SOH P-61 project

***warchild*** · September 16th, 2010, 11:24

Thanks guys. You are all very awesome..
Yeah, the plane is coming along fantastically. I have to admit that i feel like a kid at Christmas every day.Each day N2056 takes his work one more step closer, and each day its like one more petal on a magical flower has opened up. I dont know where he plans to go with it, or how he plans on getting there, and that keeps it magical, because he obviously knows where he wants to take it.
Me?? i get to fly this thing and cherish it. Admittedly, i'm not sure exactly how realistic we're gonna make it.. As easy as the plane was to fly, its operation in contrast was more complex than almost any other aircraft of the period. There's, i believe, seven steps for feathering the prop, and the fuel switches are a programmers nightmare.. Theres i think five of them: each with three positions ( i think ) and they can be individually set any number of ways to do any nymber of things with the fuel. its like looking at an old logic circuit with and-or-not_and gates. The Radar we're still researching. We know know about the RO's screens, but that little radar on the pilots panel eludes us. I'm hoping we can find the data we need for it, and well, i guess i'm asking openly for help in looking for it. I'd like to see the plane go as real as it can get, but i know that if we do that, theres gonna be a lot of frustrated people, possibly even me. So i'd like an option available to keep it really simple where ctrl-e starts the plane, sets the switches, and gets you ready to go.. I'd also like to see the gunnery station function like the real one. The top turret could be locked forward, or freed up to swivel when the gunners chair was swiveled. And oh yeahhh, i do want those canon fire-able, with tracers. And i'd like to ( if possible ) find some way to put a three man team in there, during online flights so she can dogfight. But i dream, and thats all a way's down the road yet. Plus, i dont know if it can be done. i know we'll give it our best shot though..
Pam.

***warchild*** · September 16th, 2010, 20:22

Ok.. FDE version 2.3 is uploaded.. Amazingly, it looks a LOT like 1.79 ( imagine that ::LOL:: ) however, roll rate has been increased just a tad. not too much ( it aint an F-5 ) and pitch rate has been increased a tiny bit as well, plus, now you'll find that with an engine out, there will be about five degrees of yaw towards the dead engine.. Latitudinal and longitudinal stability have also been increased. She is way easier to keep trimmed ( though she definitely isnt flying on rails ).
There appears to be a but of a tendency for the rudder to over react during a ninety degree high speed banking turn, but that maay be my lack of flying style. if someone could check that out for me i'd be grateful...
Its in the usual place. let me know what you find..

Pam

***warchild*** · September 16th, 2010, 22:07

these update contains the advancements you see in N2056's pictures above, as well as a few more things.. The file name is 16sep.zip and can be found in the main file browser area.. enjoy..
Pam

**fliger747** · September 18th, 2010, 13:25

Cockpit is coming along nicely, though I seem to loose the textures each time.. very black....

I think there is an issue with the prop tables as the props should come into the constant speed range and be settle on selected RPM at a lower MP.

Nice to have the Gear, prop, cowl flap animations. Seems as if the low speed lateral stability should be greater, feels like it wallos too much on initial climbout.

Cheers: T

***jimjones*** · September 18th, 2010, 13:54

I have been following this thread for sometime with great interest. Much effort and thought
is being expended by the participants in this development.Many cudos are due them and I look
forward to the release someday. Warchild keeps us updated frequently and with backup videos
of progress and historical videos of interest. There has been mention of files to be flown or
viewed such as the recent 16sep.zip. Is this file for all to test? If so I need help locating
the file because I cannot seem to locate it. Indicating it can be found in the soh browser is
insufficient for me.I have tried often to locate the file without success. Could you provide
a detailed navigation scheme to get to it? Many thanks .
Jim Jones

***warchild*** · September 18th, 2010, 14:14

Originally Posted by fliger747

Cockpit is coming along nicely, though I seem to loose the textures each time.. very black....

I think there is an issue with the prop tables as the props should come into the constant speed range and be settle on selected RPM at a lower MP.

Nice to have the Gear, prop, cowl flap animations. Seems as if the low speed lateral stability should be greater, feels like it wallos too much on initial climbout.

Cheers: T

not sure how to do that Fliger.. Its not that i dont know how, but more that the manual calls for a five minute run up time at 2000 rpm for engine warm up.. I admit I'm a bit naive here, and have been worried that if we reduce the constant speed range control speed below 2000 rpm that it will slide into constant speed during warm up..

The stability is easy. and i agree.. I'll get to work on that today.

i didnt know you programmed for Milton. Heh. i've been emulating you all these years.. I'm honored .. really.. Its a wonderful surprise

..

