Scorch00 Airtanker Conversion Projects

For those that haven't seen it, the Black Widow based tanker pack was released and is in the P3D Civilian Aircraft section of SOH.

I'm in the process of also finishing the Martin Mars, she's nearly completed. Some minor tweaking has been done and still needs a bit more, but I believe it will be finished fairly soon. She'll have Hawaii Mars in Coulson Canadian and US Service markings and Philippine Mars with her Canadian and original USN markings.
 
After some discussion and a number of hours of tweaking. I decided to swap the non functioning interior with the Martin Mariner, the similar cockpit layout to the Mars sort of works despite it being narrower and a twin engine platform. The shapes are I feel similar to get away with it and largely give the Mars a more completed functioning overhaul. I've tried to replicate the interior colors the best I could for the Coulson variants and left the typical Zinc Chromate coloring for the US Navy version of Philippine Mars. The VC itself was largely overhauled to add in the wings, engines, propellers, etc. Gives looking outside the aircraft more immersion I felt than the stock version did. Here is a look at the prototype interior overhaul. Once I'm happy with everything, it will carry over to the other versions.

 
Some High Res pics of the updated exterior of the Martin Mars'

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I'm looking to try and get the Mars out by this coming weekend perhaps. But that's not set in stone as of yet. I'll probably know better here in the next 2 days if I can hit that deadline or not. IRL responsibilities and all. But in other news I have procured permission to do two more aircraft modifications this weekend. So those additional projects will join the ranks for the coming projects. Right now the list is as follows.

AlphaSim Martin Mars Update (Near Completion)
Quality Wings Avro RJ85 Repaint and Tank Asset Pack (WIP)
FS KBT L-188 Electra Tanker V2.0 Pack (Planning R&D)
Fairchild C-123K Repaint or Tanker Pack (Planned, repaint completed)
Propeller Driven Tanker #1 (R&D Prototype WIP)
Propeller Driven Tanker #2 (R&D Prototype WIP)
 
Twice43 said:
In a word, 'stunning'
I like the vibrancy your getting into the exterior textures.
T43
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Thank you very much. It's turning out to be a very nice looking airplane I think. Hopefully everyone enjoys it once I am able to get it out there.



In other big news. I can say officially that the two additional piston tanker projects will be involving the Aeroplane Heaven C-119 and B-17. I was very graciously granted permission by them to do the airtanker modifications. Of which I recently started putting a prototype together for the C-119. The C-119 I will be doing will have the Steward-Davis Jet Pak modification installed onto the airplane. A small number of civilian C-119s and some from the Indian Air Force received this modification that was used nearly entirely by C-119s used in aerial firefighting. The SD Jet Pak boosted the C-119s MTOW from 74,000lbs to 77,000lbs. I'm working on flight dynamics changes that involve the added performance of the Westinghouse J34 that was added to the top of the fuselage. Along with matching sounds and firefighting repaints to accompany it. The B-17 tanker will also evolve in a similar fashion, but with different external modifications associated with it's service as a firebomber. Those projects may shift around depending on interest by both the community as well as my own. But The Mars and RJ85 pack are my primary focus at the current time. They are definite planned in the near future.

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Scorch00 said:
In other big news. I can say officially that the two additional piston tanker projects will be involving the Aeroplane Heaven C-119 and B-17.
Click to expand...

Certainly is big news.

Thanks for all your work on all the projects you've done. I've really enjoyed them.
 
Work is already well underway on the next project. The repaint pack for the QW Avro RJ85. This will include a tank asset to attach to the model via FireFighterX as well as a considerable number of repaints. Essentially all of Conair's fleet operating in Canada, all of AeroFlite's fleet operating in the United States, and the Conair contracted RJs operating in Australia. Jeremy U. (tankerguy72) has given me one of his detailed tank designs to use for the tank asset. I've applied additional things to it for the coming package.

AeroFlite T-160 is one of the first completed.
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Good to see the Martin Mars for P3DV5. Another good conversion and I might add a welcome return to the world of flying boats. Thanks
 
Scorch00 said:
Work is already well underway on the next project. The repaint pack for the QW Avro RJ85. This will include a tank asset to attach to the model via FireFighterX as well as a considerable number of repaints. Essentially all of Conair's fleet operating in Canada, all of AeroFlite's fleet operating in the United States, and the Conair contracted RJs operating in Australia. Jeremy U. (tankerguy72) has given me one of his detailed tank designs to use for the tank asset. I've applied additional things to it for the coming package.

