Nav lights ... FS2002 N1776 ONLY!

INTRODUCTION ... PRINT THIS AND READ IT!

Jan Visser originally designed N1776 for FS2000, but FS2002 handles the Nav Lights differently. That is why the N1776 Nav Lights looked like Beach Balls hanging off the wingtips.

Many thanks to Paul Pridmore, PPridwales@aol.com, who modified the N1776 .mdl files, and now the old girl has proper Nav Lights.

The download here at DC-3 Airways is different from the one posted on flightsim.com, so be sure to use this one. The modification is simple.

Several very important notes before you get started:

1) After the modification, turn the new Nav Lights ON or OFF with the "L" key on your keyboard. THE NAV LIGHT SWITCH ON THE AIRCRAFT PANEL MAY NOT TURN THESE LIGHTS ON AND OFF.

2) The modification consists of a new .mdl file and a small piece of text that you must paste into the aircraft.cfg files. The lights are not properly aligned on the aircraft if you use Paul Pridmore's download from flightsim.com. Thanks to Jack Lawton and Hank Rochon, the download from DCA properly locates these lights.
 
3) Remember, Paul Pridmore created the new .mdl file.

DO NOT Contact Bill Rambow for help.
Do Not Contact Roy Chaffin for help.
Do Not Contact Jan Visser for help.

If you need help, post your request on OUR forum.

4) This modification WILL NOT work on Jan Visser's other FS2000 DC-3s or on the R4D. Each aircraft requires its own modified .mdl file.

5) Our download offers you three choices of nav-light configuration.

	a) Nav Lights WITHOUT the White Flashing Strobe. The flashing strobe did not exist in the era of our VA.
	b) Nav Lights WITH the White Flashing Strobe.
	c) Nav Lights WITH White Flashing Strobes and White Tail Strobe.

The text that you paste into the aircraft.cfg file determines the configuration of your Nav Lights. Three different, clearly labeled, text files are provided in the zip file for you to choose from. In each case you will still have the RED rotating beacon.

INSTALLATION

1) CLOSE FS2002 if it is open.

2) Unzip the "new_fs2k2_n1776_nav_lights.zip" file into an empty, temporary directory.

3) You will now find five "files" in that temporary directory:

	a FOLDER named "Model"
	a FILE named "Nav_Lights_NO_white_strobe_lights.txt"
	a file named "Nav_Lights_WITH_white_strobe_lights.txt"
	a file named "Nav_Lights_WITH_TAIL_STROBE_lights.txt"
	this "Readme_Nav_lights.txt" file.

4) Locate the Aircraft Folder under FS2002/Aircraft for the N1776 that you want to modify. That Aircraft Folder, and you may have more than one, could have any of these three names:

	DC-3 DCA N1776
	Douglas DC-3 DCA N1776
	N1776

5) Open the Model.cfg file in the Model folder of your aircraft with NOTEPAD. Inside Model.cfg you should read:

	[models]
	normal=Douglas DC-3 DCA N1776

6) If it does, then proceed to installation step 8.

7) If those exact words are not in the Model.cfg file, you have opened the wrong Aircraft. Go back and look again for one of the possible N1776 aircraft folders from the list above. Perform this model.cfg file check again.

8) With Windows Explorer copy the entire Model FOLDER from your temporary directory to the AIRCRAFT FOLDER WITH ONE OF THE NAMES IN THE ABOVE LIST. DO NOT copy this model folder into the DC-3 model folder as it will install incorrectly.

9) You will be asked if it's OK to overwrite ... Answer YES, maybe twice.

10) Inside the new Model folder are three files. 

	Model.cfg ... The configuration file that was originally in the Model Folder. This does not change.
	Douglas DC-3 DCA N1776.mdl ... this is the new file which fixes the Nav Light problem.
	Douglas DC-3 DCA N1776.BAK ... this is a BACKUP of the original .mdl file that was in the folder, should you care to remove the Nav Light modifications.

11) Decide whether you want NO white strobe lights, White Strobe lights, or White Strobe lights plus a White Strobe in the tail position. You can change your mind later so don't worry too much whether you have made the right choice. Using NOTEPAD open the .txt file in the temporary folder that matches your Strobe-Light preference.

12) COPY all of the text inside that .txt file. Make sure that includes the opening Bracket, [, in front of the word "LIGHTS."

13) Go back to the aircraft folder from the list above that you are modifying. With NOTEPAD, open the aircraft.cfg folder.

14) Scroll all the way to the bottom of the Aircraft.cfg file, and hit ENTER to provide a blank, separating line space.

15) Paste the new text into the bottom of the Aircraft.cfg file.

16) Save the Aircraft.cfg file

17) Now open FS2002 and check your new Nav Lights.

18) If you would like to try the other strobe-Light configuration, just open the Aircraft.cfg file, scroll to the bottom and delete all of the text beginning with [LIGHTS}

19) Paste in the text from the another strobe light file and check out the difference.

Remember, direct any questions to our FORUM.

Many thanks to Jack Lawton and Hank Rochon for their modifications to Paul Pridmore's original light configuration, and to Bob Betts for testing the accuracy and completeness of this zip file.

Charles Wood
August, 2002