Spartan Executive Six Years Later

[tgycgijoes]

As you know here, I discovered this on my calendar and posted it in my thread but I just wanted to go further the more I investigated it. I am also going to post this over at P3D because now that I figured it out, I will be flying MINE in Prepar3D V4.5 now that I can with the Windows 10 OS on the desktop and new(er) video card. When I found the webpage from Jim Savage a real life Spartan Executive owner/pilot and the history of the plane in WWII I had to go back in time. I spent the last two days working from three black and white 1940 photographs of N17630 and had to dig in the past for my photo interpreting skills to IMO create the correct color cowl and stripes. Based on the photo you will notice the rudder end stripe on the BT-13 Valiant Intermediate Trainer and the similar tone of the Spartan cowl and stripes. Also used some license and intrepretation for the yellow wings and the registration on the rudder and on the wings. I was extremely blessed to find the original paintkit inside one of my downloads. I wrote to Milton and glad to hear he is enjoying his retirement from FS but miss him as we all do a lot. He did not have the paintkit anymore and suggested that I contact one of the repainters and then I found it in EXTRAS. Thanks to Urs Burkhardt for creating it. It works great in Photoshop! The models are native FSX and work in P3D too. I will fly tomorrow and report.

The original thread which is pages long with a lot of names I didn't even recognize is here: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforu...-Executive-FSX-Native/page4?highlight=spartan when Milton was active here on SOH back in 2017.

This is a view over the right wing before stepping on the walkway. Entry is through the door on the left side:

The interior of the vc is great as well and all gauges work from what I can tell. They are in the panel folder.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Compared to the photo

I don't think that it came out too bad compared to the photo on top. All the graphics are hand drawn. I learned quite a lot of Adobe Photoshop creating the alpha channels and experimenting with the reflection and the artwork being non-reflective with the alpha channel. In the past I used to hand paint in white but the Spartan logo on the tail was so complex I Googled and found Brendan Williams and his great tutorials on How To Change Colors In Photoshop with Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layers. My Photoshop was older than his version so one step was different but it worked and that is what counts in the end. Even though I kept checking it in the model on MDCx I still need to raise the wing and the stripe to match the photo. Phooey!!!! Well, I'll get back and fix it Monday and I wanted to beat "the rivet counters" if any were going to comment on it. I'll fix it. Then it will REALLY be close.

 

[thunder100]

yes a great plane

I fly since longer in P3DV4.5+ V5 and usually works well

And of you put it in historical context- MAN that plane was ahead of its time

Best regards

Roland

 

[tgycgijoes]

The Photos Above

yes a great plane

I fly since longer in P3DV4.5+ V5 and usually works well

And of you put it in historical context- MAN that plane was ahead of its time

Best regards

Roland

The Spartan is photographed in V4.5 at my "home airport" of Adele Williams Ocean Isle Beach close to my home and across the street from one of the supermarkets I shop at which I created especially for the scenery. All the buildings are exact as I can make them from photos taken live at the airport. It is nice to be able to visit correct and visit again. The restaurant in the big red building is now just a bar and tatoo parlour since I first did the airport for FSX 4 years ago so I updated it in December last. Hard to keep up with real life around you when you sim LOL!

 

[tgycgijoes]

Working on this a lot

Here is a screenshot of the 2D panel I have been creating with a lot of help over at FSDeveloper with some of the gauges like the Brittain B-5C Autopilot which was quite a challenge and is still not quite done yet. I have to tweak the mouse click areas of the buttons which will be a day's work on its own trial and error. Normally it's easy to plot it on a gauge with one click spot but this has 7 different click spots on the 7 buttons. This is being created from photos of the real panel in a real Spartan Executive. The pilot is so helpful and interested that I just WANT to do a great job on it for him. The rocker switches was today's work with each one a custom artwork in Photoshop and individually placed on the panel. Tomorrow I'll continue on the right side with GPS and gauges added. Then I will tackle the polished natural metal texture and the chrome spinner in P3D V4.5 which I found is so much different than repainting in FSX with its Diffuse, Specular and Bump. I know that there are Bump and Spec in FSX but there is a lot more to them in Prepar3D than I thought. I have a repaint but I don't like it all so I downloaded the Prepar3D V4 SDK and have been studying it.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Completed 2D Panel

