Alpha F-8 Crusader improvements

[delta_lima]

What a difference a week makes!

Hey gang - back from a week out in the Maritimes visiting Mom & Dad. Mom has cancer, so right now, family's taking the "front seat" of my time ...


Still, had a few minutes to take the "new" AS bird out for a hop - outstanding job to Pam, Don, Deke, and all the others who modded this. When I was beta-testing this thing way back in 2005, I'd never have thought it'd live this long! It truly is light years better, now with new paints, esp when aliased to the "cleaner" models ...:salute: My hat's off to you all.

Only thing I did from the "stock" package was

• the AB threshold fix - without it, I also had no AB. Now it works like a charm
• commented "//"-ed out the fueldump effect lines - for some reason, the "effect" was live non-stop. I respect what functionality it may have intended to provide, but couldn't get it to work right. No worries - I'm fine without it.
• aliased the planes to the "-43" panel sets. Which I have to say, was a very thoughtful gesture to include the option, as I'm on a rather old monitor.

The only question I have pertains to the Russ' low-vis VFP-206 paint. Just as his VFP-62 is available on the "B" model, any way that low vis could be similarly aliased? I know with the B, you're forgoing the ventral fins that were present on the RF-8G model, but to lose half the missiles, it's a tradeoff I'd happily make. After all, neither is the "proper" model, so it's just about settling on the lesser evil.

Between this pack and Deke's Rollus repaints, life with the "Crusaders" is truly about as good as it can get, this side of the upcoming native RFN model.

Bravo guys & gals - top notch!!

DL

 

[fxsttcb]

...The only question I have pertains to the Russ' low-vis VFP-206 paint. Just as his VFP-62 is available on the "B" model, any way that low vis could be similarly aliased? I know with the B, you're forgoing the ventral fins that were present on the RF-8G model, but to lose half the missiles, it's a tradeoff I'd happily make. After all, neither is the "proper" model, so it's just about settling on the lesser evil.

Not too hard to accomplish.
Copy the texture.VFP-206 folder to desktop.
You need the "Body", "Wing", "Elevator" and "Tail" textures to work with the "B" Model(model=F8U-1E). Delete the rest to make it less confusing.
The existing file names start with F8-E_XXXXX. Remove the "-E" from those file names. Copy all of them back into the original texture.VFP-206 folder.

This is my additional aircraft.cfg section with the changes in Bold:
[fltsim.XX]
title=FSX ALPHA RF-8B Crusader VFP-206
sim=ALPHA_F-8X
model=F8U-1E
panel=XB-169
sound=
texture=VFP-206
KB_checklists=f8_check
kb_reference=
ui_manufacturer=Vought
ui_type=F-8 Crusader X
ui_variation=VFP-206 RF-8B Hawkeyes
description=VFP-206 textures by Russel R. Smith. © ALPHA Simulations 2005\n\nIn 1953 the F8U-1 Crusader won the Navy competition for the new carrier-based day fighter. It flew supersonic on its maiden flight in 1955. A Crusader set a national speed record in 1956 by flying over 1000 mph, for which it won the Thompson Trophy. In 1957 Major John Glenn flew an F8U non-stop from Los Angeles to new York, setting a transcontinental speed record. In 1958 Vought received the first Certificate of merit ever awarded an aircraft manufacturer by the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics for the design, development and production of a US Navy aircraft. In the Vietnam conflict the Crusader had the highest kill ratio over communist jets of any Navy aircraft. The F8U series enjoyed a long service life which was extended in the 1960s by remanufacturing and updating existing aircraft. Crusaders flew in Navy reserve units until 1987, and the French navy flew its Crusaders well into the 1990’s.
atc_heavy=0
atc_id=145633
atc_airline=NAVY
atc_flight_number=AF3
atc_parking_types=MIL_COMBAT
atc_parking_codes=VP206, F8, M001

View attachment 88574

 

[DaveQ]

DL - hope your mother is doing well. If you have the time here are a couple of AS F-8 updated skins almost ready.

149170, an F-8E from VF-33 off USS Enterprise

View attachment 88575

149204, an F-8E from VMF(AW)235 at Da Nang SVN 1967, probably the aircraft assigned to Maj Norman Marshall that finished its career with the French Navy.

View attachment 88576

The Death Angels paint was in the original pack but I've updated it and spent this morning researching a known assignment. In the process I found this website; it belongs to Lt. Col. (ret) Don Cathcart ('Mofak') and hold a mass of material written by a career Marine who flew with VMF-235 at Da Nang and elsewhere. A real treasure trove for those who love the 'Sader.

Will post later

DaveQ

 

[delta_lima]

DL - hope your mother is doing well. If you have the time here are a couple of AS F-8 updated skins almost ready.

149170, an F-8E from VF-33 off USS Enterprise



149204, an F-8E from VMF(AW)235 at Da Nang SVN 1967, probably the aircraft assigned to Maj Norman Marshall that finished its career with the French Navy.



