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2020
No: 129
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 THE SKY IS CALLING!
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EDITORIAL
PCPilot
Flight Simulation – Your Complete Guide
A new beginning!
ello and a warm
H welcome to a very
exciting issue of PC
Pilot. As you read
this, Microsoft’s very highly
anticipated re-entry into the flight
simulation world should have
begun with the release of its
brand new Flight Simulator. The
launch of this simulation heralds
the start of a new beginning
for the franchise. Microsoft’s
return to the hobby will no doubt
have a ripple effect across
the industry, not only on the
consumer but also on the third-
party publishers and developers.
To many, this may appear to
have come about in a relatively
short space of time, but as you
will read in our exclusive and
extensive interview with Microsoft
and Asobo Studio (which starts on
EDITORIAL
Editor: Derek Davis (derek@pcpilot.net)
Technical Editor: Richard Benedikz
Contributors to this issue:
Joe Lavery, Peter Stark, Chris Frishmuth,
Thomas Haynes and Jessica Bannister-Pearce
Production Editor: Sarah Robinson
Designers: Lee Howson and Tom Bagley
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EDITORIAL CONTACT
PC Pilot, Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100,
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Email: mail@pcpilot.net
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Head of Production: Janet Watkins
Head of Design: Steve Donovan
Head of Advertising Sales: Brodie Baxter
Head of E-Commerce: Martin Steele
Head of Content Management: Finbarr O'Reilly
Head of Content: Hans Seeberg
Head of Finance: Nigel Cronin
Chief Digital Officer: Vicky Macey
Chief Content & Commercial Officer: Mark Elliott
www.Key.Aero
page 52), this is the culmination of
years of hard and dedicated work
by a group of people who are both
passionate and committed to the
subject and the franchise. Taking
part in this wide-ranging interview
are Jorg Neumann, Head of
‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’,
Microsoft and Sebastian Wloch,
Chief Executive Officer, Asobo
Studio. Among other things, we
discuss how and why Microsoft
decided to get back into the
flight simulation business, as
well as the development process
involved and the innovative use of
technology in the new simulator.
Moving on, we also have
a special ‘In Focus’ section
dedicated to Just Flight – the
ever-popular publisher and
developer. We take a look at a
number of its projects currently
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Advertising Production Manager: Debi McGowan
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in development, starting with the
146 Professional on page 12.
If that was not enough to whet
your appetite, we also have
an exclusive interview with
MicroProse’s CEO, David Lagettie,
in which we discuss another
project currently in development:
‘The Mighty Eighth’. This is a
reimagining of one of MicroProse’s
classic titles ‘B-17 Flying Fortress:
The Mighty 8th’, which is a
personal favourite of mine. Turn
to page 40 to find out more.
For combat flight sim fans, Chris
Frishmuth brings us a detailed
review of Eagle Dynamics’
truly innovative and ground-
breaking DCS: Supercarrier,
which starts on page 70.
As well as software, we also have
hardware covered with a review
of Thrustmaster’s TCA Sidestick:
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Airbus Edition, starting on page
80, which marks its entry into the
civil flight simulation market.
So, whatever your interest,
hopefully you’ll find something
in this issue for you.
One final note, because of our
extensive Microsoft interview,
we have had to postpone the
video Download section that we
normally have in the magazine
for this issue. However, we
do have a selection of videos
for you to watch on our Key.
Aero website, which you can
find at: www.key.aero/article/
pc-pilot-issue-129-downloads.
All that remains is for me to
wish you well and keep safe.
Happy flight simming!
Derek Davis
Editor
Derek@pcpilot.net
published in PC Pilot, including the contents
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Publisher: Mark Elliott.
To find a stockist near you,
visit www.pcpilot.net
#129 PC PILOT / 3
CONTENTS
Contents
Regulars
03 Editorial
06 News
08 Comms
78 Downloads
Reviews
24 Just Flight’s Air Hauler 2 -
Adding purpose to your flight
simming
28 DC Designs’ F-15C,
E & I Eagle -
Delivering a complete package
32 Lionheart Creations’ Bellanca
Super Viking -
A delightful GA tourer
36 Aeroplane Heaven’s
DC-3/C-47 -
Return of an old favourite
44 UBSoft’s Condor 2 -
Discover the quiet beauty of
flying like a hawk
48 Taxi2Gate’s Hong Kong
International Airport v2 -
Taxi2Gate updates Hong Kong
(Chek Lap Kok) Airport
70 Eagle Dynamics’
DCS: Supercarrier -
Eagle Dynamics raises the bar
80 Thrustmaster’s TCA
Sidestick: Airbus Edition -
Cleared for take-off
4 / PC PILOT #129
Interviews
12 Just Flight’s 146 Professional -
Airliners in development: Part 1
We invited Just Flight’s Head of
Development, Martyn Northall, to tell us
about the 146 Professional. Part 2, in the
next edition, will discuss the A300 B4-200.
16 Just Flight’s Tornado F3 -
There’s a storm brewing!
Following their Tornado GR1, Just
Flight is now developing the Tornado
F3 - Air Defence Variant (ADV). To learn
more about this product, we got in
touch with Just Flight’s Development Next Month
Manager, Martyn Northall. The next issue of
PC Pilot (Issue 130) will
20 Just Flight’s Fokker F28 be on sale in UK shops
Fellowship - on October 15.
Welcome to the Fellowship
As part of our focus on Just Flight for this
issue, we invited the company to talk about
an airliner project the team currently has in
development - the Fokker F28 Fellowship.
40 MicroProse: The Mighty Eighth
We invited MicroProse’s CEO, David
Lagettie, to talk about his highly
anticipated B-17 simulation and his
plans for ‘The Mighty Eighth’.
52 Microsoft Flight Simulator -
An exclusive interview with
Microsoft and Asobo Studio
We sat down with Jorg Neumann,
Head of 'Microsoft Flight Simulator'
and Sebastian Wloch, Chief Executive
Taxi2Gate’s Hong Kong
Officer of Asobo Studio for an in-depth
discussion on the new simulator platform. International Airport v2 48
Challenging Airports - Reggio di
Calabria, Italy (LICR) 62
www.Key.Aero
 Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Exclusive interview 52
DC Designs’ F-15C,
Features
28 E & I Eagle 62 Challenging Airports -
Reggio di Calabria, Italy (LICR)
This month’s Challenging Airport takes
us to the seaside airport of Reggio
Calabria. Squeezed between the Strait
of Messina and the mountains of the
Aspromonte massif, the airport presents
somewhat unorthodox approaches.

66 Flight Adventure -
Twin Comanche PA-30
Peter Stark explores a GA gem that if not
for the vagaries of nature, might have had
an even more pronounced impact on the
sector - the Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche.

Tutorials
58 Back to Basics - Wrapping up
In the previous lesson, we realised
that we were not where we should be.
The visual fixes we were expecting
to mark our location simply didn’t
appear. We wrap up Stage 2 of Back to
Basics by learning how we might get
ourselves out of this very fine mess.

74 Baron’s Combat Corner -

The art of aerial gunnery
Aerial gunnery is one of the most
difficult aspects of air combat to
master. Derek Davis discusses how
attaining any level of gunnery efficiency
not only requires constant and regular
practice, but also an appreciation
of the factors which determine MicroProse: The
whether you hit your target or not. Mighty Eighth 40

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 5

NEWS

Lockheed Model 18
for X-Plane released

Take Command!: SR22 Series out now

X-Aviation has released the Take Command!
SR22 Series. Developed in partnership
between TorqueSim and RealSimGear,
the package includes both the normally
aspirated and turbo SR22 G3 variants.
It sports a detailed 3D model with 4K
Physically Based Rendering (PBR)
textures, authentic sounds and accurately
modelled systems and flight model.
Other features include a custom engine
simulation along with electrical, fuel, TKS
ice protection and oxygen systems. The
aircraft is fitted with a custom X-Plane
IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings - Tobruk
11 G1000 with additional pages: engine
readouts, synthetic vision, lean-assist
functionality, CAS simulation and checklists.
A maintenance and failure model is also
included, so excessive wear will affect
airframe and engine performance over time.
Finally, the aircraft is saved in a persistent
state, so the position of every switch and
flight control is saved for the next flight –
the engine components even cool in real-
time. The Take Command! SR22 Series is
available on X-Aviation’s website for $54.95
(£42 approx) at www.x-aviation.com.
Aircraft developer, oliXsim has announced
that the Lockheed Lodestar Model 18 for
X-Plane 11 is now available. The package
includes the civil and military variants of this
classic World War Two-era transporter, a
selection of liveries for both models and an
option to install the default X-Plane 11 GPS.
It also comes with a fully functional 3D
cockpit, high-definition 4K textures with
surface reflections and rain/icing effects
on the windows. Other highlights include
a detailed passenger cabin, animated
pilots, custom FMOD sounds, night
lighting and VR Modus compatibility.
The aircraft is available on Just Flight’s
website for £17.99 at www.justflight.com.

variants from the Royal Air Force, Luftwaffe

1C Entertainment, in partnership with Team
Fusion Simulations and association with
1C Game Studios has announced that IL-2
Sturmovik: Desert Wings – Tobruk is set to
launch this summer. This expansion pack
to IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover BLITZ
enables you to fly more than 40 types and
Orbx releases Alesund Vigra Airport
ENAL Alesund Vigra Airport is the
latest Norwegian destination from
Orbx developer, Finn Hansen and is
designed for Prepar3D v4 and v5.
The project harnesses the latest P3D
technology and features to create an
and Regia Aeronautica. It also introduces a
flyable Wellington bomber, as well as updated DCS: Syria map now
versions of the Ju-88 and Heinkel 111H. There
are over 25 new tanks, artillery and vehicles available on pre-order
as well as 17 new ships, including massive
battleships, cruisers, destroyers, patrol boats,
submarines, torpedo boats and merchant
ships, allowing for huge land and naval battles.
IL-2 Sturmovik: Desert Wings will feature
a 385km2 North African map, recreating in
detail the strategic stronghold of Tobruk
and the rugged contours of the coastline,
desert and sea. It comes with more than 75
airfields, multiple landmarks and towns, an
extensive road system as well as the historical
fortifications, minefields and defences,
all based on actual maps from the war.
The package will be available for purchase Eagle Dynamics, in cooperation with
this summer via www.il2sturmovik.com Urgra Media, has announced DCS:
and Steam for $69.99 (£54 approx). Syria is now available for pre-order.
This 600x500km map covers much of
the eastern Mediterranean and includes
most of Syria, Israel and Lebanon. Areas
of Turkey and Jordan are also included.
ultra-detailed depiction of the airport and
Major cities such as Damascus, Tripoli
surrounding area. Experience beautiful
(Lebanon), Latakia, Tartus, Homs, Aleppo,
over-water approaches or explore the
Hamah, Palmyra, Haifa, Acre, Beirut
many islands, harbours and inlets included
and Incirlik/Adana are created in detail
in the coverage area. Several points of
with hundreds of unique landmarks. The
interest have also been modelled, such
geography is varied with a temperate
as the Giske Island Bridge and the rather
western coastline, mountains and an
unusual Subsea 7 North Sea Spoolbase.
arid desert landscape to the east.
Other highlights include high-resolution
With such a wide range of historic
7cm ground textures that have been
locations, airfields and targets, mission
hand-edited for all seasons and 3D snow
options are almost endless, all of
for the coldest months of the year.
which is set in a stunning and scenic
Alesund is compatible with Orbx Global
environment. More information is
Base, Norway and OpenLC Europe. It is
available over at Eagle Dynamics at
available on OrbxDirect for AUD$34.95 (£19.33
www.digitalcombatsimulator.com.
approx) at https://orbxdirect.com/product/enal.

