Military AI Works

There are very few photos around of 20mm canon-armed French Gazelles, never mind any with dates in the accompanying information. The photo in the link posted, I think is from 2006, and is therefore far from current. I could make the nodern machine gun version, but that would mean cutting out the doors and re-mapping the fuselage. It would also need an additional crew member (gunner) with more polygons than I would like to add.

I think, therefore, that I will resist the "mission creep" and stick to the 11 models I am offering.

John

Between 7 to 15 Gazelle will be modified with a M-134 "Gatling" (and with a Gunner) on right side.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D4GVPSpW0AApNZS.jpg

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZtVRfTVwiU/ ... AE2ylJ.jpg

https://sylvaingourheu.com/_datas/f/h/l ... bc8-me.jpg




Regiment from Pau still use Gazelle Canon with 20 mm Canon on Right Side. (MORE EASY TO REALISE, WITHOUT REMAPPING FUSELAGE TEXTURE )

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EREKnPbXYAEs7VG.jpg

https://www.helicopassion.com/images/PH ... 7D257t.jpg

https://www.helicopassion.com/images/PH ... 7D413t.jpg

https://www.helicopassion.com/images/PH ... 7D414t.jpg

https://www.helicopassion.com/images/PH ... 7D415t.jpg

https://www.helicopassion.com/images/PH ... 7E042t.jpg

http://www.gaetanmarie.com/wp-content/u ... detail.jpg

http://helikopter83.free.fr/gazcanongrand.jpg

https://static.warthunder.com/upload/im ... 3bd5b6.jpg

The photos in the links are of 3 aircraft "CPA", "CXP" and "CWE". All of them, I think are circa 2006/2007. Current French Gazelle's use codes "GXX". I have enough French present day examples to make without venturing into retro. If you can find me a verifiable photo of a canon-equipped French Gazelle taken in the last 3 years I'll happily make the version though.

John

Does anyone have any knowledge of how the helicopters at AAC Middle Wallop in the UK taxi for take-off please? I'm just wondering how to draw the AFCAD for the Gazelles.

I have watched a few videos. but I can't be sure. I saw some examples I think, of a Lynx departing from the left hand yellow spot hover-taxi through the open gate straight ahead of it, across the small concrete apron and then turn to the left for take-off. Arrivals seem to do the same thing in reverse:



Is the grass runway actually used for helicopters with a taxi route in red, or is that used by fixed wing types? Do helicopters short cut across the grass, particularly departing the right hand yellow spot on the big apron without actually travelling right down to the grass runway?

The short concrete runway on the left seems to serve only the fenced compound that seems to be used for Lynx.

John

Hi John
The compound is/was the Apache compound. The short runway was only ever used by them.
The Gazelles usually sit outside the D&T hangar by the museum and taxi out past the museums car park.
I've drawn on your diagram how I usually see stuff depart and arrive. I've been going to Wallop on and off since 2009 and its not really changed much. The area outside the D&T hangar usually has the gazelles, historic flight and sometimes Dauphin or trial helis.
The main apron did have the squirrels and Lynx but usually just visitors now and they usually lift and go straight out to the field and depart.
The duty Bell 212 always parked up at the bottom left of the main apron.
The Tutors park up along the apron between the museum and D&T hangar.
Hope this is of some help to you, though Wallop is changing a lot at the moment, with the loss of the Lynx, Squirrel and now the Apache mk1

... And after re reading your post I just thought I'd say that your video of the lynx taxiing through the gate would have been a trials Lynx (usually callsign Devil) which were always based in the D&T hangar.
The duty Gazelle is usually ZB691 and usually sat at that spot too but obviously you have a number of gazelles and a big empty apron to fill so it's up to you how to play that one! The only other Gazelle movements these days are flights to and from Credenhill and Air tests after maintenance

Oh that's really useful, thank you.

Could you advise further on current helicopters please? According to Scramble, there are 3 Gazelle's operated by 7 Regiment Conversion Flight and an unknown number by 667 Sqn Development and Trials. I've assumed 2 of those, but I don't know the serials. So that's 5 in total.

I'm also going to provide a retro collection of 12 Gazelles with a flight plan, so I will need to use the main apron I think.

With the loss of the Lynx, does that just leave the Army Wildcats at Yeovilton?

