Aermacchi MB-339A for Microsoft Flight Simulator - BETA TEST

BETA TEST ACCESS INSTRUCTIONS

************ DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED BETA TEST APPLICATIONS ARE SUSPENDED - INVITATIONS TO THE FIRST 30 SELECTED TESTERS HAVE BEEN SENT *************

Beta test is open to testers of all different skill levels and expertise.

In order to apply for the Beta Test, please drop an email to indiafoxtecho@gmail.com with the following information:

- System specification (no need of details or long explainations: just specify your CPU, Clock speed, RAM, GPU and dedicated video RAM)

- Real world flight experience (if any) - please keep it short!

- Simulation experience - please keep it short!
- Any special tie to the MB-339 or any reason why you really want to test this plane

Important! Subject of the email must be "MB339 MSFS Beta Test Application".

Please do not apply unless you have 4-5 hours to dedicate to test this aircraft!
Testing this aircraft is NOT a paid position in any way...if you do it, you do it only for the fun of it!

...and, due to the large number of applications we typically receive, we cannot grant a reply to everybody. If you do not receive a reply in a week or so, please assume you have not been admitted to the Beta - apologies in advance! 

DESIGN INTENT:

This is a medium complexity add-on which is meant to depict the Aermacchi MB-339 of the Frecce Tricolori in a detailed but accessible way. The key points of the package are as follows:
- Focus of the simulation is the Aermacchi MB-339PAN/MLU version. Visual variant for MB-339A/MLU is also provided
- Highly detailed external and internal model
- Flight model and systems simulation is based on default MSFS functionalities (no external code)
- Simple sound package 

The plane is intended for basic military jet training, formation flying and aerobatics.

BETA VERSION INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator are distributed as packages. Packages shall be placed in the "Community" folder. You will need to restart MSFS if the simulator was running when you have moved the files.

HOW TO REPORT BUGS:

The preferred way to report bugs is to add a comment to this post, specifying what is the experienced malfunction and when it happens. Pics are welcome.
PLEASE do not rush in reporting bugs - it is not a race - take your time and verify if it is a real problem and, if you think it is, try to understand when it happens exactly.
Alternatively, an email is good to. Comments are preferred so that other users can see them.
It is not a race, so take your time. The simulation is quite complex, so it may take some time to get acquainted with the plane… I'd suggest you log at least a couple of hours before submitting any feedback.
Also, PLEASE, before posting a bug make sure it is not already in the list below.

COLOR KEY:

Red - Higher priority: a severe bug that may hamper the usage of the aircraft
Yellow - Lower priority: definitely a defect, but not a high priority to solve it
Green - Problem solved, o mitigated to the level that it is acceptable.Dark Green - Problem solved or mitigated before the Beta 1 release.
Blue - Comment, nice-to-have features or suggestions

CHANGE REQUEST LOG AND TO-DO LIST

Current tester version BETA 1 - Released on 28/09/2020
Current internal build BETA 2 WIP 

Current metrics:

Red items: 0

Yellow items: 11

Green items: 41
Blue items: 1  
TOTAL CRs: 52
Progress toward release 78% :-(

Last changed by Dino on 10/10/2020

EXTERNAL MODEL:

There are two external models in the package. The star of the show, and default selection, is the MB-339PAN/MLU with standard loadout for the Frecce Tricolori Airshow. As visual alternative, a model for MB-339A (non MLU) with elliptical tiptanks is also provided. Externally MLU and non-MLU differ mostly for the fact that MLU has formation lights and some of the antennas are in different positions.
The two external models are separate files and should be tested separately - if you find a problem, please check if it is present in one or both models. 

MB339EXT001 - Better heat blur effect - slightly improved in Beta 2 (still somewhat small, but now aligned to the aircraft direction)...

MB339EXT002 - Missing Ice Blast effect - added ice blast effect

MB339EXT003 - Check beacon light on fuselage (visible only from below)? - FIXED in Beta 2
MB339EXT004 - Flood lights peek slightly through external views... FIXED in Beta 2

MB339EXT005 - Missing Landing Light animation from external model... FIXED in Beta 2

VIRTUAL COCKPIT:

As for the external model, two separate virtual cockpit models are included: PAN and A versions. Unlike the external models, both internal models include MLU changes. The PAN version differs from the A version since it lacks the gunsight but has smoke indicators and smoke control panel.

