Sunday, November 29, 2015

F-35 Lightning II version 3 for Prepar3D - Payware Product Page


Following the greatly successful release of the F-35 package for Flight Simulator X, here is a new version designed specifically for Prepar3D v2.5 (and above) with support of Vertical Reality Simulations Tacpack.
As the F-35 program progresses, a lot of infomation has been made available on the real aicraft - so it was possible to design a better, more realistic simulation of the F-35...and this package is an attempt to significantly improve the existing freeware version, bringing it to the next level of accuracy. Unfortunately, the development costs have been really high - therefore this package cannot be released for free. It will shortly be available for purchase on all major Flight Simulation portals (SimMarket, FSPilotShop and FlightsimStore).

Features:
- Improved pilot inteface and avionics, and based on the most recent videos of actual simulators used for pilot training
- New, high detail visual models based on professionally made meshes
- High detail texture sets, based on real aicrafts, for U.S.A.F., U.S.Marine Corps, U.S.Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, Italian Air Force and Norwegian Air Force
- Improved modeling and texturing of the Virtual Cockpit
- Improved MFD functionality, including Air To Surface radar (ASR), Distributed Aperture System (DAS) imagery, Targeting and Forward Looking Infra-Red (TFLIR Imaging)
- Improved HMD graphics and functionalities
- Improved flight model based on latest pireps and pilot interviews

- Custom F-35 pilot figures for Avatar Mode are included as bonus feature for Prepar3Dv3

Minimum hardware requirements: 
This is not a "lightweight" project - the complexity of the avionics and high detail of the visual models require a relatively powerful machine. We advise to use the package on a machine that meets of exceeds the following requirements:

- CPU: 4 cores, 3.0GHz or better
- GPU: Nvidia 660 or better, with 2Gb dedicated video memory
- RAM: 6Gb minimum
- Hard Disk space: 1Gb required
- Simulation platform: Lockheed Martin Prepar3D v2.5 or above. VRS Tacpack required for specific functions (see FAQs section)


Frequently Asked Questions:
Q - Is this package compatible with FSX?
A - This package has been designed from the beginning for Lockheed Martin Prepar3D V2.5 + Tackpack, and leverages some peculiar features of  this platform, specifically for the avionics. It is therefore not compatible with FSX - installing it in FSX will result in a non-functional MFD, and potential error messages. However, a patch is provided that installs an alternate, simplified MFD which is compatible with FSX:Acceleration, Gold and Steam Editions.
With this patch the following functions will not work: TFLIR, DAS, ASR. Also, you cannot maximize portals to half-screen and the TSD display is the "old" one (less realistic and based on the FS9GPS). Note that due to the high detail of the 3D model, the fps performance will not be very high. 


Q- Wait...but isn't your F-35 a freeware project? 
A- Well... it was. Meaning, the FSX F-35 package is freeware (up to version 2.41). The version depicted in this page is version 3 - which is payware. The reason for this is that the development costs have been quite high - mostly to pay for the enhanced meshes for the new visual model. I am sorry but this project cannot be distributed for free.

Q- Well...how is this different from the freeware version?
In the past two years, a lot of new information and data about the F-35 has been made available to the public, and this package leverages this as much as we could. For one, the 3D models are much better, with more realistic and detailed textures. Also, the flight model has been improved. And the MFD and pilot interface have been vastly reworked: a lot of work has been put in making the look and feel of the MFD more realistic and implementing features like DAS and TFLIR.

Q- Is Tackpack required?
A- The package has been designed from the beginning to leverage some specific Tacpack features to provide a more realistic depiction of the F-35 avionics. If Tacpack is not installed, following functions will not work: weapons configurator, ordnance release, TWD, chaffs, flares, DAS imagery, TFLIR imagery, HMDS off-boresight symbology. Basically you can fly...and nothing more.

Q- What about P3D version 3? How is this different from the stock F-35 that comes with P3Dv3?
A- The "stock" P3Dv3 version is a simplified version I provided to Lockheed Martin (for free) as I was not happy with the previous rendition, but it is actually a much simplified version of this package.
The package will work fine in P3Dv3, but at the moment I am writing this Tacpack is not (yet) available...so Tacpack dependent function will not work. Once Tacpack becomes available, those functions will activate when Tacpack is installed (no need to reinstall the F-35).








19 comments:

Joe said...

Liveries aren't backward compatible, right?

Have to check. Thanks Dino.

ScimmiaSpaziale said...

No - they are not. Well...they are not "completely" uncompatible as the new models share most UVW coordinates with the old ones... but basically it is a new model and has new textures. For one, all models have now bump maps that match the new textures... I hope you will all agree that the old textures are gone for good.

Joe said...

Thanks much :-).

Unknown said...

Dino,

Just made my purchase, absolutely amazing work! Haven't had a chance to really dig in because I'm late for work, but I can't seem to find your manual. Can you point me in the right direction please? Thanks again for adding what I know will be a fantastic aircraft to the flightsim community.

Happy sales from a grateful customer!

ScimmiaSpaziale said...

tbump34 - my bad...the manual location is not highlighted. It is in the DOCS folder of the F-35A (which is the "master" model - avionics point there).

Unknown said...

Hey Dino,

I have purchased the aircraft this morning and i can tell it is an absolute masterpiece. The aircraft looks and flies a lot better then the freeware version.

I did however encounter one problem. When doing a short take-off with the F-35B model, the nose gear "collapses". This happens when you go around 80 KIAS and it makes the aircraft bump into the ground. When doing it on a carrier, the aircraft falls through the carrier.

I encounter this problem both in P3D V3 and FSX

Is there a solution for this problem?

Best regards,
Randy Mulder

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ScimmiaSpaziale said...

@Randy Mulder

I am unable to replicate your problem - short take-offs seem to work fine on my machine (HOOK/STOVL mode ON, slam the throttle and rotate at 75-80kts), with no problems to the gear whatsoever...

Can you be more specific? Does the "STOVL copyright notice appear"?

Unknown said...

@ ScimmiaSpaziale

It is a little difficult to explain in words, so because of that i have made two video's showing the problem. I do get the STOVL copyright notice and STOVL itself works fine.

Ground take-off, filmed in Prepar3d V3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkqUX4Rz_rk

Carrier Take-off filmed in FSX, as i don't have carriers installed in P3D yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x5eWohcfXQ

As you can see in both videos the nose gear kind of collapses.

Cheers,
Randy

ScimmiaSpaziale said...

@Randy

Thanks for the video. I can replicate the issue, but I do not understand the root cause. Note however that you can prevent this from happening by pulling on back on the stick either from the beginning of the takeoff run, or at above 50kts-kts.
Anyway, I will look into that.

Regards

Dino

Unknown said...

Thanks Dino,

Please take your time, there is no rush :)

Best regards,

Randy

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

What about a Ilyushin Il-114?

Anonymous said...

Are you planning on making the A-10 warthog

Unknown said...

Love this jet, only issue I have is when landing on a carrier it results in a crash everytime. Granted I am used to the VRS Hornet approach profile with -750fpm touch down but this jet doest handle it. Am I missing something?

Anonymous said...

Where do I purchase this for FSX?

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