Development

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

I first starting flying simulators way back with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000. This was a great simulator back then, even if it does look old by today's standards. A few years after this, the web site FS KBT was created. At this time, the work produced was mainly repaints (liveries), AFCAD files, etc. It was through the site that I met my friend, Daisuke Yamamoto.

Daisuke Yamamoto, who as well as being a good friend, has a great eye for detail, and his 3D models are truly exceptional. I learnt a lot from working with him, and I think our passion, general love for flight simulation and also enthusiasm comes across in what we create.

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

We create a broad range of aircraft, but whatever we choose, it is always done as a team. The enthusiasm must be shared by all those in the team. We like to create aircraft that feel real, but at the same time, not so complex as to be difficult to fly.

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

I think the most challenging part of a project is knowing how to please the simmers, and also ourselves. Sometimes it's difficult to do both.

What have been your favorite projects?

That is an easy question to answer; the P-3 is our favorite project so far and the most involved.

What software packages and tools do you use to develop?

For the creating of the aircraft we use Gmax (included with Microsoft Flight Simulator), and Photo Impact, which is an image editing tool.

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

Hiroshi Igami, who has created some wonderful aircraft, is a great source of inspiration to us. As well as Hiroshi Igami, I would have to say that the interest shown towards our work (from flight simmers all over the world) is also a huge source of inspiration. It is only then, that we know people enjoy what we have created. It's great to see other simmers create liveries for our work as it means that what we create keep on living.

Do you develop payware/freeware or both and why?

Everything that we create is created as freeware. We prefer it like this as it means that we do not have to work to any schedule or offer support. We create aircraft because we enjoy it and if that ever became a job, the enjoyment I think would disappear. If we were to create a payware aircraft, then it would have to be maintained and that is something neither of us in the team can offer.

The Team

How many people work with you or your team?

The team is made up of chiefly two people; myself and Daisuke. There are however, other creators of aircraft who contribute valuable input to the team.

What do the various members of the team do?

The other people in the team help in many ways. First there is the flight testing to make sure that the aircraft flies correctly. Secondly, they check for any unwanted bugs, and thirdly they help with the gathering of information. The information found is usually used in the first stage of production, so it's highly important. No information...no aircraft.

What other developers or teams have you worked with and what were their roles?

We haven't worked with any other team, but we often locate aircraft information from the kind members at NZFF and SOH.

Real Life

Do you have any experience in real aviation?

I have to say that I haven't, as unfortunately, the only experience I've had with real aviation is as a passenger. Maybe that will change in the future!

What started your interest in aviation?

Like most, it started when I was a boy, also my father's occupation just happened to involve...as you would say...'real aviation.' He was an officer in the JMSDF, which is the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. So you could say, I was brought up with aviation.

Any memorable flights in real life?

I once boarded a large and noisy CH47 helicopter for work, and whilst we were flying, the back freight door opened. Seeing ground far far below was quite a surprise!

What other hobbies or things do you do for enjoyment?

I have quite a number of hobbies. For example, I love motorcycles and flying my RC (remote control) airplane (F3A). I also play the tuba and you can see a performance here.

Have you ever considered doing flight simulator development full-time?

Never; it is a hobby and something which is done purely for enjoyment.

Future

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

I can't see us creating for any other simulators in the future as we are concentrating on porting over all our FS2004 models to FSX.

How do you feel about the future of flight simulation in general?

I think the creation of aircraft will become steadily more difficult. The reason for this is because many flight simmers want an aircraft to be almost picture perfect. To create an aircraft which is of the same quality as some military simulators is very difficult, especially when they are using a simulator which is newer than FSX and incorporates many new graphical effects.

Your Thoughts

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

All our work is given freely to the world of flight simulation, and we do this through sites like FlightSim.Com. Having places like your site means that we able to share our work freely and safely, without others trying to benefit from our work illegally.

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

For us, the most important thing about our work, is knowing that others get pleasure from it. The feeling we get when we open our mail and read all the nice comments, more than makes up for the work involved. For us, it is a pleasure.

Team FS KBT
http://www.flightinfo.jp/FS_KBT/
Find Team FS KBT files