767-200/300 Expansion Pack At Just Flight

Posted: Friday, April 2, 2010 - 0:53
Things are "hopping" off the shelves at Just Flight including a downloadable FSX Expansion Pack for the 767-200/300 Series. The boxed version is compatable with both FS9 and FSX.

FSFlyingSchool2010 Version 3.1 Released

Posted: Friday, April 2, 2010 - 0:40
FSInventions announces a new version of its FSFlyingSchool2010 add-on for FSX and FS2004. Version 3.1 introduces new features which are free to existing owners of FSFlyingSchool2010.

Information Page - We've improved the layout to help you get your bearings when starting with FSFlyingSchool 2010. Take a look around and you'll soon be up and flying with our instructors.
Discuss FSFlyingSchool - A new Information Page button takes you directly to the FSFlyingSchool online forum, where you can ask for help, search a huge storehouse of tips and tricks or just chat with other FSFlyingSchool fans.
Twitter FSFlyingSchool - A new Information Page button takes you directly to your Twitter home page, from which you can let folks know what you are up to with FSFlyingSchool.
Enhanced Traffic Identification - Your instructors have been studying their aircraft recognition charts and you'll hear them being more specific about what kind of traffic is out there on the ground and in the air. These folks can tell a Boeing from an Airbus - can you?

To find out more, watch movies, download demo, etc, visit the FSFlyingSchool website.

Lear 20 Series from Xtreme Prototypes

Posted: Friday, April 2, 2010 - 0:27
Contributing reviewer Proflig8tor takes several models of Xtreme Prototypes' Lear 20 Series out for a test drive. "The 20 Series Learjets are icons of high performance, status and pure sex appeal. Driven by two diminutive but powerful General Electric CJ610 engines the lightweight, yet very strong, airframe was a screamer. This is was an airplane which looked like a personal jet fighter and it performed like one."

"The Xtreme Prototypes Lear 20 Series jets are modeled very well, with a sense that things are well proportioned to scale. Complex curves, like the supercritical winglets on the Model 28 are elegant. The aircraft are pleasing to look at and there are lots of details here. The interiors are model correct, which is important given the changes between the models 24 and 25 were to accommodate additional seating. It is also an indication of their level of modeling that they got the aileron servo tabs, control linkages, static wicks and attachment fittings spot on perfect. This is one of those models that you like more and more as you spend time with it."

"The flight model is good, with accurate roll and pitch response for the 20 Series Learjet. The aircraft is easy to fly and land, although ground handling may be difficult for those not used to using a little differential power and braking. The aircraft is stable on approach and landings are easy to judge."

"The Xtreme Protypes Lear 20 Series uses only a Virtual Cockpit. Thankfully, the Virtual Cockpit is well laid out, nicely to scale and very simple to use. The throttles are particularly well shaped. Clicking on the opposite side yoke will remove the onside yoke, allowing an unrestricted view of the forward panel. The developer makes a point of their work to create a fully 3D gauge cockpit, but a user really has to look close to tell that this is not the old refresh rate eating 2D indicators."

"Xtreme Prototypes has produced a most pleasing add-on Lear 20 Series jet. The design is a compromise that will be easy for new users to enjoy and has sufficient detail that more experienced users will not find it boring, or toy like. The Xtreme Protoypes Lear 20 Series is a lot of fun to fly."

Orbx Releases PNW Patch

Posted: Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 8:00
Orbx releases PNW Patch. The primary purpose of this patch is to fix the glide path and AI/ATC related issues with the main airports in the coverage area as well as update FTX Central to completely deactivate Pacific Northwest when "Default FSX" is applied.

In addition they have included many bug fixes based on beta testers feedback and some new contents, such as, missing rail-road tunnels in several locations in western Oregon, several objects including cranes in Tacoma harbor, Tacoma Dome stadium, and the State Capitol in Olympia and much more.

For more information, Orbx's PNW Page.

Honolulu from FSDreamTeam

Posted: Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 5:30
Staff reviewer Rick Desjardins says "Aloha" as he tours around FSDreamTeam's Honolulu International Airport. "This is the primary airport for the City of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii and additionally shares its facilities with Hickam Air Force Base."

