Native S2F3AT (S2T) Tracker Work in Progress

tankerguy72

tankerguy72

SOH-CM-2023
Just making an early announcement on the my project for MSFS. I had started this build for P3D but have moved over to MSFS which is much more visually stunning. The Grumman S2T Turbo Tracker is used by Cal Fire as its quick initial attack aircraft on wildland fires. It carries a load of up to 1200 gallons of fire retardant and 23 of them are strategically based throughout the state of California to provide a quick response time on fire dispatches.

This model is well along and I aiming for a pretty detailed product in terms of modelling and systems. Right now I am projecting a 1st quarter 2022 release. Ill be updating this thread as I move forward.







- - - Updated - - -





 
Beautiful Tracker! New to MSFS and found the importer program, started getting all excited about using my FSX models again...then reading up on SU6 with a frown.
 
Hello tankerguy72,
What a great news that is!!!
Looking forward to this beautiful Tracker... :applause::ernaehrung004:
Cheers,

Stéph.
 
Looks great. It will be nice to have this in MSFS. Someday, you'll have to remake the Privateer for MSFS. ;)
 
Hi Tankerguy,imma start by saying i cant do a paint to save my life.that said,any chance that as you go setting this up for release,could you do a tribute to Joe "Hoser" Satrapa? T89 out of Grass Valley.the last time i saw it before his retirement and his passing,it had "Hoser" under the window where you have Hemet Ryan on T72.i had a personal connection to Joe,he dropped on me several times,before the days of not dropping near crews i guess.never heard radio traffic between the air attack/tankers and the ground in those days,to busy eatin smoke.but the one time..sent me head over teakettle on one drop,which actually stopped a wall of fire that could have eaten us up...he went direct ,sent me flying,and my crew partner,we were mobiling with both lines out,one in front ,one to the rear..when i gathered myself up,i looked at Kurt and he also had gone flying,and a boot came off.though we were both injured..we couldnt help but laugh.

we were released from the fire and went back to Auburn,a few days later we were asked to go to the ECC at the Grass valley airport,Nevada County airport.anyway,we were asked to come up by Joe and he apologized to us. and took us to dinner.he was a great guy.gruff but very nice and funny.i miss him alot.

i wish someone who builds scenery for MSFS would do a nevada county airport and add the base and ECC to it.oh well just dreaming in both cases.CalFirePlanes-GVU-052114.jpgAirTankers-GVU-060619-1-1.jpg6428933895_b820f543cb_b.jpg
Thanks dave
 
Dave, I really think a tribute with both livery and airfield would be amazing to package with this when you're nearing release (er, when tankerguy is, I'm getting folks mixed up!). I'm sure in the community there are folks who could make this a reality :)
 
Wow! Stunning model and freeware to boot? I'd contribute/donate for something so niche and nicely done. I've followed these through the years in FSX, P3D and now MSFS. It's simply stunning what you've assembled.

On a side note, I see no sort of sight in the cockpit, so is it literally dropped based on the pilots gut instinct of where it should be dropped?
 
strykerpsg said:
On a side note, I see no sort of sight in the cockpit, so is it literally dropped based on the pilots gut instinct of where it should be dropped?
Click to expand...

In this day and age, I would think (and hope) that it would be coordinates and GPS! And I've never seen shots of the cockpits of these things that have sights.

Priller
 
its visual,you listen to radio traffic,you hear "pick up the end of that last drop and carry it down into ",there are some in cockpit views on youtube,they litterally look out the window,the airattack will even have them do practice runs,and then advise them things like..move to the starboard one wing span..even hear left/right since most airattack officers are Cal Fire captains.the VLATs and mediums (S2Ts) will follow a lead plane into the drop,use the leads line,to the point the lead will call out individual trees to line up on at times,then they "fire smoke" ,which leaves a ball of smoke with a short tail,sort of like a comet,and when the pilot gets to the puff,well he lines up on it and makes a note of where it is incase it drifts or dissipates ,or on it itself,he hits the drop button..even the airtractors with the GPS dont use it as theres nothing to base it on.i can get Norm Cook ,an airtanker pilot with aerounion and then airstrike firefifghters to write it out for me..im sure he would.he flew P3s in the military and then has flown P3 airtankers for years.

