FlightGear Newsletter August 2011

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Welcome to the FlightGear Newsletter!
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Enjoy reading the latest edition!


We would like to emphasize that the monthly newsletter can not live without the contributions of FlightGear users and developers. Everyone with a wiki account (free to register) can edit the newsletter and every contribution is welcome. So if you know about any FlightGear related projects such as for example updated scenery or aircraft, please do feel invited to add such news to the newsletter.

New FlightGear Version Finally Released

On August 17 after a year and a half of hard work, FlightGear v2.4 has finally been released! Thanks to the key developers that took the lead to overhaul the FlightGear release plan and create a regular release cycle. Thanks also to each and every developer in every portion of the FlightGear community who have contributed to make FlightGear such a success! Please click here to jump to the download page. Starting with the v2.4 release, the development of FlightGear will now follow the Release Plan, which will act as a guideline in upcoming development and regular releases of the FlightGear simulator in the form of a six-month development cycle. In other words, if this Release Plan's suggestions are followed thoroughly, stable releases of the simulator will be created twice a year, on the 17th of February and August.

FlightGear.org Main Website Updated

Along with the v2.4 release, the FlightGear.org web site has seen a complete overhaul during the month of August. The new website is based on "wordpress" which supports multiple editors and allows for much easier editing and updating of content. One interesting feature of wordpress is the ability to create "posts" and then allow anyone to add their own comments (pending approval.) Newsletter contributors (and anyone else) are invited to create a "post" for the main flightgear.org web site. This is a great way to promote your own project and do so in a context that allows more paragraphs, more detail, and more pictures than can fit in a newsletter article. So please continue to submit newsletter articles, but also please consider developing a longer version for the main web site!

Development news

AI/ATC interactions

Heavily congested taxiways at Schiphol after the 777-200 had been blocking active runway 24 for nearly 4 hours.

While the preparations for our upcoming release are still going on, development for the next release has already started. In early august code changes were committed, which allow FlightGear users to interact with an artifically intelligent ATC system. Currently it is possible to request startup clearance, permission for push back, as well as taxi-clearances. A brand new, and highly experimental, ground network visualization system makes it possible to taxi from parking to runway along the route given by ATC. Hold position and resume taxi instructions can be be given in order to avoid collisions with other (AI controlled) aircraft. Hand-off to a tower controller, as well as more interactive take offs, are in the planning stages. The aim is to have all stages of IFR commercial aviation traffic under ATC control before the release of flightgear 2.6.0, which is planned for early 2012.

Nasal for newbies

New software Tools and Projects

TerraMaster

TerraMaster is a Java-based application that lets you pick-and-choose which scenery tiles you would like to sync with the FG scenery server. Ideal for those people who prefer to TerraSync preflight rather than inflight.

FlightGear Addons and Mods

In the Hangar

New Aircraft

Mahan Air A310-300 over Schiphol.

Icecode and Star a few months ago started the development of the Airbus A310-300. The latest version of the model includes a detailed cockpit and a realistic YAsim FDM. You can view the development progress here.



TECNAM P.92 ECHO

Tecnam-P92.

A french team who likes to be called "The Flightgear France patrol" has been working on many aircrafts. It is composed of many specialists in various fields (3D, texture, FDM, nasal, xml, sound...). The France patrol is proud to offer you a new airplane: the Tecnam-P92. It is probably the best ultralight aircraft available by now in Flightgear. All the instruments, electrical systems and most of the sound are realistically simulated. You can download this airplane in Helijah's hangar here as well as in the GIT repository. This team is currently working on other planes and helos, such as the R44, DC3 C-47 and D510. Those aircrafts can also be found in Helijah's hangar and in GIT.


GRUMMAN E-2C HAWKEYE

Grumman E-2C Hawkeye.

At that time being the bird is in a very early stage of development, but with a little bit of time it could become a very nice carrier based flying ATC, needing (1) a Pilot to stay on station flying flat "8s" against the wind and (2) a skilled Air Controller to "control" the kind of nasty boys one can usually see around the Nimitz. Right now, the model available in Git is very crude (but the Landing gear) and the FDM isn't completely tuned. There is the minimal set of instruments, but no lights and no fancy details in the cockpit yet. Anyway she can already land and take of from a carrier (with day light). This model is coming out of xiii's factory, so be sure it will be over detailed and accurately modeled :-)

Updated aircraft

Liveries

Scenery corner

Airports

I have started a few models on Helgoland with the airport terminal building (EDXH) with the nearby shop and Mobile home park.

It is hard to find photos of local landmarks, or interesting buildings there. Anyone who has visited Helgoland and is prepared to show me their photos could make a valuable contribution here. The church would be a welcome addition.

If you know of any such photos on the internet, which cannot be found by searching with the obvious names, details would also be welcome.

Any help much appreciated.

VicMar

Aircraft of the month

The Bombardier CRJ700 series was reviewed as this week/month's feature aircraft. You can read the full review at our wiki's Bombardier CRJ700 series article. The second aircraft reviewed this month, was the M-18 Dromader. You can read the full review at it's wiki page as well: PZL-Mielec_M-18_Dromader#Airplane_of_the_Week.2FMonth, or watch the video review on YouTube.

Airport of the month

Screenshot of the month

Suggested flights

Set your plane at LPLA. This was an emergency landing site for the space shuttle so you will have plenty of room to take off. We will have to fly an odd pattern. The reason for that: If you don't fly to high you will have some amazing views.

Fly towards and over LPPD. Look out the window and enjoy the view. Head out towards LPHR. If you feel LPHR coming near, look out the window good, you might have to pull your plane up.

Happy flying!


Aircraft reviews

Wiki updates

Community news

Longfly is very proud and happy to announce the first official release of the "FlightgGear aircraftlist". After eight months of development it contains exactly 491 different aircrafts for FlightGear with screenshots (click on the thumbnails – not everyone is working yet) and download-links.

Because it is a very long list (6127 lines of code and many images) it may take very long to load on some slow computers. So I'll implement five subpages with always 100 planes. There is also a filter, so you can get a better overview of your favorite planes.

The list should be complete but if an aircraft is missing I urge you to report it to me (pm or forum post or mail) – Thanks! Furthermore feedback, criticism and new ideas are always very welcome in the forum threat.


Here it is: www.flightgear.bplaced.de/aircraftlist/

Have fun exploring it!

Stunt Fridays Monthly Video Challenge

Stunt Friday, originally a weekly event, is a monthly event where participants compete to record videos of a given stunt, and compete to create the most interesting video and stunt. The challenge for August involved landing an aircraft at the notoriously infamous former Kai Tak international airport in Hong Kong. Andrew Yokoyama ("kyokoyama") won this month's challenge with a crosswind landing of a BAe Concorde in a storm and heavy crosswinds.

FlightGear on YouTube

New tutorials and screencasts

Forum news

Multiplayer

Virtual airlines

FlightGear events

Useful links

And finally ...

Contributing

One of the regular thoughts expressed on the FlightGear forums is "I'd like to contribute but I don't know how to program, and I don't have the time". Unfortunately, there is a common mis-conception that contributing requires programming and lots of free time. In fact, there are a huge range of ways to contribute to the project without needing to write code or spending days working on something.

For ideas on starting to contribute to FlightGear, you may want to check out: Volunteer.

Call for volunteers

  • The OpenRadar project is looking for a new maintainer.
  • The FGFSPM (FlightGear Package Manager) is looking for a new maintainer.

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