Hi all,Doing some volunteers work on a project for an educational group, we're looking to put some WW 2 US aircraft into FS 2004. We'd like the aircraft to be of good quality with cockpits, don't mind payware if it's well done. I've waded through some files on the site but it's hard to know what would be a good model until it's loaded, and that's getting old fast.We've got a couple classic airplanes (P-51, B-29) but we're looking for some other aircraft such as PT-17, PT-19, P-39, P-40, P-38, B-17, F-89 Scorpion.Any suggestions? Thanks for your time,Steve

Just Flight's main page has an advert for their brand-new compilation: Warbirds of WW2, which includes the F-4U Corsair, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning, Mosquito and Spitfire and is both FS9 and FSX compatible. I don't personally know this product, since it is new, but that seems a lot of bang for your bucks. You can find out more about that at www.justflight.comSince that product is a compilation of many previously released aircraft packages, much of its content is the subject of AVSIM product reviews, which means you could find out if its contents are what you want, with a little bit of reading of the conclusions for each of the products at the bottom of the individual reviews.There is a particularly excellent freeware FS2004 CASA 352 available in the AVSIM file library, which in case you don't know it, is the Spanish-built version of the Junkers JU-52 Tri-motor, which was briefly used as a bomber by the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War, but is more well known as the Axis equivalent of the Allies DC-3 in its role as a paratroop transport. Do a search for 'CASA 352' in the AVSIM file library and you will find it. There is a repaint of it in classic Luftwaffe camouflage available.On the subject of the DC-3, there is a lovely FS2004 DC-3/C-47/Dakota available from the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's website. That is payware, but it's one of the best payware aircraft for FS2004 that there is, and it's not the only one they make either, they also have a brilliant B-25J Mitchell medium bomber also for FS2004. Find those here: http://www.maam.org/maam_sim.htmlHistorically of course, the DC-3 (as the C-47 'Gooney Bird') is one of the three things Dwight D Eisenhower listed as being what helped the Allies win the war (the other two being the atom bomb and the Jeep, according to his famous quotation), so it's historical significance and educational value will not be lost on your project, and is of course a piece of living history, since many DC-3s continue to fly today.One payware WW2 fighter I know well is the Shockwave Productions (now A2A) Wings of Power II - Messerschmitt bf109E, which is for both FSX and FS9. It has a very minor visual inaccuracy with its model (which frankly, to spot you would have to know the aircraft very well indeed), so apart from that minor issue it is an excellent rendition of probably one of the most famous WW2 warplanes of all, given that it was the mount of many Luftwaffe aces in the Battle of Britain. It is extremely convincing in flight, mimicking well the notoriously difficult ground handling of the 109 and its quite poor visibility from the tiny cockpit, so is a good insight into the difficulties the aces who flew it faced. I did a review of this product for AVSIM, and you can find that review here: http://www.avsim.com/pages/1107/bf109/bf109.htmAlso worth a look would be the Alphasim website, who are known for specialising in modeling military aircraft, many of which are for FS2004. Go to www.alphasim.co.ukUnfortunately, some of the very best payware WW2 aircraft are for FSX only, such as Aerosoft's Consolodated PBY Catalina and A2A's P-47 Thunderbolt, but there are still some nice things around for FS9, so I hope my suggestions help a bit, and good luck with your project too. Al

Hi all,Doing some volunteers work on a project for an educational group, we're looking to put some WW 2 US aircraft into FS 2004. We'd like the aircraft to be of good quality with cockpits, don't mind payware if it's well done. I've waded through some files on the site but it's hard to know what would be a good model until it's loaded, and that's getting old fast.We've got a couple classic airplanes (P-51, B-29) but we're looking for some other aircraft such as PT-17, PT-19, P-39, P-40, P-38, B-17, F-89 Scorpion.Any suggestions? Thanks for your time,Steve

No need to look any further than RealAir Simulation's Spitfire afaic...edit - oops, just noticed the "US" specification. :D But if you have room for a non US model, the Spit is gorgeous and superbly modelled...

Go here http://www.maam.org/maam_sim.html. They have some very good B-25 and DC-3 WWII planes. (they are payware)

MANY thanks gents. The project we're working on involves a domestic US airport in the very early stages of the war. We've decided to use FS 2004 for the lower system requirements (bang vs buck$$$) and know we'll be limited, but we've already found some excellent material to work with. Now we're filling in the gaps. Thanks again, and please keep suggestions coming. Steve

Also, we're looking for a F8 Bearcat.TIA,Steve

Given the time frame you're talking about, look for Milton Shupe's twin Beech D-18 and Spartan Executive, both freeware and the former was used extensively as a military trainer/transport in WWII. Also, look for Bill Lyons' Ryan STA and other pre-war trainers, and Warwick Carter's excellent freeware P-51. Good luck!