New Recorder Module Available

Posted: Monday, August 7, 2006 - 15:07
The first beta of version 1.3 of the Recorder Module for FS2004 is now available for download at New Recorder Module. The module adds improved recording and replay features to FS2004, as well as advanced view features for tower and spot views. The new version extends the "play as traffic" feature, which allows playback of a recorded flight as AI traffic. It is now possible to record a new flight during playback as traffic, as well as to play back multiple recordings together. This allows the simulation of formation flights. With version 1.3 it is now also possible to record and play back the FS generated AI traffic. The latest stable version of the recorder is 1.21, which is a minor update to version 1.2 and gives a smoother movement of the aircraft during playback. It is also available in the AVSIM file library.

AlphaSim P2V-7 Neptune Out

Posted: Sunday, August 6, 2006 - 14:51
Although seldom seen in flightsimming, the Neptune was used by many nations for decades patrolling the oceans of the world. The AlphaSim package focuses on the last of the Neptune series, the mixed-power P2V-7. The sharp and authentic texture schemes represent of course the US Navy (in two variations), but also three other users - France, Holland and Australia. The external model features many animations, such as bomb bay (revealing 2 torpedoes), cowl flaps, spoilers, 2-stage crew hatch opening, jet intake flaps and even an observer figure in the nose can be toggled. The wingtip searchlight is represented as a landing light. The detail continues inside, a well-researched cockpit offers all full suite of gauges on both sides (new techniques guarantee high FPS), many mousable switches/levers and a high quality 2D panel and pop-up windows will satisfy all your 'office' needs. Source texture templates are provided for repainters to use. The highly authentic flight dynamics and soundset round out a very thorough treatment of this wonderful American aircraft. For FS2004/FSX only. To view screenshots, find out more details, and purchase, go to AlphaSim.

The AVSIM 2006 Convention Nears!

Posted: Sunday, August 6, 2006 - 14:45
With just a short month and half to go, the AVSIM 2006 Convention and Exhibition is getting closer by the day! Hundreds have pre-registered and we expect many more to do so at the the event itself. We have more vendors, sponsors and exhibitors participating this year than in any previous AVSIM event. As everyone in the flight simulation community knows, AVSIM and Microsoft will be giving away 400 FREE copies of the next generation flight simulator - FS-X. And, yes Virginia, we still have some to give away, but they are not going to last! We have some great hardware give-aways planned, and vendors will be selling product too. We have put together a great schedule of Paper's Sessions culminating with over 4 hours worth of Microsoft presentations on Sunday. An exciting Friday night social is scheduled, and the Awards Banquet on Saturday will be packed! This year, AVSIM will present both its coveted Bravo Zulu Awards, as well as the community's Reader Choice Awards. This is THE event in Flight Simulation this year. Sign up today and make sure you do not miss out!

Flight Deck 4 from Abacus - Reviewed

Posted: Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 22:38
So you want to be a Naval Aviator, but couldn't pass the physical. Well now you can have all the fun and excitement of carrier flying without having to worry about those long deployments. Sr Staff Reviewer Alexis Esguerra flies off the USS Ronald Reagan as presented by Abacus' Flight Deck 4.

"The exterior modeling of the carrier is generally good. All the basic obvious structures appear to be present (including a basic hanger deck), and their proportions appear correct in all dimensions. The colors of the general textures seem accurate, as do the markings that adorn them. Night is even better, when the various lights come on in all their glory. As for adding the naval aviation flavor to the mix, Abacus decided to populate the deck with the things you’d normally expect to see there. A crash truck and several tugs are scattered around the deck, as are (of course) the aircraft themselves."

"Abacus included each type of aircraft that makes up a typical Carrier Air Wing, with the scenery for both the purposes of adding eye candy, and for the fun of flying them. A quick check of the hangar shows that their focus was CVW14, which includes the following: F/A-18E Super Hornet, F/A-18C Hornet, EA-6B Prowler, S-3 Viking, E-2C Hawkeye, C-2 Greyhound, and the SH-60 Seahawk. The SH-60 is the best one overall. The final appearance of the exterior model may not be the most convincing of the lot, but shows good detail and has the best weathering textures of the lot. At the other end of the scale is the E-2C Hawkeye. The exterior model is almost devoid of any detail shying away from the generalized realm; few panel lines, no rivets, zero weathering and highly generic pilot figures. The rest of the aircraft fall somewhere in the middle."

But what about the flying? "The mere act of take off and landing from any flattop is very much a different affair from the way it’s done from the land. It is in this regard that Abacus saves the day; nowhere else in MSFS have I experienced what FD4 does for simulating this special little world. Taxiing to the starboard bow catapult, you finally note just how little room there is to maneuver on this largest-of-all-flightdecks. Stick slightly back, one last check on the panels, brace your head back into the headrest... now time for some fun. The key to getting back onboard is IFOLS (Improved Fresnel Optical Lens System). This device is designed to align your plane vertically for the landing. The trick is to maintain the ‘ball’ dead center throughout the approach, and it’s a lot harder than it sounds."

