For a 'lite' aircraft I find the Abacus Connie is really nice. I'm not a big fan of the sounds although their not that bad...So let's cut right to it, the interior cabin textures are horrible to say the least (VC is decent and fully clickable)... We are in dire need for someone with skill to come along and do justice to the passenger area texture wise; that's the on 'Perfect Flightish' aspect of this add-on. The VC has great gauge back lighting and a nice dome light which I was surprised to see (considering so many payware developers miss this one. Can anyone say Lago MADDOG). She's a great bird to fly after dark (no taxi light though). I like the FDE overall, the Connie feels great on approach especially in a crosswind. If there's any fans of the old 'TWA' era Connies (oh, yea we need that repaint as well, with TWA era cabin textures :-wave), we now have a decent FS2k4/FSX version which I am very happy about... :-)Let's just say I'm a Howard Hughes fan concerning his contribution to the advancement of aviation...

We already had a great Connie available for free, before the Abacus offering, have you seen it?

>We already had a great Connie available for free, before the>Abacus offering, have you seen it?If you're a VC flyer, you're out of luck with the freeware Connies. The FSDezigns one was supposed to be updated with a VC, but God only knows if it ever actually will be. :(

A very unkind post. Think about how much you are paying for freeware.I hate how the anonymity of the internet allows this sort of rudeness.Mike.>>If you're a VC flyer, you're out of luck with the freeware>Connies. The FSDezigns one was supposed to be updated with a>VC, but God only knows if it ever actually will be. :(

Hi. I tried out the Connie from Abacus and thought it cartoonish. I deleted it straightaway. I did buy a package from Abacus a couple of years ago which contained a DHC-3 Otter, which has to be the worst looking thing ever and maybe there's a thread possibility for the worst thing from a payware ever.In relation to the FSDZigns Connie. It is without a shadow of doubt 500 times better than the C from Abacus, even without a VC and when you consider it is FREEWARE it is completely extraordinary that the group that made it have done so without any one giving them money, whereas Abacus would like your money very much and in relation to the DHC-3 thing give you very little for it!Contemplating freeware for a moment or two and what comes to mind is the fantastic work of the people who put up with all our moans and yet still keep on producing this vast range of superb add-ons of every type- scenery, gauges, airplanes, repaints and utilities for us all to enjoy.Andy.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/147477.jpgAnd the way we treat them is a disgrace.

I tried the Abacus plane also and deleted it after 1 flight. I much prefer the FSDZigns Connie. VC is ok but not ready for prime time for me. Mostly because of my relatively slow system.PIII800, 512SDRAM PC133, WIN98SE. For you guys who have a faster system, VC might hold some actual use.My 2 cents.Thanks to all freeware designers who keep our hobby alive!Earl

>A very unkind post. Think about how much you are paying for>freeware.>>I hate how the anonymity of the internet allows this sort of>rudeness.>>Mike.>>>>>If you're a VC flyer, you're out of luck with the freeware>>Connies. The FSDezigns one was supposed to be updated with>a>>VC, but God only knows if it ever actually will be. :(>No rudeness intended. The authors of the DSZingns Connie are certainly under no obligation to provide us with a VC update, I'm merely expressing disappointment that other priorities may keep them from ever following through on their stated intention and desire to do so. :)

The FZDesigns is a very nice aircraft - but is not for the long range flights.I realize I'm one of few people who fly 4-8 hours in a prop - guys like - jwenting, Tony, Gnoopy, Willy, Geno, JohnM, Smitty and several others in the MSFS RTW. But we do enjoy aircraft with legs. My longest is 13 hours in the DC-6B from EGYP to FACT.In my opinion short 30 minute to one hour flights in these aircraft are almost not worth the trouble. But at least I hope you are flying with a 15-25% fuel load.But I'm weird - I also fly the Vickers Vimy for fun.

