Native S2F3AT (S2T) Tracker Work in Progress

KGOO said:
Well I asked santa for a shiny new Stoof and all he brought me was a Goose. Guess I deserved that. I wasent very good this year. I am going to really try and be a good boy this next year and instead of leaving cookies for santa I am going to leave him a blank check so I can get my shiny new S-2T.
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Made my day also! haha :jump:

Project is kind of at a stand still. Making changes with the flight model and it took a nose dive off the deep end. Working through the issues now.

Ever since I started this project there was one special livery that I wanted to create, but I knew itd be a bit of a tough one. Finally sat down the last couple days and really focused on it and id say the results were worth the headache.

This is the first Grumman S2F3AT built at Cal Fire's AMU headquarters at McClellan Airpark in Sacramento, Ca. It was built to replace Tanker 81 that crashed in Yosemite, Ca in 2014 and bring the fleet back up to 23 airtankers again. This is what N450DF looked like when it was completed and prior to becoming Tanker 79 which is based at Hollister, CA.



 
tankerguy72 said:
Made my day also! haha :jump:

Project is kind of at a stand still. Making changes with the flight model and it took a nose dive off the deep end. Working through the issues now.

Ever since I started this project there was one special livery that I wanted to create, but I knew itd be a bit of a tough one. Finally sat down the last couple days and really focused on it and id say the results were worth the headache.

This is the first Grumman S2F3AT built at Cal Fire's AMU headquarters at McClellan Airpark in Sacramento, Ca. It was built to replace Tanker 81 that crashed in Yosemite, Ca in 2014 and bring the fleet back up to 23 airtankers again. This is what N450DF looked like when it was completed and prior to becoming Tanker 79 which is based at Hollister, CA.



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Fantastic job tankerguy72!!!
This is history preservation (or a kind of...) at its best... :ernaehrung004:
Cheers,

Stéph.
 
i remember that day in 2014.was a shock.

tankerguy72 said:
Made my day also! haha :jump:

Project is kind of at a stand still. Making changes with the flight model and it took a nose dive off the deep end. Working through the issues now.

Ever since I started this project there was one special livery that I wanted to create, but I knew itd be a bit of a tough one. Finally sat down the last couple days and really focused on it and id say the results were worth the headache.

This is the first Grumman S2F3AT built at Cal Fire's AMU headquarters at McClellan Airpark in Sacramento, Ca. It was built to replace Tanker 81 that crashed in Yosemite, Ca in 2014 and bring the fleet back up to 23 airtankers again. This is what N450DF looked like when it was completed and prior to becoming Tanker 79 which is based at Hollister, CA.



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I am kind of surprised there is no sort of bombsight for accuracy, unless I missed something. Just seems that would aid all of those tanker beasts in more precise droppings and provide higher efficiency. Maybe I am overthinking the process and love the concept completely. I've never seen the commercial side here in Washington, just the helos with Bambi buckets beneath.

I am hoping you're charging for this piece of kit. You've put so much time and attention to detail. At least make a contribution page so we can donate, in hopes of keeping more of this sort of stuff flowing.
 
Very cool that you would include that livery. From what I can tell you got it spot on.

Craig was at my base KGOO for two or three seasons before he went to Hollister. He earned the nickname "The Professor" at our base due to his off season work at UC Santa Cruise teaching chemistry. He rented out a room at a house right on our runway for the fire season so after a long day it would be a cigar and a fine whiskey by the fire pit after walking a quarter mile home from work. I happened to be watching auto mated flight fallowing when he went down and moments later intercom on base said all S-2s grounded. What a shame to lose such a great pilot and man.
 

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tankerguy72 said:
Made my day also! haha :jump:

Project is kind of at a stand still. Making changes with the flight model and it took a nose dive off the deep end. Working through the issues now.

Ever since I started this project there was one special livery that I wanted to create, but I knew itd be a bit of a tough one. Finally sat down the last couple days and really focused on it and id say the results were worth the headache.

This is the first Grumman S2F3AT built at Cal Fire's AMU headquarters at McClellan Airpark in Sacramento, Ca. It was built to replace Tanker 81 that crashed in Yosemite, Ca in 2014 and bring the fleet back up to 23 airtankers again. This is what N450DF looked like when it was completed and prior to becoming Tanker 79 which is based at Hollister, CA.



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Hey Tankerguy, If you ever get to the Monterrey area Our HQ and Dispatch center at KMRY had the Vertical Tail fin to that aircraft in the bone yard. I remember it was one of Hollister's Tankers that had crashed. It was before the 2014 incident though since the tail fin was back there in the 1990's. I don't remember the ID number but is was the original Green /orange Paint scheme. I want to say it was 77 or 79. it was the last few years before the color change on the aircraft. The last few years of Paul Vasteillca's ATGS reign :wavey:
any undate when we'll get this beauty??
 
KGOO said:
Very cool that you would include that livery. From what I can tell you got it spot on.

