A Taste of Things to Come (Spitfire Preview)

Everything you see in the video has an actual effect on how the aircraft operates. For instance, you only have five Coffman starter cartridges, so after five attempts to start you're out of luck. You also have to pull the reload control after each attempt to load the next cartridge. The engine won't start without the correct amount of priming (you can also flood the engine), and if you forget to set your radiator shutter correctly, you will regret it! That's just a few examples of what's been modeled into the aircraft's systems over the past 7 months or so.
 
gecko said:
Everything you see in the video has an actual effect on how the aircraft operates. For instance, you only have five Coffman starter cartridges, so after five attempts to start you're out of luck. You also have to pull the reload control after each attempt to load the next cartridge. The engine won't start without the correct amount of priming (you can also flood the engine), and if you forget to set your radiator shutter correctly, you will regret it! That's just a few examples of what's been modeled into the aircraft's systems over the past 7 months or so.
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That sounds really excellent thanks Gecko. Does it require extra running software apart from CFS3 to do the new controls? Do we need to edit config files and so on I was wondering how easy it will be for us plebs :)
 
Install will be similar to the other ones we've done like the Typhoon or Fw 190, so that means there are some lines to add to a couple xml files and an ini file. This gets all the visual and sound effects installed. Otherwise it is just a matter of copying the files into your CFS3 install.

The new software similar to how the Fw 190 advanced animations package worked, but much more user-friendly. Instead of running CFS3, you will click on the icon for the new software, which will run CFS3 (or the ETO selector menu if you installed it into ETO) automatically. From that point on everything works the same as you are used to. The software will automatically recognize what aircraft you are flying, and will load the new features for the Spitfire if you have it selected. If you have something else selected, the new features are not loaded and everything behaves normally.

If you are running the latest version of Ankor's shaders (to be released soon) you will be able to assign the new commands (like engine primer, navigation lights, etc) to keys or joystick buttons using the normal CFS3 key configuration menu. Otherwise, there is an ini with default assignments for key commands which you can edit to suit your preferences.
 
Thank you Gecko it sounds slick even a duffer can use it :). I had a look at the FW190 but I think it wasn't working at the time was a little complicated for me - I'll give it another go now though.
 
Is it possible to integrate these new clickable cockpit features into other aircraft? IE a Lancaster or something else?
 
grover1 said:
Is it possible to integrate these new clickable cockpit features into other aircraft? IE a Lancaster or something else?
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Yes, any cockpit that has relevant controls modeled as distinct objects can be made clickable in maybe 15 minutes.

However, clickable cockpit on its own doesn't add any new systems, inputs or animations besides what already exists in CFS3.
For example, there's a minor, but noticeable, issue with magneto controls. CFS3 has magneto commands off/left/right/both. It is enough, but it doesn't map well to cockpit controls where you have two individual on/off switches: you can make switches individually clickable, but there's no way to toggle a specific magneto because there's no such command in CFS3.

Added
The quality of stock models varies. Spitfire IX for example has quite a few controls, including trim wheels (not animated of course). But stock bombers seem to be quite lacking - there's not much in the cockpit besides throttle and maybe some buttons (although you can assign any functions to these buttons).
 
Yes and no. Yes, as part of the next release of Ankor's shaders you absolutely will be able to add click points to the cockpits of ANY existing aircraft and assign any existing CFS3 command to any part of the aircraft. If you'd like to try your hand at autohotkey, you could even create some new commands and add them to existing aircraft. Ankor has made the whole system extremely flexible that way. However, adding new animations for those new commands like what you see in the Spitfire video requires that those animations be added in gmax, and more complex scripting to make it all work.

I have designed my scripts to allow for scripts for other aircraft to be added and recognized without changing the existing scripts. Modelers building new planes will be able to do the same kinds of things we've done with the Spitfire in terms of animations and scripting and have their scripts be recognized by the software.
 
Based on what I saw here, it is possible to add in clickable cockpits to some aircraft. That's great to hear. Fortunately, I've started figuring out animating with gmax, so I might add a few odds and ends to some of the default aircraft.
 
Would there be a possibility that a "generic" skin with no squadron or serial markings is included, as it gets a bit jarring having all of your wingmen flying completely identical aircraft.
 
Just checking in with the status of the Spitfires release. Any time soon ? Would be great to have with the Bf-109F's coming out for the Channel Front along with the early Fw-190's.A good match-up. How many Mk II's will there be? Waiting with baited breath ! Thanks for all the work. Thought i'd be getting a new computer to run AnKor's shader package but need a new roof for the house now.:banghead: Well, maybe later this year if something else doesn't go wrong ! Regards,Scott
 
Ouch, sorry about the roof! We are putting the final package together, and squeezing one more Mk.II variant into it. Work and travel schedules are slowing things down right now. Hang in there, we definitely think it will be worth it!
 
