Freeware Gems, Possibly Overlooked

[Fleet Canuck]

The sticky thread about the excellent a380 has caused me to get into flying airliners like I've never done before (which could mean, "more often" or "with more competence", but in my case it just means "more often") It also caused me to explore some other airliners.

I think everyone knows about the POSKY 777 which is top notch. May I suggest three others that you may or may not have tried:

1. Ilyushin Il-96 by Kirill Konovalov.(at flightsim.com) Great looking VC and exterior, but two things are necessary. I had to change the config file to say [flightsim.0] and [flightsim.1] because the two aircraft were listed as [flightsim.1] and [flightsim.2] which meant they didn't show up on the menu.

Secondly, I had to click off mipmaps on the fuselage using DXTBMP because they were just too fuzzy otherwise. Maybe if your graphics card is faster than mine you won't need to.

Don't let those things put you off. It's a great plane, and it loads with the engines running, which is much more convenient than trying to start the Project Tupolev TU154. One day I hope to do that, after I print and study the manual.

2. BAC 111 by David Maltby (at BritSim.com) Before there were regional jets, there was this one, and the photoreal VC is top notch, along with the rest of the plane.

3. EMB 190 by PAD (at premaircraft.com) The level of detail in this aircraft is much higher than most other PAD projects, in my opinion. The VC looks sharp, and the EMB 190 is just a sleek, modern jet to begin with.

So, if you need a break from what you usually fly, or if like me you just have the urge every so often to discover a new aircraft that is really good, I leave these three for your consideration.

[AndyG43]

2. BAC 111 by David Maltby (at BritSim.com) Before there were regional jets, there was this one, and the photoreal VC is top notch, along with the rest of the plane.

Anything by David Maltby is worth getting(his own site is http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/default.htm); the VC10 doesn't have a VC (but don't let that stop you, it is still an absolute masterpiece), all the others do now & they are all true works of the modellers art. I recently went on the 1-11 on display at the Brooklands Museum, I'd forgotten how cramped those things were.

My particular favourite is the Comet; to paraphrase Fleet Canuck "before there were amy other jets, there was this one ..." - Lord Maltby of Weybridge (it can only be a matter of time, surely) modelled that later versions, but you can also get the earlier versions, modelled by Jens Kristensen, at Britsim.

And another site worth checking, with oodles of wonderful classic tubes, is the Historic Jetliners Group (http://www.simviation.com/hjg/). I'd be hard put to pick a favourite from there, but the Caravelles and Convairs would certainly be on the list - incidentally, it's worth noting that the design of the Caravelle took the nose & cockpit design directly from the Comet!!

[Matt Wynn]

Libardo Guzmans Concorde is pretty good fun too.....

available on simV :

FS9 / FSX Concorde 2011 Version Package (Category: FSX > Civil Jets)Zip file preview
91.48Mb (30403 downloads)
FS2004 / FSX Concorde 2011 Version Includes: new model, textures, and flight dynamics; sound, gauges, effects, VC with navigator, passenger area, passenger's views, full animated parts, clickable gauges on VC (all in FS9, some in FSX). By Libardo Guzman.
See additional Multi Textures Pack

[Naismith]

Can I refer you all to a similar and comprehensive thread.
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...-Freeware-Gems

[Matt Wynn]

oh i know Nai, those are classic freeware, these are kinda new and shiny

[Fleet Canuck]

Yes, Smoothie, the Concord is both recent and excellent. I find it requires some forward pressure on the yoke to get the nosewheel down after landing, and the afterburner's a little hyperactive, but it is a joy to fly.

I thought the flow of new aircraft for FS9 would slow to a trickle after the release of FSX, but while it's not as great as earlier years, when there seemed to be something new every week, there are still some good designs appearing even now.

[Matt Wynn]

and if i recall, even now it's still the most widely used sim, and i use both sims due to repainting, but fly more on 9

[Naismith]

and if i recall, even now it's still the most widely used sim, and i use both sims due to repainting, but fly more on 9

Yes I have a high rated machine but find myself drifting back to FS9 and away from FSX. It's just so frustrating with its fickle stutters and long loading times, whereas FS9 tarted up with various addons is a much more satisfying experience.

[Astoroth]

Yes I have a high rated machine but find myself drifting back to FS9 and away from FSX. It's just so frustrating with its fickle stutters and long loading times, whereas FS9 tarted up with various addons is a much more satisfying experience.

Amen to that! I've tried to make myself like FSX as it's what most of the people in the Flying Club I'm in use, but it's a hard chore. FS9, on the other hand, is easy to love.

[Blackbird686]

and if i recall, even now it's still the most widely used sim, and i use both sims due to repainting, but fly more on 9

Same for me too. You pretty much need a really fast gaming machine to handle "X" properly. I have both FSX and FS9 installed on the 'Jetline', but I fly in FS9 avidly. I have FSX installed because now and then I like taking the Flying Stations "Westland Wyvern" for a romp.... as well as a host of others. I would really like to have the Wyvern for FS9, the little plane is so homely looking that it has become more of a curiosity, I just had to download it and fly it.


BB686