So why don't you like it for long range flights?Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com/FC_StartJava.html] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)

>Hi. I tried out the Connie from Abacus and thought it>cartoonish. I deleted it straightaway. >Contemplating freeware for a moment or two and what comes to>mind is the fantastic work of the people who put up with all>our moans and yet still keep on producing this vast range of>superb add-ons of every type- scenery, gauges, airplanes,>repaints and utilities for us all to enjoy.>And the way we treat them is a disgrace.I suppose if Paco Sanchez had followed through with his original plan to release the Connie as freeware, your opinion might have been different?Until the Connie, Paco has given away as freeware all of his creations, and no one has ever - to my knowledge at least - called them "cartoonish." Suddenly though, because he decided to accept Abacus' offer to pay him for the 2,000+ hours he spent developing the Connie, he's somehow deserving of less respect?I see a "double standard" at work here, and it's quite ugly...

Hi,Odd, because the 049 was known as a long range aircraft for it's time. Of course not as long ranged as the later propliners, but with a light load it could fly across the Atlantic nonstop eastbound with a good tailwind.Hope this helps,--Tom GibsonCal Classic Propliner Page: http://www.calclassic.comFreeflight Design Shop: http://www.freeflightdesign.comDrop by! ___x_x_(")_x_x___

Its funny but it appears that some people seem to feel beter when they can talk bad about Abacus.Conveniently forgetting that Abacus also has FS Design Studio and EZ scenery in its lineup. That they release Genesis Mesh on CD (thats right its Justins mesh , you can't update it via genesis.net but its the same top quality mesh). Some of the Abacus add-ons are top quality.Let me suggest the following to Abacus bashers. If you don't like Abacus steer clear of every add-on made with FS Design Studio. You can't realy like anything that is made by an Abacus product can you? ;-)

I find flying the FZDesigns 049 over 1700 nm to be difficult to impossible in most flights. Never was able to make it from Hawaii to KSFO.But probably the real reason is that I have a little over 1200 hours on 1049's back in 1972-74 and really love those birds.I even fly the EC-121 version which was the aircraft in which I have most of my time.I have Mike Stone's aircraft painted in every tail number VQ-1 had when I was in the squadron.

But why is it impossible to fly? Does it crash the system? Is the fuel system not correct? Do the engines eat at too prodigious a rate? Is it not stable? I'd like to understand what the issue is, especially given that you have so much rw experience.Thomas[a href=http://www.flyingscool.com/FC_StartJava.html] http://www.flyingscool.com/images/Signature.jpg [/a]I like using VC's :-)

Hi,I don't want any one to think I apply double standards. I don't know Paco Sanchez and have no idea what else he has produced for Flight sim over the years, pay or freeware.That is my ignorance rather than arrogance makes me write that. My post was about the specific Abacus products I mentioned- the Connie and the DHC-3. Regardless of who made them. I assumed it was all done with a computer now and that was what stirred my ire about the look of the Connie and unfortunately I still haven't forgotten the Otter from Abacus which I do consider a disgrace for a payware product.I had no idea FSDZigns was part of Abacus and it doesn't make any difference to what I wrote anyway, but if that's the case it's even odder that the DHC-3 and the FSDZigns Connie come from the same hangar.I don't believe I would ever criticise a freeware designer; I mean, they are giving us a product they've laboured over for hundreds and/or thousands of hours. And it's free to us. And if you don't like it you can delete it.With payware it's slightly different. You can still delete it, but you've lost your money. The packaging for the product that contained the DHC-3 was seductive in it's praise of the contents and I bought it. In both senses.My point was that Abacus want us to buy their products and their Connie when compared with the FSDZign airplane-(and this is only my irrelevant opinion, don't forget), doesn't measure up. My first thought on seeing it was what I wrote. Why would someone buy that Connie when the FSDZigns one is available, as is Mike Stone's.As to whether my opinion would have been different had the Connie been freeware is an impossible question to answer, but had I not liked it, I would just have deleted it and carried on.I think when money is wanted then we all have the right to criticise. If I buy a product I don't think is up to the mark I can take it back and get a refund.My apologies if you thought I was being disparaging towards Paco Sanchez and to Paco Sanchez himself.Andy.