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22nd December 2002 " MANY
THANKS "
I would like to say a special and big
THANK YOU to the thousands of people that have sent email Christmas
Greetings to me personally and the whole RCS Panels Team, Your comments
and sentiments are truly touching and very much appreciated. :-)
Unfortunately it has not been
possible to individually respond to each and every one, but be assured we
appreciate them all. Your support is what keeps us doing what we do.
We are working hard on your behalf
and should have lots of exciting "goodies" for you in the coming
year.
On behalf of Alan Landsburgh, Steve
Wayne, Brian Withers and myself, can I wish you all,
A
Very Merry Christmas
and
A
Happy New Year
" Special
Note "
There are a few
people that send me emails asking for help or information, who do not get
a reply. The reasons for this is because some ISP's reject our messages.
As a matter of policy, RCS Panels always responds to every email request
for information or help and attempts to do so at least six separate times.
If you do not get an answer, then this is the reason. Therefore we suggest
you contact us again from a different email address.
10th
December 2002
" Where
did that month go ? "
As you will have noticed this page
has been very quiet for the past month or so. It has just been a matter of
me being busy.
Normally speaking I have my biggest
Wildlife Art Exhibition at the end of November and as this is how I make
my living, every bit of my energy has to be devoted to it at this time.
Well this year it was even more hectic, because directly after my normal
three day show here at the studio closed, I had to stage another show of
my work in Northampton (UK) for, and sponsored by, Jaguar Cars. Well I am
delighted to say they were both fantastically successful, and they far
exceeded my widest dreams for sales and everything else.
So what has been happening on the
computer or FS front ? Well work on our next project is progressing very
well. The team have been working very hard in my absence. Unlike before,
the team are now so professional that they can function effectively with
very little input from me, and do not have to be watched over. Man is that
a change for the better. :-)
" DVD
Writer Update "
Following on from what I said about a
month ago, having installed and tested TWO Pioneer 104 DVD-R/RW Writers
and found they were both faulty, with different faults, I decided enough
was enough, and I would dump the Pioneer unit as a bad job. I know there
are people that have them and they work fine, but I was not one of them.
Therefore, I installed the latest Sony DVD-R/RW and DVD+R/RW Multi System
Writer. This unit reads and writes both -R/RW and +R/RW media, as well at
the normal CD-R/RW.
There are a few issues with this Sony
Writer that you need to be aware of, but it is a great piece of equipment.
First and most important, it hates
"CHEAP" blank media. It is picky to the extreme. However if you
use proper branded media, (the expensive stuff) then it works like a
charm. Personally I think that is a small price to pay for the versatility
thus unit gives you.
Secondly you do need the very latest
version of the DVD Writing software to run it. Your old version of
"Nero", or the software that is packed with it, will need
updating, but that is easy over the net as free updates are available.
This unit also handles CD-R/RW as
well, and NO problems have been experienced in either reading or writing.
I have to say this Sony unit really
does come with my "stamp of approval". I have tested it
extensively, and I give it a nine and a half out of ten. :-)
That is about it for now. I will be
picking up the FS work gradually as Christmas approaches, not to mention
keeping an eye on what is new, good and bad out there in the PC market
place.
Have a good one.
Roy
9th November 2002
" CFS3 NO
CD Patch Update "
I have noticed that sometimes when
you load CFS3 with the NO CD Patch installed you are confronted with a
screen that says something to the effect the CD is not in the CDROM,
however you are given three choices "Try Again" which does
nothing. Plus "Cancel" and "Continue", and if you
click on either of these four times all works correctly without the CD.
You might not see this minor problem,
but if you do, you now know what to do.
Have a good weekend.
7th November 2002
" CFS3 NO
CD Patch "
Many people find it very irritating
that you need to have the original CD in the drive to run CFS3. Therefore
I knew it would not be long before a NO CD patch would appear on the net.
Well here it is :-
Click
Here to Download
Have a good week.
24th October 2002
" Update "
As you will have noticed I have been
quite quiet for the past month. This doesn't mean that nothing has been
happening, quite the reverse. The team have been working hard and great
progress has been made. With any luck we might even have some release
dates for you before too much longer. Which would be good.
I have been out of the country for a
while with work, but am back now. Most of you will probably know this is
one of the most hectic times of my year in the art world and I have to
concentrate on producing paintings for my show that comes up at the end of
November. This however does not mean that FS work stops, quite the
reverse, things are continuing at a pace.
One of the great joys is we now have
a very professional team that is quite capable of working on it's own,
without me having to cross every "t" and dot every "i".
" Combat
Sim 3 "
During my coffee breaks I have been
able to steal a little time to have a pretty good look at Combat Sim 3. I
think all will agree this is going to be a massive step forward from
Combat Sims 1 and 2.
Personally I am a serious flyer,
rather than a "shoot 'em down" and "blow them up" kind
of guy, but even I find it quite fun on occasions. The graphics and
effects are quite stunning.
I have done nothing in the way of
serious performance checks, but initial impressions seem to indicate it
performs very much like FS2002, However I will give you more information
in the future.
For me the internals of the aircraft
and flight dynamics leave a lot to be desired, but that is nothing new.
I am yet to discover what the development possibilities are and whether
we will going down that route, but there is certainly plenty of
opportunity there.
I think without question Microsoft
are going to have another "Block Buster" for Christmas 2002, if
people feel they can wait that long.
" DVD
Recorders "
I have recently purchased a Pioneer
104 DVD-R/RW recorder primarily because I needed the DVD mastering and
storage capability. The unit seems to work well with DVD's either R's or
RW's, however it claims to be able to read and write CDR/RW as well. Hmmm
!!!, well it certainly reads CDR's and CDRW's fine, but writing them is a
completely different matter. It is extrodinarily "picky" about
the type of blank CDR and CDRW's you feed it. I only mention this,
just in case you are thinking of adding one to your system and dispensing
with your CDR/RW writer, because you can't. You need both.
" Site
update "
A couple of people have pointed out
that this site needs a bit of updating, and I would be the first to agree,
especially on the Utilities front. Hopefully I will get around to doing
this before too much longer, but like everything it is a matter of
priorities. So please be patient.
OK that is about it for now. I need
to get back to the paint brushes.
Have a good one. :-)
24th
September 2002
" Working
Hard "
There is not a lot of great interest
to report at the moment, other than the team is working hard. We are mixing
in a little time to advance our knowledge and skills in a few new areas
which will come in very useful in the future.
" Hardware
Advances ? "
There have been few real advances on
the hardware front recently, the rush of faster and faster processors and
video cards seems to have ceased for the moment, but I bet there will be
new things just before the Christmas period to tempt the money out of our
pockets.
Memory seems to be going up, and hard
drives are coming down. Around a pound sterling per gigabyte here in the
UK for hard drives at the moment, depending on where you buy them.
DVD Writers seem to be the
"hot" hardware right now, although there still seems to be a war
going on about which standard will prevail. DVD-R or DVD+R
The DVD-R (by Pioneer) has been
around the longest and is the cheapest, but most of the rest of the
manufacturers seem to be backing the more expensive DVD+R system. I see
VHS and Betamax all over again. (Sorry to our younger readers, that might
have been before your time) :-)
This is a subject I am watching
personally very carefully as I am currently producing Art Instructional
Video's and DVD's which teach painting techniques. Therefore not only
mastering DVD's but the ability to store 4.7gbs of data on one side of a
DVD R or RW is a tremendous advantage. For those that don't know, just one
minute of Broadcast Quality video takes up an enormous amount of space on
a hard drive.
Anyway that is another story.
There is little new of interest on
the software front at the moment. I suspect we are into the Christmas
syndrome again.
Well that is about it for now. Have a
good week.
Safe landings.
Roy
10th
September 2002
" Back
from Holiday "
As you might have noticed I have been
absent for a few weeks. I have just returned from my annual holiday in the
South of France. Wonderful to get away and drive the best part of a
thousand miles on the superb French roads, from the top to the bottom of
the country. Then to spend ten days doing nothing more energetic than
drinking glasses of wine and eating in the sunshine:-) Well maybe
the odd other enjoyable activity :-) Fantastic !!!!
