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    Interview with Scott Gentile of A2A Simulations


    Levkov

    Q) A lot has been said and written about this new addon called Accu-Feel, but how would you, as a developer, describe it?


    A) Accu-Feel adds both sound and physics to almost any FSX aircraft (helicopters not currently supported). The sound engine is also driven by physics, which gives you a much better awareness and sense of flight.


    Q) How did the idea of Accu-Feel come to life?


    A) From Accuu-Sim. Accu-Sim models the entire aircraft and its systems, including sounds, behaviors, etc. It became clear to us, that the Accu-Sim physics and sounds were what people were really responding too. For example, once you open your canopy in flight and hear the wind suction, wind, etc., then fly another aircraft and open the canopy and hear nothing, it’s an immersion killer. So Accu-Sim pilots kept saying things like “you ruined my other aircraft, all I am flying now is Accu-Sim. I want more planes.”

    Recently, we discovered a different way to access the aircraft physics, and experimented with some of the default Microsoft aircraft. Once we saw this work, we knew we had to find a way to get this to all planes, but do it in a way that does not alter the aircraft in any way (out of respect for 3rd party developers work).

    We’re happy to say that after thousands of installs, we haven’t had a single major conflict reported, so we have an established base. Accu-feel exists somewhere between FSX and Accu-Sim, so the best phrase we came up with to describe this is “add a touch of Accu-Sim to your entire aircraft collection”.


    Q) Exactly what part of fsx core does Accu-Feel alter?


    A) It accesses the flight modeling, which is the system responsible for moving the aircraft. So, we are able to freely code in some key physics, like airframe buffeting, landing physics, bumpy ground surfaces, etc.


    Q) Can we expect that, in the distant future, accu-feel would completely substitute fsx physics engine?


    A) It’s tough to say, because while we do have our own flight modeling engine operating within the Accu-Sim module, the question is whether it makes sense to replace the Microsoft FM. One thing we have noticed is, those who criticize FSX’s flight modeling either have never flown a properly designed flight model in FSX or have an agenda to put FSX down. Usually, this comes from someone who is trying to compete with FSX. Right now, Accu-Sim brings the physics where we want it by augmenting FSX. The result is a natural, fluid feel.


    Q) Which new features can Accu-Feel owners expect with the next update?


    A) We setup an “In Development” forum so customers can post their ideas and wishes. So far, for the first update, we have the following planned:


    - More reliable saving / loading
    - Support for open cockpit aircraft and custom doors and windows
    - gForce body stress sounds
    - Moving the sliders all the way to the left or right will display “OFF” in the UI when appropriate
    - Deeper brake squeal sounds for heavies

    There are a few little surprises too.

    Q) What does A2A have in it's workshop at the moment besides Accu-Feel?


    A) We have an Accu-Sim P-51D Mustang in beta testing and we are currently working on the manuals. We also have a later P-51H “Lightweight Mustang” in development under our Aircraft Factory brand. More info is here: http://www.a2asimula... ... 23&t=28870 . Our F-104 Starfighter is 98% modeled and we are slowly building the engine and internal systems. We also have some other aircraft that we will hopefully be able to speak about soon (under NDA with a partner). However, just keep in mind, we do our best to complete projects in a timely manner, but we don’t let deadlines compromise quality. And in the exploratory type development we do, it’s almost impossible to accurately predict when a product will be released until beta has become rather quiet.


    Q) There have been rumours about A2A's involvement in the PMDG DC-6 project. Would you care to comment?


    A) This is the first I have heard of this, but this may be because A2A was mentioned in their announcement. Robert Randazzo from PMDG did let us know they were developing a DC-6 prior to going public. It’s always nice when developers keep tabs on what each are doing, just so we don’t accidentally develop the same plane. I am a believer that developers that build quality help to grow the genre (the opposite also applies), so I do see PMDG making a DC-6 as being good for A2A and vice versa. Basically, if a PMDG customer becomes more aware of these large prop aircraft, they will look at our Boeing Stratocruiser (and our customers will look at their DC-6).


    Thank you Scott.


    Vladimir Levkov / Владимир Левков
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