KBT update to L-188?

[ColoKent]

I’ve noticed that KBT did an update to their P-3C package not that long ago to bring it up to P3D v4 standard. Has anyone heard if they are considering doing the same for their L-188 Electra? In addition, it would be wonderful if they also decided to release a layered paint kit for it.

Kent

[gray eagle]

Haven't seen any L-188 for P3D yet. Here is link to one of KBT sites no Electras listed for P3D https://viperhiro.wordpress.com/category/p-3c-orion/

[ColoKent]

Yep...I was at that link Friday, and that is what I saw that started to make me hopeful they might do the same with the Electra. I’ve been looking for a proper, layered paint kit for the Electra, to include reaching out to some painters who had done repaints of the bird. I keep getting the same answer “Look for a repaint that is close to what you want, and then just modify the texture...”. I know a few months ago, Eurostar350 was looking for a paint kit as well...it looks like to no avail...

Kent

[euroastar350]

This was done for personal use. Since there is no way to get ahold of the developers, it remains idle on my hard drive. If I could get their permission, I'll release it.

[ColoKent]

Love it! I’m guessing you converted the MDL to P3D and found a paint kit? Love the Electra (especially passenger variants) and would love an undated model and paint kit...hope the Team KBT folks link up with you!

Looks gorgeous!

Kent

[euroastar350]

She has PBR materials and updated propeller textures, no paintkit though sadly which is what I'm after.

[gray eagle]

I found this on utube....

[BendyFlyer]

ColoKent - I agree an update would be nice.

The KBT original was updated to FSX but it was still messy and had lots of bugs and problems (panels and switches in particular) for which some mods were about and did fix somethings. The P3C by the way works fine for me in P3DV5.

The L188 does not go so well in P3dV5, it is ok but some issues have carried over and some are new. I am afraid some of the issues are problems originating with the original model files and the way stuff is allocated or defined within the model itself. For example I can no longer use the VC gear lever to retract the gear, but can the flaps whereas in FSX it was the other way around. The lights are messed up and flaky. The textures are a problem as there are some weird shading issues appearing but overall the model works quite well and if there is one thing that is different in P3DV5 is that they have finally got the turboprop power/prop relationship correct and they seem to operate more smoothly and like turboprops should especially taxying on the ground.

It will be a big job to work this one over - hopefully some else who is down that track may get it out with KBT's permission. I know I will tinker with what I have but it is a low priority. I did see a FSXLite L188 being offered by JustFlight as being Steam compatible it is quite cheap so I may investigate getting that and see if that works better for $20 you can't complain, it looks like the version done by a Brazilian guy of the KBT because it is all Varig. He did some great texture work on the L188.

It is a pity LM did not do this one after all they did the Connie and the L10A (via JF), the C130 (via Capt Sim)and other LM vehicles seems odd to have leave out the P3C or the Electra.

[ColoKent]

Has anyone been able to get the P3D 4.4 WP-3D to load in v5? I am trying but not succeeding.

Kent

[BendyFlyer]

Colo re the WP-3D no afraid not. Note the JF Lets Fly Electra is not an aircraft package just some scenery and missions. For $10 can't complain got some nice South American airport scenery anyway.

Couple of notes : There was a panel by Michael Pook that worked in FSX but it will not work in P3DV5 (Most of it does and it has a really nice autopilot panel but the main HSI is electrically driven and requires a switch to connect the instrument to the main bus via an xml gauge and that alas is not possible in P3D due to the electrical setup in the KBT. The gauge works but the compass card does not and shows a continuous failed flag and fails to rotate.

All I can say is the last FSX version 3.3 works ok and without too many problems, there are some update patches that need to be applied (Fix 1 and Fix 2) and you also need to fix the starter sequence in the aircraft config to get all 4 engines to start that is about all (see an early thread here at SOH about that). Again KBT had a very quirky way of doing the panels which almost defies changing it. As is quite acceptable! Oh last but not least you will need to replace the shockwave lights references with standard fx landing lights in the lights section for this and any other aircraft in P3D that previously used Shockwave lights as Shockwave lights do not work in P3D.

[Scorch00]

Yeah it's not been updated unfortunately. Their Electra I think is pretty underrated because of their P-3s overshadow it so much. But, I by some stroke pure luck created a post on here several months ago asking if anyone had ever got in contact with them, like many it was pretty much impossible to contact them otherwise. I was trying to get permission to create an airtanker version of their Electra. Low and behold a few weeks I believe later, FS KBT actually responded to my thread itself here. So luckily I was able to get the tanker version out for FSX/P3D4+. Eurostar350 and I have exchanged bits and pieces back and forth to do a P3Dv4+ version of the tanker versions, but it's been shelved by me for now due to other projects. I think I may be the only person recently, that's got similar permission. Unfortunately for everyone else, the permission only was extended to make the tanker versions. Maybe somebody can get the go ahead by them again hopefully to modernize it and/or eurostar350 can release his with all the work he's done to it. Or as others have mentioned FS KBT does it themselves and releases a paint kit too.

Regular and PBR version

[expat]

Scorch, could you not just go back to KBT and ask permission for the community to do a non-tanker 64 bit version, i.e., what they have already permitted less the belly tank?

