Radio Range System for MSFS9 (Century of Flight)

Version 4.0

29 April 2007

IMPORTANT – This add-on works only in FS9, Century of Flight. Because of Microsoft's coding changes, this release of the Radio Range System (and earlier ones) is not compatible with FSX.

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*VERSION 4 -- HERE IS WHAT YOU ARE GETTING*

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... Three updated aircraft with improved panels and flight dynamics and a new paint scheme for the 1940 aircraft

... Over 350 Radio Range Stations blanketing the entirety of North America. Now the entire US and Canada are covered by the Radio Range System. (Hawaii and Alaska too)

... Over 225 Instrument Approach Procedures for airports in the United States and Canada with more to be developed in the future. (If there is an airport served by a Range Station which does not have an Instrument Approach Procedure designed for it, and you'd like one, please e-mail me (Allan Greene), and I'll design one for you as soon as I can)

... The Civil Airways systems of both Canada and the United States have been defined. You will no longer be required to 'make up' your own airways through trial and error linking of a chain of stations. Rather, we have created charts and tables which will make your flight planning process simple. These charts and tables are accessible from the kneeboard, and are also in a suitable format for printing as hardcopy (we recommend that you do this.)

... Complete documentation of all features accessible from the kneeboard.

NOTE: This is NOT an upgrade, but rather, a complete installation of a new product using dual uninstall/install files.

You will note in the Installation Instructions below that you MUST first uninstall version 3.x of the Radio Range System if it is presently on your computer. An uninstall file is provided in this download to do that.

THE UNINSTALL FILE WILL PERMANENTLY REMOVE MOST VERSION 3 FILES!

If you are interested in retaining any of these files (and why would you want to do that, except for the panel gauges?) please see "KEEPING VERSION 3 COMPONENTS" below. However, if you wish to go ahead with the recommended default installation which will remove Version 3, skip to the "PRIMARY INSTALLATION" section, below.

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*KEEPING VERSION 3 COMPONENTS*

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As mentioned above, the uninstaller provided with this Version of the Radio Range System for MSFS9 will completely uninstall most Version 3 files from FS9. However, it does leave the gauges intact in case you have used them in other panels, too. However, since the new version completely recreates all of the features in Version 3 AND adds a substantial number of new ones, we recommend that you allow the uninstaller to automatically remove Version 3 (and save you a lot of work.)

You should also note that it will not uninstall any files which you may have added or renamed. If this is the case, the original file folders will not be deleted and should be deleted or renamed manually. Further, uninstalling from a ‘second’ instance of MSFS you may have on your computer (such as Golden Wings) is neither tested nor supported. If you wish to uninstall version 3 from a second instance, see “Manual Uninstallation”, below.

If you do not wish to retain any Version 3 components, you may skip this section. However, if for some reason you wish to retain some features of Version 3, here are the things you must do before you run the Version 4 installer:

1... AIRCRAFT AND PANELS -- Version 4 airplanes have been improved over Version 3 in many ways from flight dynamics to panels. If you wish to keep the older aircraft, simply rename the folder in which the Version 3 aircraft resides.

These aircraft reside within your main FS9 root as: \Aircraft\DC3_RR. Thus, you would rename DC3_RR to DC3_OLD (or something similar), otherwise the uninstall routine will also delete this aircraft. DO NOT rename it DC3_RR4 as this will be the name of the folder containing the new and improved aircraft. Please note that if you keep the aircraft from Version 3,upon installation of Version 4, the aircraft will fly as normal, but some gauges may be missing or not working properly and we will be unable to render any assistance in correcting these problems.

2... INDIVIDUAL GAUGES -- Due to the chance that the gauges provided with Version 3 might have been incorporated into other panels, the included uninstaller file WILL NOT remove any gauges from the main FS9 gauges folder. These 'legacy' gauges should work properly after installation of Version 4.

