Retro AI

H

hawkeye52

Charter Member
Hi guys 'n' gals!

I've made a second install of FS9 which will be dedicated solely to a "retro" config, nominally set at 1961. The inspiration for this has been the OUTSTANDING retro environments available at CalClassic.com, which are truly a labor of love.

Can anyone point me to a source for AI B-36/-47/-50s?
AI SA-16 and P5M would also be nice.

Thanks in advance,
- H52
 
hawkeye52 said:
Hi guys 'n' gals!

I've made a second install of FS9 which will be dedicated solely to a "retro" config, nominally set at 1961. The inspiration for this has been the OUTSTANDING retro environments available at CalClassic.com, which are truly a labor of love.

Can anyone point me to a source for AI B-36/-47/-50s?
AI SA-16 and P5M would also be nice.

Thanks in advance,
- H52
Click to expand...

I have a virtually identical setup, set to '58. I don't have a lot of true mil AI planes, and since I like running fast frames, I personally don't run any plane as AI that wasn't designed as a dedicated AI with multiple LOD, etc. Wasted too much precious time trying to adapt flyable planes into AI to bother - if I want to fly formations, I'll just use FSRecorder module, and get any airplane as AI I like.

That said, Alphasim (old iteration) had (has?) some great sceneries with mil AI planes. B-47, B-58, come to mind. I know there are also some great freeware KC-97 and KC-135s that would fit your timeframe, also dedciated AI planes - avsim for those, if memory serves.

Good luck!

dl
 
If you're looking at updating any UK scenery there are several UKMIL airbases back in the cold war era, I think these include Maham, Waddington, Possibly Leuchars and a few others. These all have period specific static aircraft and possibly traffic (can't remember I'm running the modern ones). There are also a number of models around that aren't too bad on frames when used as AI, I think when I edited the Ito Vulcan to work with a GA AI generator it ran fine.

Matt
 
hmmmm ...

kurt190 said:
snipped ...

B-50 http://simviation.com/fs2004vintage75.htm

Bit of a crime to use Gnoopey's B-50 as AI but I yhink it is the only one available.

These guys might work out of the box - if not then you may need to swap airfiles around from established AI aircraft.

kurt
Click to expand...

... my B-50's will 'work' as AI 'out of the box' - but there are updated versions available ==> http://simviation.com/fs2004vintage91.htm - and please be advised, that the packages were not made for primary AI use. Not a 'crime' at all - just a tad bit 'overmodeled' for AI usage only ;)

ThankXXX for the heads up kurt!
 
Retro B-36 et al

Fellas, thanks for your input. I've held off replying in the hope that I could report finding a true AI B-36. Alas, 'tain't gonna happen.

Kurt: I have Ito's 36 and will try it as an AI. I've D/L'd a few additional textures because I want to assemble 6-12 a/c on the ground, if FPS allow.

DeltaLima: following your advice, I D/L'd Nellis AFB for the purpose of harvesting the B-52s. KC-97s and other period MATS transports are available at CalClassics.com

FireBar: Excellent suggestion, but my overseas retro is limited to civil transports, at least for now.

Extrudinator: Yes, I have Mike Stone's 52 and I will give it a try as AI.

Gnoopey: Despite your protestations, the B-50 would be wasted as AI. I do however, promise to fly LeMay on it as he makes his surprise visits to SAC bases!

Again, thanks one and all.
- H52
 
hmmmm ...

hawkeye52 said:
snipped ...

Gnoopey: Despite your protestations, the B-50 would be wasted as AI. I do however, promise to fly LeMay on it as he makes his surprise visits to SAC bases!

Again, thanks one and all.
- H52
Click to expand...

... think I do need to make some 'adjustments' to previous statements - own ones and the quoted one shown above ...
  • my own statements were NOT meant to be 'protestations'!
  • especially not meant something as 'to be wasted as AI'!
On one hand, I'd spent a considerable amount of time to make the said models also AI 'friendly' ...
  • 3D MDL's are multi-resolution with 10 levels of detail (LOD's)
  • there are a few AI 'friendly' animations / display level conditions built into the 3D model
    • e.g. using the RB-50F or the TB-50H as a user aircraft enables toggable bomb doors of the AI B-50's. Read, the AI models mimick / replicate the user aircraft settings for the bomb doors
  • flight envelope modeling was tested also as AI!
On the other hand, the models also have AI 'unfriendly' features built into them ...
  • the most complex LOD's are very polygon heavy
    • LOD_400 as well as the VC (LOD) are at the build tools limit
  • models have a vast amount of materials and texture sheets - really NOT optimized for an AI usage
    • users who'd really want to use the models as AI should make sure that:
      • all textures used are DXT3 only (available as re-paints)
      • panel changes will have to be done carefully - if the panel is just deleted / omitted, certain (gauge controled) features are no longer visible / usable
  • AI 'features' are not documented because not 'finished'
  • AI flights with plans and routings for most of the bases that had seen RB-50's are not part of the published packages and will have to be done by the user him-/herself.
  • <= have NO time to give much user support for the AI 'side' of Superfortress mania at the moment unfortunately
  • all of the above goes for the v1.1 RB-50F as well as for the TB-50H models
Sorry for my first 'meager' statement in my first post above ;)
 
My dear Gnoopey...

