July 6, 2007 - July 15, 2007

Level-D 763 SP1 Released

Posted: Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 12:31
Level-D Simulations/Flight1 Software have announced the release of FSX Service Pack 1 for their 767-300ER. This service pack is recommended for all users and includes fixes, refinements and new features. For more information go to The Level-D Simulations Website.

VLJ Business Jet from Just Flight/CLS

Posted: Sunday, July 15, 2007 - 0:32
Staff reviewer Fred Clark flies with the rich and famous with the VLJ Business Jet from Just Flight/CLS. "The private jet, no matter how large, is the ultimate statement of wealth and/or power. The dream of owing a personal jet for your own private use became more possible than many imagined recently with the concept of the VLJ, or Very Light Jet."

"I was very impressed with the external model. It is clearly based on a real world VLJ, the Eclipse 500, and I would happily say that it is a very accurate representation. As is usual with CLS products, the model comes with a number of animations to bring the aircraft to life when it is on the ground. Animations are very smooth, and the spoilers and gear retract and extend in a fluid motion. Many different paint schemes are included, whatever your taste may be, and if you don’t have a particular favorite an all-white paint kit is provided for you to create your own."

"Because this aircraft is far from the size on an A380, the aircraft is extremely small inside. There is a very small amount of space between the pilot and the co-pilot and the cabin, filled with 6 seats, is not one that you can get up and walk about in. In its appearance, the VC is very clean and tidy. There are no random panels dotted about, and the ease of use is reflected completely. The central console houses trim knobs, spoilers and flaps, and the overhead panel houses the engine start switches. Everything else is on the main panel. Control comes airbus style – two side sticks for the pilot and copilot."

"What makes this aircraft really fun to fly though are the PFD and the MFD. These systems, based on the FlightMax Entegra and EX5000 and including a fully integrated Garmin G500 (the default GPS) make the aircraft fun to fly for those who love pushing buttons, and for those who just want to bang open the throttles and go. Pop-up’s of the 2 main glass panel sections are available, and I used them frequently when flying. The engines are based on the same engines powering the Eclipse 500 – the Pratt and Whitney PW610F. Developing 950 lb of thrust each, they offer the aircraft the ability to fly from very short strips – 2500ft to be exact."

"Although 1900lbs of thrust is not much in comparison to a Boeing 777, the thrust to weight ratio, even at MTOW, will cause you to be pinned back in your virtual seat. Once in the air, the aircraft remains as much fun to fly as it was to takeoff. Flying the aircraft will not throw you any unexpected surprises and I found myself flying this aircraft by hand quite often."

Fred closes his review of this BizJet with, "CLS have done a wonderful job and despite a few things that could, and should, be added (mach indicator, clock and labeled MFD buttons) this aircraft is fantastic fun to fly. If you are a simmer who loading up the sim and likes banging the throttles open, then this aircraft will make like its flight dynamics and shoot right to the top of your favorite aircraft list."

Dornier Do-27, Now For FSX

Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 17:50
With this add-on Digital Aviation has tried to simulate not only another type of aircraft, but to give the feeling of being there. The add-on features 8 aircraft that differ in interior (cockpit) and exterior modelling and texturing, and even some systems are modelled different to copy the real counterparts. Included is also the D-EDNW upgrade with all its features.

Some of the exterior model features include; animated control surfaces, opening/closing doors, a detail Lycoming engine. The virtual cockpit has different panel layouts, damage effects from hard landings and different views from the internal cameras. The engine and gear are also prone to damage through neglect and misuse. A unique feature is the ability to drop skydivers. The Skydiver can be loaded on ground (non-optical), will open the door in flight for leaving the plane. Skydiver Flights will be counted and scored.

The aircraft is now available at Aerosoft, Simmarket and Flight1.

New MD-11 Liveries Released

Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 17:19
Sky Simulations has released a Livery pack for the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in response to customer requests. The livery pack contains 7 new liveries, three for passenger version and four for the freighter version. Passenger versions include: FINNAIR "Santa Claus version", JAPAN Airlines, and THAI Airways while the Freighter versions include: VARIG Log, MARTIN Air Cargo, GEMINI Air Cargo, and WORLD Airways. For more information and to download this pack change your heading to the Sky Simulations website.

