Lockheed Harpoon, Ventura, and Lodestar - Native

[Milton Shupe]

Hi Milton
I flew the Harpoon a bit in P3D V4.2 and it flew like the beast I believe it was. I've never seen a Harpoon except in a Museum but I did see a few Howard 500s and Lodestars in the day - the sound and performance seem very close to my recollections. Everything (switches, levers etc) functioned as anticipated except the start which I could not accomplish - I used mixture full forward, propellers 100%, fuel pumps on, ignition on; a bit of primer and engage. The prop would turn once with each "hit" and then stop - Control + E worked well. This could have been me since I didn't have much time to play - otherwise this seems a good machine for V4.
I would like to see a civilian freighter version if ever possible. Cargo doors are more fun than turrets for me.
In the meantime any advice about start up would be appreciated.
Thanks for doing this airplane.
Warren

Thank you Warren; advice posted above in previous response here:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...=1#post1130033

[MrZippy]

This is what I took the engine starting torque up to for VC engine startup: Works like a champ!

normalized_starter_torque =0.14347 //0.033

I thought the 0.30347 might be a little high so I compared it to the B-26 Marauder and went a tweachy bit higher.

[gray eagle]

I recently D/L a harpoon file (fsxharpoon.zip) and today I D/L (fsxharpoonbetav1.0.zip)
Are they the same aircraft & liveries? What are the differences between the two files?
THanks

[MrZippy]

I recently D/L a harpoon file (fsxharpoon.zip) and today I D/L (fsxharpoonbetav1.0.zip)
Are they the same aircraft & liveries? What are the differences between the two files?
THanks

Don't be confused! In Post#42 Milton released The Painters' Release and Limited Beta. The beta version is now what we are using to test different aspects of this aircraft. I'm sure a "Gold" version will be the final release.

[gray eagle]

Don't be confused! In Post#42 Milton released The Painters' Release and Limited Beta. .

I saw that one and it looks like the same textures are in the latest release. http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...7&linkid=23445

The beta version is now what we are using to test different aspects of this aircraft. I'm sure a "Gold" version will be the final release.

Okay.... how do you turn on the tail wheel castor on (locked) off (Free)? Or is that not modeled in yet?

[Milton Shupe]

I saw that one and it looks like the same textures are in the latest release. http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...7&linkid=23445


Okay.... how do you turn on the tail wheel castor on (locked) off (Free)? Or is that not modeled in yet?

The aircraft has a castoring tailwheel.

Look at the contact points .... substitute contact point 0 for the one commented out.

Maybe I misunderstood. There is a lever right side of ecu to lock the tailwheel.

[MrZippy]

The aircraft has a castoring tailwheel.

Look at the contact points .... substitute contact point 0 for the one comments out.

Maybe I misunderstood. There is a lever right side of ecu to lock the tailwheel.

+1 on the Contact point uncomment/comment out! Otherwise you need to use rudder+brake=differential braking for steering while taxiing.

[WarHorse47]

Milton,

May want to check the tgh model, external view under the Port wing. Looks like some kind of artifact.

[mrogers]

If you are pulling over textures from FS9, note that a few textures have changed, and many have been added.

So, copy one of the texture.cfg files from one of my liveries and put into your FS9 texture folder.

It would be best to eliminate all but the fuse, fuserear, fuse_D, eng, wing, tail textures from your FS9 livery. Use one of the distributed folders as a guide as to what to keep. That plus the texture.cfg will then allow you to use all the new and updated textures with your FS9 livery.

The black spot on the htail is an area of the tails_t texture that was mapped separately after those liveries were done I think. See the attached mapping template for the tails.

That's exactly what I did, Milton. I converted/flipped only the FS9 main fuserear, fuse, eng, wing, tail textures to DDS and put them in one of the distributed folders with the new and updated textures. Only trouble is that I couldn't copy the new alpha textures over so there aren't alpha textures at the moment. I'm learning and it's a bit of a learning curve for me to understand how to do the textures with bump mapping, etc for FSX.

[Milton Shupe]

That's exactly what I did, Milton. I converted/flipped only the FS9 main fuserear, fuse, eng, wing, tail textures to DDS and put them in one of the distributed folders with the new and updated textures. Only trouble is that I couldn't copy the new alpha textures over so there aren't alpha textures at the moment. I'm learning and it's a bit of a learning curve for me to understand how to do the textures with bump mapping, etc for FSX.

Mark,

You do not have to convert the FS9 bmp textures; just copy them over and use as they are.

However, if you want to convert them, there is no need to do that manually.

Attached is a bmp2ddsdxt5 folder that will do it for you.

Just unzip the folder.
Put any bmps in the folder you wish to convert and run the "bmp2ddsconvert.bat file.
In a few seconds, the conversion is done for you.

