C-47 from Manfred Jahn and team

[gray eagle]

Can't find whatever picture you're referring to. I guess you're saying you used the R4D cabin light effects and are happy with the result. If so, glad to be of help.

Maybe you can see the picture now

 

[HoggyDog]

So do I have to edit the d18 beech_smoke.xml like you did?

Well, it depends on whether or not you plan to keep that gauge for other aircraft (see below). If you do want to keep it, then by all means, correct the line. If you don't plan to keep that gauge for use by other airplanes, then don't worry about correcting the xml- just delete the 18 folder and be done with it.

Not sure as to the renaming the folder you speak of. Could you spell that out as to what I need to do please? Thanks

Renaming the folder prevents FSX from "finding" it. You could also just delete the folder, the only problem there is that you would no longer have it to restore if you wanted to use it for some other airplane, OR IF, in the future, some fix is found that would allow the smoke effects and the door opening shortcuts to co-exist peacefully together on THIS airplane. Renaming it means you can always "undo" hiding it from FSX later. Your choice whether to simply delete it altogether or rename it.

[Vcockpit01]
gauge XX=18!beech_smoke, 0, 0,20,20<<<< after the gauge xx = do I change to FolderFormerlyKnownAs18 ?

Well, if you do that, you will have undone what we're trying to do: stop FSX from accessing that file. First you hide beech_smoke.xml from FSX by renaming its folder, then you edit that line in [vcockpit01] to tell FSX where to find it? If it was me, I would do this:
1. Fix (edit) the line in the xml file using Notepad- correct "els" to "else".
2. Rename the folder back to its original name: ...\FSX\Gauges\18.
3. Comment out [Vcockpit01] gauge XX=18!beech_smoke, 0, 0,20,20 (That means edit it so it looks like this: //gauge XX=18!beech_smoke, 0, 0,20,20) OR just don't add it if it's not already there- at this point I don't know if you put it back there yet or not.

What this does for you is leaves the beech_smoke.xml gauge file in place so that it can be used by OTHER aircraft that are able to use it without it screwing anything up, but still removes it from the MJ C-47 V2 model because it screws up the door opening commands in that particular aircraft.

Again, the only reason I did it the way I did it was for troubleshooting, a basic rule of which is to change ONLY ONE THING, then test, and if that didn't work then it wasn't the problem, so put it back the way it was. By first correcting the xml, then testing, I ruled that out as the cause. The only reason I didn't "put it back the way it was" is that it was obviously wrong, and correcting it was the right thing to do even though it didn't fix the problem. Then by renaming the folder, which disabled the gauge completely while still leaving myself an "undo" capability in case disabling the gauge didn't work, and testing, I confirmed that the gauge WAS the problem.

 

[gray eagle]

Well, it depends on whether or not you plan to keep that gauge for other aircraft (see below). If you do want to keep it, then by all means, correct the line. If you don't plan to keep that gauge for use by other airplanes, then don't worry about correcting the xml- just delete the 18 folder and be done with it.



Renaming the folder prevents FSX from "finding" it. You could also just delete the folder, the only problem there is that you would no longer have it to restore if you wanted to use it for some other airplane, OR IF, in the future, some fix is found that would allow the smoke effects and the door opening shortcuts to co-exist peacefully together on THIS airplane. Renaming it means you can always "undo" hiding it from FSX later. Your choice whether to simply delete it altogether or rename it.



Well, if you do that, you will have undone what we're trying to do: stop FSX from accessing that file. First you hide beech_smoke.xml from FSX by renaming its folder, then you edit that line in [vcockpit01] to tell FSX where to find it? If it was me, I would do this:
1. Fix (edit) the line in the xml file using Notepad- correct "els" to "else".
2. Rename the folder back to its original name: ...\FSX\Gauges\18.
3. Comment out [Vcockpit01] gauge XX=18!beech_smoke, 0, 0,20,20 (That means edit it so it looks like this: //gauge XX=18!beech_smoke, 0, 0,20,20) OR just don't add it if it's not already there- at this point I don't know if you put it back there yet or not.