3... SCENERY -- Version 4 scenery includes all of the old scenery from Version 3 plus hundreds more stations. We can see NO reason why you would wish to keep this scenery, nor can we guarantee that should both sceneries be active, that MSFS will operate properly or remain stable. Therefore, all Version 3 scenery must be removed prior to installation of Version 4. This will be done automatically during the dual-phase installation process described below

4... MANUALS AND DOCUMENTATION -- Version 4 keeps all previous manuals and documentation and updates and supplements them. You'll not lose anything in the process; however references to Version 3 features which have been modified have been removed from the new manual. If you wish to retain the older manuals and documentation, they are located within your main FS9 root in the \_Radio_Range_Manual folder. Should you wish to keep this obsolete information, simply rename \_Radio_Range_Manual to \_RRManualOLD (or something similar.)

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*PRIMARY INSTALLATION*

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We have tried to make the installation of Version 4 as simple as possible:

1.. CLOSE Flight Simulator if it is open

2.. Extract the files from the RR40.zip file into an empty folder. You will see THREE files:

1) ReadMe_Version4.0.txt -- this readme file,

2) uninstall_n3.exe – to remove Version 3 RR if installed on your computer, and

3) RR_v4.0_installer.exe -- the self-extracting installation file.

3.. This step, in the box below, is only necessary IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED RR3.x ON YOUR COMPUTER.

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE TWO STEPS ARE REQUIRED TO REMOVE YOUR OLD RR3 FILES!!!

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a) Again, make sure that your Flight Simulator is CLOSED.

b) Double-click on the file named "uninstall_n3.exe" that was in your download

and follow the on-screen instructions.

NOTE ... NOTE ... NOTE ... NOTE ... NOTE ... NOTE

Step b) above ONLY PLACES AN UNINSTALL FILE IN YOUR FS9 ROOT DIRECTORY. YOU MUST STILL

RUN THAT UNINSTALL FILE PLACED IN YOUR FS9 ROOT DIRECTORY TO ACTUALLY REMOVE THE OLD RR FILES.

c) With Windows Explorer, go to the main fs9 root directory. (Flight Simulator 9) and locate the

file "REMOVE_MY_RR_FILES.exe". Double-click on that filename and it will remove your old RR3 files.

For peace of mind you may want to verify that this operation was successful by scrolling up the main

fs9 root folder and noting that the folder "_Radio_Range_Manual" is NO LONGER PRESENT! You should

click the "refresh" option in Windows Explorer View Tab to be certain the information is accurate.

If You are not comfortable with self-extracting files or have installed your fs9 in a directory other

than the default directory, follow the instructions in the "MANUAL UNINSTALLATION" secton farther below.

As already noted, this uninstall procedure does not remove he gauges installed by RR3. They are still

available for use on other panels.

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4.. Double-click on the filename

RR_v4.0_installer.exe

and follow the on-screen instructions.

If you are uncomfortable with self-install files or are simply curious as to where the various files will go, you can extract these into a temporary folder; otherwise, let the self-extracting file do the work for you.

NOTE: While running FS9, you'll find the DC-3 Radio Range Aircraft along with its three panels under:

Aircraft Manufacturer: Douglas

Aircraft Model: DC-3 RR4

Variation: 1940 Panel

1945 Panel

NH Panel (a very special panel by Master Designer Norman Hancock)

NOTE: Instruction Manuals are still located in the same places:

-- Driftmeter Manual in the Root FS9 directory in the \_Driftmeter Manual subfolder

-- Radio Range Manual in the Root FS9 directory in the \_Radio_Range_Manual subfolder

-- Instrument Approach Manual in the Root FS9 directory in the _Radio_Range_Manual\IAP Instruction Manual subfolder

-- Sextant Manual in the Main Aircraft directory in the \Aircraft\_Sextant Manual subfolder

NOTE: All Scenery is still located in the Root FS9 directory in the \Addon Scenery\Radio_Range subfolder

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*SECONDARY INSTALLATION*

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If this is your first installation of the Radio Range Project, you’ll need to activate the new Radio Range scenery within FS9. If you have a previous installation, you should follow through on the steps below to ensure that the new scenery has automatically been activated.

