RFN F-8 Crusader is out!!

[sparouty]

Just to get us back on topic...

Hoping there is provision to carry bombs for folks without TacPack. Similar to the Zuni rocket pods.

Yes Frank!
It will be Tacpack compatible but for those who don't have it, the same wing configurations will be available.
And as I did previously, I'll release a 32bit and a 64bit package to cover FSX and P3D versions.
I still have some little adjustments to do in the cockpit and after I will need to re-compile the whole set of mdls ... So it will take again some times... I'm afraid I'll miss Christmas ...

Regards,
Sylvain

[fsafranek]

So it will take again some times... I'm afraid I'll miss Christmas ...

Knowing it is on your work bench is Christmas enough.

[ZsoltB]

Yes! Thank you!



Zsolt

[awstub]

This base is available?

It is Da Nang Airbase from the Vietnam War Project. I'm not sure how I could share it though. Back when I was on the FSX@War SEA theater team, we tried to get in contact with the VnW Project creators, but we never got any replies.
In an effort to get the base looking like it did prior to "Project Red Horse" in 1969, I used ADE to remove all of the hardened aircraft shelters, changed/added parking spots and removed all of the static aircraft. It works pretty well in P3D, but in FSX, I pretty much have to turn off the AI.....which makes it a ghost town.

[awstub]

Once again, the Crusader is proving to be a little bit frustrating. This time with the ECM gear that it received via Project Shoehorn.

Does anyone have any good pictures of the F-8E/J ECM control panel?
Specifically it controls the AN/ALQ-41, AN/ALQ-51, AN/ALR-45 and AN/APR-23. They are located on the right console, next to the exterior light control switches and between the AN/ALE-29A Chaff Dispenser and the AN/ARN-52(V) TACAN panel.

Just so people don't waste their time....we have already looked through the following reference material:

NAVAIR 01-45HHA-1 F-8_Tactical_Manual 10-Sep-1970
NAVAIR 01-45HHD-1 NATOPS Flight Manual F-8D_E Aircraft 1-Mar-1968
NAVAIR 01-45HHD-1A Supplemental NATOPS Flight Manual F-8D Aircraft 1-Dec-1966
NAVAIR 01-45HHE-1 NATOPS Flight Manual F-8H Aircraft 1-Dec-1967
NAVAIR 01-45HHE-1 NATOPS Flight Manual F-8H_J Aircraft 1-May-1974 (Figures F0-1 and F0-2 show the info, but extremely blurry)
NAVWEPS 01-45HHC-501A Supplemental NATOPS Flight Manual F-8C Aircraft 15-Jul-1966
SSP - In Action 007 - F-8 Crusader
SSP - In Action 070 - F-8 Crusader
SSP - Walk Around 038 - F-8 Crusader (page 21 offers a partial glimpse of it)
IDS - Naval Fighters 016 - Vought F-8 Crusader Part-1 Development & Testing Foreign Users & F8U-3
IDS - Naval Fighters 017 - Vought F-8 Crusader Part-2 Navy & Marine RF8 Photo-Recon Squadrons
IDS - Naval Fighters 018 - Vought F-8 Crusader Part-3 Marine Fighter Squadrons
Osprey - Air combat - Vought F-8 Crusader
Osprey - Combat Aircraft 007 - F-8 Crusader Units of the Vietnam War
Osprey - Combat Aircraft 012 - RF-8 Crusader Units Over Cuba And Vietnam

If we can't get any good reference pictures, we will have to do a "best effort" rendition.

[MrZippy]

Probably will be a tough find on any Shoehorn ECM panels. This is the only one I found for AN/ALQ-41.

[awstub]

Probably will be a tough find on any Shoehorn ECM panels. This is the only one I found for AN/ALQ-41.

That's the one for the Phantom.

The one in the Crusader looks like this (best photo I could find):



The second part of this was the threat indicator panel that was mounted on top of the instrument panel glare shield, just right of the gun sight:
(best picture I can find)

[YoYo]

Btw. Any news about this tackpacked version?

