FSX Reno Race missions

[brettt777]

I know FSX has Reno air racing missions that use the P-51 racer. And I also see that guys are racing other types of planes; P-38s, P-40s, L-39s. Is it possible to modify or create missions that would use other planes besides the P-51 racer? Or maybe that's how these other guys are doing it...? I would love to have some L-39 air race missions for FSX. Several of our customers (International Jets, Gadsden Alabama KGAD) race thier L-39s in Reno. Two of them raced for the first time this year. One finished 4th and the other 8th in the L-39 Gold class. The 8th place guy got rookie of the year. Anyway, like everyone else, I have the awesome Lotus L-39 and would love to go racing but not sure how to do it.

[skyhawka4m]

I have wondered this and would love to race other planes other than the RACER mustang

[fox18delta]

I know FSX has Reno air racing missions that use the P-51 racer. And I also see that guys are racing other types of planes; P-38s, P-40s, L-39s. Is it possible to modify or create missions that would use other planes besides the P-51 racer? Or maybe that's how these other guys are doing it...? I would love to have some L-39 air race missions for FSX. Several of our customers (International Jets, Gadsden Alabama KGAD) race thier L-39s in Reno. Two of them raced for the first time this year. One finished 4th and the other 8th in the L-39 Gold class. The 8th place guy got rookie of the year. Anyway, like everyone else, I have the awesome Lotus L-39 and would love to go racing but not sure how to do it.

Hi
I do it from time to time.
Make sure you check the box that says "Enable Mission Changes" (or something close to that)
You won't be awarded scores but you can fly any aircraft from your hangar in any of those missions.
Start the mission as usual, stop play and go to your hangar, pick your choice.
Just flew the Reno race with my F9F. :-)

[Obie311]

"Enable Mission Changes" will certainly do it.

I think if you want to "game the system" and maybe reap the rewards (I can't say for sure) you need to go to your FSX Missions folder and find the race you want to enter say "Reno_Single_Player". Make a complete backup copy of this folder and label it something "orig_Reno_Single_Player" THEN:

1. Find the .FLT file, in this case "Reno_Rwy_08.FLT"
2. Do a Control F search for "Sim.0" and find the line that says "[Sim.0]"
3. Below that you will see "Sim=P51 Racer 5"
4. Replace that with "Sim=[title line from the L-39 you want to use in the L-39 aircraft.cfg file.] It must be the title line not the sim line!

For instance if I wanted to use Dino's T-45 in the race I would have:

[Sim.0]
Sim=Boeing T-45C 165629//P51 Racer 5

This would give me the VT-7, Eagles, NAS Meridan racing against the default P51 racers.

I imagine you could change the .FSR files for the AI aircraft you are racing against in that same mission folder and create your own L-39 class race.

Try opening the RenoSP-AIRacer-1.FLT file in wordpad and doing another Control F search for "Sim." and you will eventually find a line that says:

"[Sim.457]
Sim=P51 Racer 8"

again comment out (//) the P51 Racer 8 line and replace with an appropriate L-39 title line from a different paint scheme variant of your L-39 and see if that works. The major downside is that I would guess the AI racers are limited to P51 performance and speeds but maybe not.


Hope this helps.

Obie

BTW loved your site. Would like to take a hop in an L-39 next time I'm in Gadsden. Used to drive that highway between Atlanta and Tuscaloosa a lot.

[brettt777]

"Enable Mission Changes" will certainly do it.

I think if you want to "game the system" and maybe reap the rewards (I can't say for sure) you need to go to your FSX Missions folder and find the race you want to enter say "Reno_Single_Player". Make a complete backup copy of this folder and label it something "orig_Reno_Single_Player" THEN:

1. Find the .FLT file, in this case "Reno_Rwy_08.FLT"
2. Do a Control F search for "Sim.0" and find the line that says "[Sim.0]"
3. Below that you will see "Sim=P51 Racer 5"
4. Replace that with "Sim=[title line from the L-39 you want to use in the L-39 aircraft.cfg file.] It must be the title line not the sim line!

For instance if I wanted to use Dino's T-45 in the race I would have:

[Sim.0]
Sim=Boeing T-45C 165629//P51 Racer 5

This would give me the VT-7, Eagles, NAS Meridan racing against the default P51 racers.

