Prepar3D Version 4 compatibility statement...and screenshots ;-) !

First, my apologies for the lack of replies and updates both on the blog and on the facebook page... I do not have much spare time for flight simming lately, but rest assured I read all your message and value your feedback.

Second, here is the a brief recap of the status of my projects for what concerns the compatibility with the upcoming Prepar3D V4 release (I had a quick look at the release candidate over the weekend and, you have a good, modern hardware, I highly recommed).

In general, the compatibility of P3Dv4 with addons native to FSX and P3D is quite high, as long as there are no external C++ modules involved in the aicraft systems. For what concerns my aicrafts, they often use Doug Dawson's fuel dump and sound effects gauges respectively to manage some fuel system functions (such as external fuel tanks loading/unloading, in flight refuel etc.). These gauges are currently not compatible with P3Dv4, hence:

- In-flight refuel will not work. Aicrafts with external fuel tanks will have minor issues (such as enabling to refuel non-existent external tanks).

- Custom sounds such as voice warnings and other sounds (e.g. the SideWinder growl) will not be played.

...apart from that EVERYTHING else seems to work (except the F-35B STOVL...see below), so by and large I'd say my aicrafts are compatible with P3Dv4. I will update my aicrafts if/when updated versions of these modules become available.

Also, at present Tacpack is not compatible with P3DV4 - so none of the aircrafts will have tacpack functionality.

F-35 Lightning II

As per the general notes, no custom sounds and minor issue with the fuel system. The F-35B STOVL function will not work - however, as soon as the new version of FSUIPC.dll is released, it is possible that the function is restored by using the alternate STOVL gauge which relies on it (the gauge is already present in the package as a backup solution and it is commented out).

Aside, P3Dv4 will include an updated version of the F-35A - which includes many of the enhancements of the payware version (and a new livery). Note that the bundled version has NO Tacpack functionality.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Same as above... no voice warnings and issues with the fuel system, but pretty much everything else works.

Military Avatars Package

There is an issue with the contact points, so that the Avatars will appear to be literally "knee-deep" into the runway. A small patch to correct this will be released soon.

Anyway, as you know, this package has been withdrawn from sales - it will be re-released as freeware soon (and the release will include the fix).

Aermacchi MB-326

Works fine - except the "phantom fuel tank" syndrome.

By the way, since some of you asked, YES the porting to AF2 is proceeding (veeeery slowly).

 Boeing T-45C Goshawk

Works fine - no issues at all. :-) !
...and, sooner or later, it might get an update with a new avionic suite by MilViz and AO textures (as soon as I can find the time).

Grumman F-14D Tomcat

Same story - minor issues to the fuel system... but in general works fine!

S-3B Viking

Last but not least... and again minor issues with the fuel system, but in general works fine.
By the way, the AI-Tanker version is almost finished!

Projects updates... and season greetings!

First, thanks a lot your your continued support to my projects - as you may know this has been a very special year for my flight simulation efforts, as I finally established my own registered "company". This is still just a hobby for me, but having proper fiscal organization allows me to invest more money and embark in more ambitious projects - the new F-35 is the first result of the new organization, and, for example, the new visual model is a direct outcome of my decisions. Making it a freeware project was simply not an option - development costs being way too high for freeware.

So, what is next? Here is the list of the projects currently on my drawing board:

NEW PROJECT - Eurofighter Typhoon:If you follow my Facebook page, you know that I have been doing some work on an Eurofighter model. The vast majority of the documentation on this aicraft is still classfied, but I believe I have enough information to create a decent simulation. I did some work on the external model (which is shown in the picture above) and the VC - and it looks good so far. I'll continue working on this to check if there are unforeseen showstoppers... but so far so good.
This is meant to be a payware project - and hopefully should land on the same quality level and price range of the F-35 (and possibly a little more accurate in terms of avionics). The main development platform will be P3Dv2.5 (for the moment...may be I'll move to V3) but it should be backward compatible to FSX (possibly with the exception of PIRATE/TFLIR imaging).

