Greetings!  My situation is that I have two add-ons of very similar single-engine aircraft: one with a 140 HP engine and another with a 160 HP engine.  I prefer the flight characteristics and engine output of the 140 HP aircraft (I train in it in real life and it is quite accurate), but I also prefer the layout and virtual cockpit of the 160 HP aircraft (which looks identical to my training aircraft - 140 HP is way different).  Is there an easy way to copy the flight and engine characteristics of one aircraft to another?  So I would have the appearance of the 160 HP aircraft but it would fly exactly like the 140 HP aircraft?  I assume I would copy and paste bracketed sections from the 140 HPer's aircraft.cfg file but I'm not sure which sections are for what I want and which sections are just for views, information used to be displayed in FSX, and so on.  I would greatly appreciate any assistance!

It is actually more complicated than that... both the "air" file and the aircraft.cfg file come into play.. and interact with one another.  You can try to replace both and see where it gets you..  Or if you simply want to detune the engine power, you can edit one line in the aircraft.cfg file:

[piston_engine]
power_scalar = 1.0                              //Piston power scalar

Try

[piston_engine]
power_scalar = 0.88                             //Piston power scalar

 

Thank you Bert.  What is the "air" file if you don't mind elaborating?

Since I posted I found this guide:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/microsoft-esp/cc526949(v=msdn.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN

If it isn't as easy as a copy and paste of aircraft.cfg sections, then I'll use the guide to help me determine if the section is something I should import from the 140 HP aircraft or can be left alone to better suit the 160 HP aircraft.

Look in the main folder for the aircraft.. there will be a file named XXXX.air.

7 hours ago, Bert Pieke said:

Look in the main folder for the aircraft.. there will be a file named XXXX.air.

Oh, so that's what you meant.  Thank you.  Looks like I need dedicated software to view/edit those files.  Now I know where to start.  🙂

22 hours ago, BF Bullpup said:

Oh, so that's what you meant.  Thank you.  Looks like I need dedicated software to view/edit those files.  Now I know where to start.  🙂

Try this link : https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?searchid=78784946 it's for FS2004 and FSX

Or Google for : godaired.zip

Make a copy before you start it's not so simple if you don't know what you are doing.

Jan

1 hour ago, F70 said:

Try this link : https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?searchid=78784946 it's for FS2004 and FSX

Or Google for : godaired.zip

Make a copy before you start it's not so simple if you don't know what you are doing.

Jan

I believe you mean this link: https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fslib.php?searchid=78785916

The one you linked said no search result but I don't find FlightSim.com easy to search anyway.  Great site and I use it occasionally, but not always user friendly.

I agree with you 100% about backing up files first!!!  Thank you.

It is easy to do just by swapping the Air file, but only testing will tell if it works. I had a freeware Jet Provost and was not at all happy with the handling, and I spent a while looking for an Air file to swap in. In the end I think I used a freeware Gloster Meteor that was perfect in speed and handling. 

I meant to update this thread but got sidetracked.  😛  I ended up using the 160 HP aircraft but used the 140 HP's .air file and aircraft.cfg to the 160's files.  I copied and pasted to replace the 140's entries below using the 160's entries:

-all fltsim entries (so the available aircraft will show up in the selection menu)

-all lights entries (so the lights are in the correct positions on the external model)

-all view entries (so the default view starts on the pilot's seat and not on the floor and to the left)

It turned out the 140 HP aircraft did not have carb heating enabled and had the incorrect range for elevator trim, so I fixed those too.

It goes without saying that I had to make backups and take careful notes!  I backed up both files in clearly labeled separate folders and I also created a new folder only for the edits I made so I do not mix anything up.

I am very happy with the results so far!  Thank you everyone for your help.

Edited August 21, 20205 yr by BF Bullpup