Hello everyone !

 

While a thread for our airplane is already opened on another forum for a while, I think it's also good that it's shown here, where there is a growth in X-Plane simmers since X-Plane 10 is out.

 

This project started in March of last year, and is carried by MR3D, the nice scenery developer of HMS Jackdaw, EGOD and the really great Mitsubish A6M2 Zero japanese fighter ( http://hosting.x-pla...bsite/zero.html), and me.

 

The tasks are divided like this :

 

MR3D :

 

- 3D model of the plane and cockpit

- Texturing, animating

 

Hueyman :

 

- 3D model of the turbine and the prop

- Flight model and systems

- Sounds recording

 

We should both work on sounds, planning to use the excellent Dream Engine from the Brazilian great helicopter developer " conex "

 

 

Now, let's know a bit more about this very particular plane :

 

The Pilatus PC-6 is a swiss airplane, made by Pilatus Aircraft. The enterprise is located in Stans, near the Pilatus mountain in Switzerland. The first model, flew on 4th May of 1959, powered by a Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6, a 340 HP piston engine. It was designed to be a light, solid and robust aircraft, a STOL one ( Short Take Off and Landing )

 

 

The result exceed Pilatus's expectations, and now in 2012, the PC-6 remain the world's leading turboprop in the STOL category. The latest versions, /B2-H4 are powered by the famous Pratt & Whitney PT6-A27 or -A34 Free Turbine Offering 680 and 750 SHP allowing it to bring 9 or 10 skydivers up to 4000 m ( 13000 Ft - FL 130 ) in less than 20 min under International Standard Atmospheric (ISA) conditions. This powerful powerplant, coupled with a Hartzell HC-D4N-3P ( fully featherable four-blade aluminum prop, with reverse thrust abilities ) permit very short landing distance ( 315 meters - 1030 Ft ). It's aslo able to dive from 4000 m ( 13000 Ft ) to runway in less than 2 minutes, diving straight from the sky without coming near VNE, and this is thanks to it's very draggy geometry, and it's propeller spinning in Bêta mode ( not in reverse as reversed propwash would disturb the air slipstream over control surfaces and making plane uncontrollable ) a mode which put the propeller blade picth near 0° pitch ( no positive nor negative thrust ) so it acts like a big disc shaped airbrake

 

 

 

Many versions has been built, using different Pratt & Whitney PT6A, or even older Turbomeca Astazou ones... The PC-6 saw action in Laos and near Cambodian border during Vietnam War ( you MUST watch " Air America " movie with Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. ), and is still used today, in remote areas, where helicopters are out of range, or don't have it's one ton fret potential to carry sufficient stuff.

 

Our choice has been set on this ACFT for some reasons :

 

1 ) There aren't enough aircrafts of that category in good quality for X-Plane, I'm only aware of both incoming Soul Made Simulation's

Beaver and Dan Klaue Quest Kodiak.

 

2 ) I personally love this aircraft, I see it almost every weekends, as my mother is doing skydiving in this one. This means I have access to real ACFT datas, PoH, ref speeds... and also pilot feedback and mechanics feedback.

 

3 ) Because of above statement, I'll be able to record high quality sounds ( via Zoom H4N ), directly on the real aircraft, producing one of the most immersive sound experience in X-Plane, and not using default X-Plane crappy sound system.

 

4 ) With the flexibility of our lovely sim, we guess it would be possible to do some exclusive features, which are also done in the real life by this - so special - plane : Skydivers drop, fret transport in high altitude fields like Lukla, humanitarian mission on damaged

airfields in Africa etc..

 

5 ) Because it's a relative simple ACFT, without many avionics or systems, I think we could reproduce it as real as possible, to offer our customers both a realistic experience, with all procedures and checklists followed, and a non negligible fun factor.

 

If all goes well this year, for both of us, we hope to see this plane released by the end of Summer.

 

Here are some WiPs shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And don't forget to check my little blog, ask questions and drop comments, you'll be welcome ;-)

http://hueyman.overblog.com/

It's........ Alive!!!! That's is so awesome, I am stoked for the release X-plane is such an amazing sim and is advancing everyday. Stunning airplane guys keep up the Good work

Thanks !

 

We hope to deliver new screens soon, but I know what is the most interesting and it's not renders... but in-game shots !

 

Unfortunately, we're a bit far from it.. One day, one day !

Very Excited about this Unique Aircraft!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3AHFWlimt_I