FS2004 Lockheed Super Constellation Panel
=========================================
Readme file for VNCON20.ZIP package
April 2004
You are missing the 1950's, the golden era of piston-engine airliners, in the FS2004
Flight Simulator "Century of Flight" edition? Why not trying out this panel package
for the Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation? Developed during WWII, the four-engined,
pressurized Constellation was one of the best airliner of its time. Today, the graceful
Connie, with its triple-tail and dolphin-like shape of the fuselage, is without doubt
one of the most beautiful airplanes ever produced.
Although most pilots liked to fly a Connie, it was a very complex aircraft, requiring
three pilots. Therefore, this panel consists of two major parts: On the left seat, you
will find the primary flight and navigation instruments, while the flight engineer's
position offers an engine control stand with throttles, propeller and mixture levers
as well as a complete set of gauges for engine monitoring.
The highlights of the package: Wolfram Beckert has made a VERY accurate FS2004 flight
model to go along with the panel, suitable for Mike Stone's FS2004 TWA Super Connie
(tip-tank version) or any repaint of it! And this is not enough: Howard Sodja has
created many performance tables and checklists adapted direct from the real operations
manual!
There are a lot of other new things in this FS2004 version of the panel, for example
the added cockpit side views, giving you the feeling to be on a Connie flight deck or
the engine start smoke effects file. All gauges are now XML-programmed, especially
made to work with this panel, and compared to the previous FS2002 panel version,
nearly all gauge bitmaps have been reworked for a more authentic look.
So, become a Super Connie pilot and fly it by the real numbers! All performance tables,
checklists and gauge references are HTML and can directly be browsed from within FS2004
using the kneeboard.
***************************** CREDITS AND LEGAL NOTES ***********************************
File archive copyright 2004 by Hansjoerg Naegele (hnfsr@gmx.de), Jan Visser
(jan.visser1@chello.nl), Wolfram Beckert (Wolfair1@aol.com) and Howard Sodja.
All rights reserved. This package (VNCON20.ZIP) contains copyrighted material:
FS2004 Super Connie flight model: Wolfram Beckert
Performance tables and checklists: Howard Sodja
Main panel bitmap made by Jan Visser.
Parts of the main panel bitmap are based on John Dow's cockpit pictures (cpjpeg99.zip)
of the HARS Connie (VH-EAG).
The overhead/windows section and the throttle levers of the main panel bitmap contain
bitmaps made by Louis Betti.
The main panel instrument bezels and control yoke images are based on photos provided
by Bill Rambow.
The FE panel bitmap was made by Hansjoerg Naegele using a photo of the MATS Connie
taken from Graham Robson's book:
"Prop Perfection - Restored Propliners and Warbirds", 1997 Motorbooks International
The cockpit side views are based on cockpit pictures of the AHM L-1049H "Star of
America" (www.airlinehistorymuseum.com). Special thanks to Tim Hanna for providing
us with pictures! Cockpit side views modification by Jan Visser and Hansjoerg
Naegele.
Gauge bitmaps, XML-programming, effects file (.FX): Hansjoerg Naegele
The VOR1 indicator is a XML-copy of the T37_VOR1 from HGHB Virtual Instruments
(Harald Geier, Helmut Busch, Christian Koegler, Tony Cullen) and contains bitmaps
taken from the original gauge.
Many bitmaps used are taken from Dai Griffiths' (Dragonflight Design) gauge bitmap
collection (gaubmaps.zip, see dfd_gaubmaps.txt).
The directional gyro (Bendix logo), the flaps indicator (Bendix logo) and the OBS
gauge (OBS selector knob) contain bitmaps taken from Bill Smith's gauge bitmap
collection (realinst.zip).
Several bitmaps and XML-code fragments contained in VNCONNIE.CAB have been taken from
gauges supplied with the Microsoft FS2002 and FS2004 Flight Simulator.
Betatesting:
Howard Sodja, Wolfram Beckert, Don Lively, Joao Paz, Don Hogue, Mike Puckett
Many thanks to all for their help and their fantastic work!
Special thanks:
Chuck Dome (GAU to BMP utility)
Aircraft Airfile Manager (www.aircraftmanager.com)
Herve Sors (AFSD)
Rainer Nehring
John Deakin
The copyright of any file included with this archive (VNCON20.ZIP) remains at the
author of that file. If a file contains the work of more than one author, each has
the copyright of that part of the file he is responsible for. For example, all original
parts of a bitmap or XML-source are still the property of the original author, but the
modifications copyright belongs to the person, who repainted or reworked it.
