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F-35 Lightning II Publisher: IndiaFoxtEcho Review Author: Dale Ashcroft Suggested Price: $28.49 Aircraft Overview The following is an extract from Wikipedia: The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime F-35 contractor, with principal partners Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems. The aircraft has three main variants: the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A, the short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) F-35B, and the carrier-based (CV/CATOBAR) F-35C. The aircraft descends from the Lockheed Martin X-35, which in 2001 beat the Boeing X-32 to win the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Its development is principally funded by the United States, with additional funding from program partner countries from NATO and close U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Italy, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and formerly Turkey. Several other countries have ordered, or are considering ordering, the aircraft. The F-35B entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps in July 2015, followed by the U.S. Air Force F-35A in August 2016 and the U.S. Navy F-35C in February 2019. The F-35 was first used in combat in 2018 by the Israeli Air Force. The U.S. plans to buy 2,456 F-35s through 2044, which will represent the bulk of the crewed tactical airpower of the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps for several decades. The aircraft is projected to operate until 2070. Purchasing At the time of this review, the aircraft is priced at a very reasonable $28.49 which is great as you get a lot of bang for your buck with this one. The purchase of the product was quick and painless from the FlightSim.Com Store and with a download size of around 2.2 GB. Install One thing that I have come to love of the new MSFS is the quick way of manually installing a product, no more needing to run through an auto installer that sends the files to the correct location such as a folder for the aircraft, gauges, etc. Simply drag and drop into the community folder and off you go. So easy, even my two-year-old could do it (most probably). Documentation The product comes with a 53-page document that includes: Change log for each update Welcome section Minimum hardware requirements Installation Credits External Loads Brief overview of the aircraft Performance information Sensors and avionics (Note that Sensors are not operational within MSFS as of yet) Cockpit orientation Details of each display page (HUD included) Operating information for the three different types (CTOL/STOVL/Carrier Ops) Overall, a pretty comprehensive document which tells you all you need to know. Cockpit Throughout the development of aircraft, cockpits have become less, and less cluttered with dials and switches, and are now very clean looking. The F-35 is a very minimalistic cockpit with very few switches and no dials. Instead, all the information is presented on a huge wide screen, that is broken up into four sections that can be manipulated to display whatever you wish. Think of it like a huge tablet. The shear amount of information that can be displayed is astonishing. All three variants have exactly the same cockpit layout, the only minor difference is to do with the avionics. For example, there is the option on the screen to fold the wings on the C model. There are some drawbacks to this rendition of the F-35 however. Not all pages are available in the aircraft though, such as the TFLIR, this is because (from what I understand at least) MSFS has not provided the means to be able to model several of the omitted functions. I had this aircraft when it was available for another platform, and the developer did have every page available, which was great. Knowing the developer, I do believe that once the functions are made available by Asobo/Microsoft, they will implement them so they can provide an even better experience for the user. The HMD is also not true to life. In the real world the HMD information is injected into the pilots helmet, which means no matter where you look, your information is always present. In the current build, the HMD is more of a HUD, static in its positioning in front of the pilot - again, a limitation of MSFS rather than a limitation of the developer. Visibility out of the cockpit is pretty spot on too, so much of the world available for you to observe as you thrash around at low level or simply cruising around taking in all the sights that MSFS has to offer. Having said that, the rear visibility isn't that of an F-16, but there is always a trade off with aircraft design in favor of performance, etc. Externals I always have to stop and just look at the aircraft these days with what is possible within MSFS 2020. If you did not know any better, you could be mistaken for thinking it was a real picture. To me the F-35 is not the most appealing aircraft in terms of beauty; more like the ugly duckling compared to the F-15's and F-16's of this world, although I am slowly changing my mind the more I see it. The developer has captured the aircraft perfectly though, the curved surfaces sculpted to perfection, the edges, carved so crisply you could almost cut paper with them. Each of the three variants are slightly different in appearance from an external perspective. The A model has a gun mounted inside the aircraft