So what does Alexis think of Flight Deck 4 as a whole? "It depends on what you hope to garner from the package. Flight deck operation simulation is definitely the high point of FD4. When reduced to its absolute scenery essentials, FD4 hits par, and there’s no denying that some of the aircraft could have used a bit more visual work. I thoroughly enjoyed FD4 with the experience it provided. Yes, it does need some tweaking here and there, but it was a great entrance into the realm of true Navy flying."

Freeware Ontario International Airport To Be Released

Posted: Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 18:04
Exciting new freeware scenery for Southern California has been uploaded to our library today. Ontario International Airport (KONT). Ontario International Airport ranks among the 60 busiest airports in the world. As part of the Los Angeles World Airports network, it is a vital link in the Southern California aviation transportation.

AIRAC 0608 Ready for Download

Posted: Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 0:12
Navdata has announced the updated 0608 AIRAC cycle for all add-ons is now available. For those that might not be familiar with these downloads, Freeware site Navdata provides updated SID, STAR, and route information for your FMC and CDU computers inside the sim. 0608 cycle brings you current! Head over to Navdata and check out this free service!

FS2Crew Cessna Update

Posted: Friday, August 4, 2006 - 19:13
FS2Crew announces that Update 1 is now available for Cessna 172 Edition owners. Update 1 corrects an issue associated with calls to the FBO or Club being unable to play if the selected frequency fell within a certain range. The Update 1 PDF manual will load at the end of the installation and should be read to understand the new procedures. For more information or to download the update, visit the FS2Crew Pages.

PFC New Flight Console

Posted: Friday, August 4, 2006 - 18:22
PFC Announces the release of their new C2 Flight Console. Mike from PFC writes, "The flight console you have been waiting for. PFC launches the all new C2. The new C2 was engineered from the bottom up including a robust mechanical mechanism and our new Digital Controller III . The new controller boasts Edge Card technology and socketed re-programmable chips that can be easily upgraded and serviced. Pitch, Roll and Yaw inputs have extreme resolution for exceptional response I/O with improved fluidity of flight control."

Screen shots, downloadable PDF brocures and a look at this hardware can all be found at the PFC website.

Aerosoft Boxes Cheyenne

Posted: Friday, August 4, 2006 - 17:03
With the download version already available, Aerosoft announces it is now shipping the boxed version that includes a printed English manual. Like the download package this boxed version contains no less than four versions of the Cheyenne Turboprop family: Cheyenne II, I, IA and II XL. All four aircraft are created according to the latest standards in design. With special cockpit sounds and animations up to the windshield wipers. Visit the Cheyenne product page for more information.

Reminder - Reader Choice Awards

Posted: Friday, August 4, 2006 - 14:59
As we have previously reported, at this year's AVSIM Convention and Exhibition, we will be presenting two awards to contributors to the community. These will be the coveted AVSIM Bravo Zulu awards, and for the first, Reader Choice awards. The Reader Choice awards result from nominations of freeware and commercial products by the community over the last four or five months in the AVSIM Forums. Those nominations have closed and we are now running the Reader Choice voting for you to place your vote for those products or offerings that you feel deserve recogition. The voting for the Reader Choice awards closes automatically at midnight on August 15th. So, you have not yet voted for the first annual Reader Choice awards, we encourage you to do so today! And if you would like to see what other surveys AVSIM is running, visit our survey department and put your finger on the pulse of the community!

Scheduled Maintenance Today

Posted: Friday, August 4, 2006 - 13:48
Just to warn all of our readers of a System Outage on Friday/Saturday 4/5th August 0300-0800 GMT. The outage is planned for 5 hours, however, it is hoped that normal service will be restored well within the projected timeline.

Just Flight Hauls Cargo

Posted: Friday, August 4, 2006 - 13:47
Just Flight Has announced their title Cargo Pilot is now available for purchase as a download and as a boxed version. Just Flight had this to say about their new baby, "Cargo Pilot has been developed in-house by the team at Just Flight. Cargo Pilot is a unique expansion for FS2004 pilots who think they’ve got what it takes to become a success in the challenging world of air cargo operations. This is the natural partner to Airliner Pilot, but instead of passengers, virtual pilots will be doing everything from freighting chickens to delivering racing cars around the globe."

Think you have what it takes to haul cargo? Then check out the Just Flight site for more information.

Captain Sim Freebies

Posted: Friday, August 4, 2006 - 13:42
In an announcment today, Captain Sim advised of some freebies for their "Block B" owners. "Good news to all '757 Captain' Block B owners! Upon the 757 v.1.2 release you will get FREE: Captain view 2D Panel, 2D Overhead Panel, 2D Interior Views, Passenger Wing Views, 23 New Liveries and 8 New Models!" For more information visit the CaptainSim website.

Bellanca Super Viking Reviewed

Posted: Thursday, August 3, 2006 - 21:23
Staff reviewer Zane Gard continues his look at the Lionheart releases. This time it's the Bellanca Super Viking.

