GMax R4D DC-3 Cancelled, THIS IS TERRIBLE!

[Guest Stardog]

I just got an email about this and seen it for myself at RCS Panels website. Man this really bites! I was looking forward to this update soooo much :(Here is the press release from RCS Panel's website."GMax R4D with VC's - Project CancelledIt is with great regret that I announce that the GMax version of the MAAM R4D with VC's has been cancelled. This is a decision that I reluctantly took on behalf of RCS Panels and its members after much vary careful thought. It was in no way a decision taken lightly as I know it will cause great disappointment in the FS world.RCS Panels is justly proud of what it has achieved over the years and the significant money it has raised for aviation charities. This has mainly been achieved because of clear focus on our objectives and the fact that we encourage our members to develop their already considerable skills in a pleasant and rewarding team. The operative word here is "team", and as such others' positions, skills and opinions must be respected. To make this all work successfully it is necessary to have a framework of rules and objectives by which everyone abides.For the team to run successfully we cannot have any one person holding a "gun to our heads". Some time ago our talented aircraft designer Jan Visser made it clear he did not subscribe to our policy of raising money for charity and quite a number of other things. He was therefore "asked to leave". In an attempt to keep things on a pleasant footing, considerable ongoing help and commitment was given to Jan to develop the GMax version of the R4D, involving huge amounts of time to develop special gauges and fixing other problems to make it all work. Unfortunately, at the eleventh hour, the team was again confronted with a "gun to the head" and I was left with no reasonable alternative but to cancel the project for good.Making such a decision gives me absolutely no pleasure; a huge amount of work from many people (me included) has been scrapped because of it. However, we have to look at the wider picture. Our commitment to MAAM is extremely important to us, as is the future development and success of the team. To put this all into perspective, so far the team has put over 18 months of work into the B25 "Briefing Time" project, which is now nearing completion. Had the above decision not been made it is more than likely this whole project would have been lost along with all the revenue that it would have generated for MAAM.I am sure in the future Jan will bring out another version of a DC3 with the VC's but unfortunately this will not be our MAAM R4D.Although I am sure this news is a bitter disappointment to many of you, I ask for your understanding and to accept my word there really was no alternative. RCS Panels is committed to bringing you more and more quality FS packages and hopefully will do so for a long time to come.Roy RCS Panels "I hope it was ok to post this here, I have no idea the circumstances and take no side in this matter at all but I figured everyone would want to know as i know how much we were all waiting for this bird. What a bummer :(Here is the link:http://www.roychaffin.com/rcs-panels.html

[Dark Moment 0]

Oh man. That is terrible news. Looks like I'd better speak to Jan about "Betsy" ...Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/cxkaitak.htmlhttp://www.swiremariners.com/cxkaitakv3.jpg

[ejoiner 21]

Ho hum. Jan will surface with more great work. Panelscan be had from other sources.

[Guest Milton]

It is most unfortunate and a loss to everyone that this project is cancelled.The thousands of hours invested by all that talent will not come to fruition. This has to be a terribly difficult decision for all involved.Whatever the reasons, it still stands that all the members have contributed loads of quality freeware and donationware to this hobby and I wish them all the best.The work, time, frustrations and talent involved in these projects is phenomenal. Many of you understand this and will undoubtedly relate to these kinds of frustrations.I wasn't particularly happy with the way the announcement read as I believe that internal team politics should be kept internal and that professionalism takes precedence over emotions in the public eye.I certainly support the decision and respect the difficulty with which it must have been made. But, I will also continue my support for Jan Visser, a virtual mentor for many of us, and for respectable projects like MAAM.All these team members have helped shape our hobby whatever their motivations and their contributions set new standards of quality and performance. I hope that each of you recognize what deadlines can do to projects, and the stress that is felt when we all work with limited guidance, documentation, or support. I wish each of the parties success in their future endeavors and certainly some understanding from this community.I am sure we shall see many more quality products from these talented individuals.Best RegardsMilton / IFRfunhttp://www.flightsimonline.com/dash7

[Donmo 6]

I really wish Jan would keep on going with his end of the project himself. We can always alias another panel. Personally, I don't care about "virtual cockpits". I've sat many hours in the real ones and to pan across one while flying my electrons on a screen, it really gives me no thrill. I'd be happy with Jans work with a C-182 panel. 99% of my flying is done from the outside anyhow so I can see the plane and the scenery. To NOT view the outside is sacreligious to the designers time and efforts to produce good looking planes. You can always fly without a panel, but you can't fly without the plane. I do not approve of the letter which is a 1 sided attack on an individual. THIS is the reason this hobby is loosing people. It's a shame the C-47 decision has come to and end before a beginning. I hope Jan continues to at least produce his visual model. Screw the panel and VC. I have the MAAM one already. Panels are a dime a dozen, but good aircraft aren't.Don

[Guest nutcase]

Well, this is bad news.But I think it's to much english "pride" involved into RCS. RCS are involved with MAAM, but do they take into account the revenue a GMAX Dc3 will generate to MAAM? I would say it like this: Jan Visser is kicked out of RCS and it's RCS' loss, not ours. We will get great aircraft in the future from Jan Visser. Jan Visser is, in my eyes, the master of aircraft designing. RCS will never make aircraft as stunning as Jan Visser would have made them.Keep up the good work Jan Visser. I'm looking forward to a Gmax Dakota of Norway.this is my 2 cents from my point of view up here in Norway.Jan Roar R