6 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero


Concorde in development
DC Designs has revealed that its
Concorde for FSX and all versions
of Prepar3D is in development.
The aircraft will feature a detailed 3D
model (based on extensive research and
visits to museum-exhibit aircraft), a fully
animated exterior model including all
access doors, engine inlet ramps, thrust-
reverse buckets and control surfaces.
Concorde’s famous, multi-stage ‘nose droop’
and windscreen animations will be recreated
via custom coding along with features such as
PBR textures, a crew-controlled ground power
Orbx Hollywood Burbank Airport
Developed by Matteo Veneziani, KBUR
Hollywood Burbank is a combined airport and
cityscape package for Prepar3D v4 and v5.
As one of Orbx’s most requested
destinations, an incredible amount of
time has been spent finessing all the
details of the airport, including complete
PBR textures, service vehicles and static
aircraft. A key focus of this project has been
performance optimisation, with ground-
breaking techniques implemented to ensure
a seamless experience with add-on aircraft.
Beyond the airport boundary, a 1400km2
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Flight Simulators
Limited merges with
RC Simulations
Flight Simulators Limited has announced
the purchase/merger with RC Simulations.
Derek Clarke, Flight Simulators' UK Sales
and Marketing Director, explained: “Following
on from the legacy of Bob Sidwick and
his wife Carol, we are continuing with the
development work of simulator solutions
for air cadets, universities, colleges and
unit, boarding steps and interior and exterior
professional training solutions as well as
night lighting. Up front, the virtual cockpit will
home-user systems to include virtual reality
feature accurate controls, detailed textures
and now augmented reality systems.
and 3D instruments with smooth animations.
“With the launch of the new Microsoft Flight
The flight model includes Mach 2
Simulator to add to our portfolio, we anticipate
‘supercruise’ capability, realistic handling
the transition of all of our systems to integrate
throughout the flight envelope and a
with this new exciting simulator software.”
custom-coded engineer’s station with
There will also be further development
fuel management for centre of gravity
of the successful RC Simulation range
control during high-altitude cruise. More
of Solo-Ace and Dual-Ace cockpits.
information is available on Just Flight’s In
Flight Simulators Limited is based in
Development section at www.justflight.
Norwich, Norfolk and has been working
com/product/dc-designs-concorde.
extensively with flight simulation and
has now taken steps to design socially
distanced simulator solutions due to Covid-
19. The company is a distributor for several
international manufacturers including Virtual-
coverage area includes the entire San
Fly of Spain, Elite Simulation Solutions in
Fernando Valley and surrounding mountain
Switzerland, Next Level Racing and many
ranges. The extended cityscene area contains
more. It offers a wide range of simulation
dozens of custom landmarks, autogen
products including fixed-wing and
vegetation, high-resolution DEM and hand-
helicopter devices, flight consoles, yokes,
edited ortho imagery. Special attention has
throttle quadrants, rudder pedals, cyclics,
been paid to the film studios, commercial
collectives and torque pedals. To find out
areas and Universal Studios theme park to
more visit: www.flight-simulators.co.uk.
the south of the airport. You can also cross
over the Hollywood Hills to explore the
Griffith Observatory and iconic Hollywood
sign. All non-residential buildings have been
created using new modelling techniques,
ensuring a balance between detail, unique
content and accuracy. As well as the main
airport, the scenery also includes six rooftop
helipads and ‘lite’ renditions of Van Nuys
and Whiteman general aviation airports.
The package is designed to work
seamlessly with Orbx Global Base and SUBSCRIBE & SAVE!
Southern California. It is available on Subscribe to PC Pilot and make great
OrbxDirect for AUD$39.95 (£22 approx) savings on cover price! See pages 10-11.
at https://orbxdirect.com/product/kbur.
#129 PC PILOT / 7
COMMS
Mini survey feedback
Dear PC Pilot
I received your latest edition of PC
Pilot in which you asked us to answer
four questions about our virtual flying
experiences. Here are my answers:
Q1: What have you been flying lately?
In the last few weeks, I have spent a bit
more time on flying in the virtual skies.
After receiving the new Honeycomb Yoke
that replaced my old broken Saitek Yoke
two months ago, flying is so much more
immersive. It turned out to be a good
investment in difficult times. The Vulkan
upgrade of X-Plane was a second game-
changer. I am a happy flight simmer. Most of
my flying time is on my days off from work.
On my birthday some weeks ago, I received
the book 'Stick and Rudder' by Wolfgang
Langewiesche. This has inspired me to
improve my flying skills. Recommended!
Q2: What’s the most complex
simulation you are currently flying?
Dear PC Pilot
As a subscriber and avid reader of your
magazine, I wanted to respond to your
questionnaire in last month’s magazine
8 / PC PILOT #129
The most complex aircraft I’m currently
flying is the IXEG Boeing 737 from
X-Aviation. I appreciate this particular
aircraft not because of its complexity but
more because of its immersive atmosphere.
The second ‘complex’ plane is the
Cessna 172 with the Reality Expansion
Pack (REP) package. The REP addition
to the default C172 of X-Plane forces you
to concentrate on your flying technique
as well as take care of the engines.
Q3: Flights of fancy: Where
do you like to fly?
NZQN-NZMF (Queenstown to Milford
Sound Airport). The environment of
New Zealand impresses me each time
and the route forces careful flying.
The Netherlands: My home country
where flying is the joy of recognising
all the places I know well.
Great Britain: The outstanding Orbx
scenery packages makes this great
island a nice place to discover.
asking about personal flight sim experience
during the Covid-19 crisis and the resulting
lockdown. As I work in air traffic control I
was fascinated by the cargo flight activity,
Q4: What was your first flight simulation?
Flight simming for me started with F/A-18
Interceptor for the Amiga. I used to love flying
under the San Francisco bridge and shooting
missiles at the MiGs. However, back then,
I spent most of my time flying ‘Wings’ by
Cinemaware. Maybe it was not a real simulation
but more of a role-playing ‘story’ that made
me feel like a hero from World War One.
With kind regards,
Wim van Dijk
PC Pilot
Hi Wim,
Many thanks for taking the time to respond
to my mini survey - much appreciated!
With regard to your response to question
4, ah yes, I remember F/A-18 Interceptor
for the Amiga; the PC version was
called ‘Jetfighter’. In fact, I was recently
playing Jetfighter III using DOSBox. 
Thanks again!
Cheers, Derek
especially between China and Europe,
so I replicated that by taking the PMDG
747 from my virtual hangar and doing a
lot of intercontinental cargo flights (mind
you, always in real time!). A screenshot
from one of my wonderful long-haul flights
accompanies this letter.
Best greetings and keep up the good work!
Daniel Schaad from Vienna, Austria
PC Pilot
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for taking the time to respond to
our survey and for your great screenshot.
Cheers, Derek
www.Key.Aero

Dear PC Pilot
Your call for a mini survey in the last issue
made me very enthusiastic to reply as, yes,
flight sim-wise a lot has changed lately.
Let me first tell you that I have been
enjoying my IFR and VFR flight sim activities
since the late ’80s and have been an avid
reader of your magazine since issue 40.
My current default configuration is a PMDG
Boeing 737 NG operating in Prepar3D
v4 with associated hardware. I do not
have a real cockpit outfit but it’s more
than sufficient for IFR flight simulation.
In preparation for the expected launch
of Microsoft’s FS2020, I am building a
Cessna panel configuration for more
advanced VFR flight simulation.
Dear PC Pilot
Here are my responses to your reader
survey in the previous issue.
Q1: What have you been flying lately?
Aerobask DA62, Aerobask Epic (G1000),
Just Flight Vulcan - all in X-Plane 11;
and definitely flying more hours. See the
accompanying screenshot of my Aerobask
Epic parked up at Compton-Abbas.
Q2: What’s the most complex
simulation you are currently flying?
While the Just Flight Vulcan is the most
complex, I’ve used the lockdown to get
to grips with the G1000 glass cockpit;
that has been my big step forward.
Q3: Flights of fancy: Where do you like to fly?
Lockdown has resulted in a major change to
my flying as now two friends and myself have
www.Key.Aero
Contact us Visit us
mail@Key.Aero www.Key.Aero
In response to your survey:
Q1 – What have you been flying lately?
In 2006, Cedric de Keyser published a virtual
'Around the World' trip which I recently started
to follow from my favourite airport: Innsbruck
Kranebitten (LOWI). For some of the 37 legs in
total, I shortened the overall flying time per leg
by including more en-route destinations. With
the aid of SimBrief, Navigraph and Active Sky,
real-time flight plans and weather conditions
are uploaded into the simulation. As I write, I
have just departed from Kathmandu, Nepal
(VNKT) and now I’m on my way to Phuket,
Thailand (VTSP).  Cedric’s work is a good
base to use in more modern-day simulators.
Q2 – What’s the most complex
had multiplayer flights together (never having
done multiplayer flights before). We recently
flew from Clench Common (just love the Orbx
rural airfields) in our Aerobask DA-62s, bound
for a short leg to Brize Norton. Rather than all
starting at the same location, we’ve now taken
to flying in from our respective airfields and
meeting up at a small airfield, for example,
Clench Common and having a cuppa as it were,
before starting our flight proper. We mainly fly
in the UK and US - generally in areas covered
by Orbx TrueEarth scenery - great fun!
Q4: What was the first flight
simulation that you ever flew?
The first sim I used, in the mid-80s, was
Flight Simulator II on the Commodore 64
(wire-frame mountains, no buildings and as
I recall a Cessna 172 only), but I then started
to be really serious with FS2004, then FSX,
Prepar3D and now X-Plane with VR.
Follow us
facebook.com/pcpilot
simulation you are currently flying?
As I said, it is the PMDG Boeing 737 NG
operating in Prepar3D v4. It demonstrates the
complexity of flying and monitoring the 737.
Q3 – Where do you like to fly?
I frequently fly outbound and inbound
domestic flights from and to Innsbruck
and prefer to use the 08 LOC DME
approach and all its special circling
procedures. It’s my favourite!
Q4 – What was your first simulation?
I have flown every version of Microsoft Flight
Simulator released over the years but my very
first simulation was on a Commodore 64.
Stay safe and well, and do continue
with the road map you have in
mind for PC Pilot magazine!
With kindest regards,
Arie G Boom
The Netherlands
PC Pilot
Hi Arie,
Thanks for your fabulous email, your kind
words and for supporting our magazine
for so long - much appreciated!
Cheers, Derek
PS: Thanks for the great mag, I really enjoy
it and as a non-pilot I find the articles on
flying basics very useful but one of the
wonders of this hobby is that ordinary
users don’t need an expensive developer’s
licence to tackle the technical side with
the result that many very clever non-
professionals produce wonderful scenery,
planes and even motion platforms (my
own interest). Could I suggest that this
is an area worthy of more coverage?
Thanks. Happy flying,
John Longson
PC Pilot
Hi John,
Thanks for replying to our survey and
for your great suggestion which we will
certainly consider.
Cheers, Derek
#129 PC PILOT / 9
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INTERVIEW JUST FLIGHT'S 146 PROFESSIONAL
Just Flight’s
146 Professio
Airliners in development Part One ack in Issue 125, we interviewed
B Just Flight’s Head of Development,
Martyn Northall, about the work
being done on two of airliner
projects: the 146 Professional and the A300
B4-200. Since that article was published, we
have learnt that both projects have progressed
quite substantially. So we thought we would
take this opportunity to invite Just Flight to
tell us about the work that has been done on
these two upcoming releases since that initial
report. This interview will be split into two
parts: Part 1 in this issue will focus on Just
Flight’s 146 Professional, while in Part 2, in the
next edition, we will discuss the A300 B4-200.
PC Pilot: Thank you for taking time out
of your busy schedules to take part in this
Q&A. May I begin by firstly asking why
you decided to model the BAe 146?
Just Flight: Thanks for having us!
Just Flight’s Head of Development, Martyn Northall. The 146 was an obvious candidate for us
12 / PC PILOT #129
when looking to develop a new airliner. It was
not only the last British airliner to be built but
also the most successful, with sales all over
the world in a wide variety of roles. We always
enjoy developing quirky British aircraft.
It is also a great aircraft for virtual pilots. It is
very versatile with its four engines and short-
field performance, allowing you to operate it
from most locations. Its role as a commercial
short-haul regional jet, freighter and even
VIP aircraft with the RAF, gives you a huge
range of interesting flights to pick from.
In the cockpit, there is plenty to keep
you busy with a vast array of controls,
particularly on the large overhead panel.
Shortly after take-off and prior to landing
you will need to switch between APU and
engine bleed air, and manually operate the
cabin pressurisation system. It has the perfect
balance between automation and hand flying.
PC Pilot: For someone who is unfamiliar
www.Key.Aero
 Above: The cockpit was a huge undertaking due to its complexity and the detail required.
a lot of controls and gauges, keeping the
pilot busy throughout the flight. It is well
equipped with a very capable autopilot,
ice protection, FMS and weather radar.
It’s a great aircraft to hand-fly thanks to its
benign handling characteristics, so you’ll
often find yourself keeping the autopilot
disengaged on departure and approach
which is a welcome change for commercial
operations. It’s relatively underpowered at
higher altitudes so you’ll typically cruise
below 30,000ft and short-field approaches
and landings with the drag from those large
flaps, airbrakes and spoilers are great fun.
PC Pilot: In terms of research, is this
model based on a particular aircraft?
Just Flight: Yes, we always base our
in-house aircraft on a real-world aircraft
that we’ve selected and photographed
extensively as part of a research trip. We
have based the 146 on G-JEAO, which
retired from service with British European
the Covid-19 lockdown began. We
photographed the Queen’s Flight VIP and
freighter variants, as well as recording
hundreds of engine and cockpit sounds.
PC Pilot: Did you enlist the help of
real-world 146 pilots and if so, in which
areas of the process were they used?
Just Flight: We aim to recruit as many
pilots and engineers as possible at the start
of any project as that makes the research
and development much easier, and we
end up with a more realistic simulation.
In the case of the 146, we have several
current civilian and military pilots assisting
us with the project. They help us to collate
reference material (manuals, checklists
and photos) and secure us access to real-
world aircraft, provide feedback throughout
the testing process and answer lots of
questions from our modellers and coders.
They are an invaluable part of the team.
PC Pilot: In terms of the external

ional
Airways in 2000 and is now preserved at the modelling, please describe the work that
de Havilland Aircraft Museum. The museum has been done in this area and could
kindly provided us with full access to the you point out some of the highlights?
exterior and interior of the aircraft, allowing Just Flight: Our lead artist, Mark, has
us to collect all the reference material that spent the last 18 months modelling the
we needed to simulate the aircraft. Taking 146-100, 200, 300, QT/QC, VIP and now
hundreds of photos of every inch of the real RJ variants in stunning detail. He was
aircraft also allows us to model the wear and the artist behind aircraft such as the
tear down to individual scratches and dirt, Tornado GR1, Hawk T1 and PA28 series,
resulting in a very immersive experience. and the 146 is his best work yet.
We managed to fit in a research trip to The latest generation of simulators such
RAF Northolt to see its 146 just before as Prepar3D v4/v5 and X-Plane 11 have
with this aircraft, how would you
describe the 146 in terms of its physical
attributes, cockpit functionality and flight
characteristics? And what would you say
are its most unique qualities and features?
Just Flight: The 146 is a four-engine
regional jet with a high-wing and T-tail
configuration. It is fitted with large trailing-
edge flaps, a tail-mounted ‘clamshell’ airbrake
and wing-mounted spoilers, and a strong
landing gear for operations from short-
field airports. There are three passenger
variants with differing seat capacities,
as well as freighter and VIP variants. Its
unique configuration and quiet engines
resulted in strong sales around the world.
The cockpit is in keeping with other aircraft
developed in the 1970s with analogue
rather than glass gauges. Due to being
equipped with four small engines, unusual
Work has already started on the X-Plane 11 version, which is due for release in late 2020.
for an airliner of this size, the cockpit has

