lagaffe
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Hello,
When Spad54 contacted me to collaborate with Golden Age Simulation, I had several already advanced freeware that were put on hold so I could fully dedicate myself to Stearman. Since then I have taken over the PBY project which was one of the oldest. As it is coming to an end, I will be able to resume a number of projects that are gathering dust in my files.
In 2023, I had requested permission from Milton Shupe to be able to carry his A-26 on MSFS. As he had very kindly accepted, I had started working on this project: search for documentation, photos and plans then first Blender file for modeling. For this project, I will try to start slowly with a single model before "lovers of this plane" ask me to create many others variations and that the project becomes gigantic like the one of the PBY.
So the plane that will serve as a model for me is the one being restored at the CAEA in Bordeaux. In France we are also lucky to have enthusiasts of this plane and a few years ago (2000), the Conservatory of the Air and Space of Aquitaine has recovered an old A-26/B-26 which they have patiently restored. Their site allows access to many photos and videos of the restoration of this aircraft which started its first flights very recently . It will have required 18 years of work from these aviation lovers !
=> https://www.caea.fr/avions/b-26-invader (this site has also an english translation for its pages)
For more precision, this association is based in Bordeaux-Merignac (Base 106) and having some friends around Bordeaux, I really hope to have a few days to go there and get more information about this aircraft. I also intend to get in touch as soon as possible with the team of the many volunteers of this association.
Initially, the developed version will be for 2020 but I think I can think about carrying out the work as well to create a specific version in 2024. That’s for the main lines of the project and to lay the foundations for this development.
Therefore, yesterday I took the files that had been stored in my W.I.P. directory to copy them into my work tree and put things back into working order.
Currently the first version which is a rough draft is developed under Blender 3.6 and the plugin Asobo 1.3.3.
The file structure was created with MSFSLegacyConvertor and the ModelConverterX program of Arno Gerrestsen (with a specific license) allowed me to obtain my first glTF/bin files from the initial mdl files of Milton Shupe.
Here the result of my first compilation. I don't use the MSFS GUI but a Project structure and I compile with a Drag & Drop of the xml file on fspackagetools.exe (SDK)
This process allows me to compile more quickly and follow all the steps to note any errors more easily.
The current rendering under Blender ... using the old textures of the FSX version:
The objective is to preserve if possible the UVs from Milton in order to be able to use the numerous existing repaints or at least to adapt them without too many difficulties. Of course, the texture files used will be at minium in 4K to be able to use the benefits of the MSFS rendering engines.
I have already retrieved a lot of documentation on Avialogs.com, including the "Pilot Manual Training on the A-26" and a manual on the B-26C of more than 246 pages with many drawings of the cockpit and instructions to find your way around.
Another project should also be implemented from January 2026 in collaboration with a person from SOH but this will be the subject of another post ... a little patience
When Spad54 contacted me to collaborate with Golden Age Simulation, I had several already advanced freeware that were put on hold so I could fully dedicate myself to Stearman. Since then I have taken over the PBY project which was one of the oldest. As it is coming to an end, I will be able to resume a number of projects that are gathering dust in my files.
In 2023, I had requested permission from Milton Shupe to be able to carry his A-26 on MSFS. As he had very kindly accepted, I had started working on this project: search for documentation, photos and plans then first Blender file for modeling. For this project, I will try to start slowly with a single model before "lovers of this plane" ask me to create many others variations and that the project becomes gigantic like the one of the PBY.
So the plane that will serve as a model for me is the one being restored at the CAEA in Bordeaux. In France we are also lucky to have enthusiasts of this plane and a few years ago (2000), the Conservatory of the Air and Space of Aquitaine has recovered an old A-26/B-26 which they have patiently restored. Their site allows access to many photos and videos of the restoration of this aircraft which started its first flights very recently . It will have required 18 years of work from these aviation lovers !
=> https://www.caea.fr/avions/b-26-invader (this site has also an english translation for its pages)
For more precision, this association is based in Bordeaux-Merignac (Base 106) and having some friends around Bordeaux, I really hope to have a few days to go there and get more information about this aircraft. I also intend to get in touch as soon as possible with the team of the many volunteers of this association.
Initially, the developed version will be for 2020 but I think I can think about carrying out the work as well to create a specific version in 2024. That’s for the main lines of the project and to lay the foundations for this development.
Therefore, yesterday I took the files that had been stored in my W.I.P. directory to copy them into my work tree and put things back into working order.
Currently the first version which is a rough draft is developed under Blender 3.6 and the plugin Asobo 1.3.3.
The file structure was created with MSFSLegacyConvertor and the ModelConverterX program of Arno Gerrestsen (with a specific license) allowed me to obtain my first glTF/bin files from the initial mdl files of Milton Shupe.
Here the result of my first compilation. I don't use the MSFS GUI but a Project structure and I compile with a Drag & Drop of the xml file on fspackagetools.exe (SDK)
This process allows me to compile more quickly and follow all the steps to note any errors more easily.
The current rendering under Blender ... using the old textures of the FSX version:
The objective is to preserve if possible the UVs from Milton in order to be able to use the numerous existing repaints or at least to adapt them without too many difficulties. Of course, the texture files used will be at minium in 4K to be able to use the benefits of the MSFS rendering engines.
I have already retrieved a lot of documentation on Avialogs.com, including the "Pilot Manual Training on the A-26" and a manual on the B-26C of more than 246 pages with many drawings of the cockpit and instructions to find your way around.
Another project should also be implemented from January 2026 in collaboration with a person from SOH but this will be the subject of another post ... a little patience
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