Development

When did you start developing for flight simulators and what got you interested in it?

I've always been interested in flight simulation, ever since I started using Flight Simulator 98. Around 2005, I started to develop scenery for FS2004 (A Century of Flight). At that time, there were not that many quality freeware sceneries for South America, so I decided to design a few for my own personal use. Later I decided to share these, and this was the start of my contribution to the Flight Simulator community.

I started my first aircraft design for FS2004 in 2006. The aircraft that I chose was the Chincul PA-A-38 "Tomahawk" (a variant of the Piper PA-38) manufactured by Chincul under license of Piper Aircraft in San Luis (Argentina). The Tomahawk is available to download if you search for chintmhk.zip at the FlightSim.Com file library.

In June 2009 I started development on the Beech Baron for X-Plane 9, and from that moment on, all my new developments have been for X-Plane. As of today, I have four aircraft which have been released as free downloads. They are the: Beechcraft Baron 58, Piper PA-38 "Tomahawk", ELA07S Gyroplane, and the Piper PA-11 Cub Special. The Baron and the Tomahawk were made for X-Plane 9, and the ELA07 and PA-11 have versions for both X-Plane 9 and X-Plane 10.

Wow...so you started designing in Microsoft Flight Simulator! What South American scenery did you design for Flight Simulator?

Well, it's been a long time since I've developed for FS2004, but I remember it well. I made some small airports of Argentina. Unfortunately, many of these sceneries were lost when the Avsim library was hacked, but luckily I kept a few on my PC.

Some of this sceneries were uploaded to other sites by users of Flight Simulator. One of them is still available for download at FlightSim.Com.

This is a list of the scenery that I created for Microsoft Flight Simulator:

GBE - General Belgrano Airfield - Buenos Aires
MGI - Martin Garcia Island - Buenos Aires
SANL - Vicente A. Almonacid Airport - La Rioja
SARI - Cataratas del Iguazu Int'l Airport - Misiones
SAVB - El Bolson Airfield - Rio Negro (Patagonia)
SAVD - El Maiten Airfield - Rio Negro (Patagonia)
SAVE - Esquel Airport - Chubut (Patagonia)
SAVY - El Tehuelche Airfield - Puerto Madryn - Chubut (Patagonia)
SAWC - El Calafate Int'l Airport - Santa Cruz (Patagonia)
SAZY - San Martin de los Andes Airport - Neuquen (Patagonia)

Tell us about the nature of your designs and what you do?

I tend to look for aircraft that have not been modelled in X-Plane. This was the case of the Beechcraft Baron 58, and ELA07 (one of the few autogyros for X-Plane that currently exist). My goal has always been that the aircraft I create will not only be distributed for free, but will also be developed to the same quality as many payware aircraft.

I just love to research, test new features, and try to improve each model a little more than the last.

How is designing aircraft in X-Plane different from designing aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

In my opinion, developing an aircraft in X-Plane is much easier than it is for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Why? Mainly because of Plane Maker (built into X-Plane) as it is a very powerful tool. As I know it; there is no tool like Plane Maker for Flight Simulator developers.

As well as using Plane Maker, I also find it easier and more intuitive to work with Blender, than to work with Gmax to make 3D models.

In X-Plane all aircraft files are in a single folder. You can move, edit, rename, or change any file, and see the results quickly as you don't need to close X-Plane. It's just fast and so easy!

In Flight Simulator you need to close the program, make changes, and open the sim again. That's a lot of time lost just for making minor adjustments.

What do you consider your best or most popular work?

The most popular was, undoubtedly, the Beechcraft Baron. I think this was the most popular for two reasons. Firstly, the real aircraft is very popular with both real and simulator pilots alike, and secondly, when my Beechcraft Baron was published, there were not many freeware aircraft of this type with a 3D cockpit for X-Plane.

At the time of my Beechcraft Baron's release, there wasn't anything like the number of high quality aircraft available, compared to what we have now in X-Plane. Today, it's all very different, as we have wonderful designs from Carenado, Alabeo, Aerosoft, etc.

