F7F Tigercat SOH Project

***Mick*** · October 2nd, 2015, 05:01

Funny, isn't is, how we retire with the expectation that the fifty hours, give or take a few, that we no longer have to spend at work, on lunch break, and getting back and forth to work, will result in us having more free time and being less busy. One might expect that, and it certainly seems logical, but somehow it never seems to work out that way! Not for me anyway, and not for any of my retired friends and relatives. We're all busier than we ever were when we were working. Anyone who can figure out how it happens that de-obligating some fifty hours each week results in us being more pressed for time instead of less is smarter than I am.

***wombat666*** · October 2nd, 2015, 05:12

One thing I can say with certainty Mick, 'Vintage Citizens' should avoid moving home, aside from the stress it is all time consuming.
Having done so three times in three years and in the process of the 'FINAL' move I expect normal service to resume around mid 2016 ..............

**Milton Shupe** · October 2nd, 2015, 10:12

Retirement is great; up at 5-ish, check the news, the markets, the sim forums, then get to work on projects. Those things and a few RW chores keep me busy, and I love every minute of it. I'm productive, creative, contributing, and in touch. Walk every day, enjoy the furry family members, help around the house, stay in tune with the neighbors, do a little community work, eat out whenever we want but not too often, communicate with family and friends, take a 1-3 trip every 2-3 months, just mixing it up. Bed by midnight. Life is good. :-)

Wrapping up F7F series changes today. Should have something for the weekend on all but the tanker (awaiting textures). Paint kit delayed due to California fires.

**Blackbird686** · October 2nd, 2015, 10:14

Originally Posted by Milton Shupe

Wondering where the Shupester is? Aside from RW stuff, busy with getting changes done across all the aircraft. I have 3 completed so far. Due diligence .....

The Shupester? Now I've heard it all... Maybe "Chief" or "Skipper", I would never refer to you as the "Shupester"... lol! And to think that once the Tigercat project is behind you, you'll have the A-20 Havoc project to look forward to.

Here's to you, for all you do

BB686

**Milton Shupe** · October 2nd, 2015, 10:41

Originally Posted by Blackbird686

The Shupester? Now I've heard it all... Maybe "Chief" or "Skipper", I would never refer to you as the "Shupester"... lol! And to think that once the Tigercat project is behind you, you'll have the A-20 Havoc project to look forward to.

Here's to you, for all you do

BB686

Not so fast there "Pardner". I have the Ventura and the Mallard to release before the A-20 is started. :-) I want a clean slate before I dive into that one. :-)

The Rockwell Commander 685 is very close to beta as well. Just awaiting textures.

**expat** · October 2nd, 2015, 10:53

Looking forward, quietly, patiently to the Ventura . .

***Mick*** · October 3rd, 2015, 05:00

Originally Posted by wombat666

One thing I can say with certainty Mick, 'Vintage Citizens' should avoid moving home, aside from the stress it is all time consuming.
Having done so three times in three years and in the process of the 'FINAL' move I expect normal service to resume around mid 2016 ..............

Augghhhh! I thought I was in my last and final home, the townhouse I've lived in for the past forty-plus years,and I would never havve to move again. But a new high school directly next door has ruined the ambiance of the neighborhood, and my two sisters want to move to this lovely little town, so I've agreed to go in with them on a house big enough for all of us. The house they now own should be ready for market by the time one of my my beloved kitties, who has un-treatable terminal cancer, is gone, so with luck we'll be moving by springtime. I will have to do some really drastic culling of my extensive library and figure out how to move some several hundred plastic models and their hundred and twenty feet of glass shelves. I can't even imagine how long it will take to get everything moved and set up in a new house. And I can't express how frustrating it is to recall that I spent much of my time and significant money geting the current place all fixed up nicely to spend the rest of my life in.

**michaelvader** · October 4th, 2015, 01:39

Hallo friends,

the imaginary RNZAF Tigercat by Jan Kees Blom works well on the F-1 works well in FS2004 after converting:

**michaelvader** · October 4th, 2015, 01:41

and now to screenies landing on PA95 near corsica:

**michaelvader** · October 4th, 2015, 01:42

after landing the wings get folded:

**Milton Shupe** · October 4th, 2015, 07:48

Should be available anytime: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...0268&catid=205

**Maarten -** · October 4th, 2015, 08:46

Originally Posted by Milton Shupe

Should be available anytime: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...0268&catid=205

Hi Milton,

What a great Sunday pressie!

I think I'll be busy flying, painting etc for a while. (and not forget my to-do's for the Lodestar

)

Thank you very much for this whole package and not in the least for giving me the opportunity to testfly this wonderful bird.

Cheers,
Maarten

**Blackbird686** · October 4th, 2015, 09:35

Have been flying the -1 "Polished Version" for a bit. In the spot view one can see that the mapping is superbly executed, very much improved over the original. This bird is a real beauty, what with it's shiny chrome main gear rims and spotless aluminum skin. A real air show eye popper. Not to mention she handles quite nicely on the ground with that castoring nose wheel, and is a very enjoyable plane to fly. My personal mount for those long weekend flights to Canberra...

Thanks Chief, hats off to your team as well. Have really enjoyed watching this excellent model evolve into the showstopper that she has become.

Cheers -- BB686

**NathanT28** · October 4th, 2015, 11:34

Now I got to learn how to repaint, I think it would be cool to have all flying F7Fs in FS2004 now!

**Milton Shupe** · October 4th, 2015, 12:25

And before you ask :-) the Tanker is awaiting textures, and I am awaiting the paint kit. ******** had to leave his home due to persistent smoke from the fires but when he returns, we will get both.

