New FSXBA Hornet

[PhantomTweak]

Hi all, 2 questions, if I may be so bold:
1) Is there going to be an update to the FA-18c manual in PDF format?
2) will there be an improvement to the VC cockpit textures? It's not as sharp, I guess you could say. I can't read any of the text on the panels, the switch labels and so on. Probably just my old computer, but it can't hurt to ask

Thanks to all for the amazing work on this bird, and it's wonderful as is, don't get me wrong. I am just overly demanding, I guess Thanks in advance for any answers that will be forthcoming!

Pat☺

[PhantomTweak]

Pardon me, AHMenace. I hate to sound even more like an idiot than usual, but I just downloaded the three folders full of textures you linked above, Texture, Texture.F-18C, and Texture.F-18D. I don't exactly understand the instructions though. If I just install Texture into one of the other FA-18's, like FS_F-18C, for example, it will replace the folder that is already there, thus affecting all the textures of that particular airplane. Is that the intent? If so, which one should it be installed into, ie: which zip file from this thread do they go to? Should I take the model, panel, sound folders from another plane and make a new plane just for your textures? Looking at the included text file Instert into CFG.txt, At least one of your folders should be named Texture.VFA-136, but none are. Should I rename one to that? If so, which one?
Sorry, I know I sound like a moron, but I really like the textures you uploaded, most especially the cockpit, which is crisp and clear, at least in the screen caps you showed. Once I figure out out where to stick it all...ahem...so to speak, I'll be happy as a clam!
I just had a horrible thought: These are for FSX and FSX-SE, not P3d only, yes? Tell me they are...
Pat☺

[Kea]

Pat, don't know if anyone's got back to you by PM, but I think the cockpit textures that AHMenace has provided are probably the "crispist" to date. I can't answer for Jimi and co about future visual updates to the cockpit though.
I've been mucking around again with some repaints and thought now that the USS Theodore Roosevelt is in the Persian Gulf area I'd do a quick update to the VMFA-251 Thunderbolts scheme. I just applied some layers from Hani Michal's kit to give it a more weathered look, otherwise it's the same (haven't touched the original markings etc). It's available here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_KeMXMmL3b3MWVVOF9YUjdlakE&authuser=0

I also went a bit further and repainted Pierre Marchadier's E-2C Hawkeye in VAW-125 colours for three birds: AB600 (CAG), AB601 and AB604. They should be available on flightsim soon (in keeping with Pierre's EULA I can't dish them out directly via my Google Drive). They're a bit rough-and-ready, it was difficult to align the tail flashes and I ran out of time so just released them anyway - it's obviously an old model but as far as I am aware the best E-2C model currently available for FSX. I recommend sprucing up the panel with the naval.cab ATC gauge so you can actually be of use in monitoring air traffic around the carrier group.

So, with VMFA-125 retouched, VAW-125 done, that leaves VFA-136 (in my case covered already by VRS with their Superbug), VFA-11 and VFA-211 (you can find repaints for the Team KBT F-18F model around the traps and until VRS release their own F/A-18F that's again probably the better model available at the moment) and VAQ-137 E/A-18G (I've not been able to find any repaints for the Team KBT model for this squadron yet). Excepting the helicopter squadrons, that's all of Carrier Air Wing 1, aboard CVN-71, currently somewhere in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf!

Chuck in Tacpack and CCP and there should be some very worried virtual targets in that area of the FSX world!

[PhantomTweak]

