XPUIPC Plug-in for X-Plane

Posted: Sunday, October 18, 2009 - 6:33
You must have heard of or used FSUIPC from Peter Dowson for Microsoft's Flight Simulator. Have you wanted a similar utility for X-Plane ? The wait is over with XPUIPC under continuing development. XPUIPC is a plug-in for X-Plane seeks to "emulate" an FSUIPC like interface. XPUIPC’s ultimate aim is to allow flight simmers use their favorite Microsoft Flight Simulation Add-ons in X-Plane. At the current stage XPUIPC provides over 300 FSUIPC offsets . Future developments will expand the number of available offsets and functions.

Currently, you can get all this for free. For more information visit XPUIPC's Home Page.

FS2004 Freeware Repaints

Posted: Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 16:21
After three repaints of the PMDG 737-800 in XL Airways France livery, Emmanuel Parot is now offering the FS2004 community six freeware repaints of the PMDG 737-800 in XL Airways Germany livery. Three aircraft are depicted : D-AXLD with TUIfly logo, D-AXLE with Jetairfly logo, with Thomsonfly.com logo and with 2009 colors, D-AXLG in standard livery and with Jet4you logo. These and other freeware offerings are available at the website.

Captain Sim Updates

Posted: Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 16:13
A few announcements from Capt Sim. They have released the 767-200 expansion model; Service Pack 3 is now available for their 767 Captain; and the CS Weather Radar V1.1 now works with any rotorcraft. Complete details can be found at the Captain Sim website.

Attention FS Developers

Posted: Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 16:08
FS Audio Extreme is now available to FS Developers! FS2Crew, a developer of flight crew simulations, is now licensing its new audio engine module and SDK to other Flight Simulator and Windows developers. This new audio module, which uses Microsoft XACT audio technology, is powerful and very easy to incorporate in your code. Please note this is for C/C++ programmers only. The full manual for FS Audio Extreme is available for public download via the FS Audio Extreme product info page.

My Traffic 2010 now available at the Avsim store

Posted: Friday, October 16, 2009 - 17:46
My Traffic 2010 is the latest version of the longtime popular and successful My Traffic series. Uncompromisingly optimized for Microsoft Flight Simulator X, this product provides realistic air traffic in the air and on the ground and is controlled by artificial intelligence, at more than 8200 airports.
More than 140 aircraft models were newly designed for FSX within never-before seen detail for AI-planes. Nearly all current airliners, most commuter aircraft and freighters are included. There are additional versions of many aircraft types, even featuring different engine configurations. 1600 aircraft liveries are included as well as more than 4000 different types plus associated flight plans. My Traffic 2010 generates more than 800,000 flight a day worldwide.
Visit the Avsim Store today.

FScene "Beagle" FSX mission series

Posted: Friday, October 16, 2009 - 15:05
Do you like to fly missions? We've got some news for you. During 2009 and 2010 FScene is publishing a new series of free Flight Simulator X Missions, in cooperation with a team of old FS boys. Ruud Faber, Jaap van Hees, Chip Barber and Francois Dumas are all 'veterans' of the international flight simulation 'scene' and have put their spare time, enthusiasm and talents together to come up with this new "Beagle" series.
Read all about it in the missions PDF Flyer and follow the greater part of Charles Darwin's journey on the HMS "Beagle" (1831-1836) to celebrate Charles Darwin's 200th birth year and the 150th anniversary of his publication of "On the Origin of Species", for further details visit FScene .

OZx Releases 3.0

Posted: Friday, October 16, 2009 - 14:38
OZx is proud to announce OZx 3.0 , the latest standalone version of our Australian scenery project. It introduces over 20 new fields and heliports, 13 water starts and ½ a dozen new VFR sceneries to the Aussie landscape to make a total of more than 300 OZx sceneries and airfields, not counting drillrigs and wheat silos.

So join us in the greatest FSX freeware project ever. Travel again through this vast land and experience the beauty and remote majesty of our harsh continent of extremes and celebrate the Great Southern Land with OZx 3.0 .

FSFlyingSchool2009

Posted: Friday, October 16, 2009 - 14:30
FSInventions announces a new version of its FSFlyingSchool2009 add-on for FSX and FS2004. Version 2.3 introduces a built in free demo of their new product: FSFlyingSchool2009 Cessna 172 Detail Pack.