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 13

INTERVIEW JUST FLIGHT'S 146 PROFESSIONAL
allowed us to model an incredible amount
of detail, which combined with 4K PBR
textures, results in stunning visuals.
Highlights include the chrome PBR textures
used on the engines and fuselage of some
liveries which can be hard to distinguish
from real-world photos and the detailed
landing gear and airbrake structures.
PC Pilot: In a similar vein, can you give us
a guided tour of the 146’s cockpit in terms of
its instruments and general layout and tell us
about the work that has been done in this area.
Just Flight: The 146 has a two-crew
cockpit with a jump seat. My first impression
when sitting in the real aircraft was of a very
spacious cockpit with great visibility in all
directions and a logically ordered avionics
layout. It’s a very nice environment to work in.
It has traditional analogue instrument
panels with large ADI, HSI and RMI gauges.
The centre panel is dominated by engine
instruments and the autopilot controls are
mounted on the glareshield. The pedestal is
fitted with the usual radio and throttle controls,
as well as early FMS units and a weather
radar. The overhead panel is a vast array of
controls for the various aircraft systems.
The cockpit was a huge undertaking for
Mark due to the complexity and detail
required. Like on the exterior, the use of 4K
PBR textures results in incredible detail,
allowing you to get close-in to all areas of
the cockpit without a loss in resolution. The
wear-and-tear detail taken straight from the
real aircraft provides a lot of immersion.
PC Pilot: In our previous interview you
mentioned that the level of detail possible
with PBR materials is about as close to real-
life as you can get in a simulation. In laymen’s
terms, can you explain what is PBR and
what difference has it made to this model?
Just Flight: I’ve asked Mark to answer this
one as our resident expert on the matter.
Physically Based Rendering, in theory, gives
the artist the ability to tell the simulator what
type of material the surface is made from (or
coated with) at a pixel level. Basically, the
simulator is instructed on how much light the
surface would absorb or reflect at that pixel.
Thus, the greater the texture resolution, the
more realistic the surface looks but requires
proportionally more computing power to
determine. The most noticeable gains from
14 / PC PILOT #129
The BAe 146 was not only the last
British airliner to be built, but also
the most successful.
using PBR materials are in weathered or
detailed areas such as exposed metal
surfaces or landing gears etc where the
reflective qualities of the surface can vary
greatly in relatively small areas due to wear
and tear, grime build-up and oil leaks etc.
PC Pilot: It was also stated in the previous
article that the FMS would be as functional as
possible. Can you describe what is functional
and non-functional with the FMS in your 146?
Just Flight: The FMS is currently work-in-
progress so we don’t have full functionality
just yet but it’s our aim to include a highly
functional version of the ‘Universal FMS’,
which is a retrofit unit with a 4” display,
so pretty archaic by modern standards.
It will use the Navigraph navigation
database, allowing for AIRAC cycle updates.
It will provide lateral and vertical navigation
for use with the autopilot and will be fully
integrated with instruments such as the
HSI for navigation purposes. Flight plan
import and export will be supported and the
vertical guidance will be tailored to the FDE
for accurate climb and descent profiles.
Once the FMS development is complete
for the 146, we will investigate integration
into aircraft such as the 747 Classic.
PC Pilot: For the benefit of our readers,
please describe the various systems that
have been modelled along with the level of
complexity that has been implemented.
Just Flight: In terms of systems, we are
The cockpit of the 146 has traditional analogue instrument panels with large ADI, HSI and RMI gauges.
developing all of the core systems to a
very high level of functionality – electrical,
fuel, hydraulic, pressurisation and more.
I’ll use the air-conditioning, pressurisation
and electrical system as examples.
We have simulated both the automatic
and manual modes of the pressurisation
system, as well as the ground testing mode. It
features accurate cabin altitude schedule and
pressure differentials based on the real aircraft
documentation. The system is fitted with a rate
of change selector which will require attention
if you are carrying out a steep descent.
The bleed air system is simulated so
availability of bleed air from the engines
and APU will affect the system’s ability to
control pressurisation and cabin temperature.
Independent cockpit and cabin temperature
controls are provided, and the temperatures
are affected by the outside air temperature,
so you will need to keep passenger comfort
in mind when operating from warm locations.
All the different electrical power sources
are simulated – external AC and DC, APU
and the two engine-driven generators. The
146 has a high level of redundancy and bus-
ties allow these sources to be connected
to two primary busbars. AC and DC power
supplies are fed from these to a variety of
other systems and avionics. In addition to
the normal busbars, essential and emergency
busbars are also simulated in case of failures.
Automatic and manual modes will be available
to give you full control over the system.
PC Pilot: Sounds and flight modelling
are quoted as being advanced in this
simulation. Describe the work and process
that has gone into these two areas, along
with some of the stand-out features.
Just Flight: We decided to record an entirely
new sound set for this project to produce
very high quality and accurate sounds. As
mentioned earlier, we visited No 32 (The Royal)
Squadron at RAF Northolt, which carries out
VIP and military transport duties using four
146 aircraft. That trip allowed us to record
engine, APU and cockpit sounds from the
real thing. We have hundreds of individual
recordings that will allow us to include unique
sounds for the cockpit controls. That level of
detail makes a huge difference to immersion.
www.Key.Aero

The accuracy of the flight modelling is
one of the most important aspects of any
simulation project. The FDE expert working
on this aircraft (also called Martyn!) has lots
of experience with airliners, and our civilian
and military 146 pilots will be providing
feedback to ensure that we get the most
realistic flight model possible in Prepar3D.
Each of the 146 variants, the 100/200/300
and freighters, will have its own unique flight
model to account for the difference in aircraft
and payload weights and performance. A
couple of examples of the detail we are striving
for include engines that deliver rated thrust
at 94% N1, giving realistic ascent thrust and
descent profiles, and accurate ALF engine
thrust curves at all altitudes, to give typical 146
characteristics, including low perceived power
at higher altitude (‘hair-dryer’ syndrome!).
PC Pilot: In terms of documentation, can you
tell us at this stage what will be included? Will
there be any kind of training tutorials provided
– given the complexity of this simulation?
Just Flight: We will be including the
comprehensive documentation that our
customers have come to expect from
our products, including a full breakdown
of each system and panel, checklists
and performance information, a history
of the aircraft and a tutorial flight.
The documentation has always been a very
important part of a product for us, and that’s
particularly true for complex aircraft. You’ll
have everything you need to master the 146.
PC Pilot: What would you say have been the
most challenging aspects of this project?
Just Flight: From a modelling perspective,
the landing gear structure was very complex.
There are a lot of moving parts which
require accurate animations to function
correctly. An unexpected challenge was
getting sufficiently detailed reference photos
of the upper wing surface due to it being
a high-wing aircraft. Fortunately, the RAF
hangar was equipped with scaffolding.
In terms of coding, it’s just the sheer
number of systems, controls and
indicators in a cockpit like this. The 146
belongs to an era, like our earlier Tornado
GR1, where increasing complexity
exists alongside primarily analogue
instruments, resulting in a busy cockpit.
The biggest challenge for the flight model
www.Key.Aero
was achieving realistic performance at
both low and high altitudes, something
that all 146 pilots are quick to point out.
PC Pilot: How many liveries will be included?
Just Flight: We have included 22 liveries:
eight for the -100, and seven each for the
-200 and -300. It’s always hard to pick
from the huge range of possible operators
and paint schemes but we try to include
good coverage of operators around the
world rather than focusing on just the UK.
We’ve also included as many of the iconic
liveries as possible – Dan-Air London, Air
UK, PSA, United Express, US Air, British
Airways, Flybe and Qantas are examples.
PC Pilot: At time of writing this project is
at an advanced stage. Can you give us an
insight into what it’s like to operate and fly?
Just Flight: The 146 is the most interesting
airliner that I’ve (virtually) flown. A quick
look at the cockpit and the overhead panel
will give you a good indication of how many
controls are required to operate this relatively
small jet. There is enough automation and
logical controls to avoid it being overwhelming
but I find it a welcome change from the
modern airliners which require little interaction
to manage the aircraft – great for real airlines
but not much fun for us virtual pilots. This
aircraft will keep you busy at all stages of
the flight and learning about systems like
the Thrust Modulation System (which fine-
tunes the throttle lever positions but isn’t a
From a modelling perspective, the landing gear
structure was very complex.
full auto-throttle) will keep things interesting.
However, we always include options
for operating the aircraft without
having to configure every system from
cold & dark, so the aircraft will be
suitable for all experience levels.
PC Pilot: Will this new model be transferred
to other platforms such as X-Plane and the
new and upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Just Flight: The initial release will
be for Prepar3D v4 and v5. Work has
already started on the X-Plane 11 version
which is due for release in late 2020.
We will also look at other platforms such
as FS2020 and Aerofly. We have been
involved in the FS2020 testing and SDK
process for a while now and love what we’ve
seen so far, and are keen to support it.
We will be working on the Avro RJ after
the 146 is complete so that will follow
for both Prepar3D and X-Plane 11.
PC Pilot: When do you expect to release this
add-on and do you have an idea of a price?
Just Flight: We expect to release the
product for Prepar3D v4 and v5 in Q3
2020, with the X-Plane 11 version to follow
in Q4 2020, and the RJs in Q1 2021.
The price has yet to be confirmed
but will be around £59.99.
PC Pilot: My thanks go to Just Flight for
taking time to talk to us about this exciting
project. We wish them well!
By Derek Davis
Just Flight’s 146 Professional will include 22
liveries: eight for the -100, and seven each for the
-200 and -300.
#129 PC PILOT / 15
INTERVIEW JUST FLIGHT'S TORNADO F3

ver since I can remember, I’ve had

E an interest in everything to do with

flight and later flight simulation.
During that time I’ve had many
‘current’ favourite military aircraft; some from
times past and some were simply the latest,
fastest or meanest-looking. They range from
the iconic Spitfire to the F-35, yet between
these I had a particular fondness for the
English Electric Lightning, F-4 Phantom and
the Panavia Tornado. I remember standing
at the end of the runway at RAF St Athan,
watching two GR1 Tornados taking off with
full afterburner; that was the first time I had
experienced pain attributed to sound.
So I was pleased to learn that Just Flight
was currently working on a new version of
the Tornado – having previously released a
GR1 variant. This time round, the UK-based
company is developing the Tornado F3
One of the liveries - the Air Defence Variant (ADV) which
supplied with the F3.
entered service with the RAF in 1986.

16 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

Tornado F3
Just Flight’s
There’s a storm brewing…
To learn more about this
product, I got in touch with
Just Flight’s Development
Manager, Martyn Northall.
PC Pilot: Hi Martyn, while I realise
this is quite a different variant to your
previously published GR1, what was your
motivation for its development? Is it something
that’s been requested by your customers?
Just Flight: Yes, the decision to develop the
F3 variant of the Tornado was primarily as a
result of feedback from our existing Tornado
GR1 customers and the wider community.
Our GR1 was very popular with our military
fans and we soon started to receive requests
for the F3, which although derived from the
original ground-attack GR1, offers a very
different experience in its air defence role. We
always welcome feedback and requests, and
they help to shape our development plans.
We also have a personal interest in the F3
variant, which played an important role in RAF
www.Key.Aero
history and ended
its service as a very
capable interceptor. As you can see from
past releases, we love UK military aircraft.
PC Pilot: The Just Flight team is
consistent in the production of realistic
aircraft for its customers. Can you tell us
how you begin this process? And again
what motivates the choice of aircraft?
Just Flight: The F3 came about due to
interest from the community and that is
often the basis for a new project. We are
fortunate to have direct, daily, positive
communication with our customers and
community. That guides us in selecting which
new aircraft to develop, to what level (F-Lite,
study-sim etc) and for which simulators.
Once we have a list of possible types, we
look at what other products are already
available or in development. Competition isn’t
a bad thing and it’s clear that it’s driven a
lot of the innovation in the market. However,
Above: The F3 with a full load on board.
we all try to avoid developing exactly the
same types if possible, especially if they
are also at the same complexity level.
Personal preferences also play an important
part as we’ll be spending many months
and sometimes years, working on a project,
so having an interest in the subject matter
is key to developing a great product.
PC Pilot: As the Tornado is now retired
from service, where did you obtain the
enormous amount of data needed for
such a project? For example, did you
have access to a real aircraft and if so
can you tell us where it is located?
Just Flight: Getting access to a real
aircraft is considered a ‘must-have’ for all
our in-house projects, which is another
factor that we must consider when picking
our next aircraft. We collect together
folders full of reference material from the
corners of the internet, helped by a lot of
generous and knowledgeable experts in the
#129 PC PILOT / 17
INTERVIEW JUST FLIGHT'S TORNADO F3
Just Flight’s new Tornado F3 in the Royal Saudi Air Force livery.
simulation and aviation communities but it’s
only when we get access to the real aircraft
that you can take enough high-resolution
photos, record sounds straight from the
cockpit and speak to the crew that we get
enough information to allow us to develop an
aircraft to the realism level that we aim for.
In the case of the F3, we started out with
the GR1 variant which was based on the
aircraft housed in Duxford Museum. To
identify all the various F3 differences, we
visited Dave Gledhill, a very experienced
retired F3 Navigator (now author) who runs
an ex-RAF cockpit simulator. His assistance
on the project has been invaluable.
PC Pilot: Will this new product be part
of the ‘Pro’ series, with all the additional
nuances such a label implies?
Just Flight: The F3 will be simulated to a very
similar level as the GR1 on which it is based
and our other in-house developed aircraft. The
model and textures will be as close to an exact
replica of the real aircraft as we can get within
the simulator. All of the primary aircraft systems
(electrical, hydraulic, fuel etc) will be simulated to
a very high level, as will the avionics, including
the front and rear cockpit digital displays.
The iconic swing-wings will be accurately
simulated and the depth of simulation will be
enough to keep any virtual pilot on their toes.
PC Pilot: What are the major
differences between this version and
your previous GR1 release?
Just Flight: Although similar in
appearance, the F3 features many
differences over our existing GR1 which
formed the basis of this aircraft.
The most noticeable difference on the
exterior is the longer nose structure which
housed the Foxhunter radar for air-to-air
intercepts. This gives the F3 a much sleeker
look than the GR1. The payloads also differ
considerably, swapping ground-attack bombs
for AMRAAM and ASRAAM air-to-air missiles.
In the cockpit, there are changes to a wide
range of avionics, including a significantly
different rear cockpit layout to accommodate
the interceptor role. Terrain-following-
radar is replaced by missile control panels,
18 / PC PILOT #129
ground-mapping radar by datalinks and
more capable navigation displays.
Existing GR1 owners will immediately feel at
home in the F3 cockpit, particularly in terms
of basic aircraft handling, such as engine
starts and fuel management but there are
lots of new systems and displays to learn
before you can master the interceptor role.
Flight simulators have also evolved since the
release of the GR1, so we have new features
such as improved night lighting and full PBR
materials for both the exterior and cockpit
to bring the F3 up to the latest standards.
PC Pilot: Will you be offering an upgrade
incentive for customers who have already
purchased the original version?
Just Flight: We’ve yet to confirm the
exact details, but yes, we will be sure to
offer a discount to existing GR1 owners
to reflect any commonality between the
two, as we have done for past releases.
PC Pilot: I understand that this aircraft
will be available for the various flavours
of FSX and Prepar3D, so will you also
be producing an X-Plane version?
Just Flight: At this stage we are just
looking at FSX and Prepar3D versions of
the F3. The GR1 has yet to make its debut
in X-Plane as its complexity resulted in the
more popular airliners and GA jumping ahead
of it in the ‘development queue’. We would
like to see both the GR1 and F3 in X-Plane
at some point, as well as Aerofly FS 2 and
even FS2020. We aim to get our products
into as many simulators as possible.
PC Pilot: Did this latest version of the
Tornado pose any specific challenges for
your team, in terms of modelling some
of its unique features, or systems?
Just Flight: The biggest challenge for an
aircraft like the F3 is the avionics. Modern
military aircraft have bespoke complex
avionics which are often poorly documented in
the public domain. Examples on the F3 include
the JTIDS/Link 16 datalink, HUD symbology
and TV tab displays (the two displays in
front of the navigator). Real-world pilots,
navigators and ground crew are essential to
simulate those displays to a realistic level.
Including models of the various weapons
loads is possible thanks to the detailed photos
available across the internet but there is a limit
to the detail that we can include in some of the
systems and the weapons performance due
to that information remaining classified. That
will always be a limitation when dealing with
aircraft either in service or recently retired.
The general aircraft systems are also
complex on the F3 but fortunately many of
those were already developed for the GR1
variant, saving us a lot of headaches.
PC Pilot: Do you use any form of 3D
scanning outside or inside the cockpit to
help create the accurate geometry needed
to model these complex structures?
Just Flight: No, it’s a technology that we
have investigated but with what’s currently
available at a sensible price, we will be
sticking to modelling our aircraft based on
the hundreds and sometimes thousands of
reference photos that we take when visiting
the real aircraft, the official plans from
documentation and feedback from those with
experience on the aircraft. A cost-effective
3D scanner that produces ready-to-use
models is definitely the Holy Grail though.
PC Pilot: How did you approach
the creation of the engine and
system sounds for this product?
Just Flight: Our approach to recording
sounds varies depending on the aircraft. For
many of our projects we can record from
the real aircraft. In February we visited RAF
Northolt for a research trip for our upcoming
146 simulation and took the opportunity
to record engine and APU sounds as an
aircraft was readied for flight and recorded
hundreds of cockpit sounds in the hangar.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to organise
a trip to see an in-service Tornado due to
the busy operational schedule of the RAF at
the time, so we commissioned the experts
at Turbine Sound Studios to provide us with
a realistic sound-set based on their library
of recordings and online material, combined
with some custom cockpit and exterior
sounds provided by our RAF contacts.
In reality, it is difficult to tell the
www.Key.Aero
 Above: A view of the highly detailed and operational
starboard side panel. Left: This is the view from the
back seat. Below: Here we see a view of the front
cockpit layout.

