MYSTERY! - Who is FS AVIATOR?

[barryward12345 0]

The Fsim community needs to uncover who this person is. The only thing I know about him/her is that he/she is associated with the Convairs and "I think" did the FDEs for the Convairs. Now the flight dynamics of these aircraft are so good that he/she must have some deep inner understanding of Fsim flight dynamics that nobody else has. We need to uncover who he/she is and FORCE him/her to write us FDEs for all our other a/c. Barry

[Dark Moment 0]

There's no mystery, Bazza. Just wander over to Tom Gibson's site for plenty more FDEs by FS Aviator. www.calclassic.comMark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

[tgibson 11]

Hi,Yes, he does do amazing work, I agree. I'm so grateful that he offered to do FDE's for most of my propliners. BTW, for the planes not yet updated (those created before the Convairs), he has kindly provided FDE "update kits" that are available from The Planes link, under FS2002 FDE Updates. The FDE's available include the Convair 240/340/440/C-131/580, Douglas DC-4/DC-6/DC-6A/DC-6B/DC-7/DC-7B/DC-7C/C-54, Fairchild F-27A, Lockheed L-188 Electra, and M202/202A/404 (either as update kits or included in various aircraft files).He has chosen to remain anonymous due to previous caustic name-calling emails from previous projects. In addition, he has decided to discontinue creating freeware FDE's (but I don't think he has decided his future FS plans, if any).Take care,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[barryward12345 0]

Thanks Tom -- I was just joking around -- but he sure does some amazing work. I only have the Convair 440 - but it has an fabulous feel about it.I have downloaded from HJG - a 580 panel for use with Greg Peppers 580. I am a bit confused about which 580 has a FS AVIATOR FDE. There seems to have been a number of these a/c designed. The ones on your website appear to me to be FS2000 a/c and I can't really see where they have any input from FS AVIATOR.Any advice which a/c I should download (with an FDE by FS AVIATOR ) to match the panel over at HJGThanks Barry

[Guest Wang D. Doodle]

Barry - If you've downloaded the panel from HJG, then you've already got FSAviator's new FDE for it. It's in the subfolder called "Copy to main aircraft folder." The same download also contains a folder named "docs," and there you'll find the excllent "review," actually a brief operating guide, very well written, by a current US Convair pilot named Steven Mathis (yes, there are lots of these birds flying as freighters -- in Europe they're very conspicuous, flying for DHL). This is one of the very best flight models going. Just make sure you read the "Review" and other material because this brilliant aircraft is very different than almost anything else in FS. Very close to the real thing, apparently, especially in the way it handles. There's a good review of this aircraft at FSInflight magazine. I don't know why this aircraft hasn't gotten more "press" because it's really first class. Wang

[Bearracing 3]

Wang,I've been posting a feature, one segment at a time, called A Screenshot Tribute to FS2002, be sure to take a look (probably by this weekend) at the last section or part. Its titled "Top 30 Picks" of FS aircraft for FS2002 and you just might find it quite interesting. The aircraft have already been selected and I think most will be surprised by my choices!Bear!

[Guest Javis]

Does anybody have a clue of what 'FDE' actually stands for...??Jan

[Guest Milton]

LOL Jan, :-)Flight Dynamics "Engineering"?Flight Dynamics "Estimation"?Flight Dynamics made EASY"?Flight Dynamics "EEEKS!!!!"?Flight Dynamics "Essentials"?Fly Die EasilyFlippin' Dynamics Escapes meFreakin' Dubious EstimatesFind Da Errorplane ...Don't know, but it sure seems complicated. Fortunately there are a few around that make our aircraft very believable. For that I am appreciative. :-)Milton

[barryward12345 0]

>Barry - If you've downloaded the panel from HJG, then you've>already got FSAviator's new FDE for it. It's in the subfolder>called "Copy to main aircraft folder." Thanks for that -- I have found it in the panel download as you said. I have one further question/problem. The panel download also included a replacement .MDL file which , after I installed it , prevented the aircraft textures from showing - all I got was a white a/c. When I replaced that MDL file with the original one that I downloaded with the Allegheny Gmax a/c , everything showed up OK. So, at this stage , I don't know if this panel I downloaded is going to work as it should - time will tell.Barry

