A flight on an Aermacchi MB.326

My fortieth (40th!) birthday is just few weeks away and so came my middle-age crisis. So, instead of buying a motorbike, I spent full monthly wage (and then some) in a flight in a Aermacchi MB.326: an absolutely unforgettable experience and a dream come true! Just a few maneuvers were enough to turn my stomach upside down, so we decided enough to turn my stomach upside down, so we decided to stick to a very basic flight, but I had the chance to take the controls for few minutes and it was totally AWESOME! Here are few pics of this incredible experience.

Let's start with the real star: the Renzo Catellani's Aermacchi MB.326 restored by the VolaFenice Group in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Aermacchi MB-326 is a light military jet aircraft designed  in the fifties by ing.Ermanno Bazzocchi for Aermacchi in Varese, Italy Originally conceived as a two-seat jet 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.Simply put, the conditions of this restored aicraft are really spectacular!The aicraft looks like a brand new one - this is simply amazing, considering they started from a scrapped aicraft which has been kept in open air for years.This is a -E version, that was an armed variant, with 6 hard points. Only 12 of this variant were built. This is the only MB.326 in flying condition in Europe - and one of the very few in the world

Above is a picture of the pilot's cockpit. Keeping in mind I am a very short guy, it was not as narrow as I thought, and was actually relatively comfortable. Still, pulling the stick at full travel was kind of cumbersome as it could easily hit your legs.

And above is yours truly dressed up for an incredible flight. The military flight suit feels a little cumbersome initially, but you easily get used to it and to its weight. Volafenice provided a complete Italian Air Force military flight suit, complete with anti-g trousers - by the way the anti-g system was fully operative - and felt a little weird when in action.

Strapped in the cockpit - you can't really move much in the cockpit and that is, of course a good thing. A small lever on the right side allows (temporarily) for more shoulder movement if need be. The ejection seats (which were not operational) were a little uncomfortable - but pilot comfort in military jets is a relatively new concept.

Ready to start the engines. Just the sound of the engine was totally incredible - and when we hit full throttle for take-off it was totally awesome.

Taxiing for take-off at the airport of Reggio Emilia. Unfortunately the weather got a little worse during the day... up to a couple of hours before takeoff the weather was absolutely perfect.

Happy (albeit a little dizzy!) after the flight! The pilot gave me controls for a little, just a couple of turns and then we tried an intentional stall. The MB.326 is easy to maneuver and very accurate. Also, bringing it to stall took forever and the behavior was really good. No surprise it has been such an extemely successfull trainer.

I think this photo speaks for itself! A dream come true...and, then, well...I'd want more! Still I feel extemely privileged of having lived such a wonderful experience

Albenga Air Show (and a word about Mediafire)

A very poor picture from my cell phone of the "Big Wing" flyover, the last maneuver in the Frecce Tricolori show

Yesterday I attended the "traditional" Albenga Air Show, in which I had the chance to see once again the Frecce Tricolori and their amazing show. I've seen it several times and it never fails to amaze.
If you are an aviation enthusiast, you must see it.
As a whole, the Albenga Air Show 2012 itself was slightly smaller than the previous edition, but there were some spectacular performance from various acrobatic planes, including a Katana T30, a Mudry CAP 10 and Zlin 50. But to me, the most impressive demo was the one of the Piaggio 180 (whose factory is at walking distance from my office), which included barrell rolls (!) and showed an amazing agility for an aircraft of that type. Cool show, and well worth the trip.

In other news, I had several problems with Mediafire - and I will abandon it. First, the virus spreading in through it - which caused many inconveniencies to some users. Second, I had received (obviously fake) copyright infringment claims - which blocked my files.

Now, I am uploading the new T-45C (version 2.25) on Google Drive to see if it is a viable option (apart from Flightsim and Avsim of course).

Ah, yes - whenever I see the Frecce Tricolori I always come back home willing to do a Aermacchi MB339...but then, well, back to reality, for the moment I really do not have the time.

The real F-35 Full Mission Simulator

The F-35 Full Mission Simulator

As my previous post was about the real T-45C simulator, here is a picture of the first real "Full Mission" Simulator of the F-35, recently delivered by Lockheed Martin to Eglin Air Force Base's 33rd Fighter Wing.
Obviously this simulator sports state-of-the-art fidelity and realism, as well as a top-notch visualization system and, of course, can be set to simulate all the variants of the F-35.

