F-35 Variants (FS9, FSX and P3Dv4)

John Young · Post by **John Young** » 21 Jan 2018, 11:32

I thought you would like that one Giorgio. I've got "Gruppo Aerei Imbarkati" repeating in my head ever since putting it in the aircraft.cfg file LOL. It's such a great sounding name and I can tell what it means without looking it up.

John

John Young · Post by **John Young** » 27 Jan 2018, 10:59

Quick update on the F-35 project.

Steve, Hartwig and I have spent a few days working with the F-35B STOVL and SRVL models and FDEs to see how far we can push the take-off without resorting to an animated lift. That’s been necessary, if we want to use the options without the lift, on extremely short runways – principally the ski jump run up at Patuxent River and the deck of the Italian Navy carrier “Cavour” that Giorgio produced a little while ago for Harrier operations. I’m pleased to say that we seem to have accomplished that. The last element of those FDE’s will be to make the vertical descent (which is animated) a little more vertical. Steve is on the case.

Brent, in the meantime has completed testing at Iwakuni, Beaufort and Yuma and has uploaded the 3 sceneries in readiness for the FS9 F-35B release. I’ll do that as soon as the FDE’s are finalised and Hartwig completes his update to Pax River. It’s a more complicated package than the F-35C’s and we want to ensure we can satisfy as many people as possible with the different F-35B models and FDEs before it’s uploaded. I don’t want to rush the work or the people contributing - I’d rather get it right because it needs to be carried forward into the FSX/P3D version.

On that front, the conversions have gone very well and I now have the F-35B STOVL, SRVL and VTOL aircraft all working in FSX with the full set of animations. I haven’t tried P3Dv4 yet, but I’m not expecting a problem. I just have the F-35B Conventional Take-Off and Landing model to convert and I’m about done with that stage pending the finalised FDE’s from Steve. Once I’ve checked, and where I can, enabled the operation in the 4 sceneries, the FSX F-35B package can be released also.

That will then leave the F-35A’s - with and without a brake-chute. That should be the most straight forward part of the project. I don’t have to start from scratch with the modelling and the FDE is all done.

John

DaleRFU · Post by **DaleRFU** » 27 Jan 2018, 15:10

I have to say John, the work everyone has put into this project is outstanding and based on the pictures the quality looks fantastic. I can't wait to have them flying around my sim.

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 27 Jan 2018, 15:46

Great project, great teamwork all around. Good times!

hawk_sh · Post by **hawk_sh** » 28 Jan 2018, 10:01

An interesting article about the radar deflectors on the F-35s:

https://theaviationist.com/2018/01/26/i ... eflectors/

swp53 · Post by **swp53** » 28 Jan 2018, 10:19

A couple of interesting articles regarding the F-35 variants.
I must admit I had not realized that the F-35C had a much larger wing area than the F-35A and F-35B.
https://breakingdefense.com/2018/01/f-3 ... i=60259038

http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/FY2 ... f35jsf.pdf

maverick69 · Post by **maverick69** » 28 Jan 2018, 11:10

Lockheed Martin should hire Mr.John Young & co. to improve the development of the F-35

Woogey · Post by **Woogey** » 30 Jan 2018, 05:47

I apologize if I missed this somewhere John, Are you planning on adding Sound and Afterburner effects to the FSX/P3d Jets? I made Lemoore look a little less empty by substituting VRS Superbugs for the Original NBAI Hornets that came with the Lemoore package. I only did one of each of the default VRS Liveries for WEST Coast squadrons. They are not ideal as the Flight model is funky under Ai control, and every jet in the scene will mirror my control inputs. However they accompany Your F-35's pretty nicely.

-Woog

John Young · Post by **John Young** » 30 Jan 2018, 08:11

It's good to see Lemoore in P3Dv4 being fleshed out with AI Woog. It's a really nice scenery.

Both the F-35C (Carrier and Land) models have afterburners that work in FSX but not in P3Dv4. I'm not clear if that can be fixed or not and if so what needs to be done. The CTOL model of the F-35B also has an afterburner assigned, but it's probably not sensible to do that with the STOVL, SRVL and VTOL models with the nozzle set at 45 degrees or 90 degrees for take-off!

I'm no sound designer and won't therefore be producing a soundai set of my own. If there were a freeware soundai file available for the F-35 somewhere then by all means flag it up here and users can set it up in FSX or P3D as they wish.

I'm pleased to say that all the F-35B models have converted well for FSX and P3Dv4. I'm just checking the compatibility of the sceneries that house them and fixing them where I can.

John

John Young · Post by **John Young** » 06 Feb 2018, 10:33

Sorry for the delay in getting the “B’s” out of the hive. Steve has completed the FDE’s for the various models. The current step, which is a case of getting the xml coding right, is an attempt to keep the STOVL aircraft with an animated lift in the traffic viewer window for most of the flight. This involves engineered changes in height after take-off and before the approach to land. It’s a bonus if we can do it, but not a show stopper if we can’t. My thanks to Hartwig for his patience. Once he has the finalised models he can complete his update to Pax River.

In between testing Steve’s code, I've made a start on the final part of the project – the F-35A’s. It involves 145 aircraft spread between the US Air Force, Australia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and Norway. The key sceneries for the USAF aircraft are Eglin, Hill, Luke, Nellis and Edwards.

