Spitfire!!!!

[Adrian Petford]

Outstanding work! I can''t wait to fly her.

[jankees]

Baz, I was drooling over the Spitfire shots on Facebook when I noticed something.
Shouldn't the text in the circle be the other way round, so readable from the walkway/cockpit?

[bazzar]

I'll take a look Jan, thanks.

[bazzar]

We are recently contacted by Into the Blue video productions asking to make a preview video of our forthcoming Spitfire Mk1A. Naturally, we agreed and here's a link to the video. Now this is NOT a review video as it was made earlier in the development and things have changed and been added since.

What it is is a delightful romp through the Lake District of England and shows some of the features in use in the cockpit. We especially liked the airfield beat-up at the end and of course, Elgar's finest to go with it.

The producer is obviously a competent pilot and handles the Spitfire really well.



https://youtu.be/Q696pQ1Xtpo

The other video is a result of an exciting collaboration with Authentikit, designers of superb simulator flight controls. We have worked closely with Authentikit to develop a very special set of controls, dedicated to the Spitfire Mk1A. The video details the controls and how to assemble them from the very clever and beautifully produced kits. These controls are a very cost-effective way to own a set of replica Spitfire controls and we believe, are well worth considering.

Check them out here:

https://youtu.be/40p6INAQ8Bc

[Dimus]

Looks gorgeous Baz! Thanks for sharing those videos.

Can I make a comment on the prop blur? I always make this comment to all developers, some listen, some don't. Prop blur is almost non-existent in real life, just a soft shadowy disk, that is what the eye sees. The prop blade blur effect is more cinematic, due to film fps. It is actually annoying to have this effect in front of you when flying from the VC and is not what a pilot would see.

It would be good if we could have at least the option of a realistic effect and keep the cinematic for screenshots.

[bazzar]

Yes, you are right. Since the video was made, we have changed the blur prop. We were running a stock item as a placeholder while coding the props and frankly, I am not a fan of the stock props at all.

[K5083]

It looks very nice. Good choice of Into The Blue for your previewer, he's one of the more sophisticated and reliable FS YTers. I have been underwhelmed by the warbirds released for the sim thus far, and hanging on to my wallet hoping that you guys would raise the bar, and it looks like you are. Looking forward to the release.

August

[jmig]

VR is not high on the list of priorities at the moment. We need it to be stable in the sim. And frankly, there is too much else needs fixing in the sim. The amount of workarounds we are having to do to get things to work properly is getting more each day...

I just saw this, and I am sorry to read it. As a VR convert, flying non VR is like flying a TV show or movie. It is just flat and non-realistic. I have not purchased the other Spit waiting on yours Bazzar. However, if VR is not important to you guys...well, I am disappointed.

[keithb77]

I too am holding back on purchase awaiting the AH Spit, but it will have to work in VR...though no reason why it shouldn't - the existing AH Spits work OK in VR even as FSX imports, still one of my favourite rides

The big surprise for me on getting a headset just as an experiment was how much VR adds to the 'historicity' of sitting in and flying an old plane.
A good VR cockpit is really like sitting in a physical museum exhibit...and then firing it up and going for a flight!
For me there was instantly no going back - I've been reading about these planes for 50 years, now I'm as close to flying them as I'll probably ever get.

VR also exposes any flaws and shortcuts in a 3D cockpit so it's a very good quick check of geometry and texturing - must be worth it for time saved.
And of course, if a VR beta tester is needed....

[Dimus]

Yes, you are right. Since the video was made, we have changed the blur prop. We were running a stock item as a placeholder while coding the props and frankly, I am not a fan of the stock props at all.

Great! Thanks! Looking forward to this one!

[bazzar]

I just saw this, and I am sorry to read it. As a VR convert, flying non VR is like flying a TV show or movie. It is just flat and non-realistic. I have not purchased the other Spit waiting on yours Bazzar. However, if VR is not important to you guys...well, I am disappointed.

