[ANNOUNCEMENT] Schweizer SGS 2-33A Glider (Freeware)

[DA40CGDFQ]

In anticipation of Gliders coming to SU11, We are developing the SGS 2-33A glider.

This will be freeware.

This glider is used by the Royal Canadian Air Cadets in Canada. Cadets from all around Canada have to oportunity to learn how to fly a Glider and obtain their Transport Canada Glider Pilot license.
The glider was manufactured in the 1970’s and 1980’s and has been used by the Cadet program. The US air Force Academy flew these until 2002.
It’s construction is a metal tube frame with a fabric covering. The nose is fiberglass.
Additional Specifications:

Glide Ration: 23:1

Empty Weight: 600 lbs

Gross Weight: 1040 lbs

Wing Span: 51’

Length: 25’9"

Height: 9’3.5"

This version for MSFS 2020 is based on a Glider used in the SouthWest Ontario Regional gliding center in Centrailia and Chatham.
It has been tested by Glider pilots that are part of the Central Regional Gliding School.

Features:
Opening Canopy, Side window and rear Door
Animated Joystick Controls front and rear
Spoiler handle
Spoilers extend and retract on the upper and lower parts of the wings
Working animated control surfaces.
Working Instruments Altimeter, Vertical Speed and Airspeed (mph)
Tow Cable Release knob
Rudder Pedals
Com 1 radio

Scheduled Release Late Nov 2022 - After 40th Aniversary Edition
when we can get access to the Glider functionality

Future Features:

Bellanca Scout Tow plane

2023/10/31
Download Link early Alpha

https://www.gs614.ca/sgs-233a.html

This aircraft is currently being entirely redone. Newer Blender skills keep making me want to do it better.

Discord GrandSkies 614

[SeedyL3205]

I flew my first solo flight in a SGS 2-33A back in 1996. I’ll definitely be watching the development of this addon.

[Vonzeigler]

I learned on a 2-33 and it was my first time in any airplane!! Hope to get to fly it again!!!

[Stardrifter2232]

Good luck! I look forward to it.

[PharaohEo]

Best of luck to your team!

[Niccokai]

Looking forward to it, hope it spins aswell CRGS has some nice spinning gliders so it’d be nice to have a 2-33 that can actually spin in the sim no matter how docile it is.

[shadeobrady]

No freakin way - my training glider! I was getting antsy enough that I was looking into how I could make this model myself to put on flightsim.to one day, but it would be a lift as I only have done liveries and some scenery work.

Any ideas on timeline or how far out you’re looking?

Do you all have need for help anywhere on the project (if it’s a group development)?

[DA40CGDFQ]

Since we have been given zilch on how to set up tow plane etc. it will be after the Nov 11. So say late nov early dec.

And …

[DA40CGDFQ]

Unfortunately Asobo did not finish putting in Towplane functionality, or have not yet told us the Secret Sause required. But maybe someday we can provide specific towplanes.

Default is the 172

what I want is my Bellanca Scout.

Forcing it via a FLT file causes the menu to disappear and CTDs.

Sad Face.

[MSGamerTag01]

let me know if you need any help with a TE vario and winch launch in the SGS 2-33, those could be a straight lift from the K7.

B21

[DA40CGDFQ]

The Secret Sause has be found!

Bellanca Towplane

[DA40CGDFQ]

Now for a simple test of a complete flight.

SGS 2-33A Glider with Bellanca Scout TowPlane

[EPPRglider81]

Great to see your progress going smooth.
If you are on facebook you can publish your video at our msfs gliding community at group “MS Flight Simulator Gliders” (over 1400 members already) - if not I can do it
In discord there are at least two msfs gliders focused groups that would definately be interested in your work:
Sim Soaring Club Sim Soaring Club
and GotGravel Got Gravel

BTW MsGamerTag01 from post above is crator of ls4, as33 and ka7 gliders for msfs and helped with developement of other gliders so his experience may help you solve any technical questions or problems.

[Rustydatsun1547]

This is my training glider, i really hope you can partner with some dev’s that are really good at texturing because i play in VR and the detail of the plane really plays a big role in how often i fly that plane

[shadeobrady]

I can also offer detailed shots of our 2-33A’s, both yellow, if you all are working on that still. Weathering would be lovely, although I can do a livery with that after this is released.