NEW PROJECT - Aermacchi MB.339 (ON HOLD)
An obvious extension of the MB.326 project, the MB.339 is one aicraft I still intend to do. I did some work on a preliminary external model - which needs texturing and a decent VC. One of the targets of this project is to achieve a very high visual efficiency in terms of frames-per-second. At present I have no time to work on this...and the project is on hold. In my intentions this would be a freeware project.

NEW PROJECT - Grumman E-2/C-2 (Feasibility stage - ON HOLD)
I also made a feasibility study on the E-2 and C-2 aicrafts - they are probably the only carrier aicrafts for which we do not have decent models... A payware project would be doable, although I do not have time for this right now.

PROJECT UPDATE - F-35 Lightning IINeedless to say, I am continuing to keep track of the bug reports and suggestions... as of today, we have not yet reached the critical mass to release another update...but if I'll find some time in the next few weeks I will update the project anway.

OTHER PROJECT UPDATES

T-45C Goshawk - Although this project is officially closed, I have been using it as testbed for various things...so my private build is actually a little bit better than what you guys have... In particular there are a number of small visual improvements that some of you may like.

F-14D Tomcat - Still not happy with it. And as much as I appreciate Aerosoft's F-14X, I believe that a new, and better, Tomcat is possible.

S-3B Viking - Yes...I know. I promised an update for it a long time ago. It is still unfinished, and IMHO is the worst of the bunch in terms of quality. But still...may be one day or another I will find the will to complete it. Or at least release the AI tanker model...

MB.326 - Very few bugs reported... I am not completely happy with it, but I am not sure I will have much time for it.

So, looks like the 2016 will be quite busy... we'll see.
In the meantime thanks once again for your support, feedback and help...and BEST WISHES for a Merry Chirstmas and a Happy New Year!

Projects update (a.k.a. lack of time complaint)....

My real life if job is consuming most of my time and life-force... and this is the reason for my recent lack of updates. Here is a quick recap.

F-35 Version 3.00 (Potentially Prepar3D v2.00 only)
The updated visual model for the F-35B is ready, and looks way better than the previous version. Experiments with TFLIR, DAS and ASR modes under P3Dv2+Tacpack were largely positive, albeit simultaneous usage of TFLIR + DAS on separate images uses too much video memory.
The plan now includes the F-35A... so the next milestone is to complete the new -A model.
With the current pace, it will be ready after the summer.

MB.339 and Eurofighter TyphoonThey both look very promising, but I do not have time right now to develop them. So they are ON HOLD. Priority is given to the new F-35. Which of the two I'll prioritize after the F-35 it is still TBD.

S-3B Viking UpdateAnother thing I have been promising for too long. Could not find the time for it either.

MB.326, F-14D Tomcat and T-45C Goshawk Prepar3Dv2-specific versionsI have been experimenting with all of them. No time for them either at the moment.

Aermacchi MB.326 version 1.10 release

Time for the first update to the Aermacchi MB.326. No big changes but several small fixes to some minor defects that were part of the original 1.00 build.

Changes as follows:

VERSION 1.10
9th March 2015
- Added pilot visor animation (secondary exit SHIFT+E then 2)
- Fixed multiple issues with G version weight and balance configuration
- Fixed multiple issues with G version Tacpack configuration
- Fixed bug showing interanl gun effects on G version
- Fixed bug preventing LIGHT TEST switch to work in FSX
- Fixed bug that made landing gear lever Mouse Area non working in FSX
- Fixed bug preventing FUEL PUMP switch to work in FSX
- Added support for MATRA M-155 rocket pod in Tacpack
- Fixed checklist and reference speed html files

As usual, download is on the side bar.
For the moment this and the F-14D update will only be hosted on this blog because, for some reason, uploading to Avsim and Flightsim is painfully slow from my home in these days...

Aside, in the near future I will probably start releasing P3Dv2-only updates for some projects... more news soon.

