VonS

Correct, that is the SVA5 variant that Laton did many years ago. The Balilla had slightly worse performance than the SVA5 (about 10 kph slower top speed and slightly slower rate of climb). Surprising, however, is that the Balilla seems to have been produced longer than the SVA5 - well into the 1920s. Happy flying all, Von S

For those who are interested in flying the Ansaldo, there is an old model from 2009 by Laton available for FE/FE2 - the tweaked FM/data ini for it is available in my big ver. 9.9 FM update pack. A few yrs. back Mike Dora (I think?) came up with a fix that got rid of a white patch/square near the propeller hub on that Ansaldo too - all possible fixes were included in the data ini tweak available in the relevant FM update pack. The Ansaldo was one of the fastest WWI aircraft (230 kph top speed near SL, or thereabouts) but, as Crawford has indicated, not the most maneuverable. Since this is turning into a wish list for new aircraft for FE2 - here are a few that I would (ideally) like to see, eventually, somewhere in the production line: Fokker D.I (with inline engine and the vertical tail fin that sits in front of the round comma-shaped rudder) Fokker D.V (yes that one, possibly used in small numbers in combat) Fokker D.VI (maybe, an interesting variant but if I had to choose between the D.VI and D.V, I would go with the D.V since it has a nice spinner and interesting wing shapes/arrangement) Pfalz Dr.I (yes I know that there is an A-team one available, and I've tweaked the FM for that one in my FM update packs --- but that model is old and somewhat blocky-looking) On the Entente side, the only one that pops to mind and that I would like to see is the Morane-Saulnier Type I (with scalloped trailing edges on wings, and with the Vickers M.G. -- the one used largely by the Imperial Russ. Air Service, even more so than the earlier Type N). Anyway happy flying all (also happy holidays to fellow FE2-ers if I don't post again before the new year), Von S

@Dornil, speaking from experience in FE2 data inis only -- empty mass is empty historical weight in kg, for the aircraft. Have never bothered to check if mass fraction values in FE2 data inis add up to 1 x empty weight since most of those fraction values were left in stock form in my data ini FM tweaks. Having said that, you will notice that smaller mass fraction numbers, for components, make those components more fragile and easier to destroy. High mass fraction numbers function as bullet-proofing but I don't recommend tampering with mass fraction numbers to achieve such effects - you are better off implementing structural factor, also MaxG values, per aircraft components, if you want to induce limitations or limits (also to narrow down limits) prior to structural damage happening. (As far as I remember, numbers and data entries plugged into different aircraft components, panels, wings, etc., take priority over more general data sections such as "[AircraftData].") Too bad there isn't a one-size-fits-all data ini tweaking manual for the TW sims - but it is what it is. Also take note that the flight engine in FE2 models air density and a few other things (possibly) differently than SF2 does (for example, an F4U Corsair with a top speed of about 750 kph in SF2, dropped into FE2, will have a top speed of about 880 kph -- moral of story, data inis between FE2 and SF2 are not interchangeable -- and it is easier to modify FE2 data inis for SF2 than it is to back-port data inis from SF2 into FE2 -- requires more work to go backwards to FE2). Cheers all, Von S

Thank you Stephen for the lovely N. 21 - this one will nicely complement the N. 21 in Geezer's beta pack and I will carry over the FM modifications from that one that I did a while ago, when I find time, to your model as well. The good thing about the Ojcar FMs is that they are very tweak-friendly and it doesn't take too much time to bring the specs. up to historical peculiarities. Always nice to see fresh models coming out for FE2. @Crawford, thank you for that info. regarding 110 hp upgrades for the N.21 -- this has got me thinking about a few possibilities now -- maybe I will upgrade Geezer's N.21 to the 110 hp variant (since if I remember correctly some of his sub-variants of the N. 21 carry the Vickers - been a while since I checked but will look into it) --- and I will tweak Stephen's N.21 around a 90 hp or so variant, since it carries the Lewis. Good times ahead in FE2 where the only limit is our imagination, time constraints, and of course the limitations of TK's sim. engine. Cheers all, Von S

