SIAI-MARCHETTI S-211 FREEWARE RELEASE FOR X-PLANE 11

 

As promised, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of commercial operations of IndiaFoxtEcho Visual Simulations, I have decided to re-release the SIAI-Marchetti S-211 for X-Plane 11.30 as freeware.
The package can be downloaded by clicking here.

I'd also take the chance to offer my apologies to X-Plane 11 users as I have not been able, so far, to support that simulator adequately. X-Plane 11 is a great flight simulator, and is, in many respects, superior to Microsoft Flight Simulator in my opinion (for one, the flight modeling approach of XP11 is better and way more flexible).
I am exploring other way to support this platform in future - in the meantime I hope you will enjoy the S-211 - a fun little jet which, in real life, did not reach the popularity it deserved IMHO.

PROJECTS ROADMAP UPDATE - JUNE 2020

As the M-346 is approaching the public release, I thought it was time to share my current plans.
This is basically what I have on my hard-disk...in no particular order. Completion of the projects will depend on a number of factors.

The general plan is as follows:

- Lead platform: for the time being, the lead platform is still Prepar3D V4.4 / v4.5 /v5.0. The lead platform may change in future. The general idea, however, is to pick the best platform for each project depending on where it will be possibile to create the best product.

- Microsoft Flight Simulator: the plan is to support the new Microsoft Flight Simulator, initially by converting the planes we thing are most fit for conversion and with proper quality.

- X-Plane 11. Still some work going on with XP-11...mostly conversion of existing projects.

- Other platforms: we are actively working on partnerships and cooperations.

F-35 LIGHTNING II - VERSION 4.00 for MSFS / P3Dv5

The general idea is to have a new baseline of the F-35 project, rebuilt to comply with MSFS standard.
At the moment, however, STOVL capabilities in MSFS are unclear… so the project is limited to the F-35A for the time being.
PROJECT STATUS: PRELIMINARY WORK

TA-4J FOR X-PLANE 11

The conversion is almost complete...it just needs some minor tweaks to the flight model and avionics before moving to the Beta stage.
PROJECT STATUS: ALPHA BUILD COMPLETE

MC.72 for MSFS / P3Dv5 (and XP-11 maybe?)

The Macchi Castoldi MC.72 is established the world speed record in 1934, and held it until 1939 and is still, to date, the fastest piston seaplane ever built. I thought it would be fun to have one in the sim.
PROJECT STATUS: PRELIMINARY 3D MODELING

F-14D SUPER TOMCAT REBUILD for MSFS/P3Dv5

The idea here would be to rebuild from scrathc my F-14D Tomcat. Given the high quality of the F-14B in DCS, the interest on this project may not be great. Still it is looking cool.

PROJECT STATUS: ON HOLD - PRELIMINARY 3D MODELING COMPLETE - NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES AT THE MOMENT.

BOEING T-X for MSFS/P3Dv5
I quite like this plane...but at the moment the infomation on the cockpit and the avionics is scarce. Waiting for more info.
PROJECT STATUS: ON HOLD - AWATING MORE INFORMATION

BOEING MQ-25 STINGRAY for MSFS/P3Dv5
This started as an experiment to make a naval drone. Looking good and seems a great complement to the F-35 in some scenarios.
PROJECT STATUS: 3D MODELING COMPLETE - NOT ENOUGH RESOURCES FOR THE MOMENT

BOEING T-45 GOSHAWK for MSFS/P3Dv5
I had started a remake of the Goshawk project… but there may be competing products in development...so no further progress has been done.
PROJECT STATUS: ON HOLD - POTENTIAL CANCELLATION

M-345 for MSFS/P3Dv5
There is now some information available on the new M-345 trainer...and it would be cool to transform the M-345 prototype in the M-345 production model.
PROJECT STATUS: ON HOLD - DOCUMENTATION REVIEW

SIAI Marchetti S-211 for X-Plane 11.30 Beta Test

As per my usual procedure, here is a post to collect the feedback from the selected Beta testers for the upcoming SIAI-Marchetti S-211 project for X-Plane 11.30.

Testers are encouraged to provide feeback by either posting comments to this post (preferred, so that other testers can see them too) or by sending an email (subject shall be S-211 Beta testing feedback).
While providing feedback you are encouraged to provide a classification of the severity of the bug according to the following color code:

Red - Major problem which severely affects the functionality or the enjoyability of the aircraft. Ideally, all "red" issues must be solved before release.