Back to videogames (yes...I am a blasphemer...I still consider FSX just a videogame...) I have some good news. Meaning that I've made some significant progress with the T-45C student/pilot cockpit...and graphically I'd say it is 90% complete - I just miss some minor details here and there and I'd like to redo a couple of textures. It looks good IMHO. It is mostly "hand-drawn" meaning it looks less photographic and a little more stylized - but it is also much closer to the real deal - and IMHO it is closer to the general graphic style of FSX (& Flight - I hope that it will be possible to port it to the new simulator). Long story short it looks better than the previous one - and it is also less resouce-intensive so that it may be possible to model the instructor cockpit too (albeit I will probably not replicate some minor differences between the two cockpits that are there in the real plane - like different layout of external lights controls to name one). Still the instructor cockpit presence is not confirmed - I may not have time to complete it in a reasonable time.

I will post some WIP pictures of the new cockpit as soon as I've placed all the missing details - probably during the next weekend.

Now, that is a T-45C simulator...

That is a wide screen!

This is (or should be) an actual screenshot... Javier's carrier looks definitely much better :-)

I've recently spotted on the internet few pics of the "real thing", that is the real T-45C simulator... So here they are. The simulator is static and sports a pretty wide screen (although we "simmers" know that it is not the best of the best out there) which seems very effective. In terms of graphics, well, Javier's carrier looks much better IMHO :-) but again, these simulators are not made to impress with graphic realism (or have fun), their job is to help you learning the instruments and the procedures... Then, given the high standards of many "hardcore simmers" (i.e. "I bet I could land a real Tomcat even if I've never touched a real plane" armchair pilot) , I'd bet that there is someone that may consider this simulator "too arcade" :-) Talking about arcade games...for those who missed them, there are some new Microsoft Flight screens on the official website (here). The pattern seems to be a monthly update (alternating screenshots and videos). I think it looks pretty good. Although many will think it is very similar to FSX, on closer inspection, there are some interesting tweaks that make it look much better (for example a MUCH better shadow algorithm - which include autogen now). On the graphic side, I'd say so far so good. I just hope the performance will be good. Also, I think that, at this point it seems clear that, in spite of the name change, this seems to be a new version of Flight Simulator. It will probably have some more missions (which I like) and a "casual mode" (which to allow your 5 years old son fly a 747, but I'm sure it will be optional). I'd be surprised if the maximum level of realism will be lower than the one of FSX - and I honestly can't wait to see more of this new release. I just hope that there will be an efficient way to convert FSX native add-ons to Flight...

Real AF-1 ready to fly at Edwards (and F-35 drop tests)

F-35 AF-1 with final painting/finishing. Will fly to Edwards soon.

In the past few weeks, the real F-35 project achieved several major milestones, including first vertical landing for the F-35B, first flight of a fully mission-equipped plane and drop tests of the F-35C. Now the AF-1 is back from the calibration lab and received its final livery (which looks close to the one I did based on drawings - the major difference is that the real characters are smaller).

By the way seeing the F-35C drop test videos (link below, also on youtube - and good source to estimate F-35 carrier landing parameters) reminded me of drop tests we did when I was working for major mobile phones company... but on a much bigger scale!

Sources:

AF-1 Completes Final Finishes, Scheduled to Return to Flight

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/100413ae_af-1-final-finishes.html

First Lockheed Martin Mission Systems F-35 Enters Flight Test

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/100407ae_f35-mission-systems-flight-test.html

Lockheed Martin's F-35C Lightning II Carrier Variant Undergoes Drop Testing

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2010/100409ae_f-35c-drop-test.html

First flight of the fifth real F-35

The fifth F-35 prototype BF-03, landing after its first flight.

While I am struggling to find the time to complete and pack the Beta version of the virtual Lightning II, in the real world the fifth F-35 had its first flight. It is the BF-3 (that is the third STOVL prototype), and as you can see from the picture, it is completely painted in dark grey - which I assume it will be the standard livery for all the prototypes.

So, since the AA-1 has been retired, now there are four F-35s flying: AF-1 (CTOL), BF-1, BF-2 and BF-3. BF-1 and BF-2 are currently in Patuxent River and are undergoing a series of test flights that will culminate in the first actual STOVL flights - see http://www.jsf.mil/ for some cool hi-res pictures and additional details (including videos of the first lift-fan in-flight engagements).

