I have launched my MD-80 project here: http://forums.x-plan...&showfile=19518

 

--PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS FILE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED IN ABOUT A YEAR!  IT IS NOT THE MOST CURRENT VERSION, I HAVE ADDED MANY IMPROVEMENTS AND AM WAITING TO RELEASE A MORE UP TO DATE VERSION-- 5/30/14

 

Currently it is a developmental stage.  It has parts of a virtual cockpit so far and a simple 2D cockpit.  The fuselage is completely modeled in Blender.  I will continue to use the 0.X version numbers until the following minimum requirements are met:

 

-Complete 3D Cockpit Enclosure

-Realistic 2D Panel

-More Realistic Flight Dynamics

-At Least 2 Real World Liveries (Currently I supply a rough Delta livery and a Basic Livery I use for Modeling)

 

What my goals are for the project as a whole are (regardless of version number, just where I hope to take the program before I'm through):

 

-Fully Immersive 3D Cockpit

-Photo Real 2D Panel

-Photo Real Liveries (I have something of the sort currently with my Delta Livery.  If synthetic proves to work better for me as far as quality, then replace "photo real" with "synthetic"  )

-Extremely Realistic Flight Dynamics

-Complete Interior Build

 

These are just a few things I had in mind when I started this project a while back.  Any of these things can show up at any time.  I do have a list of priorities, but that doesn't mean that the Photo Real 2D panel won't come in the next 0.X update (no promises, just an example) or that it has to come before extremely realistic flight dynamics.  I'll be sure to inform everyone the best I can of all the new toys that come with each release.  I am currently a one man team, so you will have to bare with me and understand that flaws and glitches will arise.  My goal is to get a new version done here and get it to you ASAP.  That's why I released a 0.X version.  I want you guys to help shape my project along the way and help me test it out!  Just PLEASE do NOT edit my files at your computer!  I have already put some serious time into it (even if it doesn't seem that way) and I couldn't bare to see it stolen from me 

 

If you are interested in coming on the team as a beta tester, please just let me know.  Contact me here or send me a message on Skype: pilotmanchase.  I need people to do extensive flight tests and such on the aircraft before it is released.  PLUS it comes with a cool banner like mine!  B) 

 

-IMPORTANT-

While I do encourage people to make repaints for my aircraft... DON'T!  The current set up for how the plane will read the textures is not the one that will be used in the future.  And even then, it definitely is not optimized for ease... at all.  Leave the headaches to me... seriously.  You will find yourself in a world of hurt if you try to repaint it.  Just sayin' 

 

-Release Thoughts-

Here is a copy of a post I made in the X-Plane forums recently:

 

Hello, everyone once again!  I just wanted to hop in here to share some very exciting news!  While preparing the MD-80 for it's next release, I entered a world of developmental opportunities.  I decided to walk right on through these newly opened doors and am pleased to announce that I have made a significant leap forward in the developmental process.  I will try to post pictures later.  I was looking forward to pushing out a v0.3 release very soon, but I am now considering the option of waiting until it is v1.0 ready.  I say this because it doesn't seem right to me that I release a product that is lost so deeply in the middle of not having advanced features and having so many advanced features that incompleteness makes it hardly usable.  I will continue to consider a v0.3 release, but I am thinking that I will wait until the plane is finished.  Here is a list of some of the big improvements:

 

--FLIGHT DYNAMICS!!! (This was one of the most exciting things.  I made the plane fly a lot more realistically, though I feel there is still a long way to go before I get the perfect MD-80 feel)

--Animated 3D Cockpit (This is one of those things that is incomplete right now.  It's coming along nicely though.  I'll post pictures)

--Stall Warning Horn Fixed (No more stall warning after rotation)

--Center of Gravity Fix (I guess this is a flight dynamic, but this fix deserves it's own category.  It isn't perfect, but it's better than the nose-smashing start that you guys are experiencing LOL )

--Custom Textured Cockpit (This is one of the cooler features.  I am currently making good looking synthetic cockpit textures.  I'll replicate the process for repaints in the future)

--Optimized Cockpit (Not sure if it helps frames that much, but I cleaned up a lot of extra vertices)

 

Still on tap:

--I need to redo the bender model.  I don't like it at all.  Better than Plane Maker models, but still awful. (Not really terrible, but I need to fix the number of windows at least)

--Cabin (I will die if I have to look straight through this plane much longer)

--Plus much, much more that I can't think of at 4:00 in the morning.

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day! I'd like everyone to know I am making a good deal of progress on the MD-80. I have had to take a small break, but I hope to have the release ready quite soon. More updates to come.

 

Thanks,

 

Chase