The Corsair was such a successful and potent aircraft (with, according to many, the finest overall performance of any World War 2 fighter), that production continued through to December 1952, and during the Korean War, Corsairs were among the most effective ground support and night fighters in the fleet!!

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It's pretty obvious from the various screenshots that litter this page, that this F4 is something spectacular, at least visually anyhow. When you download it (and you should!), you'll see that it also contains an a complete set of sounds and some background information on the pilot of this actual aircraft, Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, and a set of 512x512 textures and a set of bitmaps that round it all off by being a virtual cockpit. Now do you see why it's a 6Meg file?!

That's quite impressive I hear you say, but other people have done complete packs, so what's new here? Well let me tell you, this is Roger's first ever venture into aircraft design. Yes you heard right, his first stab at producing an FS aircraft. I think you'll agree that it's some achievement. Most people are quite content to produce a visual model and some basic textures, but Rogers really pushed himself hard here and created a "must have file"—not bad for your first attempt eh?

Naturally the first thing that'll strike you is the attention to detail, visually. Nothing has been spared and everything is included, from a 3D engine cowling to the 3D radiators buried in the wing roots. Another little feature worthy of mention is the pilot in the seat, Pappy Boyington himself. As you move the rudder, he moves his head in accordance. There is much divided feeling on including 3D pilots in the models, but I'm inclined to like them as they give just a tad more realism to the overall package. Naturally, with all of the detail mentioned above, this model boasts full moving parts, such as gear, sliding cockpit canopy thats linked with the flaps, rudders etc.

He has also spent a great deal of time with the textures and this is clearly reflected in the package itself. It's a very detailed paint job, that has a 'used' feel, rather than looking like its come straight off the production line. He has also elected to use the 512x512 texture format thats specific to FS2000, as this allows for a much more detailed scheme.

One element that really caught me by surprise—and had me smiling from ear to ear—is the sounds he's included; shut down the engine and start her up again. It's absolutely spot on. The igniton and then the splutter as it roars into life; this really is excellant. The quality of the sounds themselves are nothing short of superb; there are no background noises, no hissing or crackling. He has it set to take full advantage of the FS2000 sound engine.

The panel again is excellant, simple, clear and uncluttered. All the guages and dials look original and authentic. I like the fact that the bitmap really does sit in the background and isn't 'in your face' too much or overly highlighted. As we have seen on other packages, Roger has included some images to create a virtual bitmap. These are of a very high quality and like the main panel bitmap, are subtle and sit there quietly. The feature that I most liked of the panel, and one that is a really excellant little touch, can be seen when you use the outside view at night time. As you manouvere the camera around the plane, if you look into the cockpit, you can see that the panel is lit up with a green light and nicely represented.

Like anything in life, it isn't perfect. It has its flaws, but thankfully these are minor. Also, Roger is committed to producing the best aircraft that he can and has set about creating patches for elements he sees fit to rectify. The cable that stretches from the tailfin to just in front of the cockpit is inclined to change colour, sometimes from its intended one, to red or orange.

Also, the flight dynamics need some work. While I can appreciate that an old aircraft such as this is a difficult beast to fly, it somehow just doesn't feel right, it seems too loose, and ready to fall from the sky at any moment. It's quite adequate, but just need a little bit more TLC worked over them.

 

The panel is nicely done

You need to click to see this night panel view

 

Showing the famous cranked wing

Flying at sunset

On the carrier

Some of the details

Overall it's a great great effort, and easily deserves a place in the Top 3 "must have" files. It's clear that a lot of work and time has been lavished on it, and it is clearly reflected in the quality of the work—from obvious features such as the textures; 3D elements such as the cowling; down to subtle features such as the panel at night and the model of the pilot.

If Roger were a recognised and established figure already in FS, we would be astounded by this piece of work, but to come from nowhere and already be barking at the heels of those established developers is quite astounding. He tells me that he next project is a North American P51—I can hardly wait!