Turbines Gauges and CFS2

[dvslats]

Hi all,
It’s been a while since I have posted here. Looks like the ol’ place is still kicking out some really nice goodies. Congrats and salute to the creative who still find ways to keep this sim spruced. :encouragement:

I was reading the thread by Col_Wolf about his turbine questions and it reminded me of an old project that fell by the wayside. A conversion of an F-4.

What stalled it was an issue I had locating gauges for the panel. Engine monitoring gauges ie, fuel flow , exhaust gas temp, and believe it or not, a fuel quantity indicator. 1 and 2 types because of the twin turbines.

I also prefer the spooling up start sequence type air file, but it seems the gauges I did try were a no go because of this type of air file and cfg.

So my main question is has anyone here had any luck with this issue? Something stored away on CD or backup hard drive.

Thanks In Advance, Dave

[Fibber]

I am not a guru but rather a squirrrel. I recently,suffering cabin fever and in a fit of boredom, spent some time hunting out just about every gauge I could possible find through the various sims that might pertain to CFS2. I did find that there are several gauges that have a "fsd..r4.."heading. Also that Mike Hambly and Skysound soundworks have some F4 sounds available. I don't have the plane (yet!) but they might be some help. Also, had some sounds for a E3c around here somewhere with a panel graciuosly forwarded to me by a member. That plane I do fly and it sounds and looks great!

[bearcat241]

DV, attached is something of interest perhaps....

[dvslats]

Hey Fibber and BC,

After I looked in BC's zip Fibber it seems that these will pretty much cover what I was searching for.

Thanks BC.

Time for a little experimentation. :eagerness:

[bearcat241]

You're welcome :encouragement:

[dvslats]

Hi Guys,

Well I couldn't get all of your gauge to function BC. The exhaust nozzle and fuel are fine. Every little bit helps.

But I did manage to use the Concorde gauge for EGT and FF. They did not work initially, so I downloaded the fs2000_std_update2b which has this gauge file in it.
Another little item discovered was in the panel .cfg format. Concorde gauge shows only one Concorde!EGT, and also one Concorde!Fuel-Flow in cfg.edit.
To have them assigned to turbine 1 & 2 these red entries must be added to the panel.cfg manually.

gauge24=Concorde!EGT, 624,553,39,38,1
gauge25=Concorde!EGT, 669,554,39,38,2
gauge26=Concorde!Fuel-Flow, 624,472,39,38,1
gauge27=Concorde!Fuel-Flow, 668,471,39,38,2

Viola! separated per turbine. I never knew this But I do now. :triumphant:

So it looks like things are rolling again.
The Concorde gauge are a nasty color but I think Gauge_bmp should help.
Lots of things to do yet....loose nuts and bolts to clean up.

Btw, here some shots of what the conversion is. The Virtavia F-4J. Marines.

4127

And a panel pic, 1680 x 1050.

4128

Cheers All, Dave

[kelticheart]

DV, attached is something of interest perhaps....

I got 'em, too! These will be great on my Vietnam install, fair distance future project of mine.

Thank you, BC!
KH :ernaehrung004:

[bearcat241]

Well I couldn't get all of your gauge to function BC. The exhaust nozzle and fuel are fine. Every little bit helps.

Sorry to hear of your trouble with the gauges Dave. I've had no trouble with them over the years...oh well.

Meanwhile, you inspired me to play that Phantom myself. Here's my USS Coral Sea CAG mount with panel.


(https://imageshack.com/i/fk7lxnj)http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/809/oqa1.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/mhoqa1j)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/59/iei1.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/1niei1j)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/545/r7sg.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/f5r7sgj)
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/62/3x9d.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/1q3x9dj)

[bearcat241]

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/560/7lxn.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/fk7lxnj)

[dvslats]

Sweet bearcat. J These are some nice looking F-4s. Poly’s up the ying yang but I’m not worried about that. Still nice for a Sunday morning drive with a wingman and an initial point.

Yeah, the gauges. I know it’s something in the air file that I stole from another. And man…I suk at air files. Too cryptic and I’ve little experience with them. Maybe I’ll take the dive and get the airwrench.

Btw, have you had any success animating the spoilerons? I’ve activated them in the air file but now the air brake (Spoilers) move along in unison with them. In a way I guess that makes sense.

If not probably one of them will have to go. I’m thinking this is why lever stick l & r were added to the mdls. Some old fs 98 planes will show this just fine in CFS2. But as I have been reading, they were animated with abucus aircraft animator. That’s a completely different mdl format. I realize mdlc was not set up for the earlier type fsds.