Aermacchi MB.326 version 1.00

After more than one year of work, here is the Aermacchi MB.326 version 1.00 release. This is a very special model for me, as I had the unique chance to fly on the only MB.326 in flight conditions in Europe - that was my first (and hopefully not last) ride in a military jet... and needless to say it was awesome, and I completely fell in love with this aicraft.
First thing I'd like to thank Alessandro Barbarini who created the fantastic external textures I am sure you will enjoy. They look awesome, and raised the quality bar significantly.
Also, I'd like to thank Roy Holmes, for a very realistic flight model, and Mario Motta for his modules, which bring payload configuration capabilities and VACMI support, and flight testing (Mario has hundreds of flying hours in the real Macchino). Also, a big thank you to Serge Luzin who provided a great sound package, based on real world recordings (in cockpit sounds come straight from the recordings of my own flight).

The model supports BOTH Sim Skunk Works vACMI and Vertical Reality Simulation Tacpack weapon packages. By default, it is set to support vACMI - please see the documentation on how to enable Tacpack of you use the latter.

I had no time to squash all the bugs, and I am sure more will pop-up after a the release... still it should be OK as is for the vast majority of the users.
It is a "control+e" model, meaning it is not meant to provide a 100% exact simulation of the real aicraft... but you should be able to start it "cold and dark" and use it as a basic military trainer. Actually our target was to create a realistic and complete freeware rendition of this fantastic light jet... we are happy with the result, and we hope you will be too.

Have fun!
...and yes, the download link is in the side bar, as usual!

End of Beta stage and paintkit release

Thanks for the oustanding feedback on the MB.326 Beta - I am going through the bugs list and I have already solved many of them. As consequence, the Beta1 build is now outdated, and I will withdraw it from download in the next few days.If you want to download the Beta, I urge you to do so in asap. I will keep on collecting feedback and fixing bugs. I am looking to release version 1.00 within a couple of weeks in the worst case.

Aside, on top of the excellent work he did for the liveries, Alessandro was so kind to provide me (and you) with a paintkit for the MB.326, in layered PSD format.
This file is provided "as is" - no guarantee of any kind and no support whatsoever will be provided.
Please:
- Note that the intended usage of these files is to create freeware liveries for the MB.326. Please refrain from redistributing these files or content derivative of these files for profit.
- Please DO NOT share or distribute repaint until version 1.00 of this package is officially released from this blog. We may need to make changes to the package and to the folder structure...most probably including a specific folder to support twin seater versions with MK.540 engine.
If you promise you will stick to these (simple) rules, you are welcome to download the paintkit by clicking HERE.

Aermacchi MB.326 Package - Public Beta Release

NOTE: BETA VESION IS NOW OUTDATE BY THE NEWER INTERNAL BUILDS, THEREFORE IS NO MORE AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD.
THE OFFICIAL 1.0 RELEASE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS...PLEASE BE PATIENT!

Here we are with the public Beta version of the Aermacchi MB.326 - this is a very special project for me, as this is the only military jet I had the pleasure to fly in reality (yes - I was in control for few minutes, but still it was an amazing and unforgettable experience).

First thing, I'd like to thank all the people involved in this project:

Alessandro Barbarini, who volunteered to redo the external textures and did an Amazing job and was a continous driver for improvements; Roy Holmes who created a very realistic flight model (I invite you to check it against actual flight manuals and be amazed by the accuracy), Mario Motta who provided additional coding and flight testing (Mario has hundreds of real-life flight hours on the 326) and Serge Luzin who, as usual, created an exceptional sound package (some of it is based on recordings taken on my joy-ride).

THANK YOU ALL - IT HAS BEEN A GREAT FUN WORKING WITH YOU ON THIS ONE!!!!

That being said, here are some things you need to know about this Beta version:

• This package depicts several versions of the Aermacchi MB.326, which can be divided in two-seater unarmed versions, two-seater armed versions and single-seater armed versions.
• There is only one virtual cockpit model. This is sort of an average between the different layouts of the mid-late 70's... hence it is similar, but not exactly the same, as any real-life version. This is a compromise I had to make to keep the project to a manageable size.
• The project has been tested in FSX:Acceleration and in P3DV2. It has not been tested in FSX-Steam Edition, nor in FSX:SP1/SP2 and may not work.
• The package supports both VACMI from Sim Skunk Works and Tacpack from Vertical Reality Simulations. Those are two add-on packages that allow FSX/P3Dv2 to have working weapons functionality. At the time I am writing, VACMI is the only one that supports P3Dv2.

