Review by Marlon Carter. Majestic Software has been around for quite a number of years and the name is no stranger to fans of the Dash 8. Previously, Majestic Software released the Dash 8-Q300 which was quite a hit a few years ago and even today, it is still regarded as one of the most in-depth simulations of an aircraft for the flight simulator platform. Back when the Q300 was released, it came equipped with many innovative features that the FS community had not seen before (Read the Q300 Review).

With that said, it is only fitting that their newest product should include even more innovations that will intrigue simmers for a very long time to come. The Q400 project actually started MANY years ago but this does not mean that the features and graphics of this product resemble those from the time of its inception. The quality of this product can easily be comparable to the newest of releases and in some respects it may even surpass them. 

Before delving into the “meat” of the review, I thought it would be fitting for persons who may not familiar with Majestic Software to learn a bit about the company and its owner Oleksiy Frolov. I had the opportunity to interview Oleksiy about his latest project and I think you will find the following conversation very interesting.

1. Can you tell us a little about Majestic Software?

The Fanda Dash 8 Q300, was the first product that I launched for the MSFS platform.  Upon seeing how well received the Dash 8 Q300 was received (at the time FS2002 was in use), it became quite obvious that a deeper simulation of the aircraft was required, thus the creation of the Majestic Software company and product-line.

2. How long did it take to complete the Q400 project and what were some of the challenges?

The Q400 project, once it began took about 4 years to be completed.  One of the small hurdles that we had was finding a modeler, and after doing some research we had the pleasure of getting Dimitri of Samdim Designs on the modeling side, and Nikolai Samsonov on the artwork side onboard.  Once our decisions were made as to the platform that we were going to use to fuse the Q400 into FSX....the project started taking shape.

Our challenges were really no different than any other development project where trial and error, and hours of testing were done to ensure that the ideas on paper could become reality.  With all this said, there are some challenges that became an issue for the virtual airlines flyers and users of some add-on utilities.  Some of these issues can/will be addressed in future patches while some will unfortunately fall under the irreparable limitations of the Q400.

3. What features of the Q400 sets it apart from other high end products on the market? Also, which would you say is the feature you are most proud of implementing?

The features in our add-on that set apart from other high-end/quality add-ons on the market are relatively simple.  We have utilized/implemented a different concept to the flight dynamics functionality of the Q400.  This platform was used in another Q400 project that has been developed and worked really well beyond my expectations which convinced me implement its usage within FSX.

The JSBSim platform is based on a simulation framework used by NASA for some of their flight dynamics testing and it allows us to simulate many additional flight dynamic effects compared to the native FDE of FSX.  While the Q400 relies heavily on Simconnect, this allows us to bridge the two platforms to become dependent on each other.  

4. The Q400 comes in a Pilot Edition, Professional Edition and Training Edition. Can you tell us which customers are targeted in the various versions of the Q400? (Eg. would you recommend that a beginner buy the Training edition?)

While each Edition is targeted for a specific group, the PILOT Edition as a standalone add-on encompasses all of the stock systems that come with the Q400 minus special options.  As a result of this Simmers who require just the basic Q400 still have a plane that is state-of-the-art in systems functionality minus the complex features, such as the instructor panel system monitoring, circuit breakers simulation, failures simulation, or the shared cockpit of the PRO and TRAINING Editions.

The PRO Edition is designed more so for the more serious flight sim enthusiast who wants more in-depth functionality including the capability of failing the selected systems as it would be possible on the real aircraft, and or airline pilots wishing to improve their knowledge and proficiency of their office by being able to execute procedures that are not done on a daily basis, and or assist in preparing for their CQ ride.  This edition has all the features of the PILOT edition, plus the Heads-up-Guidance System simulation, the shared cockpit feature and several more.

The TRAINING Edition platform is geared more towards the cockpit builder, airlines, wishing to have a good quality inexpensive solution for the Dash8 Q400 technical and procedural training for both technical staff and the flight crews.

5. What does the future hold in store for Majestic Software? Will your next release come much sooner than the length of time the Q400 took to be developed?

Well since one is not able to predict the future, we project that at this time we are planning on bringing the "flagship Dash 8-Q300" back to the drawing board incorporating some of the techniques used on the Q400.  There is the possibility of the 100 or 200 series, but more information on this will be revealed as we progress further.  Since most of the systems are similar to that of the Q400 "hopefully" the development time will be somewhat shorter.

6. Will Majestic Software ever branch off into producing jet airliners or perhaps other turbo prop aircrafts such as the ATR-42/72?

We have gotten many questions regarding the ATR turboprop, and while it is an intriguing thought, we'll have to see what happens further down the road.  ATR has been doing really well especially since Bombardier no longer makes a 37 and 50 seat variant of the Q series aircraft, and as a result the ATR has been gaining some popularity once more, especially in the European markets.

Well, jet aircraft would certainly be something different (not necessarily new) for Majestic Software but at this time there is nothing to announce regarding this.  At the moment however, there are some developers who already have a niche market for something that they do really well, which is something really good to see.  If our R&D is able to gather all the required data that we need who knows what the future will reveal.

As you can see, Majestic Software (or MJC) has quite a lot to offer in the Dash 8-Q400. As mentioned in the interview, the Q400 comes in 3 versions. Here is a comparison table of the 3 versions that showcases their differences.

For a more detailed breakdown and description of the features you can visit the MJC product page.

Provided you have read through the features and their descriptions from the webpage, I am sure that your interest in this product has been peaked. Some may wonder whether this list of features is too good to be true, but I can confidently say that all of the features for the Pilot Edition are spot on and working correctly. This review will focus on the Pilot Edition since the Pro and Training Editions will be released at a later date. Let’s get started by first of all having a look at the exterior model.

Exterior Model

The Dash 8 is a very unique aircraft. The design of the aircraft can be clearly distinguish in the real world but within the realm of FSX, modeling the Dash 8 can be a tricky task. It’s one of those aircraft that you can either get it right or get it totally wrong.

MJC has long demonstration that its team of developers is more than capable of accurately modeling the Dash 8. The Q300 was a perfect example of this and even though it is a bit older, the care that was taken in modeling that aircraft has been carried over to the Q400. Some of the tricky areas of the Q400 are the nose and cockpit areas along with the engines and tail section. The landing gear of the Q400 was an area of particular interest to me since this is an area where some may be tempted to take shortcuts.

Thankfully this was not the case and as you can see from the screenshots below, all aspects of this aircraft were modeled the highest fidelity.

The moving surfaces of the aircraft were also given strict attention. As one would expect, the Q400 model has main exit doors and cargo doors that can be opened and closed. In addition to this there is also a visible GPU which appears when requested.

One of the features of the external model which isn’t new but intriguing nonetheless is the icing that appears on the cockpit windows, engines and wing of the aircraft. What I appreciated the most was that the icing effect took place gradually and when Ice Protection is selected, the ice is gradually removed. This simple but realistic feature makes flying this aircraft an experience unlike any other.

Another feature of the external model is the animated pilots. This is not entirely new to FSX but what makes this feature different is that the pilots are “intelligent.” This means that in different situations their behavior changes.

The final feature of the external model that I would like to highlight is the visible change in the propeller

DISC appearance with propeller beta dynamics. If you have ever flown on a Dash 8 or any other turbo prop, you would have recognized that as the throttles and condition levers are increased and decreased there is a visible change in the engine propeller. This is due to the change in pitch angle of the propeller that allows the aircraft to be more efficient in its use of power. This feature has been on my personal wish list for a long time and I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it has been implemented into this aircraft and for the first time in FSX. While on the topic of propellers, I found it interesting that at night the landing lights are reflected onto the 3D propeller simulation. This is a feature that has never been implemented in FSX for turbo prop aircrafts and it was a very nice addition to the detail of this aircraft.

Virtual Cockpit

Apart from the systems simulation of an add-on, the virtual cockpit is another fact that can make or break the success of an otherwise perfectly fine product. These days, it is expected that the virtual cockpit of an aircraft should be fully 3D with every knob, button and level fully moveable or functioning. The virtual cockpit of the Q400 meets all of the expectations you may have and it may even surpasses it.

The Q400 virtual cockpit has been modeled to the highest detail and it features many impressive functions. For example, each switch and knob can be controlled by either using the left/right click or mouse wheel functions. Power and Condition levers can be controlled individually by left click and drag or at the same time by using the right click and drag function.

Other features and animations that can be found in the virtual cockpit include Seat Animations, Sun Visor Animation, Yoke Visibility control, Emergency exit hatch and the Oxygen mask pressure indicator that indicates green normally but if you’re not observant that may not always be the case!

Another important factor in what makes a good virtual cockpit is undoubtedly the textures. In recent years we have seen a new standard set with the use of high quality textures. Displays have also been improved to look much more realistic with the addition of glare effects and smudge marks. The Q400 has stuck to this standard and if you are wondering if the VC matches a well-known 737 then the answer is YES!

Some of you may disagree, but taking into account what the real Q400 cockpit looks like the MJC Q400 is spot on and it isn’t supposed to look like the VC of the 737. The textures used in the Q400 VC shows a balance a new and a heavily used cockpit environment. While some areas of the VC appear new, others that are used more frequently shows signs of usage.

At Night, the VC comes to life with smooth and gradual lighting. On its own the natural lighting based on the time of day is remarkably realistic. Factoring in the ability to have individual control over all lighting systems and being able to set them to any intensity, really takes this product to a new level from a visual perspective.

At this point I am sure there are some of you who are wondering if the Q400 comes with 2D panels. Unfortunately the Pilot Edition does not come with a “full” set of 2D panels. On the other hand there are a few pop up options for cockpit displays along with the Radio Panel and FMC. I personally don’t use 2D panels but for convenience I welcome this option. If you are adamant about having 2D panels then you may want to wait for the Pro Edition which includes a full set of 2D panels which can also be used for building a multi-screen cockpit.

Systems

The systems of the Q400 are very complex and it is quite a task to get your mind around the operation of this aircraft if you are not familiar with Turbo Prop aircrafts. The manuals that have been provided are very well written and I think it is of the utmost importance that you read it before attempting to fly this aircraft. If you think that you will need more information, there are websites out there that provide manuals in greater detail. Nonetheless, the manuals are sufficient to get you started on the Q400 and to understand its systems and features.

Let’s start off by talking about the Electronic Instruments System. The EIS consist of the Flight Data Processing System, PFD1&2, Engine and System Integrated Control Panel, PFD unit switch, MFD1&2, Engine Display, Electronic Standby Instruments and 2 Digital Clocks. All of these systems have been implemented to an extreme degree of accuracy.

The EIS for example is fully functional and will allow you to operate either the PFD1 or PFD2 depending on which side of the aircraft you choose to fly from. This therefore means that you don’t always have to fly as the Captain. If you wish to enjoy the Q400 from the perspective of the FO’s seat, you can do so with no need to rely on using functions from the left side of the panel.

The Engine & Display Control Panel is also fully functional and it allows you to have full control over your MFD to cycle through many of the systems of the Q400. If you would like to display any of the MFD modes on the Captain’s or FO’s display, you have the option to do so using the MFD mode knob. I have found this to be very useful when flying since it allows you to have an increased situational awareness of both the systems and navigational aspects of the aircraft. Through reading the manual you will also see that there is a way of displaying 2 system pages on 2 MFDs simultaneously.

What if there is an emergency situation and you lose one of your displays? Well since each PFD and MFD gets its data from either the L or R AHRC and ADC, you have the option off switch the source of the failed display.

The PFD and MFD are perhaps the most important displays to the pilot. I was very impressed with the level of detail within these displays since they replicate the real world functions to the T. If you were to look even closer at these displays (especially the PFD) you would also notice that even the fonts and symbols were spot on. The side by side comparison below give you a good idea of how realistic these displays really look.

Can you tell the difference between which is real and which is the MJC Q400?

The MFD in NAV mode is also very impressive and fully functional. Some of the feature you will definitely enjoy is the Terrain and Weather Radar functions. Let’s first of all talk about the Terrain overlay. The function has 2 modes of operation which are Normal and Peak. Normal mode shows the relative elevation (relative to your altitude) while the Peak mode shows the actual terrain levels under the aircraft.

This isn’t an entirely new feature to FSX but it one that is not commonly implemented in add-on aircraft.

What I like the most about this feature is that the information is very clear and easy to understand. The accuracy of these displays is also very good.

Now let’s talk about the Weather Radar which is a source of much controversy throughout the FS community. It’s somewhat a known fact that FSX does not provide enough weather data that can be used to produce“accurate” weather radar. It is important to note that Majestic Software does not claim to have“accurate” weather radar. What has been provided is described as an interpolation of weather returns, based on the actual FSX weather, using the FSX Weather Stations reports.

The Weather Radar can work with both the FSX Real Weather, and the Weather Environment add-ons capable of setting the per-station weather. The beam geometry is also simulated in order to depict the weather based upon the aircraft altitude, antenna tilt and the altitude of the weather itself. There is a ground clutter and the weather shadow effects. In addition there is a ground mapping mode simulation, capable of showing the surrounding terrain. The weather clutter in the ground mode is also simulated but you should beware of false returns.

Another display we will talk about is the Engine Instrument Display and Throttles. This is a very complex topic but I will do my best to summarize what MJC has been able to achieve with the Q400. First of all, the Engine display itself is very accurate as it displays all of relevant information you would expect to find. Understanding this display is quite simple so I won’t elaborate much on this feature. The most complicated aspect of this topic comes with the Engine Control Panel and the use of the Throttle itself.

The Engine Control Panel is used to control the engine rating modes, program the reduced take-off mode and reduced Np landing mode. What was also impressive (though not implemented in the Pilot or Pro Edition) is that the Event Marker will also be implemented perhaps in the Training edition. This feature allows you to take a snap shot of abnormal readings that can be later checked by maintenance.

Moving on to the throttles, MJC has done quite an impressive job in the operation of the throttles. The throttles operate in 5 ranges. First (from the bottom up) we have the Reverse range followed by Ground Beta, Flight Beta Range, Constant Speed Range and finally Emergency Range. Each range has its importance and I think it is important that you familiarize yourself with how the throttles are correctly operated by reviewing the manuals.

Using the throttles requires extreme care as you no longer have to press F2 to activate reverse thrust. The throttle operates just as in the real world where you have one range of motion that will cycle through each range. This done quite smoothly with the aid of FADEC but it will take a bit of practice to get used to it.

The condition levellers are also fully simulated in their range of motion. Its primary function is to control the propeller speed which is very much visible from the external model. Its operation is also controlled by FADEC so you will find that selecting the desired range is not very difficult.

What I just described is only the fringe of this complex system and you will have to read the manual in order to fully comprehend how this system works.

One of the features I am anxious to discuss is the FMS, however, we will leave this for last since it is a very complicated unit and it is very different to FMS units you may have used in the past. In the meanwhile, let’s talk about the Audio and Radio Management System (ARMS). This unit controls and monitors the Radio Communication, Radio Navigation Management, Passenger Address, Communication Interphone System and Audio Integration System.

The various functions of the ARMS is quite extensive and in order to get a grasp of how each function works you will have to consult the manual. Two features of this unit I would like to discuss however are the DME Hold and the ability to store frequencies for easy access.

The DME Hold may be a new concept for many of you but in a nutshell it is basically a function that allows you to decouple the DME receiver from the VOR/ILS receiver. In so doing, the currently selected navaid DME is kept receiving and you are able to also select a new navaid!

The second feature is the ability to store frequencies. This is an invaluable function that will decrease the workout of pilots who are at a critical phase of flight and are required to change frequencies regularly. Doing this is very easy and you have the ability to store up to 8 different frequencies. As you can see, the features that have been implemented are extensive and what I have just described is only a fraction of what has been modelled.

Now it’s time to discuss the FMS which is one of the most extensive and interesting features of this product. The two Flight Management Systems that come with this airplane consist of a Flight Management Computer, Multifunctional Display Unit, GPS Receiver and Interface module. It provides Vertical and Lateral navigation, Situational awareness, Flight planning, Fuel Management and it also allows you to control the announcements, music and ground services. Many of you will be familiar with FMS ground service control from another popular add-on and you will be happy to know that is has also been implemented in the Q400 for easy access to these functions with the exception of operating the aircraft doors.

The FMS, while complicated is not at all difficult to understand. After the unit is turned on and initialized it is basically ready to go. Filling in the flight plan is not very difficult but you may meet a potential hurdle when you try to enter airways in the traditional fashion. To enter airways you have to enter the LIST page which will give you a host of options in choosing your next waypoint.

By clicking on the LSK next to AIR/WAY, you will be able to choose which airways you would like to fly and then select the necessary transition point. During this process of flight plan entry, you may also be wondering where the STAR/SID page is. To access the STARS and SIDS you have to select the ICAO airport code which you should have entered first and last in your flight plan page. After selecting the airport and clicking the MENU function key, you will now have access to a host of options whether it is to select a Departure, an Arrival or other options.

After the flight plan entry has been completed, you now have the option of saving the flight plan through the previously mentioned MENU key. The fuel page is also fully functional and it allows you to enter data pertaining to the number of passengers, cargo weight and fuel onboard. I think by now you get the picture that this FMS is no “light” version. I mentioned earlier that the Q400 came with 2 FMS that are independent in how they operate. This means that when you select a page on the Captain’s FMS, it does not affect the FO’s FMS. Does this mean that you have to enter the data twice? No, this is where the X-FILL option comes into play and it allows you to copy the information from one FMS over to the other.

Another function that is available through the FMS is the ability to fly various approaches. Don’t let this little FMS fool you, it is packed with goodies! Some of the approaches that can be flown with the FMS are RNAV, NDB, NDB-DME, VOR and VOR-DME approaches. Another treat is the ability to fly RNP (Required Navigation Performance) Enabled Approaches provided that necessary conditions are met. This comes in handy if you are avoiding noise sensitive areas or flying into areas with very tricky terrain.

The VNAV function of the FMS has also been fully implemented, but it may not work the same way it does on a 737 or 747. There are basically two ways to use the VNAV function. First we have VNAV TO which is used when immediate VNAV application is needed. All that is needed is to select the waypoint you desire and the FMS will calculate the required vertical path to the waypoint. For this to work correctly you must have an altitude entered next to the waypoint on the flight plan page.

The second way of using the VNAV function is the VNAV Enroute. This is the main VNAV function and it is designed to basically calculate your TOD (Top of Decent) point and thereafter, it will give you at TGT VS (Target Vertical Speed) to your next waypoint that has a lower altitude restriction. Another option that is provided is to fly a VNAV approach which is also dependant on meeting certain conditions. A word of caution is in order at this point due to the fact that the VNAV function does have its limitations as it would in the real world. For a list of these limitations you may want to consult the manual.

As you can see, the features implemented in the FMS of the Q400 are very in-depth and I have only touched on a fraction of these features. What is even more impressive is that MORE features are on the way with the Pro and Training Edition. While I would love to delve deeper into the features of this aircraft, this review would quickly turn into a novel. For the sack of those who are still keenly interested in other systems that have been simulated, you will be pleased to know that systems such as Hydraulic, APU, Electrical, Pressurization, Fuel System, Ice Protection and more have all been fully implemented with some being based upon differential fluid dynamics equations.

Test Flight

Taking a break from the brain busting complexity of the Q400 systems, let’s talk about how the Q400 feel in the skies? I will start off by stating that the Q400’s FDE is completely unlike anything you have experienced in all your years, months or days of using a flight simulator. Many high end add-ons in the past have impressed us despite having their FDE’s fully confined to FSX. While some of you may not see a problem in this, FSX is notoriously known for prohibiting the level of realism we expect in how an aircraft handles both on the ground and in the air. The Q400 on the other hand does not rely on FSX for the simulation of its FDE.

The flight dynamics of the MJC400 utilizes an open source JsbSim flight dynamics engine, which is a successor of the LARCSIM built by NASA. Here is a list of advantages over FSX dynamics:

• Correct ground dynamics – The airplane wheels friction is correctly simulated by the JsbSim, preventing the aircraft from “skidding” on take-off, landing or even taxi with side wind.
• The JsbSim works with a rate of 125Hz versus 30Hz in the Microsoft flight dynamics, potentially providing a 4 times better responses to the flight conditions.
• JsbSim also gives a full control on gear positions, allowing us to fully simulate the gear malfunctions (not locking, failure to retract or extend)
• Lift due to propeller airstream simulation: with JsbSim we also simulate the changes in the wing lift due to the propeller created airstream, the effect without which the correct turbo prop

If we were to sum this all up, it would be safe to say that FSX is simply a scenery generator for the Q400 which functions separately. This being the case it is easy to see the hype behind the high praises that have already been voiced over the realism of them Q400’s FDE. Speaking from the view point of a simmer and a private pilot, the Q400 is perhaps “one of” the most realistic simulations of an aircraft in flight. The fact that real airline pilots have also voiced their commendation for this aircraft, speaks volumes for how realistically the aircraft’s FDE has been simulated.

While the FDE is a shining point of the Q400, I would also like to point out that any difficulty experienced in flying this aircraft, does necessarily mean that there is a bug. During the month of May, there was a Teamspeak session with a Captain at Horizon Air that discussed the Q400 at length. It was quite remarkable that many of the quirks of the Q400 that users had concerns about, were actually the exact characteristics and quirks of the real aircraft! The fact that this is a very realistic simulation means that you have to be in full control of the aircraft at all times when flying manually.

Some of the features of the Q400 handling that some have found a bit difficult to grasp is the steering controls while on the ground. Most of us have become familiar to using rudders or a yoke to steer the aircraft while on the ground. With the Q400 this is not the case in real life and it is surely not the case in the MJC Q400. When taxiing it is important to note that under 40kts, the rudders do not have command of the steering mechanisms. When taxiing under 40kts you are required to use the Tiller which can be linked to your mouse, or to your ailerons.

When on throttles have been advanced and you commence your take-off run, be prepared to take command of the aircraft with your rudders as the Q400 passes 40kts. If you do not have rudders, it may be best to have keyboard commands that will assist you in steering the aircraft. It may be inconvenient using keyboard commands but it is the next best option to not having rudder pedals. With that said, I would highly recommend using rudder pedals if you plan on having the best experience using this aircraft.

Landing the Q400 can also be a tricky task because it requires being in control of the aircraft at all times. This means controlling your speed and keeping the aircraft co-ordinated should there be any crosswind conditions at your airport of arrival. If you want to have a more challenging experience, you may choose to change the aircrafts weight and balance through the control panel which is used to setup various options for the Q400. My only problem with the Control Panel is that some of the changes made to the aircraft require reloading the aircraft.