[MSGamerTag01]

Awesome picture of the real cockpit from @Rustydatsun1547

Quick suggestions, feel free to ignore:

(1) the instrument dials look rather small - the standard glider hole cutouts are 90mm and 57mm & the main gauges in a SGS 2-33 are most likely to be the larger size. Sorry to be pedantic but it’s the small piece of the 3D model that the pilot stares at every time they fly the aircraft.

(2) So long as a texture png/dds is mapped to the cockpit panel rather than a stock MSFS ‘material’ others can help by providing a direct replacement for that image file. The external surfaces are generally mapped to a single image say SGS233A.PNG.DDS, which makes it super-easy for people to provide other images as ‘liveries’ and quite often one is so good you might as well make it the default in a later upgrade. The panel texture also makes it relatively easy to improve the realism of the panel with random bits of ■■■■ that inevitably appear stuck to real glider panels.

(3) The existing freeware Schleicher K7 is definitely your friend here Schleicher K7 Glider » Microsoft Flight Simulator - that code is totally freebie ‘open source’ and can give you vario, yawstring, spoilers/wheelbrake, sounds and a good glider flight model much closer to the SGS-32 than any other MSFS aircraft which you can make very small adjustments to get it perfect for the SGS 2-33A

[DA40CGDFQ]

Appreciate the suggestion and the help offered. I am building my skills in Substance Painter and Blender. What you see now is just getting the flight model setup and the towplane. It’s FAR from finished. My Minecraft version is for ease of exporting/building.

My first version is for use by the Air Cadet community, then we shall see where it goes from there. I have the K7 downloaded.

So suggestions for improvement
are welcome, detail pics also.

So working towards this:

[shadeobrady]

Thanks for all the hard work - totally makes sense to get it all flyable and then work back into details. Seems like you’ve got a bunch of people here willing to provide reference shots and knowledge if you need it so just holler at us!

[RobDisciple]

Very excited for this! As a real-life glider student I need a solid low performance glider that works with the SU11 tow plane/nose hook functionality. The K7 freeware is awesome but has not yet been updated for proper tow cable placement, you can force it as a glider in the .cfg file the the tow rope blocks your view

If you want feedback on an early version, please post up a beta version!

[EPPRglider81]

To use Ka7 with official tow plane/winch besides changing it to glider what you already did do:

Create file reference_points.cfg in Community\Schleicher_K7_GlideSimmer_B21_1.10\SimObjects\Airplanes\GlideSimmer67_Schleicher_K7 with contents (I only precisely set tow/winch points, I didn’t bother to set up Jimmy hands properly) :

[REFERENCEPOINT.0]
Name=attachpt_wingrunner_pos
AttachTo=""
IsExterior=1
RelativePos=-30,0,-0.8
RelativeRot=0,0,0

[REFERENCEPOINT.1]
Name=attachpt_wingrunner_left_hand
AttachTo=""
IsExterior=1
RelativePos=-29.344635,2.230001,0.368459
RelativeRot=0,3.14159265359,-0.78

[REFERENCEPOINT.2]
Name=attachpt_wingrunner_right_hand
AttachTo="IK_Right_Hand_Target"
IsExterior=1
RelativePos=0,0,0
RelativeRot=0,0,0

[REFERENCEPOINT.3]
Name=attachpt_tow_cable_towplane
AttachTo=""
IsExterior=1
RelativePos=0,-2.59,6.92
RelativeRot=0,0,0

[REFERENCEPOINT.4]
Name = attachpt_tow_cable_winch
IsExterior = 1
RelativePos=-0.45,-3.32,2.08

and register this file in Community\Schleicher_K7_GlideSimmer_B21_1.10\layout.json like this (I list here some already existing and additional entry - note all the open/closing parens and commas as they are important):

   {
      "path": "SimObjects/Airplanes/GlideSimmer67_Schleicher_K7/texture/thumbnail_small.JPG",
      "size": 19986,
      "date": 132992806364893364
    },
	{
      "path": "SimObjects/Airplanes/GlideSimmer67_Schleicher_K7/reference_points.cfg",
      "size": 690,
      "date": 133088511803885188
    }
  ]
}

Happy soaring