X-Aviation and TorqueSim are pleased to announce the release of the BN-2B Islander v1.2.1 update. This update consists of a variety of bug fixes which we have integrated to improve the Islander, providing the most realistic X-Plane 11 Islander experience!
To Update: Download your installer here and re-install!
Here’s what’s changed in version 1.2.1:
Improvements / New Features:
Fixed G5 displays (AFM G5 Required)
Improved panel normal map
Fixed gap in altimeter edge
Fixed incorrectly rotating wheel
Added rotation constraints to the ammeter
Removed phantom glass on overhead panel
Added back in the flaps placard
As always, thank you for supporting TorqueSim and X-Aviation. We appreciate your feedback and support!
X-Aviation and TorqueSim are pleased to announce the release of the BN-2B Islander v1.2.0 update. This update consists of a variety of bug fixes which we have integrated to improve the Islander, providing the most realistic X-Plane 11 Islander experience!
To Update: Download your installer here and re-install!
Here’s what’s changed in version 1.2.0:
Improvements / New Features:
New exterior textures. Improved rivets and joins and dirt. Better normal maps.
Updated default liveries to match new texture spec.
User made liveries will work with no changes required!
New liveries can make use of the improved blank textures and normal maps!
Updated interior with new panel, new seats, new fixtures, interior trim, and window frames.
Updated flight model with better airfoils, fuel consumption, and cruise speeds. Adjusted trim ranges and effectiveness.
Several FMOD improvements and bug fixes. New engines, new props, tuned flyby and so many other adjustments.
The same night lighting technology implemented in the 2T has been brought to the 2B which greatly improves the panel visibility in low light conditions.
Added Linux support
Improved autopilot engagement logic
Added multithreaded texture uploading to GPU
Improved Ammeter
Updated libacfutils version
As always, thank you for supporting TorqueSim and X-Aviation. We appreciate your feedback and support!
X-Aviation and TorqueSim are pleased to announce the release of the BN-2T Turbine Islander v1.0.1 update. This update consists of a variety of bug fixes which we have integrated to improve the Turbine Islander, providing the most realistic X-Plane 11 Islander experience!
To Update: Download your installer here and re-install!
Here’s what’s changed in version 1.0.1:
Improvements / New Features:
Added engine failures for significant over-torquing
Added throttle and mixture lever detents
Added multi-sided prop disc logic
Added Alt. Static Source switch
Bug Fixes:
Elevator trim limits adjusted
Fixed HSI misaligned texture with night lighting
FMOD improvements
Updated libraries to resolve mt_uploader crash at launch that few users were experiencing
Right altimeter baro setting fixed
D/G-Slew Indicator added
As always, thank you for supporting TorqueSim and X-Aviation. We appreciate your feedback and support!
TorqueSim and X-Aviation are excited to announce the release of the BN-2T Turbine Islander for X-Plane 11! It is equipped with 2 Allison 250 turboprop engines, has a 1500 pound useful load with full tanks, and can carry nine passengers. It has a 730 nautical mile maximum range and 170-knot cruising speed which gives the BN-2T Turbine Islander an even more diverse range of missions than the BN-2B.
The aircraft is available for $34.95 on X-Aviation, here. If you have already purchased the TorqueSim BN-2B Islander, you are eligible for a discount, bringing the price to $19.95. Check your email for an email from X-Aviation with instructions.
We also now have a bundle containing the TorqueSim BN-2B and BN-2T Islanders. Add both to your cart and use the coupon code5798be55 when checking out to receive the bundle pricing of $54.95 ($15 off!).
Thank you for supporting TorqueSim! We hope you enjoy the BN-2T Turbine Islander as much as we did making it for you.
Features:
Highly detailed 3D model
Full PBR 4K Texturing
Custom Systems, including:
Fully custom electrical system, simulating the circuit breakers, buses, generators, and battery
Custom fuel manager
Custom lighting
Custom Avionics, including:
KFC225 Autopilot
GTX345 Transponder
KR87 ADF
M800 Chronometer
High-fidelity FMOD sound pack, with sounds recorded from the real aircraft
Carefully tuned and tested flight model based on real life performance data and input from Islander pilots
X-Plane GNS530/GNS430 (Also supports the RealityXP GNS530/430)
Support for RealityXP GTN 750/650
AFM G5 Integration (requires a copy of the AFM G5 plugin)
Custom Load Manager
Persistent systems (switches return to the state which they were left)
Fully custom C++ Plugin using the X-Plane SDK
Includes 12 base liveries, a blank livery, and paint-kit! See the liveries here
Long-term support, as well as additional features and updates planned
TorqueSim and X-Aviation are excited to announce the release of the Turbine Islander this Friday (January 29th)!
We’re pleased to finally present our rendition of the BN-2T to you.
What began as a simple conversion grew into a completely new aircraft. This is the culmination of efforts spanning nearly four months, including updates to the 3d model, textures, texture mapping, FMOD sound pack, plugins, flight model, and many more small fixes and changes. If you enjoyed the BN-2, you’ll find the turbine version an absolute joy to fly!