and this can be seen above the left hand intake. The B model is the same size as the A, but the B variant is almost like a transformer when you enter the STOVL mode. Huge panels open to distort the smooth surfaces so that air can be sucked into the giant engine for STOVL flight as well as having the exhaust at the rear moving downwards. The C model is the larger of the variants with a much increased wing area which means it can fly at a much lower speed that is needed in order to put this baby down on an aircraft carrier, it also has a much beefier undercarriage to withstand the impacts of such a controlled crash. Other than that, the aircraft are more or less the exact same. Here are views of each of the three variants: Secret compartments are chiselled into the aircraft to house weapons, so not to increase the aircraft's RCS (RADAR Cross Section). Weapons can be added to the aircraft via the payload menu, figures for weapons can be found in the manual. It is worth noting that weapons are only available on the aircraft if NOT bought through the MSFS marketplace (another reason to shop at the FlightSim.Com Store). The weapons are there purely as decoration and cannot be released from the aircraft, that has to be left to your imagination. I can only assume it is a limitation within MSFS, and maybe one day this could be implemented into the add-on. Liveries The aircraft in the real world does not offer much in terms of variety in color schemes. It's very much 50 shades of grey, with the odd splash of high-viz paint, with the occasional aircraft that displays a daring side and has the entire fin painted (from what I could find only the demonstrators). The recreation of schemes are fantastic however, very detailed with all the expected decals, etc., and plenty to choose from. The included schemes cover more or less from the majority of operators both American and worldwide, which gives you the chance to fly your own country's aircraft. There is also a wide range of freeware schemes available for the aircraft too which are easy to install should you wish. Flight Model The three different variations of aircraft all present a slightly different way of flying, mainly in the take-off and landing phase of flight. During normal operations the aircraft really packs a punch when you engage reheat and start the take-off roll. I found that as soon as the wheels leave the earth, she really gathers some momentum allowing you to pull straight up into the vertical and simply climb like a home sick angel. I did find that by about 10,000 feet it was time to roll out and continue to ascend at a more manageable rate, otherwise I would have stalled and found the earth rushing up towards me. Unconventional take-offs in the aircraft are different however (unknown for the C variant as I do not have an aircraft carrier to operate from). In the B model, there is the ability to carry out a short take-off, and as I mentioned earlier, this is when the F-35B becomes a transformer and opens up several panels. What the short take-off allows you to do is to operate from small airstrips or carriers without the need for any assistance, a catapult for example. I can imagine it would be quite the rush in real life to go hurtling towards the end of a deck on an aircraft carrier, only hoping that you have enough thrust to keep you afloat and slowly loft you into the sky. The F-35 is intelligent when it comes to the vectoring of the exhaust. The Harrier used to have a throttle and then a separate lever to control the direction of the nozzles. Not in the F-35. The aircraft's computers are constantly calculating the best position to point the exhaust depending on the airspeed of the aircraft, and also the position of the throttle as set by the pilot, clever stuff when you think about what would be required to calculate all of that. Manoeuvring the aircraft is simple, as you would expect from a fly-by wire aircraft. I was able to pull plenty of G-force that soon put some nice fluffy clouds over my wings. Overall, trying to put an aerobatic sequence together isn't too difficult and the aircraft seems to be able to generate enough thrust to get you out of any pickle that you find yourself in. Standard circuit flying is not difficult either, just make sure you keep the power on if you are flying a tight circuit otherwise you could find yourself in a sticky situation. Now for the interesting part - the hover. Hovering the aircraft isn't as difficult as you might think. As I mentioned earlier, the aircraft is smart at deciding where to point the exhaust. This means you can concentrate on flying the aircraft rather than constantly switching between the throttle and the nozzle handle. Certain parameters must be met however before you can enter STOVL mode, such as flying at a sufficiently slow enough speed and not having the aircraft banking too steep, otherwise the aircraft's FCS will simply deny you the option to enter this mode. Entering STOVL mode is as simple as pressing a button. There is a function that is included for auto-hover, which is quite handy when you want to stabilize yourself before slowly descending down to the tarmac. Overall I think that the flight model is lovely, she handle's well and isn't too much like hard work. Sounds Overall, sounds can be slightly subjective, as I believe it depends on the set-up you have. I always fly with a headset on, which for me, really adds to the