Spitfire Mk II

Here`s an interesting excerpt from Castle Bromwich June 15 1940.

Alex Henshaw flew his first production Spitfire, a Mk II Serial Number P7281, at Castle Bromwich on 15th June 1940. After a frustrating day waiting for the aircraft to be finished, Alex took-off in the late evening. Crossing the airfield from a dive and cutting a swathe through the rising mist, Alex put the aircraft into a vertical climb and three upward rolls, followed by an aerobatic display which put the heart back into all those who had worked so hard all day to finish the aircraft.
Part of Alex Henshaw's display to demonstrate the Spitfire to visiting dignitaries was a precision roll below hangar height, often had to be carried out in poor weather. Seen by some as highly dangerous, the machine was always under control to his exacting standards, which many could admire but few could equal.

I can`t wait to have these newbie`s in my hanger.

alcanallen.

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Henshaw was one of the best, thanks for sharing. Here's the only known footage of him flying a Spitfire display -testing out a brand new Mk.V in 1941. Later in the clip you can see a Mk.II start up using the coffman starter. Not something you can see in action on any Spitfire today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCmzYccyBYM
 
The Mk II`S

Thanks Gecko nice vid,that Merlin gives me goosebumps,inverted still the splutter seems Mrs Shillings Orifice was still in the pipeline,i wonder why the Brits were so late with fuel injection the diesels must have been fuel injected and C A V pumps must have been around at that time.

John.
 
Nice spot on the engine cutting out, and you're right - that's exactly what's happening. Though the shilling orifice didn't fully cure the issue, just lessened the negative effects in some situations. A full solution didn't arrive until the pressure carburetor was introduced later on.

There were however some major advantages to using a carburetor over fuel injection, and it wasn't so much a case of engine development falling behind the Germans as it was a conscious choice toward having different advantages. The biggest one is that because all of these engines were supercharged, the air coming into the engine gets highly compressed by the supercharger, causing its temperature to increase significantly. The hotter the air, the less dense it is, making the supercharger less effective and also increasing the risk of detonation. Hotter air being pumped into the cylinders requires a lower max manifold pressure limit, meaning less horsepower for a given engine displacement and poorer high altitude performance.

The advantage of a carburetor is that the fuel is mixed with the air before it reaches the cylinder, cooling the air significantly. In an injected engine the fuel is delivered directly to the cylinders and has no chance to cool the air. Once the two-speed two-stage supercharger was added to the Merlin 61, they were able to run significantly higher manifold pressures than their injected German counterparts resulting in high altitude performance that the Germans would struggle to match for the rest of the war.
 
Thanks for the link to the video,Gecko. Amazing sounds ! Never heard a Spitfire making a roll or a loop.What a awesome pilot. Will the new Spitfires have sounds like that ? I have never even heard a Spitfire in real life. Lucky for anyone who has. That Merlin sure sounds great ! Cheers,Scott
 
There will be a custom sound set for the aircraft, including the Merlin engine of course, but also authentic sounds for all the systems. Since the Spitfire used pneumatic pressure to operate lots of its systems, you will hear a lot of compressed air sounds for the different controls, some of which you can hear in the video. Of course it's pretty hard to do justice to the sound of a Merlin, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. The engine will splutter and stumble when it cuts out under negative g, and it has that distinctive crackle and pop when you pull the throttle to idle as you flare to land.
 
Work has kept me away from my PC for a while, but in my down time on the road I've been able to get some of the documentation squared away so you'll have something to reference as you learn to fly it. I figured I'd give you all a head start on reading up on it! Here are the Pilot's Notes for this aircraft. They are from 1940, just as the first Spitfire Mk.IIs were rolling off the production lines. All I did was clean up the scan to have the text recognizable and some minor format adjustments. The CFS3 version can be flown exactly by the book. Happy reading!

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Just found out that the Spitfire MkII did fight in the Battle of Britain starting in late August when they were issued to 611 squadron at Digby. Only 920 were produced. 74 squadron got some late also.
 
John has the Mk.II's frontline career covered from start to finish with his selection of liveries, including several BoB schemes right on through early 1942 following the switch to the sea grey / green camo. Early aircraft have fabric covered ailerons, which perform poorly at high speed, while the later ones have improved metal ailerons.
 
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