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/images/notams/notams22/iris0421.jpgVersion 2.3.7 of the Grob Tutor is now available on the IRIS Store.Other stores to follow. Changes are as follows: All aircraft - Interior and Exterior models corrected to remove 'double aircraft' bug in cockpit.All aircraft - LODs refined to address above.All aircraft - Engine.cfg adjusted to allow for engine start on SU8.All aircraft - Textures optimized for improved performance.Source If you're an X-Plane user and a fan of the Grob, then you'll bepleased to know that we have an exceptional freeware model by KeithWalton in the file library: X-Plane 11.25+ Tutor 115E Community Edition 2.0 With over 500 downloads, this fantastic model has yet to receive asingle comment, so if you enjoy flying the Grob, why not leave Keith amessage.

/images/notams/notams19/iron1216.jpgUpdate 1.0.5 for the Grob G109b is now available via the Skunkcrafts Updater plugin; changelog is as follows: Update 1.0.5Added Axis Control for Prop Feathering Handle - use this by assigning an axis to the 'Prop' control and turning on axis control inside the settings page of the GUI TabletAdded Airshow Particle FX (wip; Sparks + Smoke + Airshow Livery Fuselage Lighting FX) - access via the 'Airshow FX' app on the tabletAdded Ground Services App (includes ability to toggle Static Elements on/off)Added Variometer & Variometer soundFuel Mixture Logic overhauled & improvedFixed Tablet Light cast not switching off with tabletFixed G-meter reset button not working correctlyLanding Lights made brighter & more effectiveCockpit lighting made bright & more effective to allow night flyingFixed Flight Timers not tied to 'Main Spark' circuit breakerFixed Engine hours counter not tied to Generator CBFixed Rough IdleFixed Electrical issues at idleSource

/images/notams/notams19/grob0902/grob0902.jpgWe're very excited to announce our next aircraft release for XP11:The Grob G109b Motor Glider. The Grob G 109b is a 2 seat, self-launching motor glider,originating in Germany from the minds of Grob Aircraft AG. Theaircraft is used primarily for civilian flight, however it was alsoused by the RAF to train cadets for basic flying from 1991-2018. TheGrob G109b is also famously the aircraft of choice used by theAerosparx aerobatics team; famed for their incredible blend ofaerobatics, pyrotechnics and light displays. /images/notams/notams19/grob0902/grob-1.jpgWe are pleased to announce that for this project we are working incollaboration with a real-world G109b Pilot. He was an invaluablemember of our Spitfire Beta Testing team and we are pleased to saythat he will be acting as our SME (Subject Matter Expert) for thisproject; providing guidance, technical advice, FM feedback and adviceregarding ownership & maintenance duties. Our SME has provided invaluable amounts of information and referencefor us to work with, and has generously used his own money to have theaircraft professionally recorded by an audio engineer so that we cancreate an ultra-realistic soundscape for the aircraft. /images/notams/notams19/grob0902/grob-2.jpgAircraft InformationThe G109B aircraft is a low-wing cantilever motor glider, with aT-tail, folding (and detachable) wings, and side-by-side seating withdual controls. It is mainly constructed from glass-reinforced plasticand has a taildragger undercarriage arrangement. Entry and exit fromthe cockpit is via two perspex doors which open upwards individually -a modification from the original one-piece G109A canopy. The cockpitcan be heated, providing that the engine is running, and the seatbacks can be adjusted and cushions of differing thickness inserted toaccommodate a range of body sizes. Under the current CAA LASORS document, the G109B can be classed aseither a touring motor glider (TMG), or a self-launching motor glider(SLMG). -From Wikipedia /images/notams/notams19/grob0902/grob-3.jpgKey FeaturesUltra-realistic artwork and texturingMultiple liveries, including an Aerosparx liveryFMOD Soundscape - professionally recordings from a real G109b, everything included from the engine to the smallest switches and leversHighly realistic and accurate flight model - tuned and tested by real G109b PilotsFull systems simulations - Powered by Xlua and SASLCode-driven engine and prop simulation for enhanced accuracy and realismFull simulation of the Icom IC-A2910e radio unitPilot 3D iPad/tablet integration (also including optional Avitab integration) - the tablet allows pilots to access various functions and features, such as weight/balance, fuel loading, pax and baggage loading, CG, maintenance options and various other featuresChecklists integration /images/notams/notams19/grob0902/grob-4.jpgThe aircraft is still very much a work-in-progress. Developmenthowever is speeding along at a rate we are very happy with, and we areexpecting to release roughly between late September - October. Source