[BendyFlyer]

Scorch - thanks for that. Yep the L188 is overshadowed by the P3 but it seriously needs some work in the VC area to get it up to reasonable IMHO. The gauge placement defies understanding some days and there is the deeper issue of the electrical system modelling and xml gauges which means you cannot just bolt in some stuff and even revising the xml for the gauge runs up against the basic model construction. The bones are all there in the VC. It flies and performs well in P3DV5 but there are lots of little things that make it painful, like, engine controls and management, lights and avionics particular the AP. Curiously the gear lever works in the VC in the P3 but not the L188 but key control and the 2D panel gets it up and down. One can hope too much work in other areas at the moment to worry much about it - parked it back in the hangar for the time being.

[Scorch00]

Scorch, could you not just go back to KBT and ask permission for the community to do a non-tanker 64 bit version, i.e., what they have already permitted less the belly tank?

That's what I was saying in my post. Like everyone else that's tried to contact them. I was not able to even find a working email address. It wasn't until I created a thread here on SOH out of desperation/hope to find out any info on how to contact them. They just happened to actually respond to the thread itself to do the tanker version. I am hoping something similar happens. For the community's sake. I just so happened to be at the right place at the right time when I made my thread, as I said. It still took several weeks before it was responded to by FS KBT though.

But I agree BendyFlyer. the VC needs the biggest touch ups in my opinion. I actually think it flies just fine, maybe better than their P-3 even.

[gray eagle]

P3D V4.5

[ColoKent]

P3D V4.5

Tease! Looks nice....I've been flying the FSX variant in P3D v5.1...

Kent

[expat]

Well this one continues to be a real head banger. Happened to be having an Eastern Airlines 1960's fleet fest, saw this thread, so decided to "rediscover" the KBT Electra.

BendyFlyer - you hit the nail on the head. She is a case of "so close, yet so far." Great looking external model and VC (one of them at least) and nice flight handeling. The gauge/switch operability is a mess. Lights and AP are almost fixable but the show stopper for me is that in P3D4.5 HF3 I cannot get the engines to manually start using the Electra VC and panel - I can get #1 to light but the rotary switch is disabled and the four starter switches ahead of the throttles do not move. Not even Ctrl + E works.

This is not the case interestingly when I borrow the P-3C VC and panel and merge these with the Electra exterior models (just really need to change the eyepoint to adjust for the fuselage length difference). With the P-3C panel, the four small starter switches will move and you can start each engine normally. BUT the P-3 panel does not look correct or nearly as good as the Electra VC - the pop up overhead and main panels have eye-crossingly low res textures with unreadable switch labels. Also tried the Michael Pook panel and mods and no difference or improvement with these either. But as you rightly point out, you cannot easily swap in generic gauges in the ususal way to fix these various anamolies as they must be somehow tied into the models.

Scorch - by the way very nice work on your recent tanker models and textures and thanks for generously sharing them! As above, I could only start engine #1. Ctrl + E also does not work. Curious to know how you get all the engines going in P3Dv4? Be very exciting to find a breakthrough here . .

[BendyFlyer]

Expat - a few of us are working on this one for P3DV5. I think we have the starter problem solved now but the overall gauge placement and switch placement is tricky. Even gone back to the L188 manuals to sort out what is what, either way still limited functionality or kit but overall progressing not to badly. Very frustrating process but I have to say the Paul Strongen panel update (which was for a Mike Stone electra not KBT) works best and is most faithful to the Electra with a few caveats as well. I think I have gone through every update and fix I could find on the net and then rebuilt the whole shebang about 5 times so far in the past week! Anyway the Christmas season is upon us so this will go into the new year work box. A very talented gentleman from Europe is working on the model conversion and VC models with me at the moment as part of this effort, his work is brilliant at the moment. However this is all unofficial without KBT's sanction either, so where we go then I am not sure! It would be great to blend in Schorch's work with PBR textures for P3DV5. One thing is for certain she will get out of the hangar and into the modern sim world.

[expat]

That's such good news - thanks for the update and the hard work!

[expat]

Early LGA - DCA EAL shuttle run.

[Navy Chief]

Hi ColoKent! Would you possibly have a link to the updated KBT P-3 for V4.4? Thanks, NC

[ColoKent]

Chief, I would be happy to send the P3D v4.4 version to you— if I had it. I’m still using the FSX version without the updates mentioned in the beginning of the thread. Like others, I have not found a paint kit, and my VC has the limitations mentioned above.

Here’s to hoping that one of the two guys from Team KBT see this thread and grant permission for the guys doing the mods to release their work...I’m hopeful because they granted Scorch permission to make mods and do the air tanker variants (I like the passenger variant best, myself, so their permission would be most welcome...).

Sorry to tell you I’m one of those waiting too...

Best,

Kent

[Navy Chief]

Kent, I think I found the correct version. Thanks for your offer though! Chief

[wombat666]

In P3D4.5.
Straight off my backup drive after a few tweaks (which I can't remember) from way back.
Most things work to my satisfaction, the odd externals that need a makeover are minor except for the props, they are rather naff, and sorting out the switches across the variations.

[gray eagle]

P3D 4.5 at KMEM - IMHO, Props look close to that in pic of real plane



Real deal: