Microsoft Flight Simulator X

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

Luggage has set up a server for FSX, so we flew around on that for a while.

 

Then Cent and I flew from Kinloss to Belfast, it was our first night flight.

 

I used a freeware MD83.

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

Some planes from earlier version of Microsoft FS can be used in FSX but unless someone has added a Virtual 3d cockpit, it will only have a 2d panel.

 

For example, this is a Vickers VC10, it was a magnificent aircraft in its day. Built to a BOAC spec for a plane that could take off from shorter rough runways (especially in Africa). To achieve a STOL capability it had 4 powerful engines, with reverse thrust. Instead of mounting them on the wing where they could ingest debris from a rough runway they were mounted high on the rear of the fuselage. To this day it is one of only 2 planes to have rear mounted quad engines. By the time it was built runways around the world and been lengthened and hardened, reducing the need for those powerful but thirsty engines. So BOAC bought fewer than expected and bought the more economical Boeing 707 instead.

 

Anyway this is the VC10

 

 

and this is what you normally get with it.

 

 

With the 2d cockpit wherever you look the instrument panel view is the same. I have modified my panel config to use the PFD and MFD from a 737 to have this view instead.

 

 

It's not as good as a virtual cockpit but it's less irritating (to me) than the 2d cockpit.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

This is the Piaggio P180 again, but this time in X Plane 10.

 

 

 

I have been thinking of buying X Plane 1, but I htought I should give X Plane 10 more time before buying 11.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

Cent managed to tuck in nice and tight on this flight from Salt Lake City to Telluride

 

 

And we both made it

 

 

Did a flight with Luggage earlier form Kinloss to St. Mawgen which also worked out well.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

Now the BAe Nimrod, another nice freeware aircraft

 

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

This is the Panavia Tornado, swing wing Multi Role Combat Aircraft. When I was taxiing for take off the plane appeared to lurch and the take off was prolonged, suggesting the plane was heavy. I checked the fuel and payload and she was 19,000 lbs overweight. So I lightened the load to the minimums otherwise she would have crushed her landing gear. before takeoff, check the nav log to get and indication of fuel requirements, I tend to multiply the nav log by 2 or 3 for short flights because I am not very efficient. This type of plane never lands fully laden so you should lighten the payload before landing.

 

 

 

 

 

Althought this plane has a 3d cockpit it is not very functional. To operate the plane you need to use 2d pop up panels. Its is useable but not as immersive

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

This is an alpine flight plan I am working on. Unlike my usual flights which use VOR radio beacons for navigation, this will have to be VFR (Visual Flight Reference). I would like to do this in a piston engine aircraft as there is some engine management involved when climbing to these altitudes.

 

 

It starts in Aosta (LIMW) in Italy (Alt 1,788ft).

 

The first stop is Sion (LSGS) in Switzerland (Alt 1,581 ft), although the destination is at a similar altitude the alps seperate them. This is why the route has to extend east. I stalled 4 times trying to cross in progressively more powerful planes, finally I used a Learjet, but I want to do it in a piston engine Beech Baron.

 

Next is La Blecherette (LSGL), the small airport servicing Lausanne (Alt 2041). The route will follow a valley and cross the magnificent Lake Geneva (Laque Leman as it is also known), This airport has a very short runway (2,868 ft) in a built up area, it is not easy to spot from low down and it is too short if approached from higher up, This is why I want to use a slower plane.

 

Berne (LSZB) is next (Alt 1673 ft), it also has a relatively short runway (4,951 ft), The highest point getting there is 2,300 to 2,800 ft.

 

The its off to the beautiful Interlaken (LSMI) (Alt 1,890 ft). By following the valley floor we should be able to get there without having to climb too much).

 

Ulrichen (LSMC) is next (Alt 4,422), We will have to climb over 8,000 ft on the way, the runway is 6,890 ft long.

 

Samedan (LSZS) is next (Alt 5,600 ft), he runway is 5,902 ft long.

At the moment the Final destination is Orio Al Serio (LIME). But this is a work in progress so it might end in Milan or Bresso.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

I have flown the route and it definitely has some challenges, there are a few places where you have to gain altitude quickly. To achieve this I flew in a climbing circle until I felt I would be able to cross the high point. A couple of runways are hard to see.

