F-35B LIGHTNING II
SETUP GUIDE
X-Plane 12 1.0
CONTENTS
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 3
Simulator & Controls .................................................................................................... 4
Installation ................................................................................................................... 4
Open the Settings Window .......................................................................................... 4
Settings/General Tab ................................................................................................... 4
Joystick & Throttle Assignments (or Keyboard) ........................................................... 4
Control Settings ........................................................................................................... 5
Recommended add ons ............................................................................................... 5
Predefined View Keys (PC) ......................................................................................... 6
Customer Support ......................................................................................................... 8
Known issue ................................................................................................................ 8
Unknown issues........................................................................................................... 9
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Introduction
Thank you for your purchase and support of the [Link] store.
This new model from the AOA Simulations team represents an F-35B Lightning II model
for X-Plane 12. This model is not an “update” of our earlier F-35B model for X-Plane 8
thru 11, but an entirely new model from nose to tail, including a new 3-D model, all new
X-Plane 12 dynamic flight model, entirely new, more realistic avionics displays and
FMOD sounds.
In this Setup Guide we will take all of you through the necessary steps to configure
your sim software and hardware controls to operate the model effectively.
After you have all completed the installation and setup instructions you can separate
yourselves into the three primary groups of sim pilots. One group of you can go fly the
model straight away. You know who you are. Have fun and good luck. You’ll need it.
Meanwhile, the other group can go read the separate Cockpit Guide (UG) and Flight
Manual (FM) documents, in that order. See you over there.
If either of you have questions, the first group can go read the unread UG and FM and
the other group can follow the instructions already given at the end of those two
documents.
And what about the third group I mentioned above? They never showed up here in the
first place. Look for their questions on our F-35B dot org store support page.
Our answer will usually be a page number in this SG, the UG or FM.
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Simulator & Controls
Installation
After your purchase from the [Link] store download the zipped file. Unzip and
copy the folder “F-35B Lightning II XP12 1.0” to your X-Plane/Aircraft directory.
You may want to create an “AOA Simulations” sub folder in your X-Plane/Aircraft
directory so all your AOA Simulations models can be easily located in one place.
Open the Settings Window
In the sim hover your mouse pointer near the top of your screen to unhide the drop-
down menu bar. Over on the far-right side of the menu click on the “Open the Settings
window” icon.
Settings/General Tab
Go to the Settings/General tab to adjust the sim’s graphics settings.
We recommend a “flight models per frame” setting of 6 to 8 or more for smooth
performance.
If this setting is too low your F-35B model’s flight controls might “flutter” and other
aircraft control anomalies might manifest as flight control and stability issues.
Joystick & Throttle Assignments (or Keyboard)
This F-35B simulation works best with Hands On Stick and Throttle (HOTAS) hardware.
Assign buttons on your joystick or throttle to:
• “Toggle between 2-D and 3-D cockpit”. This assignment is highly recommended
to support our “Taxi Look”, “Roll to see” and “Target Track” plug-ins. (N/A to Track
IR or VR users).
• “Weapons select up/down” supports enabling/disabling Target Track plugin.
• “Target select up/down” supports Target Track plugin switching the pilot POV
camera between multiple AI planes. Used when performing in flight refueling to
lock eyes on the tanker when fly formation during the air refuel.
• Pitch trim, stick hat top fore and aft.
• Roll trim, stick hat top left and right (optional. Not really necessary).
• STOVL mode toggle
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• Fire Chaff and Flares
Control Settings
On the Joystick tab press the Control Sensitivity button at the bottom of the page.
Set Pitch, Roll, and Yaw “CONTROL RESPONSE”: 50% for Pilot & Copilot -OR-
Stick roll & pitch 2-point Response Curves “Interp Mode” set to “Cubic”
Recommended add ons
Download and install a copy of the freeware Xchecklist plugin from the [Link]
freeware download manager.