On the way down I met up with my good
friend Tony D'Ambrosio (of RealCRT gauge fame) and we had a great time
together. Fascinating to see the real France through the eyes of a person
that lives there.
However worry not, the time was not
wasted. Much thinking was done during the time, and many good decisions
made, all of which should benefit you all during the coming months.
As is my way, although I now take a
laptop with me on holiday, I do not access my emails, so I will work my
way through the backlog over the next week or so. All the registrations
and technical support queries have already been cleared, so we are making
progress.
" 512 mbs
RAM "
I am very pleased to say, the laptop
I mentioned a few weeks ago is continuing to surprise and delight me. It
has now had a really good thrashing even with FS and performs wonderfully.
I have to say through trying to run FS2002 on Windows XP Pro with less
than 512 mbs of RAM is not a good idea, and performance does suffer as a
result. However with 512 mbs of RAM the "i Buddlie 4" returns
wonderful frame rates.
The 15.1" TFT screen has a
viewable area exactly the same as a 17" CRT monitor and is a joy to
use.
" Windows
XP "
Now having had a good time to use it
in all possible ways, I have to say that in my opinion Windows XP is by
far the best operating system we have ever had for the PC, and is worth
the few problems that you might experience when you upgrade. It just
handles everything much better including and most importantly FS. So my
advice is if you haven't upgraded, give it some serious throught.
That's about it for now. Have a great
week, speak to you again soon.
20th August
2002 Extra
" Message
received "
Don, your latest email acknowledging
receipt of your code was received, but my answer to you bounced again.
Have fun !!
20th
August 2002
"
The holiday season "
As most of
you are only too aware this time of year is very much the holiday season
and very little of earth shattering importance happens, or so we hope.
The team is
working hard on our future projects but also taking a little time out for
R and R.
"
Congratulations "
It is my
great pleasure to let you know that our graphics and textures expert Steve
Wayne and his wife have just had a new addition to their family in the
form of a new baby daughter "Brittany".
Although
Brittany was born prematurely, I am told that Mother and Baby are doing
well. So I am sure you will join with me in sending our heart felt
CONGRATULATIONS and best wishes to the whole family.
"
Under test "
I recently
had reason to test and buy a laptop computer. For those of you that know
me well, you will know that up until now I have rarely had much positive
to say about them. In fact have been very quiet on the subject.
Having
checked what was around, I have come across something that I personally
think is an exceptional piece of kit. Namely an "i Buddie 4"
made by the EliteGroup Computer Systems.
Unlike most
laptops, this one takes "Standard" CPU's, RAM and Harddrives,
rather than the over priced "unit specific" ones you are
normally forced into by the manufacturers. You can fit whichever P4 CPU,
RAM or Harddrive you wish. You even get a choice of screen.
Personally
I fitted a 2gb P4 Desktop processor (faster than the mobile of the same
clock speed) and it performs wonderfully with normal DDR RAM.
The
15" TFT screen is superb, giving the same viewing area as most
17" CRT monitors. It is crystal clear and a joy to look at. The
keyboard is also a joy to use.
Pretty well
everything you could want is built-in, sound with microphone, speakers and
extension capability, 4 USB2 ports, Firewire port, SVideo Port, Eithernet
network card, IR port, 56K modem. DVD/CDrom, and I might have missed
something.
There are
two noticeable exceptions. one there is no Floppy drive, hardly a problem
these days, as you can connect a USB one if you really want one. The other
omission from the main box is the battery. Again to me that is a joy,
because I seldom run from a battery, and when I do it is easy enough to
plug the external one in, which is compact and has a long running time.
Not having to lug it around in the machine is another great joy to me. I
would rather have the weight in the things that are useful like a larger
screen.
OK let us
come to the most important question. How does it perform with FS ?
Well all I can say is fantastic :-) With Windows XP Pro and FS2002
Pro the frame rates are brilliant. I will not say it is not possible to
build a desktop that will go faster, but you would have to use the best of
everything to do it. This is one impressive piece of kit.
Now to the
second most important question, How much ?? Well much less than you
might think. I think it s very comparable with a similar desktop machine,
and I was pleasantly surprised. Obviously you need to check prices where
you live.
But the
great joy to me, is it is upgradeable, with standard parts.
So how do
you find out more if you wish too ?? Simply log on to www.google.com
and then type in " i Buddie 4 " and read the mass of pages that
will come back to you. As much as I love to hear from you, please don't
email me with your questions on the unit :-)
"
Even more thanks "
I do not
want to become boring on this subject, but can I just say both personally
and on behalf of the team, how much we have appreciated the flood of
supportive emails since the posting on this site on the 12th August. You
have enhanced my faith in human nature, and convinced me there are some
really genuinely nice people out there. Top marks to you all.
OK enough
of the "sentimental stuff", there is code to write and work to
be done, so I better get back at it.
I hope the
summer is being good to you, and you are not one of the very unfortunate
people that are suffering the horrendous floods in Central Europe. If by
chance you are, then our sympathy goes out to you, and we hope you stay
dry and safe.
Try and
have a good one. :-)
Roy
12th
August 2002
"
A few facts "
A great deal
of “hot air” has been expounded recently by Bill Rambow about his
decision to leave the very successful RCS Panels Team and set up another
group of his own. I am sure you will be pleased to know that I have no
intention of adding to the “hot air” or responding to the continual
“pops” that are being taken at me, but it is necessary to put a few
facts in the public arena.
Rather than continually making public statements, I have been talking
quietly and professionally to people behind the scenes, and hence the
delay in making any public comments.
The RCS Panels Team was made up of five members, Alan Landsburgh (sound),
Steve Wayne (textures), Bill Rambow (graphics and manuals), Brian Withers
(aircraft model and flight dynamics) and myself (gauge programming and
general problem solving). Now with Bill departing, we are four. Steve has
happily taken on the graphics function, an area where he has exceptional
talents, so I am now convinced that we are stronger than ever.
As the team has already spent over 18 months working on the B25 project,
(which was originally intended to be modelled on MAAM’s “Briefing
Time”), we had no intention of scrapping all that work because of a
decision made by one person. Therefore we offered the product (when
finished) to MAAM as had originally been intended, to raise money for the
museum. For reasons best known
to MAAM, they have refused that offer, and as a result we will now remodel
it on another B25 and release it as planned.
One has to admit that MAAM’s decision was a strange one, (but theirs’
to make), when you consider it has been me personally who has been the
leading force in the raising of over $77,000 for the museum to get the R4D
back into the air, specifically due to my innovations and policy. Oh well,
c’est la vie !!
Therefore RCS Panels will no longer be connected with MAAM, however in a
spirit of good will, which is always OUR way, we will continue to process
registrations and give what backup we can.
I see no reason why you, the users, should suffer at the hands of others.
Many of you were disappointed that the GMax R4D upgrade was cancelled, but
few of you knew, that further to my statement on the 28th June,
the proposed upgrade was riddled with problems, not of my making and most
importantly was not up to our usual standard. Therefore its release would
have generated a huge “mail bag” from dissatisfied users. To make the
necessary corrections and modifications to bring it up to standard would
have taken some considerable time and seriously delayed the B25’s
release. This was not the way to go.
Those of you who know me, will know that I live my life by a pretty strict
moral code, and pride myself in the way I deal with others, and as a
result I am a “soft target”. I am very pleased that none of you have
been privy to even a fraction of the unprovoked actions, vitriol and
personal abuse that I have received from someone who called himself my
friend. In 54 years of life, I have never been so shocked, horrified,
disgusted or disappointed in a fellow human being. However I will say no
more on that subject.
The future of RCS Panels is now very bright. Apart from the release of the
B25, which will be delayed slightly because of the need to change the
graphical content, we are extremely excited about that and the work on the
Battle
or Britain Memorial Flight aircraft.
