As the second installment following my new format for the "Bear Cave", I'm highlighting those FS aircraft files that are of particular note from the earliest days of aviation. The theme this week is vintage-classic pre-1940s FS aircraft for FS2002/FS2004 and frankly there are some real gems in the AVSIM Library for you to choose from. (Next time I will be highlighting two outstanding FS aircraft designers)
Editor's Note: In light of Steve's time and hardware issues and the large number of you who really like the mini-review format, we will soon be introducing AVSIM "QuickViews." This new feature will involve all of the AVSIM reviewers in producing mini-reviews of library products, as well as what we have been calling "Review Previews." The latter will be a quick snapshot of the product to let you know that a full, in-depth AVSIM review is on the way, while also giving you some very basic information from our first look at the product. The former will be similar to the great work Bear has produced over the past couple of years. So while we will have a little less of Bear for a while, his legacy will grow much larger when QuickViews kickoff later this year.
Classic Pre-1940s FS Aircraft What I have for you this week are eight separate aircraft for FS2004 and two that are for FS2002. As before, not all of these aircraft will be for everyone. But for those of you who enjoy the vintage-classic type of aircraft, you should find something here to enhance your Flight Simulator experience. And as always, you can find all of these very high quality FS aircraft in the AVSIM 4Library.
(Click on any file name for its Library descriptions and download link.)
Known for his really outstanding Wright Flyer (see below) for FS2002, Paul Beardsley is a member of the Golden Eagle Squadron and his designs generally fit into the category of Vintage or Classic. Paul's latest work is a remake of the famous "Vin Fiz" Wright EX (1911 Exhibition Flyer model). Paul has also included several "adventure flights" with this download so that you can follow along with Cal Rodgers on his historic flight across America (the first to do so) in 1911. Paul's latest work includes authentic sounds, fully animated components, and does make use of the default avionics (Garmin GPS) so that you can follow the route of Cal Rodgers from coast-to-coast. He (Cal Rodgers) crossed America in 84 days, so maybe you can do it in less and if you're able to do the coast-to-coast crossing in less than 30 days, then maybe you can still claim the Hearst Prize ($50,000) that Cal failed to capture in 1911. Not only is this an outstanding example of the Wright EX aircraft, but Paul's adventure flights are a notch above the default FS2004 adventure flights (which use the default Piper Cub for the Cal Rodgers flights). Another outstanding file from Paul Beardsley!
----Bear!
Ted Eads is always coming up with something unusual and this vintage aircraft for FS2004 is no exception. Originally built by Ted Eads' Great Uncle, Frank Kruse, Ted has attempted to design an FS aircraft that accurately depicts this one-off aircraft, which Ted's great uncle built using the original plans by Glenn Curtiss shown in an early edition of "Popular Mechanics" magazine. The Glenn Curtiss Museum has been unable to determine if Curtiss had ever used ailerons designed to function in the manner that the 1911 Curtiss-Kruse did, so it is assumed that Ted's great uncle designed these unusual roll control surfaces hiumself. Ironically, the Wright Brothers had successfully sued Curtiss over his use of ailerons (they clearly violated their 1906 Patent), but it was not in Curtiss' nature to comply with the court rulings (on the advice of the Ford Motor Company lawyers he was using), so it is highly unlikely that Curtiss ever used ailerons of this design. It would seem that Ted's great uncle possibly developed these ailerons to get around the Wright vs. Curtiss ruling by not having ailerons that moved in opposite directions (as noted in court statements related to the Wright Patent) but instead designed ailerons where only one aileron moved when you applied roll. This also meant that when stationary, the two aileron surfaces would hang down loosely. Ted Eads has duplicated this feature with his FS 1911 Curtiss-Kruse aircraft design. Very unique indeed. With a fully animated FS aircraft and one of the better feeling virtual cockpit views (quite real-world feeling), this is a very interesting vintage aircraft to consider adding to your FS2004 hanger.
----Bear!
