Some time has passed since the last update on our CRJ project and again we had some changes in our team. Owen Hewitt and Nick Landolfi unfortunately had to leave the project due to personal reasons not related to the CRJ. They’re succeeded by Aerosoft’s Martin Schmieschek – though most of you might not know his name, a lot of you already own scenery and aircraft he worked on. The basic 3d aircraft and virtual cockpit models are already done and he’s working on details now. But don’t think it’s already almost done. It’s the details that require most of the time.

On the panel side of things, I’m happy to announce that I moved the FMC navigation data into a SQLite database. This improves both, stability and performance of the FMC code. When the CRJ is released, it’s going to contain a utility to transfer Navigraph’s Cheyenne/Fokker Navdata into the SQLite database.

Robin Bilgil sent me two new screenshots of the 2d cockpit for you to look at. I’d preferred to have them filled with some life, but work on the FMC kept me from doing this in the past few weeks.

Hans Aircraft, CRJ 700/900 CRJ, CRJ Development

Today, Florian has released a new beta version of Service Pack 2.1 for the Digital Aviation Fokker 70/100 product. This Service Pack introduces a change which became necessary due to changes of the inner workings of GDIplus in Windows 7.

Download links and a complete list of changes and fixes are available at our forums.

Hans Aircraft, Fokker 70/100

We just uploaded a fix for a problem with the virtual cabin/cockpit yoke in the Cheyenne IIXL 4.0 for FSX.

You can find the download and additional information here.

Hans Cheyenne

Finally! Aerosoft just released the Cheyenne Update to their customers. Customers at Simmarket will follow shortly. There will be no updates, only full versions, so please uninstall the Cheyenne from your PC, get the new version via your Aerosoft/Simmarket account and do a fresh installation.

You can find a list of additions, changes and fixes in this thread on our forums.

Please also note that we changed we use version number 4.0 instead of 2.0 because the FS9 versions already had numbers like 3.4.  Version 4.0 is also we only version that will be supported in the future.

Hans Cheyenne Cheyenne SP2

It has taken time, and quite a lot of it, but now, Service Pack 2 for the Fokker 70/100 is finally complete.

You can find a detailed description of the bugfixes and new features of SP2 in our forum in English and German.

Service Pack 2 Download from Flight1 Software (~12.5 MB)

The download is an all-in-one package for all CD and download versions for FS2004 as well as FSX.  Service Pack 1 is required before install.

A new full installation including SP2 is being prepared by Flight1 and will be available at some point next week.

florian Fokker 70/100 Fokker SP2

Good news! Final testing for the Fokker Service Pack  is now finished and the date was sent to Flight1 so they can create an installer. We’re looking forward to a release next week.

florian Fokker 70/100, Uncategorized Fokker SP2

Today, we uploaded the release candidate for the Cheyenne 2.0 to our servers. Unless we stumble over some serious bugs in the next few days, it will be released the week after next.  Everybody who’s interested can already download the release candidate from the public beta section of our forums: http://www.digital-aviation.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=6105&start=0

So, why 2.0?

There’s a simple but important reason for bumping the version number up to 2.0: Escape from version hell. We want a common version number for both, the FS2004 and FSX versions, and we’re perfectly sure that customers want this too. Aerosoft will also prepare new installers for this version so there’s no need to start at v1.00 and download tons of service packs to finally get the latest version.

There’s another reason for this. You might be aware that the navdata format introduced with the Cheyenne is in use with several other add-ons like the Flight1 Cessna Mustang and Super 80 products and of course our Fokker. As more and more developers are using this format, Navigraph and us decided to put the navdata in a more “neutral” location than the “Digital Aviation” folder. This location will be “<FS Folder>\Navigraph\NavData”. The Cessna Mustang already uses this folder, the Cheyenne and Fokker will start doing so starting with the release of the upcoming service packs.
So, the bump to 2.0 will help everybody to identify their version of the Cheyenne in order to get the correct navdata installer from the Navigraph site. (Note: the new path will be in the release version only, not in this release candidate!)

There’s a simple way to identify version 2.0: load the aircraft and watch the Trimble startup “screens”. If it says “SYSTEM CODE: DA02 c2009″ you got v2.0

What will follow?

To be honest, the Cheyenne has pretty much reached the end of its development cycle. This means there won’t be any more service packs unless it’s about real show stoppers. It’s CRJ time now and after that we certainly will have to start thinking about other simulation platforms and perhaps there will be a new version of the Cheyenne when a successor for FS (whoever might do that) finally hits the shelves.

Hans

Hans Cheyenne Cheyenne SP2

Service Pack 2 (Fokker Version 1.0.2):

SP2 took us a week longer to finish because we completely reprogrammed the MCC (Multicrew Coordination) network driver, which wasn’t planned initially. The upside is that this saves us from having to do another separate update later on. SP2 work is finished now and we start a final series of tests until Tuesday 19^th and then send the update to Flight1 so they can build the setup routine.

