Flight Replicas Heron released...

[mike_cyul]

Hello there. Still waiting to hear back from Dave regarding the test model we sent to him and Dale. We isolated the landing light code and it is completely, totally default FSX - and yet Dale still has the problem when in VA mode, apparently. Did make a couple of rather basic suggestions for Dale to try, namely setting up a flight with a default aircraft first, setting everything as required, then saving, loading the Heron, saving again, etc.,as this has helped a number of times in the past. If Dave has still has the problem with the new test model, then it will be a mystery indeed as to why the issue is there. But we'll keep looking, as at this point it surely can't be anything too convoluted (touch wood).

I'm still waiting for word back on another last possible solution, and will post an update here ieither way.

Mike
Flight Replicas

[mike_cyul]

Update: The issue with the switch in the VC appears to be solved, with the client reading it corrctly. Now it's on to getting the external view landing light effect to come on in the correct sequence - presently it is still reversed.

Mike
Flight Replicas

[DaveB]

Hiya Mike

Thanks for your continued work on this. I know it doesn't affect anyone who doesn't fly VA at FSA and I'd like to thank you 'publically' for sticking at trying to find a solution Had you been 'CaptainSim'.. we'd have been banned from their forum and the heavies sent round by now!

'Et-al'..
I reported in my brief first flight that I couldn't hear any pneumatic sounds. Having cranked the volume up this morning (the house is empty!!) I can hear pneumatics off the flaps However, turning the volume up has highlighted something I'd not heard before. I hear a very deep sound which lasts maybe 5secs then stops for a couple and comes back again e t c. Anyone else hear this? I changed aircraft and it immediately went. Changed back to the Heron and it was there again It's not massively important in the grand scale of things but I'm keen to know if it's that frequency on my rig or if you all hear it.

ATB
DaveB

[mike_cyul]

Thanks, Dave.

Regarding the pneumatic sounds, the Heron does have them for both the flaps and undercarriage. If anyone else has a hard time hearing them, please let us know. Also make sure all your sound sliders are turned up to a reasonable level. We had planned to make the pneumatic sounds for the brakes, but given that in FSX one tends to use the brakes far more often than in real life, perhaps even more than one realizes, the sound was playing so often it was an unpleasant distraction. Would have been nice, though, as when watching Dove movies from the passenger perspective, that occasional braking "psssst" really helps tell you what's going on.

Still working to clear up the final hurdle of the external landing light and your VA software, and given that it's the weekend should have more time tomorow to look into it.

Mike
Flight Replicas

[DaveB]

Hi Mike..

I didn't try the U/C this morning.. just the flaps. If they're working (as they are) I see no reason to doubt the landing gear hiss is there too. I will give it a go though.. just to make sure

That's it.. last shift done and no more work for me for a week. Time to get some serious simming in me thinks

ATB
DaveB

[mike_cyul]

Finally having had to time to read through the thread, there are a couple of comments about the colour for BEA being incorrect. Would anyone have an authenticated RGB value for whatever colours you think could be better? I'm just curious, as a lot of time was spent sampling colour photos of the BEA Herons (especially at Barra), taken at different times with different cameras, running them through corrective filters, etc., before settling on what you have in the package. From the warm creamy-gray of the undersides (used on other Herons, too, in different airlines at that time, which makes me think it might have a been a De Havilland factory colour at that point), to the red and blue, they seem to correspond to all the photo evidence at hand. We even sampled BEA brochures from 1973. The only difference I could note was that as the blue aged slightly, it lost a bit of it's shine (didn't fade), and that slightly more matt colour tends to reflect more light and thus look lighter at certain angles. But if anyone has proven values, they would be very good to have, as it would be nice to be absolutely authentic in the future.