Legacy - Executive Jet Released

Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 17:10
Fly the ultimate in luxury jet travel and one of the most prestigious aircraft ever to cross the skies. This beautiful, elegant and powerful machine has been developed by feelThere and Wilco Publishing to provide an unrivalled flying experience. It has a 'New Generation' flight deck and boasts the latest technological features in flight simulation including accurate on-board systems, head-up display navigation, an ultra-realistic flight computer to name a few.

Just Flight highlights the following features:

- The Legacy features an accurate autopilot with overspeed and stall recovery systems. The APU sequences are fully simulated and linked to fuel consumption; follow the correct procedures to avoid dry fuel tanks during flight;
- Impressive animations include the wipers, hydraulic suspension, flaps, slats, spoilerons, speed brakes, thrust reversers, landing gear, passenger door, cargo hatches and stairs;
- Unique features such as an animated flight attendant and real-time flight information for virtual passengers;
- Four detailed liveries to choose from - Embraer house colours, PT-SCR (Brazilian), OK-SLN (Danish) and HB-JEO (Swiss);
- Advanced glass cockpit with Honeywell-style avionics, colour weather radar, GPWS, TCAS and a host of other sophisticated features; and
- Printed manual includes a tutorial that will help you achieve your executive ambitions.

The Embraer Legacy experience is only enjoyed by a select few in the real world, but now virtual aviators can enjoy its charms in Flight Simulator X or 2004. Please visit the Just Flight website for ordering and product details.

767-300ER SP1 Now Available

Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2007 - 16:52
767-300ER for FSX Service Pack 1 has been released. This service pack includes fixes, refinements and new features and is recommended for all users of this add-on. For more information go to the Level D or Flight 1 websites.

WWII Classic Flies FS9 & FSX

Posted: Friday, July 13, 2007 - 21:22
Michael Flahault, owner of Flight Replicas and the creator of the popular Me-262, BF-109G and Bf-109K has released his Messerschmitt Bf-109F Series.

The Messerschmitt Bf-109 was the standard fighter of the Luftwaffe for the duration of WWII. The Bf-109 scored more air-to-air victories in WWII than any other aircraft, and thanks to an excellent design, served in various roles, including air superiority fighter, escort fighter, interceptor, ground-attack and reconnaissance aircraft. The Bf 109 was produced in greater quantities than any other fighter aircraft in history, with over 31,000 built. Although the Bf 109 had weaknesses, including a difficult to handle narrow undercarriage, through constant development the aircraft managed to remain a competitive force against Allied fighter aircraft until the end of hostilities in May 1945.

The Bf-109 was flown by the three top scoring fighter aces of World War II : Erich Hartmann, the top scoring fighter ace of all time with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories, and Günther Rall with 275 victories. Hartmann allegedly refused to fly any other type of aircraft in combat throughout the war.

According to its publisher, SkyUnlimited Productions, features of the Messerschmitt Bf-109F Series include:


  • Six different models of the F series that cover the various configurations.

  • Seven historic paint schemes.

  • Virtual cockpit with many functioning parts and 3D gauges.

  • Custom flight dynamics that portray this aircraft's attributes. Challenging ground handling characteristics
    • .
  • ReviC12D gunsight gunsight folds out of the way and can be turned on and off.

  • Droppable Drop Tanks, that removes weight and fuel from the aircraft.cfg as well as droppable bombs.

  • Vintage pilot with pilot flight suit and flight helmet. Some pilots have life vests available for water missions.

  • Animations such as propeller pitch and automatic coolant flaps, and working Flettner tabs on the rudder
    • .

For further information and to buy your WWII classic, fly direct to the SkyUnlimited Productions website.

Dress Up Your Fleet With FS Repaint V2

Posted: Friday, July 13, 2007 - 18:31
Not satisfied with the look of Microsoft's default aircraft paint schemes? Or perhaps you want to jazz up your fleet of classy business jets?