1.. Start FS9

2.. When the First Screen appears (Usually titled either 'Create a Flight' or 'Select a Flight', look in the lower left of this window. You'll see a selection called 'SETTINGS'. Click it!

3.. Find the 'Scenery Library' button and Click it!

4.. In the ‘Areas list’, scroll down and see if there is an entry called 'Radio_Range' (which may or may not have a red check next to it). If this entry IS PRESENT, make sure that it is checked then skip to step 9 below; your new scenery is active. If not, continue...

5.. Click the 'Add Area' button

6.. From the pop-up "Select Scenery Directory" Window, double-click on 'Addon Scenery' then highlight the 'Radio_Range' folder by single-clicking it.

7.. Click OK and the "Select Scenery Directory" will disappear. You'll return to the FS9 "SETTINGS - SCENERY LIBRARY" window.

8.. At the top of the Areas List window, you'll see an entry titled "Radio_Range". Click the Enabled box and a red check will appear indicating that this is an active scenery area.

9.. Click the OK button and you'll be returned to the FS9 "SETTINGS" window.

10. Close FS9 (YES, I said Close it -- this is crucial) by clicking on the X-button in the upper right hand corner of the window.

11. The next time you start FS9, your Radio Range Scenery will be visible and active.

12. If you DO NOT use FS Nav, you are done, and you may skip to "KEEPING VERSION 3 COMPONENTS" If not, proceed to the next section, "FS Nav USERS".

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*FS Nav USERS*

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If you use FS Nav, you'll need to update its internal database to include all the new Range Stations. Here's how:

... If Flight Simulator is running, CLOSE IT. This is critical as your FS Nav database will be corrupt if you don't.

... Click the START button in the Windows taskbar, then Click ‘All Programs’ then FSNavigator for FS2004. Finally, select ‘FSNavDBC.’

... An FSNav control panel will pop-up. Click "Create Database".

... It may take awhile (several minutes) to create the database. When finished, a window will pop up telling you that the database is ready. Click OK to close this window, then click the EXIT button on the FSNav Database Creator window to finish the process.

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*INSTALLING THE RANGE RECEIVER IN OTHER AIRCRAFT*

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PLEASE NOTE: The Radio Range (BC-345) gauge has been changed and is now named RR4_Gauge. It is the ONLY gauge that will recognize the newest Range Stations. It, along with other gauges specific to this project, is installed in a subfolder of the FS9 root Gauges folder called “RR4” (“\Flight Simulator 9\Gauges\RR4”). Many of these gauges ‘talk’ to one another and are intended to work together, so they may not be suitable for use elsewhere. Old Radio Range gauges (0RRange20.cab, 0RRangeV03RR.cab, and 1Range.cab) may be removed manually if so desired. DO NOT REMOVE ANY GAUGES CONTAINING THE WORD ‘MAAM’ within its name as this will disable Radio Range capability within your MAAM aircraft. All of the older gauges should be located in the main FS9 Gauges folder.

Also, Doug Dawson has changed his sound gauge but has not changed the name. Unfortunately, the new gauge is not compatible with the new Radio Range gauge (RR4_Gauge). We have provided a renamed copy of the older version of Doug’s gauge and have renamed it ‘dsd_xml_sound3_36.cab’. It is also installed into the main FS9 Gauges folder. A crucial support file ‘db_sound_rr4.cfg’ must be installed in the ‘\Sound\dsd’ subfolder of the main FS9 root folder. If, after you follow this procedure, your gauge is not acting as it should, troubleshoot these three things first.

We are confident that once you begin flying the Ranges in our DC-3, many of you will want to have the receiver equipment (the BC-345 switchbox) installed in other vintage aircraft. Installation into other aircraft without our approval is fine, so long as it is for your personal use. Distribution of such aircraft to others without the express consent of the Radio Range team is prohibited.

