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C-97 wip

Yes it is. Well, actually I think it was the other way around with the C-97 coming first.

Looking superb already Manfred! Thank you for taking on this important cold war cargo/tanker aircraft. Actually the KC-97s role as a tanker can be considered to have been vital for the US nuclear deterrent force during the early cold war period.

Will it be possible to make an ai model with extended boom for using as tanker in tacpack and or as ai traffic?
 
Remember the C/KC-97 was much more important and successful than the 377:

55 B377 airliners used during a period of about 15 years

888 military versions used over nearly 30 years.
 
Yes, the Stratocruiser was Boeing model B377 and the C-97 Stratofreighters and Stratotankers were B376's,

JensOle
Will it be possible to make an ai model with extended boom for using as tanker in tacpack and or as ai traffic?​

That would certainly be be nice ... I see that Dino has a screenie of a KC-135 refueling his TacPacked F-35. Perhaps I can ask him how he made that work. Unless somebody else here has this kind of inside info? A KC-97 refueling a Phantom or a Warthog would be a lovely sight to behold!
 
Hi,
Actually it is very simple, all you have to do is to make a model with the boom extended (and gear retracted) and make it an AI aircraft. At this point you can simple use it for AI flights in FSX, but it will not have any refuelling capability OR
Use the Tacpack manager and import it as an tacpack available tanker. You set the boom/drogue location inside the manager. To actually use it in FSX you simple use the tacpack ai dropdown menu while in FSX and selected the KC-97 as a tanker aircraft. If I remember correctly so might the lowest possible speed for tacpack tankers be above the speed the KC-97 flew, but that is a minor issue (at least for me..)

In short, all you have to do as the designer is to make a simple model with the boom extended and gear/flaps retracted. Tacpack does the rest.

And since the model already is looking stunning I think you already more than have the details needed to make it an excellent ai tanker for Tacpack... maybe an early ai tanker release...? hint hint :)

Here is a picture of how it looks connecting the F-35 to a KC-135 with extended boom.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/RNoAF/Scrshot162.jpg~original

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/JensOle/RNoAF/Scrshot163.jpg~original
 
Wow, thanks, I can try that, doing an AI model. Isn't there an AI model of the KC-97 already? I seem to remember that Dee Waldron once did one for FS9. Or perhaps Greg Pepper's version could also be made to work?

Wouldn't it be super cool if the boom could be extended by some kind of switch in the receiving aircraft ...
 
Here is the L experimentally flying as AI. I'll make it accessible for TacPackers as soon as the textures are in better shape. Been busy getting the refuelling boom markings right. The boom rotates and extends once the AI plane gets off the ground and retracts its u/c (not that it has any yet). Dorsal weather radar hump has beem added. I am exploring the refueling lights setup, too, but am not sure how one can make it work. Unfortunately it is not exactly a low poly model so the frame rates take quite a dip when lining up like this.


697.jpg
 
Hi,


Some more pics, one "in flight" (slew), testing ARB animation (via water rudder):

YC97 WIP from mjahn on Sketchfab.


Will FSrecorder record the water rudder function? I'm not sure that it does. If it doesn't , then boom animation won't be visable during a recording playback. The tail hook function is definitely recorded. Would you be interested in changing the boom animation to the tail hook function?
 
Sorry folks, just a test showing a new display mode on Sketchfab. Looking like a fibreglass toy model now...

<iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/7383b4faf9cc42fdaf170c02dfb5271c/embed"></iframe>
 
Last edited:
Will FSrecorder record the water rudder function? I'm not sure that it does. If it doesn't , then boom animation won't be visable during a recording playback. The tail hook function is definitely recorded. Would you be interested in changing the boom animation to the tail hook function?

Right, substituted tailhook for water rudder. Looks fine in replay. Memo tick "tailhook" in FSRecorder options and assign a control key via FS menu if not already assigned.

Many thanks!
 
Here is the L experimentally flying as AI. I'll make it accessible for TacPackers as soon as the textures are in better shape. Been busy getting the refuelling boom markings right. The boom rotates and extends once the AI plane gets off the ground and retracts its u/c (not that it has any yet). Dorsal weather radar hump has beem added. I am exploring the refueling lights setup, too, but am not sure how one can make it work. Unfortunately it is not exactly a low poly model so the frame rates take quite a dip when lining up like this.


697.jpg

Looks jolly great! Thank you! Maybe It will bring a second life for my alphasim B-47..
 
Sorry folks, just a test showing a new display mode on Sketchfab. Looking like a fibreglass toy model now...

The "fiber glass" look, is nice for a model at my desk, but it's not my favorite mode. I even doubt they ever looked like that coming straight off the production line.

The only aircraft that I know does have that look for sure is the Douglas DC-2 "Uiver". I've seen it at the Aviodrome in Lelystad, Netherlands.

I currently use a program called "Shade" to create the reflections on the aircraft.
Can that "fiber glass" effect be dimmed for a more realistic look?

Just my two cents, but other than that, I can only state that you are doing an awesome job with this bird.
 
Manfred, in sim she will look totally different. I haven't even started on shades, reflection, bumps and speculars yet. But my purpose is to come as close as possible and at the same time make her ultra-easy to repaint.
 
Manfred, I am sure you come up with an awsome textured airplane. I just wasn't aware that this was just a stage in the process, yo get to the desired result.
 
Had to use a new model on Sketchfab because the old one was garbling the textures. Here it is, rotate to the position of a receiving a/c to see the receiver director markings and lights in place.

<iframe width="640" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://sketchfab.com/models/569a4a7fffe543e0b4234a744de619fe/embed"></iframe>
 
Manfred, you just keep getting better and better, the c121 series, being my favorite, you are one very talented man, sir.
 
Now I know what that black panel under the forward fuselage is for. It's all looking very good indeed Manfred ! :)
 
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