In this day and age, I think most simmers prefer real time updating that does not require reloading the aircraft. Thankfully, the one feature that does not require a reload is the Weight and Balance page, which I am sure you will be using more frequently. Overall, you will be VERY impressed with the handling of this aircraft.

While we are on the topic of aircraft handling, I thought it would be a good time to discuss the handling of the autopilot. The AFCS is very easy to use and while it may operate a bit differently to the MCP’s you may be used to, you won’t have any issues transitioning to this unit.

Using the AFCS effectively calls for a lot of advance thinking. As in the real world, every pilot must mentally stay ahead of their aircraft and the same proves true with the Q400. Prior to departure and in planning your descent and landing, you will be required to make various changes to the AFCS settings. For example, every change in altitude required a manual change and arming ATL SEL. When climbing we have become very use to simply activating VNAV and allowing the autopilot to control the aircrafts speed. With the Q400 this is not the case and your climb speed/rate is control buy the pilot using the IAS mode.

The transitions between turning the autopilot on and off were smooth at best, but there were one or two occasions of instability when taking off the autopilot. These incidents were due to improper trimming of the aircraft and poor speed control while the autopilot was on. Another “incident” was that while in cruise with the autopilot on, I noticed that the aircraft was someone banked to the right. It was then I realized that due to the winds at my flight level, I needed to adjust the rudder trim to keep the aircraft coordinated. I am not sure if these experiences will happen to you, but if it does, now you know a possible reason why. Overall the autopilot was simulated very well.

The final areas I would like to comment on as it relates to flying the Q400 is the amazing sound that comes with this product and the Ice protection system (since it has a bearing on the handling of the aircraft in stalls). The sound system utilizes a state of the art sound processing technology to provide a highly realistic sound simulation of a Dash8 Q400 aircraft. Here are a few features of the sound system;

Surround sound support

The MJC400 sound system is a scalable system, and supports up to 2 sb5.1 or

sb7.1 sound cards (6 channels max per each), simulating up to 12 channels

Simultaneously.

Each sound group (such as engine, environment, warnings) can be assigned to the

particular channel or combination of channels (incl subwoofer channels), making

the real surround sound experience possible

Engine and Propeller sounds

Simulation utilizes the digital sound processing (DSP) effects to account for the

sound changes due to the changing engine airflow pattern with changing airspeed,

RPM and propeller beta angles.

Intercom

A complete intercom simulation is made first time possible for home use software. The MJC400 sound system can utilize an extra sound card to provide 3 microphone inputs (Captain, First Officer, Observer), and 5 dedicated output channels (Captain Headphones and speaker, First Officer headphones and speaker, Observer headphones) to capture and route the sounds in the real time.

The Intercom activation will result in an automated reconfiguration of the sound system so that the appropriate sound signals, such as caution and warning and synthetic alarms, as well as passenger announcements will be routed to the intercom outputs, at the same time as the primary sound card will continue to render engine and other environmental sounds. It is also possible to use the intercom system with 1 (sb5.1 or greater) soundcard; however the observer audio channels will not be simulated.

Note: The intercom module will not be a part of the most basic edition of the MJC8Q400 airplane add-on, however this module is only required if the Microphone audio routing is desired. The intercom (without microphone sound capturing) would work regardless of the Intercom module availability.

Cabin door simulation

The cabin door position has an effect of how the cabin announcements, passenger boarding sounds and the cabin chimes are heard. For example, when the door is closed you will still be able to hear the FA announcements via the intercom (this option does not need an intercom module activation).

Cabin procedures

The sound system will automatically or manually play the music from a dedicated MP3 files folder, utilizing the real time equalizer to “compress” the music audio to fit the spectrum of the airplane cabin loudspeakers, play the flight attendant and pilot announcements, switching the audio system automatically to the correct mode (PA system simulation). Announcements are also correctly routed via the intercom system (this function does not require the intercom module active).

So what does all of this have to do with the handling of the aircraft? Well nothing really, but the feel of an aircraft is not only dependant on the physical handling. The feel also has to do with the sound environment and I think you will agree with me that this is “one of” the best sound packages for FSX to date. Since it works externally it is able to fully reproduce the sound of the props as they pitch is changed, it give you a better feel for what the aircraft is doing at all times. My only complaint with the sound package is that even when you minimize the FSX to do other things on your PC, the sound can still be heard.

The sound package and its capabilities contribute significantly to the overall feel of being in the cockpit of a Q400. When changing your view around the cockpit you will quickly notice a change as you would experience while sitting in the actual cockpit (Trust me, I have sat in the cockpit of Dash 8s more than in the passenger seat.) Overall, words can’t express how good this aspect of the Q400 really is and you will have to hear it to believe it.

The final area we will touch on is the Ice Protection system and how the aircraft reacts to stall situations. You might recall that a few years ago, a Q400 sadly crashed due to improper handling of icing conditions in the Buffalo area. For this reason, I decided to carry out my own test of this aircraft in similar conditions. On a flight from KPDX to KSEA, there was quite a build-up of thunderstorms in the area and severe icing conditions. On my approach, the Engine display alerted me to this fact and it became necessary to turn the REF SPEED switch to INCR. This switch increases the reference speeds on the PFD to compensate for the increases stall speeds that may occur due to ice on the leading edge of the wing.

At one point, I allowed the aircraft to go into a stall and the results were surprising. The aircraft began pitching up and it almost initiated a turn and dive. Whether this is normal or not I am not 100% sure but it was eerily similar the behaviour of the aircraft that crashed back in 2009. With that said, is a stall recoverable? Well before things got out of hand I was able to recover the aircraft and to land safely thereafter.

Another area I was interested in testing was to fly using 1 engine. All I have to say on this matter is to ensure that you have rudder pedals if you plan on trying this yourself! Landing this aircraft softly is challenging enough as it is and one can only imagine the challenge it would be to land using 1 engine. Despite the challenges you will find the Q400 a joy to fly.

Summary/Conclusion

In summary, there is a lot to say about this aircraft as it is quite impressive and addictive. I can’t remember being as excited about an aircraft since the NGX and I was very pleased with all of the features of the Q400. This review is by no means a comprehensive review of ALL the Q400 systems since time will never allow us to discuss them all in details. What I have discussed in this review is simply some of the highlights of the Q400 and features that you may find impressive. At this point it is purely up to you whether you would like to experience it or not.

If you are interested in checking out the MJC Q400, your next question may be, What does it cost?

The Pilot Edition of the Q400 will cost you 49.95 Euros which to me is a fair price for what you are getting. If you are interested in the Pro Edition, the cost will be 74.95 while the Training Edition will cost you 149.95. If you own the Pilot Edition and you wish to upgrade to the Pro Edition, you can do so by simply paying the difference between the costs of the two products.

In the end, I can only say that this product is more than deserving of an AVSIM GOLD STAR AWARD. Why? Well the Q400 has introduced a number of new features into world of flightsim. The most significant of them all are the outstanding FDE and Sound simulation. The systems can also merit recognition for manner in which they were programmed using real life laws of physics.

I can’t say that the Q400 is THE best product out there but it is definitely a product that will meet the standard of any serious flightsim enthusiast with a quest for realism. Many have called this product “The Game Changer” and I tend to agree that the way in which this product was developed sets the bar even higher for what we expect from this point on.

Other links & Additional Information

AuraSim has created an EFB which is a web-based application to be used from your desktop or tablet (iPad or Android) to acquire departure/destination weather (METARS & TAFS), but more importantly to calculate (takeoff and landing) performance data.

Airport Sceneries shown in various screenshots are from Aerosoft

What I Like About The Q400

• Innovative aircraft effects
• In-depth Systems
• High quality textures
• Highly accurate external models
• Excellent aircraft sound
• Very realistic FDE
• 3D Propeller Simulation

What I Don’t Like About The Q400

• Nothing much not to like other than having to wait a few more months for the Pro and Training Edition.

Review by Gene Davis. Since the original Instant Scenery was released a few years back I have been an avid user and supporter of this program because of its ease of use and simple integration into Microsoft Flight Simulator. Now, enter the third release of Instant Scenery, aptly named Instant Scenery 3! This time around you get the same features as before as well as some new and significant program improvements.

Purchase and Download

Purchasing Instant Scenery 3 is just like any other Flight 1 product, simply download the program from the Flight 1 website and purchase the program via the Flight 1 Wrapper. If you owned the previous version and bought it after January 1, 2013 you are eligible to get the new version for free, otherwise owners that purchased before will need to pay the $29.99 to buy the new version. Instant Scenery 3 will work and install into FSX, FS2004 and or Prepar3d 1.4 (Not quite sure about 2.0), in fact the installer actually asks you which program you’re installing it into!

Having owned Instant Scenery 2, I did uninstall the previous version before installing 3 and the found that the install process is short and straight to the point. Once installed you can access Instant Scenery 3 from the Add-ons menu in FSX when FSX is running and it is recommended that you run FSX in windowed mode when using IS3 otherwise you might experience CTD’s.

There is also a manual included that is easy to understand and will have you jumping in and creating scenery for FSX and or P3D in no time!

Instant Scenery 3 Features (IS3)

IS3 comes with many different features and gives the user the ability to add over 1000 different objects to the Flight Simulator environment without having to leave the program (FSX) or restart it. IS3 actually uses the existing scenery objects, buildings, etc. that are default to FSX to make its list of available objects for use when creating new scenery areas.

In total there are over 20 different categories to choose from, but if you are like me you will probably spend most of your time in the Autogen, Airport Objects and Building categories because these are where the most common objects are stored.

The program also makes it easy to implement scenery objects by simply using the mouse to place and or manipulate said objects. The core program will also give the user the ability to change height, size, elevation and complexity for each individual object when using IS3. It is as simple as clicking on the object or building you want to place using the core IS3 program and dragging it onto the screen in FSX.

The program also features a Favorites window, but it would be nice to see a most used window instead that would maybe list the last 10 objects used for easy reference.

There are some rather significant additions to IS3 which make up the core changes to the program and to where it has evolved into Instant Scenery 3. The biggest change and newest features have to be the ability to create land polygons, roads (with traffic), railways, power lines, and water polygons with shorelines within the Flight Simulator environment without having to generate bgl.files outside of the simulator, this is a pretty significant enhancement as it really adds to the kind of work that can be done from IS3 within Flight Simulator.

Using and Creating With IS3

One of the things I truly enjoy doing with a program like IS3 is using it to populate cities or towns while using photo-real terrain. With my FSX installation I use MegaScenery Earth V2 Scenery and though it does look great it is totally devoid of any autogen and is pretty limited when it comes to scenery object placement in some locations. So, that is where IS3 comes in, it allows me to take a small area and grow it into the town or city I want it to be. I find that I often compare it to be like designing a city in the old game SimCity only for FSX instead without all of the budget constraints!

With previous version of Instant Scenery I have created scenery for the city of Yakima and its surrounding communities like Selah and Gleed and I have also done quite a bit of work along the Oregon Coast by building up marina’s and adding motels, bay fronts and other structures throughout to give the areas a more realistic appearance when flying in and out of them. This work has been ongoing and it has the coverage areas have grown considerably and I do plan on uploading my files to AVSIM soon.

For the sake of this article I took an area that had no previous scenery and started fresh with IS3 and decided on a small town that is just south of Yakima, WA called Wapato. Wapato is small little town in Eastern Washington and it is mainly an agriculture community and only has a population of right around 5000 people. The town itself has an old look and feel to it and that was something I wanted to capture when placing the scenery objects and buildings.

In life I have been to Wapato many times and I am very familiar with all of the little towns and communities throughout the entire Yakima Valley as I spent many years there so there is a bit of nostalgia involved when I do these kinds of projects.

Two of the largest buildings / complexes in the Wapato has to be that of Inland Fruit and Yakima Fruit as they are quite large and stand out most when viewing the scenery from the air as they are the first thing you see when you approach the town from the North. These two facilities, along with the water tower that sits just South of Yakima Fruit make’s for the largest landmarks in the area and they are what defines the town when viewed from afar.

Objects in IS3 are all default to the SDK that came with FSX so you are stuck using what is available unless you go looking for other 3rd party object libraries, but keep in mind that you may have distribution problems if using other libraries without the approval of the ones who designed them. Keeping that in mind there is a lot of repetition involved when using certain objects and you are only going to find buildings and objects that “look like” what you are trying to convey as real world buildings in certain locations unless you use a program like Instant Object Maker to create your own objects and buildings that are true to their real world counterparts.

Take my downtown Yakima scenery; I think I came pretty close to a decent design of what the Yakima skyline looks like and that was done using only default scenery objects.

When you first start creating the scenery area IS3 will ask you if you want to add the scenery to an existing BGL or create a new one, in this case the last scenery file that I altered was my KYKM.BGL so I needed to create a new scenery file called Wapato.BGL and this is so that each area remains separate from the other and you are not building one file for one large area. After that it is merely going through the list of objects and buildings and selecting what you want to incorporate into your project and making it fit the way you want it to.

Luckily, there is a tone of agriculture type buildings available in FSX and I have found that even though they get repetitive you can adjust them or manipulate them to give them their own identity. I usually do this by taking two of the same buildings, or two different buildings and merge them together using IS3, this is done by simply placing one over the other and one being at different angle then the other thus giving it a different appearance.

Designing and trying to get an accurate layout can be a bit overwhelming because you don’t always know the actual size of certain buildings when placed and often do not realize this until after you have closed out IS3. Just because it looks good in the top down view doesn’t mean that it will fit the scenery properly and portray an accurate and realistic look.

This was the case with my first attempt at creating the Inland Fruit and Yakima Fruit complexes and I ended up going back and redoing most of the work I had already done because I had buildings that were way to large in height and they just didn’t fit in with the surrounding scenery. Though IS3 does allow you to view the scenery from any view within or outside the aircraft while editing it I usually only use the top down view while dropping scenery objects just because I find that is the easiest way of doing it for me and makes it easy to align it with the photo-real scenery.

The town of Wapato is made of mostly older buildings and most are small so I found myself using a lot of the same types of buildings as I laid out the downtown area. From the ground it tends to look repetitive but from the air it isn’t that noticeable and offers a pretty decent recreation of the town. Personally, I would love to see more objects and buildings released with Instant Scenery especially when it comes to North American design. Though there is a lot of agriculture based buildings there is definitely a lack of commercial style buildings that actually fit in rural America as most of the commercial buildings available are quite large.

Several of the new features with IS3 are that of the ability to create roads, rail, land polygons and water polygons and I was amazed at how easy these features were to use and incorporate. In the case of the rail, I simply followed the existing track on the photo-real scenery and laid it down over the top, same with the roads!

Roads will give you the ability to add single lane to multi-lane freeways that also includes traffic, as for the polygons I didn’t spend much time trying to figure them out but adding a lake to an area is pretty simple as the shorelines are automatically adjusted to your design. It is important to note that when creating roads, rail, and polygons IS3 will create a different BGL file for you to use; in my case, the rail I added and the road became a BGL called WapatoCVX.bgl keeping it separate from the other Wapato.BGL which includes the buildings and objects and makes it easy for removal if you do not want to use it.

Time is your only true enemy here and in some cases you can literally spend hours working on one area. Once I get started I tend to not want to stop and keep building until my eyes start to hurt, in the case of Wapato it took me roughly two hours to get the base of the town down, then check it out and then go back and make changes where I wanted to, several days later I invested another couple hours to make changes to it again after looking on it with fresh eyes.

In Closing

Instant Scenery 3 is an exceptional program and I have used it since it was originally released years ago. It has added so much to my own enjoyment of FSX because when I go flying I can look down on the world below and say “Hey, I created that!” and it gives me a sense of it being my own because I designed  a small portion of it. IS3 has a simple to use interface that incorporates itself into FSX nicely and it doesn’t over complicate by making the user take other steps to complete what he or she wants, it is just straight and to the point!

Review by Gene Davis. With the 64-bit version of X-Plane 10 now available the simulation has changed considerably when it comes to performance and the way it operates on newer computers by giving the arm chair pilot a pretty realistic flying experience using the technology available to it. I have since made the jump to an 8 Core AMD 8350 Processor and I have to say the difference in X-Plane 10 is night and day when compared to that of its original release.

That being said, many aircraft that were created for X-Plane have had to undergo upgrades and changes so that they would function properly in the program when running in 64 bit mode.

This, although annoying at first, because here you were with planes that were no longer useable with the latest release of X-Plane because it wasn’t compatible any longer, though you could run it in the original 32-bit the difference in performance and speed was so great that I often found it hard to go back to the 32-bit mode of X-Plane. This was the issue I had with Carenado’s Cessna 208 Grand Caravan when I first asked for received it, I installed the plane and never gave any thought to it not being a 64-bit compatible aircraft.

So, the first time I booted it up it did not work correctly and this was ultimately my fault because I failed to read the product page at Carenado’s website. Though, it did run fine in 32 bit mode I just wasn’t happy with it and not at all happy with X-Plane 10 in 32 bit mode after using the 64 bit mode.

So, fast forward to just a couple weeks ago and to my delight Carenado had released a new version of the Cessna 208B, this one titled Cessna 208 Grand Caravan HD Series V2 and it is now fully compatible with X-Plane 10 and its 64 bit operation.

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plus Cargo Expansion Pack

The core Cessna 208B package from Carenado is the passenger model and includes 5 different liveries along with a painter’s model. Now, if you choose to get the Cargo Master expansion, along with the core package, you will also have the same 5 liveries as the core package, but each plane will be configured to haul cargo instead of passengers. There is also full set of manuals specifically designed for each of the passenger or cargo models and they can be accessed from the individual aircraft folder of the one you want to look at in the documents folder.

The exterior of the C208B Grand Caravan and the Cargo Master version is superb as each of the models are incredibly detailed with lots of eye candy and all of the moving parts one would come to expect with an aircraft from Carenado. The liveries are created with ultra high resolution textures that give a definite “real “look to the airplane when in the simulation. If I was to compare this package to the original HD FSX Caravan package I would have to say that I prefer the X-Plane 10 version over the other, though I have not tried the newer EX HD C208 series aircraft for FSX and I am not able to make a comparison there at this time.

The cockpit is a familiar one if you have used this aircraft in FSX and it includes all of the features you would expect in an aircraft of this type. The plane uses the KFC 150 autopilot and includes the GNS 430 along with a full set of instruments and navigational equipment. I was impressed with the quality of the gauge work and how the gauges move realistically while in flight, gauge clarity, gauge update and fluidity is excellent with this aircraft and really does bring out the best in X-Plane 10.

Interiors are also modeled quite nicely from the cockpit to the rear of the aircraft and depending on which you choose to fly you will either see seating for passengers or a place for cargo if you are flying the Cargo Master version. Going over some of the eye candy in the cockpit is also impressive, though it doesn’t do anything there is a full panel filled with the individual circuit breakers for the plane and the pilot and co pilots seats are rendered in full detail and you can almost reach out and touch the seat covers!

One of the interesting additions to this package has to be that of the menu system built into the plane. While running in X-Plane with the Cessna 208B passenger or cargo version you will see  a menu near the bottom left of your screen and it appears as C ->, D -> and O ->.

Clicking on each one will result in different options, clicking on C will allow you to change your field of view (10 different options), clicking on D will allow you to open the doors and cargo pod and finally O will give several different options that allow you to change the appearance of the plane first being the ability to add and remove the cargo pod, second is the ability to add the static elements such as the tow tractor, pitot cover, sights props and chocks. You also have the ability to change the load configuration from a full load of cargo to an empty plane with the Cargo Master and the ability to change the seating configuration in the passenger model as well.

The sound is by far the biggest improvement in this add-on when compared to the older version in the FSX plane and is ultimately better in X-Plane 10 in my opinion. The X-Plane 10 version uses a module to give the sound a 3d effect giving you a pretty realistic audio environment from inside and outside the plane. The sound is produced from original HQ digital stereo sounds (44.1 KHz) recorded from the actual PT6 engine which really gives you a true feel for what the real aircraft sounds like. When you take off you actually hear the roll and the aircraft rattle and shake as it heads down the runway, something I haven’t seen in many X-Plane aircraft. From start up to shutdown this plane by no way disappoints in the sound department!

Purchase, Download and Installation

The Grand Caravan can be purchased directly from Carenado’s website or it can be found on just about any reputable flight simulation site for purchase. Buying the plane from Carenado will cost you $29.95 and an additional $9.95 if you want the cargo version. Personally, I recommend both because the extra cargo models are nicely done and add a lot to the package as a whole.

Once purchased you can download the plane via your account with Carenado or via a link on the receipt their store sent you at the time of purchase. Save the download to a location where you will know where it is at. Most times downloads by default are saved to the download directory built into Windows, but if you are like me you might use an alternate location for archiving purposes. The file will be in a zipped format so it is necessary to extract it to a folder of your choice somewhere on your hard drive, same goes for the Cargo Expansion add-on as well.

Being that it is X-Plane there is no installer to run and it must be copied over to your X-Plane folder manually where your aircraft for X-Plane are stored. If you are familiar with X-Plane and how the aircraft are placed into the program then it will not be a big deal but if you are a novice to X-Plane it can be kind of confusing. The core Cessna 208B file will be extracted to a folder with the same name as the zip file sent to you, usually Carenado 208B Grand Caravan V2 and it will need to be placed into the X-Plane 10/ aircraft subfolder. I like keeping my aircraft separate from one another, especially pay ware aircraft, in X-Plane so in my case I have created a folder called Carenado and dropped the Cessna into that one.

As for the Cargo Pack, this is where things get a little tricky because to install the expansion pack into X-Plane you must create a COPY of the your existing Cessna 208B folder and rename it to something like Cessna 208B Cargo then copy the contents of the zip file for the cargo package that you received from Carenado into this new folder and overwrite the existing files as specified in the directions. Make sure to read the Carenado SC Installation Instructions PDF in the Cargo master Expansion folder for a better understanding before just jumping in and coping files and folders.

Though I understand where and how to make aircraft work in X-Plane I would much rather see an installer for both of these add-ons rather than having to copy and paste files from one folder to another, or just a separate installer for the Cargo version of the plane would have been nice.

Flying the Cessna 208B in X-Plane 10

I have owned the original 208 from Carenado for FSX since it was released and is by far one my personal favorites when it comes to flying in places like Alaska and I was somewhat hesitant climbing into the X-Plane version of this aircraft because I haven’t really seen an aircraft that has been developed for FSX and then X-Plane be really all that good and let’s just say my expectations were not that great!

Flying the 208B in X-Plane was wonderful as it had excellent control and it was easy to manage the cockpit while in flight, my first impression as I left Newport Oregon was “Wow! This is pretty darn good!” As I was headed down the runway the first thing I noticed was the rattling and shaking of the plane and how it reacted to the outside environment, not to mention the sound as I neared takeoff speed.