Installation into another panel is a simple process that will require just a small bit of cutting and pasting followed by some editing. Just follow these easy steps:

1. Open the panel.cfg file for the aircraft in which you wish to install the BC-345 Radio Range Switchbox.

2. Near the top of the file, you'll see the section called [Window Titles]. Look below that for the window number which is titled 'Main Panel' and note the number.

3. If necessary, scroll down to the section titled [WindowXX] where XX is the Window number you noted in step 2.

4. Scroll down until you get to the last gauge in that section. Each gauge must be consecutively numbered beginning with gauge00.

5. Paste the following two lines immediately below the last gauge:

gaugeYY=RR4\dsd_xml_sound3_36!dsd_xml_sound3,5,317,5,5,.\sound\dsd\db_sound_rr4.cfg

gaugeZZ=RR4\RR4_Gauge!RRV4, 62,511,87,122

6. Edit the two lines you just pasted so that the YY in gaugeYY is a number equal to one plus the XX number of the previous gauge and ZZ is one more than YY.

EXAMPLE: The unedited panel.cfg file looks something like this:

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gauge53=myRMI!rmi, 181,581,142,142

gauge54=myVORLOC!VORLOC, 644,365,112,113

gauge55=myFuelGauge!fuel_pressure, 930,678,79,79

[Window01]

Background_color=0,0,0

size_mm=380,373

window_size_ratio=1.000

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You note that the last gauge is gauge55 (the fuel pressure gauge)

You then paste in the two lines from step 5 above and your panel.cfg file now looks like this:

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gauge53=myRMI!rmi, 181,581,142,142

gauge54=myVORLOC!VORLOC, 644,365,112,113

gauge55=myFuelGauge!fuel_pressure, 930,678,79,79

gaugeYY=RR4\dsd_xml_sound3_36!dsd_xml_sound3, 5,317,5,5,.\sound\dsd\db_sound_rr4.cfg

gaugeZZ=RR4\RR4_Gauge!RRV4, 62,511,87,122

[Window01]

Background_color=0,0,0

size_mm=380,373

window_size_ratio=1.000

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You edit the last two lines (substituting numbers for YY and ZZ) so that it now looks like this:

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gauge53= myRMI!rmi, 181,581,142,142

gauge54=myVORLOC!VORLOC, 644,365,112,113

gauge55=myFuelGauge!fuel_pressure, 930,678,79,79

gauge56=RR4\dsd_xml_sound3_36!dsd_xml_sound3, 5,317,5,5,.\sound\dsd\db_sound_rr4.cfg

gauge57=RR4\RR4_Gauge!RRV4, 62,511,87,122

[Window01]

Background_color=0,0,0

size_mm=380,373

window_size_ratio=1.000

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7. Save the panel.cfg file (make sure you save it as a text file or else FS will not recognize it!)

8. Open Flight Simulator and take a look at the new panel. (If the BC-345 is not visible, ensure that copies of the files RR4_Gauge.cab and dsd_xml_sound3_36.cab have been placed in the ‘RR4’ subfolder of the FS9 root Gauges folder -- (“\Flight Simulator 9\Gauges\RR4”). Is the BC-345 in a good position on the panel? If not you'll have to move it around a little. Gauge 57 above is the BC-345 gauge. The numbers ending the gauge line (62,511,87,122) are its position and size in the FS window. 62 is the number of pixels from the left edge of the FS Window, 511 is the number of pixels down from the top, and 87,122 are the size of the gauge. The numbers that interest you are the first two -- 62, 511. If you want the box more to the right on your panel make the first number (62) larger. If you want it more to the left, reduce the number 62. Similarly, if you want the box higher in your window, reduce the number 511 -- lower, just make it larger. I recommend you start by changing each number no more than 50. When you've made your changes save the panel.cfg (leave the editor open, as you'll likely have to tweak it a few more times). Then reload the aircraft and note your changes to the BC-345 switchbox. Repeat as necessary.

