Spartan Executive with VC Rain FSX

[Palyarmerc]

Oh my GOD !!

I thought FSX couldn't do it ! I searched high and low and was of the belief it wasn't possible
except on some special payware models
( got to store all my settings and work out how it worked)

get a load of this...

542254235424

So that is a massive WOW to an already WOW aircraft

..I have more to offer up too, I'm hoping to release a slightly updated package of the Spartan
with 20 of the most popular liveries at half the weight - around 70Mb all in
mostly to save you all hunting around for the fixes and what not that I had to do

Here's the readme I'd prepared..




Spartan Executive w7 - By Milton, Scott and Urs

"Spartan FSX Repack v1.0"

Looked at "most" of the repaints, picked my favourites
then created a texture.common folder to reduce folder size
about 20 in all, including my own interior VC variation

Fixed as many issues as I could find fixes for, and updated

- Brighter dashboard lighting
- Manual cold starting
- Transponder light and switches not working
- Window gauge pop-ups not working
- missing start-up smoke and flame effects
- mising plane selection thumbnails
- missing rear passenger viewpoint, + re-assigned better VC viewpoints
- missing door opening soundfiles replaced
- used a work-around to texture the Prop and Throttle with Wood Textures


** Could not fix the fact that the prop and throttle handles
are not textured. Looking at screenshots this seems to have been always the case.
Would have been nice to change the Pilot Model too.


Added FSopen online ATC "Squawk Ident" feature
Added the FPC_ALT!Altimeter which shows Millibars Mb (2D Window Panel)

<-- Sub-folders -->
the original non-compatable FS9 gauges (for developers + the curious)
the re-paint packages for re-painters
Editvoicepack ATC "..Spartan Executive" for users of that addon
FSPassengers info for owners of that addon
Shockwave 3D Lighting info for users of that addon

.................................................. ..


Edited, condensed and improved the kneeboard Spartan_ref.html
which makes interesting in-flight reading!


...basically, as much as I could find, fix, improve or add

This will probably still have a few issues, most probably only livery related

I did this so that the next time (and there usually is) that I install FSX,
I have it altogether, ready to go and all in one place

;-)

Palyarmerc



I'll let you all know when I'm done and exactly what files I had installed that allowed the VC Rain !!!
Gotta see if I can get in in The Twin Beech too now..

[Sundog]

Cool, thanks. :)

[Palyarmerc]

OK I've finalised my fixes, updates and improvements, keep an eye out at Simviation for the download, should be any day now
Not sure what it will be called at this stage, likely Spartan_Executive_Repack

Of course at some point it'll be available as a download here too I hope

[Hughes-MDflyer4]

Looking forward to trying this! Though, I really wish you had chosen somewhere other than Simviation. They limit the download speed for unpaid users horribly. Your 83 MB file is going to take 30 minutes to download. AVSIM's speeds are rather good...and free. And of course, SOH is a good choice, too.

[Daveroo]

you are a member here now paly...upload here please???.....pretty please???...........with sugar n honey?...:encouragement:

[Roger]

The vc rain sounds good however there is the Spartan FsX conversion by Mike Allen Richards plus many repaints that I uploaded here to SOH some years ago. I don't recall that vc rain worked in FsX on that version though.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=34&id=4768

[Hughes-MDflyer4]

I thought this was an FSX-native model, but it's not. That would explain how moving raindrops are possible. If I remember correctly, FSX still supports that ability from FS9, but that code was never adapted for FSX-native models. Not ideal, but still a good way of getting past the limitation, I guess.

[Palyarmerc]

It will be hosted here fer sure, this site rocks! but Pete at Simviation is Beta testing it with at the moment.
We've already fixed some simple errors, we want the upload to not have to be patched too often, if at all ;-)
Thanks for the heads up about the other FSX version Roger, I'm downloading now.

Basically the versions I had found were just a re-release, plus all the old textures, but you guys are gonna be psyched when you see what I've done!
Well, let's see, for the most part, the kneeboard reference is now comprehensive, new dashboard texture, the xpndr now switches on, the pop-up windows work properly,
Replaced the Bendix King AP with a nice Aluminum Spartan Logo and aside from the VC Rain which is just phenomenal, I have just finished vastly improving the cockpit lighting...

I'm really exited about this release... ;-P

Ah there it is. That download Roger, has the Black and Aluminum Texture I was looking for, now my release will have the full compliment of the best textures. Awesome!

[Portia911]

Sounds interesting. I love flying the ol' Spartan from time to time, but the VC and gauges are a bit blurry in places - especially the RMI. Also if you have found a way of hiding the yoke (as you could in FS9), that would be most helpful!

[Palyarmerc]

Not every piece of information required was given in the re-release of this aircraft, including making sure everything worked.
The yoke did work even before I started messing around with this, it's the / key
(not on Mike Stone's version though, which without looking at, I'd never have realised how much nicer it is to leave it visible)

What started me off on this quest was just this, that so much stuff needed tidying up, or I had to go hunting for information.
This beautiful aircraft needs it's own forum thread, for Q&A's and user mods and updates !

So yeah, the yoke is removable, everything will be explained in the newly re-compiled kneeboard reference or in the 'extras' folder.
I've attempted to make it a one-stop-shop for the Spartan. One download, all fixed, ready to fly.
As many files associated with flying or modding this plane are included in the download.

Hope I don't make my next mission to re-pack the Twin Beech again, but if I do, it'll be for the same reason, not to just release another zip
but to tidy it up, fix the bugs and have full and comprehensive documentation and addons associated with that plane.

Good to hear so many of you keen to get your hands on it again :ernaehrung004:

[Palyarmerc]

OK hold the Front Page !!

Milton has just released updated textures for the Spartan, so whilst there is currenlty a version of my release at simviation, I'd await version 1.1 here at Sim-Outhouse
Looks like he's updated the textures for the ST_Spartan.cab, all the main gauge images apparently upgraded, but not in image software, in the Model MDL !!
Released un zipped, I've zipped (CAB'd them) them up to include them as the new ST_Spartan.cab

He's also re-aligned some of the misaligned dashboard knobs, which is nice
Of course, all this was done for the FS9 version, so I have to do a little tweaking panel.cfg for FSX

I'll update you here first ! Of course, feel free to download my version 1.0 now at Sim-Viation (yeah, I know it's slow, but their catalogue layout is very nice)