difference between the two approaches a Stage 2 radar and avionics fit, with Just Flight: We are already studying
by the time the product is released. a datalink and Gulf War modifications, the FS2020 SDK and are excited about
PC Pilot: While I’m sure there are volumes of which is the configuration of the real- supporting it, alongside the existing Prepar3D
data regarding the performance of the Tornado, world F3 cockpit simulator that we used and X-Plane platforms, so we’d love to
did you also engage the help of former for reference. As is usually the case with see the Tornado F3 in there at some stage.
pilots and engineers in order to check how simulation products, we allow ourselves Due to the amount of work required for the
authentic your flight model and performance some flexibility in including later avionics conversion, other aircraft are likely to take
was compared to the real aircraft? and payloads where that is desirable. precedence though, as is the case in X-Plane.
Just Flight: Yes, we always use a combination PC Pilot: Do you think the impending PC Pilot: Finally, do you have a
of performance data from various sources and arrival of Microsoft's Flight Simulator release date and a required system
the feedback from former air and groundcrew will have an impact on sales of new specification for the Tornado F3?
with experience on the aircraft. We’re fortunate products like the Tornado? Just Flight: We are expecting to
to have plenty of both for the F3, as well as our Just Flight: We’ve yet to see much impact release the product in Q3 2020 and
existing work on the GR1 variant. That work is on sales due to the development of FS2020, the system requirements match those
still in progress as we continue to perfect our perhaps due to the uncertainty around its of the existing GR1 variant:
flight models until release. It’s challenging to suitability for aircraft types like the Tornado
get all areas of the flight envelope accurate, F3. Our own survey suggests that some of System requirements
particularly in FSX/Prepar3D but we’re confident our customers are factoring FS2020 into Flight Simulator X (Acceleration or Gold
that it provides a realistic simulation. their buying decisions but we’re confident Edition required), FSX: Steam Edition or
Prepar3D v1-v5. Intel i5 3.2GHz or similar.
PC Pilot: The Tornado F3 has a variable that there’ll be plenty of FSX and Prepar3D
4GB RAM. 1GB graphics card. Windows 10 / 8
geometry wing, which like the original users for the foreseeable future, even if they / 7. Joystick. 3.5GB hard drive space.
I’m sure will be animated, but what other use FS2020 in parallel, much like we’ve seen
elements are animated in this new product? with X-Plane 11 over the past few years. PC Pilot: Many thanks Martyn for taking
Just Flight: We aim to animate everything PC Pilot: With that in mind, is the time to conduct this interview, from
that is visible to the aircrew to provide it likely that you’ll be offering the what I’m sure is a busy schedule.
an immersive environment. Like many of Tornado for users of FS2020? By Joe Lavery
our customers, we find a non-functional
switch to be an immersion killer.
The iconic wing sweep system is accurately
modelled and animated using real-world
extension and retraction times. Other exterior
model animations include canopy (with handles
and strut, functioning jack release and jettison),
crew ladder, ground power unit, APU door, flight
control surfaces (tailerons, spoilers and airbrakes
etc), crew visors and masks, reverser buckets
and in-flight refuelling probe. There will also be a
variety of payload configurations to choose from.
Inside, both the front (pilot) and rear
(navigator) cockpits are fully modelled
and animated. Every switch, control
and light is controllable, and there
are literally hundreds of them.
PC Pilot: Over the course of its service life
the Tornado F3 underwent many upgrades
to its armament and radar systems.
Where does this version sit in terms of
the real aircraft’s development cycle?
A close-up of the F3 with ground power attached and waiting for start-up.
Just Flight: Our cockpit is based on

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 19

INTERVIEW JUST FLIGHT'S FOKKER F28 FELLOWSHIP
Fokker F28
Just Flight’s
Fellowship
Welcome to the Fellowship...
s part of our special focus on Just
A Flight for this issue, we invited the
company to talk about an airliner
project the team currently has in
development - their Fokker F28 Fellowship.
PC Pilot: Thanks for agreeing to talk
to us about your upcoming Fokker F28
Fellowship. May I start by asking why did you
decide to develop the F28 in particular?
Just Flight: When looking at possible
projects, we always look for types that
have so far been neglected in the flight
simulation market, hence our varied range of
past aircraft from the Canberra PR9 to the
VC10. The Fokker range hasn’t been well
represented at the study-sim level and we
think the F28 is a significant type in aviation
history that deserves that treatment.
We also love aircraft that have some
character, hence the lack of modern airliners
in our line-up. An ideal aircraft will have
plenty of wear-and-tear, noisy and dirty
engines, hundreds of controls to play with
and an interesting history. The F28 ticked
those boxes and has been on our list for
years but we struggled to find a real aircraft
to carry out research on, which is a must for
our in-house projects. Fortunately, we finally
found an example in the Netherlands and
managed to get access for this project.
PC Pilot: What stage are you currently
at in terms of the development process?
Talk us through the timeline so far?
Just Flight: Work began in early 2019
20 / PC PILOT #129
with our research trip to the Netherlands. simulation can we
Exterior and cockpit modelling, the longest
jobs in the project, began in March and
FDE work started the following month.
We completed the exterior modelling for all
expect from the F28?
Just Flight: As one of
our in-house developed
aircraft, the F28 will continue
four variants (1000 to 4000) last year and they our track record for creating
have recently finished undergoing extensive very detailed aircraft with accurate,
testing and evaluation. The detailed exterior fully functional, study-sim level for
model PBR textures were finished a few all of the core aircraft systems. You will
months ago, with livery work then beginning. be able to operate the aircraft using the real
The cockpit is now fully modelled and the checklists and real pilots will help develop
texturing process is well underway. The the most detailed simulation possible.
animations will then be finalised ahead of We have modelled the F28-1000, 2000,
the start of the systems coding work. 3000 and 4000 exteriors in intricate detail,
Most of the FDE work is now complete with 4K PBR textures used throughout to
but can only be finalised once the give a realistic appearance to all materials.
systems code is available, allowing for Every door, flight control surface and gear
full integration with the autopilot. part is modelled and animated, including
Finally, the engine and cockpit sounds were the distinctive spoilers and tail-
completed in March of this year. We will be mounted airbrake.
including hundreds of unique cockpit sounds
recorded directly from the real aircraft.
PC Pilot: What level of
detail and
Left below: All variants of the aircraft are powered by the Rolls-Royce Spey Mk 555-15 turbofan engines. Just
Flight has included custom sounds for the powerplant. Below: Just Flight’s Fokker F28 will feature full PBR
materials inside and out. Right below: In the cockpit, Just Flight has modelled the captain, co-pilot and jump
seat positions with nearly all switches, knobs and levers being animated and functional.
www.Key.Aero
 Each rivet and panel line is reproduced
with great clarity and dirt streaks the wing
surfaces and tail-mounted engines.
The cockpit has received the same level
of detail with every panel and control
modelled in 3D with 4K PBR textures for
incredible clarity at any zoom level. The
hundreds of photos taken of the real aircraft
allow us to exactly replicate every scratch,
stain and colourisation, which results in
a very immersive cockpit environment.
PC Pilot: What is your release strategy
for each platform and in what order?
Just Flight: We currently develop all our
aircraft for Prepar3D first, so the F28 will
be coming to Prepar3D v4 and v5
initially. We will then be developing
the X-Plane 11 version and
often that work starts during
the latter stages of the
Prepar3D project once
we are confident that
it is advanced
enough to
www.Key.Aero
begin ‘conversion’.
We always look to get our aircraft on to as
many platforms as possible, so it’s also a
possible candidate for FS2020 and Aerofly,
and we will always listen to the community if
they have suggestions for other platforms.
PC Pilot: Could you talk us through where
you started when developing this aircraft?
Which aspect did you tackle first?
Just Flight: We start any aircraft project
by collating as much reference material as
possible. It’s only possible to accurately
simulate complex aircraft like the F28 with
a significant amount of reference material to
refer to, from high-resolution photos of every
inch of the exterior and cockpit to operation
manuals, checklists and sound recordings.
For the F28, after some initial research to
evaluate the type, we flew into Amsterdam
Schiphol and visited the Fokker Technical
Training School. They have an F28-4000,
PH-CHN, which is now used for training
engineers. We spent the day photographing
the aircraft, learning about its systems and
Above: The level of detail the development team has
worked to is evident here, as the small details like
wear and tear, and dirt build-up on the gear has been
included. Below: Just Flight has included realistic
wing-flex in the modelling of all variants.
#129 PC PILOT / 21
INTERVIEW JUST FLIGHT'S FOKKER F28 FELLOWSHIP
speaking to the engineers. That hands-
on experience then led on to the start of
the exterior and cockpit modelling work.
PC Pilot: What are some of the stand-out
features for the aircraft that make it special?
Just Flight: The cockpit is still work-in-
progress, but I think that will be one of the
stand-out areas of the product, with superb
levels of model and texture detail. The F28
cockpit has a lot of character and stands out
from the usual Airbus and Boeing cockpits,
and the age of the reference aircraft gives it a
‘lived-in’ feel which adds to the immersion.
The sounds are also excellent, both
outside and in the cockpit. The Rolls-
Royce Spey engines have that distinctive
early turbofan whine and roar, and there
are a huge number of custom cockpit
sounds recorded from the real aircraft.
I think people will really enjoy learning to
operate this aircraft. Classic short-haul,
regional jetliner aircraft like the F28 provide
the opportunity for interesting routes and
flying – into small regional airports, multi-
sector, low cruise altitude and short range.
Combining that sort of flying with a different
style of cockpit to the usual airliners and
little in the way of automation will keep
things exciting for any virtual pilot.
PC Pilot: What elements of the product
have proved to be the hardest to develop and
how have you overcome these difficulties?
Just Flight: We’ve yet to hit any
significant difficulties during this project,
although we still have a lot of systems
coding left to do, so there’s still time.
It’s quite often the small details which cause
headaches during aircraft development. On the
F28, those have involved difficulty in finding
good reference material for the cockpit jump
seat, identifying the numerous minor cockpit
modifications that were made over the years
to the different F28 variants to pick the most
suitable configuration and the initial challenge
of finding a real aircraft within reach of the
UK that was in good condition for research.
When trying to simulate aircraft to such a
realistic level, those sorts of small details
are still very important to the overall
package. We spend a lot of time getting
22 / PC PILOT #129
those details right with the help of our
testers and real-world crew contacts.
PC Pilot: Is there scope for further Fokker
development, possibly the F70 or F100?
Just Flight: Yes, we are always looking
for ways to further develop our aircraft.
Aircraft projects, particularly complex
airliners like the F28, are a massive
undertaking and therefore any reuse on
other types gives us a great head start.
The availability of derivatives and further
types is one of many considerations when we
are looking at possible aircraft projects and
we already had the F70/F100 in mind when
starting work on the F28. Fortunately for us,
the Fokker Technical Training School had
an F100 in addition to the F28, so we were
able to conduct our research on that too.
We’ve not yet started work on an F70/
F100 as we are very busy with the existing
projects and would like to finalise the F28
before modifying it to form the basis of
the F70/F100, however they are types
that are very much on our radar.
PC Pilot: You mentioned the use of
external systems to bypass simulation
limitations in what you’ve revealed about
the aircraft previously. Could you explain
what users will see regarding this?
Just Flight: It’s becoming increasingly
common in study-sim level aircraft to
‘bypass simulator limitations’. Somewhat
like the term, ‘study-sim’, there’s debate
in the community over exactly what that
means, but when we use it we are referring
to the use of custom-coded systems
to achieve what wouldn’t be possible
The F28 Fellowship will be supplied with a wide range of liveries, reflecting its varied airline career.
Above: KLM Cityhopper operated a large number of
Fokker aircraft until they retired their final example
in 2017. Left: The aircraft has been developed with
input from real-world F28 crews. Below: Bump and
specular mapping has been used throughout the
aircraft to produce a truly 3D feel.
using the standard simulator systems.
On an aircraft like the F28, that is most likely
to be used for areas like the fuel system and
flight model. The standard simulator systems
can be quite constraining when you’re trying
to achieve complete realism of those sorts
of systems. However the use of SimConnect
and C++ coding allows for nearly endless
possibilities using custom code. From a user
viewpoint, the result will be systems that
behave much more closely to the real aircraft,
with accurate engine performance, fuel use,
electrical system handling and much more.
PC Pilot: What has the feedback
been like from the community towards
the development of this aircraft?
Just Flight: We’re always keen to engage
with our community and consider that to be
especially important when developing new
products as any feedback directly influences our
development choices. We have posted regular
updates to the F28’s in-development page
and our social media pages over the past year
to show the latest progress being made and
we’ve been very pleased to the see the interest
in the project and all the positive comments.
The Fokker aircraft have a large and loyal
fanbase in the flight simulation community
and we’re happy to be bringing a rarely
seen type to them. With their contributions
and the assistance of our testers and real-
world crew, we hope to develop the very best
Fokker seen in the flight simulation market.
PC Pilot: Thanks for taking the time to speak
with us and we wish you every success with
this upcoming release.
By Thomas Haynes
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE

t the risk of further confirming what

A an ancient flight simmer I am [you

and me both Chris – Ed], there
was a game for the Commodore
64 released by MicroProse way back in 1983
called Solo Flight. The third-person, wire-frame
graphics ran at about two frames per second.
The goal of the ‘simulator’ was to deliver mail
to various airports and deal with weather,
instrument conditions and mechanical failures
while completing your assigned delivery tasks.
It was then that I realised having a purpose
to my sim flying was the ultimate motivator.
Now, over three decades later, the realism and
immersion provided by the combination of
X-Plane, high-detail ortho terrain, virtual reality
headsets and the recently released Air Hauler
2 for X-Plane by Just Flight, have taken flight
simulation with a purpose to a whole new level.

