Flight Replicas releases Spitfire Mk.1a and Mk.IIa for MSFS

Hello Mike,
That beast is beautiful and from wht I've read flies well which is great!
But the sounds... are a real NO GO for me...
Will you improve them one day?
Cheers,

Stéph.
 
Hi Stéph - Yes, with the upcoming update, we'll have to do something for those who are having trouble with the custom sounds. It may be that the Asobo 'P-51' sounds are used alone (which EM957's ground crew said are good, although he can tell they're from a later Merlin - although latest word is that the custom sounds are growing on him), or that the option will be available to keep the custom sounds (many are liking them) but the user will have the option of switching to Asobo's.

Still getting initial feedback from users. We'll wait another week and then the update will be put together. The Artificial Horizon is fixed, and the trim tabs now move on the external model. Going to try and get back in touch with BM597's pilot today (or when possible), to pin down take off behaviour - some of us sim pilots are convinced it should swing more and is too easy (which I would agree should be more in a Spitfire with a longer nose and heavier prop, such as the Mk.IX - and slightly more so on the Mk.V, given the greater low speed 'bite' of the wide-cord blades), but will obviously go with what ever comes from the better source! :)

Trivia learned: did you know that a single Spitfire tire today costs approx. $1060 US, and is good for only approx. 28 landings on concrete (not grass)? :)

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Mike
 
Is the aircraft.cfg included in the marketplace offering? It would be so easy for a buyer to alias the sound from the "competing Spitfire" as a temporary measure.
- Kenneth
 
some of us sim pilots are convinced it should swing more and is too easy


Except in a real taildragger, you can feel the plane as it yaws one way or the other. You get none of that in a flight sim. A real, experienced pilot can generally keep a plane under control on takeoff/landing by sensing the motion and instinctively countering. You get none of that feedback in a sim, so it's much harder if you don't somehow compensate for the lack of feel.

I call it Oleg Syndrome. Making planes significantly harder to fly in sims than in real life by simulating all the numbers and not compensating at all for the complete lack of sensation.

In the late 90's I flew multiplayer flight sims against the Blue Angels. And for the first 10 minutes or so, I waxed them left and right because they had none of the sense feedback they were used to. (Then they did some of that pilot sh1t and learned how to compensate and put me in my rightful place.) They thought the systems/visual simulation was great but really hated the lack of physical feedback.

 


Except in a real taildragger, you can feel the plane as it yaws one way or the other. You get none of that in a flight sim. A real, experienced pilot can generally keep a plane under control on takeoff/landing by sensing the motion and instinctively countering. You get none of that feedback in a sim, so it's much harder if you don't somehow compensate for the lack of feel.

I call it Oleg Syndrome. Making planes significantly harder to fly in sims than in real life by simulating all the numbers and not compensating at all for the complete lack of sensation.

In the late 90's I flew multiplayer flight sims against the Blue Angels. And for the first 10 minutes or so, I waxed them left and right because they had none of the sense feedback they were used to. (Then they did some of that pilot sh1t and learned how to compensate and put me in my rightful place.) They thought the systems/visual simulation was great but really hated the lack of physical feedback.


This is exactly right.
 
This is exactly right.

Yes! I suffered exactly this effect with the old Plane Design Spitfire XVI in FS2004. Brilliant model that flew to the numbers, no doubt, but with dead-fish rudder pedals, a plastic joystick and no physical cues I found it impossible.
 
Not generally. There have been calls on the official forum to allow developers to sell unlocked content, but I haven't seen one yet.

Thanks for the feedback. Just as developers can make a weapons "unlock" available off the marketplace for free, maybe they should also be willing to release only the aircraft.cfg when a customer asks. That file would be useless without the purchase in the first place. The marketplace still has their slice of the profit, and the buyer is happy too. A thought.

- Kenneth
 
If y'all haven't voted yet, it'd be great to get more votes on this. We were successful in getting the Premium/Deluxe aircraft unencrypted and that's brought some great enhancements. Here we're just asking for config files to be unencrypted, so that the actual planes will still be safe from scurvy pirates.

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/...aft-sellers-the-option-to-unlock-config-files

If they'd allow this, folks like Mike could still have their planes encypted but allow their config files to be tweaked.

Also submitted as a topic for the next dev q&a, so any votes on the topic would be really helpful right now.
 