"This scenery is the complete Honolulu airport complex so you get both the civilian airport, PHNL Honolulu International which includes the main terminal building plus the cargo areas and the Hickam Air Force Base. Overall the airport looks good and is well done. Lots of details in the buildings and ground textures. Apart from this small area I must say the scenery developers have done a great job in adding details and they have added lots of them. There is an abundance of airport vehicles and they come in every variety you’d expect to see, you also have cargo containers, blast walls and fencing."

"The runways and markings are crisp; the colours are not over emphasized and appear realistic with a weathered tone. The YouControl feature is their way of allowing you to open and close certain hanger doors. Trying out the ParkMe was fun. First of all you choose where you wish to park. Once you arrive at your chosen gate there is a digital readout that shows your aircraft type. From this point as you slowly move in, you are guided with visual cues to your exact parking spot. This certainly adds to the realism."

"I enjoyed FSDreamTeam's Honolulu and found that it added nicely to the Hawaiian experience, providing a very detailed gateway airport to this beautiful part of the world. I found that the details were abundant and well done, with lots of little touches adding to the overall experience."

Wings of Power II - B-17 Expansion Pack

Posted: Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 0:40
a2asimulations announces the release of an expansion pack for their "Wing of Power II B-17 Flying Fortress. Information about this aircraft, including the full manual, can be found on the B-17's webpage. Looking for screenshots, they have that. A tutorial, yes they've got that too. What about seeing the plane in action? Check out this video.

FS9 Warbirdsim Fighter Leader II Released

Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 14:44
WarBirdSim has released a Special Edition Collectors Set featuring the Dorsal Fillet and Direction Finding Loop versions of the high backed Mustangs and brings together a very comprehensive range of North American P-51s in various schemes, colors and configurations the like of which has never before been seen for Flight Simulator FS9.

Included are a beautiful selection of ten aircraft for you to take to the skies and tame. There have been cockpit updates and sound updates from the original FS2004 release of Fighter Leader to give an even closer overall feel of what the real aircraft are like to fly. This makes an excellent companion to the original Fighter Leader and the aeroplanes themselves now feature 500lb bombs in place of the drop tanks. The P-51B/C & Mustang III have also been extremely faithfully reproduced right down to the last rivet, panel line and individual markings.

Carenado Releases C185F Skywagon Bush For FSX

Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - 0:36
Carenado has released one of the most popular Bush aircraft the C185F Skywagon Bush for FSX. This is a high quality designed aircraft, with a polygon optimized model, friendly FPS and a Control Windows controlling the eye candy (Cargo Pod, Wheel chokes, boxes & packages, Pitot cover, Sights prop and Tiedown ropes). This is a standalone package (it doesn´t require the C185F package). It comes with a pop-up Skywagon Owner Manual Supplement with performance charts and normal & emergency procedures. The original HQ digital stereo sounds (44100 HZ) are recorded from the original aircraft. This release comes with four different models: Amphibian, Float, Ski and Tundra. More information and pictures can be found at the Carenado website. A FS2004 version will be available in the near future.

Jumbo X For FSX From Perfect Flight

Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 15:23
Perfect Flight have just released Jumbo X, their FS2004 best seller is now avaliable for Microsoft Flight Simulator X.
Jumbo X adds 39 new liveries (Passenger and Cargo) to the Boeing 747-400, and includes a Mission Pack where you can use the Boeing 747-400 to simulate a multi-crew enviroment with interactive briefing, step to step checklists and more. An extensive B747 Flight Manual and an useful Pilot LogBook are included in the package.

Faro Intl' Airport from TropicSim

Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 15:13
TropicalSim has announced the release of Faro Intl' Airport (LPFR), in Portugal. LPFR is their third European scenery. Faro is the second busiest airport in Portugal, only behind capital Lisbon.

TopicalSim is also working on a new scenery of the airports of Azores, if you are able to assist them with photographs of surrounding area, please do contact them.

For more information on Faro visit the TropicalSim Homepage

Tuscany North - Freeware from AussieX

Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 2:10
Staff reviewer Philip Wilson looks at a piece of freeware scenery from AussieX, namely Tuscany North. "Tuscany is a region in Central Italy. Tuscany is known for its beautiful landscapes, its rich artistic legacy and vast influence on high culture."