A decade of excellence
Air Hauler has existed in various versions
since Flight Simulator 2004 and had an
initial release for X-Plane 9 in 2011. With
Air Hauler 2 for X-Plane (AH2XP), the large
community of X-Plane 11 (XP11) users are
now able to explore the Air Hauler world.
Though technically not in ‘early access’,
the developer has been releasing updated
builds and bug fixes at a steady pace as the
wider X-Plane community has explored the
layers of the program’s functionality. The
Air Hauler franchise has been developer
Duncan “Slopey” Murray’s passion for
a decade and his engagement with the
various flight sim communities has been
integral to the success of Air Hauler.

Just Flight’s

Air Hauler 2
Adding purpose to your flight simming

Above: Some airports have aircraft parts inventories

that can be collected to assemble your own aircraft.
Left: The Air Hauler 2 user interface is a checkerboard
of menu selections, tabs and informational panes.

24 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

 PCPilot PC
PLATINUM
AWARD

Interface
The AH2XP program runs in parallel with
X-Plane, mostly receiving data from the sim
to determine the conduct and outcome of
each flight. It has been my experience that
XP11 (version 11.50b13 at the time of this
writing) and AH2XP have been very stable
despite aggressive alt-tabbing to jump in
and out of each program while conducting
flights. AH2XP can also set parameters and
launch X-Plane for you but I’ve found it is
preferable to run in ‘network’ mode to manually
launch and set the X-Plane conditions to
match those that AH2XP is anticipating.
The AH2XP interface features a customisable
office from which you can access the myriad
menus and sub-menus that are essential to
running your company. It does take some time
and practice to understand the hierarchy of
menus and tabs to quickly find the options and
features you wish to interact with. The User
Interface (UI) layout closely resembles a tabbed
web browser with each tab opening pages with
program functions related to the title of the tab.

Something for everyone

AH2XP allows XP11 pilots to participate in the
formation, management and expansion of their
own passenger or cargo (or a combination)
Above: Passengers, cargo and fuel are loaded via a window that contains items available to load, items already
airline company. Infinitely tailorable to each onboard, as well as weights pertinent to the type of aircraft.
individual’s sim flying style, the company you Below: Easy to read charts show your progress (or lack thereof) as the much-coveted ‘reputation’ is tracked
manage can be as simple as a one-aircraft over time.
vagabond to a large fleet staffed by hired
artificial intelligence (AI) pilots or a large-
scale, human-staffed Virtual Airline (VA).
Difficulty level is highly individualised based
on the starting parameters you set when you
open your company and by the conditions
under which you choose to operate. Starting
options range from a bankroll of £2 million and
the default XP11 Boeing 737, to just £1,000
and the default Cessna 172. Users can also
import their own custom aircraft (payware or
freeware), sell the default aircraft and apply
those funds towards the purchase price of the
imported aircraft. Larger aircraft cost more
money based on a formula that examines the
aircraft data files to determine load carrying
capacity and/or passenger capacity.

Your reputation precedes you

Paired with the initially chosen financial
health of the company, is the starting value
of ‘reputation’ points. Reputation is built by
completing cargo, passenger or mission flights.
Building ‘rep’ is one of the first goals you will
focus on if you elect to start with the minimum
reputation level of 20. Each safely completed
passenger, cargo or mission contract earns
you a fraction of reputation points. Overall
reputation is calculated from averaging the
three categories together. Crashing your aircraft,
damaging the passengers or cargo with rough
handling, exceeding aircraft limitations or late
completion of a contract, results in a deduction
from reputation and perhaps a demand for
refunds from passengers, so the careful and
timely conduct of selected flights is important.
Reputation is an important component
Above: The map can also show commodity prices relative to your current location, allowing you to pick up of the Air Hauler experience since access
spare cargo to sell at your destination or airports along the route. to advanced banking functions such as

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 25

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE
Above: The used aircraft market can offer bargain
prices but be careful of aircraft condition as repairing
them will cost money. Right: As your company
expands, you can open multiple hubs to extend the
range of your operations. Below: Road transportation
to complete a delivery might be an option if you are
forced to divert to a nearby airport due to weather or
runway length requirements.
leasing aircraft and taking out bank loans
is restricted until an overall reputation of 40
is obtained. Access to the aircraft leasing
market allows you to fly larger aircraft with
just a fraction of the financial outlay with
regard to initial acquisition cost and recurring
monthly expenses. Reaching the 40 reputation
level also gives you access to bank loans to
purchase aircraft, open bases, hire pilots and
build factories that create goods (commodities)
that can be manufactured and sold. Keep
in mind that loans, lease payments, airfield
rent, aircraft repairs and pilot salaries require
a steady stream of income to cover, so
carefully watch how indebted you become.
Find a home
After selecting your initial financial and
aircraft startup condition, the next decision
is where to establish your company base.
Large airports with many long runways and
multiple instrument approaches cost more to
open and have higher recurring monthly rent
costs. For me, starting with the hardest initial
financial conditions was appealing since I
knew it would provide the greatest personal
satisfaction as I grew my company from a
single small Aviat Husky to more substantial
piston and turboprop cargo haulers.
During the initial company setup process,
you will also have access to a settings menu
where you can set your preferences for job
creation parameters that include load sizes,
preferred distance, volume of created jobs
and airport size. These settings can be
changed at any point to adapt to changes in
your fleet or to match the ambitions that may
evolve as your company expands. Bush pilots
may prefer to fly smaller loads into smaller
airstrips, while Airbus and Boeing drivers may
prefer passenger routes to more established
international airports with large runways.
That is the beauty of Air Hauler – almost any
type of operation can be accommodated.
A mandate to explore
Once your company is configured, it is time to
26 / PC PILOT #129
start hauling loads or passengers. A nice divided
screen shows you possible contracts that are
available to accept while the right side of the
screen shows a map to give you a bit more
awareness of the routes. Other windows provide
information about the airports that are critical to
examine since some airports are very small or
may not have lights or instrument approaches.
In the month or so I’ve been building up my
Air Hauler company, I’ve flown to dozens of
small dirt strips in the Pacific Northwest of the
United States that I would never have explored
without the contracts provided in Air Hauler.
Combining the challenges of small, unfamiliar
airports with real weather means every flight
has some component of adventure. Each
successful flight builds reputation and cash
to finance the expansion of your operation
or to just keep yourself afloat depending
on how much debt you have taken on.
Just fly – or manage
Beyond the basics of flying your own aircraft
on contracts are the more deeply modelled
features such as the commodity system
where you can transport goods between
airports without being specifically tasked
to do so. This ‘freelance’ economy is great
for branching out from the structure of
available routes but has the downside of
not accruing reputation for your company.
One of my favourite things to do is what
I call the ‘Parts Scavenger Hunt’ – simply
flying around the country, landing at airfields
and searching for aircraft parts on the open
market. Not all airports have parts on hand,
and the ones that do have ever-changing
inventories. Once you have accumulated
all of the required aircraft parts (typically:
starboard/port wing, fuselage, undercarriage,
tail, engine(s) and cockpit) you can have them
shipped to a base where you have constructed
an aircraft factory to have them assembled.
It costs a significant amount of money to
build the factory but aircraft assembled from
parts only cost about a third of an aircraft
purchased on the new market. The quest
for aircraft parts adds an entirely different
dimension to Air Hauler and is one that can
be combined with the normal reputation-
building cargo and passenger contracts.
True moguls may want to take advantage
of the ability to hire AI pilots to do the bulk
of the flying while they sit back and manage
routes, contracts and commodity transfers. This
technique can rapidly build up the company
coffers but there are perils to running an
assortment of AI pilots – some are better than
others and they will occasionally ding up an
aeroplane. As your pilots gain experience you
can assign them skill points to make them
more efficient and safer. Most of the Air Hauler
processes take place in what I would call an
‘accelerated real time’, meaning that to build an
aircraft or factory can take up to several days
and there is no way to speed that process up.
Similarly, AI pilots will take the requisite number
of hours to fulfil their task if they are assigned
trips. Don’t fret though – you don’t have to have
Air Hauler open during the entire time, the AI will
complete their tasks even with your computer
shut down and when you reopen Air Hauler
the task outcomes will be available to view.
Conclusion
For me, Air Hauler 2 for X-Plane represents the
ultimate outlet for me to combine my love of
flight simulation with a true purpose to my flying.
With many layers of complexity and different
ways to approach playing, Air Hauler 2 brings
incentive and goals to everyday flying.
By Chris Frishmuth
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: A fantastic utility that adds purpose
and scope to X-Plane 11 flying. A few bugs and
incomplete features, but overall superb.
Publisher and Developer: Just Flight
Price: £32.99
Website: https://justflight.com
Graphics: Good. The user interface
is complex but makes sense after
some practice.
Documentation: Excellent
95
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D

F-15C, D, E, &
f fighter aircraft had personalities, You only have to look at the stats to find that air collision in 1983 between an Israeli F-15D

I the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

would be the guy you’d want
beside you in a brawl. It exudes
the persona of a tough, capable yet polite
it has more than 100 victories to its name,
with no losses in aerial combat. It has a top
speed of Mach 2.5 and until quite recently
was able to outperform and outmanoeuvre
and an A4 Skyhawk, where the right wing was
almost sheared off. Incredibly, the pilot was still
able to fly it to a nearby airbase and land safely.
That’s not the end of the story either, because
bruiser, possibly modelled on John Wayne. any enemy aircraft. It’s also a sturdy aircraft, it was repaired and later returned to service.
Of course I’m being a bit flippant here but one quite capable of flying home with combat What more could you ask of an aircraft?
that’s how it appears to me - there’s no damage that would have destroyed many less
doubt it can certainly hold its own in a fight. rugged aircraft - a factor reinforced by the mid- The McDonnell Douglas
The ‘D’ two-seat
F-15 Eagle
variant ready to The Eagle was designed in 1967 in answer
taxi. to the United States Air Force request for
an Air Superiority Fighter. It entered service
in 1976 and is still considered to be a
front line fighter; a factor that makes it
even harder to believe, as it’s fast
approaching its 50th birthday.
Over time, the Eagle has
undergone many upgrades.
Those deemed significant
enough were designated
with a different
Below: The very
subtle sheen on
the paintwork is
so realistic.

System recommendation
I believe the system requirements on the Just
Flight website are somewhat ambitious as a
minimum, particularly if you fly with any sort
of scenery add-on. If you try to fly low level
through the Mach Loop with a dual-core
processor and 2GB of RAM, you will be
watching a slide show. In my opinion, an Intel
i5 or compatible, with 8GB of RAM and a 4GB
graphics card is a better minimum for any sort
of realistic flight. However, I concede if you
slide your graphic setting all the way to the
left, it might be possible but who wants to fly in
such unrealistic conditions?