The C47,
Lancaster
, Spitfires, and Hurricanes which we
are also already working on.
The skills we have in the team, raised the bar on previous projects and we
are really looking forward to doing that again many times in the future.
We are happy that you judge us by our work rather than our words.
Have a
great week.
Roy
3rd
August 2002
"
What a Show ! "
As
you can see I am back from what was a fantastically successful Artists
& Illustrators Show in London. Again we seemed to pick the hottest
week of the year in the UK to be under a glass roof in the Business Design
Centre where temperatures soared. Never-the-less we had in excess of
17,000 visitors over the four days.
My
many hours on stage were extremely well received which made all the blood
sweat and tears that went into the preparation work, worthwhile. :-)
I
have now had a few days rest and am about to start catching up with all
the stuff that got neglected over the past couple of months. Much has
happened and been said elsewhere during my absence (most of which has been
untrue), but I will bring you all up to date with the true facts
over the next couple of weeks. So watch this space on a regular basis for
updates.
As
many of you know I have also been busy running and judging the annual
International Wildlife Art Competition called "PAWS". Well this
years winners have now been decided and announced. If you wish to have a
look then they can be viewed at :-
http://www.roychaffin.com/paws2002/winners.html
"
FS work continues "
Although I personally have had little
time for FS recently, the other members RCS Panels Team have been working
hard. We are all very excited about the future and will soon share the
details of our plans with you. Very little of significance has changed,
but obviously a few minor modifications have had to be made to accommodate
recent developments. I think it is fair to say that all of these will be
to the benefit of the FS community as a whole, but we will let you be the
judge of that.
"
Thanks for you support "
Can I just take this opportunity to
thank the huge number of you that have sent your messages of support. As
always they have been very much appreciated.
OK back to catching up on events.
Have a great weekend.
Roy
12th
July 2002
"
Busiest time of the year "
As many of you will know, July is the
busiest month of my year, when I am preparing for the big Art Show in
London at the end of the month. This does mean that FS work has to take a
back seat during this time. Even I have to earn a living from time to
time!
I have received a number of emails
from concerned people enquiring about the well being of RCS Panels and
myself. I am pleased to tell you, both are very much alive and well, and
any reports of our demise are grossly exaggerated to the point of being
totally untrue. :-)
We are fully aware of the mass of
speculation about our current projects and future plans. I can assure you
that our work is continuing on the B25 and other projects.
In the fullness of time I will
release a statement on behalf of RCS Panels that deals with all the
relevant matters, but in the mean time, I advise caution in believing what
you might read elsewhere.
You have my assurance that the four
current members of the RCS Panels Team are united and working hard on our
current projects.
Have a good one. :-)
Roy
28th
June 2002
RCS
Panels Press Release
GMax R4D
with VC's - Project Cancelled
It is with great regret that I announce that the GMax version of the
MAAM R4D with VC's has been cancelled. This is a decision that I
reluctantly took on behalf of RCS Panels and its members after much vary
careful thought. It was in no way a decision taken lightly as I know it
will cause great disappointment in the FS world.
RCS Panels is justly proud of what it has achieved over the years and the
significant money it has raised for aviation charities. This has mainly
been achieved because of clear focus on our objectives and the fact that
we encourage our members to develop their already considerable skills in a
pleasant and rewarding team. The operative word here is "team",
and as such others' positions, skills and opinions must be respected. To
make this all work successfully it is necessary to have a framework of
rules and objectives by which everyone abides.
For the team to run successfully we cannot have any one person holding a
"gun to our heads". Some time ago our talented aircraft designer
Jan Visser made it clear he did not subscribe to our policy
of “Time Locking” software to raising money for charity and
quite a number of other things. He was therefore "asked to leave".
In an attempt to keep things on a pleasant footing, considerable ongoing
help and commitment was given to Jan to develop the GMax version of the
R4D, involving huge amounts of time to develop special gauges and fixing
other problems to make it all work. Unfortunately, at the eleventh hour,
the team was again confronted with a "gun to the head" and I was
left with no reasonable alternative but to cancel the project for good.
Making such a decision gives me absolutely no pleasure; a huge amount of
work from many people (me included) has been scrapped because of it.
However, we have to look at the wider picture. Our commitment to
MAAM is extremely important to us, as is the future development and
success of the team. To put this all into perspective, so far the team has
put over 18 months of work into the B25 "Briefing Time" project,
which is now nearing completion. Had the above decision not been made it
is more than likely this whole project would have been lost along with all
the revenue that it would have generated for MAAM.
I am sure in the future Jan will bring out another version of a DC3 with
the VC's but unfortunately this will not be our MAAM R4D.
Although I am sure this news is a bitter disappointment to many of you, I
ask for your understanding and to accept my word there really was no
alternative. RCS Panels is committed to bringing you more and more quality
FS packages and hopefully will do so for a long time to come.
Roy
RCS Panels
28th June 2002
" Back to the UK "
As you can
see I have returned safe and well, after what has been a very hectic four
weeks. The WWII Weekend at MAAM was a huge success and it was wonderful to
see so many of you there. Both Bill and I enjoyed talking to you all and
putting the faces to the names :-) One person even flew over from Holland
specially to attend the show. That is what I call dedication.
I want to say a special thanks to Bob Guzman and
Charlie Rickard for their considerable help during the show, not to
mention those special people called "wives".
Fortunately
most of you were blissfully unaware of the massive problems we had in
getting to the show and having the stand up and running. I will certainly
not bore you with the problems, but if we wrote it all down, no one would
ever believe it.... Major computer failures and vehicle failures were only
the tip of the iceburg. No
matter the show was a huge success and we raised a nice amount of extra
money for MAAM.
Most
importantly at the show, Russ Strine (the Boss) announced to us that he
has now placed the order for the R4D engines and she should fly again this
year. That is fantastic news. :-)
On our
suggestion MAAM are looking at the possibility of, and planning a special
FS weekend at MAAM. This would include flights being available in the R4D
(for a price) and maybe other aircraft as well, as a celebration of her
being airworthy again. A flight in the MAAM aircraft is something
extremely special and unusual as it is normally reserved for members of
the museum and volunteers, so this would be an event not to be missed.
Anyway it is early days yet and we have no further details available, but
we will keep you informed as and when things are decided.
The other
important news about the R4D, is that after she flies again, it planned
that she is to be sent away for a full refurbishment, to put her back into
A1 condition. All of this has been made possible because of the donations
and CD purchases that you have all made, so you can feel rightly proud.
:-)
" B25 Release "
Many of you flew our B25 demo version at the show, and your
responses were very encouraging. We have now "pencilled in" a
"Release Date" of September this year. This should give us
chance to iron out a few bugs and put the finishing touches to the
exterior of the model. This date should firm up at it approaches.
" Emails :-( "
The
downside of me being away for so long is the number of emails that were
awaiting my return. Over a thousand in my inbox :-( This is enough
to bring tears to a glass eye. However as is my way, you will all
get a reply in due course, but I ask you to be patient as it is not going
to happen over night.
It is the intention of Bill and I to take a bit of
time out from FS to recharge the batteries if we are allowed, so we hope
to be thin on the ground for a while.
OK that is
about it for now.
Have a good
one :-)
31st May 2002
" Right
to the Wire "
Will the
B25 Demo Version be ready for next weekend ?? Well
we are cutting it so close that I have not had a chance to update this
site for the past two weeks. The whole team have been working around the
clock to get the B25 Demo Version ready for the MAAM World War II Weekend
next weekend, and it is still very much touch and go as to whether we will
make it. We have been working through the night for what seems ages now
and are extremely tired, but we are making progress and it is looking
"stunning", and this is only the Beta.