The best project? The next project should always be an improvement on the last one and existing projects can always be improved on.

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of a project?

I think the flight model is the hardest thing to create in a project. You can make an excellent 3D model of a Cessna 172, with fabulous textures, but if your Cessna flies like an F-16, the end result will be disappointing.

Unfortunately, I don't have a team of real pilots to test my projects, so getting the flight model as near as I can to the real aircraft takes me a very long time. In many cases, the method that I apply is of "trial and error", and until the plane flies as I think it should do. When the flight model and the 3D model are "in balance", the end result is an excellent project.

What have been your favorite projects?

The ELA07 was a very interesting project for the type of aircraft that it is. An autogyro flies and behaves differently to a plane, but it's not like a helicopter. Finding a balance in the flight model of the ELA took me a great deal of work. The ELA was also the first project where some of the systems were managed by a plugin.

I had to learn how to program in C++ and how to create environments for both 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows, Linux and OSX. The PA-11 was the first aircraft with floats that I created. It was also the first plane I created without an electrical system, which presented quite a challenge, since the only way to start an engine in X-Plane is by having a battery. I did not want to use a plugin for this, so therefore I had to work very hard with datarefs and manipulators to get the engine to start.

If I had to choose a favorite project, then I think it would be the PA-11.

What software packages and tools do you use to develop?

For the 3D model, I use Blender. Blender is an excellent design tool which is both powerful and free. Another plus for Blender, is that it's multi-platform. The first projects I made for X-Plane were with Linux, and Blender works perfectly under that platform.

Obviously, I use the scripts created by Jonathan Harris of Marginal.co.uk. These scripts are fundamental in aiding all X-Plane developers. Without these scripts it would be very difficult to create 3D models in Blender and then use them in X-Plane; so I must give a special thank you to Jonathan for giving us these great tools.

To create textures I use Macromedia Fireworks and Gimp. Fireworks is a vector graphics program, so it might seem odd to use Fireworks to make textures (most developers use Photoshop or other raster graphics editor), but I'm now so used to using Fireworks that I don't really want to spend the time learning something new; plus I'm happy with the results Fireworks gives me. I use Gimp as it's a good tool for illuminations and shadows. With the exception of Fireworks, all the tools I use are freeware.

Who would you consider to be your mentors or inspiration in the development world if you have any?

When I started creating my first sceneries in 2005, Sim-Wings really inspired me. Their sceneries were fabulous and enjoyed by many in the Microsoft Flight Simulator world. Carenado is obviously an inspiration for any aspiring aircraft developer. In my opinion, they are simply the best!

But...the one person who really inspired me was Javier Rollon!

His work is just amazing and his ability to "invent new tricks" with limited resources is totally unique. I know him personally and he is not only a fantastic developer, but also also a wonderful person.

Do you develop payware/freeware or both and why?

Creating X-Plane add-ons is only a hobby for me and a hobby I really enjoy. For the moment, I just create freeware aircraft. Why? The reason is very simple:

If you cannot pay for the aircraft, but would like to have it, you can get it for free. If you can pay for the aircraft, and you like the aircraft, you can make a donation (if you like).

In this way everyone can access my aircraft lawfully and I don't have to worry about individuals stealing my work. This may sound stupid, but it's my philosophy.

This doesn't mean that I've "closed all doors" to the possibility of developing payware aircraft, but so far, I haven't considered it.

The Team

How many people work with you or your team?

My development team has exactly one member...me!

As I mentioned earlier, this is just a hobby for me. I work in my spare time and therefore I cannot give the commitment to working in a team. As of yet; I've never worked in a development team.

At present I handle all phases of the project. From the 3D model and texture process, to programming plugins in C++ there is just one person doing it...me. I also do all the flight testing and aircraft documentation. That's why each project can take between four and eight months, sometimes even more, depending on the complexity of the model chosen.

Real Life

Do you have any experience in real aviation?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. I haven't really had much contact with real aviation. I'm not a real pilot because I have a disease in my eyes, so I couldn't really be a pilot. So...I haven't had 'hands on' experience with piloting a real aircraft, but I do have plenty of experience as a passenger in commercial flights!