As for the FSX projects... well, as I said I am struggling to find the time to work on it.
For those who are curious, the major differences from the beta will be:

• an updated visual model with more detailed 3d geometry (especially in the landing gear and refuel receptacle aeras) and more detailed textures - with slightly different coloring.
• a better flight model - with special thanks to Roberto Leonardo who provided some substantial tweaks to the .air file. The plane has now a more realistic turn performance, and a more "neutral" behaviour, in attempt to emulate the effects of an advanced FCC/FCS system.
• more VC functionality: it is now possible to change the functions of the four areas of the MFD by picking from the menus on the bottom. At present, HSI (with map mode), RADAR/MAP (with terrain mode), FCS modes are working (but do not expect anything too fancy - I've extensively reused FSX code for those) - ENGine, (mock) WEaPon, COMmunication, ICWS and FUEL modes are planned. SWAP and MENU button should be functional, too.

The MFD functionality is the thing that needs more work... may be 10-12 hours. Hopefully I will complete it in the next weekend.

Last I need to apologize again to anyone who has sent me an email in the past few days - my email is working but I did not find the time to reply, even to messages that are quite important for the project.

First flight of the Sukhoi T-50

Sukhoi T-50 first flight

A very interesting plane has made its first flight a couple of days ago - the Sukhoi T-50, that is the first Russian stealth fighter. Looks like a YF-23/Su-27 hybrid to me...and it also makes some of the Ace Combat 6 aircrafts look a little more lifelike... Here is a video of the first flight:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8487026.stm

As for the Flight Simulator X F-35 project is proceeding in the right direction - and I'm confident that the Beta will be noticeably better than the Alpha in almost every respect. Hopefully it will be ready in a week or so.

The real India Foxt Echo

This is me in front of the Socata TB.9 Tampico I-IAFE of the Genova Aeroclub, during Genova Air Show 2004. This is the only time I remember in which the public was allowed to get into the parking area of the Sestri airport. So I took the chance to take picture with my old friend :-)

Another view of the I-IAFE, on the back there are the hangars of the Piaggio Aero Industries, where the amazing P.180 is manufactured.

And this is the Aviamilano P.19 Scricciolo I-GAGI, on which I logged roughly 10 hours. It was cheaper than the TB9, but it was also a significantly older machine. It was also much fun to fly, in my opinion, as its rough cockpit gave you a strong "I am flying" feel, rather than the TB9 that felt like "I am driving a modern compact car" :-) Some days ago I discovered (thanks to google) that it has been acquired by a member of the CAP Lazio and will be restored to flight conditions. By the way, basic P.19 was a taildragger - but could be asily modified to tricycle, as I-GAGI was.

When I started this blog, one of the hardest things was to chose a name for it. I admit IndiaFoxtEcho was not a bright choice. It it the "shortened" callsign of I-IAFE, the plane on which I spent most hours during my days as student pilot at the local Aeroclub. It is also the plane on which I did my first solo flight in 1992.

While I had to sacrifice some things, like the "traditional" European-trip vacation that most people do in the summer between high school and university, I owe the fantastic experience of earning the Private Pilot Licence to my parents.Well,in a broader but more exact sense, I owe them everything. They are hard working people who supported me in everything I wanted to do, and after many years spent working they are currently enjoying retirement. The PPL was expensive and we surely were not a rich family.

I quit flying few years later for several reasons, main one being the money. Flying is a very expensive hobby. And the more I did it, the more I wanted to make new experiences, fly other planes and see other places, but I could not afford more than being a "sunday pilot". Takeoff from Sestri, go to Portofino then back to Sestri. And I could not afford to try more complex and more expensive planes. So, I had to admit that at some point I got bored. But I do not regret anything. Getting a pilot licence is one of the things I always wanted to do, one of those things you want to do before you die. It was great, I am still proud of "eagle" pin and I am grateful for having had this opportunity.

At the time I quit, I logged 52 hours, flying TB-9, PA-28 and P.19. Apart from Genova Sestri, I've also landed and took-off from Albenga, Sarzana Luni, Pisa, Lucca and Cuneo Levaldigi.

Now, in order to give some sense to this post (apart from the self-celebrating amarcord), I wanted to share with you three "lesson to be learned" I took when I was a student pilot:

Lesson 1 - Pride is dangerous.

