Hi Mark
Hope you’re doing fine, as it’s been a while since I last came here for advice, which has actually made the difference, thanks so much for the assistance.
Combining Sims with one another is an important part of the fun and getting the best out of it by putting those to the best possible use may be construed as also a way to pay respect to so much quality work out there, apart from giving respective authors the proper credit for their skill – which in fact I do, in the aircraft.cfg section, while briefly describing the aircraft (type/panel/sound/texture/repaint). It’s only fair to do so – incidentally, yours and Plamondon’s names are often mentioned in sound authoring, as well as Probst/Carty’s B727 panel (probably the best one available yet – don’t want to sound unfair, or anything, that’s just how it feels) – currently in use with both HJG’s -100 and -200 aircraft types.
I’ve read a substantial part of the L-1011 manual and, although specifically referring to the panels HJG provides, it’s an instructive reading – issues that have been raised here, such as the early L-1011 RR RB211-22B restricted engine power certification process, or the notice on performance issues bound to occur precisely due to the use of materials different from those of HJG’s, are addressed to. It takes only a bit of spare time to do some reading – this, quite frequently, an issue.
On flightplanning the L-1011 fuel/payload, in particular: FS flight planner already provides an estimated fuel burn based on an estimated time en route; it was then a simple matter of adjusting Sim’s pre-programmed max fuel tanks capacity to that of the FS planner sheet. Payload setting, however, used to take bit of a creative accounting, so to temper the figures – not to the point of being pointless, though, the use of a widebody jetliner to perform kind of light weighted flying, sort to speak. But doing the math on fuel consumption is definitely more challenging, little/non fuel wasting, thus cost effective (as virtual as it may be). One’s done with such tricks as setting fuel resources to limitless wasting mode, or even payload tempering, for that matter. And your suggestion of reducing Sim’s total fuel load by a factor of two so to use as half as much, no payload fiddling, is a good one.
Along with HJG’s Lockheed models, I use David Grindele’s – a guy who’s known as Captain Dave, the FS Lightman – whose fine L-1011-500 addon (base model being actually Mike Stone’s), depicts awesome Pan Am trademark logo and I wouldn’t think of comparing one another, as both Sims have merits of their own. Besides, in this particular case, there was an aesthetic drive commanding the download of what was then an.exe file (not too thrilled about it but, then, passion ruled over reason).
This is also why I’ve been drawn to HJG materials, not just because it is, first and foremost, one of the best organized and thought-out hosting sites there is, in terms of the quality design work it displays – one sees the heart you guys put into it, right from the start – as yet for another reason, pertaining to the Site’s very own purpose: it hosts one of the most consistent international airline branding collections, particularly spanning the 1960’s-1970’s. One has to pay tribute to the guys who, decades ago, have brilliantly crafted such world widely known trademark logos as Pan Am’s, TWA’s (especially, the early 1970’s interlinked globes one), Northwest – when also Orient – Airlines, British Airways’ (Landor's, in particular), British Caledonian’s, Condor Flugdient’s, Korean Airline’s (specifically, the one on the jet taken down by soviet fighters, nearby Sakhalin Is, in 1983), KLM’s, Lufthansa’s, Qantas’ (V-Jet era), Suid Afrikaanse Lugdiens’ (big orange tail with blue springbok’s as depicted in their B747-SP – not actually featured in HJG’s repaints, as it was a 1990’s ‘hatching’, sort to speak, but just as impacting, nevertheless), SABENA’s (S-Tail), or VARIG’s (from mid to late 1970’s). And so many others, whether inside or outside US, just to mention a few of the most iconic ones – fascinating set, in its marketing artistry.
Hardly surprising, you guys are pretty much the United Nations of flight sim repainting. Which is great for the flightsim community. I understand you in particular are an historian, as well. Of Aviation History, I guess? And, as you have pointed out also in earlier posting, “[…] aided by a respected college/ university Physics professor with an aviation background […]� You guys are like a completely different level of proficiency here.
My Compliments/ Regards to the whole team
See you (either here or at HJG forums)
fja009 - Fernando A