Alphasim T-34C Mentor is OUT!

[fsafranek]

The Navy does not use/have incremental flaps on the T-34C. They are full up or full down.

I believe you can stop them in increments. At least that is how it was described in the manual. Sort of like an electric window control I would imagine. Our Navy pilot who worked on the project made the same statements as VCN-1. They never use them for takeoff and they either go with no flaps or full flaps for landing. The incremental steps were put in to match the gauge face.
:ernae:

 

[fsafranek]

Hi Frank

I know its not your fault but will the Alphasim website bother to tell us if there are patches and fixes now that the forum has gone?

If it isn't mentioned on the News page at Alphasim I would prehaps take a look at the "unofficial" Alphasim forum.
Here's what I just found over there for v1.02:

- AOA test switch reworked.
- Ignition switch locked to ON, hold to turn OFF.
- 'First Slave' placard changed to 'Fast Slave'.
- Stall warning removed (no longer lights the MASTER CAUTION lamp).
- Trims wheels fixed.
- Stall warning horn removed.
- Nose gear door issue resolved.
- Pilot texture modified. (Paint kit updated accordingly)
- TSI/TC background texture modified.

Hope this sheds some light.
:ernae:

 

[GatorFlyer]

I believe you can stop them in increments. At least that is how it was described in the manual. Sort of like an electric window control I would imagine. Our Navy pilot who worked on the project made the same statements as VCN-1. They never use them for takeoff and they either go with no flaps or full flaps for landing. The incremental steps were put in to match the gauge.
:ernae:

You are absolutely correct about the flaps. I didnt go into too much detail on my flap post, but it is actually a 3-position switch, with the up position meaning 0% flaps, the middle position being a "stop" movement position, and the down position being a 100% flaps setting. I don't know why Beech designed it with the middle setting, as we are taught NEVER to use it. The IPs will at times use it on the ground to see if students are actually checking flaps up in the runup and for takeoff and not just saying the script. It either full up, or full down. We go right through the middle setting.

And your also correct that we dont use flaps on takeoff, unless they are down during a touch-and-go. In that case we use the memory aid "power (back to 1015 and set 100 kias climbout attitude), flaps (up), trim (as reqd), turn (to downwind), talk (on freq to state intentions: "crosswind touch and go")".

Same aid is said at the abeam postion downwind (180 postion in navy-talk): "power (to 300, set 100 kias decent attitude), flaps (down or up depending on what pilot desires, we practice both every flight, and keep flaps up on windy days), trim (as reqd), turn (to the base leg, or 90 position in navy-talk) , talk (on freq to state intentions: "180, 3 down and locked")"

 

[gajit]

If it isn't mentioned on the News page at Alphasim I would prehaps take a look at the "unofficial" Alphasim forum.
Here's what I just found over there for v1.02:

- AOA test switch reworked.
- Ignition switch locked to ON, hold to turn OFF.
- 'First Slave' placard changed to 'Fast Slave'.
- Stall warning removed (no longer lights the MASTER CAUTION lamp).
- Trims wheels fixed.
- Stall warning horn removed.
- Nose gear door issue resolved.
- Pilot texture modified. (Paint kit updated accordingly)
- TSI/TC background texture modified.

Hope this sheds some light.
:ernae:

TX Frank for your support - loved the paints on this BTW.

 

[CodyValkyrie]

Ok, my rant aside. I do like this simulator (even moreso than the Carenado offering). This is a step in the right direction for Alphasim. I hope they take its reception and critical viewpoints to heart however.

Now, if I can get confirmation that the sim doesn't get FPS in the single digits after loading it a second time, forcing a restart of FSX....

 

[gajit]

Ok, my rant aside. I do like this simulator (even moreso than the Carenado offering). This is a step in the right direction for Alphasim. I hope they take its reception and critical viewpoints to heart however.

Now, if I can get confirmation that the sim doesn't get FPS in the single digits after loading it a second time, forcing a restart of FSX....

Hi Cody - im still getting a slow down on second load even with V102. I still find it best to restart FSX to fly again with good FPS.

 

[gajit]

Hi Frank

If there is another fix - could the orange nav needle in the rear cockpit point the same way as the one in the front please.

TX

 

[CodyValkyrie]

The issue with the FPS makes it very hard to film.... or take screenshots. I hope it is resolved soon.

 

[Thoe6969]

The issue with the FPS makes it very hard to film.... or take screenshots. I hope it is resolved soon.

My mediocre pc gets 20 and over flying from the rear cockpit, more from the front.Its a three year old Intel viv dual core 2.8 with an 8800GTOC with fairly high settings.

 

[Big_Stick]

I agree with the points of A2A, which is why I continue to work with them. I disagree with the points about Alphasim. Alphasim is riding the coat tails of other development companies in an effort to provide continued sales. While there is nothing wrong with making money in this business, it is obvious this is their number one goal, foregoing realism and at times good customer support.