Keith Walton Interview Conducted by Dominic Smith Keith, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to FlightSim.Com. No problem Dominic I am more than pleased to do so. Could I begin by asking you about when and why you chose to model the Grob Tutor? Back in 2010 I picked up PC Pilot magazine for the first time one day while shopping. I had never looked at flight simulation in detail before. What impressed me was how realistic the add-on aircraft were. Laminar were advertising X-Plane 9 and I liked the look because it had Plane-maker included and that allowed you to make your own aircraft. So right from the start it was the ability to make your own aircraft that got me into X-Plane. In a short while I made some simple models that actually flew! Then one day I came across the RAF 2011 yearbook and discovered the Grob Tutor was featured in one of the articles. It seemed to me it was a great little training plane and I liked the fact that young people were learning to fly in it. Unfortunately not everyone gets the chance to reach their full potential in life and the Tutor was inspiring them and that was a good thing. I wanted to model something worthwhile so I chose the Tutor, not knowing later that it would evolve into a real world training aid for the cadets. Have you had any hands on experience in the real aircraft? I have a disability that prevents me from flying but I get feedback from others that do fly them. The flight model of the Tutor has been refined by their input and I must say they are very demanding in terms of accuracy. What have you found to be the biggest challenge of the project? The biggest challenge was learning by trial and error. When I bought X-Plane 9 the manual for Plane-maker consisted of just a few pages. Thankfully X-Plane is very well documented now and if anyone wants to make their own aircraft the information is there for them. But in the early days my models were very crude and I was not happy with them. I just kept on working and refining things until finally it started to come together and I was getting the results I wanted. Eventually I reached the stage where people started asking if they could use my models in their simulators to train people to fly. When I accepted the invitation I started to get positive feedback, particularly with the flight dynamics and this was very valuable data. How do the flight dynamics compare to the real aircraft? I am told they are pretty near the mark and that was by a Tutor instructor that flew Concorde! What software tools do you use for development of the Tutor? Some developers reading this might be surprised when I tell you. Airfoil maker to produce the wing shape that defines how the aircraft flies. Plane maker to produce the basic aircraft. Paint.net to make the textures. AC3D to make non Plane maker objects. Substance Painter to create Physics Based Rendering on the model. Basically this allows parts the models to reflect light like a real world material i.e. glass, plastic, rubber, metal, etc. Code Blocks to write C++ software code for a Plug-In to give extra functionality to the aircraft. Keith, has your model been used for any training purposes? Yes the UK Air Cadets are using the Tutor in a number of ways. In a physical cockpit with three very large screens that duplicate the look and feel of the real Tutor and the view from it. In this instance the model is different to the Community Edition in that there is no virtual cockpit because the model envelops or surrounds the real cockpit the user is in. They are also using a version similar to the Community Edition that is flown using a single large screen monitor. Some of the Air Cadets have gone over to flying in VR. What areas of the model do you feel still need to be improved on and will we see these in future updates? There is a long list of items. I am planning to make a big upgrade in April 2019 to cover them and I am already working hard on them now. A few of the main items: The exterior aircraft model has been re-made completely from the ground up using data from the real Tutor. The inside of the current version will have a massive makeover which will cover the trim and some of the instruments. One user asked for a sliding canopy animation and it will have one. The GPS is not working in the current version but in the upgrade it will be partially functioning with a capability which will allow the user to select a destination and display the direction and distance information on the HSI. Have you ever considered creating a paint kit for all the livery painters out there? Eventually - but not yet. The Tutor textures are currently being modified and until a finished format is firmly established it would waste their time because the new livery might not work on the next upgrade. To these guys all I can say is sometime in the future you will have that capability. Keith, the Grob Tutor was developed as an X-Plane model, but have you ever considered creating a MSFS version? No, I just do not have the knowledge, skill or time to do that. Lastly Keith, as an X-Plane user and developer, what would you like to see added in future updates of X-Plane? Until someone actually flies X-Plane in VR for themselves it is very hard to explain to them how real it actually feels. Anyone that has not done so - you must try it to understand that the total immersion factor is exceptional. I would like to see the hand controllers disappear from VR and be replaced by customizable hands i.e. wearing gloves or flesh etc. Also the hand controller buttons to be user definable, as this would allow the simulation of real world HOTAS in the VR world by developers in their add-ons. A voice recognition ATC system is high on my wish list. Why not, we have Alexa, Siri and Cortana? It would be a big job to implement but not impossible. I have to say the work done by Laminar in the last few years has been superb. So any improvement they make is a bonus for me. Dominic, thank you for giving me the opportunity to communicate with FlightSim.Com and I hope this answers a few of the questions your readers may have about the Tutor Community Edition. Please download the Tutor and have a good time flying it everyone. All the best. Keith Walton Download the Tutor 115E Community Edition