Hows the Dash 8 going?

[Guest]

I'm useless with names and can't remember who's developing the Dash 8!Whoever is the unsung hero, how's it going anyway as I'm looking forward to taking her round the block.GraemeUK

[Guest glidernut]

Dear All,Thanks for your patience and helpful input with the Dash-8. She's almost ready, now I have the logbook/taxi line issue sorted. I am just completing the British Airways livery first (we gotta have a new plane for UK, huh?) which will be done this week. This job was HUGE compared to the GeeBee (I was warned but being foolish...)! Ansgar deserves buckets of praise for the 747s IMHO.Changes include:- A (sorta) real cockpit with a pilot and a pretty girl for a copilot. The pilots' head turns with the rudder so when you turn hard left on the taxiway, so does his head! The pretty girl, being pretty, doesn't flinch... The F4 cockpit is still unfinished. FU3 has a problem when the viewer is close to 3D objects - basically, you can see 'through' parts of the panels/dash etc which looks BAD.- New sounds. Still not perfect (see below) but muuuuch better.- Callsigns for alternative liveries (Horizon and BA).- Extra liveries (as above)- Flight model(1) - I've done a lot of work with engine 'numbers' to try an achieve a turboprop feel. It is hard because FU3 doesn't specifically support them. It has required me also to do some 'jiggery pokery' with the cockpit. FU3 indexes engine sound to the prop speed setting so we cannot get the turbine and prop sounds to vary separately - sorry. The upside is that we have a semi-convincing turboprop now :-)- Flight model(2) - The entire aircraft has been altered slightly as a result of having to fix the logbook problem. This doesn't really make any difference to the user but I thought you should know that using an old flight model file will have your gear buried almost a metre into the ground! I have increased the tailplane area, elevator and rudder effects and altered the weight distribution for better stability. Now, when you hit and ignore the controls, it flies level up to ~10kft and noses-down slightly above that. You now have to pull back on the stick to rotate too! The new model will probably require some fine-tuning once Hans-Petter and Chris have a try ;-)- Engines are different to the previous settings. What I have tried to do is create the 'illusion' of a turboprop in a number of ways. Firstly, I must admit that I cannot get the reverse pitch to work correctly. There are a number of reasons however and it may be possible at some later stage to get it right. I can get reverse alright, but not with any decent control though :-( To give the turboprop feel I consulted a few people and decided on using 'auto' pitch, just like in some real aircraft. Basically, in 'auto' you only have 3 prop positions: start/stop (feather), auto and reverse. Since we don't have reverse yet, that leaves 2 positions: feather and auto.Basically, you start the engines, ensuring throttle at zero. Once running, you push the pitch levers to 'auto'. After that, throttle is all you need! The 'auto pitch' then adjusts the pitch so as to keep the prop speed constant at 1060RPM. Advancing the throttle slightly 'kicks' the pitch up and you're away (after you release the brakes). Pulling throttle to zero will cause you to coast to a stop. Anyway, once on the runway, release the brakes and slowly advance the throttle (in small jumps is OK) and you will 'feel' that great turboprop acceleration - without a change in prop speed (or sound pitch). If you advance too fast, the prop governor cannot control the revs and she spins 'out of control'. In real life you can kill the engines this way... This can be disconcerting when landing as it sounds like you're stuck on full throttle but you'll get used to it. Once back at the parking spot, pull the pitch levers back to 'feather' and hit to stop the engines.- Cockpit/instruments are all new. I have included the digital displays for true airspeed, groundspeed, heading and altitude from the Beechjet. You can adjust the heading, course and altitude with knobs (cannot get the airspeed setting knob to work...). I have ignored the 'turbine rpm' tacho as in FU3, the only rpm available is prop rpm. What we have is prop rpm, ITT (actually exhaust temp with fudges) and % torque (!!?!). Yes folks, we got ourselves a torque meter! Actually (secrets again) they're 'manifold' pressure but, together with the engine settings in the flight model, give a great simulation of a torque meter. I cannot get the heading bug to work properly either (seems to be a problem with the Baron base model) BUT we have an adjustable, digital one ;-) Other instruments are 'normal'. I haven't included throttle/mix levers (no room) but have put in some short-throw pitch levers (we are only interested in min or max, the prop governor takes care of the actual pitch adjustment). Of course, we have radios (COM, NAV, ILS + transponder) and an ILS display.There are a few other changes but this is mostly 'it' now. Unfortunately, my busy schedule has limited me to about 3 evenings max per week recently which explains the slow-down. Please be patient for just a bit longer and we'll all have something new to Jon Point*************************(effyouthree@hotmail.com)*************************Posted by glidernut, just to keep "mole man and everyone els" confused.

