June 28, 20214 yr

Author

***Summer Update***

Whistle While We Work

Dear Pilots,

Summer is right around the corner, and this seems to be the perfect opportunity to update you on our latest works and progress in module development. We have envisioned this to be a rather short update and as such it will primarily focus on the Corsair warbird, Essex class aircraft carrier and as cherry on top of the cake – a Crusader snippet. The scope of this update is dictated by the fact that the F4U-1D module occupies our attention almost exclusively.

We wish you a warm and pleasant summer and without further ado, lets have a look what we have prepared for you!

Chance-Vought F4U-1D Corsair

Starting with F4U-1D Corsair, we are happy to report that the module is in its final stages of development. Most of the artwork and system programming is nearing completion, while the flight model and engine operation are in process of fine tuning and testing. A set of missions and a campaign are also planned and will be done in cooperation with the renowned and talented campaign creator Reflected Simulations!

For the past few months following our Christmas update, our artists have shifted their efforts towards improving the cockpit. The F4U-1 is one of the few aircraft lacking sidewalls and a floor. Because of this many of the Corsair’s vital components are exposed. Though time consuming, we have given this special attention utilizing original manufacture drawings and unrestored aircraft as references to recreate most of the panels, cables, pipes and switches. Each area was then checked within VR to ensure that nothing what a strapped in pilot would see, will be missing.

Our team has settled on a modification designated MCR-600. This modification was a complete overhaul and simplification of the cockpit’s hydraulic system. Other changes not related to this MCR, include the following:

Separate rocket firing button
4 switch armament box on the right side dash that is tailored for Tiny Tim use.
Removal of the M-8 flair gun to help reduce toxic fumes getting into the cockpit through the firing tube.
Removal of the vapor dilution system, since there are no wing fuel tanks.
Removal of the carburetor choke lever.

Thus the update of the cockpit model and adjustment of the textures to fit new cockpit constitute the final chapter of aircraft art development.

Items that will be modeled during Early Access include the armored glass and an adjustable Mk.8 gun sight.

System development is also largely complete as hydraulics, electrics and basic weapon systems are operational and we’ll continue to fine tune them as tests proceed. The AN/ARC-5 Radio and navigation equipment were also completed and tested earlier this spring. Decision to add the AN/ARC-1 radio set is still pending. Smaller things such as the oxygen equipment, anti-blackout suit, and particularly interesting (based on carbon-dioxide), the emergency landing gear extension system remain, due to the cockpit enhancements.

Regarding the available ordnance and additional equipment, the full list of British and US bombs and rockets will be presented closer to the release. We hope to toss in a few features that would make our F4U-1D very unique in the DCS WW2 environment.

Essex Class Aircraft Carrier

Moving on, the carrier’s hangar bay is undergoing extensive development. It is our intention to make it possible for you to spawn inside the “belly” of the aircraft carrier, start-up the Corsair and bring it to the main deck with your very own efforts. We think that this feature would give you better understanding of aircraft carrier operations.

Don’t mind the sun roof, our ship-yard workers need fresh air.

Chance-Vought F-8J Crusader

Since our artists are busy with the Corsair, our programmers have been working diligently on the Crusader’s radar system.

While the ground mapping functionality of the AN/APQ-124 is very limited, the radar can be used for coastal mapping.

Below is a zoomed in screenshot from the video, displaying major geological features from the radar’s return off the coast of Poti Harbor City in the Caucases.

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The Corona virus outbreak has certainly hindered our efforts for opportunities in the scanning department. But we pushed through and were able to get some photogrammetry of the cockpit. Our initial work wasn’t that far off from the real deal! Work will continue in adjusting the geometry.

We hope to have some great news by next season regarding laser scans!

We at Magnitude 3 want to thank everybody for the continued support and patience! We wish everyone to have a fun and safe Summer!

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Patrick

January 7, 20224 yr

Author

Cleaning Up Shop

Dear Pilots,

There’s no lying when we say 2021 has been an extremely busy year for us. There are a lot of exciting things happening behind the hangar doors here at Magnitude 3. We’ve been pretty silent these past 7 months, but with good reason. We appreciate your patience and positive support as we continue our progress, developing fantastic modules.

Before we continue on with our progress report, our biggest news is the changing of our brand name for our products. We’ve read every message from Reddit to our E-mails regarding the confusion on who we are and/or who is making the products. In the coming months, we have decided to drop the Leatherneck Simulations branding for the foreseeable future. Our Facebook page will be merged with Magnitude 3’s main page, and the website will be garnished in Magnitude 3’s colors and styles. We feel this is great decision as it will allow the developers to forget any lingering effects from the ole name and promote positive feelings and motivation under the company name we set forth to use.

