Com-Central.net

Anybody have a fix for the prop texture with the howard 500? In VC i can't even see through them at all limiting the visibility out the cockpit.

No, but I can work one up easily enough and upload it if you're not in a hurry.

Welcome to ComCentral by the way!

That would be awesome. I downloaded your fix for the Commander package. Worked great! Thanks a bunch!

To expedite things - and because there are so many possible repaint collections fot the Howard, as opposed to matching up the known number in the Aero Commander collection, I'll probably make just a ZIP file with the new texture and accompany it with instructions to paste it into each 'texture' folder you have in your Howard 500 folder. That'll make the delivery faster for the fix, although more manual work for the downloader, although it's easy, just repetitive

Very glad you liked the other fixes and yup, if you see the need for more I'd be happy to fill our download library with 'em!

sounds good to me. There are indeed a ton of repaints that come with that package lol.

OK av8r152.....it's done and uploaded for download, and can be downloaded once the admins approve the upload...

Look for it in the Downloads -> FSX -> FSX Utilities section once it's approved.

I went ahead anyways and made a self-installer just to avoid all the repetitive copy/pastes that would be necessary to update the same prop texture file in all 33 texture files of the entire repaint collection. Bleh!! So just a download, a couple of clicks, and you're all fixed up.

I do like a fairly transparent prop texture since in real life, at least my own experience, props at speed are pretty transparent and not always as 'dark' a disc as they're sometimes made out to be. Opinions vary tho...but if at first glance you don't see the blur, look again or outside under different light conditions and hopefully you'll be happy.

Also, hey....while I have your ear.....please please feel free to 'partake' of Com-Central and make yourself at home here. We do sometimes get the one-post new members looking for something, and I'm real happy to oblige since it's all about the Community and all....and we realize there are other flight sim websites but we do have some cool stuff we offer going on here and we're not some kinda exclusive club or nuthin'. F'rinstance this here Howard, we use A LOT on our Sunday group flights which are cool.....and FSX plays real well with that.....plus we do Bush flights twice a week....not to mention a Hoplist Derby goin' on if you have trouble scheduling online stuff at specific times, you can do that on your own time one leg at a time as it allows.....and we have a Screenshot Contest thing going on which is a lotta fun (just have to plug that one)....or heck just feel free to post the occasional thought, question, advice, or ribald limerick...'kay? Don't cost a cent and we got some of the friendliest people I've ever met in 20+ years of simming....



Oh yeah here's how she looks.....and a note: It expects you have the following installed:

Howard 500 base package: hw5vc4.zip
(From "Downloads › FS2004 Flight Simulator › FS2004 Aircraft › Miltons Hangar" section)

Howard 500 Repaint Collection: ComC_hw500vc_v5.06.zip
(From "Downloads › FS2004 Flight Simulator › FS2004 Aircraft › Miltons Hangar › Milton's Hanger CC" section)

Howard 500 Thumbnails for FSX: Howard500_FSXThumbset.zip
(From "Downloads › Flight Simulator X › FSX Utilities " section)

Awesome. I too feel that props should be pretty transparent. I have never sat behind a real prop in a 172 or arrow and actually been able to really see it to the point to where it is noticable.

Thanks for the welcome, and I can already tell this is a higher quality community then most others. So where do I find all the info on group flights and what not. That kind of sounds like fun. You guys do much vatsimming or FSeconomy stuff?

Good points - personally speaking I've only heard of both VATSIM and FSEconomy but have to admit to an ignorance of what they're really about - others here may know or correct me but I'm under the impresson they're more geared for the commercial / airliner aspect of simming or perhaps fairly highly structured? Flight plans and so forth? Never got real good at filing those online....anyway, if youcan fill in any blanks it'd be good to know about....

Oh as for the stuff we have here....well, while we wait for an admin-type to approve the dopwnload, here's the scoop.....ya just need the password for our server and Teamspeak server first off, and then the directions to the stuff....we don't advertise the p/w's (otherwise what's the point) so I'll let one of he higher-ups PM you that info which I'm sure they'll be along shortly.....links to the various goings-on here should you be interested are just above this topic in the main forums list and include...

Sunday Flights.....bring a friend along too if ya like.....
com-central.net/index....forum&f=10

Bush flights....
com-central.net/index....forum&f=59

Hoplist Derby.....
com-central.net/index....forum&f=84

Screenie contest - just over there on the left, view the pic of the day, "more" takes you to entries in the past days, 'submit' self-explanatory (and your entries welcome).....main forum is at the link below and we're running a vote right now for best pic of the year so your input is certainly most welcome....
com-central.net/index....forum&f=80

...and on top of running my own little bits of some of the above and having a great ol' squad of pigs to fly with in IL2 and whatnot, fixin' a few things and doing an occasional repaint, heck man there's so much to partake of and sooo little time y'know?

Oh hey by the way my first 6 hours of (unfinished) flight lessons long ago were in an old well-worn Cessna 152....so, very cool handle ya got there, fly the real one I take it? (I'd be lyin' if I said brand loyalty wasn't somewhat involved in jumping on the prop texture thing)

Vatsim is geared more towards those that like to fly the big aluminum cigars sort of. I however don't use it for that. I am one of the few that always fly GA aircraft. I like to use it to fly Instruments. Having to fly FS under IFR while talking, writing, tuning radios, rubbing your belly and patting your head actually kind of keeps my comfort level up with the radios and procedures when I get out and do it in real life. There are actually some real ATC guys on Vatsim now, so it feels pretty realistic at times (depending upon who is behind the scope). If that is your sort of thing, Vatsim is the way to go. I'd rather fly Vatsim then fly with AI aircraft and a robot controller.

