High detailed model, fully animated
High detailed 3D cockpit, fully animated and working
Frame rate friendly in single and multi player, it cames in two versions:
- 'SOLO' for single player use
- 'UBUNTU' optimized for multiplayer
- Complete 3D-lights systems both internal and external, no flaws on low visibility
TEXTURES
- Complete Italian liveries set in different tone and aging
- Bump, speculars applied (SOLO model only)
- Soon a complete paintkit will be available for painters
SYSTEMS
- Almost all real system have been modelled and are working as the real thing is
- Flight dynamics modeled 99% close to real airplane, fully tested and validated by qualified real F-104 pilots, DDIS (Dynamic Drag Index System)
- Fully functional NASARR R-21G radar, A/G and A/A mode
- Aerodynamic pitch up, inertia coupling and BLC system reproduced
- Payload drop actually changes airplane weight and balance
- Inertial navigator Litton LN-3 fully implemented
- Dual timer bombing system
- Special weapon delivery system
- Conventional weapon system, rocket launch, AA missiles launch system (requires vACMI)
- vACMI compatible, weapon system requires at least vACMI installed, vACMI is free of charge.
MULTIPLAYER
- Model is optimized for Multiplayer, it loads, drops/launch MK82/MK83/Rockets/Gun, launchs AIM9/AIM7, weapon drop/blast and missile launch are visible both in single and multiplayer mode with no or negligible FSX server clogging (tested and verified with up to 10 players and 25 weapon, bandwidth load remains below 80 KBytes)
OTHERS
Model comes with complete docs:
- Normal/emergency/weapons procedures pilot checklists
- Real 300 pages aircraft manual patched to be fully used with the model
- Other useful docs
- High detailed sceneries of 2 Italian airbases (Rimini and Istrana)
- Support forum account
- All version 7.x upgrading and patches at no cost.
- Full detailed paint kit available for painters (It will be published later)
- GPL (restricted) licensed
SOLO/MULTIPLAYER CONSIDERATIONS (SOLO vs UBUNTU)
- UBUNTU models are optimized for multiplayer environment, fuselage has less than 80000 triangles, no bumps nor specular maps still mantaining an excellent graphical quality, it does not require great rendering resources and is frame rate friendly.
- UBUNTU models can be used with more than 10 players with no or little frame drop, above 20 players frame rate is still acceptable on high end machines.
- SOLO models can be still used in multiplayer as well, however they do have more complex fuselage, bump and specular maps. We suggest to do not fly with more than 6 players with SOLO models. The installer let the user to install also UBUNTU models or not.
Oh for the love of all that is holy. This is this most painful installation process. It says it’s “keyless” but then you have to request an activation key. However the activation key doesn’t work so you end up buying just a demo that still won’t work until you visit the SSW developers site to download textures and liveries. Trying to get support and it’s taking days to communicate because each response and solution opens up a new problem in the convoluted and ridiculous process. I’ve bought a lot of planes from many different developers, but SimSkunkWorks is all alone as the worst possible at just getting a functioning product. Why on Earth do they have such a crazy multi step insane system for installing? Everybody else is pretty simple. Buy, download, install...fly. Done. Not SSW. It’s Buy, download install, discover new step that doesn’t work, get support, reinstall, discover new step that doesn’t work, get support wait told to visit website to download no install extra packages. On to downloading and installing next packages and they don’t work right... 5 days later and the installer activation process fails to even work...contact support again and wait.....
totally nuts.