Jaxon`s CFS2 Propeller Site

Jaxon`s Propeller Site

Version_2005_06_26

Props are an own chapter. And so I made an extra page for these.
It is very hard to find a solution, that makes the turning prop look realistic.
Because of that, many have tried to find a solution and so we have different technics aiming at different visuals and some varying results.

Propdiscs are like Alloy-Wheels for your car:

Easy to change with great effect for the overall appearance !

*Stock CFS2*
The Microsoft flightsims including CFS2 use just one texture for the standing, slow moving and fast moving propeller. This is very framerate-friendly, the lesser information the game has to handle, the better. For the same reason the stock CFS2 propeller-textures are both in the main folder, because all planes use the same texture (well, Jap. and US one)
About the M$ Propeller
I have choosen the prop_beachking.bmp as first example. What? A modern, civil planes prop? Yes, because it nicely shows how M$ props work (BTW: the texture is included in all FS-sims, in root/scenedb/FS2KPROP/texture) The bmp is divided here in the main bmp (left) and the corresponding alphachannel (right). (White is full visible (opaque), black invisible (transparent), grey are the different steps between.) Now we can determine the three areas the three different propmodels use when they appear one after the other when the engine is starting and the prop is going to move. -First is the white triangle at right (red). This is the area of the still standing prop. -The lower right area is the slow moving prop just after start (green). -Finally, what mathematicians call the "third quarter" of a coordinate system: The lower left corner. This is the part which covers the fast moving propeller (blue). These parts marked with the "?" are not textured on the main bmp and are of no use here. UPDATE: I found out, that these areas are for the backsides of the propellers ! Note: Unfortunately, alphas are greyscale pics of limited information, thus meaning, they will always be a bit too much on the pixel side (not smooth enough), but we have to live with that.	(This is a *.jpg file of the originals)
Next, to compare, the prop_sopwith.bmp, to find in the same folder. The areas are more or less the same, only the white triangle is wider. Of course the WW I Sopwith has a relative slow moving propeller. Thus meaning it is better visible when moving and for a longer part of the turn. Result: The areas are brighter (less transparent) and wider (longer visible)	(This is a *.jpg file of the originals)
Downloads
Note: I once flew in a De Havilland Beaver. I was surprised, that the blades of the Propeller are NOT visible during flight, just maybe a bit of "glare". Not even the effect from moving carriage-wheels, which seem to rotate backwards was to see. And I tend to say, an inflight WW II prop did not look different ! If you see something like this on pictures or in movies, it is due to the faster reaction of the picture taking devices instead of the human eye. All my props below are painted in a way to show this effect as best as I can do.
Installation : Replace the stock bmp (Prop_US.bmp, Prop_Japan.bmp) in the main folder for use on all planes. Or put in your specific aircraft`s texture folder to use it just on that single plane.
US-Propeller Curtiss-Electric-style
The Curtiss Electric propeller was used on the F6F Hellcat, P-38 Lightning and P-39 Airacobra. Reworked bmp for the stock US-prop (Prop_US.bmp). Version: 1 The blurred Curtiss-Decal is visible on the moving blades and disc. Based on the one made by "Easykill".	(This is a *.jpg file of the originals)
- click image to download -
US-Propeller Hamilton-style in Pre War-Colours
New painted texture for the stock CFS2 US Propeller (Prop_US.bmp). Version: 2 Part of the back is painted in anti-glare black, but this affects only the moving blades. The blurred Hamilton-Decal is visible on the moving blades and disc.	(This is a *.jpg file of the originals)
- click image to download -
Silver Japanese Propeller
The silver one was often seen on NAVY-Planes, especially those based on Carrier-Vessels. (*A6M ZEKEs, B5N* KATEs, D3A* VALs). New painted texture for the stock CFS2 Japanese Propeller (Prop_Japan.bmp). Version:** 2 New: The back is painted in anti-glare black, but this affects only the moving blades.	(This is a *.jpg file of the originals)
- click image to download -
Brown Japanese Propeller
The brown one was often seen on ARMY and later NAVY-Planes, for example the A6M5 type of the ZEKE. Reworked texture for the stock CFS2 Japanese Propeller (Prop_Japan.bmp). Version: 2 Added the inner circle of the blade-decal.	(This is a *.jpg file of the originals)
- click image to download -

Addon-Planes
Addon-planes normally come with propellers, which sources are to find on different textures. The stillstanding prop is mostly painted somewhere on the main texture (fuselage) or that one with generic parts. The fast moving prop is made from an entire disc with corresponding alphachannel. If there is a slow moving propeller modelled, it normally is made like the fast one, but with another alpha using the same technique as mentioned in the M$ section.
Download-Table
Combinations of prop-textures and Alphas for different numbers of blades
Sorry for inconvinience, but I can`t upload all possible textures ready to use. Combine the textures and alphas after your needs with DXT-bmp which is to get HERE.
Number of Prop - Blades	2 Blades	3 Blades	4 Blades	5 Blades	6 Blades
Just a disk as texture is enough				not yet	not yet
	-	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-	-
The inner circle is just a copy of the outer, looks crappy, works great! My latest !	-	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-	-
	-	-	-	-	-

Addon-Planes, weird one section
Life could have been so simple, but it isn`t ;-) Below are some examples of other ways.
Vladimir Kochmarsky`s Ki-61 Hien
Very tricky, just as MS, he paints only a quarter of the whole disk for the moving prop. Rightclick, "save as" both files and load the alpha onto/into? the left pic with DXT. Save as DXT3 or else extended type bmp with alphachannel. You can imagine, how it looks, when you just copy a prop-texture from planes, that use "normal" style propellers !	+
Akemi Mizoguchi
He is also a smart guy, using only one bmp with extra alphachannel for the whole plane. In there he paints the FRONT and black (anti-glare) BACK side of the propeller PLUS on some planes, the gunsight. What did I do? Just copied the textures from the "normal" section and placed them on his texture. Extra-Difficulty: The images are not just in the upper two quarters, they are a bit lower and right moved. You can copy both textures and combine them with DXT-bmp This one is for the Hayabusa Ki-43 IIIa.

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