[awstub]

Btw. Any news about this tackpacked version?

Sylvain is still tweaking some details on it, but it is looking VERY good.

[YoYo]

Btw. Its in P3Dv5 but I think this topic is more popular. I noticed a bug with model (P3Dv4+), if you fly low, near water (the best option to see it)



the model is accompanied by some external effects (looks like a smoke?) just above the ground. Is it any fix for this? 1.2v.

[MrZippy]

Btw. Its in P3Dv5 but I think this topic is more popular. I noticed a bug with model (P3Dv4+), if you fly low, near water (the best option to see it)



the model is accompanied by some external effects (looks like a smoke?) just above the ground. Is it any fix for this? 1.2v.

Can you list everything in the [effects] section of the aircraft.cfg? Looking for some kind of water_spray effect or maybe snow_spray.

[Josh Patterson]

Can you list everything in the [effects] section of the aircraft.cfg? Looking for some kind of water_spray effect or maybe snow_spray.

I have noticed this as well. (I see puffs and also toward the horizon it looks like a brush fire is happening.) I have noticed it is linked to the smoke effect. (Which seems to work backward. More smoke as I close the throttle and none above about 50-60% throttle. It also goes away under about 25% or so.)

[YoYo]

I have noticed this as well. (I see puffs and also toward the horizon it looks like a brush fire is happening.) I have noticed it is linked to the smoke effect. (Which seems to work backward. More smoke as I close the throttle and none above about 50-60% throttle. It also goes away under about 25% or so.)

My impressions are the same. Its not present always and it depends from the speed or the throttle.

[mpni]

Hi
It seems this issue is fixed in the future update of the RFN F-8.
Regards
Michel

[sparouty]

Hi!
We've just released the Version 1.3 of our Crusader which brings you wing pylon's armament, Tacpack compatibility and some specific Electronic warefare panels.
We took also this occasion to fix some bugs (like smoke issue un P3D) and improve some cockpit stuff.
I hope you will enjoy this version !
Regards,
Sylvain

PS: the link :
http://royalefrenchnavy.restauravia.fr/RFN-Avions.htm

[expat]

My favourite by far fighter jet just got better. Thanks so much Sylvain for your and the RFN team's very fine work!

[dhazelgrove]

Definitely!

Dave

[InDeepSchit]

She's armed to the teeth and out for blood. I love it! Many thanks for this latest update!

[menef]

Hi!
We've just released the Version 1.3 of our Crusader which brings you wing pylon's armament, Tacpack compatibility and some specific Electronic warefare panels.
We took also this occasion to fix some bugs (like smoke issue un P3D) and improve some cockpit stuff.
I hope you will enjoy this version !
Regards,
Sylvain

PS: the link :
http://royalefrenchnavy.restauravia.fr/RFN-Avions.htm

Thank you Sylvain, much appreciated

[fsafranek]

Outstanding as always. Thank you Sylvain and RFN.

[Duckie]

Thank you Sylvain and RFND for this upgrade to your already awesome model of one of the most iconic jet fighters ever.

[DaveQ]

Many many thanks Sylvain and all involved😃! First out of the hangar when I get back to my desk!

DaveQ

[paul day]

Which model includes the wing pylons and weapons,or do they require Tacpack to load the pylons?

Regards Paul Day.

[tommieboy]

Hi!
We've just released the Version 1.3.....

Thanks for your team's on-going support for the FSX crowd. Very much appreciated!

Tommy

[sparouty]

Which model includes the wing pylons and weapons,or do they require Tacpack to load the pylons?

Regards Paul Day.

Hi,
Both USN F-8E and F-8J models have wing pylons and weapons.
Tacpack is required only if you want to fire or drop weapons with simulated impacts/effects.
Without Tacpack you can pick up a wing configuration among the 9 configurations provided by the gauge (shift+1).
Regards
S.