FDG2's B17 - Reviewed

Posted: Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 3:41
The "Cap'n" Brian Fletcher takes us back to the late 1930's for a ride in a classic heavy warbird, the B-17 Flying Fortress by Fightertown Design Group 2 (FDG 2). "The FDG2 B-17 package is more than just a B-17 model with a couple of liveries. Instead you will be getting 5 models, including the E, early F, late F, early G, and late G, 7 historic liveries, and 6 WWII era RAF airfields detailed to reflect the era. But perhaps the most significant aspect of this package is not what you get, but what you don’t…a loss in performance."

"Beginning with the modeling, each of the B-17’s are modeled and sized very accurately to represent the near 80 feet in length, 19 feet of height, and 104 foot wingspan. The bombardier and navigator, flight engineer, and ball turret gunner positions are all modeled, as are the waist gunners and tail gunners. Complimenting each of the operators positions you will also find the operators themselves, .50 caliber guns, seats, panels, and a few small details here and there. Moving on to the animations you will come across the standard “must haves”, including four increments of flaps, animated propellers, landing gears, rolling wheels, suspension, ailerons, elevator and rudder."

"I am not quite as thrilled with the interior modeling as I was with the exterior. But there are also some good things to say about the virtual cockpit, such as the fact that it is very functional and frame rate friendly. One of the best aspects of the virtual cockpit, in my opinion, is that all of the gauge dials react swiftly; in fact, they are just about as smooth as they are in the “cockpit” view. This is especially nice when it comes to the gauges that I use more frequently, such as the altimeter, IAS, and turn indicator. In many ways, the FDG2 B-17 VC’s are up to par, but some of the modeling could be improved upon."

"If you really want to make your desktop rumble, then this aircraft is for you. The sound set included with this package will allow you to experience the deep and gritty rumble of the B-17 just about as authentic as I have heard. My analysis of this sound file is that it is very close to that of the real B-17 and is a perfect companion for these models."

"I had expected this aircraft to be slow, sluggish, and handle like a battleship, but in reality, once you get off the ground it performs quite well. It is certainly not a jet fighter, but it doesn’t exactly fly like a battleship either. Landing is the most eventful aspect of flying the B-17, but this model does not require a whole lot of skill on the part of the simmer. It is easy to stay aligned with the runway because at slow speeds the B-17 does not bank too swiftly, making it hard to over correct."

In summarizing his experience with this rendition of the B-17 Flying Fortress, Brian says, "I believe these aircraft fall into a category that is short of most of the premium payware products. On the other hand, I also believe that they are leaps and bounds beyond the default aircraft quality. Given the exceptionally reasonable price of the B-17 ($15.00), I find it to be a great alternative to the higher priced B-17 packages. If you want to add a good Flying Fortress to your collection without having to lower your scenery settings for a smooth flight, then I would recommend giving these classic birds a closer look."

Ultimate Terrain Europe Boxed Edition

Posted: Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 3:38
Flight One Software and Scenery Solutions announce the DVD-ROM boxed edition of Ultimate Terrain Europe for Flight Simulator 2004.

Using commercial data licensed from TeleAtlas Europe, in combination with Scenery Solutions own digital processing, Ultimate Terrain Europe is the biggest Ultimate Terrain release yet. Ultimate Terrain - Europe contains nearly every road in the Europe region, along with enhanced railroads, new oceanic coastlines, accurate landclass enhancements, lakes, rivers, plus a new night lighting environment unlike anything they have previously released.

Ultimate Terrain Europe also works great with their award winning Ground Environment software. For more information, please visit the Flight 1 website.

CLS Releases Garmin 1000

Posted: Friday, August 25, 2006 - 13:11
CLS has just released the CLS Garmin 1000 package. Available from the CLS Website. The package comes with a complete merge for the E500 product, where as the default installation installs the G1000 into the Cessna 172 2D cockpit. The E500 also includes a new virtual cockpit to simplify merging. The package also comes with instructions on how to install the Garmin1000 into other aircraft. A full list of features is available at the products page in the CLS Website.

Suprunov Design Yak-40 Released

Posted: Friday, August 25, 2006 - 13:06
After 2 years in development the Yak-40 is released! Incorporating "smooth needle" design, Suprunov Design writes, "It is one of a very few aircraft on the market which incorporates the state-of-the-art technology of smooth moving needles in virtual cockpit (they are 3D modeled, not gauge bitmaps), therefore they move smoother then in 2D."

Cant read Russian? That's ok, you can easily switch the entire VC flight deck to international layout with a single click. This will change not only the text on labels, but also control panels of different systems, scales in appropriate gauges and logics of airspeed, altitude, vertical speed indicators etc.

Also included with the Yak is a “Deck Navigator.” This module is actually a custom programmed tool which acts similarly as "active camera" and lets you easily jump to different seats in VC (i.e. changes view position). It works in 2D cockpit also and changes views, recalls subpanels etc. Also included are a loader, refueller, and ground service tool which can change load configuration, fuel, changes weight and balance characteristics in real time (i.e. – fill all of the tanks with fuel and the aircraft will experience bank immediately).

Also modeled is the custom programmed thrust reverser of engine No.2 which can be operated in flight for correct landing procedure. Flight dynamics were fully refined, tested, tuned and approved with 5 real life pilots currently flying the Yak-40. Even handling in icing conditions (changing of flight dynamics) and a movable stabilizer were incorporated into the model’s logics and dynamics. More details available on the Suprunov Design Website and Forums.

