A nice long-term project- Operation Fallon.

[Sbob]

While I was winding down my Virtual Deployment with VFA-146 in the F/A-18C, I started to figure out what would come next.

I was kind of leaning towards a transfer to NSAWC (AKA NAWDC) at NAS Fallon east of Reno, Nevada as a Virtual senior Lieutenant.
This lets me keep a flying job (about one flight per week) while giving me the time to fix some stuff:



NAS Fallon- I've had the Team SDB scenery for NAS Fallon (KNFL) installed for quite a while (NAS Fallon.zip).

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This scenery is dated from 2013 but I'm pretty sure its much older than that. It needs some work (especially the taxi ways) but the good news is that it should all be do-able using AFCAD2 and BGL2XML. There are also some nice Easter eggs, anytime a scenery features a Gate Guard A-7 means it can't be that bad. This is fun scenery to explore, it just needs some updating.
Mostly, the taxi ways need updating and I'd like to dump the static Tomcats and replace them with "MAIW Standard" AI.

The Hovercontrol Bell 212 and 412- These are outstanding MDLs from Jordan Moore, they are just a rock-solid pain to take from cold metal to hovering. There has never been a "how to" guide or instructions on how to get them in the air. Mostly, you try to turn on everything and cross your fingers. Mostly, they just sit on the tarmac while the engines only spool up then down. As I recall, Jordan and the Hovercontrol crew wanted some choppers that were "procedural level" for FS and they got them 95% there. Then they moved on to another project and the freeware 212 and 412 just sat there. I'd like to get them working to the point where the engines are already running (but you can shut them down) and you're ready to lift off. I need to find another (better or more simplified?) .air file and play around with the aircraft.cfg file and the panel folder. In other words, I need to break these choppers before I can fix them.

The KBT Super Hornet family- This is a project I've already spent some time on, it just needs some final polish. Mostly, I need to fine tune the [Gear and Scrape] section for the complex main gear then "re-jigger" the panel folder/gauges and aircraft.cfg file to standardize the effects files. In that same direction:

The Abacus F-35C- There IS an F-35C for FS9. Abacus included it in their Carrier Strike Fighter package. Unfortunately, it shares a lot of the bad habits of other Abacus carrier aircraft. The textures need a LOT of work. I've already played around with the flight dynamics but they need some more tuning. At one point, I tested a helmet visor HUD for the VC and darned if it didn't work. I just need to play around with it some more.

So, this will be my long-term FS project for this winter (or maybe longer?). I'll post the stuff I can post in this thread or at least let you all know how I fixed it.

 

[Jochen]

Hi Sbob, your contribution sounds interesting. Would like to help to decrypting the spooling up mystery. Supposing that J.Moore wanted a realistic start up we look up first in the world of real Bell choppers. found this to be studied a real world Manual Bell 412 here
Also I wished to hover n fly those wonderrfull masterpieces ... Lets try to solve it together,
cheers Jochen

 

[Sbob]

Jochen, I've had some success with the 412. It involves finding every switch associated with the engines and transmission, turning them ON, then waving my hands a lot. No kidding, I'd like to give you a good start-up and run procedure but it really comes down to "it depends". Sometimes I can fly the 412, sometimes it won't work.
Part of the problem comes down to the CAB files. Some CABs include the Collective Throttle gauges, most don't.

Long term, I think I'll have to abandon the .air file(s) and most of the Engine params in the aircraft.cfg file(s) and replace them with older Huey flight dynamics. In the meantime, I've attached a zip file with the CAB files you'll need for the 412. Because most of the panel.cfg's are different, I've included the whole panel folder. You could also try this panel with the (later) HC Bell 212, but I can't say for sure it will work.

 

[Sbob]

Meanwhile, there's this..



Its an older version of the HC Bell 212 for FS9. The FD looks pretty good, so far, and it loads with the engines running and ready to lift off.
The sound folder is older and simpler but it sounds pretty good.
I'm thinking its a good candidate for a "Configectomy" and I want to try adding the later MDL and a texture folder to see what happens.

 

[Sbob]

Well, that turned out OK.



The old FD with the newer MDL and a texture folder and it flies and hovers like a champ.
No VC panel, yet, but that's an easy fix. Probably. Its possible that the newer gauges might be causing some of the hassles?