You can see our preview flight of the aircraft here!
Many of the upgrades built for the 2T will also find their way into our BN-2 in the near future in the form of update 1.2. We very much look forward to sending that out as well.
You can also find us on our Discord server and all the usual social media sites!
Update 25 Jan 2021:
Regarding pricing and release logistics:
The TorqueSim BN-2T Turbine Islander will be available for $34.95
Everyone who has purchased the BN-2B through Thursday (Jan 28, 11:59pm EST) will be eligible for promotional pricing, bringing the price to $19.95 (43% off!). A coupon code will be emailed on Friday which will be valid for 60 days.
A bundle will be available containing the BN-2B and BN-2T for $54.95
All prices are in USD.
If you have any questions or want to discuss the release, join in at the announcement post on the forums here.
Here are some other great screenshots showing off the new visuals!
Written by Ulrich Oetzel, Islander Lead Developer, TorqueSim 3D Artist
This is a project I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time.
I’m sure some of you remember the old freeware FS9 Islanders by Marcel Kuhnt. Later came Flight1’s offering for FSX. While I enjoyed both of these very much, I distinctly recall always waiting for a Turbine Islander to show up. I loved and still love that plane.
It certainly made an impression on me. You could hear its twin Allison 250’s from what seemed like miles away, and the noise would build into a deafening scream when it came rolling across the apron. It was louder than a King Air, and most certainly louder than the 206’s and 402’s I knew! Little me would always cover his ears to shut out the noise.
At any rate, the years rolled on. The old 2T got sold a short while before the aging fleet was replaced entirely by Kodiaks, and I never heard anything about it again. Much in the same way, there was never any further talk of FSX (this is pre-P3D still) Islanders getting made, much less the turbine variant.
Which brings us neatly to my first entry: The trusty old 2B Islander. I grew tired of waiting. Tired of waiting for Flight1 to move their old model to X-Plane; tired of waiting for somebody to make it. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that “if you want something done, you should do it yourself” – or something along those lines. The end result of that was the TorqueSim Islander, which will soon be on version 1.2, with some serious upgrades over 1.1.
Now, I had always intended to make a 2T conversion of that aircraft. Even when I first joined TS, I knew that the Turbine Islander was somewhere in the future.
If only I had known. What started as a relatively simple conversion spiraled into extensive and intense reworks of the 3d model, the flight model, paint kit, interior, and myriad other items that needed improvement or alteration.
Now, with the project time dragging out (by no means a bad thing: more time means better quality), the 2T is essentially a completely new aircraft. It shares some minor features with our original model, in some places uses bits and pieces of the old textures, but it’s a whole different plane. Even the flight characteristics are much improved over the previous iterations.
All this also has benefits for version 1.2 our piston BN-2 Islander.
The new interior of the 2T can be retrofitted almost 1:1 to the older model. New interior textures, better UV mapping and texel density, new 3d models in the interior, all that comes benefit of the work on the 2T.
The changes extend to the exterior of the plane. Old repaints will of course remain compatible, however new textures on the fuselage and wing offer improved visuals, with better rivet work and cleaner joins. The default paint schemes have already been updated to match the new standard, and the new paint kits will support the new version of the exterior textures.
All this is a rather long winded way of saying we have a BN-2T Turbine Islander coming very SOON™ alongside a huge update 1.2 for the BN-2B.
We’re very excited to bring you both of these aircraft, and hope you’ll enjoy flying them as much as we enjoy making them!
As per usual, questions, suggestions, comments, and the like are welcome. Come find us on our Discord server, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for regular updates and more screenshots!
In the meantime, we’ve prepared some pictures of the new Turbine Islander to tide you over while you wait. Enjoy!
X-Aviation and TorqueSim are pleased to announce the release of the BN-2 Islander v1.1.0 update. A massive revamp of the 3D, textures, sounds, and systems on the Islander! We have integrated customer feedback to perfect the Islander, providing the most realistic X-Plane 11 Islander experience.
To Update: Download your installer here and re-install!
