F-82 and C.205

Just started two projects, a North American F-82 Twin Mustang, and a Maachi C.205 Veltro. Both are conversions from models I found at sim-outhouse.

Fuel system

Posted at the jsbsim-devel list is a message about proposed changes to the fuel feed system, allowing you to define the feed sequence at load-time, and to adjust it at run-time. I could use some more testing before I commit it, so if you need something to do you can grab the files here.

For example, with the F-4J you can give the internal fuel tank a priority number of 2, while the external tanks have a priority number of 1 (the default). This will cause the external fuel to be burned first, then internal fuel next.

New F-4N update

Nic Quijano, who BTW has started his own FlightGear-related blog, has added selectable armament loads to the F-4N, so you now have a choice between the original air defense load with three drop tanks and a new CAS (Close Air Support) load with six Mk 82 bombs. The original load is invoked by running the original "F-4N-set.xml" model, while the new one is invoked by running "F-4N-CAS-set.xml". This brings the F-4N version number up to 3.1.

Nic also tied the fuel gauge to the total fuel. I'm still torn on what I want to do hangar-wide concerning this. Probably best to convert all the models over, then when the next FlightGear version is released I can switch some of the fuel gauges back to tank[0] if I want.

Thanks for the nice work Nic!

P-47N

Over at sim-outhouse.com they've uploaded a lot of new freeware CFS2 aircraft models. Many of these can be converted for use in FlightGear. Because I just read a book on P-47 operations in WWII, I downloaded a P-47N model and started the conversion process. I have it flyable (barely) now, borrowing heavily from the Skyraider model, but it still needs a lot of work. Anyone looking for a project? This one would go onto a back burner here, and it may be a long time before I can get back to it.

Modeling How To

There is already a nice HowTo available in FlightGear's data/Docs directory, but here are some screenshots I took of the process. First, a screenie of AC3D showing normal working view. Note that the model should be built in the orientation shown, and not in the orientation suggested by the names of the panes (AC3D's coordinate system is not the same as FlightGear's). Then a screenie of an untextured mesh. Then a screenie of the texturing process, showing how a projection of parts of the mesh are matched to a texture. Finally, a screenie of the textured model.

Tutorial available

I've made available a sort of "beginners guide to FlightGear models" at the URL: http://home.comcast.net/~davidculp2/hangar/tutorial.html
It just explains what files are found in my model directories. There is a lot of leeway as to how you want to arrange your files within a model directory, so keep in mind that this is just the way I've settled on.

Further Skyraider updates

Added wing fold animation, but not the aerodynamic effect yet. Added armament system as on the A-29B model. See aircraft help menu for details. You have bombs on stations 7, 8 and 9, and Zuni rocket pods on stations 5, 6, 10 and 11. Weapons are fired symmetrically, so firing stations 1-7 will also fire the symmetrical stations (9-15) on the right side.

Added flap animation, and further propeller animation. Also, "shift-Q" now toggles the mixture control. Mixture is already set to 1 (rich) at startup. Setting mixture to 0 will kill the engine.

Many thanks to Ron Jensen for making an R-3350 engine for me.

Gary's newest Phantom livery

Gary "N-SCOT" Brown has made another Phantom model, this one with a 1976 American Bi-Centennial theme. This sharp-looking bird is available at his hangar.

Skyraider update

I've done some work on the A-1H Skyraider model, but much more work remains to be done. It now has propeller animation, landing gear de-selection (the first step in gear animation), and a working tail hook. No instruments yet, but using a HUD you can do carrier traps, even though it has an Air Force paint job :)

The engine is a 2700hp electric motor. Some day I'll figure out the new piston code and make a piston engine for it. The propeller gives it some torque (the wrong direction though?) that makes it a challenge to fly. You can't just trim it up and let go of the stick, well, unless you add useful bindings for aileron and rudder trim.