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Thoughts on the next project

Previews, discussions and support for projects by John Young.
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John Young
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by John Young »

Ok, let's constrain this a bit asdro. To increase your chances of me wanting to do what is being suggested bear in mind the following:

- the aircraft should ideally fill a gap. A new C-17 doesn't, nether does the Dutch F-16 you suggested earlier. A new Nimrod, or a Lynx/Wildcat, for example does.

- the aircraft need scenery to operate in and for me that means the scenery should ideally be available to work in FS9, FSX and P3Dv4. Have you checked whether airfields are available for the Australia, Germany, France and Spain EC665's or for the AT-129's in Turkey and Pakistan you are suggesting? I want to avoid scenery design as much as possible.

- the effort I expend needs to be justified with potential use. I'm not sure the T-129 fits that bill. I think there are less than 12 in service, but I've only read what Wikki says and I might be wrong on that. The principle applies though.

- asking for AI families like the AW139-189 is probably a non-starter. I've already made the AW139 and to stretch the fuselage and add more windows is an uninteresting and lengthy task because of the re-mapping, the changes through the LODs, never mind doing it twice for FS9 and FSX/P3Dv4. Same applies to the EC665 - it's too similar to the Cobra that I've already made. I wouldn't find going through a similar exercise again very rewarding.

- I'll give favour to people here who contribute themselves, especially scenery designers and painters. I'll be less likely to enthuse with people who overplay the suggestions with an unsubstantiated wish list.

Just think about what you are asking for, how many people are likely to be interest in it, how you are going to use it and whether you think I might enjoy doing it.

Doing that will increase your chances significantly.

John
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miljan
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by miljan »

the aircraft need scenery to operate
I think this became the main thing this days as well as number of painters.
I would gladly keep making models but my experience showed me that their potential is not used to full extend.
Let's say I want John to make Gazelle, I have 3 sceneries for them and will to make repaints but who is gonna do the rest? That means 80% of helicopter world wide will not be covered.
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TheFoufure
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by TheFoufure »

For the Agusta A-109 Hirundo, The scenery is available in a MAIW pack (EBBE for Belgian Air Component). For retro scenery, EBLG is also available)

I've a lot of pics about this heli if needed.

For the italian version, sceneries are also available.
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John Young
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by John Young »

But do those sceneries work in FSX and especially P3Dv4? I'm not designing for FS9 alone.

John
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by bvanhout »

I have done all the South African sceneries (most have dedicated heli runways) where the A109s operate and I am willing to assist with the other sceneries for this aircraft. My sceneries are all done for P3Dv4.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by John Young »

Thanks for that offer, but the last few posts really serve to highlight the dilemma with 3 different sim versions in use. It's perfectly understandable, but it's getting more and more impracticable for me when it comes to complete AI packages. particularly as I get older and wide awake time reduces. Back in the old days MAIW had teams of 4 or 5 people working together to produce AI aircraft, paints, scenery, flight plans and call sign packages for only one sim: FS9. As a singleton designer, unless I'm lucky enough to be working with Brent, or others, doing all that x 3 is just too much now, particularly when it comes to aircraft produced in quantity and variation. I also can't justify the effort on projects that would have a significantly minority interest, particularly if I'm not interested in the aircraft myself.

I have to constrain what I do or the load will threaten my continuation with the hobby. The alternative is to drop FS9 and FSX, or keep producing for them but as aircraft only packages. The former will disappoint and the latter may well result in the aircraft not being used because there are not enough scenery designers or painters to put them to use - very much as miljan says.

Steve's discovery about the incompatibility of FS9 and the latest version of Windows 10 plus the appearance of FS2020 may force a change. Until those situations clarify, I need to find manageable projects from the list in this thread, which remains very useful. That unfortunately means rejecting many of them, but there are still some remaining possibilities. I just need to explore them further to spot the limitations before making decisions.

John
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by TheFoufure »

The Aicraft only pack is interesting. I'm still using FS9, and I don't necessary use scenery included in pack. Sometimes, I use other sceneries.

Like your Camberra, B-29...there are no sceneries with theses aircraft. And there are for 2/3 versions of Sim. For me, it's the good way.

Anthousiast can also search themself for the sceneries.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by TimC340 »

John, I'm quite sure that any aircraft you care to develop will get used in the old sims if you make them available, but I entirely understand the need to keep the workload manageable, and to focus your efforts on both the widest audience and to be able to adopt new technology without being compromised by backwards compatibility.

Several rumours around the web suggest that P3D will go further from its FSX roots in the next iteration, and I suspect that the direct read-across from FSX/P3D to FS20 will be very limited. The fact that commercial developers can port products for sims as far apart as FS9, XP11 and Aerofly 2 from an FSX/P3D original leads me to believe that it will be possible for individuals to take a P3D product and make it work in FS20, but as time goes on it becomes less and less logical to keep making stuff for FS9 and FSX.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by asdro »

@John Young

May be it would be better if you just surprise us with a new model without asking the community what they like to see.