Unfortunately no data.ini for dummies guide available, as far as I know - but you might also find this thread and the responses there helpful, regarding yaw instability corrections, rudder tweaks, etc. As well, there is a "doc" file available on CombatAce (for SF Wings over Vietnam), about 50 pages in length, and that contains lots of info. about data inis - click here for that file. In terms of those values you've asked about, here's a snippet, with comments, from the Alb. D.II file for FE2: [AircraftData] EmptyMass=673.0 ---> value in kg, empty weight of aircraft //EmptyInertia=1409.22,2044.98,2815.56 EmptyInertia=564.0,439.6,921.1 ---> these are best not tampered with, since changing these values impacts things like acceleration/deceleration in dives, inertia when looping, etc. (reducing these numbers gives a lighter, floating FM feeling with smaller numbers more suitable for wooden aircraft, and so on; very general rule of thumb is that the inertia values, in the x,y,z string/axes of values, should be of the following sizes - x larger than y by about 10-20%, y smallest, z largest, larger than x by about 30-40% or so - such proportions were tested for WW1 aircraft in FE2 - no guarantees that such ratios work well in SF2 for jet-age stuff) ReferenceArea=24.5 ----> total area, in meters, for the aircraft, including from front to back of fuselage, and from wingtip to wingtip ReferenceSpan=8.5 ----> reference span in meters, from wingtip to wingtip ReferenceChord=1.75 ----> highest value for chord width of wings, in meters, should be used as reference if applying chord values to wing/stab sections and whatnot; the value may change to a slightly smaller number, depending where the chord value is used in what wing section, for left/right stabs, etc., but ideally should never exceed the value included for "ReferenceChord" CGPosition=0.00,0.00,0.00 -----> center of gravity position for aircraft (x,y,z string/axes), best left alone unless you are having trouble with take offs with aircraft too nose-heavy, etc. (this is a helpful value to tamper with on WW1 aircraft, to get their tails up while accelerating to take off --- otherwise best left alone) NOTE: tampering with "CGPosition" to get aircraft to take off/land more smoothly is the crude approach to that problem -- the more "professional" approach is to manipulate "CL0MachTableData" values (usually a series of four, five, or six numbers) located in the LeftStab and RightStab sections of a data.ini file --- recommended is not to touch those table data values if aircraft land/take off well --- since manipulation of those numbers alters pitch up/down capability of elevators, etc. Cheers all, Von S

If you note carefully, the following values are different in those two data inis: CLmax=0.29084 AlphaStall=17.50 AlphaMax=18.73 AlphaDepart=22.23 StallMoment=-0.002 StallDrag=0.0227 Easiest way to create a more spin-prone FM is to lower those alpha stall/max/depart values. Of further significance is to pop in a stalldrag value (Capun's data ini has one, the other data ini doesn't). Another interesting bit of info.: those stallmoment values of negative 0.002 are close to no stallmoment value at all - slightly nose-down, mushy stalls when a negative no. is placed there - a nastier, nose-up stall if a positive value is there instead. We have some nicely spin-prone aircraft in FE2 courtesy of toggling and tweaking of the entries listed above. General suggestions: default TW stallmoment value (in FE2) = -0.02 (mushy, nose down stall) never exceed value for harsh, nose-up stalls (have tested this, AI do not like when it goes above this number) = 0.02 recommended values for mushy, nose-down stalls = -0.005 to -0.015 recommended values for harsher, nose-up stalls (such as for WW1 aircraft, also "Widow Makers" (F-104s) and other jet-age pocket rockets) = 0.005 to 0.015 values closer to zero are of course gentler in either range of numbers (positive, nose-up, or negative, nose-down) For more spin-prone wings, check alphastall/max/depart values, also CLmax values, for tip/middle/root sections of wings (also doesn't hurt to check such values for the left/right stab entries too). To induce very spin-prone aircraft, avoid alpha-related values higher than about 13.00 or 14.00. For example: AlphaStall=11.00 AlphaMax=13.00 AlphaDepart=13.50 One more (obscure) tip: the "Chord" values that are included in some data inis, per wing tip/middle/root sections, while not central to spin characteristics, may be manipulated somewhat for a slightly different FM feel. Chord values are in meters, by the way. I see that the chord value used in those entries you've quoted in this thread is "1.11." If you want a narrower chord and more spin-related oddities, pull that value down to about 0.95 or so. Changes in chord of about +/- 0.2 (20 cm added or removed) do impact (in subtle ways) how things like lift, drag, also stall behavior, work. Recommended however is to leave chord values alone if not comfortable tampering with them, and to manipulate alphastall/max/depart values instead, by values of about 2.00 - until you get desired and/or historical, textbook-recorded stall results. It's possible to get good/realistic FMs in the TW series but it takes time. Avoid tweaking "CLmax," by the way, unless comfortable with that - because it can improve wing lift too much, into unhistorical values/ranges - particularly for jet-age stuff. And yes, the AI will "honor" all data ini values implemented in said files - as far as I've been able to see in FE2, there will be no cheating by the AI (except maybe when landing but that's not a major concern). Cheers to all from your friendly neighborhood WW1 aircraft FM factory , Von S