What this does for you is leaves the beech_smoke.xml gauge file in place so that it can be used by OTHER aircraft that are able to use it without it screwing anything up, but still removes it from the MJ C-47 V2 model because it screws up the door opening commands in that particular aircraft.

Again, the only reason I did it the way I did it was for troubleshooting, a basic rule of which is to change ONLY ONE THING, then test, and if that didn't work then it wasn't the problem, so put it back the way it was. By first correcting the xml, then testing, I ruled that out as the cause. The only reason I didn't "put it back the way it was" is that it was obviously wrong, and correcting it was the right thing to do even though it didn't fix the problem. Then by renaming the folder, which disabled the gauge completely while still leaving myself an "undo" capability in case disabling the gauge didn't work, and testing, I confirmed that the gauge WAS the problem.

I really don't use the D18 for anything in my collection of installed Aircraft. When I plopped it into the effects folder, I did not see a do you want to override question, which tells me that was the first time
that file was put there. So from what you are saying I don't really need it in the first place, but what was David Robles using it for?

Thanks for explaining this but I still have one question.....



Do you still get the exhaust effect? I thought it was the D18 that was key in making the exhaust effect happen.


Edit: Wait a minute, I think it was the following that was responsible for the exhaust effects

//------------ ExhaustFlames--------
//index,type, long, lat, vert, fx_filename
light.13= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_IDLE_starb,
light.14= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_MAX_starb,
light.15= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_Exhaust,
light.16= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_IDLE_starb,
light.17= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_MAX_starb,
light.18= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_Exhaust,

 

[gray eagle]

The engine exhaust flames work

And so do the doors.


I added back in the Aircraft.cfg file under the lights section

//------------ ExhaustFlames--------
//index,type, long, lat, vert, fx_filename
light.13= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_IDLE_starb,
light.14= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_MAX_starb,
light.15= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_Exhaust,
light.16= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_IDLE_starb,
light.17= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_MAX_starb,
light.18= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_Exhaust

(I renumbered the light numbers accordingly and voila got the flames.

What I am still a bit perplexed about is when David Robles says the following in his install instructions:

3. Copy and place the 18 gauge folder (The entire folder) and place in the main FSX Gauge folder for the smoke effects to work.

Guess we don't need no stinkin' smoke eh hombre?

Anyway, I got the freight doors to open AND that exhaust effect to boot. Pretty nifty.


Edit: the only thing a little strange is when you are parked and shut down (no engines running), and you turn on the lights, the exhaust flames will work, I guess because
edits were made in the light section and the exhaust flames were considered lights. Oh well, it's not too bad.

 

[HoggyDog]

I really don't use the D18 for anything in my collection of installed Aircraft. When I plopped it into the effects folder, I did not see a do you want to override question, which tells me that was the first time
that file was put there. So from what you are saying I don't really need it in the first place, but what was David Robles using it for?

Apparently, it creates billowing brown smoke from the engine(s) at any throttle setting above 60%.

Do you still get the exhaust effect? I thought it was the D18 that was key in making the exhaust effect happen.

Not sure what you are calling "D18." The folder name with the smoke effect is "18."

Wait a minute, I think it was the following that was responsible for the exhaust effects

//------------ ExhaustFlames--------
//index,type, long, lat, vert, fx_filename
light.13= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_IDLE_starb,
light.14= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_MAX_starb,
light.15= 3, -19.985, 11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_Exhaust,
light.16= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_IDLE_starb,
light.17= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_MAX_starb,
light.18= 3, -19.985, -11.30, -4.10, fx_V12_Exhaust,

Yes, the awesome exhaust-flames effect is from the above entries in aircraft.cfg. If you removed them you should put them back (assuming you like the effect) because they have NOTHING to do with the door-control problem.

