srburger

Hey missionballer,Thanks for mentioning my Sooners!Best,KenUniversity of Oklahoma, Class of 1979

John,You're right about the P-40. Great flight model, and really fun to land!Thanks for the heads up.Best,Ken

Great post, Michael!FSX is a whole new sim, and all for the better. Thanks again for encouraging me to install it on my system.Best,Ken

Hi Clay,Paul Golding appears to be working on an update of the Dreamfleet 727 for FSX:http://forums.flightsim.com/dc/dcboard.php...g_id=7203&page=There may a bit of a wait yet, but I'm sure it will be worth it! [body][p class="1MainBody" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"][b style='mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'][i style='mso-bidi-font-style: normal'][span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"]Best

Ahem... I happen to be a VC only guy, and I love the DF 727. In fact, it's one of my absolute favorites, occupying an honored spot in my virtual hangar right beside the masterworks created by RealAir, Carenado, MAAM, Project Sierra Hotel, and Milton Shupe. (I'm kinda partial to the VC's in those airplanes too.) [body][p class="1MainBody" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"][span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Brush Script MT'"]Best

For anyone (like me) who may have missed it, Robert Sanderson has released his freeware Stearman, and it's a winner! Beautiful model and VC, and it flies great. In fact, based on my very brief ride in it last night, I'm thinking its flight dynamics and taildragger ground handling may be groundbreaking (no pun intended)... more time in it will tell. Downloadable from AVSIM's library:http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=...hor=&CatID=root [body][p class="1MainBody" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"][span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Brush Script MT'"]Best

Hi JIMJAM,Off-topic, but just wanted to say I appreciated your mini-review of Carenado's C206 in another thread. Having been a fan of their T-34 and C182, I didn't hesitate to get the C206, but it seemed a bit unresponsive when I flew it. Having never flown the real one before, I wasn't sure what to think. Your comments cleared a lot of things up. I continue to be impressed with Carenado's flight modeling.On-topic, I tried out FS Atmosphere on your recommendation. I agree 100 percent with your assessment. A lot of bang for very few bucks.Thanks!Ken

Hi Jimjam,As I recall, it makes an additional file called T37.cfg, but leaves your original fs9.cfg file intact. If you're going to fly the T-37, you start up FS with the T37 file to enable its special features. ASV, BEV, and UT should be unaffected. They'll work just as before whether you start up FS9 conventionally or via the T37 startup file.As for the speed brake, the manual will tell you to map your joystick to the Backup Vacuum Pump, not the default spoiler. Have fun with it! [body][p class="1MainBody" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"][span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Brush Script MT'"]Best

Hi Paul,http://www.t37sim.com/ [body][p class="1MainBody" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"][span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Brush Script MT'"]Best

The version of the T-37 that's currently available for purchase was a winner when it was first released a couple of years ago, and it still is. The update makes it even better.In the currently available version... Fluidity of gauges in the VC is comparable to MSFS default. VC graphics are photorealistic and acceptable. You can fly from the VC, but you have to use the 2d panel to start engines, etc. No problems running under FS9.In the updated version due out shortly... Fluidity of the gauges is state of the art. VC graphics are photorealistic and gorgeous. You can do everything from the VC, and all switches are clickable. Still no problems running under FS9. :)Some other things that make it special... The documentation is really, really good, the airplane flies to the real world numbers, and the aircraft systems are modeled so well that real world Air Force pilots going through UPT use the sim for practice. There are a lot of training jets modeled for MSFS, both payware and freeware, but the T-37 is in a class of its own.As for your hearing... two really good sound sets are included, and if you're not careful you'll lose some hearing in the other ear. :) [body][p class="1MainBody" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"][span style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Brush Script MT'"]Best

I wouldn't want to be pinned down to just one. In addition to being exceptionally well modeled, each of the airplanes listed under my signature is unique and special in some way. As a for instance, initiating a take-off run in the B-25, climbing out under full power in the Spitfire, and landing the C-47 are "magic moments" that can't be duplicated with any other airplane. I wouldn't part with any of 'em!