Here’s what’s changed in version 1.1.0:
Improvements / New Features:
RealityXP GTN 750/GTN 650 Integration
Revamped FMOD Sound Pack
New engine/prop noises
Revamped switch and internal noise
Custom “headset” simulation with adjustable noise cancellation
[IS-351] – Panel Shake/Vibrations
[IS-309] – Mechanical Hobbs meter/tacho in 3D
[IS-346] – Placard with flaps speeds
[IS-332] – Add ability to open plugin menu from plugins bar at top instead of only side tab
[IS-295] – Avitab integration
Bug Fixes:
[IS-241] – Carb Temperature Gauge animation jumping
[IS-264] – Gyro CW/CCW switch motor should play until switch is released
[IS-265] – Gyro Slave/Free switch has no sound for ‘slave’
[IS-282] – Landing light fix
[IS-285] – Radio channel selector lights fix
[IS-286] – Bose A20 Headset improvements
[IS-312] – [AFM-114] VOR and HSI behavior
[IS-320] – VOR 2 Glideslope reversed
[IS-326] – Mags / Door Interlock
[IS-327] – BN-2 VR bugs
[IS-329] – Stall alarm not audible when the headset is worn
[IS-333] – KFC225 ARM and VS buttons correct order
[IS-342] – Exterior lights issues
[IS-345] – Autopilot working with avionics off
[IS-347] – HDG / NAV flags reversed on HSI
[IS-352] – o-540-e4c5.obj reduction
[IS-353] – furnishings_2.obj reduction
[IS-321] – Brake Lines missing proper normal data
[IS-331] – Create .snd file changes for new manipulators
[IS-343] – Change annunciator brightness to run from 0-1 rather than 0-2
[IS-350] – Add utility light power commands
[IS-354] – animated prop governor control arm
[IS-361] – Smoothed datarefs for the sunshades on the overhead panel
[IS-291] – Add cockpit utility light (moveable)
[IS-294] – Update manual with cruise data, fuel flows, etc
[IS-306] – Add brightness switch and test button to annunciator panel
[IS-322] – Set flight model CHT min/max
[IS-323] – Change cowl flap lock
[IS-337] – Add persist to Ammeter knob
[IS-338] – Hide-able interior glass to remove reflections
[IS-357] – Update GUI
[IS-289] – Make custom audio panel datarefs
[IS-299] – Optimize 3d vertex counts
[IS-300] – Optimize textures
[IS-315] – Cabin light can turn on without battery power
[IS-316] – Pax notices can turn on without battery power
[IS-319] – Utility lights
[IS-334] – Add Door Interlock Sound
[IS-349] – Make avitab datarefs persist
[IS-358] – Switch wording for glass reflections
As always, thank you for supporting TorqueSim and X-Aviation. We appreciate your feedback and support!
It’s been quite a while since we last posted an update on the Islander project, and we’ve been hard at work on it.
About two weeks ago, we were finally able to send the first beta version off to our testers, and have since incorporated much of their feedback into the project. Testers found a variety of smaller bugs, and one or two bigger issues to spice things up.
During this time, we also undertook a complete rebuild and cleanup of the fuselage 3D meshes. These were still unchanged from the very early stages of the project. Although this was a very time consuming undertaking, we think the results speak for themselves, and the new look definitely improves the ramp presence and proportions of our Islander.
Apart from bugs getting fixed, there’s a new feature we’d like to show off. The Islander has very prominent and visible external hydraulic lines for the main gear brakes. These are a recognisable feature of the aircraft, and one we felt definitely needed to be included. After some internal development, we’re proud to say that we’ve been able to recreate flexible brake lines.
The effect is amazing to witness in action, especially considering the limitations of X-Plane’s animation system when it comes to such things.
In the past weeks, we’ve also made enormous progress on the plugins for the Islander’s systems. Most of the avionics are custom coded now, with only graphics left to integrate to make them fully functional. Various custom datarefs ensure realistic operation and readouts of core systems, especially within the electric system.
A custom but lightweight menu further allows for features such as anti-icing gear (including switches and breakers) and 3d passengers to be toggled on and off, and includes a load manager for easy configuration of weight and balance.
In addition, the flight model is coming along nicely. Careful tuning of the airfoil using real NACA data allows for dynamic handling at various airspeeds, from near stall to high cruise, and accurate control deflections give realistic pitch and roll rates. With some help from the Islander pilots in our testing team, we’ve also tuned X-Plane’s engine model to perform as close as possible to the real thing.
Some time ago now, we received high quality audio recordings of an actual Islander, and the sound pack is nearly complete! The plane would not be the same without the characteristic rumble of two O-540’s, and we’re as excited as you to hear her in all her glory!
This week, we hope to finish plugin integration, bug fixing, fine tuning, and of course, FMOD!
Now, I could go on and on about all the effort we’re putting into this project, but I think it’s better to let our screenshots do the rest of the talking.
As always, you can catch up with us on our Discord server and follow the blog for updates. For now, we hope you enjoy our newest batch of screens.
For all your bush-flying passenger-carrying cargo-hauling air-taxiing needs, TorqueSim are proud to present the legendary BN-2 Islander for X-Plane 11!
Initially started independently of TorqueSim, the inclusion of this beautiful bird into the new TS development pipeline has allowed for rapid progress and the seamless integration of custom systems, as well as boosting the quality of the 3D models and textures significantly!
This aircraft will feature a high quality model, PBR textures throughout, a full custom electrical system with working circuit breakers, support for the AFM G5 avionics on launch, and of course the fantastic roar of its O-540s will be rendered in beautiful FMOD!
All that, and more to come as we plan to update and improve our product throughout its lifetime!
To stay up to date with what’s going on, don’t forget to follow this blog, the AFM Discord, and keep a close eye on the various X-Plane forums! Stay tuned for more dev updates, screenshots, and insights, and of course for the big moment when our plane is available to fly on X-Aviation!
For any questions, suggestions, or just to chat: Hit us up @Random’93 (models/textures) @Coop (systems) and @Not_Steaven (FMOD sounds) on the AFM/TorqueSim Discord (Join at afms.im/discord)!
