The problems are the numbers and the potential number of load-out options. I really don’t want to get bogged down in a long “factory” process of painting up multiple aircraft for each national user, tweaking flight plans and testing them in scenery for 3 sim versions – it’s just too much on my own. So, my offer is – I’ll make the models and provide a specimen paint for each country if people here would also like to get involved and take on some of the work.
I’ll take on the RAF aircraft and set them up at their home airfields. What I’m looking for are “country” individuals who could do like-wise. This would involve any or all of these tasks:
- Researching current serial numbers.
- Deciding load-outs. I am prepared to provide a standard day to day load for the single and two seat models, a QRA fit, plus a maximum of 4 air to ground loads. I’m not looking for a long list of what could be loaded – I have a feel for that already. I need to keep the options manageable.
- Painting up the individual serial numbers and tackling any special paint schemes (please save me one or two to end the monotony of RAF plain grey).
- Bringing existing MAIW flight plans, or any others that people would like to contribute, up to date with current aircraft and locations.
- Finding the scenery and verifying sim version availability.
- Helping me assemble the country packages and documenting them.
- Anything else you can think of that might help.
I’m pleased to say that Steve (Firebird) has already offered his help and has been beavering away on a new FDE set with some great results.
In actual fact, I’m quite a way ahead from that first Gmax screen shot. I have the RAF FGR4 and T.3 built (single LOD FS9 so far) and I’ve been experimenting with test weapons loads (not necessarily definitive at this point}. Here are some screen shots in FS9:
Steve’s work on the new FDE is seen here with a high alpha landing, typical of the Typhoon:
The air brake on the top of the fin has caused me to watch a great many videos. I’ve concluded, I think, unlike the F-15 also with a high alpha landing, that the air brake is rarely used in that phase. I have seen it used once for a few seconds on the approach and occasionally on the runway, especially with display aircraft that might be landing very light. I’m not sure if that’s to brake the aircraft or to increase the engine power so there is a better reserve for a go-around, much like a carrier landing,under power typical of naval aircraft. I’ll provide a sprinkling of air brake model assignments just for variety:
Brake chutes also seem to be rarely used, but again, I’ll provide that model for the T3 only, again to assign sparingly:
So, I hope this has generated interest and if this has whetted your appetite, let me know if anyone would like to be involved and we can discuss further.
John