After takeoff I did some typical maneuvers around KONP with the plane and headed north over Newport then turned south towards Coos Bay all the while using real world weather. The aircraft reacted to the winds coming off the ocean from the south and you could almost feel the plane fighting it at times as I lumbered down the coast line.  

During the flight I played with some of the buttons and switches, used the GPS, set the autopilot and tested how the sound responded to dramatic throttle adjustments during flight and the only thing I could find was going from the exterior view back into the cockpit view it would sometimes have a hard time catching up and there would be distortion in the sound for a few seconds.

As far as physics is concerned, the plane does respond to outside elements such as wind and turbulence and will be harder to fly if not loaded correctly.

The flight went without a hitch and I landed in Coos Bay with a slight cross wind and as I taxied to parking and shut down the engines down I walked away with a smile on my face, the sound was excellent, the flight characteristics were above par (trust me, it doesn’t fly like some the default planes in X-Plane) and the plane just looks fabulous in X-Plane!

In Closing

If you are looking for a pay ware aircraft to pick up for X-Plane then I would strongly recommend the Caravan package from Carenado. To be frank, after seeing the Caravan I would strongly recommend any of their aircraft for X-Plane 10 because I can’t help but think if this one is as good as it is then the others must be just as good!

FlyThisSim Part 2: TouchTrainer™

FAA-Approved Touchscreen Basic Aviation Training Device

Review by Doug Horton. FlyThisSim (FTS) received the first ever FAA approval of a touchscreen-operated Basic Aviation Training Device, employing new technologies to produce their TouchTrainer™ product. Users can operate all buttons and knobs of the included control panels and GPS instruments for X-Plane 10 with the two furnished touchscreen monitors or programmed controls on the yoke, joystick, or throttle.

Each TouchTrainer device includes the purchaser’s choice of one airplane family, with FTS touchscreen operated control panels, instruments and configurations for that family. Also included are X-Plane 10 models for that family, including applicable flight dynamics models, without visible exteriors of the family. Separately, the control panels and instruments are available as retail products for personal or commercial licensing, as discussed in part 1 of this review.

TouchTrainer with two touchscreens and controls for Cirrus and
Diamond Aircraft, including rudder pedals not shown

TouchTrainer™ System

The TouchTrainer is unlike other FAA approved aircraft training devices, because the requirement for realistically modeled hardware controls has been relaxed by the FAA, specifically for the TouchTrainer. Pointing out that many modern avionics displays increasingly incorporate touchscreen controls, FTS has obtained FAA approval for the TouchTrainer with touchscreen LCD monitors that display operable, photorealistic virtual buttons and knobs. The TouchTrainer system still provides visual and aural feedback to the operator for positive control selection, and according to FTS, this revolutionary change provides several noteworthy benefits:

Fidelity: Controls are accurately positioned on a photorealistic background, and they have the same appearance as the makes and models of the simulated aircraft controls. Users instinctively learn the positions and functions of the controls in the training device for use in each modeled aircraft.

Versatility: For now, no other FAA-approved flight simulation training device can be immediately transitioned to simulate multiple cockpit configurations, such as standard “six pack,” Garmin 530W/430W, Garmin G1000, Avidyne Entegra, Cirrus Perspective, or other technically advanced avionics.

Reliability, Maintainability, and Serviceability: FTS has eliminated most moving parts, which are replaced with off-the-shelf standard consumer components and solid-state displays. Software upgrades are free for the first year and are provided at low cost thereafter.

FAA-Approved Touch Trainer Aircraft Configurations

Currently, FTS produces FAA-approved TouchTrainer systems for Cirrus, Cessna, and Diamond airplanes, with approval pending for Beechcraft and Piper airplanes. Users of FAA approved systems must purchase and assemble complete TouchTrainer systems so that their systems are identical to the samples reviewed and approved by the FAA. The FAA approvals are very specific for which airplanes and configurations of the three brands are approved for TouchTrainer BATDs.

Approved TouchTrainer configurations for Cessna aircraft:

FTS Cessna 172 control panel with G1000 system

Approved TouchTrainer configurations for Cirrus aircraft:

FTS Cirrus control panel with Avidyne Entegra glass panels,
 two GNS 430W instruments, and standby analog gauges

Approved TouchTrainer configurations for Diamond aircraft:

FTS Diamond DA-40 or 42 panel with G1000 and standby analog instruments

Aviation Training Devices

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approves aviation training devices in accordance with Advisory Circular 61-136. In terms of this Circular, as a Basic Aviation Training Device (BATD), the FTS TouchTrainer: “provides a training platform for at least the procedural aspects of flight relating to an integrated ground and flight instrument training curriculum….”

In contrast to a BATD, an FAA designated Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD): “provides a training platform for both procedural and operational performance tasks related to ground and flight training towards private pilot, commercial pilot, and airline transport pilot certificates, a flight instructor certificate, and instrument rating….”

TouchTrainer Visual System

The original TouchTrainer product was conceived as an instrument trainer, with only a slight amount of scenery visible above the control panel on the 24” touchscreen monitor. As a popular option, an added three-monitor display is available, called the VisX system. When this option is ordered, FTS provides a faster computer system with multiple graphics cards. Also, FTS tunes the computer and X-Plane display system to provide good performance on this optional monitor system for a competitive price.

With a 100 degree field of view, the VisX visual system is furnished with updated instrument panel layouts that make full use of the extra screen area available for instrumentation. FTS reports that most of their TouchTrainers are now purchased with a VisX system, though it remains optional. The accompanying image shows an FAA-approved TouchTrainer system with Cirrus Perspective instrument panel and VisX upgrade.

Cirrus Perspective TouchTrainer system on base platform and table,
with optional three-monitor VisX visual system

Product Contents and Pricing

FAA-approved TouchTrainer systems include the following components:

·         Table and base platform for solid mounting of hardware, and a wiring harness neatly hidden underneath the platform

·         Gaming computer with dedicated graphics cards, preloaded and configured with all software and drivers.

This computer can be used for other purposes also.

·         Preloaded, preconfigured TouchTrainer software with choice of aircraft from a single manufacturer, such as, Cessna, Cirrus, or Diamond

·         24" touchscreen main display and 10" touchscreen auxiliary display for avionics and other inputs

·         Identification labels on wires and ports, to assist with assembly

Flight Controls:

·         Choice of sidestick or yoke

·         Choice of throttle/prop/mixture levers or push/pull controls

·         Rudder pedals with toe brakes

·         One year of software upgrades

·         U.S. aeronautical charts, navigation data, and instrument approach procedures

·         X-Plane 10 software, with FTS flight models and global scenery – USB key included with optional commercial license.

·         Optional: three 24” displays and mounting hardware for VisX display upgrade with upgraded computer.

Current U.S. pricing for TouchTrainers is $4,400 for Cirrus and Diamond, and $4,900 for Cessna, plus $2,400 for the optional VisX visual system, which includes monitors, stands, and a very capable graphics card for interfacing with the monitors. Shipping cost is variable, and current pricing for FAA-approved TouchTrainer systems can be found on the FTS website.

Though included with the TouchTrainer, SimAVIO software currently sells separately for $40 US and retail aircraft packages sell for $45 US and higher for one family of airplanes. The Cessna 430W/530W package I tried out sells for $65, for example, and if current navigation data is desired, an annual subscription current sells for $78 US.

Training and Logging Time with the TouchTrainer

For training and logging time, the accompanying table lists applicable sections of the U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations that pertain to approved training use of the Cirrus version of the TouchTrainer:

Here is a link to a scan of the FAA approval letter for the Cirrus TouchTrainer system. Similar letters have been issued for Cessna and Diamond TouchTrainers.

Maintaining Flight Currency and Proficiency

For many private pilots, including this reviewer, the majority of logged time is for training, compared to flying to a destination out of the local area. In the U.S., for example, there are statutory requirement for certification and maintaining currency, in contrast to maintaining proficiency. As indicated in the chart above, many requirements can be fulfilled by using a flight simulator or flight training device.

An example of a recurring requirement for instrument rated pilots is the second item in the table above. Part 61 of the U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations is titled Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors. Section 61.57 is titled Recent flight experience: Pilot in command. The subsection for which the TouchTrainer is approved (and recently revised) is:

( c ) (3) Use of an aviation training device for maintaining instrument experience. Within the 2 calendar months preceding the month of the flight, that person performed and logged at least the following tasks, iterations, and time in an aviation training device and has performed the following—

                (i) Three hours of instrument experience.

                (ii) Holding procedures and tasks.

                (iii) Six instrument approaches.

                (iv) Two unusual attitude recoveries while in a descending, Vne airspeed condition and two unusual attitude recoveries while in an ascending stall speed condition.

Many pilots are surprised to learn that an instructor does not need to be present during training under this section. This is consistent with practice flying with an aircraft in which time can be logged while flying in real instrument conditions or with a view-limiting device, with an accompanying safety pilot in the right seat. The safety pilot needs to be qualified the fly the airplane but does not need to be an instructor.

Other uses of TouchTrainers are: practicing normal and emergency procedures, pre-flying real flights, or just enjoying the thrill of flying without the cost of renting or owning an aircraft every time. At a Chicago area flying club, for example, rather than renting club-owned airplanes and finding safety pilots for currency or proficiency work, members can use the club’s TouchTrainer. There’s less wear on the club’s airplanes and members can easily and safely meet many of their requirements in one of the club’s hangars.

SimAVIO Software

As described in part 1, FTS developed the SimAVIO software application to display instrument panels, analog gauges, and glass instruments in a dedicated window overlaying the X-Plane 10 display. SimAVIO runs the control panels and instruments for TouchTrainers, and it also runs the retail versions of these and other panels and instruments.

SimAVIO is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 and 8, 32-bit and 64-bit. FTS instruments and X-Plane communicate with each other by means of software plug-ins to X-Plane 10 32-bit and 64-bit versions. With this communication linkage, if the user moves control devices, such as yoke, stick, throttle, prop, mixture, or rudder pedals, the motion is depicted on the FTS instrument panels.

SimAVIO software runs the FTS control panels and interfaces with X-Plane

The SimAVIO interface also provides the capability to adjust and modify the retail control panel layouts and selection of instruments. The high resolution photorealistic instruments can be life size or otherwise adjusted for the user’s monitor size and layout. Note that users of TouchTrainers cannot edit instrument panels, to ensure that users fly panels that meet FAA requirements. SimAVIO can run on the same computer as X-Plane, or it can be run on a separate computer and communicate via a home, office, or enterprise network.

Why X-Plane

There are two principal reasons why FTS has developed the TouchTrainer and related instrument panel product software for use with X-Plane 10:

·         X-Plane is under continuous development for revisions and improvements

·         X-Plane is available in both 32-bit and 64 bit versions. The latter can take advantage of more memory and is considered more robust than the 32-bit version.

·         X-Plane is already used with many other aviation training devices

Another reason why X-Plane is the best choice: it has a user-friendly and flexible software development kit or (SDK), and also, through a GUI interface, users can easily modify the flight model to fine-tune the systems, electrics, or aerodynamics of the aircraft.

The flow chart below summarizes the FTS view of the relationships among X-Plane; SimAVIO software; touch screen control; and reliability, maintainability, and upgradeability; to provide higher simulation fidelity at lower cost.

Relationship between X-Plane and flight simulation fidelity

Updating TouchTrainer and SimAVIO Software

FTS periodically updates SimAVIO and aircraft/panel/instrument packages, and this is easily accomplished by users with the FTS Updater tool. After starting the tool, it compares the versions installed on the user’s computer with the latest versions, and it then provides buttons for Download Only or Download and Install. Updates of SimAVIO include fixes and enhancements, and updates of aircraft packages may include additional instrument panel layouts and gauges from which to choose.

FlyThisSim Updater – checking for latest versions of retail package and SimAVIO software

Development History

This story begins with Carl Suttle in Great Britain, where many years ago he was responsible for programming and maintenance of several full-motion flight simulators for the Royal Air Force. About six years ago, when they were both flying Cirrus airplanes at South County Airport (E16), south of San Jose, California, Carl met Eric Paton, who also worked in Silicon Valley high tech companies for many years.

Carl has a software engineering background, and Eric has an engineering and business administration background. In discussing Cirrus training, they noted that of the companies that produce FAA-approved training devices, none had produced a device for training in Cirrus airplanes. Thereafter, Carl and Eric worked together to build the foundation for their now successful partnership in FlyThisSim and its premier TouchTrainer with SimAVIO software control panels and instruments. Development of new panels and instruments continues, as shown in the image below.

Continuing Development: FTS Beech Baron G1000

Summary

FTS has achieved a breakthrough with the design of their control panel and instrument products being touchscreen operable. The fact that they were the first to receive FAA approval for their TouchTrainer product as a Basic Aviation Training Device, is a result of their Technological expertise and persistence. TouchTrainers are currently approved for a variety of Cessna, Cirrus, and Diamond control panel configurations, and approvals of TouchTrainers for Beechcraft and Piper configurations are pending.

Available with TouchTrainers or as separate retail products, FTS control panels and instruments are “works of art” in terms of design, form and function, when paired with X-Plane 10. Whether for home users, cockpit builders, flight schools, or others, these are breakthrough products that significantly advance computer flight simulation as a meaningful part of general aviation training.

Introduction

Review by Richard Desjardins. Catalina Airport, ICAO: KAVX is located in the middle of Catalina Island, aka Santa Catalina Island or just Catalina. Catalina is a rocky island located 22 miles south-southwest of Los Angeles, California off the coast of the U.S. state of California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina.

The airport originally opened as "Buffalo Springs Airport" in the late 1930s and was made by leveling off the top of a hill. It now goes by the name “Airport in the sky” because it is located near the island's highest point at an elevation of 1,602ft. It is privately owned and open to the public allowing general aviation aircraft to land. The only requirement is that inbound pilots state their intention to land and pay a $25 landing fee.

Although primarily used for general aviation it also serves as a base for the delivery of air freight, there is a DC-3 that makes a daily flight for delivery of supplies to the island. The airport is served by a single asphalt runway; 4/22 @ 3,000ft.

The product was created by a group called Sim720 which has only been around since October 2013. Catalina Airport is their third airport. The product is available from their website.

Installation

Installation of the product is straightforward. After starting the installer you are asked to select which simulator you are using, FSX or P3D, and then to enter your product registration information. The installer will then proceed and when it is done your scenery will have been added to the FSX scenery library and you will be ready to explore Catalina airport.

Configuration

This airport add-on comes with a control panel allowing you a certain degree of flexibility in your scenery setup. This is where you can choose which of the optional scenery objects will be included and it is also where you set up your compatibility with other add-ons.

 As you can see I have MegaScenery selected and I am running the scenery in conjunction with the freeware release of Catalina Island from Aerosoft. I think that control panels such as this are great as they give you that extra degree of flexibility in optimizing the scenery to better suit your particular simulator set up.

Control Panel

Product Manual

Included with the product is an 18 page PDF manual. It is well written, nicely illustrated and informative making it a great reference document for the scenery. They’ve covered all of the relevant subjects you may need to research and more. Here is a partial listing of what you’ll find: install/uninstall, compatibility guide, recommended FSX/P3D slider settings, KAVX Control Panel, autogen density slider and airport charts. I wish every scenery developer would include manuals as good as this one.

Scenery

Before I begin my review of the product here are several screenshots that illustrate through a top down view just what area is covered by the product.

Ground Textures

The entire ground base consists of high resolution graphic image textures. Hard surfaces used for the runway, taxiway and apron looked weathered with some signs of wear and tear such as fading paint. The edges blended nicely with the adjoining dirt and grass surfaces so the overall effect  was realistic. All other areas of the scenery including the strip of the island, outside of the airport, that is covered by the product appear to be a mix of dirt and grass.

The quality is good enough so that both manmade and natural features are clearly visible even at ground level. Where vegetation can be seen in the imagery they’ve added trees, shrubs and grasses as needed to give the entire area a very realistic look. The quality of the mesh is also very good which is important as the terrain and shorelines are quite rugged. It is well worth it to take the time to explore the natural beauty of the area.

C Rugged terrain and coastline	Weathered hard surface textures

Buildings

Catalina is a tiny airport with only a few structures; there is the terminal building, a single hangar, a small secondary building next to the hangar and two large fuel storage tanks. To reproduce them they’ve used a combination of hi-quality imagery and additional 3D detailing so that what we see are faithful recreations of the actual structures.

Looking at the control tower

The terminal building has some interesting features. First there is the welcome sign that greets people as they arrive here at Catalina airport and the long open covered walkway that connects the main building to the adjacent Nature Center. On the west side of the terminal is a covered patio area filled with picnic tables. The airport’s tower which is also part of the main building has two wrap around walkways with ornamental wooden railings. Overall very well done; this to me was the visual focal point of the airport.

Overview of terminal complex	Variety of grasses and trees

The large hangar and adjacent structures were less intricate but none the less the quality of their work was still very evident. This plain looking hangar which is rather non-descript was made more interesting through their use of high quality imagery and those extra added details which made all the difference. Some of the more obvious details can be seen on the building’s roof top.  

Beside the hangar there are two large storage tanks which clearly show signs of rusting and aging.

Rusting fuel tanks

Objects and Vehicles

Vehicles/objects play an important role in providing this airport with some ambiance. Everything they’ve added in this category serves a purpose and definitely helped bring life to this quiet island based airport.

One of the first things you’ll see when you arrive at the airport is the static GA aircraft. They use very high-quality models and include a variety of aircraft types and paint schemes. AI traffic was none existent in my experience and so the inclusion of these static aircraft was a very important feature otherwise Catalina would have looked deserted.

Hi quality static aircraft

Another interesting thing was how they made very good use of static 3D people. You can see where they strategically placed them in various locations seemingly engaged in different types of recognizable activities; this definitely helped in the overall visual quality of the product.

In addition to the aircraft and people they’ve included a wide range of other objects. Some like ground lighting and MET equipment pertain to airport infrastructure while others such as safety pylons, FedEx boxes, ladders, plastic drums, flower pots, waste dumpsters help augment the appearance that the airport has some life to it. Each of these different groups of objects plays a role in bringing this quiet airport to life and they’ve succeeded.

Animations

The only animation I noticed was the American flag in front of the terminal that appeared to be flapping in the wind.

Night

Night time at Catalina airport was very dark, which I guess considering that it is a small private airport on a sparsely inhabited island it’s to be expected. I was not able to find any pictures of the airport at night so I can’t comment on whether or not their version was representative of the actual experience.

The terminal’s interior was lit up and there were runway lights but that was the extent of any lighting. The runway lighting appeared to be excessively bright, when on the ground, appearing as large white globes of light. From a distance they did look more realistic, it was just while in close proximity that they were overpowering.

Approaching Catalina airport	Intense runway lighting	Terminal's interior lighting

Summary

I like to split my flying time between the large tube liners and smaller GA type aircraft. This airport has all of the elements to make it both visually interesting and challenging for the pilot. It is clear that the developers took great pride in their quest to give sim pilots a top notch product in every respect. My only real gripe is that they didn’t include the entire island.

Flying over Catalina Island towards the airport

Fortunately for those who do choose to purchase the product Aerosoft recently and unexpectedly made available, at no charge, a detailed recreation of the entire island. This was released as a demo to help showcase their  US Cities X - Los Angeles product. When installed it is a seamless match with the Catalina airport scenery and completes the experience.  

Flying Time:

15 hrs.

What I like about Catalina Airport

·         Lots of details to explore.

·         Fun airport to hone your piloting skills.

·         Detailed and very polished product manual.

·         Control Panel for scenery optimization.

What I don't like about Catalina Airport

·         Slightly disappointed that entire island was not included with the airport.

Test System

Intel i7 960 OC @ 4.2 Ghz, 6 Gb RAM, EVGA GTX560 Ti w/1.2 Gb video, Win 7 Ultimate 64, FSX w/acceleration, Ultimate traffic 2, REX Overdrive, GEXn, UTX, AES, GSX, FSUIPC.

Review by Ray Marshall. Like practically every recent outstanding FSX add-on that was released in the last few months, this one also came as a total surprise to me.  I was actually expecting to see it prior to Christmas - that is, Christmas of last year, 2012.  But, like most good things, it was worth the wait.

Isle of Man

Isle of Man is one of those island nations with a rich history that goes waaaay back.  I mean back before the days of Viking invasions and such.  There are some great artifacts just a stone’s throw from where that EasyJet 737 just touched down and those two Flybe Dash 8s and the BA CityFlyer is waiting for takeoff.  This is on the Southern part of the island between Castletown and at Ronaldsway Airport, the only major commercial airport, EGNS.     

Most of those arriving passengers from Liverpool and many of those passengers now lined up for takeoff to Palma de Mallorca do not have a clue that they will be passing just a few hundred feet above the site of an ancient volcano. Most of them are aware of the medieval Castle Rushen once the home of kings and later government, because it still dominates the town centre.

Norse invasions started around 800 AD and the Isle was a dependency of Norway known as the Kingdom of the Hebrides until the thirteenth century.  The King of Norway sold the IOM to Scotland but they in turn passed it on to England and it has been under the British crown since 1765.  A King, Lord or Duke has been in charge there ever since.

Although Isle of Man is a British crown possession it is not part of the UK or of the European Union. The Isle of Man issues its own currencies, the Manx pound, and levies its own taxes but the UK Government remains constitutionally responsible for its defense and international welfare.

The Isle of Man’s strong identity is due in part to its independence and the fact that the island is self-governing. It has the oldest continuous parliament in the world.

Enough Government and History, how about some Geography?

The Isle of Man is about 30 miles (48 km) long by 10 miles (16 km) wide with an area of 221 square miles (572 sq km).

The island has a central mountain range extending north and south looking over the low-lying agricultural land. Man’s coastline is rocky and has fine cliff scenery. The grass-covered slate peaks of the central massif are smooth and rounded as a result of action during various glacial periods. The landscape is mostly treeless except for a few sheltered areas.

The small islet at the Southwest corner is the Calf of Man with its precipitous cliffs that attracts thousands of birds year round.  Snaefell is the mountain peak at 2,036 feet (621 m) so make sure you fly high enough when going directly over the top of the mountain. The only other small island is St. Patrick’s Isle, home of the Peel Castle.

The climate is maritime temperate, with cool summers and mild winters.  The average annual rainfall is 45 inches (1,140 mm).  The native flora and fauna are of little interest but the various fields and meadows make for some scenic flights into the interior.  The population of IOM is around 86,000.

The coastline stretches for 100 miles and across the northern plain you’ll find long sandy beaches which contrast markedly with the rocky cliffs and sheltered bays around the rest of the Island.  The tidal range around the island brings food to an impressive array of sea creatures including basking sharks, seals, porpoises and even the occasional Orca.  During your flights around the island you may even be lucky enough to spot the dolphins, whales and sharks which inhabit these waters.