2022 and beyond are looking to be great years for us and we can’t wait to show everyone what we are working on one rivet at time. Without further ado, our progress reports.

Chance-Vought F4U-1D Corsair

Starting the 2021 year off in April and all the way up until the late hours of December 31st, our artist have continued to diligently work on the Corsair’s cockpit. Our purpose was to bring it up to standards that DCS users have come to love from Eagle Dynamics and our fellow 3rd Party partners.

The whole cockpit had been remodeled for viewable accuracy. Textures were revamped for Physically Based Rendering technology, and animations were improved. This new year, in the current state it’s in, we are pleased to finally showcase the cockpit that took nearly 10 months time and feel it is ready for Early Access soon.

The cockpit features all new gauges that are part-numbered matched with the Dash 1 D variants, featuring the Munsell Blue-Green hue color profiles.
All gauge face plates and nameplates of ancillary equipment have been recreated in detail making reading easier.
Warning lights have also been period matched for late war Corsairs.
Hydraulic and Fuel piping have been meticulously placed.

Though the cockpit is ready for Early Access, there will be a few items still needing work that won’t hamper the gameplay. These include the following:

Adjustable Mk.8 Gun Sight
Map Holder
Armored Glass
Rear Bulkhead Rain Guard
Map Light Hood
Defrost System
Cable Pully System
Random Electrical Wires
Bomb Director Mark 1 Mod 2 AN/ASG-10
C-45 AN/ARC-1

In the mean time, with help from Eagle Dynamics, our programmers are hard at work creating the code infrastructure for a new type of weapon within the DCS environment.

Introducing the S.W.O.D. 9 Mark 0 Bat Bomb – the World’s first “smart-bomb”! The great great grandfather of the JSOW. Developed in 1944, it first saw service in April of 1945, launched from PB4Y-2B bomber aircraft. Later other aircraft, such as the Corsair, were modified to carry it.

The weapon systems operating principles were simple by todays standards, but were a technical milestone at the time. The Bat was equipped with a S.W.O.D. Mk. 2 Radar-Homing S-Band System, developed by Bell Telephone Laboratory and manufactured by Western Electric which had its own transmitter and receiver. This was intended to automatically track a pre-selected target and to provide directional control signals to the Bendix Aviation gyroscopic autopilot which would then fly the bomb to the target using only wing-mounted elevons. The Bat also carried a substantial explosive charge inside as it was built around a 1000 pound bomb. Thus it was capable of penetrating a hull of a larger vessel such as a cruiser or an aircraft carrier, despite their armor.

The Bat was not a mere prototype but a fully functioning weapon systems which had its combat debut on April 23, 1945 when PB4Y-2B Privateers of VPB-109 flew from Palawan in the Philippines. Although the first operational used was unsuccessful, five days later the VPB-109 sank two small Japanese freighters in Balikpapa harbor (Borneo) with the Bat bomb.

Current development revolves around the implementation of a radar display – a Type A “Bat Scope” oscilloscope of which no pictures seem to have survived to this date. However, due to some similarity of other airborne radar systems such as AN/APS-4 or AN/APS-6 radars, it is possible to simulate the indicator unit.

Among other programming needs, the team has been fine-tuning the Corsair flight model, carefully matching the flight envelopes seen in the pilot’s manual, as well as running a model through fluid dynamic tests.

Essex Class Aircraft Carrier

Our Essex Class Aircraft Carrier has come a long way in just under a year as well. The carrier being represented was created from the book “Aircraft Carrier “Intrepid” (Anatomy of the ship)” by John Roberts. The following features include:

Short-Haul construction
2 x Type H Mk.4B Hydraulic Catapults
2 x Mk.12 / 22 Fire Control Radars
4 x 127mm Mk.24 Mod.11 Single Mount AA
4 x 127mm Mk.32 Mod.4 Double Mount AA
17 x 40mm Bofors Cannons
50 x 20mm Oerlikon Single Mount Cannons
20 x 20mm Oerlikon Twin Mount Cannons

YE AN/URN-3 Homing Beacon
SG-1 Surface Search Radar
SK-2 Height Finder Radar
SC-2 Long Range Air Search Radar
SK-1 Long Range Air Search Radar
Measure 33 Design 3A Dazzle Paint Scheme
Measure 22 Paint Scheme

The deck and island was our number one priority when it came to the model and textures. We hope users will feel at home as they roll down the wooden planks taking to the air! Please don’t hit the island in the widow maker. At release a damage model will be present, along with working hangar doors and lifts. A hangar bay will also be available to start from, or to park in after a long mission.

Chance-Vought F-8J Crusader

While our efforts have shifted towards the completion of our Corsair, the Crusader has been patiently waiting on laser scans. Thanks to the San Diego Air & Space Museum, we were able to hire a laser scan service to go out and scan BuNo 150297. We had the cockpit and landing gear scanned in high resolution and also a low resolution set scanned to act as templates when modeling the parts.