I imagine you could change the .FSR files for the AI aircraft you are racing against in that same mission folder and create your own L-39 class race.

Try opening the RenoSP-AIRacer-1.FLT file in wordpad and doing another Control F search for "Sim." and you will eventually find a line that says:

"[Sim.457]
Sim=P51 Racer 8"

again comment out (//) the P51 Racer 8 line and replace with an appropriate L-39 title line from a different paint scheme variant of your L-39 and see if that works. The major downside is that I would guess the AI racers are limited to P51 performance and speeds but maybe not.


Hope this helps.

Obie

BTW loved your site. Would like to take a hop in an L-39 next time I'm in Gadsden. Used to drive that highway between Atlanta and Tuscaloosa a lot.

It helps a bunch, thanks alot! I am very blessed to get to ride in some of our L-39s quite frequently. Our owner is a 23,000 hour pilot that flies 777's for his day job and is an ex- USAF A-10 and F-15 driver. He has about 1400 hours in L-39s, so it's always a fun ride.

[brettt777]

Hi
I do it from time to time.
Make sure you check the box that says "Enable Mission Changes" (or something close to that)
You won't be awarded scores but you can fly any aircraft from your hangar in any of those missions.
Start the mission as usual, stop play and go to your hangar, pick your choice.
Just flew the Reno race with my F9F. :-)

Sorry for my ignorance, but how do you "stop play and go to your hangar and pick your choice"? Do you actualy exit the mission and go back to the hangar or...? Because when I try to go in the menu and switch planes, it won't let me.

[brettt777]

Never mind, figured it out. Thanks again...

[PRB]

Hey, that's cool. Thanks for the tip! I didn't do so well in the Boomerang against the Mustangs. Can't imagine why. Got first place in style points though...

[Obie311]

Glad this is working. Let me know if you can make substitutions for the AI aircraft you are racing against. Also let me know how you do it and if it utilizes the FDE of the aircraft you assign.

It would be cool to have a mission with just L-39's racing. Cool little plane. Does Lotus offer one w/ US instruments in the panel? If so, I might have to get one.

BTW, Brettt the photo of me in my avatar was a flight I made long ago from KCTJ right down the road from you. the a/c is (was) Vergeltungswaffe.

Regards
Obie

[brettt777]

Glad this is working. Let me know if you can make substitutions for the AI aircraft you are racing against. Also let me know how you do it and if it utilizes the FDE of the aircraft you assign.

It would be cool to have a mission with just L-39's racing. Cool little plane. Does Lotus offer one w/ US instruments in the panel? If so, I might have to get one.

BTW, Brettt the photo of me in my avatar was a flight I made long ago from KCTJ right down the road from you. the a/c is (was) Vergeltungswaffe.

Regards
Obie

The Lotus L-39 has many variations with it, but they all have the same cockpit. There are some US Garmin radios in it, but the panel itself is bone stock. Oddly enough, as the avionics manager at International Jets, much of my job consists of modifying these very same panels we are talking about. I included a pic of a panel I designed and built for a Russian customer recently. The rear panel is very similar. The guy put about $300K in avionics into this jet.
Anyway, I would highly recommend the Lotus L-39 even with the Russian instruments in it. Having spent quite a few hours in the back seat of an Albatros, I can honestly say this model is one of the most true to life I have ever flown in FSX. It would be pretty cool if Lotus would include my panel in one of his models. You listening Michael?

[fsxar177]

In regards to making air racing a more enjoyable experience, within FSX...please check out FASA.
Many neat things in the works currently, including an update for Reno/Stead, with more detailed pylons, and accurate placement of all courses, to exactly duplicate the new courses, used at Reno 2012.
Best regards,
Joseph

[Obie311]

I included a pic of a panel I designed and built for a Russian customer recently.

Beautiful work!! I too hope Lotus Sim would incorporate your panel into the L-39. I have Ivan's Mig21 and I guess with more stick time I could get used to Cyrillic and metric but I'm an old dog with an old gauge scan and it's hard to teach me new tricks.

I do find it interesting a Russian is going to 'Bama for his L-39 mods and work. Quite a testament to the International Jets organization. $300K for avionics I thought you could buy a fairly low time L-39 from $175-200K.

What's next surplus T-38's or F-5's from Davis Monthan?

Roll Tide!! (hope you're not from the other school)

Obie