Users Manual
For FS 2002/2004
Model
Copyright. Colin Thwaites. 2004
The statement of Copyright on
the front page refers to the design, layout and composition of this document only.
Not to any Product, specification or data relating to the actual (real)
aircraft or to Microsoft’s Flight Simulator Series.
Preface
Welcome.
The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
Program was introduced to provide an aircraft suitable for use by all forces
involved in combat aviation. The premise of which, was to utilise a common
airframe and power plant platform for ease of production, serviceability and
cost effectiveness.
Of the two designs submitted
for the program, the Lockheed Martin X-35 was selected for production as the
F-35. This design has three variants:
The F-35A. To be used by the
USAF to replace the F-16.
The F-35B. To be used by the US
Marines and by the RAF and RN Fleet Air Arm to replace the AV8 / Harrier.
The F-35C. To be used by the US
Navy to replace the F-18.
Of the three variants, the
F-35B is the most sophisticated, being capable of Short Take Off and Vertical Landing
(STOVL).
This manual is a guide to the systems
and controls used in the X-35 Aircraft model, designed for Microsoft’s Flight
Simulator 2002/2004.
All three models will be
covered in this manual as they share common features.
Keyboard assignments
Overview
Cockpit layout
MFD Control
ILS
Engine Management and Flight Systems
GPS
RADAR
Overview
Cockpit Layout
MFD Control
STOVL Systems
Keyboard Assignments.
This manual will refer to the FS
default key assignments used for flight and engine control. But before the
models should be flown in FS, there are a few Key assignments that need to be
setup to be certain of correct operation of some of the extra features in the
models.
There are three assignments to
be made. These are:
Tailhook Up/Down. This should be “Shift + T”
Water Rudder Up/Down. This
should be “Shift + W”
Wing Fold/Unfold. This should
be “Shift + F”
Gauges.
To make it easier to uninstall
the aircraft, all the gauge & CAB files used by the X-35 (A, B & C) are
placed in a separate folder called “X-35”. This folder must be inside the
Gauges folder. Here is an example of how the tree should look.
Also make sure that the
“Gaugesound.Dll” file is in the main FS2002 folder or the panels may cause FS
to crash.
Overview
To make creating these models
easy, there are very few differences between them. I suspect this is not the case
for the real aircraft as each has a specific role to play. But converting the A
to the C was less time consuming than creating the C from scratch. The main
differences of the C over the A (in my models) are:
Extended
wings incorporating added Ailerons (the A and B just use Elevons).
Extended Elevator surfaces
Folding wing sections
Tail hook
Cockpit Layout
X-35A
X-35C
As can be seen, the only
difference between these cockpits are the extra indicators at the top left of
the C panel. These are the Wing fold and Tail hook indicators / controls. All
other indicators and controls are the same.
These controls can be operated
with the mouse by left clicking on the required indicator.
Common indicators / controls to
all 3 Variants
I’m going to be very lazy and
assume that if you downloaded this / these aircraft that you at least have a
rudimentary knowledge on how to fly (in FS at least) and are there fore
familiar with the basic displays e.g. ADI, VSI Altitude and Speed, and know them
when you see them!
What this manual is for is to
explain the extra, specific and special displays / controls, used in these
models.
- HUD
controls. 1st Button operates ILS (See MFD Controls). Next 5
are brightness. Last button is Pitch Ladder on/off.
- Light
status. Beacon, Strobe, Navigation, Landing and Panel.
- Outside
Temp, Mini GPS and Wind direction / speed.
- Wheel
Brake Hydraulic Pressure. Top is left, bottom is right. These are not
calibrated in any way they just show when the relevant brake is applied.
Parking brakes will show full pressure where normal brakes show around
75%.
- Undercarriage
Lever (currently down). This lever can be operated with the mouse.
A, B, C. These are MFD
switches. The green boxes show the operational area of each switch. A, switches the left MFD to Engine management mode. B,
switches the Left MFD to Radar mode. C, switches the
Right MFD to GPS mode.
