FSX S2F3 Stoof update

**euroastar350** · July 8th, 2012, 07:18

Exterior right about done, need to convert 1 material which I can't find reference to in the UVW folders that I have, will have to get with Uncle Milton on that one. Will double check all animations to make sure I tagged all of them to work in FSX....and then....work on the VC will start, and it will be a piece of cake to do

Attachment 68802 Attachment 68803 Attachment 68804

**Firekitten** · July 8th, 2012, 08:21

awesome work

**Milton Shupe** · July 8th, 2012, 08:43

That is looking great! Just shoot me a PM and I'll get right on it. Will be uploading the S2F-1 shortly as well so I will be here.

Thanks

**Quicksand** · July 8th, 2012, 08:54

Looks very nice, Eurostar. Thanks for your hard work... It will be nice to have this aircraft for FSX.. :salute:

**Warrant** · July 8th, 2012, 09:20

Awesome, simply art!

Will this be available as a whole package in the future?

**euroastar350** · July 9th, 2012, 07:21

Thanks gents and yes it will be a whole package. VC was a very piece a cake to do since it is a clone of the exterior minus the pilots, so I did not have to redo any materials. I am going to start gathering testers as suggested by Uncle Milton and he will have the final release authority. Soon:ernae:

Attachment 68860 Attachment 68861

***Daube*** · July 9th, 2012, 07:52

Fantastic job !! Thank you so much for this conversion

By the way, since you're working in the VC, have you checked the origin of the clickability problem ? Some buttons cannot be clicked when the camera is in the default location. You have to move the camera forward and up if you want to click the overhead panel buttons for example. It's like an invisible 3D object blocks the access to the button until you pass through it. Did you notice anything while you were converting the VC ?

**Milton Shupe** · July 9th, 2012, 07:58

Originally Posted by Daube

Fantastic job !! Thank you so much for this conversion

By the way, since you're working in the VC, have you checked the origin of the clickability problem ? Some buttons cannot be clicked when the camera is in the default location. You have to move the camera forward and up if you want to click the overhead panel buttons for example. It's like an invisible 3D object blocks the access to the button until you pass through it. Did you notice anything while you were converting the VC ?

I think this issue was discovered and resolved a few years ago by Fr. Bill Leaming. I forget exactly what the cause was but think the resolution was to reset the scales for the animated parts.

Maybe Bill will pop in with the answer soon.

**Daveroo** · July 9th, 2012, 08:39

i was speaking to a man at the museum at McClellan airpark last friday,he was a "transplant" from florida,and had flown "stoofs" off carriers in the Navy,i told him about this project for FS9/FSX and he was intrested,but for the life of me i cant remember his name,at the time i was going to take a picture of him and his name tag ( he was a docient) and he said he spent all most his entire flying carear in the S2,he flew other planes,but put many many hours in it,and he had something to do with the big museum down there that has all the grumman planes,he said they had one of every grumman built plane in that collection...forget where he said it was other than florida,my short term memory sucks

**fliger747** · July 9th, 2012, 10:02

We had contact with a Navy S2 pilot during the original FD development, which was quite helpful.

Cheers. T

**euroastar350** · July 10th, 2012, 01:30

The first beta copy has been sent out to the beta testers as chosen by Uncle Milton. We will keep you updated when a final release is near:ernae:

**Milton Shupe** · July 10th, 2012, 06:27

euroastar,

First, thank you so much for taking on these projects. The S2F-3 is looking awesome :-)

1. I have added a documentation folder and updated the docs to reflect the your native conversion and the related changes.

2. The Flight Model will need to be updated to reflect the latest FSX version and I will do that here with Fliger's help.

3. I have attached screenshots to better explain the minor issues I have found so far.

Let me know if you have questions.

**euroastar350** · July 10th, 2012, 07:11

Hi Uncle Milton,

Thanks for the first feedback.

1.) For the flaps, what is the degrees in which the flaps are extended?

2.) Prop disk fixed

3.) Searchlight switch was animated, it wasn't tagged or assigned an FSX animation. Then again, I didn't spot it until you showed it in the screenshot

4.) Specular shine on the engine is easily fixed, just have to adjust the material in gmax

5.) Other smaller issues easily fixed.

I will try to have these fixes done and revised files sent out by later today or maybe this evening:ernae:

**Milton Shupe** · July 10th, 2012, 07:17

Originally Posted by euroastar350

Hi Uncle Milton,

Thanks for the first feedback.

1.) For the flaps, what is the degrees in which the flaps are extended?