[Guest cwright]

I agree. I also look forward to Jan's Gmax DC-3. I only use virtual cockpits these days anyway.... Best regards, Chris

[Guest]

Jan,Roger on your words in support of the other Jan!So far....it looks like the score is...Roy=1Jan=0Bill=0That is because we have only heard Roy's "side" of the story on his PUBLIC Web site. Kind of unfair in my book...as there are always TWO sides to every story.......in this case there should be 3 stories.I would like to hear those other two stories....but mostly I wish for a compromise that would allow this SUPERB airplane to be released to the public. I was very fortunate to be trusted with beta work on the Gmax R4D.....and the airplane is my default aircraft for FS2002. When the new Matrox Triple Head video card(the number 3 is notable) is released later this month...allowing a view of 6 monitors with only 2 computers.....the Virtual cockpit view will be almost overwhelming. Actually it is that way now. Grin.You WANT this airplane...and I hope that ALL of us can help to mitigate some of the hard feelings amongst these 3 talented guys...that will lead to a release of the files.There is something about the number 3 in aviation, whether real or virtual, that often causes problems. Airplane crashes are often rumored to come in "3's"........3 'on a match' is said to be a no-no, and of course 3 often IS a crowd.Not too mention with 3 strikes you are out.Only when the score becomes tied.........Roy=1Jan=1Bill=1will we all win.Regards,Cap'n Tarmack

[Guest Tim W]

Unbelieveable, considering that the GMAX version was 90% the work of Jan in my opinion. Living close by to Jan I have been able to closely follow the progress of the VC and the visual model of the R4D and I can testify to the amount of time and sleepless nights that Jan has devoted to it's creation. I know the story of this situation from Jan's point of view and it disagrees somewhat with Roy's version of events.Clever gauge designer he may be but Roy Chaffin certainly does have a big ego. The biggest shame is that having been allowed to fly this new model for some time now testing the VC and all the other goodies for Jan, I know this package is all but ready to be released and this action on Roy's part not only deprives simmers of the chance to fly this beautiful rendition but it also makes a mockery of the hundreds of hours that Jan has devoted to designing the visual model and the stunning virtual cockpit for zero financial gain whatsoever!!!. Purely because he loved what he was doing. However all is not lost, be assured that Jan will continue the project, he is in discussions with other talented panel designers to produce a new 2D panel and VC for another verion of his DC3 which should be ready in the not too distance future.TimEHAM

[Guest]

I surely hope the DC-3 will be released. The pictures looked very promising. Given the hours that Jan has spent on the model it would be a shame not to release it.

360

[Guest joea]

Don I agree that this is a shame and I love beautiful aircraft models...just have to take issue with you about the "good panels are a dime a dozen" remark buddy. I never liked this "inside vs. outside" flyers bit in FS as a former modeller I love having a detailed plane I can jump into and fly with a gorgeous panel. For example, the great TU-154 gmax model comes with a decent panel with Cyrillic which adds to the experience. The best of the best of the FS world free or payware have both nice panels and visual models (and FDE also) like the Beavers...[;-)] Now because of the limitations in FS even the VC doesn't show scnery like the spot view...but you can't fly a complex approach outside either so I like both. That said and not getting into the politics of what happened between Roy, Bill and Jan I hope they can settle their differences because I HATE to see that work wasted. How about it RCS and Jan please reconsider...

[Guest]

Bad Ettiquette!!I have known Jan since FS4 days and we worked on DC-3's way back then. RCS should know better than to wash there dirty laundry in public view and slam Jan on the Web.I feel bad for Jan.. this guy worked his @$$ off on the GMAX/VC version only to see his efforts dissappear in smoke because of a few overly protected gauges.RCS... please 're-think' your decision making and please do not hold the FS community to ransom about it.Regards.. TrevVisit "The DC-3 Hangar"http://www.douglasdc3.com

[Guest]

Well, one thing's for sure - Roy hasn't changed much over the years. I'm with the Capt'n and think we need the other two sides of the story. But whatever the problem is, it's just a shame that this became public in the way it did. I dunno Trev, sometimes I think I'd give up all the "advances" we've seen in the past few years for the closeness of the community back then. Trip

[Guest mikehaska]

Roy- Your "press release" was so sappy I had to blow my nose with a pancake. Regardless of what transpired between the two of you, or any hurt feelings, the fs community is not a jury. You have no right to bring this squabble out in the open. It's not only bad marketing, it's bad manners.My point of view agrees with the majority- seems like it was your ego which got in the way of this project. If you want to give a sob-story of why you are shutting down the project, at least give us all sides. Smearing another person to make yourself look like a saint is really low.really low. :~P

[Guest Aidi]

Folks,This as we know is a blow to the FS Community... Those of us who have followed the progress of Roy,Bill and Jan over the years have nothing but admiration for their efforts. There are lots of opinions to be had on this subject, so lets keep this thread on the right track and not let things get out of hand. Tahttp://www.avsim.com/vfr_center/avsim_sig.jpg