FlightGear Newsletter June 2010: Difference between revisions
Armchair Ace (talk | contribs) |
m (shuffling) |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
''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.'' | ''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.'' | ||
==Development news== | |||
===SquawkGear=== | |||
http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7650 | |||
===Bombable air combat add-on updated=== | |||
The [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5742 Bombable air combat add-on to FlightGear] received a major update in June. Bombable now has these features: | |||
* Dogfight against other FlightGear pilots over multiplayer with Sopwith Camel, SPAC VII, Fokker DR 1 Triplane, or A6M2 Zero | |||
* Explode/burn when you crash | |||
* Exceeding aircraft limitations (excess g-forces, overspeed) adds damage to your aircraft and finally leads to shutdown/crash | |||
* Shootable/bombable moving AI tanks, jeeps, ships, and aircraft that catch fire, burn, explode, sink, crash, etc. | |||
* AI scenarios that allow you to use FlightGear aircraft for air-to-ground, air-to-sea, and air-to-air combat missions against these targets | |||
==In the hangar== | ==In the hangar== | ||
=== | ===Boeing 787 and CRJ-200=== | ||
'' | ''nickyivyca'' is currently working on the [[Boeing 787]]. He corrected the [[FDM]] and changed some details in the model. | ||
More information [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8203 in the forums]. | |||
He has also been working in the [[CRJ-200]]: | |||
''"The CRJ-200 and 787 were made with very similar systems and such. Neither had a 2.0 compatible AP. So, I found out what was wrong with the one for the 787 first, and made those changes to the CRJ here. Both worked. I also did some FDM improvements, like moving the engines to where they really are and adding gear smoke and contrails."'' - says he [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8329 in the forum thread]. | |||
'' | |||
===Cessna T-37=== | ===Cessna T-37=== | ||
| Line 24: | Line 39: | ||
More information [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8354 here]. | More information [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8354 here]. | ||
=== | ===CH-47 Chinook=== | ||
'' | ''MOJO'' is tuning the CH-47. He spent some time adding external cosmetics which main purpose is to add more detail to the Chinook. He added antenna and aerials, domed windows, pitot tubes, whinch, engine hub details and started with the internal cargo bay. He is going to be adding an animated refuel probe and will be doing some more liveries also, his main aim is to try and get the model more defined. | ||
===Cirrus Vision SF50=== | |||
''Zexe'' created a SF50 model. It is still at a very early stage. More information [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=8352 here]. | |||
'' | ===MiG-15bis=== | ||
''vitos'' improved the MiG-15bis model, and released it. More information [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7486 here]. | |||
===San Antonio LPD17=== | ===San Antonio LPD17=== | ||
Browsing through the files, ''HHS'' [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=8351 found a rotorcraft carrier model] and made a scenario to run it, which is availble on git. | Browsing through the files, ''HHS'' [http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=8351 found a rotorcraft carrier model] and made a scenario to run it, which is availble on git. | ||
== | ==Scenery corner== | ||
=== | ===Nighttime London Gatwick=== | ||
http://www. | London Gatwick (EGKK) is being further improved and is in the second phase of development - night textures. All the buildings and features are currently being modified by ''karla'' to give suitable lighting and make London Gatwick even more attractive to FlightGear commercial flyers. Landing or taking off from Gatwick at night should add much to your enjoyment of the game - and most likely extend the hours you enter in your pilot's log. | ||
Further improvements and many minor changes are also being made to the existing models and daytime textures. | |||
The link shows an image of the part completed airport at night http://www.donlavelle.net/flightgear/flightgear19.html. | |||
The new scenery will be released early in July. | |||
The | |||
[[Image:B-25.jpg|thumb| | ==Aircraft review: B-25 Mitchell== | ||
[[Image:B-25.jpg|thumb|270px|A B-25 in the air near KATL]] | |||
The [[B-25]] served in almost every theatre in World War II. From Europe to the Pacific, the Mitchell was there. One of the most famous missions accomplished by B-25s was the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, when a group of 16 B-25s attacked the Japanese mainland, raising morale in the United States, and changing the priorities of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and possibly changing the direction of the war. | |||
