Aeroplane Heaven : What to expect rest of 2019 and Beyond

[wombat666]

I haven't bothered with FSX for a long time, either FSX or FSX-SE as most, if not all of the aircraft I'm interested in run fine under P3D3, and having worked my way (and paid for) through the various 32bit LM versions
it makes sense to me to replace MSFX with the superior sim.

[fongman_52]

How about Convair??
CV880 CV880M CV990 still no commercial products are released yet.

[Josh Patterson]

How about Convair??
CV880 CV880M CV990 still no commercial products are released yet.

Yes please!!

[icycle]

I third the Convairs! Classic commercial jets - B707 & Convairs are an "open market segment" in the FS community. HJG (freeware) are great for FS9 & FSX, but are a no go in P3DV4. Even a B-52 & KC-135, are also open segments.

Bill

[UnknownGuest12]

If the "market" is going to be limited to tubeliners, I'm out. And I guess a lot of people will do the same.

We're talking about flight simulation, not bus simulation.

Priller

Totally agree. Also tired of looking at new versions of same planes. Spits, Mustangs, Corsairs, Me's and so on. Would love to have a Japanese KI.84 or KI.100, a KI.61, Russian's LA-7, Mig-7. New aircraft, not new versions ol always the same bird. Who know's, perhaps they will sell…
Tubeliners? will not buy...

[delta_lima]

I don't think I'd call it a "sweeping decision". We base all our plans on cold hard fact. When one is faced with sales figures that indicate that a change is necessary, one acts. Or one dies.

Sales of the little Cessna 140 for example, outstrip our warbirds by a ratio of 5:1. So, why would we plough our meagre resources and precious time in building for the lesser market?

We run a Facebook page to gauge interest in the market and among our customer base. By far the greatest interest has come from anything we post on subjects like the Caravelle, DC-3/C-47, Socata MS and others.

We built the originals for Just Flight's HS748, BAC 1-11 and the Comet Jetliner along with many more. Models are ageing, some are 10 years old. We feel it is time to bring a new generation to the market.

We have a new range of Spitfires (MkV and MkIX) and a new Hurricane being built. The C-47 "That's all Brother" would be classed as a warbird surely. There's probably around 9,000 hours of work in those three alone.

A new simulator is on the horizon in 2020. We will know more in August. Any guesses on how long it will take developers to learn any new processes required to build for it? Or do you think we just wave a wand and it all happens? That takes time. Time we will not be building anything.

Another point is that this page is named for "Combat flight simulation" so of course the bias is toward warbirds here. No surprises there. The thing is that there are other sites devoted to flight simulation which tell very different stories.

For us, it is time to move on. We've done our homework. We see what's coming.

That’s a very sensible post. Not everything on that list appeals to me, but I fully understand why. As some who nakes million-dollar product / category management decisions in the real world, that is indeed how it must be if we’re talking business/commercial ventures - understanding, targeting, and maximizing your addressable market.

More personally, I’m stoked about the upcoming Caravelle and Trident. 100% getting those (assuming P3dv4, without getting off track on that topic). Cold War jets always welcome, especially those with folding wings and tail hooks.

A Convair 880/990 would be the stuff of dreams, especially for those of us in the 64-bit ecosystem where the lovely HJG models are now off limits.

And a final word of thanks to all the great freeware folks who, notwithstanding the increased complexity of today’s sim platforms, bring us such great delights. Gordon et al with the upcoming JetStar as but one example. @DC1973 in particular - you can scarcely imagine what your RF-8G project means to me. Thanks a million in advance, Dean!

DL

[wombat666]

Actually the Convairs would fill a large hole, maybe they were not a great commercial success IRL but they certainly were pretty.
Be a nice companion for the B707.
And of course, I'd be at the head of the line for a Convair 240/340/440 if they were under consideration.
Of the roadmap list the B707 and Caravelle are 'must haves' for me, with the revamped HS748 a close second (or is that third?) while one can never have enough Spitfires and Hurricanes.

