Aeroplane Heaven C-47/DC-3 is out!

[degeus]

The forthcoming upgrade will have certain geometry adjustments which will include the quarter window and its post. We do indeed appear to have it too far over to the centre of the aircraft. On studying the plans and drawings used, we find them in error, which is disappointing as they are supposed to be the best available. This has now been addressed, along with the infamous landing gear knuckle arrangement.

On Paintkits, V5 has thrown a significant spanner in the works with their unheralded change to reflection channels etc. This means a total redo of all default liveries and the files for a full paintkit. Moreover, it requires a total re do of some 38 liveries scheduled for the livery packs. From what we have tested so far however, the "new"materials are backward compatible with 4.5 so there will (don't quote me yet though) be no necessity to run different textures per sim.

If people just want a set of wireframes and a paint guide, then we can get that out but I have assumed that more complex files would be preferred. All of the weathering, rivets and so on are created in the 3D paint programme we use and therefore embedded in the final liveries. However, we are looking at producing plain sets for aluminium, polished aluminium, grey paint and white paint overall. Then a painter just needs to do the overpaint livery items on the chosen finish and mask the metallic map to achieve an embedded look. I take it that would appeal more?

In the meantime I corrected it with a new value in the [views]-section in the aircraft.cfg. Change the middle-value according to personal preference.
Piet

[cavaricooper]

The forthcoming upgrade will have certain geometry adjustments which will include the quarter window and its post. We do indeed appear to have it too far over to the centre of the aircraft. On studying the plans and drawings used, we find them in error, which is disappointing as they are supposed to be the best available. This has now been addressed, along with the infamous landing gear knuckle arrangement.

As a quick and dirty fix for your wheelbarrowing, navigate to the [flight tuning] section of the aircraft cfg and the first line is cruise lift scalar. Try the value at,say, 1.18 and see how you go. We'll take a look at the profiles in more detail for the Upgrade.

Ta Bazz- I think that this aeroplane in particular exerts a very visceral response from it's aficionados, and thus makes a case for the relentless pursuit of perfection. Many of us have had our heart strings pulled by the old Dak, and thus it is a formidable task for any developer. Your work is made even more difficult because of the superlative freeware offering made by her ardent devotees.

I appreciate your candor and willingness to make changes. In the end, that is what we ALL are collectively looking for, a worthy tribute to a brilliant aeroplane.

I look forward to the changes you mention. Please consider the mouse wheel manipulation for knobs and levers I mentioned earlier (including the 1% increments for fine tuning). Maybe a right click will work for the catch lever, and then the mouse wheel can move to the individual gates to replicate RL mixture operation?

Best- C

[bazzar]

Whilst I appreciate that the subject is one that can and does polarise people, I would ask people to understand that there is one thing that makes a considerable difference between pay and freeware. Time.

In a business like ours, time is precious. We cannot devote years to a subject. If we were to the price would be astronomical compared to what it is now. We do our best to provide an entertaining, rewarding product that will tick as many boxes as possible, within the scope of a time/budget plan.

Of course, we are committed to right any wrongs there may be by way of direct faults with the product and do from time to time provide upgrades with an improvement or two where we can. Beyond that we have to move on as a business. Otherwise we would not be developing anything for much longer! And on the subject of freeware I believe Aeroplane Heaven, in its time, has delivered more freeware than a lot of other payware houses.

It must also be remembered that we do not have the same access to the numbers of talented individuals with experience in a range of different areas who can freely give their time to a project,as they do with freeware. On DC-3, we have actually approached a few of the better known practitioners of several of the "dark arts", including some who apparently worked on the freeware one but have been unsuccessful in recruiting them either for moral, timeframe or monetary reasons. It is extraordinary how many, when discovering that we are a payware company, run for the forest as if we have some sort of plague. That's OK, we have several extraordinarily talented individuals we do call on when needed and who are happy to provide assistance for sensible money.

So, I guess what I am saying here is that whilst we too have a passion for the DC-3, and all the subjects we make, we will not be engaging in an endless quest for perfection. Commercially, that would be suicidal and in my opinion, unnecessary. Our DC-3 is what it is - about 12 months of hard, difficult work and for us, an honest tribute to a great aeroplane. The definitive payware DC-3? Probably 2 years and $200 away...

[Alan_A]

As a quick and dirty fix for your wheelbarrowing, navigate to the [flight tuning] section of the aircraft cfg and the first line is cruise lift scalar. Try the value at,say, 1.18 and see how you go. We'll take a look at the profiles in more detail for the Upgrade.

Tried this myself and it cured the pronounced nose-down on the takeoff roll... but also killed elevator effectiveness in slow flight, which made for some, um, exciting crosswind landings. Did much better with them when I restored the original value. Passing that along for whatever it's worth. Really enjoying the airplane as I get into it.

