F/A-18 C/D aircraft mod and textures (FSX/P3D)

[hd764jvgd843]

Upgrade: 2.3.0

Changelog:
- oswald efficiency factor adjusted to 0.95 and induced drag scalar to 0.35
- external night lights position slightly corrected
- wing_pos_apex slightly adjusted for wingtip vapor effects
- minor texture improvements for weapons, fuel tank and ejector racks
- canopy textures slightly changed
- overbright cockpit night light buttons corrected
- new textures added: VFA-136_300 and two VFA-27's based on Hanimichal's textures
- glass hud texture improved, should better mimic the look of a real glass hud.
- cable_force_adjust = 0.68 changed //3.4s from main gear touch down to full stop ? - info/feedback needed!
- minor adjustment of in/out g-limiter transition
- texture improvements, e.g. VMFA-251_200 was missing mock-up canopy underside the fuselage
- AOA LIMITS/ERS: 35 / 25 due to loadout (tweaked multiplier for altitude)
- AOA LIMITS/ERS DUE TO MACH: 0.7 to 0.8: -6 to +20, 0.8 to 0.9: -6 to +15, above 0.9: -6 to +12

Notes:
- Haven't had the time yet to do Navy Test Pilot School and Mighty Shrikes schemes, these will be part of the next update/upgrade.
- I know the AOA Limits/Limiters may not be stricktly NATOPS in every sense but they should impose some general restrictions on the flight envelope of the jet mimicking limits enforced by the FCC/FCS. There may be some side effects like slight bounce off and flutter of the control surfaces, these are to be expected. The code is added in Pitch_Auto_Trim.xml, in case you like to have a look.
- Concerning the oswald efficiency factor, I've come to realize that adding values that might be close to physical reality will not necessarily result in a realistic/desired flight behaviour within the sim. So, this is a step back to the original values Jimi used to tweak the jet before I started nagging.

Hope you like it,
Peter

[PhantomTweak]

Thanks, Peter!
It will never cease to amaze me how fast you can do this stuff. It seems like just yesterday v2.2.0 came out!

- overbright cockpit night light buttons corrected

Yaaaay!! Thank you!!
Any chance you brightened the Spoiler (Airbrake, whatever you want to call it) panel warning light, just under the glareshield on the left side? It's pretty dim in the daylight, and invisible at night. Just wondering

- glass hud texture improved, should better mimic the look of a real glass hud.

That was pretty low on my list, but I am very glad you changed it!

- cable_force_adjust = 0.68 changed //3.4s from main gear touch down to full stop ? - info/feedback needed!

I've got mine set to 0.85, and it seems to do ok, but will check it at your setting to see what happens, and post on here.

- AOA LIMITS/ERS: 35 / 25 due to loadout (tweaked multiplier for altitude)
- AOA LIMITS/ERS DUE TO MACH: 0.7 to 0.8: -6 to +20, 0.8 to 0.9: -6 to +15, above 0.9: -6 to +12

Cool! I will test out at different altitudes and weights and let you know how it does.

As to the rest, THANK You! all this texture work is beyond my comfort (and time) envelope by a long ways. I appreciate you doing all the work on it you do, as well as all the tweaking we managed to do together (sort of).
Thanks again!
Pat☺

[hd764jvgd843]

Here you go, Pat.

Update v2.3.1
- Panel warning lights left/right under glareshield brightened a bit up.

Peter

Edit:

- cable_force_adjust = 0.68 changed //3.4s from main gear touch down to full stop ? - info/feedback needed!

Concerning the cable_force_adjust, I dug that up from the FSX_FA-18_Combat.zip from the aircraft.cfg. I have no idea weather it is a step in the right direction or not, so I thought it might be best to test it and put it up for discussion.

[hd764jvgd843]

Update: 2.3.2

Changelog:
- Afterburner texture improved
- R1523, reset to 'True'
- R1524, adjusted due to reset R1523

Peter

[PhantomTweak]

Thank you Peter! I will DL and install the latest
I am going to presume that the v2.3.2 includes both updates, or should I install 2.3.1, and then 2.3.2? Oh well, give the changelogs, I'll figger it out!
Thanks for the hard work!
Pat☺

EDIT: Got it! DL'd both and installed. Thanks! Need more recoveries to mmake a dtetermination on the Cable Tension, but ran out of time. More tests tonigh/1
Pat

[Corvette99]

Will these updates be available to the public anytime soon ? Or did I miss where to get them ? Sorry for my ignorance !

[PhantomTweak]

Go to page 1 of this thread, and read the instructions. The latest updates for all three versions are there, with the FSX and CS (CaptainSim) are first, the NH or New Hornet ie Jimi's version, modified a teeny (!!) bit, further down.
When Peter publishes an upgrade or update (v1.9.0 to v2.2.0=upgrade, v2.2.1 to v2.2.2 = update), that's where he places them. Click on the links, one for airplane, one for textures, to keep the zip files from being too unwieldy, and you will go to the Zippy share site. In the upper right area is a largish orange box with DOWNLOAD NOW in it. Click.
In the upper left area of the same area as the big orange box, is which file you will receive, as a verification that THIS is the file you really want.
As I said, this applies to every upgrade or update Peter puts out, so if you see a changelog posted, it's on page 1 of the thread. I, personally, make a copy of the changelogs as they are posted and save them off to a text file so I can be sure I can look at and/or test out new changes. That's just me though
Hope this helps a little bit
Pat☺

[hd764jvgd843]

Update: 2.3.3

Changelog:
- high_g sound amplitude slightly reduced
- ambient fans sound amplitude slightly increased
- some fly-by sound cones slightly adjusted where appropriate
- afterburner sound effects modified
- VC sounds added: ambient fans and dynamic wind effects
- a few broken sound filepaths fixed
- overkill bitrates of a few sounds reduced to 705kbps

Note:
This updade will improve the out of the box sounds of the jet especially if you are not using additional sound effect addons, like Accu-Feel, with the sim. I've added some distinct sounds that I found were missing and will keep digging to add further sound effects.