This package is released as FREEWARE. You are permitted to distribute this archive
subject to the following conditions:
The archive must be distributed without modification to the contents of the archive.
Redistributing this archive with any files added, removed or modified is prohibited.
This archive (or any parts of it) may NOT be included in other packages WITHOUT
the written PERMISSION of the authors!
No specific charge may be made for this archive and it may not uploaded to any server
that specifies that the server owners hold a copyright (of any sort) on this archive
when stored on that server. You may re-distribute or re-upload this archive to other
net locations but you may NOT use it (or any parts of it) for commercial purpose
WITHOUT all the author's explicit, written PERMISSION in advance. This includes "free"
CD or DVD compilations with a charge of any kind.
The authors rights and wishes concerning this archive must be respected.
No warranty or guarantee. The authors are not liable for any damage that you might incur
as a result of using these products. You assume the risk of use. Package was tested with
up to date anti-virus software at the day it was uploaded.
1) This panel package comes WITHOUT aircraft or sound, you have to download them
seperately:
Mike Stone's FS2004 version of his TWA tip-tank Super Constellation (SCONNIE.ZIP)
can be downloaded direct from his website (www.pmstone.com) or at other sites
(ie. SurClaro). Also available are various repaints of Mike Stone's Connie
model, for example Luiz Foernges' Varig L-1049H (L1049HRG.ZIP, www.calclassic.com),
Joao Paz' beautiful Air L'Azur (VA) Connie (LAZCONST.ZIP, www.SurClaro.com) or
Oliver Baecker's Lufthansa Super G (CONNIELH.ZIP, www.SurClaro.com).
Also available at the time of this release is a brand new KLM repaint made by Jan!
The repaints only supply the texture files, so it will be a good idea, to install
Mike's original SCONNIE.ZIP first and then add the texture files of the repaints
(see details below in section HOW TO MODIFY THE AIRCRAFT.CFG FILE).
Recommended sound suite is the Connie sound made by H. P. Christeler, included
in several other download packages, for example in Dave McQueen's FS2002 TWA-package
(AHML1049.ZIP), available at Tom Gibson's great Californian Propliner Site
(www.calclassic.com). If you dowload AHML1049.ZIP from a different location, be sure
to get the version for FS2002! You may find H. P. Christeler's Connie sound suite in
other packages than Dave's TWA-Connie, too.
2) Having all necessary files at hand, installation begins with Mike's SCONNIE.ZIP
(follow his instructions, but you don't need the PANEL or the GAUGES folders).
Sound installation: Create a temporary directory and unzip AHML1049.ZIP into it.
Then, look for the SOUND folder and create a copy of it in the aircraft folder
you created when installing SCONNIE.ZIP. Say 'Yes', if you are prompted to overwrite
existing files. The temporary directory is now unused and can be deleted.
3) Unzip VNCON20.ZIP in the aircraft folder of your Connie (created during installation
of SCONNIE.ZIP). Say 'Yes', if you are prompted to overwrite existing files (be sure
to backup the original AIRCRAFT.CFG first to save its content for later use).
After this, go into the EFFECTS directory and copy the file VNCON_ENGSTRT.FX into
the main FS2004 EFFECTS folder. This effect file produces a huge amount of black
and white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes during engine start.
If you like, copy the content of the FLIGHTS folder into the main FS2004 FLIGHTS
directory. Then, the FS2004 Flights menu offers you an engine start situation for
the Connie (look for the year 1958).
Installation of panel and flight model is now completed, but if you are adding
repaints to Mike's original TWA Connie, or if you are using VNCON20.ZIP in combination
with an other FS Connie than Mike's tip-tank model, you have to modify the AIRCRAFT.CFG.
HOW TO MODIFY THE AIRCRAFT.CFG FILE
Do not use the AIRCRAFT.CFG files included with SCONNIE.ZIP or versions supplied with
other download packages, unless it is stated clearly, that it is made to fit to the
VNCON20.ZIP panel package! Always enhance the AIRCRAFT.CFG supplied with this panel
when attaching new repaints:
Many repaints only provide a texture folder named TEXTURE.xx to be copied into the
aircraft folder of your Connie (where xx can be a name of your choice). For each
texture folder to be installed, you have to add a [fltsim.N] section in the
AIRCRAFT.CFG file (where N is a consecutive number depending on how many texture
folders are attached).