Yellow - Important issue that affects the functionality or the enjoyability of the aircraft, but only to a certain point...basically you can still fly and have fun with the aircraft, but it would be better if the issue was cleared.
Green - Minor issue or observation which would be nice to see solved or added to the plane, or a red/yellow problem which has been solved.

Blue - Suggestions, which may or may not be implemented.

Testers can use, at their will, this spreadsheet (in Excel format) to collect their findings.

If you need further information please find the real world flight manuals here:

http://www.avialogs.com/index.php/en/aircraft/italy/siai/s-211.html

SIAI MARCHETTI S-211 for X-Plane 11.30 SUMMARY OF BUGS AND CHANGE REQUESTS:
Last compiled by Dino on 15/07/2019 23:00 CET

External model

S211XPEX01 - Remove before flight ribbon pierces through geometry (tail pipe cover only). Fixed in internal build 24/06.

S211XPEX02 - UVW overlap in horizontal stab area causing "marching ants" visual issue. Fixed in internal build 24/06
S211XPEX03 - UVW overlap in trimtab actuator rods area causing "marching ants" visual issue. Fixed in internal build 24/06.
S211
S211XPEX04 - Texture mismatch neaby the engine servicing panels, left side. Fixed in internal build 24/06.
S211XPEX05 - Canopy opening piston animation glitch. Fixed 14/07S211XPEX06 - "Marching ants" UVW issues on the side of the cockpit. Fixed, duplicate polys 14/07
S211XPEX07 - One of the flap actuators is not working - Fixed in internal build 27/06
S211XPEX08 - Texture on glass of white nav light has wrong coordinates - Fixed in intenal build 27/06
S211XPEX09 - Rudder movement seems limited on one side - Fixed 14/07
S211XPEX10 - Castor wheel animation missing, fixed - Fixed 14/07

Cockpit model
S211XPVC01 - ADI bank indication does not move. Fixed in internal build 24/06.
S211XPVC02 - ATC radio not lit
S211XPVC03 - General comment about mouse wheel operations. Currently uses X-axis drag. Request to change to different interface or control system. Will require further investigation. SOLVED. Actually knob indicators do work with mousewheel. Redone all knob manipulators accordingly.
S211XPVC04 - Radio knob controls are not accurate enough for proper operation with current X-axis drag control. Redone knob controls with knob command and knob axis manipulator. Now working.
S211XPVC05 - Kholsmann setting not working. Redone manipulator with "knob axis". Now working.
S211XPVC06 - Unused Kholsmann setting manipulator handler (leftover from removal of backup altimeter)
S211XPVC07 - Oil pressure needle not working - Fixed in internal build 27/06
S211XPVC08 - Hydraulic pressure needle not working - Fixed in internal build 27/06
S211XPVC09 - Cabin Press Altitude needle not working - Fixed in internal build 15/07
S211XPVC10 - NDB knob difficult to use, change to knob manipulators. - Fixed in internal build 15/07
S211XPVC11 - Taxi/Landing light switch works only for Landing light… this is actually as per design, as it was programmed to have only Landing light working… but still it would be nice if we could have both.
S211XPVC11 - Landing light switch not lit
S211XPVC12 - Gear lever advisory light not lit
S211XPVC13 - Missing digital indication on engine RPM
S211XPVC14 - Implemented proper controls of the Transponder
S211XPVC15 - Implemented oxygen system
S211XPVC16 - Glideslope needle not working - Fixed

Flight model

S211XPFM01 - Excessive tendency to variate pitch depending on flap position, requiring too much trim action to the pilot. Fixed 14/07

Other

S211XPOT01 - Sound package perceived as low quality (engine noise). Note that the current package is done with real world aircraft recording...but it has been downsampled to 22KHz for use with legacy X-Plane sound system. X-Plane 11 can also implement sounds through FMOD, although indie licence is limited to 1 project per year…

Siai Marchetti S-211 for X-Plane 11.30 - Beta Test Application

My first project for X-Plane 11 is in short final for Beta testing - so, if you are willing to help with the testing, in this post you will find the instructions to apply.

First, this is meant to be a "budget" payware project (15-20 Euros maximum) - the scope of this project is to provide a decent light jet trainer simulation… and much like in reality, this simulation project is meant to be fun to fly.
It will not be a study-level simulation, but all essential systems should work as expected and you should be able to conduct both VFR and IFR operations.