9. One final CAUTION: the edits above make reference to our proprietary gauges which are all installed within the ‘RR4’ subfolder of the main FS9 Gauges folder. If for some reason, you use this installation method to incorporate Radio Range capability into another aircraft, and then subsequently UNINSTALL the Radio Range system, the ‘RR4’ subfolder will be removed from your system and your panel will no longer work properly.

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*MANUAL UNINSTALLATION OF VERSION 3*

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For various reasons, many people have a second ‘copy’ of MSFS on their computers with Version 3 of the Radio Range installed in that copy. As noted above, the custom Version 3 Uninstall program provided with Version 4 has not been tested with such an installation. If you wish to install Version 4 into your second copy, you must first manually uninstall Version 3.

These instructions also apply for those who would rather remove the RR3 files manually than rely on the self-extracting file.

Here’s how:

1. Ensure FS is not running. Using Explorer, navigate to the root directory of your FS9 ‘copy’ – let’s call that directory “ROOT2”.

2. Look for a subfolder called _Radio_Range_Manual and delete it.

3. Navigate to the Addon Scenery subfolder within ROOT2. Within it you will find another folder called either “LF Range” or “Radio Range” (depends on which earlier version you might have installed.) Delete this folder.

4. Navigate to the “Aircraft” subfolder within ROOT2 then look for the folder named “DC3_RR”. Delete the DC3_RR folder.

5. Navigate to the “Sound” subfolder within ROOT 2 then look for the folder named “dsd” within. Delete the dsd folder.

6. The gauges that were installed by version 3 will remain within this installation just in case you have assigned them for use in other panels.

7. If you use FSNav in your second copy, you’ll need to update its database as described above in the section titled “FS Nav Users”.

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*PROJECT COORDINATOR'S COMMENTS*

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Since taking the reigns as Project Coordinator, I have seen my job mostly as one of stewardship of an already outstanding Addition to Microsoft Flight Simulator. I not only wanted to fulfill promises made to expand the project to the Western US, but had a sincere interest in adding in Canada. In version 4, both of these commitments have been fulfilled. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we were unable to complete instrument Approach Procedures for every Canadian station and have done none for Alaska, Hawaii or the other stations scattered throughout the world. This is solely my responsibility and it is one I assure you, I will address with the next release.

I also felt that, since we had all the stations in place in North America, it was time to define each and every Civil Airway that we could. By define, I mean to write down every leg of every airway in North America, then next to it, include the essential information required to actually fly that airway; thus, the genesis of the Airways Data tables. You can find these on the kneeboard or from within the instruction manual, and by selecting the airway you wish to fly you'll be shown a color table of each leg along the entire route. For instance, Airway Green 1 has listings for each leg stretching from Nome, Alaska to San Diego, California. Stations, frequencies, identifiers, beam courses, minimum altitudes and segment distances are included in this table. I hope you'll like this new addition to the project.

But being a 'real-life' pilot, I also realized the need for something more visual. Thus the new Airways charts -- in color. Specifically, there are six charts showing every station and airway supported in Version 4 that are within Canada and the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska.) Based upon the color Civil Airways charts of the US provided in Version 3, these were developed from scratch, and while they aren't precisely all to scale, they give a pretty good indication of mileage and direction. More importantly, they are indispensable for flight planning. Pick off two major cities within Canada and the United States and in most cases, you'll be able to find an Airway routing that will serve.

One of our goals is to constantly strive for improvement of our aircraft. The flight dynamics have been upgraded and with the help of a real-life DC-3 pilot as a consultant, we think the performance of our flight model is as realistic as any DC-3 out there. We have also developed three new panels which are more period-specific.

****The 1940s panel mimics that which might have been found on a late 1930s/early 1940s domestic US Airliner. The fanciest thing on this panel is the 'cranked-loop' direction finder. No modern Automatic Direction Finder or RMI to be found here!