To make weapons work with VACMI
The package should work without any modification under VACMI. You should, however, disable collisions with other aircrafts - otherwise, releasing a bomb may cause a collision with the aircraft. NOTE - with VACMI the following weapons will not work: MK.76, Magic 550, all guns and gunpods (cosmetic only)

To make weapons work with TACPACKIn order to make weapons work with Tacpack you MUST replace the panel.cfg in the PANEL subfolder of the MB326E folder, with the one contained in the panel_TACPACK_backup. This MUST BE DONE ONLY ON THE MB.326E folder.
NOTE 1 - with Tacpack the following weapons will not work: Matra F2 and 155 rocket pods. 2 - Beta files are not signed for multiplayer in Tacpack. If the server has anti-cheat turned on, you will be kicked out.

To fire weaponsIn order to fire a weapon, apart obviously from loading it in the configurator, you must:
- Switch the Trigger selector switch to ARMT & CAM
- Switch the MASTER ARM to READY
- Select the weapon station you wish to employ (upon pressing the key it turns green if the station ammo is not zero)
- If the weapon you wish to fire is a cannon, you must also turn on the gun power switch
- Within Tacpack: trigger fires all the forward firing weapons, pickle drops the droppable ones.
- Within VACMI: brake key (usually mapped to trigger) fires any weapon
NOTE - Guns visual effects should work even if you have no weapon package installed.

Bug reports
I will keep track of the bugs/change requests in my usual way, that is filling and updating the following list:

Bugs and change request lists
LAST UPDATE 5/2/2015

Visual Model:
MB326MDL1 - Inner frame of canopy on single-seater model has defective geometry (visible when canopy is open, single seater model only). Fixed, 3D part redone.
MB326MDL2 - Position light reflection too big. Fixed, created bespoke effect.
MB326MDL3 - Aileron trim animation not working. Actually this was not coded in the .mdl. - no time to redo all the models, considered a minor issue -> moving forward with this. 
MB326MDL4 - Upper beacon light way too strong. Fixed, created bespoke effect.

Virtual Cockpit:
MB326VC1 - HSI pointer no.2 points to wrong direction. Should point towards selected NDB. station.
MB326VC2 - NDB frequency cannot be selected in the Virtual Cockpit. Fixed. User can now click in the ADF window to select the frequency.
MB326VC3 - Gear warning light does not work. FIXED. Gear warning light now works.
MB326VC4 - Would be cool to have model-specific VC (specific VC for K model, and/or one for unarmed models)- CLOSED - created additional folder with two seater model with MK.540 engine
MB326VC5 - Throttle animation does not work in the released model. FIXED - Wrong system simulation files went into Beta build. Please download BETA1A.
MB326VC6 - Miscellaneous avionic malfuctions. FIXED - Wrong system simulation files went into Beta build. Please download BETA1A.
MB326VC7 - HSI/RMI button do not work in FSX. They work fine in P3Dv2. Difficult bug to solve...it appears to be related to detection of Mouse click areas. FIXED - Reset scale in 3D model fixed it
MB326VC8 - Oxy button linked to Master Arm. FIXED animation in 3D model
MB326VC9 - Cabin pressure altimeter not working. FIXED animation in 3D model
MB326VC10 - Radio and advisory panels remain lit even in power is absent from the main bus.
MB326VC11 - Canopy lock lever not working in FSX (but works in P3Dv2, likely to be a reset-scale bug). FIXED reset scale solved the issue.
MB326VC12 - Clock "hours" needle not working. FIXED animation sequence in 3D model. NOTE: it may also apply to other projects.
MB326VC13 - Turn coordinator seems to have inverted motion.
MB326VC14 - Upper beacon light too strong.
MB326VC15 - Pitot heat indicator not working. FIXED - Pitot heat now working.
MB326VC16 - Check rudder trim switch animation. FIXED - implemented standard trim rocker animation.
MB326VC17 - One nav button inop, also in general, only standby frequencies can be changed. Closed. Fixed nav button, still user can only change standby frequencies.
MB326VC18 - Radio power button not working, also, avionics switch button missing. Fixed.
MB326VC19 - Emergency landing gear not working
MB326VC20 - Canopy frame texture improvement. Fixed - Redone all canopy texture and improved geometry.
MB326VC21 - Gunsight support graphical improvement. Open.
MB326VC22 - Control stick graphical improvement. Closed. Redone model and textures.
MB326VC23 - Ejection seat graphical improvement. Open
MB326VC24 - Further reduction of instrument glass reflection. Closed. Increased effect transparency by 50%.
MB326VC25 - Provide option to remove canopy scratches etc. Closed. Provided alternate texture in "optional_features" folder.
MB326VC26 - Trim NEUT flag indications not working. Closed. Fixed formulas in Modeldef.xml
MB326VC27 - EXT FUEL TRANSF gauge does not work. Closed. Albeit fuel transfer functions are not implemented, EXT FUEL TRANSF flag will now show ON if there is more than 5% fuel in any of the external fuel tanks.

