Aeroplane Heaven B-25J (and B) released

[DennyA]

This is an FS2020 SDK plane, but works with zero issues under FS2024. Creating this topic to discuss flying it under 2024 specifically.

I've been lucky enough to see a lot of B-25 action in the 2010s, when there were two of them flying at Paine Field in Washington state and a couple others who came in for airshows. The first thing I noticed here was, despite AH saying they're still working with their partner on sounds, how accurate the sounds are on the ground. First time I saw a B-25 running up at an airshow, I heard the sputtering and figured they wouldn't fly. Nope, that's just what B-25s sound like on the ground.

Three models included: Glass-nose B-25J, gun-nose B-25J, and the Doolittle Raiders B-25B. No carrier included, but I flew the B off of Flight Replicas' straight-deck British carriers they released for the Seafire; just be sure to put a fast wind straight down the deck. (Setup is documented in the manual.) Might have to pick up the Hornet that's apparently available on the Marketplace.

 

[Priller]

Made a sticky out of it, and here is the link:

Aeroplane Heaven - You're virtually there.™ North American B-25J Mitchell for MSFS2020 ( 2024 compatible )

Aeroplane Heaven has been developing software for flight simulation for 25 years. In that time we have produced nearly 60 different commercial releases for our own brand and for other publishers and distributors Worlwide.

www.aeroplaneheaven.com

It will be released by vendors "soon". They have the installation media.

Priller

 

[keithb77]

Recursion: See recursion...

 

[dvj]

Incredibly easy to fly and land.

 

[Priller]

Recursion: See recursion...

Corrected

 

[SpaceHippy1975]

Now available at the Just Flight store for £21.99

Very tempting...

Keith.

 

[TuFun]

 

[Killbilly]

I will probably be picking this up -- if for no other reason than to see how low I can fly it over the swimming raft at Pianosa.

 

[Javis]

Thanks Ted !

@Avangel: why don't you buy Chaseplane !? (or ask for a promo copy...). With the amazing 'Fly-By' view it'll give your presentations quite a bit more 'zingggg' ! (and that's just for starters...). You could've heard that AH is trying to establish the typical B-25 fly-by sound. Not there yet but it's a good start.
A touch of nightflying will be appreciated just as well. And don't start the engines and take-off ! Test the engines sound first while still parked ! Inside and out please ! With regard to the AH B-25: don't plop the nose wheel down upon landing! Keep it up in the air for aerodynamic braking. Could have said something about the excellent ground handling too.... And there's more missing, ma'am.... Awaiting Avangel 1.1...

 

[jankees]

good point about the front fuselage bump maps, I thought it looked very disappointing there

 

[bazzar]

Yeah I checked and the damned normal map had not loaded into the model. All fixed now together with other things. A new update build is on the way.

 

[jankees]

and I'm working on additional paintjobs:
RAAF B-25(0005) by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

will there be a paintkit?

 

[keithb77]

Noticed the stbd fuel gauges are incorrect, rear content shows as front and front doesn't show.
Also the Doolittle special doesn't get the extra fuel the real one had (1141 galls total) though it's commented in the cfg.
Maybe these will get fixed in the update

 

[bazzar]

and I'm working on additional paintjobs:
RAAF B-25(0005) by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

will there be a paintkit?

What do you need in a paintkit Jan?

 

[jankees]

What do you need in a paintkit Jan?

the UV mapping would be nice, especially for the vertical tails and the cowlings. For the rest the textures seem straightforward. I noticed you did not do any panel lines or rivets on the albedo's?

and do you have any plans to expand the Doolittle model to a regular D model? I'd love that!

 

[keithb77]

Ignore what I said about the Doolittle model fuel, I was wrong!

 

[dvj]

Couple of things to be confirmed. I can't seem to maintain level flight. Must play with the trim settings frequently in zero wind conditions. Also, rain effects on the pilot's side window run counter to the direction of travel. Bare metal skin models look almost black at certain sun angles. Curious to know if others are seeing this.

 

[bazzar]

the UV mapping would be nice, especially for the vertical tails and the cowlings. For the rest the textures seem straightforward. I noticed you did not do any panel lines or rivets on the albedo's?

and do you have any plans to expand the Doolittle model to a regular D model? I'd love that!

We use Substance painter. With that system the normal maps/textures carry all the bumps and rivets etc. This makes thing easier for adjustments and additions as all you need to do is add or subtract stuff like rivets and lines from the normal map. The albedo remains clean. For the keen eyed out there yes we have in error left off the normal map for the forward fuselage when doing the output which results in a "clean" look compared with the rear fuselage. This has now been rectified for an upcoming update and the texture guy shot yesterday morning.

 

[bazzar]

Noticed the stbd fuel gauges are incorrect, rear content shows as front and front doesn't show.
Also the Doolittle special doesn't get the extra fuel the real one had (1141 galls total) though it's commented in the cfg.
Maybe these will get fixed in the update

Actually the Main gauges are correct. They only ever show the front tank content as per the placard above them. The rears feed into the fronts. The auxiliary tank gauges have now been fixed to show correctly and will be in the update.