The Death Angels paint was in the original pack but I've updated it and spent this morning researching a known assignment. In the process I found this website; it belongs to Lt. Col. (ret) Don Cathcart ('Mofak') and hold a mass of material written by a career Marine who flew with VMF-235 at Da Nang and elsewhere. A real treasure trove for those who love the 'Sader.

Will post later

DaveQ

Hello Dave,

Thanks for asking - we'll know more in a few weeks pending biopsy/pathology reports.

What can I say .... more F-8 paints? Well yes, sir! And if the option to painlessly adapt that -235 to the B model (the way Don so kindly did with the original), then all the more wholeheartedly.

Interestingly, I've known about "Mofak's" site for a good while now. If you look at the stock -235 paint, the name on the canopy rail is Rich Turner - an SOH member. Rich approached me when we were testing this model to see if Carl would paint a USMC bird. Since he had served as an enlisted groundcrew with -235 in Da Nang during the war, I made the request to Carl on his behalf - which Carl very kindly did. Indeed, as a goodwill gesture, we had the idea to "commission" Rich and make him the pilot on that bird's paint. Now all this to say that as part of Rich sharing his experiences with -235, I'm pretty sure I recall him making reference to Don Cathcart, and that at least during the Da Nang years, they had indeed served together. I believe Rich is still here (he's a humble guy, I'll let him pipe up if he wishes), and can confirm.

Thanks Don, will try the edits tonight.

Best,

Daniel

 

[delta_lima]

Hello again, Dave.

Downloaded your textures - they look smashing indeed. Stencilling, paint match, way, way better than stock.

Only thing (at least on the -235) I noticed transitioning these using Don's instructions over onto the B model - there is an untextured spot on the spine where the tail meets the dorsal fuslage. Any ideas?

Thanks!

DL

 

[DaveQ]

Hello again, Dave.

Downloaded your textures - they look smashing indeed. Stencilling, paint match, way, way better than stock.

Only thing (at least on the -235) I noticed transitioning these using Don's instructions over onto the B model - there is an untextured spot on the spine where the tail meets the dorsal fuslage. Any ideas?

Thanks!

DL

For the F8-DeathAngel.mdl the texture is F8-J_DeathAngel_redwhitechecks, for the F8_Crusader.mdl it's F8_tailmainRIGHT. That would be renamed from F8-J_Deathangel_TailmainRIGHT. If that's in place correctly you should be OK. PM me if not.

Regards

Dave

PS Carl's way of organising the texture sets and draw calls is almost unique to this beast and not easy to manage. I tried the FSX trick of using a texture.cfg file but it doesn't work for some reason; all the relevant files have to be in the same folder.

 

[expat]

Dave,

These are very cool paints.

I keep finding pictures of the "E" model that has the ridge or hump that the later Crusaders had, but the one that came in Alphasim's package doesn't have it. Does anyone know if this is correct or is it like the A-4E which had either a hump or no hump?

expat

http://xsdyoa.bay.livefilestore.com...fY0iDSOI44iNRr2QwoMC/Vought F-8E Crusader.png

 

[fxsttcb]

NAVAIR 00-110AF8-5, Dated 1 July 1967, "Standard Aircraft Characteristics Navy Model F-8E(F8U-2NE)" shows the hump in the 3 View. Dunno if it was a "running" change though...Don

 

[expat]

Downloaded your textures - they look smashing indeed. Stencilling, paint match, way, way better than stock.

Yes, and the other thing you did that I like is to brighten up a bit the white undersides, something I find in many other Navair paints doesn't look right compared to the planes I have seen IRL.

 

[delta_lima]

NAVAIR 00-110AF8-5, Dated 1 July 1967, "Standard Aircraft Characteristics Navy Model F-8E(F8U-2NE)" shows the hump in the 3 View. Dunno if it was a "running" change though...Don

I believe a few may have been produced without the hump - since the first flight was either '61 or '62. But certainly, by '67, they all either had them from the factory, or had been retrofitted. That hump, incidentally, was to house the Bullpup-related electronics.

The somewhat annoying aspect about this model stems from the very "fluid" process Carl used to decide which models he wanted to render. So what he calls the "F-8E" - is more akin to a "D" - in that it has the small nose and no hump. What he calls "J" - is more of a later model E ... etc. Layer in that this aircraft straddles both the pre- and post- '62 naming conventions (F8U-2NE = F-8E) only adds to the confusion. So in a sense, the whole project is missing one of the most common models - the true F-8E (big nose, IRST, and hump), in clean configuration. The project really in effect gives you only the missile armed B and D, and armed E/J versions for the USN/USMC. At least the E (FN) line-up is somewhat complete.

I hope that helps ....

DL

 

[DaveQ]

Actually the Marines model is possibly closer to reality; VMF-321 were using -K's at the time they sported their blue with white stars livery. These were uprated -C's so the lack of dorsal hump was accurate, though the tail extension above the rudder is missing. DL has persuaded me to update that paint too but it may be a while as I'm away for a couple of weeks.

DaveQ