Specially selected freeware and videos of flight sims reviewed in the January-February 2019 issue.
Movies
VSKYLABS’ Tecnam P2006T
This presentation is unusual in that it shows VSKYLABS’ Tecnam P2006T being used in native VR. It also highlights the wealth of detail that has been included in this product – read the review on page 44.
A2A Simulations’ Beech Bonanza V-Tail
This superb video, presented by A2A’s owner, Scott Gentile, gives the viewer a thorough explanation of the concept behind the V-Tail Bonanza, as well as the approach and design philosophy adopted by the team at A2A in creating this simulation. You can read our full and detailed review starting on page 24.
Just Flight’s Hawk T1/A
This video showcases the photorealistic quality of Just Flight’s high-fidelity Hawk T1/A designed for X-Plane - both from internal and external perspectives. The realistic and 3D quality of the cockpit, as well as the glass-like appearance of the instruments, is also shown off to good effect. Read our detailed review on page 16.
Drzewiecki Design’s Seattle City XP and Seattle Airports X
The amazing and extreme detail present in these two scenery products, both designed for X-Plane, is shown off to good effect in this video. Our reviews for Seattle City and Seattle Airports, respectively start on pages 32 and 36.
Orbx’s TrueEarth Great Britain South
This presentation shows off the amazingly beautiful and photorealistic look of Orbx’s TrueEarth Great Britain South – designed for X-Plane. Features highlighted in this video include: the water-masking along the coastlines, the millions of accurately placed life-like trees, the new autogen technology, VFR landmarks and custom-modelled 3D ‘points of interest’. Our review starts on page 20.
Tutorials
Back to Basics
Download the flight planning spreadsheet and charts using the link below.
Norway Flight Adventure
The Pilot Notes for this issue contain listings of suitable FSX/P3D scenery, including the excellent Orbx Simulation Norway series. You can also find the relevant charts here.
Downloads
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.
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 you 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 already know that many freeware airport designers make use of the freeware library files to enhance their creations. Consequently, it’s important to read the documentation within each file, to find out which libraries have been used. These library files need to be installed in order to experience these airports as the authors intended.
Featured Download
Our featured aircraft in this issue was designed by Mihaly Alberti for X-Plane 11.20 and above. It’s based on an aircraft manufactured by the Czech aircraft manufacturer Let Kunovice (named Aircraft Industries in 2005). The design was initiated by the need of the Soviet airline Aeroflot to replace its ageing fleet of Antonov An-2 aircraft.
The prototype first flew in 1969 powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-27 engines, however the aircraft depicted in this package, the L-410UVP-E, first flew in 1984, with full production only beginning in 1986. The main difference from the original design was the aircraft’s short take-off and landing capabilities (STOL). It was also fitted with Walter M 601 E turboprop engines, combined with Avia V-510 5-blade propellers.
Mihaly has done a superb job on this design, particularly within the cockpit where just about every switch, button and lever is modelled but more importantly they all function. Producing such a fine model is quite an achievement, particularly for one person.
I also have to commend him for his excellent manual, which stands as a fine example that many commercial companies could emulate. It has detailed descriptions of all the controls, accompanied by clear images of the area being described… fantastic work!
Author: Mihaly Alberti
Platform: X-Plane 11
Star Performers from the Internet
Synthetic ILS
This instrument enables the selection of any of the 24,491 airports that exist in the database of FSX and Prepar3D, and then the selection of any runway at that airport. It will also give you distance, bearing and steering data plus a lot more. Designed by Karol Chlebowski.
Author: Karol Chlebowski
Platform: FS2004/FSX/Prepar3D
Douglas Dolphin
The Douglas Dolphin was an amphibian designed at the end of the 1920s as a luxury air yacht. However, its market was ruined by the Great Depression and it became mostly used as a military aircraft. The model here was designed by David Wooster.
Author: David Wooster
Platform: FS2004
Ermolaev Er-2 Russian bomber
Here’s another fine aircraft from the prolific A F Scrub. It’s a slight deviation from his usual fighter range. This time he has concentrated his undeniable skills on a Yermolayev Yer-2 - a long-range Soviet medium bomber used during World War Two.
Author: A.F. Scrub
Platform: FSX/Prepar3D
Lewiston Nez-Perce City Airport
Lewiston Nez-Perce City Airport, is two miles south of Lewiston, Idaho. It’s classed as a primary commercial service airport by the FAA, with close to 40,000 aircraft operations a year. This version was designed for FSX by Sidney Schwartz.
Author: Sidney Schwartz
Platform: FSX
Lewiston Nez-Perce Airport Download
Bavarian Harbour Lindau
This is something of a departure from our normal recommendations as it’s not an aircraft or an airport. It’s the harbour at Lindau in Germany. It was designed by Erwin Welker, who has included a rather nice steerable boat for the trip.