Where exactly is the Isle of Man?

Easy peasy.  The Isle of Man occupies a central position in the Irish Sea - right between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  Legend has it that the Isle of Man was created when the Irish giant Finn MacCooill, during battle, threw a chunk of earth from Ireland’s coastline towards Scotland. It landed in the Irish Sea and became the Isle of Man.

This central location and the arms-length UK Government arrangement were instrumental in the island becoming a major center for contraband trade.  Smuggling generated much more cash flow than fishing or agriculture so after decades of being deprived valuable custom revenues the British Parliament purchased sovereignty over the island and eventually acquired prerogatives of the reigning IOM Crown.

Can I really see six kingdoms?

According to an old saying, from the summit one can see six kingdoms:  Those of the Man, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, and Heaven.

Do I drive on the Left or Right side of the street? 

Also easy.  Due to the alignment with the UK, and neighboring Islands, all cars drive on the Left.  But, of course, you will taxi down the middle.  Just follow the yellow stripe to get to the runway then follow the big wide dashed white one while taking off.  Just kidding.

OK, OK. Can we talk about the scenery now?

Yes, this is absolutely outstanding scenery painstakingly developed by Earth Simulations.  This is follow-on work started in the pre-Orbx era that introduced the flight simulator world to 4 or 5 seasons and the unbelievable photo quality, true water masking, animations, etc.  Yep, Darren and Vikki started it all.

You might want to jump over and read about Alderney, Guernsey, and the Isles of Scilly.  Now that we have Isle of Man, only Jersey in the Channel Islands remains to round out the islands in 50 cm HD scenery.  Well, maybe the Isle of Wight, home base for Earth Simulations is still a possibility.

The entire island is available in one huge download – 12 GB, yep GB as in Giga Bytes.  It is a little pricey, but well worth every pence or penny.

I have lots of screenshots for you

As I stated in the introduction, this came as a surprise but it is so good that I want to get the word out for Christmas (this year). Patrick Van Der Nat, screenshot maker extraordinaire, managed a virtual holiday on the Isle and had the unlimited use of the new award winning A2A Simulations C172 Trainer. He filled up his USB key with photos for this scenery review. Almost every image is a great view of the Earth Simulations’ IOM scenery, but also has various repaints of the C172. 

This is all for your benefit.

Oh yes, IOM has seasons so let’s look at it by each season.
 

Through a combination of Seasonal textures and vegetation changes the look and feel of The Isle of Man alters significantly throughout the course of the year. There are seven noticeable transitions over a twelve month cycle.

"Spring"

Did I read seven seasonal transitions?  Yep, how about Bleak Winter, Winter Frost, and Early Autumn in addition to what we know as the 4 seasons. Some of these changes are very subtle changes in the color of fields and tress but makes the scenery that much more realistic.

"Autumn"

This was designed for the ultimate experience in low level flight.

A 41 page manual accompanies the download and about half those pages are dedicated on squeezing every ounce of performance out of your PC and FSX.  Darren and Vikki have included lots of explanations and tips on how to adjust the FSX sliders and what can be expected with different setups.

The airport should be the Ronaldsway, the big airport, as there are others on the island.

X9JU Jurby Airfield was a RAF training base in WWII. Watch for the motorcycle race track and other industrial encroachments.
 

X9AN Andreas Airfield is a gliding club field but is also home to a few privately owned light aircraft.  The runways look all beat up and soft from my fly-by.

X9MR Mount Rule is a small airstrip near the center of the island and it’s easy to miss. Look for a big X – two grass or mostly dirt runways that appear as a large X.

There are also eleven real world Helipads recreated on the island.

"On The Ground"

Great Video

Do watch this 2 minute video highlighting the ES Isle of Man by corporate jet, biplane and helicopter.  Outstanding.

Video of IOM by Steadyflyer   (2.01 min)

Downloading and Installing

12 gb of download is going to take a while for most of us.  The installation is practically automatic due to the nifty ES installer.  There are some suggestions for the scenery slider settings for FSX/P3D to keep the various PC hardware humming along at optimum.  I get a little stutter from time to time but generally the software runs just fine on my setup.

Darren and Vikki evidently do not need much sleep, or they cover the support desk in shifts because you will get a response to any query right away, night or day.

Not just photo real scenery

"Around the airport"

This gives photoscenery a whole new definition.  This has seasonal textures and night lighting and yet it is glorious 30 cm/pixel photographic scenery.  Some terrain and cliff areas are 1.2 m.  You will of course immediately notice the true water masking. No problems here.  Hmmm.  The large commercial airport, Ronaldsway EGNS is more detailed than most stand-alone airport add-ons.

"Bonus pics"

I managed to find the boats, dolphins and lots of birds but the bald eagle has eluded me so far. But I will indeed find him.

Conclusions

This long awaited scenery package was indeed a long time coming, but well worth the wait.  Earth Simulations have a group of avid followers that automatically purchase any scenery as soon as they make it available.  A few of those posted their comments on our forums.  One AVSIM member posted this was ‘the best add on for 2013’.  I sent him a PM.

Q.  Chris, tell me why you think IOM is the best of the add-ons for 2013.

A.  The level of detail is amazing, and this extends across an area of over 700 sq. km.  I haven't even scratched the surface with respect to exploration of the island yet, but what I have seen so far is extremely impressive. Yes, it will test even the most powerful PCs at high detail levels, but I don't worry about that. I like as much detail as possible in my flight simulators, and this is as good as it gets.

Q.  Excellent.  Can I use this as a quote in my Avsim.com review?

A.  Absolutely, Ray. Darren and Vikki are basically a two person team, and yet they produce some of the very best scenery packages available for FSX. They deserve all the praise they can get!
                                                                                                                                Christopher Low

I fully agree with Chris, this is an outstanding package and is a lot more than just scenery.  It is like the island is alive and this makes it more like you are really there.

You get not only the super detailed, hand edited, enhanced terrain with those impressive cliffs and coastlines, but all the trees and buildings are modelled in local character.  This package has literally thousands of unique objects, animations, animals, working machinery, road traffic, shipping and boat traffic and other special effects.  Bird and marine life along with all the visuals and environmental sounds make this Isle of Man the closest thing yet to a living world in flight simulation.

The use of a local IOM couple with a motorcycle and digital camera was instrumental in getting the tiniest details absolutely correct.

"Is this real flying?"

Recommendation

Get this one.  It is recommended for those casual VFR pilots that like to just fly and explore. It is recommended for those commuter or regional pilots that like to fly the shorter routes.

It is also recommended for those airliner types that like to fly a full load of passenger to and from vacation destinations. I guess it is recommended for anyone who likes wonderfully correct scenery with proper elevations, colors, buildings, and especially likes accurate water masking.  This one is as good as it gets or as they say ‘spot on’.

Special Christmas Price for AVSIM review readers

Use this special discount code until January 31, 2014 to receive an instant 25% discount.  AVSOME-IOM.
This will reduce the price from £34.90 to £26.24.

Credits

Earth Simulations Ltd. for providing the IOM scenery.
Patrick Van Der Nat, aka Soya, for providing the excellent screenshots
A2A Simulations for providing the C172 Trainer for Soya to use on holiday at IOM.
Steadyflyer for permission to use the link to his IOM video

Test System

• Intel i7 2700 OC to 4.5 GHz
• 8GB RAM
• Dual Dell WS Monitors, 27 IN and 24 IN
• nVidia GTX580 1.5 GB
• Crucial M4 256 GB SSD
• Intel 330 180 GB SSD
• Seagate 3TB HDD
• WD Black 1TB HDD
• WD My Passport 750 GB Ext. USB3
• Windows 7 x64
• FSX Acceleration
• Saitek x52 Controller, Combat Flight Pedals, Bose Companion 20 Speakers
  
  Publisher:  Earth Simulations
  Download: 12 gb,  13 gb installed
  Platform: FSX, SP2 or Acceleration/P3D (not tested )

Review by Gene Davis. About a year ago a new simulator made its way out onto the market and it was titled Aerofly FS and being right on the coat tails of the MS Flight, this sim had some pretty nice looking graphics and, at the time, it touted unprecedented scenery and game performance.

I remember ordering the program through a special promotion through their website, AeroflyFs.com, and it I couldn’t wait for it to arrive!

My first impressions of Aerofly FS were of sheer jubilation as I looked out over the vast landscapes of Switzerland that offered super fast game performance, no stuttering and simply gorgeous environments. I was thoroughly impressed but as time went by I found myself wanting more out of the simulation and started to look on it more like a game instead of a simulation simply because of its lack of navigational systems and complexity that we see in add-ons for FSX and X-Plane.

About a month ago I saw a news story that Just Flight would soon release two aircraft for Aerofly FS and to say the least I was quite intrigued because I have always wanted to see this program expand further and allow for more greatly improved aircraft.

Along with the release of the aircraft at Just Flight the folks at Aerofly Fs also released a significant update to the core program that greatly enhanced many of its features.

Purchasing and Installing the Duchess and or the Archer III

You can find the Duchess and the Archer III available for purchase at the Just Flight store. You can purchase the Duchess for $18.99 and the Archer III for $15.99 or if you do not own Aerofly FS you can purchase the core program plus both planes at $59.99 or the core program and 1 plane for $52.99

Download is simple and installation of the aircraft is straight forward and to the point, but make sure that if you have Aerofly FS installed already that you have it updated to the latest version, anything under 1.2 will not work.

The current update (now up to 1.2.0.5) has replaced the original user interface and does make it much easier to select an aircraft and allows for the addition of new planes within the core program. There are also many other improvements as well as newly created airports along with more graphical improvements. 

The Duchess

The Duchess, though a nice looking aircraft, doesn’t offer up the complex array of flight management an aircraft of this type would require in Aerofly FS and one would have to blame that on the limitations of the core program given that it is mainly a VFR Simulator.

At first glance you will probably recognize the two planes from the Just Flight hanger as I believe they are from the original Flying Club Series aircraft that came out some years ago and both have been made to work in Aerofly FS as well as improved upon visually for Aerofly FS.

The exterior model of the Duchess is pretty good, though the lighting does tend to be a bit bright at times when reflecting off of the exterior surfaces and I would  have to blame the program and not the individual aircraft on this problem because some of the default planes have this exact same problem.

It has all of the regular eye candy like retractable gear, moving flaps and animated control surfaces throughout and is rather eye catching in Aerofly. The interior is also nicely modeled and the self-shadowing is excellent!

The cockpit is what you see in the screen shots and I have to say that my expectations were considerably high going into this with the assumption that there would be some element of real world navigation versus only flying VFR given the price of the planes. The cockpit offers up some functional gauges along with a moving yoke, rudder pedals and some rather impressive shadowing, but it doesn’t offer any accessibility from within the cockpit other than to just use it for looking around and monitoring the gauges.

There are absolutely no click spots in the cockpit, in fact the autopilot is simply accessed by the “C” key and turned off by the “X” key and will only have you flying straight and level without the ability to change the heading by simply turning it off and on and flying it manually.

Over on the right side of the cockpit you will see the GPS, autopilot and other instruments but they have no function and are dark during all stages of flight. I would have really liked to have at least seen the map view incorporated into the GPS just to give it some functionality and a little more eye candy.

The sound that comes with the Duchess is just okay and I have to say that most of the time you can’t even tell if you are throttling down the engines during flight and it is barely noticeable when using the propeller speed lever. At full power I dropped the prop lever to its lowest position and the sound changed a little but was nothing significant and the only way I could tell if the RPM’s were changing was to look at the gauges and watch the speed drop.

The Archer III

Out of the two aircraft I have to say that I enjoyed my time with the Archer more because it just fits the whole VFR role better and there is little dependence on avionics. Again there is a full complement of dark navigational units that have no function, but most of the gauges seem to function and update realistically in the sim. The Archer also uses the same autopilot function as the Duchess and is very basic in design and implementation. It would have been nice to have at least seen the switches become accessible even if had been just stuff like lighting switches!

The exterior of the Archer is also a familiar one and is one of the same aircraft from the Flying Club Series. It is nicely detailed and offers the same amount of eye candy from the outside as the Duchess, though reflective surfaces seem much better in the Archer because they are not so bright when viewing the plane on a sunny day.

The interior of the cockpit is nice as it offers a full rendition of the cabin and is nicely detailed, though I would have liked to have seen the pilot go in both aircraft when viewing from inside the plane. Again, the shadowing is excellent and it is really does impress as light moves throughout the inside of the plane during flight.

Flying the plane, to be honest I really liked the way the Archer handled in Aerofly FS as it just seemed to have more control over the Duchess. It was easy to get into some of the smaller airports and navigate some of the more mountainous regions of Switzerland. The flight models of both planes are comparable to the default planes with the Archer holding out as my favorite.

The Archer’s sound is good and it actually handles the reduction in RPM’s better then the Duchess but it is still not the robust sound that we have come to expect from other add-ons for FSX of the same line of aircraft. In my mind, the sound really has to grab you and draw you into the program otherwise it just does do its job.

In Closing

I like Aerofly FS and I like the Duchess and the Archer (I own both Flying Club 1 & 2) but I really think much more needs to go into the design of the aircraft that would be more specific to the Aerofly FS interface and utilize what it has to offer.

For example, take the map and incorporate that map into the cockpit of the plane rather than having a bunch of non functional avionics for the user to look at because in the end it just doesn’t sell the aircraft all that well.

I really want to see the true potential of Aerofly FS and see it live up to the sim that I think it could be, I mean after all, it has some of the most amazing scenery and is simply gorgeous to look at, but sometimes that is just not enough.

Review by Ray Marshall. The latest phase of introducing near unbelievable add-on scenery for FSX is the Ultra-Resolution Cities theme marketed by MegaSceneryEarth.com.  Starting in New England with the Boston Terminal Control Area then rapidly moving along the Eastern seaboard, MSE is churning out this latest scenery at a blitzing pace of another new area every 10 days or so.

One glance at this scenery and you instantly know it is something truly useful and special.  Why?  Simply because, in addition to being absolutely stunning on your monitor when flying in FSX, the scenery remains clear right down to minimums for the instrument approaches into the busy airports.  For the VFR or more casual pilots it brings in a whole new level of real world areas to explore.

A long time drawback of photo scenery has been the closer to the ground one gets the fuzzier the image becomes.  This was partially addressed in the MegaSceneryEarth v 2.0 individual states for 49 of the 50 United States with their border-to-border 50 cm source data.  This was actually a huge leap forward and covered the entire continental US and Hawaii. This was great for cross-country flying because what you saw out your window was the real world and not a repeating fictitious image (i.e. Orbx type scenery).  It was also well received by the high flying airliner pilots and all types of pilots because a river is a river and properly located, as were hills and mountains, lakes, parks, forests and such.

But, as sharp as it was, the cars in the parking lot at your local mall was still not quite in focus or that interstate bridge or power plant just down the road from your girlfriend’s house was not as sharp as when you are flying your flying club Cessna 172.  Real world yes, sharp yes, super sharp, no.

So now we have some very large geographical areas that are more in focus and noticeably sharper to the eye. The bonus is there is almost always going to be one large busy airport near the center of the scenery and a lot of secondary airports nearby.  This is because each of these Ultra-Res Cities is in fact a Terminal Control Area as defined by the FAA.  You can pull out your TCA chart or use the enclosed electronic version that comes with each download or DVD and see that, sure enough, the Ultra-Res scenery follows exactly the TCA outline.

Should you not live near a TCA but do live or have an interest in a large metropolitan area, there is still hope - actually, better than that.  Let’s check the name of the scenery package again.  Yep, Not Terminal Control Areas, it’s Ultra-Res Cities, then Boston, Pittsburg, Atlanta, etc.  Is just so happens that the first batch did indeed have a Terminal Control Area that matched the scenery borders exactly.  Hmmmm.

In case you might not be familiar with TCAs in the US, there are about half as many defined TCAs as we have states.  Some actually overlap while others are hundreds of miles from each other.  Florida and California are the leaders with 3 each, Texas has two and others are stand-alone cities or overlaps like Washington/Baltimore, Denver/Colorado Springs, Minneapolis/St. Paul, or Tampa/Orlando. 

Although Los Angeles and San Diego have individual charts and defined areas the two have a common border and appear as one chart or area on the map.

These generally smaller special-use areas have a scale that is twice that of the sectional chart which is twice that of WAC chart.  Most VFR pilots have a stack of printed Terminal Area Charts stashed in the back of the passenger seat because these charts tend to have more detail displayed than the sectional chart.

We can guess that MegaSceneryEarth will repeat their approach of releasing new scenery packages on a similar schedule which will start in New England, move down the Atlantic coast states, and then head west.  If that was your guess, you are wrronnngggg! Tampa/Orlando should be available soon, followed by Miami.  Then it could be either New Orleans, Memphis, or St. Louis.  But, according to Robert at PC Aviator they are not going to follow this path this time.  It seems Texas, California, New York, Illinois, and Florida are the most popular states for the v2 MegaSceneryEarth so they are going to be rewarded for their popularity.  That is a population thing, guys and girls, nothing more.  It has nothing at all to do with the BCS South Eastern Conference.

VFR Terminal Area Raster Aeronautical Charts

One thing you will notice is that the area covered varies greatly.  The largest release so far is the Baltimore/Washington area and it covers an astounding 13,000 square miles. (13,000 mile² = 33,670 km²).  Holy cow Batman, that is larger than the entire state of New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii or Maryland.

It actually touches on 3 states – Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia in addition to the District of Columbia.

This is comparable to the other six released areas that cover 6 – 7,500 square miles.

Should you already have the associated MegaSceneryEarth v2 state then the Ultra-Res City will fit like a glove.  I think the same applies to major developers add-on airports as well.  I have Massachusetts MSE v2 and FlyTampa’s Boston Logan airport scenery that is marketed by Aerosoft and the three fit together perfectly.  I will check out a few of the others.  I’m not sure how a large scenery area like Miami City 2012 X by Drzewiecki will match up with the Ultra-Res Miami TCA when it makes it to market.

Hey, maybe one of those Ultra-Res Cities without a TCA will be Fort Lauderdale.  That would be a nice bridge between Miami and Orlando/Tampa and reward Florida for being so popular.  No inside line there, I’m just practicing my subliminal suggestions.

I have no idea how many ‘Cities only’ releases we can expect once all the TCA areas are released but I do know TCAs are only present in about half the states.  I also know the source imagery is still quite expensive to purchase and some of the smaller cities or metro areas may be even more expensive than the larger

cities simply based on demand.

How do we get this scenery onto our hard drives?

Two methods are available for us.  Speed is the big difference and it is a BIG difference.  I downloaded Ultra-Res Cities Boston and it took me about half a day with my mediocre download speed. The download speed will be dependent on the user’s connection speeds and not the MegaSceneryEarth servers.  They have blazingly fast, high capacity equipment.

I asked Robert at MSE for some download capacity information and he stated all their servers are on a 1 GB uplink and based on their average load they have enough bandwidth for those with 100 Mbps connections to download at full speed at any time.  Wow.  He also stated this bandwidth is outrageously expensive but customers still tend to think there are no costs to the seller for download delivery. Nothing could be further from the truth.  I’m sure part of the retail cost of these packages is to pay for maintaining this high tech delivery system.

Not being able to take advantage of these super high download speeds because fiber optic is still about a hundred miles from my street and the local cable is not a good option for me I decided to buy the DVDs instead.

I immediately placed an order for the other 5 areas; Atlanta was not released then, to be delivered to my mailbox on DVDs.  Now granted, it sounds like a big stack of DVDs and I guess it is, but they all arrived about 3 days later in a small, DVD sized box about an inch thick.  There were 21 DVDs in the box and this method sure makes life easier.  An auto-installer is on the last DVD for each TCA/City. 

Each DVD has 4 large bgl files and it took my setup about 6 minutes to install each of the large files.  The Washington/Baltimore TCA comes on 8 DVDs and it took just about an hour for me to install it and load up FSX to take a look. Now, I didn’t sit at the PC and try for a record, I was futzing around the house and keeping an eye on the popup boxes that prompted me to install the next DVD.

When I downloaded Ultra-Res Cities Boston I collected 14 individually zipped bgl files.  Each one is a gigabyte or more.  When you have them all collected in a folder you can start the auto-installer that works extremely well.  You don’t even have to unzip them; just make sure you point the installer to the correct folder for installation.  You definitely should use some form of auto downloader in case something goes astray you won’t lose the entire file to the cyber gremlins. I think they are also a little more efficient than the old right-click-and-Save-file method.  Many are totally free.

So how does it look at 500 feet?

My personal opinion is the scenery looks a lot better at 1,000 to 1,500 feet.  Yes, you can fly at 500 feet and the ground and objects are certainly sharper than any large scale photo scenery we had before. But, why would you want to fly cross country at 500 feet?  Maybe helicopter pilots or one of those guys checking pipeline rights-of-way or the like.  I can’t see far enough ahead flying that low, but I do enjoy clipping the tree tops from time to time with my A2A J-3 Cub looking for a pasture to buzz the cattle or sheep.

I think the big advantage with having this higher resolution scenery will be most useful and noticeable during approaches, departures and just staying in the flight pattern at the local airport shooting touch and goes in the new A2A C172 Trainer.  Of course all those helicopter pilots will absolutely love it with all those landing pads in sharp focus.

I still like the view at 1,000 – 3,000 feet while flying low and slow and just looking around the countryside.  These Ultra-Res Cities are also ultra large areas that are perfectly suited for the VFR pilot with beautiful scenery and lots of new airports to visit.  I wonder if that one at 2 o’clock has fresh coffee at 2pm in the afternoon.

Washington/Baltimore package

I think the big boost here is the large areas we now have available with an even higher resolution than the v2.0 MegaSceneryEarth.  Take a look at these screenshots of the Washington/Baltimore TCA area.  This is a monster area with airports of all shapes and sizes.  Just look at how many airports there are and how many square miles of super sharp, real world scenery we have available for our fun.

If you flew the border rectangle in your trusty Cessna 172 at full cruise settings you would cover about 425 nautical miles.  That would be a full tank of fuel and take about 4 hours.  That folks, is a lot of super high resolution scenery.

You can also fly a round robin in your Cessna Citation or the 737NGX from National to Baltimore to Dulles and back to National all within this TCA.  It is huge.

How long would it take someone to takeoff or land at every airport in the TCA area?

In addition to the large area covered, there are some outstanding sights to see.  We all know about all the historic and government sights inside the Beltway, but how about places like Annapolis, Baltimore, Camp David, Patuxent River, plus all the large airports like Dulles, National, Andrews AFB, BWI.