"The package includes the area of Pisa, Viareggio, Torre del Lago, Versilia coast until the Liguria region boundary. It also covers the wonderful Apuan Alps area. Elba, Pianosa and Capraia beautiful islands. Your new Tuscany region will take your breath away and keep you thinking…WOW this is really freeware?"

"Every type of geography imaginable is here, from the coastlines to the mountains and everything in between. Maurizio G spent a lot of time perfecting the night textures and I can say he did an exceptional job."

"This is by far the best freeware scenery package I’ve ever seen. With upcoming expansions in the works, this is the very best rendition of this beautiful region."

Flight Simulator in Focus

Posted: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 0:40
Sky Blue Radio is presenting a live Flight Simulator in Focus show on Saturday April 3rd, 2010 at 1800z Join Richard Rudd and special guests IVAO Public Relations Director Vybhava Srinivasan and Events Director and Deputy US Director Eric Olsen as they explore the future of Flight Simulation and the place of IVAO. Listeners will also have a chance to put their questions and/or comments to either Vybhava or Eric via the Sky Blue Radio website. If you have a question you would like to send in now for the show then please email your question with your name and location to fsinfocus at)skyblueradio (dot)com. Tune in with Wee Tune Beastie in your cockpit com2 radio on 123.45, through the Sky Blue Radio website or through the Sky Blue Radio link in the Vroute software.

New at the Avsim Store - Saitek Pro Flight Combat System

Posted: Monday, March 29, 2010 - 18:46
The Avsim store has received a very limited quantities of the new X-65F. It is the The World's First Force Sensing HOTAS.

The X-65F’s stick does not move; instead, like those found in real modern fighter jets, it responds to pressure that you exert on the handle, resulting in a fast, accurate and realistic response that will make you the ace in your squadron. With no moving parts and a shaft that is made from high grade steel, this provides incredible reliability and longevity.
Custom engineered from high grade metal castings, the Saitek X-65F Pro Flight Combat System is built to withstand many combat engagements.

Visit the Avsim store today

Trondheim Vaernes X from Aerosoft

Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 23:15
Staff reviewer Jon Murchison visits Norway and Aerosoft's Trondheim Vaernes Airport. "As an active military airbase for the Norwegian Air Force as well as being a civilian airport, Værnes is host to a diverse range of aircraft from both heavy lift USAF C5-Galaxies to the more sedate Twin Otter. Whatever aircraft type either real or virtual aviators call home, they must all face the unique flying conditions that can be expected in a country that sits around the same latitude as Greenland."

"The level of autogen in this area is very dense with the hills surrounding Værnes covered in trees and housing and other buildings to the north, so all of these factors combined left me with a very favorable impression of Værnes performance. The jetways, gate area and Terminal A itself are very well built with some gorgeous detail. The jetways use transparent glass and these are fully see through that actually allow you to see what’s on the other side. The ramp area has various vehicles and items you would expect to find that add depth and ‘clutter’ without impacting on performance."

"Beyond the terminals, Værnes has several other areas of interest. Behind Terminal A can be found the control tower, parking facilities and a detailed service station that sits inside the airport boundary. The buildings in this area are also well detailed and connect with the road system that has vehicles following the road around in front of the terminals and away south."

"The runway and taxiways at Værnes X are all rendered atop hi resolution photos with an AFCAD file providing taxiway lines and the unseen pathways AI traffic follow. Both ends of the runway have approach lights and a PAPI system installed with the lights PAPI connected to 3D units sitting alongside the runway."

"In my view this is another quality product from Aerosoft. I was impressed with the level of detail and modeling gone into the airport buildings, runways and taxiways. Norway may be known for its snow but it does have four seasons and these are all depicted in the scenery. Visually, Trondheim's textures fit seamlessly with the default FSX textures and I felt it looked pretty good."

Angelique Goes To Munich

Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 21:56
On March 12th, Senior Staff Reviewer Angelique van Campen headed for Southern Germany or to be exact Munich, to attend and report on the 8th German Flight Simulator Conference. "This show was only related to Microsoft Flight Simulator programs, software, hardware, clubs etc. Even though it was just a one day conference, for me it felt like a complete weekend. You see a lot, meet new people or make some time available to talk with old friends."