MB339VC001 - Throttle lever movement incorrect and should have STOP position - Fixed
MB339VC002 - GPS Display incomplete
MB339VC003 - MASTER CAUTION cannot be snoozed - Fixed
MB339VC004 - Caution panel incomplete (add at least JPT LIMIT and AIL SERVO) - FIXED in Beta2
MB339VC005 - Backlighting of main panel cannot be turned off
MB339VC006 - RNAV HSI mode to be checked
MB339VC007 - RNAV ADI mode to be checked
MB339VC008 - Control shift selectors always lit - FIXED in Beta2

MB339VC009 - Radio system not working? TO BE CHECKED, IT SHOULD WORK! - Checked: radio system seems to work as advertised, but mouse area is small. It is possible to use it with the mouse wheel, while dragging is somewhat cumbersome.
MB339VC010 - Transponder system not working? TO BE CHECKED IT SHOULD WORK! - Checked: radio system seems to work as advertised, but mouse area is small. It is possible to use it with the mouse wheel, while dragging is somewhat cumbersome.
MB339VC011 - Fuel total selector not working....not meant to work either, but still... - FIXED in Beta2
MB339VC012 - Fuel digital display not working - missing to be added - FIXED in Beta2

MB339VC013 - Trim buttons do not work - CHECKED versus flight manual: these are advisory lights only, cannot be pushed.
MB339VC014 - VOR needles on HSI are OK on ILS, but seem reversed in normal VOR operation (to be checked) - NOTE, initial check seems to be OK...maybe tester had the aircraft symbol reversed? If flying to TO station and heading towards bearing pointer 1, if aircraft symbol is upward behavior seems correct... further testing planned. BEHAVIOR SEEMS CORRECT
MB339VC015 - Unintended garbage geometry when canopy is open - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC016 - Would be nice to add ajustable formation lights

MB339VC017 - GEN1 and GEN2 weird glare - seems OK now, but in reality the bug was somewhat unclear...
MB339VC018 - Nav light selector should only select ON/OFF (bright/dim not selectable) - FIXED
MB339VC019 - Glitch in Transponder animation (some numbers not animated correctly) - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC020 - Electrical system: some systems are working even if battery is off provided that GEN 1 / GEN 2 are off even if engine was not running (hence electrical power shouldn't be available)... Issue likely due to Electrical Power availability variable...Should be fixed on Beta2... 
MB339VC021 - Toe brakes animation missing - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC022 - COM2 cannot be changed from cold and dark?
MB339VC023 - Speedbrake lever animation missing - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC024 - Request to animate the trim hat switch - FIXED for Beta 2 (although only for elevator)
MB339VC025 - Suggestion to remove the mouse tooltips for some controls, as they are done according to FSX/P3D conversion which is different from Asobo convention.
MB339VC026 - AOA frozen in icing condition even if anti-ice is on...
MB339VC027 - Digit "3" in altimeter shows too soon - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC028 - blinking glass in gunsight rendering - FIXED for Beta 2

MB339VC029 - AoA needle shows incorrect values - FIXED for Beta 2

MB339VC030 - Armament panel setting to be revised - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC031 - Fix Ail Servo and JPT limiter starting conditions - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC032 - Oxy Flow Switch incorrect position -. FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC033 - GPS switches to be fixed according to new GPS Code - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC034 - Anti-Skid switch animation / light reversed - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC035 - Avionic master radio knob control does not work

MB339VC036 - Improve mirror rendering - FIXED for Beta 2
MB339VC037 - OMI Markers not working

MB339VC038 - Some lights are not visible in the VC - Fixed

FLIGHT MODEL:

The flight model has been tuned to mimic the performance of the MB-339PAN with airshow loadout. In this configuration the aircraft is somewhat slower than what most people think - achieving 350-370 knots maxium depeding on different factors.
The fuel capacity is limited to internal tanks only, irrespective of the external model.
NOTE: The aircraft should be able to fly all the formation maneuovres of the Frecce Tricolori programme, but is currently unable to replicate some parts of the solo programme.

MB339FM001 - Check center of gravity and COG limits - Revised in Beta 2
MB339FM002 - Max altitude about 30000ft (should be 45000+) - Engine performance vs altitude fixed in Beta 2
MB339FM003 - No stall? - Revised stall behavior for Beta 2
MB339FM004 - Aircarft too sensitive to NWS during takeoff run
MB339FM005 - Rudder effectiveness is excessive?

