Erny_Module

Thanks - I'll do that and report back.

I've been working on a livery - G-AMPY - for the DC3, but there's something odd going on - most likely I'm doing something wrong or don't understand the system! I've made the livery and associated .ini file for it, both in the correct places. However, when I select G-AMPY as the livery on the X-Plane screen, it shows up in the DC3 Settings screen as Duggy, but without the option to change it. It's applied correctly to the aircraft, but I suspect I've done something wrong somewhere! Any ideas anyone? DC3.log G-AMPY.ini

Had the same issue - this fix does the job - thanks!

I see there's just been an update to 12.0.8b3 - these bug fixes look like they might be relevant: Fix 737 – ground power avail light to be in sync with sim The annunciator in the 737 would indicate based on logic that was similar, but not identical to the sim, thus making the light out of sync with the actual power. So, deleted the custom logic in Lua script that would handle the “ground power is available now” annunciator light in the 737 cockpit, and instead hooked up the annunciator to the actual GPU voltage available in the sim. Restore fuel valves init to “any” for multi-engine planes Restore fuel valves init to “any” for multi-engine planes with no 2D fuel selectors (this matches 12.07 behavior for C90, MD80, with no plugin setting the fuel selector on start up).

Quick update - the camo version pattern is proving to be quite a challenge! So I tried another one, a bit simpler - this is G-AMPY, somewhere over southern England.

I should add that I've created a new livery and .ini file myself, and it does work. Liveries are not merely paint jobs, but entirely different aircraft with their own histories and states, saved in the .ini file.

As I understand it, creating a new livery creates a new airframe, as each livery gets it's own unique .ini file, which stores relevant info for that airframe. This from the manual regarding the Liveries concept: Instructions for Painters Those who want to create liveries for DC3, should have a few things in mind. We will provide you a paintkit, for both Photoshop and Substance Painter. Each livery requires a .ini file for data and information to be stored. We will provide you with a file that you can edit it. The liveries' .ini files are located in the X-Plane 12/Output/DC3 folder. The file for your livery should be named exactly as the livery folder. For example is the livery folder is named United Airlines, the file should have the name United Airlines.ini. If you load DC-3 in X-Plane, with your livery folder in place, and without creating or adding the required .ini file, will create one for you, replicated the default's livery one. Then you can edit this file.

Great news, and much appreciated, but I certainly won't be expecting it anytime soon - I know quite well what's involved, so you have my complete understanding and appreciation. I must add though, that it in no way affects my overall enjoyment of the aircraft, how it flies or the systems - I spend 99% of the time in the cockpit, so really, you'd never know, but it's a problem when it comes to liveries as may of them are designed around the position of fixed objects on the aircraft, i.e. windows and doors and the like. As always, the best is yet to come!

Well, I was looking around for a suitable livery to try out, and settled on one for Alaska Airlines, as it was a passenger rather than cargo version. And it looked good too! Notably, it has blue lines that run the length of the fuselage, the top line above the passenger windows starts just behind the rear cockpit window, around half way up, with two shorter lines above it, the top aligning with the top of the cockpit windows. But, when I tried it out on the model, they wouldn't fit, so I checked out some drawings, and it seems that the passenger windows on the LES model are too far up. I suspect that on the real aircraft, there's a longeron inside that runs from the cockpit windows, all the way aft, and forms the lower sill of the rear cockpit window and also the top of the passenger windows. I've attached a few pics which should show what I mean. I generated UV maps from the LES model using this website: XPObjUVImage. Load in an .obj file, and it generates UV maps - very handy! So, I abandoned Alaska Airlines and started an RAF Desert Camouflage scheme where that wouldn't be an issue! I do 3D modelling for my day job, so I know what's involved in making a super accurate model of this complexity, and how difficult it is to go back and adjust something like the windows position.

... if I were to say the words "Passenger Windows", is that a phrase that appears somewhere on the update roadmap?

Same here - solid update, really enjoying flying it! In fact, had my first 'Butter' landing at LFKJ (Corsica) yesterday!

Completely agree - you really have to fly it - no "feet up, tray table out" here! I had to make a deadstick landing one time - forgot to monitor fuel levels, left engine died, sudden yaw to the right which got may attention, then the right died too, and by the time I'd checked the tanks it was too low to restart them, but managed to get the gear and flaps down and landed in a field!

Been generating the UV maps for the various texture files, and trying the process out with a new livery - couple of very early WiP pics attached. It's an RAF aircraft, 267 "Pegasus" Squadron, FD857. The tricky part will be getting the camo pattern to line up across the joints, so lots of trial and error work! Main thing is I got it to work, with the .ini file and everything and the dds export works too! I Initially wanted to try out a livery for Alaska Airlines but ran into some difficulties.... :-)

Review of the LES DC-3 from Q8Pilot. Always entertaining and honest with his reviews, I highly recommend his channel, and this review is definitely worth watching!

