This week was learn to texture with alpha channel week. The picture shows the registration number on the side of the fuselage. I made it as a 512 x 512 texture. Up close it is blocky looking. Can I do better, or is this good enough? Tonight I was experimenting with the air file trying to get a resonable idle. My engine currently idles around 1,500 RPM, it should be about half of that. What should I tweak in the .air file to get a resonable idle? Also, it takes way too long for the engine to shut down. Thanks for the help!RobertVirtual Thorp T-18 : http://home.nethere.net/kerr/virtual.htm

Concerning the idle, first make sure your joystick's throttle is calibrated properly. With the engine running at idle, press F1 (cut throttle event command) on the keyboard and see if the idle speed decreases.If no decrease in idle rpm is observed, then in the aircraft.cfg file the section [piston_engine] contains this entry:idle_rpm_friction_scalar=1.0 increasing this scalar will lower the idle rpm. Increase it by increments of 1/10 until you have what you want for the idle rpm.Note: This entry supposedly works by adjusting the low rpm end point of TBLDB 509 in the airfile, if airfile tables are your idea of a good time, then TBLDB 509 is for you. I've found it to be much easier to simply change the idle rpm friction scalar instead. If a decrease in rpm is observed after using the F1 keyboard command, then your joystick's throttle isn't calibrated properly and you should use FSUIPC to adjust it.The shut down time can be adjusted by changing the "propeller_moi=XX" entry found in the [propeller] section of the aircraft.cfg file.This entry affects the rate of rpm change, try entering a value of 2.0 for your T-18. Larger numbers will decrease the rate of rpm change, and smaller numbers will increase it.And congratulations on creating a great looking FS airplane!

Wow, you've explained what to do better than anything I've looked at. Thanks for the info. I'll let you know how it turns out. After reading your post, a mystery I've had has been partially answered - ATC refers to me as an experimental type DB 509 helicopter. Looks like I need to look at that airfile table. How is that done?Robert

>After reading your post, a mystery I've had has been partially answered - ATC refers to me as an experimental type DB 509 helicopter.http://perso.wanadoo.fr/hsors/FS_Soft/fsairfile.html

I am still working on these same issues but I'll offer this.On the N number (texturing), I use a 1024 x 1024 for both left and right side textures. I would still like it cleaner, but it looks fair. Looking at other packages such as the SF260, I see they do their fuselages in portions, cabin forward, tail, etc. which can allow for a tighter resolution when viewed through FS.Good LuckBob C.

Bob-That Lanceair looks awesome!Thanks for the tip. Time to fire up PSP and try it out...Robert

Doug-Actually ATC has used that when calling me out to other traffic. When I interact directly with ATC I am properly identified. Got the prop pretty well tweaked in thanks to your help. Any chance you could reveal where I would look to adjust where the start-up smoke effect originates from?Robert

>Any chance you could reveal where I would look to adjust where the start-up smoke effect originates from?http://zone.msn.com/flightsim/FS02DevDeskSDK05.aspIt has been a while since I've looked at it, but I don't remember anything about the placement of aircraft effects in the SDK, only the scenery placement of special effects via BGL files.The engine smoke on startup, originates from the engine location, just as the touchdown smoke effect comes from the landing gear contact points.There may be other ways of changing the placement of aircraft effects that I'm not aware of, but one method that works is to change the location of the engine in the aircraft.cfg file.(GeneralEngineData)engine_type = 0 Engine.0 = 2.0, 0.0, 0.0 <---Engine Location //(feet) longitudinal, lateral, vertical distance from reference datumfuel_flow_scalar= 1.0 In the aircraft.cfg file section shown above, the entry Engine.0 = 2.0, 0.0, 0.0 is the engine location (actually the center of thrust location) where the first number 2.0 is the longitudinal engine location in feet from the reference datum, the second number is the lateral distance from the reference datum, and the third number is the vertical distance from the reference datum.By changing these numbers you will change the emitter point for the startup smoke effect.