<<<>With respect, I would disagree. The Skyhawk I owned and all light singles that I have flown would require back pressure on the yoke in order to maintain altitude in a 20 degree bank.>>Hi Jim,I don't think you're disagreeing with me unless you retrim or add power when you perform a 20 degree banked turn. If you do, then yes, we disagree.

<>For the practical fundamentals of piloting, I don't think anyone has ever done a better job of explaining things than Wolfgang Langwiesche in "Stick and Rudder". Couple his book with a little experience (including sim experience), and the intuitive knowledge of what makes an airplane fly can be acquired fairly efficiently.It's been a long time since I read the book, but aca may be referring to the chapters near the end, where the author goes into the mathematical relationships between Vx and Vy, speeds for maximum endurance vs. maximum distance, etc. I found that information to be interesting, but the real meat of the book is the front end. The real world practical advice contained therein is sound. The "bug on the windscreen" technique for judging landings and the disastrous consequences of cross-controlling during a steep turn are just two examples.At any rate, I too would find aca's errata interesting!

Hi Randy,I've never tried the Elite training software, however... When flying a real world C172, you wouldn't need to retrim or add power when entering a 20 degree banked turn from cruise. Such a shallow turn doesn't even require much back pressure.On the other hand, it would require a significant amount of back pressure (and you might add a little power) for a 45 degree steep turn, but you still wouldn't need to retrim.

When considering a payware addon, the developer's "people skills" don't enter into my decision at all. What does matter to me is the quality of the developer's addon and their support of it... Period. Furthermore, I would never, ever support a poor quality addon just because the developer is one heck of a nice guy.Just to be clear, integrity is a different story altogether. Integrity has nothing to do with being nicey-nicey, and it has everything to do with honesty.Of course, sometimes the best of all worlds come together. In Paul Golding, you have not only "one heck of a nice guy", but also the developer of one of the absolute best addons available for FS2004...

<>You've made may day, Jan!

Hi Superfortress,I'm a private pilot, but I wasn't when I started simming. (And yes, simming most definitely helped me with my RW pilot training.)I think a lot of the knowledgeable simmers to whom you refer probably started out in the "old days", circa 1980's, when simming was much less complicated. Most simulations had only one or two aircraft to choose from, flight dynamics and instrumentation were primitive, and graphics were atrocious by today's standards. So after a few days of buzzing bridges, you either got bored and quit, or you started learning new things like VOR and ADF navigation (there wasn't any such thing as VFR cross-country navigation in those days... after leaving the confines of one of the few cities with buildings modeled, there was nothing but blackness dotted with airports.) All this to say that the learning curve was shallow, and "proficiency" was easy to come by.By contrast, flight dynamics and aircraft systems are now vastly improved, and the best addons are accurate and complex enough that I wonder how someone new to the hobby can get up to speed without feeling overwhelmed. This is what I'd recommend:Start out with a relatively simple airplane that's been modeled extremely well. It should be something that you're willing to stick with for a while. Dreamfleet's Archer is a great choice... really good flight dynamics, excellent visibility, a complete set of instruments and radios, fixed gear, fixed pitch propeller, fantastic documentation, and it can sideslip (something you should insist on unless you only plan to fly when there's no wind). The Archer is a dream to fly, and it can really spoil you! (RealAir's SF-260 and Carenado's C182RG are excellent alternatives, albeit slightly more complex.) For reading, try Wolfgang Langwiesche's "Stick and Rudder" and the U.S. government's "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge", "Airplane Flying Handbook", and "Instrument Flying Handbook". Finally, there are some areas (like landings) where it's very helpful to have someone showing you how it's done. If you haven't already gone through Rod Machado's lessons that came with the sim, you really should... the curriculum is virtually identical to RW flight training.That'll keep you busy for quite a while, and you should stay with the Archer long enough to learn all its ins and outs. You won't learn much by flying anything and everything out there, but if you've mastered a good trainer, including radio navigation and instrument flying, you've done the hard part. Your transition to any other airplane, including jetliners, will be relatively easy. At that point, it's just a matter of reading the manual and wading through the aircraft-specific procedures.One final recommendation... Learn to fly a taildragger at some point. RealAir's Decathlon (or Scout) is perfect for that.