Would you like to share what you do in real life?

I'm a technical consultant for a software company in Madrid, Spain. I travel around the country installing and configuring software and hardware for access control, time - attendance, and production control processes. It's a good job, but rather busy, as I have to be away from home quite a lot.

What other hobbies or things do you do for enjoyment?

Cars; I really love cars!! I enjoy driving a lot. I love German and American cars and my dream is to one day drive a Chevrolet Camaro or a Shelby GT 500!

Have you ever considered doing flight simulator development full time?

Honestly, I have never thought about it. Maybe in the future, but not at the moment.

Future

How do you choose your next new design or project?

My new project has already been chosen. The next project will be a Beechcraft; a Beechcraft 1900C-1. At present I am in the process of texturing and making animations in the 3D cockpit.

The B1900 will be my first turboprop, with custom systems managed by a plugin, and will be published for free in October 2013, I think.

A Beechcraft 1900, that is fantastic! Why did you choose this aircraft and do you have any secret images you could share with us?

Well...I started two projects concerning turboprops (Dash 8 and a C-130), but I could not finish these due to technical limitations; it was really frustrating!

In both cases I wanted all aircraft systems to be as realistic as possible, but I could not achieve this level of realism, as at that time I lacked the necessary knowledge to do so.

This is why I have decided to create this turboprop, and the B1900 is a great choice. It is a very popular plane, and I think it will be welcomed by the X-Plane community.

What simulators do you design for now and what ones do you plan to develop for in the future?

For now, I'm developing aircraft only for X-Plane 10. There are many possibilities for development here, and the X-Plane community is growing every day. Although there are many projects starting up on different aircraft there are still plenty left to do!

The future? This depends on Austin Meyer and future versions of X-Plane. As of today, I think we still have plenty of time to enjoy X-Plane 10 and watch it improve, as we are only on version 10.22.

In what ways do you see development changing in the future?

I do not think there will be any really big changes in the near future. I think the future depends on what the simulator can provide and what tools it can offer the developer. Every new simulator brings new tricks and effects to make aircraft look and feel real. Creating these effects takes time, so a commercial developer with a team will be able to create aircraft that are far more complex than say an individual could create (like me) in a much shorter time.

Custom systems managed by plugins make all the difference today, and will make a difference in the future. Simmers want more and more complex aircraft in their systems and flight characteristics. This is the formula for success from developers like Jrollon, Flyjsim, IEXG and Dreamfoil.

Nor should we forget the possibilities of simulators on mobile devices like tablets, iPads or mobile phones. The future may bring big surprises here.

Your Thoughts

What can sites like FlightSim.Com do to support you and the hobby better?

Forums for exchange of information are the best way to help developers and encourage the use of simulators.

There are many people who know much about simulators and development techniques, and have no problem sharing their knowledge and helping other developers. Forums can do this. This is where all sites should work together.

Interviews, good reviews of products, and a good file library for free downloads, can help promote this great and wonderful hobby, that so many of us enjoy everyday.

What are some of the most important things a site or community can do to help the developers?

There are many things that the sites and the community can do.

The things that are most needed are: information about new techniques, free development tools, and user feedback. Nothing is more important than the opinion of users.

Developers make aircraft for the community. Only if the community gives feedback on a project can it really be improved upon.

The opinion of the users is the best way to make better products.

What would you like people to know about you or your team and work?

I'm just a flight simulator enthusiast, who enjoys creating free aircraft for the X-Plane community. I don't have a great knowledge of 3D modeling or of airplane physics, but I try to do my best, and I enjoy researching and learning. Every day you can learn something new.

If my work allows for someone to be a little happier, my goal is fully achieved.

Anyone can make good aircraft for X-Plane. All the necessary tools are easily at hand and are also freeware. All you need is time, patience, a desire to investigate, and a bit of inspiration.

I encourage everyone to try it.

Adrian Fernandez Gomez
Download his aircraft