[Guest R_Driscoll]

Great to hear of your excellent progress, glidernut. I look forward to this magnificent machine.RobD. (adding to the general confusion as usual).

[Guest jonpoint]

John,Thanks for posting that! I thought it was a bit looooooong for the forum but you took the initiative ;):-waveJon Point*************************(effyouthree@hotmail.com)*************************

[Guest jonpoint]

Dear All,Thought you might appreciate these. It's very close and yes, I've fixed the 'British Airways' font now ;)http://forums.avsim.com/user_files/13950.jpghttp://forums.avsim.com/user_files/13951.jpghttp://forums.avsim.com/user_files/13952.jpghttp://forums.avsim.com/user_files/13953.jpgI'm going to leave out the Horizon livery just now as I'm not happy with the graphics and I don't want to hold up the Dash-8 release ;):-waveJon Point*************************(effyouthree@hotmail.com)*************************

[Lars Peter 0]

Jon.This is looking VERY GOOD!!You have become a real expert in doing aircrafts.We all are looking forward to this new release.Lars Peter:-wave PS. You should also post this at the "screenshot forum"Some new forum visitors might pick up this sim again.

[Guest cornclose]

Jon,I'm very impressed. Well done. This is a great looking aircraft and those shots over the UK really do look superb.Can't wait to try it and fly it!Chris E, ENGLANDhttp://www.circle-software.co.ukAvoid AGP texturing = Better Performance ;)

[Christopher Low 5,331]

Jon,Now that's more like it ! :-)I am eagerly awaiting the release of this Dash 8. I have preferred the heavier planes ever since I first took the Beechjet for a "spin".Chris Low,ENGLAND.

[Guest]

Il est superbe Jon !Luc

[Guest]

I am afflicted,It is superb Jon ! Luc

[Guest Ansgar]

Hello Jon,Thanks for the praise to me, but You alone have to earn a great compliment here!! A really good new paintjob also, very good!That shots are looking realistic and are sure impressive also for other flight enthusiasm. She really looks like she feels good in the air! :DIt seems I can

[Guest glidernut]

Jon,The art work on this is trooly remarkabl.The tale fin in particuler is spectaculer the way you hav got it to looklike its got light reflecting off of it.Its briliant.glidernut.:-wave

[Guest CaptRolo]

Jon; I Agree this is truly a remarkable work of art !!eagerly awaiting the finish so I can take her for a spin.CaptRolo

[Guest ChrisD]

Thanks for the pictures :)It looks great....ChrisD

[Guest Quaxo]

After all the talking about those electronic translators... I wanted to try myself. I translated to Italan a part of Jon's description of the Dash 8, and then translated it back to English. Here's what I got...Expensive Everything,Thanks for your patience and useful input with the Dash-8. It is almost ready, now I does the edition of the line of logbook/taxi fascicolare. I am just completing the livery of British Airways in first place (we obtained to have an aerial novelty for the united kingdom, the huh?) that will be done this week. This work was ENORMOUS confronted to the GeeBee (I was warned but being senseless. ..)! Ansgar deserves the benne of praise for the IMHO 747s. The changes include:- Real booth of leader of TO (risen) with a girl pilot and gracious for a copilota. The endorsements of the head of the pilots with the rudder so as to when turned the hard part of political left on the track for maneuvers, so does its head! The gracious girl, being gracious, not flinch.. The booth of leader F4 still is not ended. FU3 has a problem when the viewer is close to the objects 3D - basicamente, be able to see 'across 'the parts of the panels/dash ecc that seems DEFECTIVE. - New sounds. Still not perfect (it see under) but better muuuuch. - Callsigns for the alternate liveries (horizon and DRINK). - extra liveries (like above)- Flight model (1) - I did the to. work lot with numbers of the engine 'to experience a realizz a touch of the turbopropulsore. It is hard because FU3 specifically does not support them. It asked for me besides of to do a certainty 'pokery of jiggery 'with the booth of leader. FU3 moves to developments the sound of the engine to the speed of the support that it is regulated so as to we cannot convince the sounds of the support and of the turbine to vary exclusively - sorry. The side is that now we have a turbopropulsore seeds-convincing- Flight model (2) - the whole aircraft was altered a little like result of the to should put right the problem of the book schemes. That really it does not do some difference to the user but I thought I should know them what using an old file of the I model of flight I will have your gear I have buried almost a tester in land! I increased the zone of the tailplane, the elevatore and the effects of the rudder and I altered the distribution of the weight for better stability. Now, when hit < la pagina in su > And been unaware of the orders, vola a little to level until