DH 90 Dragonfly progress

**Dev One** · July 11th, 2015, 22:55

I'm getting near the end of work creating this model for FS9, although it ports over very well to FSX. The model represents both active aircraft, one in NZ & the other now at Biggin Hill. I have had loads of help from Laurie Officer in NZ & Tony Habgood at Biggin, to them many thanks.
To prove the adaptability of the model to FSX I have released two videos on youtube. I used FSX because I have better scenery installed rather than the vanilla of FS9. Hope you enjoy.

https://youtu.be/mtqTckp68ig

&

https://youtu.be/vmS87pUWlHk

Keith

**Maarten -** · July 11th, 2015, 23:44

Hi Keith,

What a lovely lovely wee plane! Very much worth hoping for and waiting for.
I'm very much looking forward to download this little gem.

Cheers,
Maarten

**kikas** · July 12th, 2015, 08:33

Darn it, while watching video i pushed and pushed my mouse wheel and did not get why i cant look around vc...
Very nice update, cant wait to fly it myself!

**Dev One** · July 14th, 2015, 10:33

Its undergoing Beta testing over at cbfsim in the development section if one is a registered member.
Keith

**kikas** · July 14th, 2015, 11:29

Oh my, have not visited that part of cbfsim for quite some time and missed some real gems before they were released for wide masses

**Dev One** · July 20th, 2015, 05:27

Just uploaded to Flightsim, so a day or so before available I suspect.
Keith

**kikas** · July 20th, 2015, 08:07

Are there any changes from latest beta2 with update?

**Dev One** · July 20th, 2015, 23:27

Yes minor changes to naming & descriptions added in the aircraft.cfg, removal of the instrument panel projection screen in all exterior models (only seen in FSX against clouds). AI models prop texture aligned with other models. Updated Readme. No paint kit included.
Currently worried about the upload as it didn't take long to upload, but cannot trace the status.
Keith

**Maarten -** · July 21st, 2015, 05:18

Originally Posted by Dev One

Yes minor changes to naming & descriptions added in the aircraft.cfg, removal of the instrument panel projection screen in all exterior models (only seen in FSX against clouds). AI models prop texture aligned with other models. Updated Readme. No paint kit included.
Currently worried about the upload as it didn't take long to upload, but cannot trace the status.
Keith

Hello Keith,

Downloading the Dragonfly right now. Download #2. Thank you so much for this little gem!

Cheers,
Maarten

**Dev One** · July 21st, 2015, 06:29

Thanks Maarten, Took a long time to produce that one, probably too much fine detail, hope you enjoy, had a lot of help though from the operators & I did manage a visit to Biggin Hill at the beginning of May. Surprisingly a very tiny compact cockpit, I had a struggle getting into the copilots seat! (My old bones don't help!)
Keith

**peterwatkins2** · August 6th, 2015, 09:56

Just a bit of Dragonflying!

**Dev One** · August 6th, 2015, 10:21

Nice re-paint Peter, glad I was able to sort the mapping out for you!
Keith

**ViperPilot2** · August 6th, 2015, 10:29

I was wondering if anyone out there could create a generic Dragonfly repaint with a US Civil Registration #? I know that IRL, the Dragonfly wasn't used in US Airspaces, but it's nice to imagine, right? Peter's color scheme from his recent Post, or something similar, would work just fine.

Thanks for looking!

Alan

**Dev One** · August 6th, 2015, 23:54

I think both extant Dragonflys have previously been registered in the US of A. 'EDU for example was a wreck in the USA & shipped back to the UK for rebuild.
Keith

***Mick*** · August 7th, 2015, 05:01

Originally Posted by ViperPilot2

I was wondering if anyone out there could create a generic Dragonfly repaint with a US Civil Registration #? I know that IRL, the Dragonfly wasn't used in US Airspaces, but it's nice to imagine, right? Peter's color scheme from his recent Post, or something similar, would work just fine.

Thanks for looking!

Alan

You could just change the registration on one of the existing skins. That would be about a two-minute job.

I wonder if there are any pics of those two planes Keith mentioned in the colors and markings they wore in the US.

I asked Mr. Google but he couldn't help me.

Love the plane! Great job!

**ViperPilot2** · August 7th, 2015, 06:21

Originally Posted by Mick

You could just change the registration on one of the existing skins. That would be about a two-minute job.

I wonder if there are any pics of those two planes Keith mentioned in the colors and markings they wore in the US.

I asked Mr. Google but he couldn't help me.

Love the plane! Great job!

Mick,

Is that something that can be done with Paint, or would I have to use something more robust, like GIMP?

Alan

***Mick*** · August 7th, 2015, 07:13

Originally Posted by ViperPilot2

Mick,

Is that something that can be done with Paint, or would I have to use something more robust, like GIMP?

