UFO with panel and sounds.
==========================
Intro.
======
This is a Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 UFO that I found on the
Internet - it appears in a number of places.
The original UFO (expand the zip file in the v5 sub-directory
for
flying instructions and original authors) was for FS5 - I
converted
it using the Microsoft converter that is freely available on the
Web.
It performs quite well (when you remember to take up the
landing
gear) stopping in a very short distance from around mach 2.
When I originally ran this model, I was impressed by the
handling
but not quite as much by the Learjet panel and sounds. This did
not
tie in with my experience - the damn thing was completely silent
and
very smooth moving - I don't personally know about the panel, I
trust
that description to Travis Walton).
My contribution to this project therefore is the panel and the
sounds.
Installation.
=============
Use a winzip type of unzipping utility so that the
sub-directories
are formed. Move the .gau files in the ufo-2/gauges
sub-directory that
you have just unzipped into the fs98 gauges sub-directory and
drag
the ufo-2 sub-directory (with files and its sub-directories)
into the aircraft sub-directory in fs98.
If you already have the ufo-2 model and just want the sound
and panel
files, rename the panel.cfg and sound.cfg files and then copy
the new
sound and panel files into the existing sub-directories.
You should end up with something like this . . .
C:\ . . . \fs98(or whatever)
\Aircraft
| \Ufo-2
| \Model (the fsconv model)
| \Panel (the new panel files +
cfg)
| \Sound (the new sound files +
cfg)
| \Texture (empty ???!!! It is on
mine)
| \v5 (original FS5 model and
files)
\Gauges (move the .gau files into
here)
That is it. All you have done is added a few ufo*.gau files to
your gauge sub and added another sub to the aircraft sub. No
files
have been changed so if you don't like it or it doesn't work for
some reason you can remove it without affecting your fs.
Panel.
======
Taking into account the limitations of flight simulator and
human pilots (needing to know where we are facing, how high we
are
and so on), I based this primarily on Travis Walton's
description and
the drawings and illustrations in Travis Walton's book Fire in
the Sky
- The Walton Experience (Marlowe & Company, New York, 1996,
ISBN 1-56924-840-0).
Apologies to Mr Walton for the violet coloured buttons which
come
out grey on my flight sim - I have tried everything I can think
of.
The panel was built using a 3D ray tracing package and the
gauges
were (like all of them seem to be) modified gauges from FS
(doesn't
anyone build their own?). Again, apologies to Mr Walton but we
Earth
pilots need to have more information than just the artificial
horizon
so I have included a panel (instead of part of the start/view
field
described in the book) with a radar altimeter to 2,000', compass
(if anyone has a better one I would like to know), flaps and
spoilers
(you need to know the position of these for flying and stopping
the
model - flaps on full and full power sends you straight up),
gear and
so on keeping to the Walton design as far as possible taking
into
account the necessary compromises. Hopefully an acceptable
balance
between frame-rate, flight-sim limitations and the requirements
of
Human pilots.
Sounds.
=======
These were made with the Yamaha soft synth on my computer.
General / Conditions of use.
============================
There is, of course, nothing to stop you from referring to these
panel
and sound files for other aircraft models or even copying the
panel.cfg
and sound.cfg configuration files and data files from the sound
and
panel sub-directories to wherever you want (remembering to take
the
precaution of renaming the existing panel.cfg and sound.cfg
files
(possibly to panel.cfg.old and sound.cfg.old). Anyone who knows
about
renaming files in explorer and moving and copying files and
sub-directories should be able to make use of these files.
As always, I accept no responsibility for anything that goes
wrong as
a result of doing (or even not doing) anything with this. It is
supplied
as is and I continue the condition that, like the ufo model
files that
it is based upon, the panel and sounds cannot be sold in any way
without
my express permission in writing.
One other condition of use is that if you like it, you e-mail
me with
any comments and telling me your country so that I can keep
track of
things.
Suggestions / Contact.
======================
If you have any suggestions, e-mail me, Paul Grosse, on
pagrosse@compuserve.com
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pagrosse/fs98.htm