This MSFS package for the Jonker JS3 high-performance glider includes both the 15m and 18m version of the aircraft.

READ THIS: this single ZIP contains TWO packages, for the 15m and 18m respectively. So open the Zip in Windows and drag the TWO folders into your Community folder. Have I made it clear there are TWO packages? One called JS3-15... and the other called JS3-18... 

You'll see the 15m and 18m JS-3's separately selectable from your World Map - Aircraft Selection screen.

The 15m is sharing a lot of files from the 18m, so even if you only fly the 15m, keep the 18m installed.

This addon for MSFS has accurately modelled flight performance including flaps and ballast, and a full competition panel.

The nav instruments and variometers will be largely familiar to those that has flown the MSFS AS33, i.e. the variometers have full support for Total Energy, Netto and Speed-to-Fly, and the Nav Panel will load and display the current MSFS flightplan which can be annotated via B21 Task Planner to include the details of a proper competition soaring task, showing appropriate task completion info on a panel built into the nav instrument that can be screenshot to compare with others flying the same task.

A basic comparison of the 15m and 18m:

The best glide ratio of the JS3-18 is ~56:1, and the JS3-15 is ~50:1. This mostly makes a difference while thermalling in weak to medium thermals or on a final glide in weak conditions. Let's be honest you're unikely to be in either of those situations in MSFS.

At high speed, the margin between the two gliders begins to shrink, and at 140 knots the glide ratio of the JS3-18 (~26:1) is only a little higher than the JS3-15 (~25:1).

Back in the day before 18m (or 20m) gliders were popular, the competition classes jumped from 15m flapped to Open Class (with planes ~25/26m wingspan). Counter-intuitively the 15m gliders could be faster than the open class on a really strong day as the Open class ~60:1 floaty glide capability kicks ass in weak conditions but becomes a liability at high speed.

The handling of the JS3 15m and 18m in MSFS is similar, the performance differs slightly ass reported above, the 15m carries less ballast and is permitted a lower max total weight (525Kg vs 600Kg) and the net effect of all that is the 15m has a lower max wing-loading but the performance is still awesome. The roll-rate of the 15m is slightly better in the sim but you might not notice.

The instruments in the 15m and 18m are exactly the same, with the idea being you've attached different wing tips for the two wingspans (as RL). You'll see a piece of sticky tape on the 15m panel reminding you that you've attached those tips. The two packages in MSFS are necessary as there are a bunch of files that need to be swapped in/out between the 15m and 18m such as the flight model, and that's not something MSFS can do in a single package.

2.3.5 Update
* Niche stall behaviour improved for MSFS2024
* Spoilers strength reduced / pitch effect improved
* Micro-stutter for html/js gauges in MSFS2024 improved
* Bugfix  for Leaflet map display still visible on power off
* Windows folder/files max path length issue improved
* Bugfix for MSFS2024 15m/18m wings not displaying in multiplayer
* Big pink Helipads in MSFS2024 SU1 removed from Bing map
* Ground rumble effect improved for Moza FFB sticks
* Airspeed increased for World Map 'Airborne' departure

2.3.1 Update
* Significantly updated for MSFS2024
* Nav Panel significantly updated, other instruments improved
* Additional liveries
* Flight models refined, in particular flaps pitch change improved
* Keybinds for in-cockpit controls extended for maccready, volume, ballast

2.0.3 Update

* on-panel Watch updated to show HH:MM:SS
* add AGL Alt to Altimeter
* Waldo livery added
* Chas livery added
* add Chris Bullas livery from 18m to 15m
* update Nav Map Stamen Terrain to tile server
* shadows improved in cockpit
* b21_nav_lx updated from JS3
* flaps external view indicator updated (cockpit.cfg)
* update B21 Soaring Engine
* update MSFS display of flap settings angles
* added scrolling line from plane to current WP.
* Nav panel do not display radius/max/min for wp's if task completed.
* Nav Panel not reset task on power off
* extend WASM fcheck reset to 20 seconds
* make 'happy beep' for good WP confirm, 'sad beep' for bad WP
* suppress hide of Nav Panel wind arrow at low wind speed

2.0.2 update

* 15m variant added (note this Zip now includes TWO packages to go in the Community folder, make sure to extract both of those from the ZIP).

* 'secondary' adjustments applied to the flight model (the glide performance is already the most accurate in MSFS), these are mainly the pitch behaviour on flap changes and extending the spoilers. Also the trim center point and range has been adjusted.

* other small bugfixes and quality of life improvements

1.0.1 update:

* bugfix for Nav Panel 8-box display

* Significantly improved shadows on the panel and in the cockpit (thanks to sal1800 for the method)

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Jonker JS3 15m and 18m for MSFS 2020 and 2024

A 15m/18m flapped racing glider with full support for ballast, flaps and a fully-functioning competition instrument panel. The flight model has been carefully tailored to provide the glide performance of the real aircraft. The Jonker JS3 18m can be considered a direct competitor to the Schleicher AS33 and the DG 808S.

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