The good
news it we have the flight dynamics (thanks to Brian Withers) better than
99% spot on. The model again thanks to Brian is looking really nice. Steve
Wayne who has only recently joined the team (about 4 weeks ago) has been
working very hard on the model textures and only getting around three or
four hours sleep a day. What a baptism of fire and water. !! Alan
Landsbugh our sound man has also been sweating blood on the sound package,
that will seriously shake the glass out of your windows :-) Which of
course leaves Bill and myself, who not only hold the whole thing together,
but are responsible for the inside of the package, and the thousands of
jobs that are done by no one else. The panels and views are spectacular.
Pretty well every gauge functions exactly the same as the real aircraft
(within the restrictions of FS2002), and the quality of the graphics is
outstanding. It is fair to say the this project would never have happened
if it had not have been for the absolutely massive effort and
determination of my colleague and friend Bill Rambow. Although we are very
good friends there are many times that we could willingly throttle each
other, but it is because of that strong friendship that we battle through
and get the job done.
Anyway if
you are coming to the MAAM WWII Weekend 7th, 8th, 9th June 2002 at Reading
PA, then you will be able to see and play with the package. What bigger
incentive could you have to come to the show ?? To add to that Bill
and I will be there in person to talk to people and answer questions,
about the package and other issues. More details can be found at http://www.maam.org
Bill and I will be the two "bearded"
guys asleep behind the stand, wake us only with kind words and a cool beer
:-)
To think we do this as a hobby !! We must have a
few "screws loose" in the head. I have worked hard all my life
but I have never done the hours and been under the pressure we have had
during this project. On that subject can I thank you for the many emails
of support you have sent and comments of understanding for us delaying the
launch of the B25.
The rest of
the B25 development team are taking some well deserved time off before
completing the production version of the project. Although we are not
making any promises, we expect the official launch date to be the end of
August of beginning of September this year, assuming that Beta testing
goes well. (Please do not apply to be a Beta tester, we already have a
team and massive waiting list)
Talking of emails. With immediate effect, for a
period of one month, I will not be answering any emails on any of my email
accounts, as I am very soon flying out to MAAM from the UK.
Therefore I ask, please DO NOT send Registration requests or other
requests to me, until you hear on this page that I have returned.
OK that is
about it for now. I look forward to seeing all of you that make the show,
and if not, have a great month of June.
Roy, on
behalf of the whole (very tired) RCS Panels Team
15th May 2002
" Good
News "
At last I
can report that I have found a video card that beats the GeForce 2 MX with
FS. If you remember none of the GeForce 3 cards did that.
Today I
received and installed the Nvidia GeForce 4 Ti 4600. It is blisteringly
quick. I am delighted to tell you, using FS it gives pretty well exactly
TWICE the frame rates of the previously best ever card the GeForce 2 MX.
This one is seriously good, and is staying in the machine :-)
The only
downside is the cost. It varies depending on where you buy it, but it is
around the $450 mark, which is expensive, but in my opinion is worth it.
The
particular version I tested and am keeping is the Sparkle Nvidia GeForce 4
Ti 4600 with 128mbs RAM
If you take
my advice you will not even consider the other versions because even their
specification says they are much slower.
"
Bad News "
I am sorry
to tell you although we have been working around the clock for weeks now,
it looks like we are not going to have the B25 CD ready for the MAAM WWII
Weekend at the beginning of June. We are close, but are pretty well out of
time, and although we might be close to finished we will not have the time
to Beta test and get the bugs fixed. We are not prepared to ruin 18 months
work, by releasing it before it is properly tested and fixed if necessary.
The team is
sorry for this disappointment, and I think it is fair to say no one is
more disappointed that us, but we want it to be right, and not nearly
right. We see that far to often from other outfits.
However WE
WILL HAVE the beta version at the MAAM show and all those of you that come
along will be able to test it at the show.
Furthermore,
as a consolation, we are hoping that we might have Jan Visser's NEW FS2002
R4D model avaialable at the show, which has full Virtual Cockpits, the
likes of which you have never seen before. There are some screenshots on
AVSIM and other various websites if you hunt around. However we are not
making promises on this as the package is not yet finished and we do not
want Jan to spoil the package because he has to rush.
Although
the new model is all Jan's work, none of it would have been possible
without considerable effort from the rest of the team. For example a
completely new set of gauges had to be made especially for this package,
which in itself was many many hours. However this is nothing in comparison
to the time spent on the VC's.
OK if we
are going to have anything to show you in just over two weeks time, I need
to get my head back down to coding. A programmers work is never done !!
As a final
word. Bill and I have actually put together the various components of the
B25 this week for the first time and flown it. :-) We
will leave you to be the final judges, but I don't think you will be
disappointed when you get to see it, and fly it. I think we can safely say
it is up to the standard you have come to expect from the RCS Panels Team.
Have a good one :-)
You can
read about this years MAAM WWII Weekend from this link :-
http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html
2nd May 2002
" EMAIL
OUTAGE "
Due to a
major technical fault at our ISP, any emails sent to any email address at
"roychaffin.com" from one minute past midnight 2nd May 2002
(Zulu UK time) have been lost, and need to be sent again after 6pm this
evening. (which is a total outage time of 18 hours) This DOES NOT apply to
any emails sent before this time or to other email addresses (such as roychaffin@hotmail.com).
I am very
sorry for this inconvenience, but spare a thought for me as it adds to the
problem of around a thousand emails to answer since my return :-(
Have a fun
weekend :-)
1st May 2002
" General
"
If you have
been waiting on a reply from me to an email sent since the last post on
this site, then I apologise, I have been taking a couple of weeks off and
lounging around in Cyprus in the sunshine :-)) Very enjoyable it was too
:-))
However
reality has now taken over and I am back with an absolute
"mountain" of email to answer. It could be another week or more
before I get to yours.
However
keep the faith, I do try to answer them all eventually.
" Virus
Alert "
If you have not heard, there
is another variation of the "W32" virus around, and if my inbox
is anything to go by it is a pretty widespread and prolific one. I have
had around forty attacks since I have been back. I am pretty certain the
the latest "Norton Anti Virus" definitions cope with it
successfully. But I personally would not trust these so called
"fixes" for it you sometimes receive.
Unfortunately these days, up
to date and high quality AV software is essential, with very regular
definition updates.
" A
word of WARNING "
I have a "Hotmail"
account, and according to the information from Hotmail, they say they have
anti virus software built into the system. But and it is a BIG BUT, so far
their built in software has NEVER stopped a W32 virus addressed to me. I
get several each and every day.
So please don't think if you
have Hotmail you are safe, because my experience says you are not. Go and
get proper AV software and keep it up to date.
OK back to emails.
Have a good week.
18th April 2002
" B-25
Project "
Things have
been quiet here on the site recently, primarily because ever single minute
has been spent writing code for the B-25. We are running dreadfully behind
on the project, and if we are to have any hope of having it available for
the MAAM WWII Weekend in June, we have to use every available minute to
work on it.
We now know
for certain that any "downloadable version" will NOT be
available during June and at this point we cannot put a release date on
that. We have switched our full attention to the CD version for the June
release date, and even then it is going to be tight.
Our current
aims are to have the CD available at the MAAM WWII Weekend in June, and
from then on the CD will be available from the MAAM Online store.
Virtually
every gauge in this package is quite unique, and it taking much longer to
produce than expected. It is fair to say the whole team has probably
already put in as much development time as we have on the whole of the R4D
project and we haven't even got a Beta version done yet.
For those
that have been asking for Beta copies. I am sorry we only issue them to
our existing team of testers, and even they have had nothing from us as
yet. As for screenshots, well we are still keeping what we have to
ourselves until we are ready for release, so it will be a fantastic and
pleasant surprise.
"R4D
Update "
I am
pleased to tell you that work is still continuing on a full FS2002 update
for the R4D, with a new visual model, which will include full Virtual
Cockpits. The work so far is looking quite stunning, and I think you will
all be pleased when you see it. We have no proposed release date as yet,
but I would expect within the next two to three months.
OK that is it for now. Have a great week or so :-)
Roy
4th April 2002
" Back
to work "
After the
distractions and waste of time that was caused by the idiot below, we are
now fully back to work on the B-25. We still have a mountain of work to
finish but time is running out on us, so some serious "Midnight
Oil" is being burnt.