D. Toggles VOR 2 needle.
E. Toggles ADF needle.
F. Altimeter barometer
adjustment (hidden knob). Left side of the screw
head is minus,
Right side is Plus.
MFD Controls
ILS.
If the runway you’re landing at
has ILS, you can use this as a guide for your descent. Tune the NAV1 radio to
the runways Localizer / Glide slope frequency and click on button 1 of the HUD
buttons or press “Shift + 2” to bring up the ILS in the HUD. The Above image
shows the correct position on the glide slope and localizer.
This shows us as too high and
too far left of the runway,
this shows us as being too low and too far right of the runway.
Engine Management and Flight
systems (A and C Variants)
- MFD
toggle switch area.
- Throttle
position display.
- N1.
Low pressure compressor speed (percentage RPM).
- N2.
High pressure compressor speed (percentage RPM).
- EGT.
Exhaust Gas Temperature (degrees C x 100).
- Fuel
Flow. (Pounds per hour x 100).
- Percentage
of fuel remaining. (Left Aux, Left
- Spoiler
(Airbrake) position (DN is fully deployed).
- Flap
position (DN is full flaps).
- Graphical indicator of Flaps, Spoilers,
Afterburner and Landing gear (currently down).
Global Positioning System (GPS)
This is the standard GPS moving
map supplied by Microsoft in FS2002 with the buttons coloured in!
Instructions for use are part
of FS2002.
- MFD toggle switch area.
The standard GPS button on the
main cockpit panel, opens this as a larger display for
easier viewing.
RADAR MFD
- MFD toggle Switch
- RADAR Mode switch (-/+)
- Highlighted contact. Point at contact with mouse and left
click.
- (Once Highlighted) Contacts Vertical speed, Altitude (auto
toggles).
- (Once Highlighted) Range to contact.
- (Once Highlighted) Contact ATC no.
- (Once Highlighted) Contacts speed.
The HUD (but not the ILS) forms
a part of the package this display is from and information on a highlighted
contact is also displayed as a bottom line on the HUD showing Contact heading,
Range to Contact and bearing to Contact.
There are four modes to this
RADAR.
- Off. Blank display
- 360 degree. Initial start up mode (see above image).
- Forward Horizontal Mode (see Radar image 1).
- Forward Vertical mode (see Radar image 2).
There are four ranges. Start up
range is the maximum 40nm. Reducing to 30, 20 and finally 10nm.
Radar Image 1.
Radar Image 2.
The middle line (in line with
the range box) is the level our aircraft is at.
Overview
About 1999, I got my copy of FS98
and took great delight in downloading aircraft and panels and making subtle
changes to the look and feel of them. Then I chanced across a web site
dedicated to the JSF project (before the winner was announced) where I first
saw the design for the X-35B. Being a huge fan of the Harrier and the
technology behind the first single engine VTOL aircraft, I fell instantly in
love with what will be - the Harriers replacement. So much so, that I wanted
one for my FS98. So I scoured the web looking for a plane to download and
finally found one on Simviation. Called “Cyclone”, it was in a dark grey livery
with Royal Navy markings. And while it was a fine effort by its creator Giuseppe
Chiacchietta, it was only a conventional take off and
landing model. However, on the same web site was a model of the GR7 Harrier
(which of course I also downloaded) by Jim Atkins. Which featured (above all
its other fine qualities), an Air file giving the aircraft a VSTOL capability.
Wheels started to turn in my head. And it wasn’t long before I had a VSTOL JSF
(X-35) “Cyclone”, flying around on my PC in FS98.
But I wasn’t satisfied with that. I wanted something more. And the only way I
was going to get it was to make it my self. So armed with my credit card, I
bought FSDS v1 with Aircraft Animator. And set about designing my own version
of the X-35B. After months of work and trial & error, I finally achieved an
aircraft that I felt proud enough of to up load to Simviation. Using Jim
Atkins’ Air file (to whom I gave full acknowledgement) but only having plain
grey textures (I wasn’t that good at texturing), what it lacked in appearance,
it made up for in moving parts. All the doors were animated (to the best of my
ability given the limitations of AA), as were the compressor and lift fans and
by no means least, the jet nozzle (by far the most complicated bit of animation
in the whole model).