FSeconomy actually isn't very realistic, but it gives flying around to various airports a purpose. I am pretty new to it myself, but I thought the concept was pretty interesting. It turns FS into a RPG sort of. It is very entertaining actually. It's kind of hard to explain fully, but I recommend checking it out. It does require the free version of FSUIPC for FSX though.

But yeah, I'll definitely check out the going-ons around here. I use to do a lot of multiplayer, but got kind of annoyed by the usual annoying fellows that would come onto public servers. I guess that goes with about any game.

Yeah, the good ole 152 was the first plane I ever flew, first plane I soloed in, the plane I got my PPL in. A lot of firsts occured in a 152, so I have to honor the little turd in my screename. 152s are still fun to fly on occasion. I think of them like go-karts with wings. Fun to tear around the sky in, but you wouldn't want to take a long trip in one.

I use to play a lot of IL-2 up until that last expansion came out with all the weird aircraft. Fun game. I wasn't much of a dogfighter, but I could level bomb the crap out of some ground targets. I have some friends that are still into that game, and I have been meaning to get that expansion and get back into it.

Download is activated

- av8er152

... A lot of firsts occured in a 152, so I have to honor the little turd in my screename.

LMAO.......pretty good way of putting it!!!

Well I envy you gettng your PPL and flying.....but then again I don't envy the AvGas prices and etc etc etc.........and always good to have RL pilots around!!!!

I'm with you all the way on the plane selection...never saw the attraction of flying a tubeliner straight and level at 32K for hours on end, do enough of that in Coach class on busines travel these days. But dig instrument procedures and there's nothing like a good ILS approach in minimums to cap off a good flight!

I'll check out FSeconomy and BTW here's some of our info (TeamSpeak) in case you're looking to join some flights and haven't gotten a PM with passwords yet....and yeah, no annoying pest-types either, that's for dang sure, although there's the occasional fart joke in between ATC directions......still need to get you the pw for the FS9 server if you're so inclined to try a Sunday or Bush flight or check out our hoplist derby.

Speaking of flying gotta run to the airport in a few hours (just as a pax) so hope them prop textures worked for ya!!

I hear ya, i haven't been flying as much as I would like to because of that. I wish diesel engines were more popular in aviation. Being able to burn jet A would be nice

So is there only a fs9 server? I actually uninstalled it from my computer some time ago .

Well the way we do it here is to use FSHost which can be looked at as an FS9 server, but they also have an FSX FSHost Client that allows FSX users to connect the same way to the same server.....that way we can mix & match FS9 and SX users together and it's invisible to everyone (f'rinstance I've joined Sunday flights as an FSX user, and no one was the wiser util I mentioned it).

That way we can use some of the cool featues of FSHost, namely hopslists, as well, for both our FS9 and FSX users.

In my own experience it's still far better than the generic FSX Multiplayer option that comes with FSX....that GameSpy system just seems to continually disconnect sooner or later.

BTW I read up on FSeconomy and holy cow....man I see how you can get lost in that for sure, not exactly a lightweight commmitment.....and a heck of an impressive undertaking by the creators. Thanks for the tip!

You know, you gotta wonder what's around the corner for GA what with fuel prices. Always been hard to justify finishing the flight lessons I started long ago, and for you real pilots that need to keep the hours up to stay current, it can't be any easier. And we're sure a long way away from coming up with better alternatives. Not that I'd like to eventually own a Citabria that burns veggie oil and smells like French Fries either tho.....

Oh ok, I think I remember fooling with FShost back in the ole days. Some program I use to use required FShost. I think it might have been Vatsim back when it was SATCO that required it. the FS2000/FS98 days

If you get involved in that FSeconomy, I started a group called Rocket Aviation. Groups kind of work like opening up a business. The group is like the corporation that controls many aspects of what you want to start. You can start little charter companies, cargo companies, FBO's. People even paint aircraft, and stuff for money (fake money). So with your talents, you can probably make a lot of money in fseconomy. It really is a neat concept. It has also forced me to land at smaller little airports all over the country instead of flying to the same larger airports. Most of the missions take you literally everywhere.

I started flying back in 2000. It saddens me to see the rental rates double since then. I use to think renting an arrow for $65 an hour was expensive. 152s are now $65 an hour when they use to be $36. Arrows are now $103 where I fly now, $130 where I use to fly. Insurance rates and fuel costs may kill GA some day

Oh hey, av8er152, here's the info about flying FSX with FSHost clients (FS9 style) if you haven't seen it......

com-central.net/index....pic&t=5223

A great option to have IMHO opinion becuase it opens up a world of established FS9 servers out there to use, which you can find by using the "FSHostSPy" program....which despite it's sinister name, is actually a "nice" tool that will search the internet for FSHost Servers and provde details on.

So, if I decide to start an FSconomy account just for the fun of it, I guess after taking a flight or two as mentioned in their startup guide to get the feel, it might be OK to apply for a job as an erstwhile hired gun for Rocket Aviation??? Not a bad company name to fly under and I can set down a loaded Beech18, DH Beaver or Howard 500 on any ol' dirt strip you care to name without scratchin' it....usually....

(hey do they do helicopter operations? You'd think with FSX and the slingload capability we have with the Accelleation pack, there'd be a market for helo ops hauling timber down from the mountains or somethin'.....that would be AWESOME....)

And yeah if things keep going the way the are, it's going to be an ironic turnaround in that it'll be cheaper to buy and own a plane but you can't afford to put fuel in and insure. I guess going out to the airport to wax and polish it will be as close as we come to fulfuilling the dream.

Ahh enough gloom and doom, at least we can get our fix in the sim somewhat while saving up the expendable cash!