28 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero


& I Eagle
DC Designs’
identifier from the first basic F-15A, through
B, C, D and E variants and there were also a
few related ‘special’ variants. Some of these
were configured as two-seat trainers, others
were used for testing new engines, sold
abroad or equipped with upgraded avionics.
DC Designs
Although published by Just Flight, the Eagle
aircraft depicted in this review were designed
and produced by Dean Crawford of DC Designs.
A company not new to flight simulation, it
has already released a very nice F/A-
18 Super Hornet and is currently
working on a completely new
version of the Concorde.
The Externals
I generally start my
reviews in the same
manner as most pilots
when beginning a new
www.Key.Aero
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
Delivering
a complete
package
flight, with the pre-flight walk-around. This is mid-grey, the vertical stabilisers generally
allows me to judge the overall modelling display colourful squadron logos which are
of the airframe, combined with having a superbly replicated. The exception is the Israeli
closer look at the quality of the liveries. aircraft, which is painted in a muted sand
The designers have included four variants camouflage-style livery; also of high quality.
in this package, the Eagle F-15C, D, E For a single-seat jet, the F-15 is a big
and I. The ‘C’ variant is the all-weather aeroplane: it’s over 63ft long and stands 18ft
air-superiority fighter, the ‘D’ is a two- high, so no hopping on to the wing to get
seat training model, the ‘E’ is also a two- on board. The simulation includes options to
seat model, generally known as the Strike display ground equipment, which displays
Eagle and the ‘I’ Ra’am variant is a two- things like chocks, intake covers and a crew
seat ground-attack aircraft, based on the ladder; there’s even an armed guard to watch
‘E’ but flown by the Israeli Air Force. over the aircraft for you. All these options
All of these aircraft are supplied with are activated from the crew kneeboards but
alternative liveries, depicting the can only be selected when the aircraft is
various squadrons that operated on the ground with the engines shut
the F-15. While the predominant Suggested down and the canopy open.
colour of most of the aircraft
System While I’ve not sat in an F-15, I’m
an avid airshow visitor, so I’m well
requirements acquainted with how it should
2.0GHz dual core CPU
2GB RAM. 1GB graphics look. Personally, I think Dean has
card. Windows 10 / 8 / 7 made a superb job of recreating
(32-bit or 64-bit). 913MB
hard drive space.
Top: The pilot’s view in the F-15 Strike Eagle.
Middle: The navigator’s instrument panel in the Strike
Eagle. Bottom: A close-up of the moving map and
Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) screen.
#129 PC PILOT / 29
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D
both the shape and detailing of the F-15. The
paintwork has the overall flat look of matt paint,
yet caught at the right angle still shows the
subtle sheen you’ll see on most military aircraft.
Armaments
This is obviously a military aircraft, with the
capacity to wreak havoc on a wide range
of targets. It has 11 hardpoints, some sited
under the wing and others along the fuselage.
They are capable of carrying many different
types of ordnance: air to air missiles, bombs,
medium-range AMRAAM missiles, external
fuel tanks. It also has a nose-mounted 20mm
M61 Vulcan rotary cannon, capable of firing
6,000 rounds a minute, which if my maths is
correct means it can empty the magazine in
just four seconds. In fact, the F-15E Strike
Eagle variant is configured to carry an even
greater range of ordnance than the C variant;
it also has side-mounted conformal fuel
tanks that give it a greater range as well.
Onboard
As I’ve already mentioned, this package
includes four variants that are slightly
different in design and age. The older ‘C’
variant has a very different cockpit to the
later ‘E’ Strike Eagle, which I must say was
my favourite, mainly because it’s equipped
with multiple digital displays. These include
a moving map and a Forward Looking
Infra-Red (FLIR); in contrast the earlier
models mostly have analogue gauges.
You have the option of choosing your load-
out from the left-hand MFD. This displays a
wireframe view of the underside of the aircraft,
showing the available pylons. You simply select
what ordnance you want and where it will be
sited on the simulated touch screen. As you
might expect, all of these aircraft are equipped
with the standard navigation instruments and
radios you would find in most aircraft. These
are easy to operate and allow you to fly the
F-15 in all conditions. I found the FLIR screen
and moving map very useful in conjunction
with the conventional navigation instruments.
The instrument panels are pretty much
crammed with MFD displays and gauges,
many of these with glass faces that quite
naturally reflect light. If you look closely, you’ll
I’ve seen that shot somewhere before.
30 / PC PILOT #129
Ground hugging through the Welsh
valleys is great fun.
see an image of the pilot looking back at
you. If this is a distraction, the authors have
included a set of glass textures that mutes
this effect; you simply need to exchange them
for the original ones in the F-15 folder (the full
location and instructions are detailed in the
manual). Incidentally, if you want to remove
reflections altogether, you can simply remove
these glass files from the same location.
While we’re on the subject of glass, the
mirrors reflect the actual changing landscape
behind you - I’ve not seen that before!
Handling
After flying a 737, the F-15 is a dream to fly.
It’s very responsive to inputs and climbs like
a rocket. Because of its size, I thought it
might be less manoeuvrable than the smaller
jet fighters I’ve flown but that’s not the case.
Flying through the mountains and valleys of my
homeland (Wales) is fabulous. I must admit the
landing speed can catch you out; you really
need to manage it or the aircraft will either
drop out of the sky or overshoot the runway.
Documentation
The F-15 operations manual provided
with the package is very comprehensive,
including plenty of images to highlight the
subject being discussed. I also like the
fact that the author has taken the trouble
to provide a proper index, which is also
clickable. That makes it much easier to jump
to the specific topic you’re interested in.
Not every system or switch in the cockpit is
operational but that’s not a criticism as it’s not
possible to simulate every system on board
the aircraft. Many of them are simply not
modelled in the host simulator. However, those
that do operate are numerically identified with
high-resolution screenshots followed by bullet-
pointed descriptions that also include how
they can be operated within the simulation.
Conclusion
This is a fine depiction of the F-15 that will
give you a real feel for flying this fast jet
(without having to worry about being shot
down either). Once you get to grips with the
extra speed, it’s great fun to fly and behaves
as expected without any real surprises.
The package includes a good selection of
variants, with a number of different liveries.
Consequently, I have no hesitation in
recommending it to all our readers.
By Joe Lavery
Review System
Intel i7 4790K 4.20GHz processor. 16GB DDR3
1600MHz RAM. EVGA GTX 1070, 8GB GDDR5
video card. 2 x 240GB Kingston SSD. 2 x 1.5TB
Samsung hard drives.
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: If you’ve always wanted to fly the
F-15 in all its major variants, now you can with
this superb and comprehensive package from
DC Designs.
Publisher: Just Flight
Developer: DC Designs
Price: £26.99 by direct download
Website: www.justflight.com
3D Modelling: Very good
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Excellent
Performance: Very good
95
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D AND FSX

Bellanca
Lionheart Creations’
A delightful
GA tourer

Super Viking
very so often you find a product 1921 and his death in 1960, was responsible there are still many in stunning condition

E that perhaps doesn’t quite fit the

usual mould. Even less often, it
turns out to be a really pleasant
surprise and you wonder where it has been
for a series of evolving aircraft companies
including the Roos-Bellanca, Colombia and
American Champion aircraft corporations. So
successful were his manufacturing and design
to be found around the US today.

hiding. Here we review the Bellanca Super ideas, that the American Champion Xtreme
Viking 17 SV-300A from Lionheart Creations. Decathlon 8KCAB is still produced today.
Another model based on one of Bellanca’s
Unique at every turn earlier designs was the single-engine, four-
Take a look around most general aviation place tourer – the Super Viking. Mostly built
airports and you’ll be faced with a huge range between 1967 and 1975 but with some as
of primarily Cessna and Piper models. But it recently as 2005, it was fitted with a powerful
certainly wasn’t always that way with 300hp engine and has features such as
several GA aircraft manufacturers the Century III autopilot, retractable
having ceased to exist or Minimum gear and a constant speed
merged into new entities. This System prop, which gave a top cruise
story starts with Giuseppe speed of well over 200mph.
Bellanca who, between
Requirements Over 1300 were built and
Flight Simulator X,
FSX: Steam Edition,
P3D v1-v3 (32-bit)
or P3D v4 (64-bit)
Distinctive features
Lionheart produces an impressive range of
historic and modern GA aircraft, of which many,
such as the Super Viking, have found specific
niches in aviation. The 900MB package suits
FSX, FSX: Steam Edition and P3Dv1 through
v3 (32 bit), and P3D v4 (64-bit), includes eight
liveries with options of four different panel
colours/styles, a paint kit and an excellent
58-page PDF manual that contains not only
an entertaining history of the Super Viking, but
also some very useful aircraft handling tips.
At first glance, you realise that this is no
ordinary aircraft as it has some very distinct
features. Firstly, it has very smooth and sleek

32 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero


The powerful Super
Viking is equally
at home on small
country airstrips.
lines, which is intriguing given its vintage which
was well before composite materials were
used. Other distinctive features are the bulbous
main wheel pods under the wings, which also
house large landing lights. The 300hp engine is
physically quite large and it had to be squeezed
into the cowling with the final visual result
making the Super Viking look like it just wants
to leap into the air. The 4K high-resolution
textures are very detailed indeed with hundreds
of screws and fixings visible throughout.
One distinctive visual feature is the twin
support struts on each side of the tailplane.
This and the shape of the skin of the
elevators and tail hint at what lurks beneath,
for the Super Viking actually hosts (even
for the 1970s) a very unusual construction.
The fuselage is built from tubular steel (not
www.Key.Aero
aluminium) and is covered in Dacron fabric
and topped with up to 18 coats of dope and
paint. This explains the smooth looks and the
tailplane supports. However, the wings are
even stranger! They are made entirely of wood.
The spruce and mahogany ribs and spars
are covered with a timber veneer. This is why
you see so many screws and such a super
smooth wing surface on the Lionheart model.
As the Super Viking was custom-made,
buyers could specify paint schemes, crushed
velour or leather interior furnishings, fuel tank
arrangement, panel colours and avionics. So
quite fittingly, the Lionheart package ships with
a variety of aircraft liveries, panels and interior
colours ranging from 'fresh-from-the-paint-
shop' to more weathered and used models.
The panel is in a standard configuration
Unusual
construction
methods result
in super-smooth
surfaces.
Lionheart offers you remarkably realistic, detailed and accurate exteriors.
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
All gauges
are crisp
and smooth.
for a partial retrofit with a GNS 500 GPS, a
secondary GNS 430 GPS, Bendix King Nav/
Comm radios and Garmin GTX327 transponder.
These, accompanied by dual VOR and ILS, are
enough for most GA IFR flights. The cabin is
filled with click-spots which hide the yoke, open
pop-up panels for the avionics, switches panel,
primary flight gauges and even the placards to
assist you when using the Century III autopilot.
In what is now an unusual addition to products,
the optional 2D main panel will certainly
benefit users with lower-end PC systems.
Flight test
Being a light single-engine aircraft, flight
planning and start-ups are elementary. The
engine grumbles like a 300hp piston engine
should (it is linked to a similar default aircraft
#129 PC PILOT / 33
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D AND FSX
Right: There are pop-ups galore but given the overall
gauge and panel quality, they aren’t really needed.
Below: There is plenty of night lighting to adjust to the
conditions.
in each supported simulator platform). That
engine is also responsible for a lot of torque
and you do need to watch your rudder
control as you advance the throttle. This was
a known effect on the real Super Viking and
is one of the reasons for such a relatively
large vertical stabiliser surface area.
As you would perhaps expect, all those
horses result in a very quick gallop down the
runway and you can operate from airfields
under 2,000ft long, adding to the versatility.
Retracting the gear reveals Lionheart’s
attention to detail as it perfectly mimics the real
Super Viking gear retraction sequence where
the wheels extend or retract one at a time.
Super Viking pilots refer to the aircraft
responding as soon as you start even thinking
about turning or climbing and this model almost
performs the same way with very gentle inputs
giving an immediate response. This makes it
very easy to control and is extremely stable
once trimmed, so you can easily fly hands-off
for extended periods. The Century III autopilot
is straight out of the 1970s and assists on
longer legs when you are IFR or might want to
bury your head in a map or approach chart.
Although not rated for aerobatics, 1970s
Bellanca demonstration pilot Debbie Gary
34 / PC PILOT #129
frequently performed a range of aerobatic
manoeuvres to highlight how well built the
Super Viking was and with wooden spars
and wings, you never had to worry about
metal fatigue. Despite some questionable
behaviour on the stall, the Lionheart model
does perform positive G aerobatics very nicely.
Being principally a tourer, you will want
to stay out after dark. The P3D model
lighting in particular is well up to the job
with pilots able to select any or all of
cabin dome light, panel lights and gauge
lights in any preferred combination. So,
no matter what the conditions, you will
be able to fly on the gauges with ease.
All those sleek lines are perfect for high-
speed cruising but can come back to bite if
you don’t plan your approach well before.
With a cruise speed of up towards 200mph,
a maximum gear extension speed of 160mph
(139KIAS) and maximum flap extension speed
of just 120mph (104KIAS), it is very easy to
be too fast and high. You must be close to
120mph by the time you enter the circuit
or you’ll struggle to be set up on finals.
In yet another testament to the hard work
put into this model by Lionheart, is another
Super Viking idiosyncrasy which appears on
very late finals. With gear and flaps down
and close to the landing speed, they had a
tendency to, as some owners described, have
the ‘sink rate of a Steinway piano!’ But by
carrying some throttle to touchdown, you could
ease it on and impress your passengers.
Conclusion
This is a wonderfully accurate model of
a unique GA tourer. With the stable flight
dynamics, great looks, a very good manual and
some modern avionics, the Super Viking will
suit almost every level of flight simulation pilot.
A fun GA aircraft with a fascinating story.
By Peter Stark
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: What a bargain. A unique aircraft
with a great history that displays remarkably
accurate flight dynamics and behaviour, and
retails for just $24.95 (£20 approx).
Developer: Lionheart Creations
Price: US$24.95 (£20 approx).
Website: www.lionheartsimulations.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Very good
Systems: Very good
85
PC Pilot Score:
The Bellanca Super Viking is a unique VFR/IFR tourer
that still has a very devoted following.
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D

Douglas DC-3
Aeroplane Heaven’s

Dakota & C-47

Skytrain Return of an
old favourite

Minimum
System
Requirements
Windows XP SP3,
Vista, 7, 8 or 10; Prepar3D
v4.4+/v5; 4+GB RAM;
2GB HDD, NVIDIA 1060
6GB or higher/equivalent
AMD card.

