FSX-SE (TFDi) USAir B717 (fictional) 1980s livery...

[P_7878 6,829]

This is only the 2nd time, I'm flying the TFDi B717 (-200 variant), that I'd acquired via Orbx SALE (my first ever Aircraft purchase there)....quite a long while ago. In my first test-flight, several months ago, I'd toiled hard through the cold & dark procedure, and, also, had explored the unique historical aspects of this plane's origin ("Is it a DC or a MD or a Boeing - maybe bits of all...?"). Here, I've (deliberately) taken the easy way out, by leveraging the SIM's intuitive ("Ready to Fly") pre-set configuration. The aircraft comes up cold & dark, by default, and, here, all I've done, click the RED TAB, on the TFDi TABLET's user interface (see the 3rd Screenshot), which, wonderfully, set up everything, ready to go, except for leaving just 2 ANNC messages (one for "FMC" and one for "DOOR"), on the cockpit Display Units. All I had to, then, close the OPEN DOOR (again via the TABLET), set up the Capt's FMC/MCDU, and I was ready to roll...(works for this non-pilot...🙂...when pressed for time...or any one else like me, who wishes to jump in, and fly this remarkable SIM, without too much elaborate preparation). Of course, if you're not a pilot, reading of the excellent documentation is mandatory for deriving full benefit and learning, from the SIM. BTW, this (B717) virtual cockpit is almost a replica of (PMDG) MD-11's cockpit...(and, please note, this is no DC-9 cockpit, for sure)...!

There is a curious bit of memory, I now recall about another B717 SIM....Nearly 15 years ago, venturing, (probably) for the first time, beyond the "default" FS9 aircraft,...🙂...I'd "purchased", (for $5-$10, I think), the JCA B717 model (I liked the plane). But it came with the aliased B737 default (2D) panel, and I'd "complained" to JCA, "how come, it has the same panel as the B737"...🙂...classic case of "newbie" (wide-eyed) simmer...And, after 15 years, today, I'm flying the very same plane, now, with a (virtual) cockpit, so authentically simulated by TFDi, for my enjoyment...!

So, please find, below, a (sample) collection of images, of a fictional USAir B717 (Early Metal) Livery - it was actually the USAir's DC-9 paint, from the early 1980s to late 1980s. US Airways never operated any B717. Later on, US Air, had introduced a variation of the same metal livery, with the "Maroon" color on the Tail, of their DC9s, been replaced by "Dark Blue".

The plane, in this post, is lifting off (Orbx NZ) NZCH (Christchurch Intl.), southward, on a short flight.

Hope you enjoy these pictures...(along with several interior shots of this unique VC)...! Thanks for viewing...!! And, to get to a few (attractive) RW images of the same USAir metal liveries, you may search, e.g. "dc9-30 usair metal livery images" etc..

[Final Note: With all the on-going twists and turns with MSFS, I'm glad, a few of you "stalwarts"...🙂..., are continuing to enjoy it, although, in its current (reduced) capacity, and then share screenshots, too, here, with us. Sure, hope to see the problems getting resolved quickly (one way or another), and for you, to recover back full use of all your favorite aircraft that came available with the new SIM...to be enjoyed, as before, over its wonderful scenery...All the best, going forward...!!]

[mwilk 1,108]

Looks like a DC9-30. I worked a lot of those in my career at US Airways.

[Greggy_D 937]

Great pics!  Loved your write-up also.

[edetroit 935]

Very nice!  I would like to have a go at that US Air paint....reckon one could spruce that up a lot but it sure does look like an excellent simulation.😋

[John F 2,468]

Nice. I don't usually favor "fictional" liveries on airframes, but I'll just pretend I'm looking at a DC-9 (at least until I get inside the cockpit).

John

[P_7878 6,829]

20 hours ago, mwilk said:

Looks like a DC9-30. I worked a lot of those in my career at US Airways.

Michael: Good memories it must be, and, always nice to hear from RW pilots,...🙂...In my earlier post on the B717, another RW Pilot had pointed out to me that the FAA designation for the B717 is, in fact, same as that for a DC9....!

Agree, the DC9-30 and this B717-200, indeed, look so similar, in appearance. I read today that one of the (visual) differences, to look for, between the 717 and the DC-9, are the engines. The 717 has a much bigger diameter engines than the ones on the DC-9. With this cue, I'm now testing myself with on-line images of the two types...🙂....

 

19 hours ago, Greggy_D said:

Great pics!  Loved your write-up also.

Thanks for the kind words...🙂...!! Glad you enjoyed...!!

 

13 hours ago, edetroit said:

Very nice!  I would like to have a go at that US Air paint....reckon one could spruce that up a lot but it sure does look like an excellent simulation.😋

Ed: Maybe, you've posted, here, but, I don't recall, an Ukrainian Iron, here, in Metal livery...🙂....will look good in a Cargo, though...but, in NAR, I've often seen Metal livery pictures, for Airlines (new and old), notably, such as American Airlines, Eastern Air Lines, US Airways, and CP Air etc....