A quick note. I asked Mike on Facebook if the aircraft.cfg was present, and he confirmed it is not. However, I watched a video of the aircraft, and decided the sounds were enough for me. I bought it, and have flown it for about an hour. Initial emotional reaction? I really like it. Yes, I could act like a reviewer again and find faults, but at the sheer gut level of fun and satisfaction, this is a beauty. No regrets getting it. I will pick up his future models too, (the Mk.V and SeaFire). And I will encourage him to give us a bubble cockpit version further down the line too. Mike, if you see this, nice job!

- Kenneth
 
A quick note. I asked Mike on Facebook if the aircraft.cfg was present, and he confirmed it is not. However, I watched a video of the aircraft, and decided the sounds were enough for me. I bought it, and have flown it for about an hour. Initial emotional reaction? I really like it. Yes, I could act like a reviewer again and find faults, but at the sheer gut level of fun and satisfaction, this is a beauty. No regrets getting it. I will pick up his future models too, (the Mk.V and SeaFire). And I will encourage him to give us a bubble cockpit version further down the line too. Mike, if you see this, nice job!

- Kenneth


EDIT TO THE ABOVE... I think the MSFS marketplace may have this on sale now, I see every Flight Replicas design with a considerable discount, but since I now own the Spit, I cannot see the price. IF there's a big sale, my only regret is buying it at full price just a few hours before the sale appeared out of nowhere! Thanks Marketplace...
 
EDIT TO THE ABOVE... I think the MSFS marketplace may have this on sale now, I see every Flight Replicas design with a considerable discount, but since I now own the Spit, I cannot see the price. IF there's a big sale, my only regret is buying it at full price just a few hours before the sale appeared out of nowhere! Thanks Marketplace...

Thanks, Kenneth!

Don't worry, the Spitfire is too new a release to qualify for the Sale. It has to have been in the Marketplace for a certain time beforehand. :)

And yes, the there is a Spitfire low-back/bubble-top in the works, which should be underway once the Seafire III is complete.

Mike
 
Please tell me that it is a Mk.16! The most beautiful Spit without a shadow of a doubt!

Priller
 
Thanks, Kenneth!

Don't worry, the Spitfire is too new a release to qualify for the Sale. It has to have been in the Marketplace for a certain time beforehand. :)

And yes, the there is a Spitfire low-back/bubble-top in the works, which should be underway once the Seafire III is complete.

Mike

Mike, your Spitfire is a thing of beauty, and despite initial misgivings on the sound (I had only watched a YouTube video at that point), now that I fly it, I really like the sound. And thanks for the info regarding the price, If I had temporarily "overpaid", and been refunded, I would have instantly re-purchased the Spit along with the Fox Moth.

Now, an aside, sort of, I have hesitated on your Fox Moth because people say you aliased the C152 sounds, and being a die-hard DeHavilland fan, I love the sound of the Gypsy... If I could alias the sound to the Ants Tiger, or the original FSX AH Chippy, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and thus buy the beast! Might still regardless because I like your choice of aircraft subjects.

But looking ahead, I will anticipate your future Spits, Seafires, etc. You are on a roll sir!!!!

Greetings from Saskatchewan
- Kenneth
 
Mike, your Spitfire is a thing of beauty, and despite initial misgivings on the sound (I had only watched a YouTube video at that point), now that I fly it, I really like the sound. And thanks for the info regarding the price, If I had temporarily "overpaid", and been refunded, I would have instantly re-purchased the Spit along with the Fox Moth.

Now, an aside, sort of, I have hesitated on your Fox Moth because people say you aliased the C152 sounds, and being a die-hard DeHavilland fan, I love the sound of the Gypsy... If I could alias the sound to the Ants Tiger, or the original FSX AH Chippy, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and thus buy the beast! Might still regardless because I like your choice of aircraft subjects.

But looking ahead, I will anticipate your future Spits, Seafires, etc. You are on a roll sir!!!!

Greetings from Saskatchewan
- Kenneth


The C-152 sounds were used because I've flown real Tiger Moths a couple of times (in fact, when I still had a real plane, one was parked in front of mine in the hangar - owned and flown by an ex-Halifax tail gunner), and the sounds in the model sounds pretty much identical to me, inside and out. Plus they (there were two) were out flying at our airfield many, many times. Of course, there's a large amount of subjectivity when it comes to sounds, but I like those. If you can find other sounds you like better, then of course, use them. I'm not sure how to alias sounds outside of using the aircraft.cfg, but another dev has been helping use a different method, via the Community folder, and if that can work (with the Spitfire) then perhaps it'll work with the DH.83. Stand by.

