FSX Leander Class Frigates

Leander Class Frigates, AI and static, intended as stand-alone or escort vessels for carriers. Three versions are included, 4.5 in twin turret, Ikara anti-submarine weapon, and Exocet air to surface missile. All versions are helicopter landable, and include smoke effect. Provided both with and without wake effect. By Mike Hudson.

Leander Class Frigates for FSX

As someone who is interested not only in aviation, but also in matters maritime, I naturally gravitated towards carrier aircraft. There are a number of aircraft carriers readily available, both freeware and payware, but a dearth of escort vessels. Aircraft carriers rarely sail alone, if at all. I therefore decided to make some escort vessels for my own use. These are the results. I decided to start with the most numerous post war class of Royal Naval frigates, the Leander class. This also had the benefit of allowing me to produce three different configurations using the same basic hull, superstructure, funnel, and forward mast/mack. They are not intended to be super accurate models, but rather to be used together with an aircraft carrier as a group of vessels.

Included here are three Leander Class Frigates for FSX, helicopter landable, provided in both static and AI form. Please see the installation instruction in the relevant folder for information on how to use them in FSX. They were produced using FSDS 3.5.1, and compiled using the FSX Acceleration/SP2 SDK. They have been tested using FSX with Acceleration/SP2 only, and Windows XP Home edition.
The three ships are:-
HMS Euryalus (F15) – a Batch 1B vessel shown as originally fitted with 4.5in. twin turret, Limbo launcher, two 40mm Bofors guns, and no Sea Cat missiles.
HMS Leander (F109) – a Batch 1A vessel shown as converted to carry Ikara, Sea Cat Missiles and Limbo launcher.
HMS Andromeda (F57) – a Batch 3 vessel shown with Exocet missiles, Sea Wolf Missiles, the Limbo launcher removed, and extended flight deck to accommodate the Westland Lynx helicopter. All vessels come in two versions, one with wake effect and one without. You can choose whichever you prefer. They also have navigation lights which only show at dawn, night and dusk. These are the standard aircraft navigation fx effects, and as such cannot be seen from the distances prescribed in the International Regulations for Prevention of Collision at Sea (IRPCS). I tried with larger effects, but the bloom and reflection was too great, and they could clearly be seen from a horizontal angle at which they should not! I therefore reverted to the aircraft lights.

These vessels as depicted are probably not historically accurate. I have used information and photographs readily available on the net as a guide. If some of you who have a more detailed knowledge, or even served on them, are concerned at the inaccuracies, then I am sorry, but to me they adequately achieve what I set out to produce.

Credits:-
Produced using FSDS 3.5.1 from Abacus.
Compiled using Microsoft Acceleration/SP2 SDK.
Static bgl compiled using Library Creator XML by Arno Gerretsen.
Textures compiled using DXTBmp by Martin Wright.

Installation:-
I have provided separate installation notes in both the static and AI folders. Please go to the relevant folder for them.

Finally this is provided as freeware. The copyright in the design/model is mine. It is not to be used for commercial gain, nor to be uploaded to any site that extracts payment. If anyone wishes to provide repaints please feel free, but ensure that you upload the textures only and not the model. I would also appreciate a copy.
If by any chance you wish to use these models in scenery that you create and upload yourself, you may do so freely provided no person or company derives any commercial gain, due credit is given, and they are used unaltered.

These files should not harm you or your computer, but you use them entirely at your own risk!

Mike Hudson

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