Shalom and greetings all my pals,

Okay okay here are screenshots and my personal opinion review of payware First Class Simulations Lancaster.

Installation was very easy and simple. There are two files. One model installation file dated 2012 contains installation of model and many liveries. The second file contains patch update dated 2010.  I asked tech support of First Class Simulation if I could skip the update patch that has older date than the main installation file.  I was surprised and pleased to receive the response from tech support within 24 hours via Facebook (24 hour due to time zone difference in different countries).  They told me that I should install the patch regardless of the date because of automatic fail safe feature that will inform me automatically if the model base is already latest version and the patch is not necessary.  So far, the patch installation went smooth too meaning it was necessary for my model.

The package comes with three manuals printed in PDF format. One explains history of the Lancaster.  Second contains installation instructions.  Third is the flying tutorial.  The flying tutorial manual has SUPERB easy guide instructions on how to start engines with beautiful screenshot examples showing how to start engines to the point you would not need to go to YouTube to look for videos of instructions on how to start engines of Lancaster.

However, strange enough, the three manuals make no mention of minimum runway distance for both take off and landing, no mention for cruising altitude and speed at different load conditions, no mention of climb rate per minute, no mention of descent rate per minute, and no mention of pitot tube or deice settings as well as how to set auto altitude.  Makes me wonder how I can fly at altitude level? You cannot expect me to use lame FSX default keyboard button command to hold altitude!!!

The panel is superb with plenty of gauges. Although reading gauges' numbers and indicator needles are easy and clear to see, the panel is too dark and hard to read. I cannot read words on the panel and to figure out what knobs, buttons, and switches are, I have to hover my mouse indicator to each knob, switch, or button so that bubble window would appear informing me the name of knob, switch, or button which means time consuming for me and not ideal for flying.  I have no problem seeing words on panels of DC-4s, DC-6s, DC-7s, C-46s, and all other heavy propellers but this Lancaster panel is too dark for me.  Use flashlight on the computer screen to read words on knobs, switches, or buttons would not work.  I read in the manuals that First Class Simulation dim the brightness of the panel by 33 percent to enhance realism. I wish they had not done that.

However the details of the panel are superb and extremely realistic.

So the exterior appearance of Lancaster is too. Beautiful along with very realistic tires!!! The wings are superb and the propellers are very nice but the length of the body of the plane seems to be little short just like Captain Sims C-130 Hercules has too short body length. CalClassics DC-4, DC-6, and DC-7 have more realistic body length. Maybe Lancaster's body length is supposed to look short or not. That is up to all of you to judge.

Lancaster comes in only three window views for exterior of the plane which is disappointing BUT it does not take genuis or seasoned flight simmer to figure out how to add more window views to aircraft.cfg which I intend to do so because of my belief in beauty of screenshots.

Fortunately, the window views of virtual cockpit are superb and cover whole thing. I guess that First Class Simulations wants to make sure you have unlimited ability to look out for enemy interceptors from the pilot seat!!!

The model package comes in about 7 or 8 liveries each with different weapon loads. I wish they would include more famous liveries with many victory or mission decorations on the liveries for RAF.  I am guessing there have to be more liveries somewhere on the internet to download.

However, I do not see on three manuals some instructions for function for opening or closing bomb bay doors.  Although I would not expect for 20 buck price tag a nice feature or function for droppable ordinance but I think it should feature opening and closing of bomb bay doors.

Would I recommend First Class Simulations Lancaster?  Of course yes.  I just hope I or anybody can figure out how to modify panel.cfg to brighten the panel so that I can read words on the panel. Is it doable or is it out of question as it is for programming genuises?

Bear in the mind that my review of this plane is result of my ground testing of the plane. I have not yet conducted take off test, flying test, fuel consumption rate realism test, and landing test.

What is interesting is that when I conduct ground test of the Lancaster plane in normal window view looking around the plane, everything looks great but when I am in locked window view looking at the plane, the ground or apron or runway or where ever the plane's wheels are resting on shakes little bit as if there is FSX default earthquake.  Just the ground shaking little bit but not trees or buildings.