Flight Model:
MB326FM1 - Currently "G" models (which have Viper 540 engine) do not have a specific flight model assigned. Added custom folder. Fixed.
MB326FM2 - Real Aircraft had no autopilot... change autopilot setting accordingly on all aicrafts. Fixed. Autopilot removed. 

Sound package:
MB326SND1 - Gear warning horn sound does not work. FIXED
MB326SND2 - Gun sound effects do not work. FIXEDMB326SND3 - Add high-G breathing sound. FIXED 

Weapons functionality:
MB326WP1 - Tacpack incompatibility (loads still suspended after release). FIXED - Wrong system simulation files went into Beta build. Please download BETA1A.
MB326WP2 - Minigun visual effect on STA2 does not work. Could not replicate the bug. ON HOLD - CLOSED. This is dependant on visual effect settings / rendering engine. Code is correct, just does not show in some cases.
MB326WP3 - Under VACMI, when selecting STA6 release, STA5 is fired. FIXED - Bug in Tactical module, found and fixed.
MB326WP4 - Under Tacpack, gun trigger does not seen to work. FIXED - Identified bug in Tactical module
MB326WP5 - Under Tacpack, files NOT signed for multiplayer. Intentional in the Beta.
MB326WP6 - Under Tacpack, cannot load SUU-11 on STA2. FIXED - Bug in Tacpack.ini file, wrong assignment for that station.

General and Others:
MB326GEN1 - Checklist and product documentation are missing.
MB326GEN2 - Removed repaint of the aicraft involved in the Casalecchio di Reno accident.
MB326GEN3 - Write a flight manual. Note: T-45 flight manual included by mistake.
MB326GEN4 - Minor mistake in scrape points, light assignment, fuel system in aicraft.cfg Fixed
MB326GEN5 - Tacpack debug screen instead of GPS - Fixed.
MB326GEN6 - Nav radio 2 not configured but present - Removed NAV2 radio from radio panel.
MB326GEN7 - Old texture set left in by mistake and unreferenced - Fixed, texture set removed.
MB326GEN8 - Abnormally high data packet consumption in multiplayer - Fixed. - Bug in gun effect code. 

Color key as follows:

RED - Severe problem. Product should not be released until the issue is solved, or, should the problem become too difficult or time consuming to solve, users must be clearly notified of the defect. Solving such issues is a very high priority.

ORANGE - Moderately severe issue...it will be perceived as a defect by most users. High priority.

YELLOW - Minor issue. Better fix it, but low priority...and will not be noted by most users.

GREEN - Issue solved, still on the list for the record or verification.

BLUE - Possible improvement / nice to have: product is not defective as is, but could be better. May be introduced with an update later on.

How to download the BETA:
Beta version is now outdated and is no more available for download.

Projects update and future plans...

 

Time for a quick update on my various projects... lately my job kept me extremely busy, so I had very little time for flight simulation, and the progress on mt designs have been very slow. Still most of them are in good shape, and, while slow, the progress is steady.

