coastaldriver

As an aside - is it not the way no matter what simulator from FS9 to now it is guaranteed that scenery will cause problems and weird stuff to happen. Right now I am chasing why objects for a particular airport will not display at all, never, even though they are proper object models bgl etc . No answers to that one either. I also learnt that ADE is your best friend for fixing up airport issues and conflicts within older stuff and P3D, not this time. Sometimes I think it is MS it just loves to play hide and seek on some stuff!

Tim I had this issue when I got some Flight Beam products - NZAA, NZWN and SFO and then a german airport. I learnt that some times the installation does not copy the SODE files into the SODE folder which is usually installed on the ProgramFiles(x86)/12B Pilot/data - that is where the files for SODE stuff should be placed. There are two folders there - sim objects and xml both should have folders contained withing in the case of the xml an xml for the relevant airport, easily identifiable by the airport identifier or name. Now back to the red X's this means that the scenery files are not finding the relevant object - generally jetways but other stuff from time to time if it is SODE dependant. So getting the relevant files into the 12B PIlot folders should fix that - you may have to look for them some installers chuck stuff all over the place. So far so good - the problem I encountered was this there is a SODE manager as well which you need to fire up - it is in the main SODE folder - start the platform manager and check to see if P3DV5 is registered it will be green coloured if it is - if not click the buttons to get it to register correctly. Now here is the problem I have encountered and nothing I did as from above fixed the RED X's until I changed the SODE version. ORBX insists on keeping you uptodate if you have SODE installed via their ORBX Central - the latest version of SODE is 1.7.1 that caused me no end of grief so I downloaded via 12B Pilot the 1.7.0 version of SODE and hey presto no more crosses all fixed. I just have to stop ORBX from updating when I do checks there from time to time and I keep a back up just in case. By the way the scenery developers could offer no answer or explanation as to why this would be so either but on my system which is uptodate in every other aspect SODE 1.7.1 busts things. It all works just fine with 1.7.0. Thats all I can suggest - oh that and disable or change the default jetway display for the relevant scenery if they have scenery config management utility. A lot do a lot do not!.

No help to you at all I am afraid. I don't use VR. V5.2 is exceptionally stable on my system (I9+NVIDIA+SSDs) never had a system crash of any sort, long flights short flights AS weather etc it runs smooth as silk. Seems it is VR that is the culprit here!

Thanks for the advice and information on this - has been on my list to do for awhile - got sidetracked with ORBX's Pac NW and Alaska, then I got sidetracked with the Aleutians- so I guess the question is - any idea of any conflicts or issue with the ORBX stuff for this area? I already have the RTMM libraries etc for other reasons (some minor Alaska scenery requires it).

Great fix there Don. Thanks for this. I noted that as well and the lack of it being modelled or configured but had been hung up on the lack of a switch to control the prop rpm and the flaky MP guage (it jumps big increments and does not move smoothly) but discovered that Virtavia built these guages and switches into the model. I have not given up yet but even writing an xml guage to do it will run into the how to make it fit in the VC. I am also conscious of Virtavia's legal caveat about not altering or changing the model!. They went to a lot of trouble modelling the VC but the lack of functionality is strange - like no park brake lever either - maybe the Albatross had one of those old fashioned pedal brake valves where you depressed the toe portion of the rudder pedals and then pulled a knob which shut a valve on the hydraulic lines locking the brakes on. Not sure still looking for an original Albatross manual. Something else - I also found the stability about the laterial axis a bit too pitchy for such a large aeroplane and made some adjustments to the flight dynamics and some small changes to the engine power configuration as well. Try these changes to the aircraft config file: [weight and balance] empty_weight_pitch_MOI =148072.92840 empty_weight_roll_MOI =100216.47059 empty_weight_yaw_MOI =197140.11429 empty_weight_coupled_MOI=0.00000 [piston_engine] power_scalar=1.00000 cylinder_displacement=202.56000 compression_ratio=6.45000 //6.55 number_of_cylinders=9 max_rated_rpm=2760.00000 //2700.00 max_rated_hp=1350.00000 //1375.00 fuel_metering_type=2 cooling_type=0 normalized_starter_torque=0.03500 turbocharged=1 max_design_mp=42.50000 min_design_mp=5.00000 critical_altitude=9750.00000 emergency_boost_type=0 emergency_boost_mp_offset=0.00000 emergency_boost_gain_offset=0.00000 fuel_air_auto_mixture=0 auto_ignition=0 max_rpm_mechanical_efficiency_scalar=1.00000 idle_rpm_mechanical_efficiency_scalar=1.00000 max_rpm_friction_scalar=1.00000 idle_rpm_friction_scalar=1.00000 emergency_boost_duration=0.00000 BestPowerSpecificFuelConsumption=0.50000 detonation_onset=60.50000 Still working on some other things as well.

