FSX Virtavia F-4 Pack 2 Panel

Panel--Virtavia F-4 Pack 2. This is a complete panel and gauge set for the now freeware FS2004 Virtavia F4 Phantom II Pack 2 in FSX. This is not for the purist! Quite a few functions are available in it that were not included by McDonnell Douglas/Boeing on the real deal. Note: This has the revised afterburners, and other updates done, and replaces the earlier versions released prior to August 19, 2011. By Don Bodenstedt.

"Word Wrap!"

This is a Complete panel and gauge set for the now freeware FS9 Virtavia F-4 Phantom II Pack 2 in FSX. This isn't for the purist! Quite a few functions are available in it that were not included by McDonnell Douglas/Boeing on the real deal. The multifunction RADAR works similar to the FSX Tower's RADAR system, with the controls on the RADAR head itself. It has a red VC light effect to help with night Flying, though the 2D is better suited for Night Flight. Automatic individual afterburner controls(90% throttles), a basic HUD, electrical controls, and replacments for almost all of the unlabeled default switches is included.

For the panel tweaker in you, the package includes a collection of around 100 gauges that I have created for Phantoms and other planes from that era. Some have photo real backgrounds, some gauges come both with and without bezels, and some don't work!

NOTE: If you use the keyboard for throttle control, when the afterburners engage, you will NOT be able to reduce throttle from 100%. F1 will work to set idle throttle, so you can regain throttle control. My controller operates the throttle without lockup so I assume any external controller will work also.

The green and red indicators above the E2 Fuel Flow Gauge are for the afterburner. Click on it(green lit) and auto burners engage at 90% throttle(red lit). Without it enabled(green unlit) the throttle and fuel flow remain standard military power.

The colored lettering on the RADAR enables/changes the functions, and the main and HUD shutter knobs work for those items. You'll have to spend some time exploring the gauges to figure out which knob/switch/window does what.

On the left console where the start switches are is a Power Control module that connects and starts/stops ground power and has an avionics power switch.

The 2D is well suited for Night Flight and the landing panel gives superior vision for shooting traps.

Installation:

1) Place the Panel.Virt2DCB folder in your .../FSX/Airplanes/Virtavia F-4 Phantom II Pack 2 folder.

2) Place copies of all 3 .cabs from the Virtavia Phantom Pack 1, 2, and 3, either in the panel folder or FSX/Gauges.

3) Place PhantomGaugesDCBx.CAB where you put the above.

4) Place the contents of the Effects folder in .../FSX/Effects.

***The following changes are all in the aircraft.cfg***:

5) Change the "panel=" to "panel=Virt2DCB" in [fltsim.XX] for any livery you want this panel in.

6) For the afterburners to work correctly the lights section needs to replaced. Unfortunately with this change in the aircraft.cfg(which is not selectable), all of your liveries will need "panel=Virt2DCB", otherwise your lights and burners will NOT work properly because of the default Virtavia gauges in [Vcockpit01]:

[lights]
//Types: 1=beacon, 2=strobe, 3=navigation, 4=cockpit, 5=landing
//6=taxi light, 7=recognition light, 8=wing light, 9=logo light
light.0 = 3, -6.8, -19.37, -0.58, fx_navred ,
light.1 = 3, -6.8, 19.37, -0.58, fx_navgre ,
light.2 = 2, -11.02, -19.30, -0.72, fx_recog ,
light.3 = 2, -11.02, 19.30, -0.72, fx_recog ,
light.4 = 3, -26.77, 0, 10.05, fx_navwhi ,
light.5 = 4, 19.684, -0.723, 2.606, fx_vclight_nred, //fx_vclight = standard VC lighting,
light.6 = 4, 14.72, 0, 2.606, fx_vclight_nred, //fx_vclight,
light.7 = 1, 9.55, 0, 4.88, fx_beacon,
light.8 = 1, -15.94, 0, 7.31, fx_beaconb,

//Afterburners Section: For you folks that only want/need that, copy/paste and renumber light.xx
light.9=6, -15.00, -2.10, -1.60, fx_F14_Burn1, // Eng1 Afterburner Burn1
light.10=6, -15.25, -2.10, -1.60, fx_F14_Burn2, // Eng1 Afterburner Burn2
light.11=6, -16.25, -2.10, -1.60, fx_F14_Burnerflame, // Eng1 Afterburner Flame
light.12=7, -15.00, 2.20, -1.60, fx_F14_Burn1, // Eng2 Afterburner Burn1
light.13=7, -15.25, 2.20, -1.60, fx_F14_Burn2, // Eng2 Afterburner Burn2
light.14=7, -16.25, 2.20, -1.60, fx_F14_Burnerflame, // Eng2 Afterburner Flame
light.15=8, -13.10, -2.20, -0.75, fx_PhantomExhaustDCB, //fx_PhantomExhaustDCB= Eng 1 Exhaust haze, when engine 1 running, fx_F14_Blueflame= Eng 1 Blueflame, Eng 1 running
light.16=9, -13.10, 2.20, -0.75, fx_PhantomExhaustDCB, //fx_PhantomExhaustDCB= Eng 2 Exhaust haze, when engine 2 running, fx_F14_Blueflame= Eng 2 Blueflame, Eng 2 running,

//For those that have the Doug Dawson / Rob Barendregt Sonic Boom setup, remove the comment "//" in front of light.17.
//light.17= 10, -10.0, 0.0, 0.0, fx_RCB_machenvlop,1 // SonicBoom visual effect

7) and to enable the proper fuel flow with afterburners engaged:

[TurbineEngineData]
fuel_flow_gain= 0.002
inlet_area= 6.250
rated_N2_rpm= 29920.000
static_thrust= 11875.000
afterburner_available = 1 //Afterburner stages available?
afterburner_throttle_threshold = 1.10 //0.85, Percent of throttle, Over 0.990 disables the simulator control of AB range where a/b begins
reverser_available = 0 //Thrust reverser available?
ThrustSpecificFuelConsumption = 0.83 //Thrust specific fuel consumption (Jets)
AfterBurnThrustSpecificFuelConsumption = 2.05 //TSFC with afterburn/reheat engaged

8) The Radio Stack also needs it's section replaced if it is setup to use radios that have standby/swap function:

[Radios]
// Radio Type = available, standby frequency, has glide slope
Audio.1= 1
Com.1= 1, 0, 0
Com.2= 1, 0, 0
Nav.1= 1, 0, 1
Nav.2= 1, 0, 0
Adf.1= 1, 0
Adf.2= 1, 0
Transponder.1= 1
Marker.1= 1

9) Not mandatory but I suggest adding a [flight_tuning] section if you haven't already done so:

[flight_tuning]
cruise_lift_scalar=1.000
parasite_drag_scalar=1.000
induced_drag_scalar=1.000
elevator_effectiveness=1.000
aileron_effectiveness=1.000
rudder_effectiveness=1.000
pitch_stability=1.000
roll_stability=1.000
yaw_stability=1.000
elevator_trim_effectiveness=1.000
aileron_trim_effectiveness=1.000
rudder_trim_effectiveness=1.000

10) Here is my effects section if you want Startup, Eng Fire, and Rain effects:

[effects]
wake=fx_wake
water=fx_spray
dirt=fx_tchdrt
concrete=fx_sparks
touchdown=fx_tchdwn_s, 1
startup=fx_F14_StartupHeat
EngineFire=fx_engfire_f18
windshield_rain_effect_available=1

11) Last, but not least, ENJOY! Don "fxsttcb" Bodenstedt.