Hi Donny,Like Larry said, the Christen Eagle is a very good addon, and it's free! As for the Extra, Alexander Metzger has written an alternate airfile and config file that improve it significantly (as he did for the default Cub and several others). Give it a try:http://homepage.iprolink.ch/metzger/index_e.html

Hi Donny,<>I got my CH yoke about the same time that FS2000 came out, and the other controllers followed at various times thereafter. I've never had to perform maintenance on any of the components, with the exception that I've lubricated the shaft of the yoke for smoother movement. That's it.

Hi crag...1) If you don't plan to spend a whole lot of time with FS, a relatively inexpensive joystick with integrated throttle will do great. Just enable autorudder, and you're off. On the other hand, if you intend to stay with it for a while, it's possible to have both a joystick and a yoke. I use the CH yoke, joystick, throttle, and rudder pedals, and they work great together. You just set the null zone for the yoke at 100 percent when you're flying with a joystick, and vice versa for flying with the yoke. You can pick up the controllers one at a time as budget allows. I've heard that the PFC yoke that Larry Adamson alluded to is outstanding, but I haven't used it, and it's a big investment. (I'd love to try one though!)2) Mesh probably makes a bigger difference than any other scenery improvement, and FSGenesis is great. For weather, Active Sky looks tons better than the default, and Flight1's Flight Environment makes the weather and water a lot prettier to look at (the two programs complement each other very well).For a low and slow plane, instead of looking for a payware C152, try Alexander Metzger's revised aircraft.cfg and airfile for the default Piper Cub. Here's his homepage:http://homepage.iprolink.ch/metzger/index_e.htmlYou'll love it, and you can save your money for something a little faster like Carenado's C182RG... You'll love that one too!3). Wolfgang Langwiesche's "Stick and Rudder", and the U.S. Government's "Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge", "Flight Training Handbook", and "Instrument Flying Handbook" are all very good.

Hi Joseph,<>Try this C-119, available in AVSIM's library:hs-119-32.zipAnd this C-133:c-133fs9.zipafm_c-133b-2.zip

Hi Bear,The Hawker Hunters you listed are very nicely done, and it reminded me to add Rick Piper's Chipmunk. Not fast or modern, but absolutely fantastic if you like low and slow. In AVSIM's library:chipmunk2004.zipchipmunkv1.2.zip

Hi Joseph,David Copley's series of P-38's in AVSIM's library:p38p220.zipp38l22r.zipp38tdl22.zipRobert Sanderson's Sea Hurricanes in AVSIM's library:seahurri.zipKirk Olsson's F-16C in AVSIM's library:usviper.zipDino Cattaneo's F-14B in AVSIM's library:f14bfs9a.zipTim Conrad's T-33 in AVSIM's library:t-33a.zipFSD's T-38 in AVSIM's library. Written for FS2002, but does well in FS9:fsd_t38.zipAeroplane Heaven used to offer a free Seafire for registering on their site (no charge). You might want to see if it's still available:http://www.aeroplaneheaven.com/

Hi Clay,I agree with your opinion of Dreamfleet's 727. It will never have the mass appeal of the more modern jets, but those who fly it, really love it. It is, in fact, the only jetliner that I fly on a regular basis.Last night, I flew the American Airlines Astrojet version from Bermuda to Reagan National (which I guess wasn't Reagan National when American flew 727's). In a few days, I'll be uploading a series of shots to the Screenshot Forum. In the meantime, I don't know whether you did your primary training in the T-34, but if so, you might want to check out a couple of series I posted of that one:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...d=211800&page=3http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...d=211962&page=2

Hi Roy,This is a very helpful site for learning about mesh installation:http://www.fs-traveler.com/welcome.shtmlBest,Ken