This one has to be the buy of the century in high resolution photo scenery for FSX.  It works out to be something like 2 square miles of ultra-resolution, real world scenery for a penny.  Think about that. Maybe 500 square miles for a dollar would be easier to understand.

New York

The New York package, with 7,000 square miles, is kind of special in that it contains parts of New Jersey and Connecticut and includes 3 major international airports – JFK, LaGuardia and Newark.  This scenery can co-exist with your New York (and New Jersey) complete state scenery - just place the Ultra-Res City above the state scenery in your scenery library.

So how do I choose which one to get?

I can’t help you there.  I think it depends on your type of flying, where you prefer to fly or would like to fly.  Some of these areas that I have like Pittsburg or Philadelphia probably will not get a lot of action from me.  But, for others, these might be the most important areas of the whole shebang. 

I’m looking forward to the Orlando/Tampa TCA area that covers central Florida area from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico in a broad swipe.  This is my old stomping grounds where I learned to fly before Luke Skywalker was even born.

Meanwhile I have half a dozen new and outstanding large areas of the best resolution we have seen to date for the real world.  Charlotte

I think there will be a lot of interest in these areas especially when you add some 3^rd party airport scenery on top of it.

Is there any downside to having Ultra Resolution scenery for FSX?

As mentioned earlier, the file sizes are huge.  Everything is in multiple gigabytes for storage.  Fortunately, storage space has never been as inexpensive as it is right now.  I already have 5 or 6 Terabytes of hard drive space but I just added another TB of USB 3.0 external space for under $60 delivered.  These small units are great for storing these multi-gigabyte folders of scenery and fast enough for FSX not to notice except for the initial load time.

How about some screenshots?

You can find a nice collection of screenshots at the MegaSceneryEarth web site for each specific TCA or City.  I snapped a few for comparison of the FSX default to the v2.0 MSE to this new Ultra-Res Cities.  This set was taken at 1,000 feet - 1,500.

This Ultra Resolution scenery looks different from the V2 Mega Scenery Earth scenery

Yes. One of the reasons is a different source of imagery in addition to the higher resolution.  The Ultra Scenery images are true half meter aerials whereas the v2 NAIP scenery is not.  One of the complicating factors when we mix and match the scenery we find many of the new Ultra aerials were taken in the fall season with no green grass or leaves but the v2 MSE aerials are mostly springtime aerials with bright greens.

FSX Default

Ultra-Res Cities

MegaSceneryEarth V2.0

These source aerials come as smaller areas and have to be patched and stitched to create these full TCA coverage areas.  It is very possible that some of the areas within a given TCA were taken at different months or seasons of the year. Each of the six areas that I have seem to have at least some areas with difference seasons.  Not that this is bad, it is just making the best use of what is available as source material.

Compare Colors – Greens vs Browns

Color correcting with Photoshop is about the only reasonable method of blending the two and that is very time consuming.

Water masking still needs improvement

My personal complaint with any photo scenery has always been centered on the lack of good water masking. V2 of MSE made some big improvements but there is still room for more.  Some of the European photo scenery seems to have better looking water than the USA for some reason. It could be as simple as a totally different approach or the source imagery could be better suited to this type product as they have lots of islands and therefore coastlines.

Pittsburgh and Washington/Baltimore

My guess is each new version will have an incremental increase to solve the problems until it is finally resolved.

How about better night lighting?

Although a night lighting update is not one of my priorities for photo scenery, some flight simmers continue to complain that it is a big issue. 

MegaSceneryEarth is on record as stating that they plan to update their scenery with better or improved night lighting.  The problem is that lights are coming from the FSX default scenery and very seldom does the real world image and FSX scenery match.  The end result is a shopping center parking lot or a neighborhood may have good lighting but it is not located properly in relation to the real world photo scenery. This is not obvious and of course not a problem while flying during the day.

The major streets and highways do not tend to create a night lighting issue as they are generally much better aligned.  However, many of the smaller or local streets do not match at all.

The forest and lakes are also not much of a problem with the lighting being misplaced as FSX is fairly good at shapes and placement of lakes and forest areas.

So what is the bottom line?

Nothing is more satisfying to me than to fly one of our latest high-end flight models, like the RealAir Legacy, A2A C172 Trainer, or Milviz Baron, on a leisurely 2 hour VFR flight and look out the window and see the real world and it looks and feels a lot like real flying.

Most of our top-tier developers have been on a roll recently and introducing new realistic flying models that I never thought possible using FSX.  Well, the FSX envelope has been stretched and expanded with hooks back to FSX and it is all for the better.  These new add-ons are actually more FPS friendly than those more simple ones that stay inside the box that look great and fly like, we let’s just say those with less than desirable flight characteristics. So now with the introduction of the Ultra-Res Cities/TCA sceneries we have a perfect playground for these `new aircraft. The entire United States TCA network will be available as far as I know. Not too sure about Anchorage. Highly Recommended.

When I feel like going further, faster, and higher I roll out my new RealAir Duke B60 v2 or my new Flight1 Super King Air B200 with the G1000 panel and make a fast climb to the rare air.  I just made a flight from KIAD to KBOS via KPHL and LGA.  Except for part of one leg between the Bridgeport and Norwich VORs, maybe 40 miles, I was in or over one of the Ultra Res TCA areas.  The overlap is great for this cross-country type flying.  I used Washington/Baltimore for my departure, and then overflew Philadelphia and New York and Boston for my arrival.  Neat.

This ultra-resolution scenery is stunning during climb out and while descending and making approaches.  I can’t tell much difference from the Flight Levels but I know what I see is real world and that is rewarding in itself. Here is Boston @ 1500 ft:

How about the price?

Less than $20.00 for a large chunk of super high resolution FSX scenery that comes as either a download or optional DVDs with an auto-installer has to be priced correctly.  With all the sales going on, those on a limited flight sim budget can pick and choose what to buy now and what to buy with one of those discount coupons or during some other sales event.  PC Aviator has a sale every week.  Check out their special discounts every Tuesday.

The Future

Some of these add-ons are coming at us so fast that it is difficult to predict more than a few months in advance.  I suppose should you get bored while waiting for your favorite Ultra-Res Cities/TCA area to be published you could check out one of the European countries that MegaSceneryEarth has recently released.  I see Switzerland, Belgium and Portugal are available.

A new Ultra-Res Cities release schedule that calls for a new area every 10 days or so is very aggressive and quite remarkable.  The wait should be rather short for your home time or favorite TCA/City.

Credits

Thanks to Robert at PC Aviator/MegaSceneryEarth.com for providing the Ultra–Res Cities and answering my questions.

Test System

• Intel i7 2700 OC to 4.5 GHz
• 8GB RAM
• Dual Dell WS Monitors, 27 IN and 24 IN
• nVidia GTX580 1.5 GB
• Crucial M4 256 GB SSD
• Intel 330 180 GB SSD
• Seagate 3TB HDD
• WD Black 1TB HDD
• WD My Passport 750 GB Ext. USB3
• Windows 7 x64
• FSX Acceleration
• Saitek x52 Controller, Combat Flight Pedals, Bose Companion 20 Speakers

Publisher:  MegaSceneryEarth – Ultra-Res Cities/TCA
Download or DVD
Platform: FSX only, SP2 or Acceleration

Review by Doug Horton. It’s always exciting when manufacturers release new generations of computer components. This build was triggered by the 2013 releases by Intel of 4^th generation CORE™ processors and the release by NVIDIA and its manufacturing partners of the 700 series of graphics cards. I was curious to learn what was new with these components and how changes would affect performance of flight simulator programs. We’ll focus on the build in this review and performance in a future article.

I’ve been building my own computers for over 20 years, though it’s always challenging because I don’t do it often. I’m apprehensive about whether the new computer will run when first turned on, and I always wonder how it will perform after it’s loaded with assorted software. Components include a few samples from manufacturers, and other components were purchased.

Thankfully, everything worked “out of the box,” Windows 7 and other software installations were uneventful, the UEFI BIOS is a joy to operate, and I’ve been enjoying great performance in flight simulation programs displayed on multiple monitors.

Components for DIY Z87 Computer

Following are descriptions of and comments about the components used for this build.

Case: Corsair Obsidian 650D. According to its manufacturer: “the Obsidian Series 650D mid-tower case is manufactured with strong, stamped steel parts for increased rigidity, and coated with black textured paint. The front panel features a beautiful black brushed aluminum faceplate to bring a subtle elegance to your next build.” Though classified as a mid-tower, this case is spacious, measuring 21.5” (546mm) L x 9” (229mm) W x 20.5” (521mm) H.

The front panel ports are located behind a small spring-loaded, push-to-release, drop-down access door. From left to right there are two USB 3.0 ports, microphone and headset ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and a firewire port. If needed, a card reader could be added in one of the four external bays under these connectors.

Just above the front panel connectors, at the top of the enclosure, is a small sliding door that reveals an external SATA hot-swap bay for one 2.5 or 3.5 inch drive. This feature has an innovative spring-loaded plastic vane, which guides and holds one side of a 2.5 inch drive or retracts if a 3.5 inch drive is inserted.

Corsair Obsidian 650D case

Corsair suggests that this case provides excellent cooling, and I’m reminded that there’s often a trade-off between noise and cooling efficiency. With this case, fan noise is reduced by inclusion of two quiet 200 mm fans and not ventilating the left side door, though it does contain a Plexiglas window. Cooling begins with a large, black 200mm intake fan positioned behind the easily accessed front dust filter, to push a lot of air into the case.

Air is exhausted by a second quiet 200mm fan on top of the case, as well as by the usual rear case 120mm fan. Note that the overall air pressure balance is negative with this arrangement, so additional air is drawn into the case through other openings. Air for the bottom mounted power supply is drawn in from below the case, through a dedicated slide-out filter, and as usual, it’s discharged out of the case by the power supply fan.

The top fan can be replaced by dual 120mm or 140mm fans, or optionally, it can be replaced by single or dual radiators and fans for liquid cooling. All furnished fans are controlled by a three-speed fan controller, which can support up to four fans. Users can thereby make their own choices between cooling performance and noise. It’s not obvious to find, but the small three-position switch for this controller is inside and on the right side of the hot-swap bay.

One peculiarity of this case is that it was designed just before manufacturers began providing motherboards with 20 pin USB 3.0 connectors. As received, this case has two cables with USB 3.0 male plugs for connecting the two USB 3.0 front panel ports, but current generations of motherboards don’t typically have internal USB 3.0 ports. Fortunately, after much searching, I found an inexpensive solution on several websites.

On Amazon.com, for example, it’s identified as an “8-inch USB 3.0 20-Pin Motherboard Female to 2 Type-A Female Connectors Y-Cable,” as shown below, selling for $6.45 USD, plus tax and/or shipping, at time of writing. It works!

Motherboard 20-pin female to two USB 3.0 female connector cable.

Motherboard: ASUS Maximus VI Hero. I selected this ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) series motherboard because at the time, it was being recommended by Jetline Systems for their popular line of professionally built flight simulation computers and because it facilitates easy overclocking of the i7-4770K and similar “unlocked” Intel 4^th generation processors. Here are some of the impressive features of this motherboard, paraphrased from selected ASUS descriptions:

Intel® Z87 Express Chipset

• The single-chipset design supports socket LGA1150 Intel 4th generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processors. It is designed to improve performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. It natively supports up to six USB 3.0 ports for up to ten times faster transfer rates than USB 2.0. The chipset also supports the integrated graphics capability of the i7-4770K processor.

Dual Intelligent Processors 4 with 4-way Optimization.

• Precise DIGI+ Power control for Intel 4th generation CORE processors
• CPU performance boost
• Customized fan control for cool and quiet performance
• All-around energy efficiency

Extreme Engine DIGI+ III Power Delivery

• Digital architecture provides high stability and precision for the CPU and memory, featuring dynamic speed adjustments and upgraded power components, including NexFET MOSFETs for high efficiency and better durability in half the size of standard MOSFETs. Exclusive BlackWing chokes remain cool with up to 60 amps of power, along with minimal power loss. 10K Black Metallic capacitors are designed to last longer and provide greater temperature endurance than generic solid state capacitors.

Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU/3-Way CrossFireX Support

• The Maximus VI Hero features the user’s choice of either SLI™ or CrossFireX configuration to host two graphics cards, each of which can contain up to two GPUs.

Second Generation T-Topology

• For extreme memory overclocking under full load, ASUS developed the world's first 2nd generation T-Topology. This feature is intended to optimize the motherboard layout, to minimize (electronic) coupling noise and signal reflection, to allow increasing DRAM overclocking. ASUS suggests that testing shows about 5% more memory overclocking margin under full load with this feature.

ASUS Maximus VI Hero motherboard

UEFI BIOS

• This feature provides mouse-controlled graphical BIOS, designed with basic and advanced interfaces. Among other useful features, the UEFI BIOS includes the F12 command for taking 1024 x 768 images of the current BIOS screen, which are transferred to a removable device such as a USB drive. New F3 and F4 commands provide accessing and adding selected BIOS menu settings to a Shortcut List.
• For quick overclocking of the processor, the CPU Level Up command offers choices of overclocking to 4.2, 4.4, or 4.6 GHz.

ROG UEFI BIOS, showing the CPU Level Up setting for simple overclocking

Furnished Utilities

The included AI Suite III provides the following utilities:

• 4-Way Optimization
• EZ Update
• USB 3.0 Boost
• System Information
• USB BIOS Flashback
• USB Charger+
• Audio Configurations
• MemTweakIt
• RAMDisk
• Sonic Radar
• Perfect Voice

It was relatively easy to build a system on this board. I was able to overclock the processor to 4.2 and 4.4 GHz, using the BIOS’s CPU one-step Level Up feature. These speeds were stable with 100% processor load invoked by the AIDA64 utility program, and they provided very nice framerates in FSX, P3D, and X-Plane 10, as benchmarked with the FSXMark07 procedure. After selecting the 4.6 GHz overclock with the Level Up feature, I experienced repeated “blue screen of death” crashes and returned to the 4.4 GHz setting.

Though I don’t have this problem (yet), there is a reported issue with this board, related to a frozen time clock function in the UEFI, leading to incorrect system time. A fix has been reported. One system builder indicates this may not be permanently fixable with a BIOS update, so I can’t currently recommend this board.

An alternative for a similar cost is the ASUS Z87 Pro motherboard, which has similar features, plus built-in Wi-Fi, as well as CPU/GPU sharing with the Lucid Vertu program, which is furnished along with drivers and other software on the included disk.

Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K. This mid-priced 4/8 core processor for LGA1150 motherboards is extremely popular because it’s unlocked and relatively tolerant of overclocking. It has a default frequency of 3.5 GHz, turbo boosts to 3.9 GHz, and it’s routinely overclocked by many users (on a per processor basis) to 4.4 GHz or higher. It also includes integrated graphics processing, so with many applications, such as office computing, and not including flight simulation, it can be used without an add-in graphics card. This processor’s specifications appear to be identical to those of the year older i7-3770K processor for LGA 1150 motherboards, except for updated integrated graphics in the newer processor.

Retail package for i7-4770K processor and included cooler

Processor Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO. I used an air cooler for the initial build of this computer. The EVO is a great choice, for design and value. It was reengineered from the older but highly rated Hyper 212 Plus model, to achieve nearly 100% contact between the cooler’s flattened heat pipes and the processor case. This is a technology Coolermaster calls “Continuous Direct Contact.” It also has an improved fan, compared to the Plus model.

Cold plate end of the Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO cooler,
 showing “continuous direct contact” feature of heat pipes

Though air coolers may be somewhat less efficient than liquid coolers, I subscribe to the “what if” question: what is the respective cooling capacity of air and liquid coolers if certain components fail. My engineering sense is that if the fan of a single fan air cooler fails, there is still some cooling available from the heat pipes and fins, by natural convection.

On the other hand, if the coolant pump or radiator fan fails on a liquid cooler system, there will be very little coolant flow through the radiator or heat removal from the radiator, and theoretically, there will be very little heat removal. That said, I may change this build to a high quality liquid cooler after more testing.

Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO processor cooler

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 2 x 4 GB DDR3 1600 MHz. According to Corsair, “Vengeance® DDR3 memory modules are designed with overclockers in mind. Vengeance DIMMs are built using RAM specially selected for their high-performance potential. Aluminum heat spreaders help dissipate heat and provide the aggressive look that you want in your gaming rig. As a bonus, the attractive low price of Vengeance memory will also leave lots of room in your system build budget.”

Though I used available 1600 MHz DIMMs for this build, I’d recommend 1866 MHz speed memory, which can sometimes be purchased for close to the same price as 1600 MHz memory. I like Corsair memory products because of their high quality and value, and I once had a very positive warranty experience with a Corsair memory issue.

Graphics Cards: NVIDIA GTX 770. NVIDIA provided a sample GTX 770 card because it’s a mid-range choice of the cards in the new GTX 700 series. It can operate up to four monitors, provided they are connected in this order: the first two to DVI, third to HDMI, and fourth to the DisplayPort connector. In testing, I’ve connected three high-qualify 32” Samsung 1920 x 1080 LCD/LED television receivers, used as monitors, to this card. The work fine and look. The engineering sample I tested appears to be identical to the EVGA GTX 770 card, part number: 02G-P4-3770-KR, with the following specs:

• 1046MHz Base Clock
• 1085MHz Boost Clock
• 133.8GT/s Texture Fill Rate
• 2048MB GDDR5 Memory
• 7010MHz Memory Clock
• 224.32GB/s Memory Bandwidth

EVGA currently produces 12 models of their GTX 770 cards, with different clock speeds, memory size, cooling means, case designs, and prices. The sample model’s case is designed to match the top end GeForce GTX Titan card.

EVGA offers 12 versions of the GTX 770 card.

Solid State Drives: OCZ Vertex 4 256 GB and Corsair Neutron Series 240 GB. Solid state drive prices continue to decrease, and many flight simulator enthusiasts are purchasing SSDs as primary drives. In fact, I have two flight simming friends who’ve purchased a 500 GB and a 1 TB SSD for their respective new computers. With two sample SSDs available from previous testing, I set up the Vertex 4 SSD as my boot drive and host to various office programs and utilities. The Neutron drive is set up for hosting installations of FSX, Prepar3D, and X-Plane 10.

OCZ Technology’s Vertex 4 256GB SSD

Corsair Neutron

Here are the comparitive performance specs of the two drives:

Both have relatively high Read specs, though their Write specs differ. However, for flight simulation, it’s the Read speed that’s most important, especially for retrieving new scenery files as the airplane moves over the earth, so I could have reversed the two without impact on sim performance. Both of these SSDs are SATA III 6GB/sec.

My previous testing confirmed that with FSX: Acceleration and Prepar3D 1.4, there is no framerate performance benefit from SSDs, but there is a convenience factor in having Windows and all programs on both drives load faster. Also, there’s presumed improvement in reliability, energy use, and noise of SSDs compared to hard drives.

Power Supply Unit: Corsair HX 850 Modular power supply. This 850 Watt product easily accommodates the components of this build, and it has a Gold energy efficiency rating of 80% PLUS®. It has modular cables and connectors, to reduce cable clutter and improve access for changing components. According to Corsair, HX series power supplies generate less heat than others, so they require less cooling, and the thermally controlled fan spins only when it’s needed. According to its performance data, the fan is off below 20% power load.

Corsair HX850 Modular 850 Watt power supply

A smaller power supply would be fine for this computer system, such as 650 or 70 Watts, unless a second graphic card were to be added. There is heat loss in power supplies, and each is tested for its efficiency versus system load. For this product, the highest efficiency occurs at about 50% load, as shown in the accompanying graph from Corsair, so it makes sense to purchase a larger power supply than needed, such as this 850 Watt model.

In other words, pay a little more up front and save energy for the life of the product. The list price of this model was $170 US, at time of writing, which is only $20 more than the similar 750 Watt model or $30 more than the $650 model.

HX850 efficiency vs. system load, showing highest efficiency at about 50% load

Optical Drive

To complete the build, I added two inexpensive optical drives. Several models, featuring speeds of DVD+R: 24X, DVD-R: 24X, and CD-R: 48X, are available from online retailers for under $20 US, plus shipping and/or tax, as required. These products are highly reliable and mature, such that competition based on speeds or features seem to be no longer a factor.

Summary

I’m very pleased with the results of this DIY project. I hope to not experience the frozen motherboard clock issue, or that if it does occur, I hope the referenced fix will work. In a subsequent article, we’ll look at benchmarking results of this computer for flight simulation use with single and multiple monitors, and also with a few component changes.

Azul

Highlights

Review by Marlon Carter. Azul is one of the most popular airlines in Brazil and they have solidified their position within the Brazilian aviation sector with a fine record of safety and fast growth. While their fleet primarily consisted of Embraer 190s, Azul had now positioned itself into the turbo-prop market with the purchase of the brand new ATR-72-600 series.

While most of the flights seen from Just Planes have featured revenue flights, this is the first time we are given the privilege of experiencing the delivery of a brand new aircraft from the manufacturer to the company. What makes this flight especially unique is that we join the flight crew on a three (3) day trip that takes us across Europe and the Atlantic to the final destination of Brazil!

For our first leg of the journey, the flight crew is briefed by the ATR Dispatch manager on the routing, permissions, weather, hotel accommodations and other important details pertaining to the flight. The first leg takes us from Toulouse to Lanzarote for refueling and then onward to Sal, Cape Verde.

Prior to our early morning departure, the captain takes us on a very thorough walk around inspection of the aircraft which affords viewers the opportunity to learn about the aircraft and to have an up close look at the new 600 series. After the walk around has been completed we join the First Officer on the flight deck as he continues his checks in preparation for departure. Part of the preparations involve going through all of the electronic checklist items and start up procedures.

While the forecast for the first leg of our flight was predicted to be foggy, the weather turned out to be quite clear and this afforded us the opportunity to enjoy the scenery from the cockpit while flying over Europe.

During our first leg the captain takes the viewers through some of the systems of the aircraft and he also shares some of this experience flying oceanic ferry flights. After landing in Lanzarote for a 30min refueling stop, the crew prepares for their final leg of the day to Sal, Cape Verde. A definite highlight of this trip was the scenic views from the cockpit on both departure and landing at Sal. While this leg of the trip was flown by the First Officer, he definitely displayed his ability to fly this new aircraft with confidence.

The next segment of this video takes a slight departure from our oceanic flight to focus on some exciting air to air clips of the factory ATR-72 600 in action. While this segment is not lengthy, I thought it was a welcome addition to the video.

