Happy Holidays All...Sorry, I just cant seem to find anything new via search... maybe I dont know how to use it properly?Last I remember, it was suggested that the R4D would be re-released again soon, any updates or posts that someone can enlighten me with?It just so happens that the DC-3 C-47 is one of my favorite sim aircraft, and its not like any purchase is on hold... Reality is I have made several donations to MAAM and other flying museums, and will continue to do so in the future..Please... please .... none of the berating stuff.. I am way too old for that... I am very supportive, and am not a whiner!I dont hassle design teams about release dates, nor do I complain about the imperfections of daily life... as I frequently see on many forums... it irrates me too!Instead, I am only looking for a straightforward, honest answer... nothing else is wanted, hoped for or implied... nor do I expect MAAM to give me a day, hour or minute... dont particularly care... just a nudge from anyone who might know the answer to my question! [h6]I've got a question that I cannot find an answer for... if anyone knows... please reply... if not... DONT!!![/h6][h6]Thanks for being understanding,Ted Panamarioff - Kodiak, Alaska[/h6]

Hi Ted,All I can say is that work indeed is progressing on the R4D. The last I saw of it (which was very recent BTW) looked fantastic, and it'll only get better from here. So hang on, it's on the way!thanks,

Hi Ted,I'm a fair panel designer and manual writer, but a very bad predictor of release dates. It's embarrassing to hear myself say "by Thanksgiving" in the just released interview on FSTV, videoed at the AVSIM convention in September. Call it positive attitude, wishful thinking, good intentions, or just plain incompetence in prediction. In my own defense, there a million and one things which conspire to complicate the development process, most, if not all of them pretty unpredictable. I won't list the tale of woes which has delayed the Gmax R4D's take off, as the various monkey wrenches (or spanners, if you prefer) that have been tossed into the works are all water under the bridge. At this point, with January racing down upon us, even the most recent prediction of February 1 is beginning to look like more pie in the sky, instead of a Dakota in the blue, which is what we at MAAM-SIM want even more than you folks - I promise!! We are working hard and as fast as we can to get the bird out. The museum desperately needs the income, perhaps as never before. We still have a number of tasks to complete, but much, much more is complete. Believe me, we are not trying to give anyone the runaround, and all those earlier predictions were never meant to do so. In the future, I think I'll just say that it will be done when it's done, and we'll give progress reports as we go. So here is another:On my end, the 2D panels, all of the gauges, and the 2D views are complete. The only pop-up yet to be done is the flap and gear controls. I have not yet begun to write the user's manual, nor have I gotten the vintage manuals scanned.Fred has completed all the programming of everything I have sent him, and all is working as it should. It's brilliant! We are hoping against hope that the SDK will come around and reveal the secret of the tail wheel lock, among other things, (MS guys, are you reading this? - please) so we can make that feature active.Rob is hard at work on the flight model, and we expect to begin testing that soon.Jan V. is making a few improvements to the already complete VC, including the new hydraulic gauges on the copilot's side wall and experimenting with putting the new overhead electrical panel in. Again, hopes are high that we will get the SDK info that will allow the controls, such as the throttles, props, and mixture to be mouseable. He is also putting the finishing touches on the two civil DC-3 versions that will be included on the CD.Jan R. has done some great new effects for her, and I suspect is working on more.Howard has written the history article and is working on the checklists and reference pages for the kneeboards.The sound package has yet to be done, but we have a good basis to work from in the way of recordings.As soon as I post this, I'll put up some screenies that show what I have here and I'll ask Jan to put some up of the UAL and BEA versions, which I do not, along with any others he'd like - just to show you we have not been sitting on our hands. I very much appreciate that you are not the badgering sort. Actually, people have been very understanding and patient, if eager. Thanks to all of you. We thank you all for your patience and will try to do a better job keeping everyone informed.Happy New Year to all, and we swear the Gooney will be released in 2004 - how's that? ;-)Seriously, it will not be too much longer. Watch for the screenies in separate posts.Bill Rambow MAAM-SIM - Rambow, Visser, Banting, Young, Womack, and Hamblyhttp://www.fssupport.com/maam_sim/maamsim_logo.gif

Hi Bill,Thanks for the honest and informative answer...Thats what I was hoping for... nothing specific.. just "close" or soon.I am one who is impatient by nature.. but a realist when it comes down to it... I believe that what you all do to make these awesome sim aircraft is truly a gift and that is must take some horrendous amounts of work and dedication... for that and more I am grateful... very grateful!I have served on a well known beta test team for several outstanding sim planes and I know how long it takes to test and release a quality product..Keep up the great work![h6]Happy New to all of you at MAAM, and to all forum readers...[/h6]Regards,Ted Panamarioff - super windy chilly Kodiak Alaskaits gusting over WNW @ 70 kts at my house as I write!