de Havilland DH-106 Comet for X-Plane

[guym-p]

Yes and no. X-Plane calculates the aerodynamic forces from the actual geometry, also the surrounding scenery, thermals, and so on. However, even industry standard virtual wind tunnels can't simulate with total accuracy, so X-Plane ends up being simply a different kind of approximation to MSFS, each with strengths and weaknesses that favour certain types of aircraft and flying styles. I think X-Plane is better, and has huge scope for improvement as the average desktop computer can crunch increasingly greater numbers, but there are many that think the opposite. It gets better with every version.

At last X-Plane is attracting serious commercial developers. It's good news, because the whole quality level had been jacked up. Aircraft developers see what's possible, which inspires them to push further, and so the whole quality bar is raised. It still has rough edges compared with FS, but the gap is narrowing on that, too.

I enjoy both.

Guy.

[guym-p]

I have finished the interior! I can hardly believe it; it's a major milestone in the project. The lastest screenshots are here:

http://www.dh-aircraft.co.uk/news/files ... 55-82.html

My next step is to refine parts of the exterior model, especially the engine intakes and the leading edges of the wings. More news will follow ...

Guy.

[FlyTexas]

Beautiful!!

Brian

[TSR2]

Thats a work of art

[guym-p]

As an interim update, I attach some screenshots of work in progress on the leading edges of the wings, engine intakes, and all associated gubbins.

As a very brief history, the Comet project began in X-Plane v8.16. In those days, the whole geometry had to be contained within the "ACF" (Air-Craft File), and we were severely limited to 16 sides to a cross section and 20 sections to an object's length. Part way through v8 (which might have been 8.2 or 8.4 - I can't remember accurately), X-Plane introduced the concept of attached objects, which could be drawn in an external 3D application. At first, it was only intended for 3D cockpits, but X-Plane v9 expanded the idea with up to 20 additional objects. Theoretically, there is no limit to the number of polygons; in practise, because each attached object is rationed to one 2048x2048 texture set (a set comprising texture, lit texture and bump map), developers break their models into separate files to maximise texture space.

Suffice to say that some parts of the Comet, in particular the wings, were in the old X-Plane 8 low-poly style and desperately in need of upgrade. I started with the aerofoil cross-section, which is NACA 63A011 modified with a leading edge droop of 12 deg./15% chord. It was relatively straight forward to apply this to the wing and wing tip, and it's pleasing to see the slightly concave section under the wing, just behind the leading edge.



The winglet for the nacelle tank was more of a challenge. I always find blending difficult, time-consuming, with lots of individual vertex-poking, but satisfying.



This week, I've spent most of my time on the engine nacelle. It's slow. It's also one of those jobs where I find I've never taken enough pictures from enough angles to answer all the questions. The next day, I look at it again, think: "No, no; that's quite the wrong shape," and give it another tweak.



Guy.

[mgchristy]

This really looks amazing, Guy. Too many more models like this, and I might have to give X-Plane a try. I had 8.0 installed many moons ago...but the newer versions appear much improved, graphics-wise.

[guym-p]

Thanks! Everyone's waiting expectantly for X-Plane 10, but they haven't published a release date yet. There have been some tantalising screenshots showing huge improvements to scenery, clouds, weather, lighting. One shot showed the sheen on a wet runway at night, which looked fantastic. Another showed cars headlights creating moving pools of light on a motorway. Beneath the surface, the way it controls other traffic, including built-in ATC and "AI" aircraft are being completely overhauled, with each AI aircraft using a separate processor core, if available. Meanwhile, v9 is cheap.

Guy.

[Garry Russell]

Looking amazingly good Guy

Previously as mentioned, Xplane suffered badly from limitation that no longer apply.

This model more than proves that point.

Because most people see it as a visual thing and maybe don't appreaciate the simulations of actual flight and other dynamic effects it has always appeared to the masses to be a poor relation to MS despite the microsoft 'clunky engine' driven graphics.

Now that X-plane is moving on it will be interestinh to start again and look at comparisons to between the latest X-planes versions and MS Flight.

[guym-p]

It will be interesting to see which way MS Flight goes. For me the pleasure is in making stuff, so I like a simulator to be the platform on which to build, with good development tools and reasonable continuity so all one's hard work isn't obsolete by next year. It will be interesting to see how the MS Flight SDK works ...

Guy.

[DispatchDragon]

Guy

Its very beautiful and I just happen to have a copy of X-Plane languishing on my shelf and a clean lap top to put it on...
My only concern would be this.....I NEVER saw a Comet that clean!!!

By the time Dan AIr got them they were a little worse for wear on the inside and there was no real consistency in interiors....



Leif