With the addition of the optional FSFlyingSchool2009 Cessna 172 Detail Pack, your instructors will be looking at your aircraft and your performance in your Cessna 172 in a lot more detail. It also includes a number of Cessna 172 checklists you can request to be read by your chosen instructor. If you want to fly the world with the Cessna 172 Detail Pack you can purchase a FSFlyingSchool2009 Cessna 172 Detail Pack registration key and enter it into your registered version of FSFlyingSchool2009. Modelled on the Cessna 172 included with Flight Simulator, it can be used with any Cessna 172.
To find out more, watch movies, download demo, etc, visit the FSFlyingSchool Homepage .

Just Trains Presents Colton & Northern

Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 0:28
Train Sim fans, welcome aboard the Colton & Northern, a brand new North American route for RailWorks brought to you by All Aboard! and Just Trains. Colton & Northern is a rail line that has grown over the decades and runs between the cities of Westin and Colton. The route features over 30 industries to be serviced, over a hundred spurs, numerous detailed towns, signals and over 20 imaginative scenarios.

There’s plenty of mainline running in the Colton & Northern as well as plenty of switching action. If you don't mind getting your hands dirty, your feet wet, and your overalls greasy handling the big engines and rolling stock, then the Colton & Northern is for you! Check out these videos. Low Res. High Res. Streaming.

Tropicalsim LPPR O Porto Scenery

Posted: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - 14:02
Tropicalsim has just released LPPR O Porto Francisco de Sá Carneiro Intl' airport for both FS9 & FSX. This is a very realistic and detailed scenery of this huge and nice airport, offered with two independent installers for the sim of your choice, with a great visual and the habitual Tropicalsim's care about frames impact. Visit Tropicalsim's Porto one of the main entry gates to Europe.

Flight System G940 from Logitech

Posted: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 - 1:58
Kevin Glover asked if he could contribute a review after he received the Logitech G940 flight control system. Not known for turning down flight sim enthusiasts who wish to contribute, we said sure. Here's what Kevin has to say about his Gold Star Awarded G940 system.

"The Logitech G940 is the equivalent of the F-22 in controller circles; bigger, better, and revolutionary. This package comes at you with an extensive list of features and a very sleek physical appearance. In the box you’ll find a quick-start guide, a sheet of decals to apply to buttons, a CD with Logitech’s drivers and profiling software, and the AC power cable. The Logitech Profiler is, in my opinion, a very intuitive program which will allow the user to gain a good deal of versatility from the controller. I must admit that I was rather daunted at the prospect of learning how to use this Profiler and after using the Logitech program, I breathed a silent sigh of relief when I discovered that this program is considerably less complex than other managers."

"The pedals - The base of the pedals has two retractable carpet grips, in addition to the rubber grips for slicker surfaces. In my opinion, the pedals themselves are very comfortably sized and I can wear my bulky shoes and still have them fit comfortably on the pedals."

"The throttles - Most certainly one of the biggest selling points of this product is the ‘dual throttle’ feature. By means of a small metal rod in the base of the levers, the user can alternately lock or unlock the throttles and thus operate them separately or together. Perhaps one of the more interesting features of the throttle are the eight buttons which are purported to be capable of changing color in relation to such things as gear or flap position in-game."

"The joystick - The stick features one POV-switch, a two-stage trigger, a pinkie trigger (intended for the little finger to operate the shift control, but it can really be used for anything), as well as other assorted buttons. Most interestingly, there is an odd little miniature axis, complete with pushbutton, mounted on the top of the joystick above the POV. The joystick is fairly heavy, which is definitely a good thing since extra force is used upon it to overcome the force feedback. The base is rather large and comes equipped with rubber grips to prevent sliding. One rather nice thing about this stick is the addition of three axes on the base of the unit. These are intended to control trim on an aircraft."

"the G940 uses something called I-Force technology from Immersion Corporation. I-Force is a pre-coded engine that controls how the joystick responds to stimuli from whatever game you’re playing. As products with I-Force have their own chip dedicated to processing FF commands, it is intended to take some of the load off of the CPU and actual game engine. Additionally, it can coordinate the motors to replicate multiple forces, such as rolling along a dirt strip with wind gusts at the same time."