Alan

You can use Paint; that's what I use for that sort of work. But Paint (like pretty much all other image programs) outputs 24-bit files, which FS cannot read. So you have to work through a program like DXTbmp (freeware from Martin Wright Graphics. Don't forget to DL the other required files, as noted on Martin's site.) DXTbmp will output in a number of formats (not all are FS formats.) DXT1 and DXT3 are fairly small files, but very lossy, so details tend to get corrupted, and the skins may have a generally soft, fuzzy look on the model in the sim. 32-bit textures are large files but suffer zero loss when manipulated, and look great on the plane in the sim.

***Mick*** · August 7th, 2015, 07:16

I see that both of the skins provided with the model are of planes that were formerly operated in the US, and their registration numbers are provided. I feel inclined to repaint them as they appeared in the US, but I don't know what they looked like then.

Does anyone know whether the planes received new paint jobs after they left the US?

If their current paint jobs are the same as they wore in the US, does anyone know the size and location of the registrations on the planes?

Better still - does anyone have pictures?

If it's just a matter of changing the registrations I will do the repaints. If the color schemes changed, I'll paint them if they're within my capabilities, but if they're really complex I might not be talented enough to do them.

**Dev One** · August 7th, 2015, 08:06

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C7VS9D...ature=youtu.be

Fast fwd to about 7:30 after that there is video of EDU wrecked in USA & as it is now.

The only other clues I can give are details from the DH aircraft since 1909 book.
G-AEDT (now ZK-AYR) was flown to USA in 1964 to Tallmantz becoming N2034.
G-AEDU was sold to USA in 1983 becoming N190DH.

Have fun, Oh BTW my textures are DXT'd to the 888 format which is low compression. Not sure what Peter Watkins has compressed his to for 'NYK.
Keith

**ViperPilot2** · August 7th, 2015, 08:19

From the video, it looks as if the wreckage still had the UK Registration of G-AEDU. No worries... I'll just fly it with that!

Mick -- thanks for the Paint tips; one of these days I'll start to tackle Repainting, and see if I can wrap my head around all of the concepts!

Alan

**Andre19** · August 7th, 2015, 09:56

According to http://www.warbirdsdirectory.goodall...dragonfly.html G-AEDT was registered as N2304 and the US registration was never painted on the aircraft. There are also some pictures of when it was in the U.S.
http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa/VH-AAD.html also states it remained as G-AEDT in its time in the U.S.

**ViperPilot2** · August 7th, 2015, 10:10

Looks like Andre answered the question for all of us! I shall fly the Dragonfly as she stands, in honor of long and storied history.

Thanks!

Alan

***Mick*** · August 7th, 2015, 10:17

Well, I guess that's that!

Thanks for the information!

This saves me the trouble of repainting the planes. I'll also feel free to fly them in the US with their British markings.

***Motormouse*** · August 7th, 2015, 10:30

Originally Posted by Mick

Well, I guess that's that!

Thanks for the information!

This saves me the trouble of repainting the planes. I'll also feel free to fly them in the US with their British markings.

Just tell the virtual FAA your operating under this , 14 cfr 45.22 :

Title 14: Aeronautics and Space
PART 45—IDENTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION MARKING
Subpart C—Nationality and Registration Marks

§45.22 Exhibition, antique, and other aircraft: Special rules.

(a) When display of aircraft nationality and registration marks in accordance with §§45.21 and 45.23 through 45.33 would be inconsistent with exhibition of that aircraft, a U.S.-registered aircraft may be operated without displaying those marks anywhere on the aircraft if:
(1) It is operated for the purpose of exhibition, including a motion picture or television production, or an airshow;
(2) Except for practice and test fights necessary for exhibition purposes, it is operated only at the location of the exhibition, between the exhibition locations, and between those locations and the base of operations of the aircraft; and
(3) For each flight in the United States:
(i) It is operated with the prior approval of the Flight Standards District Office, in the case of a flight within the lateral boundaries of the surface areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E airspace designated for the takeoff airport, or within 4.4 nautical miles of that airport if it is within Class G airspace; or
(ii) It is operated under a flight plan filed under either §91.153 or §91.169 of this chapter describing the marks it displays, in the case of any other flight.
(b) A small U.S.-registered aircraft built at least 30 years ago or a U.S.-registered aircraft for which an experimental certificate has been issued under §21.191(d) or 21.191(g) for operation as an exhibition aircraft or as an amateur-built aircraft and which has the same external configuration as an aircraft built at least 30 years ago may be operated without displaying marks in accordance with §§45.21 and 45.23 through 45.33 if:
(1) It displays in accordance with §45.21(c) marks at least 2 inches high on each side of the fuselage or vertical tail surface consisting of the Roman capital letter “N” followed by:
(i) The U.S. registration number of the aircraft; or ..............

that'll fox 'em

ttfn

Pete