First, before you change the content of the AIRCRAFT.CFG, you should backup the
original file (for example, create a copy of that file and name it AIRCRAFT.ORI).
To add a new [fltsim.N] section, copy the [fltsim.0] section and insert it as
[fltsim.1], like this section suitable for Oliver Baecker's Lufthansa repaint:
[fltsim.1]
title=Lockheed Super Constellation LH
sim=L1049G_FS9
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=LH
panel_alias=
sound_alias=
kb_checklists=L1049G_check
kb_reference=L1049G_ref
atc_id=DALID
atc_id_enable=1
ui_manufacturer=Lockheed
ui_type=Super G Constellation
ui_variation=Lufthansa
description=Between 1955 and 1961, Lufthansa operated eight Super G's and four 1649A Starliner on its overseas routes. This is D-ALID, c\/n 4647, a 1049G-82 with wing-tip fuel tanks for greater range.\n\nRepaint by Oliver Baecker.\nFS2004 Flight model by Wolfram Beckert.
atc_heavy=0
atc_airline=Lufthansa
atc_flight_number=766
visual_damage=1
atc_parking_codes=DLH
atc_parking_types=GATE,RAMP
If you already have a [fltsim.1] section in your AIRCRAFT.CFG, insert it as [fltsim.2]
(or use the next consecutive number, if you have more texture folders).
Then edit the following variable values of the new created section:
title=
You can use here a title of your choice, but it is important, that all [fltsim.N] sections
have an unique title!
Also very important is the correct value for the "texture" variable:
texture=XX
For XX, you must insert the suffix of the corresponding texture folder. In the example
above, texture is set to
texture=LH
which means, that there must be a folder named TEXTURE.LH containing the Lufthansa
textures files.
Finally, adapt the following variable values to fit to the special repaint (you may use
here the values given in the AIRCRAFT.CFG or readme file supplied with the repaint):
atc_id=
ui_variation=
description=
atc_airline=
atc_flight_number=
atc_parking_codes=
atc_parking_types=
Normally, there is no need to change any of the other values.
Note: The "description=..." line is a very long line. Make sure that it remains one single
line in the AIRCRAFT.CFG file (turn off word wrap when editing).
For your convenience, here are the [fltsim.N] sections for use with Luiz' Varig L-1049H
and Joao's Air L'Azur Connie (just copy and paste into your AIRCRAFT.CFG and don't forget
to replace the N in [fltsim.N] with the proper consecutive number as described above):
[fltsim.N]
title=Lockheed Super H Constellation VARIG
sim=L1049G_FS9
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=rg
panel_alias=
sound_alias=
kb_checklists=L1049G_check
kb_reference=L1049G_ref
atc_id=PP-YSA
atc_id_enable=1
ui_manufacturer=Lockheed
ui_type=Super H Constellation
ui_variation=VARIG
description=PP-YSA was one of the four L1049H/01-03-159 that Varig got from the purchase of Real Airlines. Later was exported and registered as N563E.\n\nRepaint by Luiz Foernges.\nFS2004 Flight model by Wolfram Beckert.
atc_heavy=0
atc_airline=VARIG
atc_flight_number=143
visual_damage=1
atc_parking_codes=
atc_parking_types=GATE,RAMP
[fltsim.N]
title=L'Air Azur Lockheed L-1049G w tip tank
sim=L1049G_FS9
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=laz
panel_alias=
sound_alias=
kb_checklists=L1049G_check
kb_reference=L1049G_ref
atc_id=F-AAJP
atc_id_enable=1
ui_manufacturer=Lockheed
ui_type=Super G Constellation
ui_variation=L'Air Azur
description=This is "La Croisette", L'Air Azur's Lockheed Super Constellation.\n\nRepaint by Joao Paz.\nFS2004 Flight model by Wolfram Beckert.
atc_heavy=0
atc_airline=LAirAzur
atc_flight_number=L1049
visual_damage=1
atc_parking_codes=
atc_parking_types=GATE,RAMP
A word to the strobe lights: Strobe lights weren't already common in the 1950's and
as far as we know, none of the Super Connies still flying today has strobes, so the
AIRCRAFT.CFG does not provide that either. However, if you would like to have strobe
lights on your Connie just remove the "//" in the following two lines of the [LIGHTS]
section:
//light.6 = 2, -1.38, -62.88, 5.43, fx_strobeh
//light.7 = 2, -1.38, 62.88, 5.43, fx_strobeh
Then, the strobe lights will be toggled together with the beacon lights.
