Wx500 Weather Radar for FSX

Posted: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 - 1:58
Reality XP announces the release of the Award Winning Wx500 Weather Radar for FSX. "With today's announcement of latest FSX product, we are officially ushering in a new era in true next-generation simulation" said Jean-Luc Dupiot "The award winning Wx500 Weather Radar features powerful technologies and capabilities that have never been brought together in our products before”.

The Wx500 for FSX features an entirely new graphic engine for Flight Simulator with ultra high-res images in 32 bits next-gen graphics and enhanced radar simulation engine. Completely rewritten from scratch with the latest Reality XP C++ Gauge SDK, developed for the Airliner XP Airbus, it offers sharper, better, life-like visuals which are simply not possible to achieve with the default Flight Simulator SDK! Now compatible with both Win XP and Vista, the new Wx500 for FSX can be found at the Reality XP website.

2nd Update From SceneryTech Released

Posted: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 - 1:48
SceneryTech has released the second update to their North America Landclass scenery, bringing it to v1.2. This update includes the revamped urban extents algorithm that was first featured in the previously released Europe Landclass, and fixes virtually every reported issue since the product's launch. More information can be found at the SceneryTech website.

feelThere Goes Real World

Posted: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 - 2:42
The Belgian Defense Force's 15th Wing Air Transport now uses the feelThere ERJ Pilot In Command for teaching their pilots flight deck preparations. This airplane is available for download at the feelThere website and on CD at the Wilco Publishing website.

Comet Spotted On The Horizon

Posted: Monday, August 27, 2007 - 21:03
No, it's not Haley's, but close! David Maltby has released an updated version of the De Havilland DH106 Comet 4. This classic jet airliner now has a fully functional Virtual Cockpit and improved flight dynamics. Visit DM Flight Sim for more information & downloads.

Calling All News Writers!

Posted: Monday, August 27, 2007 - 1:37
Attention aspiring writers! AVSIM wants you! AVSIM.com online is looking for a few good people to write our news! Ever wanted the chance to give back to your flight sim brothers and sisters? Now is your chance!

We'd like to see what you can do! Find a news-worthy flight simulation story. Format it and write it the way you think it should be written and send it in! Along with your story tell us a little bit about yourself and why you think you'd be a good person for the job.

Send all applications to jbinner@avsim.com and we will get back to you if we select you for the spot! Who knows, you might even see your name listed on the front page along with our other staff members! Good Luck!

Wilco/Feelthere Airbus Forum "Locked"

Posted: Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 22:15
In a move which is bound to be seen as controversial, the support forum for customers of the Wilco/Feelthere Airbus has been "locked". This means that while support staff will still be able to broadcast messages to customers, customers will no longer be able to post messages for them, or to share information with each other. Customers encountering problems are being asked instead to fill out a 24-item electronic form.

As support staff explained in a message on the forum, "As we have announced it already we will lock the support forum for the Airbuses on this weekend. We will still support the product and will deal with the outstanding issues however we are kindly asking you to use the form at http://www.wilcopub.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=support_form to send us your questions or comments."

MAAM's DC-3/C-47 Revisited

Posted: Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 21:47
Contributing reviewer Chris Kiehl goes back and revisits the latest version of MAAM's DC-3/C-47. "One of the most recognizable aircraft in Aviation history, has to be the Douglas DC-3. Even people who are not into Aviation seem to recognize it, or at least remember having seen this venerable and historic aircraft at some point."

"The external model of the MAAM DC-3 looks good from nearly all distances, and all angles. I particularly like that extra attention to detail that was put in, without making the model so complex that it’s painful on the frame rates. All regular animations are included, and all seem quite seamless in their appearance. The regular eye candy is also there in the form of a very nicely done startup smoke effect; these radials just belch smoke out upon startup for a decent amount of time, just as in real life."