Abacus Publishing announced it has released FS Repaint V2, a utility for you to make small changes or paint a whole fleet of aircraft. Originally developed several years ago by the team of Jorge Santoro and Marco Paulo, they've revamped this popular utility to support the aircraft of Flight Simulator X. FS Repaint V2 is available for immediate download purchase and the CD-ROM version is slated for a July 17th release. Current owners of FS Repaint V1 can obtain information about updating to V2 by visiting the Abacus website. For complete information and to purchase your copy of FS Repaint V2, set your course to the FS Repaint V2 website.

HotSeat FlightSim Chassis Update

Posted: Friday, July 13, 2007 - 0:59
HotSeat Chassis, the company that brought you the award winning line of surround sound simulators, is pleased to announce the introduction of the HotSeat Heli Sim® to be seen at the 2007 EAA AirVenture, in Oshkosh, WI. Created from the enormous demand, this Helicopter simulator features the same rugged construction as all of the HotSeat Chassis products. Featuring a solid, powder coasted, steel tubular frame, with 6 speaker, 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound, the HotSeat Heli Sim® is perfect for flight training and hovering in the convenience of your own home, FBO or school at a fraction of the real time cost.
In the Cockpit Experience™

HotSeat Chassis continues to make surround sound Flight Sim and Racing Simulators delivering the "In the Cockpit Experience™" and the "In the Racecar Experience™". You can learn more about each of their products by visiting them at the HotSeat webpage.

FS Earth V5.0 Now Available

Posted: Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 20:19
The folks at WidevieW have announced the release of Version 5.0 of FS Earth, which improves compatibility with the latest versions of Google Earth, and adds several new features. "FS Earth acts as an interface between Flight Simulator and Google Earth, allowing you to follow a flight in real time, over the satellite images generated by Google Earth," explained Luciano Napolitano.

For more information regarding FS Earth, or to get V5.0, visit the WideView website.

Netherlands 2000 Scenery v3.0 Now Available

Posted: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - 17:30
In a press release today, it has been announced that the popular Netherlands 2000 scenery has been updated and is now available for download. This scenery is a 1 meter per pixel photo scenery which covers the whole of the Netherlands. For more infomation about this scenery package, visit the Netherlands 2000 website.

AVSIM FanCon 2007: Call For Presentations

Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 22:24
We are now soliciting presentations for the 2007 AVSIM Flight Simulation Fan Convention (FanCon), to take place in Bellevue, WA on November 9th - 11th. Our venue will be the Hilton Bellevue Hotel, around 10 miles north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, or a short drive from downtown Seattle.

To read the full Call For Presentations, visit the thread in the AVSIM FanCon Forum.

We look forward to hearing from you, and scheduling a top-flight set of presentations for the FanCon!

Cachya Head Tracking Software v2.0 Released

Posted: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - 22:23
Head-tracking software, Cachya Version 2.0 released. Cachya is a 6-DOF head tracking product that works with most regular web-cameras. It supports the standard game control interface, maps its 6DOF tracking outputs to 6 axes of a virtual joystick. It can also simulate pointing device like a mouse. Users need to put on their hat a printed special sign that can be recognized by the software. Cachya can work with many 3D games that support mouse look or can use joystick axes (analog input) to control POV (view of point). There are many enhancements with this version, and more details can be found at the Cachya website.

Digital TripleHead2Go from Matrox

Posted: Sunday, July 8, 2007 - 21:55
Reviews editor Robert Whitwell goes wide with his new Digital TripleHead2Go from Matrox. "Matrox has upped the little black box from last year to keep in line with technology. They have released the Digital version of the TripleHead2Go (TH2G)."

"Inside the package is the newly configured "black box" as well as the required cables. A noticeable difference was the lack of a power cord. The digital version of the TH2G plugs into a USB slot vice into the wall. Also, the input into the TH2G has two options, a DVI connector or a VGA connector. Both VGA-to-VGA and DVI-to-DVI cables are included. All that's required to hook up this version of the TH2G is a video card that is DVI capable and 3 monitors with DVI inputs."

