< Part 6 | Part 4 >

Welcome back to the fifth main progress update for the SWL-120. I'm getting closer to the point where the only thing left is the cockpit, with two core versions of the fuselage being assembled, mods and no mods.

My two recent YouTube videos are also related to this update. Video 1. Video 2.

Modded Fuselage

Non-Modded Fuselage

Fuselage Updates

Over the last month and a bit, I've consolidated all of my separate parts (fuselage, wings, landing gear, engines, tail) into one file (well two, I'll get to that soon). As I've mentioned in a lot of my previous updates, I am using modding to improve performance significantly, such as a 1 part fuselage.

What I've done for all you mobile players out there is created no mods counterparts to each of the modded parts (engines, fuselage, and wings). The landing gear is not modded because the physics would have issues, and the cockpit currently does not have mods. The no mods version is a cargo version, because the windows alone would add 700 parts.

Another brand new part is the cargo bays. Previously, I just had simple cargo doors to an empty cavity, but now, I have somewhat detailed cargo bays. These are only available on the mods version because the no mods version has no cargo doors, and also they are 400 parts for both bays (batched into 10 parts with modding)

Interior Updates

Since the last main progress update, the interior has been fully completed. There are many small details, as well as the galleys. I custom modelled the galleys in an external program for the SWL-120's custom mod. The seats and overhead panels are from klm747's Aircraft Seats mod, which I'm using in the SWL-120's mod as one part for all the seats. I made a video explaining most of this, with the exception of some newer modifications. The interior is a total of just 20 parts with modding.

Another detail I added a little later is passenger signs. In my quest for "Y E S details", I'm trying to add all the details I can think of, so I added them. They can of course be turned on and off from the cockpit, and are accompanied by the tones just like a real plane (this video) is the only recording of the sound I have so far.

Cockpit Updates

The cockpit has undergone extensive changes, with the center panel being separated and scaled up for easier building. I've removed the old radio and waypoint systems, and worked on creating new ones. I used the 787 heavily for inspiration, and as of writing this post, the RMCs (Radio Management Computers) are finished. They are a digitalized version of radio controls, featuring VHF, HF, and navigation frequencies all in one small computer.

The FMC (Flight Management Computer) is still in development, however the keypad input to the "temporary" value is complete. You can write any 6 character alphanumeric string to this value (1-9, ., +, A-Z, and space). The coding behind this is really long and complex, so I'll just sum it up by saying it has over 500 variables for just the RMC (the RMC is the FMC's tiny brother in terms of code length). I estimate over 1000 variables for the FMC. I sort of explain this in this video.

Just a bit of code

All for 1 label lol

Just a few variables

I've also done some work on the cockpit itself (the main file), just some simple stuff like incorporating the new engine variables, and also some tiny bug fixes and improvements.

Different Versions

As I've explained in the past, the SWL-120 will feature several different versions. The current planned versions as of writing this post are below. There will be three public versions and a few unlisted versions.

Please note all versions will feature an "autostart" similar to the SWL-10's easy mode.

• Main Version | Full thing. It uses mods to reduce the technical part count of 9000 to just 1500 (approx).
• No Mods | Full plane, but no mods. It's a cargo version, with no windows or doors, and the engines are slightly simpler, with the N2 and N1 components (aside from the front fan) being removed. Most minor details like rivets and possibly the livery will likely also be removed.
• VR Edition (Flying Cockpit) | Just the cockpit and essential "physics parts". Meant to be used in VR where you spend the entire flight in the cockpit. This will be able to be curated, hopefully. I may have to remove random backend systems to make the 5000 performance cost requirement.

Release Dates

Not sure yet, I'm still a long way away. I'd say the end of December at the very minimum. I'm getting closer though!

Video Links

• Fuselage Almost Completed! (First Video)
• Getting Closer (Second Video)