And, sure, why not, go for it...(so what, if we don't have PBR in FS9/FSX...🙂...), maybe you can try this skin on one of your A320s. Please note US Airways was loaded with (A-319/320/321/330) in their fleet, prior to their merger with American, in 2015,...and, btw, maybe, you can now get to pick a more "polished" (RW) Registration...🙂..., for your (polished metal) USAir A320 livery...

 

7 hours ago, John F said:

Nice. I don't usually favor "fictional" liveries on airframes, but I'll just pretend I'm looking at a DC-9 (at least until I get inside the cockpit).

John

I hear you, John, about Fictional Liveries...🙂....The TFDi Community seems to be quite active in replicating DC-9/MD-80 (fictional) repaints for their B717...so, I found a few on their Forum, liked them, and picked them up....

Now, not intending to extend your distress,...🙂...but, please find a few other Metal Repaints for the B717, that I picked up just today....(I like Metal, you can tell,..."austere" vs. "colorful"...🙂...but, seriously, I guess, besides just "look", as I understand, there are many pros and cons, between "paint" and "no-paint"...)...

So, while viewing these, below 3 fictional (717) liveries, just imagine that they are (RW) DC9s or MD80s (no VC shots included to remind you of otherwise)....🙂...

Here are a bit of notes:

1. USAir B717 (fictional) DC-9 (late 1980's - late 1990's) livery - Note Blue paint on the Tail (instead of Maroon, as in my above USAir images).
2. Eastern's Bare metal (fictional) livery. Eastern is known for using the "The Great Silver Fleet" since the introduction of its DC-2s in 1934. They also seem to have operated (strikingly) beautiful (Polished Metal) DC-9/DC-10/B757 etc.
3. Air Canada B717 (fictional) in the 2007 Experimental Unpainted Livery. Air Canada had used experimental bare metal liveries for a number of years...e.g. on one of their 767-200, apparently for reviewing/experimenting the weight of its paint and fuel economy etc.. Didn't pan out...it seems...

[mwilk 1,108]

12 hours ago, P_7878 said:

Michael: Good memories it must be, and, always nice to hear from RW pilots,...🙂...In my earlier post on the B717, another RW Pilot had pointed out to me that the FAA designation for the B717 is, in fact, same as that for a DC9....!

Agree, the DC9-30 and this B717-200, indeed, look so similar, in appearance. I read today that one of the (visual) differences, to look for, between the 717 and the DC-9, are the engines. The 717 has a much bigger diameter engines than the ones on the DC-9. With this cue, I'm now testing myself with on-line images of the two types...🙂....

 

Thanks for the kind words...🙂...!! Glad you enjoyed...!!

 

 

Not a pilot. I was a bag smasher but I did have a little bit of time in the cockpit of a DC-9 running APU's. I never got to see the 717 up close and personal.

[crosswind 827]

Ah  the good old days.....US Airways.

[P_7878 6,829]

Michael: Thanks...!

You were still closer to it...than those of us (Boarding Pass holders) who were just shown the way to the seats...🙂...

DC9s are so interesting...as such an important part of history....

I recall my only DC9 (pax) flight, I think, towards the end of 2013, in Delta, cannot forget, it was after the Disney World visit...(that was my last visit to the place, and, will likely remain so, under these circumstances...). I forget what plane we took from Orlando to Miami, but, the Miami to Chicago, was in the DC9 (you could tell these planes were past-prime). I learned later Delta retired all its DC9s within a several months of it. Delta seems to have been the first and last U.S. airline to operate DC9s on commercial scheduled flights...(177 of those, they had...)...

I see that USAir had a few too, though, as you said, DC-9-30s only, looks like, "Former Allegheny Airlines aircraft as well as several from Pacific Southwest Airlines"...so, you must have worked on some of those....🙂...

Regarding B717, don't recall being ever close to one...And, again, Delta remains a big user, currently, it seems.

Here is an extract from September (2019):

"Delta has by far the biggest fleet of 717s in the sky today. With 91 of the type still in service, the carrier operates around 60% of the world’s current in-service 717 fleet. Unlike other big US operators, Delta has adopted a strategy of making use of older aircraft. In fact, not one of these 717s were bought new from Boeing.

The majority of Delta’s 717s actually came from AirTran, via Southwest Airlines. When Southwest bought out AirTran, it didn’t want to diversify from its 737 only model, so looked to offload the 88 717s that had arrived as part of the deal. As such, Delta began leasing all 88 of the jets."

In our SIM, I used to have a good Sky Simulations DC9 (it had all variants, I recall, -10 to -50)...somehow I lost it, during transition from FSX to FSX-SE...

Have a good weekend...!!

[P_7878 6,829]

3 minutes ago, crosswind said:

Ah  the good old days.....US Airways.

🙂....these classic paints...must look a bit familiar, then....

[crosswind 827]

yes they do, and bring  back a lot of good memories.