Tweaked Flight Models and Realism Pack for FE2 11.0

Very interesting work, thanks Von S

Thanks, Von S, this is an ongoing area of interest for me. With all due respect to their original creators, I've also modified some of these same FMs (with individual data settings to approach a reasonable balance between handling/flight manageability, airframe survivability, and historical accuracy) and will look forward to comparing your methods with mine!

Glad to see there is interest in tweaking of the flight models for FE2. I look forward to hearing some of the comparisons and results. The open model and customizability of FE2 lends itself well to further improvement and greater realism in the data files - it may be possible to approach Rise of Flight in terms of flight realism (although RoF may itself have some limitations in its own flight models).

While I've tried to be as realistic as possible with most of my modifications, there are one or two plane models where the Prop RPMs, if reduced to their historical limits, require an outrageously high engine output value (SLPowerDry) to even come close to their top speeds. In those rare cases it was easier to go for a reasonable approximation of max. engine output, and to add a couple of hundred RPMs to the Prop values, beyond their historical values - but I tried to avoid this whenever possible.

My theory is that some of the models - and data files - made for FE (such as the Bristol Scout, the early Eindeckers, etc.) - when placed in FE2 seem to require higher/unhistorical Prop RPMs - the models that were made specifically for FE2 mysteriously don't need this and have been modified to historical Prop values.

I've managed to get the Morane Parasols down to approximately realistic engine power output and historical Prop RPMs, also the Morane Bullets - have now reviewed my modifications for the Fokkers and I'm happy with the numbers for the D7, D7F, also the D2 and D3 - but the Dr.1, E2a, and E3 still seem a bit strange in terms of data numbers (the Dr.1 too low with its power output and the Eindeckers requiring too high an SLPowerDry number so that Prop RPMs can stay historical) - will tinker further with the Dr.1 and Eindeckers and will post fresh data files for those if the experiments give good results (if the results are not good I'll just let those three sit as they are).

The Fokker D.8 I'm reasonably happy with; RPMs are slightly "high" but engine output is therefore lower and more realistic. At least it now reaches its historical top speed of 204kph below about 700-800 feet of altitude.

The Pfalz E.1 and E.4, as they are with my current modifications, require obviously "higher" RPMs for the engine power output to stay realistic; with historical RPMs for those, the SLPowerDry setting has to be set so high that the torque from the rotaries then makes those two models nasty to fly.

Oct. 18, 2015 Update: Pfalz and Fokker Eindeckers successfully tweaked, also Dr.1 successfully tweaked (newer data files for those types have been uploaded).

Oct. 24, 2015 Update: a few more Nieuport, Pfalz and Fokker types added, including several other modifications in the newest data files (read the instructions in the "Read Me").

Happy flying and further testing of the flight models,

Von S

Thank you very much indeed, this is really great. Possibly it's the most important download someone can find for the FE2. It's useless to have nice models if they are not accurate. I hope that you 'll continue with more planes. I did some FM work for SF2 and I know how much effort and time it needs to get ti right.

Glad to see interest in the tweaked FMs. Currently working on the Voisan 3, Hansa Brandenburg DI and CI, Spad 11 and 16, Anatra D, Nieuport 24bis, Caproni Ca.3, BE2c, BE2e, Airco DH.4 and DH.9. Will post those when done. Yes it takes time to tweak the FMs but it's satisfying to fly FE2 as something approaching real flight sim territory.

Nov. 22, 2015 Update: several more plane types added (read the instructions in the "Read Me" for more info. about the additions and modifications).

Nov. 26, 2015 Update: corrected an error present in a few of the 80HP Morane N data files that were uploaded around Version 1.5 and 2.0, in which an extra space was located at the end of the file names (the latest upload corrects that fully). If for some reason you have trouble removing those older files with the extra space in their names from your PC, rename them in the program 7-Zip (http://www.7-zip.org), and then delete them.

Jan. 2, 2016 Update: Several new plane types added, and a few previous types revisited and modified further. Please read the "Read Me" included for more info., and Happy New Year.

Thank you for improving further the FM models, I am eager to test them (haven't done yet, downloading now!)

Thank you for the interest in the FMs: I hope to work on some of the more obscure types over the next couple of months, such as the Savoia-Pomilio SP.3 and Lloyd C.II for the Italian theatre, also more of the seaplanes.

Von S

Jan. 6, 2016 Update: Successful modifications of my previously tweaked line of Pfalz Eindeckers (their tail skids no longer get "stuck"). Also included now are a Caudron G.4 for the Middle East theatre, as well as a Nieuport 17bis for the same theatre (some of these types were in possession of the Ottoman Air Service by late '17/early '18). Please read the included and thorough "Read Me" for more info.

Thank you!

Feb. 16, 2016 Update: Several additions and tweaks for the Italian Theatre, especially the Oeffag Albatroses done by Jan Tuma. Please check over the included "Read Me" for more detailed info. about tweaks and plane types added.

Thank you, thank you very much my friend. I didn't have time to check the v6.0 yet and since so many news planes are fixed I need some time to check, but I know for fact that the results on the previous versions were brilliant.

Since you continue to work on them, I 'll make a little request - There's the old model of Fokker B.II somewhere in the A-Team website. This model is dated but is the only Fokker B.II that we have available. In FE2 this is completely faulty, try to fly and you 'll go straight on the ground. Can you fix this please?