Then just copy the new dds textures to your aircraft texture folder.

[Milton Shupe]

I recently D/L a harpoon file (fsxharpoon.zip) and today I D/L (fsxharpoonbetav1.0.zip)
Are they the same aircraft & liveries? What are the differences between the two files?
THanks

Gray Eagle,

The initial release was an early beta and painters' release. (fsxharpoon.zip) It had 4 liveries I think and only the "C" model variants.

The new file is the official beta full release. It has 8 liveries, 5 based on the "C" model and 3 based on the"D" model.
The civilian model is a "C".

[Milton Shupe]

Milton,

May want to check the tgh model, external view under the Port wing. Looks like some kind of artifact.

Thank you Sir; indeed, was a rocket fin one of the crew apparently guerilla-glued to the mount I suspect. :-)

[mrogers]

Thank you Milton, for that little utility, it will be very useful for a fast conversion of the textures.

[mrogers]

Milton, the information regarding the PV-1 cockpit wall/bulkhead area I was waiting for hasn't come through , and the pictures I found on the web could be of some help, but aren't clear enough to show enough information and most of them have now gone with the photobucket whatnot in their place unfortunately. I do have one good picture though that shows clearly the wall/bulkhead behind the pilot's seat. This one is a PV-1 restoration in Australia



Some more pictures picked from what I found, hopefully they show up.





The PV-1, B-34 and RAF ventura all had the same cockpit bulkhead and basic cockpit structure. I understand that there was a radio operator's room behind the partial bulkhead and then another bulkhead following right behind that room. Not sure if you want to go that far Milton with all that, but if you did just that partial bulkhead in the cockpit that would be enough. I would completely understand if you just wanted to leave things as they are.

[Milton Shupe]

Hi Mark,

Nice pics of the seat there; I had not seen that one. The others I have.

Mark, I am not looking to change the completed model beyond the hundreds of animations, tags, and textures that are involved in the conversion. It will be the same as the FS9 model otherwise the interior textures will have to be redone. This is a "me" project, not a team one. :-) Thanks

[mrogers]

That's ok Milton, no problem, thanks:-)

[Milton Shupe]

That's ok Milton, no problem, thanks:-)

Mark, thanks/ These FSX conversions are just that, not construction phase work. I have to be careful of changes made due to compatibility with all the liveries that have been done.

FYI, here are two samples of what the Ventura interior was like.

[WarHorse47]

I just finished a night flight. Good job on the lighting both VC and exterior.

I am curious as to why the aircraft is without any external beacon or strobe lights. I assume this is intentional?

[Milton Shupe]

I just finished a night flight. Good job on the lighting both VC and exterior.

I am curious as to why the aircraft is without any external beacon or strobe lights. I assume this is intentional?

Thanks WH,

No beacon or strobe lights on the wartime models to my knowledge.

[Milton Shupe]

Making good headway on the Ventura glass nose version. Just got the basic exterior model work completed. although a few tweaks to be done.

Focus moving the the interior model now.

[stansdds]

Thanks WH,

No beacon or strobe lights on the wartime models to my knowledge.

Correct. Red beacons did not come into use until the mid-1950's, strobes sometime in the late 1970's, I think.

[aspen31]

Hi Milton
I did some night flying with the P2V in P3D V4.2 and found that, at least for these old eyes the blue pitch controls are very had to see at least to perform an adjustment. I'm using a fairly good monitor and reasonable background light levels but could no precisely manipulate the pitch.
Might just be my setup but I thought I would pass it along.
Great airplane by the way - looking forward to a cargo version.
Thanks for doing it.
Warren

[Milton Shupe]

Correct. Red beacons did not come into use until the mid-1950's, strobes sometime in the late 1970's, I think.

I guess in all fairness, these lights could exist on the Civilian version, likely being post-war.

[Milton Shupe]

Hi Milton
I did some night flying with the P2V in P3D V4.2 and found that, at least for these old eyes the blue pitch controls are very had to see at least to perform an adjustment. I'm using a fairly good monitor and reasonable background light levels but could no precisely manipulate the pitch.
Might just be my setup but I thought I would pass it along.
Great airplane by the way - looking forward to a cargo version.
Thanks for doing it.
Warren

Good observation Warren; corrected.

I do not recall a cargo version in FS9.
This is a conversion project, not a construction effort. Sorry.
I suppose the Civilian version could be used but I cannot make changes that might be expected for a larger door, cargo, and interior changes without a team effort to accomplish it all.

[Milton Shupe]

Regarding the beta test phase, I will hold the beta open for changes/corrections until Thursday morning, UTC -7. After that, I would like to prepare a "Gold" release package.

If you have any issues, problems, concerns, try to get them posted by late Wednesday/early Thursday.

Thanks for your help shaking this one out.