EDIT: I should add that I've discovered that on the takeoff roll, if I give the yoke a sharp tug as the nose starts down, it'll stabilize in a level attitude until I pull back for takeoff. For me that's a decent workaround - I'm treating it as a quirk of the airplane (this particular DC-3 wants to sniff the ground) until you guys get it into the shop and re-trim it. Nothing the crew can't handle for now.

[Alan_A]

So, I guess what I am saying here is that whilst we too have a passion for the DC-3, and all the subjects we make, we will not be engaging in an endless quest for perfection. Commercially, that would be suicidal and in my opinion, unnecessary. Our DC-3 is what it is - about 12 months of hard, difficult work and for us, an honest tribute to a great aeroplane. The definitive payware DC-3? Probably 2 years and $200 away...

Makes complete sense from a commercial perspective. Re: Carl's request for mousewheel control of the levers - maybe a simpler tweak would be to widen the gates slightly for the mixture controls. In practice I'm finding that it's hard to position them correctly by clicking and dragging. They tend to overshoot. That's fine when you're increasing the mixture - the worst is that you go to emergency rich and then pull back. But when reducing the mixture, it's easy to pull past auto-lean all the way to cutoff and inadvertently shut down an engine. So in the course of updating, if there's a way to make that process safer, it'd be welcome. Caveat: I have no idea what the workload is for this or any other revision, so please take it for whatever it's worth.

[cavaricooper]

Whilst I appreciate that the subject is one that can and does polarise people, I would ask people to understand that there is one thing that makes a considerable difference between pay and freeware. Time.

In a business like ours, time is precious. We cannot devote years to a subject. If we were to the price would be astronomical compared to what it is now. We do our best to provide an entertaining, rewarding product that will tick as many boxes as possible, within the scope of a time/budget plan.

Of course, we are committed to right any wrongs there may be by way of direct faults with the product and do from time to time provide upgrades with an improvement or two where we can. Beyond that we have to move on as a business. Otherwise we would not be developing anything for much longer! And on the subject of freeware I believe Aeroplane Heaven, in its time, has delivered more freeware than a lot of other payware houses.

It must also be remembered that we do not have the same access to the numbers of talented individuals with experience in a range of different areas who can freely give their time to a project,as they do with freeware. On DC-3, we have actually approached a few of the better known practitioners of several of the "dark arts", including some who apparently worked on the freeware one but have been unsuccessful in recruiting them either for moral, timeframe or monetary reasons. It is extraordinary how many, when discovering that we are a payware company, run for the forest as if we have some sort of plague. That's OK, we have several extraordinarily talented individuals we do call on when needed and who are happy to provide assistance for sensible money.

So, I guess what I am saying here is that whilst we too have a passion for the DC-3, and all the subjects we make, we will not be engaging in an endless quest for perfection. Commercially, that would be suicidal and in my opinion, unnecessary. Our DC-3 is what it is - about 12 months of hard, difficult work and for us, an honest tribute to a great aeroplane. The definitive payware DC-3? Probably 2 years and $200 away...

Bazz-

I appreciate your points and I look forward to the next Service Pack. MJ's DC-3 is indeed unique in the annals of freeware- it did elicit a profound and altruistic response from some of the most talented individuals in our field. Because of the subject airframe, it has got to be the amongst the most widely downloaded freeware in our microcosm.

BTW, it is my fondest hope that you might be correct re. the definitive DC-3... but, as they say, hope springs eternal.

Thanks Bazz- C

PS- WHAT is that winged thingy at the end of your posts, and what does it mean?

[bazzar]

It's a little angel Carl, from Aeroplane Heaven.

[cavaricooper]

It's a little angel Carl, from Aeroplane Heaven.

SPLENDID, ta!

C

[bazzar]

We now have the polished metal where we want it. Checked this in 4.5 and it's all OK there too.
There some major changes in the V5 Upgrade including a new six - window and eight window option for the P&W DC-3s.
More of that anon but here are some screens from V5 of the polished alloy.

[cavaricooper]

Bazz-

Will those V5 upgrades (other than the v5 materials based ones of course) filter to v4.5; geometry, window assignments etc.?

That side dusk shot looks splendid, thanks for the update!

Ta- C

[modelr]

As one who does not have the discerning eye of the artist, but can see and appreciate most subtle differences, those screens of the polished Dak are beautiful! The way the horizon shows up in the reflections, is extremely realistic.

Looking forward to the release and paints.

[bazzar]

Bazz-

Will those V5 upgrades (other than the v5 materials based ones of course) filter to v4.5; geometry, window assignments etc.?