As usual, I am looking for testers with various level of aviation experience and skill, but I am looking in particular for users who know the XP11.30 scene well and can help with an assessment of this project in comparison with other similar products.

Hardware requisites:
- Anything that can run XP11 well
- Given that the plane uses a lot of high res texture, I believe that 2Gb video memory are needed… but that is just my estimation

Software prerequisites:
- X-Plane 11.30 or newer (the plane uses the new jet engine modeling, so will not work with older versions of XP11)

As usual… the Beta tester for my projects is not a paid position, by any stretch of the imagination: you do it just for the fun of doing it.
If you are willing to help, send me an email to indiafoxtecho.gmail.com - the email shall contain:

- a BRIEF description of your system (no need of minor details, I just need CPU type and clock, RAM, video card and video memory)

- a brief description of your real world flight experience (if any) including (if any) your knowledge of the S-211 Aircraft (note… the Beta is open to everybody: from teenage desk flyers to WWII aces - I just need to know who I am talking with!). No need of long and detailed stories...just a line or two will do.

- your experience with X-Plane 11.

The topic of the email shall be "S-211 Beta Testing" (note...I thought this was an easy requirement, but apparently it is not...but it is very important: it helps me a lot sorting the messages and it shows that you can comply with instructions).

Note it may take 2-3 weeks to reply and provide a download link… so be patient.

Which Simulator Should You Buy (April 2019)?

Whenever I talk to people about my hobby, sooner or later during the conversation I always receive the same question: which simulator should I buy (and will my computer be able to run it)?
This is not an easy question, as it vastly depends on which kind of person you are talking to. He or she may be a gamer, an aviation enthusiast or an experienced pilot...and may prefer a long peaceful flight in an airliner, a scenic bush-flight over a wild region or an historically accurate air battle.
Therefore I typically reply with another question: what would you like to do in the simulator?
Depending on the question I will try and direct them to the simulator that may be the best fit between the ones I know (relatively) well.

So, as a quick recap and a go-to reference for the people I speak with, here is what I think of the simulators I use the most, and what I believe to be their strong and weak points as of today April 20th 2019.

But first, a word about the hardware:
In general you need a fast computer (I'd say a 3.0 GHz quad core minimum) and a good graphic card (by today standards a GTX 960 is probably the bare minimum). Some simulators run better than others, but running a modern flight simulator without a good computer is an exercise in frustration. A Windows PC is preferred over an Apple computer since not all the simulators are available on the latter.

Along with a fast computer with a good graphic card, you'll need memory (some sims can run with 4Gb but 8Gb should be the standard) and a sizeable available space in your hard drive. The required space will depend on the add-ons you will use, but I'd say that 256 Gbyte is the bare minimum...but be warned that many simmers typically have dedicated hard disks with 1 Terabyte or more: some add-ons (and in particular high detail photoreal sceneries) take a lot of space.

One last thing before we start: you'll need a flight stick. You do not necessarily need a replica of a real one, and you can buy a decent one for 40-50 Euros or less. But trying to use a flight simulator without one will drive you crazy. Be sure that it features a throttle control and a "twist" motion for the rudder.

Prepar3D v4

Published by: Lockheed Martin

Latest version: 4.5

Price: USD 59.95 (Academic); USD 199,95 (Professional)

Available on: Windows (64 bit)

Several years ago, Lockheed Martin acquired the rights to the Microsoft ESP platform, which was basically a tentative to market Flight Simulator X for professional simulation / visualization purposes. Lockheed Martin has constantly upgraded this simulator, adding a new rendering engine and a 64 bit code and maintaning a good backward compatibility with FSX. With the failure of Microsoft Flight and Dovetail Flight Simulator World, Prepar3D is the "de facto" heir to the venerable Flight Simulator legacy.
Disregard the incredibly expensive "Professional Plus" version which is meant for military use.

Strong Points:
- Backward compatibility with many FSX add-ons means that there are literally thousands of good quality add-ons, either free and payware. It is highly likely that a good rendition of your favourite plane or airport alreadyt exist for this simulator.
- Very flexible experience: you can fly anything from a glider up to a 747 anywhere around the world.