Going back to our oceanic flight, after a rest stop in Sal, the crew gears up for their nearly 7 hour flight to Recife Brazil. During this flight there were many highlights worth mentioning. For example, during this leg of our trip the captain discusses the differences between the ATR-72 200(500) and the newer 600 series. He also provided an overview of the EFB (which was not setup at the time), PFD displays and other systems of the aircraft. If you have been eagerly looking forward to a cockpit presentation on the 600 series, then this is the segment you have been waiting for!

Another interesting portion of this flight saw our aircraft having to divert due to the ITCZ and the bad weather associated with it. The final highlight was the stunning beautiful scenery from the cockpit as we descended from FL240 to 3,000ft to view some of the beautiful islands in the Atlantic! This was quite a special treat and I am sure everyone will enjoy this.

After landing in Recife, the crew prepares for the final leg of their 3 days trip to Belo Horizonte. This segment features our First Officer taking the viewers through the cockpit setup procedures from a cold and dark condition. This segment was very insightful and perhaps the very first time Just Planes has filmed a full aircraft power up featuring the ATR 72.

After all was said and done, it was now time to depart to our final destination. This segment was uneventful and it mainly featured scenic views of Brazil before our smooth landing at Belo Horizonte. In the end, I think this video is a must have for anyone who likes turbo props and for anyone who is interested in experience a unique flight of this nature. It isn’t very common that the general public will experience an oceanic flight onboard a turboprop, but now we all can experience this wonderful opportunity from the comfort of our homes.

With multi cameras within the aircraft, there was never a dull moment on these flights. Some portions such as landings and takeoffs are replayed from different perspectives to give the viewers a better appreciation of the experience. Just Planes did a fantastic job at editing this program and I would definitely recommend it.

Additional Information

Summary / Closing Remarks

As always, Just Planes continues to provide some of the best aviation programs available. This Blu-Ray featuring Azul’s ATR-72 Oceanic Delivery is a must have for turbo-prop lovers and anyone who is interesting in experiencing such a unique flight across the continents. The Hi-Def quality of this video is remarkable and it truly recreates the sensation of being in the actual aircraft. If you wish to order this video, it is important to note that it is only available in Blu-Ray format as is the case with all new videos from Just Planes. Overall I think that everyone will enjoy this series and I will highly recommend it.

What I Like About This DVD

• Great scenery
• Creative editing and camera views
• Features very unique destinations and aircraft
• HD and widescreen format
• Fantastic Airline and Flight Crew.
• Oceanic Delivery flight

What I Don’t Like About This DVD

• Nothing

Norwegian

Highlights
 

Review by Marlon Carter. The last time that Just Planes visited Norwegian Air Shuttle back in 2004, we had the privilege of flying onboard the B737-300. This time around we will be flying onboard Norwegian’s newly acquired fleet of 737-800s to destinations such as Hamburg, Rome Fiumicino, Alesund, Stockholm, Cologne and the most northerly airport in Norway called Longyearbyen.

The video starts off with a short clip of Norwegian 737s in action. Our first flight takes us far north to Longyearbyen and in preparation for this flight we join the crew as they carry out their briefing and performance calculations using the EFB. After the departure, the captain discusses details related to our flight plan along with interesting bits of information about our destination airport which is the most northerly airport in the world!

Given the location of this airport, the weather is susceptible to rapid change and it requires good planning on the part of dispatch and the flight crew to ensure that adequate alternates are available.

For our arrival, the scenic view of the ice capped terrain was stunning to say the least. Adding to the beauty of this experience is the addition of “dramatic” music that was quite fitting for the enjoyment this segment. The landing was uneventful but quite an experience due to the rough runway at Longyearbyen.

While at the terminal, the captain does a thorough external walk around of the aircraft in preparation for our return flight. This is where things get exciting! The departure from this airport is very unique since it is surrounded by high mountain terrain. After the takeoff run, our flight makes an almost 40 degree bank to the left in order to avoid terrain. This was an exciting moment and I am sure you will enjoy this wild ride.

Prior to landing back at Oslo, the flight attendant gives the viewers a brief presentation on his role as part of the flight crew which was enlightening. After landing in Oslo, we quickly change crew/aircraft in preparation for more round trip flights to Germany and Italy.

The main highlights of these flights were the thorough briefings and performance calculations using the EFB. In addition to these presentations, there were many opportunities to observe the stunning scenery while flying around Europe. While returning to Oslo from Italy, viewers are given an opportunity to learn more about the 737-800 cockpit and its systems with a brief cockpit overview.

The final highlight of this video features the B737-300. This is perhaps the last time Just Planes will be filming this aircraft since it is scheduled to slowly exit service with the airline very soon. While onboard the 737-300 we join the crew on flights to Stockholm from Oslo.

The pilots were very engaging and there were many opportunities to learn the differences between the 300 and 800 series. While the 300 series is much older and less economical, the captain describes the aircraft as a fun airplane to fly.

Bringing this video to a close, we ride in the cabin of the 737-800 series with an over the wing view from Oslo to Cologne. This flight was a fitting end to this video as it showcased a peaceful view of the sun as we made our way to Germany.

In conclusion, this video is perhaps one of the best 737 videos available. It features interesting destinations, an engaging flight crew and stunning views from the cockpit and cabin. If you are a fan of the 737 then this is definitely a video worth viewing. The run time is approximately 270 minutes but I can assure you that it will be 270 minutes of pure entertainment. 

Additional Information

What I Like About the DVD

• Great scenery
• Creative editing and camera views
• Features very unique destinations and aircraft
• HD and widescreen format
• Fantastic Airline and Flight Crew.

What I Don’t Like About the DVD

• Nothing

Norwegian

Highlights

Review by Marlon Carter. Turkish Airlines is a well-known airline that provides a world class product for the travelling public. Apart from providing a top notch passenger service, Turkish Airlines also provides a reliable cargo service under the name of Turkish Cargo. When it comes to cargo aircraft, we typically think of Boeing airliners that have either been converted to freighter variants or freighter models that have been delivered directly from the factory. Few of us may have ever imagined that Airbus would have created another cargo aircraft aside from the popular A300F.

In 2010, airbus introduced the A330-200F as the world’s most modern mid-size freighter and Turkish Airlines added this unique aircraft to their fleet soon after. The airline’s cargo division serves some 47 destination and in this video series we will be following the flight crew of the A330-200F on flights to Uzbekistan, Thailand, Nigeria and Italy.

As an introduction to the airlines and a fitting start to the video, the V.P of Cargo Operations provides a brief presentation on the services and destinations of the airline. After the presentation is completed, we join the captain of our flight to Tashkent for a walk around inspection of the aircraft.

As we walk around the aircraft, it is clear to see that the A330-200F is slightly different to the passenger model. To overcome the standard A330's nose-down body angle, the A330F uses a revised nose undercarriage layout to provide a level deck during cargo loading. The normal A330-200 undercarriage is used, but its attachment points are lower in the fuselage, thus requiring a distinctive blister fairing on the nose to accommodate the retracted nose gear.

After the walk around inspection has been completed, we join the crew in the cockpit as they prepare for departure. In preparation for our departure the flight crew covers an extensive briefing that covers all aspects of the departure including emergency procedures. In addition to an extensive briefing, the flight crew also enlightens viewers on how the MCDU is setup and how performance data is calculated.

After departing for Tashkent, the Loadmaster provides a brief presentation on his role onboard the aircraft which you will soon realize is a critical role to the safety of the aircraft. This presentation continues after landing with an overview of how cargo is offloaded and loaded onto the aircraft. While this may seem to be a simple task, loading the aircraft correctly as a loadmaster is a task that requires extensive training. If the cargo is not secured or loaded properly it can easily cause an imbalance that may ultimately lead to deadly consequences.

The next leg of our trip takes us to Bangkok and then onward to Istanbul. Highlights from these flights include extensive briefings, scenic night time views from the cockpit and more presentations from the loadmaster that covers the differences between the passenger and cargo aircraft which you will find very enlightening. The final series of flights take us on a round trip from Istanbul to Nigeria and Milan. While these flights did not include an extensive cockpit presentation, there were segments that feature cockpit preparation procedures and a brief overview of the temperature controls in the cockpit by the loadmaster.

Throughout this video there is much attention placed on the role of the loadmaster. While Just Planes has filmed many cargo flights in the past, this is the first time we are seeing the importance of the loadmaster on these flights. If you are interested in becoming a loadmaster, you will definitely find it useful to pay close attention to the final presentation by the loadmaster has he explains the training that is involved. In the end I think everyone will find this Blu-Ray very entertaining. It is perhaps the first and only time the general public will have the opportunity to experience A330-200F operations and it is an opportunity not to be missed! For a price of $30.00 I think this video is well worth it.

Additional Information

What I Like About the DVD

• Great scenery
• Creative editing and camera views
• Features very unique destinations and aircraft
• HD and widescreen format
• Fantastic Airline and Flight Crew.

What I Don’t Like About the DVD

• Nothing

Review by Mike Cameron. The information below was gathered from the Eaglesoft Product Page and the Airliners.net website.

The Diamond DA-42 Twin Star is a four place carbon fiber constructed light twin engine aircraft powered by jet fuel burning twin diesel engines. The Diamond DA-42-tdi Twin Star was the world’s first and only piston aircraft combining an advanced airframe, avionics and twin engines. The airframe is composed of an advanced aerodynamic & crash worthy carbon fiber composite structure. With the revolutionary turbo-charged jet fuel TAE Centurion compression ignition piston engine, the Twin Star is the undisputed piston engine technology leader in the general aviation aircraft market.  With remarkably low fuel consumption, the DA-42-tdi was the first diesel powered GA aircraft in history to cross the Atlantic non-stop.  

Austria’s Diamond Aircraft unveiled the DA-42 at the May 2002 Berlin Airshow. The first flight of the Twin Star was on December 9^th 2002, leading to European JAA Certification in late 2003 and US FAA Certification & first deliveries in mid-2004. The DA-42 design objectives included high speed cruise at very low throttle settings and good low speed handling.  It is loosely modeled on the Diamond DA-40 Diamond Star single four place aircraft. The engines drive slow turning three blade constant speed propellers, which combined with the DA-42 fast climb rate results in a low ground noise signature.  The engines also feature electronic fuel management, automatic propeller controls and auto feather.

The DA-42 is suitable for flight training as well as private and business use.  Embry Riddle Aeronautical University was the launch customer with an order of ten aircraft and Lufthansa Airlines ordered 40 for its pilot training school.

Specifications:

Maximum Speed: 194 KIAS

Cruise Speed at 75% Power: 162 KTAS

Initial Rate of Climb: 1700 FPM

Maximum Operating Altitude: 18000 Feet

Range at 60% Power with Standard Fuel: 1061 NM

         With Optional Fuel Tanks: 1485 NM

Empty Weight: 2270 Pounds

Maximum Takeoff Weight: 3673 Pounds

Maximum Payload: 1366 Pounds

Wingspan: 44 Feet

Length: 27.8 Feet

Height: 8.5 Feet

Installation and Documentation

The Eaglesoft DA-42 Twin Star uses the Flight1 “Wrapper” for product activation and installation. For instructions and installing the aircraft the first time visit the Eaglesoft FAQ page .  I am going to be using the “Reinstallation” method because this is a review copy that was supplied directly from Eaglesoft.  This procedure will be the same if you need to install the Twin Star again at a later time. 

Start the “Wrapper” program and select the “Click Here to Reinstall” button at the bottom right of this first window.  On the next page select “Reinstall Using Your Key File” and press the “Select Key” button to browse to your product key that you saved the first time that you activated your aircraft and select “Validate”. I like to save my product key in the same folder as the aircraft Flight1 Wrapper for easy backups.  Enter your four digit password that also was provided during the first activation (I write this down on my product receipt), and select the “OK” button.

The program will generate a License File that you can back up to the default location or one of your choosing (I use the default but will later copy this license file to my download folder).  The Twin Star setup file is now unlocked and you will be asked if you would like to run this program at this time, I always select “Yes”.  If you select “No” the unlocked setup file will be stored in the same folder as your License Key. Accept the License Agreement, verify the correct FSX location or browse for the correct location, allow the Mindstar Aviation KAP140 autopilot to be installed and select “Finish” to complete the install process.  

This may seem complicated but is really very easy without having to type in any long & sometimes complicated serial numbers or keys.  The first time that you start FSX after installation you will be asked to approve the HyperGauge.dll file, select “Run” and “Yes” to approve this file.  The first time that you load one to the Eaglesoft DA-42 Twin Star aircraft in FSX you will need to repeat the above process for the ESDA-42_Gauges.GAU file and two that follow.   

Three PDF files are included with the aircraft, Cockpit Reference, G1000 Manual and the Eaglesoft FAQ’s document.  Two additional HTML files are included an Aircraft Reference and the Twin Star Checklist.  All of these documents are located in the Eaglesoft folder in your main FSX directory. I just wish there was a more comprehensive operations manual on how to fly the Eaglesoft Diamond DA-42 Twin Star.

Interior Features

The interior of the Twin Star is very nice. It does not have luxury textures, like wood toned trim but still the interior textures are very nice.  Sitting in the pilot seat and looking at the right seat I notice a small dip in this seat to indicate someone has actually sat there.  The back seats also have this feature.  I like to see signs of “use” with my premium aircraft and this is the first time that I have seen this type of “wear” texture in an aircraft and I like it.  Another sign of wear are the floor mats with faded but still readable labeling.

Interior objects are all three dimensional and look very realistic.  I needed to adjust my eye-point forward in order to look at the back of the aircraft; otherwise there was a texture issue with the pilot seat being to close. The only other minor interior texture issue that I have with this aircraft is with the Diamond Aircraft logo on the seats. I like that it is included but is a little too blurry for my taste. If this is a “wear” texture I can certainly live with this.

Interior labeling is great looking and is clear even when looking at them up close. There are no alternate interior views but for an aircraft of this size it really is not needed.  Interior lighting is also excellent and is controlled from the instrument panel. The only issue that I have with the lighting is that the rear lighting is not modeled so your virtual passengers will be in the dark.

Preflight Configuration Panel & Exterior Features

Before commenting on the exterior features, I want to quickly discuss the Preflight Configuration Panel. I enlarged this panel for screen grab purposes. This panel allows you to control the interior and exterior aircraft features.  These options include Remove Tie Downs & Pitot Covers, Load Luggage, Pilot & Copilot, Visible Crew Glasses and Toggle VC Rain or Glass.  The FS9 aircraft will have the VC rain effect and FSX has the VC Glass textures.  When you first load the Twin Star all of these preflight actions have already been checked which means all of these preflight actions have already been performed.

My default start setting is cold and dark so I wish these would have been unchecked at first so that I could remove the static objects, load the luggage and crew as part of my preflight procedure.  Luckily there is a Save button so I unchecked these items accept for Crew Glasses and pressed “Save” to remember my settings. I also unchecked the VC Glass box because I do not like how the VC Glass texture looks and I prefer clear glass. The first screen grab below is with VC Glass enabled and the second is VC Glass disabled.

There are eight aircraft included, four formatted for widescreen monitors and four formatted for square monitors.  I have a widescreen monitor so all of the screen grabs for this review will be the widescreen aircraft.  The first thing that I notice about the Diamond DA-42 Twin Star is that it has a very aerodynamic looking exterior. Where the Cessna, Piper & Beechcraft Twins all are very large almost like a sport utility vehicle of an aircraft, the Twin Star reminds me of a sports car.  

The Eaglesoft Twin Star has excellent looking exterior textures and features.  I love how the sun reflects off of the carbon fiber fuselage & propellers. The lack of visible rivets and the winglets add to the modern look of the aircraft.  Exterior labeling is very clear and easy to read.  The three dimensional exterior details are also very realistic looking.  My only minor issue with the exterior is that Eaglesoft did not include any alternate exterior views, only spot and locked spot.  I like to use the alternate views for my simulated walk preflight walk around.

Panel

The Eaglesoft Twin Star for FSX was released several years ago when they were still making FS2004 aircraft so like the FSX default and FS2004 aircraft the Eaglesoft DA-42 Twin Star includes a fully functional and great looking 2D panel. This aircraft only has the Garmin G1000 panel and on the early FSX G1000 aircraft I preferred to fly the aircraft from the 2D panel because of the lighting of the VC panel it was very hard to read the G1000 information.  The VC lighting on the Eaglesoft panel is much better than the default simulator G1000 panels.  

A nice thing about this aircraft is that it uses a flight stick control instead of a control yoke which allows unobstructed panel views from the pilot seat.  I think this makes for a much more realistic experience instead of having to hide the yoke in order to see the hidden panel items.   

The top of the panel contains the backup airspeed indicator, altimeter, directional gyro, compass, the ELT (not simulated) and the lighting controls.  The left side contains the engine ECU and the alternator switches.  The center contains the primary flight display (PFD), G1000 Audio Panel and the multi-function display (MFD).  I am not going to provide a detailed explanation of the G1000 system because that would require a lengthy section of this review.  I will only comment on Eaglesoft G1000 features that I like or do not like as I operate the Twin Star.   If you would like to learn more about the real world G1000, I found this series of video tutorials on You Tube . 

I like how the PFD & MFD have boot up sequences and with the interior lighting turned on, the LCD screens are very bright and clear.  The G1000 textures are much nicer than the default G1000 system.   Less impressive is that the radio fields are blank when you boot up the PFD, you need to tune all of the radios for the frequencies to be displayed.  The right side of the panel contains the non-simulated circuit breakers and the icing controls that are animated but not simulated. The bottom right of the panel contains more circuit breakers and moving left along the bottom are the flap controls, the KAP 140 autopilot, landing gear, electrical & avionics master switches, each engine master & starter switch, pitot heat and on the far left the ECU circuit breakers.  Below the autopilot are the rudder trim, parking brake, cabin climate controls (non-simulated), throttles, fuel controls and the trim control.   

I love that everything in the cockpit is within an easy reach from the pilot seat.  With the exception of the rudder trim label which is blurry, all of the other panel labels are clear and easy to read which is nice. Before moving on to flight planning I want to quickly comment on the traffic alerts on the MFD. First, traffic near the aircraft is displayed even while I was parked on the ground and I like that the alert displays some information about the aircraft rather than just a warning icon.   I also like how easy it is to tune the radios, the outer & inner knobs are clearly defined and I did not have any hesitation with the frequency changes that I sometimes have with the GNS GPS radios, especially in performance heavy scenery areas.  All of the various displays are easy to read but as with all instrument panels I would occasionally need to adjust my eye point for a closer view.  

Another nice feature on both the PFD and MFD is that there is a brightness control in the upper right corner of each display, which I like to turn down for better contrast when using the topographic map view.  Besides the two NAV map pages the other displays that are selectable with the FMS knob are Waypoint (WPT) with several subpages and Nearest (NRST).  Unlike the PFD “NRST” button which will only display the airports, there are multiple pages available on the MFD (airports, intersections, NDB’s, VOR’s and Airspace Alerts).  These waypoints are nice for quick direct to flight plans. When flying using the virtual panel, the nearest window is one those display’s that I needed to adjust my eye-point to see because this window is very small.  

The Eaglesoft Twin Star G1000 system is a customized version of the default G1000 which means you cannot manually create a flight plan and relies on the default simulator flight planner with its outdated navigation database.  The work around that I like to use with aircraft that use a modified FSX GPS is to create a flight plan with an external flight planning program that exports flight plans to FSX. I still cannot manually create a G1000 flight plan but depending on the program I may have updated waypoints.  If you would like a more realistic G1000 system including manual flight plan creation there is another option the Mindstar G1000 system for FSX.

Mindstar G1000 System

Most flight simulator virtual aviators are probably not familiar with Mindstar Aviation.  This company develops gauges & avionics solutions that bring most of the advanced systems of general aviation to the Microsoft flight simulator series of products.  Their primary customer base is commercial and these customers expect the most realistic simulated experience possible.  After the G1000 product was released to the commercial customers, Mindstar Aviation decided to release this same product to consumers via their website. As I am writing this section, Mindstar has just released the consumer version of their Garmin GNS430 & 530 GPS package.  Even though the G1000 product was released several years ago, Mindstar continues to release free updates with new features.

I have been looking for a more realistic Garmin G1000 system for FSX and then I read about this product when Mindstar announced that they were developing the GNS430/530 system. I have also read some positive comments about this product on several forums so I knew that I had to try it out for myself.  The bad news is that there has not been a lot of support from flight simulation aircraft developers for adding this G1000 into your favorite simulated aircraft.

The Mindstar installer adds two new default Cessna 172SP aircraft, one with the Mindstar G1000 with default autopilot and one that uses the Mindstar autopilot.  A FS2004 Cessna 182S & 182T was also installed into FSX, but I could not operate either of these aircraft without FSX crashing on my system.  Now for the good news, Eaglesoft provided support to Mindstar, so when you run the G1000 installer it will also add two additional Twin Star aircraft. One designed for square monitors with the Mindstar G1000 and the Mindstar KAP-140 autopilot and the other designed for widescreen monitors.  The nice thing about this is that no panel editing is required; it is ready to go after installation. If you purchase the Twin Star after the Mindstar G1000, just run the G1000 installer again and the two new aircraft will be added to your aircraft list.  I now have a premium twin engine aircraft installed with the G1000 along with the Cessna 172SP.

The first thing that I noticed is that all of the navigation & communication radio frequencies are now displayed as they should be.  I am not going to go into detail about the feature differences other than to say that the Mindstar system includes some more real world functionality than the Eaglesoft G1000 system.  The displays themselves look great and everything is clear and easy to read. One feature that the Eaglesoft G1000 includes that the Mindstar panel does not is the brightness controls on the PFD & MFD.

Operating the Mindstar knobs is extremely easy. Anywhere outside of the outer knob controls the outer knob and anywhere on the inner knob controls the inner knob, both with your mouse wheel for operation. I love not having to search for click spots.   One of the primary reasons that I wanted to install the Mindstar G1000 was to have realistic manual flight planning.  Most of the G1000 equipped aircraft that I have installed on my system still use the FSX Flight Planner for this purpose.  The navigation database installed with the G1000 system is old, 01-SEP-2007 to 15-SEP-2008 but Mindstar has partnered with the Real NAV Data service for optional navigation cycle updates.  For details on the consumer subscription of the Real NAV Service visit their website .   

If you are familiar with creating a flight plan on the RealityXP GNS 430 or GNS 530, the procedure is the same.  After pressing the “FPL” button, the flight plan window is now open with your departure airport already entered, left click on the center of the FMS knob to load the curser, rotate the inner knob to locate the first waypoint character then rotate the outer knob to move to the next position and repeat this process until your waypoint is entered then press the “ENT” button to accept the waypoint and repeat the above until the flight plan is complete.  

