A small update on the new T-45C

[Dino Cattaneo]

Just a quick update with some screenshots, including the first images of the new virtual cockpit. The external model is 95% done - it only needs some minor texturing cleanup and a couple of details. It is much better than the previous one IMHO, although it is not as lightweight as I hoped. The cockpit model, on the other hand, is lagging. What you see in the screenshot is what is ready so far - the main panel is ready and so is the canopy - everything else is void for the moment. Let's say it is roghly 30% done. Good news is that it is closer to the real one and uses less resources than the previous iteration - possibly making room for the instructor's cockpit too.

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http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/images/misc/pencil.png

[JayKae]

Looking fabulous mate !

[gradyhappyg]

All I can say is WOW! :salute:

[SirBenn21]

Looks good! :ernae:

[hey_moe]

Yeah buddy, looks sweet. Better looking then than pop farts planes. BTW, where my copy at?

[dswo]

Dino, will the new HUD be collimated like your F-35?

[Dino Cattaneo]

Thanks for your appreciation and interest!

For those who may have missed my previous post, I am currently remaking, almost from scratch, the T-45C Goshawk. Hopefully this would be a better rendition of the aircraft, and should be (much) more accurate and realistic.
It should be closer to the NATOPS manual, although some limitations will apply - including the fact that it will be using the stock Hornet avionics - I simply have no time to redo the coding.
I am attaching two pics from a previous post in case you missed them.

@DSWO
Well...partially. Meaning that yes, the HUD will use the collimated "approach" but, at the moment, it is still using the stock Hornet HUD - which is not conformal.
It is possible to replace it with the improved freeware HUD, so that it will be conformal and collimated. I'd like to explore the possibility to include that in the package - but I've yet to talk with the authors of that HUD and afaik there were some difficulties to include it in a freeware project (and yes the T-45 will be freeware - unless I face some unexpected difficulties that is)


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[James]

it's looking good. Your old one was excellent but taxed my PC's resources. I hope I can actually land this one without the lag sending me to a ramp strike. :salute:

[Bone]

. The external model is 95% done - It is much better than the previous one IMHO, although it is not as lightweight as I hoped.cockpit too.


http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/images/misc/pencil.png


Does that mean you can see the fuselage from inside the VC, instead of just the wings?

[Dino Cattaneo]

@ James

Unfortunately, at the moment, the external model is more resource-consuming than the previous one. As for the cockpit, it is lighter and much faster... but that is mostly due to the fact it is incomplete. The resources spared from optimization in the cockpit will go into the instructor cockpit + external geometry.

@ Bone

Yes. At least that is my target. In an ideal world, 100% of the external model shall be visible - say "virtual plane" instead of just virtual cockpit. But that would too much - both for the performance and the memory usage.
I'd like to have an instructor cockpit - although may be only partially functional. The plan is to add as much external geometry as I can once the instructor cockpit is done.

[Daube]

This new version looks fantastic Dino.
I am using your previous T-45 but I didn't feel any performance impact, even on my old computer ? It is a great plane, so I'm really curious to see that improved version. Thanks for all :ernae:

[wilycoyote4]

A second instructor cockpit in tandem would be great.

[Sundog]

Wow, that looks outstanding. I'm really impressed by what's been completed so far of the panel as well.

[Shark]

Very cool! Dino, I'm a big fan of your work and fly the F-14D several times per week. Definitely one of my favorites. Love the T-45 as well and can't wait to see the new version! :salute:

[doublecool]

Really exciting new about the T-45 :jump:

Thank you Dino

Always look forward to your work :salute:

[shanereilly]

Any chance of the T-45A being made? Same exterior model, just different cockpit. T-45C is an improved T-45A with glass cockpit, inertial navigation, and other improvements. the -A Model is basically a "dumbed down" version of the T-45C. Just food for thought.

[thetford569]

Will there be a paint kit so someone can make these awesome Centennial Schemes that were applied to 2 T-45C's for the 100th Anniversary this year? If not maybe the package can be released with these paints as well?

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Navy/Boeing-T-45C-Goshawk/1811273/L/

http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Navy/McDonnell-Douglas-T-45C/1816405/L/

Brandon

[Dino Cattaneo]

Once again, thanks a lot for you support and appreciation!

A couple of quick replies:

@James and Daube
In fact I have not received many complaints about performance of the previous T-45 version. Anyway, the new one is much more complex geometrically and uses 4096x4096 textures for the external model - but textures are fewer in number. So the performance may be better or worse depending on the system. On my PC (Win7 6bit+i920+X295) it is slower...but not that much

@Shanereilly
T-45A - I know the differences between the A and the C - and I have the flight manual for it, too.
It is surely doable, and I've received several requests for it. But, considering the time I have, modeling an additional virtual cockpit will take at least 4 weeks...so, for the moment at least, I will not do it.

@thetford569
The model has not been designed with those special schemes in mind - and currently there may be issues in doing them due to the textures coordinates in the slats area.
I have to confess I am not a big fan of these special colors - but I'll evaluate including them (or later a paint kit) later on.

[mjrhealth]

Hi Dino, love this plane, and am glad you re redoing it. I think if i remeber the only rel issue with last version ws the landing lights. Hope you can get thm going this time,
cheers and thanks for all your work