John

To the best of my knowledge this is the current state of play:

7rgt conversion flight:
ZB691/S
XZ334
ZB674
XW846

D&T:
XX405

Others at Wallop (Could be pooled, D&T or for the conversion flight):
ZA766
XW847
ZB665

Credenhill: (Usually flight of two here)
XZ290
The other could be any of the above at Wallop

Aldergrove:
ZA775
ZB669
ZB690
ZB693
ZA772
XZ320

BATUS: (4 Based)
ZB671 (now based at Wallop)
ZA731
ZA736
XW865
XZ340

I've only seen ZB691 on 7 Regiment Conversion Flight in the last few years but a friend has seen XW846 with them. I'm not sure on the other one that scramble mentions but I imagine it's one of the three sat in the hangar.

For obvious reasons the other Credenhill cab is difficult to track down, also 'the others at wallop' are likely to be in maintenance and then rotate with Aldergroves' aircraft.
Despite the BATUS aircraft being based in Canada, they come back two at a time for maintenance then test fly out of Middle Wallop using Salisbury Plain so can be seen at Wallop. I love their scheme.

Yes, the Army's Wildcats are all at Yeovilton. Leaving just the Gazelles, Bell 212, Tutors and Historic Flight at Wallop.

Excellent, thank you.

That clarifies the present day Gazelles at Wallop. I have already made the Aldergrove paints and will see about making a helicopter overlay there that users can adjust to whatever underlying base scenery they might have. I was also aware of the BATUS examples but wasn't intending to make them. However, it would be good to do that paint scheme, so I think I will paint all 4 and include two on maintenance test flights at Wallop.

John

I'm planning the release of the Gazelles in 3 sequential packages x 2 for FS9 and FSX/P3D:

- United Kingdom - RAF, Army Air Corps and Royal Navy.

- SOKO - Serbia, Montenegro etc.

- France – 4 bases.

The United Kingdom models, paints, scenery and flight plans are all done, but require a manual and packaging. I’m including a choice of flight plans to give modern day or retro Gazelle traffic.

The SOKO packages are being produced by Miljan and he has done a great job of the paints. He’s currently working on accompanying scenery.

I have the French models ready but they need 40 paints plus helicopter overlays for the 4 operating bases and flight plans. I’ll do that after the UK Gazelles have been uploaded.

I’m pleased to say I have homes for the UK Gazelles in all 3 sim versions:

SHAWBURY (RAF) Retro

This uses Menno’s basic scenery with a helicopter overlay from me:







MIDDLE WALLOP (ARMY AIR CORPS) Modern and Retro

Brian Clarke’s scenery is brilliant and with his permission, I have incorporated the Gazelles by means of a helicopter overlay:







I couldn’t resist two visiting BATUS examples that return to Middle Wallop each year from Canada for maintenance:



BELFAST ALDERGOVE (ARMY AIR CORPS) Modern and Retro

8 present day Gazelles are operated by The Army Air Corps from the south side of Belfast Airport (EGAA). This is not well represented in the default sceneries, so I have made a basic representation of the area. The different components (AFCAD overlay, objects and GP apron are in separate files, so users can pick and choose what to use with whatever scenery of EGAA they might have, even if it’s just the overlay, adjusted as necessary.









CULDROSE (ROYAL NAVY) Retro

I thought this might be the most difficult, but it turned out to be quite easy, using Gary’s very comprehensive version of Culdrose. All I needed to do was assign 4 parking spots to one of his overlays to get 4 of the “Sharks” Gazelles to operate from there, having temporarily removed the Merlin traffic file, which is not appropriate to the Gazelle time frame:







Next job is to seek a couple of permissions, write the manual for the UK Gazelles and get the two packages assembled ready for upload.

John

Amazing work John, very very grateful you have done these! The BATUS examples look beautiful!

Brilliant job

Wow. Very impressive !! Gret job. And THANKS !!

John, I may have said this before but besides awesome models you make the best AI screenshots in the business.

Henk.

Lovely looking stuff there, although I seem to say that all the time!

Absolutely lovely, John.

Those helis are simply stunning - proud to get some of them for RAF Brüggen!

Its not fair that one person has so much talent. BZ

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

I have just uploaded the UK Gazelle packages to the Hangar. As always, please allow time for them to be made available.



And on with the French.........

John

Stunning !
I have no Word, they are superbs!
Fantastic work John

Fred