The flightgear model looks good on the outside. The author has done a lot of work on the textures, and this is improved even more by some excellent liveries made by Gooneybird that have been added to the B-25 base package by the author. The landing gear, engines and canopies are all carefully modelled, too. | The flightgear model looks good on the outside. The author has done a lot of work on the textures, and this is improved even more by some excellent liveries made by Gooneybird that have been added to the B-25 base package by the author. The landing gear, engines and canopies are all carefully modelled, too. | ||
| Line 59: | Line 74: | ||
===Linuxtag=== | ===Linuxtag=== | ||
=== | ===FlightGear on YouTube=== | ||
* ''edubletooth'' captured a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeQUfnHLs_Q bunch of landings] at the airports with the world's most famous approach: [[Princess Juliana International Airport|Princess Juliana]] in the Netherlands Antilles. Make sure to bend when a 777-200 or maybe even a mighty [[Boeing 747|747]] is passing just meters over your head! | |||
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCcqtkTUT8 This excellent video] proves that ''Howto'' Oscar (we already mentioned him last month) does more than creating howtos. Together with Don's extremely detailed simulation of Gatwick Airport (EGKK), Oscar's video angles make this an interesting and pleasant video to watch. | |||
==And finally...== | |||
===Your own Copilot=== | ===Your own Copilot=== | ||
How about having your own Copilot to help you fly your heavy metal? Imagine: You're at 3000 ft making a hand controlled descent to EGKK 26L in your [[Boeing 777-200|777-200ER]]: "flaps down"; check airspeed and altitude; you're now five miles out; "undercarriage down"; reduce speed a little more; "flaps down"; you seem to be slightly overspeed; "spoilers"; touch down "brakes" then "reverse thrust"; "flaps retract"; now take a look at the detailed scenery while taxying to your stand; "view" and "zoom out". | How about having your own Copilot to help you fly your heavy metal? Imagine: You're at 3000 ft making a hand controlled descent to EGKK 26L in your [[Boeing 777-200|777-200ER]]: "flaps down"; check airspeed and altitude; you're now five miles out; "undercarriage down"; reduce speed a little more; "flaps down"; you seem to be slightly overspeed; "spoilers"; touch down "brakes" then "reverse thrust"; "flaps retract"; now take a look at the detailed scenery while taxying to your stand; "view" and "zoom out". | ||
| Line 74: | Line 87: | ||
Shoot may be edited to obey verbal commands such as "start engines", "maximum thrust", "undercarriage up", "flaps retract", "trim nose down", "deploy spoilers", "reverse thrust", "view exterior" - or whatever you choose. Try it and add more immersion to your flying. | Shoot may be edited to obey verbal commands such as "start engines", "maximum thrust", "undercarriage up", "flaps retract", "trim nose down", "deploy spoilers", "reverse thrust", "view exterior" - or whatever you choose. Try it and add more immersion to your flying. | ||
[[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 06]] | [[Category:FlightGear Newsletter|2010 06]] | ||
Revision as of 09:59, 13 June 2010
|
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.
Development news
SquawkGear
http://www.flightgear.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7650
Bombable air combat add-on updated
The Bombable air combat add-on to FlightGear received a major update in June. Bombable now has these features:
- Dogfight against other FlightGear pilots over multiplayer with Sopwith Camel, SPAC VII, Fokker DR 1 Triplane, or A6M2 Zero
- Explode/burn when you crash
- Exceeding aircraft limitations (excess g-forces, overspeed) adds damage to your aircraft and finally leads to shutdown/crash
- Shootable/bombable moving AI tanks, jeeps, ships, and aircraft that catch fire, burn, explode, sink, crash, etc.
- AI scenarios that allow you to use FlightGear aircraft for air-to-ground, air-to-sea, and air-to-air combat missions against these targets
In the hangar
Boeing 787 and CRJ-200
nickyivyca is currently working on the Boeing 787. He corrected the FDM and changed some details in the model. More information in the forums.
He has also been working in the CRJ-200:
"The CRJ-200 and 787 were made with very similar systems and such. Neither had a 2.0 compatible AP. So, I found out what was wrong with the one for the 787 first, and made those changes to the CRJ here. Both worked. I also did some FDM improvements, like moving the engines to where they really are and adding gear smoke and contrails." - says he in the forum thread.
