Goran_M

Cockpit is just about finished. One more panel on the overhead and then wrap up the cabin and then it's off to Theo while Lukasz finishes the systems. Lukasz just came on board recently after showing me some things he coded with the DC-3 engines. This is not a "Full Throttle and fly" aircraft. If you don't manage the engines properly, they WILL fail. I've broken 5 engines so far.

Hey Thanks Andy. It looks as though this is going to turn out more detailed than I originally anticipated. Not just the modelling. But systems are getting the Gizmo treatment. Including engine modelling and some other custom flight model details. I'll post more details about that in the coming weeks.

Never realized how cramped it was in the cockpit. Not much to see on the overhead but I'm trying to show the detail.

Many things are happening behind the scenes. Including sound plug ins. The problem is not implementing the sounds. The problem is getting authentic, high quality DC-3 recordings. We're working on it and we'll post updates on the progress.

Before I make suggestions on how to fix your problem, I have to tell you that we cannot offer support if anything goes wrong with copying, replacing or deleting any files or folders with any of our aircraft. Before doing ANYTHING with the folder itself, make sure you back it up first. The Duchess uses default x plane engine sounds. No custom sounds were made. First of all, you have to add a new folder to the root aircraft folder titled "sounds". In there, you need to copy and paste the sounds you want. X Plane will read the sounds in the aircraft folder first. If the sounds are missing or misspelt, it will then read the sounds from the default sounds folder. Hope this helps.

Ha. Thanks Andy. Still a LOT of tweaking to be done. But slowly getting to where I want it. I think Theo is getting used to this. He's stopped calling me names. Now he just "sighs".

Slowly taking shape.

What a cute couple.

Landing a floats version DC-3 on a runway is easier than the tail dragger DC-3. (As long as the gear is down) 4 wheels and no crazy engine management to keep it straight. The up-tapered floats leading to the rear allows for a bit of a flare on touchdown as well.

Of course, you could always land at an airport or grass strip.

Plug-in to limit wave height??? C'mon Andy. Those waves a little too rough for ya? Can't maintain a 5ft/min descent rate for a nice smooth landing? :P In all seriousness, I'll see...based on testers feedback.

First water test with the floats. (Obviously this is JUST the flight model. Objects will be added later.)

Thanks. It shouldn't take long actually as there are very basic systems. There will be Gizmo systems involved but they are very easy things to code. First revision of the flight model was finished last night and it's now being fine tuned by Lukasz. According to him, the first revision was actually VERY nice to fly and he only has to fine tune the very smallest things. Fuel consumption, phase out. friction co-efficient. Maybe a few other small things. I can say one thing. Taxiing a tail dragger is a royal pain in the butt but it is definitely a lot of fun to fly. Landing an aircraft that big at just over 70 kts feels very strange.

Depends on the owner. They do joyflights around Sydney, but whether or not I'll get in the cockpit remains to be seen. The CFO at my old flying school has a few connections where the DC-3 is based and I might be able to get him to pull a few strings.

I know. I've been called insane, crazy, nuts, "theo's censored word". I take it all as a compliment. That's what we're trying to shoot for. Fingers crossed. Nah. Just want them to "struggle" a bit. Use their full potential. Thanks Perry. More to come. Split pins were just the start. Linkages, cables, wires, it's all coming. If I can stay under my 350 000 polygon budget, I'll be adding it all. So far, with the whole exterior, cockpit walls and cabin interior walls, panel, half the overhead, control columns and throttle console, it's at 119 000 polygons. PLENTY of room to grow. Now you got me started again.

Between getting the Saab finished, making some Rolls Royce engines and trying to deal with a ridiculous case of hayfever, I finally got my hands on some nice photos of a DC-3. This weekend, I try to get access to it at the airport. Theo called me a name again and Cameron thinks I've gone completely nuts. Definitely looking at a Pre-Christmas finish.

It wouldn't be the first time Microsoft has done something like this. Remember Windows Longhorn? But as was said, let's wait and see.

Subsurf should be used VERY carefully, if at all, for someone who is just beginning. Avoid it if you can. When you subsurf, you need to add extra loops to lock the shape. Start modelling the window first and then extrude the fuselage from that. With regards to the wingbox, it will take you a while to get that done properly. It's probably one of the hardest things to model on the exterior. My first wingbox took me 11 tries and 2 weeks. My most recent one took 4 tries and 3 days. Just have patience and don't be afraid to delete it if you don't like it. Even after spending hours making it.

Going by people's feedback, and our dedication to stick to as much realism as is in our control, we have decided against the GPS for now. Many more people have said they would prefer NO GPS. The textures have been made with a possibility to add the GPS at a later date if the circumstances arise, but for now, no GPS. The FMC will not be added to the 340A. To upgrade the A to work with an FMC would require a complete rewrite of the autopilot and I think Cameron has seen enough of that autopilot to make him an expert. We'd just as soon prefer to make the B variant with the autopilot and FMC rather than change the A variants autopilot code, however, don't expect to see the B for at least another year.

If you're not sure about it, get your navigation flying down. Otherwise, learn the overhead and where everything is. Learn the CTOT system. Learn about the autopilot. Particularly CLIMB mode. Other than that, you should be fine.

Well, we'd certainly like to think so.

Anything new? A big fat YES! Any new info I can share with you? Not quite yet. Well, nothing I haven't already posted. We don't really want to post anything until we are 100% certain of it. When the time comes, Cameron will make an official post. But I will say, start reading up on Saab operations.

Never occurred to me to make one of those. I grew up on that show. Every weekday at 6am, then they moved to Saturday mornings at 6am. Channel 9 repeated the whole series several times over. Definitely one of my fave shows growing up! Time to model that thing.

If ever a plane breaks with an update, Ben Supnik and Austin Meyer always want people to let them know. Send them a log and they will fix it asap.