And, yes, one more even smaller update to this thread - the FrankenBHAH Enhancement Hardcore Addon Ver. 1.15 for the BH&H2 Enhancement Package (not for the WOTR Package) is now included under this post. Install directions may be found in the "Read Me" file that accompanies this very small addon. In short, the Hardcore Addon makes for more challenging regular flying, and dogfights, in BH&H2 (more engine failures, more wiry opponents, etc.). EDIT: see top post of this thread for relevant download link(s), etc. Cheers all, Von S

Hello fellow FE2 fliers, The FE2 forums are somewhat sleepy so I hope everyone's doing well. Brief update to this thread. The modder working on the Bleriot is busy currently with a variety of other duties - and I have been busy with my FM and other FPS optimization packs for the WOFF series of sims. by OBD, over the last few months - but I hope to be able to find some free time by the new year to tweak the FMs for one or two other aircraft that I never got to, for my big FM update pack for FE2 (specifically the Sopwith Snipe that I began FM tweaks for but never completed). Will update this thread again, regarding the Bleriot, in a few months - should there be any further progress with the Bleriot. Cheers all and a big thank you to all modders for making FE2 one of the most customizable WW1 flight sims, Von S

And one more small update to this thread - the FrankenMiniTuner Ver. 1.2 (add-on) to the WOTR and BH&H2 Enhancement Packages is now included under this post. Install directions included there. The MiniTuner helps to squeeze out a bit more FPS when loaded after the base Enhancement Packages - JSGME-friendly versions of the MiniTuner are included both for BH&H2 and WOTR in the relevant zipped file. EDIT: see top post of this thread for relevant download link(s), etc. Cheers all, Von S

All fixed now - installer-friendly versions of those two packages have been uploaded. Cheers, Von S

Handsome screenies gents' - been a while since I posted under this thread, so here are a couple (taken during testing of the WOTR Enhancement Package Ver. 1.0). Cheers all, Von S

Very brief update to this thread that the older WOTR GPU Tuner Patch has been superseded by an improved and more extensive WOTR Enhancement Package Ver. 1.0. Link available in the post above. Cheers all, Von S

Very brief update to this thread that the FrankenBHAH Enhancement Package for BH&H2 has been upgraded to Version 1.1 (link available a few posts above this one). EDIT: see top post of this thread for relevant download link(s), etc. Cheers all, Von S

@OP, as far as I can tell from flying in WOFF of any recent iteration, and also from some of the comments I've read on SimHQ - historical wind drift directions are modeled in WOFF. Speaking of winds in WOFF, default values give lots of "vertical winds" (no jokes please ) in bad weather - so, to compensate and give yourself more of an obvious feeling of horizontal winds and horizontal wind drift, make sure to keep the vertical winds setting in JJJ's excellent MultiMod either set to low at all times or no higher than moderate (and make sure always to have horizontal winds at the default/full setting in the MultiMod). The turbulence values may be tweaked to taste (low, moderate, full). I've cooked up a variety of simulation.xml files that, in conjunction with the MultiMod, provide further subtleties to winds in the WOFF PE/UE eds., but those files are not recommended for BH&H2. For BH&H2, recommended simply is to use the MultiMod settings instead. Also, those who are enjoying my FrankenBHAH Enhancement Package (for smooth FPS and other benefits) in BH&H2 will notice slightly different intervals between large turbulence bumps. Have extended the default no turbulence interval from 5 secs. to 10 or 12 secs. in the simulation.xml file included in my Enhancement Package (makes for more realistic, occasional turbulence that way I think - instead of having more constant, hyper-turbulent rumbles à la RoF). For a good comment on winds in WOFF, here is an older post by weather and clouds expert BB. For recommended wind settings via the MultiMod, and as per season (spring/summer, autumn, winter), I recommend the info. in this pic. that I posted a while back. Happy flying (in smooth and windy conditions), Von S

