Question regarding b727-200_world_airways_1986_291_n407bn

[jetblue3000]

First of all thank you HJG for all of your hard work!!

I recently downloaded the World Airways 727-200 N407BN texture and the aircraft.cfg (below) uses the following early 727-200 model.

Use HJG supplied B727-200 EARLY JT8D-7 NTL/VHF Aircraft Base Pack

However when I download the base pack needed I noticed the NTL model is not in the base pack at all.

[fltsim.xx]
title=Boeing 727-200 World Airways 1986
sim=B727200_VL
model=NTL
panel=
sound=
texture=world_airways_1986_291_n407bn_1986

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

OK .... after a little necessary re-investigation I've now gotten to the bottom of this (so a revised statement is necessary) after consulting my original release notes and our forum based B727 manual.

There is no missing or corrupted data (as I first suspected might apply in this case) associated with this aircraft base pack file .... so .... knowing what the situation "actually is now" be advised as follows ....


Our current "V2.0" B727-200 EARLY NTL VHF JT8D-7 and B727-200 EARLY NTL VHF JT8D-9 aircraft base packs were "intentionally" only ever composed of a single model file each .... this being the "VHF" model only.

No "NTL" model was ever included within either of these 2 base packs when released during 2015 .... and the reason for that is because our model editor could not, at the time these models were produced/edited, find evidence of any of what we loosely term as being NTL (No Tail Light) featured examples of early production B727-200 aircraft in PAX configuration .... hence these 2 base packs are each composed of the model currently offered.

This information's consistent with what's stated within the "MODEL REPRESENTATION" section of our B727 manual and as follows ....

1.07: "BOEING 727 MODEL REPRESENTATION".

B727-200 (early production)

- B727-200 VHF (JT8D-7/-9)
- B727-200 TL (JT8D-7/-9)

tonymadgehjg.proboards.com/thread/7819/b727-panels-installation-handling-notes

.... and is also consistent with reference imagery for the models contained within these 2 aircraft base packs too.

Again .... no "NTL" model is included in either and is/was intentional ...."at the time"


HOWEVER .... since these "V2.0" B727-200 base packs were released (during 2015) we "have" discovered R/W evidence of NTL featured early production B727-200's in PAX configuration. Most early production B727-200's featured a tail light (represented per TL models in accordance with our descriptive terminology) .... whilst others were VHF antennae featured (VHF models) .... just as was the case in regard to B727-100's too. Much later on in their operating careers though it seems some operators of tail light featured aircraft dispensed with this feature by recapping the end of the tail bullet where this light was fitted, or, they deactivated this light and simply painted over the tail bullet light cap .... thus creating the impression of an NTL feature "by our assessment". This was evident .... when we located R/W imagery of this particular WORLD AIRWAYS subject livery (and other examples even more recently too) in order to define its most suitable 3D model candidate and why it (among a few other textures since) was assigned an "NTL" model .... we'd forgotten we hadn't yet released "NTL" models for the B727-200 EARLY NTL VHF version base packs and had essentially gotten slightly ahead of ourselves by doing so

Our "V2.1" B727-200 EARLY NTL VHF aircraft base packs (not released yet) "WILL" contain both "NTL" and "VHF" models .... for reasons of the above explanation. These new "V2.1" B727-200 aircraft base packs will also feature additional corrections and refinements too.

In the case of the WORLD AIRWAYS 1986 texture I recommend you do as follows ....


1. Use this texture with the "B727-200 EARLY TL JT8D-7" version aircraft base pack.

2. Edit the MODEL= data line within the supporting FLTSIM.XX data for this texture to read precisely as follows ....

model=TL


Make no other changes.

Using this aircraft base pack and 3D model assignment the tail light will be evident, but, it's a tiny detail and not an entirely inaccurate one.

I can't say when our new "V2.1" B727-200 aircraft base packs might become available .... it depends on a lot at the moment.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Further re the above report and advice .... we've now resolved this particular issue (today) as follows ....

