An old project brought up to date: Canso PBY-5 of SAGQ

lagaffe

lagaffe

Members +
Hi,

First, SAGQ is a acronym for Service Aerien du Gouvernement de Québec (Aerial Service of Quebec Gouvernement).

Ten years ago Olivier FAIVRE, designer of the Hydro'Z for X-Plane 9, gave me his sources so that I could wear his Catalina under FS9 and FSX.
PBY-5A_FS9.jpg
The project started slowly with a lot of worries (find the best format to convert Blender 2.49 files to Gmax) and in 2013 the well advanced project had to be shelved for personal reasons.
The aircraft at that time was working in degraded mode but was usable under Prepar3D. Animations in the VC (gauges) was the only part not realized.
Canso_Water-Bomber_PBY-5A.jpg
In November 2020, after a year occupied to learn Blender 2.8, I decided to use what I had gathered as knowledge to tackle the transfer of my data about this aircraft to MSFS. After 3 months of big efforts, the result is encouraging and here is the state of play.
2021-02-08_203633.jpg

Canso_int_v0.1.4.jpg
PS: Some details should be improved like the windshiled texture: reflective but to opaque.

The plane produced is a civilian version used as a water bomber in Canada (SAGQ) but also in France (SPC), someones were used on the side of Marseille-Provence/Marignane beetween 1960's and 1965's, whre I lived during theses years; they were designed under the "Pelican" name :engel016:
Canso_v0.1.4.jpg

References:
- http://cansonet.free.fr
- https://www.techno-science.net/definition/1521.html
I think to add two French livreries for this addon.

For the pleasure and to test Armor Paint software, I even modelized the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92S for this plane but considering the number of details brought (234000 vertex), the result although interesting risks to be unusable in simulation so I think to use this model to make a lighter version which will be pushed anyway.
Bis_TwinWasp_Fourteen.jpg
All this stuff is realized under Blender 2.83.12 and textures with Armor Paint v8 dev version (Fev 2021)

I hope to be able to release a Alpha version on French-VFR (http://frenchvfr.free.fr) as soon as possible.
 
Iagaffe, that looks fantastic! Really glad you picked up the project again. That would be wonderful to have in MSFS.
 
This will be a great aircraft to have, thank you!

Any plans for a historical 'warbird' version of the model?
 
I am really looking forward to this, and it looks excellent! The PBY has long been a favorite of mine, and what primarily got me interested in warbirds at a young age.
 
Tom Clayton said:
By the way, if you want to get rid of the red-green splitting in the hangar, there's a fix:

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/319524
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip even if it is not my priority (screenshots in the hangar) it can be useful to have the best screen as possible :wavey:
Thanks to the others for yours messages :jump:

The Menestrel HN-433 (https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php/47870-FS9-Ménestrel-HN-433-in-progress) and this Canso are my two oldest ongoing projects and I'm in a hurry to see them finish so I can fly with them under MSFS.
 
After a few months spent finishing and delivering the Menestrel, we resumed the development of the Canso at the end of July 21.

The first point that we studied concerns the wakes and other effects which are essential to a water bomber plane which moreover is amphibious.
I took the opportunity to finalize a first library of effects that I sent to Henrik (KL791) for his collection of boats.
A water dropping and delaying effect has been realized. Of course this is only a first version and the Visual Effects tool has some problems in the last version that was delivered by Asobo with the SU5. This effect will have to be reworked.

Most recently, work in progress has focused on

  • 3D modifications for the tires,
  • correction of the 3D topology on the aircraft 's front for better mapping,
  • modification of the basic texture of the 712 model,
  • coding of the wheel animations to take into account the new landing effects (rain, snow, etc)
  • adding smoke effects on the engines 's startup, we want to code an engine startup step as close to reality as possible (i.e. for the DC-3 freeware),
  • adding water drop effects (ya tested).

Aout-2021-bis.jpg PBY-5-A-Console-moteurs.jpg

The Pratt & Withney engines remodeled in June have of course been incorporated in this new test version.
 