immersion. In the cockpit you can hear the little clicks of buttons being pressed which is a nice touch. It can be very noisy in the office if you have the canopy open, but I do like the effect of it getting slightly quieter once you have closed it up. Externally is of course where we really hear the magic going on. I've been around a few F-35's when they are up and running, and one thing they certainly are is noisy, and this rendition is no exception. The roar of the engine sounds impressive at idle, and then you increase the power and really feel the earth shake. Overall, a good sound system I believe. VR Virtual reality is very much a personal preference, I find it hard these days to not fly in VR. I love that extra layer of immersion, wanting to reach out and touch the displays, having to twist and turn in my chair to look around. I found the experience in VR to be good. I use the Oculus Rift, which by today's standards is starting to get on a bit and the image quality isn't as sharp as I'm sure the newer pieces of equipment are, so I think that it is only fair to exclude this VR section from the overall score at the end. In my Rift, I found it hard to read the displays clearly (again a limitation of the Rift, not the aircraft), but if I leaned in slightly, I was able to read them fine and in the end, I just got used to what things looked like and found the overall experience in VR to be very comfortable and totally immersive. It was incredibly handy when trying to hover, as I could keep peering out to make sure I was still lined up. System Requirements Recommended Specs CPU: 4 cores, 3.0 GHz or better GPU: Nvidia 1060 or better, with at least 4 GB dedicated video memory RAM: 8 GB minimum Hard disk space: 4.50 GB required Test Specs Intel Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz (Coffee Lake) Socket LGA1151 Processor Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 PC4-25600C16 3200 MHz Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Dual OC 8192 MB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card Microsoft Windows 10 Home Advanced Samsung 1TB 860 EVO SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 64 Layer 3D V-NAND Solid State Drive Overall My final thoughts of the aircraft are simple - Sublime. Whilst I don't think the aircraft can be labelled as study-level, and I have no doubt there is some serious challenges getting any sort of information on the systems for the aircraft, I believe the developer has done a standout job. Yes, there are some things missing in terms of systems, but these are a limitation of the sim and not the aircraft (at the time of writing that is). I have no doubt that if it was possible, the developer would implement as many systems as they could. The aircraft is fun to fly and extremely rewarding at the same time, especially when trying to hover. This aircraft will most definitely make it on to my flight line rather than gather dust in the hangar. Dale Ashcroft Purchase IndiaFoxtEcho - F-35 Lightning II for MSFS -
/images/notams/notams21/dino1116.jpgNOTAM - We have received several messages today asking about theMSFS F-35 release. Apparently, there is a rumor that the release isquestion of hours. While we appreciate your interest in this project,we DO NOT have a release date for the F-35 yet. We will first check it against Sim Update VII (which will bereleased Thursday) and we will try to leverage some of the featuresthat will be introduced with it (like FINALLY properafterburners). It is therefore IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY that the plane will beavailable any time before Saturday November 27th. Speaking about Sim Update VII(*) once it will be available, we willrelease updates for all of our aircraft (Long-EZ, MB-339 andT-45). * NOTE: Microsoft has provided us with a preview build of SUVII,however, for some reason, we were not able to install it on some ofour computers. In any case, we always wait for the final build beforetaking action - as historically the test build had significantdifferences from the final version. Source
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/images/notams/notams21/dino1102/f35-1.jpgAfter the latest internal review, we think we have cleared most ofthe quality issues that drove our decision to delay the release of theF-35, but at the moment the projected release date is around theNovember 15th - which makes no sense as Sim Update 7 is planned forNovember 18th (and it is supposed to fix a number of the shortcomingsof the simulator for supersonic fighter jets). Moreover, there isalways the chance that SU7 may break some of the features of the plane- so we will first wait for the release of SU7, check that everythingworks and if there is any important improvement we can make with thenew features and then release the F-35. /images/notams/notams21/dino1102/f35-2.jpgThe extra time will be spent in adding some features that wepreviously decided to leave out from the initial build... such as areworked autopilot interface and a static CVN-78 carrier (we do notlike static carrier approach as it is not very realistic, but it is amuch requested feature). Do not expect anything as good as the DCSSupercarrier, but at least you will be able to perform launch andrecoveries (and if you set 30 kts wind from the bow the approachdynamics is still not realistic, but not incredibly awful). ...and speaking about DCS, we know we have been very quiet latelyon that platform, but that is because we have been working hard onit. We will have more news next week. Source
