AVSIM Special Feature: A Baker's Dozen part 2

Bear's Baker's Dozen aircraft picks!
Part 2
The world of Flight Simulators

Special Feature by Steve "Bear" Cartwright

The week before last I presented the first half of my two baker's dozen aircraft picks—now I'm continuing on to the second baker's dozen picks of FS Aircraft. This time they are all freeware aircraft that have been specifically designed for FS2000. Considering the level of quality we've all enjoyed with the aircraft for FS2000, I can't imagine what we will have in store for us with FS2002?
Back when I first decided to attempt a project of this magnitude, I had not fully realized how much time and how much difficulty I would experience with it—but after 2 or 3 months I think I have finally come up with what I believe is the best of the best, so to speak. I do have to add that if my first set of picks were Mission Difficult this second group is right up there with Mission Impossible! I'm sure that if anyone else were to attempt this project, their picks would most assuredly be somewhat different than mine, but I'm equally as sure that most would not totally disagree with my choices either.
Though I haven't purposely listed these aircraft by category, I have generally tried to pick aircraft across a broad range of aircraft types (jetliner, military, general aviation, etc.) to offer up a wider choice to fit the various aircraft types that each of you may prefer or enjoy.
Unlike with my first group of picks, these picks are based on the accuracy of the airfile and with the general overall appearance of the aircraft. These aircraft may or may not have been made available with a custom panel or sounds, so I have (in those cases were a panel was not included) tried to give you an option or two for a good quality panel—but only if that panel is available also as freeware! If you know of a panel that you feel is superior to the options I list, I would hope you would share these options with us all in the Feedback section here? The same applies to the sound package as well.
Within the next 48 hours I will be posting my picks as best of the best from these two baker's dozen as well. These two aircraft will be my picks as the overall best of the payware aircraft and the overall best of the freeware aircraft, plus each of these aircraft will be the recipient of the first ever presentation of the "Bear Gold Award"!
Author's note: It was my intent to offer up 26 different aircraft with these two baker's dozen picks, so, if I have already picked a freeware aircraft in the first group of picks, then that aircraft will not be included here.

  Douglas DC-10:

  FFG (Flightsim Freeware Group) Douglas DC-10

The Flightsim Freeware Group has only recently (and very fortunately for us all) returned to the internet with their truly outstanding version of the Douglas DC-10! The real DC-10 was subject to a number of accidents, most with tragic results, due to a variety of design flaws and/or improper maintenance procedures and there was even one point where the world's entire fleet of DC-10s were grounded for a couple weeks, by FAA directives. In the end the DC-10 was overall a pretty good large jetliner and despite it's early problems it went on to serve its owners well.
Downloading of the FFG DC-10 should give you one of the most realistic appearing large jetliners available – payware or freeware – and FFG's version of the Douglas DC-10 contains a very accurate feeling airfile as well. Generally this is not one of your generic FS aircraft that you can simply jump into and land on your first attempt, as if it was the FS2000 default 737. The FFG DC-10s require a lot of forethought on your approach and with the proper application of power versus sink-rate & airspeed, but then again that's the joy of the challenge for flightsim pilots in learning the proper techniques in flying this aircraft smoothly and correctly.

The FFG DC-10 downloads do not include a panel or custom sounds, but there are many excellent choices (freeware) out there (I would suspect that FFG will once again have both sounds and panels available at their website, as they did in the past). There are a couple of DC-10 panels from Staffan Ahlberg that are both quite good and one even includes a working INS (Inertial Navigation System) which is programmable with up to 24 waypoints. Another excellent choice is the DC-10 panel from Vannesa Leightower.
Aircraft available at FFG
Staffan Ahlberg's panels available at Staffan Ahlberg Panel Project
Vannesa Leightower's DC-10 panel (nap01cd.zip) at Simviation

  Boeing 707 & Douglas DC-8:

  HJG (Historic Jetliner Group) 707/720 & DC-8

The Historic Jetliner Group, even though relatively new, is a collection of individuals who are all seasoned FS Aircraft designers with a common interest in the older, more historic jetliners (hence the name Historic Jetliner Group). Currently they have several versions of the DC-8 in many liveries available for download, as well as the Boeing 707/720 B & C models (in several livery choices as well). Also available at the Historic Jetliner Group's website are a number of DC-8 panels and sound files (freeware downloads one and all) that are all worth a close inspection.
Personally, I like flying the older airliners (I'm more prone toward the propliners personally), but these DC-8s and/or 707s from the Historic Jetliner Group are all excellent in every respect. Multi-level flaps, working spoilers, thrust reversers, animated gear, FS2000 airfiles, beautiful and accurate external textures... well... simply everything one would expect from a high quality payware aircraft package—except these aircraft are all freeware!

