This Flight Simulator 2002 aircraft was produced with Abacus FS
Design Studio, Aircraft Animator, and Paint Shop Pro.
Installation:
Extract the contents of the main zip file S39NC552.zip into FS2002's Aircraft folder. This should create a structure something like the following:
- c:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\FS2002
--- Aircraft
----- Sikorsky S-39C NC55V
-------- Model
-------- Panel
-------- Sound
-------- Texture
-------- Gauges
-------- OtherS39s (see note below)
-----------Sikorsky S-39B NC803W
-----------Sikorsky S-39CS NC52V
Copy the gauges to the FS2002\gauges folder.
Once these files are extracted, Flight Simulator should exhibit a new entry under Aircraft/Select Aircraft on the menu bar:
-Sikorsky S-39C NC55V
This model is an amphibian in FS2002. It can fly from land or from water. If handled carefully, it can land on water, drop the landing gear in the water and hop onto land.
This is an upgrade from the FS2000 model S39NC55V.zip, which required a wheeled version and a float version. Changes from the FS2000 model are as follows:
- Only one version needed for both land and water
- Better prop disk
- Added animated pilot figure
- Better panel bitmap
- Added cockpit views
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Note: The folder OtherS39s contains .air files and aircraft.cfg files for two other Sikorsky S-39s, which can be used to convert the FS2000 versions to FS2002.
You can copy an FS2000 version to the Aircraft folder of FS2002, and then replace the above two files, and it should work in FS2002. You can delete the "model.f" folder from FS2002, as no special float model is needed.
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Modifications done for FS2002 for this model:
- Aircraft.cfg was altered to include [contact points] of type 4, which are floats.
- .air file was modified to increase parasite drag, and increase low-speed propellor efficiency. This was to allow takeoff from water without a headwind. Many add-on amphibians seem to get 'stuck' in the water after coming to a stop, and the solution seems to be tinkering with propellor efficiency at low speed.
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Known issues:
- Overpowered. This is because the propellor settings in the .air file had to be modified.
- Engine sensitive about cutting throttle. It may need the throttle to be 'cracked' after landing to prevent engine stopping.
- Sits a little low in the water. This is to cause the wake to appear on taxiing. You can change the [contact points] settings of point.4, point.5 and point.6 from -3.67 to a greater negative number if you want the plane to sit higher.
- Some flicker in textures with FS2002, in close-up views.
Other features of this S-39:
-Top cabin doors and side steps open with F8 and close with F5 (the flap keys). The S-39 had no flaps, so I used that control.
-Pilot's left arm moves the control yoke with the elevator movements. Pilot's feet move the rudder pedals with the rudder movements.
-Fuel tank selector switch is at the top center of the windshield, overlaying the blue switch in the bitmap.
-Round black throttle and mixture knobs are just bitmaps, and the actual controls are freeware gauges located between them at the bottom of the panel.
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The panel bitmap and cockpit views are original, based on photos taken at the New England Air Museum on 6/26/01. I want to acknowledge the help of Director George Damato and volunteer Connie Lachendro at the museum (New England Air Museum, Bradley InternationalAirport, Windsor Locks, CT 06096 -- (860)-623-3305 -- staff@neam.org). Mr. Lachendro took time away from a B-29 restoration to provide me with access and information about the S-39B NC803W at the museum. He was the restoration crew chief on the S-39 project.
I consulted many tutorials in building this model. David Eckert provides tutorials on almost every facet of FSDS development at www.daviator.com. Jerry Beckwith explains .air file parameters at the 714th flight test center. Tom Goodrick explains flight dynamics at http://www.flightsimdownloads.com/pub/FlightDynamics.pdf. Marcelo Canovas Vera and Felix J Rodriguez explain how to make a prop disk at http://www.freeflightdesign.com. Erick Cantu provided helpful textures in aluminum.zip. I am amazed that so many people have given so much of their time.
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The Sikorsky S-39C NC55V was built in 1932, the 19th of 23 S-39's. The S-39 "Amphibion" was intended to be a private sportsman's plane, a scaled-down version of Sikorsky's very successful S-38 twin-engined airliner which served Pan American routes.
The Depression reduced the private market for the fairly expensive S-39. NC55V was originally owned by Varney Speed Lines at the San Francisco Bay Airport thru 1934. It was sold to the Charles R. McCormick Lumber Co of San Francisco. It was later owned by A. Dieterle of San Diego from 1935 to 1938.
All comments and suggestions welcome.
E-mail: george_diemer@msn.com
