FSX Arado Ar196

Arado Ar196. Instructions on converting Alphasim's freeware Arado 196 (AR196FS9.ZIP) to work with FSX. Also requires new gauges (KEDIGUD2.ZIP). By David Wilson-Okamura.

How to Convert Alphasim Arado Ar-196 to FSX:

The purpose of this package is to make the Alphasim Arado Ar-196, now freeware, usable in FSX. I make no warranty -- this is freeware -- and encourage you to back up all relevant files before you start.

What needs to be done? First, we need to replace the gauges; the old ones don't work. I have done this for the virtual cockpit, but the 2D cockpit needs some work (which I am leaving to someone else). Second, we need to use some different sounds; the old ones don't exist in FSX. Third, we need a thumbnail image for the Aircraft selection menu.

1. Download ar196_fs9.zip.

2. Using Windows Explorer, open this folder or its equivalent: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes.

3. In the Airplanes subfolder, create a new folder titled Arado Ar-196.

4. Copy the contents of ar196_fs9.zip directly into this new folder.

5. The main problem with the Arado model is that it uses FS98 gauges, which no longer work in FSX. Instead, we are going to use the freeware gauge set developed by Hauke Keitel (which looks great, by the way). Download kedigau_ud2.zip. Unzip its contents into your FSX Gauges folder, so that KeDI is a subfolder of Gauges.

6. Don't run FSX yet. We need to copy three files first, and make two backups.

7. In the panel subfolder, make a backup copy of panel.cfg. (I name my backup original.panel.cfg.)

8. Now, copy panel.cfg from this archive (the one containing this readme.txt) into the Arado's panel subfolder. Click "Yes" to replace the existing file (which you backed up in step #6). The effect of this file is to replace the non-working FS98 gauges with Hauke Keitel's freeware gauges.

9. Go up a level and open the sound folder. The Alphasim Arado uses the sounds from the default Cessna 182, which isn't part of FSX anymore. We're going to borrow sounds from a different airplane. First, though, make a backup copy of sound.cfg. (I name my backup original.sound.cfg.)

10. Now, copy sound.cfg from this archive (the one containing this readme.txt) into the Arado's sound subfolder. Click "Yes" to replace the existing file (which you backed up in step #8). The effect of this is to borrow sounds from the default Beaver (which, like the Arado, is a floatplane).

11. We are almost done. So that you have a picture of the Arado when you select an aircraft in FSX, copy thumbnail.jpg from this archive (the one containing this readme.txt) into the Arado's texture folder.

12. That's it. Run FSX and try out your new floatplane.