MB339FM006 - Request to implement external and wingtip fuel tanks

MB339FM007 - Landing AoA is incorrect

OTHER:

Due to MSFS limitations, the smoke system is NOT WORKING - although controls in the cockpit do work.
The sound system is using FSX legacy mode - hence some sound effects (e.g.rain sounds) are NOT supported.

MB339OT001 - Rework view order for those who do not use free look mode (apparently left and right instrument views are inverted) - FIXED in Beta 2
MB339OT002 - Review startup conditions
MB339OT003 - One user requested wider view angles for both landing and instrument views

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.

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 :-) ! 

 

Back to work... project update

I finally came back home few days ago from a long (but very interesting) businness trip to the United States and I have to confess that, right now, I am struggling to find the motivations to work on FSX.It is not because of the recent announcement of Microsoft Flight. It is just the fact that add-on development requires inspiration. Even payware requires it, as, at present, my revenue for the F-35 is around 4 Euros per working hour. But again, the F-35 was a fund-rising initiative - this figure is just to give an idea of what are the earnings you can expect.
So, not much inspiration in these days. And Halo Reach and Fifa 11 on the X360.
Still here is an update of the projects I'm working on... In detail:

• F-35A Lightining II - Finally some Air-to-air configurations images have been released to the public, sporting an impressive load of 12x Amraam + 2x Asraam... And I would really like to add this configuration to the F-35A, along with some other minor fixes. So, most likely a further update is inbound. Also, I've tried to add specular and bump maps to the cockpit model...and quickly overshoot FSX framebuffer limitations. There are workaround for this, like splitting the polys in different framebuffers as I did for external models, but this will impact the frame rates, so I'll probably drop this feature.


• F-35B VTOL version -I've started making one, and it is not looking that bad. Will post some details in the next few days. Yes, I know IRIS is making one - but I simply could not resist. Then I have no idea when and if it will be finished.


• F-35C CATOBAR version - I've started this one too...but blending a completely new wing to the existing model is very complex. The first attempt was really ugly. I will try again, but it is harder than I expected, so I am not sure it will ever be good enough for release.


• T-45C Goshawk - Fuselage and wings 3d models are done and they are MUCH better than the previous one. I'm also trying to keep the polycount low with some success. Also I've redone the main landing gear and it is closer to the real thing (and finally retracts correctly).


• F-14D Tomcat - Professional 3d data is looking great, although it is a frame-rate killer. I honestly have no idea when I will be able to complete it. Also, I've seen that Aerosoft has started their own F-14A project, which, for Tomcat fans like me, it is great news. I wish all the best to the Aerosoft team - I am sure that they can deliver a spectacular Tomcat. They are good designers and if their F-14 turns out to be as good as the F-16 I will surely purcahes it. As for my rendition...well, I am quite happy with it right now - but again it take a long time before it is ready.


• Unidentified Aermacchi project - well, not much work so far. Likely to be the first Aermacchi for Flight (just joking!)

F-35 Update to version 1.15 - almost ready

A quick update as I've changed my FSX priorities... Since I will leave for few weeks for a businness trip, I've decided to pack the latest improvements I did on the F-35 and release an update before leaving.
Do not expect any major upgrade... they are just few minor enhancements that otherwise would have sat on my hard disk for quite a while.

In detail:
- Emergency tailhook animation and geometry redone (should be closer to the real thing...or at least to my interpretation of the photos circulating on the internet... afaik, no clear images are publicly available at the moment I am writing)
- Vapor and whiskers effects redone - now they are less bulky and look better IMHO
- Afterburner effects redone - longer flame in stage 2 and much longer flame in stage 3...also better color and less bleeding
- Removed the big antenna from the top surfaces for "operational" model (such antenna does not show on the real AF-3, which is the first plane with complete mission systems... probably is replaced with an internal one).

That is it... I told you it was not much. I will probably send the files to SimMarket tonight or tomorrow.

Aside I just wanted to let all my fellow Italian simmers know that I'd love to make an Aermacchi MB-339. I do not consider the project dead yet - simply I do not have time to work on it right now.
In particular, I do not have much time to acquire and study the necessary documentation... it takes a really a lot of time.
But I promise that, once the new F-14 and T-45 are ready, the next in the line will be an Italian plane - most likely one from our beloved aircraft makers in Varese.

Currently on the drawing board....