Being only 165cm tall I am definitely a short person. Which, when you are 18 years old, it is a fact you should have accepted. But I did not. So, when I was flying the P.19 I was advised to use a small cushion so that I could operate the pedals in a more comfortable way. Of course I refused the cushion, which was kind of a symbol of the fact I was short. Fact is that I was not comfortable, so one time it happened, during one flight, that one of my legs "fall asleep" (don't know the proper English for it - hope you get what I mean). Result: when landing, just after touchdown, the plane steered abruptly and I could not correct it as I could not move my leg. Good thing there was the flight instructor.

Lesson 2 - Trust the procedures

One problem you may have if you are a GA student pilot is that if you home airport has a big unobstructed runway, you are not really used to smaller ones. Albenga has not a small runway, but has a small hill on its side that, in case you are not making a straight-in approach from the sea, forces you to make a higher pattern than the one I was used to to at Sestri (which is at sea level and all patterns are done 1000ft over the sea). So, I was slightly afraid to be low...and overshoot the 1500ft (if I remember right) reccomended altitude. Result: I was very high at landing, hence very fast and I had the plane floating a lot over the runway. And I touched with a harder-than-usual landing almost in the mid of the runway. I should have declared a missed approach and retry.

Lesson 3A - Flight must be carefully planned/1

That is, look at the charts carefully and think ahead of what you should expect. I was flying solo from Sestri to Levaldingi, which in VFR basically means: follow the highway from Genova to Savona, then from Savona to Fossano. The issue was I had not planned how to reckon Fossano from the other towns (neither visually nor with a VOR reading). So I missed it, and while I was trying to understand where I was I got disoriented in the middle of the Piedmont countryside. Visibility was decreasing, so I decided to go back to Genova - which was a wise decision - albeit I had to cross the mountains with marginal VFR conditions - but I intercepted the highway to Savona and then I got back safely.

Lesson 3B - Flight must be carefully planned/2 (and you should look around you)

That is, look at the approach charts carefully. While planning your flight,pay particular attention to obstacles around airports you don't know - like high voltage lines, even if they are not close to the path you think you will follow.

In this case I was flying with my instructor (cmdr.Sincich) to Sarzana Luni. It is mainly a Navy helicopter base, with a small runway. Much smaller than Sestri. So, while landing, I was completely focused on the runway itself, and did not notice the high voltage lines. When the instructor warned me,we were not really close to them and there was no real danger. But I still remember this episode as I my attention was so completely focused on one thing (the runway) that I was not looking at anything else.

Flying was a great experience that marked my life forever.

P.S. As for FSX, F-35 development is slowing down due to lack of time. In these days my job is absorbing much of my energies. I'll post an update asap.

EDIT: Forgot to say that all of the episodes above happened almost 17 years ago...

Firefighting and spectacular flying

Fire on Monte Moro, over Quinto and Nervi - at the Eastern limit of Genoa. Due to the exposure, this picture is overly dramatic. The fire is very large and quite close to the houses, but thanks to the hard work of the firemen, there has been no risk for the population.

At the moment I am writing, two Canadair CL415's and one S-64 Skycrane are flying in a vast firefighting operation just above my house.
In the past 24 hours a fire has burnt most of the woods in the Eastern part of Genoa, requiring a major effort by firefighters who have been working continuosly. There seems to be no risk for the the population, as the fires nearby the inhabitated areas have been extinguished - so it is possible to admire the spectacular flying of the Canadairs and the Skycrane collecting water from the sea and immediately dropping it on the nearby hills, without worrying too much for people's safety.

The Canadair is really an amazing machine. It is an usual guest at the local airport during summer and I've seen its demo in several airshows - and its maneuverability never fails to impress me. Seeing it landing on the water is simply spectacular - and it is even more spectacular seeing two of them in action together with the Skycrane. It is also a machine that would deserve more attention in FSX. Massimo Taccoli created an excellent FS2004 freeware model (link below) but afaik there is no triple-A FSX native model so far... But do not start asking me to do one, as my agenda is full...

http://www.maxtac.it/maxtac/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=36&Itemid=59&limitstart=16

Skycrane is also impressive, as it is considerably larger than the average chopper - and surely much larger than the ones that usually populate the sky over Genoa.

Kudos to the aircrews and the firemen for their courage, skill and professionality - they acted promptly so that there has been no major incovenience to the population (apart from a blackout and a traffic-jam, of course) - and the only trouble I had was to clean my scooter from the ashes before going to work.

EDIT: I've just read in the news that the Canadairs were 4 and not 2 - I can only imagine the level of training and coordination required in such a scenario.