Captain Sim Releases 757-300 1.2

Posted: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 22:34
Captain Sim has released the '757-300 Captain' version 1.2.
This ~40MB download includes:
- 12 Boeing 757-300 Model Variations
- New livery
- Dynamic Wing Flex
- Dynamic Wing Flaps Vortices
- Blended Winglets

If you are a '757 Captain' Base Package (Block B) owner, most of the 757 Super Upgrade 1.2 features apply to the 757-300 model as well.

For more information and screenshots visit the Captain Sim website.

Scenery Review - Mega Scenery Southern California Version 2

Posted: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 3:14
Staff reviewer Joseph Ellwood takes us on a repeat tour of Southern California with MegaScenery Southern California Version 2.

"For those who are not familiar with Southern California (like me), a good idea is to take some time to get to know the region. Get your favourite single GA planes out for some good VFR flying. You’ll need to spend a few hours exploring the area and getting to know various landmarks. Every aspect of the eye candy of this package is just awesome. The mesh, textures and autogen work in perfect harmony, simultaneously."

"There is a huge amount of diversity from one particular group of mountain ranges to another, and they are quite enjoyable as you aren’t faced with repetitive textures we sometimes experience in the sim. Socal obviously includes the densely populated areas such as San Diego and Los Angeles, but also has a variable array of mountain ranges to the west. The only bad thing I noted with this product is some of the suburban areas. Sometimes the ground textures can appear very mushy, and are not clear and do not replicate real life features."

Joe's summation offers some advice for those who are contemplating this program, "I recommend flying reasonably slow aircraft due to some blurries. Simmers that are familiar with Southern California will get a lot of enjoyment out of this package. If you think that your system can cope with the highly detailed textures, then by all means, go ahead and buy this wonderful scenery package."

VATSIMindicators.net Returns

Posted: Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 22:17
VATSIM Indicators is a free service for all pilots and controllers at VATSIM virtual aviation network. These forum and website indicators allow other users to see if you are online as a pilot or ATC. If you register you can also create your own indicator! For more information visit the VATSIM Indicators website.

FS2Crew PMDG 747 Challenge Begins

Posted: Monday, August 21, 2006 - 19:11
The PMDG 747 Challenge is now officially underway! This contest is open to everyone. There are 10 free copies of the upcoming PMDG 747 Edition of FS2Crew to be given away. To participate you must answer a series of skill testing questions relating to PMDG 747 operations. The contest closes on September 1st, 2006, and winners will be announced then. Please visit the FS2Crew PMDG 747 page to participate in this exciting contest.

FSI Setup Package Available

Posted: Monday, August 21, 2006 - 15:08
Many have downloaded the "Flight Simulator Installer" since it has been released last week. And now the first setup package is available. Mobiland released a Boeing 737-800 in FSI House Colors. It can be downloaded from the download section on Mobiland.

Friday Social, Saturday Banquet - Reminder!

Posted: Sunday, August 20, 2006 - 16:54
We want to remind everyone that if you plan to attend the Friday Night Social and / or the Saturday Night Awards Banquet at the 2006 AVSIM Convention and Exhibition, that you must register for these events no later than August 31st. Registration for the two events will close at midnight on the 31st. Registration for these two big events will not take place at the door or the signup desk at the event. So, please, if you are considering attending either of these, please register before August 31st. You will not be able to do after that date.

Library Object Viewer Released

Posted: Sunday, August 20, 2006 - 15:47
ScruffyDuck Scenery is very pleased to announce the release of Library Object Viewer. LOV is a utility to display FS9 Scenery Objects outside of the Simulator. This makes it easy to check out object libraries and the objects they contain. Objects are displayed in full 3D, can be rotated in three axes and scaled larger or smaller. The objects can be displayed in day and night textures (assuming there are night textures) and in solid or wireframe. It also takes thumbnails of the object as it is displayed which can be used in other programs. The program is currently Beta but is now a final release candidate and comes with a video tutorial on how to make use of it's features. It is uploaded to AVSIM. For more information please visit ScruffyDuck Scenery.

AVSIM Announces 2006 Conference Line-Up

Posted: Sunday, August 20, 2006 - 15:05
AVSIM Online is pleased to announce the presentations for this year's 2006 AVSIM Conference, to take place September 15th - 17th at the Hyatt Dulles Hotel. This year's line-up reflects the diversity of people and organizations using and enjoying flight simulation, as well as presentations from companies in the simulation business.

Saturday's session follows the "usual" path for an AVSIM Conference, with a wide-ranging selection of presentations for your interest and enjoyment:

• Mike Collier, a dispatcher with US Airways, returns to AVSIM to give simulator pilots the ability to
  Plan Like The Pros, explaining the ins-and-outs of flight planning and the dispatch business.
  
• Mike Belmonte, a courseware developer with Focus Air, details Applications in Commercial Airline Pilot Training for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
  
• Marc Balistrere and the team from Apex Simulations will discuss The Flight Simulation Community: Past, Present and Future.
  
• Ray Bédard and Jason Gunn from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), and Vincent Durel from the École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC) (the French "equivalent" of ERAU), will discuss how their courses are Incorporating Microsoft Flight Simulator in Pilot Training.
  
• Stasi Poulos from Mindstar Aviation will explore The First Commercial G1000 Add-On For MSFS.
  
• Wayne Smith from the virtual airline Metro Helicopters will discuss Flying Helicopters on VATSIM.
  
• And, finally, we are very pleased to welcome the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to AVSIM, who will be presenting An Invitation To Fly to all of our attendees.