Normally, I wouldn't choose a simple aircraft repaint as one of my picks, but the repaint of the Project Opensky 747-400 provided by Shane Strong prompted me to make an exception to that rule!
Shane has redone the livery of the extraordinary Project Opensky 747-400 in two of the beautiful Canadian Air examples (Air Canada transition paint & the "Proud Wings" paint), both expertly done by the way.
My reasoning for picking Shane's work is simply because he's chosen to do the repaints in the very popular "dirty" or "in-service" texturing look or appearance! With many of the most recent FS2K aircraft, freeware or payware, the detailing and all has been extraordinary, but they've also been just too squeaky clean, after all, aircraft do not look that factory perfect or clean, if they've been in-service more than a week after manufacturer this is.
Yeah, I know what you're saying "Bear, you're just spot-lighting eye-candy, nothing else"! Well, this may be true my friends, but good eye-candy (and Shane's repaint most certainly is good) adds to the mind's perception or imagination, if you will, and this adds to the experience of flight simulation! So there! Hehehehe!
I liked them both and I'm sure the majority of you will too! Good job Shane!
Fred Choate and Steven Grant have put together a really exciting and well thought out DHC-3Turbo float/wheeled bush aircraft that is frankly more than deserving of my second awarding of the "Bear Approved" Stamp!
The real Dehavilland DHC-3T is powered by a single Pratt and Whitney PT6A-135 turbine rated at 750 shaft-horsepower and this combination is considered one of the most versatile combination packages in the Great North of the United States and Canada. This version of the DHC-3 Otter is also equipped with the Barron STOL kit as well! The DHC-3 Otter can be configured as "All" passengers or "All" cargo and as a float, wheeled, or wheeled/ski aircraft (though Fred & Steven's FS version lacks the choice of skis at this time).
This is a complete FS Aircraft package, meaning it includes both a float and wheeled version, accurate FS2K panel, and custom sounds! I personally have a great love for bush flying and this is a tremendously enjoyable aircraft to include into my bush plane inventory! If bush flying wags your tail too, then this is a must have aircraft, believe me!
In all views, spot or cockpit, this FS aircraft is highly accurate and very realistic. To add to all this Fred & Steven have added a neat little "easter egg", by hitting your "/" spoiler key two dark green canoes will appear, lashed down to the top of each of the pontoons with the float version of DHC-3T Otter and incidentally, you can feel the increased drag when these canoes are out there also, excellent airfile guys! Check out the screenshot here with spot view of the float plane to view these canoes!
Overall a excellent package and great work guys, thank you! ....Bear!
The Twin Beech 18 first flew in 1937 and is still used today in all four-corners of the globe and is and has been one of my all-time favorite aircraft. This particular FS2K version depicts a Twin Beech from around 1960 or so and the panel/exterior paint reflect this. This FS package is more or less an updated FS98 version (the original by a variety of different authors, all of which are individually credited in the readme file).
Fred handled the repaint/aircraft updating, with Michael redoing much of the panel (along with Fred), but the airfile by Steve Small is typical of what you would expect from him, this aircraft flies like a dream and frankly that's an understatement to say the least!
Everywhere you look or listen, cockpit or spot view, this aircraft is a real joy to fly and to remember those by-gone days now. I really like this aircraft and yeah I know, most people like the modern twin turboprops and such, but sometimes it's fun to fly low and slow, admiring the scenery, while listening to the drone of those big radial engines! It's music to my eyes and ears, now if I could just get that smell of burnt oil and aviation gasoline off my computer somehow? ...Bear!
Camil Valiquette (of Canada) has been providing all of us with his fine examples of the heavy iron from both Airbus Industries and Boeing Aircraft Company for some time now and I have chosen one of his aircraft before, as a pick of the week, but this time Camil has outdone even himself! Camil's latest example of the Airbus 380 Super Jetliner is so outstanding, in all respects, that I have awarded Camil my "Bear Approved" stamp for the second time this week!
In a bit of a first for Camil, this Airbus 380 package includes a panel (uses mostly FS2K default gauges and the panel design credit goes to A. Asensio) with cockpit views of the engines/wings as well. How accurate Camil's panel is, well who knows, I've never seen a photograph of the real panel for the 380 as of yet, so A. Asensio's panel is very basic but very workable.
It's Camil's design of the Airbus 380 itself that is so outstanding; tilted boogies (Camil gives the credit for providing the tilted boogies animation coding credit to Mitsushi Yutaka at Project Opensky), fully textured engine nacelle's (the air inlets are very round), steerable nose gear, opening engine thrust reversers, animated gear and gear doors, excellent FS2K night lighting, textured flaps and spoilers, and a first for me--opening baggage doors (sliding actually) with the baggage bays fully textured and lite at night--way too cool my friends!
The file size does not reflect the high quality of this aircraft and I could not see, at anytime, anything unusual in the way of this aircraft affecting the performance of my computer or anything in the way of my getting a hit on frame rates, plus this aircraft is fully compatible with FSTraffic 2.01!
Flying Airbus' largest (Camil's version that is) provides you with what you would expect! Starting out, it's quite noticeable that you are 40+ feet above the runway in this true giant of an aircraft and Camil gives you this pilot's perspective quite well--thank you! Once you're airborne, this aircraft is responsive, yet heavy to the feel and most likely quite close to the real thing. Many reviewers of Camil's aircraft, in the past, have made note of Camil's exceptional airfiles and his latest, the Airbus 380, holds true to his skill with designing these types of aircraft--excellent work Camil! ----Bear!
Well, here's the 5th in a series of extraordinary DC-3s from Bill Rambow, Roy Chaffin, and Jan Vasser and as with that scenery package a couple of weeks ago, plus Camil's Airbus 380 this week along with Fred & Steven's DHC-3T Otter, this uploaded file also gets my "Bear Stamp of Approval" for excellence!
The level of excellence that these 3 fellows have achieved with their design of the Douglas DC-3 to date--well it has been the standard of which to compare all FS Aircraft uploads, freeware or payware!
With this new aircraft though, Bill, Roy, and Jan have developed a new aircraft, pretty much from the ground up, yet it holds true to the actual aircraft it was modeled after, the PH-DDZ (Dutch Dakota Association) Martin's Air Charter (MAC) DC-3!
Starting with the panel, it is a high resolution digital photorealistic example of the real panel in the actual aircraft it depicts, near real-world appearing and just simply artistic excellence at it's absolute best! Truly outstanding beyond words! All cockpit views are taken from the real aircraft, as well as with the external views of this aircraft. The passenger cabin door (from spot view) even opens slowly and when it is fully open a small set of passenger steps extend out and down to the tarmac!
Spot view screenshots of this aircraft can be easily confused with actual photographs of the real thing, it's that good! Now, as for flying this FS Aircraft, it's highly recommended that you start off by reading the documents that are provided with this download. All functions of the panel are covered, as well as flying techniques, plus recommended taxiing procedures, all of which are fully illustrated with period/40-50s era music provided for your reading enjoyment!
This is an absolute must have download for all users of FS2000! ----Bear!
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