"The 2D panels are all photoreal representations of the actual panels and sub-panels from their DC-3. There are 8 panels, each representing either a main panel, IFR panel, or a critical systems sub-panel in the plane. These system sub-panels range from cowl flaps, hydraulics, to electrical switches and radios. The level of detail in the VC still amazes me, especially for the seemingly non-existent hit on frame rates. You can look in every direction in the VC, and you see all of the 2D photoreal picture features represented; from the fan to the heating ducts, it’s all there."

"Since MAAM owns a DC-3 from which this package is obviously based on, they recorded the real sounds from their real DC-3. The Startup sounds from the inside and out are very detailed, and seem to embody everything I’ve heard when a real radial of this type starts. Upon shutting the plane down, the life seems to drain from the engines, and all you’ll hear is a hollow, loud mechanical sound as the props and cylinders shudder to a halt."

"I have flown a couple of tail draggers, and this DC-3 does seem to follow a few general realism factors regarding tail draggers. That mentioned, it’s just a joy to fly. The in-flight characteristics such as stalls, steep turns, and side-slipping are relatively well represented. Overall, I am very impressed with the performance of the MAAM DC-3, and it will be a long lasting aircraft in my hangar for that reason alone."

Wrapping up this revisit of the MAAM DC-3/C-47, Chris comments, "Would I recommend the MAAM DC-3? Absolutely. This plane is a blast to fly, and if you’re into this historical period, it’s a grand slam. The sounds of this package are top competition for my favorite part of the package. It flies well and looks very good doing it, and you’re supporting MAAM in keeping these pieces of history flying."

KMCI Kansas City Int'l For FS2004

Posted: Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 17:17
ImagineSim have released their latest airport add-on, KMCI Kansas City Intl. It’s the first commercial specification version of this airport for FS, and is the result of over 12 hundred hours of development. Now you can plug that gap in your collection and plan in an overniter to your schedules. A new destination while you criss-cross the North American continent. Kansas City features custom made ground textures and runways, terminal, cargo and hanger buildings rendered to 5cm per pixel scale, smoothly operating jetways that dock with your aircraft's forward door with an interactive docking system to park you right on your mark, taxiways with highly realistic concrete textures, full airport taxiway and runway signage, 3D approach lighting and full ILS navigation. Also included are hundreds of airport vehicles and ground personnel, aircraft can be found parked at custom textured parking positions, all hangers, cargo and airport auxiliary buildings are modeled, there is even a perimeter fence. Complete details along with screenshots and a demo version are available at the ImagineSim website.

VOZ 1.5 From Down Under Right To The Avsim FP

Posted: Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 17:16
Great news from Team VOZ. The Australian Scenery created by Team VOZ is argued to be one of the most popular add-ons for FS2004. The new version VOZ 1.5 adds dozens of new airports and scenery updates, photoreal areas to depict beaches, racecourses and a substantial upgrade to Sydney metro area with landclass, roads, corrected urban areas and more. Take the next flight to Vista Australis and get your FREEWARE download.

Sky Simulations Releases The Heavy Metal

Posted: Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 1:16
Sky Simulations has released their MD-10 and it is FREE for all the MD-11 customers. This new product will take full advantage of all the FSX features and enhancements. But, keep on reading you FS2004 fans because this pack also includes a FS2004 version. Some features are a fully clickable virtual cockpit, Hi-Def photoreal textures on the entire aircraft, and a many more exciting features. So set your course for Sky Simulations for more information.

Alphasim Crys Havoc With The Release Of The Mi-28N

Posted: Saturday, August 25, 2007 - 0:54
In a press release received earlier today; Alphasim has announced the release of their Military Mi-28N helicopter. Also known as the "Night Hunter" this Russian anti-tank helicopter has put to bed any doubts on its effectiveness in the field of battle. The Alphasim package contains three rugged livery textures, a virtual cockpit, HUD, and a bunch of cool animations. Please taxi on over to AlphaSim for more product and purchasing information.