Thanks, Dv

[bearcat241]

Haven't started on the spoilerons yet. I wanted to get all the key components done first, i.e. panel, flight dynamics, dp, etc., which can be applied across the board to all the models in the package. Regarding the spoilerons, as you've seen, the air file is definitely not the way to go. Its gonna be a scasm job, since the animation link to the ailerons was lost in the conversion. The trick here is to locate the spoilerons in the scasm file and reconnect them to the aileron animation so the two work in sync. The RIO's canopy also needs re-animation as well...no prob. They're such awesome models up close and its just plain fun to fly at Mach 2 in this sim :biggrin-new:

[dvslats]

Hi bearcat,

Here's some info from an older post by Moparmike answering a similar question regarding gauges.

(By Moparmike)
It usually happens with FS98-gauges being used with an FS2000&up-airfile, or vice versa. It also may be due to some missing sections from the airfile.

Fs98 airfiles use a different type of "engine" in the airfile...and some of the token variables that read the operating parameters are different...that's why some gauges work but some don't.


Open the airfile up and check to see which Section the engine is listed under.
Sec. 500 = FS98 piston engine (also used by CFS1 AI planes)
Sec. 600 = FS98 turbine engine (also used by CFS1 & CFS2 AI planes)
Sec. 505 = CFS1 and newer piston engine (FS2000, CFS2, FS2002)
Sec. 150? = FS2000 turbine (sorry, I'm not on an FS-equipped puter right now and I forget the exact numbers...there are several sections dealing with this type of engine.)

If you have an FS98-airfile, do some scrounging around for some old FS98 gauges and try it out.
Another alternative would be to sub in an FS2k airfile and see if the existing gauges work.
(End)

Just throwing it out here as a resource.

Dv

[bearcat241]

Good info DV...i'm sure it'll be useful down the road when i finally hit a WTF moment with one of Mike's gauges :untroubled:

[kelticheart]

Good info DV...i'm sure it'll be useful down the road when i finally hit a WTF moment with one of Mike's gauges

Do you mean that the above shots ARE CFS2? With the Tomcats parked on the carrier deck and everything else? :jawdrop:

Total beauty, BC! :applause: :applause:

Cheers!
KH :ernaehrung004:

[bearcat241]

Do you mean that the above shots ARE CFS2? With the Tomcats parked on the carrier deck and everything else? ...

Yeah, i know, how 'bout that?!...and check the Sundowners of VF111 here. The previous shots feature the Enterprise CVN-65. The ship in these shots is the Stennis CVN-74 with its deck crew:

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/163/wto6.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/4jwto6j)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/34/x92t.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/0yx92tj)

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/585/8fid.jpg (https://imageshack.com/i/g98fidj)

[kelticheart]

Weren't this a forum dedicated to CFS2, I would have thought those were shots taken from aviation history documentaries like Discovery Channel's "Wings" or "Great Planes"!! :applouse:

Perhaps with a computer touchup of the colours.....:encouragement:

I imagine none of the above is freeware, both ships and aircrafts look too detailed and finely modelled to be simple hobbyists' products, for as beautiful as some freeware models are. Even the jet blast shield on the carrier deck raised!

Truly beautiful, it makes me feel there's still abundant room for improving CFS2! Thank you for posting them!

Cheers!
KH :ernaehrung004:

[bearcat241]

I imagine none of the above is freeware, both ships and aircrafts look too detailed and finely modelled to be simple hobbyists' products, for as beautiful as some freeware models are. Even the jet blast shield on the carrier deck raised!

All freeware...the ships are native CFS2, but the jets are of course FS9 conversions from the Alphasim/Virtavia_F-4_Phantom_II_FS9 package of their freeware site.

[kelticheart]

All freeware...the ships are native CFS2, but the jets are of course FS9 conversions from the Alphasim/Virtavia_F-4_Phantom_II_FS9 package of their freeware site.

... :jawdrop:...again!

Are those carriers available here at SOH? Even if I haven't put together a Vietnam install yet, I am collecting material for this future project.

I have aircrafts, choppers, weapons, SAM rockets, the C-47 and C-130 gunships, sceneries (I found lots o' them for FS8 at Avsim), troop figures and vehicles, but very few modern ships. I think I even have the above Alpha/Virtavia F-4B/C for FS9 stashed away, I would have never imagined it is so beautiful, since I never opened the pack!

The only two modern carriers I have moored at my docks are: VN's USS Midway and USS Coral Sea. Then, I have Shipyard's Korean War carriers, but those are not equipped with modern decks, just the straight WWII-era flight deck. Where should I look for the above beauties?