We are
still a fairly long way off even an Alpha version not to mention a Beta or
Production version. Oh while on the subject of Beta versions, many people
email me and ask to Beta Test, some genuine and other because the want an
early version. Well I can tell you there is absolutely no point in asking,
because we have a team of existing Beta Testers that are tried and tested.
Plus we have a substantial waiting list. We are extremely demanding on our
testers and they have masses of work to do and no time to do it in, as we
always want the results yesterday. Unusually in this day and age, we try
to put out "bug free" software and not do the testing on the
customers. Quaint idea :-)
" Many
thanks "
I want to
publicly and formally thank all the major FS sites and their staff for the
considerable support, cooperation and technical detective work over the
last couple of weeks. Their efforts have been nothing short of
extraordinary. Together with the help from our readers we have managed to
rid the FS world of another problem. So well done folks and THANKS.
" Music
"
The change
of music on this site was certainly noticed and I received many emails in
response, both supporting the change and otherwise. However do to popular
demand the old tune is back :-)
" N|ew
FSUIPC "
You will find a new copy of Pete Dowson's
essential FSUIPC utility posted on this site. This is version 2.85 Click
here to download. (all other links have been changed)
OK that is about it for now, back to the grind
:-((
Have a good one !!! :-)
“Official
Statement”
As a result
of recent libellous allegations published on Flight Simulation Forums, RCS
Panels wishes it to be known that we neither use or have need to use, any
parts in our packages that we do not either produce “in house” or have
full and proper permission to use.
RCS Panels
does not allow the use of any gauge with a name that starts “RCS-“ in
any package produced by anyone other than ourselves. There are NO
exceptions, so if an “RCS” gauge appears in any “third party”
package, it is there illegally.
All “RCS” gauges contain an “Internal Security System” that
renders them useless if tampered with in any way, which includes changing
the gauge name.
We never allow “RCS” gauges to be used by others, no matter
what the circumstances. Other parts of RCS Panels packages are also
treated in the same way.
All
webmaster have been made aware of this policy and are very co-operative.
We ALWAYS
pursue breaches of copyright.
This policy
is not new, it has been the case for many years, and was originally
brought about because of the total lack of respect shown by a small but
significant number of people.
RCS Panels
does however produce gauges and other parts for third party developers,
but the gauge names never start with the initials “RCS”.
We have a
policy to always help and encourage other developers when we can, if we
are approached in a right and proper manner.
Roy
Chaffin
RCS Panels
29th March 2002
" Thanks
to our readers "
I would
like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers that went to
considerable effort to track down this "Falcon7" character. Your
work and emails were most helpful, and as a result, along with the
webmasters of all the major FS websites this problem is now being dealt
with.
As a result
of other events not reported on this site, the matter is being put into
the hands of law enforcement agencies.
So a big
THANKYOU, you can and have made a difference.
" B-25
Progress "
Work is
going well on the B-25 so far. I at least think I can probably see the
light at the end of the tunnel. There are a couple of major gauges still
left to code, like an authentic Engine Starter Panel, but we are getting
there :-))
As is
normal with us, we are trying to push the barriers of what can be done.
But that is the exciting bit.
Have a
great Easter :-)
Roy
22nd March 2002
" New
Music "
As you will
hear, if you haven't turned down the sound, I have changed the music on
the site. One of your readers, David Lacey who is a musician, offered to
send me some. Well as you can see I accepted his kind offer and here you
are.
David has a
website at :-
http://www.cruisemusic.fsnet.co.uk/Arranger/cruise1.html
and can be
contacted :-
lacey@cruisemusic.fsnet.co.uk
Enjoy :-)
21st March 2002
" Urgent
Appeal for help "
Does anyone
know who "Tim Stevens" alias "Falcon7" is ??
Both myself
and the webmasters of the major sites would very much appreciate knowing
who this cowardly individual happens to be. Without going into detail,
this person is publishing "pirated" packages in other peoples
names. He hasn't even the "balls" to properly identify himself.
You could say he is quite high up the FS "MOST WANTED" list.
It is
people like this "Cretin" that causes all the proper developers
to leave the hobby and go elsewhere. So lets all get together and see if
we can nail this one.
Have a
search on all your favourite FS sites and see if we can find him and or
anything by him, and we can deal with him quickly and effectively. One
package that is his handy work. (not worth downloading) is "luxury_panel.zip"
or "luxpanel.zip". Should you find this anywhere please let me
know.
OK have a
fun and productive week.
Roy
17th March 2002
" Am
I OK ?? "
Today I
received a kind email from a reader to ask "whether I was OK"
because I have not updated the page for another two weeks ?? This is
starting to sound like a weak excuse, but I had no idea that another two
weeks had slipped past :-(( Ooops !!
Well I have not been neglecting FS, quite the
reverse, I have had my head down working on coding some of the more
complex gauges for the B-25. Bill has again produced some stunning
graphics and we are determined that we will make every gauge look and work
exactly in the same way as in the real aircraft, well as much as that is
possible within FS2002.
As some of
you might have noticed, MS have deemed to release the FS2002 SDK. Well
unfortunately the bit we really want is missing, (like last time) so it is
business as usual and reverse engineering. It is no problem it is just
time wasting.
" B25 Package "
We are
still hoping to release the package on CD at the MAAM WWII Weekend on June
7th 2002. However any downloadable version will be some weeks later
probably after I return to the UK from the show. We are deliberately
concentrating on the CD version as priority this time.
The package
will also be time locked similar to the R4D for FS2002, but I can tell you
now the old codes and numbers will not work. A completely new locking
system has been developed and tested.
I am
pleased to say that I have finally cracked the last major problem that a
small number of people were having with installation of the FS2002 R4D
with Windows XP. This is good news indeed, because it now releases me from
the task of finding a solution.
"
Sign of the times ? "
I have to
admit that I find the attitude of some of the people that email me totally
unbelievable and nothing short of rude. "Where is ....????" No
"Please" No "Thankyou" or even name of the person
writing.
I know that
emails are supposed to be BRIEF, but that is ridiculous. Just for the
benefit of the "hard of understanding" or "totally thick or
ignorant" myself and the other members of the RCS Panels Team are
volunteers who give of our time freely and willingly and in vast
quantities for the general benefit of the FS community members. All we ask
is we are treated with a little respect. Not too much to ask ?
"
The real R4D "
This week I
talked with Russ Strine (the boss of MAAM) about a number of things, but I
am sure the most important to you, was I asked on every ones behalf
"When would the R4D be airworth again ?"
As you know
the money has been coming in very well since Christmas and the release of
the FS2002 R4D (well over $30,000 since Christmas Eve), therefore I was
curious as to whether we could expect the R4D to be flying again by the
WWII Weekend in June this year. Well sadly the answer to that is no.
Unfortunately it has been discovered that the R4D needs two engines rather
than just one, which MAAM had originally thought. This means we still have
a way to go, to have enough money. However thanks to you, we are getting
there fast. We need about the same amount again as we have raised since
Christmas.
Russ is
already on the lookout for the special P&W 1830-94 engines that are
needed, but tells me that "lead time" on rebuilt engines is
quite a number of months from the time the order is placed. Therefore it
is strongly hoped that she will fly again this year, but no promises can
been given. I think it is fair to say he is as keen as us for her to be
back in the air.
I am also
told that some time down the line after she is flying again, a complete
refurbishment is planned to return her to "A1+" condition.
"
MAAM WWII Weekend "
Just in
case you have been living under a rock for the past few months, I am
pleased to tell you that the MAAM WWII Weekend is planned for 7th 8th and
9th June 2002. Both Bill Rambow and myself will be at the show for all
three days, and are hopeful that other members of the team will also join
us.
It it a
fantastic show and we have a great time. This is one of the great
opportunities we have to meet and talk with many of you, and we really
enjoy that face to face contact. So if you have never been before, why not
give us a look, I don't think you will regret it. We have even been known
to autograph the odd CD as a special memento of the event.
