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Christopher Low

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I really must remember to include a note in the SanFran 2006 version 1.1 update pack about USING THE FORUM. I just can't understand why more FU3 users don't want to talk about their experiences, or post screenshots of stuff that they have seen (like close approaches with AI planes, beautiful sunrises, or even just glimpses of radio towers on isolated, wind swept hills).SanFran 2006 has been downloaded nearly three hundred times since it was released a couple of weeks ago. That's THREE HUNDRED individuals who could help to reignite this little community of dedicated FU3 users with their thoughts and experiences, and there must be many more who prefer flying elsewhere.Please don't think that this is some cheap publicity stunt for SanFran 2006. Of course, I would love to hear from anyone who is enjoying this upgrade pack, but that isn't the reason for my comments on this thread. I simply want to see this place "wake up". If you have an interesting story about a particular flight, then let us know ! If you have just started tinkering with FLED (and would like to be able to build your own airport), then I would love to hear from you. If you think that Ansgar's 747 is the holy grail of flight simulation, then build a virtual altar so that we can ALL bow down to the great man ;-)So, if you are an active FU3 user who never posts on this forum, why not do so now ? When I joined AVSIM Online in June 2001, I had absolutely no intention of developing freeware whatsoever. I was simply looking for a community to join, and also for any add-ons that I could sponge off more dedicated individuals :-) It took a post from one of our long lost members (Hennie Van Rooyen) to persuade me to open up FLED, and start building stuff myself. I released my first package (Scotts Valley airfield for the San Francisco region) in July 2001, and I have been adding, tweaking, and modifying ever since.Anyway, I will post more screenshots of my own flights very soon. Last night, I completed a flight from Pope Valley to Spezia (San Francisco region) in the Beechcraft Baron. During the trip, I flew past a couple of radio towers on a lonely hill (I can't even remember what they are called), passed over the Steele Park Resort at the south western tip of Lake Berryessa (and a line of electricity pylons that passes right next to it), caught a glimpse of the Vaca-Dixon electrical substation (north-east of Nut Tree airport), and observed five huge radio masts to my right during final approach to runway 25 at Spezia airfield. These are just a handful of the more than 230 scenery packages included in SanFran 2006, and the update pack that I will be releasing shortly will add several more (plus tweaks and upgrades to existing stuff).You see ? This freeware lark never ends !Chris Low.


Christopher Low

UK2000 Beta Tester

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Guest The Sim

Chris,you are right. It's high time to come out of hiding. I am one of these obscure downloaders and non-posters. I have been a frequent visitor to this forum since I bumped into Ansgar's DC-3 some day back in 2002. I was very surprised by the fact that there is a small bunch of smart and dedicated people that are able to create aircraft, scenery and tools for FU3.So far, I have downloaded (and used) the DC-3, the B747-400, the Piper Cup and all FU3-related tools. I do intend to download SFO 2006 as soon as I have a new computer. My only little contribution to FU3 was supporting Ansgar during the making and tweaking of his B747-400 add-on. I even contacted a member of the former FU3 development team for that.I do value this little sim for many different good reasons and the same goes for all the great contributions you and some of your fellow forum users have made. Let me add that I am a flight simulator engineer by profession i.e. I have easy and daily access to a high-end B747-400 full-flight simulator. Despite of being this 'privileged', I still enjoy firing up Flight Unlimited and go flying at home. I hope this little fact is enough to boost your morale.By the way, FU3's live atmosphere is still unsurpassed and this is an area where all the big sims leave a lot to desire.So, let me thank all of you (Ansgar Avermayer, Andr

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Thomas,Thank you very much for your post. It's great to hear that someone who works on PROFESSIONAL simulators is fully aware that FU3 is such a superb simulator of a "flight environment" on the PC. Microsoft's FS may well have surpassed the FU series in terms of the sheer amount of detail and special effects, but I found FS2002 to be an entirely lifeless experience. I haven't tried FS2004, but I can't imagine that the "basics" (flight modelling, interactive ATC, and VISIBILITY FROM THE COCKPIT) will have improved to any considerable extent.I am curious to know which former member of the FU3 development team you managed to contact. It is a shame that most of us will never know what those guys think about our little FU3 community here at AVSIM Online. I would love to know what they think about all of the freeware scenery packages, flyable planes, and other stuff that is now available for FU3. I would also love to know if any of them still dream about Flight Unlimited 4 (like me, and probably many others on this forum) :-)Anyway, thanks for responding to my begging message. I hope that you continue to post your FU3 thoughts and experiences in the future.Best Wishes,Christopher Low.PS. How do the flight characteristics of Ansgar's 747 compare with other versions of this plane on the PC (or even the REAL thing) ?


Christopher Low

UK2000 Beta Tester

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Guest glidernut

Thanks Thomas,For a non-posting obscure downloader, you shooew made a big impretion on me.Im going to print it out and nail it on the wall.How abaout that then Chris, sort of makes it all werth while donit.glidernut.:-wave

