RealAir Duke B60V2 In Market Place!

File Name: RealAir Duke B60V2

File Submitter: Tom Allensworth

File Submitted: 01 Nov 2013

File Category: You can Purchase here

The Beechcraft Duke is a beautiful, IFR capable six-seat twin, featuring two 380hp turbocharged six cylinder piston engines and a pressurised cabin. These attributes make the Duke a fast and comfortable high altitude cross-country tourer that is also an absolute joy to fly.

The original RealAir Duke has for many years remained a favourite among flight simulation aficionados, and has won numerous major flight simulation awards since it was first released. Version 2.0 of the RealAir Duke represents a major update of this multi award-winning FSX aircraft. Every area of the Duke has been updated, refined or improved upon, and every element has been meticulously tuned to work together as a cohesive whole. On top of this many new features have been added to breathe new life into the Duke and make it one of the most immersive flight simulator experiences currently available.

New Features in Version 2.0

Major Updates

✓ High definition 2048 pixel textures.

✓ Exterior 3D model and texture enhancements.

✓ A major update to the virtual cockpit modelling and textures, including a more detailed cabin and higher resolution textures on the panels, providing improved detail and clearer panel labels.

✓ More character and ambience in the cockpit textures, including dust and minor wear marks. Subtle details are revealed as sunlight moves across the cockpit.

✓ Custom sounds on all cockpit switches, table, doors, armrests, and more.

✓ Extensive custom camera animations simulating engine and ground vibration, overspeed and stall buffet, propeller torque reaction, landing forces, plus more.

✓ Extensive custom sounds designed to enhance the custom camera effects.

✓ Many more custom sounds and animations all designed to breathe life and character into the Duke.

✓ New exterior liveries.

✓ Five all-new panel and cabin colour schemes.

✓ 3D model and texture performance optimisation to ensure similar performance to the previous version, despite the much higher texture resolution.

✓ Multiplayer performance optimisation to allow for good performance, and trouble-free flying in multiplayer.

✓ Extensive flight model improvements.

✓ Improved, more realistically sized gauges with dust, dirt and finger marks on gauge glass (with the option of hiding these dust and dirt marks if that is your preference).

✓ Improved gauge lighting.

✓ 3D lights in exterior and VC views.

✓ 3D landing lights with custom runway light splash.

✓ Completely reworked VC night lighting.

✓ Improved click spots and the option to disable them for EZDOK camera and Track IR users.

Additional Updates and Improvements

✓ An option to keep the textures in memory for a smoother and faster transition between cockpit and exterior views.

✓ Turn coordinator bug fixed (turn coordinator allows for perfect rate-one turns).

✓ Improved VC glass texturing.

✓ Screws added to the panel face.

✓ Optional suspension and touchdown sounds for both hard and soft FSX runway surfaces.

✓ More complex generator load modelling.

✓ Improved Reality XP GNS 530 and GNS 430 integration - RXP Unlimited installations are now supported, for example 2 x GNS 530 or 2 x GNS 430 with cross-fill.

✓ Engine icing improvements.

✓ Custom pressurisation code with more realistic operation and extra controls when compared to standard FSX pressurisation.

✓ More realistic audio panel functionality.

✓ Control surfaces and yokes move realistically in response to trim commands.

✓ Control yokes and control surfaces move fluidly in response to autopilot commands.

✓ ADF dip simulated (user selectable).

✓ Three dimensional blurred propellers - the blurred propellers are not just a flat, two dimensional plate - they have depth when viewed from the side, and the propeller twist is visible even when blurred.

✓ Pilot headset added and the pilot’s head features smoother animation.

✓ Flap buffet animation (flaps gently vibrate when lowered).

✓ Optional flap failure when safe flap operating speeds are exceeded.

✓ Improved cockpit door animation. The door closes with speed, and gently buffets if not properly latched. Wind roar can be heard when the door is open and the engines are turning, even while parked.

✓ Overspeed flutter animations on the ailerons and yoke, with accompanying sounds.

✓ All switches and knobs can be operated by the mouse wheel in addition to our other interaction methods.

RealView – Advanced Sound and Animation Effects

Included with the Duke V2 is a comprehensive collection of advanced animation and sounds effects.

The RealView effects are not a separate addon for which we charge a separate price, but are an integral part of this aircraft, having been designed in great detail to suit the specific characteristics of the Duke. They have all been designed to work together in a seamless, harmonised way.

List of RealView Advanced Effects

Please note: Most of these advanced effects are user-adjustable or can be switched off individually.

✓ Needle and cockpit vibrations, both of which you can customise in strength or turn off completely.