Virtual Cockpit News:

We had some nice progress on the virtual cockpit last week and are working on the animation code right now. Glare shield, glass displays and standby instruments are already complete. Although implementation progresses quickly, we can’t give a time line yet.

Florian

Hans Fokker 70/100 Fokker SP2

Hi!

First, I want to apologize for the long delays of SP2 and VCP and for the reduced support activity during in the last time. A number of unplanned changes occurred in my life, which kept me really busy, but in no way this should be any apology for the problems stated before. Anyway, now my daily business has calmed down, life is more or less stable again .-). The customer support and future developments will be done again in the reliable way as it is known from Digital Aviation. Additionally, we try to increase active the number of persons in the support forum, to be more independent of individuals.

But the last half year also brought some advantages for the Fokker product; I finished a jet type rating and now try to transfer as many experiences as possible into our Fokker SP2 and future Digital Aviation products, to enhance realism.

 

 

DA Fokker Fonts:

 

Some of you experienced problems during the installation of Fokker fonts. The type of fonts supplied, can not be installed automatically on some windows systems. Flight1 is doing the installer software and they are really professional on that. Steve Halpern (President of Flight1 Software) told me the reason is unknown, in such a case only manual installation of the fonts helps. All fonts are available at our Download section, with manual installation description here:

 

http://www.digital-aviation.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=6060

 

DA Fokker Box:

 

In February, the DA Fokker Box was released. The boxed edition includes exactly the same version as is available for download. Additionally you get a printed documentation and a cockpit video DVD of real Fokker flight operation (ITVV).

 

DA Fokker Virtual Cockpit:

 

Currently, I try to define a release date for the Fokker virtual cockpit, which will be published here as soon as possible. Let me make two things clear: First, there WILL be a virtual cockpit and second, it WILL be free (I heard rumours saying that we would charge for it).

 

DA Fokker Multicrew:

 

There were sames changes in the Windows network handling, which caused problems to establish a connection on quite a few systems. This was solved by a patch that we made available in the download section of our forums a few weeks ago. Of course this patch will be included in SP2. Other problems of Mutlicrew are not addressed in SP2. In LAN connections it works flawless, internet connections may have troubles. I will stay on that of course, I think about a new concept.

 

DA Fokker Service Pack 2:

 

SP2 is finally complete and currently in testing. I hope to be able to send it to Flight1 very soon so they can create an installer for it. The release will follow a few days after the installer is done. The service pack can be used for both, the download and CD version of the DA Fokker.

 

SP2 contains following bugfixes and new features:

 

New features:

• The Fokker is now able to support the Navigraph navigation database. Airport/Navaid/Waypoint/Airway/SID/STAR/approaches and approach transitions are available, by using the Digital Aviation Cheyenne Navdata set.
  
• Copilot checks and calls out speed before selecting flaps and gear.
• The load editor will now consider the CG movement of fuel, but the new version will be supplied separately in the Download section
• Flight dynamics are revised
• FMC supports now keyboard entries

 

Bugfixes:

• a number of small bugs[/list]
• mouse areas are corrected(WXR
• errors in the speed tape corrected
• engine high vibration in cold temperatures fixed
• Some FMC bugs fixed
• phantom part in the F100SD model removed
• TCAS problems solved
• better diagnostics (logfile)
• flightplan import/export problems solved
• multicrew connection problems solved, see download section, patch is already available

 

Some screenshots showing the new navdata support:

 

departure from Zurich runway 28:

 

departure from Palma de Mallorca runway 06L with DME ARC:

 

arrival Frankfurt/Main runway 07L using PSA07 transition

 

arrival Frankfurt/Main runway 25L using PSA transition and missed approach ending in CHA holding

 

 

Regards

Florian

Hans Fokker 70/100 Fokker SP2

Hi,

As well as the rest of the team have started in their specifc area of expertise, I have started to work on the flight dynamics of the CRJ700/900. The initial phase is the collection of data on the aircraft. The planes manufacturer web site is a starting point and you can find on the site of Bombardier (www.bombardier.com) some background information on the development of the larger models as evolution of the smaler CRJ100/200. You can also find there details in the specification section which give you an overview on the different models (700/705/900 and 1000) which they offer and these are many different ones for the potential customers around the world.

And so do we look forward to capture with this development the majority of used CRJ types by some of the major airlines and their preferred configuration, so that flight simmers around the world will enjoy our simulation, once it is finished.

Looking at all the different configuration of ER and LR, we opted for the ER versions of 700/705/900. For those models we have the necessary data available, so that I could start to write the basic configuration of geometry, weights, engines, tank arrangements into the FS files. I use to collect all information I have of a plane into a big excel tabel and can do there also some basic calculations like the inertia of the plane on all 3 axis.

So much for today and I hope to bring you news from that area of the development work over the next couple of month as we go forward.

Alexander – the flight dynamics guy

metzgergva CRJ 700/900 CRJ Development, Flight Dynamics