 

[gray eagle]

Apparently, it creates billowing brown smoke from the engine(s) at any throttle setting above 60%.



Not sure what you are calling "D18." The folder name with the smoke effect is "18."



Yes, the awesome exhaust-flames effect is from the above entries in aircraft.cfg. If you removed them you should put them back (assuming you like the effect) because they have NOTHING to do with the door-control problem.

My bad on the D18 as I meant 18.

As far as the exhaust effects go, I did in fact put them back in my aircraft cfg file. They work fine, as well as the doors. So, I guess that's pretty much our show here.
BTW, I never figured out what the desired smoke effect was suppose to look like for the C47 as that was all bungled up. I wonder if David Robles got it to work?

 

[HoggyDog]

Trouble Starting Engines

Among the detailed engine-start instructions is a directive to activate the starter, count 9 blades then switch mags to both. In order to do any of that, you have to be in the VC... but no matter where I set my eyepoint in the VC, I can't see either one of my engines. The only place I can see my engines is in an exterior view- but from there, I can't hold the starter switch OR switch the mags to both.

I've seen impressive videos of this model's engines being started- how is it possible to be in exterior view where you can see this happening, count the 9 blades, and yet still manipulate the controls necessary for a realistic start sequence?

 

[Alky]

how is it possible to be in exterior view where you can see this happening, count the 9 blades, and yet still manipulate the controls necessary for a realistic start sequence?

Good question. The F2 menu comes to mind, maybe you need to be outside & use that for starting each engine and zoom in on the props... just guessing here (?) I just use CTRL E and get on with it. LOL

 

[Maj Kong]

If you press the starter button, hold it, then go external the button will stay depressed and you can count the blades. Works for me
Neal H

 

[mjahn]

Among the detailed engine-start instructions is a directive to activate the starter, count 9 blades then switch mags to both. In order to do any of that, you have to be in the VC ...

No. The Shift 3 (p.2 Control panel) should work in any view.

... but no matter where I set my eyepoint in the VC, I can't see either one of my engines.

Just cycle through 'A' in the VC and you will get two engine views. Together with the Shift-3 window, if you need it for engine start.[/QUOTE]

The only place I can see my engines is in an exterior view- but from there, I can't hold the starter switch OR switch the mags to both.

Yes, you can. Two options, actually, Shift-3 or Shift-7.

I've seen impressive videos of this model's engines being started- how is it possible to be in exterior view where you can see this happening, count the 9 blades, and yet still manipulate the controls necessary for a realistic start sequence?

Easy, see above. Playback is also an option for videos.

And on a purely personal note, if I saw a C-47 "billowing smoke" I would grab a parachute.

 

[HoggyDog]

Thanks for the tips on panel-view-switching to accomplish a realistic engine start. My goal is to make a video from an exterior, ground-level viewpoint near the engines as they start, similar to one I saw online somewhere, without showing panel views popping in and out of the video. I'll have to experiment to find a way to accomplish that, I guess.

And on a purely personal note, if I saw a C-47 "billowing smoke" I would grab a parachute.

Totally agree, that's why I removed the effect. I think it must have been originally intended to be a smoky jet-exhaust effect such as you might see from a B-52 under takeoff power. When I first got it, I assumed that it was part of the C-47's engine-damage modelling OR exhaust flames effect, but when troubleshooting its interference with door operation keystrokes I realized that it was not part of those effects, so I'm not sure why it was included in a repaint for this C-47.
Radials typically emit visible smoke only at engine start (or when on fire ), and then it's whitish-gray smoke that stops within a few seconds of engine start, not continuous, billowing brownish smoke during normal takeoff & climb segments, both of which typically require more than the "60% throttle" trigger point of this effect.

Playback is also an option for videos

I apologize that I totally do not understand what you mean by this- how does playing back a video help me to create a video of engine starts from a ground level exterior viewpoint without having control panels or overhead panels popping in and out of the video?
And in case you didn't read it earlier in this thread, THANK YOU for this amazing aircraft. Whether or not I ever figure out how to make the video I want, this is the most awesome C-47 or DC-3 I have ever encountered in any sim.