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Guest The Sim

Hello Chris,> I am curious to know which former member of the FU3 development team you managed to contact.I searched and located Capt Steven Tisdale (Looking Glass Studio's freelance Beechjet 400A expert and advisor) to ask him a then urgent question about the strange (altitude-dependent) maximum operating speed (Vmo) of the Beechjet 400A. This speed limit seems to be hard-coded outside of the aircraft .res file and that caused Ansgar and me a major headache. We were unable to change the properties of the aural overspeed warning and the PFD Vmo indication to conform with the B747-400 Vmo of 365 kts IAS. As far as I know, this problem is still unresolved.Let me quote a line from one of Steven's emails: "ALL the speeds on FUIII are real.... I tested that software for many months to make sure that it is as real as possible... Hope that you like it-- cause I did!!! ;-) Take care and fly SAFE! Steve"Today, we know what a good job they have done back then.> How do the flight characteristics of Ansgar's 747 compare with other versions of this plane on the PC (or even the REAL thing) ?I find it difficult to judge the flight characteristics of an aircraft to a PC-based simulation. While it is easy to compare steady state characteristics (e.g., airspeed, N1, fuel flow, ... in cruise flight), it is almost impossible to compare dynamic handling characteristics with the real aircraft. This mainly because of the generic joystick/yokes we use to emulate the 'forward' part of the aircraft's flight control system. There is much more to say about that. Let me just remind you of the joystick calibration, which can make a huge difference in terms of manoeuvrability.Ansgar did a very good job making the performance of his 747 match the real aircraft. I provided him with data of a typical flight profile and he tweaked his model to get as close as possible to these values. Mr. Tisdale described that simulation accuracy very well by saying it was "as real as possible".Regards,Thomas

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Guest The Sim

Hi Glidernut,You are very welcome.I envy you for the hangar bearing your nickname on the roof.Regards,Thomas

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Thomas,The Beechjet 400A is my favourite aircraft in FU3, for the following reasons:-1. It is heavier than the other default aircraft, and yet I can still fly it at 115 knots (using my patented "trimless flight" method), and also operate from airports with runways as short as 2500 feet (like Palo Alto).2. Those thrust reversers are, without a shadow of a doubt, the BEST simulated thrust reversers that I have ever had the pleasure of using in a PC flight simulator.3. The view from the cockpit is superb. You are probably aware that I don't like massive instrument panels obscuring 80 per cent of the forward view, and the Beechjet certainly works for me in that department. However, it also has exceptionally good visibility to the sides, since the lower edge of the window dips in the middle, and the wings are swept back out of view.4. I like that weather radar :-)Amazingly, I can also "hand fly" Ansgar's 747 (to a certain extent), although trying to remain in the pattern without flying outside the airport's airspace takes a bit of skill ;-)Chris Low.


Christopher Low

UK2000 Beta Tester

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Guest glidernut

I carnt with all onisty say that I fly the 747 very often. Tis just a bit too big and hevy for gliding.But I do marval at what wounderfal workmanship has gon into the 747.And I apreesheate it mor and mor as time gos on, when I was working in CockpitDesiner and looking for exampls, of good panals, the 747 was my first port of call. And mor resantly when looking for exampls of mixed axils in FU3,I made a be-line strate for the 747s undercarige and flaps whichis a fantastik exampl of what can be dun.glidernut.

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Hello All.I have read this postings with the B-747 with interest.The Aircraft by Ansgar together with Steffen Shiedeck's addons is a super combination. It is a brilliant addon for this sim.With the eviroment by Lookiug Glass studios, it feels very special as flying a real aircraft by the numbers.I have also installed the latest "sanfran 2006" on my old computer.This runs with all other other packeges on this old computer.Hmm,- two packeges at Half Moon bay runs along with acceptable framerates.Just two airports with the same frequense somewhere, so I have to hit the "esc" button while loading.Some airport package in the outer region I think.A huge thanks to the makers of this package, the consept and models of it is again a great addon. I am very impressed.A "must have" for the active FU3 simmers.Screenshots is includet here with my old favorite "PGA" aircraft. A short flighr from Half moon bay- sanfran with "sanfran 2006" installet.Thank you.Take care.Lars Peter.:-wave

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Lars,I have a question about that final screenshot. Did I put those small trees there in an earlier version of my SanFran region pack ? :-eekThe new version of San Francisco International has no trees at all, and certainly none anywhere near the main runways ! I also removed some ridiculous trees at Oakland International for the new version. Ansgar was complaining that his 747 kept crashing into them :-lolI assume that the "frequency clash" that you refer to is due to other add-ons being installed ? As far as I am aware, no frequencies are duplicated in SanFran 2006, but please let me know if this is the case !Chris Low.PS. I haven't seen Doug Kearney (Seadog) post anything about SanFran 2006. I didn't include several old packages in this new version of the pack, but I kept a little folder with these inside.....just for him :-)They are still available if you want them, Doug !


Christopher Low

UK2000 Beta Tester

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Guest CaptRolo

Thomas; Very nice to hear from you and your opinions from a proffessional .My personal preference is the Baron 58 . I find it hard to pick a preference with so many wonderful aircraft to fly. CaptRolo

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Guest glidernut

It seems to me that the Baron must be a vey populer plain.Over the yers its been dun with lots and lots of diferant repaints bydiferant peopl, and its been given diferant panals too.But the last one, the Baron 58, was mor than just a simpl repaint.It was dun in such a way that it made it easyer and beter for othersto do repaints for this plain.And houw meny repaints has there been since then? Non.I ges theres no point in trying to beet perfection.glidernut.

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Chris.The trees at SFO is not from you. this is from another package installet together with yours.I did a test on this to install your new package together with all others to see what happend, and almost all packages was able to run along with the others. I had to see what this old Win.98SE.computer would run, and it would take all packages along nicely,- very good. I have only that airport from another package who has identicle ATC somewhere, and that's only my foult.I will find it and solve it.I also installed the "sanfran 2006" on the XP mashine from a clean FU3 install, and it runs nicely,- no problems.No need here to take the chainsaw out to Oakland:) Lars Peter.

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win.XP.Here is another screenshot from "Sanfran 2006" clean install at SFO.No trees here, and it is a great addon.Take care.Ps. note correct flaps and trimsettings here for the Beechjet:-lol Lars Peter.:-wave

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Lars,From what I can see, it looks like you're doing an "Air Transat in the Azores" ;-)Chris Low.


Christopher Low

UK2000 Beta Tester

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