****The 1945 panel has been modernized due to avionics advances which occurred during World War II. An automatic direction finder and RMI have been added to the panel to replace the 'cranked-loop' DF. Introduction of the VOR and ILS necessitated installing a VHF Navigation receiver and display head. Because of demands of long-range navigation (which were not envisioned by Douglas Aircraft in the mid-1930s), celestial navigation is possible through the addition of a sextant. You can actually navigate your way across an ocean with nary a radio station with a bit of patience and practice. A modern (well, modern for 1945) Lear three-axis autopilot replaces the venerable old Sperry. You’ll probably find this easier to operate and more reliable too.

****Finally, Norman Hancock has lent his skills again to design a panel that has just about everything you might want in the perfect panel. Norm is known for his full-featured panels, and this one is no exception. Check it out! It's easy and fun to fly, and for those of us who are getting up there a bit, the gauges are easier to see!

There's a whole lot more in this package -- I could go on for hours. Instead, I recommend that you read the Radio Range Manual (even if you have before). There is a wealth of information in there and it's well-illustrated.

Some of you might be asking what does the future hold for the Radio Range Project. Well, I've got to be honest with you -- this project has consumed way more time than I ever envisioned. However the sense of gratification at the result is so great that we hope to continue improving it into the future -- after a nice LONG. So here are a few things you MIGHT you expect to see in the next release (NO PROMISES):

--- Instrument Approach Procedures for ALL Alaskan, Hawaiian and Canadian stations (and others too.)

--- An Airways Fan Marker System -- by 1940, Fan markers were installed at strategic locations along the Airways System. These markers would illuminate a light in the cockpit as the aircraft passed over the transmitter location (very low powered), and this positive identification of position along the airway allowed for better Air Traffic Control. At present, we have no idea how we are going to develop such a gauge (if it is at all possible), but we might give it a shot.

--- A "Z-marker" co-located at each Range Station. These markers illuminated a light in the cockpit when directly over a Range Station, negating the need to positively identify the cone-of-silence as we do now.

--- As much as I like the way the Airways Tables came out, Sectional Charts would have made this project a hundred times better. Humans are visual creatures. A map is much easier for us to read than a table of numbers, and I tried to create such a chart. However, in the development process, I realized it took over nine hours for each chart. And with the requirement for several hundred, I just didn't have the time to do more than a couple. Frankly, I may never find the time necessary, but I sure would like to. Now, if I can find some nice public domain topo charts in a Lambert Conformal Projection it would make the job so much easier. Anybody have ideas? Please send them to me and you’ll get credit on the next release.

--- Expansion of Radio Ranges to other parts of the world is a goal. However, short of dreaming up our own range system, which we are loath to do, the only way to do so is to gain access to historic Range Data for other parts of the world. So if any of you out there have access to such data in the form of old charts, we'd love to hear from you -- especially Europeans and Aussies!

A few extraneous comments:

SHAMELESS PLUG: While this project is designed for use by anyone, our primary allegiance here is to the folks who belong to the Greatest Virtual Airline in the FS world -- DC-3 Airways. If you enjoy flying these routes, you'll probably enjoy flying with DC-3 Airways. Give us a look at

www.dc3airways.com

OTHER STUFF: You'll notice a few things about this version that might not seem quite right: Airports with the wrong names, obsolete terminology, airports that don't exist and instrument approaches to those airports. Well, here's the deal -- this project is obviously intended to represent the golden age of aviation -- the 1940s and to some extent into the 1950s. In keeping with that, I have used obsolete terminology such as kilocycles (kc or kcs) rather than kilohertz (kHz), CFR (Contact Flight Rules) rather than VFR and so on. I make no apology for this; it's just my way of immersing you in the 1940s. Next, some airports for which I've developed approach procedures no longer exist. If they were available as add-ons, I've created an approach to that airport. If not, I've used alternate airports. So you will find that the Denver Range Station DOES NOT fly into the new Denver International Airport. It brings you to a point over the old Stapleton Field (which was removed in a previous version of MSFS.) Similarly, the Baltimore Range Station has two approaches -- one into Friendship Airport (the current Baltimore-Washington/Thurgood Marshall International Airport) and the other into the more period-appropriate Baltimore Municipal Airport located East of the downtown area of Baltimore. The old Baltimore Municipal Airport is now a parking lot, but is available as an add-on from the DC-3 Airways website and I highly recommend it. Stapleton is available in a few forms on the usual FS websites. I also want to put in a plug for Tom Gibson's California Classics Website (http://www.calclassic.com). Here, not only will you find the usual display of propliners that flew scheduled service into California in the 1950s and 60s, but some of the best scenery and airport 'upgrades' that you'll ever see. For instance, Tom has a great package there that changes the Honolulu International airport into the way it was in the 50s. Same for many California airports and a whole lot more throughout the US. In summary, producing this Version has been a long road – just about a year since version 3.1 was released, and many people have put in countless hours....