Well, Mr. Kea, thank you very much for the info! No, no one's answered my questions yet, other than you, that is. I am sure people are busy and have their own concerns, but that they will take the time to answer when they can. They always do Maybe I can ask you: I tried AHMenace's textures in the Prototype v1.55 and it works great. Love it! The cockpit textures are fantastic. Crisp and clear and readable easily. Yeah yeah I wear my readin' specs when I must. My eye is getting old (yeah, just one).
Having said all that, the only C model I can see is the VFA-136 he made, and it's great, don't get me wrong. I guess that's what his Texture.F-18C was for. Would I be able to use the Texture folder in place of the Texture folder in the 15.2 version (FA-18C_FSXBA2014 FLT15.2.zip)? What about the planes and textures by Peter, airplane_v1.7.0_NH_FA-18C.7Z and textures_v1.7.0_NH_FA-18C.7Z?
Yeah, I could try it and see but I'm a firm believer in asking first, then messing things up  If I could use it, it would sure sharpen up the cockpits of all those planes a lot, this solving one question of the many I have
Thanks for the answer, I appreciate the work you've done! I wish I could afford TacPac! Can it be added to the above listed aircraft? Or only on certain aircraft? I noticed Dino's F-14 and T-34 are ready for it, just need a liscence (I think) to be good to go.
Ok, ok, I'll stop with the questions. All this FSX-SE stuff is brand new to me (I'm a FS9 guy from back in '04). But this plane (the New FSXBA Hornet) is just too good to pass by. Best plane I've seen in the sim world so far, and that's saying something. At least for FS9, anyway. Thanks again for all the help and the texture's you came up with!
Pat☺

[Kea]

Having said all that, the only C model I can see is the VFA-136 he made, and it's great, don't get me wrong. I guess that's what his Texture.F-18C was for. Would I be able to use the Texture folder in place of the Texture folder in the 15.2 version (FA-18C_FSXBA2014 FLT15.2.zip)?

Yes. Make a back up of your current "Texture" folder (which has all the common texture files in it) and then drop in AHMenace's one to replace it. Any other texture folder that has a texture.cfg which falls back to that folder will then incorporate the AHMenace cockpit. Works for the D model too. I did find though that I had to use the "CP_F18_Glass_T" file from the original Texture folder, otherwise your canopy goes dark. Either overwrite AHMeance's one in your new Texture folder, or copy-paste the original glass file into your other texture folders...

What about the planes and textures by Peter, airplane_v1.7.0_NH_FA-18C.7Z and textures_v1.7.0_NH_FA-18C.7Z?

Sorry, haven't used any of these textures by Peter, he may be able to answer!

I wish I could afford TacPac! Can it be added to the above listed aircraft? Or only on certain aircraft? I noticed Dino's F-14 and T-34 are ready for it, just need a liscence (I think) to be good to go.

Yeah it's well worth it. This Hornet already has Tacpack guns (so if you own Tacpack you can already shoot stuff!) and I understand the end goal is to have it Tacpacked properly (Jimi?). Tacpack is only supported if it's modeled into aircraft by the developers, it's not something you can just add to any aircraft (except guns, apparently with a bit of know-how you can add TP guns to anything). And it is supported for the Steam Edition, but you have to update it everytime Steam updates, or something like that (I don't use Steam).
Enough of the off-topic TP stuff though, if you have any other questions you can PM me.

[Ah-Menace]

Hey guys,
 Sorry Peter for not getting back to you,but I see Kea has filled you in on the textures,thanx Kea.and now these are almost ready! I really love these myself if I must say!
Hey Jimi,whats up with the clean fleet bird? and Ive noticed that BA7 the pilot doesn't have a visor and the entry ladder doesn't come down,can you fix those?

[PhantomTweak]

Hi, AHMenace!
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. And yes, Mr. Kea explained it perfectly, my many thanks to him for taking the time to answer. By the way, my name is PAT, not PETER. I don't know why, but that's twice you confused the two of us It doesn't bother me in the least, I just think kinda funny. I've answered to a lot of things in my life. Especially in boot-camp. Marine DI's seem to have a never-ending repertoir of derogatory names for privates.
When I was working in Yuma with the Israelis at VMFAT-401, they confused myself and another man named Pete. It's due to the written Hebrew not having any vowels. To them we were both (in written Hebrew) P-sound, vowel-sound, T-sound, thus: PT. It took the two of us (Pete and I) more than a year to teach a couple of them who was who  They wound up calling me Yeshua, as I wear my hair long and a goatee. Strong resemblance to a lot of paintings of Jesus (Yeshua).
Just so you know, Kea, yes, it works perfectly with Peter's textures. At least the latest version. Not to mention the FSXBA v15.2, altho I didn't have to copy the glass texture back in from the original. It worked fine for me. I must have a weird computer or something Thank you also for the info on TacPac. I appreciate it a lot. I still can't afford it, but at least now I know. I had trouble scraping together the $5.00 for FSX-SE!
Thanks to both of you. You're great people here. I look forward to your latest textures, AHMenace.
Pat☺

[hd764jvgd843]

Hi Ahmenace,

thanks for the great texture enhancements you have contributed, they really look amazing!

