Nicola_M

I don't know if Khamsin and Arno based their B17 "Blue Champagne" on a real one, and I haven't seen anything from them on this aircraft's history. From a brief google, I found this: http://www.b17warhorse.fws1.com/photo3.html which mentions two aircraft called "Blue Champagne" but the second one, from 549th Sqn looks to have the same nose art as XPFR's one. It started out originally called "Latest Rumor." It would be nice to know if Khamsin and Arno did any research on the original, but I'll keep googling over the next few days and see what I can find. Also, from http://forum.armyairforces.com/4237977-B17-Blue-Champagne-m78868.aspx M. Drue Gillis and was the ball turret gunner on "Blue Champagne." Also an artist, he painted the noseart on both their aircraft.

Plus a few of us love steam gauges and the classics, where it took 3 sliderule toting he-men to fly a jumbo manually, rather than 2 screenjockeys. Won't say no to the 8 or the 400 or SP though... Totally agree, sometimes the glass cockpit comes across as "lacking personality, or a bit impersonal", if that's the right word. Old analog gauges seem to give a bit of character to a classic as the 747. Boeing may have the 747-800 out, but I'd bet most simmers would go for the -200 every time, just for the personality of it. Soul, that's the word.

Thank you Arno and Khamsin for this stunning plane, and also thank you for letting us have it a little earlier than the rest. I love the humour in the manual ("open bomb doors, or your flight will be remarkably short")! I would say a few dads/grandads in the US will be pleased to see their kids/grandkids flying their old planes.

Tested the new X-Pilot & X-Aviation "Tiger" livery. Show your support for the site by flying in its colours. Download from: http://nicola.x-aviation.com/X-Pilot.zip

Okay guys, it's ready. I know I said Wednesday, but luck was on my side. Grab it from here: http://nicola.x-aviation.com/X-Pilot.zip This is what it looks like in xp. Thanks to all you guys for ideas, especially Dainja for what he thought was nitpicking. If he hadn't, we'd have had the 1st (dull) version. Please enjoy,

Okay guys, this one looks pretty good. God, I can't believe how drab the first one looked compared to this. Just need input/suggestions on the crew uniforms colours. After that just some minor tidying up, and this should go up on Wednesday.

Ah, Damn! Actually trying to picture Nicolas flying the BK in XA colors. Na, can't picture it. It's like chalk and cheese. You'd want him to be in the one BK with chunks out of the rotors, g430 u/s and controls all screwed up.... basically the pig of the fleet ;D

Here's another one, as I wasn't sure how much to turn white. There's nothing to say it has to be just one livery, all of these could go up as they're all saved.

Okay, try this.

Great! That's not nitpicking, that's input. Give me 5 minutes, I'll swap that lower section out and post it up.

Thanks guys, it's about the only thing I can paint! Glad it's liked, cos I've been looking at that black and orange sooo much I could scream. I thought it may have been a bit too much. Gonna need some input on uniform/helmet colours for this, as these don't have to be the stock blue/white. Any colours are possible.

Just a preview of the x-pilot/x-aviation livery idea I came up with. Just waiting for Cam's thoughts/approval, but basically it.

Just one word for this plane - superb! Thanks Javier, the level of detail is pure craftsmanship.

I like it. It seems usable enough and clear. Probably make more sense once there's content in, but as a GUI it's user-friendly.

Thanks Jack, glad you approve. There'll be an x-pilot/x-aviation livery at the end of the list by Friday. regards nic