After working on this for so many hours I forgot just how many, it is completed. All gauges that I couldn't find in other free aircrafts with permission to use or default FSX, are custom XML graphics and code (much much help over at FSDevelopers especially BalterOne, Maddz, TomGibson and WarpD. all of whose patience I probably tried and they never let on. Thanks guys. I will be sharing it here on SOH with the custom repaint texture. The Brittain B-5C Autopilot is fully functional and probably is the oldest next to a Sperry Autopilot that I have ever seen or used. They provided me with the documents to understand it while coding the gauge and the real pilot described its operation in detail for me as he did for the Midcontinent MD41-1484 GPS Annunciator which you can see below the registration and right of the SPARTAN EXECUTIVE plates. It is installed to make the aircraft IFR compliant with the GPS not in the middle but on the right side of the panel. It annunciates GPS functions. I have learned so much creating this panel not only in gauges I had never seen before but also xml coding some of which I had never done before as well. The flap gauges on the right side of the panel are also custom coded with nine flap positions (fortunate that is the maximum FSX allows) and are activated in 5 degree increment clicks with the mouse wheel on the flap switch. The Belly Flap is unfortunately not modeled by Milton so it mimics the wing flaps. If I knew how to add them in Blender I would because Milton Shupe the creator has provided the GMax for it in his download of all his models available. That would be REALLY cool and unique. I also wish I knew how to create a VC from this 2D panel but again I was told over at FSDev' that it takes Blender know-how to do that. I know how to substitute gauges on a VC if they are on the panel which they are but this is not just a gauge swap to same positions but a whole new positioned panel. Anyway without any further ado:

 

[tgycgijoes]

It took a lotta work

I have learned so much creating this in FSX. Especially how to get this highly polished finish which is true to the real aircraft. I learned how to do flat finishes for the insignias and cowl in Photoshop and have a few more gauges to add to the panel for pressure alarm lights. So here it is:

 

[Mike71]

---- Even though I kept checking it in the model on MDCx I still need to raise the wing and the stripe to match the photo. Phooey!!!! Well, I'll get back and fix it Monday and I wanted to beat "the rivet counters" if any were going to comment on it. I'll fix it. Then it will REALLY be close.

Looks great; you may think about lowering the cowl horizontal stripe vice raising the one on the fuselage? The photo angles may not reveal that it is a little lower?

Good luck -

 

[tgycgijoes]

Thanks

Looks great; you may think about lowering the cowl horizontal stripe vice raising the one on the fuselage? The photo angles may not reveal that it is a little lower?

Good luck -

I had to think about what you were saying for a moment and then understood. The screw strip right? Very difficult because they are two distinct parts and the cowl looks like one thing in Photoshop and then when it is opened up in FSX, it is shaped differently. When I first applied Executive on the cowl it looks absolutely perfect in Photoshop and then in the sim it is totally distorted. I had to get it to looking right like it is by trial and error. If you looked at Photoshop and the PSD/BMP it looks totally wrong but it's not. Anyway thank you for pointing that out and I will check it out and see what can be done if anything.

 

[tgycgijoes]

4 final gauges

I added the last four gauges to the panel today and it is complete. They are three warning lamps and the Nose-up Nose-down trim indicator with help again from FS Developers Tom Gibson, Maddz and BalterOne with the coding. I haven't actually flown it with controls yet because mine are not permanently setup having very limited space for flightsimming. Looking forward to doing that but it may not be for a few days with real life scheduling for the rest of the week and possibly next week as well. We'll see what happens. Thanks to FSDevelopers and to you guys here for sharing and commenting.

 

[tgycgijoes]

The Final Entry

Here is the final instrument panel with all gauges which work perfectly and also a shot of the completed repaint texture both in P3D V4.5 though they work as perfectly in FSX. I am using the Brittain B-5C Autopilot which is activated.

 

[thunder100]

Hi

Do you share the panel ?

Thank you

Roland

 

[tgycgijoes]

A big yes

Hi

Do you share the panel ?