"My final word about the 8th German Flight Simulator Conference ... AWESOME. Although completely exhausted after the Captain's Dinner and from a whole day walking in and around the museum and stands, stairs up, and after a while, stairs down, I enjoyed every minute. I finally had the chance to meet different developers, publishers, project managers and many others that we email and read about online."

MYNN Nassau Upgraded to V2.0

Posted: Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 17:26
An upgraded version of ImagineSim's MYNN Nassau for FSX is now available. It features re-designed and more realistic runway and approach lighting, an improved AFCAD/AI aircraft system, a host of bug fixes related to graphics card variations, and a code clean-up resulting in increased frames-per-second performance. MYNN V2 is free for existing ImagineSim MYNN FSX customers. Full details along with screenshots and a demo version can be found at the ImagineSim website.

Updated Programs From OnCourse Software

Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 23:29
OnCourse Software are pleased to announce the release of two updates for their popular FDC Live Cockpit and PFE (ProFlight Emulator) programs.

Earth Simulations Releases The Scilly Isles

Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 23:22
The Isles of Scilly has now overtaken Alderney as Earth Simulations proudest achievement. It is the result of our wish to create the most realistic scenery experience possible using today's technology in Flight Simulator X. The Isles of Scilly form an archipelago off the south-western tip of the Cornish peninsula of Great Britain. The Islands have an almost tropical feel to them, comprising some of the most beautiful scenery to be found in this Island of Islands that we call Great Britain. The entire area has been modelled in the most painstaking of detail, and has been brought to life by the innovative design techniques employed at Earth Simulations. They sincerely hope you will be tempted to take a closer look at this scenery and that those of you that do will enjoy what we believe is the most advanced Flight Simulation scenery available today.

FenceBuilder PRO Version 2

Posted: Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 13:55
FenceBuilder Pro, a graphical object placement tool has been substantially enhanced and re-released as Version 2. The first utility ever to create sloping fence, wall and hedge segments on-the-fly for both FS9 and FSX, FenceBuilder Pro also places models, objects from library files and effects including, for FSX, sound effects. If a library object isn't quite right, it can be customized with FenceBuilder PRO. But, what really separates FenceBuilder PRO from the competition is its ability to place one or more rows of objects/effects in a single operation, making it easy to add power-lines, ski-lifts, orchards, tree-farms, etc. to existing Flight Simulator scenery with only a few mouse clicks. To add realism, all row placement parameters can be randomized under user control. A Free Demo of FenceBuilder PRO Version 2 is available from the file library. It is identical to the "production" version save for the number of segments/objects it will permit you to place. FenceBuilder PRO Version 2 is available from FSAddon, simMarket and other retailers.

Atolls of Tuvalu from Pacific Islands Sim

Posted: Friday, March 26, 2010 - 21:16
Staff reviewer Philip Wilson heads deep into the Pacific region to visit some historic islands with Pacific Islands Simulation's Atolls of Tuvalu. "Tuvalu, pronounced "too-VAH-loo", is an independent constitutional monarchy in the southwest Pacific Ocean between latitudes 5 degrees and 11 degrees south and longitudes 176 degrees and 180 degrees east. Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, they separated from the Gilbert Islands after a referendum in 1975, and achieved independence from Great Britain on October 1, 1978. The population of 11,800 (est. 2007) live on Tuvalu's nine atolls, which have a total land area of 10 square miles, or 27 square kilometers."

"There are 7 Atolls/Islands in this package, and they each have a different feel and character about them. Since there are so many elements at play here, I’m going to give you the tour starting with NGFU and ending in NGTO." Philip goes on to describe each stop along the way during this cross-country (cross-atoll?) adventure. Each section is accompanied by some great screenshots to give you a feel of what to expect at each location.

"The Atolls of Tuvalu from Pacific Islands Simulation is a first class product. From the smallest animals to the breathtaking panoramic scenery, it is an amazing recreation of this beautiful country. Each Island/Atoll has a unique feeling to it, and with the sounds of local birds and waves crashing onto the beach. This product is a definite “must have” for anyone who loves the “low and slow” island lifestyle."