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UNINSTALLING RADIO RANGE VERSION 4

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Instructions for the removal of RR4 from your computer are provided in the main Radio Range Manual. The procedure is simple. But unlike the removal of version 3, where the panel gauges were not removed, in version 4, all files are removed that were installed for RR4. If you wish to use any RR4 gauges for other panels, rename the RR4 gauge subfolder prior to uninstalling.

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RECOGNITION, THANKS, AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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As I just mentioned, many folks have helped out in developing this project. I'll try to name them all, but I understand myself well enough to know that I won't be successful at remembering everyone. So in advance, I offer my apologies to anyone whom I've forgotten. Mea culpa.

First, the primary developers: These are the folks that did the lion's share of the work -- first in envisioning what you'll find in the package and secondly, in contribution of their valuable time and effort. Thousands upon thousands of man-hours have gone into this project and these are the guys who donated most of those hours:

Dave Bitzer -- this guy is just amazing! He's one of the smartest folks I know. His ability to figure out solutions to arcane problems and his organizational skills astound me time and again. Well let me say one more thing -- without Dave, nobody on Earth would be flying a Range System. His ability to develop a single gauge that mimics the behavior of over 300 Radio Range Stations is just fantastic. But it doesn't stop there with Dave. He played a major role in development of the sextant, the driftmeter, the Auto-mixture gauge, the Cowl Flap drag gauge, the ‘cranked-loop’ direction finder and on, and on, and on. He is also responsible (along with others) for the excellent flight dynamics which we have. He has been my personal go-to guy when something was over my head (which happened a lot -- as I am NOT a computer genius.) He has offered friendly advice, fixed my errors, listened to me complain and whine, and just plain covered for me for way too long. Dave, I cannot thank you enough. Thank you my friend.

Alex Nicolson -- another one of the truly amazing guys on the project. Alex is our scenery guru. Everything you see, including all of the work on the Canadian, Alaskan, Hawaiian, China/Burma/India, and all the other stations is his work. Alex designed all the scenery, selected the original locations of the stations, determined the original beam directions, and provided resource references from his extensive library. An indefatigable scenery designer and researcher, Alex has been an indispensable member of the RR team. Many thanks, Alex.

Norman Hancock -- another original member of the Radio Range project from a few years ago, Norm has stuck with us through thick and thin, lending panel designs and advice throughout. His outstanding panel is an essential addition to this project. Thanks, Norm.

My Airways 'Check Airmen' -- Jim Daigneau, Joe Foss and Mike McCormick -- these guys donated hundreds of hours each to fly EVERY SINGLE AIRWAY we have. How can I thank you enough? Fantastic job guys -- take a bow!

Mark Beaumont -- A jack-of-all-trades when it comes to knowledge of MS Flight Simulator. Mark is a joint developer with Dave Bitzer of many of the gauges mentioned above and more! He is a whiz with aircraft painting; in fact, the new, shiny version of the 1940s bare-metal scheme is Mark's doing. Mark also modified the Range Gauge to work in the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Museum's R-4D (DC-3) aircraft and is going to give it a shot for this version of the gauge as well. Finally for his smooth, melodic, BBC-like voice which we used in the new cockpit. Thanks Mark.