Thank you

Roland

Hi Roland,
It is 2D not VC because I don't know or am able to make it as a part of the virtual cockpit, I wish it was. I am going to post here a mediafire link to the complete aircraft. You are very welcome to use just the panel if you want. I have permission from Milton Shupe to share the whole aircraft. The repaint and panel are totally created by me so mine to share. The panel will include all the custom gauges but not the default FSX a few of which I used which will come from your FSX Gauges. It will be packed separately. I am pleased that you would like to use it. The real pilot just asked me this morning after all the work we did together if I am going to share it which I told him yes also. After I put together a package I want to test it before I post the link here to make sure it all works as a download and install. There will be no installer, it will need to be done manually but I will include instructions how to do that for those who are unfamiliar. Thanks for your interest. BTW. The panel is a one of a kind in the real Spartan totally built and installed by the owner/pilot.

 

[thunder100]

hi

You can use your gauges in any spot of AN EXISTING GAUGE in VC, but you cannot make them bigger or reallocate the position

Thats my (limited ) go on it

Best regards

Roland

 

[tgycgijoes]

Yes I Know

hi

You can use your gauges in any spot of AN EXISTING GAUGE in VC, but you cannot make them bigger or reallocate the position

Thats my (limited ) go on it

Best regards

Roland

View attachment 90453View attachment 90454View attachment 90455

I have replaced many gauges into existing virtual panels in FS Panel Studio by opening up the gauge and noting the location and the size of the existing gauge and using those values for the new gauge and that works perfectly but I have been told that i have to do this in a 3D drawing program like Blender or FS Design Studio to actually be able to make this panel into a part of the virtual cockpit at FS Developers who are "da guys" who know how to do stuff like that.

 

[falcon409]

I have replaced many gauges into existing virtual panels in FS Panel Studio by opening up the gauge and noting the location and the size of the existing gauge and using those values for the new gauge and that works perfectly but I have been told that i have to do this in a 3D drawing program like Blender or FS Design Studio to actually be able to make this panel into a part of the virtual cockpit at FS Developers who are "da guys" who know how to do stuff like that.

After looking the panels over in FSPanel Studio, while some gauges in the VC can be replaced, the majority are apparently part of the mdl file as they are not active in FSPS. So you could conceivably replace the panel artwork and layout on that texture where the new gauges would go but without the ability to access the VC information via a 3D program you're out of luck. It's unfortunate that it was done that way (not saying it was wrong), just that those of us who relish being able to customize VC's are unable to do so.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Sadly I know

After looking the panels over in FSPanel Studio, while some gauges in the VC can be replaced, the majority are apparently part of the mdl file as they are not active in FSPS. So you could conceivably replace the panel artwork and layout on that texture where the new gauges would go but without the ability to access the VC information via a 3D program you're out of luck. It's unfortunate that it was done that way (not saying it was wrong), just that those of us who relish being able to customize VC's are unable to do so.

I found that out too. I am creating a landing panel popup that can be used to see where you are going when taxiing and landing which I am including in the package. Yeh its a bummer.

 

[Mike71]

I found that out too. I am creating a landing panel popup that can be used to see where you are going when taxiing and landing which I am including in the package. Yeh its a bummer.

In FSX and P3D, i bind "VIEW (always pan up / always pan down)" to letters on my keyboard. The effect is to raise and lower the pilot seat in 2D panel view. Works well for me, especially in taildraggers --

 

[tgycgijoes]

I don't understand

In FSX and P3D, i bind "VIEW (always pan up / always pan down)" to letters on my keyboard. The effect is to raise and lower the pilot seat in 2D panel view. Works well for me, especially in taildraggers --

How exactly is that done Mike Let me know tomorrow. I was watching Father Brown Mysteries until now so I didn't see your post. I will log in after church tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Mike71]

How exactly is that done Mike Let me know tomorrow. I was watching Father Brown Mysteries until now so I didn't see your post. I will log in after church tomorrow afternoon.

Select two letter keys you want to use to move your seat up or down and set them in your CONTROLS settings. See these photos for FSX or P3D4.

These will work in 2D panel view: to raise or lower the seat, press and HOLD the desired key down until you get the horizon where you want it - the change in view will pan a little slowly, but will work.

I show "Z" in the P3D binding but actually use "A" (- I just changed it after taking these shots because I want to use "Z" for something else). You may have to try different keys depending what way your controls selections, or default selections are presently in use.

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