Somewhat OT but relevant: I loaded up an old but entertaining race sim recently.
It was rather mediocre compared to present day standards, so much so that I didn't continue.
'Tempus Fugit'.

[BendyFlyer]

Well interesting information. I can well understand AH's perspective, after all they are not the only ones who are going down that road as well, after all that is where the market is and of course future sales. I guess this where I part company with AH but hey no regrets I have enjoyed their work and appreciated it, I know my hangar is well represented by AH products. Curiously when I look, not a military aircraft amongst them so I get Bazaars point. No tubeliners either.

I guess one thing overlooked by lots of folks is the whole simulator package and I do not mean just simple performance of the rig with the sim version. But what you have done with it. For myself I am very much a fan of things historical, especially civilian - stuff with wheels and stuff that floated. I have also taken the time to learn a whole bunch of skills and systems to create stuff for myself that commercial producers could not or would not. This is really the case with scenery not aeroplanes so I will not be going to P3D simply because I have ten years of work built into FSX that has basically taken it back in time to about 1960 and I mean airports, scenery etc. None of this will go over to P3D without a fight or complete rebuild just not up to that at all. Now another reason is very simple, its the money, not just a new sim etc but a whole new computer capable of handling P3D and that is not on at all not for the foreseeable future just to get basically what I already have - FSX works fine for me there is 200GB of scenery that works fine, and a whole bunch of other stuff that works just fine, so I have absolutely no reason to change.

And of course to be purely selfish about it - cannot see anybody rushing out to do a P3D model of Kingsford Smiths Old Bus, The C Class Empire Flying Boats and Shorts Flying Boat not to mention endless odds and sods from that period so thats that.!

[big-mike]

I hoped for a Do217,BF110 and Ju88.







Mike

[cavaricooper]

I don't think I'd call it a "sweeping decision". We base all our plans on cold hard fact. When one is faced with sales figures that indicate that a change is necessary, one acts. Or one dies.

Sales of the little Cessna 140 for example, outstrip our warbirds by a ratio of 5:1. So, why would we plough our meagre resources and precious time in building for the lesser market?

We run a Facebook page to gauge interest in the market and among our customer base. By far the greatest interest has come from anything we post on subjects like the Caravelle, DC-3/C-47, Socata MS and others.

We built the originals for Just Flight's HS748, BAC 1-11 and the Comet Jetliner along with many more. Models are ageing, some are 10 years old. We feel it is time to bring a new generation to the market.

We have a new range of Spitfires (MkV and MkIX) and a new Hurricane being built. The C-47 "That's all Brother" would be classed as a warbird surely. There's probably around 9,000 hours of work in those three alone.

A new simulator is on the horizon in 2020. We will know more in August. Any guesses on how long it will take developers to learn any new processes required to build for it? Or do you think we just wave a wand and it all happens? That takes time. Time we will not be building anything.

Another point is that this page is named for "Combat flight simulation" so of course the bias is toward warbirds here. No surprises there. The thing is that there are other sites devoted to flight simulation which tell very different stories.

For us, it is time to move on. We've done our homework. We see what's coming.

I am always educated by the differences between the opinions of vocal and enthusiastic flight simmers, and market conditions. This is accentuated by the marked segment the site caters to (primarily). For instance, here at SOH Warbirds are pre-eminent, whilst in the entire microcosm (compared to the gaming industry) they are not always so. Another developer I work with often, faces the same vitriol when their next project is announced... usually by enthusiasts of another airframe or simulator platform. What all posters seldom account for is their perspective for future development, whilst seemingly popular on their particular site, isn't necessarily fiscally prudent.

I count myself fortunate that I can sit on the sidelines and benefit from whatever is released. My decision to spend discretionary income is solely my own, and if there are enough like minded persons who act similarly, I can hope THAT is heard by the developers.

It's a good time to be a simmer!

C