"
New PC "
During the
last couple of weeks I have put together a new PC for FS. Basically an AMD
XP 1900+ with 768mbs DDR RAM and Windows XP. I have used a GeForce III
graphics card, but still find the GeForce II MX is faster :-) (I did test
it)
I can tell
you this machine really "flies" It has more than doubled, in
fact trebled my frame rates (that were not to shabby before I started).
For my money you can keep your Pentium 4's even with RAMBUS memory. I am
really impressed. :-) It has even helps with programming.
OK that is
about it for now, except I have placed two files on the site for your
convenience.
Firstly
Tony D'Ambrosio's latest "nd2k_13.zip"
Click
here to download
Secondly
Peter Dowsons latest FSUIPC
Click here to download
However I
need to point out that I do not handle "Technical Support"
queries on these two products, as good as they are.
Have a good
one.
Roy
4th March 2002
" Where
does the time go ?? "
I am
horrified to note that is is three weeks since I last posted a message on
this page. Where does the time go ??. Well I guess I can answer
that, in hours and hours of programming in dispersed with wasting time on
dam pirates. We have had a spate of them recently, and that just takes so
much time to deal with. I do however want to thank the people that email
me, when they find an RCS gauge or other part in a package.
Just for
information we NEVER give permission for any gauge with a name that starts
with the initials "RCS", to be used by any other developer. If
we do grant permission for our parts to be used, which we often do, then
we supply a special version that has a different name. Just for those that
don't know, all RCS gauges have an Internal Security System that renders
the gauge useless if anything is changed, including the gauges name
(unless we do it).
Anyway,
work on the B-25 is going extremely well, if slowly. Some of the gauges
are very complex and different that anything I have done before, and the
"little grey cells" are being stretched to the limit. The lack
of a proper SDK from our friends at MS is not helping, but I guess we are
used to that.
The email
load still takes huge amounts of time away from development, however if
people do write I do feel duty bound to respond. However I am pleased to
report that a couple of major problems that about five people were having
with the R4D version 4,75 have now been solved, which has certainly
released me from the task of fault finding. All these problems turned out
to be settings on their PC's. So far we have not found any bugs in the
software, other than minor things we knew about on release.
" R4D
v4.75 Visual Model Upgrade "
Jan Visser
is preparing a Visual Model Upgrade for the R4D that will contain Virtual
Cockpits amongst other things. This is requiring a whole new set of gauges
to be made for them. Unlike other developers gauges, mine cannot be used
twice in the same package, if you try they will not function. This is not
an accident but a very deliberate intention.
" Fantastic
News "
On the
subject of the R4D, Bill and I are very pleased to announce that since
Christmas Eve, MAAM has taken in excess of $32,000 dollars as a direct
result of the R4D software version 4.75 which is absolutely fantastic. So
many thanks to you all, on behalf of us and the staff at MAAM.
OK that is
about it for now. Have a fun week.
17th February 2002
" Hall
of Shame "
I am sorry
to report we have a new name for the "Hall of Shame". John
Gardner has chosen to ignore International Copyright Laws and use RCS
Panels gauges without even asking for permission to use them, in a
recently released Comet/Nimrod package.
He has been
contacted by email and given a fair chance to put things right, but
absolutely no response has been forthcoming.
He made a big thing in his "Readme"
about copyright and how his should be respected, while he feels free to
break everyone elses !!!
So as he asks for comments by email, let me
suggest we give him some, in large amounts. This is your opportunity to
help me. Go for it.
His email
address is :- johnnyg@0800dial.com
"JOHN
GARDNER"
is added to the
"HALL
OF SHAME"
13th February 2002
" R4D
CD Edition 7 Released "
We are
delighted to announce that Version 7 of the MAAM R4D CD is now released
and in stock at the MAAM online store. This version contains the very
latest self installing EXE file for the R4D for FS2002 including the
Autopilot update, along with all the latest versions for all the other
SIMS.
To read the
full Press Release Click
Here
Have a good week.
8th February 2002
" General
"
Bouncing
emails is becoming more and more of a problem here. We are now unable to
contact a number of people because every attempt to email them gets
bounced from their ISP. If you get no response from us in a couple of
days, try to contact us using a different email address and ISP. These
"Anti Spam filters" are a real "Pain in the A---".
The last
week was totally occupied with writing code for the B-25 and preparing a
new package for DC-3 Airways VA. The midnight oil has been burning
extremely brightly. If you are a DCA member you can expect something
fairly exciting in the next week or so :-)) Read your Newsletters
!!!
When time
allows, it is my intention to put together an article about the pro's and
con's of the various operating systems and FS, especially FS2002.
Just to
keep you up to date. I have continued to run tests on graphics cards and
the GeForce II MX is still the fastest for FS. Amazing by ture !!
The latest ones tested here were the GeForce III Ti cards, and even they
were slower.
OK back to
the code writing.
Have a good
weekend.
30th January 2002
" What's
New ? "
As you can
see I am back, and pleased to say that most of you respected my request
for NO emails. Thankyou :-) However keep up the good work :-)
"
B-25 Release date "
Many people
are asking when the B-25 will be released. I can tell you that release
date is expected to be around the 10th June 2002. That is assuming work
continues at the present rate.
" Airbus
and B717 Upgrades ? "
I am also
getting many questions about whether I intend to upgrade the Airbus and
B717 packages. To be honest I am only just testing them in FS2002 and
assessing the work that would be necessary to upgrade them. This
assessment is being done in spare moments, because the B-25 project has
priority, not to mention making a living. Even I have to earn money to
live :-)
This is not
a whinge, but just a pure statement of fact. I would have more than enough
time to do everything if it wasn't for the 80 or so emails that have to be
answered each and every day. Most of which are unnecessary !!
The simple
answer to the upgrade question ?? If I have time. But I hope so.
"
Buyer Beware "
This is a
SERIOUS WARNING about the latest "Piracy". Bill has put together
a short article on the latest problems we have experienced. You really
should take the time to read this. It could save you money.
Click
Here
"
General "
One or two
people seem to have got a little upset, that they buy the MAAM R4D CD and
then are asked to answer a question to authenticate they actually have it.
It might
surprise people to know that quite a number of people actually email
asking for a FREE unlock key code saying they have the CD when they don't,
expecting us to just issue them with a unlock key code. Well to protect
you good people that have paid your money, we insist on authenticating
requests, to make sure the "Cheapskates" pay up like the rest of
you. Therefore we are sorry for the slight inconvenience, but it is to
protect your investment.
We are
delighted if we spoil the fun of the "Cheapskates", but do not
appreciate being "bad mouthed" by a couple of idiots who we are
trying to protect. We work long hours to ensure that no one waits very
long to receive their code. 99% of you are most appreciative of how fast
we respond and help.
On the good
side, the money received by MAAM since Christmas for the R4D is fantastic
and we will be making an official announcement fairly soon about the exact
amount. But I can say it is beyond my wildest dreams for a six week
period.
OK that is
about it for now. Back to some serious programming.
Have a good
one. :-)
18th January 2002
" New
R4D Autopilot Manual "
I am
pleased to announce that Bill has just finished compiling a new manual for
the R4D Autopilots. This document covers the new R4D Autopilot Upgrade and
also the previous versions of the package for FS2000, FS98, CFS2, and CFS.
To
download Click Here
2.3 mbs
For
the full "R4D Autopilot Upgrade for FS2002" that includes the
new manual.
To
download Click here
2.8 mbs
" FSUIPC
v2.81 "
I am also
pleased to announce that with the new R4D Autopilot Upgrade for FS2002 you
can now use any version after v2.78 of FSUIPC, including the latest one
v2.81 (which I have tested).