Mindstar has included another time saving feature, when the first character is displayed you can finish the waypoint entry by using your keyboard.  Another nice feature is the ability to delete a waypoint and the approach procedures also work without issue.   After the flight plan is activated, the familiar magenta line is now displayed on the MFD, waypoint information is now displayed at the top of the screens and the magenta pointer is now displayed on the HSI on the PFD.

Flight Model

For a twin engine aircraft the Diamond DA-42 Twin Star is a very easy aircraft to operate.   The aircraft does not have a lot of systems to learn.  One of the included documents is a checklist which I will be using for this section to see how accurate the simulated procedures are.   This is such an easy aircraft to start that I was able to memorize the engine start procedures after the first startup.  

The Preflight Configuration Window allows you to remove all of the parked aircraft static items as part of the preflight procedure which adds to the realism.  The first issue that I encountered was that my CH Throttle Quadrant controls were very sticky with this aircraft. I like smooth movement but this does not happen with this aircraft. I finally selected a twin engine joystick calibration profile in FSUIPC and by doing this solved this annoying issue.   I did not have any issues with the rest of the preflight checklist and I like that even though the icing controls are not simulated, these along with gear warning test can be tested as part of the preflight.  

As mentioned earlier the engine start checklist is very easy to memorize.  Throttle at idle, left engine switch on, left mouse click on the key to start the left engine and repeat this procedure for the right engine with a right mouse click to start this engine.   I do not know if this is how the real aircraft operates but when you start each engine the fuel control automatically moves to the full forward position, then during warm up adjust the fuel controls to the cross feed  setting.   

Another issue that I have is that if I have the throttles at idle or less than 700 RPM, the engines would stop. At least it is very easy to restart the engines.  I just had to remember to keep the RPM’s up while taxiing or I would have to do a restart.  I did not have any issues with the rest of the startup procedures.

To taxi the Twin Star is also very easy, much easier than then most of my other twin engine aircraft, just steer with your nose wheel in the direction that you would like to go.   The Diamond DA-42 Twin Star does not have magnetos so there really is not a run-up procedure but I would increase the throttle as part of the before take-off checklist to see if there was any engine roughness even though this is not simulated. Another oddity that I encountered with this aircraft is that even though the Twin Star does not have propeller controls, I needed to move my CH Throttle controls full forward in order to have the proper engine RPM’s for take-off.  

This is a very nice aircraft to hand fly. Move the throttles to full for about 10 seconds and rotate at Vr, but I had to let the speed increase past the rotation speed because on my system rotating at this speed would cause the stall horn to sound. By letting the airspeed increase before rotating helped with this issue. I like to hand fly to the cruising altitude and I needed to trim continuously in order to maintain climb but I was able to trim for cruise without issue, just used small control movements.   The controls are very responsive when hand flying.

The autopilot is pretty easy to operate, with the default G1000, load an FSX flight plan or create one with the Mindstar G1000, press the “ARM” button & dial your selected altitude then press the autopilot power button.  The aircraft will now fly to your selected altitude and I love that the autopilot will level off smoothly at the proper altitude. I also like to select the “NAV” button on the autopilot to follow the flight plan and my Saitek Multi-panel works nicely with the KAP-140 autopilot.

The Twin Star cruises at a nice 150 knots indicated; so this is a wonderful short to medium cross country flights.  For descent I wanted to use the same autopilot procedure to descend to my desired altitude, but I could not get this to work. I had to disable the autopilot, enter the new altitude then power on the autopilot for descent.  The Twin Star slows down very nicely but I had to remember to start my approach well ahead of time so that I was at my final approach speed on time.

One final note, the large MFD moving map allows me to easily see terrain features when VFR flying without a loaded flight plan and for recognizing these features on final approach into smaller airstrips.

Sounds & Animations

The Eaglesoft DA-42 Twin Star has some very nice sounds & animation effects.  The first sound that you will hear is the warning sound when the primary flight display boots up, also, you can hear both the PFD & MFD fans in the background which adds to the realism. The traffic warning sound message on the multi-function display is also very nice. 

I like that when you load the baggage during preflight, you can hear this door closing and the main canopy operational sound is also excellent.  When the main canopy is opening I like that the handle is animated rather than just having the door open & close which greatly adds to the experience.   All of the operable switches and dials are animated with appropriate sound effects.  

I do not know how the real Diamond Twin Star engines sound like but the simulated ones sound impressive.  It is nice that the tone changes when the main canopy or the baggage door is opened and closed.   The engine vibration effects during startup are excellent and the stall horn is also very impressive sounding.

Summary / Closing Remarks

Despite a couple of issues, I am very impressed with the Eaglesoft Diamond DA-42 Twin Star. This aircraft has detailed interior & exterior textures, very impressive sound & animation effects and a wonderful flight model. I really like that the Mindstar G1000 is easily installed into the virtual panel for a more realistic G1000 simulation and flight planning. The Mindstar product also allows you to subscribe to a current navigation database service for the most realistic flight planning possible.  

The only real complaint that I have with this aircraft is that the radio frequency fields are blank on the primary flight display when it is first powered on; you need to manually enter these frequencies for them to be displayed.  This should not happen with a premium aircraft.  Luckily I will be using my Mindstar G1000 equipped aircraft which display the navigation and communication frequencies correctly. 

The only other real issue that I had was that my throttle controls did not operate smoothly and if the RPM went to an idle setting, the engines would stop running.  Lastly, the Eaglesoft G1000 is a modified version of the default flight simulator G1000 system without the manual flight planning capability and other realistic features.

What I Liked About The DA-42 Twin Star

• Mindstar G1000 virtual panel option.
• Great looking interior & exterior textures.
• Impressive sounds & animations.
• PFD & MFD brightness control and easy radio tuning.
• Very good flight model
• Very good system performance for a glass paneled aircraft.

What I Didn’t Like About The DA-42 Twin Star

• Lack of visible radio frequencies when the PFD is first powered on.
• Modified version of the default FSX G1000 system.
• Cannot manually create or edit a flight plan.
• Throttle controls are not very smooth on my system
• Lack of operational document other than a checklist, reference sheet and G1000 manual.

Review by Roger Curtiss. I have evaluated a few airport sceneries over the years and with only a couple of exceptions they have all been airports to which I have actually traveled.  I felt that having this real world reference would provide some insight into gauging the effectiveness of the scenery reproduction.

However, the airport at Charlotte, North Carolina is not one with which I am familiar.  I am aware that it has for quite a while been a hub for US Airways, but I never flew an airline to or from that airport, and my virtual flight record indicates that I have not flown there for at least the last five years of simulation flying.

Therefore, I had to approach the review of Imaginesim’s KCLT with a different frame of mind.  Rather than be able to determine if the airport is a true and accurate rendering of its namesake, I instead took a more objective view of what features the scenery offered and how the presentation looked and felt as representative of a major commercial airport.

A distinction I could make was to differentiate the Imaginesim version from the default FSX KCLT.  One factor that was immediately apparent was that the FSX variety only depicts three runways at the airport 36L/18R, 36R/18L and 5/23.  The present day KCLT has an additional runway, a 9000’ 36L/18R to the west of the older runways (the old 36L/18R is now 36C/18C) and ImagineSim includes that configuration.

Default top down view

ImagineSim Top down view

Installation

The scenery is a 54.4MB download expanding to 73MB once on the hard drive.  The installation documentation  recommends that the user run and close FSX before installing in  order to assure a “fresh start”, error-free FSX configuration.  It is difficult to say whether this step is truly necessary, but since it is relatively easy to do, why not?

Actual installation requires input of a registration key and execution is rather quick.  Once in place, a new folder is created containing a .cfg file, manual, and scenery and texture sub-folders.  The install also provides AI mapping in the setup to facilitate integration of AI aircraft for those simmers not inclined to be online.

Once successfully installed, the scenery seamlessly replaces the default airport and the difference is immediately noticeable if no other reasons than the existence of numerous airport ground vehicles with flashing roof lights and the very welcome presence of signs designating each gate location.  If the scenery causes a frame rate hit, the numerous airport vehicles can be removed by deleting a line in the .cfg file.  The gains in the airport environment are offset by one small loss- the scenery does not make provision for moving jet ways so your virtual passengers will have to venture outside in order to board and disembark.

Included is a 12-page manual detailing system requirements, optimum FSX settings, airport diagram, explanation of the docking guidance system and FAQs. 

The Details

Imaginesim uses a standardized description on its website for each of its airport sceneries touting such features as custom-made runways, an interactive docking system, taxiways with highly realistic concrete textures, full airport taxiway and runway signage, 3D approach lighting and full ILS navigation, hundreds of vehicles and ground personnel, and a perimeter fence with security cameras.  Once the sun goes down the scenery promises that it “looks stunning after dark with beautifully lit buildings and parking areas” and “complete taxiway and runway lighting”. 

So, using Imaginesim’s own descriptors, how does this scenery match with the promise?

Custom-made runways

The runways do exhibit some individual characteristics that differentiate them.  While 36L and 36C appear to be concrete, the tire marks on them are not identical.  Runway 36R appears as concrete south of the touchdown zone but then has a much darker asphalt appearance for the remaining majority of its surface.

36L texture

36C texture

36R texture

Interactive Docking System

The docking guidance system for each gate consists of a box with dual visual signals.  On the left side is a traffic light providing continue/stop indications via standard traffic signal lighting.  To the right of that are two neon tubes. The left tube serves as a lateral guidance and speed indicator.   As the tube lengthens aircraft speed should be reduced.  In combination with the right tube, this also provides lateral adjustment cues via red and green indicators. Simply steer toward the green tube to regain proper alignment.  It is a rather intuitive and effective system.

Docking guidance. Centered and moving in

Left correction needed

Just about at the stop point

Stop

Taxiways with highly realistic concrete textures

I visited the website of the actual KCLT and learned of a relatively recent construction project-an extension of taxiway D 2400’ south to the end of 36R.  That project took a year and was completed in September 2013.  This additional taxiway is not included in the scenery and in fact, the scenery lacks quite a few signs on taxiway D at various intersections.  It would be nice if perhaps at some point Imaginesim could revisit KCLT with an update that extends taxiway D to the approach end of 36R so that general aviation and Air Guard aircraft will not have to cross the runway in order to taxi to that runway end.

KCLT diagram included with the scenery package

Current airport diagram depicting south extension of taxiway D to 36R

Full airport taxiway and runway signage

It seemed odd to me that none of the taxiways leading away from the runways have signs visible from the runway indicating their designation.

There also seem to be taxiway signs and/or markings missing from two intersection areas on the airport that the Airport Diagram for KCLT designates as HS-1 (Hot Spot-1) and HS-2.  The explanation for HS-1 states, “Confusing intersection due to convergence of Twy R, Twy A, Twy C and Twy C9, along with a grass island.” Indeed, it is a confusing area, made even more so by the lack of a sign on taxiway C at R.

The explanation for HS-2 states, “Pilots exiting Rwy 18C–36C on Twy S for either

Twy E or Twy F mistakenly turn left on Twy E5 and reenter the rwy.”  I can see how that can happen as there is no taxiway centerline indicating the turn from taxiway S to E.

I also noted a few differences in signage from the default scenery; such as in the newer version there is no designation of taxiway F along the west side of the terminal ramp north of taxiway B and E14.  Also, older airport diagrams depict eight numbered holding spots around the perimeter of the ramp area.  These painted circles are present in the scenery (actually, the scenery shows 11 of them -1 thru 4 and 6-12...5 is missing) but current KCLT diagrams do not show them anymore.

Ramp Metering Spot

I emailed Imaginesim using the support contact address on their website and inquired about the signs.  I received a timely and interesting response explaining that the Imaginesim crew is based in the UK and hyper-concerns of enhanced US security measures prevents non-US citizens from obtaining the needed airport access to perform a complete surface analysis.  Therefore, they must rely on satellite and aerial photography to conduct their mapping.  The upshot of this is that if a detail does not appear in the imagery, it does not get modeled in their products.

The newest runway 18R/36L was built west of the previous runway complex and the two access taxiways to that runway (taxiways N and S) are shown on the diagram to be on short bridges just east of taxiway W.  The airport scenery does not replicate those elevations-the surrounding terrain appears to be flat.

3D approach lighting and full ILS navigation

The approach and runway lighting are very bright…perhaps even a bit excessive.  The approach lights would be even more impressive if they had moving “rabbit” lead in lights on the single row.

Powerful approach lights

Short Final

Touchdown zone

Hundreds of vehicles and ground personnel

Certainly no argument here.  Part of what brings the airport alive is the presence of so many vehicles most of which have flashing amber roof lights.  There is also an abundance of parked vehicles located in various parking lots and behind buildings. The terminal area is especially well done with some gates fully stocked with service vehicles, some empty for a very realistic feel.  There are also various cargo bins, carts, and service stairs parked all around the airport. What I did not find, even with sliders maxed out, were any personnel.

Default view east from Gate 1

View east from Gate A1 with added vehicles

Very realistic looking Avis building and parking lot

Perimeter fence with security cameras

Indeed, the airport property is fully surrounded by fencing.  I was not able to locate any security cameras, but then again, I wasn’t looking all that hard for them either.

Beautifully lit buildings and parking areas

Terminal lighting and other building illumination is slightly subdued and while there are plenty of light poles with floodlights, those lights do not actually project any spot beams to the pavement, they merely have a white texture indicating that they are lit.

C gates night lighting.  It would be better if the light poles actually generated some light.

Complete taxiway and runway lighting

The runways and taxiways are well defined for night use.  Taxiways have green centerline lighting so maneuvering about the surface is easily executed.  The runway lights and the centerline lights are so intense as to have a tendency to flare.  I suppose it might be possible for someone with the proper knowledge to go into a .cfg file and tone down the light intensity a bit.  I looked in the scenery folders and all that are there are .bgl files and of those it was not readily clear which dealt with approach lighting…to say nothing of the fact that I have no clue as to how to change them anyway.

Lighting and signs very readable at night

Certainly, I am nitpicking in spots here and the casual observer might not notice some of these fine points.  And despite what might be interpreted as a perceived lack of perfection, this rendition of KCLT greatly enhances the airport, giving it a much more realistic feel that is well worth the cost.

Default 36L north to terminal

36C north to terminal

Default ANG ramp

ANG ramp

Default GA ramp

GA Ramp

Default cargo ramp

Cargo Ramp

Default Gate A1

Gate A1

Default aerial view of terminal

Aerial terminal view

Default maintenance hangar

Cargo ramp with American hangar sporting new logo

Default C gates

C gates

Default LF view from A1

View from LF A1

Default aerial GA ANC ramps

Aerial GA ANC ramps

Whether every sign is accurate or every detail matches the actual is almost beside the point.  After all, airports are rarely static entities, their configurations are changed and scenery developers can hardly be expected to keep up with every single one.  That being said, however, I will reiterate that if Imaginesim were to revisit KCLT the addition of the taxiway D extension south would be a most welcome addition.  In fact, I contacted them suggesting that and received a reply that my observation would be passed on to the design team for consideration.

I very rarely make use of AI traffic (preferring to do my flying online) but I switched off Squawkbox and pushed my traffic sliders full right.  The airport area filled up with traffic- general aviation first and within a few minutes a variety of airliners as well.  Strangely, however, none of the airline aircraft utilized the terminal gates.  Any that were parked were on the ANG ramp and they taxied from there to 36R for departure. 

The many features provided do come with a small tradeoff.  In order for all of them to load, the airport can take a while to be fully formed.  While a few miles out, the airport ground appears as an open area with vague outlines of runways.  As one gets closer, the forms take on increasing definition and are fully rendered prior to the final approach phase.  While this makes the airport a bit difficult to recognize at first, it is preferable to having the scene pause in order to load which can cause problems when online.

It takes a while to load the scenery

The end of the runway is just visible as being formed

Summary

This scenery may not be a perfect offering, but its few faults are easily eclipsed by the added sense of realism it provides and at US$28.99, it is not very expensive.  As I stated earlier, the mere fact that each gate sports an identifying sign justifies the price as far as I am concerned.  That surface textures, lighting, and other details are added just serves to seal the deal.

Imaginesim has developed a reputation for producing solid products and KCLT is no exception.

Test System Used

• HP Dual Core computer
• Intel i7 2600 processor
• 3.4 GHz
• 9 GB RAM
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64 OS
• Nvidia GeForce GTX580 video card

Ethiopian Airlines

Highlights

Review by Marlon Carter. Ethiopian Airlines is a well-known world class airline that is quickly becoming Africa’s airline of choice. Apart from their passenger service, Ethiopian Airlines also has a cargo division that utilizes the B777-200F, B757F and MD-11F.

In this program we will be taking a closer look at the operations of Ethiopian Cargo as we fly onboard the 777 and MD-11 to destinations such as Johannesburg, Liege, Accra, Lagos, Khartoum, Hong Kong and Chennai!

The beginning of our journey takes us on a round trip from Addis to Johannesburg. After the aircraft was loaded, we depart for our 4 hour flight which was filled with highlights such as departure, enroute and approach briefings by members of the flight crew.

After the smooth landing in Johannesburg and a quick crew change, our new Captain takes the viewers on a very extensive walk around presentation of the B777 which I am sure viewers will find enlightening. During the walk around, the immense size of the B777 becomes very evident and it gave the perfect opportunity for viewers to examine every square inch of this brand new aircraft.

After departing for Addis, the captain gives a brief presentation on the EFB and shares his comments on how the B777 compares to older aircraft. This flight also featured an exciting moment where the crew had to deviate from their flight path to avoid some very bad weather enroute. In addition to the deviation from weather, there were many opportunities to admire the stunning view from the cockpit both in flight and during the night time landing at Addis.

The following day, we depart from Liege on a rainy morning to Accra, Lagos and then onward to Addis. These series of flights featured many highlights worth mentioning. I was particularly impressed with the fact that Ethiopian Cargo’s flight crews consist not only of the Captain and First Officer, but it also includes a Flight Attendant!

During our first leg from Liege to Accra the Flight Attendant does a presentation on the meals that are served to the crew which maintains the same high standards seen on passenger service flights. Also featured in this presentation is a tour of the crew rest area that is slightly different to rest area found on the passenger B777.

Another highlight from these flights were the cockpit presentations given by the Captain while enroute from Lagos to Addis. The presentations were not extremely in-depth but they provided a good overview of the cockpit in a manner than anyone can easily follow.

After landing in Addis, we take a short break from the African skies to take a tour of the Flower Farms. This presentation was very informative and it will give you a firsthand look at the hard work that goes into preparing flowers for export. Ethiopian Cargo is an essential service in the trading of flowers from Ethiopia to various parts of the world and I think this presentation was a fitting addition to this program.

As we continue with the program, we join the MD-11 flight crew as they fly valuable cargo to intriguing destinations such as Cairo, Liege, Sudan, Hong Kong and Chennai. During these flights there were many segments that focused on aircraft loading, departure briefings, arrival briefings and a host of camera angles from the flight deck.

If I had to choose 2 or 3 of my favorite highlights, it would have to be the cockpit presentations, aircraft walk around in Hong Kong and the stunning views from the cockpit as we land into the sunset in Cairo.

The MD-11 is a very modern aircraft and it has truly proven itself as a go-to option for cargo operations. If you are a fan of the MD-11, you will definitely enjoy this program as much as Boeing fans who are eager to see the operations of the B777F.

If neither of these aircraft are at the top of your list of favorites, I am sure that you will be impressed with the overall quality of this program with its scenic views, numerous camera angles and the informative presentations from the flight crew of Africa’s most progressive airline. – Recommended!

Additional Information

Summary / Closing Remarks

I am always impressed with the new formats of Just Planes DVDs and this one is no exception. This DVD also comes in Blu-Ray format and at a price of $30.00 it is well worth it. Ethiopian Airlines seems to be a rising star among airlines and I am certain we will see and hear many good things about this airline in the future. The presentation was superb and very entertaining.

What I Like About Ethiopian Cargo

·         Great scenery

·         Creative editing and camera views

·         Features very unique destinations and aircraft

·         HD and widescreen format

·         Fantastic Airline and Flight Crew.

IBERIA A340

Highlights

Review by Marlon Carter. Just Planes returns to Iberia and the A340-600 for yet another opportunity to experience the operation of this unique aircraft. In this program, we will be joining the flight crew as they journey to Mexico City from Madrid onboard the A340-600 with the return trip featuring the A340-300!

Before we board the aircraft, we take a tour of the Madrid airport and the services that are offered by Iberia. Some of the services that were showcased were the Check-in services, Apps for IPAD used by Iberia staff and the Quick Service point that allows customers to access information on just about any aspect of Iberia’s flights and policies.

A very useful feature of this quick service point is the ability to scan your boarding pass to access information on your flight. With these revolutionary services, Iberia is truly showing themselves to be an airline that is one step ahead of the competition. 

Another interesting segment of this introduction was the tour of the Control Center of the airport that coordinates the daily activities of the staff and airline. In addition to having a tour of the Control Center, we are also taken to the ramp area to for a presentation on the ground operations.

After the Madrid airport presentation was completed, we meet up with our flight dispatcher as he takes us through the flight planning process. The flight plan for our flight today takes a very unconventional route directly across the Atlantic due to bad weather conditions. Apart from showing us the routing of our flight, the dispatcher also explains how much the entire flight will cost the company in fees and fuel expenses and it’s needless to say that this is a very costly flight!

As we draw closer to the time of our departure, the flight crew takes the time to review the flight plan prior to boarding the aircraft. When the dispatch review has been completed, the First Officer takes us on a very thorough walk-around inspection of the aircraft.

During the walk around it was the immense size of the A340-600 series that becomes quite apparent. The A340-600 is one of the longest commercial airliners around and it requires careful handling on the part of the pilots for taxi, takeoff and landing. During the preflight briefing that follows, the captain stresses this point since the 600 series requires careful attention for takeoff rotation. If the pilot pitches too high, it can easily cause a tail strike!

After departing from Madrid there were many highlights from the long journey to Mexico City. Some of these highlights included presentations on Oceanic Clearances and the CPDLC, Flight plan integrity checks, TCAS and an explanation of the EFP (Equal Fuel Point) that in the event of an emergency would determine whether the crew will divert to Miami or head back to Santa Maria.

One of the things I appreciated very much was the interactive nature of this program. The Captain was very engaging and he always had interesting information to share with the viewers. Some examples of this were the explanations of the difference between the A330/340 and the presentation on how an Airbus aircraft flies.

While on approach to Mexico City there were a few exciting moments where the crew had to avoid bad weather in the area but nonetheless the landing was uneventful.

As an added bonus to this program, Just Planes has also included clips of various airliners landing and departing Mexico City. While this segment was short, it provided a fitting “intermission” before viewing the return portion of our trip.