***vonernsk*** · October 4th, 2015, 12:30

Thank you Milton:

For your continued input to your past treasures. Utilising all of your ever impressive modelling skills and the input of so many gifted sound, gauges, panels and flight gurus. You continue to hone, burnish and improve what was already impressive.

I find flying your models extremely satisfying and rewarding. Simulation is all about the detail, accuracy and overall realism that is achieved. Maximising all the effects available to give us that warm fuzzy feeling of 'being there'.

I note your very effective excursion into radio antennas, another touch to add to the overall 'wow' factor.

Rgds
Mal

**Milton Shupe** · October 4th, 2015, 13:17

Originally Posted by vonernsk

Thank you Milton:

For your continued input to your past treasures. Utilising all of your ever impressive modelling skills and the input of so many gifted sound, gauges, panels and flight gurus. You continue to hone, burnish and improve what was already impressive.

I find flying your models extremely satisfying and rewarding. Simulation is all about the detail, accuracy and overall realism that is achieved. Maximising all the effects available to give us that warm fuzzy feeling of 'being there'.

I note your very effective excursion into radio antennas, another touch to add to the overall 'wow' factor.

Rgds
Mal

Thank you Mal; you are very kind.

These projects have many talented contributors; my work would not be so impressive without their contributions.
And if you look at the credits, there are many forum contributors who do not show up on that list. There are many behind the scenes contributions that make it all possible, like manuals and reference material.
And to all of them, I am most appreciative.

On a side note, there have been a few paint schemes released on the FSX native side from the beta testers. These are compatible IF you convert the format, size, and alpha channels.
Convert DDS to bmp, 2048 to 1024, and alpha channels will need lightening up about 50-70% so the grays are in the 225-230 range.

DXTbmp will convert to 32-bit for you, but you must then export each of the alpha channels.
Once the alphas are saved, you can lighten them with most graphics programs.
Then resize the primary channels to 1024.
Then using DXTbmp, open each resized primary channel, Import the new alpha channels and save as 32-bit.

The textures that need to be converted are fusefront, fuserear, htails, eng0, eng1, wingleft, and wingright.

All the other textures can be copied from any one of my texture folders.

**HorusJ** · October 4th, 2015, 17:53

Excuse me for getting a bit sappy but Thank You Milton and all you terrific contributors! I know it has been a long haul of a project(I remember those very first forum threads a couple or so years ago when it all started)but as can be seen it has turned out to be a great piece of work! Again thank you too all you wonderful talented people! I will not ask for anything else!

Joel

**Milton Shupe** · October 4th, 2015, 19:13

Originally Posted by HorusJ

Excuse me for getting a bit sappy but Thank You Milton and all you terrific contributors! I know it has been a long haul of a project(I remember those very first forum threads a couple or so years ago when it all started)but as can be seen it has turned out to be a great piece of work! Again thank you too all you wonderful talented people! I will not ask for anything else!

Joel

Thank you Joel. Yes, April 2010 to be exact. The project really deserved more than I could give it at the time so it had stops and starts due to other in-progress projects.
We did get teh WIP done in time for the RTWR the next year and it was flown in every race since. It's not the fastest aircraft but it is one of the sweetest and most comfortable ones to fly in all wx conditions and runway types for landing in IMC.

I was wanting to go all out on the cockpit this time but that was not in the cards either with so many projects awaiting release. The good news is the FSX native version once released is intended to get a full 3D cockpit treatment for later release by ********.

**Terry** · October 5th, 2015, 04:43

Anyone have an idea what might be causing this? It works perfectly other than this gauge not loading. It does this with each of the 3 new models, it will also show the warning again when entering the cockpit.

**Milton Shupe** · October 5th, 2015, 05:21

Originally Posted by Terry

Anyone have an idea what might be causing this? It works perfectly other than this gauge not loading. It does this with each of the 3 new models, it will also show the warning again when entering the cockpit.

Terry, the only thing that comes to mind is that you need to be up-to-date with FSUIPC in GW3,

"... ensure you have the latest FSUIPC installed (3.74, as of April 2,
2007,) available here:
http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html

Version 3.7 is the earliest version which the starter gauge will work with."

The current FS9 latest is 3.999 I believe but anything after 3.74 should work.

Let me know if this resolves the issue or not.

**Terry** · October 5th, 2015, 05:33

I have FSUIPC 3.999 so that's not it. I suspect it may involve the Windows 8.1 updates, they have caused many problems. Fortunately having that gauge is nice but not essential.

Thanks for the help.

**Milton Shupe** · October 5th, 2015, 05:40

Originally Posted by Terry

I have FSUIPC 3.999 so that's not it. I suspect it may involve the Windows 8.1 updates, they have caused many problems. Fortunately having that gauge is nice but not essential.

Thanks for the help.

That's correct; simply comment out the gauge in the panel.cfg.

**Maarten -** · October 5th, 2015, 10:48

F7F-3N Tigercat (ex-F7F-3E, ex-F7F-3) NX739AK of Tigercat N739AK LLC (ex-BuNo 80375) in the works. This (according to the FAA) F7F-3N did not have the big radar in the nose.

Cheers,
Maarten

***wbuchart*** · October 5th, 2015, 12:51

Originally Posted by Terry

Anyone have an idea what might be causing this? It works perfectly other than this gauge not loading. It does this with each of the 3 new models, it will also show the warning again when entering the cockpit.

I have the same issue, Windows 7, FS9. I just now upgraded my FSUIPC to 3.99, no change. I had to rebuild my system a little while back and I keep thinking there is a config file somewhere that I had to add problematic files to so FS9 won't complain.....

For now I've just been ignoring the message end enjoying this marvelous bird...