Aircraft, DC-8 panels, and DC-8/B707 sounds (Aaron R. Swindle) available at Historic Airliners Group
Chris Arrington & Richard Probst Boeing 707 panel (carp707p.zip) at Simviation

  Boeing 747-767s:

  FeelReal 747-400 & 767 (Project Opensky, and Meljet/Project 747)

Okay, you caught me, this is a pretty sneaky way to get 3 different aircraft from 2 different authors (plus one truly outstanding FS Aircraft repainting group) into the same pick, so sue me! FeelReal is actually a group of FS aircraft painters that have come up with a unique method of applying external paint/textures that are extraordinarily true to life in appearance. To date FeelReal has applied these photorealistic textures to about a half-dozen or so 747-400s (747s from both Project Opensky and Meljet/Project 747), plus they have now started to apply this texturing technique to the very popular Project Opensky 767.
In the first set of 747s, the Qantas Formula 1 livery is based on Melvin Rafi's (Meljet/Project 747) Meljet model, with the FeelReal textures applied. The others (Air France, KLM, Virgin, BA) are Posky models. Melvin was the first to make available a high quality freeware 747-400 (airfile by Johan Dees). Melvin has several liveries available with his 747-400, in addition to those from FeelReal.
Later liveries of the FeelReal 747s (Virgin Airways and Air France) have been based on the 747-400 from Project Opensky. Project Opensky's 747-400 is an improved version of the original Meljet/Project 747 aircraft in several areas, but like the Meljet 747, the Project Opensky 747 also uses a Johan Dees airfile! Project Opensky really put their name into FS Aircraft Designer freeware history with their release of the Project Opensky Boeing 767 some months ago (currently FeelReal has only applied their textures to one of the POSKY 767s, in American Airlines livery). The Project Opensky or POSKY Boeing 767 FS aircraft models were designed by Mitsushi Yutaka & Hiroshi Igami and these two have what is the standard by which all other 767 aircraft designers have to live up to, and believe me these two put that crossbar very high indeed!
Recommended panels (both available in the AVSIM library): b747dx1b.zip (747-400 panel by John J. Schumaker) and np767fs2k.zip (767-300 panel by Nikolay Poriazov).

  Maule MT7-235 SuperRocket:

  Steven Grant's Maule MT7-235 SuperRockets!

For some time now, Steven Grant has been making available excellent versions of many types of bush aircraft and in almost all cases he has included custom panels – and quite often custom sounds as well – with his freeware offerings. In the real-world, the two most popular bush aircraft have to be the DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver and the Piper SuperCub, but the Maule SuperRockets are slowly asserting themselves as the more modern aircraft designed for the bush! The DeHavilland Beaver is truly one of the very best bush aircraft ever conceived, but it's no longer in production, and well maintained examples are very expensive to purchase. The Piper SuperCub, another bush aircraft standard, is not nearly as expensive as the Beaver, but it is somewhat slow and it is limited to only 2 persons (the pilot and one passenger). So, in comes the Maule MT7-235 SuperRockets, with their respectable cruise speeds, 5 person seating arrangements, reasonable investment pricing and low maintenance costs; yet bush performance numbers are comparable to either the Beaver or the SuperCub! Years from now, when Alaskan/Canadian bush pilots get together for some late-night telling of "war stories" over a six-pack, I've no doubt that when the subject of "The World's Greatest Bush Planes" comes up, at least 3 aircraft will be mentioned: the Piper SuperCub, the DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver, and the Maule MT7-235 Super Rocket!
The Steven Grant versions of the Maule MT7-235 are all very well done and are simply one of my favorite set of aircraft on my harddrive. Steven's SuperRockets are available in three versions: taildragger, tri-cycle gear, and float, each including a custom panel from Matt Garry, David Giles, and Steven Grant. Though Steven uses the default C182S sounds with his Maules, he does include an add-on set of sounds (add-on to the default C182S) for the float version (water splash sounds).
Available in AVSIM library.