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/images/notams/notams21/dino1012/indiafoxtecho1.jpgHere are the most requested screen shots of the new virtualcockpit model. While the external models are basically (substantial)upgrades of our P3D models, we decided to redo the cockpit entirelyfrom scratch: this required a lot of work and research (if anything tohunt for some hard-to-find details) - but we think it was worth theeffort. /images/notams/notams21/dino1012/indiafoxtecho2.jpg /images/notams/notams21/dino1012/indiafoxtecho3.jpgWe'll keep you posted on Beta test availability (hopefully not toofar in the future) and release date as soon as possible. In any casewe are not releasing anything (including updates to our existingproducts) before the next Sim Update is deployed. Source
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/images/notams/notams21/dino0824.jpgJust a quick "teaser" we shot during our test flights yesterday...with a couple of caveats: -35 connoisseurs will notice that the animations during hoveringare incorrect in the video... this is due to the replay software: restassured animations are correct in-game (that is while in hover mode,flight control sufaces will not move and inner bay doors willdeploy)It is still WIP and there are a number of details to fix (althoughthe general look of the aircraft and the ship is pretty much it)Speaking of the project, we have *almost* completed the 3D model ofthe F-35C (which WILL be included along with the A and dY_Z and wewill soon be able to (finally) show you the new cockpit model. We are unsure about the repaints which we will include, as just theones we consider "essential" are no less than 15, and can easily growto 20. An alternate (lazy) option is to have only generic repaints(the ones shown in the trailer) and have the community to do therest... in any case, repaint templates will be made available. We are also working to get high-detail Cavour and Queen Elizabethships in the game... but the commercial meshes we have reviewed arenot graphically consistent or technically adequate... so for themoment only USS America and USS Tripoli are confirmed. Source
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/images/notams/notams21/dino0812/dino0812.jpgQuick update on our F-35 project: the F-35A model is now 99.9%done. There are still minor tweaks to be done here and there, but wethink the quality is already acceptable. There are a couple of details we are NOT happy with, in detail: The afterburner effect: we went for a modeled approach, but we arenot happy with the results.The canopy glass material: in reality it is slightly tinted but itis difficult to get it right (and you can't trust photos that much, asit the picture depends on the lens filters and polarizers)... at themoment it has a gold-ish effect, but is probably overdone and toosaturated.The special effects: we planned to add several "special effects"via the new Visual Effects editor (transonic singularities,condensation "whiskers" etc.) but there seems to be a problem as quiteoften effects do not look the same in the editor and in-game. /images/notams/notams21/dino0812/f35.jpgWhile this F-35 model is largely based on the model we used forP3D, it has been remade/improved in many areas: main texture is now8K, PBR (Substance) has been employed on all the parts (down to thesmallest ones) and the model has many more details - and some partshave been completely remodelled (cockpit, weapon bays, landing gear,lights, engine, etc.) The F-35B model is almost finished too, we'll show some pictures inthe next few days. Source
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Lockheed F-35 Simulator Simulator built by YouFly By Raymond Andersen Intro My name is Raymond Andersen and some of you might know me better as Rays Aviation. I have had the pleasure of visiting the Danish company YouFly and taking a flight in their brand new Lockheed F-35B Lightning II prototype simulator. This article covers the experience that I had flying this simulator together with a description of the setup and also a flight in one of their known and famous Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon simulators. When I first saw that YouFly was building an F-35 simulator, I was of course very curious. This is a brand new aircraft and reading the short history of the real F-35, I did get a bit afraid if the aircraft would actually ever become accepted as a success due to all the technological challenges and issues. The Danish Air Force (RDAF) are to replace their aging Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons and there have been several companies who has been interested in building the successor for the F-16, this such as Boeing with their F/A-18E and F version of the Super Hornet, SAAB with the JAS-39 Gripen, Eurofighter Gmbh with their EF-2000 Eurofighter Typhoon and of course the Lockheed F-35A Lightning II - the winner was the F-35A Lightning II that should be the next generation fighter/bomber aircraft for the RDAF. Since the RDAF is purchasing this aircraft, the idea of flying the F-35 in a simulator just got a whole lot more interesting and certainly very exciting, so when I discovered that YouFly had completed the first prototype I immediately contacted YouFly. www.YouFly.nu / www.F35simulator.com / www.F16simulator.com Background Information and History of YouFly It all started back in 1996 where YouFly built their first simulator, which was a Lockheed Martin F-16 simulator using the Falcon4 software. This however was only for entertainment purpose since the technology at that time was not suitable for a full scale simulator production. Then in 2004 the company delivered their first F-16 simulator for an entertainment center in Denmark and from here it really started to become a business. In 2008 YouFly secured the rights for using a new professional high fidelity software platform which made the company and the simulators even more interesting and certainly much more unique also featuring a new visual system and upgraded capability. Already the year after (in 2009) the first delivery of three network F-16 simulators was commenced which lead to the installation of two complete simulators for the Happy-Landings in Frankfurt in 2011. These simulators were now using Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D software platform together with a full 180 degree curved screen. In 2015 YouFly had delivered more than 20 simulators all over the world and the Lockheed F-35 Lightning II was now already on the table as well as the notorious A10 Warthog. Pre-Flight, Setup & Upgrades When I arrived at YouFly I was met by the owner Frank Riedel who welcomed me into his simulation hangar. Here he had placed 2x linked F-16 simulators as well as the F-35 prototype simulator together with the work-in-progress A10 Warthog simulator - this is certainly toys on a large scale for aviation enthusiasts like me, and I could already feel the adrenaline pumping around in my body of pure excitement. We talked about the various simulators for a while, both the F16's which I had actually flown some years ago and of course also the new F35. While talking about the simulators Frank showed me around and we also got behind the simulators to take a look at the hardware, the instructor station and the projector setup including the special made curved screen. We got a nice talk about the simulators and especially about the F35 where Frank gave me a detailed walk-though of the simulator. The F35 simulator is a prototype simulator meaning that this is the very first F35 simulator that YouFly have built. During this process, Frank got several ideas for improving the simulator and these improvements will be fully implemented or set as options in the sales version. The prototype simulator features a 180 degree curved screen with a minimum diameter just covering the simulator cockpit. This works out nicely and provides the simulator with a fair and realistic visual experience, however this is not 100% accurate and in accordance with how the real experience should be - therefore YouFly has already noted that the sales version will feature a 180 degree curved screen with a larger diameter that is in accordance with the projected images providing the simulator with an accurate image experience. The base construction is built out of wood and the small panels around the cockpit are built from laser cut, backlight and engraved acrylic plates. The reason for selecting wood and acrylic plates for the prototype was simply because these materials are cheap and easy to work with going through the entire process of getting everything to fit correctly. Now the entire layout and the various spec measurements are perfectly aligned and all the templates are created and ready for being used in the sales version. The sales version will feature a fiberglass base instead together with either acrylic or aluminum panels that of course still will be laser cut, backlit and engraved to make everything as realistic as possible. The center panel is one huge fully integrated touchscreen with a 16:9 format - this is however not 100% accurate since the real F35 uses the 16:10 format. The 16:9 format works perfectly none-the-less, and I would not have seen the difference if Frank had not told me. The screen is a built-in screen and is supported by an aluminum and acrylic construction around the screen including an integrated glare wing. The pedestal is integrated with the center panel and features a few additional modules made from acrylic laser cut plates as well as a small TFT screen for the backup attitude indicator. The modules on the pedestal as well as the other modules around the cockpit are all built by YouFly and are all connected using Leo Bodnar PCB's with a USB interface to connect to the computers that are running the simulator. The controls (throttle and stick) are original Lockheed Martin F35 simulator controls which LM uses in their own simulators. The throttle also supports auto-throttle where the throttle moves when flying on auto-throttle; however this can be set as an option. Not sure if the throttle in real life moves when flying on autopilot but YouFly have added this features with their own throttle-motor application. The throttle is pushed in a straight line and the movement from idle to max power is actually quite long providing a superb feeling for the pilot. The stick flexes like an Airbus stick and feels awesome - the flex gives a superb feeling of the aircraft and is nowhere similar to flying the F16 where the stick is almost 100% fixed and controlled by pressure sensors. The rudder pedals were YouFly's own creation and they felt really nice and comfortable with a firm, accurate