Friday, October 4, 2013

F-35 Lightning II Version 2.30 (Limited Introduction)


Here is the much awaited F-35 update for FSX:Acceleration which also supports the Tacpack (version 1.4.0.8 or later required).
For the moment, it will only be available on this blog - in order to check it works correctly. Most likely there will be bandwith issues with Google Drive... anyway, as soon as it is confirmed that it works as it should, it will be uploaded at the usual repositories too.

Download from Google Drive by clicking HERE

REVISION HISTORY
Version 2.30
October 4th 2013
Added basic Tacpack Support (requires Vertical Reality Simulation's Tacpack module)
Added Tacpack compatible weapons (Cannon, AIM-9X, AIM-120C, GBU-31, GBU-10, GBU-12, JSOW, MK-84, Mk-83, MK82)
Added Tacpack A/A functions: Az/El search and L&S designation, Gun (Gun Director and Funnel modes), Sidewinders launch (Visual Boresight and Radar Slaved), Slammer launch (Visual Boresight and Radar Slaved).
Added Tacpack A/G functions: TOO mode, AUTO release, MANual release, CCIP mode.
Added Miscellaneous Tacpack functions: NVGs, Working RWR, Chaffs, Flares, In-flight Refuel.
Added Weapons Configurator
Added miscellaneous custom keystrokes
Added sonic-boom effects
Added anti-skid for wheels
Minor tweaks to very low speeds
Minor tweaks to roll rate
Added AF-01 and BF-01 textures
Minor improvements to -B and -C versions texture sets
Added Warlords tail art
Fixed weapon loads token weights mistakes
Added test flight nose probe (triggered by pilot weight – set it to 201 lbs and it will show)
Improved afterburner effects
Added heat shimmer effects

NOTE: FROM THIS RELEASE (2.30) A LIMITED INTEGRATION WITH VERTICAL REALITY SIMULATION IS PROVIDED. VRS TACPACK VERSION 1.4.0.8 OR LATER IS REQUIRED FOR FULL FUNCTIONALITY, BUT IT IS NOT MANDATORY FOR AICRAFT OPERATION.
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33 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 4, 2013 at 8:21 AM

    A very big thank you for the ton of work that went into this baby :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 4, 2013 at 10:13 AM

    Thanks for the appreciation!

    PLEASE NOTE THAT TACPACK 1.4.0.8 HAD AN ISSUE THAT COULD CRASH FSX ON SOME INSTALLATIONS... IT HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY WITHDRAWN AND WILL BE SOON REPLACED WITH 1.4.0.9 CHE VRS SITE FOR MORE DETAILS!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 4, 2013 at 11:01 AM

    hello dino, i have only version 1.3.2.2 of tacpack. there are no messages in my tacpack manager. so how can i update it to 1.4.0.8? regards heinz

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownOctober 4, 2013 at 11:11 AM

    Heinz,

    see message above - the Tacpack update is "on hold" at the moment for a last minute issue.
    AFAIK should be online soon - but please refer to VRS site for Tacpack support - it is their product, not mine!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 4, 2013 at 2:07 PM

    okay, thank you dino! :) but very nice work!! have a nice weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownOctober 4, 2013 at 4:15 PM

    Daniele,

    that is a known issue... actually has always been like this.
    This is the actual projection plane which is not "transparent enough" in some weather conditions (basically fog)... but that is the best I could do (i.e. I could not make it more transparent without losing readability) - you will have to live with that for now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownOctober 5, 2013 at 5:45 PM

    Good work as always Dino, also like before if you need any help uploading here in the us when the time comes just let me know. I would be more than happy to help.

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownOctober 5, 2013 at 7:55 PM

    Gotta say that since I've installed the new tacpac and your tacpac enabled F35, I'm flying the Lightning II more than the Superbug! Cant wait for the Tomcat!! Was wanting to ask you, though...Whats the chances of getting some paintkits for your wonderful planes,Dino? Please message me and let me know>> jimdsnow@yahoo.com << Thank you for all your amazing work!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. David ChenOctober 6, 2013 at 4:52 AM

    Thanks for the efforts to give us this great bird (as freeware!)

