The Greatest....

[EngineRoom 205]

I was thinking about all the years spent flight simming, and all the addons and names we've seen come and go and it got me thinking about who/what are the greatest...Here's my top five (in no particular order) for the greatest aircraft and greatest aircraft developers:Greatest Aircraft:Eric Ernst 767/767PIC/LDS 767 - This aircraft has made an appearance in every incarnation of MSFS since FS98, and every time it has been one of, if not THE best airliner available.Dreamfleet C172 for FS2000 - If my memory serves me correctly this was one of the first really high quality packages featuring an aircraft modelled in great detail. It was a trend setter and the success of this package is probably what propelled Dreamfleet into the payware market and to the position they hold today.RealAir SF260 - When the SF260 appeared a few years ago it created a real stir in the FS world. An extremely high quality package that featured the most convincing flight dynamics ever seen in MSFS, and I also believe it was one of the first aircraft designed to be flown from the virtual cockpit!Dai Griffiths' SD360 - Waaay back in the days of FS98 this was the first "procedural" simulator for MSFS. This was the forerunner of the high fidelity addons we have today.SST Sim Concorde - The best attempt yet at bringing Concorde into MSFS. This is a very challenging aircraft and if you can master it you really are an accomplished flight simmer.Greatest Developers:Dreamfleet - They have produced superb aircraft, their partnership with Reality XP means their aircraft have the best GA instrument panels around, and their partership with Flight One means their products are distributed via the best system. They have released major upgrades and additions to their products and made them free of charge to existing customers, and they have bucked the trend by not charging for both FS9 and FSX versions of their latest aircraft.Project Opensky - You only have to check the file library here and at the other big FS sites to see why these guys aare among the greatest. There are literally thousands of repaints of their many aircraft available for multiple versions of MSFS, and they don't cost a penny.Historic Jetliners Group - A one stop shop for all your 707 and DC-8 (and now BAe 146) needs. They have been around for years now, yet they still churn out updated models, panels and liveries every few months, and they are freeware!Real Air Simulations - They haven't been around for as long as some other groups, but their aircraft are arguably the finest examples of their type ever seen in MSFS. EVERY product they have released receives rave reviews from FS sites and customers alike, and their latest Spitfire for FSX is a work of art.David Maltby & Friends - What can I say? A series of classic British jets that have been continually updated over the last few years and must rank among the finest freeware available for FS, and quite frankly knocks spots off a lot of payware available today!

[rightseater 0]

Nice list. I would also add PMDG because every one of there products is stellar. -Jeremy

[jagabom 21]

Eric Ernst 767/767PIC/767That was the turning point for meJimCYWG

[Krister 51]

The company that has influenced me the most was PMDG with their products for Fly! and Fly!2. It was these airplanes that really got me into serious flightsimming and when they moved from the Fly!-series to MSFS I followed them. There are a number of aircrafts for me that have been a milestone (obviously the PIC767 and PMDG737NG) but in a way the possibly most important one was the Dreamfleet 737. The superb cockpit and detailed systems management with a wonderful FMC was so sweet. So I still have very fond memories of it but perhaps I shouldn't load it up again, the very same way I refuse to watch "Space:1999" again. Things do move forward! :D

[deaconblues 0]

Dreamfleet and PMDG, absolutely. I have the Dreamfleet Baron 58 (the perfect simulated twin), and I'm looking at several others, and I have a couple PMDG aircraft (incredibly immersive). Oh, and yeah, LDS 767, one of the greatest, hands-down.I guess I'll never understand the love affair with Posky. The models are STUNNING, no arguement. But that's it. The FD's are so-so (MSFS default-caliber) and the "you-get-what-you-pay-for" support is arrogant and insulting. You can have them.

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

The PSS 747 for FS2002 was my first quality aircraft addon, and I loved it so.With FS2004, I first started out with the PMDG 737NG as my favourite, followed by the 767PIC, the PSS concorde and lately the SSTSIM as my No. 1 girl.Gary

[EngineRoom 205]

Although I think PMDG's products are among the best I don't consider them to be among the greatest development groups for reasons I don't want to go into in this thread.As for POSKY aircraft, I could consider them among the greats because they produce some of the finest examples of airliner models, they have been doing it for years now, and they are free. I probably should have said it is also the community painters who have played such a big part in making POSKY a success. I agree their flight models can be questionable, but I personally use their models to replace some of the ones I have with payware packages (RFP 747, FT ERJ145 & PSS 757).