and realistic motion. The cockpit of the F35 is so very different from the F16 or even older jets, mostly due to the amount of buttons and switches that just normally are found in a cockpit. The F35 has almost no switches and the side panels are almost completely empty as per the real F35. I did notice that the armrest in the right side of the cockpit was not added in this prototype simulator, and Frank told me that this of course would be included in the sales version as well as a new gear handle that were to be about 1.5 inch shorter than the prototype gear handle. The seat that is equipped in the prototype simulator is actually a real F16 seat that had been a part of a tandem F16 from the RDAF that crash landed back in the 1980's. This was an awesome experience to see and also to use this original seat, but the seat for the sales version of the F35, will of course be a correct replica of the F35 seat instead. How to get into the simulator - well since this simulator did not feature a canopy or steps, YouFly had created a movable seat, meaning that the seat was mounted on tracks and the instructor could then easily pull back the seat for easy access and then push the seat into a lock, ready for flight. I talked to Frank about this solution, which absolutely works perfectly, but Frank has a new idea for the sales version. The sales version will feature a fully integrated canopy that will open up like the real F35 canopy. I saw the drawings for this solution and I was super excited to see the process of creating the sales version was already kicked off. One thing that I of course was missing, but also had expected would not be included, was the famous F35 helmet. This was not included in the simulator; however Frank had an idea for how to get that working as an option for the sales version. By using a helmet together with Google-glasses that could get the HUD projected just in front of the pilot's eyes. The technology has not yet been released and therefore this is not an option that is available just yet. The software used for the F35 is Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D v2.5 featuring Dino Cattaneo's famous F35 aircraft - this also means that the simulator does not replicate the F35 version that will be purchased for the RDAF (the A-model), but instead the B-model which in Frank's words are "the fun-version" because it is the real STOL version used by the US Navy. To get the HUD working properly, the TacPack is also included which again also enables additional functions as well as the weapons system to be fully operational. The visuals are created using a 180 degree curved acrylic plate painted with a special paint and on the back side a special made rubber-like film is applied. The images are projected from three HD projectors placed behind the screen which thereby removes the projectors from sight. This works absolutely beautifully however, with a small minus though - when flying at night the center of the projector beams create three small illuminated areas on the screen that most of all resembles aircraft landing lights - this can only be seen when flying at night meaning that flights during daytime is without this issue. This solution is probably not the very best and most optimal solution but that said, the result and the experience is absolutely awesome. Alternatively the projectors should be placed behind the cockpit, but that would then just cause some other issues when applying the full canopy and in my opinion give the simulator a rather low-end / not professional look. The projectors are connected to a Matrox TripleHead2Go and YouFly uses blending software to align the edges of the three projected images. The result is better than expected and when flying you don't really notice that the image is actually created from putting three images together. For this F35 simulator there is also created an instructor station, which is another touchscreen that can be placed wherever you would like. The software is developed by YouFly and integrated so that the pilot or instructor quickly can setup the flight as required. The instructor station is very user friendly and features only the most essential functions. An in-depth walk-though of this software I cannot do, due to limitation within the copyrights of the software. The sound system is as far as I could see a 2.1 speaker system featuring a sub - this could be expanded to maybe also include a bass-shaker under the seat, which I would think could be an over-the-top experience. Currently the simulator is built on a fixed base meaning that you don't feel any movements. If this might be upgraded to a moving platform or if there might be an option for a moving platform in the sales version I don't know. A moving platform could e.g. be supported by either electrical actuators or hydraulics that could be integrated to either the software scripts or for the movements of the controls, but that would probably be rather costly. Flying The F-35 Simulator After the detailed walk-through of the simulator I jumped into the seat and Frank push me into the cockpit and the seat locked - now I found myself completely blocking out the rest of the hangar and it was truly like I was sitting in an F35 cockpit for real. I placed my hands on the controls and just sat there for a minute or two just enjoying the feeling, the environment, the sound and the awesome cockpit. Frank set my first task which