✓ Engine start-up and shut-down propeller torque effects. When you start-up or shut-down either engine, the cylinder compression in the big piston engines creates a torque reaction that gently rocks the Duke’s airframe. This effect is perfectly coordinated with accompanying sounds.

✓ Stall buffet effects that feature a newly designed ‘shake’ of the airframe when you are on the cusp of a stall.

✓ High G sounds and subtle animations when you pull substantial amounts of positive G.

✓ Hard landing effects which shake the aircraft and create a visible and audible ‘thump’ when you land. The softer your landings (in flying parlance a ‘greaser’) the less noticable this effect will be, while the harder your landings the more violent the effect. You can fine-tune the strength of this effect or turn it off altogether.

✓ Runway surface vibration effects as you taxi and take off, also customisable.

✓ Gentle flap vibrations at normal speeds.

✓ Complete flap failure simulation. If you fly with the flaps down above their safe operating speeds, you will hear the flaps ‘fluttering’ and see violent flap vibrations. If you ignore these warnings and continue without retracting the flaps or slowing down you will hear a loud bang as the flap control mechanisms fail. If this happens you will be unable to retract or extend the flaps, and the flaps will vibrate violently in the air stream. Only a landing and slowing down on the runway will stop the vibrations. Reloading the Duke will restore the flaps to their working state. This effect can be enabled or disabled.

✓ If you exceed VNE the whole airframe will shake, subtlely at first then becoming more violent, accompanied by vibrations in the yokes and ailerons. This alerts you to the immediate need to slow the Duke down to avoid further damage. This effect is adjustable in the config panel.

✓ As you lower the landing gear you will hear and feel the wheels as they lock down and as they retract into the wing wells. These effects are accompanied by a multitude of sound effects which harmonise with the animations.

✓ Lowering the landing gear exposes the struts and wheels to the airstream and you will hear the wind creating drag on the struts in the form of a low pitched rumble.

✓ The cabin door, when opened on the ground, will cause a rise in engine and airstream noise if the engines are running. Above a certain speed, either on the runway or while flying, attempting to open the door will result in similar sounds but the door will also only partially open as the airstream fights to keep it shut. The faster you go the louder the airstream and engine sounds. The door will only fully open at or below taxi speed. Above this speed the airstream holds the door partially closed, with appropriate animations of the door ‘straining’ against the wind.

✓ The folding table animation is perfectly coordinated with appropriate sounds as the table opens and closes.

✓ Inside the cockpit the yokes move smoothly in response to autopilot and trim commands.

✓ When you add up trim, not only does the elevator trim-tab move down, the elevators deflect upwards and the control yokes moves aft. This effect is speed sensitive just like in real life - for example at standstill you’ll see no control surface or yoke movement, only the trimtab will move. The ailerons and rudder respond in the same way.

✓ A comprehensive set of aerodynamic sound effects (see below).

Aerodynamic Sound Effects

As you manoeuvre around the sky, a comprehensive collection of sound effects will react to your attitude, airspeed and control yoke input. These sounds do not just switch on and off and are not fixed like a generic effect. There are literally hundreds of separate instances of these sounds which smoothly transform in volume and intensity according to the type of pitch, roll and yaw manoeuvre you execute, and in addition these effects can be influenced by changes in outside wind-speed, direction changes, gusts and wind shear.

Yet More Sound Effects

Each switch, dial, rotary control, knob and button has not only an accompanying sound but these are customised to suit the position and type of the switch in question. Even the armrests subtlely squeak as you move them, and quietly ‘thud’ into the upper position or quietly ‘clunk’ as they engage into their cradles when moving downwards.

3D Model and Texture Enhancements

3D Model and Texture Enhancements

The graphics in the version 2.0 Duke have been updated with improved 3D modelling and texturing on both the exteriors and virtual cockpits. Graphic enhancements have focussed on improving the clarity and resolution of the textures inside and out, as well as adding extra detail to the exterior 3D model and virtual cockpit. The cockpit and panel textures now have more character, with extra detail, texture and wear. The exterior windows now include visible dust and smudge marks. The exterior and VC now feature 2048px textures and particular attention has been paid to the specular, bump and fresnel mapping in order to make the light move across the various urfaces with as much realism as is possible within the FSX world. Panel and Systems Improvements

The panels have been extensively reworked with more realistic gauges that feature dust and reflections on the gauge glass (which can be disabled if desired), improved lighting that works in the day as well as at night, improved functionality on pressurisation, audio panel, and electrical systems, and expanded support for Reality XP GNS 530 and GNS 430 Unlimited installations. The panel textures are now higher resolution, which improves the clarity and legibility of the various panel labels and placards. Higher Detail Cabins

