Yes! It's real!
This update adds a Harrier GR.9 to the flyable aircraft list. It is not just a helicopter re-skin - it really does fly like an aircraft.
That being said - please be aware that this is really only a tech demo of getting the current flight model to transition from a helicopter to a normal aircraft and, as such, the flight model is a little twitchy!
The nozzle vectoring is currently all controlled automatically for you so you'll need to take this into account as you attempt to transition into forward flight. This is the basic procedure....
1. Rise vertically to about 50m altitude
2. Raise landing gear
3. Dip nose to begin forward acceleration
4. Once you've achieved 70-80kts of forward speed the thrust vectoring should now provide enough forward power to be able to climb and accelerate away.
5. At around 180kts the transition from hover to forward flight is complete and you are now flying as a normal aircraft (or there abouts!)
Because there is no trim system the Harrier will feel nose heavy at low speed but will want to climb at high speed - this is something I will work on in the future.
Other considerations is that none of the weapons are really designed for fast movers. Hellfires can sometimes struggle to hit correctly if launched at close range or very high speed. However, the twin ADEN canon is a lot of fun!
For those that are wondering why I've put the Harrier in a helicopter game - I needed to develop a suitable hybrid flight mode for both the Cheyenne and Osprey helicopters/VTOLs. Doing a Harrier seemed logical and I also had a 3d model available!
The build also allowed me to create animation systems for hydraulic systems such as the control surfaces and landing gear which are also required for some upcoming helicopters.
Plus - it also allowed me to see how the missions system/terrain areas worked with fixed wing aircraft as a guide to how much work is required to setup Stealth Fighter D.E.X.
Other Updates
1. Added a new music track
2. Unified the map icon system so that they scale correctly when zooming maps in and out
3. Missiles now appear on the threat display system (work in progress - I need to make them more visible)
Other News
The Tor SAM system didn't quite make it. The vehicle is in and the missiles are working together with a suitable command guidance system, but I didn't have time to setup the chaff system which would mean you'd have no defence against them.
I will get that sorted ASAP - maybe over the weekend if I have time but, if not, certainly early next week.
Hotfix
1. Corrected the Harrier's targeting pod gimbal limits to help prevent it targeting itself!
2. Removed the HUD meshes from the Harrier cockpit as they are not needed and were causing issues with the ocean renderer due to back face culling.
Hotfix 2
1. Fixed an issue with the Stores page not refreshing correctly when starting a new mission.