I have a few questions that have been bugging me for some time, and that I have not been able to find solutions for:

- Your screenshots show the airplane with lowered ladder, covers and blocks, and open canopy. Could you please provide the keyboard shortcuts how to trigger these animations? I have tried several combinations with Ctrl and Shift, but none of them seem to work. I know that some model files have animations for the ejection seat, have you figured out how that works, too?

- I am having troubles with the Model C Training version, where the pilot always looks to the left in my case, unlike the screenshots you have provided. Could you please provide a sample of zipped files and folders and upload it, since you have been able to fix this issue. Much appreciated.

- For the Model D Clean/BA and Training version, I cannot seem to get rid of the blue cockpit issue. I have created several "New Folder"s as stated and copied required files, but without success. I do not know what I did wrong. Could you provide a sampe of zipped files and folders of a fixed version and upload it, this would be very helpful. One for the Model D Clean/BA version and one for the Model D Training version.
In my case, the Model D Clean/BA version has a lowered tailhook by default when standing on the ground. This does not seem to be an issue on the screenshots you have provided.
In my case, the Model D Training version also has the issue where both the pilots are looking to the left side. Have you been able to fix this issue, too?

Best regards, Peter

[Azframer]

- Your screenshots show the airplane with lowered ladder, covers and blocks, and open canopy. Could you please provide the keyboard shortcuts how to trigger these animations?


Shift+E 3 is what it should be for ladder, blocks, and intake exhaust covers.

[Azframer]

The Blue Cockpit is caused by the file CP_F18_4_N.dds, make sure you remove it from your D model folders and the main texture folder, However your C models need that file so copy it to all C model texture folders, if C models do not have access to that textures the frame around canopy will show in a black color.

Rick

[Azframer]

I have a pic of C model without CP_F18_4_N.dds file below. I just removed it from main texture folder because the D model will use it from main texture folder if it is not in the D model folder. I hope I made that clear enough now.
When I was working on the Aggressor paint I had forgotten to add the file back for the C model and found the black frame. 

Rick

[jc005e]

Ahmenace ,   I love the new engine nozels  , can you upload them so i can download them?

[hd764jvgd843]

Azframer, thanks for your quick reply!

- The key combinations Shift+E, 3 or other variations of it do not work for me, it only opens GPS window, and I do not why.
Shift+E opens canopy only. Tried it with vanilla FSXBA version 15.2 and it does not work either. Disabled all addons (AccuFeel) without any success, too. I even reset all key controls within P3D 1.4 without any result.
Does anyone of you have a hunch why that could be, or have you stubled upon similar issues?

- Thanks to your specific explanations I have been able to fix the blue cockpit issue. But the Model D Clean/BA version issue with the default lowered tailhook while on the ground, that cannot be retracted/lowered while on the ground is still persistant. Which model files from what FSXBA version are you using?

- With the Model C Training version I noticed that the tailhook can be lowered while standing on the ground, but it does not touch the ground, e.g. it stops around half the way. Do you have this issue, too?

- As far as I have noticed, after you explanations, I did not even needed to copy textures into 'New folder' for D versions. Can you confirm that, too?

Best regards, Peter

[Azframer]

If it is opening your GPS, that tells me the combination shitft3 are being pressed I would call that shift+3 because they are being pressed at the same time. You should be pressing Shift and E at same time when released push 3 key that should open the ladder and the rest.

Rick

[hd764jvgd843]

I did exactly as described and it does not work - just don't know why. Even with the out of the box FSXBA 15.2 version.