The cabins feature much more detailed modelling with improved leather, vinyl, carpet and curtain texturing. There are also five cabin colour schemes that make each livery feel like a unique and individual aircraft. Please visit the Duke V2 Screenshots page to see each unique livery and cabin colour combination in detail. Texture and 3D Model Optimisation

While texture resolution has been increased, plenty of attention was paid to optimising the texture mapping to actually reduce the total number of textures when compared to the V1 Duke. This helps to maintain good performance and minimise loading times as much as possible. There is also an option to keep all VC textures loaded in memory while in exterior views to ensure instant texture loading when you switch back to the VC view. The 3D models have also been optimised to keep drawcalls to the minimum possible for such a high detail model with so many custom animations. These optimisations combine to give the version 2.0 Duke comparable framerate performance to its predecessor on most modern computer systems despite having much higher detail in both the 3D models and textures.

Flight Modelling

At RealAir we are famous for the quality and realism of our flight modelling - not just in normal flight but also in extreme manoeuvres such as stalls, spins and side-slips. Flight Model Improvements

The Duke features accurate and active yaw response, which is so often entirely missing in other FSX addon aircraft. Improvements have been made to rudder and yaw dynamics so that turning is somewhat tighter without compromising RealAir’s renowned ability to allow spinning and side slipping. The turn coordinator has also been improved to allow perfectly accurate rate one (also known as standard rate) turns. The climb rate has been increased slightly to reflect the presence of winglets and minor engine enhancements. Accurate Handling In Unusual Attitudes

While the Duke is not cleared for spinning or aerobatics, it is cleared for slipping for a maximum 30 seconds duration. But whether it is cleared or not, we feel that all conventional aircraft should be simulated as having the capability of a deep stall, a spin, and side slipping because, whether deliberately provoked or not, these characteristics should always be reflected in the flight model where they are possible, since pilots make mistakes and we feel it is logical to simulate the aircraft’s natural reaction to flying outside of its normal envelope, provided the required parameters do not upset normal flight simulation modelling. Spin Improvements

Although the Duke is not cleared for deliberate spinning, it will spin. In version 2 of the Duke, we have improved the flight model to include the possibility of a spin without any rudder at all, provided conditions are appropriate. This for example could happen if you have selected a degree of up-trim and you hold the stick right back after a stall, and a wing drop occurs. A spin will not always happen without additional rudder, but in V2 the chances are now increased by using excessive back elevator alone at the stall. A spin is however almost guaranteed if you stall and then apply full rudder in either direction with the stick held back. More realistic start-up and shut-down

Using new animation techniques and flight model engine enhancements, we have extended the start up time so that instead of the default almost instant piston engine starting seen in most addon aircraft, there is an appropriate delay which reflects a coldish engine. To enhance this start up, left and right propellers do not turn at exactly the same speed or take exactly the same time to fire the engine. In addition, torque vibration affecting the airframe is fully represented and not only that, its strength is adjustable through options in the config panel. Smoother response to RPM changes

In addition to the flight model improvements, the response to prop and engine controls have been vastly improved in the Duke Version 2. Conventionally, FSX has been poor at providing smooth and accurate response to fine or coarse propeller angle changes. In default FSX piston aircraft you will notice that any more than very slow changes in propeller pitch using the prop control levers results in oscillations and sometimes wild fluctuations in the propeller rpm readings on the rpm gauge. Moreover FSX propeller angle changes were not properly reflected by a changed tone in engine note.

In the Version 2.0 Duke we have overcome these limitations. You will find that after take-off if you wish to reduce the prop rpm to a typical climb rpm or perhaps even lower for the cruise, the props react almost instantly and with minimum oscillation or instability. Improved sound changes with RPM changes

In addition to the smoother RPM changes, you will hear the note of the combined engine and prop sounds not only lower substantially in pitch or note as you reduce RPM, but also in volume. Thus cruising or climbing at 2000 rpm will produce a more accurate and substantially quieter and less intrusive sound level, when compared to flying at maximum RPM. Improved stereo separation

In the original RealAir Piston Duke our customers appreciated the wide stereo separation and extremely convincing dynamic sounds of the Duke’s engines. In Version 2.0 we have gone further still in making the core engine sounds very widely separated so that the left engine really does emanate from the left and vice-versa with the right. The engine sounds have also been further tweaked so that the overall engine note is perfectly coordinated between interior and exterior views, and exterior view uses the full potential of stereo placement of different timbres of sound depending what your view angle is.

Config Panel

The Version 2.0 Duke features a much more detailed Config Panel that allows you to configure the Duke exactly to your liking.

The options are many and affect things such as the way the mouse works in the VC, the GPS configuration, the strentgh of the custom animations, suspension behaviour, sounds, gauge behaviour and realism, graphics options, and more.