Landed at at Marrakesh, parked up and did a "Reload Current Aircraft and Art" and Bingo! It worked - many thanks! I actually just replaced the "D-Day Doll" nose art with a higher res version, just as a test to see if it'd work. Onwards to a new livery!

Perfect - thank you! I don't know GIMP at all so there's a lot of very unfamiliar stuff, and I don't know the DDS format either - what could possibly go wrong! Currently tootling along through the Atlas Mountains, Morocco... lovely day for it!

Hi all, I was trying out a new livery, but hit a snag with exporting to DDS format - all the options I tried either completely weird, didn't load at all, or crashed the sim! Could you let us know what settings you use? I was exporting using GIMP 2.10 if that helps.

No complaints on the sound front from here... all sound quite authentic and believable and adds a lot to the experience.

Thanks for letting me know, much appreciated. I'll hold off on doing anything for now.

I think we're going to need the Paint Kit to do new liveries - I've had a look at the livery files that come with it and it seems to be logically laid out, but identifying the parts can be tricky. I might try and generate a UV mesh and see if that helps. Did you have anything in particular in mid?

Just a quick note - I just got the VSL C47 update, had a quick flight around the Cape Verde islands, followed by a flight in the LES DC3 Classic from GMMZ to GMMX, Morocco, over the High Atlas mountains. Hand flown all the way for LES, mostly autopilot for VSL. LES DC3 is still my favourite for overall flying experience. I can't put my finger on it but I feel much more involved and invested in the LES version than the VSL - it genuinely feels like flying an actual aircraft - it has mass, inertia, control input lag, it needs constant monitoring, attention and adjustment, the sounds are an integral part of it - any slight change in engine note - scan the instruments! The more I fly it, the more I like it. This was the DC-3 experience I wanted from Day 1.

Always very welcome to hear from the developers about the inner workings of their products. Looks like I'll have a lot more time in the coming weeks to really explore and try out the aircraft, in both flavours, but for a V1.0 release, it's pretty good and perfectly usable. Even real world aircraft get released with known and unknown problems (737Max - I'm looking at you!) so I'm looking forward to the updates. I've only bought two aircraft from X-Aviation (so far) - the DC-3 and the TOGA Mitsubishi MU-2. True, they cost more than most, but they are also much more complex, feature rich and give a more rewarding experience all round, so for me, that's real value for money. Paint kit would be nice... can't wait to get started with some liveries!

Totally with you there. Also Mac user (iMac, but soon M2 Studio) and generally fly from the flight deck and not the tail. Is the model perfect? Probably not. Do I care, and does it affect my enjoyment? Not at all. The hydraulics/electrics/fuel systems are far more important than some graphical annoyances - those can be fixed in short order.

Good question! I now have 3 DC-3’s - the VSkyLabs DC3/C47, the freeware Aeroworks DC3, and the LES DC3. If I had to put them in order of preference it would be 1st LES, 2nd Aeroworks, 3rd Skylabs - but by very narrow margins. Out of preference I’ve been flying the Aeroworks (prior to the LES version) because I’m not keen on the VSL cockpit textures and the ground handling, which I find to be next to impossible to do anything! It’s a good model and flies really well, and has good systems, but I can’t get on with it aesthetically nor practically. I find the Aeroworks to have better handling and more pleasing/less distracting textures, and the best sounds of all three. Even though my experience with the LES version is very limited so far, due to having our house repainted (utter chaos!) and looming deadlines, I’ve immediately taken to it as the texturing is the best of the three, the systems depth is far and away the best, and it has a certain feel that is hard to quantify - it just feels ‘right’. Obviously, I’ve never flown a real world DC3, but around 25 years ago I did quite a few hours pilot training in a C172 towards my PPL, so I have some limited experience. The LES DC3 feels more like a real aircraft than the other two and I can see myself spending a lot of time flying it and getting to know it. Can’t wait for the paint kit so I create liveries/airframes for it! Obviously, others might have different opinions and violently disagree and that’s OK - so much of this is purely subjective and a matter of personal taste, so nobody is right or wrong - least of all me. Is it worth the price? In my opinion, yes. I’ll get so much enjoyment out of this over a very long time that it’s superb value for money. I’m a technical/historical illustrator for a living, and build models in Cinema 4D, so I know precisely what goes into just building the model. To that, add all the systems, and making it flyable in X-Plane… that’s an enormous amount of work by a team of talented people. I don’t buy a lot of PayWare aircraft but will happily hand over the cash for something I feel is worth it. NB: This is not an MSFS aircraft, where you turn on the lights, fire up the engine and aimlessly pootle about very pretty scenery. If that’s what you’re after in a flight sim, look elsewhere - the LES DC3 is not for you. I see the SimSphere is becoming quite animated about the appearance of the LES DC3 - VSkylabs almost immediately announced an imminent update, with improved systems. Curious timing, no? :-)

From the little experience I've had so far, pretty good. Sounds authentic, and forms part of the ambience rather that being intrusive - might be a bit quiet for some, personal taste, but no complaints from me.