was to perform a take-off - I set the F35 for STOL take-off, lined up with the centerline at EKAH and pushed the throttle to max power. Blasting down the runway I felt the F35 to be very easy to control, the rudder pedals was firm and very sensitive and since this was an STOL take-off the take-off roll was very short and lift-off came after just a few seconds. Now I was finally airborne and able to really fell the controls and how sensitive both the elevator and the ailerons actually are. Wow - this was a superb experience flying this aircraft in this environment with such a huge and 180 degree curved screen. I flew the F35 for a while testing climb ratio, stall, aerobatics and in general just how maneuverable this aircraft actually is. The software featuring the airfile is the Prepar3D v2.5 with the F35 created by Dino Cattaneo, so many of you have probably flown this aircraft on a standard computer setup, but flying the F35 in this environment was completely different and completely stunning - this is really the way to do simming! I will not go deeper into the flight characteristics since this is not a test and review of the software and the flightsim platform, but flying with the real controls, a fully operational cockpit touchscreen panel and the visuals was absolutely amazing. After flying a while and getting to know the aircraft and the controls, Frank set my next task which was to perform a normal approach and landing. Before I could do that I had to perform a rapid descent using the spoilers - this was also a great experience and I saw that the spoilers had a massive effect and the aircraft descended quickly and without any problems. I lined up on a long final approaching EKAH Tirstrup Airport, Denmark which was also where I took off. Flying the final approach was a very cool experience and also very easy because the F35 is extremely steady and flies with a lower IAS than e.g. the F16. I touch down nicely with a pitch of about 13 degrees, lowered the nose so that the nose wheel also touched down, but HEY... I couldn't find the wheel brakes... Oops - they were of course where the wheel brakes normally are, located on top of the rudder pedals - I managed to get the F35 to a full stop landing without any further stress. Awesome! I taxied for a new take-off and Frank set the next task which was to perform a vertical take-off - this can only be performed if the gross weight is below 40,000 pounds (if I remember it correctly) and this it was. Taking off vertically is very strange when flying a jet, but when the nozzles was at a 90 degree angle I just had to apply sufficient power and the aircraft slowly took-off. Performing this vertical take-off and controlling the power is by the way, not done normally since the usage of the throttle as you know it, has been disabled in VTOL mode. Instead you control the climb and descent with the control stick using the elevator function meaning that to take-off, I just pulled the stick slowly as if I wanted to pitch up, and the aircraft lifted off nicely and climbed accordingly to my impact on the elevator. The aircraft is very stable and I had no problems keeping the wings level - at an altitude of about 500' I changed the flight mode, slightly lifted the nose and slowly converted into a normal flight mode. Again extremely easy which is also the comments that can be heard from many F35 pilot that are so very amazed of how easy the F35 is to fly and handle. After performing the vertical take-off my next task was to perform a vertical landing as well - this was still to be performed at EKAH as practice before going to the aircraft carrier. I flew the approach like a normal landing but when reaching the runway I converted into hover mode. As previously mentioned the throttle lever is now disabled and I instead controlled the descent with the stick. The ailerons and rudder still work normally, however the ailerons are not as effective as when flying normally, probably because the ailerons function is not actually the ailerons but instead thrusts beneath each wing. The airspeed is controlled by a special trim-button on the throttle handle which changes the thrust and also does minor changes to the angle of the nozzles. I used one of the display screens on the center panel to get a top/down view, and that just made it super easy to perform a perfect landing and I was now ready for the next test. The next test was a landing on an aircraft carrier at night and in windy conditions. Frank set up the scenario where I was on a long approach to the carrier which I couldn't see at first. The windy conditions, the night time scenario and the clouds gave me challenge to do the proper approach and furthermore, the approach was over water which was also black, so I had absolutely minimum visuals. When I got closer to the carrier I could finally see it and that made everything a whole lot easier. I lined up to the left of the carrier and slowly caught up with it. I converted into hover mode and set the IAS by trim to the same speed as the carrier was sailing which was 10 knots. When this was enabled all I had to focus on was to fly the F35 slowly over the deck of the carrier, line up with the center line and slowly descend to a smooth landing on the carrier. To make everything even more easy, I had a camera view on my display, showing me the centerline on the carrier - it was a camera mounted on the belly of the F35 pointing