Aermacchi MB.326
If you follow my facebook page, you should know that the two seater version is almost finished. Basically the only missing thing is the weapons functionality, which should not be too long to implement. I believe we could have a complete beta by the end of November, and a release before (or around) Chirstmas.

Eurofighter Typhoon
Airframe modeling in progress...30% done

Lockheed S-3B VikingViking fans, don't worry. I have collected feedback from the initial release, and I have already implemented some of them. I'll release an update as soon as I can find the time.

Grumman F-14D Grumman
Much like I did for the Goshawk, I would like to "close" this project for a "final" release. This would ideally include all the improvements applied to the Goshawk - including better graphics for some instruments and better glass reflections. Again, the problem here is to find the time.

Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II
...same mantra here. I have a bunch of improvements in the works, but could not find the time to release them. Following the recent successful sea-trials of the F-35C this project is getting some more attention, so I should be

Boeing T-45C GoshawkThis project is closed and over... but still there are few very minor things I would like to fix...so a further update is not ruled out completely.

So...here is the situation. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

New project announcement(s) and updates for the current ones.

I have completed a feasibility study for an Eurofighter Typhoon and I think I can announce this will be my new project for 2015. This is a quite complex aicraft to simulate, and I can say right from the start that it is not going to be a complete and fully realistic simulation - for one, most of the aicraft documentation is still classified. After collecting the all the data I could get, I believe that, in terms of realism, it could be, more or less, in the same league of my Tomcat.
Preliminary targets for this projects are as follows:
- high detail external visual model and virtual cockpit
- medium fidelity avionic system ("medium" meaning that it will be more or less in the same league as my other projects in terms of realism)
- medium fidelity flight dynamics
- bespoke sound set
- support of working weapons though Tacpack (although other systems can/will be evaluated)
- release date: unlikely to be earlier than summer 2015
- probably payware, but still TBD (please understand this is a very complex project to develop...and may well require some fundings).

By the way, some people suggested I could use Kickstarter. If you have seen the South Park season premiere you have seen the reasons why I dislike Kickstarter. It is cool and everything, but a good platform for scams.

What about the Aermacchi MB339, then?
Well, it will be developed as a "platform extension" of the 326. Flight model, a big part of the avionics and roughly 60% of the visual model can be reused as they are. On the other hand the virtual cockpit is almost completely new, and the textures need to be redone.
I will continue working on it from time to time.

Speaking of the MB.326, the project has slowed down a little... but it is still in a very good shape an I believe that a release within November is still possible. Here are a couple of screenhots of where we are at the moment:

Last, quick update to the other projects.

Grumman F-14D Tomcat:This will be the next of the old projects I'd like to close - there are very few things that I'd like to fix/improve and I am quite happy with it - also feedback from the users is largely positive and seems that there are not big oustanding items to fix.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II:
I have several small improvements in the works for it... and if I had more time, with the new functionalities of P3Dv2, it would be possible to create a more complete avionic suite... we'll see.

Lockheed S-3B Viking:I have received many more comments for the v1.00 than I did for the Beta. I think this is partially expected, but the other way around would have been better. Anyway, there are no big changes, and v1.01 is on the way.


Current project updates - and a thoughts for the next one...

 

Above is a picture of the current build of the MB.326 virtual cockpit - it is almost complete. Actually it just misses the gunsight and some warning signs... In the meantime, Alessandro of Sim Skunk Works has been refurbishing the external textures so they look even better than in my previous screenshots (we will be able to show the looks of the updated model very soon). Also Sim Skunk Works is providing a very realistic flight model: Roy is leading the dynamics design while Mario is providing flight testing - both are seasoned real-world military pilot, and given than Mario has hundreds of flying hours on the real 326 I am really confident that in the end we will have a great result. Last, but not least, Serge is at work on a sound package - based on the sounds from the GoPro recording of my unforgettable flight... (by the way, here is a short version of the video -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNT61wl-PUc&feature=youtu.be ) - so the project is in a very good shape, and it is done when it is done... but it is looking really good.

