BoB 74th anniversary celebration YAS MkIa v.2 skinpack!
A good day to everybody!
Being September the official British celebration of the September 15th, 1940 pivotal day that determined the destiny of the Battle of Britain, I just uploaded a Battle of Britain texture pack for Ken Harrison's, a.k.a. Merlin66, YAS Spitfire MkIa version 2, released by Ken as Spitfire MkIA PR-F.
This updated version of YAS Spitfire MkIA is my favourite, both for looks and framerate performance. His first version was Spit MkIa DW-K.
WARNING: these textures WILL NOT FIT Ken's Spitfire MkIa v.1, or DW-K.
I have been working on these skins for a while now.
When I downloaded Ken's first MkIa (DW-K), I didn't like her livery because I thought it was way too faded for British climate. When I downloaded Ken's improved MkIa v.2 (PR-F), I loved the plane but I didn't like her livery because I thought the colours were too far from the real ones. The DW-N repaint Ken uploaded for PR-F had the same heavy fading as DW-K......
Then Ken's uploaded his Spitfire MkIIa (PK-K).
From my childhood static modelling days memories, I think PK-K original skin has the closest hue to the RAF "home defense" Dark Green-Dark Earth camouflage colours worn by RAF Fighter Command aircrafts from 1939 to the spring of 1942, when the so-called "temperate" Dark Green-Ocean Grey camouflage scheme was introduced. PK-K looks almost as if she were painted with late 1960's Humbrol RAF enamel set.
Since PK-K and PR-F models are identical, and only the flight model makes the difference between the two aircrafts, all I did was cleaning up most of the extended bitmap colour "bleed" from Ken's livery he painted for his PK-K.
I then copied over each individual aircraft and squadron codes and repositioned the lower wing roundels on the DW-N and KL-B repaints. Squadron 610 DW-N and Squadron 609 PR-F skins are entirely produced by Ken Harrison, the former released as an official repaint for PR-F.
I only re-mixed them, while I painted from scratch the individual KL-B codes of Kiwi legendary RNZAF ace, Pilot Officer Alan "Al" Deere, at the time he flew Spifire MkIa #P9390 in May of 1940 with Squadron 54, based at Hornchurch Sector Station, No. 11 Fighter Command Group.
My latest update of alternative full disc and single blade prop textures is included. Unfortunately, I could not overcome the texture mapping glitch in this YAS model where, although the correct texture is included, yellow safety prop blade tips are not displayed. I then preferred painting plain grey blurred discs.
Moreover, I included an alternative Flight Model (aircraft.cfg and *.air file) derived from SOH's member Bearcat241 work on Bruce Thorson's P-40B Flight Model. This FM not only gives justice to the Spitfire fame of dogfighting agility, it also allows the sim-pilot to reach the historical top speed of 363 mph IAS the MkIA was capable of. The airfile features also 50% reduced Moment of Inertia (MOI) values for better AI (computer-controlled) performance. The dp file features more engine damage effects.
Other mods include a slightly widened wheel base and a reduced tailwheel steering angle to help ground handling, reduced bounce tendency plus the "eye-candy" of asymmetrical gear retraction/extension as WWII hydraulic gear operation systems worked back then. With these mods it's possible taxiing YAS Spitfires, very prone to ground looping and bouncing to destruction in HARD flight mode.
Last, a Green Ghost-style DAP gauge-controlled exhaust effect, that you can use also on Merlin66's YAS MkIIa (PK-K).
All Merlin66's YAS Spitfires are available at
www.sim-outhouse.com
YAS Spitfire MkIa v.2 (PR-F) is available here:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=50&id=18835
Enjoy! 
KH 
