Page 1
Playing with Fire: Patching the 'New' Falcon 4.0
by Jennifer & Robert Mitchell
Article Type: How-To
Article Date: August 22, 2001
Back To Part I
Sound good?
Simply double click the F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe, let it run, click on Apply Patch when youre prompted by the installer program, and let it patch to its hearts content.
What youll see after its done patching is a pop up box that will tell you which patches were installed by default.
Rather than go into a long dissertation on what each patch is and what it does, Ill leave that for you, dear reader, to read the F4_RP5_User_Manual. It comes in .pdf format and weighing in at a whopping 12.3MB, zipped, its a serious read. These guys arent kidding around about their realism.
One thing of note: To ease patching and un-patching Falcon, after running the RP5 installer initially, in the above written manner, go back to the F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe, run it again, and when prompted to Unapply Patch, Advanced or Exit, click on Advanced. Make sure that its pointing to the Falcon4_RP5.exe in the Executable window.
You DONT have to do this, but I highly recommend it as it will really ease installing addons later such as F4Patch Skins, F4Patch Cockpits, F4Patch Sounds, additional campaigns and terrains, and so forth. If you dont want to expand F4Patch now you can just double click on F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe and Advanced to access the patch files.
This will start up F4Patch and take you back to the patch screen. From there, go to and click on Expand Package Youll then see a pop-up that looks like this:
When prompted to overwrite your existing F4Patch folder click Yes. (This time only!! When adding additional F4Patch features, such as F4PatchCockpits, F4PatchSkins, or F4PatchSounds, you will NOT click Yes to overwritebut thats for another time.)
This will create a new F4Patch folder in your \Falcon4 directory and create a shortcut to F4Patch on your desktop if youd like one. If youd rather not clutter your desktop with anymore shortcuts you can run F4Patch from the F4Patch.exe in the Falcon4 folder.
You can now delete the F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe thats in your \Falcon4 folder. From now on when you wish to add or remove a patch from your install, click on the F4Patch.exe.
Now that youve got Realism Patch 5.0 installed and F4Patch expanded in your folder you may be wondering what ones to use. As I said, for a complete description of them you really should read the F4_RP5_User_Manual.pdf doc. For a quick briefing on a patch you can highlight it in the F4Patch interface and a description of it will magically appear in the window on the right side.
Highlight a particular patch to see a brief description of it in the description box on the right.
Click on the More Information button, if its highlighted, to view a readme file
You may, or may not, be wondering what I use for patches in RP 5.0. I use the default patches and also:
Airbase relocation, Interactive:
CAT III Fix v1b and v2b:
Memory Leak Sealed:
devCreateSurface/CTD fix:
If you decide to use the new 3D models patch ((3D-Mod) 3D models Parent Patch) be aware that it takes a long time to apply the new 3D models. They look very nice however and theyre worth the time in my opinion. Make sure that you read and follow the directions very closely when applying or they won't be applied!
Lastly, RP5 places a new keystrokes file in the config folder of your \Falcon4 directory. Go to the Controllers tab of the setup screen, click on Load to bring up the keystrokes files you can choose from.
Highlite and click Load again. Click on Apply on the controllers tab, and you're done.
Realism Patch 5.0 is installed, have fun!
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Playing with Fire: Patching the 'New' Falcon 4.0
Part II: Realism Patch 5.0
by Jennifer & Robert Mitchell
Article Type: How-To
Article Date: August 22, 2001
Back To Part IRealism Patch 5.0
From the Foreword of the Realism Patch 5.0 Users Manual:| With the release of version 5 of the Realism Patch, we have finally completed the process of modeling the full effects of electronic warfare on (a) modern air campaign. With an integrated air defense system, stand-off jammers, and other electronic support and countermeasures, Falcon 4 with the Realism Patch is now the most complete simulation of a modern air war ever made available in the PC flight simulation industry. The physics and engineering behind every change in the Realism Patch have been thoroughly and painstakingly researched and put together as an integrated whole. |
Sound good?
Installing
If you choose to go with an iFalcon setup on your rig, the first thing youll need, post-1.08 patch, is the Realism Patch v. 5.0 Installer. This little gem will install 108i2, renamed Falcon4_RP5.exe in your root directory, and some of the basic realism patches. Its based on Joel Bierlings excellent program F4Patch.  |
| Realism Patch 5.0 |
Simply double click the F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe, let it run, click on Apply Patch when youre prompted by the installer program, and let it patch to its hearts content.
 |
| Click on Apply Patch |
What youll see after its done patching is a pop up box that will tell you which patches were installed by default.
 |
| Default RP 5.0 installed patches |
Rather than go into a long dissertation on what each patch is and what it does, Ill leave that for you, dear reader, to read the F4_RP5_User_Manual. It comes in .pdf format and weighing in at a whopping 12.3MB, zipped, its a serious read. These guys arent kidding around about their realism.