2.) Prop disk fixed

3.) Searchlight switch was animated, it wasn't tagged or assigned an FSX animation. Then again, I didn't spot it until you showed it in the screenshot

4.) Specular shine on the engine is easily fixed, just have to adjust the material in gmax

5.) Other smaller issues easily fixed.

I will try to have these fixes done and revised files sent out by later today or maybe this evening:ernae:

The flap positions are 0, 15, 30, and 45.

Thanks :-)

**bruce448** · July 10th, 2012, 07:41

Euroastar, I have noticed the lack of trim tabs all round,

Attachment 68920

**Milton Shupe** · July 10th, 2012, 08:15

Ditto on the trimtabs. Thanks

Also, would you move the pilot and co-pilot upwards about 4-5" in the exterior model. They seem a bit low. I did this in later models but not this one.

Also, please consider putting a bottom floor in the bombay. Wasn't necessary when the doors did not open. Nothing fancy, just block the see-through.

**euroastar350** · July 10th, 2012, 08:28

Trimtabs: Do they move up to down or reverse? Will fix the seats. Do any of the other models have the floor I can drop in the stoof?

**Tako_Kichi** · July 10th, 2012, 08:55

Originally Posted by euroastar350

Trimtabs: Do they move up to down or reverse?

Trim tabs are animated in the opposite direction to the control surface, i.e. if the elevator is in the down position at frame zero the trim tab will be in the up position and vice versa.

I have attached a screenshot of the model I am currently developing in FSX with the animation slider set to frame zero.

**Milton Shupe** · July 10th, 2012, 09:29

Originally Posted by euroastar350

Trimtabs: Do they move up to down or reverse? Will fix the seats. Do any of the other models have the floor I can drop in the stoof?

The easiest way might be to:

In the exterior model, clone the part vcfloor.
Collapse the stack of the clone.
Convert to emesh and flip the polys.
Link to the vcfloor part.

**n4gix** · July 10th, 2012, 11:45

Originally Posted by Milton Shupe

I think this issue was discovered and resolved a few years ago by Fr. Bill Leaming. I forget exactly what the cause was but think the resolution was to reset the scales for the animated parts.

Maybe Bill will pop in with the answer soon.

The two possibilities that spring to mind are:

The eyepoint is "inside" the seat and/or headrest. Shifting forward slightly moves the eyepoint "outside" the seat/headrest.
There is a non-uniform scale applied to one of more of the "clickable objects." Open the Dope Sheet and check the Scale entries for any "unclickable objects." Correct scaling will read: X=100.0 Y=100.0 Z=100.0

**n4gix** · July 10th, 2012, 11:55

With regards to trimtabs, as stated above they always move opposite the commanded position. Remember, as the air flows across the trimtabs, forces will move the controlled surface in the opposite direction!

In fact, if you want to be more "realistic," you'll apply the trim setting to the control surface as well while at speed...

At cruise speed for example, a small amount nose up trim will result in a small amount of down trimtab, which then in turn will force the elevator up by a similar amount...

...in effect, the trimtab will then be horizontal to the aerodynamic waterline of the aircraft!

Using a speed based scalar will allow for a smooth transition from slow speed to cruise speed, 'cause you don't want the control surface(s) suddenly snapping into position...

**fliger747** · July 11th, 2012, 09:27

As some things got lost in the FDE translation for the new plane, some mods are on the way. Indeed the viewpoint was a bit too far back as it was originally set before the headrests were installed.

Cheers. Tom

**euroastar350** · July 11th, 2012, 23:39

Ok, next beta with updated files will be up later after I get off of work. I will contact the testers so they can get the latest.

**Milton Shupe** · July 12th, 2012, 15:47

euroastar,

You might include the attached in the package; updated docs, effects, and flight model.

Thanks

**bruce448** · July 13th, 2012, 00:41

Tom, you might want to look at the dimensions of the -3 (S2-D) according to the airfile/cfg

1. Aircraft length is 55.84ft where in reality it was 43.5ft (1.5ft added just aft of the cockpit area compared to the -1/-2's 42.0ft, unless you are counting the MAD boom),

2. Wingspan was also lengthened to house the ESM sensors in the tips, span goes from 69.80ft to 72.80ft.

3. Wing surface area from 493.00 to 499.00 sq ft,

finally I had added this to the bottom of the [propeller] section to give the correct location of the prop hubs

minimum_on_ground_beta=1 minimum_reverse_beta=-14
rotation = 1, 1
propeller.0= 2.0, 0, 0
to
propeller.1=2.0, 0, 0

I apologise if I am stepping on your toes.

http://www.aero-web.org/specs/grumman/s2f-3.htm
http://www.history.navy.mil/museums/...s2/S2specs.htm

Bruce