original manual and their real life memories.

BTW I'm not part of SSW team, but I appreciate very much the way how they works and the results of their passion. I hope you appreciate it too.
Happy landings

Daniele

PLUTO16 · Sep 15, 2012

JIMJAM said:
Ive only flown a few shake down flights but my overall impression is its alot more forgiving than I was expecting. The old Cloud 9 104 had you putting a death grip on the stick and really sweating it out. A stall meant ejection. Exceed the aoa on take off and it meant ejection. Airspeed to slow or rpm to low on landing and, yup, probably going to have to blast out.
I have only flown with the "fun" fuel load with no externals. I even tempted fate and at around 10 grand did a accelerated stall. Fairly easy recovery. I intentionally got sloppy on final. The Starfighter gives you plenty of audio warnings and lets you know its not happy but nothing drastic happens unless you really just ignore the signs. I am yet to crash it. Either the Cloud9 had exxagerated flight characteristics, I am one heck of a better pilot now or the ssw is a little on the easy side. I dunno.
Its a very fun plane but not nearly as exhausting and picky to fly as the T-38 thats currently out there.
Tommorow I hope to load it up with some fuel,stores,light the burners and take it upstairs until I can see some stars. :cost1:

As we have known by real pilots that have flown the Zipper,"she" was not impossible,but simpy asked you to act very quickly.And so it should be. As you have already noticed,the Zipper changes very much depending from it's loadout.If you takeoff with 5000 lbs of fuel and without external load it can be...uh..yes,aerobatic. Try to takeoff with 4 tanks and the mk84 or the orpheus pod or some other stuff in the center rack,maybe in a hot day..and the APC meter,there in the right, will be your best friend.If you want to pull it near the limit,exclude the APC cutout,the stability system,the stick shaker breaker,the rudder/aileron limit breaker...and try to do something funny. Cloud 9 was a good example of how FS9 should be improved to obtain something very advanced compared to the other FS9 world. But this was the starting point for us,and now many things changed.During the last two years we made thousand of flight to test the zipper with the flight manual still on our side,and after all,we are closer to be happy. A very nice point you can enjoy of the Zipper is the variable weight and drag index,so every time your loadout changes (also in flight) your aircraft changes. And it changes very much! There are many things that makes this aircraft an unique add on,but I can not tell you all the story,for two reasons: 1) I'm one of the developers,so my point of view should be altered by the love I feel to this piece of junk; 2) I prefer you users tell me what you think about,is more funny.
Hope you will have fun..
Cheers,
Ale

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