@OP, the Fokk. D.VI is an entertaining one indeed. By the way, the D.VI was introduced with the PE (Platinum Edition) add-on pack, sometime in 2019. If you upgraded from WOFF UE directly to BH&H2 - then, yes, the D.VI will be new to you. Happy flying, Von S

We usually manage to intercept at least half of a flight - if the other fellows get too close to the lines we (I and my AI flight) often don't follow them across the lines. Depends also on wind speed and direction, and how fast the enemy's machines are, and what their starting alt. is. I also usually assign my pilots a veteran role, and at least at the Ltn. level - when signing them up. Rookies and novices have to follow the leader always - the AI leader is another can of worms entirely because they may evaluate differently at times and not pursue an enemy flight, etc. Lots of variables at work. Also, if you are in a crate with a poor(er) climb rate, the enemy flight may be too far away to pursue by the time you climb high enough. Cheers all, Von S

Hi michaleen, the mods. folder should be called "MODS" (without quotation marks) - and should be created by the user in the main WOTR folder (home folder for WOTR where all of the other WOTR-related folders are located; same rules apply for WOFF). "Once activated via JSGME" means that mods. are loaded and operational in WOTR/WOFF after they have been loaded through JSGME. JSGME has a split window (two-window) view which shows offloaded mods. in the left window, and loaded mods. in its right window. All mods. that are available for WOTR/WOFF, once unzipped (or installed, since some are available only as exe installers, instead of zip files) -- should be placed in the MODS folder in order to be seen by JSGME. JSGME should itself, when unzipped, be placed in the main WOTR (or WOFF) home folder, in the same directory level where the user-created MODS folder is located. For more info. and a download link to JSGME (version 2.6, which is the last version) - check this page and also the WOFF/WOTR JSGME tutorial here. Good luck with your WOTR install and tweaks, Von S

@OP, might I recommend the two performance-oriented links (for aircraft in WOTR Phase One) located towards the bottom of the following post. Might help out with optimal prop. RPMs, fuel mixtures, etc., since there are more things to juggle in the cockpit in WOTR than in WOFF. Good revs., acceleration and climb rates to you, Von S

Many thanks for this model Stephen - great to see more modding happening for FE2. Cheers all, Von S

FM Upgrade Package for BH&H2 now available at the following link. (Upgrades the previous, ver. 6.5 FM pack that is available for WOFF UE/PE.) EDIT: see top post of this thread for relevant download link(s), etc. Cheers all, Von S

Hello fellow FE2-ers, Just a quick note for those running FE2 on Intel-based Macs (either in a WINE program or directly in Win7, 8.1, 10, etc. in Bootcamp) -- that you might find the info. in the following post (regarding WOFF/WOTR and the latest M1, ARM-based Macs) helpful. In short, for now - recommended is to keep flying FE2 only on Intel-based Macs, in versions of Windows no later than Win10. No guarantees at this point that Win11 can be effectively "shoehorned" onto Intel-Mac hardware, nor any guarantees as to how well FE2 may run in Win11, if at all. Furthermore, the latest ARM-based Macs only support ARM-based vers. (not the x64 branch) of Win11, and only via virtualization (no direct bare-metal Win11/ARM installs available for latest Macs so far -- the point is ultimately an irrelevant one I suppose since FE2 will never be "translated" to run as an ARM-based application anyway -- and I doubt that it would run stably using the x86/x64 virtualization layer that is found inside ARM-based Win11 installs anyway). Happy flying all, Von S