  Cessna 172 Skyhawk:

  The FSD (Flight Sim Developers) & Dreamfleet2000 Cessna 172 Skyhawk

When I first got wind that FSD and Dreamfleet2000 (two Flight Simulator world class design groups of near legendary status) were going to co-design a freeware version of the Cessna 172, I could barely contain my excitement over that possibility. These fellows did not disappoint me either when their little Cessna became available for download. With the combined talents of Aaron R. Swindle (sounds), Lou Betti-panel, Steve Small (airfile), Roger Long (airfoil design), Jim Golden (aircraft design), Manuel Medel-Jacques Alluchon-Marco Rensen (detail inspection/correction), plus Larry Teele, Gerry Schmidt, Ben Beverly, and Robert Kirkland (beta testers – I feel as if I just introduced the band members for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones at the same time...hehehe), you simply couldn't wish for a better group to design a FS version of one of Cessna's most popular aircraft ever!
If you've downloaded and installed this aircraft, then you already understand my excitement; if you haven't, what are you waiting for?
Available in AVSIM library.

  Piper J3 Cub:

  FSD (Flight Sim Developers) Piper J3 Cub

Of my total picks here of 26 different aircraft, you may have noticed that this is the 3rd pick I've made from the boys over at Flight Sim Developers! This is because the fellows at FSD are obviously a group of very dedicated and truly talented individuals—and this aircraft holds true to their very high standards at FS design. The external appearance, flight modeling, sounds, the virtual cockpit, all are simply perfect and this aircraft is a serious contender in my final pick for the best freeware aircraft "Bear Gold Award"!
One of the things that many (that downloaded and installed this aircraft) may have not noticed or possibly overlooked is how the FSD group handled the interior lighting and shadowing in the virtual cockpit mode. As you turn in a circle, you can visually see the interior lighting change, depending upon the overhead sun's position, and you can watch the light and shadows move right with the sun—exactly as it does in real-life! In my opinion, this is a absolute must-have FS Aircraft download!
Available in AVSIM library.

  BAe146/Avro RJ85:

  IADG BAe146 & Avro RJ85

The fellows over at IADG (International Aircraft Design Group) have been putting together some really terrific FS aircraft (I particularly love their Fokker 50s) and I was really thrilled when they released this truly wonderful version of the BAe146/Avro RJ85 4-engined small jetliner. I've always had a thing for these aircraft, ever since I first saw them in the PSA (smiling face) livery, here on the west coast of the United States. I do know that United Airlines is still using them though I'm sure many others are as well, not to mention the many European airlines that are currently flying this little jetliner!
The IADG version is really a beautiful aircraft in every exterior detail; then when you install the extraordinary panel by Matthias Lieberecht, well, you've got an unbeatable combination!
Aircraft available at International Aircraft Design Group

  Boeing 737:

  Lufthansa 737 by Paul Brand

Over the last couple of years there have been more repaints of the default B737 in FS2000 than I can count and there have been several freeware releases of modified versions of the default Boeing, but it's Mauricio Vanscoit's version that will really catch your attention, once you give it a spin. Paul Brand took Mauricio's 737, applied new photorealistic textures (Lufthansa livery) and then installed his own design panel (photorealistic 1st officer's panel) and we now have a winner! Incidentally, Paul has recently released this panel again, only now it's available in the Captain's version.
This aircraft contains what is arguably the best feeling airfile for a 737 yet! Now I know that some will say that the numbers in the file aren't all within the normally acceptable ranges, but sometimes to get the overall feel this sort of arrangement has to be made. The end result is simply one of the best feeling aircraft of this type out there.

Aircraft/panels available in AVSIM library.

  Cessna 152:

  Carenado - SimChile Cessna 152s

Removed due to allegations of copyright violation.

  Grumman "Tomcat" F-14:

  By Dino Cattaneo

Dino has had his hands into the design of several excellent military aircraft downloads, but his Grumman "Tomcat" is one of my very favorite aircraft and every chance I get, I do use or fly this aircraft. From the moving parts, which are fully textured and animated (swing wings, flaps, gear, and speedbrakes) – right up to the visible pilot and his RIO in the back seat – I love flying and looking at this aircraft. It's carrier operational in FS2000 with retracting tailhook and it has a photorealistic panel as well. There are a lot very good freeware aircraft designs of the military type aircraft and Dino makes one of the very best ones; that's why I've picked it here!

