Looking for 'golden age' aircraft for P3D

[Demious 23]

I was thinking about entering the London - Melbourne race, end this month and I would like to do this in an age appropriate aircraft. But looking over the list, there arent many proper payware aircrafts, with proper P3D2 installers. With the experience I've had, I'm not fond of freeware aircrafts, with a big change of messing up my system (as happened a lot in the past). I'm also not fond of trying FSX aircrafts, hoping it will work in P3D, mostly for the same reason. And I have to look at it for 50 hours or more, so I'm not interested in messy graphics...

 

So far, I found only 2 aircrafts that should be fit for P3D, the Alabeo D17S, but from the pictures it seems to have only a VOR gauge, while it's not age-appropriate and not allowed in the race and the second was the Milton Shupe Team Spartan Executive 7W, but this one doesnt have click-spots in P3D2.

 

So I would either need some good advise on which aircraft is of decent quality and functions properly in P3D2, or another option would be, if it's even possible, to edit the Alabeo D17S and change the VOR gauge for an ADF gauge, but here I would need some help on how to do it.

I've had a look at the panel.cfg from the Alabeo C195, I have, but not all gauges are mentioned in the VC sections, so I cant just change an entry for a default ADF gauge...

 

So, what would be a decent aircraft, working in P3D2, from the list that is given, or a decent aircraft, pre-1938, that I can ask to add to the list?

Or, how can change the VOR-gauge for an ADF-gauge in the VC of the Alabeo D17S?

 

Here the rules, with the list of approved aircrafts: http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?89967-London-Melbourne-2014-Rules-Release

[geolpilot 88]

 

 

I was thinking about entering the London - Melbourne race

 

Been preparing to do the same, and the whole process has really got me thinking about the huge potential there is out there now for developers to really produce some quality  "golden age" planes for P3D. Even for FSX now, these old greats are getting so dated, have so many little bugs that have never been fixed, things one has to cobble together to get something set up, etc.

 

I looked seriously at the Manfred Jahn DC3, but the old-style VC really is not quite up to standard yet (as you say you will have to look at it for around 50 hours!). I managed to install the venerable old MAAM SIM DC3/R4D/C47 FSX package (using EMT) into P3D, and added on a gauge (driftmeter), and swopped in the Radio panel from the Manfred Jahn model (so ADF has decimal frequencies) into the 2D overhead. Only problem is one has no active click-spots in the VC, so one has to use the 2D panels, but at this stage I am happy with this small downside (using two monitors, on can still keep the VC clear). Still a really great model, just such a pity it cannot be taken foward into the new Sim era! Have done some test flights out from Mildenhall, and she still flys by the numbers in P3D (V2.4).

 

Otherwise I think you are going to have to use some other good freeware FSX oldie, and just be careful how you install it. If one knows what one is doing, it is not possible to damage you whole sim installation. Keeping a record of what one adds to the gauges, sound, effects, and aircraft folders in the process is key, so one can easily pull these out again if something does go wrong.

 

The Duenna tool for logging race flights also has a problem with P3D in that is misreads realism settings, and cannot detect real world weather being used by P3D so will not cleanly validate your flights. I think the organisers are aware of this, and are able to see from the records that all is actually kosher.

 

My problem now is that all IPs in Thailand are blocked by SimOuthouse, not to mention blanket email adresses they regard by default to be spamming, so how I am actually going to register and race officially is still a problem!

 

Regards

Rob