Craig was at my base KGOO for two or three seasons before he went to Hollister. He earned the nickname "The Professor" at our base due to his off season work at UC Santa Cruise teaching chemistry. He rented out a room at a house right on our runway for the fire season so after a long day it would be a cigar and a fine whiskey by the fire pit after walking a quarter mile home from work. I happened to be watching auto mated flight fallowing when he went down and moments later intercom on base said all S-2s grounded. What a shame to lose such a great pilot and man.
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It was a shame. A good man lost way too soon.

firerx said:
Hey Tankerguy, If you ever get to the Monterrey area Our HQ and Dispatch center at KMRY had the Vertical Tail fin to that aircraft in the bone yard. I remember it was one of Hollister's Tankers that had crashed. It was before the 2014 incident though since the tail fin was back there in the 1990's. I don't remember the ID number but is was the original Green /orange Paint scheme. I want to say it was 77 or 79. it was the last few years before the color change on the aircraft. The last few years of Paul Vasteillca's ATGS reign :wavey:
any undate when we'll get this beauty??
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I would definitely love to go check that out. Wonder if its still there.

One another note as previously mentioned McCall scenery is amazing. Its loaded with contract tankers/helicopters and a FS Twotter along with beautifully detailed hangars and ramps. The S2 seems out of place there, but hey its a sim and I can do whatever I want haha.





 
Any updates on progress

Hello, hope your doing well. I was just curious how progress is coming? Thanks and have a good one!
- Joe
 
Top secret

firerx said:
Will we have it before this fire season, Tankerguy?:redfire:
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You do not have the clearance for this highly sensitive information. :a1310: Only a few even know of its existence. I have it on good info that Tankerguy flies out of burbank on a "janet jet" to work on this project and is under constant threat of annihilation:rocket: if he discloses any more info on this project. The Gov will release it the public when they are ready. That is all.:monkies:
 
KGOO said:
You do not have the clearance for this highly sensitive information. :a1310: Only a few even know of its existence. I have it on good info that Tankerguy flies out of burbank on a "janet jet" to work on this project and is under constant threat of annihilation:rocket: if he discloses any more info on this project. The Gov will release it the public when they are ready. That is all.:monkies:
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Haha! Thats exactly it! Im hoping to have it out before fire season. My time available has been extremely limited recently. Two toddlers will do that to you haha.
 
Skunk Werx

Dear Mr. Tankerman, This is the ghost of Kelly Johnson. The team here need an update on the progress on the availability of the aircraft for this years fire season. We have been told that fire season has been delayed until July due to heavy amounts of precipitation this winter on the west coast, however the Fires will still come. We here at Skunk works have been developing a secret sauce for the tanker of which you are providing. The new color of retardant will be purple.:p87: Any update will be kindly appreciated.
 
Haha yeah someone around here started the rain dance and never quit. Keeping the S2 nice and dry in the hangar. With all this rain the vegetation is growing thick. Once everything starts drying out around here this fire season may be a rager and im sure the S2s will be plenty busy come summer!

Work has been slow going with the kids and hunny do's. Hoping to dive into this soon and wrap it up. Fire season is a nice goal. I want to make sure its done right I wish I could be in it full time.

 
tankerguy72 said:
Haha yeah someone around here started the rain dance and never quit. Keeping the S2 nice and dry in the hangar. With all this rain the vegetation is growing thick. Once everything starts drying out around here this fire season may be a rager and im sure the S2s will be plenty busy come summer!

Work has been slow going with the kids and hunny do's. Hoping to dive into this soon and wrap it up. Fire season is a nice goal. I want to make sure its done right I wish I could be in it full time.

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Being a resident of California I know you mean.
It seams either we have a below average rain year, and everything is very dry and the fire danger will be unusually high, or we get more rain than normal and there is more fuel out there and the fire danger is unusually high. Looking forward to the S2 when fire season arrives, and it always arrives too soon.
 
blanston12 said:
Being a resident of California I know you mean.
It seams either we have a below average rain year, and everything is very dry and the fire danger will be unusually high, or we get more rain than normal and there is more fuel out there and the fire danger is unusually high. Looking forward to the S2 when fire season arrives, and it always arrives too soon.
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Any updates Tankerguy? Fire season is here.
 
firerx said:
Any updates Tankerguy? Fire season is here.
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Still plugging away. Progress has been slow as of late with RL stuff that always seems to come up.

On the plus side this past weekend I spent out in Arizona watching an S2 come back from the boneyard and fly again. I even was able to sit in on a couple high speed taxi runs down the runway. I have to admit I prefer the Wright 1820s to the Garretts ;) haha




 
tankerguy72 said:
Still plugging away. Progress has been slow as of late with RL stuff that always seems to come up.

On the plus side this past weekend I spent out in Arizona watching an S2 come back from the boneyard and fly again. I even was able to sit in on a couple high speed taxi runs down the runway. I have to admit I prefer the Wright 1820s to the Garretts ;) haha




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That's fantastic tankerguy72!!! :ernaehrung004:
 
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