That's My Way with Microsoft FSX - AddOns

Di Alberto Ramolfo

Integrating FSX with some AddOn is almost a must. In this book we will examine some planes a bit out of the ordinary fashion like the Rutan LONG-EZ, the Icon A5, the BT-67 (reinterpretation of the old DC-3 in a modern key), the Boeing 727 or the awesome Jetstream-31.
Among the support and integration programs we will have a survey on FSUIPC, the ADE (Airport Design Editor), a couple of FMCs and the Panel Editor, with a practical example to build a 2D panel for the BT-67.
In closing there are two technical Appendices. The first one describes some software routines, written in Cpp, to interface the Simulator both with the DataBase of Little NavMap and with FSUIPC aiming to obtain and modify some flight parameters, read the data displayed on the internal GPS and set some weather parameters. 
The second one gives the information on how to manage 64-bit variables with a 32-bit compiler.
A small paragraph on spherical trigonometry is necessary to understand some mathematical formulas used in the text.
 

• Lingua: Italiano
• Editore: Alberto Ramolfo
• Data di uscita: 23 feb 2020
• ISBN: 9788835376187

Anteprima del libro

Conclusion

Introduction

After my first two books on That’s My Way with Microsoft Flight Simulator, the first one dedicated to newbies, the second to those who already have a little simulation experience, I thought it was a good thing to close my adventure with this third book on the add-ons that can be found on the market.

It is a boundless world and there is only the embarrassment of choice both as a type and, within each class, on the choice of products that best suit everyone's needs. On this point, unfortunately, absolutely no suggestion can be given. Everyone promises everything, everyone says that their product is the best or the best-seller, but in many cases the reality is that one person gets something that does not fully respond to what he desires.

The only advice I can give you, is to try something as a demo first, and then proceed with the purchase if you like the add-on, you consider it useful and you can use it for at least 50% of what it offers. In this field I think there is nothing more depressing than spending money to get something that, after a purchase, you use little or nothing.

I only gave a look at software applications which, as mentioned before, can also exist as a free or demo version; Obviously you cannot have this situation with the hardware. I point out only one HW add-on; I will give a short survey in the last paragraph of the second chapter.

SW only add-ons leave room for interesting observations and applications, I tried to explain in the best possible way. I think they are very useful for those who want and have the time to apply themselves just a little bit to write few software lines, modifying the configuration files or drawing some object using a graphic editor.

I divided the text into two chapters, the first dealing with planes and in the second with what I have called utility or support programs.

What you will find in this book is obviously what interested me most; choosing one software package over another is absolutely personal, which is why I deliberately left out the graphics products that improve or add new scenarios, also because the result depends very much on the graphics card and the type of CPU you have.

So do not expect something at 360°, both to avoid producing a too extensive and boring text and because what I describe here more or less in depth is always what I have personally tested.

In the first chapter I deal with some planes that deserve a little discussion:

• The Rutan LONG-EZ, which has stabilizers on the nose rather than in the tail.

• The Icon-A5, a small two-seat that can also splash.

• The Basler BT-67 which is the remake of the old DC3.

• The Boeing 727, the forerunner of 737, a very demanding plane.

• The Jetstream 31, with very nice graphics and fun to fly.

In the second chapter I made a commitment to discuss some of the most common support programs, those that offer the cue to put hands to the code or to draw something home made:

• FSUIPC, which allows you to interface with the Simulator.

• Airport Design Editor, if you want to build an airport not present in the Microsoft library.

• A couple of FMCs, for the creation and management of flight plans, as done by pilots on commercial planes.

• Panel Editor for those who want to add or modify existing panels.

I have inserted two Appendices:

• in the first one, I deal with the problems of interfacing FSUIPC with FSX, developing some functions written in CPP to display and manage flight data

• The second one, a little more mathematical, clarifies some software procedures necessary for the correct functioning of the functions used in the first Appendix.

As for the other two books of mine, this also has the meaning of keeping track of what I have done and communicating to other people information whose existence is perhaps unknown or difficult to find.

This is the English translation of my book Come Volo Io con Microsoft FSX – Gli Add-On, originally written in Italian and on the market since short time.

Have fun at all and thank you for following me in this final adventure.

Chapter 1 - The Planes

Sooner or later everyone has the desire of flying with something different from the aircrafts inserted in the Microsoft library, first of all to try something more demanding or more fun, or even simply because in some service on TV or in the newspapers he had notice of some particular aircraft and then he wants to check if someone has developed the model for FSX.

Unless there are unique particularities, there is certainly no choice criterion for preferring one over another: maybe only the name or the manufacturer or the design of the cockpit. Each model has its own flight characteristics which, however, as far as the normal FSX user is concerned, have small influence. Being able to fly with the model of an airplane that in real world is capable of carrying 30 passengers instead of 20 or having a maximum speed of 300 knots instead of 250 must not make us feel smarter, also because, as I have already written elsewhere, reality is a completely different story.

One of the most difficult things to use is the pedal to direct the front landing gear, and this whether you are on board a light of general aviation or comfortably seated in front of a more advanced simulator. Considering that we have a lot of driving experience on a car with pedals that have a completely different functionality, the first few times you steer using pedals instead of a steering wheel, you are led to make small mistakes that can have unexpected consequences. When you notice the mistake, you instinctively press the right pedal trying to brake and this can lead to a runway exit on the right.

What is important is to be able to fly correctly and, as I have often said in my other books, to have fun and relax.

What I want to give in this chapter is no more than some suggestions or, better, indications. All the planes that will be illustrated are those with which I fly, with which I have a feeling in compliance with the title of this book That’s my way with Microsoft FSX and the principle of using only the mouse to control the flight.

1.1 - Rutan Long-EZ

Why this plane is so particular, can be easily understood from Fig. 1.

Designed by Burt Rutan and built in his workshops, this experimental plane made its first flight in 1979; to date, about a thousand samples have been built. Designed with a duck wing profile, it is optimized for low fuel consumption and long range: it can fly for 10 hours over a distance of 1600 NM (2600 Km) with 200 liters fuel, therefore with a consumption lower than many today cars, including hybrid ones.

Fig. 1

As you can see, everything is reversed compared to all other small planes. The propeller is in the rear part in thrust rather than frontally in traction, the ailerons are on the large rear wing, while the stabilizers are on the small front wing. If you look carefully, the stabilizers move upside down compared to traditional planes. This is not a software error,