Good find there Don - those were the days pretty casual on some levels. Good to see the Albatross doing its stuff my only criticism the opening landing scene - I sat waiting,waiting, the instructor in me thinking ' come on guys - get it on the centreline' but they did'nt hmmmm, hard to believe they put that bit of sloppy flying into a training film! I noted also it was a fairly steep nose down approach - maybe they were practising short field approaches.

Well speculative I know but overall P3DV5.2 has been trouble free for me. In fact it is smooth and runs well indeed, very impressive after decade plus of the clunky FSX. What needs to be fixed - True Sky really needs some tweaking for cloud above F200, below that it is great and I don't use anything else (I have the others AS and REX) but they need to sort out the way Cirrus is displayed. The big one still to be done is to get Sim Director working. The last patch only allows you to use LM's stock libraries and kit, the moment you remove the filter it is a total bust and will not run at all. The angle for the appearance of runway lighting at night would be a long overdue fix as well! I am not sure what else I could add in the way of sim models now, everything I had has been upgraded or ported across into V5.2 very well. The problem now is not P3D as I see it, it is going to be around for a long time despite the views of some it is a dead duck, it is not, but for non commercial users like the average simmer MSFS has done what MS usually does promised the world, busted the market and left it in shambles. Not sure how most developers are going to pick themselves up with this now seeing most have jumped for MSFS not P3D - so I am glad actually that all my stuff goes ok in P3D because I will be dead and buried before MSFS comes good! The major issue as I see it is not P3D but the sad and sorry state of real world aviation post Covid it is really going to kill off all the old birds quickly and make historic aircraft a rarity indeed with half the worlds airline pilots unemployed the demand for training and sims is in the ditch for the time being.

Virgin_A340. I was forced to do the same thing due to lack of space on my primary SSD mostly caused by ORBX bloat as I call it. I moved it all to a built in large 3TB HDD. Using the ORBX installer APP I chose to do a clean a reinstall of most of the ORBX stuff but just giving it the new library path it went smoothly, then let it the ORBX synch function tidy up the layering and scenery config order. Apart from the odd addon I keep all my scenery on separate directories on this drive (Probably close to 1TB of various scenery) and I might add I have about 600 plus entries now in my scenery config. Now do I get a performance hit with P3D? - NO I have not noticed it at all. Now and then I may get a micro stutter during a transistion from airport to general area scenery but that is it. This set up runs smoothly and seamlessly using EA and True Sky and AS for weather dense scenery or sparse it all runs smoothly.

Ah yes I think the the Turbine Mallard was only uploaded to SimOuthouse. Look for FSX Native/P3D Grumman G-73AT Mallard v1.3.zip in the library there. There is an extensive thread on it and a few mods here and there.

Rather than hijack other threads on the Grumman Amphibians - Goose, Widgeon and Albatross, thought I would add the Mallards. There are two the Piston Mallard and the Turbine Mallard. Both models were done by Milton Schupe and his team for FSX but they are very good models and work without any problems in P3DV5.2. Both have complete and working VC's and interiors with a number of nice touches for bilge pumps etc. These are available at various sim site libraries but be aware there were a number of updates and HD texture sets done that improve these no end. The Piston Mallard Piston Mallard VC Turbine Mallard

Yes I have seen the Khamsin one for X Planes, nice job all round but as I do not use X Plane not good for me. Yes this an older model and not as sophisticated as one would expect but overall quite functional. The graphics and general modelling is very good like most Virtavia models just a little basic. I have all the Grummans in P3D, the Goose is the most complete same with the Schupe Mallards excellent models, the Widgeon is pretty good too but the Albatross is my favourite.I did a paint for one in the colours of the Pan Am offshoot that operated them in Guam for quite a long time, welcome to it if your interested.

