Fireball XL5 for Microsoft Flight Simulator
Austin Tate
10-Jan-2001, Version 1.1
http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~bat/GA/fireball-msfs.html
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There are two versions of the models, one has minor modifications to the
model and animated parts to allow for proper operation in FS2000/CFS2, the
others are for FS98/CFS.
There are two models of Fireball XL5 in each version. One with landing legs
for gear, and the other with a rocket sledge which is also operated with the
landing gear control ("G" key). Good Fireball pilots must be in aerodynamic
control of their spacecraft during the launch sequence at Space City in
order to achieve a satisfactory launch, i.e. steer it along the rail and
pull back at the end!
Quick Start
Flight Simulator 2000
1. Place FS2000-CFS2\XL5 and XL5-Sled folders in FS2000\Aircraft folder.
2. Place Pilots\FS2000\* for FS2000 in FS2000\Pilots folder.
3. Select Fireball XL5 or Fireball XL5 on Sled as the aircraft.
4. Ctrl/E starts engines in FS2000.
For Flight Simulator 2000 only, a Space City scenery setup is available.
See Scenery\S_readme.txt for details.
Flight Simulator 98
1. Ensure that you have the Flight Shop Aircraft Converter installed.
Available from http://www.microsoft.com/games/fsim/
2. Place FS98-CFS\XL5 and XL5-SLED folders in FS98\Aircraft folder.
3. Place Pilots\FS98\Fireball XL5 for FS98.stn in FS98\Pilots folder.
4. Select Fireball XL5 as the aircraft and/or startup situation.
Combat Flight Simulator
1. Place FS98-CFS\XL5 folder in CFS\Aircraft folder.
2. Select Fireball XL5 as the aircraft and/or startup situation.
3. E starts engines in CFS.
Combat Flight Simulator 2
1. Place FS2000-CFS2\XL5 and XL5-Sled folders in CFS2\Aircraft folder.
2. Aircraft used in CFS2 needs to have all panels and sound files that
are referenced in Sounds\sound.cfg and panels\panel.cfg available.
Either copy all files needed form your FS98 or FS2000 setup, or
change to a panel as used in one of the aircraft in your CFS2 setup.
3. Select Fireball XL5 or Fireball XL5 on Sled as the aircraft.
4. E starts engines in FS2000.
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Known Problems
The visual model needs improving in several ways. Some bleedthrough of
fins and wings is visible.
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You need one of the following to use Fireball XL5:
1. Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 with the appropriate Flight Shop
aircraft converter installed (under Windows 95 or later). The free
converter may be found at http://www.microsoft.com/games/fsim/. It is
needed to provide gauges used by the XL5 Test Flight model.
2. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 or Combat Flight Simulator with the
default install which includes support for Aircraft Factory Craft.
3. Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator and all references gauges and sound
files (or amend the panel.cfg and panel.cfg files to use one of those
from a standard CFS2 aircraft.
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Unpacking Fireball XL5
Create a temporary directory and unzip the XL5
distribution file in that directory. Ensure that you unzip
with an option that preserves the directory structure of the
original archive. E.g. using WinZip or using the -D option on
PKUNZIP. After expansion, the following files should be present:
XL5.txt This file. Please read.
File_id.diz A descriptor file for distributions.
XL5.gif An image of Fireball XL5.
FS2000-CFS2\XL5 or FS98-CFS\XL5 and XL5-SLED
A folder containing a number of files and sub-folders:
Aircraft.cfg
XL5.air
XL5.dp
Model
Model.cfg
XL5.mdl
XL5.mdl.mpi ) Files used by Abacus Aircraft
XL5.mdl.nmp ) Animator may be present
Panel
Panel.cfg
XL_*.bmp
Sound
Sound.cfg
Texture
XL5_____.*af
Pilots Fireball XL5 for FS98.stn Start-up situation for FS98
Fireball XL5*.flt ) Start-up situations for
Fireball XL5*.wx ) FS2000
Scenery A folder containing Space City scenery.
S_readme.txt See this file for further details.
Turbo A folder of replacement files to provide experimental Turbo
flight dynamics to Fireball XL5.