Elephants

Although we have been considerably busy, we have still taken the time to read bug reports on our beloved MiG-21bis and Christen Eagle II. Rest assured updates and fixes will be coming this year.

Users will note some changes to the 21 have occurred in suspension and the hydraulic system with flap operation. We apologize for the surprise and will take care not to forget to add our fixes/changes/updates to Eagle Dynamic’s change log. The hi-pitched engine heard in the cockpit has been fixed and should be available in the next update.

In the year ahead we will have roadmap detailing what we will be working on and fixing/updating.

We at Magnitude 3 want to thank everybody for the continued loyal support and patience! We wish everyone good health and a great 2022!

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Patrick

June 1, 20224 yr

Author

Despite The Heat, It'll Be Alright...

Dear Pilots,

Summer is practically here in the upper hemisphere, and it’s time to cool down. Our team has been extremely busy, and it’s not an exaggeration when we say it.

These past 5 months have been concentrated on finishing the Japanese assets, correcting the Essex carrier model, and the creation of the Corsair airframe for damaging. Along with that, finalizing the Crusader pilot model and venturing out for some photogrammetry sessions for our beloved MiG-21bis.

We wish you a warm and pleasant summer and without further ado, lets have a look what we have prepared for you!

Chance-Vought F4U-1D Corsair

The final touches on the airframe included, animation of the hydraulic hoses, flap control rods, and the fabric covering the large hole where the landing gear struts rest into. Several techniques were used to accomplished such features, and proved time consuming to get the correct movements as best as possible. Below are sample videos showcasing the works.

Modeling of the internal frame work is coming along nicely too. When the tail section falls off or takes critical damage, this structure will be seen in all it’s glory.

In the cockpit, we have developed a better approach of how the ultra-violet lighting reacts with the gauges and texts. Using a complex system of layered textures and volumetric lighting, we came up with a visually appealing setting; lights that reflect off of near by surfaces, light bloom from fatigued eyes, and faint glows from distant objects. A video below showcases the work.

Japan WW2 Armor Assets

Today, we are happy to report that our Japanese assets are nearing completion! Animations and damage models are finished as well. Barring, some texture adjustments, our next step will be integrating them into the DCS environment. We’ll be working closely with Eagle Dynamics to ensure everything works as it should. Below are a few examples of what we have. Please keep in mind all screenshots are a work in progress.

Essex Class Aircraft Carrier

Moving on, our programmers have been working on the AI taxi routes, parking spots, weapons and sensors. While we don’t have many screenshots that can be shown to showcase their work, we did manage to capture two, when they finally fixed the bug causing the aircraft not to follow the elevators going down to the hangar deck. Apalogies for not turning the lights on; just trying to conserve energy.

Our artists have also been fixing a few areas on the Essex model, adding the missing deck lights, correcting a few 40mm mounting positions and adding missing Mk.51 directors.

Chance-Vought F-8J Crusader

As the Corsair gets closer to the finish line, we have been able to allocate some time on an important aspect of the cockpit. The pilot! Our detailed pilot includes the following items that would have been found on any U.S. Navy and Marine aviator during the late 1960s era:

APH-6D Helmet
A-13A Oxygen Mask
MA-2 Torso Harness
SV-2 Survival Vest
MK-3C Life Preserver
U.S. Navy Flight Boots
Type B3 Summer Flight Gloves
Type Mk-2A Anti-G Cutaway Coveralls
Tiger Stripe Flight Suit

With the pilot model now finished, we will begin on texturing and animations.

While the Crusader itself is on the back-burner, a few acquaintances of ours managed to grab some excellent photos of a parted Crusader out at the “Planes of Fame” backyard. These photos will be an excellent source for damage modeling!

Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-21бис

Wishing to fulfill our promise to overhaul the MiG-21bis, we have began preparations for this massive undertaking. Once the Corsair is released and completed, we will be able to give it all the needed attention.

In recent months we have expanded our library, which now comprises twice as many manuals and technical documents as it originally did. This will allow us to simulate some of the systems in a manner not possible at a time the module was released.

Furthermore, our head of the research department has taken a few trips to the museums in Poland and Germany to gather a large collection of pictures of the MiG-21s, with an intention to use them for recreation of the 3d model and textures through photogrammetry. There is no question, that in order to provide the best visual quality, we need to take advantage of all newest technologies. This technologies in turn give us an opportunity to turn things that were previously impossible, into a reality.

The attached pictures show closely the process at various stages: creation of the points cloud, mesh model reconstruction and finally texturing. This model will be a fine template to create the new cockpit for the MiG-21bis.