Please, do leave me a stinging curiosity: what key activates the jet blast shield on the deck before takeoff? :playful:

Cheers!
KH :ernaehrung004:

[bearcat241]

The starboard blast shield is static. The port shield is down and the starbord is up. You have to taxi or slew into a position forward of it (slew is better). I can email you the ships if you like. Its easier than trying to remember where i got them from. A few years ago, i went on a shopping binge for proper carriers to compliment the fleets of my Modern install. Got tired of tooling around with the many static imports available with FS8 and FS9 - all nice to look at but as scenery objects they are useless in dynamic CFS2 mission building.

DV, i'm still working on the spoilerons for the Phantoms. It appears that scasming the mdls also wipes out all entries for the parts, so there's nothing there to edit. I'm gonna have to take a more creative approach as soon as i figure out what that will be.

[Blood_Hawk23]

Ok we are talking about F-4s and we have no VF-84 paints...

4460

The 70's and early 80's had the best paint and tail feathers.

[Fibber]

Lindsay Watt did the USS Oriskany and Intrepid as angle-deck conversion. Also look for USN2002, by by Javier Fernandez, at Flightsim or avsim for some of the other modern ships available.
Keep in mind that to a Vietnam install was previously comtemplated by TR, et al, and they found the CFS2 engine unable to handle some of the speeds. The best I found was a old game by Janes. It handled the speeds beautifully. Wish I still had it.

[dvslats]

Hi BC,

I did a Transform Mat for the upper spoilers. Maybe this could help.

F4J Marines.mdl

Good Translation, +60,0,-60 Deg.

:L23113E
Transform_Mat(
1714.1367187500 -271.3841552734 -772.7879028320 ;0.0000000000 0.0000000000 0.0000000000
0.9170600772 -0.0000000000 -0.3987490535 ;0.0000000000 -23.4999980927 0.0000000000
0.0000000000 1.0000000000 -0.0000000000 ;1.0000000000
0.3987490535 0.0000000000 0.9170600772
)
;uName: right_ailer uOffset: 0x70
TransformCall( :L23123E 0 0 0 0.0000000000 0x70 0.0000000000 0x00 0.0000000000 0x00 )
Return

################################################## ################################################## #######
Good Translation, +60,0,-60 Deg.

:L226594
Transform_Mat(
-1714.1367187500 -269.2508544922 -769.8758544922 ;0.0000000000 0.0000000000 0.0000000000
0.9099612832 0.0000000000 0.4146932364 ;0.0000000000 24.5000000000 0.0000000000
0.0000000000 1.0000000000 0.0000000000 ;1.0000000000
-0.4146932364 0.0000000000 0.9099612832
)
;uName: left_ailer uOffset: 0x6E
TransformCall( :L2265DE 0 0 0 0.0000000000 0x6E 0.0000000000 0x00 0.0000000000 0x00 )
Return

Dv

[bearcat241]

Thanks man...i'm on it :wavey:

[kelticheart]

....I can email you the ships if you like. Its easier than trying to remember where i got them from. A few years ago, i went on a shopping binge for proper carriers to compliment the fleets of my Modern install...

Wow, that would be great BC!

But you have to let me know how to reciprocate, since you paid for them it's not right that I should get them for nothing!

Fibber:

Thank you for your suggestion! I just did some maintenance to my archives yesterday and I discovered that I had downloaded Lindsay's conversions of the USS Oriskany and USS Intrepid. I also have VN's USS Nimitz, which could be part of the Nam picture with a convenient change of name.
I also know about the speed issues, due to obvious CFS2 limitations, born to simulate a prop-driven world. I don't mind them, Fox4's KoW addon jets work great, supersonic speeds can be limited via airfile mods.

I don't remember all of the material I downloaded over the years and it's always great fun re-discovering what I have on my storage-dedicated, external harddisks.
I have enough material to install to last me up to my retirement days.....:untroubled:

Cheers!
KH :ernaehrung004:

[bearcat241]

Wow, that would be great BC! But you have to let me know how to reciprocate, since you paid for them...

Uhh...OK...but i didn't pay for them. As i said above, the ships and the aircraft are all freeware items. Anyhoo, send me your Nimitz, Oriskany and Inteprid and we'll be squared. Expect my package later this evening.

CheerZ!

[kelticheart]

Uhh...OK...but i didn't pay for them. As i said above, the ships and the aircraft are all freeware items. Anyhoo, send me your Nimitz, Oriskany and Inteprid and we'll be squared. Expect my package later this evening.

CheerZ!

Roger that!

Thank you!
Stef :ernaehrung004:

[Fibber]

...see the Phantom(smudgepot) that is on this page? http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?searchid=21336662&page=10

Might save some time on the working slats.

[bearcat241]

Dead link Fibber...nothing there. Got anything else that might take us there?