Also, a small comment about the appearance of the model. Some find it lacking a little "life", etc.. I actually tend to agree! But once we had made the rivets and panel lines to scale (as much as possible), and zoomed out the viewpoint, those details tend to become less visible. They should there if you get closer, however. Even the little water outlets on the fuselage are there. Skin bowing on the upper wing surfaces is there. They do appear match what could be seen on the great majority of Heron photos, at least to the best of my photo interpretation abilities. Personally, I am not a fan of exaggerated, comic book panel lines, rivets, dirt and the like, even though it does give a certain character and they appear often in FSX. There is dirt and grime there on and in the model, but matched as closely as possible to the real Herons when in oparational service (have a look at the cockpit floor, control columns, etc.). They seem to have been very clean aircraft, and kept so, and left almost no oil and exhaust stains. They don't appear to have chipped much, even around high use areas such as the baggage doors or engine cowls, either. The result is a pretty clean, almost "model" like appearance, and because it appeared to be as accurate as we could make it, decided to keep it so (no matter the commments we knew we'd get ). That said, there IS always more to learn, and your feedback helps a lot.

Hope you don't mind my comments! Ok, now it's back to getting the VA landing light to work as it should....

Mike

[Vc Ten]

Hi Mike I will join Dave in thanking you for your effort in trying to resolve the problem on the Heron lights.
I suppose with all the possible flight sim setups I can understand you being suspicious of any reported bug, eventually to find its more to do with their FSX system. However I think you have seen here, we are a fairly fanatical lot and most of us know our way around fsx.cfg. For me the rest of the a/c is sound. I tend to sit in it and fly rather than gaze around the outsides. The sounds are realistic enough, Yes the pneumatics are there Maybe the engines start up a bit quick but I think you can tell they are gipsy sixes. As for the flight experience Ive never flown or flown in a Heron, but i would imagine its not far off. Bit slugginsh and needing quite a bit of trim till she gets to around 110kts, much above 140 and she burns fuel like hell
Whats next, a Dove ?
ATB
Dale

[mike_cyul]

Whats next, a Dove ?
ATB
Dale

That will all depend on the feedback. This is the first time I venture in making airliners, and so I need to know we can make airliners (older airliners) that airliner aircrew will enjoy (and can use with their VA's!). Being a long-time Heron fan plus it being a De Havilland aircraft, it was a natural choice to do, however, in any case. (Next up is the DH.125 Dominie, and perhaps Jet Dragon while we're at it, so another De Havilland aircraft.) I do like the Dove/Devon, it certainly had an interesting history, and after a break it may indeed be nice to come back to De Havilland engineering.

Mike

[DaveB]

Hi Mike..

I don't think any of us mind your comments/responses to our comments here. We try our best to be constructive rather than destructive though of course, payware is scrutinised a little closer

Put my name on the list for a Dove/Devon too With the last of our Dev's here (in-house) now retired from making major models for public release, we'll be more than happy to assist in any way we can.. those of us still active that is

Re the Flying Jack RGB.. I think the correct name of the colour was/is Peacock Blue (I'm sure Gary will correct me if I'm wrong) I may well have the RGB here somewhere. I still have the Vanguard 'originals' and can probably offer a 'close match' from one of those It looks far more green than it does blue which contradicts most of the phots you see which show it more blue than anything else. Hopefully, Gary will pop on here with the correct colour but in the meantime.. I'll have a dig As a reference.. check out Trident ZuluKilo at Manchester. The paint on that was matched to correct BEA colour samples/templates

ATB
Dave

[J0hn]

Hi Mike, thanks for coming along and giving the info you have.

As I posted a comment or two about that BEA scheme, I thought I'd better pipe up and explain, as my comments may have seemed a little harsh - it's just the way I express myself (I'm an old cynic).

I do think the blue seems a touch on the dark side, but that could be affected in several ways to appear different in the screenshots posted, so if you say it's as close as you can get it, that's fine.
However, my main concern was the lack of discernible detail. You said it has all the details in the right places, and I agree that this kind of thing standing out too much is a real put-off (look at the repaints of the Neptune I recently posted as a prime example). Talking about rivets, panel lines, stencils and so-on. But nevertheless, it still looks very lifeless, almost comic-like, as though it was built for an animation, say. Maybe it's just a shading thing?

Anyway, I may not be describing it as well as I'd like, but I hope you understand my meaning (and it's just the BEA paint I'm talking of). If you look at the fin in that screenshot on your website, that is the best example, I think.

Thanks for 'listening'.