To
download Click here
512 kbs
" Now the good news :-) "
With effect from tomorrow Saturday, I am
deserting my post and am taking 10 days off to entertain a good friend who
is visiting from the USA with his sons. Because I have not had a break
since way before Christmas, we are going off to enjoy ourselves, do the
tourist things, and even visit aircraft establishments :-) Therefore I
will not be at this keyboard or answering emails. Anything technical will
have to wait, other things will either have to do the same, or be directed
to my friend and colleague Bill Rambow.
I know I get boring on this subject, but well
over 50% of all the emails we receive are on things that are well covered
in our documentation, and a little reading would answer them without the
need for an email, or the RED
face when you get the reply. Food for thought !!
OK that is about it for now. It has been a
hectic time. Have a good ten days.
Roy
14th January 2002
" RCS
Panels Statement "
Over the
years RCS Panels has grown and developed, and during that time I think we
have made significant contributions to the world of Flight Simulation. It
is our intention to keep this process going. During the last couple of
years Jan Visser has very much been part of the process and has helped us
to “raise the bar” on what could be expected from an FS visual model.
His contributions have been very important and very much valued by the
team. However times change, and Jan has now left the team to pursue some
projects that are dear to his heart, and I am sure you will join with me
and the rest of the team in wishing him well with these new ventures.
Just to keep
the record straight, relations between RCS Panels and Jan are extremely
friendly and there are likely to be more cooperative ventures between us
in the future. Jan tells me he is already planning an upgrade to the R4D
visual model for FS2002, which will have our blessing, and I am sure you
will all welcome. Likewise the considerable amount of work he has already
done on the B-25 for MAAM is not being wasted.
Jan has been
a valuable member of the team and we are sad to see him go, however we are
pleased that we will probably be working with him again in the future, and
wish him the best of luck.
So what of
the future ?? Is RCS Panels going to die ??
Not a bit of it, we are as active as ever, probably more so. Our
"new man" is working hard on picking up where Jan left off, and
we are continually learning new skills and gaining experience. However I
must say a good SDK from MS on FS2002 would be extremely helpful. But I
guess we have got used to working without such luxuries J
RCS Panels
started off and a strictly Freeware Only set-up, but more and more have
now gone towards raising money for worthy causes. This trend is likely to
continue, as the amount of time and commitment that is necessary these
days to produce “state of the art” add-ons for FS is horrendous and we
all feel that not only should the “end users” benefit from this work,
but also people like aircraft museums and those organisations who are
struggling to keep the old aircraft in the air. Consequently for the next
couple of years our major work will be directed towards MAAM and then the
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Obviously
if time allows we might upgrade old projects, but our major concern is to
move forward with new and exciting stuff rather than revamping the old.
We are
looking forward to the future with great excitement and hope you are too?
Roy
On behalf of
the whole team.
12th January 2002
" FS2002
R4D Autopilot Upgrade "
We are delighted to announce that we now have a new set of Sperry
MKIII gauges that work perfectly with FS2002 and with our modern R4D
Autopilot.
You can now engage either AP and still have partial control with the
yoke. Something that was not possible with the FS2002 R4D until now.
However it is VITAL you read the "readme.txt" to see how things
have to be set.
To add to this, especially for the people that love using the
Sperry, it now also controls the aircraft while it is not displayed on the
screen. For example when you are looking out of a side window.
The work necessary to identify the problems and make the necessary
changes has not been easy, and I want to sincerely thank Arne Bartels (the
designer of the original Sperry gauge) for his great assistance in helping
me create this new version.
The upgrade has been packaged into a self installing EXE file that
will make all the necessary changes automatically.
It is ESSENTIAL that you read
the "readme.txt" before you run the EXE file.
DO NOT TRY TO INSTALL THIS
UPGRADE MANUALLY
To download the FS2002 R4D Autopilot Upgrade now
complete with manual
Click
Here (file size 2.8 mbs)
Have a good weekend.
Roy
7th January 2002
" FS2002
R4D Auto Pilot Statement "
To try and clear some of the confusion over the R4D Auto Pilot
operation in FS2002 I have put together a brief statement on the subject.
To read Click Here
5th January 2002
" Fantastic
!!! "
We are delighted to tell you that the response to the Version 4.75
of the R4D has been superb. With effect from yesterday morning 4th Jan,
MAAM had received over $10,000 into the "Engine Fund" since
Christmas Eve. That is over a thousand dollars a day. That is absolutely
fantastic !!!! Keep it coming :-)
Both MAAM and us (the developers) are thrilled with the response,
and are pleased to tell you that the way things are going the real R4D
should be back in the air this summer. :-))
" Keep your eyes open "
There have been a small number of people that have tried to cheat
MAAM out of the $5 that they deserve. This I think is about the same as
"beating up on an old lady to steal her food money". Could I ask
all of you, that if you see or hear of anyone doing such a miserable
thing, or even trying to get a code for a friend, could you let us know
"in confidence", so we can take the appropriate action.
We will be very grateful :-)
" ATI
Radeon 8500 users "
I have just had it reported to me that there are now drivers
available that will make the ATI Radeon 8500 video cards display all the
textures in FS2002.
As I no longer have one of these cards, I am not able to check these
drivers personally, but they have worked for one of our readers so they
should for you.
You are looking for the 4.31.9005 drivers, which is an 11 mb
download.
The URL and link to the site is :-
http://www.rage3d.com/files/drivers/agreement9x.shtml
" The
team at rest ?? "
The team is attempting to have a break since a
manic time leading up to and during Christmas. I know everyone is eager,
but we would again ask you to exercise a little restraint with the
quantity of emails you send us. As good as it is to hear how much you like
the new version, we need a "time out", to recharge our
batteries.
Have a good weekend.
Roy
3rd January 2002 EXTRA
" VIRUS
ATTACK "
We have just been informed, yesterday MAAM was attacked by a
computer VIRUS. The situation has now been recovered and they are up and
running again, however a few emails where lost in the process along with
pretty well all the address book.
If you submitted your registration number yesterday (Wednesday), and
have still not received your unlock key code, then please email them with
your registration number and if you send a copy of your receipt that will
speed up the process. Alternatively without a copy of the receipt you will
be put into "a heap" to be checked off against the list of
donators which will be much slower.
Likewise if you did not receive your online receipt, your
transaction has probably not been actioned. Rather than wait in vain for
your unlock key code or your CD, we suggest you make the transaction
again. However do check you credit card status to avoid paying twice.
As tempting as it might be, DO NOT CONTACT either Bill or Roy about
your transactions or questions, we are unable to help you and will only
relay your emails without answers. It will be quicker if you go direct.
The MAAM email address is :- pmalash@mindspring.com
The staff at MAAM are extremely sorry for any inconvenience caused
by these problems, but as we all know, computer viruses are an everyday
problem we all have to deal with.
Thanks for your understanding.
Roy
3rd January 2002
" NO
CD patch for FS2000 in Windows XP "
If you are still using FS2000 and have upgraded to XP Home or Pro,
you might want a NO CD fix that works. Well here you are :-
Click
here to download
1st January 2002
" Great
News "
We are delighted to tell you that the new FS2002 version of the R4D
is now available on CD at MAAM, well ahead of schedule. Click on the link
for the full information.
R4D FS2002 CD Press Release
" A well earned rest "
After what has been an
unbelievable few weeks, the RCS Panels team are going to take a well
earned rest. MAAM is now handling all the new registrations, so please do
not email us with your requests for unlock keys codes unless you are
entitled to a FREE key.
Likewise, please do not email us
with questions until you have read the documentation at least three times.
Most of the questions we receive are covered clearly in the documents we
have already written and distributed. I have received hundreds of emails
from people that are either blind or just to lazy to read. So please help
us to help you, but not wasting our time.
It is now the intention of Bill
and myself to take some well earned time off, we have worked solidly
through the Christmas period to ensure you enjoy yours and have the R4D
experience with FS2002, now we are going to have some R and R.
Safe landings.
Roy
HAPPY NEW YEAR
31st December 2001
" Thank
you, the year ends on a high "
I sometimes comment of the negative things that happen in the FS
world, but felt I had to share this recent email with you all. For me,
what is said here means a lot, and tells me that what we did, was not only
the right thing, but was also seen to be the right thing. Thank you !!