In preparation for our departure back to Madrid, we join the crew as they discuss their routing with the dispatcher. When this has been completed we join the crew as they carry out their departure briefing and cockpit preparation checklist. During the moments before pushback, the Captain takes about the advantages and disadvantages of the A340-600 vs the 300 series which I am sure you will find quite interesting. After all the checks have been completed and all clearances were received we depart Mexico City at night for our 11 hour flight back to Madrid.

During the return portion of this trip there were a few highlights worth mentioning. During the night time departure, there were many opportunities to admire the stunning view of Mexico at night. In addition to this our departure required many deviations from bad weather which was clearly seen from the cockpit as the skies lit up from lightening associated with thunderstorms in the area.

The final highlight focuses on our arrival and the many camera views used to capture our approach and landing into Madrid.

In the end, the journey was a wonderful experience and the engaging flight crew made the experience one that was very educational. The A340 truly shines in this program and if you are an Airbus fan, this is one program you won’t want to miss out on!

Additional Information

What I Like About Iberia A340

·         Great scenery

·         Creative editing and camera views

·         Features very unique destinations and aircraft

·         HD and widescreen format

·         Blu-Ray and DVD Download

NATURE AIR

A review by Marlon Carter.

Highlights

Nature Air is a new addition to the Just Planes lineup and in addition to being a newly featured airline, we will also have the privilege of flying to some 11 new and intriguing destination! In this program we will follow the flight crew of Nature Air’s Twin Otter and Caravan operations in Costa Rica. Some of the destinations we will be visiting are Quepos, Palma Sur, Tambor, Nosara, Punta Islita, Puerto Jimenez, Golfito, Tamarindo, Liberia and La Fortuna!

When I first saw the extensive list of destinations, I initially thought that many of these flights would be more or less the same. After viewing the program in its entirety, I can honestly describe this program as one of the most interesting adventures that Just Planes has to offer. Here are some of the highlights.

Our first flight takes us from San Jose to Quepos and Palma Sur Costa Rica onboard the Cessna Caravan. Most of these flights border on 20-50 minutes in length and no one will be complaining since driving to these destinations can easily take up to 4 hours!

For the duration of our first leg, our primary view came from the wing mounted camera that pointed directly as the aircraft and it also offered a wonderful view of the surroundings below. On our second leg to Palma Sur, we experience the majority of this flight from the cockpit of the Caravan. While flying low altitude enroute, the Captain pointed out interesting details about the flight and the region as we fly overhead. The landing at Palma Sur easily reminded me of landings in St. Barts since we had to dive to the runway due some very tall trees surrounding the threshold.

After a very turbulent arrival back at San Jose, the Captain chats with the viewers about various destinations and their attractions. This segment was very enlightening since it teaches you about some of what Costa Rica has to offer. In addition to this presentation, the Captain also discusses various details about the Cessna Caravan.

One of the things you will immediately notice about the Caravan is that it comes with the legacy cockpit verses the newer G1000 display units. The Captain explains that Nature Air chose the legacy cockpit due to its reliability in harsh climate conditions of Costa Rica. Other operators who used the G1000 often experienced overheating which resulted in maintenance issues. Thereafter, the Captain also delves into a very thorough cockpit presentation of the Cessna Caravan, which was a definite highlight of this program.

The next sequences of flights take us from San Jose to Tamarindo, Nosara, Punta Islita, Puerto Jimenez and Golfito onboard the Twin Otter with a few flights also featuring the Caravan. Many of these flights feature stunning views from the various cameras mounted on the tail, wing, gear and belly of the aircraft! Some flights are films entirely from these views and they offer a beautiful perspective of this tropical region. The return flight from Golfito to San Jose was by far the most memorable flight on this program. The cloudy sky conditions at dusk created a stunning experience that has to be seen to be truly appreciated.

As the program draws to an end, the CEO and Founder of the airline talks with the viewers about the history of the airline and its importance to tourism and job creation in the region. After viewing this presentation one can’t help but be impressed with the large role of this small airline. What is even more so impressive is that Nature Air is the world’s first Carbon Free airline.

How can any airline be Carbon Free? Well I am not an environmentalist but apparently there are equations that determine an airlines carbon footprint. After taking into account that Nature Air preserves the rain forest with its profits, this environmentally conscious airline has offset their carbon footprint to nil.

After this intriguing presentation by the CEO, we delve one last time to some flying action with a few clips of Nature Air’s fleet in action. This is followed by a few Twin Otter flights that also include a thorough cockpit presentation! As the program comes to an end, it was hard to believe that nearly 4 hours had gone by.

This program offers a wonderful view into the operations of Nature Air and an intriguing look at the region of Cost Rica. For both pilots and enthusiasts, this program is definitely a keeper and it will no doubt provide hours of nonstop fun and adventure.

Additional information is available here.

A review by Marlon Carter.

SriLankan Airlines

Highlights

SriLankan is a new addition to the list of airlines featured by Just Planes. In this program we will fly onboard their fleet of A330s, A320s and the SriLankan Air Taxi Twin Otters on floats! The destinations covered in this program include Colombo (base airport), Frankfurt, Male, Mattala, Kelaniya River, Pollyolla Reservoir, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong!

The list of destinations is numerous and this is a good indication that this program will be 4 hours of nonstop excitement!

Our first flight takes us from Colombo to Frankfurt onboard the A330. Some of the highlights of this segment feature crew briefings, cockpit preparation, and scenic views from the cockpit. In addition to this, there were also presentations by the Captain on the flight progress that covered our departure and the procedures that were followed. The return leg of this trip features a night time departure from Frankfurt with a new flight crew.

While enroute to Colombo, there were many spectacular views from the cockpit in addition to the usual interaction with the pilots. The most memorable view included a marvelous sunrise and the beautiful view of Sri Lanka while on approach for landing.

The next exciting trip takes us to the beautiful destination of Male and Mattala. On this trip, the First Officer is in command of the A330 and he does a fantastic job in covering the cockpit preparation procedures in step by step manner.

Some of the items that are covered in this presentation are the overhead, pedestal and center panels along with the setup of the FMS. After the departure, we make our way to the stunning island of Male and then onward to Mattala before making our way back to Colombo. During this flight there were many highlights worth mentioning but I was most impressed by the stunning beauty of Male and Mattala. These destinations eerily remind me of the Caribbean and I am sure many of you will enjoy this segment.

After our return to Colombo, we take a break from the larger airlines to focus on the operations of the Twin Otter on floats from Colombo Dandugama to the Kelaniya River and Pollgolla Reservoir. Words cannot describe the amazing experience of flying the Twin Otter into and out of these amazing destinations. What made these segments even better were the exterior camera replays that gave a thrilling perspective of these flights. In the end, this is surely a segment you will enjoy the most.

The presentation that follows takes us away from the cockpit to focus on the operational aspects of SriLankan Airlines. In this presentation, the Chief of Operations discusses the vast history of the airline, services and plans for the future. This presentation was nicely complimented with a tour of the airline’s business class lounge which was very impressive to say the least.

Moving back to the cockpit, we join our flight crew as they prepare for a flight onboard the A320 from Colombo to Singapore. Some of the highlights of this flight include an exterior walk around of the aircraft, cockpit preparation and a discussion of ETOPS regulations while enroute to Singapore.

For the return flight to Colombo, it was necessary for the captain to load some extra fuel due to the bad weather that was expected at our final destination. While the approach to Colombo was very cloudy, the weather cleared up quite nicely as we became established on final.

The final flight on this program takes us onboard the A330 for an exciting trip from Colombo to Bangkok and then onward to Hong Kong and back to Bangkok. This flight featured similar highlights to the previous A330 flights with the exception of a cabin service presentation. This presentation gives the viewers an opportunity to see the great service provided by the friendly cabin crew and I was very impressed.

My final highlight came while landing in Hong Kong. During the approach and landing the skill of our pilots were nicely showcased as they landing in low visibility and heavy rain.

Prior to viewing this program I had only heard of SriLankan Airlines but knew very little about the type of service it provided. In the end, I was very impressed with operations of SriLankan Airlines and I certainly hope that they would be willing to open their doors in the future for Just Planes to film even more exciting flights!

Additional information is available by clicking here.

A Review by Peter Hayes, May 16th 2014

Introduction

Just Trains produces excellent models and scenery for Dove Tail Games’ Train Simulator 2014 (TS2014) and earlier variations.  The Class 20 Advanced Collection is an updated model of British Rail Class 20 Diesel Electric Locomotive, light mixed freight traffic for the simulator.

The first Class 20 collection from Just Trains was released in 2011 and featured the locomotive in several liveries (10) and scenarios (12), and the cabs featured night-time and daytime cabs.  Just Trains issued patches over time ever improving the locomotive.

Finally in April/May 2014 the Class 20 Advanced Collection became available either as standalone DLC or as an upgrade (for those that had purchased the original Class 20).  Just Trains stated that the Class 20 Advanced, “has been fully updated to the TS2014 advanced standard and now features many immersive features such as advanced operating controls and realistic systems.”

The Advanced Collection now comprises 15 liveried Class 20 locomotives, with authentic sounds, unique wagons and 15 standard scenarios on a variety of routes in TS2014.

Download and Install

The package full and upgrade is available as a download (175MB).  I believe that a boxed version is also available, but I could not spot it on Just Trains’ website at this time.

Installation is typical of Just Trains, just open the supplied (.exe) file enter your login details to verify the purchase, and the installer finds the correct path to install the software in TS2014.  If you have the original Class 20 Collection installed, you must uninstall this version first using the \Control Panel\Programs & Features\Uninstall option in Windows.  Installation is quick, easy, and usually without incident.  An upgrade has been issued by Just Trains fixing a few minor issues.  This upgrade automatically uninstalls the preceding Class 20 Advanced Collection and installs the fixed version.

Manual

Just Trains provides a complete 46 page manual (aka "Driver's Guide") which can be found using the \Start Menu\All Programs\Just Trains\Class 20 Advanced Collection\Class 20 Advance Manual.

The Manual (aka Driver’s Guide) is an essential read.  The manual provides all of the information about this model, including: the various liveries (pictures), a description of the cab controls, and how to drive and operate the locomotive.  General information is also given about the wagon sets included, and how to include the DLC (Downloadable Content) into your own scenarios.  The manual details the installation (and uninstallation) process, so it’s worth reading for that information alone.  As I always say, “If in doubt read the manual first!”

Background, Courtesy of Wikipedia

The British Rail (BR) Class 20 diesel-electric locomotive, aka English Electric Type 1. A total of 228 Class 20’s were built by English Electric between 1957 and 1968.

The original numbers were D8000–D8199 and D8300–D8327, and are affectionately known by railway enthusiasts as "Choppers", because of the distinctive sound that the engine makes, - that apparently resembles the sound of a helicopter (well modelled in the Just Trains version).  Some were built with head codes and others without and Just Trains models the variants well.

The 73-tonne Diesel Electric locomotives are approx. 47’ (14.3m) long, approx. 9’ (2.7m) wide, approx. 13’ (3.9m) high and produce 1,000 horsepower (750 kW).  Operational speed is at or up to 75 mph (121 km/h). Designed to work light mixed freight traffic, they have no train heating facilities

Specifications of the Just Trains Class 20 Advanced Collection

15 Class 20 Advanced Liveries:

• British Rail – Blue
• British Rail – Green
• British Rail – Headcode box
• British Rail – Weathered
• DRS (Direct Rail Services)
• DRS (Direct Rail Services) Compass (20301-20305)
• DRS (Direct Rail Services) Compass (20306-20315)
• DRS - Refurbished
• DRS – Refurbished & weathered
• GBRF (GB Rail freight) 20901
• GBRF (GB Rail freight) 20905
• Hunslet-Barclay
• HNRC (Harry Needle Railroad Company)
• Lafarge Cement
• Railfreight

Class 20 Advanced Collection Features:

• Dynamic exhaust - dense smoke at start-up, color and density varies with engine load and temperature
• External rain effects on glass which are cleared by wiper operation
• Variable-speed, independent left and right rain-clearing wipers which work with TS2014 rain effects
• Working cab and instrument lights
• Quick Drive compatible
• TS2104 lens flare on HID light-equipped locomotives
• Ammeter tracks RPM as well as throttle position
• Braking too hard for extended periods will lead to an audible wheel flat forming
• Individual horn tones
• Driver’s key (must be inserted before reverser can be moved)
• Operating AWS isolation (must be set to On to allow locomotive to be driven)
• AWS/DSD self-test and warning buzzer and bell
• Enhanced cab detail and texturing
• Custom couplings
• Custom driver model
• Custom bogie and coupling sounds
• Forward and reverse driving positions
• Headcode discs and red lamps controlled by lighting switches above side windows
• Springs/suspension
• Electrical and hose connections
• Appropriate period lights
• Headcode boxes
• Disc headcodes
• 3D access cover handles
• Rotating roof ventilation fan
• Authentic and highly detailed cab
• Custom physics

My Visual Observations

The Class 20 Advanced was a workhorse for British Rail, and the Just Trains version reflects this in the 15 liveries supplied.  In real life, the Class 20 was usually used in the nose to nose configuration which solved both power and visibility issues.  Again, this is reflected in the Just Trains versions, as some realistic, weathered versions are also modelled.

To show the similarities (and differences), below are pictures of the real-life versions compared to the Just Trains versions.  In my opinion, Just Trains has done a great job in the exterior modelling of this locomotive and I refer the reader to the above features to see what has been delivered. 

Externally, everything works as it should and the skins are rendered in excellent detail.  I particularly like the sounds and the dynamic exhaust smoke.  The latter was not seemingly affecting frame rates as this effect tends to do in some locomotives.  The shadows and detail on the exterior are also faithfully reproduced.

When used for some of the shunting scenarios supplied, the operation and sounds of the custom couplers is very realistic and positive.  Once again the collection was showing attention to detail.  Lighting is quite comprehensive and varied and will be discussed in the cab section.  Suffice to say lighting emulates real life operations.

Specialised Wagons

Included in this section are a couple of wagon types used on British Rail.  The two wagon sets depicted are the Rail Head Treatment Train (FEA-F RHTT) and the FNA Nuclear Flask wagons. 

According to the Just Trains website:

FEA-F RHTT Configurations:

• All supplied in clean, lightly weathered and heavily weathered versions and giving the following “cleaning/blasting” effects:
• Water - Water - Water
• Water - Water - Sandite
• Water - Generator - Water
• Water - Generator - Sandite
• ActivWagon smart coding
• Night lighting effects

The RHTT is a specialist rake of FEA-F wagons comprising: a generator pack, water tanks and a Sandite® (a mixture of sand, aluminium and adhesive) dispenser.

The wagons form a vital role in autumn (fall) where they blow fallen leaves off the rails giving better grip and avoiding wheel slip braking issues.  The wagons are highly detailed and I was provided different configurations.  I also observed weathering skins from pristine to very grubby and dirty!  The ActivWagon Smart-Coding (mentioned above) allows amongst other detail a flashing red tail lamp.

The spraying effects can be operated by using the CTRL+R key on the keyboard and when used in this collection the spray starts automatically between 35 to 60 mph and can be toggled on or off using the CTRL + R key as above.  The spraying effects look very realistic. 

Included are scenarios that use the cleaning feature of the RHTT wagons.  The Manual displays pictures of the various configurations of the types of spray to be used.

FNA Nuclear Flask Wagon (FNA NFW) Configurations:

• Both versions are supplied in clean, lightly weathered and heavily weathered versions
• Loaded (shows hazard diamonds)
• Unloaded (no hazard diamonds)
• ActivWagon smart coding

The FNA NFW is a specialised rail wagon that is used to transport spent nuclear materials in (Magnox©) flasks between UK nuclear power stations and the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facility at Sellafield.  Normally each flask weighs >50 tonnes, and transports usually not more than 2.5 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel

The FNA NFW wagon set normally runs as a single or twin rake.  You cannot tell from the exterior if the wagon is transporting nuclear waste, as the fuel flask is securely stored inside the rectangular box in the middle of the wagon. However, if there is no spent fuel on-board then the hazard warning diamonds are missing from the side of the wagon. Again these features are modelled in the Just Trains Collection, and there are included scenarios that reflect this. Further, when using the Class 20, there would always be 2 locomotives (in case one breaks down) hauling the spent fuel, and this is also reflected in the Just Trains scenarios.

I did not wear any lead underwear (boxers) when simming the “nuclear” scenarios as I am reliably informed that there is little danger, when using these highly specialised wagons/flasks, of immolation by nuclear radiation as they pass by.

In the Cab

The cab is well detailed showing (in the same cab) the forward and reverse positions.  All of the gauges are depicted (as in the real deal) these can be illuminated by using an overhead switch.  The cab itself is illuminated at night again by using an overhead switch, which makes it easier to set up the various parameters (e.g., AWS solation lever) before driving. 

The controls can be manipulated using the mouse, keyboard, Xbox 360® PC controller and/or a mixture of all 3.  I did not test the controls using a Raildriver® controller.  In my opinion, the cab is very well detailed, displaying all the pertinent switches, levers, buttons, etc., and you could drive this locomotive without the F3/F4 HUDs, with the mouse/controller/keyboard, with perhaps just using the F5 HUD for occasional reference.

There is excellent forward vision; rear is not so good, but that may be why they used to run back to back in pairs.  A detailed list of the cab features can be found in the manual or on the Just Trains website.

Sounds

These are very good and Just Trains stated they are “authentic sounds recorded from the current Class 20” giving the distinctive “Choppers (helicopter)” rhythmic “wop-wop” sound. I liked all of the sounds and didn’t feel the need to use a 3rd Party add-on soundpack (which are also excellent) for this locomotive.  The Class 20 sounds good using earphones or a set of speakers and you can certainly give your sub-woofer a work out.

Scenarios

The Class 20 Advanced Collection comes with 15 “Standard” Scenarios on various RSC/DTG UK routes, from the North East to the South West of the country. You will need to check that you own all of the required routes and if you don’t that you can purchase them from either the Just Trains website and/or from the STEAM store, and one free route from the RailWorks Community Workshop. You will be carrying out duties both passenger and freight including the specialised wagons, detailed above. A comprehensive guide to the scenarios is given in the manual.

The scenarios are very good giving a wide variety of simming duties, such as passenger duties, freight, rail blasting, and nuclear waste—all of which are excellent at giving many happy hours driving these nicely modelled diesels and wagons.

The Class 20 Advanced – Engineer’s Perspective

Before you start I would climb into the cab (as easy as pressing “1” on the keyboard) and familiarise the controls and lighting switches, as the cab is extremely dark at night.  Fortunately Just Trains provide “A Quick Class 20 Driving Lesson” in the manual, and that is a must read.  The cab light is much improved in the latest upgrade.  Before you can drive the locomotive you have complete certain steps as you would in real life (see pictures above).

• If the cab is “cold and dark”, i.e. the engine is off:
• Turn on the battery by pressing the SHIFT + B combination.
• Locate the master key which is lying just in from the throttle and reverser and drag and insert that into the console.
• Move the AWS Isolation lever to ON (i.e. UP) – this is cleverly hidden just adjacent to the driver’s seat on the right hand side and is difficult to see and operate if you do not know where it is.
• Cancel the AWS warning buzzer/bell with the mouse or “Q” key.
• Move the reverser forward or backward (W/S) as appropriate.
• Release the train brakes (;) key.
• Move the throttle forward (A) key to pull away.

The throttle and brakes are progressive and smooth, bearing in mind you need greater braking effort when hauling a heavy consist or passenger coaches.  The Class 20 is easy to drive and control and works well with either the mouse, the keyboard, or a controller,

Lighting is varied and appropriate for a UK diesel locomotive of that period.  You can turn on the headlights using the “H” key, and there are several other lighting switches and options on the overhead lighting consoles above the driver's head in both positions forward or reverse. There is also a lighting procedure when uncoupling wagons and this is described in the manual.

The cab engine and ambient sounds are great and reflect the speed of the train in motion, cornering and/or stopping. On the outside the noises are louder, as they are in real life, with the locomotive sound throbbing majestically with the subby lifting off the floor, track sounds are great, and there a good audible sounds from the wagons.  At first I thought an AWS alarm or the “green light” bell could only be heard inside the cab but I certainly heard the bell in the drivers head out of the cab. I will have to investigate further once the review is published.  

Smoke effects from the exhausts are visible, good and are coordinated with the throttle position, puffing out as the throttle is increased. 

In the Class 20 you will see that the driving cab is located at one end only, i.e. the same cab is used for going both forward and reverse. In TS2014 the ‘flatter’ end of the engine is the front end i.e. the cab position that you use when driving the engine forwards.  In the simulator this works fine and you can usually couple a consist at the “right” end of the locomotive and travel in the correct direction to the next destination.  Well, sometimes anyway.

Driving in reverse you use right keyboard arrow (or up/down arrow on the F4/HUD) swivel around and use the view from the rear-facing window i.e. towards the long nose of the engine.  Using the left keyboard arrow brings you back to the “normal” forward position.

However, if you have two Class 20 Advanced locomotive’s coupled together, then you can switch cab ends in the ‘normal TS2014’ manner i.e. using [Ctrl]-[+] and [Ctrl]-[-].  However, one tip, if you do have two locomotives and are asked to switch cabs i.e. from one locomotive to the other facing different directions, you need to reset the AWS isolation lever i.e. to OFF, and remove the master key, setting the reverser to off, brakes ON, throttle at 0 before switching to the new cab, which then must be set up again to drive in the correct direction. This does not seem to be covered in the manual.

I only tested the Class 20 in “expert” mode so have no knowledge how well it operates using simple controls, as I find the latter to be totally unrealistic. I enjoyed the driving experience and all 15 scenarios tested my abilities, and were all able to be completed.  You can’t ask for more than that!

For me, an amateur train simming enthusiast, I found that the physics were good and I had no issues when running the locomotive(s) on, its/their own and hauling a very heavy consist up a steep incline.  They felt realistic, but as I say, I have no real knowledge of operating this type of locomotive in the real world.  I liked the way that the Class 20 handled and the scenarios were interesting and relatively easy to complete especially after a small upgrade from Just Trains.

I should mention that I already own the IHH Class 20 (now no longer in business) and this has been revamped and reintroduced by DTG and can be purchased on steam.  I have not compared the 2 variants, so cannot draw any conclusion as to whether one is “better” than the other.  Eventually when the RSC version goes on “special” I shall probably buy it and see how the 2 go head to head.  You can never have too many locomotives in your virtual sheds and sidings!

How does it run on my PC?

My PC specs are listed below, and I did not see any real impact on frame rates, suffer any stuttering or minor pauses using this locomotive. I use TSX ON and OFF and in both cases performance was fine and image clarity very good.

Computer Specs

TSX Graphics Settings

Advanced