Free Update For FScene4X Users

Posted: Friday, August 24, 2007 - 1:34
FScene announces that this pack of color-adapted textures will enhance the pleasure of using world-wide FScene4X in FSX. Ruud Faber explains: "When using FScene4X, I found the color mixing of cities vs. outskirts not quite satisfying. Especially in Spring and Summer. So I adapted the colors of several outskirt textures to fit the specific FScene gamma. By outskirts, I mean the urban rural fringe, also described as the "landscape interface between town and country"." To enjoy the effect just download the free outskirts pack (47Mb) at FScene's home-page.

SimWords a Success!

Posted: Thursday, August 23, 2007 - 22:53
In the short month that SimWords has been up and running, advertisers have had their ads seen over 18 million (yes, million) times. Dozens of websites have earned income from SimWords, and advertisers have had their product seen throughout the flight simulation community like no other advertising system available to them today. If you are an advertiser looking to maximize your ad dollar, or a web site owner looking to defray the cost of running your site, SimWords is the flight simulation community's answer to Google, Yahoo and Microsoft's text advertising. Check out SimWords today!

Cockpit video showng VoxATC & GoFlight released

Posted: Thursday, August 23, 2007 - 16:34
ADVERTISEMENT:
The Avsim Store now offers a link to the Vmax 737-NG cockpit video showcasing the new VoxATC Deluxe for FS-X... as well as various GoFlight modules, including the MCP-PRO. The video shows the startup, departure, and arrival into Birmingham International Airport in Alabama and contains both ATC commands and readback sequences from VoxATC... utilizing the included AT&T Natural Voices.
The video is available on the front page of the Avsim Store

Ultimate Traffic 2007 from Flight 1

Posted: Thursday, August 23, 2007 - 3:30
Staff reviewer Jon Murchison looks for signs of intellegent life on the airfield and in the air with Flight 1's Ultimate Traffic 2007. "In a nutshell, Ultimate Traffic either replaces or enhances, the default AI traffic in Flight Simulator X across the globe."

"Ultimate Traffic comes with a 40 page Help/User Guide in PDF format. Throughout the Guide, changes from the FS2004 version relevant to FSX have been highlighted in blue which was useful. I found the User Guide aimed at someone with no prior experience with AI, which in my view, is exactly how it should be so newbie’s will be able to get what they need from the guide."

"AI is handled slightly differently in the new sim so Ultimate Traffic takes the pain out of this process, and does this with an intuitive interface that has 4 simple buttons. Don’t let this apparent simplicity fool you. Underneath each of those buttons is a myriad of potential."

"As aircraft modelers have become more proficient, particularly with the concept of LOD (Level of detail), the sophistication of AI traffic has evolved. While the models in Ultimate Traffic adequately depict the aircraft they represent, they are nothing to get overly excited about. The Flight 1 website is very clear on the limitations of the models and explains up front that they are the same ones used in the FS2004 version, they also acknowledge the issues with using them so at least you know what you are getting before you buy. The complete Airbus and Boeing range are featured, minus the A380 or 787, so Ultimate Traffic is focused on the ‘here and now’ for its fleet offerings."

"There is no doubt that Ultimate Traffic improves performance if it replaces the default AI, however, if you max out your traffic, far more aircraft will be present than if the default AI was set to max. So any performance gain will be eaten up and you probably end up loosing."

Summing up Flight 1's Ultimate Traffic 2007, Jon says, "If you want realistically scheduled AI traffic populating your airports, and an easy way of modifying/selecting this, then Ultimate Traffic is worth taking a look at. In my view, it’s the user interface that is the heart of this package. It’s easy to use, gives you incredible control and flexibility over what you compile, and allows you to effectively change everything, and that in itself is worth it. Ultimate Traffic is ideal for beginners and seasoned AI users, and does promise improved performance in FSX if you keep AI settings at moderate levels."