After taking this system for its test run through various flight regimes, Kevin concludes, "I will be one of the first to compare this unit to the Saitek X-52 Pro. The X-52 has had a long and glorious career as one of the pinnacles of the flight simulator world – change, however, is a good and constant thing. My overwhelming feel is that Logitech's Flight System G940 is truly a quality unit and I feel that I can confidently say that this is the definitive HOTAS or Force Feedback-enabled system available."

Cascade Game Foundry: New Sim Development Studio

Posted: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 - 23:25
Cascade Game Foundry Forges Ahead, Opens New Simulation Game Development Studio

Founded By Former Microsoft Aces Studio Veterans

Seattle, Washington, October 12, 2009 – Cascade Game Foundry, a new game development studio in Washington, today announced their entry into the simulation marketplace with an experienced team of industry pros poised to create a portfolio of innovative and engaging products which will appeal to both aficionados and people new to the genre.

The two founders, Creative Director Rick Selby and Managing Director Kathie Flood, are no strangers to simulations – both are former Microsoft Aces Studio leaders and industry veterans. Not only will Cascade Game Foundry address the significant hole in the simulation market left by Microsoft’s recent departure, it will push new boundaries with the latest in cutting-edge graphics, simulation and web technology.

“The beauty of starting a new studio is that we get to reconsider all our preconceived notions,” comments Selby, a former Lead Product Designer at Microsoft. “Our previous efforts focused on building traditional simulation titles. However, now we get to redefine what a simulation game can be. As a designer, that is incredibly liberating.” From a gameplay standpoint, Cascade Game Foundry is looking to broaden the market. “The hardcore simulation fan is the critical foundation, but why stop there?” says Selby. “We want to deliver unique experiences that appeal to diverse audiences around the world.”

Flood, a former Microsoft Senior Program Manager with 15 years of industry experience, is excited about the possibilities. “We want to combine the naturally inquisitive nature of the human spirit with the stunning resources of the planet. The simulation market is known to be a strong, consistent performer, but our vision extends beyond flying and railroading,” she says. “Think of SCUBA diving off Hawaii, traversing the Andes, hiking the Great Wall of China … the possibilities are endless.”

Selby and Flood are joined by a number of other former Aces members and game industry veterans. “We have an incredible team lined up across all disciplines,” adds Flood. “Every person has numerous years of professional experience and a proven track record of delivering multi-million-selling titles. “We see this as a wonderful opportunity to reinvigorate the simulation market with a quantum step forward and our products will convey that sense of passion, fun and excitement that we have always had for the genre.”

“If you love simulations, the news is going to get better and better,” hints Selby.

Cascade Game Foundry, LLC is hard at work on the design and demo for their first project.

Cascade Games Foundry

New Wilco titles in the Avsim Store

Posted: Monday, October 12, 2009 - 22:00
The Avsim Store has just added a few more titles from Wilco available as instant downloads: The Tilt Rotor and the E-Jets Series. This adds to our collection of Wilco titles comprised of the Boeing 777, the CRJ Regional jet, the Airbus A400 and the Cessna Citation X. All are available as instant downloads.

Visit the Avsim Store today.

Approaching Innsbruck from Aerosoft

Posted: Monday, October 12, 2009 - 18:40
Staff reviewer Viktor Lakatos heads to Austria to check out Aerosoft's Approaching Innsbruck. "Innsbruck airport gives us something special. It is not a JFK, Heathrow, Frankfurt, or Hong-Kong-scale airfield. However, this airport is also a famous one, but not because of its complexity, nor its passenger statistics. Its location and unique surroundings put it in the list of the most enjoyable airports in the world."

"As we look down at Aerosoft’s Innsbruck scenery from a bird’s eye view, we can see a nice photographic landclass with relatively smooth borders. The GMAX designed 3D objects have good quality; we meet many custom buildings that also raises the level of reality. The city is alive: vehicles are moving in the streets continuously, traffic is always huge on Motorway A12. I cannot go on without making a note on train traffic. As the train passed the level-crossing, the gates opened. Great small details: the pantographs of electric locomotives were sparking."