Weak Points:
- Default content is not great and the base scenery is outdated (looks a lot like Flight Simulator X). You'll need some add-ons to make it look good.
- Needs a very powerful computer to run well.

Recommended to:
Basically anyone who has an interest in flight simulation...but be warned: the default content is not great and you'll need to get some add-ons: there are some great freeware ones, but the best ones are typically payware.

Not recommended to:
Users who have no will to look for (and eventually buy) add-ons to improve the simulator.
Users interested in air warfare simulation: while P3D has a wide choice of (excellent) military aicraft, it does not support weapon functionalities by default (unless you buy the professional plus edition - which I do not recommend) although it can do that with packages such as vACMI, Tacpack or others. If you are interested in air combat you should first check DCS.

X-Plane 11
Published by: Laminar Research
Latest version: 11.33
Price: € 64,99
Available on: PC, MacOS, Linux

Strong Points:
- Simulation engines is based on an actual fluid dynamics model: arguably a superior approach with respect to table-driven engines like the one of FSX/P3D.
- Graphic engine runs well and does an excellent job in portraying small scale details.
- Some of the default aicrafts are really well done.
- Fantastic night lighting effects.

Weak Points:
- Default terrain textures are quite bland and repetitive. You'll need add-ons to make it look good.
- During the day, the default lighting engine is not great (poor water rendition, bland daylight brightness and shadows, poor cloud rendition).
- While there are some excellent add-ons out there, P3D in my opinion still has the lead with a wider selection of better quality add-ons (but the tide is changing).

Recommended to:
Basically anyone who has an interest in flight simulation. It is a great simulation and does a lot of things better than P3D (but not everything). If you have an Apple or Linux system, this is the best flight simulator you can buy. If you have a PC, choosing this over P3D may depend on your computer and which add-ons you would like to use.

Not recommended to:
Users interested in air warfare simulation: while XP-11 has a limited support for weapon functionalities, DCS is the simulator your should check first if you are looking for military flight operations

Aerofly Flight Simulator 2
Published by: IPACS
Latest Version: 2.
Price: € 59,99
Available on: Windows (64 bit), MacOS, Android

Aerofly FS 2 started as an attempt to bring a decent flight simulation experience to high end mobile devices and then was scaled up to a fully-fledged desktop experience. While its heritage still shows in the user interface, the fact that the simulator was designed for the limited resources of a mobile device makes it so that it runs really well on desktop computers, providing exceptionally good frame rates even if your hardware is not the latest and greatest. However there is no traffic, no multiplayer, no ATC and basically no weather system. It is just you, your plane and the photoreal scenery.

Strong Points:
- Exceptionally efficient graphic engine: runs really well and provides a fantastic performance in Virtual Reality.
- Very sharp photoreal textures (default scenery covers the majority of the western United States).
- Excellent choice of good quality default aircrafts. Both external and internal models are done really well.

Weak Points:
- No ATC, no traffic, no multiplayer: it is just your aicraft and the scenery.
- No water shaders, no cloud shadows, very basic clouds and almost non-existent weather system.
- Scenery coverage is limited to some areas of the world (coverage is slowly being expanded through add-ons).

Recommended to:
Anyone who would like to fly over a super-sharp phoreal rendition of the State of California or over the Grand Canyon. Flying in Virtual Reality is very impressive in terms of immersion and "feeling" due to the exceptionally high frame rate.

Not Recommended to:
Anyone looking into something more than basic flying: absence of traffic, ATC or multiplayer is a big drawback. And needless to say there are no military functionalities.

Digital Combat Simulator (DCS)
Published by: Eagle Dynamics
Latest version 2.5.4
Price: base software is FREE (one map, two planes)
Available on: Windows (64 bit)

Starting from the heritage of a successful combat flight simulator like Lock-On Modern Air Combat, Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) has become arguably the best air combat simulator available on an home computer. You can download the base software for free but it only features one map (Caucasus) and two planes (SU-25 Frogfoot and the TF-51 Mustang) - then you can buy a number of sceneries such as the Persian Gulf or the Nevada training range, and a growing selection of excellent aircrafts (including the F-14 Tomcat, the F/A-18 Hornet, the A-10 Thunderbolt and the AV-8B Harrier II). These add-ons are not cheap...but they are extremely realistic and detailed. WWII and Korean War warbirds are available too. DCS also includes a detailed simulation of ground vehicles and ships. 

