Simviation Forums

Hello dear Simviation team

My name is Sergio Kauffman and I am in the last stage of developing a Bell 429 for FS9.
As soon as I finish it I am looking forward to upload it here. Of course, will be absolutely freeware.

Before to continue, I'd like to mention that I already have a lot of model variants for: civil versions, alpine, naval, HEMS and Law Enforcement.
For each variant, also exist a descent amount of repaints all in 32 bit quality. I am seriously considering to offer only DXT3 format to save you guys
server storage space. Also, all models are featured wit a neat and animated VC, night textures, special 429 gauges and a dedicated sound system.

As a side note, George Arana and Tom Woods are working with the FSX/P3D and Xplane 10 conversions for my models. If you are curious, you can track the helicopter development history here:
http://fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/bell-429-she-is-slowly-getting-some-shapes.435082/

Just to spice this up, two pictures:





In short, even if I split all files (starting with a "base model"), all individual files will be larger
than 100 mb.

I made it by myself... but would be nice to share it with everyone. What you suggest me to do? In advance, thank you.

All the best,
Sergio Kauffman.

Hi Sergio!

Wow that looks amazing!! Thank you so much for creating it and deciding to share it.

(I also designed a couple of helicopters back in the FS2000/2002 days - MD900 and Gazelle - very primative compared to yours but I have always loved helicopters - in real life too)

I am a helicopter fan big time and can't wait to try this machine.

Don't worry about the file size. Many files these days can be 100MB or more. It's quite normal.

Very cool!!!

Hi Pete

Thanks for the quick reply and for your kind words also; as soon as I fix several issues with the main gauges this babe will be ready for everyone
who still uses FS9.

All the best,
Sergio.

Not FSX compatible also?

Hello Pete

Good news are that Tom Woods is working on the Xplane versions while George Arana is doing his way with the FSX and and probably P3D; the last one, is an uncertainty for me because I only use FS9. Altough the models and textures I made were thinking in FS9 only, they are doing wondwers with all conversions. Needless to say it will take some time before they release their own versions.

Cheers,
Sergio.

pete wrote:I am a helicopter fan big time and can't wait to try this machine.
Very cool!!!

Pete... by any change are you able to dust off your FS9 cd's and install it againt to be a beta tester?

Just wondering...
Thanks.

I'd love to (I used to practice landing on the WTC helipad in FS2000) but I gave my FS9 cd's to a member here in the forums and no longer have it.

But .. it might fly in FSX/P3d (without working gauges maybe)
Most FS9 aircraft will work in FSX and the most common problem is non compatible gauges - but flight dynamics are very similar.

If you're in touch with the likes of Tom Woods and George Arana I am sure you will have no problems finding FS9 beta testers - but I'm here whenever to help in whatever way I can -- it would be a pleasure.

Pete

Thank you very much. It's a little bit sad for me that you don't have FS9.
As far as I can say, Tom And George are not doing beta testing yet; they are still working hard in their respective platforms.

As soon as I have uploaded a "working" versions of the helicopter; I will post a link. Perhaps you would be so kind to point me the right forum to do it.

Thanks a million my friend.
All the best,
Sergio.

Hello Pete

It's been a while my friend. The main reason; stucked with XML programming... I think I am reaching my limits with this. I really want to share my helicopter with anyone who wants to try it. However I have some issues I'd like to comment in order to have your feedback:

1.- I am mentally depleted by this project.
2.- I've done what I could with animations, paint kit and specific gauge creation: Vectored images and XML programming. The complexity of this
helicopter is overwhalming and I was not lucky enough to get the information I was looking for. So I had to do a huge amount of assumptions;
educated guesses if you will. Nevertheless, I am absolutely sure that many of them are not correct.
3.- As a side note, I made a very sophisticated sound system for the rotorcraft. It resembles the Pratt&Whiney PW207D1 Turboshaft Engines in a
very neat way.
4.- Point number two, lead me to a new problem: Manual creation... I have a document with a thin information focused on where I have putted
a lot of transparent gauges (all of them with mouse help id's). It's a work in progress too... gee!
5.- Flight dynamics... I have been using Jordan's Moore Bell 412 aircraft.cfg and *.air files as "test beds". Of course, I made a very basic transformation
to fit a crude version fo the 429. Power settings, tables and fuel consumption are out of the table; simply I don't know how to write the correctly.

Despite this negative point of view (it is 100% mine), she is 100% flyable, reliable, stable in the simulator and not that bad in frames per second.
In this regard, I think I made fairly good job for a giant model: the average polygon count for a helicopter's variation is up to 220,000 polygons (yes, two hundred and twenty thousand).

Taking this in mind, I have a steady 30-40 fps in my computer. Beta testers have reported -more or less- a good performance in their respective computers.

All that being said, do you think it is possible to upload it as it is?
In advance, thank you.

Best regards,
Sergio.

Hi Sergio,

I think you should definitely upload it - especially as you are reaching your limit with the project! Otherwise it will probably stay on some virtual shelf in your PC and gather dust until FS2004 is an antique.

It sounds like you have done an amazing job already! You must NOT put it away!

Let's also hope that the FSX/P3D version will emerge - that will help to keep it alive and even progressing.

Hopefully I can get some good idea of using the FS2004 version in FSX (probably only some gauges won't work) - I would love to try it!

Hi Pete

Thank you for being so kind.

I only have two more questions:
What image maximum size is appropriate to be used as a thumbnail?
I don't want to see a Cessna Caravan in the download section!

Thank you!
Regards,
Sergio.

Images are auto resized during upload but why not just resize it yourself to 150 pixels.

What was the 2nd question?

pete wrote:Images are auto resized during upload but why not just resize it yourself to 150 pixels.

What was the 2nd question?

LOL, I remember now. Regarding images, should I upload them all outside the rotorcraft folder? or... In a separate zipped file pehaps?

On the other hand, good news are that I have overcome my tediousness and I am about to finish the manual, checklists and reference entries for the electronic kneeboard.

My friend, thanks for your support.
Regards,
Sergio.