Cessna T-37
richter and snipey are working together in improving the Cessna T-37. Items that have been improved/created:
Model:
- Completely remodeled canopy;
- Main gear wheel wells and covers.
Sound:
- Interior-exterior sound level difference.
Instruments:
- Basic flight instruments.
More information here.
CH-47 Chinook
MOJO is tuning the CH-47. He spent some time adding external cosmetics which main purpose is to add more detail to the Chinook. He added antenna and aerials, domed windows, pitot tubes, whinch, engine hub details and started with the internal cargo bay. He is going to be adding an animated refuel probe and will be doing some more liveries also, his main aim is to try and get the model more defined.
Cirrus Vision SF50
Zexe created a SF50 model. It is still at a very early stage. More information here.
MiG-15bis
vitos improved the MiG-15bis model, and released it. More information here.
San Antonio LPD17
Browsing through the files, HHS found a rotorcraft carrier model and made a scenario to run it, which is availble on git.
Scenery corner
Nighttime London Gatwick
London Gatwick (EGKK) is being further improved and is in the second phase of development - night textures. All the buildings and features are currently being modified by karla to give suitable lighting and make London Gatwick even more attractive to FlightGear commercial flyers. Landing or taking off from Gatwick at night should add much to your enjoyment of the game - and most likely extend the hours you enter in your pilot's log. Further improvements and many minor changes are also being made to the existing models and daytime textures. The link shows an image of the part completed airport at night http://www.donlavelle.net/flightgear/flightgear19.html.
The new scenery will be released early in July.
Aircraft review: B-25 Mitchell
The B-25 served in almost every theatre in World War II. From Europe to the Pacific, the Mitchell was there. One of the most famous missions accomplished by B-25s was the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, when a group of 16 B-25s attacked the Japanese mainland, raising morale in the United States, and changing the priorities of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and possibly changing the direction of the war.
The flightgear model looks good on the outside. The author has done a lot of work on the textures, and this is improved even more by some excellent liveries made by Gooneybird that have been added to the B-25 base package by the author. The landing gear, engines and canopies are all carefully modelled, too.
The Cockpit is a little bit threadbare, with no chairs, two pilot figures, and the standard six instruments, which is more than enough to fly with. The only other issue I could come up with was the lack of weapons, but that is only an aesthetic problem. The B-25 handles nicely both on the ground and in the air. I can't talk about accuracy, however, as I have never flown in a B-25, so I don't know how it 'feels' in the air.
The Mitchell sounds great, too!
Review by Armchair Ace
From the community
Linuxtag
FlightGear on YouTube
- edubletooth captured a bunch of landings at the airports with the world's most famous approach: Princess Juliana in the Netherlands Antilles. Make sure to bend when a 777-200 or maybe even a mighty 747 is passing just meters over your head!
- This excellent video proves that Howto Oscar (we already mentioned him last month) does more than creating howtos. Together with Don's extremely detailed simulation of Gatwick Airport (EGKK), Oscar's video angles make this an interesting and pleasant video to watch.
And finally...
Your own Copilot
How about having your own Copilot to help you fly your heavy metal? Imagine: You're at 3000 ft making a hand controlled descent to EGKK 26L in your 777-200ER: "flaps down"; check airspeed and altitude; you're now five miles out; "undercarriage down"; reduce speed a little more; "flaps down"; you seem to be slightly overspeed; "spoilers"; touch down "brakes" then "reverse thrust"; "flaps retract"; now take a look at the detailed scenery while taxying to your stand; "view" and "zoom out".
Those using Windows can employ Shoot - a free user-editable voice command utility. This may be used concurrently with FlightGear to recognize spoken words or phrases and carry out keyboard actions - including sequential or Shift/Alt/Ctrl... keying. Unfortunately Linux users do not have access to such a powerful utility.
Download Shoot 1.6.4 from http://clans.gameclubcentral.com/shoot and install it on your PC. You also need the Microsoft Speech API (SAPI) which is also free; the link is given on the Shoot website. The free Microsoft .NET should also be installed using the Shoot link.
Shoot may be edited to obey verbal commands such as "start engines", "maximum thrust", "undercarriage up", "flaps retract", "trim nose down", "deploy spoilers", "reverse thrust", "view exterior" - or whatever you choose. Try it and add more immersion to your flying.