36 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero


American Airlines
was Douglas’ first
customer for the
DC-3 and is included
in the DC-3 Package.
here hasn’t been a flight sim platform
T where pilots haven’t pleaded for
a mighty DC-3 to fly. Australian
developer Aeroplane Heaven has met
the challenge again with the Prepar3D v4.4+/
v5 release of not only its updated ‘Dakota’ but
also its military incarnation, the C-47 Skytrain.
Gracing the sky for 85 years
What can possibly be written about the
Douglas DC-3 that hasn’t been already?
This venerable aircraft has been flying
for an astonishing 85 years since its first
flight in 1935 and yet it is estimated that
2,000 DC-3/C-47s are still flying today.
Surprisingly, when DC-3 production
ceased in 1942, just 607 had been built.
However, the huge demand for a general
transport, glider tow and paratrooper platform
generated by the outbreak of World War Two
saw the DC-3 production swing to the military
version, the C-47 Skytrain. Production of the C-47
ceased with the end of hostilities in 1945 but in
those few years, more than 15,000 Skytrains were
built. With the market then suddenly flooded with
surplus C-47s, many were converted back to the
airliners and freight haulers that still serve today.
Kicking the tyres
Aeroplane Heaven (AH) has a long history
The C-47 models
often feature historic
paratrooper or
military transport
models.
www.Key.Aero
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
A cockpit from the 1940s.
It all works but may
require some ‘modern’
pilots to rethink things.
of producing a vast range of some very fine
historic military aircraft such as the Hawker
Hurricane and Heinkel He 111, as well as
contributing to many other products. While
this review takes a look at both the DC-3 and
C-47, you should note that they are separate
products, although they can be bought together
as a bundle with a generous discount.
Each package is around a 1.2GB to 1.6GB
download which comes in two parts: the
base pack and a related texture pack.
Both come with an Operations Manual
that can be used for either model and also
bundled into the C-47 package is the rare
C-47 Amphibian. Only five were made
and they were challenging to fly – and you
now have the opportunity to see why.
Installation is straightforward despite the
separated base and texture pack provided
you install both into the same folder. You get
nine DC-3 liveries and 14 C-47 liveries with
more texture packs and a paint kit due for
imminent release. As you would expect, the
DC-3 features commercial airline or freight
companies, while the C-47 focuses on
paratroop and military transport models. Note
that while there are many similarities between
the two base models, there are also differences
in features such as the C-47’s paratrooper drop
effects and the use of battery packs for start-
Above: A wide range of variants are available in
both the default packages. Below: ‘Daks’ and C-47s
still operate into remote airstrips today, which adds
another dimension to flying the AH models.
#129 PC PILOT / 37
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D
Above: The textures in some models show their hard-
working life in glorious detail. Below: Some variants
contain a sextant gauge for long-haul navigation –
note the astrodome on the forward fuselage roof.
up rather than the GPU you find on the DC-3.
Both the internal and external textures vary
between a clean and ‘modern’ airliner of the
period, through to scratched and worn panels,
controls and fuselage. There are a lot of
spectacular shiny aluminium skins in the DC-3
variants while the C-47 is more devoted to matt
olives and dull metals – and they all look the part.
The only major concession to the modern
pilot is the ability to (if you really, really must!),
access a pop-up default GNS500 GPS.
They have also made provisions for Flight1
GTN owners to modify the panel to allow a
pop-up F1GTN even though a DC-3/C-47
pilot may think this too is pure sacrilege.
The cockpit is very much 1940s with elementary
gyro instruments and a large number of engine
management gauges which were required to
safely operate the massive 14 cylinder 1200hp
Twin Wasp radial engines. The DC-3/C-47
was fitted with a fuel mixture control system
with just three settings rather than a variable
control with the aircraft systems automatically
controlling the fuel being delivered to the
engines. This has been modelled with triggers
that need to be clicked before you can move
the mixture levers to the relevant detent setting.
Flight test
With the exception of the amphibian version,
the flight dynamics and features are almost
identical between the models and you can
assume so, unless mentioned otherwise. When
you’re ready to depart, you can access the
GPU or battery cart from the cockpit eyebrow
panel. The start-up procedure on the ‘Daks’
actually took two hands, so purists have to
The Aeroplane Heaven models support selectable ‘blowers’ which give you plenty of manifold pressure when
you're flying at higher altitudes in the thinner air.
38 / PC PILOT #129
expect some compromises when operating
in a Prepar3D environment. The engine start-
up sequence results in a wonderfully rich
grumble and splutter as the engines fire
into life. You are able to use Ctrl-E to start-
up but why on earth would you want to.
As the huge engines warm, you can set your
radio navaids such as dual VOR and ADF
using the period style controls. These are big
aircraft and take a bit of throttle to get rolling
but watch out when you do. The tailwheel
on DC-3/C-47s is free-castoring meaning
you control your direction with differential
throttles and if you have to, a tweak of the
brakes. Don’t forget to lock that tailwheel
before take-off or you’ll be taking a side trip
as the torque of the 2,400hp radials build.
Acceleration isn’t fast but with those large
wings and tailplane it doesn’t need to be.
The tail lifts gently by around 70 knots and
with some steady back pressure, the aircraft
eases off the runway as the Twin Wasps roar
in your ears. In general, the DC-3/C-47 is
really nice to fly, never with any surprises.
If like me, you didn’t really pay too much
attention to your checklists, you will initially
find controlling the DC-3/C-47 is a bit bizarre.
On investigation, I found I didn’t check that the
rudder trim was set to zero - it was in fact set
to 100% by default. With my poor airmanship
corrected, the handling became a dream.
The AH flight dynamics are spot on so it really
feels like the graceful old bird it is. You need
to be quite firm with your control inputs and
drive the aeroplane positively. A benefit of this
is that they are very stable and a breeze to
fly by hand for extended periods. The Sperry
The rich texturing reveals
differences in models between
operators such as the baffled
engine cowl on early models.
GyroPilot is straight out of the history books
and fully functional for longer legs as it allows
you to enjoy the views or set up the radio
navaids etc. If you need to fly above 10,000ft,
the cockpit is fitted with oxygen tanks and the
engine with blowers so you can maintain a
positive manifold pressure in the thinner air.
If you’re really up for the challenge, you
may opt to try your hand at astro navigation
using the fitted sextant gauge. While there are
no directions in the manual, it is based on a
freeware model, so there are online tutorials to
get you started. It is actually very satisfying to be
able to navigate this way using the sun, moon or
stars as you fly over dark terrain or an ocean.
Engine management is usually a big deal in a
DC-3/C-47 with descent rates around 500fpm to
avoid overcooling the engines. The AH models
don’t replicate this sensitivity and you can
‘push’ the climb and descent performance when
needed. When well set up, the aircraft again
flies gracefully all the way to the flare. A ‘wheels’
landing is the norm for an aircraft this large but
like all tail draggers, your job isn’t over until
you have slowed, when you can disengage the
tailwheel lock and weave your way to parking.
Conclusion
Overall, the AH DC-3/C-47 is a heap of fun
to fly, whether you prefer to operate out
of remote grass strips or make long-haul
continental crossings. If you can live with
the compromised engine start and forgiving
engine management, they will serve you
well for a long time. The AH DC-3/C-47 is a
fitting tribute to a magnificent aircraft.
By Peter Stark
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: A pair of very nicely modelled
classics that can be fun, challenging and even
educational to fly, giving a real insight to this
era of aviation.
Developer: Aeroplane Heaven
Price: DC-3 $42.95 (£34 approx)
C-47 $38.95 (£31 approx)
Full bundle $64.95 (£52 approx)
Website: www.aeroplaneheaven.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Very good
Systems: Very good
85
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
 Please visit
www.flight1.com
www. .com
for more information
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development companies and vendors. Please contact Flight1.com to find out how the new Flight1 Agent can help you sell your products.
INTERVIEW MICROPROSE

The Mighty Eig

Return of a Classic
40 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero
 hen I first heard that MicroProse
W was revisiting an all-time favourite
title of mine: ‘B-17 Flying Fortress:
The Mighty 8th’ (released back in
2000), I was very excited about the possibilities
of what could be done to update this classic
simulation. Of all the titles in the company’s back
catalogue, this was probably the most unique,
and in terms of the concept, it has never been
bettered… until now. The new version will be
aptly called, ‘The Mighty Eighth’. So, eager
to find out more about this exciting project, I
invited MicroProse’s CEO, David Lagettie, to
talk to us about this highly anticipated B-17
simulation and about his plans for the title.
PC Pilot: Hi David, thanks for taking time out
of your busy schedule to talk to us. Before we
start to discuss The Mighty Eighth, I would like
to begin by asking a more general question:
What would you say were and will be the
distinguishing features of a MicroProse product?
David Lagettie: With MicroProse back,
our goal is to fully restore the company
to be a powerhouse in publishing and
developing, and make great entertaining
games once again. Our focus is really on
the player‘s experience; we want to bring
back the MicroProse magic in games. We
want players to be emotionally invested
in the game experience, making fast and
often critical decisions that have meaningful
ramifications in the outcome of the game
while rewarding the player for succeeding.
PC Pilot: When we previously interviewed
you in our Sept/Oct issue of PC Pilot (Issue
123), you hinted that you had plans to
update and re-launch a number of the old
MicroProse titles. So, given MicroProse’s
extensive back catalogue of flight simulators,
why did you decide to debut with a
new version of your B-17 franchise?
David Lagettie: B-17 Flying Fortress
is an iconic franchise that is a huge part
of MicroProse, and we know there is an
enormous amount of love for this game. From
the start we wanted to revisit B-17 and add
new features that can really enhance what
made the first two versions of the game so
great. We are also going to have a standalone
VR version of The Mighty Eighth. This will be
an entirely new experience, where we take
the player back to World War Two and make
them experience what it would be like to
PCPilot be part of a B-17 crew. Intense encounters,
quick decisions, harrowing action, high stress,
EXCLUSIVE with multiple roles to master by yourself or
alongside friends. Think of the VR version
ighth
www.Key.Aero
In this close-up, we see
a rendered view of the
cockpit, mid-upper turret
and oxygen bottles.
as the distilled aircrew combat experience,
while the next fully featured game in the
B-17 franchise will have more of the strategic
and simulation depth of its predecessors.
PC Pilot: Looking back at MicroProse’s
previous B-17 simulation, ‘B-17 Flying Fortress
– The Mighty 8th’, which particular aspects of
that product did you find the most appealing?
David Lagettie: The crew management
system, coupled with real-time simulation
were certainly innovative features for the
time and ones I personally loved. We want
to enhance this in the new version to
really engage the player. We plan to build
a more comprehensive crew management
and aircraft management system.
PC Pilot: What are your main goals and
objectives when it comes to The Mighty Eighth?
David Lagettie: To honour the original B-17
Flying Fortress games, which will carry on
a legacy to honour the veterans and fallen
aircrews. We want the players to have a real
connection with their crew, and even while
engaging with the ground crews and other
crews within your squadron. We are also looking
to enhance the historic variety of aircraft,
airfields and missions. A mission and campaign
editor will be available to create and share
missions, and even campaigns. Essentially,
if a player that has a relative who served in
a B-17 crew can do their homework, they
should be able to recreate the airfield, aircraft
and missions to relive what their relative saw,
heard, and ultimately felt, during that period.
PC Pilot: Can you give us a broad
outline of the design concept and
structure of ‘The Mighty Eighth’?
David Lagettie: Your goal will be to bring
your crew and aircraft through a tour of 25
successful missions. Campaigns ensure that
A rendered profile view of the B-17’s fuselage revealing
its internal layout and structure.
#129 PC PILOT / 41
INTERVIEW MICROPROSE
Another internal rendered shot showing the two
waste gunner positions and the ball turret.
a player not only makes critical decisions
when flying a mission but also when they
are on the ground preparing for one.
PC Pilot: It was announced that this product
would be a VR-first project. How did this
exciting idea to make VR an integral and major
part of this product come about and can you
give us any more details about this and how
you plan to implement it into the simulation?
David Lagettie: To balance the expectations
of players and feedback we received
during the initial announcement, we are
currently looking at the VR aspect of
the game as a separate experience for
gamers to enjoy. Our goal is to have the
VR experience playable with friends and
we are exploring how we will do that in a
broader ‘Mighty Eighth’ campaign as well.
PC Pilot: Which aspects of the
previous B-17 simulation, if any, will be
carried over into the new version?
David Lagettie: We are taking a close
look at the successes and criticisms of
the previous titles. Virtually all the original
This dramatic piece of
concept artwork portrays
a flight of B-24 Liberators,
which will also be flyable in
the simulation.
42 / PC PILOT #129
features will flow into the new version but we
may slowly introduce some of the features
later in the development cycle. Creating
a new version of the game allows us to
return to the drawing board with today’s
technology and reimagine some features of
the previous games in ways that just were
not technically feasible 20-plus years ago.
PC Pilot: On ‘The Mighty Eighth’ website, it
states in part that ‘the new Mighty Eighth is not
just a game. It’s an experience from a different
era…’ Can you clarify what you meant by this?
David Lagettie: We are not only talking
about the era that the game is set but the
era in which the original game was made. We
are going to put you back inside the B-17 in
a familiar way but with a level of detail that
has not been seen before. That attention
to detail will also flow beyond the game
and manifest as physical items, like maps,
handbooks and manuals. You remember
those amazing MicroProse manuals, right?
PC Pilot: One of the distinguishing features
of the previous B-17 simulation was that
Here we see the
internal details of
the tail gunner’s
position.
This is a
beautifully
detailed
rendering of
one of the B-17
crewmen.
you could take on the role of any of the 10
positions within the aircraft, such as pilot,
gunner, navigator or bombardier. Will this
still be the case in ‘The Mighty Eighth’?
David Lagettie: Yes, you will be able
to play all roles within the aircraft.
PC Pilot: In a similar vein, will the
new simulation include the role-playing
duties of being a Bomber Commander
and a Squadron Commander, as was
the case in the previous incarnation?
David Lagettie: Yes, and you should
feel an emotional connection to each
member of the crew as well.
PC Pilot: Will the player be able to
communicate with his fellow crewmen?
David Lagettie: Yes, communication will
be as key to their survival as oxygen.
PC Pilot: How about first aid and
putting out fires, will those elements
be modelled in any way?
David Lagettie: It would not be a B-17
mission if it went perfectly smooth every
time. There will be fires, mechanical issues
and injuries that you need to overcome.
PC Pilot: As was the case with its
predecessor, will the player be able to fly Allied
and German fighters in the new simulation?
David Lagettie: Flying the fighter aircraft
is on our wish list of features from the
predecessor, however our top priority is
in the co-operative aircrew experience.
That is really where The Mighty Eighth
distinguishes itself from other flight sims.
PC Pilot: Can you tell us a little about the
research that has gone into this simulation
and have you enlisted the help of current
B-17 pilots from the warbird community?
David Lagettie: We are actively chasing
authenticity. Our designers have been
conducting countless hours of research,
and we could fill a small museum with
some of the items we have collected. At
the moment we are working closely with
various B-17 historical society organisations
in America that are providing much of our
www.Key.Aero
This fine concept artwork, depicting an injured B-17 and
kindly supplied by David Lagettie, gives us a flavour of
what we have in store with the upcoming simulator.
references, with access to some pilots.
We also have access to various historical
museums that we are closely working with.
PC Pilot: In terms of cockpit functionality
and the various aircraft systems, to what
level will these elements be modelled?
David Lagettie: Well, at this stage we
want everything to work but with a game
there are sometimes trade-offs that must
be made. When these decisions are
made, we will let authenticity and the best
possible player experience guide us.
PC Pilot: The internal shots that
were put up on ‘The Mighty Eighth’
website looked stunning. Were these
rendered or are they actually how you
intend the finished product to look?
David Lagettie: They are a mix of
both but we plan to represent the
internal of the various aircraft in a very
authentic and highly detailed way.
PC Pilot: Can you tell us what level
of fidelity you are aiming for when it
comes to the flight modelling?
Above: Here we see the detailed cockpit of the
Messerschmitt Bf 109.
www.Key.Aero
David Lagettie: This is a good question.
At this stage we are looking to spend a
lot of time making sure the various flight
models are accurate and representative
of the different aircraft we are using. With
access to real pilots, we will aim to capture
the nuances of flying that particular aircraft.
PC Pilot: Will single and campaign
missions be included?
David Lagettie: Yes, we want to
ensure players can jump in for a quick
mission or get immersed in surviving an
entire 25-mission campaign. We’re also
exploring the idea of a required training
campaign for players to qualify in their crew
positions before joining a crew online.
PC Pilot: At this stage, are you able to
tell us how many bombers you are hoping
to have in the sky at any one time?
David Lagettie: We cannot put an exact
number on that at this stage but you and
I have both seen film footage from the era
and we want to give you that experience. We
want to fill the sky when appropriate. Realism
Above: A detailed close-up view of the pilot’s position. Left: An overview shot of the B-17’s cockpit, showing the
instrument panel, the yokes for the pilot and co-pilot positions and the controls for the propeller and throttle levers.
is our starting point, so we are yet to see
what our technical limits will be in relation to
the number of aircraft we have in the air.
PC Pilot: In terms of locations,
which areas will be included?
David Lagettie: Most of Europe that
lies within the heavy bomber aircraft
range flying from England.
PC Pilot: Are you able to tell us at what
stage the production is and when you
hope to release ‘The Mighty Eighth’?
David Lagettie: At this stage all I can
say is we are heavily in development
and we plan to make further
announcements in the coming months.
PC Pilot: David, thank you so much
for spending time talking with us about
The Mighty Eighth, and we will hopefully
be able to update our readers on the
project’s progress in the coming months.
David Lagettie: Thank you for the fantastic
support. Stay tuned to PC Pilot for future
details on MicroProse products.
By Derek Davis
#129 PC PILOT / 43
REVIEW UBSOFT'S CONDOR 2