"Innsbruck is a relative small airfield with one concrete strip. Taxiways A and B connect the apron with the runway. Taxiway Z couples the northern hangars to the runway. Good news for helicopter fans, there are two helicopter landing facilities included in the scenery. I liked the nice grass texture between the apron and the runway. The night textures are very nice, although dark vehicles are moving on the apron at night. I cannot say anything bad about the textures at all. The airport is fully compatible with Aerosoft’s Airport Enhancement Services"

Viktor goes into the details of the approaches into Innsbruck and some of the special limitations of arriving there by taking you through the approach, with tips to help you along the way. "Aerosoft’s Approaching Innsbruck is a definite must-have for those who fly not (only) because of the moving jetways and automated docking guidance, or large airports with tons of ‘shiny’ features, but like challenges and are not afraid of navigating in foggy weather between high snowy peaks. Aerosoft’s Approaching Innsbruck scenery shows that Innsbruck is in deed: A small, lovely airport at a beautiful place."

French language Fs2Crew 2010

Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 14:28
Fs2Crew release French language Fs2Crew 2010 FSX default 737 'Voice Commander' Edition, with a new interface using voice commands and instructions to communicate with various crew members.

Now,the simulation becomes interactive without pressing buttons on your joystick or keyboard, the French main OPS manual is available in the FS tutorials, for a look at the French manual in pdf form visit the Website.

Ultimate Airport Environment

Posted: Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 14:15
Zinertek is pleased to announce the release of Ultimate Airport Environment for FS2004. This package greatly enhances all the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 default airports throughout the world. You will see more realistic and detailed airport buildings, terminals, runways, taxiways, tarmac surfaces, hangars, warehouses, and much more! For more information regarding this product visit Zinertek's Homepage .

AVSIM Back 100% and Growing

Posted: Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 18:16
Tom Allensworth, CEO and Publisher of AVSIM, today issued this statement; "We have just concluded our AVSIM Board of Director's Meeting at the Chicago O'Hare Hilton and are now looking forward to tonight's Social at the hotel. We are looking forward to meeting our fellow flight simulation enthusiasts and discussing the future of the hobby and AVSIM. We look forward to seeing you here.

We also want to take this moment to proclaim that AVSIM is 100% back in operation and we are now setting the course for our future growth and expansion of our features and offerings. That we are able to do this at all has been made possible by the thousands of donations that were made to AVSIM at the time of the hack in May and which continue today. We are extremely proud of the community's support in helping us to get back online, and for being patient and understanding of the challenges that needed to be overcome to get us back to full operation.

But, we are not finished. Prior to the hack we had planned on updating the library system and a complete revamp of the AVSIM Web Site. Now that we are back to full functionality, we are moving again to implement those changes.

We wanted to thank all of our supporters and those who gave so generously, and to let you know that we are committed to improving the AVSIM system. Thank you and we hope to see you in Chicago tonight!"

P - 38 Lightning Demo & Service Release

Posted: Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 14:31
Flight Sim Developers P 38 Free Trial Demo and a stand alone Service Update have been released, the Classic Warbird from FSD has been updated to include new features and requested modifications and these have been released in the form of a Service Update , current owners will find all the requested features and fixes on this small installer.

FSD is also pleased to announce that its full featured P 38 Free Trial Demo is ready to bring this aircraft to you for an hour free of charge, the Demo is a complete version of the aircraft with all the paint schemes and models but time limited, visit the Flight Sim Developers Homepage for complete details and pictures of the release.

Add-on Scenery for LPPR Airport in Portgual

Posted: Friday, October 9, 2009 - 19:59
Tropicalsim has released a scenery of Francisco de Sá Carneiro International airport ("O Porto / LPPR"), in Portugal. Also regarded as one of the main entry gates to Europe. The scenery is availabe for FS9 and FSX. The product is expected to be very realistic and detailed with great visual and also with minimum impact on frames rate. More information visit TropicSim website.

Add-on to Enhance Force Feedback Effects

Posted: Thursday, October 8, 2009 - 19:43
Dirks Software has announced release of "FS Force 2.5". FS Force is an add-on module for FSX which provides force feedback effects in response to changing flight conditions, on the ground or in air.

On the ground, you'll feel bumps, dips, pavement grooves, sharp cornering, braking forces, hard landings and more. In the air, you'll feel realistic trim forces, and centering forces that vary with airspeed. You can also add friction and damping to the flight controls to further enhance realism. Two new features in this latest release include the "stall buffeting and stick shaker forces".

FS Force version 1.o is still available for those using FS9. Complete details can be found on the FS Force website.