AlphaSim was one of the pioneers in payware and has been around a long time. Shockwave, now known as A2A, emerged much later. Its first offering was Firepower for CFS3. Captain Sim was doing deep systems modeling long before Shockwave ever attempted it, as were several other high-end payware outfits. Take a look at the JustFlight Concorde package, for example, which came out years ago. And the AvHistory group was exploring all kinds of realism and module-based simulator effects which were available as freeware nearly a decade back.

There is a serious debate about just how marketable features such as Accusim (or even the advanced stuff on the AS T-34) really help in generating addtional sales at the price point of these kinds of payware planes. The Capt. Sim stuff is very expensive by comparison. A lot of folks want to just load the darn plane in, have it fly reasonably well and look great in spot view, and go "flying". AlphaSim had that market nailed for a long time. Maybe it's a beer budget kind of market segment but it's the majority of flight simmers.

I also want to add that I very strongly object to your using the term "disgusting" when referring to AlphaSim. This is the first time I have ever seen someone representing Shockwave/A2A deliberately insult another payware firm and it marks a low point in this dialogue. It is wrong, inaccurate, and inappropriate.

 

[Big_Stick]

My mediocre pc gets 20 and over flying from the rear cockpit, more from the front.Its a three year old Intel viv dual core 2.8 with an 8800GTOC with fairly high settings.

With the LITE version, I am getting 50-60 fps in the VC and about 80 fps in spot view. My system is a three-year-old P4.

 

[CodyValkyrie]

I represent Jaggyroad Films. Let me make it clear that I speak for myself, and nobody at A2A Simulations. I work for a lot of companies out there as a sub contractor.

Alphasim may have been around for a long time, but so has Abacus.

Don't get me wrong, I do like this product. I do however find much of what they make as rubbish, especially for the price, their product support, and the direction lead by a certain individual. This is what "I" believe.

I'm not going to defend Accusim or A2A. Their reputation speaks for themselves and is beyond the scope of this thread, even thought I delved further into it.

As for Captain Sim, I wouldn't call their products high end any more than Wilco. Their support is about as good as well.

I learned something a while ago in the FS industry, and life in general from a good friend of mine in the business.

"It takes 10% of your time to create a product 90% done, it takes 90% of your time to get the last 10% done."

If people want a plane they can hit CTRL+E and start flying in, then so be it. I do that myself often as well. What I don't like is the lack of support, official notice of updates, etc.

I'll leave the accuracy of this particular product for those that are better equipped in this particular conversation. I am however leery.

If Alphasim continues to develop, support and produce products like the T-34, then I may return as a customer on a regular basis.

Just think of me as a consumer with an opinion, who happens to make FS videos and a little bit of this and that.

 

[thunder100]

Ill like the plane

I use FSX SP2 and never could start it(apart Slew).
Then I reade the manual-->nope
Then I make a mail to alphasim-->answer after 18 hours-->clear instruction(my mistake is pushing start to early)-->now it works and V!.02 is here

I own many payware and i am in a Freeware team-->really no complains against Alphasim

There only downside is their marketing-->they dont tease with 100 messages and promise us the holy grail and then are usually bashed because of price

Too bad but I stay their customer as long as they produce planes I like

Roland aka thunder100

Starliner team

They only declined one request so far-->a better glas in and out of the Cessna 140 to make it (more) FSX SP2 compatible-->I would even pay again

 

[doublecool]

Hi Cody - im still getting a slow down on second load even with V102. I still find it best to restart FSX to fly again with good FPS.

Yes, this is happening to me as well??? alittle odd to say the least

But she is a Beauty, and the Beast

Well done Alphasim...and they are working to correct the things that are wrong or we'll say need fixing by the mechanics :costumes:

Its cool to have someone who has flown it too...Thanks and welcome :ernae:

 

[gajit]

My mediocre pc gets 20 and over flying from the rear cockpit, more from the front.Its a three year old Intel viv dual core 2.8 with an 8800GTOC with fairly high settings.

So does mine for the 1st flight - but not a second change of Mentor

 

[Thoe6969]

So does mine for the 1st flight - but not a second change of Mentor

Changing to another 34 doesn't seem to affect mine.

 

[calypsos]

This FPS issue is a strange one, someone I know told me his copy started off with about 20 FPS but dropped to single figures about 2 minutes into the flight, whatever he did with re-loading. It seems to behave differently with different system combos! I shall stay clear of the AS 34C and wait for the Carenado piston version.

 

[doublecool]

Changing to another 34 doesn't seem to affect mine.

Dang IT I hope they are still lookin into it still a bug here

 

[JT8D-9A]

Thanks Frank, Phil and the whole Alphasim team! :ernae:
Excellent aircraft!
Regarding the switching of variants.. it's a complex aircraft and i never switch between complex aircraft directly. I always load a default aircraft before i change a variant or before i switch to another aircraft.

 

[Thoe6969]

Dang IT I hope they are still lookin into it still a bug here

Yeh I hope so to for your sake and some others, funny how it effects some and not others.Has to be a bug there somewhere.