***warchild*** · September 18th, 2010, 14:24

Originally Posted by jimjones

I have been following this thread for sometime with great interest. Much effort and thought
is being expended by the participants in this development.Many cudos are due them and I look
forward to the release someday. Warchild keeps us updated frequently and with backup videos
of progress and historical videos of interest. There has been mention of files to be flown or
viewed such as the recent 16sep.zip. Is this file for all to test? If so I need help locating
the file because I cannot seem to locate it. Indicating it can be found in the soh browser is
insufficient for me.I have tried often to locate the file without success. Could you provide
a detailed navigation scheme to get to it? Many thanks .
Jim Jones

Not quite ready for open testing yet Jim.. theres still a lot to be done before that stage. Right now we're working alomg two parralel avenues with N2056 doing the interior modeling and Fliger and I building the flight dynamics. Delta558 provides us with feedback and recommendations on the flight model, while Cag40Navy and WhiteHawk are doing over all check flights for visuals and performance.. Bear with us though. we're gonna need people, especially once we have a paintkit. Then, i'll go back through the thread and select people for testing and i'll make sure your included..

**fliger747** · September 18th, 2010, 17:12

What I get out of the POH (P-27) is not to warmup above 1400-1500 RPM as cooling is insufficent for Cyl's and ignition harneses. 2000 RPM is definitly in the constant speed range as that is the RPM at which the props are pulled back to check for opertaion of the govenor and get warm oil into the prop dome.

I learned everything I know from Milton, and all the stuff I don't know, I came up with myself.....

Was going to go flying today, but ended up cutting fire wood....

Cheers: T

***warchild*** · September 18th, 2010, 17:50

i may be getting the 2000 rpm speed mixed up then. I'll shift it back to 1450 and drop controlled speed to 1550.
Later tonight i'll upload 2.31. Ive started correction for low speed handling and tested it out at 87 mph with full flaps. I thought it was ok, but heh, i know i'm prejudiced

.. I'd like for you to put your eyeballs on it and see what you think..
Was gonna do a lot more work today, but with the overcast sky we have here, instead of flying i've just been being lazy and slow.. Actually kinda feels nice to just relax,, today

..

**fliger747** · September 18th, 2010, 18:21

Sunshine and lazy afternoon here. Our Indian Summer, a spectacular time, even if it does not last.

Cheers: Tom

**Milton Shupe** · September 18th, 2010, 19:54

Originally Posted by warchild

...snipped ...

i didnt know you programmed for Milton. Heh. i've been emulating you all these years.. I'm honored .. really.. Its a wonderful surprise

..

We all could learn alot from Tom.

Tom joined us on the SOH A-26 team project if I recall correctly. He has since done the FM's for the XA-38 Grizzly and Puss Moth, and may help out in the new Dash 7 if we ever get there. The SOH F7F project FM is also Tom's work.

Tom has been gracious about taking that workload off me and we are fortunate to have his expertise.

As for the teams' early FM work (Dash 7, Aero Commanders, Howard 500, D18S, and Spartan), you have me to blame.

**woody901** · September 19th, 2010, 00:28

I, also have been following this project and enjoying all the updates we get. Looking forward to the finished plane and keep up all the great work.

Woody

**A26** · September 19th, 2010, 09:46

I 2nd that one Woody, I have been keeping one eye on both Blackwidow and Tigercat.
I'm a of like a kid on Christmas Eve.....
Just can't wait to open all the gifts from friends!

a26

**fliger747** · September 19th, 2010, 10:38

The cockpit is coming along, nicely, if one instrument at a time. Pam and I are doing our best at replicating the flight manners of a plane we admittedly have not flown! Between the fairly good performance data, manuals and various pilot comments, we should be able to get pretty close.

Be nice when it gets to the Beta stage, a plethora of comments can be helpful.

Just did a bunch of arrested landings with the F7F last night on the Michael Davies great Essex class ship! Fun indeed!

Cheers: T

***warchild*** · September 19th, 2010, 10:39

Originally Posted by Milton Shupe

We all could learn alot from Tom.

Tom joined us on the SOH A-26 team project if I recall correctly. He has since done the FM's for the XA-38 Grizzly and Puss Moth, and may help out in the new Dash 7 if we ever get there. The SOH F7F project FM is also Tom's work.

Tom has been gracious about taking that workload off me and we are fortunate to have his expertise.

As for the teams' early FM work (Dash 7, Aero Commanders, Howard 500, D18S, and Spartan), you have me to blame.

Heh.. I still fly all those original models.. I tried for years to get people to adopt your dash 7 into their VA's and now i dont fly for VA's any more. Yes theres a connection. Your Howard is like my sunday afternoon cadillac.. Big, beautiful, comfortable to fly.. She was also my inspiration behind the flight model for the P-61..
When Tom first joined our group, with Henry's recommendation, i knew that we would have some communication problems to overcome because he's a professional and i'm a devout ridge runner, but when i saw his numbers and did the math, it no longer mattered what mountain i had to climb.. They we very close to my own. I mean very very close, only more savvy ( if i can use that term ) and with a deeper knowledge than i posses. I'm very very glad he's on board. If he wasnt, I'd still be dickin around and only half way to where we're at..
It wasnt until just last week that i learned that Tom's been working on this plane for two years already. Thats a long long time to carry a project. Glad we're gonna finally be able to make it real for him and others that have been there too..
if you'd like.. Drop on into teamspeak and download the plane as she is so far. Take her for a spin.. I dont know if you'll see any of your influence in her, but i think you'll enjoy her

..