Best regards, Peter

[PhantomTweak]

I will DL the latest and install in a minute. Thanks!

I hate to be a pest about this subject, but it just bugs me. The textures I asked you to change, ie the Spoiler light, and apparently the flaps/gear lights, look great now. IN THE DAYTIME. Night is an entirely different story. I still can't see the spoiler or gear/flaps lights when the cockpit lights are on, in the night time. With or without a VCLight in the [lights] section or not.
Please see the attached examples.
Am I doing something wrong? Is there a setting someplace I'm missing, not setting correctly, whatever? I feel foolish, not being able to figure this out, but textures have never been a strong point of mine...

EDIT: Quick, easy question, here: Shouldn't the FSX-BA plane have Jimi's BA panel? It has the stopwatch, inverted flight tank switch, and so on, not included in the Fleet panel. Or is it just more trouble than it's worth? Just wondering, if it bothers me enough, I'll put a BA panel, appropriately upgraded naturally, in myself

Thanks for any help or advice you can provide!
Pat☺

[hd764jvgd843]

Hi Pat,
my screens look a bit different, especially the mirror reflections since my sim is P3D v1.4. When VC lights are disabled you can see the spoiler light go on/off, with VC lights enabled you will not see a difference - see the screenshots. I haven't that one figured out, but I will put it on my to do list.

I had a quick look at the textures, but nothing came to mind. Currently I am still busy with the sounds. In case you like to have a look yourself the textures are in the main folder Texture, f18_CVSurface3_T.dds and f18_CVSurface3_Night.dds, in the lower right quadrant are the warning lights for under the glareshield, left and right side. What you want does not seem to be possible, because there do not seem to be additional textures present for day/night that specify the buttons glow or color in addition to the default textures, like the f18_CVButtons_T.dds and f18_CVButtons_Night.dds.

This seems to be also the issue for the elongated outside position lights. Once you have activated them at night (they go from black to light green) and than disable them again they will not go dark, but remain the light brown color of the day texture.

Best regards, Peter

[Corvette99]

Go to page 1 of this thread, and read the instructions. The latest updates for all three versions are there, with the FSX and CS (CaptainSim) are first, the NH or New Hornet ie Jimi's version, modified a teeny (!!) bit, further down.
When Peter publishes an upgrade or update (v1.9.0 to v2.2.0=upgrade, v2.2.1 to v2.2.2 = update), that's where he places them. Click on the links, one for airplane, one for textures, to keep the zip files from being too unwieldy, and you will go to the Zippy share site. In the upper right area is a largish orange box with DOWNLOAD NOW in it. Click.
In the upper left area of the same area as the big orange box, is which file you will receive, as a verification that THIS is the file you really want.
As I said, this applies to every upgrade or update Peter puts out, so if you see a changelog posted, it's on page 1 of the thread. I, personally, make a copy of the changelogs as they are posted and save them off to a text file so I can be sure I can look at and/or test out new changes. That's just me though
Hope this helps a little bit
Pat☺

Thanks Pat !
Scott

[PhantomTweak]

Glad to help

Please disregard my EDIT question about the BA panels. I never realized they are integral to the model. Sorry bout that!

I would still like to know about the lights questions, but I may be zeroing in on that, so don't sweat it.
One question, though: On the BA panel, I see the big stopwatch, but I can't see how to start/stop it. I will someday, you wait an see! I'm persistent. Same with the Smoke. I don't have the faintest on how to start/stop it, but I'm still searching

Pat☺

[PhantomTweak]

Another question for anyone, if i may: Is there a way to set the Bingo to something other than 2400 from the cockpit, or will I have to edit the EFIS gauge? Or another one?
Just curious...
Pat☺

[jimi08]

Hey Pat.  Answer to a few of your questions:

-If I remember correctly the clock is connected to the "Spoiler Armed" function.  Try assigning a button or key to it and give it a go.
-For the smoke, try clicking on the white "Smoke Armed" button located on the left side of the dash next to the HUD.  After that press whatever button/key you have assigned to smoke button.


I'll look into the bingo deal.

Hope this helps.

[PhantomTweak]

Thank you Jimi! As always, you are right on the ball. I was just wondering about the smoke, because I hit the "I" key, and it drops flares, but no smoke. That's why I asked. I will look at key assignments, but...Maybe actuating the arming key makes the flares not drop...
By the by, is there a limited amount of smoke aboard? Say 10 min total cumulative time or something? I didn't see anything in the XML about it, but ya never know!
The stopwatch is great. I never thought about arming spoilers to make the stopwatch start/stop! Not much used on the Hornet, I realize now, so it works great for the new use. Thank you for the help!

Thanks for looking at the Bingo setting for e. I treid, but that one is still beyond my abilities in XML. I'm learning, and still intend to write a 68% flight idle gauge, if I ever get the time/knowledge together at the same time
Of late, I have been trying to learn make a PROPER pattern/landing on the boat. I can land on the boat, but I always make waaay too long a DW leg to give myself time to line up properly. But hey! I'm shotening it up! FCLP is my new friend. And a great thanks to Paddles and SpazSinbad for all their invaluable help. I really needed the break from working on the FDEs.

Thanks again for your answers. I hope I'm not too much of a pest. I'm just a very curious person.
Pat☺