Version 1.4 (Jan 21st 2019)
Available via the Skunkcraft updater
Art & Sound
- New & Improved Cockpit Textures
- Cockpit 3D Model improvements & additions
- New Cockpit Text/Decal additions
- Sound Mixing/Balance Adjustments
- Fixed Switches that clip through Safety Covers
- Fixed Broken Recog Lights
- Improved all External Lights - billboards reduced, realistic visibility limitations added, improved cast, added landing light flare FX
- Added textures and markings for trim gauges
- Added Oxygen Gauges
- Fixed UV issues
- Added Flap Markings - located on the flaps themselves, these are used to determine flap setting.
Animations
- Corrections to Wheel-spin and rotation animations
- Improvements to Switch animation positions
- Added
Cockpit Switch animations (For example, the gear lever will gradually
rotate up & down rather than teleporting between up/down)
Basic Particle FX Implementation
- Added Engine exhaust flame FX
- Engine heat blur FX
- Over-prime Engine Flame-out FX
User Experience Improvements
- Almost All
switch manipulators have been replaced with significantly improved
bindable command manipulators. They are now much easier to click &
operate, and work seamlessly in both VR and non-VR
- Added Custom Commands to Increase/Decrease Supercharger Boost (Access via Keybinds/FlyingIron)
- Added VR/GUI Panel
- Added Optional Cockpit-Integrated GPS, option to toggle gun-sight
- Significantly improved cooling system operation to be much easier to click & far more realistic (see below)
- Added manipulator to the 'maps' folder in cockpit - clicking it will open the X-plane Map
Systems
- Implementation of realistic Radio System.
The Radio Preset system now works like the real unit; you may also
manually tune & save each preset via the VR/GUI Panel for a hassle
free flight.
- Early implementation of Wheel Chocks & GPU (borrowed from our upcoming Spitfire Module)
- Cooling systems have been redone
and have completely new logic and controls. You can now set each
cooling system (cowl, intercooler & oil coolers) to full closed/open
and anything in-between. 4-way switches now operate realistically, with
OPEN & CLOSE being momentary switches to manually set the cooling
position, and AUTO logic now functioning much more smoothly &
realistically.
- Tail-wheel lock reversed to match real P-47 Operation
- Improvements
to Engine overheat damage modelling; engine damage is now tracked via a
dataref that is dynamically affected by temperature, airspeed, engine
power etc. Keep an eye on those temps!
- Water Injection system improved to be more realistic
- Addition of Oxygen System & Gauges
Flight Model
- Engine Power reduced to make flight/engine performance significantly more realistic
- Improvements to roll-rate, which is now more realistic and changes according to airspeed and air resistance
- Improvements to engine torque effects
- Aircraft CG corrections & subsequent improvements in aircraft stability
- Landing
behaviour & flaps coefficients improved to better match real world
performance under landing conditions (stall speeds accurate within
~5mph)
- Stability Changes - aircraft is now more stable to fly & less agile/twitchy to better match real world performance
- Ground handling improved
- Brake strength increased
- Take-off roll lengthened & behaviour under take-off trim settings significantly improved to be more realistic
- Climb Rate adjusted
- Addition of custom airfoils
- Fixed Trim speed settings to work better with keybinds
Version 1.3 (November 10th 2018)
Updater System
The P-47 will now be updated via the Skunkcrafts updater system. This means after 1.3 you will no longer have to redownload the entire aircraft from the store – once you install the updater, the P-47 will be automatically kept up-to-date when you launch X-plane!
This will give us much greater opportunity to push out hotfixes, updates and patches as soon as they are available.
For more information, please see the Skunkcrafts section of the forum.
Artwork
Complete Overhaul & Improvements to External Textures – increased weathering, added oil stains etc. Many all-round improvements to texturing.
Improvements to 3D Model – Corrections to Oil Coolers, Exhaust Outlets, Rudder, Gun Barrels and more
Improved Cockpit Textures
Added Glass & Reflections to Cockpit Instruments/Gauges
Added Cockpit Decals
NEW LIVERY – 83FS 78FG
Updated textures for all Liveries
New UV Mapping for easy painting (Paint-kit coming in a few days)
Lighting
Improved Cockpit Lighting, Floodlights made brighter for better practicality for night flights
Landing Light strength and Cast increased
Nav Lights Cast increased
Sound
Sound Quality increased via reduction in compression
New Environmental Rain Sound Effects – Affected by canopy muffling
New High-G Force Sounds during manoeuvring
Improved Parking Brake Release Sound
Improvements to Sound Mix & Balancing
Bomb release sounds added
Engine Shutdown & Canopy sound length corrected
Flight Model
Major Improvements to Fixed Pitch Mode – it will now operate correctly and fix to the last pitch setting used by the propeller when the switch is flicked (just like the real aircraft)
Improvements to Drag Coefficients
Improvements to Prop Modelling & Density
Flaps set to ‘Infinitely Adjustable’ to allow easier tuning of flaps via key-binds
Brake Strength increased
Weapons
AN-M65 Bombs now available!
Cockpit weapon controls are now functional and clickable
Also compatible: Mk 82- Mk 84 (Note the pylon however won’t show up so the bombs will appear to ‘float’. You will also need to get rid of your external tanks or they will clip through each other)
Systems
Ammeter Gauge Added
Gear Indicator Lights now tied to Electrical System
Gyro Cage/Uncage functionality now incorporated into the Artificial Horizon (it will behave like a real roll-ball of the period and require very careful caging & uncaging to ensure accuracy in flight. You must cage the gyro before rolling or executing aerobatic manoeuvres. Off = Caged, NST = Uncaged, SYNC = Caged,)
Altimeter / Barometric Pressure Adjustment Knob added to altimeter
Removed Carburettor Overheat Failure (Carb Temp behaviour is not working correctly in 11.3 and a known bug)
Sound
Sound Mixing Improvements - Volumes remixed to prevent Clipping/Distortion and improve realism
Added Fuel Tank Jettison Sound
New Parking Brake (Lever) sound, Gear Handle Sound adjusted
Dynamic Airspeed/Wind-Noise added
Guns Sound - Doppler Effect added for Fly-bys
Aircraft Fly-by (Doppler) tweaked
Flight Model
Flaps Type corrected
Flaps Extension Range corrected to 40 degrees
Trim speed adjusted
Wing Incidence now correctly set to 1 Degree
Wing Modelling Improved
Prop FM Reworked & Improved
Full Flaps pitch-up behaviour adjusted
LOW SPEED HANDLING IMPROVED - Stall speeds are now much more accurate to real life data (No Ext. tanks: No Flaps - ~120mph, Flaps+Gear - ~105mph) and low speed handling more realistic, particularly with full flaps
Art/Systems
Landing Gear Indicator Lights added
Tail Wheel Animation corrected
Main Fuel Tank Selector Fixed - External Tanks will no longer work without setting the main (left) selector to ‘Ext Tanks’
FLAPS HANDLE - This has been overhauled to now accurately reflect the way the real P-47 Flap handle works. The flaps are now controlled by a Down-Neutral-Up system like the real aircraft. To operate, the flaps handle should be left in the middle (neutral) position when not being adjusted. To extend the flaps, pull the handle fully aft until you reach your desired flap angle, and then set the handle back to neutral to cease flap movement. Do the same for Flap Retraction, except pushing the handle forward. (Note that if you use a joystick/key-binding for flaps, the handle will not animate, however the flaps will operate normally. Flaps up will set full flap retraction, and pressing flaps down will set them to full extension. You have to use the handle to set it to an intermediate stage.)
Cockpit now visible from Exterior Views