THE RAF BOMBER COMMAND CENTER IN LINCOLN – Simulation is involved!

http://thelincolnite.co.uk/2015/03/history-in-the-making-as-work-starts-on-lincoln-bomber-command-centre/

 

My name is Ross McLennan, Adelaide, South Australia and I am one of the volunteers working on projects for the Centre. My involvement is the result of a documentary film maker viewing my YouTube simulation video relating to the Canadian Lancaster visit in 2014.

 

 

My part has been to produce simulation video to be edited into interviews with surviving members of 4 WWII missions as they describe their experiences:

 

(1) Dambuster attack on the Sorpe Dam in moonlight.

(2) Sink the Tirpitz from the camera Lancaster point of view.

(3) Attack on the Wizernes V2 rocket site.

(4) The Bielefeld Viaduct attack with the first Grandslam (night color Lancaster).

 

The screen shots to follow are from my videos playing in media player.

 

None of this could have been achieved had it not been for the skills of my friend Koos van Menen in The Netherlands who created paints for my Plane-Design fs9-fsx Lancasters thus:

 

AJQ, AJT, AJW, AJC, KCD, KCA, KCV, KCZ, YZC, YZS,YZJ, JOV and JOY.

 

 

He also developed a droppable Upkeep, horizontal and vertical Tallboy and Grandslams.

 

 

It was necessary for Koos to develop effects to show 4 machine guns firing from the rear turret. A 3D object for the Wizernes V2 Rocket site and the Bielefeld Viaduct where also required as neither of these appear in the VFR scenery..

 

 

In relation to the Tirpitz Erwin Welker did a special version of his Tirpitz so the guns were elevated and would fire in the direction of the attacking Lancaster stream.

 

 

My job was to amend/update my Plane-Design Lancasters to provide additional camera views to achieve what was being talked about. My ex CFS1 bombsight was redesigned to be full screen and for that I also designed an icon system to change the camera views without having to use the cumbersome dropdown menu. Hot keys were also developed to achieve an easier outcome for general camera views.

 

 

Then I had to FLY the missions and create the video to suit. It is totally impossible to fly and take video views at the same time so the more difficult parts of the missions were first recorded using fs recorder by Matthias Neusinger. These recordings were then flown several times to achieve the views being talked about. In the case of multiple aircraft each was individually flown and combined into one outcome using the options in the software.

 

 

After the first pilot versions had been delivered it appears to me that once the veterans saw their beloved Lancaster aircraft flying again, almost bringing tears to their eyes as they relived the missions, they began “remembering” far more that they would like to talk about.

 

Some requests of course were well beyond FSX or my skills. For example, firing a red very light from Lancaster KCD (W/C Taite) over Lake Akka in Norway to indicate “follow me the Tirpitz raid is beginning”. To put smoke over the Tirpitz was another. Sadly the answer had to be not possible.

 

The request to fly the Sorpe raid in the equivalent of moonlight was indeed a difficult one and was achieved by using the same time at dusk or before sunrise so that the highlight on the horizon would light the aircraft. If the aircraft was to do a 180 degree turn then one could not show the “sunrise” so the video was segmented and the time of day changed.

 

The request to show AJT strafing two trains, one on the way to the Sorpe and one at Hamm on the return was difficult as it seemed impossible to find suitable steam train objects. Front and rear turret camera views had to planned. The Hamm sequence also was to show AJC being shot down because they were flying above the +60 feet stipulation. It was not possible for us to cone the aircraft in searchlights.

 

 

One request from a Pilot who was returning from a raid over Germany at night was ”can you show a Lancaster in front being hit by flak, blowing up AND me being thrown into a 360 degree roll as the result of the explosion”. Yes indeed, within the limits of FSX and my skills was my answer.

 

 

Indeed it has been of great concern to me that the results of my “flying animations” are open for all to see, Bomber Command Veterans who experienced what is shown and modern day Pilots and Crews as well. Would I pass muster on engine setups (boost, rpm, indicated airspeed etc ) and my flying of the Lancaster in general. It is one thing to have the Pilots and Engineers Notes and quite another to FLY to them at 14000 feet or at +30 feet in the attack on the Sorpe.

 

One interesting outcome that concerned the camera Lancaster that flew with the attackers and filmed the Tirpitz upside down from 5000 feet was that my pilot video was based on a reference book that quoted the code letters as JOV. No no, came the reply, it was JOY so a very high percentage of the video has been reshot after Koos painted the appropriate Lancaster.

 

 

Unfortunately the Lancaster models do not always convey the real Lancaster. No provider, for example, delivers a MkI or III Lancaster with only rear guns. In the case of the Dambuster Lancaster the bomb aimer lying prone below the front gunner FOR THE WHOLE MISSION is never provided for FSX. So a request to show crew member views close up could not provide such detail. It was a considerable restriction after the Sorpe raid in not being able to remove the Upkeep graphic from the aircraft.

 

It was also a great disappointment that the explosion graphics relating to the Upkeep, Tallboy and Grandslam were nothing more than that of a 20 pounder.

 

So what this project achieves is the Veterans have described some memories that have never been published before. It animates the interviews being presented and gives real feeling to the outcome. Many a lump in the throats of Veteran’s and their families, friends and interested members of the public will be the outcome.

 

It has been a great honor to be involved with the project, to “talk” with the veterans and to provide an outcome that has turned a flightsim hobby into something extra ordinary and useful as a way of presenting history via a voice over video for all to see at the Centre.

 

Thank for reading this thread.

 

Here is the link to my second posting on this subject:

 

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?289880-THE-BOMBER-COMMAND-CENTRE-IN-LINCOLN-–Difficulties-Producing-Sim-Video&p=1920996#post1920996

Impressive to say the least! Very nice shots and most interesting dialog!!!

KCD Thanks.

 

There are a lot more stories to tell but it would have made the posting too long I think.

 

The video on a large HDTV screen is superb, just how the video editor will handle the interviews and interlace the voice overs is yet to be seen although I have seen some draft vision with the sim video as background and the Veteran talking his head off.

 

Its been a long haul since Christmas and hopefully the last update will be completed before I go to meet the Director of the Centre in Sydney at the end of the month.

 

Hundreds and hundreds of hours spent but its been fun.

 

Cheers

Impressive it is!! I like what I see! :cool::cool::cool:

An extremely interesting written and pictorial description of your project. Very nicely done! :cool: :cool: :D

An extremely interesting written and pictorial description of your project. Very nicely done! :cool: :cool: :D

 

Agreed. After all those hours you put in Ross, the end product is a very nice presentation indeed.

 

I love this kind of stuff. Great work sir!

An extremely interesting written and pictorial description of your project. Very nicely done! :cool: :cool: :D

 

Totally agree with Larry!!!!! Thanks for posting these.

Very nice work, I was lucky enough to see both lancs fly together numerous times last summer - Very special and I'll never forget it.. Especially when they flew in formation with the Vulcan. Wow.

VFR_Steve and all,

 

The documentary film maker I am working with tells me that on one of the days he was flying in a light aircraft with the aim of filming both Thumper and Vera. Instead of his little aircraft flying around or with them, the two Lancasters flew around him.

 

Cheers

Great effort. Thoroughly enjoyed the videos.