AeroFlite T-160 is one of the first completed.
[
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Click to expand...

Recall the BAE146 waterbombers doing the hills near our place in during the Bushfires - alas I have the JF 146 - never got the QW version.
 
BendyFlyer said:
Recall the BAE146 waterbombers doing the hills near our place in during the Bushfires - alas I have the JF 146 - never got the QW version.
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In theory if you have Lorby's FFX, this could also attach to the JF one as well, but obviously without the livery to match, it will likely look a little funny. Although I could possibly look into including a "clean" white tank option as well. If I had the JF version I'd double check to see if it also fit properly. I assume there are some minor differences between model designs, but it could work. FFX has the option in P3D to move the tank attachment positions so it could be done with minor adjustments in the client, again in theory.
 
I have finished the Australian contract liveries. B-391 for EMV Victoria, B-165 (seen here), and B-166 for NSW RFS were completed last night. I will be starting to do Conair's Canadian liveries this week and will finish the pack with the US operator AeroFlite's fleet before moving on to the final stages of doing the work for the tank asset.

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The 3 Canadian liveries for the RJ85 are now completed. T-561, 564, and 566 (seen here) will make up that section of the pack. The AeroFlite fleet makes up the bulk of the active RJ85s and will consist of the other half of the pack roughly. I plan on testing them to see if they are in fact FSX/P3D compatible (I believe they are based on my version of the QW RJ). I'm also going to investigate the possibility of the tank asset's attachment to other 3D modelers versions in both FSX and P3D if I can to see if the tank is in fact cross version compatible. The 3D model variation in design would be the only variable and may not fit properly on other versions as a result. Depending on my findings there, that will also dictate if I also include a "blank" repaint texture for the tank to allow people to repaint their version of the BAe-146 to match, and the tank to those. The pack has gone well, hopefully that means I should be able to get these out later this month hopefully.

HD Previews:
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Liveries for the RJ85 are mainly complete now. I will be starting work preparing the tank asset for hopefully both the FSX and P3D versions of FireFighterX. I have a small beta team setup to test FSX compatibility. The hope there is that the attachment in FSX does indeed work. A previous project had to be thrown out due to the limitations of FSX. Hoping this will be different with this project. But we'll see. At minimum the tank asset will work for P3Dv4 and above, but the liveries will work in FSX/P3D. Also on the table is a rework of the Q400-AT project I released last year. I've decided to address some things with it since Conair operates both the Q400 and the RJ85, so it was logical to me after visiting the specs from the operator on both aircraft and such to adjust some shortfalls with the Q400. So it not only will be getting the corrected rear fuselage for the AT versions, but I will also make adjustments to the proper weights and performance. As they were off considerably from the real aircraft. In particular low speed performance. 140+ knot approach speeds with a nearly completely empty aircraft are not accurate at all, nor is the horrible takeoff roll. In excess of 5500' fully loaded, IRL it's closer to 4500. Drop speed for the Q400 is 125 knots. This was nearly impossible to attain without an extreme nose high attitude. Also it's lack of airspeed decay when throttles are reduced was also adjusted. Seen here is a steep approach angle and stopping fairly well without the use of much if any toe brakes. So far the adjustments I'm happy with. The stock version could not do an approach like this and land at 108 knots, it would be closer to 130 knots by the time it crossed the runway threshold. IRL it's near 116 knots in passenger configuration. So at 108 knots, that I'm pretty happy with a very light aircraft. But that aside, the V2 pack will move to be both FSX and P3D compatible, as the original was only for P3D. It will also get more liveries.

