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J 35J Draken 5.1 for Prepar3D v5 has been released!

Bookmark J 35J Draken version 5.1 is now available in the webshop. This version is optimized for Prepar3D v5 but will work fine in v4. Earlier versions of Prepar3D are not supported. Version 5.1 is also compatible with FSX, with some limitations (see below).

New features and enhancements

  • Improved exterior model and textures
  • Higher resolution textures on many instruments and panels
  • More details and better modeling in the cockpit
  • Improved dynamic landing and taxi lights
  • Corrected many errors in instruments and systems
  • etc. etc.

FSX compatibility

This version is fully FSX compatible, although the following features will not work in FSX:

  • Cockpit switch sounds and G force warning sounds
  • Dynamic landing lights and cockpit lights

Cockpit configurations are also not saved between flights in FSX.

Upgrade path

If you already own Draken version 5.0 you can download version 5.1 for free. You must be logged in using the same account that you used when you purchased the previous version. See the update product page for more information.

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J 35J 5.1 to be released – much improved and FSX compatible

The long awaited version 5.1 has been completed and will be available here later this week. Version 5.1 is a major update with higher resolution textures and much improved modeling, animations and effects. This will be a full download and not a patch, although it will be free of charge for all users that have purchased version 5.0.

It will fly in FSX!

Version 5.1 will be fully compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator X (SP2 minimum), although some Prepar3D specific features such as dynamic lighting will not work in FSX.

An update patch for Draken 35OE to version 1.1 that will implement FSX compatibility will also be released shortly.

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J-35OE for Prepar3D v5 released

Bookmark proudly presents the long-awaited Austrian J-35OE version of our Draken simulation. This model is optimized for Prepar3D v5 but is fully compatible with Prepar3D v4. For more details about the J-35OE model, visit the product page or read the online manual.

More info, screenshots and a repaint kit will be added shortly.

Please note that this model is a separate product and not included with the 35J model.

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Changed release dates

A heavy workload combined with the pandemic situation have slowed down the work on completing the Draken 5.1 update and the J-35OE model, which were both planned for release at the end of 2020. Both releases are now targeted for the end of February March.

Sorry about the delay, hopefully you will find it worth the wait.

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J-35OE and Draken 5.1 near completion

Hello folks, here are the latest news regarding the Draken 5.1 release, which is a much improved and Prepar3D V5 compatible version that offers the Austrian J-35OE as a separate download.

The 35OE interior and exterior models are now complete and I am currently working on fixing compatibility issues with Prepar3D V5. Lockheed Martin made some significant changes to the dynamic lighting system between V4 and V5, which means that the landing/taxi lights and the interior lights will need to come in two flavors. Apart from this there are no functional differences in Prepar3D V5.

When you install Draken 5.1 you will be given the choice to install for either Prepar3D V4 or V5. The only difference is a configuration file that will point to different fx files depending on the target version.

Stay tuned for more news!

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Installing in Prepar3D V5

Did a test flight with Draken 5.0.4 in Prepar3D V5 today and everything works like a charm except for the drag chute animation and the cockpit lights (instrument and panel backlighting work fine). There may be some other bugs, will do some more extensive testing later this week.

The upcoming 5.1 update and the new 35OE model will be fully compatible with Prepar3D V5. If you cannot wait and want to try the current version of Draken in Prepar3D V5, just run the installer and select the path to your V5 add-ons instead of the default path.

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About Flight Simulator 2020

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 has been released and I finally found time to give it a spin (for various reasons I did not participate in the beta program). It is an impressive achievement and surely a landmark in the history of flight simulation games – although like its predecessors when they were first launched it needs some pretty heavy hardware to run properly. I am not a gamer, and the computers I use for development work have very modest specs, so I cannot experience MSFS in all its glory. But even at the lowest setting this game is still very enjoyable.

A bigger problem is the requirement of a high-speed internet connection – not only to download the game but to apply mandatory updates before you can start the game. Downloading up to 100+ GB is not a trivial thing if you rely on a wonky LTE/4G mobile broadband that on a good day will provide 20 Mbps.

So will there be a Draken for MSFS 2020 from Bookmark? Probably not. That would require a complete remodeling and retexturing of the aircraft using new tools and procedures. At the moment it is possible to convert FSX/Prepar3D models and make them fly in MSFS, but the old .mdl format is only barely supported at this time and may not load at all in future updates of MSFS.

The FSX and Prepar3D versions of Draken are modeled in Gmax, which of course is not supported in the MSFS SDK. Some additional parts for Prepar3D were modeled in a 3DSMax version that I no longer have access to. To create a commercial quality model for MSFS we would need to start over using 3DSMax 2016 or later, Blender being a possible alternative. But as we no longer have a license for 3DSmax and very little experience of working with Blender, remodeling Draken is not on the map for the foreseeable future.

As the only permanent thing in life is change, I do not rule out completely the possibility of an MSFS version of Draken in 2021. But at the moment it seems unlikely.

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J-35OE status

The OE version for Prepar3D has been delayed due to a heavy workload in combination with the COVID-19 situation. The initial target date range was early summer 2020, but my best guess at this point is sometime in the early fall. The project is however very much alive and moving forward.

Most of the avionics and instruments are now complete. Some final touches and optimizing of textures and code to do after that, then we will start building installers for pre-release testing.

A major update to the 35J version will be released in conjunction with the OE version. This update will contain significant improvements in texturing and functionality that were developed for the Austrian model. I will post details about this update in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned /Thomas