edit..a part of the stack is to watch the other aircraft and the drops.and they all talk to eachother about it..say two S2Ts and an air attck ,of course the air attack tells them what to do..though they know they start one flank or the other and at the heel in most cases,then work to the head,only time you hear or see them go right to the head is if its (the fire) making strong runs on structures.youll hear them talk to each other about start points "89,ill start at that rocky outcropping and work it uphill towards that tallest (or fattest) tree up there" 89 will then say something like "88,ill watch where it ends and start there and work back to" or "88 ill start there and hook it to the right towards that snag".....or if i was hoser..hed just reply..."89" with a humph...he was very encouraging to most of the other pilots though with things like...."you scared 88?" or "88 ? have you ever side slipped and airplane before?" heard that one day and the other pilot replied with....."hoser? ya gonna make me cry"...with a ton of mic clicks after that...lol

but most drops are done at 250' agl or250' above tree top,helos are at 500' maximum,tanker maneuvering maximum is 1000',tanker orbit is 1500' minimum ,2500' minimum for air attack.
 
Sundog said:
Looks great. It will be nice to have this in MSFS. Someday, you'll have to remake the Privateer for MSFS. ;)
Click to expand...

I all ready have a new updated external model built for the Privateer. That may be next up on the list after the tracker, but we will see.

Dave43H said:
Hi Tankerguy,imma start by saying i cant do a paint to save my life.that said,any chance that as you go setting this up for release,could you do a tribute to Joe "Hoser" Satrapa? T89 out of Grass Valley.the last time i saw it before his retirement and his passing,it had "Hoser" under the window where you have Hemet Ryan on T72.i had a personal connection to Joe,he dropped on me several times,before the days of not dropping near crews i guess.never heard radio traffic between the air attack/tankers and the ground in those days,to busy eatin smoke.but the one time..sent me head over teakettle on one drop,which actually stopped a wall of fire that could have eaten us up...he went direct ,sent me flying,and my crew partner,we were mobiling with both lines out,one in front ,one to the rear..when i gathered myself up,i looked at Kurt and he also had gone flying,and a boot came off.though we were both injured..we couldnt help but laugh.

we were released from the fire and went back to Auburn,a few days later we were asked to go to the ECC at the Grass valley airport,Nevada County airport.anyway,we were asked to come up by Joe and he apologized to us. and took us to dinner.he was a great guy.gruff but very nice and funny.i miss him alot.

i wish someone who builds scenery for MSFS would do a nevada county airport and add the base and ECC to it.oh well just dreaming in both cases.
Thanks dave
Click to expand...

Dave 89 will be on the list. I will release a texture pack with all of the 23 tanker numbers or whichever are not released in the initial package.

strykerpsg said:
Wow! Stunning model and freeware to boot? I'd contribute/donate for something so niche and nicely done. I've followed these through the years in FSX, P3D and now MSFS. It's simply stunning what you've assembled.

On a side note, I see no sort of sight in the cockpit, so is it literally dropped based on the pilots gut instinct of where it should be dropped?
Click to expand...

As others have mentioned it is all on the pilot visually where to drop. Air Attack will call out visual signals like anchor off that road or drop to protect a structure. On Fed fires lead planes are used to look for hazards on the drop run area and mark the spot of the drop with a puff of smoke.
 
Tankerguy,,
"Dave 89 will be on the list. I will release a texture pack with all of the 23 tanker numbers or whichever are not released in the initial package."

thanks great news,thank you sir! does MSFS have the working animation for drops?..i hope so..but since i fly inside,doesnt mater..lol..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top