"William Ortis’ latest work shows even better model smoothing and I have looked all over the VC, cabin and exterior and just can’t find anything that looks out of place," comments Zane, "this is top rate modeling and animating." About the inside, Zane notes, "Scott Thomas did a full set of gauges, including radios, to give the cockpit a correct mid-1970’s look. There are pop up panels for switches, radios, engine gauges, ADF and autopilot. They are all easy to read and nicely lit at night."

Zane remarks about a unique feature of this release, "This is one of the first aircraft I can think of to have animations for the oxygen mask on the pilot. Turn on the oxygen system in the VC and an oxygen mask will appear on the pilot from the exterior view." So how does it fly? "Jerry Beckwith is a name synonymous with good airfiles and he has captured the fun feel of flying the Bellanca very well. One area that Jerry was able to design into the Viking airfile is the aircraft’s tendency to pitch down on power application, which also means the reverse happens when you pull the power off."

Wrapping up his detailed review of the Bellanca Super Viking, Zane concludes with, "If you are after a nice, fast, four seater with good economy that hasn’t really been well modeled for FS yet, this is a good choice. You will enjoy the nicely detailed exterior model and full VC interior. Lionheart has created another winner."

Scenery Review - Flight 1's Ground Environment Professional

Posted: Thursday, August 3, 2006 - 4:46
Staff reviewer Joe Ellwood enhances our senses with a look at Flight 1's Ground Environment Professional.

"Clearly GE Pro replaces all ground textures, but it does much more than this," states Joe, "You enter your departure and arrival airports (ICAO codes); then the program automatically retrieves the METARS (weather reports) for your selected locations and it will then install the most appropriate ground textures according to the weather in the area."

"Of course, you don’t have to mess around with the program before each flight. You can simply install a base set, which is not overly bright, or not moodily dark. Either way, the sim looks amazing. The default scenery puts in partly cloudy, but when flying in bad weather you’ll notice the ground is too bright. That’s where GE Pro shines. Not only does your new environment look beautiful, it looks realistic and is not overdone. All autogen buildings are aligned with the texture, which means no annoying buildings in the middle of the road."

"Previous purchasers of the original version have the option to upgrade to Professional. To original buyers: this is a must have," says Joe, "Ground Environment Professional is another “essential” product that you simply cannot go without, and the satisfaction never seems to wear off. GE Pro enhances your simulator in ways that you thought weren’t possible."

TropicalSim Releases Fly To Caribe #12

Posted: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 22:05
Two of the most requested caribbean airports are in this package that had not been produced yet. Nassau Intl' Airport in the Bahamas and Piarco International in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. After months of waiting TropicalSim is confident that the overall result was well worth it. Visit the TropicalSim website for more information.

Aerosoft Releases Coastguard Update

Posted: Wednesday, August 2, 2006 - 14:45
Aerosoft has just released an update to the Coast Guard product that was released some time ago. This update allows the user to place the sinking yacht as easy as it is to place the Cutter. It also contains a full tutorial for the Stability Augmentation System that will help users to understand this complex system better. After completing the flight the user will be able to:

• Load a flight plan in the planning system
• Use the SAS APP HOVER to hover and change hover altitude
• Use the SAS DEPART to fly sideways, backwards and forwards
• Use the SAS to fly terrain contour
• Use the SAS to fly radar altitude
• Use the SAS to fly barometer altitude
• Transition from SAS controlled flight to manual flight
• Use the navigation radios to intercept radials
• Use the navigation system to check your position
• Make a complex IFR landing

If you want more information you can visit Aerosoft's website.

CLS Releases E500 !

Posted: Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 22:23
Commercial Level Simulations is pleased to announce the release of the E500 Business Jet. This small business jet is for a maximum of 6 passengers and it features a fully functional virtual cockpit and a lot of great animations. The exterior model has been modelled according to the highest standards. The aircraft also features a lot of eye-candy next to a customised XML Avidyne glass cockpit with TCAS, moving map and more. More information can be found on the Commercial Level Simulations website.

AVSIM Hires Advertising Manager

Posted: Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 15:31
AVSIM is pleased to announce that John Binner has been selected to serve as the Advertising Manager for AVSIM. John fills a position that we have wanted to add to the staff for several years. He will be the primary liaison with all of our advertisers for both the web site and the Convention. If you are a current advertiser or wish to inquire about advertising at AVSIM. we ask that you contact John at advertising@avsim.com. If you need assistance with rates, placing an advertisement, changing your ad or any other questions please let John know.

Carenado Releases SP1 For Cessna 182Q

Posted: Tuesday, August 1, 2006 - 14:04
After the release last week of the 182Q last week Carenado has released a servicepack that fixes a few minor issues. This pack corrects the following bugs:

-No taxi or landing lights from VC
-Correction for forcefeedback parameters
-Correction to the airspeed indicator marks (do not correspond with the manual info)
-Correction for rear windows textures on VC
-Correction for 2d throttle bmp.

More information can be found at the Carenado website.