Military AI Works

Following a request to update my previous land-based AI Consolidated Catalina to enable the model to operate on water, I was happy to oblige. I also took the opportunity to make some improvements along the way.

Two variations are included in the package which is for FS9 and FSX/P3Dv4:



N427CV is a 1944 Canadian Vickers PBY5A, privately owned and operated from Colorado Springs in the USA:



N9521C, is also a Catalina PBY5A but with a nose turret, built by Consolidated in 1943. It represents an aircraft of the US Navy in the historic Pacific Theatre Colour scheme and is owned and operated by The Military Aviation Museum, Virginia, USA:



The two new models differ quite significantly in detail from the land-based Catalina previously produced. The new models have been re-designed with retractable wing tip floats and the main gear has been removed to enable water operations. The fuselage now has an interior that allows see-through “glass” blisters on either side of the rear fuselage. The texture sheet has been re-designed and the model re-mapped to it to give greater flexibility for future paint variations. These changes mean that the land-based and the new water-based aircraft models and textures are not interchangeable.





The package is being released as “aircraft-only” with simple instructions that users can follow to construct water-based AFCADs at locations of their choosing. Flight plans for water operations follow the usual format.

John

Many thanks for this extremely beautiful aircraft, John.

From mobile hence short

Love to see the Catalina in US Navy color!
Great!

Giorgio

John Young wrote: ↑23 Aug 2019, 06:39
The package is being released as “aircraft-only” with simple instructions that users can follow to construct water-based AFCADs at locations of their choosing. Flight plans for water operations follow the usual format.

John

Hi John, I can't find the instructions to construct water-based, is this package? https://militaryaiworks.com/download-ha ... -usaf-jyai

ARV187 wrote: ↑23 Aug 2019, 10:39

John Young wrote: ↑23 Aug 2019, 06:39
The package is being released as “aircraft-only” with simple instructions that users can follow to construct water-based AFCADs at locations of their choosing. Flight plans for water operations follow the usual format.

John

Hi John, I can't find the instructions to construct water-based, is this package? https://militaryaiworks.com/download-ha ... -usaf-jyai

That's is the land's model package.
The water's model package is not yet in the Download Hangar. Be patient

Great looking model on the water, does this mean your other warbirds are coming over to P3D?

They are all available in FSX native code Chris, so they should work fine in P3Dv4.

John

Do these Catalinas still fly somewhere?

Asdro, read the last two lines of my first post.

The Cats are supplied as "aircraft only" - they will fly somewhere if you make the water AFCADs and flight plans.

John

This list shows the airworthy ones...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of ... _Catalinas


From mobile hence short

Sorry Asdro, misread the question.

John

No problem.

But interesting to read that you are working on a new project.

It's interesting for mew too Asdro, but I'm not quite ready to reveal it yet.

Love these! Thanks, John.

TheFoufure wrote: ↑23 Aug 2019, 12:40

ARV187 wrote: ↑23 Aug 2019, 10:39

John Young wrote: ↑23 Aug 2019, 06:39
The package is being released as “aircraft-only” with simple instructions that users can follow to construct water-based AFCADs at locations of their choosing. Flight plans for water operations follow the usual format.

John

Hi John, I can't find the instructions to construct water-based, is this package? https://militaryaiworks.com/download-ha ... -usaf-jyai

That's is the land's model package.
The water's model package is not yet in the Download Hangar. Be patient

Thanks!!

"...main Japanese aircraft carrier task force spotted, 150 miles North-West of Midway..."

Question for John or others who know the answer.

What do I need to change to make an AI amphibian (e.g., AS Mariner; FSX default Goose) work on water runways without dropping its gear - i.e, for water to water ops only ?

Have searched high and low and also tried zero-ing out the contact points for gear extension/retraction, but the models I am experimenting with still show landing or beaching gear when taxiing or parked. Imagine I will need to use MCX to disable the gear animation as well? Not sure how to do that though.

Thanks again for your water runway instructions. Had these working in FSX but got stumped after switching to P3Dv4 but I now have several set up and working perfectly, with one in the Solomon Islands using your PBY - great stuff, many thanks!

You can only do this by removing (fix animation) the gear animation in MCX and export the model.

There is no foreseen way to do so. For that reason John had to make a new model for a true water Catalina.

From mobile hence short

Yes indeed, I had to physically weld the gear up on the Catalina and on the Shinmaywa US2 water model too.

John

Just to be clear, could I fix the gear animation using MCX in a model and export it - or is does this require a rebuild from scratch?

Thanks guys for the quick replies.