BostonJeremy - had to go and revist this one. So here is some info to help you or anyone else on this old bird. Remember this is an old MS FSX model from 2010, lucky it even works at all in P3D. Could do with some upgrading on gauges, switches etc but that is another project for another time I guess. As it is it is nicely functional with limits. Not sure if you got the manual with your purchase but here is a link to the Virtavia manual online: Virtavia_HU-16_Albatross_Manual.pdf (akamaihd.net) That manual has the necessary performance (speeds etc) and fuel data you need to know about. The checklist should appear on your kneepad in P3D. As I said some of this model is rudimentary and would have benefited from some more coding and guage work but anyway you can work most of this using the traditional keyboard commands because in some areas you have to as there are no VC Controls. The fuel tank selector switches on the overhead do work as well. Park Brake - there is no park brake lever or switch I could find and the manual also says use the keyboard, so you will have to use your normal keyboard command to put it on or off. Starting - the magnetos on the overhead do work with the red levers on the magneto switch controlling the mags left and right (down position is ON with up controlling the mags L/R then OFF. A master ignition button or switch is the silver one in the middle, on or off. Fuel pumps are in the overhead, ON or OFF. The primer buttons on the lower panel to the right of the control column do work as do the starter buttons. However the starter torque setting in the aircraft config file is too low and it will not start so amend the starter torque setting in the config in the aircraft config file to the following: normalized_starter_torque= 0.055 //0.035 This change will then allow the starters to function normally. I find that about 8-10% throttle also helps not throttles closed. A couple of things - there is no propeller controls other than the feather buttons (which work) but if you use the keyboard CTL+F2 you can change the prop rpm that way. For some reason there are not propeller control levers in the overhead. I am not sure but looking at the original Albatross I suspect the props were controlled via electrical switches not levers as they were constant speed props and this feature was not modelled but the normal CTL+F2 etc will control the props for you ok, a little rough but ok! The supercharger control lever is inoperative. The aircraft has the engines modelled as having turbochargers but the issue of supercharger controllers or a supercharger guages has bedevilled the best of modellers with these old piston engines so setting the config to say the engines are turbocharged is a neat and dirty fix that works. The cowl flap switches on the lower panel area work as does the electrical cowl flap controll switches. Auto pilot on/off and GPS or NAV feed selector on the lower pedestal also works but you will have to bring up the autopilot pop up to drive it. Same with the radios you have to use the pop up to set and control. Now lighting does work but it has the old FSX bug or issue of no night VC lighting until the sun goes down. I might have to do a FSL Spotlights on this one now to get some better lighting control. Trim switch is electrical and on the pedestal and does work with an indication of how much trim is being used and the trim indicator gauge on the panel (co pilots side) does work and change when you alter the trim setting. There are no landing lights, apparently Grumman did not fit them to the Albatross! Now its onwater behaviour is ok but can be a bit strange if you start with it on water not on land. This is a quirk with a lot of amphibians flying boats that are ported over to P3D. So if you find it is jumping about all over the place or similar strange behaviour (like using the slew command will have it take off is another bug with these old models) then simply use the keyboard to reload the aicraft and it will load and sit normally on water. I have a special key command setup in P3D to quickly do a complete reload of an aircraft to do this! The keyboard command CTL -W should activate the water rudder but you can control it better using assymetric thrust with the overhead power levers L or R to steer on water. Thats about all I can tell you. It otherwise works well and behaves nicely and is quite enjoyable. There are a number of repaints about for it including one of the USAF Albatross used in the movie "Flight from Ashiya" which is acutually an old flim with Richard Widmark about a difficult and dangerous SAR flight in the Albatross, not a bad film actually at all with depth to the story as well. I will do the FSL Spotlights for the VC lighting and let you know when it is done, if you have FSL Spotlights (a free download FSL Labs)

BostonJeremy - this was an FSX era model that was not upgraded for P3D. Because it is 64 bit compliant it will work in P3D without any problems. If you buy it (it will be listed in the FSX aircraft areas) you just have to tell the installer to put it into P3D not FSX or you can use a dummy folder then move it into P3D. It works fine in P3D without any problems for me at all.

A few people have asked if there is a Grumman Albatross available for P3DV5. Yes there is it is the old FSX Virtavia HU-16. The model is still available from SimMarket and a couple of other sellers as an FSX model but I had no problems installing it into P3DV5 (Using an earlier FSX Installation). Typical Virtavia, nice model, good graphics and very realistic but lacking a lot of functionality in the VC area (but it has popups for some stuff like the radios etc.) Flies well, sound is good and good on water and on land. Here are couple of screens from my installation in P3D. and the VC

BostonJeremy77 - The old Virtavia Albatross (HU-16) for FSX works without issues in V5.2 for me. Simmarket and a couple of others still have it available (I think). I did a dummy install (from my old FSX installation) and then created an addon xml for it. Graphics and textures are ok still has the limitations of the VC lacking a bit of functionality (a lot of dummy switches). Otherwise it is ok.