Thank you for the kind words, and glad to hear that the tweaks are providing more realism to the FMs. I'll look into the old Fokker B.2 - I don't have a Skunkworks account (I've heard it's a slow process to register there) - but will see if there's an old Fokker two-seater here on the CombatAce site - since it would be good to have an early German plane in some of the campaigns, especially in my Middle East and Western front folders for the period before about August of 1915 when the Eindeckers show up.

I'm now revisiting the Fokker E.Ia and E.IIa since their top speeds are around 128 and 135kph currently, but I'd rather see a top speed of 130 for the E.Ia and something around 138kph or so for the E.IIa (the IIa in its later variants, with the 100HP Oberursel engine, should be close in top speed to the E.III). Also being revisited are the Fokker D.VIIs - the Mercedes-powered one should be a few kph faster than it is, and the BMW-powered one I will try to bring up to about 200 or 201kph that is sometimes recorded as its top speed (making it about 12kph faster than it currently is in my previous FM tweaks). I'll release those tweaks as a "6.5" update.

Update 7.0 will be a big one, improving the Lebed 12 for the Eastern front, the early Martinsyde for the Middle East theatre, several plane types and seaplanes for the Western front, and a Nieuport 10 in several folders (Eastern front, Western, also Italian).

Happy flying,

Von S

Feb. 27, 2016 Update: Includes corrections to top speeds for the Fokker E.Ia and IIa, and for the Fokker D.7 and BMW-powered D.7. Also to be found in the latest version are early Fokker types such as the B.I and B.II, in the relevant theatres. Check over the relevant section of the included "Read Me" for more thorough info. about the latest additions.

Thank you, I cannot wait for update v7.0

Mar. 10, 2016 Update: Includes corrections to the top speeds of the Fokker Dr.1 for the Western theatre and addition of one more Dr.1 power plant variant besides the Jacobs one, also a Nieuport 10 in the relevant theatres. The "enhanced" Dr.1s are now standalone installs, allowing more than one variant to show up in game at the same time, also in the game menu. Please check over the relevant section of the "Read Me" file for more detailed info. on the latest additions.

Appreciate your continued work on improving the FM's.   Could I ask a favor?  Please annotate that you edited in the file in the header, including the version and the date?  Thanks!

Hi Nicholas, glad you're enjoying the tweaked FMs. I will for sure include version and date info. in the headers for all of the data inis - but this will probably happen around Ver 8.0 that should be the last big update. Then I'll probably not only include that important info. in the headers but place everything into the relevant theatre folders inside only one folder, the "DataFilesInside" one - since that will make it much simpler for new users to install the tweaked FMs instead of having to go through incremental updates spread across seven or eight version folders.

Von S

Apr. 14, 2016 Update: Includes several modifications, such as a new, separate folder for the Morane-Saulnier I in the Eastern theatre, shorter service dates for the Russian Morane-Saulnier N that has now been included there too, a separate folder for the Pfalz E.II in the relevant theatres, more realistic service ceilings for the early parasol and mid-wing types by Morane-Saulnier and Pfalz, addition of the Sopwith Tabloid and early Martinsyde for the Middle Eastern theatre, also the late-war 375HP DH.4 for the Western theatre and Lebed 12 for the Eastern theatre. As well included are hitbox improvements by NBell in the relevant data ini files and pilot skin changes for some of the earlier monoplane types. Please read the relevant section for "Ver7" of the included "Read Me" file for more detailed info. regarding tweaks and added aircraft.

Hello Von, please offer a READ ME file in a word file that it is easier to read. So many new things in so many versions that I am in confusion which to change and what is changed. I find it difficult to read with the NOTEPAD.  There are no paragraphs and I am eager to try the re-worked planes.

AFTER YOUR WORK, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE READ IN THE BOOKS SUDDENLY MAKES SENSE.

Thank you again for the very kind words, and glad that you are enjoying the FM tweaks. I will offer the Read Me file in pdf or Word form in the future (that is a very good idea).

Happy flying,

Von S

May 6, 2016 Update: Includes several more hitbox improvements for relevant types, done by NBell. Also included are tweaks to the DH.2, corrections to the early Martinsyde, tweaks to the Halb. D.5, addition of a general "aircraftaidata" ini file for your objects folder to help with early monoplane types, and the addition of four new aircraft, the Martinsyde G.102, also three seaplanes for the Flanders map - the Sopwith Baby, Hanriot D.2 and Albatros W.4. Please read the relevant section of the included "Read Me" file (now in pdf form) for more detailed info. regarding the latest additions.

May 15, 2016 Update: Includes several hitbox updates by NBell for relevant types, improved pilot seating for the Morane types N and I, engine exhaust fume addition for the Fokker E.IIa, further FM tweaking of the Hanriot D.I and Halb. D.V types, also the introduction of the commonly used Nieuport 17 C.1 and individual aircraft folders (per nation) for the common C.1 type, for the Western theatre. As well added is a Siemens-Schuckert D.I “mod” of the Nieu. 17 for the Eastern theatre, and further tweaks to the 17bis type added in previous versions. Please read the relevant section of the included "Read Me" file (now in pdf form) for more detailed info.

Von S

June 4, 2016 Update: A large realism update with historical rates of fire, realistic ammo. loads, re-linked data ini files that correspond with the gun expansions, also new sounds, a reworked hud display, new hitbox improvements by NBell, and some tweaks to engine exhaust and fire location on the Fokker Eindeckers, including more historical ceilings for later Nieuport types and Camels. Please read the relevant section of the included "Read Me" file for more detailed info. and installation instructions.

Von S

Thanks - going to get through all this data and get it loaded up to see just how poor a pilot and marksman that I truly am!