One thing of note: To ease patching and un-patching Falcon, after running the RP5 installer initially, in the above written manner, go back to the F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe, run it again, and when prompted to Unapply Patch, Advanced or Exit, click on Advanced. Make sure that its pointing to the Falcon4_RP5.exe in the Executable window.
You DONT have to do this, but I highly recommend it as it will really ease installing addons later such as F4Patch Skins, F4Patch Cockpits, F4Patch Sounds, additional campaigns and terrains, and so forth. If you dont want to expand F4Patch now you can just double click on F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe and Advanced to access the patch files.
 |
| Click on Advanced |
This will start up F4Patch and take you back to the patch screen. From there, go to and click on Expand Package Youll then see a pop-up that looks like this:
 |
| Click Yes to expand |
When prompted to overwrite your existing F4Patch folder click Yes. (This time only!! When adding additional F4Patch features, such as F4PatchCockpits, F4PatchSkins, or F4PatchSounds, you will NOT click Yes to overwritebut thats for another time.)
 |
| Click Yes to replace the directory |
This will create a new F4Patch folder in your \Falcon4 directory and create a shortcut to F4Patch on your desktop if youd like one. If youd rather not clutter your desktop with anymore shortcuts you can run F4Patch from the F4Patch.exe in the Falcon4 folder.
 |
| Create a shortcut on your desktop |
You can now delete the F4_RP_v50_Installer.exe thats in your \Falcon4 folder. From now on when you wish to add or remove a patch from your install, click on the F4Patch.exe.
Now that youve got Realism Patch 5.0 installed and F4Patch expanded in your folder you may be wondering what ones to use. As I said, for a complete description of them you really should read the F4_RP5_User_Manual.pdf doc. For a quick briefing on a patch you can highlight it in the F4Patch interface and a description of it will magically appear in the window on the right side.
 |
| Highlight a particular patch to see a brief description of it in the description box on the right. |
Highlight a particular patch to see a brief description of it in the description box on the right.
 |
| Click on the More Information button, if its highlighted, to view a readme file |
Click on the More Information button, if its highlighted, to view a readme file
You may, or may not, be wondering what I use for patches in RP 5.0. I use the default patches and also:
Airbase relocation, Interactive:
| This puts a small checkbox to apply or un-apply this feature in the Simulation tab of the setup screen in Falcon. What this will do is relocate squadrons to a different airbase if/when they are either put out of commission by an enemy airstrike, or are in imminent danger of being overrun. Notice the Patch 2 in the description? There are now three sub-patches, these include (This is a very brief description) a patch for what used to be a very rapid relocation now takes 8 hours to perform, Squadrons that start out far from the FLOT will be moved closer, and relocating squadrons will be forced to reuse their own airbases rather than also using friendly or allied bases. (For instance, no USAF squadrons operating from an ROK airbaseI thinkthis patch is new to me too!) |
 |
| Airbase relocation, Interactive extension after applying the patch. |
CAT III Fix v1b and v2b:
| This allows you to change from CAT III (Aircraft carrying drop tanks and/or A/G weapons) to CAT I (Carrying A/A weapons). v1b performs this task automatically when dropping tanks, unless there is a weapon(s) loadout that prevents it. (Such as a rack of bombs). v2b enables the CAT I/III switch in the cockpit so that you can manually engage the switch. The cockpit has to support this feature though, so youll need a 3rd party cockpit that supports that feature. Offhand, I dont know of any now that dont, but dont quote me on that because there quite possibly is. |
 |
| Location of the CATI/III Switch in the cockpit |
Memory Leak Sealed:
| I dont really know any details of this other than eRazor found the memory leak and Sylvain Gagnon wrote the patch to apply it to an i2 based installation of F4. Since F4 uses tons of memory I always use this patch. |
devCreateSurface/CTD fix:
| Sometimes when using Mavericks or LGB F4 would crash to the desktop when exiting a mission. This patch fixes that. I personally never had this happen either before using this patch, or after. But a lot of people did. |
If you decide to use the new 3D models patch ((3D-Mod) 3D models Parent Patch) be aware that it takes a long time to apply the new 3D models. They look very nice however and theyre worth the time in my opinion. Make sure that you read and follow the directions very closely when applying or they won't be applied!
Lastly, RP5 places a new keystrokes file in the config folder of your \Falcon4 directory. Go to the Controllers tab of the setup screen, click on Load to bring up the keystrokes files you can choose from.
 |
| Click on the load button to select the correct keysrokes file |
Highlite and click Load again. Click on Apply on the controllers tab, and you're done.
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| Select rp_ keystrokes |
Realism Patch 5.0 is installed, have fun!
Sources
- Leonardo "Apollo11" Rogic, and "Hoola"
Realism Patch v5.0 User's Manual
The Realism Patch Group, August 2001
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