Flight Environment X Website

Posted: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 15:36
In anticipation of the forthcoming release of their Flight Environment X product, Aerosimulations have now launched a dedicated website. As it announces, "Our Features page will hopefully give you a comprehensive overview of what Flight Environment X is all about, along with our Gallery showing screenshots of FEX in use inside the simulator."

Follow the link to check out the Flight Environment X Website.

MegaSceneryX: Southern California Released

Posted: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 - 2:02
MegaScenery publisher, PC Aviator, announces the release of the next title in the new MegaSceneryX brand of add-on scenery for Microsoft Flight Simulator X – MegaSceneryX: Southern California.

MegaSceneryX is a visual scenery add-on for Microsoft Flight Simulator X that is recreated from high resolution aerial photography. It takes advantage of the new scenery engine in Flight Simulator X to display the scenery at 1.19 meters per pixel. In layman’s terms it means that the flight simulator pilot can now see detail down to cars on roads, and even small shrubs on golf courses. This MegaSceneryX release, Southern California, puts Flight Simulator pilots in the skies above Southern California and the Los Angeles basin where everything they can see from the skies in real life is there in photographic detail and just as it would look in real life.

Like all titles from the MegaScenery team, NightScene™ technology is also included for realistic night flying that maps virtually every street, road and highway and uncannily resembles the same spine-tingling night flying experience you get in the real world. More information is available for viewing at the MegaScenery website.

CharityFlight @ FanCon'07

Posted: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 - 2:50
CharityFlight.com is an organization of aviation enthusiasts, gathering globally, to raise the much need funds for the Toronto Hospital For Sick Children's Foundation. We use a Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network (VATSIM), and a flight simulation software, to do a simulated flight around the world.

This years CharityFlight 2007 are joining in with the World Flight Groups on the 2007 Round The World Flight with seven other sims for other countries and organizations. CharityFlight 2007, will take place LIVE in Seattle, Washington at Fancon '07 the AVSIM 2007 Convention and Exhibition! Join us at our booth and watch crews pilot the Level-D Simulations 767-300 around the globe and make a donation to The Toronto Hospital For Sick Children's Foundation.

Be a great asset and lend your piloting skills to raise money for the Toronto Sick Kid's Hospital Foundation, by joining the crew at Charityflight 2007. AVSIM, along with the Charityflight team, are looking for a few good men who will be present at the FANCON '07 this fall, to be a part of the Worldflight 2007 team. Go to the Charity Flight website for more information and to fill in the flight crew application form. If you meet the skill criteria, and are going to be attending the conference, you will be placed on a roster as a crew member to go around the world in our simulator while in Seattle, from the comfort of The Hilton Bellevue.

If this sounds like it would be a good time to meet friends and do what we all love, then sign up today. The crew selection process will be over in October, and training will begin. Thanks in advance for the your assistance and to AVSIM in making this a great event.

Weather Maker RX

Posted: Monday, August 20, 2007 - 11:58
Weather Maker RX is the most advanced weather engine from Calibre Software Solutions and provides the virtual pilot not only challenging weather but the tools to avoid the weather. The new DNX-50 data-link radar system gives the user a visual display of rain and snow, lightning, cloud turbulence avoidance, airport conditions, temperature, wind, pressure, visibility, and Airmet / Sigmet alerts. For complete details visit CALIBRE SOFTWARE.

Just Flight Visual Flight Plans UK

Posted: Monday, August 20, 2007 - 11:31
The first volume of VFR Flight Plans UK is now available, this program consists of a set of plans that cover nine interesting flights around South-East England. VFR Flight Plans UK (Vol. 1) is compatible with Flight Simulator X or 2004 and can also be used with Flight Simulator 2002 and X-Plane. Just Flight recommends the use of its VFR scenery program such as VFR Real Scenery to get the best from this software. Just Flight’s Wolfgang Schwarz commented: “The developer of this program, Matradi, has done a fine job of providing VFR pilots with some great flights. There’s everything you need for some fascinating flights across the countryside.” For further details visit Just Flight