Dear Roy,
I have been a fan of the R4D for fs2000 for a while but have never sent a
donation because I just didn't get around to it, not because I was a
cheapskate, but just lax as probably a lot of others were, even knowing
that MAAM is a very worthy cause. When the fs2002 update was
announced I
went in and downloaded it with great joy. I am pleased you made it
shareware, as it is such a worthy cause and it made me
do the deed and send that donation in repayment for the pleasure of having
the previous and continuing enjoyment of this aircraft, as well as
supporting an excellent project.
I wish to compliment you and Bill especially for the work you have put in
and the quality of the R4D. I am getting my key code from MAAM so
have yet
to fly it but from my short look at the fs2002 R4D I'm sure I wont be
disappointed. DC3's were well known here in Western Australia and I
have
flown in them as a passenger only on a number of occasions in the past as
late as the 70's - a great aircraft. Thankyou for enabling me
to
experience something of what it is like to command this aircraft.
All best wishes to yourself and to Bill Rambow for the New Year,
Yours sincerely,
Gordon Baker
:-))
30th December 2001
" Good
News "
I am delighted to publish a direct link to the
MAAM R4D web payment page. You can now make your payment for the
"time locked" R4D package and fill in your "Registration
Number" with your "email address" and the unlock key code
will be sent to you directly.
This is going to save all of us a great deal
of time :-) Thanks Fred.
https://www47.rapidsite.net/aviala/maam/r4dupgd.html
" Better
News :-) "
As a result of this improvement to the service, it is
my intention now to take some time off and get some well deserved sleep
and a bit of time away from this keyboard. Today Bill and I completed the
CD version of the package and Bill is currently in full production. This
version 6 of the CD should be available in the MAAM Store in around a week
from now.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Bill, and Pete
for their dedication in helping me get all the unlock key codes dispatched
very quickly. We have had a few "Glitches" but no one has waited
more than 48 hours and most much less. A brilliant effort. !!
I have now answered most of the "Technical
Support" questions, but there are still a few of the more complex
ones to do. This is not the time to send new ones.
Have a great New Year. from a very knackered
Roy ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz
28th December 2001 Take 2
" Thanks
Rick "
There is a gentleman called "Rick"
that has just sent me the most wonderful message which I want to say a big
THANK YOU for. Unfortunately I am unable to email Rick in return because
all attempts have be "Bounced" from his server. I have however
passed it on to Bill.
So THANKS Rick :-)
" Talking
of emails bouncing "
Here at RCS Panels we always reply to EVERY email. If for any reason
you do not get a reply from us, you can be certain that is because they
are being "bounced" by your sever. This is becoming a bigger and
bigger problem for us here, as more and more each day get thrown back. We
are told that most ISP's are putting "Anti Spam" software on and
this is far from effective and cuts out a great deal of your incoming
email from legitimate people. My advice to you is contact your ISP and
insist this software is removed from your account. I speak from experience
here, as this was the problem we had for weeks. We had to be very forceful
but won through in the end. Partially working email is worse that none at
all.
28th December 2001
" Understanding
Please !! "
This is a quick note to say we are currently
"sinking" under the weight of registrations we are receiving for
the R4D, and doing our very best to deal with all of them as quickly as
possible. Both Bill and I are volunteers who do this in our spare time for
absolutely nothing. We have given up pretty well all of our Christmas
without a single complaint in aid of a good cause and are pleased to do
so, but it is not expected that we should receive abusive or sarcastic
emails from people that either cannot understand the installation or
registration instructions or expect their registrations to be done
instantly.
Speaking personally, and I know I am not
alone, having just worked some ungodly hours to get the project out to you
before Christmas as promised, I am extremely tired, as I know is also the
case with Bill. Therefore I ask just a little understanding from people if
we are only prepared to work 16 hours a day for the rest of the holiday.
Having said that, we are not prepared to be
anything less than thorough with the registration process, (therefore
"rip off merchants" need not apply) so please be prepared for
some delays.
On a positive note, the registrations and donations to MAAM have
been very encouraging, and we are delighted that so many people have
donated much more than the minimum registration fee that is required. Can
I say on behalf of the whole team MANY, MANY THANKS you are brilliant :-))
Kindest regards
Roy
27th December 2001
" Important
Notice "
Total confusion seems to have occurred
recently. Please read the following notice in FULL, as it contains
important information regarding the R4D for FS2002.
Important
Notice Click Here
" Technical Support Queries
"
Owing to the enormous amount of
registrations for the R4D, we are running extremely behind with answering
Technical Support Queries. All queries will be answered, but the speedy
service you have been used to over the years might not be quite so speedy
for a few days. We will do our best. :-)
26th December 2001
" Registration
Update "
Today we have restarted registrations for the
R4D, and have a backlog of a couple of hundred here at RCS Panels, not
counting those with Bill and MAAM. I will be working on the registrations
through the night and will hope to have them up to date by the morning. So
be patient, I am doing my best. So far today over a 100 have been cleared.
Have a good one.
Roy

24th December 2001 Extra
" Autopilot
Problem "
I have just discovered a major problem with
the R4D Autopilot and the packaged version of FSUIPC. The aircraft goes
into a steep climb immediately the AP in engauged. The FS2002 version of
the R4D was designed and tested with version 2.78 of Peter Dowson's
brilliant FSUIPC addon. However I decided package the never version 2.79
which was not completely tested and is not compatible. Further more the
even newer version 2.80 is also not compatible.
Therefore until such time as this can be
worked out with Peter after Christmas, I suggest you return to version
2.78 which is available here, with instructions of how to install it.
Download AP Fix Click
Here
I am sorry for this inconvenience, but
sometimes the best intentions go to "Rats"
Have a good Christmas.
24th December 2001
" R4D
for FS2002 Registrations "
As of 2 am 24th December, I am pleased to tell
you that we are completely up to date on FREE registrations for the R4D at
RCS Panels. :-)
I am aware there has been a few problems with
a UK ISP that we sometimes route our email through. If you have not
received a reply to your registration request, that has been sent before
the above time, then please get in contact with me again at " roychaffin@hotmail.com
"
" Limited Service "
As a result of the Christmas holiday and the
fact we have managed to get up to date with registrations, we will be
operating a limited "Registration Service" today, Christmas Eve,
and Boxing Day, and NO service at all on Christmas Day.
" Christmas Greetings "
Can I thank everyone that has sent us Christmas Cards and Greetings,
unfortunately because of dealing with the R4D registrations we have not
been able to personally respond to every one. However we very much
appreciate them, so please accept this joint Thankyou. :-)
The RCS Panels Team, Alan, Brian, Bill and
Roy, plus all the staff at MAAM would like to take this opportunity
to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year.
We thank you all for your support during the past year and hope we can
look forward to it continuing for the year to come. 2001 has been a
difficult year for many different reasons but let us hope and pray that
2002 will be kinder.
*** MERRY
CHRISTMAS ***
22nd December 2001
" FS2002
Released "
After months of work the moment has arrived.
The R4D for FS2002 is released here before Christmas as promised.
Before you hit the "download link"
you need to know this is a significant download at 25 mbs, but if you
think that is bad, our first compilation of the ".exe" file was
40 mbs, so it has been drastically reduced. We have removed the HTML
Manual and left only the PDF and Plain Text versions along with the
package.
Talking of manuals, I know this bit is boring,
but PLEASE read at least the "readme.txt" very carefully about
the registration procedure. It is vital that you contact the correct place
with the right information, otherwise you will not get your Unlock Key
Code quickly.
At this point I would like to thank my fellow
team members Alan, Brian, and Bill for working some horrendous hours
under extreme conditions to get this package finished on time. You have
all done a fantastic job and I hope given people a wonderful Christmas
present.
To download "Readme" file Click
Here
To download package
Click
Here
Enjoy :-)
Roy
21st December 2001
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