Has anyone been able to make an AI model from the Nemeth freeware MD500E? I have been able to get an AI model working in FSX from the Nemeth freeware AB412, (similar to the stemme glider fit in FS9 it does not have animated lift so takes off, lands and taxis like an aircraft), but no matter what I try with the 500E it just sits on the flight line after the fuel truck departs. I have tried the FS9 model, FSX model and various updates available from the usual sites but I get the same result with all of them. Could there be something hard coded in the models causing this? Grateful for any suggestions.

Many thanks,

Geoff

I guess the obvious thing is are you using the Stemme files for the MD500 or are you just trying to mod the default one?

Steve,

With the 412 I am using JYs UH-72A air file and aircraft config with the 412s contact points, and original hc412v1_fin model file and it works perfectly.

I have tried the same with the MD500E using various JY and JE helo air files and configs, plus stemme 1 and stemme 2 air files and configs but nothing works so far.

Are there any animations on the model, or does it just sit there?

There are possibly two areas where problems can exist. Either something fde related or something flightplan related.
Rule out the flightplan by altering it to another chopper fltsim entry that you know that works.

If the chopper appears starts up and starts moving then you have narrowed it down your conversion.

I have just downloaded the MD500E_CGA, I am assuming that this is the one you are working on.

The first thing I noticed is that the UH-72 fde is for a Turboprop aircraft, where as the MD500 has a Helo-Turbine Engine.
It might be worth trying to amend [GeneralEngineData] parm engine_type from 5 to 3 and renaming the [turboprop_engine] section.

I would recommend copying and commenting out the original section. The section needs to be renamed to [turboshaft_engine].

Due to the engine type you may need to add two sections, [MainRotor] and [SecondaryRotor]. I would start by just copying the original MD500 sections to start with.

If I am right then that is the cause of your issue.

Steve,

Flight plan works with JYs MH-6. There are no animations evident prior to, during or after departure of the fuel truck.

I have been trying with all the available downloads including the one you mention. I am currently working with the Eagle Rotorcraft Simulations FSX conversion, file name ndersmd500v10, mainly because it has models with and without doors and a 2 blade tail rotor. It has a turboprop engine type 5 in original aircraft config. The original config does not have them but I have tried with and without [MainRotor] and [SecondaryRotor] sections from the CGA model but still nothing.

The 412 is working with a turboprop engine type 5 in aircraft config although the original model has a piston engine type 0!

If there are no anims then it may be that the model is flyable only, as in you have to initiate the start.
It was a few years ago but I do remember some models had something in them that meant that some manual starting was required. They were also choppers and in that case the rotors did not spin. In those cases though they did start up and take off.

If you tried the engine_type=3 parm and you didn't get a peep then there is only one thing to try.
Leave the aircraft.cfg as originally found. Then point the sim parm to JYAI_UH-72A_AI_ONLY.

Hopefully when you start the helo will be there. If you still get nothing at the start time then select the aircraft in game and try the default Ctrl-E, if I remember correctly, to start the engines. See what happens then.

It does sound like you will not be able to use this model for AI as it is, but until you go through the full range of tests you can't be sure.
Now it maybe that you can add some xml coding through MCX and recompile but I would suggest that unless you know what you are doing here that your attempts may prove fruitless.

Steve,

Many thanks for your help. Looking at the ERS model in MCX there are animations for movement of the various cockpit controls and exits. I will load up the CGA model again and keep trying until I have exhausted all possibilities!

Fair play to you for having a go.
To be clear what you are doing is to rule out stuff at the moment. Don't get sidetracked into assuming that the issue is somewhere. Any IT analyst will tell you that.

First try to see if it can be started with Ctrl-E, if it can are you able to start other AI aircraft that way. If the answer is yes then the chances are that you can mod something via MCX that will enable you to do what you want.

Now something occurred to me that maybe you hadn't checked something. So I loaded the aircraft up in Martin's AIAE.Net and checked the aircraft type. The original .air file has the aircraft type set to Helicopter, which I think maybe what makes it use the Helo-Turbine engine type.
Now I know that you are using other .air files which will have the aircraft type set to AI. Maybe this is the reason that nothing happens.
You could try set your mods to use aircraft type=Helicopter. Try playing around with that. Maybe if that doesn't work try altering the original fde, or more exactly a copy of it, to aircraft type-AI

There are a few things there to investigate before ruling everything else out and delving into anims in MCX.