Strong Points:

- Excellent rendering engine providing good performance and great scalability to small details

- The general quality of the add-ons is outstanding: while some of the planes are a little expensive, they are typically the best rendition available of the machine they depict.

- Arguably the best combat environment you can play on your PC

Weak Points:

- Some ground texture repetitions

- Weather engine is not great in some instances

- Scenery is divided in "maps" you need to buy. While they are large, you cannot fly anywhere in the world.

Recommended to:

Anyone interested in digital military simulations. DCS is the best combat simulator on the market.

Not Recommended to:

Anyone not interested in air combat. You may also want to check in advance if your favourite plane is or will be available for the platform, since the current selection of vehicles is somewhat limited.

Other Simulators:

The simulators listed above are the ones I know and use on a regular basis. But there are many Others you may want to consider… here are some of the most popular:

Flight Simulator X is still available on STEAM for 24,99 euros, although I think it is outdated and I do not recommend buying it. You may still consider it as an option if you do not own a high end PC.

Flight Gear is a collaborative effort to create an alternate, open source flight simulator platform - I have not checked it in a while but it seems way behind the simulations I have mentioned above.

If you are looking to WWII combat simulator, IL-2 Sturmovik is still considered by many the best simulator in that niche. I have to confess I have not tried it.

Believe it or not, Falcon 4.0 has still a large dedicated community that over the years has improved it considerably. Frankly I have not checked it in years and I think it is outdated.

...and then there are a many other simulators I have not played. But again these were just my two cents.

PROJECT ROADMAP FOR 2019

The E-2/C-2 project is close to completion, and given that this 2018 is slowly approaching to its end, I though this was a good time to share my current projects for 2019.
But first, let me thank you once again for your continues support to my projects - you enthusiasm and appreciation for what I do is much appreciated!

So, let's start with the easy things...

 UPDATES TO CURRENT PROJECTS:

As usual, I'd like to keep my projects up to date whenever possible...so here is what I am working on:

SIAI S-211 - A small patch is in the works to fix a couple of minor glitches. I am also looking to add a couple of liveries, a (much requested) smoke system and some sort of aiming support for weapons release (at least for the HUD-equipped versions). At least the glitches will be fixed before the end of 2018.

F-35 LIGHTNING II - Minor fixes to the BFI and MFD, possibly new liveries. The patch will be for P3D versions only. Release is planned before the end of 2018.

EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON - Also for this one, fixes to minor glitches are planned. I'd like to rework some aspects of the cockpit model too...but I am not sure I can find the time. Release date TBD.

F-14D SUPER TOMCAT - Although this project was "closed" years ago, I've been working on a P3Dv4 version to provide full 64 bit compatibility and AO support. I am not sure when (and if) it will be ready, so release date is TBD.

NEW PROJECT: McDONNELL-DOUGLAS TA-4J

If you follow my Facebook page this is hardly surprising, but my next project will be the TA-4J. The scope is to deliver a high quality rendition of this aircraft. By similarity there is some chance that the project scope may creep towards the inclusion of the TA-4F and/or the A-4F...but at the moment the focus in on the TA-4J.
With the current pace, a Beta version may be ready in spring 2019.

Lead Platform is Prepar3D v4, but with backward compatibility to FSX:SE in mind.

Also, the model will be built with provisions for an easy export to other platforms.

External model of the TA-4J in P3Dv4.3... it is already 50% complete.

Very early look at TA-4J cockpit… it will require months of work!

NEW PROJECT: BOEING T-X

I have been following the TX competition quite closely - and I have to confess that, technically, my money was on the T-50. However, for a number of reasons, seeing the victory of Boeing/SAAB design was hardly surprising.
I have been working on a T-X model lately, although at the moment, the information about the cockpit and pilot interface is insufficient for a reasonably accurate simulation. Provided that more information will become available in time, the T-X project should be available before the end of 2019.
Lead Platform is Prepar3D v4, but with backward compatibility to FSX:SE in mind (but chance is that the MFD may be too complex for FSX...much like it was for the F-35).
Also, the model will be built with provisions for an easy export to other platforms.

Early picture of the Boeing T-X in P3Dv4.3

...AND NOW THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: THE DECLINE OF FSX

As much as it is hard to admit it, I think that FSX is now technologically outdated, and its popularity is declining (albeit more slowly than most people predicted). And, while P3Dv4 is a good step forward, unless Lockheed Martin pulls a rabbit out of the hat with new shaders or a better rendering pipeline, chance is that P3D will follow. 