 

[mjahn]

how does playing back a video help me to create a video of engine starts from a ground level exterior viewpoint without having control panels or overhead panels popping in and out of the video?

Not video playback but FSX > Options > Playback. In Playback mode you can pick any view you like, and turn off any support panels you don't want, including Shift-3.

Better still get the module FSRecorder and record your startup sequence in a file (which the FSX internal Playback does not do). Then play it back and record via video capture. Then edit the video and upload to YouTube. You might want to get in touch with Ted "Tufun" here at SOH because he has done many vids and has lots of additional tricks up his sleeve.

Cheers,
Manfred

 

[HoggyDog]

Better still get the module FSRecorder

Sadly, there is no version of FSRecorder that works with FSX:SE, just confirmed on their support forum, straight from Noisy (the author of FSRecorder) who basically said in February that he doesn't have time any more to work on this but might try "in the next few weeks" to see what it would take to make a SE-compatible version.

I tried it anyway, hoping it was just an installer problem, but no- FSX crashed on launch, then on the next try it said "There is a serious problem with module FSRecorder, continuing will [have some bad result, doom & gloom, etc.]. Launch FSX anyway? [Yes] [Cancel]." So I can confirm from my own experimentation that FSRecorder version 2.1 and 2.18 Alpha (the only ones for FSX as opposed to FS9) do not work in the Steam Edition . Uninstalled and deleted.

Thanks anyway for the tip- I'll play around with your native FSX recorder/playback suggestions and try to get it to do what I want it to do, and if FSRecorder is ever updated for FSX:SE I'll jump on it.

 

[mjahn]

Wow that's a pity. I would call this an essential utility for videos. Hope they get it sorted!

 

[oleg_tr]

DC-3 in USSR 1960-s.

 

[roger-wilco-66]

Sadly, there is no version of FSRecorder that works with FSX:SE, just confirmed on their support forum, straight from Noisy (the author of FSRecorder) who basically said in February that he doesn't have time any more to work on this but might try "in the next few weeks" to see what it would take to make a SE-compatible version.

I tried it anyway, hoping it was just an installer problem, but no- FSX crashed on launch, then on the next try it said "There is a serious problem with module FSRecorder, continuing will [have some bad result, doom & gloom, etc.]. Launch FSX anyway? [Yes] [Cancel]." So I can confirm from my own experimentation that FSRecorder version 2.1 and 2.18 Alpha (the only ones for FSX as opposed to FS9) do not work in the Steam Edition . Uninstalled and deleted.

Thanks anyway for the tip- I'll play around with your native FSX recorder/playback suggestions and try to get it to do what I want it to do, and if FSRecorder is ever updated for FSX:SE I'll jump on it.

A bit OT and IMHO deserves a seperate thread, but did you try FSRecorder the last version of the 1.x series - FS Recorder 1.331 (12.01.2009). This also works with P3D 2.5.
Just a thought.


Cheers,
Mark

 

[HoggyDog]

Duplicate Camera Views?

I was going through my camera definitions in my MJ C-47 V2's aircraft.cfg, slowing down pan rates to improve my videos and setting initial zooms, when I encountered this weirdness:

[COLOR=#FF0000][Cameradefinition.3][/COLOR]
Title=Engine Controls
Guid = {C95EAB58-9E4A-9E2C-A34C-D8D9D948F078}
Origin = Virtual Cockpit
MomentumEffect = No    //Yes
SnapPbhAdjust = Swivel
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = None
ShowAxis = FALSE
AllowZoom = TRUE
InitialZoom = 0.7    //0.5
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ZoomPanScalar = 0.8    //1.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = TRUE
ShowLensFlare=FALSE
Category = Cockpit
PitchPanRate=30    //40
HeadingPanRate=30    //60
PanAcceleratorTime=0
InitialXyz=0.0, 0.0, -0.1
InitialPbh=35, 0, 35