directly downwards. The approach and landing I performed with excellence in my own opinion - it was a truly awesome and realistic experience and I just loved every second of it. After touchdown I sat a few minutes just enjoying the view and the cockpit while the adrenaline was still pumping around in my body. Frank unlocked my seat and pulled me out. When I got up I could still feel my legs shaking from the adrenaline while I debriefed with Frank. Completely amazing! Specs And Setup Overview 1x Special painted 180 degree curved acrylic screen with performance film applied 3x HD HDMI quality projectors (rear projection) 1x HDMI Dashboard (Touch Screen 16:9 format) 1x VGA 800x600 color TFT 1x PC with touch screen (YouFly Instructor Station) 1x PC with P3D v2.5, TacPack and YouFly's custom made interface software 4x USB interfaces covering all modules connected through Leo Bodnar PCBs 1x Rudder pedal - YouFly's own built performance rudder pedals 1x Lockheed Martin original F-35 simulator throttle 1x Lockheed Martin original F-35 simulator control stick 1x Real F-16 seat - will be a YouFly replica F-35 seat in the sales version 1x YouFly replica cockpit base environment Image of the sales version featuring the canopy and large-diameter curved screen: The Lockheed Martin F-16 Simulator YouFly also has two F16 simulators placed in the same hangar as the F35 simulator, so after my flight in the F35 simulator I turned my eyes on my beloved F16 simulator which I had tested some years ago, and Frank quickly pulled out the seat and invited me in for another flight. Going back into the F16 seat and the complete F16 cockpit was just like being home again. The F16's are built with accurate and realistic replica HOTAS controls, a replica own built seat, a complete set of modules that are fully operational including backlights as well as a fully integrated center panel and console. The center panel features a real and 100% working HUD meaning that the HUD is not projected to the visuals screen, but projected to the actual HUD lens as per real life. The base of the F16 is built using wood, the seat is also built using wood, the panels and modules are laser cut, backlit and engraved acrylic plates and the modules are created from multiple plates to get the realistic look and to fit in the backlights. The center panel and pedestal is a metal/wood construction and the controls are high quality controls similar to the Warthog HOTAS from ThrustMaster but where the stick features pressurized control input with a very limited motion as per real life and the throttle is an exact F-16 replica throttle. The gauges and the images on the screens are created as software and is visualized using multiple monitors behind the panels, meaning that the old fashioned steam gauges are digital and not analogue as e.g. SimKits or Flight Illusions gauges are. The software platform used is the Falcon BMS 4.33 software which powers the entire simulator from visuals to aircraft and airfile together with weapons systems etc. The visuals are created as the F35 with a 180 degree curved acrylic plate which is painted in a special paint and applied with a specially made rubber-like film on the back for better performance. The image is projected by three HD projectors connected through a Matrox TrippleHead2Go and put together with blending software. The projectors for the F16 simulators were originally placed behind the cockpit but in this upgraded version the projectors are also placed behind the screen similar to the F35 setup. I will not go into too many details about the F16 simulator since this article is about the F35 simulator, but I can certainly recommend taking a flight in the F16 simulators as well. I have also linked a few video feeds to this article from both my flight in the F35 simulator as well as the F16 simulator. Conclusion My experience at YouFly flying the F35 and the F16 simulators was a truly amazing experience that I most certainly will recommend for my fellow simmers and aviation enthusiast. Currently YouFly's own simulators are only available in Denmark, but who knows for the future - I know that Frank talks a lot about going commercial in the US as well. Flying the YouFly simulators truly changes the way of flight simulation that I am used to. The experience and realism just improves greatly when sitting in a realistic and true to real life cockpit environment actually created for just one purpose - to be as realistic as possible for the one specific aircraft. I was already impressed when I first tried out the F16 simulator about four years ago, but the new visual setup and the exceptionally well created replica F35 cockpit environment, was a completely new and extraordinary experience - I can only see two things top this experience; one would be flying the ultimate sales version with the larger screen diameter, the integrated canopy and various upgrades and the second being a flight in the real F-35 Lightning II, which probably will never happen. I would like to thank YouFly and Frank Riedel for inviting me in for a test flight, and also for taking charge in lifting the flight simulation scene to a completely new level. Keep up the excellent work! Video Links To Rays Aviation YouTube Channel F-35 Conventional Landing: F-35 VTOL Landing on Aircraft Carrier: F-16 Touch 'n' Go: F-16 Attack on Fuel Towers: Rays Aviation -
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