Our two "cargo version (SCD)" B727-200F EARLY V2.0 base packs "DO" have, and always have had, the NTL model .... but .... our two original "PAX version" B727-200 EARLY V2.0 base packs have never featured the NTL model.

In the case of our two "PAX version" B737-200 EARLY base packs this omission was "intentional" due to our not being able to find evidence of any PAX version NTL configured early production B727-200's .... during the period within which these base packs were first compiled.

More recently though, and whilst further advancing our future release V2.1 B727 base packs (featuring fixes and a few other minor corrections), we "did" then find evidence some early production B727-200's (mostly from the 1980's) with their tail light removed or otherwise concealed, so, we then produced a "PAX version" B727-200 EARLY NTL model .... for our future release V2.1 B737-200 EARLY "PAX" version base packs.

HOWEVER .... we (meaning "I") completely forgot that whilst I (at least) have this particular new "NTL" model installed, this same new model wasn't featured within either of our downloadable "PAX version" B737-200 EARLY base packs, and over the past several months I'd assigned a non-existent model to several new release textures without realizing this particular discrepancy .... all as was advised yesterday


SO HERE'S WHAT WE'VE DONE TO RESOLVE THIS

We've just reuploaded our two B727-200 EARLY NTL/VHF aircraft base packs.

We've now included the "NTL" model within each of these two aircraft base pack .... and which now feature both "NTL" as well as "VHF" models.

These replacement base packs (separate files for the JT8D-7 and JT8D-9 powered versions) are suffixed "V2.0A" .... and are now available/downloadable.

Refresh your internet browser (use SHIFT + F5 keyboard commands) "prior to" viewing and trying to access these corrected file offerings .... which are available within the "B737-200 EARLY" base pack section of our B727-200 downloads page.


RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

Download these new "B727-200 EARLY NTL VHF JT8D-7 V2.0A" and "B727-200F EARLY NTL VHF JT8D-7 V2.0A" aircraft base packs.

Transfer all textures .... and their supporting FLTSIM.XX data as well as both Panel and Sound folders from the old/original aircraft base packs to these "NEW" aircraft base packs .... and all will/should be well.

The old/original base packs can then be discarded/dumped.

PLEASE NOTE: Except for their new file version suffix number these two replacement aircraft base packs are "precisely the same as their originals" (since no changes or edits have been applied to either) .... with the exception of the inclusion of the "NTL" model file within each.

PLEASE NOTE ALSO: These replacement "V2.0A" aircraft base packs "DO NOT" feature the intended future release V2.1 fixes/corrections and enhancements since these are not yet ready for release.


OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

Review the "B727-200 EARLY" section of our following-linked forum based B727 TEXTUTRE INVENTORY ....


B727 TEXTURE INVENTORY
tonymadgehjg.proboards.com/thread/6297/hjg-b727-texture-inventory


Note each of the aircraft livery/texture selections we offer for the early production B727-200 aircraft subjects .... and in particular the recommended 3D model and aircraft base pack assignments listed beside each subject.

Make sure these textures are installed inside the recommended aircraft type/engine type base packs .... and are then assigned the correct/recommended aircraft type/engine type panels too.

Bear aware also that all pre-October 2015 B727-200 released texture subjects require the MODEL= data line within their respective FLTSIM.XX data to be manually edited with the name of a Model supplied within their associated aircraft base pack/s (hence the above referenced texture, base pack, and model listings which are intended to assist in regard to this minor imposition) .... BUT .... all B727-200 texture subjects released since October 2015 require no such editing, at all, since the MODEL= data lines for their respective FLTSIM.XX data already feature the correct model assignments by default .... along with information concerning aircraft base pack, panel, and sound recommendation.

Model references within our forum based B727 manual have also now been updated to reflect todays file content amendments.


Our thanks to "JETBLUE3000" for drawing this discrepancy to our attention

AND .... thanks once again to Peter LIDDELL for his prompt attention to these file replacements

To everyone else .... "sorry for any inconvenience"

Mark