[COLOR=#FF0000][Cameradefinition.3][/COLOR]
Title=Spot
Guid = {BCA3FDD1-FB83-4BBA-8407-4922A7F0D00C}
Description = This is the description of the spot view.
Origin = Center
SnapPbhAdjust = Ordinal
SnapPbhReturn = False
PanPbhAdjust = Swivel
PanPbhReturn = False
Track = FlatChase
ShowAxis = No
AllowZoom = Yes
InitialZoom = 1.0    //0.4
SmoothZoomTime = 2.0
ShowWeather = Yes
XyzAdjust = FALSE
Transition = Yes
ShowLensFlare=TRUE
Category = Outside
ClipMode = Spot
PitchPanRate=30
HeadingPanRate=30    //75
PanAcceleratorTime=0

As you can see, there are TWO [Cameradefinition.3] entries, one for a VC view and one for an exterior Spot view. It seems to me that this can't possibly be right.

This outstanding model is of such astoundingly high quality that I want to believe that this duplication doesn't matter because one is inside and one is outside. However, I'm trying to hot-key a couple of the views that I use the most often, and the existence of two "Camera 3" entries makes it impossible to hotkey either one of them... Which one would FSX show me when I hit the Camera 3 hotkey?

Would someone please enlighten me as to what is going on here, and if it is indeed an error, let me know if it is OK to just renumber the views in sequence, changing the second Camera3 to Camera4, and continuing sequentially in my aircraft.cfg?

Thanks!

 

[HoggyDog]

A bit OT and IMHO deserves a seperate thread, but did you try FSRecorder the last version of the 1.x series - FS Recorder 1.331 (12.01.2009). This also works with P3D 2.5.
Just a thought.


Cheers,
Mark

Mark, you are spot-on! I installed 1.331, and other than a warning that "this version of FSRecorder is not supported in FSX" every time I launch the sim (wish I could find a way to kill that warning ), FSRecorder works perfectly. I know that I'm missing out on some of the features of the later versions, but at least I have the "core" FSRecorder functionality. So thanks so much for the tip!

Best regards,
Doug

 

[HoggyDog]

DC-3 in USSR 1960-s.

Very nice shot!

Unless I'm badly mistaken, Astro-Domes were unique to the military variants, all (or almost all) of which were cargo airplanes, i.e. C-47s. So the presence of the Astro-Dome in your shot suggests to me that this is probably a C-47, not a DC-3. However, without being able to see the loading door(s) on the aft port side of the aircraft, which is/are hidden from view in your photo, it's hard for me to be certain. Also, because I have not personally inspected each and every "Gooney Bird" ever made it's always possible that I'm mistaken and some single-door all-passenger DC-3s were made with astro-domes.

The above comments notwithstanding, 4,937 "Gooney Birds" were built under license in the Soviet Union as the Lisunov Li-2, and of course they could have been configured any way the Soviets wanted them configured. However, if this is one of those, it still isn't a DC-3: it's an Li-2.

Cheers-
Doug

 

[HoggyDog]

Gary Harper's STUNNING new paint for the MJ C-47 V2

A few weeks ago I posted requests on various forums for an Ethiopian Air Lines paint for Manfred Jahn's amazing C-47 V2. It was of more than passing interest to me because I was there (in Ethiopia) as a teenager when this particular livery was in use- my Dad was an Ethiopian Air Lines C-47 Captain, and I got to fly with him several times.

I got a note from Gary Harper saying that he would make one. However, what he made is so highly-detailed and accurate that I'm just blown away!

The file is ethc47corrected.zip and it is available here.

Here's the proof of Gary's outstanding work:

Initial climb from Cairo International's Runway 5


Climbing out toward the VOR to pick up the 160 radial to Luxor


Turning on course, downtown Cairo in the background


Closeup of this STUNNING paint



Thank you, Gary! You rock!