CRJ200

Every project is complex to carry to an end. Everyone has its most difficult one. If you fly the CRJ200 is because a miracle was produced. Not because technical issues but because human resource problems.

When I finished my first plane that was sold in xplane9, the Javelin32, I decided that I wanted to make the beautifull CRJ200. Not because I had flown it before in FSX, but because I liked the beauty of it. The small one, 'cause the 900 was for me a "sauce with wings", and the 700 had the autothrottle option that never liked (for me, that single feature, breaks all fun flying). So I started modeling it, but without knowing mostly any of the systems of the plane systems. I only know that it had a FMC, that I didn't know how I was going to deal with, because I never programmed anything, and this plane. I just imagined that if I didn't have any help, then I would just program the internal poor xplane9 fmc in it, and would sell it at a lower price.

So I put all my energy making the better CRJ200 I could do, and any plane anyone in xplane would see previously, with the help of lots of photos from internet, and lot of love. Still after several years we have a plane that is still flying and is loved by lots of people around in XPlane11.

How I could have the help of a programmer for the systems? Or any help need in future? Let the world know that I was making this project. So I made the 2 videos you can see up this lines. Youtube has been always a great help tool to spread the word. I also received the help from Cameron Son from X-Aviation looking for human resources, that was of a great help in the release of the previous Javelin32.

Some time later, I receive the email from Anton Volkov. A young Russian programmer that was interested in the project and that he was going to collaborate in it. Of course I was pleased. Programming started and the first results can be seen in these two videos:

All was going nice and easy. As you can see in the dates of the videos the production was going fast, and at that speed, we could make it in a few months. BUT something happened. Suddently all was halted. Anton didn't make any more implementations of the plugin. He could not continue working on it because he had private problems.

I have to say that when I started the CRJ200 project I was in Revistronic. A spanish video games company working as animator for their games. I decided to ask for a reduction of my 8hr/day work time to 6 hours/day, to let me work in the CRJ200. Some months after the ok, the company was bankrupt (not because of that 6 hours ask!), and we all where out of the company. I had all the time in my hands, and 1 year unemployement paidments from the goverment to work in the plane at home. It was normal that the rest of people had its own problems as Anton had.

In between, while waiting, I started 2 projects (and finished them). The Seamax and the TurboMentor. A full year of halt was produced when Anton and I decided that he was going to leave the project and kindly he would give me the code already produced.

I was going to announce the cancel of the project, because I didn't find anyone that could take the continuity of it, but suddently a kind Philipp Münzel came in rescue and rebuilt lot of things already done.

It toke a lot of time for finishing it, because Philipp alwasy has been very busy in lots of projects he is involved. But it came in 2011. 2 Years after the start of it.

I always believed that any plane should not take more than a year of develpment, when all the people is involved. Yes, any plane, even PMDG ones can be full in systems simulated, but games usually are more complex than any flight sim addon, and not take so much time. The problem is always money. When people has to find solutions outside the flight sim development, then all is delayed or even cancelled. The success of these type of projects is to know when say "enough" and be really patience.

Technically the things I am most proud of this project is that, by my side, this one was the first plane to include 3D rain in windshield and be able to clean it with wipers. I used a trick, with a "bug" xplane has, and I hope never will be fixed. There is an "issue" when you put a semi-transparent textured object in front of another one but changed the order it is loaded in plane maker.

To make the drops appear and disappear (as a chrismass tree) I had to use some already default animation datarefs (variables) in xplane that don't hae to do anything with rainFX. And the motion of pixels to show the drop falling (it is imposible for me how to make a motion of pixels other way) it was made with generics instruments in PlaneMaker

I showed that revolutionary feature in a video:

Another thing I was proud of, was to be able to manage my first product with different people involved, and to make able to be the first aircraft with 3D fmc manipulation inside of the 3D cockpit.

All people ask me when we are going to finish the V2 version of the plane. It is known that Philipp started the changes to build the version two of it. But it has been several times in a halt. As said, Philipp is involved in many projects and after he entered Laminar Research, his freetime to work in the CRJ200v2 is very limited. The v2 project also has been near the cancellation of it several times.. but I don't know what this ave Phoenix has that at the end it takes off and fly high. Hope in future we release the project that I always had in mind, because always you have to count with external problems you may have. Meanwhile the V1 version, even been and old lady, it is a well fun plane that lots of users love to come back after some time with their new toys. Something it has to have when that happens to a plane that has 7 years of life.

Pd: One thing you maybe don't know about the CRJ200 is that it was included in the XPlane10 ipad app. Video. The best plane included in any ipad version!

Product Features:

The famous CRJ-200 by Javier Rollon. The CRJ-200 is the most popular regional jet in history.

Fully compatible with X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 10

- Includes 2 versions: one for XP10 and one for XP11. The XP11 version includes:

- New cockpit object with materials, to achieve realistic effects in X-Plane 11 with PBR

- New cockpit textures to match X-Plane 11 materials

- Mouse-wheel manipulators added to the cockpit

Custom systems and FMC

- Systems to mimic the real world aircraft

- Custom FMC with ability

- Full Navigraph database update service (free database included in plane)

Beautiful displays and full virtual cockpit

- Vector displays - Pop up displays when clicked on the panel

- Fully interactive 3D cockpit, exterior model, and cabin interior

Many stunning visual effects

- Simulated ice, rain, and condensation

- Fully interactive 3D cockpit, exterior model, and cabin interior

- Immersive lighting effects - Condensation in wing tips, wingflex

Realistic airliner experience

- follow the procedures correctly or the systems can break

Manuals

- Tutorials, User Manual and Pilot Handbook (download the manuals here )

Liveries

- Dozen of paint schemes available

Requirements
- X-Plane 11 or X-Plane 10

- Windows: Windows 7, 8.1 or 10, 64bit OS required

- OS X/MacOS: 10.10 or later (Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra)

- Linux: Ubuntu 14.04LTS, 16.04LTS and Arch Linux tested, others might work but are not guaranteed

- 2Gb VRAM Video Card Minimum. 3Gb+ VRAM Recommended

- Current Version: 1.71 (last updated April 3rd 2017)