[Fibber]

..try this one http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?searchid=21346673&page=5

The creator is Shigeau Tanaka. I don't know if you ever saw one in afterburner but they REALLY are a black smoker. Hence the knickname of "smudgepot"

[bearcat241]

..try this one http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?searchid=21346673&page=5

The creator is Shigeau Tanaka. I don't know if you ever saw one in afterburner but they REALLY are a black smoker. Hence the knickname of "smudgepot"

Another dead link Fibber...don't copy search result links from Flightsim, they're just crap in another forum. Its best to just get the name of the zip and post that info. Let the readers go there and search for themselves by that name.

I grew up just a mere mile from Dobbins AFB / NAS Atlanta - located next to the Lockheed plant complex - back in the late 50's through the 70's. I've seen up close just about everything Uncle Sam flew during that period. My home was on the flight path of most air traffic on approach and as i recall, the F-4's were smokers at any throttle setting :biggrin-new:, but i loved them just the same. Didn't even have to leave the yard for air shows in those days and the regular traffic noise was actually music to my ears, even late into the night. My brothers and i learned to identify aircraft just by sound alone.

[bearcat241]

OK Fibber, i went down that Tanaka rabbit hole and came up with his three FS2002 "smudgepot" models. Here's the "Crossbones" F-4j model. Its quite dated by today's standards of detail, but at least i have a VF-84 Phantom to play with now and no conversion was needed. Turns out that i had already stored this one in my archives long ago.

Thanks for the reminder...:encouragement:

[kelticheart]

...the F-4's were smokers at any throttle setting, but i loved them just the same. Didn't even have to leave the yard for air shows in those days and the regular traffic noise was actually music to my ears, even late into the night. My brothers and i learned to identify aircraft just by sound alone.

Wasn't the F-4 powerplant the GE J-79? I witnessed during the 1970's the same smoke trailer on Italian Air Force F-104G and S, equipped with the same engine. And the noise!

My hometown is on the flight/landing path of NATO base Piacenza - San Damiano. When I was a kid, I saw F-84Fs and Starfighters flying from there, just like you, I loved it!

Whatever upgrade done to that engine to reduce smoke never worked. The last time I saw an operational F-104ASA was during a 1997 airshow, which happen here very rarely. Back then, the veteran Starfighter was still operational because of the huge delays in Eurofighter "Typhoon" deployment. The ASA upgrade brought back the original scope of the F-104, lightning-fast interception of incoming enemy bombers and her pilot demonstrated a scramble of long past Cold War times. The runway was again at San Damiano airbase.

The Starfighter, splendidly dressed in low visibility light grey, showed up at the runway head in clean configuration with only two AIM9s on the wingtips. After a surprising, rather short takeoff run with full afterburner on, as soon as she lifted her wheels from the runway, she went almost vertical. Talk about smoke and noise! She disappeared from sight in few seconds, I fully grasped why she was nicknamed "rocket with wings" and I'll never forget that show of power and elegance, still impressive in the age of F-22's, MiG29's and Sukhoi 27's.

Cheers!
KH :ernaehrung004:

P.S.: Check your e-mail, BC! :wavey:

[Fibber]

BC sorry about the "dead links". Strange but now I know about it. I realized that the plane may be dated but I just thought that it would be some fodder for some ideas about animations. Why stumble in the dark when someone has already lit a candle further down.

[bearcat241]

...I realized that the plane may be dated but I just thought that it would be some fodder for some ideas about animations. Why stumble in the dark when someone has already lit a candle further down.

I can appreciate that thought Fibber. After realizing that i had them already, you gave me a good reason to blow the dust off these zipped items. I rarely install anything immediately after downloading unless its something that i've been anxiously waiting for, especially when it comes to civie FS stuff. Some things, like these, have sat idle in my archives for more than a decade. Unfortunately, regarding the subtopic here of animations, these old models, lacking elevons/spoilerons, don't provide any light on the subject. DV's scasm code does the trick.

Thanks :wavey:

[dvslats]

Back to the gauge dilemma I was having...did you know that the FSUIPC.dll module (ver. 3.80) will correct issues of gauges not operating in MS flight simulators across the board?
How about that!

With this in my install I can finally put the F-4 panel in the completed bin.

All of your gauges work fine now bearcat. :very_drunk:

Dv

[bearcat241]

Awesome...i've been using v2.9.7.4 for a several years now. Maybe that has something to do with my FSD gauges working properly. The Phantom panels are well done by now. I'm on to other conversions and panels for the A-4, A-5, A-6, A-7 and F-8's in the hangar. I've logged so much flight time in my modern install over the past few weeks that my WWII props feel like slugs these days :adoration:...feelin' the need for speed!:icon37:...now if i only had fully functional sidewinders, sparrows and AMRAAMS:icon31:i could really raise some hay.