Scorch00 Airtanker Conversion Projects

[Scorch00]

The slew of releases is ongoing. The S-61 was released a few weeks ago, and the updated Veneaviones 690 Turbo Commanders were released today. Work continues to finish up the updates the FS KBT P-3A/B Aerostars.

So far those are looking quite nice. Some images below of some of the other airplane paints that will be included in the pack. There will be 23 operational liveries available across the 10 Aerostars that were converted. Seen here are T-17, the last converted P-3 Aerostar that entered service in 2010-11 and T-00 in her very early pre-full Aero Union paint. T-00 was one of the first Aerostars converted. Having entered service in 1990-91. The Aerostars operated largely by Aero Union until 2013. They sat after Aero Union broke up and were slowly split up and several scrapped and used for parts to keep the others flying. Airstrike Firefighters Inc bought T-21, 23, and 17. But leased T-22 from Buffalo Airways, whom bought it. Sadly, Airstrike closed operations due to lack of funding in 2023. T-25 and T-27 were sold to MHD Rockland and flown to Florida in 2024. There are plans to reuse the drop systems, but they are unsure if T-25 and 27 will fly again as tankers or what they'll do with those airframes. OF the 10 converted aircraft, only T-22 and 23 were considered airworthy for firefighting operations as of 2022. The others largely haven't flown much at all since the dissolving of Aero Union, all were bought by United Aeronautical Corp and maintained until their final sales have happened. They sat in active storage and only run on occasion. T-00, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 made up the fleet. T-00 is scheduled to possibly be scrapped and is the only remaining aircraft still owned by UAC. T-17 was in the process of being brought back to airworthiness by Airstrike, but that never occurred. T-20 was scrapped early on as it was in a major overhaul when Aero Union broke up and the aircraft was scrapped and brought back from Canada where it was getting the overhaul. T-21 was bought by Airstrike and sacrificed for parts for T-22, 23, and T-17. T-22 was bought by Buffalo Airways and leased by Airstrike (since the P-3 cannot operate in Canada). T-23 flew for Airstrike for several seasons. T-24 was lost in the line of duty in 1991. T-25 as mentioned above was bought by MHD Rockland along with T-27. T-26, the unique and only P-3B that was converted was also lost in the line of duty in 2005.

So an interesting brief history on those airplanes and all of them will be included in the pack in their varied service paint schemes over the years.

Aero Union T-00 in 1990-91

Aero Union T-17 circa 2010-11

 

[Scorch00]

Following the close of the CV-580 project I have started to head back into strictly airtanker conversion projects. Most recently a continued expansion for P3Dv4+ for the Milviz/Nemeth S-64. I have released a single model and repaint representing the new livery flown by Helicopter Express after their purchase of Erickson Air-Crane's entire fleet. That pack also includes the new expansion v2.5 model with PBR of the S-64F Skycrane with some new model additions and corrections. That is available here now on SOH via my resources section.

The next project I am working on is modernizing PAD's BAe-146-200s. I believe they were released originally for FS9. These needed a significant overhaul and update to work in P3D. My standard mode of update now is to overhaul the models to allow them to not only be fully functional in P3Dv4+, but will also get PBR, lighting, sound, and other updates that are needed to properly represent their real life counterparts. In the case of the 146 this also included updating the model to include missing features such as full wing spoilers, landing gear adjustments, and other small changes. I am also creating the RJ85/AT model alongside the 146-200/AT. That includes the model seen below of the Conair/Aero-Flite style external tank. This tank mod was available originally for the QW RJ85 as an attachment using FFX, but this round the tank model is permanently attached to the model now. The Premiere Aircraft Designs BAe-146-200 serves as the base for this mod. A freeware option to the fantastic QW ships. Thus far into the process (about a month overall) they are looking quite good with most of the updates installed. The plan is to include all of the current fleet of aircraft for Neptune Aviation Services, Conair Group, Aero-Flite, and a single ship that was flown by Air Spray USA. Model updates are still ongoing, but the process is becoming less frequent for model updates. I have started on expanding out the repaints for the rest of the operator's fleet aircraft.