Continuing to support FSX is getting harder and harder, as basically you cannot use the new features of P3Dv4 if you want to maintaing backward compatibility - and developing multiple versions requires a lot of effort - especially if you are a small developer like me.

For these and other reasons, in the past years I have been closely looking at other platforms and made a number of experiments.

Still, at least for the TA-4J, I'll continue supporting both FSX and P3D as main development platforms. Then we will see.

X-PLANE 11

Unknown to most users, XP11 has a number of limitations in the aicraft modeling which make the conversion from FSX/P3D to XP11 not trivial (see the document I have published some time ago). Also, in terms of avionics, XP11 has almost everything you need for civil aviation...but not much for military planes, especially if they have digital instruments, MFDs and HUDs.

Anyway, I am moving forward with the conversion of the Siai Marchetti S-211, which feels at home in XP11, and, in 2019, the TA-4J. Given their avionics and cockpit features, they are relatively easy to convert.

I have been experimenting with the conversions of other aircrafts, too… but at this time I have nothing to announce.

The SIAI S-211 Flying in XP11 - it is almost complete...it just needs some work on the cockpit but it is already flyable.

AEROFLY FS-2 

While it is not much popular, I really like this sim for VR, sightseeing flights. Its excellent frame rate and high-resolution photoreal terrain make it the ideal showcase of my HTC Vive when friends come and visit me.

Unfortunately, with the current status of the SDK, developing aircrafts for this sim is very time consuming.

This is why I have recently released the unfinished S-211 for free lately.

I am not sure I'll have the time do other projects in future, but I'd like to, and then may be IPACS will improve the SDK. We'll see.

The SIAI S-211 in Aerofly FS2

DCS

The question I have been asked most in 2018 is, "Aren't you looking at DCS? Why don't you convert your planes for it?"...well… of course I've been looking at DCS. Below is a picture I took in an early attempt to convert the Eurofighter Typhoon to this platform.
However, the big problem with DCS is that it does not offer a "middle ground"...you either do simple mods (and rely on default functions) or you'll have to model each system on your own - which is very time consuming.
To develop a "decent" (and I am not saying "good" - by "decent" I mean FC3-level airplanes) you still need to assemble a good team, and it still requires a lot of work.
I am looking at different strategies for this, but, at the moment, no one is really a convincing way to move forward.

An early shot of the Eurofighter Typhoon in DCS - Don't hold your breath, at the moment it is just a test and may never become an actual product.

OTHER PROJECTS

...and that is not all. Back to FSX/P3D I have a number of other small projects on the drawing board… which include an MQ-25, the final release of the USS America model and the "pro" version of the T-45.

Also, I have been looking at making the M.C.72 as a divertissment, and I have been discussing cooperations for a number of other interesting projects - which I cannot disclose right now. The main problem is that I do not have much time - and, at the moment, quitting my real life job to only this is not an option...

How to Convert your aircraft 3DStudio model from FSX/P3D to XPlane11

It took me a while to undestand how the StepToSky XPlane11 plug-in for 3DStudio Max worked… I had tried to convert some of my models in the past, but could not get the animations to play or they looked wrong. Then, some days ago, I decided to try again and finally understood some of the basic concepts I was missing...and the S-211 is now flying in XPlane 11 too.

So I decided to write a small "guide/memo" to help other designers that may want to convert some of their models to XP11 but were baffled by the lack of documentation on the plug-in and how to use it.

This guide assumes that:
- You know how to develop a 3D model for FSX/P3D
- You have the model ready in 3D Studio Max
- You have correctly installed the Step2Sky Plug-in
- You want to convert your model to X-Plane 11
- You know how to use X-Plane 11 Plane Maker (and you have already prepared a flight model for the aircraft)

You can download the document HERE.

IMPORTANT: NO SUPPORT OF ANY KIND IS PROVIDED - I AM SORRY BUT I WILL NOT HAVE THE TIME TO PROVIDE SUPPORT OR REPLIES ON XP11

You may also want to check the channel JRollon Planes - this guy is amazing and shows you how to build a 3D model from scratch for XP11 in 3D Studio (warning: he uses an older version of the plugin with slightly different interface)

Roadmap for 2017-18 (Spoiler...more trainers!)