Some news of the Canso PBY-5A SAGQ WIP

Canso-PBY-5-A-v020.jpg

Canso_PBY-5A_v020_Blender.jpg

- Mapping of the fuselage entirely revised (fuselage body, rear doors, fin),
- Fuselage texture completely revised[/u] with a first draft for the PaintKit (main textures in 4096x4096),
- A careful attention has been paid to the nose tip where the K lettering appears (isn't it Bô),
- The window on the tip of the nose has been entirely reviewed in Blender to perfect the surfaces, the mapping has obviously been resumed,
- Addition of COMP and NORMAL on the wings and the fuselage, it remains to adapt the black zones which should normally be matt and not brilliant
- the Datum (0, 0, 0) has been revised and lowered from 6.5618 ft (it was at wing level) which forced to revise all other data that depend on this key point (the eyepoint is almost good),
- Revision of the propeller textures according to what was learned on the Minstrel about MSFS Fresnel Blending textures in particular (propellers seen on their edges),
- All-terrain tires have been added to the model to increase the perception of static phases and ground rolls,
- Addition of two control points to attach water drop effects at the level of the holds! These effects are triggered by the control associated with the spoilers.

[<quote]<Behaviors>
<Include ModelBehaviorFile="Asobo\Generic\FX.xml"/>

<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_LEFT">
<OverrideTemplateParameters>
<FX_GUID>{975586E5-1DEF-409C-9B90-1488FE14657C}</FX_GUID>
<FX_CODE>A:SPOILERS HANDLE POSITION, percent) 100 == </FX_CODE>
</OverrideTemplateParameters>
<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_LEFT_NODE" Node="FX_WATER_DROP_LEFT">
<UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_GT_FX"/>
</Component>
</Component>

<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_RIGHT">
<OverrideTemplateParameters>
<FX_GUID>{975586E5-1DEF-409C-9B90-1488FE14657C}</FX_GUID>
<FX_CODE>A:SPOILERS HANDLE POSITION, percent) 100 == </FX_CODE>
</OverrideTemplateParameters>
<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_RIGHT_NODE" Node="FX_WATER_DROP_RIGHT">
<UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_GT_FX"/>
</Component>
</Component>

</Behaviors>[/quote]

PS: Since I was preparing a library of effects for Henrik Nielsen (KL791) and his famous boats, I took the opportunity to see what I could do in terms of effects for a retardant or water drop. These two effects are working and will be added to the effects library I have.
There are still some paint details on the exterior such as the air intakes under the engines to be changed from white to yellow and then the exposed ducts in the engine covers which are still white. I'll also have to paint the water intake for the refueling on the water.
After this step, I think I'll start working on the exterior animations: wheels, retracting the trains and the balloons on the wing tips.

Once this is done, I'm thinking of uploading v0.5.0 for the first tests in order to correct the exterior details that are still causing problems, while I'll finish the animations on the dashboard.

Finally, I'll move on to the XML management of the engines and maybe the failures. My goal is to get as close as possible to what was done on the Aerosoft Canso ... I'm not saying I'll succeed but I'll get as close as possible.
 
Some news of the Canso PBY-5A SAGQ WIP

View attachment 84215

View attachment 84216

- Mapping of the fuselage entirely revised (fuselage body, rear doors, fin),
- Fuselage texture completely revised[/u] with a first draft for the PaintKit (main textures in 4096x4096),
- A careful attention has been paid to the nose tip where the K lettering appears (isn't it Bô),
- The window on the tip of the nose has been entirely reviewed in Blender to perfect the surfaces, the mapping has obviously been resumed,
- Addition of COMP and NORMAL on the wings and the fuselage, it remains to adapt the black zones which should normally be matt and not brilliant
- the Datum (0, 0, 0) has been revised and lowered from 6.5618 ft (it was at wing level) which forced to revise all other data that depend on this key point (the eyepoint is almost good),
- Revision of the propeller textures according to what was learned on the Minstrel about MSFS Fresnel Blending textures in particular (propellers seen on their edges),
- All-terrain tires have been added to the model to increase the perception of static phases and ground rolls,
- Addition of two control points to attach water drop effects at the level of the holds! These effects are triggered by the control associated with the spoilers.