Also, as of today, we plan to support both Tacpack and VAcmi - which is a weapon functionality / management package from Sim Skunk Works - you should check it out (and works in P3Dv2, too!)...  http://www.vaafse.org/simskunkworks/web/index.php

So, what about the rest of my stuff?
Well, there are plans to update all the fleet - but I am experimenting some new techniques and I am building a small set of new and more accurate 3D gauges for the 326 - the plan is to progressively retrofit them on the T-45C, F-14D and S-3B. All will be available as soon as possible, but this is a lot of work - so I cannot say for sure when it will be ready.
Also, minor updates await the F-35 too... 

...and after the 326? Back on the deck with and E-2 or an EA-6B? Well, I am sorry to disappoint all the naval aviation enthusiasts out there, but I think I am done with naval aicrafts for a while - the planes I made where the most interesting ones for me, and I will keep them updated.

At the moment I am evaluation two projects:

1) Aermacchi MB.339A - This is the evolution of the MB.326 and the current ride of the Frecce Tricolori (but will be replaced in 2017 by the M345 - a Siai 211 derivative that does not look as slick IMHO). It is a very important aicraft for aviation enthusiasts in Italy, so either it will be good or it will be a disaster. On the good side, lots of documentation available, and I could reuse a lot of the work done on the MB.326 (the most of the airframe is similar)... Here is how a preliminary test looks so far:

 

Also, it has to be (or have as an option) a low-poly version mode for large formation flying.

2) Eurofighter Typhoon - This is a much more complex and difficult project. Most of the documentation is still classified (actually the Avionc System manuals can be found with Google - but that is not enough to model it). A good, weapon capable Typhoon would be great - problem is development costs and time would be huge (and probably would be in the payware area). Let's see.

Aermacchi MB.326: announcement and project scope

One thing I am really happy about my new Aermacchi MB.326 project is that it will benefit from the help of members the Sim Skunk Works Group. I think they need no introduction, but in the remote case that you do not know them, you should definitely check out their website and their aircrafts (to name one their F-104 rendition is legendary - and the work they are doing on their new Tornado model is really promising):

  

Sim Skunk Works Website  

 

They have offered their help in several areas and their help is more than welcome - especially since the quality of their work is guaranteed. As additional "bonus" their team includes a pilot which has hundreds of flight hours in the real MB.326. Here are primary targets of the project:

• The main scope of the project is to create a realistic rendition of the Aermacchi MB.326
• The level of realism shall be enough to provide a good training device for people looking to advance to "serious" military simulation 
• The model will be optimized for minimal frame rate impact
• Given the dozens of different configurations (I have counted more than 25 variants) the main visual model will be the MB.326E I-RVEG - the reason why I picked this particular variant is that I had the chance to fly on it, and it is the only MB.326 in flying conditions.
• The backseat cockpit will not be modeled to help with frame rate
• For flexibility, the cockpit model will be a sort of "average" between the cockpits of the MB.326E, -G and -K - i.e. a generic "mid-70's" configuration.
• The package should have at least one livery for each major operator (by "major" I mean by number of aicrafts: Italy, South Africa, Brazil and Australia were the largest users).

...and here is a list of "secondary targets" that I would like to achieve (in order of difficulty - easiest to hardest) but it will depend on time and resources:

 

• Include basic Tacpack compatibiliy (note: given that different variants had different weapons capabilities, I will stick to a generic configuration)
• Include at least a livery for EVERY operator (there are dozens!)
• Include external model variants
• Extend the project to include the MB.326K (single seater, light attack version)
• Extend the project to include the MB.339A (there are a lot of commonalities between the 326 and the 339, and I have some draft material on the 339... but that is a lot of work)

That being said, I believe there is no way to complete anything before end of 2014 - beginning of 2015.

...and in reply to your questions: YES I'd like to to an Eurofighter too. Problem is that, as you know, this is just a hobby for me and my "bandwidth" is full. When the MB.326 project will be in a better shape, we will see...

Current status of my projects...