OTHERS I WANT TO THANK:

*** Doug Dawson, who developed the xml sound gauge that is the underpinning of the Radio Range gauge. Without Doug...no Radio Ranges.

*** Hans-Jeorg Naegele of FSDZigns. His permission to use the FSDZigns Radios and VOR/ILS display from their OUTSTANDING LOCKHEED CONSTELLATION (L-049) has added so much to our project.

*** Milton Shupe and Scott Thomas. For their kind permission to use (and ever-so-slightly) modify their excellent Lear autopilot from their Beech D-18 Aircraft. Another fantastic aircraft that I highly recommend.

*** John Achor for his Adcock Range how-to article.

*** Ken Austin for his work on the 'cranked-loop' DF Panel and Gauge

*** Andy Hatcher for the Radio Range Forum and technical assistance on the Radio Range tones.

*** Charlie Wood and Tim Cook for their work on the installer/uninstaller program.

*** Mark Thomas -- the original developer of the Civil Airways Routes

*** Rob Castrillo -- real, live, honest-to-goodness, real-world DC-3 pilot for his technical help on the flight dynamics and characteristics of the DC-3. We ALL envy you Rob!

AND MOST OF ALL....

Our thanks to Charles Wood, Founder of DC-3 Airways and without whom, none of this ever would have been developed. His guidance, wisdom and help have truly made this project what it is today. Thanks for EVERYTHING Charlie!

Again, I'm sure I've left some indispensable people off the list. To you, I'm sorry, but I'm more thankful for your help. Please forgive me.

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*QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS?*

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If you have any questions or comments, we would prefer that you post them on the Radio Range Forum rather than contacting us directly. This will give other pilots the benefit of your thoughts and our feedback, and may prevent multiple, duplicate questions being asked of the system designers. You can find the Radio Range Forum either by linking through the DC-3 Airways Forum or by going to

http://dcascreenshots.net/rr/

If, however, you absolutely must contact one of us, please e-mail me at:

night56owl@yahoo.com

Make sure that you put the text "RR QUESTION" in the subject header or it will likely be treated as spam and filtered out of my box.

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*FINAL COMMENTS*

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This project has been a double-edged sword for me. At times I've been so frustrated I could scream and other times I've been tickled pink by the smallest things. I am overwhelmed by the thanks that have been directed at me for this project. However, in all honesty and humility, I've got to redirect most of it to the people above -- we are all part of the same team.

Now that it's done, I'll be glad to get back to my real love -- my wife Diana, who has never complained about the countless hours I've spent away from her. I'd go out on a ten day trip for my 'day-job' as a Gulfstream G-IV Captain and come home only to sit in front of the computer and work on this project, completely neglecting her. She deserved better. Thank you, sweetheart.

In all, I am immensely gratified by the way this project has turned out. It's not perfect, and likely you’ll discover a few bugs. But for a bunch of guys obsessed with aviation, I don't think we did such a bad job. And I do believe you're getting some pretty good 'bang for the buck'. I sure hope you agree. Have fun, keep your speed up and the oily side down.

Al Greene

Westminster, Maryland, USA

This package is freeware. It may not be re-uploaded, modified or included in any payware or commercial package without express permission of the authors. It is intended solely for the entertainment of Flight Simulator Enthusiasts and in no way purports to be representative of any modern real-world aerial navigation system. USE OF ANY COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT FOR ACTUAL FLIGHT PLANNING or FLIGHT IS not only PROHIBITED, but is downright stupid and may result in loss of life. Any damage or loss of data to or from any computer upon which this package is installed is not warranted and is solely your responsibility. Installation of this package upon any system by you is your acknowledgement that you have read, and you agree to this disclaimer. Installation into other aircraft without our approval is fine, so long as it is for your personal use. Distribution of such aircraft to others or for any purposes other than personal use without the express consent of the Radio Range team is prohibited. If you don't agree to all of the conditions listed above, don't install it. In short, NOTHING IS OUR FAULT.