As many of you are asking, here is a quick resume of what I have on the drawing board right now (will add some pictures later on):


F-14 Tomcat
There are a lot of things that could be improved on the Tomcat, but I have to confess that I'm quite happy with it as is.
I've already made some more changes to the geometry (for example the missiles have been redone completely) but, as we are talking about minor enhancements, I will pack several changes before making an update.

I have two major enhancements in mind right now:

• RIO cockpit - It would be difficult, and definitely too time consuming, to make a RIO virtual cockpit as detailed as the pilot one... still, it would be great. I've started working on it a couple of times, but dropped it for the excessive complexity (and limited functionality)... Still, I have not completely ruled it out for now.
• F-14B UPGRADE - This is much more doable. The external model would not need much work (cockpit, seats and ECM fairings, a new texture set -Jolly Rogers for sure- and may be a new weapon set). The virtual cockpit would not be that easy, but many parts can be carried over...

I will never have the time to do both (also because the F-14B UPGRADE RIO cockpit is different from the F-14D) so I think I will do the F-14B. But improving the F-14D is the first thing.

By the way, I know that Paolo Oriani - who provided an oustanding contribution so far - is working to improve the realism and accuracy of the animations.

F-35 Lighting II
This will probably be my first payware project. I know that the FSX community is generally inclined towards older birds... still, there are a lot of things I like about the F-35 and I think it is a very interesting plane. The reasons why it is likely to be payware are several... maybe I'll do a post about them (and about the whole payware versus freeware debate) one day or another.

The AA1 (CTOL development) bird is the one I am modeling. Production F-35A will differ, and some of the differences are known, so I'll probably do a production model too. I'd like to do the STOVL version, too...but we all know the limitations of FSX in this field. Carrier version is very doable, but, at present, the public information about this version is not enough for proper modeling (please do not send info about the X-35C...X-35 and F-35 are very different).

T-45C Goshawk makeover
This is one project I've been toying with for a while. I'm not happy with the T-45C as is now (while I know most of you are). I'd like to optimize it,make it more accurate and add the instructor cockpit.


Aermacchi MB339
Last, long ago Massimo Taccoli kindly sent me the source geometry of his excellent freeware rendition of this plane. The MB-339 is probably the Italians' favourite and most loved bird, as it it the one flown by the Frecce Tricolori. Massimo's model is really good and I've started working on it several months ago. While the results are encouraging it is highly unlikely I will be ever find the time to do this, too.

As you can see, there is a lot of things I am working on. Well, actually there are too many things... I will have to drop at least half of these projects.Believe it or not, apart from my FSX activities, I do have a full-time job and a social life...

MB339PAN Work in Progress

In the past few months, I've received several appreciation e-mails for the Fs04 MB339 PAN "Frecce Tricolori" I've released several years ago.

Being Italian, this plane means much to me. I think that the Frecce Tricolori, our beloved national Aerobatic team, is one of those things that make us Italians feel proud of our country - like Ferrari cars - despite the problems our country is facing.

First, I'd like to say "thank you" to all those people who have downloaded and appreciated my efforts.

Second, I'd like to answer to the most recurrent question that is:"What about a FSX version?

Well, of course I've been working on it. Compliling an FSX version using gmax (the modeling tool I've used for the FS04 version) should be a relatively small task. Basically you need to create new FSX materials, assign them to the parts and tag the new animations. Not a big deal.

Still, gmax is an obsolete tool now. There are several reasons why you'd prefer to have the source files in 3D Studio Max, first one being the fact that .max can be converted to other file formats very easily (that means you can reuse your source on any new version of Flight Simulator - andlmost any other game that allows user-created models).

So I've decided to start a completely new project in 3D Studio Max. The base mesh for this project is Massimo Taccoli's excellent 3d mesh (thank you Massimo!) he built for FS2002 / 2004.

My intent is merge the best of my 339 with the best of Massimo's one and add completely new textures (highest possible definintion and with self shadowing and bump mapping).

As a side note, should anyone be interested, *IT IS* possible to convert gmax models to 3ds...well, at least partially. This is done using Quake 3d file format as interchange file format. Still, it is a long process as you have to split the model in small bits. While the textures coordinates are usually preserved, animations and materials are lost. And in most cases the geometry needs some manual fix.

These are a couple of screenshots of 3D Studio Max wip. I really cannot tell when I'll have the time to work on this. My first priority is complete the Goshawk. Then I'll switch to the 339.

3Ds Max Model - Work in progress