Specially selected freeware and videos of flight sims reviewed in the May/June 2021 issue.
Issue 133 Online Contents Full Download
As requested by our readers, the complete file set accompanying Issue 133 can now be downloaded as a single zip file. If you are on a low-bandwidth connection, we recommend you download the files individually in the sections below.
Tutorials
UK Discovery Tour Leg 1 – Land’s End to Shoreham
This United Kingdom discovery flight series has been designed to co-coincide with the UK Update for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Over the course of four separate legs, the tour will visit all five of the new hand-built airports from Asobo: Land’s End, Manchester-Barton, Liverpool, Barra and Out Skerries, taking you overhead the new photogrammetry cities of Bristol, London, Oxford and Cambridge along with many more famous points of interest.
The first leg of the UK Discovery Tour is from Land's End to Shoreham. My suggestion is to select the calm winds weather preset, then customise the wind vector to favour a light southwesterly direction. This will automatically activate the westerly orientated runways as duty runways.
The downloadable GPS flight plan is available as a zip file via the link below (please unzip before use). To load the flight plan, start up Microsoft Flight Simulator. Then go to the World Map and click the Load/Save button. Browse to the folder where you extracted the zip file and double-click on the flight plan.
Freeware Files
Once again, we have a collection of high-quality freeware files for you to enjoy. These aircraft, scenery and utilities easily compare with many commercial products but don’t forget, if you’ve enjoyed a particular file, please let the author know, it’s their only payback. By the same token, we’re always interested to hear from you if you’ve downloaded or designed a file that you think is worth sharing.
By Joe Lavery
Permission
Although the authors of these files have very kindly given us their permission to include them on our website, they still remain the property and copyright of the authors. You are free to enjoy them for your own use but they must not in any circumstances be distributed, copied, uploaded to any other websites or disassembled in any way whatsoever.
Library files
Most X-Plane users will know that many freeware airport designers make use of Library files to enhance their creations. Consequently, it’s important to read the documentation within each airport to find out which libraries have been used. These libraries need to be installed in order to experience these airports as the authors intended.
Star Performers from the Internet
ModManFX
It’s not often that we feature a utility here but this latest release from Skypat is a product that can be used in many different ways. ModManFX is a utility designed mainly to manage your add-on files. It provides a clean visual interface, where you can install and uninstall just about any add-on product, the idea being to keep the contents of your simulator’s add-on repository to a manageable number. This is particularly useful for the new Microsoft Flight Simulator (MFS) because having a large number of files in your Community folder can have quite an impact on the loading times of the simulator itself.
While it’s quite a simple matter to install your files into ModManFX, they do need to conform to the folder structure of the particular simulator you’re using. The program does cater for more than one simulator in its interface; that said at present it works much better with MFS, mainly because the freeware developers are sticking to the folder structures required for that platform.
In addition to file management, the program allows you to rate each product, add images and text data, also the URL location of where the file came from, making upgrading (when available) as simple as clicking a button. In fact, ModManFX will automatically find and display any images or text files located within the zip files.
Author: Skypat
Platform: All platforms
ModManFX Download
Yambaitok Airstrip AYYZ
Yambaitok is a fairly inaccessible airstrip mounted on a plateau in Papua New Guinea. Its remote location makes it not the easiest place to find or land at. This very nice rendition was designed by Milo Taylor using data provided by Missionary Bush Pilot.
Author: Milo Taylor
Platform: Microsoft Flight Simulator
Yambaitok Airstrip AYYZ Download
Junkers Ju-390
The Junkers Ju-390 was the enlarged version of the Ju-290 bomber with four engines. The aircraft here was designed by Erwin Welker, who has also included the planned, but never built, maritime bomber version, with wire-controlled rocket bombs.
Author: Erwin Welker
Platform: FSX
Junkers Ju-390 Download
Cessna 208 Amphibian
This Cessna Caravan (with amphibious floats) is a great all-rounder. It has the ability to land on both runways and anywhere a powered vessel can go. Just like all Cessnas, the 208 is very easy to handle despite its size; this FSX/P3D was modelled by A F Scrub.
Author: A F Scrub
Platform: FSX/P3D
Cessna 208 Amphibian Download
RAF Cark Ulverston
Neil Birch has been around Flight Simulator and designing superb scenery almost as long as Microsoft. This is his first attempt at converting his files from FSX to the new version of Flight Simulator. It depicts RAF Cark, Ulverston and comes with lots of bespoke buildings and other 3D objects.