"Matrox has expanded their list of campatible programs and have added some new features to the software. Monitor Bezel Management is a new to the Digital TH2G. With three monitors sitting side-by-side, you have two large "frame edges" separating your monitors. What the Bezel Management system does is hide some of the image behind these frames to give your image the appearance of being continuous."

"Once you've seen the TH2G in action, you'll probably say, "I've got to have one". I've seen other versions of multi-screen set-ups, especially for flight simming, but most of these required multiple monitors as well as multiple PC's. With the price of good monitors dropping on a monthly basis, picking up a digital TH2G for just over $300 is a good investment, in my opinion. You'll be able to see the Matrox TripleHead2Go in action again at the 2007 AVSIM Conference in Seattle."

TU-22 "Blinder" & CF-105 "Arrow" from AlphaSim

Posted: Sunday, July 8, 2007 - 18:50
Staff reviewer Trevor Clark takes us back to those daunting days of the Cold War with his presentation of AlphaSim's TU-22 "Blinder" and the CF-105 "Arrow". "The Tu-22 served as a supersonic bomber and ECM aircraft for many years. While the Avro Arrow is widely thought to be one of the finest projects sent to the scrap yard without a fair trial."

"I was quite surprised to discover the CF-105 Arrow as a rather basic looking model; not dissimilar to the AlphaSim models of two or three years ago. A little internet investigation told me the modeling team had in fact done a pretty good job; the real aircraft is indeed a simple and rather slab sided machine. The Tu-22 is a far more imposing creature! A dull metal color, it almost looks like it has been carved from a giant solid metal ingot. The intricate contouring of the fuselage has been done very well, giving the aircraft an almost ‘prehistoric predator’ stance."

"The inside of the Canadian aircraft is almost as simple as the outside! I am not sure whether this interior is anything like the original; the use of ‘stock’ period AlphaSim gauges gives it an authentic look, but I am assuming a lot of this cockpit is conjecture rather than fact. The TU-22 aircraft is far more complex inside. Infamous amongst Soviet pilots for its appallingly uncomfortable seats and difficult cockpit layout, I can now vouch for the truth of the latter at least! A quick look around the internet for internal cockpit shots confirmed the fact; the interior is as real as it looks."

"The CF-105 Arrow Mk2 had a reputation of being a real ‘pilot's aircraft’. The Arrow is a high performance, delta wing aircraft with no trailing wing flaps or conventional horizontal tail plane; this alone makes it difficult to model within the simulator restrictions detailed above. Add to this large (1950s vintage) engines with slow response times and poor cockpit visibility; you are looking at a lot of trouble, particularly when landing. Few TU-22 pilots were very complementary about the Blinder; the AlphaSim team has done a superb job into making this aircraft one of the trickiest FS machines I have ever flown! Because of the design of this aircraft, longitudinal stability was always an issue and I can vouch for that in this model too! For some reason, Tupolev neglected to fit any spoilers or air brakes to the Blinder, so controlling approach speeds, angles of attack and rates of descent can cause a great amount of stress; even without any emergencies or cross-winds."

Summing up these Cold War classics, Trevor concludes, "These aircraft may not be as fully detailed or functional as some high-end projects, but they do come with a very high ‘fun factor’! Obscure types like this will never be truly authentic; but within the restrictions of the simulation platforms, one can still get a flavor of flying these types of aircraft. They can even get a little addictive."

USA Extreme Landscapes V2 from Abacus

Posted: Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 20:19
Senior staff reviewer Jeff Shyluk takes us on a photoscenic journey over North America, with USA Extreme Landscapes V2 from Abacus. "This is a very large add-on for FSX, which does not promise the world, but it does try to give you a more lifelike North America."

"USA Extreme Landscapes V2 is a high-resolution terrain mesh for FSX that covers the United States, Mexico, and Canada in detail. This means that three-dimensional landforms such as mountains, hills, valleys, and canyons will all show up in your flight sim in greater detail than ever before. USA Extreme Landscapes is a re-packaging of the North American terrain mesh from FSGenesis. It can be purchased on DVD only, and in fact, comes as a set of three disks. When installed, USA Extreme Landscapes will take up 10 GB of hard drive space, but in terms of performance, it should not have a large negative effect on simulation frame rates. USA Extreme Landscapes installs easily on FSX, FSX+SP1, and FSX on Vista systems."