Re-copying my post from SimHQ here -- for those who do not frequent SimHQ but are running WOFF/WOTR on Intel-chip Macs. ----- Thanks Pol for this info. - also recommended is that Mac WOFFers (and WOTRers) for the time being stick either with WINE (skin/bottler) installs, or Win10-in-Bootcamp installs, of any recent vintage of WOFF (UE and later eds.). Will be a while before I test WOFF in Win11 on a Mac - for starters, I will try testing a standalone/clean install of Win11 with TPM disabled, so that I can "shoehorn" Win11 onto my Intel Mac hardware. For those on Macs and curious to experiment, recommended is to check over info. for how to disable TPM in Win11, as well as how to make a Win11 ISO. VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Currently, the latest (M1 chip, ARM-based) Mac hardware only supports Win11 (and only the ARM variant of Win11) in virtualization software such as Parallels. Currently there is no Mac-hardware-installable version of the ARM-based Win11 available - only via virtualization - and support is still undetermined even regarding the virtualized version, on Macs. Previous Win versions that are x86/x64-based may only be installed up to the latest Intel-chip-based generation of Macs. This means that the x64 version of Win11, that is still the (common) branch of Win, going forward, and that may still support your various Win-based flight sims., on your Mac hardware - is installable (unofficially) only on Intel-based Macs, but will obviously never be installable on ARM-based (M1 and later generations of) Macs. Macs have now moved back to their own, proprietary processors, ARM-based -- and so Mac flight-simmers are unofficially back in the "dark ages" of Mac gaming, of the pre-Intel Mac era -- those old enough to remember should at this point think of PPC-era Macs ("Power PC" processors such as the 603, 604, 604e, etc., used also in some IBM servers I think and typical of beige-box computing of the 1995 to 2005 period). I would rather be a Mac unsupported, Intel sinner than a disenfranchised armchair simmer, huffing and puffing as to why his hissy-fitting Hisso SPAD-on-ARM chip's prop - isn't spinning. Cheers all and happy tweaking of unsupported (x64) Win11/legacy Mac hardware combos., Von S Further edit: According to the unofficial WineSkin continuation project page, for Macs, it seems that there will be support for some x86/x64 programs in WineSkin on ARM-based Macs, but it requires WINE engine WineCX20.0.4 (or later, the cx by the way probably referring to the "CrossOver" WINE project code) -- also required is installation of "Rosetta2" -- the other min. requirement is macOS ver. 11.x.x. Rosetta2 allows ARM-chipped Macs to run Mac-Intel-built programs (but not necessarily Windows-native Intel programs, which is of course a major problem if you want to install Win/Intel-based flight sims. on latest-generation Macs). Keep in mind that this is all obscurely experimental and I don't recommend betting on Windows flight-sim. stability, for now, if ever, on such obscure WINE/Win11 combos. - or even betting on loading your flight sims into a virtualized ARM-based Win11 install on the latest Macs and then hoping that the x86/x64 virtualization layer available inside the ARM-based Win11 environment will maybe support your flight sims. Much safer for now is to keep WOFFing in WINE on Intel Macs, or in Win10 in Bootcamp on Intel Macs.

Available in the package under this post (also available there is a Pfalz D.III and D.IIIa). Cheers, Von S

I'm getting the strange feeling, from the latest posts, that older Edge (html/Trident-based) is working fine, but newer Edge/Chredge (Chromium-based) is experiencing hiccups with CombatAce - may be speculation from my end but perhaps something worth looking into. Good luck all and hope that you experience smooth connecting with CombatAce soon, Von S

No trouble accessing the site from my end - on the older Edge (HTML/Trident based), Firefox (extended support release), Pale Moon (fork of an older ver. of Firefox). I recommend re-setting/re-starting your router and/or cable modem - also clearing cache/passwords/history in your desktop web browsers, as per the good advice posted in posts above mine. Also, if you are using the newer Edge/Chredge (Chromium-based) - or upgraded to it recently from the older Edge - double-check settings in the upgraded Edge (might be the case that the problem is there, somewhere, in the settings - since I noticed on my laptop that some settings were changed once Edge rolled over to Chredge in my ver. 2004 Win10 install). On my desktop computer, on the other hand, I've locked down my Win10 Bootcamp partition to ver. 1809 of Win10 - so I still have the older Edge there (older and newer Edges by the way can co-exist in Win10 but it requires some settings tweaks as per this post, and others). Good luck with the tweaks, Von S