[EngineRoom 205]

Ah the Dreamfleet 737. What a fantastic aircraft that was! Apart from the now archaic model, the rest of that package would compare very favourably with a lot of the products available today. Not bad for a product released for FS2000!

[calypso 32]

In my case, together with the developers mentioned above, I would also like to add Project Tupolev and SCS.Highly innovative and detailed aircraft with practically all system and navigational aids simulated.Flying the Russians requires a fair amount of patience and dedication, but once mastered, they are extremely rewarding.

[aeolus 0]

Here's a list of my top five (oops, six) in my 10+ years of flight simming:Dreamfleet "Greatest Airliners" 737. This is the aircraft that got me into serious simming and will always have a special place in my heart. It prompted me to by the CH yoke and Rudder pedals that I use to this day. Paul Golding's panel layout on this model is brilliant; offering great pilots perspective with easy access to other critical systems. I wish that other developers had followed his example in this. I also felt that the late Ron Freimuth's flight model in this aircraft was the best in its time. FSD Piper Super Cub. Do you guts remember this one? It was a FS2000 creation and was ported over to FS2002. This was the first aircraft that had for me a blend of panel and fight model that gave me the greatest sensation of flight in a desktop sim. It was also the first aircraft that got me in to bush flying.Dreamfleet Piper Archer II. Niels Anderson's plane. I didn't fly any other GA aircraft for a long time after this one got on my hard drive.RealAir SF 260 -well everything that RealAir produced! I discovered the joy of flying out of the V/C on the sf260. Also the Rob Young fight model is probably the best ever on a GA aircraft.PMDG 747-400/400F. Yeah, its the standard in which every thing else is measured. Brilliant effort by a extreamly talented group. It is the first aircraft that I got into using system failures because they are so well modeled. DreamFleet 727. This is it. It's my favorite flight sim aircraft, hands down. If limited to one aircraft, I would choose it. It is simply the most satisfying aircraft to fly. Its also the most over looked and underrated aircraft in flight sim history. A brilliant effort in modeling a steam gauge airliner in every facet. The first aircraft where you could set power by using the EPR gauges using real world charts! -a pet peev of mine. The late Ron Friemuth's flight model swan song.There are so many models and groups that come to mind that I did not mention (MAAM-SIM, Level-D, RFP, etc.). As flight simmers, we have been truly blessed with a great variety of aircraft over the years produced by some incredibly talented people. Anyway, my two cents worth in an very interesting thread. Regards,Robert

[ejoiner 21]

You have to add MAAM SIM to this list. All their aircraft are precision and unbelievably well rendered. As payware, its cool to see them donate the money to help restore and keep real planes too.Eric

[MarkRey 16]

>Eric Ernst 767>>That was the turning point for meThis in particular for me - first free panel I know of to feature pneumatics, electrical and more. Taught me the basics of air, fuel and power in jets and I've applied same to every complex panel since - seems jets are basically the same.I never saw a 767 again before LDS, and before I could even fly it I could start the engines - thanks to this old panel.regards,Mark

[bkeske 0]

Pete Dawson should be at the top of everyone's list.Anyone else remember the Kenneth Kerr's VIP DC-3 package?That was one of my favorites back in the day.The Europe I & II series as well.

[Johan_Dees 84]

dont forget EFIS98.. wonderfull back then..JohanA LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION, AND A LITTLE MORE ACTION PLEASE..http://www.jdserver.mine.nu/johanhttp://www.jdserver.mine.nu/va

[Guest Sinnerman49]

>DreamFleet 727. This is it. It's my favorite flight sim>aircraft, hands down. If limited to one aircraft, I would>choose it. It is simply the most satisfying aircraft to fly.>Its also the most over looked and underrated aircraft in>flight sim history. A brilliant effort in modeling a steam>gauge airliner in every facet. The first aircraft where you>could set power by using the EPR gauges using real world>charts! -a pet peev of mine. The late Ron Friemuth's flight>model swan song.I second this - I originally bought the Whisperjet back when it came out, and it was my first "complex" addon for Flightsim. - Ironically, this deterred me from it and I ended up getting a refund for it. A few months later I wanted to give it another go, so I bought it again and really made an effort to learn how to operate it. Since then, it is by far my favorite aircraft in any Flightsim to fly. So much so that it's spurred my love of flying, and set me on a career path to be a commercial pilot. I only wish I was born a generation early, as I fear that by the time I am at the heavy iron level, there will be no more Whiserpjets to fly. As it stands, the Dreamfleet 727 is the addon that is holding me back from moving to FSX (Although the Cantu model is great...no VC!!!!)....I'm surprised no one mentioned the Aeroworx B200?