    Hope there are more coming in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownOctober 7, 2013 at 9:24 AM

    @David
    Yes, please upload it to flightsim. I don't know why, but it is always a pain for me to upload files there - takes a lot of time and often results in errors.

    @Jim
    Since I do not work with layered PSDs, there is (and there will not be) a "proper" paintikit. However, I will release "blank" textures soon.

    @All
    As for the F-14D, problem is I did not expect VRS to release the Tacpack last week...and therefore I started some further modifications that I'd like to complete before release.
    More news on the Tomcat later this week.

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousOctober 7, 2013 at 11:06 PM

    Try pressing the letter I while out of the cockpit on the F-35.I tried it and the guns fire?????

    ReplyDelete
  12. UnknownOctober 8, 2013 at 1:51 PM

    @Anonymous

    That is because the gun fire effect is a "smoke" effect, and pressing "I" (unless you have manually assigned a different key) activates the smoke effects.
    My Tacpack control code works only in the VC - and that is where the keys gets proxy-ed to Tacpack functions. I.e. out of the VC the standard key assignments will take over.

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownOctober 9, 2013 at 5:45 AM

    OK, uploaded to flightsim.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownOctober 9, 2013 at 10:22 AM

    @David

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  15. UnknownOctober 10, 2013 at 5:13 PM

    Dino,

    I have very little freeware on my system. It is all novelty stuff just for fun. In fact much of the payware aircraft on my system is the same just for novelty and fun. A whole bunch of Just Flight, Captain Sim, Aerosoft etc. stuff.

    My serious payware is the PMDG737, A3A C172,Flight1 P51, Milviz 737-200c, F86 and F15e. And to this esteemed list I add your T-45 and F35. You make the best freeware for FSX that I have ever seen. Better than most payware and in a league with best. Thanks very much for all the hard work you have done.

    By the way I notices in the t45 that the when I actuate the elevator trim with my controller it adjusts the elevator trim but in the VC the rudder trim knob moves instead of the elevator trim. I use FSUIPC

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jorge RoldanOctober 13, 2013 at 4:38 AM

    Dino Thankyou for your work, I need help building a cockpit for thr T-45, the DDI's use Control 70414 and these are not FSX controls , can you explain....

    Jorge

    ReplyDelete
  17. UnknownOctober 15, 2013 at 5:30 AM

    I don't know why it took so long, but v2.30 is finally available for download on flightsim.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. UnknownOctober 20, 2013 at 2:04 AM

    Hi Dino,

    Wonderful upgrades, thank you so much.
    Question: the plane is now on TACAN 57 for Javier's. How can I change to TACAN 87 for the SDB CVN Enterprise?
    Thank you,

    Johan

    ReplyDelete
  19. UnknownOctober 20, 2013 at 7:25 AM

    Hey Dino, I just wanted you to see the post I put on flightsim.com's forum today.


    VRS Superbug vs Dino Cattaneo planes



    I had the opportunity to check out the VRS Superbug on a friends machine recently. I have to say that compared to Dino Cattaneo's planes such as the F-35 and T-45 I really wasn't all that impressed especially for the $45 that the superbug cost. Dino is hard at work making all of his aircraft tacpac compatible which keeps him in the running as one of the top FSX aircraft designers. All of this is just my opinion of course, but felt is was worth sharing. Happy simming

    ReplyDelete
  20. UnknownOctober 20, 2013 at 3:45 PM

    As for the upload to Flightsim.com I think it took a while beacuse the file from this blog was not properly "formatted" for flightsim.com...