[Guest Wang D. Doodle]

Barry - Keeping up with all the modifications and upgrades can seem like a full-time job sometimes, can't it? Hope the boss doesn't find out...There have been several different versions over the last year. I've been using the same downloads mentioned in the FSInflight magszine and the panel works fine. The panel really doesn't really interact with the model, anyway (as far as I know, but life is full of surprises for those who think they know something). So: cv580.zip - model - at AvsimCV580_panel_g_v1.zip - at HJG cv580all.zip - Jim Campisi's Allegheny livery - at AvsimAlso recommended is the sound package: nro_tp.zip by Norman R. Olsen - at "another large site." A few days ago, Tom Gibson released an updated model. It's available through a link on his California Classics forum (on page 2 of the forum as of this writing). The link to that file is: http://www.calclassic.com/Temp/cv580falmdl.zipWhen I first dropped the new model file into the "model" folder, nothing happened. To see the new model, I had to use notepad to modify the "model.cfg" file that's in the model folder so that it points to the new model file.Now I just realized that all the relevant elements of the cv580.zip package have been superceded. (Except the South African textures, for those who are interested in them.) So, if someone is willing to make their own folders and model.cfg files, they can make the whole aircraft from the updated model file (as above), the repaint, the panel, and the "aircraft.cfg" and "cv58.air" from the panel download. Maybe it's time for somebody to put together a new package with all these modifications and upload it? It would be convenient for the new users coming on board as the word gets around on this superb aircraft.One more tip, based on an e-mail from Steven Mathis, who was kind enough to answer a couple of questions e-mailed to him: When flying the Convair, turn on the "autorudder" option (on the aircraft/realism dropdown menu in FS2002). More realistic, not to mention easier to fly by hand.Oh yeah, and as it says in that FS Inflight article, Steven Mathis's "Review" in the panel package is required (and delightful) reading.Wang

[tgibson 11]

Hi all,Thanks for all the kind words - we all appreciate it very much.Yes, I admit that the 580 situation is a bit confusing. The project "evolved" at different times (model, model update, panel, FDE, another model update, etc.), and thus the newest files are scattered around. To add to the confusion, FSAviator has just sent me a new FDE update, which I hope Steve will be able to test (it increases the drag at low power levels making it easier to slow down at flight idle, and also increases the reverse thrust a bit). This (when ready) will be posted on my FDE Update page. Perhaps when things settle down from all the other things going on right now (mostly new piston Convair variations, a new B377 coming out soon, and - oh yeah - FS2004), I'll try to get all the latest stuff together in one package.For now, the info in this thread will have to do... :)Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[tgibson 11]

It is an odd abbreviation, I'll give you that.It stands for Flight Dynamics Editor, which (as I remember) was the original program to edit flight dynamics in FS5.1. It was part of the Flight Shop program. So people started abbreviating it FDE, and it later became a generic term for flight dynamics, even though it actually refers to a program (another FDE program from Abacus still has that name). I guess the correct abbreviation would be FD, but FDE has become sort of the standard.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

[Guest Javis]

Nice try, Milton ! :-hah Best Regards,Jan

[Guest Javis]

Yes, that's exactly what i seem to remember as well, Tom.It has always looked funny to me when people talk about " i have downloaded this new plane and the Flight Dynamics Editor is really fantastic ! " ..... (-: Particularly funny since abbreviations are supposed to be mere child's play in the world of aviation. Just curious if adressing this topic will get rid of that stray 'E ' or if it will persist to stay like it has done for so many years.There's thousands of FD files but only a couple FDE's ... :+Best Regards,Jan

[Guest Wang D. Doodle]

Tom - Something to look forward to in the form of the new FDE... err.... flight dynamics. This'll keep all the Convairheads happy!Wang