Author: Neil Birch
Platform: Microsoft Flight Simulator
RAF Cark Ulverston Download
Cork Intl Airport EICK
While we all have to start somewhere, this Cork Intl Airport makeover from Mark Taylor certainly doesn’t look like a first attempt. It has some nicely crafted buildings, plenty of static aircraft and other objects that help to create signs of life.
Author: Mark Taylor
Platform: Microsoft Flight Simulator
Cork Intl Airport EICK Download
Sightseeing Niagara Falls
This Niagara Falls scenery improves both the Falls and many of the buildings around it including the Rainbow Bridge that now has a proper arch with supports. The hydroelectric outlets have also been reformed. Designed for MFS by RomanDesign.
Author: Roman Bershadsky
Platform: Microsoft Flight Simulator
Niagara Falls Download
Sikorsky VS-44 Flying Boat
Like all flying boats, the Sikorsky VS-44 is able to take-off from and land on water. However the model designed here by George Diemer is fitted with detachable beaching gear, which allows you to manoeuvre it on land.
Author: George Diemer
Platform: FSX
Sikorsky VS-44 Flying Boat Download
Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket
The D-558-2 Skyrocket is a supersonic aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the United States Navy. Before the 50th anniversary of powered flight, Scott Crossfield piloted it to Mach 2. This FSX model was designed by Uenoshing.
Author: Uenoshing
Platform: FSX
Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket Download
Reviews - Screenshot Galleries
To help give our readers a better appreciation of the products reviewed in this issue, we have compiled the screenshots accompanying some of the articles into a series of galleries.
Microsoft’s UK Update – Welcome to the United Kingdom
Publisher and Distributor: Microsoft
Developer: Microsoft, Asobo and other nonspecified contributors.
Price: Free with the latest update
Website: https://www.flightsimulator.com
PILOT's Boeing B314 Clipper - Peter Stark previews this study-level simulation
Publisher and Distributor: PILOT's
Price: €79.99 (£69)
Website: https://www.pilots.shop/Cms
IRIS Simulations’ Jabiru J160/J170 – Jessica Bannister-Pearce discovers the world of ultralights
Developer: IRIS Simulations
Price: AUD$35 (£19.38 approx)
Website: www.orbxdirect.com or the MFS
Orbx’s Paris City Landmarks – Taking scenery to the next level
Publisher and Developer: Orbx
Price: £8.40
Website: https://orbxdirect.com/product
FlyTampa’s Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport – A tour de force in scenery design
Developer and Publisher: FlyTampa
Price: $17.99 USD (£13 approx)
Website: www.flytampa.org
IndiaFoxtrotEcho’s MB 339 – The Italian stallion
Developer: IndiaFoxtEcho
Publisher: Orbx Simulations Systems
Price: AUD$33.00 (£18 approx)
Website: https://orbxdirect.com
Cowan Simulations’ 222B and 222UT Helicopters – Bell’s versatile light helicopter
Developer and distributor: Cowan
Simulations
Price: 222B - $24.95 (£18 approx)
222UT - $24.95 (£18 approx). 222B + 222UT -
$39.95 (£28 approx)
Website: http://cowansim.com
Digital Design’s Liverpool John Lennon Airport – Welcome to the ‘Magical Mystery Tour’
Developer: Digital Design
Price: AUD$24 (£13 approx)
Website: www.orbxdirect.com
Drzewiecki Design’s Chicago Landmarks – The windy city
Publisher and Developer: Drzewiecki Design
Distributor: Orbx
Price: £14.85 by direct download
Website: https://orbxdirect.com/product/drzewiecki-chicago
DCS: Mosquito FB Mk.VI - The ‘wooden wonder’ lands in DCS World
PC Pilot Article Index
Looking for a review on a particular product, feature or tutorial? Our regularly updated PC Pilot index includes references (with accompanying issue and page numbers) to all our past reviews of software and hardware as well as features, tutorials and more. Now you can find that elusive article you’ve been looking for.
Virtual Airline Listing
We have some interesting new additions to our virtual airline and flying club listing. Take a look to see if there is one to suit your taste. The experience and fun of being part of a virtual club or airline is second to none.
Become a premium member and subscribe today for all the latest news, information and exclusive access and articles in all things aviation.