So... with the Eurofighter out of the door, it is time for me to think what to do next.
Well, in reality of course I have been planning and making some reseach for my new projects for several months...and here are my current thoughts.

F-35 LIGHTNING II UPDATE

I have been (slowly) rebuilding the source files for the cockpit, in order to create a new, official update to to the F-35 package. The update will be free for existing customers.
It will gather all the changes released through patches on this blog, and will also take advantage of some of the things I have learned and experimented with for the Typhoon (for one, better readability of the MFD and HMD, and improvements to the cockpit interface). I was trying to release this by the end of the month, but I am not sure I can make it. Here is how it looks like right now:

EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON UPDATE

I have also been working to fix the bugs and make some improbements to the Eurofighter package I released 10 days ago. Actually I have already a patch that will fix some of the issues in the current release, but I am waiting another week or so just to make sure that there no other high priority issues arise from the much larger user base (by the way...in 10 days on SimMarket the number of copies of the Typhoon sold has already surpassed the F-35 ones... which tells a lot about the popularity of FSX vs P3D, and of the Typhoon vs the Lightning)... The update will be released as a full installer in a couple of weeks.

SIAI MARCHETTI S-211

This is a small jet trainer, I have been working on for quite a while. After the ransomware attack I wanted a fresh start with a simple project (before deciding to resume the Typhoon) and since a privately owned S.211 is at the local airport I decided to do this. This project looks really good - although I realize that most people don't know this aicraft and may be a little puzzled by the unpopular choice. The extenal model is almost done, while I have dozens of great pictures of the cockpit taken at the local airport - so I believe this may be the best looking cockpit I have done to date (and possibly the most realistic aircraft I have made so far)...

LOCKHEED MARTIN T-50A

I have been seriously considering the T-50A, too. It is totally doable and would look great, and makes a lot of sense as an F-35-trainer... problem is that cockpit documentation is scarce, and there are not good pictures of it (especially for the side panels)

C-2 GREYHOUND / E-2 HAWKEYE PACKAGE

Feasibility for this project looks good but not great...I am postponing it to 2018.


SUPPORT FOR OTHER SIMULATORS

It is no mistery that I am playing with both AeroFly FS2 and X-Plane 11. They both have their own limitations, and, all in all, the FSX/P3D SDK is still way more flexible (at least for the 3D modeling and animation) than these two new platforms.
Still, I am considering to port the MB-326 and the T-45 to both platforms, and eventually the F-35A. But do not expect fully functional VC in neither.

Other projects I have been thinking about (or actually playing with):

T-45C GOSHAWK IMPROVEMENTS - There are some potential improvements which may not require the source files...

F-14 VERSION 3.0 - You really think I was not doing anything on the mighty feline? I am thinkering with improvements and new meshes... but I am not convinced it is the right way to go.

NEW MILITARY AVATARS PACKAGE: new models, with higher resolution meshes and mocap animations... this would look cool, but it is also relatively expensive to make (and sales of the current Avatar package are really low)

S-3 AI TANKER - I'll do it, sooner or later!

Impressions on X-Plane 11

The worst thing of being a flight simulation developer (well...apart from the sleep deprivation) is that you do not have much time to look and play with other people's creations.... there are literally dozens of aircrafts and add-ons that I'd really love to test, but I do not have the time. Let alone testing a completely new simulator.

So, I took a little break after the Typhoon release and had a look a X-Plane 11 while I am trying to decide what is better to do next... and here are my impressions. Please remind that this is X-Plane 11 Vanilla... no add-ons used.

Flight modeling

X-Plane series has always been famous for its flight modeling... basically, the flight model is derived from the "shape" of the aicraft, rather than numbers and parameters like in FSX/P3D. In some sense this is a much more elengant approach.

I do not know the intricacies of any of the stock aicrafts so well to tell "how good" they are - nor I have flown any of them for real... but the impression is that the all of the aircraft I tested had a very solid and realistic flight modeling. I have particularly appreciated the takeoff dynamics... for some reason I cannot explain they give you the best "takeoff run" feeling of any simulator I have ever tested. 

