LHC Diamond DA40 Released

[Lionheart]

Hey all,

It is time for my newest child to be released.

This is the Diamond Star DA40 single engine 4 seater, XLS Edition with 180 HP engine, constant speed prop, 150 knots cruise speed. Her instrumentation is the Garmin G1000 glass panel system with built in auto pilot. On this Garmin system, I was able to recreate the bazel shape far better, and the MFD now houses the AP controls console as like the actual system. The Garmins do not feature traffic nor weather but do have built in checklists and sample background setting pages to show people what all the Garmins can do (Settings soft key selection).

Flying the '40' is similar to being in a Helo cockpit, 'much glass' surrounding you. The canopy opens from the front and takes with it part of the dash top. Its a wild plane and I have always loved the instrument panels. They are so simple and cool looking. The center console or tunnel (between the front seats) has some nicely laid out controls. The back seats fold down for shipping cargo and this model has the optional extended cargo zone in the tail of the plane, (great for snow skis, etc).

If you like flying into rough airfields, you can remove the wheel skirts via the hidden switch at the far right, lower black plastic power plugin on the panel. Click that and the wheels are suddenly uncovered. Great for Canadian short airstrips. (Stall speed with flaps is around 50 knots).

There is a cool, picturesque 'checklist' and also 'references' file set on the Kneeboard. I have kept the manual simple, and as usual (now) it is in PDF format, in the manuals folder in the aircraft's folder in FS.

This is in FSX and Prepar3D format.

So.... If you are interested, there's more at http://www.lionheartcreations.com/Diamond

[glennc]

Hmm, May have to fly that into Airventure.

Glenn

[Cag40Navy]

Oh yea! This is going to be a fun little plane! Thank you Bill!

[glennc]

69497

I have arrived.

Glenn

[Barnes]

Would anyone who has got this please post a few screens - it looks fantastic other than the cockpit glass in external view does not look quite right to me in the official screenshots (i cant describe why - perhaps the shine is too light). Im hoping that its just the angles and time of day and perhaps the settings.

Again - i have a feeling this will be LHC's best yet but i just dont want to get another plane i wont fully enjoy.

[flaviossa]

Very nice Mr. Bill! It appears to be a great model. :applause:
I´ll get it in August, because my $$$ FS quota for the month ran out already

[italoc]

Very nice Mr. Bill! It appears to be a great model. :applause:
I´ll get it in August, because my $$$ FS quota for the month ran out already

Mine too .... saving for next month :wavey:
Italo

[dvj]

Stunning work!

[Barnes]

I have given in and purchased and am very impressed so far - your best yet Bill. :salute:



Went for a dusk flight


http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq119/GAJIT/Untitled-1copy-26.jpg

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/qq119/GAJIT/Untitled-1copy-25.jpg

[Lionheart]

Thanks guys.

Note that you can detach the wheel skirts via clicking on that black power coupling on the instrument panel, bottom right.

[Barnes]

Yes - i found the manuel very interesting and discovered that feature thanks

[Roger]

Excellent model:applause:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/rogera/da40-7.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/rogera/da40-8.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/rogera/da40-9.jpg

[whitney17]

It looks like each one is better than the last! And that's saying something. I know, I've got nine already.

Thanks Bill, for your excellent work.

Joe

[Dexdoggy]

A beaut new addition Lionheart, think I will have to go get it!

[Lionheart]

Thanks for the kind words guys.

Note there is a paint kit 'inside' the aircraft folder; PSD format.


Happy Flying.

[Lionheart]

Awesome screenshots Roger! Goodness man.

[hairyspin]

You build 'em, he screenshots 'em. That VC is a marvellous piece of work, and I just know you built the lot in Gmax. Kudos! :applause::applause::applause::applause::applause:

[Lionheart]

You build 'em, he screenshots 'em. That VC is a marvellous piece of work, and I just know you built the lot in Gmax. Kudos! :applause::applause::applause::applause::applause:

Hey Tom,

Many thanks Sir. The mesh model was actually created by John MacNeil in Lightwave. I then went in and finished it. I did bring it into Gmax and animated and mapped/painted with Photoshop.