This is one of the first liveries I did, uploaded due to interest for UK liveries. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 Robbe Yellow This is a fictional livery, based on the Robbe-Schluter scale fuselage for 90-size radio controlled helicopters. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 Robbe White This is a fictional livery, based on the Robbe-Schluter scale fuselage for 90-size radio controlled helicopters. Lettering added for effect. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 B-2/D-2 c/n 1089 ZK-HKZ, BK117-850D2 STC "Airwork" This is the livery of ZK-HKZ, construction number c/n 1089, (all Kawasaki-built BK117s had c/n's beginning with 1xxx), an important and unique machine in the BK117 timeline over the last thirty years. This particular machine was the testbed machine in 2009 for the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) which was an evolutionary development of the BK117, carried out by Airwork in Ardmore, New Zealand. Fitted with the new Honeywell LTS101-850 turbines which gave the BK117 a large increase in performance and power, in both normal use and in OEI situations, this brought the BK117 up to date and made an already reliable and efficient machine even more so. As the BK117 C2 is the brand description used by Eurocopter & KHI for the EC-145 in the Australasian and Far East market, the designation BK117 D-2 marks that this is a true BK117, not an EC-145 derivative. This livery was used to promote the aircraft's development and this particular machine now serves as one of the Westpac fleet in New Zealand. I am grateful to Richard Pitt of Airwork, without whose assistance this livery would never have been made. UPDATE: 24 May 2011, Livery png now modified so that bear paws are now correctly omitted. For convenience you can load up the Radome or Non-Radome BK117 but it will be the same aircraft now with the bear paws deleted. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 B-1 CN 7184 D-HIMA This aircraft was the 184th machine off the Donauworth production line and has the distinction of being the most-displayed factory machine, being shown at Farnborough in 1990, 1992 and 1994. Although it is in a very plain paintscheme, I have included it because it is the only example I have found displaying the MBB Aerospace logo. Today it is one of the ADAC fleet. UPDATE: 24 May 2011, Livery png now modified so that bear paws and wire cutters are now correctly omitted for this particular aircraft. For convenience you can load up the Radome or Non-Radome BK117 but it will be the same aircraft now which will show radome only. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 A-3 CN 7078 N1140H This is the livery of N1140H, 78th machine made. An excellent walkaround of this particular helicopter, with great closeups, can be found here: http://www.cybermode...117a_walk.shtml UPDATE: 24 May 2011, Livery png now modified so that bear paws and radome are now correctly omitted for this particular aircraft. For convenience you can load up the Radome or Non-Radome BK117 but it will be the same aircraft now with the bear paws and radome deleted, but showing the wire cutters in place. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 livery CN 7056 OO-XCY2 - EXCLUSIVE TO X-PILOT.COM Repaint for Nils Danielsson's excellent payware MBB BK-117. Simply unzip the file "CN 7056 OO-XCY2" into your xplane/aircraft/helicopters/bk117/liveries folder. BK117 A-4 CN 7056 OO-XCY2 This is the second livery of OO-XCY, construction number c/n 7056, the 56th BK117 off the production line. Prior to 1989 the Belgian rescue company Touring operated in several regions of Belgium with regional markings. This livery is that of Touring-Wegenhulp Secours. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 livery CN 7056 OO-XCY - EXCLUSIVE TO X-PILOT.COM Repaint for Nils Danielsson's excellent payware MBB BK-117. Simply unzip the file "CN 7056 OO-XCY" into your xplane/aircraft/helicopters/bk117/liveries folder. BK117 A-4 CN 7056 OO-XCY This is the livery of OO-XCY, construction number c/n 7056, the 56th BK117 off the production line. This livery was seen on it in 1989, when the aircraft was operated by Heli-Samu in Belgium, which was sponsored by the state airline Sabena at that time. Prior to 1989, this aircraft was registered OO-VCY and wore two different Touring-Secours liveries, which are also recreated in my downloads as OO-VCY and OO-XCY2 File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 livery CN 7056 OO-VCY - EXCLUSIVE TO X-PILOT.COM Repaint for Nils Danielsson's excellent payware MBB BK-117. Simply unzip the file "CN 7056 OO-VCY" into your xplane/aircraft/helicopters/bk117/liveries folder. BK117 A-4 CN 7056 OO-VCY This is the livery of OO-VCY, construction number c/n 7056, the 56th BK117 off the production line. Prior to 1989 the Belgian rescue company Touring operated in several regions of Belgium with regional markings. This livery is that of Touring-Secours. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/

BK117 A-1 CN 7047 D-HBMV This aircraft was the 47th machine off the Donauworth production line in 1984 and was pressed into service as another factory demonstrator, exhibited at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget on 11th June 1987. Conveniently, it was displayed in the same colour scheme that the BK117 EMS mock-up was displayed in at the same airshow just six years earlier. UPDATE: 24 May 2011, Livery png now modified so that bear paws are now correctly omitted for this particular aircraft. For convenience you can load up the Radome or Non-Radome BK117 but it will be the same aircraft now with the bear paws deleted. File located in file library here: http://forums.x-pilot.com/index.php/files/category/20-helicopters/