F-35 Variants (FS9, FSX and P3Dv4)

[MIKE JG]

Looking good there John!

[John Young]

Thanks Mike. You were absolutely right about the need for research and as part of that, constantly looking at photographs when the available plans are extremely poor. Steve's eagle eye has been useful too. When I build AI aircraft I save the Gmax file periodically and increment the name each time so I have a series of back ups to return to if something goes wrong. I normally get to about 25 files before completion. With the F-35B, I'll finish at about 80!

John

[MIKE JG]

Yep, that's how I do it too. Can't tell you how many times that has saved my bacon by being able to revert back to an earlier version.

[chuckstr77]

Luke F-35s had no Aircraft file.Almost done with the 61st. Jets looking good. Looking forward to the B model.

[John Young]

Significant progress this week. I added the taxi and landing lights to all the F-35B models, including those with the animated lift:





Unfortunately there is no way to add navigation lights to those models featuring the lift. The effect files can't be attached to an AI model and aircraft.cfg entries would leave them 50ft below the aircraft during flight. I can put them on the STOSL models, but that would look odd when those and STOVL/VTOL models taxi together.

Next job was to add the LODs to all the models, a process that took a couple of days. With everything tested, I was then able to duplicate up the first two batches of aircraft for the initial releases.

This is a shot of the 16 F-35B's of VFMA-121 departing my test airfield for Iwakuni Japan and Brent's capable hands.



These are the 5 aircraft of VX-23 departing for Patuxant River. I very much hope that Hartwig will be able to incorporate them into his scenery as time permits.



With the FS9 "B" models complete, I'll move on next to converting them for FSX and P3D. Not a quick job, with 52 animated parts to tag up in just the first LOD. There are 6 LODs with animation and 5 models to be tagged. I've mapped the F-35C texture, so I can break up the task and relieve the tedium with a bit of painting.

John

[Woogey]

Good day John,

What can I say but wow! This was unexpected. As I am sure you are already aware from your picture Research, the A and C Models have quite a bit more plesant profile directly aft of the canopy. Gone is the bulky squared off area of the Lift fan Door, instead replaced with a much more narrowally contoured teardrop shape. I have been working on making MAIW Hill AFB P3d4 compatible, and realigning the old AFCAD with Photoscenery from Ultimate VFR. It is nice to know that there is a Compatible F-35 on its way. John you are the man!

-Woog

[mins]

It's really fantastic.

I want to learn your brilliant ability as well.

Whenever I see a wonderful piece of work, I really envy your ability.

Thank you very much.^ ^b.

[John Young]

It’s been a busy week for people involved with the F-35 project. I currently have 4 F-35B base models for different FDEs – STOVL, SRVL (shipboard), Conventional and VTOL, the first 3 also having clean and external stores options. I also have the first LOD of the F-35C done and painted. The “Cs” will have 2 models – Carrier and Conventional, but each will have wing fold and clean/external stores options. I’ve managed 53 paints for the “B” and 1 for the “C” so far.

With all that going on, my brain just couldn’t cope with adding FSX/P3D conversion into the mix at the same time, so the intention is to get the "B" and maybe the "C" FS9 packages out first and then settle down to the other sim versions free of FS9 production.

Brent has been busy finishing his Iwakuni upgrade and flight planning for the 16 F-35B’s of VMFA-121. Here’s one of them performing a short take-off, while others rest in the shelters:



Beaufort MCAS is the airfield currently undergoing the Brent treatment. I’ve despatched the 21 F-35Bs of VMFAT-501 to him, along with the 11 UK aircraft, 8 of which are co-located at Beaufort. Here are some of them on my flight lines prior to departure:





Hartwig has absorbed the 5 F-35Bs of VX-23 into his Patuxant River scenery. I made the ski jump for him and he has been busy simulating an AI jump:





For the F-35C first release, I’ve decided to make the 4 test aircraft for Hartwig at Pax River, plus the 16 of VFA-101 (Grim Reapers) at Eglin. I haven’t yet looked at the scenery though.





Finally we shouldn’t forget Steve. He’s been beavering away on the FDEs and is making good progress with the SRVL characteristics. The end result will perform better and should eliminate the need for an animated lift in the corresponding model. I know it can be a tedious task at times because it takes about 4 minutes each time to allow the aircraft to fly a circuit to test the landing.

It's great to have some help with such a large project and my thanks to everyone I've distracted.

John

[bismarck]

I'm I wrong or someone was talking about Carrier and ski jump...?







Giorgio

[John Young]

I was asked if I could make the two Queen Elizabeth Class carriers Giorgio and have the UK F-35B's fly from them. I can do that based on what Mike M and I did with HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean with Sea Harriers:



We just need to get all the F-35 packages in all 3 sim version done first.

John

[bismarck]

Hi John, mine was not a request.
I'm just curious to test if your new "B" works fine or not from the two Italian Carrier available for FS9.
BTW, it is not yet known when the F-35B will enter in service with Italian Navy, so we have a lot of time to think about it.

Regards, Giorgio

[clickclickdoh]

Rest assured, the secret ninjas that have been working behind the scenes on the FDE for Johns new F-35B model(s) have done quite well in getting it to operate off of a confined runway. Having the JYAI F-35B operate off of simulated LHDs has been a primary focus, and it's working brilliantly.

[John Young]

The other thing we need to do is check the FDE for the carrier version of the F-35C to launch from a Nimitz-class deck and recover with an arrested landing. Does anyone know if there Is a static Nimitz or similar out there that is set up for AI traffic that I could start with please? I now have 3 "C" models (no LODs yet) and 6 paints to play with:



NB: the aircraft in the background is an F-35B assigned to ski jump trials.

John

[bismarck]

Yes John, there is a pack with 13 carrier available on Avsim or Flightsim. If i'm not wrong is car2006.zip or something similar. Can't check the right name at this moment. Again, if I'm not wrong, it was requested for an old MAIW package.

Giorgio

EDIT:
Here the link
https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.ph ... &fid=96872

[Reggie]

There was a Pensacola scenery with a static carrier just south of KNPA for FSX. I used it for AI T-45 touch and goes and it worked fine.

Reggie

[John Young]

Sorry, but I can't find car2006.zip Giorgio. I found what could be an FSX carrier in some Pensacola scenery, but that may or may not work in FS9 depending on what compiler was used. I don't yet have the F-35C's in FSX format yet to test for that sim version. I won't in any case have a licence to convert the textures to FS9 format for general use.

Keep looking...

John

[bismarck]

Did you click on the link in my post?
By the way its caRR2006.zip on Flightsim.com

Giorgio

[John Young]

Thanks Giorgio, apologies, but I obviously didn't have my brain in gear after a long day. Steve kindly put a copy of Carr2006.zip in my folder and I've just set it up.

Nimitz is located in the package way over in the Sea of Japan (might be useful for the USMC "B's" at Iwakuni), but USS JFK is conveniently located just off the Florida coast and about 500 miles from Eglin where the VFA-101 F-35Cs I'm painting are based. I think the vessel is now a museum ship, but it will provide a useful option for some of the aircraft. I think the AI will work with a bit more parking. I parked on the deck and didn't fall through which is a good start. I'll do some tests tomorrow.

John

[John Young]

That works well with the "C" - at least it will with a better FDE:





John

[petebramley]

WOW

Looking forward to this one