Graphics

The graphic it engine is impressive.... with a couple of drawbacks. Let's start with the things I did not like: the sea/water rendering, the stock textures and the day lighting. The water looks "fake" and a little flat - P3Dv3 makes a much better job in that respect (although still fa away from what modern graphics can do). And day lighting seems washed out - again P3Dv3 is superior in that respect IMHO... and actually Aerofly FS2 is even better - actually much better...it is the only one that manages to capture the intensity of a bright sunny day.

Stock textures are OK, better than FSX/P3D defaults (...not surprising as they are 10 years old!), but nothing to write home about.

And that's it for the not-so-great things...everything else is awesome.

The night lighting is miles above anything else - IT LOOKS REAL. And when you realize that even the cars in the streets have their own light source you marvel at this techical achievement.

Weather is also really good... and gives its best in the rendition of fog and low visibility conditions.

Another fantastic thing is the Autogen system. Much better, more flexible and more complete than FSX/P3D with an amazing level of detail (fantastic for helicopter flying!). By "flexible" I mean that it positions buildings and structures following the streets and the terrain features in a much more consistent and realistic way than FSX/P3D. Awesome job - with a minor note: the buildings look a litte tall, and there are not that many trees in italian cities and towns.

...and NO BLURRIES and NO STUTTERS.

Graphics performance

I would say it is very good to excellent. Sure, you I do not get the 200+ frames per second I get from AFS2, but if you consider how much is happening on the screen it is amazing. Sure, if you max out the sliders my old 3770k at 3.9GHz and the GTX1080 struggle to keep a smooth flight, but in general the performance is better than FSX/P3D in similar conditions.

Stock Aircrafts

Stock aicrafts are good, not great. The selection is OK and includes some planes specifically rebuilt for XP11, and some from previous versions. Considering only the XP11 aircrafts, they are good... I'd say they are great but the modeling and texturing (coupled with the "washed out" daylight rendering) makes it so that they do not look as good as stock AFS2 aicrafts. Still, they are way better than FSX stock aicrafts. In terms of systems and flight modeling they are really good for being stock aicrafts.   

Stock Scenery

EXTREMELY complete. Right out of the digital box you have the whole world, but the vectors and landclass definitions are much better than the stock FSX/P3D database - and they basically have a similar level of detail as ORBX Global Vector. Also, the default airports are much more detailed than in FSX and in general the stock scenery is way better. Still... the stock textures are good but not the best I have ever seen, and while the autogen is extremely detailed, some of its buildings look a little out of place (at least in Italy...but that is always the case in any simulator!).  

Weather

Weather graphical rendition varies from very good (cloud transitions) to excellent (fog). The effects in the aicrafts are just right - but my real life experience of flying in bad weather was really too short to judge.

Sound

Frankly the least impressive part of the package... it is not bad, but on my system it sounds OK but not great (maybe I am too much used to third party sound packages in FSX). Still, no complaints here.

Long story short:

LIKES

• It is the most realistic and complete flight simulator you can buy for your home computer.
• Night environment and lighting is absolutely superb.
• Astonishing level of detail and scalability of the autogen system
• Good stock aicrafts and extremely complete base scenery

DISLIKES

• Daylight rendering looks a little washed out
• Water rendering is not great
• ...it does not have the same add-ons as FSX ;-)!

Final remarks:

If you are looking for a complete, serious and realistic simulation (and you have a modern, relatively powerful computer) - right now X-Plane 11 is probably the best thing you can buy.

Out of the box it is a solid, complete package that will give you hundreds of flying hours and fun.

You have to consider, however, that FSX/P3D add-ons availability is unbeatable...and new versions of P3D and Flight Simulator are likely to arrive in the near future. Also, P3Dv3 does a couple of things better than X-Plane 11 IMHO.

Aerofly Fight Simulator 2 has its own merits too - but at the current status of its development it is not as complete as the other contenders. Still has the best daylight rendering, the best aicraft models (graphically speaking) and delivers a conving Virtual Reality experience (which P3Dv3 and XP11 do not do with FlyInside). 

The night lighting is FANTASTIC - by far the best I have ever seen in a home flight simulation.

Cloud transitioning in a MD-82 - Weather rendition is very good to excellent. Cockpits are in general very detailed (but do not look as good as the ones in AF2).

Day lighting is not as bright as it should be. This is one of the few things I don7t like about XP11.

The Autogen system places houses and buildings following steets, highways and geographical features and delivers a convincing (but a little "fake"-looking) rendition. Vector database is excellent.