Presenting screenshots of ground testing of Lancaster

























Regards,

Aharon

Excellent write up Aharon.  Those shots are fantastic!

Get those Merlins fired up. Fly from London to Hamburg!

 

HLJAMES

Very nice Aharon!  I spent the day yesterday helping a WWII veteran update FSX and he asked that I install his copy of the Lancaster that he used to fly c1942.  He showed me pictures of himself and his crew and their beautiful Lancaster, he quipped that his aircraft didn't look nearly as nice as the one depicted in the sim.

 

Regarding the panel darkness I recall that you were using SweetFX at one time, could it be the panel is unreadable due to the filter being applied?

 

Thanks for posting.

 

Robert

Thanks Pinlifter, HLJames, and Hussar for kind words.

 

HLJames,  actually I am thinking of short bombing run from north Scotland to German submarine base in Bergen, Norway and back.  Or short training (practice flight) around Scotland.

 

Hussar,  I do not use SweetFX and it is the software company that dims the brightness of panel by 33 percent.  I do not know why they did that.

Regards,

 

Aharon

Interesting write-up; thanks for sharing your impressions.  I've considered picking this add-on up, as my grandfather flew in a Lancaster in WWII.

 

Just a few notes that may (or may not) help you in your enjoyment of this aircraft.  There is the possibility of this aircraft not having any sort of autopilot, or altitude hold ability.  I can't tell you for sure, but it is likely given the era of the aircraft.  However, there is sure to be some sort of elevator trim available to you.  You mention the default key commands, so simply look up what the key commands are for trim up and trim down in your settings, and if nothing is assigned, then assign a couple of keys for this.  This will make it much easier to hold an altitude than constant elevator control.

 

Also, from what I gather, you're finding the virtual cockpit too dark.  This is sure to be a setting of either a third party software you're running (SweetFX), or due to your monitor calibration.  As far as I am aware, there is no possible way for the developer of an aircraft to control the brightness of the inside of a virtual cockpit during the daytime.

Also, from what I gather, you're finding the virtual cockpit too dark.  This is sure to be a setting of either a third party software you're running (SweetFX), or due to your monitor calibration.  As far as I am aware, there is no possible way for the developer of an aircraft to control the brightness of the inside of a virtual cockpit during the daytime.

 

Jimmy,

 

Glad to hear that you like my screenshots and my review. 

 

Actually, like I said before, I do not have third party software such as SweetFX and my monitor is on full brightness mode.  I have no problems with all panels.

 

Also  the developer FirstClass Simulation actually said in its manual that they dimmed the panel brightness by 33 percent to enhance realism to meet flightsimmers' request.

 

Regards,

 

Aharon

Pictures of the Panel, please!

 

 

Also the developer FirstClass Simulation actually said in its manual that they dimmed the panel brightness by 33 percent to enhance realism to meet flightsimmers' request.

 

Pretty sure that only applies to 2D panels, not the virtual cockpit:  https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc526956.aspx#color

 

Perhaps there's other things at play; I'm no developer!

Meanwhile  here are samples of my modification of addition of window views as seen below:












Regards,

Aharon

Can it be Aharon that you have one of the ENB series modules installed to enhance the brightness of the colours. Some of them give a pretty dark image that might make your panel (depends on what angle you look at it) artificially dark. But then, this should also affect your other planes, not just the Lancaster. 

Can it be Aharon that you have one of the ENB series modules installed to enhance the brightness of the colours.

 

I do not have this too.

 

Anyway, Interesting panel comparison between real world Lancaster and payware FCS Lancaster

 

Here is real world World War 2 photo of Lancaster's panel

 

 

Here is First Class Simulation Lancaster

 

 

Although both show exact same gauges in realistic manner, I do not know why FCS did not use color coded gauges.

 

Regards,

 

Aharon

Awesome job.

 

nebojsa

JAT,

 

Thanks for kind words.

Regards,

 

Aharon