After Wilbur Wright had shown the world (Europe specifically) so dramatically how to design an aircraft and had given flight lessons to several European aviators (1908), the French held the world's first international air race in August of 1909. The La Grande Semaine d'Aviation was held at an airfield near Reims (commonly misspelled as Rheims), France. American Glenn Curtiss dominated the event with his Curtiss Racer and was given top honors for his achievements over the week long event. Dennis Simanaitis has very accurately developed a FS version of this historic aircraft and I have (with the original author's permission) modified the panel.cfg file to alias to the default FS9 Wright Flyer (the original file alias'd to the Sopwith Camel in FS2002). To further his court effort (Wright vs Curtiss), Glenn Curtiss had installed mid-wing mounted ailerons (similar ailerons or little wings had been used by Henry Farman in the summer of 1906 and later by Santos Dumont, but in their application to prevent roll rather than induce it). Dennis Simanaitis has accurately rendered these "ailerons" and they are animated on this FS aircraft. Having excellent animation, virtual cockpit, and sounds, this is another vintage FS aircraft from those early pioneering days of aviation that is worth a closer look.
----Bear!
Stuart Green has put together several outstanding classic aircraft in the past, with the majority falling into the World War I combat type category. This is Stuart's first FS2004 original design and it is of the first successful torpedo biplane, the Sopwith Cuckoo, first flown in 1918. Designed using Abacus' FSDSv2, Stuart's Sopwith Cuckoo is very accurate in appearance and comes in two liveries. With full animation (the pilot even has a white scarf blowing in the wind), multi-res textures, and custom 2D and dynamic 3D virtual cockpit, the Stuart Green Sopwith Cuckoo is quite interesting to fly. The sounds alias to the default Curtiss Jenny (FS2004) and after a bit of experimenting, I found the key selections for actuating the wing fold feature ("CTRL" + ";"), so here's another outstanding FS design from Stuart Green, check it out.
----Bear!
Eric Dantes has had the Rothman's Stampe SV4 for Flight Simulator ever since the days of FS98 and his latest redesigned version of this aircraft was developed using Abacus' FSDSv2, featuring custom 2D panel, dynamic 3D virtual cockpit, custom livery, and fully animated components. Unfortunately Eric's readme and description files are all in French, but this is a simple aircraft requiring a minimum of understanding to fly. Very nice design and well executed on Eric's part.
----Bear!
Even though Steven D. Myers is a newcomer at designing FS aircraft, his initial efforts are surprisingly well done and it is almost as if he's been doing this for a while. In his first release of an FS aircraft, Steven has developed a beautifully accurate version of the 1930 Fleet biplane (model 2), complete with a custom 2D panel and dynamic 3D virtual cockpit as well. Within a month of Steven releasing his first aircraft, Leon Louis uploaded a half dozen repaints that are the normal high quality we've all come to expect from Mr. Louis. With an airfile by Paul Clawson, the Steven Myers' designed 1930 Fleet biplane is well worth a close look and test flight by those interested in the early classic or vintage aircraft. A bit heavy on the poly count, so those of you with the less powerful systems my notice a FPS hit when viewing from the spot view position, my system (1.3Ghz, 256MB RAM, GeForce2 video card) seems to handle it fine, particularly when flying from the cockpit, where every good pilot should be sitting anyway. As a alternative to a Stearman, the Steven Myers' 1930 Fleet biplane is a most have for all of you that enjoy a well designed biplane.
----Bear!
In the early 1930s, the Davis D-1-W was one of the first of the Golden Era monoplanes that was fairly surprising on the performance side and was equally outstanding in its appearance with its parasol monowing design. Steven D. Myers' FS version of the 1931 Davis is his second release of an aircraft for Flight Simulator and like his Fleet biplane from before, his monowing Davis is equally as beautiful as the real-world version. This combined with the available Leon Louis repaints makes for another outstanding Golden Era aircraft to have in your Flight Sim hanger. With a custom 2D and dynamic 3D virtual cockpit, fully animated components, and reflective textures with that dynamic shine effect, along with a modified airfile from Paul Clawson, the Steven Myers Davis D-1-W is an easy flyer that is as fun and pleasing to fly as it is to look at. Having flown in Flight Simulator since the days of FS3 or so, I am continually amazed by the choice of so many beautiful aircraft from the early part of the 20th Century.