Our Xchecklist compatible checklist: “F-35_clist.txt” is in the F-35B Lightning XP12 root
folder.
Download and install a copy of the freeware Avi-Tab plugin from the [Link]
freeware download manager.
The Avi-Tab tablet is available from a dedicated key on the center pedestal.
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Predefined View Keys (PC)
A text file in your F-35B’s model’s root folder; F-53B_prefs.txt has memorized
predefined cockpit camera views bound to your keyboard number pad keys 1 through 9.
With “Num Lock” engaged, access the 9 views in the sim to see for yourself what the
preset view looks like.
To create your own unique view for each key, should you want to, first open the model in
the simulator.
Pan, rotate and zoom to a desired location, then press CTRL + number pad key of your
choice.
The view is now assigned to that key. Repeat the operation for the other keys. We
recommend you use 8 for the default front view, but you do not have to. Exit the
simulator.
Should you mess up and want to return to our original preset views, there is a backup of
the original text file stored in the DOCS sub folder > Prefs sub folder called F-
35B_prefs.txt. Copy and paste that file over the one you want to reset in the model’s
root folder.
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Saved, predefined views only work when in 3D cockpit mode, not 2D mode and only
when the aircraft has weight on wheels or is airborne with our roll 2 see plugin disabled.
Otherwise, the R2c plugin script controls the pilot POV camera while in flight.
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Customer Support
Known issue
The F-35B has the unique Short Take Off / Vertical Landing mode throttle / flight control
mode where the throttle and flight control stick hardware swap functions.
The mode is activated by pressing a STOVL button on the panel to the left of the PCD.
When that button is pressed IN the throttle lever stops controlling engine thrust and
starts controlling exhaust nozzle vector angle while the flight control stick adds the
throttle function to its existing fore / aft pitch axis.
This unique circumstance requires “overriding” the default X-Plane connection between
the simulator and your throttle hardware. We do this by commanding the X-Plane date
reference sim/operation/override/override_throttles from 0 to 1. When the button is
pressed a second time it pops out, the data ref resets to 0 and the throttle and stick go
back to their default functions.
Here is the know issue. Shutting down the simulator with the F-35B in STOVL mode
leaves the data ref set to 1 and the throttles “overridden”. Start the sim later with a
different model loaded and the throttles may not work, because your throttle hardware is
still disconnected from the simulator.
How do you fix this situation if you encounter it.
1. I have written LUA code to reset the data ref to 0 when our model unloads when
shutting down the sim. I have tested the code and it seems to work. But, I cannot test in
every possible combination of circumstances so, it is possible you encounter this known
issue and need to correct it.
2. Reload the F-35B model will automatically reset the data ref to 0 because I have
written LUA code to do just that every time our model loads. Now, without pressing the
F-35B STOVL button load your other model and the throttles will work as normal.
3. Load any other AOA Simulations model, because I have added LUA code to all our
models to reset that data ref when they load in the sim.
Sorry for the inconvenience and, you are welcome for the advance notice and solution
without having to ask.
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Unknown issues
If you have another, as yet undocumented issue with our model in the sim, do this.
1. Shut down the sim right away.
2. Do not load another model or two and fly them and then shut down the sim.
3. After shutting down the sim, go to your X-Plane root folder. Locate and make a copy
of the [Link] file. Not the [Link], [Link], [Link] or [Link]. Those will not do.
This [Link] file records everything, good and bad, that happened during your last sim
session. This file gets written over every time you start the sim.
In order to provide support, we need to know everything Laminar Research records
about that last sim session where you experienced your issue, with only our model
loaded in the sim. The [Link] file is that record. Actually, you should provide this file to
any developer you contact for support.
4. If you contact us at our [Link]@[Link] email address, we will ask you
for your full name and dot org store invoice number to verify you are an actual customer.
5. Then we will ask you for a copy of the [Link] file, so you might as well attach it to
you initial email and save us having to ask.
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