 

This is the approach from Lake Geneva into La Blecherette, Lausanne. Spotting the runway is not easy and there are tallish buildings on the approach. Good job I used a slow plane.

 

 

 

I changed the end of the flight to go over lake Como and land at Bresso, This is also an urban airport and is hard to spot.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

This is a payware North American XB70A-1 Valkyrie by Virtavia. It is an older model that I bought recently in a steam sale. Firstly be wary of buying military planes for FSX on steam. DTG require that all the planes be stripped of military markings, this is very irritating. Secondly this is an older Virtavia model and it is relatively low res, worse on the inside. But it flyable and it is challenging to fly slow and low. So I took it on my favourite route and managed to land it at LOWI.

 

The XB70 is an amazing aircraft from a pioneering time. Sadly one of the prototypes was lost in a collision with a Lockheed F104 Starfighter during a publicity shoot. It was originally intended as a deep penetration nuclear bomber, flying at Mach 3+ at 70,000 ft it was originally believed to be invincible. Firstly the development of better SAMs reduced confidence in its invincibility, then ICBMs made it redundant. The 2 prototypes were used by NASA for testing prolonged high speed flight, the remaining Valkyrie is in a museum.

 

Anyway here is the Virtavia North American XB70A-1 Valkyrie

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

The XB70 Valkyrie was designed as a replacement for the ubitquitous B52 (more on that later), using speed and altitude as its defence.But the B52 itself was a replacement for another huge bomber, the Convair B36 Peacemaker. Capable of intercontinental peace delivery it first flew in 1946, I remember hearing it was designed to fly to Europe and back in case Britain fell to the axis, but I dont know if this is true. it is still the largest piston engine plane in the world. But really it was a hybrid with 6 piston engines and 4 jet engines (six turning and four burning).

 

Anyway here is a freeware version of the plane.

 

 

[custard~SPARTA~]

I had never even heard of the B36 thanks

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

And here is a freeware B52. The B52 is older than me and the B52H is still an operational bomber. I heard that the USAF is going to spend $300mm on upgrades for the fleet of 76 bombers. What amazes me is the bombers designed to replace it such as the XB70 and the B1 A fell by the wayside. At least there is the B1b. The B52 is a bit of a lump to fly in FSX but I enjoy it none the less. Here is an aggressive landing at LOWI.

 

 

 

Notice how the wings droop back down after the landing

 

 

 

I dont like her nickname, BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F******), because I find this plane quite attractive in an industrial sort of way. Also In 1991 B52s flew from Louisiana to bomb targets in Iraq and returned home (refuelling in the air on the way). They flew 14,000 miles in 35 hours, which is a record for the longest distance combat mission. This plane has been featured in movies and books over the years, who can forget Slim Pickins riding a nuke into russia from a B52 in Dr Strangelove.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

This is a freeware General Dynamics F111H. Britain had ordered a K version of this plane, but cancelled due to delays and mounting costs. The British government cancelled the TSR2 project in favour of this plane, but ended up buying the Blackburn Buccaneer which had been rejected prior to the development of the TSR2. Australia also operated the F111. Whilst I lament the loss of the TSR2 I really do like this plane.

 

 

 

The texture for this model is for the lead plane (of 18) from the 1986 raid on Libya, which took off from RAF Lakenheath. I flew from Lakenheath to Benina using radio navigation, but the actual flight was much longer as the bombers were denied overflight by most european countries, so they had to fly over the atlantic to the west. I gave myself overflight permission.

 

 

This plane has a fun party trick where it dumps fuel between the jet nozzles creating a massive plume of fire.

 

 

This is freeware so the interior is low res but surprisingly functional.

 

 

Furthermore it has terrain following capability. I was able to fly the plane at 500ft and 600 knots. However, when the plane is at combat weight that may have too fast.

 

 

This is a great freeware aircraft with a surprising amount of functionality.