----Bear!
Derek Palmer (aircraft design) and Saverio Maurri (panel) have put together a really outstanding example of the Imperial Airways Handley Page 42 for FS2004. The Handley Page 42 was a 1930s era 4-engine biplane that was used for passenger travel in Europe (especially in the United Kingdom). Derek's version of this historic aircraft was designed using FSDSv2 and features full animation, dynamic and reflective day-night textures, rolling wheels, etc. The single download contains two liveries, the G-AAXC "Hercules" and the G-AAGX "Hannibal" and I must say they are very beautiful vintage FS aircraft with Saverio Maurri's photorealistic panel equal to the task. Lacking a virtual cockpit, the 2D panel is more than enough to perform realistic flight operations. The only change I would recommend is to re-alias the sound.cfg file over to the FS2004 default Ford Tri-motor rather than the C182, as Derek has done. Other than that, here is another outstanding FS aircraft that follows the "Century of Flight" theme.
----Bear!
Following the highly successful flight demonstrations (fall of 1908 in Europe) of the Wright Flyer III model "A", Louis Bleriot designed the first European aircraft to follow the developmental philosophy of the Wright Brothers _ an aircraft with inherit instability with a 3-axis control system (wing-warping for roll control). In July of 1909, Louis Bleriot flew his Bleriot XI across the English Channel from the French coast to the White Cliffs of Dover in 37 minutes, a distance of 27 miles. Louis Bleriot not only was the first to fly a fixed wing powered aircraft across the English Channel, but he was the first to demonstrate the practicality of the powered aircraft. The ramifications of his accomplishment were not missed by the military leaders of the Western European countries either. A little less than five years after Louis Bleriot's historic flight, the aircraft would begin to play its part in the history of warfare. Joe LoGrasso's (Golden Eagle Squadron) Flight Simulator version of the Bleriot XI is absolutely outstanding, having fully animated components, authentic sounds, transparent fabric or linen, simulated wing-warping, and a airfile developed by Bill Lyons, along with an adventure flight for the July 1909 Channel crossing.
Designed specifically for FS2002, the Joe LoGrasso 1909 Bleriot XI has issues in FS2004 (invisible components, such as the propeller etc.), but for those still using FS2002 this is a classic design that is interesting to fly and it is fun to duplicate Louis Bleriot's historic 1909 flight.
----Bear!
One of the primary features of FS2004 is its theme of "Century of Flight" and the default aircraft that best represents the beginning of the first century of aviation is of course the 1903 Wright Flyer. For those that are still using FS2002, that would also like to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of First Flight this coming December 17, 2003, they can do so with a beautiful example of that original historic aircraft thanks to classic and vintage FS aircraft designer, Paul Beardsley of the Golden Eagle Squadron. Paul is no amateur at designing historically accurate vintage and classic aircraft. He is the designer of the various Wright Flyer virtual models for the Wright Aircraft Company (Museum) in Dayton, Ohio, so you can rest assured his FS2002 model of the 1903 Wright Flyer is every bit as accurate as the default Flyer in FS2004. In addition to the Wright Flyer, the download also includes period scenery of the Flyer's Kill Devil Hills launch site, presented as it was on that cold December morning in 1903, including the two buildings (hanger and machine shop), the sandy ground texturing, and a cheering Wilbur running along side the launch rail.
This version of the Wright Flyer (version 2) was designed using FSDSv2 and sports animation of the propellers, engine, flight controls, pilot (Orville), and most control surfaces. This is a really nice package that is accurate at depicting one of the most historically significant events in world history!
----Bear!
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