FlightGear Newsletter January 2010

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Welcome to the FlightGear Newsletter!
Please help us write the next edition!
Enjoy reading the latest edition!


This is the draft of the next edition of the FlightGear Newsletter. Please feel free to edit and add your contribution.

What's new in CVS

In the hangar

Liveries

For over a year, realistic (meaning: they have to exist, have existed, or will exist on the corresponding aircraft with the corresponding airline) FlightGear liveries have been available from this website. Due to the increasing amount of visitors and liveries, the website is moved to a new server, resulting in much faster downloads. The serverswitch was a good oppurtunity to re-design the website and its internal structure. It used to be a simple list, now it exists of a fully functional database, improving the use- and maintainablity significantly. The database can be searched by aircraft, airline or author.

Everyone is free to upload his/her liveries, which can be done through this page.

Visit the new livery database

Aircraft

Bell UH-1

Bell UH-1

The Bell UH-1, originally created by Helijah, has now been improved. Nearly the whole exterior and interior model has been redone, using drawings free available from a real flight manual. The FDM, created by Maik Justus, is based on real datas and measurements done by the NASA.

It is a first release, as the author plan to go on, as soon he has finished some other projects.

It is compatible with 1.9.1 and later!

Features;

  • beside the BO105 the most realistic fdm!
  • nice shaded interior textures!
  • higher resolution of the textures!
  • accurate and correct proportions of the models
  • begin of a realistic cockpit!
  • original sound!

and finally: tested and supported by a real Bell UH-1 Navy Pilot!

Known Issues:

  • bad engine simulation- no autorotation possible (clutch simulation missing!)
  • panel not ready- need details pictures of the middle panel of the engine instrumentation
  • no lights yet
  • no gun/ rocket sounds
  • missing pieces in the cockpit like stick, pedals, overhead etc....
  • Only one livery for the Gunship

Important for Repainters: There are two livery-folders:

-Gunship

-UH1-D

Please make sure that you choose the right folder.

Have fun!

Thanks to JAG007, Helijah; Maik Justus, MOJO!

Boeing 767-300 near its primary release

1rightarrow.png See Boeing 767-300 for the main article about this subject.

767-300 Exterior view with open cargo and front passenger doors, displaying its passenger stairways
767-300 Exterior view with gear up

For a while the 767-300 has been a slow moving project, due to Isaías V. Preste temporarily leaving the forum and all FlightGear works. Liam has yet continued on from where Prestes left off, given a complete overhall to the old FDM, added plenty of new features and started animations. Thanks to the whole FlightGear community for providing some nice liveries, sounds, and other assistance to questions, With luck it should be submitted to CVS before the next release of FlightGear, with some new features not yet seen on many other Aircraft in FlightGear. This is a truly promising project!

Boeing 737-100 updates

1rightarrow.png See Boeing 737-100 for the main article about this subject.

737-100 Outside view with open doors
737-100 Cockpit view from pilot seat

Since October we have had the 737-100 by helijah in CVS. The aircraft has now been further improved. Mike (aka D-SKY1) is building the autopilot, updating the 3D models, and the following changes were implemented:

  • FDM refined
  • Working instruments in front panel
  • Doors (front and back) open with the keys D and Shift-D
  • Front door also extends stairs
  • Detailed overhead panel (not yet wired)
  • Detailed pedestal (not yet wired)
  • Autopilot incl. ILS approach (partly wired) (actual screenshot of the glareshield)
  • Several liveries available via menu:
    • Lufthansa
    • Canadian
    • Continental
    • Qatar
    • Swiss Air
    • Air France
    • Alitalia
    • KLM
    • Kuwait Airways
    • Boeing Prototype-Livery

Scenery Corner

Manila

The Airport of Manila, Philippines (RPLL) has been improved. Beside the Terminals 1 and 2, Terminal 3 is now built. The Tower is redesigned to be closer to the original. Many shared models on the ground has been added and like always all buildings are illuminated at night and ambient occlusion is added to all new textures..

San Francisco International Airport

Overview of the SFO airport.

1rightarrow.png See San Francisco International Airport for the main article about this subject.

With the upcoming release in mind, FlightGear's main airport has been populated with more buildings than ever before. Dock your plane at one of the many gates, follow the airtrain as it moves from station to station, land your helicopter in the famous parkingarea hole or simply enjoy the visuals on final. In addition to this, the terrain has been refined, especially the bay area. These changes will be available with the next scenery release.

Community News

FlightGear Wiki

On 4 January 2010, the 900th article was added to the wiki! Back in May 2009, the 700th article was welcomed, which means an average of 1 article is created each day. A big "thank you" to all those who helped to extend and improve the wiki over the past years!

Virtual Airline News

Addons

Useful links

And finally....