[custard~SPARTA~]

I saw F111's take off from Greenham Common Airbase it was quite late and getting dark they looked and sounded awesome

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

Jumping back in time here is freeware Avro Lancaster Bomber, specifically RAF 617 Squadron bombers from the Dam Buster raid. These were recreated to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the raid. In my last post I spoke about how I had the F111 flying at 500ft using Terrain Following Radar, but to replicate the raid I would have to fly to Germany at 60ft trimmed manually, I havent done it yet.

 

 

 

[Cent~SPARTA~]

oooooooooooooooooooh i like that!!

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

This is a freeware F104 Lockheed Starfighter. As a child, this is what I thought a fighter looked like, a HUGE engine with stubby wings and a man strapped to it. Clearly with a small lifting surface it was designed for speed as an interceptor. However airforces needed strike ability as well. No problem Lockheed said as they strapped a load of ordinance to it making it even harder to fly. Incredibly foreign airforces bought this plane, including the Luftwaffe and the Italian Airforce.

 

This model was created by a former pilot who flew for Italian Airforce, it is a detailed model and when I got it, it was freeware, the latest version is payware. Its a beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

Personally I am more of a bus driver, everything happens so fast in these jets and things get busy enough in a slower plane. Not that they are easy, for example in a light nimble plane any corrections can be made quickly, but if you look away to fiddle with the radio (change frequency as ordered by ATC) things can go very wrong before you look back out the window. A big lumbering jet has to be lined up properly because it is hard to make quick corrections .

 

Furthermore in my A2A Connie, if I am too harsh on the controls my passengers complain, hurting my promotion prospects. Trust me they are a whiny bunch.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

By now you must be thinking "he must run out of planes", not yet.

 

Here is a freeware B1 B

 

 

It has a virtual cockpit but its not very good

 

 

I have been trying to create a route through the austrian alps so that I can have my version of the Mach Loop, the route plan is in yellow and the dotted line is my actual flight path.

 

 

At WP23 the plane went wide and I had to climb out of the valley, I was back on track by WP26 then made a wrong turn at WP27, I managed to make a very hard climbing turn to the right, then dived back into the valley. Once into the main valley I gave it the beans and got up to 700knts before throwing out the anchors to make a straight in landing at LOWI

 

 

 

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

An Iconic plane in the UK, the Avro Vulcan. Still freeware but sadly no Virtual cockpit.

 

 

 

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

The Vulcan was part of Britains nuclear deterrent through to the early 80s. Originally it was part of Britains "V" bomber force, the Vickers Valiant. the Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan. Here are the Valiant and the Victor side by side In their original white camo.

 

 

The Valiant was not around for long, but Victors were converted to tankers. In FSX I have all three but the Valiant is not very good inside or out. The other two are ok on the outside but not so good on the inside. Here are some shots of the Victor in action in FSX

 

 

 

 

 

In FSX the Victor is fast but does not respond well to input, when going fast she runs very wide, but when going slow she barely responds. I'll have to fly it more to find its sweet spot.

 

In 1982 11 Victor tankers flew from the Ascension Islands to get one Vulcan to the Falklands. When this mission was flown Vulcans were months away from being scrapped. Their refuelling probes were not operational and had to be fixed using scrapped parts. It was an amazing feat and in its day the longest bombing mission ever undertaken. Two Vulcan were made ready for the mission but Britain only had the logistical ability to get one to the target. This turned into a series of 7 planned missions

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

Finishing off the V bombers here is the Vickers Valiant

 

 

 

 

 

This plane has an awful Virtual Cockpit, so I fly it without a cockpit but with a few instruments. I have been experimenting with what instruments to use and here is the latest iteration.

 

 

Here I have a PFD and an MFD as well as a HUD. It takes a bit of getting used to as you have no reference for the actual height of the plane. When I can I have these intstruments on my second screen

 

 

With these I can manage the flight plan, frequencies and autopilot as well as having a visual reference of my location and obstructions. But I cannot adjust the transponder or NDB (Non Directional Beacon) frequencies and I have no ADF (Automatic Direction Finder) to guide me to the NDB, so its still a work in progress.

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

And now for something completely different, the Airbus A300-600ST Beluga (ST=Super Transporter).

 

 

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

 

 

 

 

[Zeno~SPARTA~]

Following on from the Beluga here is the Modern take on the Guppy, the 747 400 Dream lifter