<Behaviors>
<Include ModelBehaviorFile="Asobo\Generic\FX.xml"/>

<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_LEFT">
<OverrideTemplateParameters>
<FX_GUID>{975586E5-1DEF-409C-9B90-1488FE14657C}</FX_GUID>
<FX_CODE>A:SPOILERS HANDLE POSITION, percent) 100 == </FX_CODE>
</OverrideTemplateParameters>
<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_LEFT_NODE" Node="FX_WATER_DROP_LEFT">
<UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_GT_FX"/>
</Component>
</Component>

<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_RIGHT">
<OverrideTemplateParameters>
<FX_GUID>{975586E5-1DEF-409C-9B90-1488FE14657C}</FX_GUID>
<FX_CODE>A:SPOILERS HANDLE POSITION, percent) 100 == </FX_CODE>
</OverrideTemplateParameters>
<Component ID="FX_WATERDROP_RIGHT_NODE" Node="FX_WATER_DROP_RIGHT">
<UseTemplate Name="ASOBO_GT_FX"/>
</Component>
</Component>

</Behaviors>
Click to expand...

PS: Since I was preparing a library of effects for Henrik Nielsen (KL791) and his famous boats, I took the opportunity to see what I could do in terms of effects for a retardant or water drop. These two effects are working and will be added to the effects library I have.
There are still some paint details on the exterior such as the air intakes under the engines to be changed from white to yellow and then the exposed ducts in the engine covers which are still white. I'll also have to paint the water intake for the refueling on the water.
After this step, I think I'll start working on the exterior animations: wheels, retracting the trains and the balloons on the wing tips.

Once this is done, I'm thinking of uploading v0.5.0 for the first tests in order to correct the exterior details that are still causing problems, while I'll finish the animations on the dashboard.

Finally, I'll move on to the XML management of the engines and maybe the failures. My goal is to get as close as possible to what was done on the Aerosoft Canso ... I'm not saying I'll succeed but I'll get as close as possible.
 
jankees said:
yes! my favorite aircraft!
will you give us a military nose as well?
Click to expand...

For the moment I am focusing on Water Bombardier version that was in operation in Quebec and France during the 60s and 70s.

Two screenshots (without any faking) with a Canso water bomber and a Henrik's boat whith a wake effect of mine:

Delayant drop by C-FPQK.jpg

Delayant-drop-by-C-FPQK-bis.jpg
 
Yesterday, I begin to work on a second version of Canadian Canso, this one :

Canso-PBY-5-A-C-FNJE.jpg

Canso-PBY-5-A-C-FNJE-bis.jpg

Canso-PBY-5-A-C-FNJE-ter.jpg

This repaint isn't finish, I have to work on the rudder and wings but it seem to be interesting :wavey:
 
Great job, really looking forward to this. Spent years living near the flight path to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and every weekend you would see the Canso taking folks on sightseeing rides. That along with the Lancaster, B-25, Harvard and Chipmunk always put a smile on my face. It was so nice to see them flying instead of sitting in the hangar.
 
I love this project as well. I spotted #712 at St. Hubert ten years ago and got a few, low-quality pics. I'm glad that she was later acquired for restoration and that we may get to see her in the air again some day. It would be great to fly her around the St. Lawrence in MSFS.

August
 
ak416 said:
Great job, really looking forward to this. Spent years living near the flight path to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and every weekend you would see the Canso taking folks on sightseeing rides. That along with the Lancaster, B-25, Harvard and Chipmunk always put a smile on my face. It was so nice to see them flying instead of sitting in the hangar.
Click to expand...

I'm on that path right now! Cool AK416!, I'm about 15 min from Mount Hope. This model is great! Adding it to my list. I love seeing the museum's PBY, that wingspan is huge. The Lancaster is always a stop-and-stare moment right? When I see them flying around, I really appreciate living so close.

Check out this video I shot of the Warplane Heritage PBY (..and others :))

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHfg8QlIUnU
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top