Avro RJ85/AT

BAe-146-200/AT

 

[rohan]

yay - another great set of updates on the way - thank you muchly

 

[Scorch00]

I have taken a hiatus from doing conversions for P3D for the time being as I have acquired MSFS 2024 and am getting used to the sim and how it's working. Also am working with a few others in our community to try and help get the firefighting and other aspects of MSFS 2024 up from where it is. As it's kind of been a very rough start in a number avenues. Including no access to any stock aircraft to allow for modificaitons or as we like to say, corrective maintenance. As a lot of aircraft are missing functional equipment (for firefighting as an example) as well as are under performing in a number aspects compared to the real aircraft. Career mode is lacking a lot of realism for firefighting as well. But that's what I'm doing mostly currently in that neck of the woods. However, I am trying to bring out a project we started years ago and I am going to try and see what I can do with it. That would be the P-2 Neptune airtankers. Virtavia released their limited variants some years ago now and while it was greatly appreciated that they did actually include some firefighting versions, they weren't that different from one another. Some minor differences and really, it lacked a lot of things that made the P-2s so iconic in these roles. So, in light of that, some of the changes I made for the Virtavia aircraft have also made it to our version. But largely, I am focused on the P-2V5 variants, not the P-2V7 variants with the bubble style canopies. The 5s have a more bomber-esk canopy as you can see in the prototype images below. I am in the process of adding a lot of detail to these, as well as appropriate performance and sounds that make the P-2 so iconic. Most P-2 addons have all been 2 engines. Our version will in fact be the hybrid 2 burning and 2 turning variety. The sounds will represent that on these. I also do plan on doing some of the other models of tankers, such as the de-jetted Aero Union Firestar based on the P-2V7 (SP-2H) and a few others flown by other operators over the years. I say this with an asterisk above it. As myself and a few others in the virtual aerial firefighting community have suffered from a number of piracy of our works, it's driving a wedge into the community about offering some of these updates in as large of numbers as I was doing and perhaps even moving the release of the addons away from public sites and/or going payware and more legal protections. Unfortunately, reverse conversions without permission of my aircraft into FSX and then to MSFS have occurred, as well as piracy of mine and members of the community's paints. So it's left a bad taste in my mouth so to speak. That negativity aside, I do look forward to hopefully bring the P-2s to P3Dv4+, or maybe even MSFS 2024. But we'll see how it goes. These are NOT based on the Virtavia Neptunes at all. They are our own in house built models and are purpose built airtankers. As seen below with this prototype and functional drop doors and a few other things I plan on adding to them. Seen here is iconic T-14 flown by Neptune Aviation.

 

[Scorch00]

In addition to the P-2V5 and some other variations of it. I will also confirm there will be several airtanker versions of the P-2V7s as well. This iconic one flown by Aero Union will be an example of one. The de-jetted SP-2H "Firestar" as it was known after conversion by Aero Union, did not carry as much as it's jet engine equipped counterparts did, but still was able to carry 2,000 US gallons of retardant. Allowing it to operate alongside other airtankers from shorter air attack base runways into the early 2000s. It also, unlike it's jet engine counter parts also used Aero Union's new RADS II style constant flow computerized single door retardant tank that was sunk into the belly of the P-2, making it much more aerodynamic. Most other Neputnes had a segmented door setup, usually consisting of around 6-8 doors. This along with the airframe being lighter and less draggy from a larger tank fairing and outboard jet engines allowed for these versions to cruise just as fast as it's jet engine counterparts, with less fuel burn. Granted, with less retardant. Making it one of the more advanced versions of the Neptunes to operate as an airtanker.

 

[Scorch00]

There's a number of airtanker variants of both the P-2V5 and P-2V7s, so I'm trying to do what I can to create those different variations to represent specific groups or individual airframes. Here are a few more variations that are in the process of being created/painted. Once the external shells are done and I'm happy with them I will be working on the interiors.

P-2V5 Black Hills Aviation T-05 (1990 time frame)

P-2V7 (SP-2H) Minden Air Corp T-48

P-2V7 (SP-2H) Hawkins & Powers T-139

P-2V5 Neptune Aviation T-44

P-2V7 Neptune Aviation T-45

 

[DennyA]

Oh wow. I hadn't looked at the P3D forum in a while and just found this topic. These airtankers look awesome! Love the passion for authenticity that's gone into them.

Completely understand with the current maturity of the sim why FS2024's proving challenging, but wow, I would so love to see these there eventually!

Thanks for sharing the work. Those Neptunes look great!