That is better than setting yourself under pressure what model you should create and to pick one of twenty suggestions.

As i am also a 100% FS9 user i would be indeed disapointed if you would stop making conversions for FS9.
FS9 is the only reason why i still visit MAIW since 2015.
Just make the model that you would like to do.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by John Young »

So how about some E2-C/D Hawkeyes next? They are requested a few times in this thread and some of the dependencies appear to be in place.

From what I have discovered so far, there are around 50 E-2's in service, principally at NS Norfolk (East Coast USA) and Point Mugu (West Coast USA) in 8 VAW squadrons. Typically these squadrons have 4-7 aircraft each, with the exception of VAW-120 at Norfolk, which has 12 for training purposes. 5 aircraft of VAW-125 appear to be at Iwakuni, Japan and there are a few at Pax River.

I have some good FS9 scenery of Norfolk, but I can’t remember where it came from. It also works in FSX and with a tweak or two will probably work in P3Dv4 if the author is happy with that. I’m not sure of the situation with Point Mugu. There is an old version at flightsim.com, but it uses SCASM-based scenery and Novasim textures which are OK for FS9 but not for FSX and P3Dv4. Looking on Google Earth, 24 E-2’s are visible on the Norfolk ramp, while Point Mugu has only 5. Maybe then, Norfolk would be the priority.

To help me reach a decision, just a few of questions, if anyone can help please:

- E-2’s are used in MAIW packages, but what are the shortfalls that have triggered the request for a new model – do they have LODs and what is their compatibility?

- Who is the author of the FS9 Norfolk scenery?

- What scenery, if any, is available for Point Mugu and for which sim versions?

I’m not quite ready to start work on this, should I go ahead. The Jet Provosts and flight plans are largely done and I’m just painting up Strikemasters at the moment before starting the documentation.

Just thinking ahead.

John
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by TheFoufure »

The EDAI E-2 used in the MAIW pack have only 1 LOD. Eric Dantes'swebsite is not online anymore for the base pack.

France also use 3 E-2 and have buy 3 new versions.

Japan also use E-2.

Egypt alos use E-2.

Israel used some E-2 but sell them to Mexico.

If you build this model, I hope you will produce the folding wings, and a wet fde for use on carrier scenery (you can also design the chains to attach the plane on carrier deck (like SBAI Su-33 model).
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by Firebird »

Taiwan still has them as well, although I think that Singapore may have retired them.

On the scenery side of things, John what initials are part of the ADE components? I have a couple of sceneries but my active one is from Brent as part of the NS Norfolk Hawk package.

The only KNTD scenery I have is some really old stuff from 2007 from Gordon Perry and some basic enhancement stuff by Jetmax.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by hawk_sh »

I think the NAS Norfolk scenery was made by Brent Newman. I modified the AFCAD files for the MH-53s.

AFAIK the E-2s were never part of a MAIW package. There are repaints and flightplans by several authors.

At least 4 E-2s would be stationed at Iwakuni.

If you chose to do the E-2s would you also consider the C-2 Greyhound?
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TheFoufure
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by TheFoufure »

hawk_sh wrote: 15 Jan 2020, 18:16 AFAIK the E-2s were never part of a MAIW package. There are repaints and flightplans by several authors.
In the last NAS Patuxent River pack (2018), there are E-2.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by hawk_sh »

TheFoufure wrote: 15 Jan 2020, 18:46 In the last NAS Patuxent River pack (2018), there are E-2.
This is not an official MAIW package. I made it.
The E-2 model was never included.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by gsnde »

Eric Dante is the only person who never replied to me regarding conversion of his models. So we may not convert his models for FSX / P3D.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by CorvettePilot »

gsnde wrote: 15 Jan 2020, 19:16 Eric Dante is the only person who never replied to me regarding conversion of his models. So we may not convert his models for FSX / P3D.
Please convert it, as a former USN member I'd love to see it flying in the sim !
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by jetrange »

Can you also try to put the Greyhounds in as well? Those are getting close to retirement as the Ospreys are almost in service.
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by TheFoufure »

hawk_sh wrote: 15 Jan 2020, 18:16 If you chose to do the E-2s would you also consider the C-2 Greyhound?
Good suggestion !!
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Re: Thoughts on the next project

Post by TheFoufure »

CorvettePilot wrote: 15 Jan 2020, 23:19
gsnde wrote: 15 Jan 2020, 19:16 Eric Dante is the only person who never replied to me regarding conversion of his models. So we may not convert his models for FSX / P3D.
Please convert it, as a former USN member I'd love to see it flying in the sim !
If they don't receive authorisation from original author (as mentionned), they can't convert it ;-)
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