Adding static aircraft to existing airports

[OBIO]

I have been wanting to create my own personal airfield...someplace to park my favorite early aircraft and to fly out of. Just a nice dirt runway, a few hangars, a fuel tower...basic simple stuff.

Well, here in Mansfield, Ohio (at least in Fs2004) there are 3 airports. KMFD (Mansfield Lahm Regional), Gorman (O160) and Rall Field (320H). Gorman is just want I want....dirt strip, trees surrounding it but far enough away from the stip to add some buildings, etc...so Gorman will become my personal airstrip.

I have all four parts of the Runway 12 utility downloaded, but not installed. I think that is the program that allows you to add stuff to existing scenery.

ANyhoooo...I want to have some planes parked at my personal strip. Some of my favorites that I like to fly. FSDB Lockheed Electra, Brian Gladdens Cessna 140 wheeled and Volpar wheeled, Wozza's Texan, Lockheed Vega, Lockheed Orion and Vultee V1 by Jens B, etc.

Is it possible to use these models as static aircraft and park them at my strip, or will I need to find models of these planes built specifically for use as static aircraft?

OBIO

[Firebar]

I think you can make ai traffic files which allow you to have the planes on the ramp the whole time only say doing a circuit at 12 am on every wednesday, for example.

[Terry]

You can do as Firebar suggests, it will look like this.

AC#xxx,N1234,1%,WEEK,VFR,1/01:13:00,1/01:28:00,007,F,0000,O160,1/01:30:00,1/01:45:00,008,F,0000,O160

It does use more PC resouces than a static object. If you have a good PC it will work just fine.

[ian elliot]

Ive been playing around myself with placing static ac at my favorite airport's, as long as your PC is up to the job, you can place any type and in any quantity as you like, looking at your list of favorites, you should'nt have any problems with frames, even with a modest PC.
cheers ian
PC, looks like a nice collection, love to see some screens if you get it together.

[dhasdell]

A traffic file would do it, with the bonus that you'll have your favourites actually doing something interesting rather than just sitting.

[Mick]

I like to have them taxi out, take off, make one circuit, land, taxi in and park, usually about once per hour.

Helicopters don't act quite right as AI, so I have them just sit except for one circuit in the middle of the night on a weeknight, when I won't be there to see them act like fixed-wing planes.

I do the same with amphibians at water-only airports, like our Coast Guard Air Station Salem, so I won't have to watch them taxi on the surface of the water with their gear down.

Some planes have very little impact on frame rates, and others have a massive impact. Made-for-AI planes are ideal, but there aren't that many to choose from. There's a batch of 1930s types included with Golden Wings, and a bunch of various 1920s and 1930s types provided with this or that Bill Lyons package. There are a few other 30s, 40s and 50s types to be found scattered here and there. The Cal Classics AI package has a lot of 1950s propliners.

[OBIO]

Is there any way to take a plane, say Brian Gladden's Cessna 140, and convert it to a scenery object instead of a working airplane? If this is doable, I could make scenery object versions of some of my favorite planes and place them around my airstrip.

If this is not possible, I think I will just put two or three of my faves as static items....Lockheed Electra, Vultee V1, Curtiss Jenny.

OBIO

[Dangerousdave26]

Is there any way to take a plane, say Brian Gladden's Cessna 140, and convert it to a scenery object instead of a working airplane? If this is doable, I could make scenery object versions of some of my favorite planes and place them around my airstrip.

If this is not possible, I think I will just put two or three of my faves as static items....Lockheed Electra, Vultee V1, Curtiss Jenny.

OBIO

No scenery is scenery and planes are planes as I have been told before.

What you can do as suggested is create it as AI traffic but make the route weekly. That way it only leaves once a week.

Keep in mind this will tie up a parking spot.

[Willy]

AFCAD is great for making more parking spots

[Shessi]

Hi Obio,
Caught you on the 'dark side' he he!

I know what you're looking for and yes you can. What these guys describe is by far the quickest/easiest way of doing it though. (For test purposes, you can even use a default Fs9 traffic file and just change the type of aircraft for the one you want.)

To achieve what you want is to use a combo of mdlc and scasm. You can convert the mdl to a bgl and export it as a scenery model which can then be placed as an object like anything else, using AFCAD for Fs9 or Airport/FSSC/CFS2 MB for CFS2.

The down side is that as the model was not made as a static model you can/will get problems with undercarriage not be deployed, windows opaque. Some of these can be scasmed in/out.

I've got a tute somewhere so i'll dig it out for you.

Cheers Shessi

[Brian_Gladden]

No scenery is scenery and planes are planes as I have been told before.

What you can do as suggested is create it as AI traffic but make the route weekly. That way it only leaves once a week.

Keep in mind this will tie up a parking spot.

Or... Someone could ask nicely and I might be able to generate a scenery object using my Cessna 140....

However... It will be poly heavy and not support reflective textures. Also I personally can't make it compatible with Runway 12. I can make it compatible with Ez Scenery (Abacus payware) or Instant Scenery (Flight 1 payware)

The best solution is to use an AI Traffic file.

That way you can easily change what planes you want and everything you need to use to make the bgl is available as freeware.

Afcad to make new parking spaces and ttools to compile the traffic file.

SCASM is old school and tech for scenery making. it is very hard on scenery resources vs. XML compiled bgl files.

Look for Mike MacIntyre's VT Air Guard museum files at Flightsim. He has used TTools to make a static aircraft display that appears at all times.

The planes fly once per week at about 3 am. Otherwise they sit where they are supposed to.



Brian

[OBIO]

I think I will take the time learning to use Runway12 and populate Gorman with some hangars, fuel facilities, maybe an old truck or two. Then learn AFCAD to create some parking spots and whatnot. Then learn TTools and do some AI flight plans and turn Gorman into a hustling and bustling little GA Flying Club air strip. I think that will be more immersive than just having some static aircaft sitting around.

Thanks for all the input gents.

OBIO

[Terry]

I think I will take the time learning to use Runway12 and populate Gorman with some hangars, fuel facilities, maybe an old truck or two. Then learn AFCAD to create some parking spots and whatnot. Then learn TTools and do some AI flight plans and turn Gorman into a hustling and bustling little GA Flying Club air strip. I think that will be more immersive than just having some static aircaft sitting around.

Thanks for all the input gents.

OBIO

One suggestion, start with AFCAD, then TTools, and finally Runway 12.
Its best to place the hangers, vehicles, etc after the AI is operational.
Doing it in this order insures you won't place objects where you will want taxiways etc.

[Matt Wynn]

yeah always handy... also learning FSDS and CAT is handy too as then you can open your hangar doors, wheel the bird inside then shut the doors but thats after you master the basics young grasshopper

[OBIO]

If I had and knew FSDS, I would not spend my time making hangars...I would be making air planes.

OBIO