Author: Erwin Welker
Platform: FSX
Bavarian Harbour Lindau Download
T-80 Falcon II
It’s hard to believe that Jenn Kimball (A-Pilot) designed this little warbird in a week. He tells me it was to see if he’d forgotten how to do it! Well, I would say he hasn’t; what do you think?
Author: Jenn Kimball
Platform: X-Plane 11
Kertajati Airport
Bandar Udara International is the second biggest airport in Indonesia, located at Kertajati, in the West Java Province. It’s a beta version designed by Hery Frianto (SceneryDesignIndonesia) that currently only has day textures.
Author: Hery Frianto
Platform: FSX
Dunedin Airport
Here we have a very detailed rendition of Dunedin Airport, located at the bottom tip of New Zealand’s South Island. It’s a beautiful, sometimes wild place, populated by particularly friendly people. Designed for X-Plane 11 by Stefan Lorenz.
Author: Stefan Lorenz
Platform: X-Plane 11
Screenshot Gallery
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.
PMDG’s 747-8 Queen of the Skies II Expansion Pack
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: PMDG has captured the spirit of Boeing’s latest high-tech jetliner. The sheer scope of the package combined with in-depth systems modelling will keep experienced virtual airline pilots happy for months (if not years) to come.
Developer: PMDG Simulations
Price:
Prepar3D:
747-400V3 base pack: $139.99 (£109 approx)
747-8 expansion: $69.99 (£54 approx)
FSX:
747-400V3 base pack: $99.99 (£78 approx)
747-8 expansion $49.99 (£39 approx)
Website: www.precisionmanuals.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Excellent
PC Pilot Score: 95%
Just Flight’s Hawk T1/A Advanced Trainer
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: A very nicely modelled jet trainer with well researched and implemented systems, flight model and superb graphics all around.
Developer: Just Flight / Thranda Design
Download Price: $44.99 (£35 approx)
Website: www.justflight.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Excellent
PC Pilot Score: 95%
Orbx’s TrueEarth GB South - Orbx presents southern Britain in extraordinary detail
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: Orbx starts its UK transformation with True Earth GB South.
Publisher and Developer: Orbx Simulations
Price: Download via Orbx FTX Central AUD$ 54.95 (£31.20 approx)
Website: http://fullterrain.com
3D Modelling: Excellent
Graphics: Very good
Documentation: Very good
Performance: Acceptable but as
always this is hardware-dependant.
PC Pilot Score: 95
A2A Simulations’ Beech Bonanza V-Tail - A2A continues to raise the bar
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: One of the most outstanding
GA products in recent times. The attention to detail permeates every aspect of this model and accurately reflects the distinctive characteristics of this venerable aircraft.
Developer: A2A Simulations
Price: $49.99 (£38 approx)
Website: www.a2asimulations.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Excellent
PC Pilot Score: 95%
Aeroplane Heaven’s Lancaster B Mk.I - The Dambuster
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: A fine tribute to an iconic aircraft.
Developer: Aeroplane Heaven
Publisher: Just Flight
Price: £27.99
Performance: Good
3D Modelling: Good
Graphics: Good
Documentation: Excellent
PC Pilot Score: 90%
Drzewiecki Design’s Seattle City XP - X-Plane 11's default city now available from Drzewiecki
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: The Drzewiecki Design team has modelled Seattle City and much of its surroundings in extraordinary detail.
Developer: Drzewiecki Design
Distributor: Drzewiecki Design
Price: £21.56 by direct download
Website: www.drzewiecki-design.net/prodSeaCity_XP.htm
3D Modelling: Excellent
Graphics: Very good
Documentation: Very good
Performance: Good
PC Pilot Score: 90
Drzewiecki Design’s Seattle Airports X - A round-robin trip visiting Seattle’s airports
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: These airports are a fine accompaniment to Drzewiecki Design’s superb Seattle City product.
Distributor: Drzewiecki Design
Price: £34.49 by direct download
Website: http://www.drzewiecki-design.net/prodSeaADs_XP.htm
Developer: Drzewiecki Design
3D Modelling: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Very good
Performance: Very much hardware-dependant
PC Pilot Score: 95
VSKYLABS Tecnam P2006T - The flexible, economical light twin
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: A great package with all-around good performance, modelling and graphics with the fantastic option of both analogue and G1000 cockpit layouts.
Developer: VSKYLABS
Price: $28.50 (£22 approx)
Website: www.vskylabs.com
Flight Model: Good
Graphics: Good
Documentation: Good
Systems: Good
PC Pilot Score: 85%
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.