Priller: Likely to be an XIV and XVI (was able to use Michael Potter's XVI for some of the cockpit 'feel' for the Mk.I model), if all goes well.

Mike

PS Apparently my daughter likes them, too :)

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The C-152 sounds were used because I've flown real Tiger Moths a couple of times (in fact, when I still had a real plane, one was parked in front of mine in the hangar - owned and flown by an ex-Halifax tail gunner), and the sounds in the model sounds pretty much identical to me, inside and out. Plus they (there were two) were out flying at our airfield many, many times. Of course, there's a large amount of subjectivity when it comes to sounds, but I like those. If you can find other sounds you like better, then of course, use them. I'm not sure how to alias sounds outside of using the aircraft.cfg, but another dev has been helping use a different method, via the Community folder, and if that can work (with the Spitfire) then perhaps it'll work with the DH.83. Stand by.

Priller: Likely to be an XIV and XVI (was able to use Michael Potter's XVI for some of the cockpit 'feel' for the Mk.I model), if all goes well.

Mike

PS Apparently my daughter likes them, too :)

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Hi Mike.

Yes, I have edited the aircraft.cfg too at times. Funnily enough, when I bought your L4, since it had the aircraft.cfg, I aliased the C152 sound... But I will be interested to learn of the potential alternate approach as your experimentation unfolds. But, after reflecting on your comments regarding the C152 sound and the real Tigers, maybe I need to pull the trigger on the DH.83 and earn you some more money! (EDIT:- Bought it ten minutes after writing this post, hence the new edit. Talking about Michael Potter, have you thought of issuing a free re-paint of C-FYPM to stir up interest in this model, here and on "other" popular MSFS sites?)

And that bubble canopy Spit, what a superb looking aircraft. I don't think we've ever had a high-quality version of one of those in the MS franchise, and I go back with 35 years experience in this title, both as a user and (in the1990's) a developer. And, I laughed at your daughter standing by it, I have a picture of my daughter (18 years ago) standing in front of Harvard "46" of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association. She was not showing the same enthusiasm as your lassie, but your picture brought that moment to mind. (By the way, we could do with a genuine Harvard in the sim instead of just the Texan. Then we could fly those former BCATP stations in style - I noticed the hangars in your picture).

Keep up the good work.
- Kenneth
 
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Sometimes, in this hobby people can feel a little frustration when multiple developers work on the same aircraft type. However, that's a limiting way to look at it. Different developers bring us a variety of models and variants, more livery choices, alternate design approaches to the subject aircraft, and often a choice of price point too. I welcome the variety when it's an aircraft I am passionate about, and surely the greatest example is the Spitfire. So many possible combinations of mark, variant, livery, etc. So here is evidence of the ongoing expansion of our hobby. A quick formation flight with the Flight Replicas Mk.II and the Flying Irons Mk.IX together in the virtual skies. And I'll add a shot from another flight of the Flight Replicas aircraft breaking out of the clouds just for fun. And now I hear that Aeroplane Heaven is adding the Spitfire prototype to their offerings. I very much look forward to the release of more Spitfires, Seafires, and who knows, maybe a Spiteful some day too? Bring em on, and more power to each developer.

- Kenneth

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Sometimes, in this hobby people can feel a little frustration when multiple developers work on the same aircraft type. However, that's a limiting way to look at it. Different developers bring us a variety of models and variants, more livery choices, alternate design approaches to the subject aircraft, and often a choice of price point too. I welcome the variety when it's an aircraft I am passionate about, and surely the greatest example is the Spitfire. So many possible combinations of mark, variant, livery, etc. So here is evidence of the ongoing expansion of our hobby. A quick formation flight with the Flight Replicas Mk.II and the Flying Irons Mk.IX together in the virtual skies. And I'll add a shot from another flight of the Flight Replicas aircraft breaking out of the clouds just for fun. And now I hear that Aeroplane Heaven is adding the Spitfire prototype to their offerings. I very much look forward to the release of more Spitfires, Seafires, and who knows, maybe a Spiteful some day too? Bring em on, and more power to each developer.

- Kennet

Nice pics! May have to see if the pilot can also be selectable in the air, so that users can switch liveries/models while in flight. :)

Personally, I build aircraft I like (and when it takes about a six-nine months or more, you really have to like them), and not for the 'market'. No interest in capturing a market or competing with anyone. I think quite a few developers do that. And as such, you can end up with several examples of the same type being available, each with their strengths and weaknesses definable only by the end user.
 
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