FlightGear Newsletter January 2011

Welcome to the FlightGear Newsletter! Please help us write the next edition! 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.

Call for volunteers

The OpenRadar project is looking for a new maintainer.

The TerraGear GUI project is looking for programmers to help create a GUI frontend for TerraGear [1].

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

Development news

Important FGRun memory fix

FGRun used to keep all loaded aircraft (in one session) in cache for quick re-view on the aircraft selection page. There were cases reported in which the memory usage reached 1GB; slowing down the entire computer tremendously! Since FGRun must stay open during your FlightGear flights, it decreased in-sim framerates. With the fix, FGRun only uses necessary resources.

Experimental: texture mapped line data

I've created a local experimental branch for allowing Terragear to texture map roads, streams, and coastlines. It is in the very early stages, but is starting to show promise. While the Terragear team's priorities are to optimize and import highly detailed land-class imagery, I thought it would be a good idea to enhance existing polygons as well.

I'm keeping status updates here: TerraGear texmapped line data

In the hangar

Generic Boeing CDU

The Boeing-style CDU as seen on a Boeing 747-400.

Gijs commited a generic - Boeing style - Control Display Unit (CDU) to Git. The CDU comes with two textures: a brown one (as seen on the 747) or a grey one (737). Currently just a small amount of pages is completely resembled, but updates are planned for the near future.

A wiki article has been set up to explain aircraft developers how to implement the CDU in their aircraft.

New aircraft

ATR 72-500

The ATR 72-500 in FlightGear.

Skyop has started his latest aircraft project, the ATR 72-500. This turboprop airliner currently features a lighting system, an engine control system (autostart), pushback, and livery over MP. A 3d cockpit will follow in the upcoming months.

Scenery corner

We have almost reached 2000 unique models in the scenery database! Help us get to 3000 even faster... Please contribute a scenery model today.

Scenery Models

The highest tower in the world, the Burj Khalifa, former known as the Burj Dubai, has been added in the database, as well as the Akashi Kaikyo bridge, whick links Kobe to the Awaji Island in Japan. The city of Lyon in France has also seen the addition of landmarks.

New York City

A collaborative effort has been launched to model as many skyscrapers and landmarks of New York City as possible. FlightGear contributors have already "demolished" some generic skyscrapers in Manhattan, replacing them with models of such buildings as the Empire State Building and the MetLife Building (formerly the PanAm building). With new land cover either pending or already on the mapserver, New York City is on its way to becoming a premier destination for open source flyers.

If you are interested in contributing to the New York City scenery project, please visit the forum.

Airports

Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (KCHO)

KCHO under development

I admit that I've taken a couple of weeks off, but I have made some significan progress since December. I have made the rain canopy (or whatever it's called) almost completely accurate, I've made the building more realistic (height-wise), and I've added the cylinder part of the airport. My goals to get to by February are completing the doors, add-in the second waiting room (external of course), and add the windows to the cylinder.

Samedan Engiadina Airport (LSZS)

REGA Helicopter at LSZS (by F-SIG)

Eventually the Engiadina Airport LSZS, close to Sankt Moritz (Sant Murezzan, in Ladin), is available on Terrasync. You may reach it comfortably from LOWI Innsbruck following upstream the Enn River (Engiadina); after the flight you may have a Calanda Beer at the cafeteria aside of Terminal C.

The building have been done with the contribution of HHS, who provided the untextured blend files, and ot-666, who gave precious hints. F-SIG took the screenshot. For those not using Terrasync the files (including the .stg file) are available for download at http://digilander.libero.it/scighera_fg

Wiki updates

New articles

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New aircraft articles

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Most popular newsletters

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Community news

FlightGear on Facebook

Since early December, FlightGear has an official Facebook page. Four weeks after its creation, over 1000 people "liked it". Please join our page, if you have a Facebook account.

FlightGear on YouTube

• Christmas! A FlightGear Movie by Oscar.

Multiplayer

FlightGear Flying Club

The FlightGear Flying Club (FGFC) released a promo video; in the search for new members. Details are available at FlightGear Flying Club.

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.

Reminder: Google's Summer of Code 2011

We would like to remind all readers that the FlightGear project is planning to participate in GSoC 2011. However, doing that really requires a fair amount of work, planning and organizing. This is not something that can be done by a single person. It really needs a coordinated team effort, or otherwise FlightGear won't be able to apply/participate at all.

So all users are invited to help us progress further with our preparations for GSoC 2011. If you have any questions or other feedback, please use the forum to get in touch.