T_readme.txt See this file for further details.
Build A folder of files used in constructing the XL5 release.
B_readme.txt See this file for further details.
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System Requirements, Assembling and Preparing Fireball XL5 for Flight under
Microsoft Flight Simulator 98
Fireball XL5 is ready to run under Flight Simulator 98, but it
requires a number of support files for gauges and other details which
are installed by the Flight Shop aircraft converter available at no
cost from Microsoft at http://www.microsoft.com/games/fsim/ So the
converter must be installed in any case.
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System Requirements, Assembling and Preparing XL5 for Flight under
Flight Simulator 2000
Assuming that you used the default install option for FS2000 (which installs
support for Flight Shop converted craft) then simply copy the XL5 and XL5-SLED
ready-to-run folders into Flight Simulator 2000's Aircraft directory.
The FS2000 panel for XL5 enables GPS (note this would fail if run under
FS98 or CFS).
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System Requirements, Assembling and Preparing XL5 for Flight under
Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator
Assuming that you used the default install option for CFS (which installs
support for Flight Shop converted craft) then simply copy the XL5 and XL5-SLED
ready-to-run folders into Combat Flight Simulator's Aircraft directory.
The checklists are not valid in all respects in CFS. Note that "E" starts the
engines as usual in Combat Flight Simulator.
Flaps up (0 degrees) = Horizontal Flight = High speed
Flaps down (say 20 degrees) = Partial Vertical Boost = High manoeuvrability
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Features of the Test Flight Model
* Main jet effects when engine revs. above 75%
* Retro-fire visible
* Retractable landing gear
There are a number of visual imperfections in the test flight model.
Advice from other Flight Shop users on ways to correct the remaining
problems, or updated flight models, would be appreciated.
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Panels
As well as the main panel which is a standard 2 engine light jet model, there
are a number of other sub-panels available. They can be toggled on and off using
Shift and a number key.
Shift+1 Main Instrument Panel
Shift+2 GPS in FS2000 - Minicontrols in FS98
Shift+3 Throttle levers and retro controls
Shift+4 Mini-compass
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Key Effect
ctrl+. Parking Brakes On/Off
E 1 Select Engine 1
E 2 Select Engine 2
E 1 2 Select Both Engines
M + Turn on Selected Engine(s) Magnetos
ctrl+shift+F4 Start Fuel Flow for Selected Engine(s)
J + Cycle Selected Engine(s) Starter(s)
(Fire/Off, Gen, Charge/Start)
ctrl+shift+F1 Shut Down Selected Engine(s)
/ Retro-rockets (Spoilers)
G Gear up/down or detach/attach launch sled
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Version Control
Version 0.1a/1.0a 7-Jan-2000 First Release.
1.0b 11-Jan-2000 Improved Textures.
1.0c 30-Jan-2000 Improved visual model. Improved flight dynamics.
1.1 10-Jan-2001 Improved panel bitmaps. Retros fire not visible
(moved from inner wing mid to spares in AF99)
Extra XL5-Sled with rocket sled rather than gear.
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(c) 2001, Austin Tate . All rights reserved.
Thanks to Steve Christensen for help with the textures and Shane Pickering for
assistance with the Flight Dynamics. Thanks to Shane Pickering for the improved
panel bitmaps. Thanks to Iain Murray for the Space City scenery.
Material on Fireball XL5 is copyright by Carlton International Media Ltd.
No infringement of any commercial rights is intended. The author wishes
to promote a favourite TV show via this offering.
This XL5 model and Space City scenery may be freely distributed so long
as this text file remains attached, but copyright remains with the
creators. The author shall not be held liable for any loss of data,
down time, loss of revenue or any other direct or indirect damage or
claims caused by this model. No commercial use of any kind is allowed.
Web site for updates and information:
http://www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/~bat/GA/fireball-msfs.html
Microsoft Flight Simulator and Combat Flight Simulator are trademarks of Microsoft.
http://www.microsoft.com/games/fsim
http://www.microsoft.com/games/combatfs
Aircraft Factory 99 and Aircraft Animator are trademarks of Abacus.
http://www.abacuspub.com
