AVSIM Special Feature Screenshot Tribute to FS2002 Part 12

Panels

With any Flight Simulator it is of course the cockpit and the panels that are key to any flight. Though its been enjoyable to consider all the different aircraft and aircraft types available, it is still the cockpit that is the work room for the pilot of any aircraft. With Flight Simulator 2002, one of the main features included were the availability of the majority of default aircraft having a dynamic 3D cockpit-panel. A few of the 3rd party aircraft-panel designers had developed the virtual cockpit-panel for previous versions of Flight Simulator, but it wasn't until FS2002 that Microsoft had joined in with the Flight Simulator default aircraft.

As with anything new, many have voiced their opinion that they are reluctuant to use the VC (virtual cockpit), but I think with time the majority of flight simmers have made the switch. Personally, I think that there is a lot of room for improvement, specifically with the larger aircraft, but when it comes to the less complicated types (General Aviation, Classics, Sports Aircraft, etc.) the virtual cockpit just may be the much preferred panel type. Having a clickable panel in the virtual mode should help a great deal (as promised in FS2004), but in FS2002 it was by use of popup windows that most 2D panel functions are available in the VC mode.

Here's just a short listing of a few of the panels from the 3rd party designers for FS2002.

Yannick Lavigne (with Fred Banting and Rob Young) stunned the FS world with their release of their Dassault Falcon50 with this fully dynamic virtual cockpit (top). Several of the commercial releases followed suit with their work.

There were several VCs (top) released for the larger aircraft (turboprops here), but the quality of the 2D panels has continued to improve as well.

Project Airbus provided a very acceptable 3D virtual cockpit with their freeware releases, but most still prefer the working 2D panels for the larger jets, including the award winning panels from Richard Probst (727 bottom left).

Despite the excellent VC work like the CRJ200 VC panel from Project Opensky (3 center-lower right shots), the improved 2D panels for the Boeing aircraft still kept many using the 2D panel mode.

Whether it be a 2D or 3D virtual panel, there were still some very outstanding panels, even for the more unusual aircraft. (top left) Goodyear Blimp, (top right) Hot Air Balloon, (center left) Space Shuttle, (center right) Bill Lyons PT-19, (bottom) Ryan NYP from Flight1.

The quality of many of the virtual panel-cockpits is truly amazing.

It was the work of Yannick Lavigne and his virtual cockpit with the Falcon50 that really throw me (and most others as well) for a loop. By using the keyboard you could go into the rear cabin section, sit down, and simply watch the scenery pass by, as you could control all the panel main functions by way of pop-up windows.

It was the General Aviation aircraft where the VC panel is most useful, particularly when flying a biplane from the rear seat. I found that even when the VC is a bit rough around the edges, it is still preferable over the 2D panel (Renegade 270 center right).

Unique Aircraft or Vehicles

With prior versions of Flight Simulator, there were a number of unique aircraft or vehicles made available from several freeware designers, but with FS2002 there seem to be a whole host of developers trying their hand at it, particularly since now you could get a boat to work properly. Check some of these out, though of little practical use, they are still interesting nonetheless.

Matthew Moxon designed up this version of the Space Shuttle Endeavor which you can launch from the default Cape...

...then switch over to the Endeavor of Matthew's without the main tank and SRBs.

When it comes to ships and boats, there were no shortage of excellent choices, whether it be the Cutty Sark, a US Coast Guard ship, or even a very nicely designed fishing boat—a look around will find you just about anything you can think of.

The aircraft from various Hollywood films weren't missed either. (top) The helo from "Blue Thunder, Clint Eastwood's FireFox from the movie of the same name (top center left), the shuttle from "Aliens" (top center right), the "War of the Worlds" space alien spacecraft (2nd from bottom), and the submarine from the Beattle's film "Yellow Submarine" (bottom)!

The "Star Wars" films were not missed either.

There is your collection of very strange flyable vehicles, most being projects where 3rd party designers were practicing with Gmax. The flying 'pig' is my personal favorite (Stuart Green designer).

You've got a WWI Barrage Balloon, an M1 Tank, a Garwood custom speedboat, or you can cruise Las Vegas in your 1950s era Cadillac convertible.

On a more practical note, you can fly the Goodyear Blimp, a Hot Air Balloon, skydive, or even fly a beautifully designed version of the USAF/CIA "Predator" pilotless aircraft.

Special Effects

Beginning back with FS2000, the Microsoft Flight Simulator design team had been getting the lighting (daytime and dusk specifically) perfected quite accurately and shadowing was improving a great deal. With FS2002 they moved this ahead a great deal; for example, as you turn your aircraft in a 360º turn, the Sun's light would also turn across your panel in a very realistic fashion. Mountain shadows, as the Sun sets in the late afternoon, will cast themselves onto the nearby mountain or across the backside valley. This was only a part of the improvements with FS2002, as now we had other effects, like realistic appearing tire smoke, working landing lights, or bright flashing strobe lights and it's been quite interesting how the many add-on special effects have improved the appearance of FS2002. Here's a short look at just some of the add-on special effects which have provided another notch in the climb to realism in our flightsim of choice.

The default effects were subtle improvements as were the addition of the add-on effects. From the Sun's reflection in a body of water to of the dancing Northern Lights and even tire smoke on landing, each of these add just that much to flying in FS2002. Some add-ons included paratroopers, tracer-fire from your guns, Paris fireworks, or multi-colored smoke on your favorite group of aerobatic aircraft.

Other effects (most from add-on files) included realistically dynamic fireworks, a rainbow appearing as you drop water on a fire, vapor trails appearing as you work your fighter jet through its maneuvers, even the lonely light piercing the night from an isolated lighthouse.

In this interesting effect, the morning of July 15th, 1945 can be experienced at Trinity Site (White Sands), New Mexico.

Whether it be the erie flashing of the Aurora Borealis, splashing of water while taking off in our float plane, or something as simple as a dynamic fire and smoke from a smudge pot lighting our favorite backwoods airstrip, the special effects offered in FS2002 have added just that much more to Flight Simulator to improve its realism and entertain us.

"Screenshot Tribute to FS2002" continues here:
Part 13: FS2002 Screenshots for Scenery