Whoah! I didn't say it was not important, just lower down on things to do... VR is being testedas we speak...

[modelr]

Looking forward to this beauty, Baz.

For those of you using VR, I envy you. I can't even begin the takeoff roll before having to grab the barf bag!
My Occulus Rift is in it's box, on the bottom of the stack of other outdated peripherals in my closet. Even when using my Track IR I have to keep from moving around to much in the cockpit. Inner ear problems are hell on someone who really enjoys flying!

[DennyA]

Whoah! I didn't say it was not important, just lower down on things to do... VR is being tested as we speak...

Baz said I could out myself here, so I'll chime in, as I've been testing the Spitfire in VR for a couple of weeks now.

And I can report it's excellent in VR. No issues whatsoever, and I'm maintaining an excellent frame rate. The cockpit detail makes everything really immersive.

The systems are modeled with such detail that you can literally use the real historic RAF Mk1a manual to go through the cold-and-dark startup. I'm generally a CTRL-E kinda guy for most planes, but since I was testing it, I've been doing the full startup. It's rellly fun to do when you can just look around the cockpit to flip the various switches and toggles, which adds quite a bit to the immersion vs. using a stick hat to swap between cockpit views.

It's still in the fine-tuning stage, so it would be premature to evaluate/review the plane, but I will note (since it came up) that the ground handling feels like it should based on the Spitfire and Seafire books I've read. You will need to use some rudder and not firewall the boost, but there's none of that weird sudden movement one direction or another I've seen in some other high-performance taildraggers in MSFS.

Having a great time with the test version and I can't wait to add the final to my hangar!

[bazzar]

Thanks for not breaking her Denny

So that's a yes on VR.

[jmig]

Whoah! I didn't say it was not important, just lower down on things to do... VR is being testedas we speak...

Thanks for clarifying. keithb77's comments on the cockpit are correct, in my opinion. As VR becomes more established, it will force the cockpit builders to up their game. You can see and notice every little detail. When done right, it is as close as real as we can currently get. For an old pilot like me, it can make be feel young again. That is the best $30-50 medicine around.

[jmig]

Looking forward to this beauty, Baz.

For those of you using VR, I envy you. I can't even begin the takeoff roll before having to grab the barf bag!
My Occulus Rift is in it's box, on the bottom of the stack of other outdated peripherals in my closet. Even when using my Track IR I have to keep from moving around to much in the cockpit. Inner ear problems are hell on someone who really enjoys flying!

That's a shame Don. When I attended pilot training way back in the last century, I bet 10% of the class washed out because of inner ear problems. I can get a touch of dizzyness or vertigo sometimes. It happens more in P3D than MSFS or DCS.

[modelr]

That's a shame Don. When I attended pilot training way back in the last century, I bet 10% of the class washed out because of inner ear problems. I can get a touch of dizzyness or vertigo sometimes. It happens more in P3D than MSFS or DCS.

Thanks John. When I go up with friends in their planes, they usually keep the stalls and wing-overs to a minimum, with a break between them. Funny, I'm fine when I'm in control, but not when hands off.

[keithb77]

Sad news...it's delayed, hopefully not for too long.
https://www.facebook.com/Aeroplanehe...04995066305521

[bazzar]

Not too long. Taking a breather.

[wombat666]

Not too long. Taking a breather.

Us 'Victorians' are too.........not by choice!
I'll have to wait for another week or more before I do the unthinkable and get to my usual outlet to discuss VR.
Bugger!!!!!!!!

[jankees]

Not too long. Taking a breather.

I fully understand, just spent a week in Italy away from work, wonderful

[bazzar]

Us 'Victorians' are too.........not by choice!
I'll have to wait for another week or more before I do the unthinkable and get to my usual outlet to discuss VR.
Bugger!!!!!!!!

Yeah mate, really sorry about the mess down there. I thought we'd cracked this thing. Not sure we'll ever be free of it though.