kelticheart
Charter Member
Updated prop disks, DP and flight model for Baldy's Barracudas!
A good day to everybody!
I just uploaded updated 4-blade propeller disc textures for Mike Feilden's, a.k.a Baldy, Fairey Barracuda MkII, MkIII and AI version. Both full disc and single blade textures to choose from.
When I saw the flight model and damage profile derive from the stock CFS2 Avenger, I tried to taylor them more closely to the Barracuda historical specs. I started out by removing stock break effect model numbers to avoid generation of clones when shot down. I then deleted systems and effect boxes for inexhisting TBF wing guns, bomb bay and lower gun turret. I replaced rear gun data from the original single .50" to dual .303" Vickers K guns and adjusted muzzle flash locations. Finally, I replaced GC's British bombs with better sized William Dicken's Beaufighter 250/500lb GP bombs and included a Green Ghost's DAP gauge-controlled exhaust effect.
For the MkIII I took advantage of the hardpoints left free by not carrying the 1,600lb Armour Piercing bomb, carried by the MkII, and added an extra pair of depth charges, fitting more the MkIII submarine hunting specific mission.
In the airfile I removed the stock TBF radial engine (record #505, Engine CFS/FS2000 Piston Engine) and replaced it with the Barracuda real-life powerplant, a 1,645 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 32, single-stage, two-speed supercharged V-12 engine, which also equipped the Supermarine Seafire LII. In record #1101, "Primary Aerodynamics", I added the missing flap lift and the opening of the rear gunner canopy will add a slight drag with a loss of speed.
The Fairey-Youngman flaps equipping the Barracuda were designed to be operated also as dive brakes, set at a negative angle. When the prototype, equipped with a more conventional Albacore-type tail unit with a low-set tailplane, was tested, the flaps deployed as dive brakes created an air wake which caused tail buffeting, loss of elevator effectiveness and vibration at high speed. The result was a redesigned tail in which the taiplane was strut-braced high up on a taller, narrower fin. Hence the rather odd shape of the Barracuda.
Unfortunately, this animation was not molded in this CFS2 model and the spoiler key activates the rear gunner, instead... So, watch your airspeed when dive bombing the Tirpiz!
Tested in CFS2 with these mods, Baldy's Barracudas match closely historical performance and top (poor) speed reported in Aerospace's "British Warplanes of WWII". The Barracuda was always judged rather underpowered, but, in spite of it, it did well during WWII, a tribute to the skilled pilots who flew Barracudas in combat.
Although you will find a separate airfile for each of Baldy's Barracuda models including the AI, all of the airfiles included in this package will perform fine as AI aircrafts, as I included in all of them MOI values (Moment Of Inertia Values, airfile record #1001) reduced 50% from the aircraft.cfg values for good AI performance.
MOI values represent the amount of force needed to make an aircraft yaw, roll and pitch, in CFS2 aircraft.cfg values are used for the player's aircraft, while for computer-controlled (AI) aircrafts airfile values take precedence. While the player's aircraft may perform beautifully with aircraft.cfg values, usually they are way too high for the simulator engine to handle while governing all other aircrafts, resulting in AI planes behaving badly during missions like refusing to dogfight, drop bombs, dive bomb, do torpedo runs and such. Lighter MOI values will render AI planes nimbler and more willing to play the role assigned to them in missions or execute your radio commands during combat. It's uploaded in the "CFS2-Other" section.
Enjoy!
KH :ernae:
P.S.: Let me extend my gratitude to SOH technical staff, including Rami and Jagdflieger, for helping me out with the bad connection problems I experienced after the implementation of the anti-spam and bogus e-mail security here at SOH. Although my provider is one of the major Italian phone companies, I wasn't able to keep my account logged in for the last two weeks. Thank you again, friends!
A good day to everybody!
I just uploaded updated 4-blade propeller disc textures for Mike Feilden's, a.k.a Baldy, Fairey Barracuda MkII, MkIII and AI version. Both full disc and single blade textures to choose from.
When I saw the flight model and damage profile derive from the stock CFS2 Avenger, I tried to taylor them more closely to the Barracuda historical specs. I started out by removing stock break effect model numbers to avoid generation of clones when shot down. I then deleted systems and effect boxes for inexhisting TBF wing guns, bomb bay and lower gun turret. I replaced rear gun data from the original single .50" to dual .303" Vickers K guns and adjusted muzzle flash locations. Finally, I replaced GC's British bombs with better sized William Dicken's Beaufighter 250/500lb GP bombs and included a Green Ghost's DAP gauge-controlled exhaust effect.
For the MkIII I took advantage of the hardpoints left free by not carrying the 1,600lb Armour Piercing bomb, carried by the MkII, and added an extra pair of depth charges, fitting more the MkIII submarine hunting specific mission.
In the airfile I removed the stock TBF radial engine (record #505, Engine CFS/FS2000 Piston Engine) and replaced it with the Barracuda real-life powerplant, a 1,645 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 32, single-stage, two-speed supercharged V-12 engine, which also equipped the Supermarine Seafire LII. In record #1101, "Primary Aerodynamics", I added the missing flap lift and the opening of the rear gunner canopy will add a slight drag with a loss of speed.
The Fairey-Youngman flaps equipping the Barracuda were designed to be operated also as dive brakes, set at a negative angle. When the prototype, equipped with a more conventional Albacore-type tail unit with a low-set tailplane, was tested, the flaps deployed as dive brakes created an air wake which caused tail buffeting, loss of elevator effectiveness and vibration at high speed. The result was a redesigned tail in which the taiplane was strut-braced high up on a taller, narrower fin. Hence the rather odd shape of the Barracuda.
Unfortunately, this animation was not molded in this CFS2 model and the spoiler key activates the rear gunner, instead... So, watch your airspeed when dive bombing the Tirpiz!
Tested in CFS2 with these mods, Baldy's Barracudas match closely historical performance and top (poor) speed reported in Aerospace's "British Warplanes of WWII". The Barracuda was always judged rather underpowered, but, in spite of it, it did well during WWII, a tribute to the skilled pilots who flew Barracudas in combat.
Although you will find a separate airfile for each of Baldy's Barracuda models including the AI, all of the airfiles included in this package will perform fine as AI aircrafts, as I included in all of them MOI values (Moment Of Inertia Values, airfile record #1001) reduced 50% from the aircraft.cfg values for good AI performance.
MOI values represent the amount of force needed to make an aircraft yaw, roll and pitch, in CFS2 aircraft.cfg values are used for the player's aircraft, while for computer-controlled (AI) aircrafts airfile values take precedence. While the player's aircraft may perform beautifully with aircraft.cfg values, usually they are way too high for the simulator engine to handle while governing all other aircrafts, resulting in AI planes behaving badly during missions like refusing to dogfight, drop bombs, dive bomb, do torpedo runs and such. Lighter MOI values will render AI planes nimbler and more willing to play the role assigned to them in missions or execute your radio commands during combat. It's uploaded in the "CFS2-Other" section.
Enjoy!
KH :ernae:
P.S.: Let me extend my gratitude to SOH technical staff, including Rami and Jagdflieger, for helping me out with the bad connection problems I experienced after the implementation of the anti-spam and bogus e-mail security here at SOH. Although my provider is one of the major Italian phone companies, I wasn't able to keep my account logged in for the last two weeks. Thank you again, friends!
, Ground Crew's or Alphasim's old RAF weapon pack where it looks too small.
, while I have nothing showing it. Now what?
Thank you for your comments, by the way: how do you like the FM I uploaded?