 
FD updates are finished and what I'd consider acceptable for the Q400-AT based more entirely on released fact sheets on the Airtanker version. Also adjusted wheel contact points, main gear were actually floating off the ground, even under a full payload. That's been adjusted, seen here. Livery updates will start soon and more will be added to the V2.0 pack. Since more are now active. Unknown at this time how many additional liveries I'll add, but it may be a lot since it's likely as usual. I will likely be the only one making firefighting repaints for it. Model was also reconfigured to be FSX native once again. V1.0 would not export successfully as an FSX native model and the previous version was for P3Dv4+ only. V2.0 will be compatible in both FSX and P3Dv4+. This will release after the upcoming RJ85 repaint/tank asset package.

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RJ85 Repaint & Tank Asset Released

The FSX beta test for the tank was not successful and it was deemed for further projects such as this, due to FSX's limitations and what we're trying to achieve with FireFighterX it's just not possible given that sim's limitations. FSX development of tank/attachment assets will no longer take place. They will be focused entirely on use in P3D. With the exception that the tank models can be attached entirely to the existing model. However, the 4K textures work just fine in FSX. The files are live here on SOH. The pack includes 12, 4K liveries. 3 for Australia (EMV Victoria & NSW RFS, Conair), 3 for Canada (British Columbia, Conair), and 6 for US operator AeroFlite. There's also an included weight adjustment as well. The RJ in tanker configuration upon getting info sheets have a slightly higher MTOW than they do in commercial operations. Nothing else was modified in that regard.

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The Q400 project will now take center stage. The V2 package will include all active liveries seen on the Q400 over the last several years. Liveries are planned for Australia, Canada, France, and the USA. Likely 14 liveries at this point in time minimum. So it may take awhile to compile that. Model wise and flight dynamics wise. The V2 is pretty much completed outside the liveries. This will be a complete override of the original V1 pack if anyone has it. Also, as mentioned previously, the V2 pack will be FSX and P3D compatible now and not just for P3D.
 
Repaints are the main focus at the moment. There are some minor adjustments I need to address before I continue with repaints, and honestly after last night my eyeballs need a rest. Liveries are I'd say around 75% completed though. Last night I managed to finish Australian, Canadian, and US operator liveries. France is the only remaining few I need to complete and then check over them. Flight dynamics edits are complete, as are some sound adjustments to the reverse thrust sounds, as well as adding some lights to it. An FSX beta test will likely start early next week if I can get the minor fixes tested/addressed this weekend. Seen here is Aero-Flite's first and only US operating Q400-AT T-180. As of 2022, T-180 is the first US operator assigned Q400.

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In other news I have slowly restarted some work on the C-119 project. With the permission of Aeroplane Heaven, these will move forward after the Q400 project is out in the world. There will be a series of repaints and as mentioned before the integration of the Steward-Davis Jet Pak modification will occur. Performance and sound updates will also come with that addition. Right now the main R&D is in P3Dv4, but likely will also involve the FSX version as well. Research on this so far has limited it this way as the P3D version cannot be made dual platform compatible due to it's amount of polygons. So this is why there will likely be two different packs to be done. At least that's the plan at the moment. I still need to mess with the FSX version. The SD modification pack wasn't limited to C-119s in aerial firefighting, other civilian owners operated the C-119s with this pack as did the Indian Air Force. Other than the cosmetic addition of the J34 to the fuselage, nothing else externally would differentiate them from non-firefighting platforms. So if it was so wished, people can either use it as a civilian transport or as a firebomber.

Hawkins & Powers T-135
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All liveries are complete on the Q400 V2 Package. FSX testing has also been successful. I'm expecting the release of the V2 pack on the 15th of April. Pack will include liveries representing Australia, Canada, France, and the USA. 15 liveries in total.

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C-119 R&D continues. The FSX version has been abandoned as FSX limitations in the recompile wont allow the aircraft to be recompiled with my changes added to it unfortunately. The P3D version will see updated flight dynamics for the J34 installed on the fuselage, the SD Jet Pack modification, sounds, firebomber liveries, a 2nd model with a bulbous nose (seen below), and perhaps an addition to the VC. I'm currently trying to see if I can manage adding the Jet Pack's additional throttle to the top of the cockpit's overhead panel. Even without this more of a cosmetic feature, the jet engine will be able to be controlled separately from the radials if you have a HOTAS or throttle controller that can control 4-engine airplanes. Below is the new model that will become T-137 from Hawkins & Powers. This has the new nose and re-adjusted J34 turbojet.

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