Available at Simvation http://www.simviation.com (filename f14a2k30.zip)

  Beechcraft B18G:

  By Fred Choate/Steve Small aircraft from an original of Shlomo Hakim

There are literally hundreds of excellent freeware aircraft available out there, from jets to gliders, space shuttles, even hot air balloons, but I'm personally addicted to propliners, especially the Beech radial twins. There have been a number of high quality examples of the Beech D-18 Twin designed and uploaded, but Fred Choate has put together a complete package, custom panel by Michael Schurz, sounds by Fred, and a custom airfile by none other than Steve Small with the end result providing an aircraft that brings on dreams of yesteryear!
This particular aircraft is on my personal top 10 list of favorite aircraft to fly.
Aircraft available in AVSIM library (filename twinbc18.zip)

  P180 Avanti:

  P180 Avanti by Massimo Taccoli, Marco Spada, and Stefano Caputo

So, you want the fastest turboprop you can get your hands on, but you don't know where to look? Well, look no farther, because the Italians know fast machines, from the Ferrari Motors Cars to the Piaggio P180 Avanti (Avanti means "forward" in Italian by the way) and the P180 is the fastest FAR 23 certified turboprop in the world, attaining a cruise speed of 400 Kts at 27,000 feet!
Massimo Taccoli has given all of us some of the absolute best FS aircraft to date and as always it's freeware (thank you Massimo for that) and frankly I could have just as easily chosen one of many aircraft he has given us in my 2 Baker's Dozen picks—but I decided to go with his P180 Avanti business turboprop. As with all Italian machines, it looks very modern as well as very fast, and Massimo has captured the look and feel of the Avanti quite well for FS2000; then you stick in a Stefano Caputo (Capt Steve) designed flight model (airfile) along with a Marco Spada panel, you then have a sure winner!

Available at Simvation (filename p180_ava.zip)

  Boeing 727:

  Lufthansa 727-200 D-ABFI "M�nster" for FS2000 Complete Package

Original model by Gary Carlson/Kevin Trinkle. Base textures by Bill Alicea. Repaint by Misha Kovacevic, Yannick Charland, and David Randolph. Includes a panel from Charles Fox based on the original CARP727.zip from Chris Arrington/Richard Probst, and finally this aircraft's airfile was setup by Everardo Diaz. Though the sound files use the default 737, this group of fellows do recommend using the sound pack from Daniel Careri (available in the AVSIM library as ar732sn1.zip)
Available in AVSIM library.

HONORABLE MENTION:

– Bill Wening Supercubs

– Ron Ackerley Supercubs

– Kirk Olssen's C-17s and MiG-21 "Fishbed"

– Barry Blaisdell & Premier Aircraft Design Group (Shorts360, C-130s, Twin Otters and Beech B1900s)

– John Cantwell's Cessna 185 Skywagon

– Michael Verlin for his Beech Kingairs & Beechcraft "Duke"

– Graham Waterfield's SR-71 & B2 Stealth bomber

– Thomas Ruth's Antonov AN-225 & AN-124

– Sandro Bernardini's Boeing 737s

– Roger "Airbudda" Dial for his WWII aircraft (P-51D/BC, F4U Corsair, P-47 Thunderbolt, and B-25)

– Shlomo 'Slo Mo' Hakim for all his aircraft (most specifically his Beechcraft D18S)

– Rick Piper & David Maltby BAC 1-11

– Rob Bennis & Benoit Gaurant's United Airlines Caravelle

– AFG (Allied Flightsim Group) for all their truly outstanding Jetliners (Airbus & Boeing)

– Dave McQueen/Rui Cristina/Tom Gibson for all their beautiful Propliners

– Giuseppe Chiacchietta for his F-16 "Fighting Falcon"

– Cas Stephans and the Maxview Cessna 310

– Brian Glidden for his Lancair 320 & Commander 114TC

– Apichart Owcharoenporn's Boeing "Hawaiian Air" 717-200

– Chris Lampard/Lee Hall's Beechcraft B99

– Tom Miller and his gorgeous Beechcraft Twin-Bonanzas (D-50s)

– Captain "Slug" and everything he's released

– Graham P. Oxtoby and his many aircraft downloads

– Shigeru Tanaka's F-117 Stealth

– Ron Anderson's (VikingCraft) Otters

– PFG (Project Freeware Group) and hope that one day they will return to the FS community

– Roger Long's Cessna 172 (among others)

– EuroFlight Design Group (and their wonderful Fokker 100s)

– Camil Valiquette for all his work to date

– and Terry Hill for his many contributions

And I'm absolutely sure I'm forgetting someone or several people and for that I do apologize. The long list of people that designed aircraft for FS2000 are true testimony to the strength and depth of talent in our hobby of Flight Simming, and my hat's off to all of you for making this fascinating hobby Our Hobby; thank you!

Be sure to see Bearracing's Baker's Dozen – Part 1 picks!

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