    As for the post at flightsim.com, well, thanks for the appreciation but VRS Superbug is an almost perfect rendition of the SuperHornet - actually I think that not many users are aware of all its features!!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. AnonymousOctober 25, 2013 at 1:11 AM

    Hi Dino, thanks so much for this great aircraft an all the work and effort you put into all your freeware aircraft!!! It is the first combat aircraft where I have been able to figure out how to designate and terminate ground targets. It is so easy!!! Is there any chance there will be a future version with more comparability with all the TacPac weapons?

    Andrew

    ReplyDelete
  22. PeteNovember 7, 2013 at 1:47 AM

    Hi Dino,

    I recently discovered your aircraft and I would just like to say that this F-35 is hands-down the best add-on that I have ever flown in FSX. In fact I have now decided to purchase TacPack purely so that I can experience all that your F-35 has to offer. Well done, and thanks for your outstanding work.

    Secondly, I have two quick questions regarding possible future enhancement that I think would be a great addition to your F-35:

    1) Do you ever plan to implement a HMDS HUD, i.e. so that if you look left or right in the VC, the HUD will “move with you” and remain in the center of your vision?

    2) Do you ever plan to implement a TacPack-enabled FLIR screen on the cockpit display, perhaps the size of a full half-screen portal?

    Many thanks once again. Your hours of labour bring much joy to fellow enthusiasts.

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousNovember 10, 2013 at 9:23 PM

    Hey Dino , I flew your new f-35 and I noticed you slowed Down its roll rate in all air speeds , as I mentioned before the roll rate needed to be a bit more dull at slower airspeed and faster at higher air speeds , just like the fsx blue angels latest f-18 release , is there any chance you can fix it?

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousNovember 11, 2013 at 7:29 AM

    @Pete
    The latest version of the F-35 and TACPAC does have the HMD... Maybe you have a latter version of either one of the two?

    Andrew

    ReplyDelete
  25. David ChenNovember 15, 2013 at 4:20 AM

    I'm impressed by the level of detail. Thanks for this wonderful bird.

    ReplyDelete
  26. UnknownNovember 18, 2013 at 12:42 AM

    Dino,

    Any chance of getting back the F-35A/B/C visual flight model without external weapons load (only with internals)? This is no longer available after it became a freeware. Thanks.

    Steven

    ReplyDelete
  27. JiriNovember 18, 2013 at 9:20 PM

    You can get rid of external load by properly reading the manual :) Station weight could be set to zero to appear as empty. J.

    ReplyDelete
  28. UnknownNovember 19, 2013 at 5:16 AM

    I notice that when viewing from the VC to the right-rear I can not see the wing tip as you do when viewing to the left rear.

    ReplyDelete
  29. UnknownNovember 22, 2013 at 6:21 PM

    Hi Dino,

    Roberto Soriano from Throttletek have been trying to contact you! I have made a full line of panels based on your sim and I will like to offer a set in Payment for your work! As well as share my plans on making a set of HOTAS system for it based on your software! Hope you can contact me!

    I have one suggestion. Automatic flaps settings on landing are very low making the Angle of approach very high a bit above the 5 degrees and makes visibility for landing not good. When you land it goes to 40 degrees which it is what you should have for approach making the angle of the nose lower with a better visibility for landing!! Is there a way to change this?

    I would also love the Autopilot Keypad enabled for Entries it will make this software even more complete! Here are the pics of my cockpit project based on your software:

    http://www.mycockpit.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27014&p=143970#post143970

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  30. SethJune 17, 2014 at 1:38 AM

    How can I download the F-35 with Tacpack?

    When I try the web site - I get error message

    I won't mind paying for it.

    Thank you for your help.

    ReplyDelete
  31. UnknownFebruary 14, 2015 at 11:53 PM

    well. it would appear i am a day late and a dollar short, the download link is inop. thats a shame, i would have loved to fly it

    ReplyDelete
  32. UnknownOctober 23, 2015 at 1:53 PM


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    ReplyDelete
  33. MrLouisMCAugust 23, 2017 at 4:06 PM

    Hey Dino, First off all thank you for this great plane but i have a question, What key do we use to drop Flares?

    ReplyDelete