With FS2000 came a slight
revamp but not enough to warrant an upload.
And then came
FS2002.
With its ability to use Key
frame animation and parent / child part association, I decided to make some
major changes to the X-35B. Not least to add some basic textures that others
could modify (and hopefully repost) but also a virtual cockpit. And so it was
that I finally reposted the new improved X-35B, using the latest Harrier Air
file from Jim Atkins and other additions from other people (to whom I also gave
full acknowledgement as one should).
After a couple of months and a
few e-mails asking about possible texture updates (not least one from someone working
at Lockheed Martin!!!), I received a mail from Claudio Mussner,
asking about textures but also offering me an airfile and special landing gauge specifically
designed for the X-35. This mail was to spark off a series of communications
culminating in a complete change in the X-35B, including modification to the
fuselage, updated animations, complete texturing of the model, additional
detailing, improved flight model (courtesy of Claudio Mussner),
new 2D cockpit panel and 3D Virtual Cockpit, the list seems endless. It also
contributed to the creation of the other two variant models and the need to
package the whole thing properly (hence this manual).
Although I will be making all
the relevant acknowledgements at the end of this document, I would like to give
a very special thank you to Claudio.
Without your encouragement and
input (not least with the airfiles), these aircraft
models would not have reached the level that they have.
Thank you.
X-35B STOVL Systems Overview
Since FS has no vertical take
off ability for fixed wing aircraft (not changed in FS2004 unfortunately), it
is only possible to effect a virtual vertical take off
/ landing system. Basically, the flaps are used to give extreme levels of lift
for very low forward momentum. But to maintain a normal flight characteristic
using flaps for conventional takeoff and landing, the number of flap positions
is increased. Giving the first half normal flap dynamics,
and the second half the STOVL dynamics, allowing for a gradual transition from
normal flight to “hover”. In Our model, the first STOVL position opens the lift
fan doors and engages the fan. Subsequent positions, increase lift while
decreasing the forward speed requirement, until virtual hovering is reached
(approx 65% throttle for 6kts forward speed).
Note. Where used, wind speed
and direction has an effect on the aircraft (in the right conditions, you can
actually hover or even go backwards).
The rudder can be used in STOVL
mode to yaw the aircraft left and right. Used sparingly, this will turn the
aircraft without rolling. However, if applied continuously or excessively, this
will induce roll which causes forward motion to be translated to a sideways
motion. While this makes for great carrier landings, it must be noted, if the
forward speed reduces to zero, FS has no figure to base lift on. This will
cause the aircraft to pitch nose up and over, which tends to be unrecoverable
at low altitudes (which is what you’re normally at when taking off and
landing).
Cockpit Layout
At first glance, the cockpit
doesn’t look any different to the X-35C. However, the indicators in the top
left of the panel, are different. Gone are the wing fold and tail hook lights,
to be replaced with Lift Fan & Lift Boost lights. The Lift Fan light is fairly
obvious as to its purpose, lighting up as it does when the central lift fan is
engaged for vertical flight. The Lift Boost system offers the pilot the ability
to engage extra thrust above that of full throttle should it be required. And
can be engaged in two ways:
- By engaging the Afterburner (essentially what gives the
extra power).
- By pressing the wheel brake button (trigger / button 1 on
the joystick or “.” (period)). This is the recommended option.
As the operation of the brakes
is a momentary one i.e. will only work for the duration the button is held down
/ trigger pressed, this is the best option for the use of the boost system to
facilitate short bursts if needed.
MFD Control
STOVL Systems.
As you can see, this is
essentially the Engine Management MFD and is accessed using the same toggle
switch. But as you can also see, there is more to this version than the A &
C versions.
- Throttle display. When the STOVL systems are engaged, the
display changes from all green to the half green / orange you see here. If
you allow the throttle to fall below 50%, all vertical lift will cease and
the aircraft will begin to fall out of the sky at an incremental rate.
- The same as the A & C.