John does amazing work. We were fortunate to get some drawings for the panels for him to work from.



Bill

[skyhawka4m]

Glad to see you haven't totally switched over to P3D....I'll be buying this this week.

[Lionheart]

Glad to see you haven't totally switched over to P3D....I'll be buying this this week.

Oh, I did switch over fully to P3. It takes the same files, so its nothing for FSX to run in P3, and vice versa. :)

[Lionheart]

Hey all,

I have discovered a bug, I am sorry to say.

I found that a missing file entry in the panel config file will cause sound not to work 'if' you do not have any of the latest LHC planes. People who download the Diamond as their first plane from LHC will have no cool interior sound effects and click sounds.

The fix is easy. A new panel config, dropped into your Diamonds 'panel' folder and Voila, 'crickie crickie' sounds....

Download the fix file here; (http://lionheartworld.net/da40/Diamond_panel_fix.zip)


Sorry about that. I massively hate bugs.

The Diamond is being modified and will now be Build 1.01 with the fix carried out in it. Files will be dispersed to all vendors in the next 2 days.


Bill
LHC

[Barnes]

Thanks Bill - you and team have done a great job on this one :applause::applause::applause:

[italoc]

Thanks Bill, great job :applause::applause:
I'm ready for your next effort :salute:
Italo

[Dain Arns]

Bill, this is just an FYI.

I downloaded and installed the 1.01 version from Flight1.
Install went fine, but when I selected the DA40 from the FSX aircraft menu, I got an never ending batch of error messages like I posted below, for each sound.

I went back to version 1.00, and everything is working fine, again, (as I already had your other aircraft installed, anyway). ;)

69725

69724

[Lionheart]

Hey Dain,

Many thanks. Busy working on a fix. Massive apologies.



Bill

[Lionheart]

Well, I found the second bug, which I created when I fixed the first bug. So now both bugs are dead.

A new Panel.cfg file was created, the link to it is still good. The sound library on the Diamond was also improved and some mods to small files touched up so if you get a chance, please redownload it.

Sorry about that.



Bill
LHC

[Ark]

Looks awesome!

I am a huge fan of Diamond aircraft. Still remember my first flight in a brand spankin' new Katana back when they first came out. :)

Question, and not to nitpick, but is it just me or is the spinner a little too large?

[Lionheart]

Looks awesome!

I am a huge fan of Diamond aircraft. Still remember my first flight in a brand spankin' new Katana back when they first came out. :)

Question, and not to nitpick, but is it just me or is the spinner a little too large?


Hello Ark,

We created the model from drawings. I had thought that myself and reduced the spinner a tad, 50% into the project. I then thought the panel was too tall and went into photos, put up photos semi transparent in Gmax and found the panel was dead on also. (If you look at photos of the height of the instrument panels in side views outside the plane, it goes 2/3rds to the cieling of the plane, very very high. Looks impossible to see over, but its not. Its in line with the pilots eyesight).

If you think it looks out of proportion and will always bother you, I highly suggest just getting one from another vendor that you feel looks right to you. Iris has a great XLS also. And... Its presently on sale at PCAviator on their weekly sale program. A very good deal and their glass panel system is awesome.




Bill

[Ark]

Hello Ark,

We created the model from drawings. I had thought that myself and reduced the spinner a tad, 50% into the project. I then thought the panel was too tall and went into photos, put up photos semi transparent in Gmax and found the panel was dead on also. (If you look at photos of the height of the instrument panels in side views outside the plane, it goes 2/3rds to the cieling of the plane, very very high. Looks impossible to see over, but its not. Its in line with the pilots eyesight).

If you think it looks out of proportion and will always bother you, I highly suggest just getting one from another vendor that you feel looks right to you. Iris has a great XLS also. And... Its presently on sale at PCAviator on their weekly sale program. A very good deal and their glass panel system is awesome.




Bill

Nah, yours looks awesome. I'm sure you are correct about the proportions.