n118nw Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 (edited) Greetings Mooney owners! I'm in need of some assistance in locating a Mooney Bravo or newer for a quick photoshoot. I am an add-on developer for Microsoft's Flight Simulator and Lockheed Martin's Prepar3d home flight simulators (yes, they are pretty much the same thing). I'm needing about 30 minutes to an hour to take pictures of the aircraft and the interior. These pictures will be used for reference in the modeling and texturing of the aircraft. If anyone has knowledge of a late model (preferably an Ovation) near the San Antonio, Texas area, any help would be greatly appreciated! I know Kerville is right down the street, and they're next on my list of contacts. I've been spending quite a bit of time reading the forums and listening to what owners have said about maintaining and repairing their aircraft, it's given me quite a good insight on the M20 family. Thank you all very much Nick Wilkinson Edited July 15, 2017 by n118nw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SantosDumont Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 Do you do Xplane too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n118nw Posted July 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 Not personally but the group developing this project does, and I would imagine like all of their other aircraft, will eventually be made for XPlane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsxrpilot Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 http://www.allamericanaircraft.com 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 Welcome aboard, Nick! The Bravo has been a long standing, great example, of a Mooney in MSFS. The newer versions of the Mooney line are the Ovation and Acclaim... not much technical difference in the modeling, just more power derived from varying the power plant. I would really love a 310hp normally aspirated Mooney in MSFS. I am using the Steam version of MSFS for casual training exercises in combination with flying an actual 310hp Mooney Ovation. I would gladly buy the add-on software to fly my desk top O. +1 for checking in with All American Aircraft... they have many Mooneys for sale in the KSAT (Spring Branch) area... nobody knows Mooneys better and has physical access, than David and Jimmy... We also have some master level CFIs with specific knowledge of Mooney flying that could be helpful for your project. Like the guys who developed the factory training for owners of new planes... How about some interior options..? We have a few of those companies around here as well... from fancy leather yokes to newly styled interior panels and leather seats... what about the inevitable... new Mooneys come with Airbag seatbelts. It would be really cool to demonstrate the improved safety level of these devices... How about some nav radio and display options... The real G1000 Mooney has grown to include impressive ADSB and WAAS options... a must for the new world of navigation... Hope these ideas can be helpful to your team and your project.... Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n118nw Posted July 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 Thank you guys for the references to AAA. I had emailed Jimmy yesterday and am awaiting a response. According to the FAA's database there are only 4 or 5 Ovations registered here. Most likely I'll either visit Jimmy or Kerville, or maybe both. The Bravo in FS is ok, but it's dated and doesn't take advantage of new features in newer versions of the sim. Prepar3d comes with an Acclaim but the detail isn't there. The group I'm helping out hasn't said much of what the inside will be. Some of their aircraft use OEM equipment, some use newer radios and GPS with older steam gauges. I'm not sure what they're doing as I haven't really asked. I don't think airbags can be incorporated into the models. There was a company that did a pretty good parachute feature from the Cirrus family, not sure how they pulled it off but it worked. All of that stuff really exceeds what the game was meant to do. WAAS wasn't programmed into MSFS but there are a few addon avionics, Flight1's GTN750 (I have it and love it) does include WAAS, but the database is a few years old and since it relies on the Garmin 750 trainer, which runs in the background, I don't think it can be updated until Garmin updates it.. but at least it does have WAAS. I think it was last updated a few years ago. I'm not sure who else has made one. I used MSFS when I was doing my training 10 years ago. I struggled with NDB's when I was doing my instrument rating, MSFS was the free way to practice. Anyways, thanks again everyone for the quick input. Now I play the waiting game. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted July 15, 2017 Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 My first exposure to MSFS was on an IBM PC XT(?) with a monochrome monitor. The graphics were wire frames... The Airport was Chicago's Mieg's field... The plane was a C172... That was a starting point on my way to being a pilot... 1984. Hope I helped you guys in some fashion. Best regards, -a- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n118nw Posted July 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2017 1 hour ago, carusoam said: My first exposure to MSFS was on an IBM PC XT(?) with a monochrome monitor. The graphics were wire frames... The Airport was Chicago's Mieg's field... The plane was a C172... That was a starting point on my way to being a pilot... 1984. Hope I helped you guys in some fashion. Best regards, -a- Good 'ol Meigs.. terrible death. I remember back then, I think it was early '90's for me. I must have been around 11 or 12 at the time. It sparked the fire and after I graduated high school, I went to a 141 flight school and got all of my licenses, including CFI, II and MEI. Sadly I don't use them anymore, nor do I fly much these days.. but Mooney's are built in the area, they have a place in my heart, so I was thrilled when I was asked to help out the group that's modeling one. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n118nw Posted July 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2017 Talked to David at All American, they have 1 Ovation left but it's being repaired, and I'm looking to schedule a factory tour in Kerville. Thanks again everyone for your help! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 No better Mooney resources in the world, than those two... Best regards, -a- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n118nw Posted July 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 That's what I read, but so far, no one wants to accommodate non-buyers. Well, I found a lot of good images from a few individual sales websites of the steam gauges from an Ovation.. what I really need right now is a video or description of what the floor gear indicator does when the gear is in transit, all for proper animation in the flight simulator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carusoam Posted July 20, 2017 Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 There isn't a better sales tool than an accurate simulation of a powerful mooney in flight. Especially the part about acceleration after the gear transits up into the locked position. See if you can build a relationship with the marketing and sales person at Mooney. A copy of an accurate flight simulation for an Ovation or Acclaim would go well in the new owner's package of stuff. For AAA, you would need several versions of the various Mooneys they handle. No two are alike after they have been in owner's hands for more than a decade.... Is it possible that people see flight simulation more as a game than a tool to demonstrate actual flight characteristics of the plane? There could be a lot to lose if a potential customer is accidentally turned away by a less than stellar simulated flight experience. This may be the basis of a sales organization not being able to help. Sounds like the onus is on the simulator folks to make a perfect simulation that meets the expectation of every MSer. Gathering all the necessary details from a lot of MSers could be very helpful... It may be easier to simulate herding cats. I would like my copy of the Ovation sim to.... T/O in 500' or less Cruise at 300kts only use 10gph LOP genuinely simulate slow flight and stalls Sorry, my ideal normally aspirated Mooney has the performance more like a turboprop Mooney.... except for the fuel flow number. Good luck and Best regards, -a- 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n118nw Posted July 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 Sales seems to be a no go. I'm waiting to hear back from marketing. Originally, FS was just a game. To most, it still is. Microsoft finally got approval to use ESP, which is a commercial version of FSX for a flight training device. You can't log sim time but it is great for a procedural trainer. MS sold it to Lockheed and they've been taking it a step further. Being able to learn the proceedures and general characteristics of an aircraft without actually leaving the ground is a great training tool. The company I am working with has already made a M20J, however I haven't flown a J in over 15 years, and I only have about 10 hours in one. Of course, with the game.. the visual model and characteristics are two separate files. I can make your ideal Mooney powered by a rocket if you wanted.. or fly similarly to a 747. For now, until I can work closer with a sales team or the manufacturer, I have to rely on owners on forums. With that being said.. Anyone taking off anytime soon? Lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 You might need to sweeten the deal a bit in order to get somewhere. It's only fair since you are a commercial company looking to make a profit out of this. Just saying. I think what you are doing is great but doesn't quite benefit us the Mooney owners. Why fly a sim if you can fly the real thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.