The model is largely a hybrid shape, modelled from the wings and main part of the fuselage of the F-35B and the nose of the F-35C. It has the gun above the left engine intake. This is the first example (FS9 top LOD) for Eglin at my test airfield:

In addition to a load-out option, I also need to produce the brake chute enhancement for the Norwegian and Dutch aircraft.

John

MIKE JG · Post by **MIKE JG** » 06 Feb 2018, 17:20

Looking good!

bismarck · Post by **bismarck** » 06 Feb 2018, 20:20

John, your model makes beautiful, a ugly aircraft!

Giorgio

Foxbat · Post by **Foxbat** » 07 Feb 2018, 13:25

John,

Thanks a lot for including the RNoAF F-35 paints. We now have three birds at ENOL, and I already use your F-35C's there, from VF-101. I have sent you a PM with a few pics, including the chute pod. I also have Dino's F-35 now flying in P3D4.1, with a seemingly correct RNoAF paint (5087), and can take a few screenies if you want me to.

I also took a peek at Hobbymaster's 1:72 die-cast model, but the reg's are too small on that one, so I'll wait.

Cheers,
Andrew

John Young · Post by **John Young** » 07 Feb 2018, 15:15

Thanks for your PM Andrew. Unfortunately there was no zip attached.

Brent managed to get the Norwegian serials for me. However the 3 that are not at Luke were listed as at ENEV. I presume that's incorrect then and they are at ENOL as you say:

5087 with 62nd FS Luke AFB
5088 with 62nd FS Luke AFB
5110 with 62nd FS Luke AFB
5111 with 62nd FS Luke AFB
5145 with 62nd FS Luke AFB
5146 with 62nd FS Luke AFB
5147 with 62nd FS Luke AFB
5148 @ Harstad-Narvik ENEV
5189 @ Harstad-Narvik ENEV
5150 @ Harstad-Narvik ENEV

Brent and I have been exploring the MAIW Luke scenery that is home to 61 F-35A's of different nations. I may have to replace the sun shelters, but I think we can use it in all 3 sim versions, which is a blessing. Is your scenery of ENOL similarly compatible?

I've read a little about the brake chute option. It's said to be easily attached/detached using the spin test mountings. I'm assuming it's only used at present on one aircraft (at Luke?). If that's the case, I just need to determine which one. I also need to find out whether either or both of the two Dutch aircraft at Edwards are similarly equipped.

John

clickclickdoh · Post by **clickclickdoh** » 07 Feb 2018, 15:32

John Young wrote: ↑07 Feb 2018, 15:15 I presume that's incorrect then and they are at ENOL as you say:

After digging a bit further, they are indeed going to be based at ENOL with a QRA detachment at ENEV.

Foxbat · Post by **Foxbat** » 07 Feb 2018, 15:49

Ørland ENOL is supposed to be our main base (totally whacked decision btw). And last I heard was four QRA planes at ENEV, and I think the last word about this aren't said yet. I have been working hard for years to make ENBO, ENOL and ENEV realistic, and compatible with F-16's, F-35's and a lot of other NATO and US aircraft. Parkings are realistically coded, and I use three types of shelters, one being open with interior.

John, can you PM me your E-mail? Would make it easier for us to exhange files.

I attach a link here, so you can take a peek at my airports.

http://flightsimnorway.com/addons/defau ... VhUzhEVT0=

Andrew

John Young · Post by **John Young** » 07 Feb 2018, 16:09

Lovely airports Andrew. The F-35A's will be quite at home there.

I've PM'd you my e-mail address. As soon as I have the Norwgian aircraft done for the 3 sim versions, I'll send you a copy so you can set them up according to the information currently available.

John

hawk_sh · Post by **hawk_sh** » 07 Feb 2018, 18:11

John Young wrote: ↑07 Feb 2018, 15:15 I've read a little about the brake chute option. It's said to be easily attached/detached using the spin test mountings. I'm assuming it's only used at present on one aircraft (at Luke?). If that's the case, I just need to determine which one. I also need to find out whether either or both of the two Dutch aircraft at Edwards are similarly equipped.

John, I have not seen any pics of the Dutch F-35As with brake chute, yet.

I am not sure whether the two first jets have those hardpoints on the back at all?

Here are a few top views...
https://www.google.de/search?q=F-35As+R ... 74&bih=886

John Young · Post by **John Young** » 07 Feb 2018, 18:34

I read that the Dutch are contributing funds to the brake chute research. That doesn't mean necessarily that they have either of their two aircraft equipped with the pod. Thanks for the photos - you spoil me!

John

Foxbat · Post by **Foxbat** » 08 Feb 2018, 17:32

John Young wrote: ↑07 Feb 2018, 16:09 Lovely airports Andrew. The F-35A's will be quite at home there.

I've PM'd you my e-mail address. As soon as I have the Norwgian aircraft done for the 3 sim versions, I'll send you a copy so you can set them up according to the information currently available.

John

Great!

I just mailed you the shots, including one from the P3D4.1, flying Dino's F-35 approaching ENOL.

Andrew

F-35 Variants (FS9, FSX and P3Dv4)

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Re: F-35 Variants (FS9, FSX and P3Dv4)

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Re: F-35 Variants (FS9, FSX and P3Dv4)

Re: F-35 Variants (FS9, FSX and P3Dv4)

Re: F-35 Variants (FS9, FSX and P3Dv4)