Multi-lod update for the D'Attomo / Quai Saetta conversion!

[Rami]

Hey guys.

I uploaded this evening a revised package for Morton's conversion of the D'Attomo / Quai Macchi Mc-200 conversion. The package is listed as follows: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=150&id=19252

This is the "old" FS2004 Macchi C200 Saetta by Capt. I. D'Attomo and Capt. G.Quai converted to CSF2. 3 skins and widescreen panel.

Thanks to Blood_Hawk23 for making a freestanding Italian pilot clone of Martin Wright's RAF pilot figure for me. He even made a version with an animated head!

Note: The original package by Morton has been updated on 20 March, 2016 to include a muit-lod model, created by Allen, along with other modifications designed to enhance the usefulness of this aircraft model for use in CFS2.

Modifications to the original package…

1) A multi-lod aircraft model by Allen, complete with a virtual cockpit. Many thanks for his generosity for providing one for this project.

2) The inclusion of prop textures (both full disc and no disc) by Kelticheart, along with exhaust effects and a revised .dp file which allows for enhanced weapons loadouts.

3) The inclusion of the new Italian bombs set by Blood_Hawk23 and mvg3d, who graciously provided their permission to include them.

4) The inclusion of a revised .cfg and .air file by Captain Kurt that prevent the AI from tipping forward and exploding on takeoff.

5) The inclusion of an alternate panel by kelticheart using authentic Italian gauges by he and mvg3d, as an alternative to Morton's panel.

You will need to download and install this gauge set, in addition to what is already included:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=46&id=20221 (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=46&id=20221)

You also may want to download and install this sound pack by Lawdog2360 to provide greater authenticity:
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=48&id=13625 (http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=48&id=13625)

"Rami"

[Rami]

Hello,

A pic to wet your whistle...

[highpockets]

Rami.

Can this replace the one in your Western Desert?

[kelticheart]

Thank you once again, Rami and Allen!

:applause: :encouragement: :applause:



This is another good replacement for the only CFS2 IS4G Saetta model we had.

Let me add a word for what looks like a very odd droptank arrangement, half-buried in the M.C.200 belly, from the picture you posted.

The Macchi-Castoldi 200 "Saetta" (Bolt of lightning) had provision for a ventral droptank, which followed roughly the same idea behind the Spitfire ventral "slipper tank".

In real life, this droptank looked like a teardrop tank cut in two halves along the mid-line, of which only one was used on the aircraft. The top was shaped like a negative image of the Saetta belly and the fit with the aircraft lower fuselage was very snug, just like the Spit "slipper tank".

As far as I know, we do not have anything, in any payload library for CFS2 available, even far-fetching this type of droptank shape. So I had to become creative.

The dp payload that I did uses a standard 300 l., teardrop shaped Luftwaffe early-type droptank, from Paul Rebuffat's Bf109 series standard payload set.

Half-buried in this model fuselage, it looks very close to real life. Naturally, when dropped, the true original shape of this payload becomes quite evident. Let's look at the other way and ignore it, enjoying, by the same token, the Saetta extended range provided by a droptank.

If anyone's willing to make a M.C.200 droptank anew, I'll be very happy to mail over to him the profile I have showing this droptank and then do the dp work to fit it under this model belly.

A nice, much needed update, no doubt about it.

KH :adoration:

[Rami]

Rami.

Can this replace the one in your Western Desert?

Highpockets,

You had the unexpected benefit of a snow day here in Southeastern Massachusetts. I have updated both the Malta Spitfire (Part III) and the Western Desert 1942 packages this morning to include this Macchi C-200. I also included the Dornier Do24 T3 in the Western Desert package, as requested, and eliminated the VN_USS_Indianapolis from the missions, choosing one of Collin's 1942 cruisers instead.

I will upload them, along with the Balkans package, once we get Kelti's tweaks for the Dornier Do24. I'm thrilled that I'll be well ahead of my deadline to release it by 6 April, 2016. That will be the 75th anniversary of the German invasion of Greece.

[highpockets]

:applause::jump:

Woohoo!

[Captain Kurt]

It seems like there is a lot going on with Italian aircraft right now. It's great to get a detailed C.200 model for CFS2. My contribution has been pretty minor. Thanks to the heavy lifters who got this done - especially Allen for adding LODs to make both the C.200 and the Cr.32 fully CFS2.

[kelticheart]

Hi everybody.

I have to correct what I said about the M.C.200 droptank. Manuele Villa tells me the profile I got the idea from is historically correct, BUT......practically only on paper.

First of all, there are no records of M.C.200's using droptanks in combat.

Second: this particular droptank was only an additional tank and it was not droppable. This is probably why its use in combat was not that practical.

The only photo of a Saetta equipped with this additional tank Manuele was able to find, shows one of the series 1 Saettas, still equipped with the full canopy that was discarded in the later, open-cockpit production runs. Basically, it never went beyond an experimental stage.

Therefore, this setup is 99% fictional, a "what-if" if you like. Considering I used a Luftwaffe droptank to simulate it, the whole payload should be deleted entirely from the dp.

My usual :eagerness: got the best of me.

I apologise. :redface-new:
KH