AgustaWestland Merlin Variants

For FS9, FSX and P3Dv4

John Young

Note: These aircraft are not designed to be user-flyable

Page 1 of 8
1. INTRODUCTION
This package builds on the Wildcat/Merlin packages recently uploaded to the MAIW Download Hangar. The
downloads are called “AgustaWestland Wildcat’s & Merlin’s - RNAS Yeovilton Scenery (JYAI)”, Separate
files are available for FS9 and FSX/P3D. This new package features 5 variants of the EC-101 (Merlin)
helicopter with multiple paints:
CH-149 Cormorant, Canada (14 examples):

AW-101, Norway (10 examples):

EH-101, Denmark (14 examples):

Page 2 of 8
Alternative textures that were used until about 2013 are included for 8 of the Danish 101’s used for SAR,

AW-101, Italy (11 examples):

An in-flight refuelling probe option can be assigned to any Italian example in the aircraft.cfg file:

Page 3 of 8
3 of the most recently delivered Italian AW-101’s have a light grey paint to reduce the cabin heat:

AW-101 Portugal (11 examples):

The packages contain AI aircraft only. No scenery or flight plans are included, but it is likely that both might
appear over time as MAIW members create and upload their own work. It is assumed that users of these
packages know how to set up and enable AI aircraft to operate with AFCAD and traffic files using freely
available applications like Airport Design Editor and AI Flight Planner.
Note however, that the helicopters feature an animated lift, that is explained in Section 4. This works best
with short runways, drawn in an overlaid helicopter AFCAD that is positioned on top of a main airfield
AFCAD. Some notes about how to draw them are included in Section 5.
2. INSTALLATION
Separate aircraft only packages for FS9 and FSX/P3D are available in the Download Hangar at MAIW. To
install them please follow the 3 steps below:

Step 1 - Place the FS9 aircraft in your FS9\aircraft folder and the FSX aircraft in your FSX or P3D
\simobjects\airplanes folder.

Step 2 – Place the effect file in your FS9 or FSX\ effects folder.

Step 3 – For FS9, ensure “Reflections” are turned on in your aircraft settings.
Page 4 of 8
Users can amalgamate these variants with the Merlin HC3 and HC4 files in the previous “AgustaWestland
Wildcat’s & Merlin’s - RNAS Yeovilton Scenery (JYAI)” package, if they wish. They all share the same FDE.

3. MODEL and TEXTURE assignments

Each Merlin variant comes with two models – doors open when parked and doors closed at all times. This
is to give variety on flight lines. The mix of models can be assigned as desired in the aircraft.cfg file.
Similarly, the refuelling probe model can also be assigned to any of the Italian examples in the same way.

The Danish models have present day textures assigned that are overall green. In the texture folders for 8 of
the helicopters, an alternative high visibility scheme featuring dayglo yellow panels is provided. They were
in use until around 2013. To use these textures, backup the green version in the relevant folder and change
the name of the “yellow” texture to the name of the green one.

4. ANIMATED LIFT - IMPORTANT

AI helicopters in FS9, FSX and P3D will not take-off and land vertically. The best that can be achieved with
the AI engine and a conventional FDE (aircraft.cfg and .air file) is to simulate a microlight aircraft with a
short take-off.

However, it is possible to include an animated lift within the model. A small hidden cube is placed in the
fuselage and this cube is animated to rise by about 100ft or so, with a small forward tilt at the top. All parts
in the model are linked to this cube so they rise and fall with it. An XML trigger is then applied to the cube to
set the conditions under which it will activate – throttle position, altitude and speed. Once the lift starts, the
aircraft is accelerated forward by the conventional FDE:

The animation works in reverse for landing with an approach along the runway followed by a controlled
drop to the taxi height when the trigger conditions are met.

The aircraft perform best on helicopter runways of about 300-800 feet in length. They will operate on longer
runways but with a significant nose high touch down.

Because the helicopter is about 100ft or so above the usual aircraft centre due to the animated lift, when
viewed in flight in a Traffic Viewer window, the aircraft will be positioned right at the top of the screen. To
overcome that, a separate animation and XML trigger repositions the helicopter in the centre of the screen.
This animation kicks in and out when the helicopter passes 300ft. Below 300ft at any time and the
helicopter will not be visible in the traffic viewer.
Page 5 of 8
5. HELICOPTER AFCADS

These AI helicopters will operate with a long runway in a conventional AFCAD file in the normal way. This
is the default Ohakea in New Zealand. It has the ICAO code “NZOH” and all I did was to add some
conventional parking to the north aprons:

However, the helicopters will land with a nose high attitude. To prevent that, another AFCAD layout, purely
for the helicopters, is drawn to overlay the default one, but using a different ICAO code. In this case, it is
positioned on the east side of Ohakea, like this:

Page 6 of 8
This is the finished overlaid AFCAD. It has the ICAO code “NZO1”:

The runway is 800ft long x 10ft in width. It is shown in light blue (just for reference) together with the taxi
links in the second AFCAD illustration above.

Here are some tips that I have found useful when drawing and operating the overlay:

• Be sure to test the helicopters on the overlay in both runway directions. It is possible that when
landing, they might jump from the overlay taxi path to the default one, to park where they shouldn’t.
If that happens, move the runway and the taxiway links slightly, so they do not sit right on top of the
default ones. Avoid overlaying intersections in exact register.

• Drag the Airport Reference Point in the overlay, to a different position than in the default AFCAD.

• Draw the taxiways with a width of 1ft to make them invisible where necessary. The freeware
AFCAD2 by Lee Swordy does this very well.

• Ensure that the same parking spots are not placed in the overlay and the default AFCADs.

• Flightplans can be constructed in the normal way, but using the overlaid ICAO for the originating
airfield and the usual ICAO code in the distant one. However, that airfield should, ideally be
equipped with a helicopter overlay. The alternative is to program the helicopters to fly IFR circuits of
the home airfield. Each flight will generally take about 30 minutes. This is a typical flight plan line for
a circuit using NZO1 as the example:

• AC#1,001,1%,2hr,IFR,00:00,00:30,010,F,393, NZO1,01:00,01:30,10,F,301, NZO1

Because flight plans always need 2 legs, the “return” leg is actually the second flight departing at
01:00. The repeat interval of 2 hrs, therefore, actually creates a flight every hour.

6. REPAINTING
Repainting of the aircraft is permitted. A Paint Kit containing layered source files for the textures will be sent
to the MAIW Download Hangar after the main packages have been uploaded. Please respect the
conditions contained in the notes.
Page 7 of 8
7. LEGAL DISCLAIMER

The contents of this package should not adversely affect your computer operation if installed according to
the instructions. No guarantee is given or responsibility accepted for adverse operation or lost/overwritten
files on your computer.

These files may not be uploaded to sites other than MAIW and only by the author.

The package and constituent files may not be sold, or put on any site that charges for downloading free
files. The files found in this archive may not be distributed on CD or any medium for any kind of fee,
including the cost of production, materials or postage. The ownership of the scenery, models, paints,
effects and flight plans remain with the authors as mentioned in the package.

The package may not be downloaded by third-party software that alters or removes any features of the
content such as the manual, scenery, or any references to the creator identities.

8. FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT

Any questions, suggestions and feedback may be directed to the forums at www.militaryaiworks.com.

John Young

June 2021

Page 8 of 8