That side dusk shot looks splendid, thanks for the update!

Ta- C

The entire V5 upgrade will function perfectly in 4.5 including the materials. The extra channel utilised by PBR in V5 for reflections is ignored by 4.5. Under test, we have found very little difference between the polished metal you will see in V5 and what you will see in 4.5.

So,we do not envisage a necessity for "V5 dedicated" version. Both sims will run the same Upgrade. Liveries should also be OK for both the six window and the 8 window configurations.

One other thing, it looks like REX are not going to upgrade the Milviz/Rex Weather WX to V5 so we are going to have to remove it from the VC I'm afraid. The GTN has a radar so maybe that will suffice.

[DaveWG]

One other thing, it looks like REX are not going to upgrade the Milviz/Rex Weather WX to V5 so we are going to have to remove it from the VC I'm afraid. The GTN has a radar so maybe that will suffice.

Milviz are taking over the Weather Rx and are going to upgrade it for a small fee.

[banjoman1960]

[QUOTE=TeiscoDelRay;1221271 [/QUOTE]

Thank You TeiscoDelRay.

great one,my Favorite is back

Cheers Ralf

[YoYo]

And You miss info about improvements in main gear!
Wonderful! Thank You!

[bazzar]

You are welcome YoYo. There are other improvements and a full list will be issued in a changelog when we release. On WX, we will leave the geometry in the VC in case the unit is upgraded, in which case it should be a simple panel cfg edit.

[TeiscoDelRay]

Need help with GTN 750 or 650 in panel setup...I can get popup GTN but not in panel...please share if you have this working,,,maybe a copy of your panel config or ?

By the way,,anyone on the fence about getting this plane,,do it!

[pbearsailor]

Need help with GTN 750 or 650 in panel setup...I can get popup GTN but not in panel...please share if you have this working,,,maybe a copy of your panel config or ?

By the way,,anyone on the fence about getting this plane,,do it!

There are clickspots below the Sperry that bring the GTN up.

[TeiscoDelRay]

There are clickspots below the Sperry that bring the GTN up.

Yes, of course,,I do get the new panels but they remain empty..tried switching on Avionics but no luck...I need the panel config text to get the GTN into the panels..

[FAC257]

In the Panel folder there are two panel configuration files. "Panel.cfg" & "Panel_f1_mv.cfg".

If you are using the GTN & WX Radar, you need to change the "Panel_f1_mv.cfg" to just "Panel.cfg".
That will make the GTN & WX Radar go live in the VC.

I made back-ups of both original panel configs just in case.


Forest

[TeiscoDelRay]

In the Panel folder there are two panel configuration files. "Panel.cfg" & "Panel_f1_mv.cfg".

If you are using the GTN & WX Radar, you need to change the "Panel_f1_mv.cfg" to just "Panel.cfg".
That will make the GTN & WX Radar go live in the VC.

I made back-ups of both original panel configs just in case.


Forest

Thanks,,,you are the lucky winner of a paint scheme of your choice...all prizes subject to weather, earthquakes, wives, time and (today) health...PM me if interested...paints are subject to time, complexity, moon fazes and whims.

Seriously I have asked this all over the net and your the only one that made it happen,,PM me and I will see what I can do if you want a certain scheme for this plane.

[YoYo]

FYI. I recived again mail form PCAviator about update, but perhaps its an mistake, 1.1v.

This is just a brief notification of an upgrade released for a product you previously purchased at PC Aviator -
DATE: 4/7/2020 11:11
TITLE: Douglas DC-3 & C-47 Bundle (P3D 4.4+)
SPECIAL NOTES:
---------------------
DC-3 is now updated to 1.1

[bazzar]

That's a very late notification for SP1.1.

[stansdds]

FYI. I recived again mail form PCAviator about update, but perhaps its an mistake, 1.1v.

PC Aviator; I love 'em and bought lots of stuff from them, but they tend to be among the slowest when it comes to upgrading software to a newer version.

[modelr]

PC Aviator; I love 'em and bought lots of stuff from them, but they tend to be among the slowest when it comes to upgrading software to a newer version.

Explanation I got from them when they finally posted original update, from Mark Jakubowski at PC Aviator, after writing directly to Robert Ferraro, the owner of PC Aviator,

I apologize for the delay in updating this aircraft. We have received many updates from several developers the last couple of weeks. I am trying to update them as soon as I can. If I know of an issue, and a potential update coming soon, I will hold off on updating the file until the issue is fixed.

I know that P3D v5 had issues with HD aircraft textures. I am not sure if they have been corrected yet or not. Aeroplane Heaven is recommending "customers with 6GB video cards on P3D V5 to install the standard definition textures. Extensive testing here has shown that high definition textures are having issues on V5".