- Height above ground level (not necessarily altitude above
sea level), degree of aircraft bank (- is banking to the left), degree of
aircraft pitch (- is nose down)
- Lift fan door indicator
- Nozzle position indicator. UP is 0 degrees (horizontal), DN
is 90 degrees down (vertical). Currently showing 60 degrees.
- Graphical representation of systems. Upper picture shows
Pitch, Lift fan and Nozzle operation. Lower picture shows Bank,
Afterburner and Flap/Spoiler/Gear systems.
In
FS2002, the virtual cockpit is a non interactive environment, save for
viewpoint changes and aircraft animation e.g. moving throttle and joystick. In
FS2004 you can interact with the displays and gauges as in the 2D panel. Watch
this space!
If
you have read through the “Essentials Section”, then you will already know what
to press to make the wings fold and the tail hook go up and down on the C
variant. But you have probably been wondering what the water rudder is for.
Well,
on all the variations, the water rudder control is used to implement the
animation of the refuel nozzle. In the 2D panel, you will see a 2D operation.
But, in the virtual cockpit and external views, you can see the actual nozzle
operation. This is just a bit of eye candy as there is no in-flight refuelling
in FS2002. This is also operated by left clicking on the switch above the Gear
Lever on the main 2D panel
The
main panel was created by using a photo of the actual cockpit panel and placing
gauges over the photographic images. While we were doing this, we noticed that
the switch which controlled the parking brake, had a
second position labelled up as “Anti Skid”. FS 2002/4 does not have an
anti-lock braking system available. So in the interest of realism, Claudio Mussner created a gauge which causes the aircraft to
randomly engage/disengage the left and right brakes, when the main brake is
applied under certain speed, weather and surface conditions. This simulates the
aircraft skidding under braking and is enabled by default. To activate the
“Anti Skid” system, simply left click on the switch to the right of the Gear
lever on the main panel, and set the switch to the middle position. Setting the
switch to the up position engages the parking brake. As in real life, skidding only occurs when
the conditions are right. So it is not necessary to have the “Anti Skid”
switched on all the time.
There
is one other feature in all variations, which is only visible in the 3D views.
But due to a bug in FS2002 (not sure about 2004), may not work all the time. To
see this at its best (if it works), go to the Virtual Cockpit view and press
“Shift + E then 2” (rear canopy, cargo door etc). But I’m not going to tell you
what it does. I’ll leave it as an Easter egg.
Design
Team.
Colin
Thwaites
Original
Design, Aircraft modelling, Texturing, 2D/3D Panel
Design, Documentation.
Claudio
Mussner
Air
Files, Specialised Gauges, Sound Files, Texturing, Special Effects, Testing,
Encouragement.
Software
employed.
Microsoft
Flight Simulator 2000 & 2002
FS
Design Studio v2 Http://www.abacuspub.com
FS
Panel Studio v1.1 Http://www.fspanelstudio.com
EasyGauge Http://www.easygauge.net
Special
thanks to Marcel + Steffen Burr for their great product support
Aircraftmanager Http://www.aircraftmanager.com
Special
thanks to Karl-Heinz Klotz for his excellent support
Paint
Shop Pro, DXTbmp
Recognition
and Thanks go to.
Giuseppe Chiacchietta & Jim Atkins
For creating the
files that were the foundation of this project.
Eric
Marciano
For
his F16 RADAR & HUD Gauge.
Mike
Folgarelli
Original
design of the Compressor & Lift fans.
Andrew
Minckley
Original
Design of the Turbine.
Pedro
Miguel Caldeira
Original
Design of the 3D HUD unit.
Nestor
D’Angelo
Original
Design of the Pilot and Ejector Seat.
And
to anyone I’ve not mentioned whose item I’ve used, but do not know who to
credit. Thanks for creating it, as it obviously full filled a purpose I had, or
it would not be there.
Authors
Note.
You
are free to alter the models for your own use. However, if you wish to publish
any alterations, please make every effort to contact me first with your
upgrades as I would like to see what changes/improvements others have come up
with.
Also,
please include all the endorsements above as recognition of effort is only
fair.