First my apologies for not having replied to some of your messages and questions... I try to do what I can to reply to everybody, but I do not have much time and providing support is difficult... sorry for that.
Anyway, here is a quick recap on where we are with my various flight simulation projects... let's start with the older ones:

T-45C GoshawkI have spotted (and already fixed in my internal build) a couple of minor bugs in the Goshawk cockpit...but the big news is that the Tacpack will finally implement training bombs, and so I will update the Goshawk accordingly... so basically I am waiting for VRS to update the Tacpack before proceeding. Should that not happen in the next few weeks, I will release the bug-fixing update anyway.

F-14D Tomcat
No plans for further update at the moment. There may be a P3Dv2-only version in the far future.

F-35A/B/C Lightning II
There are a couple of things that I would like to improve/fix...also I have received a tweaked flight model from an user that, in many instances, seems to replicate well the (very few) performance and flight test results available to the public. I need to find the time to test the new flight model properly, to make sure there are no pitfalls... anyway looks like it may be worth another update. 

S-3B Viking
Feedback from the Beta testing phase is largely positive and ecouraging, thank you! There seem to be very few things that need fixing which is a very good result IMHO.
I will proceed with bug fixing asap - it may take two/three weeks to fix the issues and release version 1.00.

MB.326/339 projectThis is looking very good IMHO. At the moment, the external model of the MB.326E is 95% complete (except the ordnance)... project strategy is still TBD, as the top priority is to deliver the Viking.

Aside, given the time these projects are taking is growing so that this activity has almost become a second job, I am considering, once again, the possible switch to "freemium" payware strategy. For example, we may have the ES-3 and US-3 models to be available as payware (while the S-3 will aways remain freeware) and/or the additional MB.326 models (e.g. the Tacpack enabled versions, or the single seat version) as payware, while the base model will remain free...
At the moment I am just thinking about that... then we will see. The main target, for me, is and will Always be to get the best quality with the few resources I have for this hobby...but as you may guess, this FSX-hobby of mine has grown to quite large proportions...
Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

New Project Announcement: Aermacchi MB.326 (and derivatives)!

The most frequent question I am asked about my Flight Simulator project is by far "Can you do a good model of [insert favourite plane here]?"
F-4, F-16 and EF-2000 are the most recurrent requests, by the way.
Well, I think I had already clarified that my next project (after the S-3B Viking, I mean) will be the Aermacchi MB.326.
If you follow this blog or read my facebook page, you will surely know why: some months ago I had the chance to fly in the beautifully restored Aermacchi MB.326E owned by Renzo Catellani and I completely fell in love with this great machine.
Another reason why it seems to me a great choice is that so far I have mostly made U.S.Navy models, and I have neglected the aeronautical heritage of my own country.
And a third reason is that it has been a huge commercial success, and the aicraft has a huge base of worldwide fans.

For those who did not know (from Wikipedia), the MB-326 is a light military aircraft designed in Italy. Originally conceived as a two-seat trainer , there have also been single and two-seat light attack versions produced. It is one of the most commercially successful aircraft of its type, being bought by more than 10 countries and produced under licence in Australia, Brazil and South Africa.It set many category records, including an altitude record of 56,807 ft (17,315 m) on 18 March 1966. More than 600 were built.

The model will be developed according to Flight Simulator X: Acceleration SDK, and will be compatible with Prepar3d.
The base model will be, or course, the Aermacchi MB.326E, which is a two-seater armed version (6 underwing hard points). Starting from this base model, it should be relatively easy to:
- convert it to an ealier unarmed version (i.e. the original MB.326 design)
- create a single seater attack version (such as the MB.326K)
...and, well, it is also true that many parts are common or similar to the MB.339, so may be this will come sometime in the future.

As for the weapons, my plan is to support the Tacpack and include all the relevant weapons that will be available (not many at the moment... MK.82, additional guns and rocket pods).

In terms of time frame, I will first release the S-3B Viking (full release may take a couple of months)...so do not expect anything before the next winter.

Here is how it looks in Prepar3D at the moment (boy the cloud shadows are really something!)...

 

..and here is yours truly in control of the real deal :-) !