This package also contains flight dynamics for Mike Stone's military version of
the Super Connie, the EC-121 with radom (tip-tank version). You can find suitable
AIRCRAFT.CFG and .AIR files in folder EC121_FD_2K4. Please note, that Howard's
performance tables are made only for the Super G and therefore do not match to
Connies with radom (because of the increased aerodynamic drag).
To use this panel and Wolfram's flight model to fly a Connie model not identically to
Mike Stone's TWA tip-tank Super G, for example Darryl Starick's FS2004 L-1049G
(GSC_UL1.zip), or Mike Stone's other Connie models without tip-tanks, you may want
to do this adaptations to the AIRCRAFT.CFG:
a) Replace the [LIGHTS] section with the corresponding section in the AIRCRAFT.CFG file
downloaded with the aircraft.
b) If the aircraft does not have tip-tanks, you should delete these two lines in the
[fuel] section:
LeftTip= 2.000, -60.000, 0.000, 600.000, 0.000
RightTip= 2.000, 60.000, 0.000, 600.000, 0.000
For more information about installing aircraft and panels in FS2004, you can get a
lot of additional information at many flight simulator websites, like SurClaro,
SurClaro.com or calclassic.com.
USING THE PANEL AND GAUGES REFERENCE
Checklists, performance tables and a description of all gauges are available as
HTML-formatted texts and can be browsed from within FS2004 using the kneeboard:
After starting FS2004, load your Connie and click the kneeboard icon.
You can print these HTML-files using your internet browser, just double-click
one of the following files located in the aircraft folder of your Connie:
L1049G_ref.htm
L1049G_check.htm
These performance tables and checklists have been adapted from the real L-1049G/C-121G
operations manual and, of course, are simplified for use in Flight Simulator. For
example, the real checklist consists of 51 pages. If you want to know more details
about the Constellation, the real operations manual can be purchased at:
http://www.avweb.com/news/columns/182192-1.html
GENERAL NOTES AND INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PANEL
a) The panel is not made for a screen resolution lower than 1024x768. Even with
1024x768, not all gauge details are displayed best. If your system is capable
of higher screen resolutions, I recommend 1280x1024 or better for an improved
picture quality.
b) Several owners of forcefeed joysticks reported this incompatibility when using the
flight model contained in the old FS2002 version of this panel: At higher speeds,
the elevator begins to flutter and/or the Connie goes into an uncontrollable
climb and/or crashes after some time (g-force overload). This problem has been
fixed in the FS2004 flight model and should not occur any more.
c) When adjusting the mixture levers by hand, it is possible, that they will refuse to
stay at the position you desire. This can be the case, if the MIXTURE SET BEST ICON
was clicked a short time before. In that case, wait until the levers have adjusted
and stopped (this may take up to 60 seconds), then you should be able to set the
mixture levers to the position you wish.
d) Please note: The Connie is a complex aircraft, and therefore the checklist
must be followed exactly to start the engines. It depends on you, if you see
the Connie as a game, use the cheat buttons, but then you will miss some of the
flavour of the real aircraft and its glorious era.
To get accustomed to the panel and its many gauges, it is recommended to activate
the so-called Cockpit-Quick-Tips in the FS2004 Aircraft-Realism menu. You will get
a lot of additional information each time your mouse arrow moves over a gauge,
switch, light or lever.
e) There is no gauge sound available, ie. when toggling switches, you will not hear
a "click" sound.
f) There seems to be a problem with the re-initialization of user-defined XML-variables
after changing the screen resolution or switching from 3D-mode into windowed-mode or
if a flight is re-loaded, which has been saved earlier using the FS2004 Flights-
Save flight menu.
For example, turn off the NAV1 radio and save the flight. After reloading the flight,
you will find the NAV1 radio turned on. There are several other switches on this panel,
which are affected by this problem.
The bug is not part of or special to this panel: Many other panels, like the FS2004
Beech Baron or the FS2004 Douglas DC-3 panels are suffering from this bug, too. But
don't mind, this will not interfere you much when flying, as you may think now :-)!
Thank you for downloading this panel and have much fun flying with it!
