by ROTW - F2FD groups

From a Peter Sidoli's idea, previously at Real Air Simulation group which after developing for Fly! is now a reference in FS world, and with the help of Ken Wood to obtain all the agreements, a team composed of Jarno Deken (F2FD), Laurent Claudet (ROTW) and TJ (ROTW) started the creation of a famous twin-engined aircraft: the Piper Seneca V, PA34 up-to-date model.

Gestation was very long, developers wishing to receive Peter's opinion for the setting of this aircraft he especially knows as he really pilots it. But Peter is a very busy man; and time was missing to react quickly.

Finally, this one arrived on these nice Indian summer days and after passing it between the hands of a very rigorous beta-testers team (the complete ROTW team) and Leen de Jager to add night colours, the Seneca V is available for download on our site.

The outside view below, gives you an idea about this nice machine, powerful, fast and very attractive. It's Jarno's work who designed 3D model and its texture. Much remained to be done and "aircraft manufacturer" of the ROTW team intervened: TJ for interiors, intruments panel and flight intruments, Laurent for flight model and specific DLL developed for this aircraft. Then, the two members coordinate themselves in order to connect all that together.

As usual, the point of order of this aircraft will be the Fly! specificity: its panel.

Here is for the main part:

Top part:

Bottom part:

Nothing is missing and all is operative (except 3 or 4 switches not used because without any visible function). Of course, east 3/4 view has animate and adjustable instruments like for previous ROTW aicraft. Let's go for a complete interior tour:

FANTASTIC isn't it ?

Several new functionalities have set to develop specific DLL modules, 9 in total:

- instruments animation for 3/4 view (4 DLL's)
- doors (left, right and cargo) opening with F10 key
- separate adjustments for instruments panel and instruments lightings
- an Up/Down rocker active by steps of 500 ft for the auto pilot and which fixes a Fly! II bug
- an instrument of "glass cockpit" type, the ND (with TCAS anti-collision system) which goes up into a pop-up window
- a northeast view completely operative, dials and buttons
- night outside textures (from Leen obviously !)

The starting part was not forgotten and received a particular attention concerning the realism of its breaking down.
Electrical power management is also managed; don't forget to switch on alternators. Even the wing icing light is there.

All that is totally described with numerous pictures in the flight manual (downloadable here). Our designers reached a high details level; both horizons are different like in the real aircraft:

Now you still have to sit in the left seat (the right one is already taken), to have a look, to cram the flight manual before starting engines one after the other and to do a well-deserved fly; why not over the Alps reviewed and corrected by ROTW's sceneries designers (with new elevations).

Let's get your joysticks !

by ROTW - F2FD groups

The release of this plane generated numerous "thanks" messages and also questions about some files described in the Readme file but not supplied.

Two files are concerned :
- AIRPVARMAG.pod
- rotw_fpl.sit

The first one is required for the ND (Navigation Display) operation; the second one is a flight plan example for the ND.
You will find both files in a zip file you can download here below. We also added it a "PilotNotes.txt" file which gives you some Seneca flying parameters.

The installation is described in the Readme file supplied with the aircraft.

by TJ

This Seneca V "French" version, completely realized by TJ (who accepts "to lend" his plane to us if we take care well), is in fact a version 2 because it brings number of news which will become fast unavoidable:

First of all, the very wanted GPS/autopilot coupling. It is made and that works really perfectly. The implementation is made with the contribution of a supplementary switch located in the left of the registration number:

Of course, you need have loaded a flight plan into the GPS, and the coupling is made by setting the autopilot to "ON", "FD", "NAV". It gives the result that follows with a Rennes-MT-Nantes FPL:

Naturally, the altitude was stabilized and had been reached with the quite new altitude selector, the second news of this magnificent aircraft. Obviously, the selector takes into account the pressures on the "up/down rocker" of the autopilot (by steps of 500 ft).

As you can notice it, everything is made to give back, if possible, the most pleasant and the safest flight. TJ also created, for us, two new indicator lights on the alarms panel: green cowl flaps setting into service indicators.

Finally, instruments panel lightings were improved for some instruments.
You will say to yourselves that it is perfect and it is necessary to try it immediately, stop ! It is not finished !

TJ cannot repaint an aircraft without doing again the interior. And so, the F-GTFR is equipped with magnificent tawny leather seating: wow ! It is beautiful !

Also, he added supplementary views from the interior : as if the pilot stuck the nose on the left window to see better outside, spectacular in bend during a slip landing !
Here is the result:

Normal views

New views

Useful no ?

But it is not finished ! There is another news: from the outside, at night, it is the instruments panel lighting that "illuminates" softly the faces of the pilot and his passenger.

Model "N95D"

F-GTFR model