Andrea Cini's Add-On Tools For Aircraft Factory

By Mike Hill (30 October 2000)

aving been involved in flight simulation and aircraft design for a number of years I am constantly looking out for ways to make my designs better and my hobby time even more enjoyable.  In designing aircraft for the whole range of flight simulators, not just FS2000, I have continued to work in the main with the Aircraft Factory products, AF5 and AF99.

Therefore, you can imagine my delight when I recently came across Andrea Cini’s add-on tools for Aircraft Factory.  My first venture was to download his Aircraft Factory Component Maker tool.  Like all his add-on tools they are freeware for AF5 and require a `key’ to unlock them fully for AF99.  The registration key is sold for a ridiculously low US$7.  It is worth noting that the same key will unlock all the Andrea Cini add-on tools. One payment gives you everything!

COMPONENT MAKER

Immediately a whole new world opened up.  For the first time it was possible to make complicated components simply and easily.  From the moment I mastered the making of the needed Reference Parts, I was able to produce a flying boat fuselage that had previously taken days rather than minutes!  Not only that, I was able to produce something that was to a professional standard that captured all the subtle curves and shapes needed for this type of model.

The program includes a profile maker that lets you easily design your own profile shapes.  For this nose section I used the 16 sided profile as a base,  but the program gives you option of everything from 3 to 32 sided components.  So impressed was I that I offered to write a TUTORIAL for it (and to offer my assistance if I could further help with its development).

Since then, as well releasing an updated version of  AF Component Maker,  Andrea has released two more add-on tools for Aircraft Factory with yet another on the way.

COMPONENT MOVER

Aircraft Factory Component Mover is a tool that allows the simple manipulation of components within the Aircraft Factory program. Uses that immediately come to mind are setting anhedral wings, angled engine nacelles, raised canopies and folded wings for carrier aircraft.

TEMPLATE PART MAKER

Aircraft Factory Template Maker is a tool that enables you to trace a picture or a scale plan of an aircraft directly into Aircraft Factory that may be directly saved as a Top or side Template.

REFERENCE PART MAKER

The third tool soon to be released is the Aircraft Factory Reference Part Maker.  This will give you an on-screen way to visually make components - similar to the way you would already make structures in Aircraft Factory.

Now, even the most complicated components are within the reach of all of us.

Aircraft Factory Component Maker  Make the component
Aircraft Factory Component Mover  Manipulate and move the component
Aircraft Factory Template Part Creator Convert your plans and pictures into Aircraft Factory
Aircraft Factory Reference Part Maker (soon to be released)

These free tools are available directly fromAndrea Cini's main site