You are no doubt aware of the limitations of the written word vis-a-vis face-to-face communication. Protestation was said with a wink of the eye which of course, you could not see. Wasted was meant to emphasize that using your aircraft as AI would mean utilizing only a fraction of its potential.

No denigration was intended and no offense was meant, and I hope none was taken.

- H52
 
hmmmm ...

hawkeye52 said:
My dear Gnoopey...

You are no doubt aware of the limitations of the written word vis-a-vis face-to-face communication.

snipped ...

No denigration was intended and no offense was meant, and I hope none was taken.

- H52
Click to expand...

... yes I am and that's perhaps part of my 'problem' - LOL - a certain uncertainty of a foreigner with another mother tongue than english ...

Of course I haven't understood a denigration and of course no offense was taken!

'Gsundheit' :ernae:
 
Thank you for being so gracious. I always try to craft my communications in such a way as to avoid misunderstandings...but those can never be eliminated, only minimized. Anyhow, I am happy again.

[pls chk a PM for you]

- H52
 
hawkeye52 said:
FireBar: Excellent suggestion, but my overseas retro is limited to civil transports, at least for now.
Click to expand...

How about taking a look at David Maltaby's site then, I seem to recall that there are a couple of AI versions of his aircraft in there somewhere.

http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/

This site has BAC 1-11, HS Trident, Vickers VC-10, dH Comet

I think that this site http://samdimdesign.free.fr/ also has some AI russian models, well early FS9 models etc, take a look in the other freeware aircraft section.
 
Thanks, Firebar.
Have you had a look at CalClassics?

AI File One Contains the Boeing B307 and B377, Martin 202 and 404, Douglas DC-3 and DC-4 (11 MB). Required Updated on 12/17/07! Updated on 10/20/08.
AI File Two Contains the Aviation Traders Carvair, Douglas DC-6, DC-6B, DC-7, and DC-7C (11 MB). Required. Updated on 12/21/07! Updated on 10/15/08.
AI File Three Contains Lockheed Constellations (L-749, L-1049, L-1649A), turboprops (Lockheed L-188, Fokker/Fairchild F-27), Russian aircraft (Antonov An-10, Lisunov Li-2, Ilyushin IL-14, IL-18, Tupelov TU-114) and the Curtiss C-46 (18 MB). Required. Updated on 4/24/08! Updated on 10/20/08.
AI File Four Contains Convair-Liners (CV-240, CV-340, CV-440), British/Commonwealth aircraft (Vickers Viking, Viscount, Vanguard, Canadair North Star, Bristol Britannia, DeHavilland Heron) and the Grumman Goose (12 MB). Required. Updated on 12/21/07! Updated on 10/20/08.
AI File Five Contains Boeing jets (707-120, -120B, -138, -138B, -320, -320B, 720, and 720B), Douglas DC-8 and DC-8-52, Convair 880 and 990, Sud Est Caravelle, DeHavilland Comet, and the Tupolev Tu-104 (19 MB). Required if you want to see jet aircraft. Updated on 4/24/08! Updated on 10/15/08.
The Military Pkg contains:
C-46: Original aircraft by Dave McQueen
C-47: Original Aircraft by John Kelley, Marcel Ritzema and Alexander Schmidt
C-54: Original aircraft by Tom Gibson and Harry Follas
C-97: Original aircraft by Dave McQueen and Rui Cristina, improvements by Dee Waldron (9/8/08).
C-118A: Original aircraft by Tom Gibson and Harry Follas
C-121A: Original aircraft by Dave McQueen, modified by Tom Gibson
C-121C: Original aircraft by Dave McQueen, modified by Tom Gibson
C-124: Original aircraft by FS-Berlin
C-131: Original aircraft by Tom Gibson, Dee Waldron, and Dave McQueen
C-133: Original aircraft by Mike Stone
VC-137: Original aircraft by Dee Waldron, modified by Tom Gibson

I am starting by installing the scenery packages, followed by the foregoing traffic packages. Once I get all that going, I will venture into adding traffic to airports not included in the CalClassic sets --notably the Caribbean, where I spent many years-- and as part of that will likely need some additional Commonwealth a/c. Maltby's site and perhaps Rick Piper's are likely sources.
- H52
 
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