Visible Aircraft, Invisible Aircraft File

I'm ready to execute self executing files!:pop4: Payware ones work without trouble, but a couple of freeware aircraft are ready to fly in the FS9 program, but nowhere to be seen in the list of aircraft when I open up the FS9 files. I did a file search for them using the proper titles of the aircraft, and it can't find them. How on earth can this be possible? From now on I'll direct self executing files to a file outside of FS9, and I'll manually install all of the files myself.

So, what am I missing? Where should I look to find these files, and how can the aircraft appear in FS9 when their files are not in the aircraft folder?

If you let us know which aircraft by whom, we'll all know to start looking...

ttfn

Pete

Many developers have their planes show up under their own names (eg., AlphaSims) on the Select Aircraft menu, rather than the name of the real plane's manufacturer's name. Look under the developer's name and I'll bet you find your missing planes.

Just one more reason why it's wise to avoid automatic installation. (Not to mention that auto installers will overwrite gauge and effects files that have the same name, without asking if you want to do so. Some may even overwrite scenery files when a plane comes with scenery items.

Yep, what Mick says. Everytime I install an airplane either freeware or payware, one of the first things I do is check the manufacturers name in the aircraft config file. If it's as he said, "Alphasim" or some other developer I replace it with the correct manufacturers name so it's easier to locate in the list of aircraft.

I think this time he has the opposite problem that the ac is there in the sim but he can't find the corresponding folder in the aircraft folder of FS.
If all else fails try using the Windows folder options to group by date and the last one added should be at the top of the list.

Cheers
stefan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sunny9850

I think this time he has the opposite problem that the ac is there in the sim but he can't find the corresponding folder in the aircraft folder of FS.
If all else fails try using the Windows folder options to group by date and the last one added should be at the top of the list.

Cheers
stefan

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IIRC there are one or two oddball exceptions to the normal install, where the add-on has been installed in kit
form as it were, with only the model, air and cfg files in the main aircraft folder, (but not in a sub-folder with an aeroplane type name appended) textures, sound in the main fs folder (s) of same name, and panel in the fsfsconv folder in aircraft folder.

It all goes back to when someone discovered that fs9 has ability to 'call' textures and sounds from the main folder if they are correctly called by the lines in the aircraft.cfg, to save space when there are multiple variants which share common textures, sounds and panel etc.

Way to find it is to look for the aircraft.cfg file, then look for the associated model (.mdl) and air (.air) file
not all developers name their models after the type they have modelled, could be named 'project1.mdl' for instance.

If he could provide details of what planes, it would help a lot.

Ttfn

Pete

The easiest way to find it would be to re-install into a temporary folder, and open the cfg. file.
The ui manufacturer will show you where to look in fs9.
I agree with all the above - Try to avoid any auto-installation!

The two aircraft are the Aerodesigns A340 and the MG Designs (Manuel Gonzales) Bell 407. I just downloaded the latter from Hovercontrol yesterday. The aircraft appear in the program, but the files are not in the usual place with the rest of the aircraft. I'll keep looking for the aircraft.cfg files for both. Thanks for the tips!

I just shut down my FS9 or I'd check this, but if memory serves, in the "manufacturers" window down around "U" there is "unidentified" or "unnamed" - take a look there, you might find it listed there. This happens when the maker uses their own name or some other term you don't recognize when you go looking for it in the "manufacturer" window.

I have a "temporary working folder" every single download goes into so I can review it before it gets installed into the sim. Sure beats most hassle with the sim.

Might be an easy fix regarding the 407. The unzipped AC contains no sound folder and the model is in a WinRar file format. Unless those get corrected it won't show up in any list. The Flight Simulator 9/Aircraft folder it should be under is "Bell 407 MGDPR Vericon#1". To fix the sound issue you can simply copy and paste a sound folder from any similar helicopter into the 407 main one named above. To get the model "out" you need the WinRar utility, which is a nice thing to have anyway. Download and install the utility then unzip the WinRar file with it and copy and paste the resulting model folder again to the above named main 407 folder. There should now be the following folders, model/panel/sound/texture, plus the aircraft cfg and air file under the main 407 AC folder. Should show up with those under Bell/407 N137PD/Policia de Puerto Rico. Hope it works because I'm doing it now to check.


OK doing those steps worked. If you have any troubles just holler.

And as for auto-installers, I try like heck to direct those to a temporary folder except sometimes for sceneries. Otherwise, some of them don't allow those redirects so I just hold my nose and click then look for what went where.

The 340 seems complete (ad343_base_house.zip) to be sure we're talking about the same thing. Should show up under AeroDesigns/Airbus A340-300/BASE PACK / HOUSE LIVERY.

The aircraft show up in the sim, but you can't find the folders for them in the AIRCRAFT folder....correct. Okay....open the aircraft folder. If you are running Win 7, on the right side of the menu bar there is a drop down box that lets you select the viewing options...small icons, large icons, extra large icons. Also you can select DETAILS. Select that. Then across the top of the viewing box, you will see headers like Name, Date, Size. Select Date. You may have to hit it twice to get the most recently added folders to be at the top of the list......look at those folders that are at the top of the list...most recently added. Sometimes, I have had to do this to find a newly added aircraft folder....I may have been looking for Grumman Ag-Cat for example...but the author labeled the folder 157 Ag-Cat or (as Jens B. Kristensen does) put their initials at the beginning of the folder name, such as JBK Lockheed Orion.

OBIO

:jump: Thanks for all the help. I tried sorting the aircraft files by date, and still no sign of the two missing aircraft. When I clicked on "Compatibility Files" on the top bar, I found a list of aircraft with just the aircraft files in the folder for each aircraft. In the case of the two invisible aircraft, all of the necessary files were there. There are also files listed there for aircraft I removed from FS9 quite some time ago, so just the aircraft file remains, and that's why they appeared to be completely gone.

Mystery solved. I'm not sure why some aircraft require "Compatibility files" and others don't, but I'm glad to get to the bottom of this. Great to sort it out with everyone's help!

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Originally Posted by Mick

Just one more reason why it's wise to avoid automatic installation. (Not to mention that auto installers will overwrite gauge and effects files that have the same name.

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Hi!
I do not really agree with this... basically.
The most important thing is that you have to check first from whom this .exe File is. I installed many times .exe Files from Designers, but I knew befor, that they know what they are doing. (Example, Tom's Saab Draken)

If I do not know someone with a new release, I allways install it first to a Stick to see what is included.
But sometimes it sais....Flightsimulator not found. Then I just copy the FS9.exe File to the Folder on the
Stick and most of the time I can install it without problems...

The good thing I see on a .exe File is, that the Designer does not have to answer stupid questions because something is not working or missing! (because something has been forgotten to copy-paste)

Anyway....I allways go for .exe Files since I know what I am doing :wiggle:

I very rarely let an installer simply install unmonitored. Even good people make mistakes and their system is unlikely to exactly the same as mine.
I have passed on a couple AC I actually wanted because I could not find a way to manually install, even using dummy exe's and the flight one editor.

Stefan