"As a bonus, Eaglesoft’s fine Liberty Aerospace XL2 touring aircraft is included in the USA Extreme Landscapes package for free. You may use this modern and engaging little prop-driven plane to follow Abacus’ excellent flight plans, which cover some of America’s most beautiful scenery."

"FSX significantly boosts the visual resolution of the terrain mesh from the default levels of FS2004. USA Extreme Landscapes increases the resolution of the terrain mesh for FSX up to 9.6 meters for the United States. Is the boost in resolution enough to justify paying out for this add-on? That’s a bit hard to say. If you are not satisfied with the level of terrain mesh detail in FSX, and want to see more contours in the land, and you primarily fly over North America, then you might want to try this product. USA Extreme Landscapes is about as good as I would expect to see from a newer terrain mesh for FSX."

New Releases From Aerosoft

Posted: Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 2:51
FSX MISSION PACK - FLIGHT TALES 1

Missions are new to FSX and from day one Aerosoft has been fascinated by the potential they offer. The ones that come with FSX are nice and the few that fly around on the Internet are interesting, but Aerosoft knew there was a lot more possible. So for several months Thorsten Reichert and Aerosoft worked on a few missions to see what's possible. And yes, they were right, missions can be far more entertaining than what has been seen before. Mission Pack: Flight Tales 1 is tjeir first commercial mission product. On their product page you can find a free demo mission showing the style and detail of the missions included.

AES 1.80

Six additional airports (and a few tweaks) for AES have been released today: Maastricht/Aachen, Casablanca, Geneva, Brussels, Charlotte/Douglas and Newark. Visit their product page for details.

BUDAPEST IN A BOX

As far as Aerosoft knows, this is the biggest airport done for FSX to date. Mega Airport Budapest has just been released in boxed format.If you still like FS2004 you'll be happy to hear the FS2004 version is still included on the cd and that this version even has 5 additional airports and a highly detailed Budapest city.

Super 80 for FSX Released

Posted: Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 2:12
Flight One Software, in partnership with CoolSky, have officially released the FSX version of Ultimate Airliners - The Super 80. This upgrade is more than a simple port over from FS9. For the model and textures, it is a complete rebuild utilizing the latest export tools and FSX materials. This Super 80 has all the features that a native FSX aircraft should have. The Virtual Cockpit also has the very latest FSX materials applied throughout, and was re-built and re-textured. The instrument systems have also been improved, with numerous fixes and adjustments to make this product even more realistic. This update is also free for all FS2004 version customers of both the download and CD ROM version.

Ultimate Airliners - The Super 80 brings back the classic modes of flying in the era where glass was just starting to appear. This rendition is based on the original Super 80, circa 1979. So with the combination of classic analog and early electronic navigation, you have a product that requires a lot of attention, but also rewards proper cockpit management. And if this does seem complicated, the Integrated Cockpit Training System will help guide you through many of the steps required in order to have a successful and accurate flight.

For more information, please visit the Flight 1 Website.

Pilot's Assistant V1.6.7 Released

Posted: Saturday, July 7, 2007 - 2:07
Users of this freeware toolset are informed that a new version is available from the Avsim library. The main change is an update to the magnetic variation (declination) table using the latest IGRF10 model. This table is used in lat, long and great circle calculations. For further details, and to download the toolset, visit the Pilot's Assistant Webpage.

Free ATC From TweakFS

Posted: Friday, July 6, 2007 - 23:23
TweakFS has released a series of free ATC-guided flights for FSX that feature real ATC, in some cases recorded directly from the cockpit. The flights vary in required skill level from challenging foul-weather IFR to relatively easy radar-vectored ILS approaches. Each of these ATC modules come with a pre-flight briefing designed especially for use with TweakFlight for FSX, but can also be launched as a stand-alone flight via the optionally installed Desktop icon.

For more information, fly direct to the TweakFS website.