Condor 2
UBSoft’s

Discover the quiet beauty of flying like a hawk

ight simulation covers a plethora flight sims such as Prepar3D or X-Plane and popular, especially due to the lower costs

F of choices for all. Fancy flying a

Boeing? Go ahead. How about
that little GA beauty you’ve been
dreaming of? No problem. Going for a hover
over downtown Manhattan? Sure thing. Even
flying the old P-51D Mustang into battle is
available to those who seek the thrill of war in
the air. (The ‘Baron’ here at PC Pilot certainly
knows this to be true!). Each of these choices
offers us all a chance to test our skills and learn
the technology. In all of the choices though,
the simplest, purest form of flight is often
forgotten or missing entirely. I’m talking about
the world of gliding. Take a look at modern
gliding seems like an afterthought. By default,
P3D doesn’t come with a glider for use and
X-Plane only really offers a single aircraft
within the defaults included in the sim itself.
It has been a long time since FSX offered
us the chance to go ridge soaring and if I’m
honest, I miss that. Sure, you’ll mostly find
me in an Airbus but my first ever real-life solo
flight took place in a glider when I was just
16. The flight was short, the weather good
and the wheel brake was broken leading to
a long rollout, but for the five minutes I was
in the air by myself, well nothing compares
to that first solo. Gliding is still immensely
of training and flying, with a licence usually
costing around £1,300 or so here in Europe.
Compare that to the usual £1,600-plus price
tag of a PPL and gliding is a great way to get
into the sport. Sim-wise, to support the gliding
market, Slovenian developer UBSoft created
Condor Soaring simulator. It proved popular
and in 2012 work began on a new version,
Condor 2. This is the simulation being reviewed
in this article and I can’t wait to get started.
The sim itself is available as a download from
the Condor Store. There are two versions:
the standard Home version, priced at €49.99
(£45 approx) and the Pro version priced

Above: Looking
for thermals can be
made easier by this
handy visualisation.

Left: The opening

splash screen is
your main hub for
using Condor 2.

44 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero


at €163.19 (£148 approx). The Pro version
is simply the standard version of the sim,
plus all the available add-on aircraft. For
the standard version, you have a choice of
seven different gliders. Alongside the aircraft,
you have the whole of Slovenia to fly in. The
country offers some fantastic Alpine mountains
to fly over, so for gliders it’s a great place
to start. There is support for expansions
of scenery and several are available either
as free downloads or paid third-party
software. All of this is contained in a 700MB+
download. Installation is easy and once you’ve
registered the product, you’re ready to fly.
Take up slack
Once you’ve activated the product, the first
thing you’ll need to do is enter your pilot’s
name and location. This gives you a name on
your in-sim logbook and serves as a way to
Identify you in races; more on that later. The
simulation opens with a single splash screen
where you’ll find all the options, modes and so
on. The main flight panel is made up of a block
of five options, while simulation settings help
make up a three-block section below it. The
simulation itself is split into three game modes.
First up is the flight school. Here you will find
all the sim’s built-in lessons, which help you
get an idea of how to fly without an engine.
The lessons are broken up into four sections,
starting with Basic, which provides you with
all you need to understand the world of
gliding. The Intermediate section deals with
thermals and various soaring while Advanced
teaches you how to use the built-in PDA unit
that provides you with a moving map and
flight data along with your glider’s rate of
descent. Finally, there’s a short two-lesson
section on aerobatics in a glider. Stalls and
spins are great fun while the loop lesson is an
experience. Throughout all of these lessons,
www.Key.Aero
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
Above: For free flight, all your flight planning is done
via this map. Left: Racing is a great sport for glider
pilots, as it tests your skill in aircraft management.
Below: There are more than a few airfields to choose
from in Slovenia, and all are accurately modelled.
you’re given a well-written briefing before you
fly and a chance to watch the lesson play
through before you attempt it yourself. The
lessons can be expanded upon with external
third-party developers as well, meaning flight
schools using Condor 2 for training can
tailor the simulation to their own teachings.
Next up is ‘Free flight’ but I’m going to look
at that in more detail below. Instead, I’ll turn to
multiplayer. It may be surprising to some pilots
that gliding and multiplayer were really made for
each other. Gliding, far from just being a simple
flight experience, is also a sport and a large
sport at that. Pilots compete in timed races
all over the world. The competition is fierce
and the skill level in maintaining both altitude
and speed in the right measure is difficult. To
simulate this, there is a multitude of multiplayer
servers running Condor 2, all offering unique
races against other real-world competitors.
All out
While the multiplayer servers see plenty of race
action, I’m opting for a single-player race in the
free flight mode. Free flight mode, as the name
suggests, gives you complete control over
the simulation, your route and more. Clicking
free flight brings up a map. Here you’ll lay out
your route, with a start point, various turning
points and a finish point to end the race. All
System requirements
Windows 7, 8 or 10. Intel i3, i5, i7 CPU or
equivalent. 5.5GB of free space on a hard drive
or SSD. A dedicated graphics card with 1GB
memory. The graphics card should have a
benchmark (www.videocardbenchmark.net) result
of 1000 minimum, 4000 - very good, and 8000
perfect. (Integrated graphics cards and cards
with benchmark result below 1000 are usable but
with severely reduced graphics settings.) Internet
connection required for activation.
#129 PC PILOT / 45
REVIEW UBSOFT'S CONDOR 2
the turning points are little towns or cities in
Slovakia and there’s a selection of small gliding
fields from which you can choose to start and
end your flight. You can also set the date and
race ‘open-until’ time (the latter sets a 12-hour
window in which that race is available to fly).
Next up, set the weather. Here you can adjust
almost any parameter you can think of but
for quickly setting the world you’ll fly in, I’ve
found the presets to be the best option.
Next is the hangar where you’ll find not only
the included aircraft but also all the aircraft
available to purchase. If you have purchased
an add-on, just click the ‘Activate’ button and
enter the product key. Annoyingly there’s no
way to hide these aircraft, so you just have to
keep looking for the right one. Once you’ve
settled on your aircraft, you can tailor its
performance via the ‘settings’ tab, where you
can adjust the ballast weight, wing loading
and more. A helpful graph keeps track of
how these changes affect performance.
Finally, there’s the NOTAM tab. Here you’ll
set the various options like start type (a choice
between an aerotow, winch launch or starting
in the air.) You can also adjust the tow height,
rope length and likelihood of breakage. This
leads us nicely to the realism settings, where
you can specify things like ‘thermal’ helpers to
help you spot the thermals while you fly. The
option only affects this single flight and will
reset to default for the next flight. Then there
are penalties. Penalties are essential in racing
Right: Aerotow is a much more civilised way of
getting into the air, though a winch launch is a real
thrill. Below: This is just one of seven included
aircraft in the simulation, with plenty more to
purchase.
46 / PC PILOT #129
Right: Avoiding cloud is a big part
of racing, as you can, and will, be
penalised for entering it.
Left: Tow aircraft can vary from
this little Wilga to a Robin DR400 or
even a Diamond DA40.
and here you can set the number of penalty
points you’ll earn during the race. Once
you’ve decided on all that, you can set off.
Whoosh!
Once you’ve got your settings configured, the
flight itself can begin. Inside the sim, the view is
simply stunning. The airports are basic but well
modelled and the aircraft models themselves
are nicely reproduced. But it’s once you’re in the
air that you get a full appreciation of the sheer
beauty of Condor 2. The whole graphics engine
has been written for DX11 and performance
is excellent - even across three screens. The
Slovenian countryside is stunning and features
no blurry textures in the distance. The scenery
is a mix of appropriately styled textures mixed
with small patches of orthophotos for things like
Ljubljana Airport. All the towns and cities are
modelled and a nice alpha fade effect keeps the
3D autogen visible when you’re close enough.
While the scenery looks stunning, the true stars
of the show are the weather and physics models.
The weather accurately reproduces thermals,
downdrafts and turbulence. The physics engine
meanwhile, apparently coded to run 500 times
faster than the sims frame rate, keeps your glider
aloft. The engine allows for spins and stalls that
are reminiscent of my training all those years
ago. It really does bring back some wonderful
memories. Landing takes practice and the
ground effect really does require skill to correctly
get the glider down without too much of a bump.
Conclusion
Condor 2 fills a hole, not just in a market
saturated by Boeing and Airbus aircraft,
but in my personal flight experience. The
experience of having to rely on just the winds
and the updrafts to get to your destination
is a unique one and one that Condor 2 has
in spades. The skill of keeping the aircraft
airborne, staying under the clouds, avoiding
mountains, finding the optimal balance
between speed and altitude and knowing
when to leave a thermal to make sure you
can actually land at your destination rather
than over or undershoot it, well, nothing
compares to it in powered flight. There are
things about the simulation which do bother
me. The multiplayer section, for example,
has to be opened up from the website, rather
than within the sim. If you’ve clicked on the
wrong server, you’ll have to close the sim
and choose a fresh server. It would also
be nice to filter out the add-on aircraft.
That said, Condor 2 is a fantastic
standalone simulation. Not only is it
massively expandable with user content,
but you can also build your own full-sized
simulator, for just €50 (£45 approx).
In short, Condor 2 is the perfect sim for
those who are looking to learn a new skill or
just brush up on the old ‘stick and rudder’,
or for people like me, looking to rediscover
the quiet beauty of flying like a hawk.
By Jessica Bannister- Pearce
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: A sandbox sim that offers every-
thing a glider pilot could ask for. Great views
combined with a great sim engine.
Developer and Publisher: UBSoft
Price: €49.99 (£45 approx)
Website: www.condorsoaring.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Excellent
Systems: Excellent 90
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D

suspect there are very few

Taxi2Gate’s
I
Hong Kong
flight simmers who have not
tried that hair-raising approach
to Runway 13 at Hong Kong’s
Kai Tak Airport. It was one of the world’s
most challenging airports, one where
pilots needed special training to attempt

International
the so-called checkerboard approach
as it had to be flown manually.
Sadly (for flight enthusiasts) Kai Tak was
closed on July 6, 1998. The last flight out
was a Cathay Pacific CX 3340 ferry flight

Airport v2
to the new Chek Lap Kok airport just 27km
away. The closure was marked by a simple
ceremony in the control tower, where the
then director of civil aviation, Richard
Siegel, gave a brief speech ending with the
words, “Goodbye Kai Tak, and thank you.”

Hong Kong International

(Chek Lap Kok)
When Kai Tak began to outgrow its capacity,
Taxi2Gate update their
Hong Kong (Chek
the Hong Kong government started searching
for a site for a new airport. They settled
on Chek Lap Kok Island, located off the
northern side of Lantau Island in the South
China Sea. This was far away from the main
residential and commercial areas that had Lap Kok) Airport

The Sky Bridge is another well-crafted structure.
System requirements
P3D V4 -5. Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 10.
Processor i5 CPU (or higher).RAM: 16GB.
Drive space 539GB. Video card: 4GB VRAM.
Review System
Intel i7 4790K 4.20GHz processor. 16GB DDR3
1600MHz RAM. EVGA GTX 1080Ti, 11GB
GDDR5 video card. 2 x 240GB Kingston SSD. 2
x 1.5TB Samsung hard drives.

48 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

 Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD

restricted the operations of Kai Tak and also

offered space for further expansion if needed.
It’s now the busiest cargo airport in the
world, with over 100 airlines operating flights
to more than 180 cities around the world
and is one of busiest in terms of passenger
movements. At the last published figures, it
was handling 68 million passengers a year.
Approaching Runway
25L at Chek Lap Kok. Currently, there are plans to build a
third runway parallel to the existing two
on further reclaimed land directly north
of the island. This will have a dedicated
terminal and associated facilities, with a
projected completion date of 2030 and
should increase the airport’s capacity
to 98 million passengers a year.
While taking screenshots for the review,
I spotted a number of floating platforms
sited off the northern side of the airport.
At first, I thought they were floating crane
barges used to offload ships without
docking in the harbour, yet they didn’t look
too much like them. Google came up with
the answer: they’re Deep Cement Mixing
(DCM) rigs for the new three-runway system.
Chek Lap Kok Apparently, they drill and pump concrete
from the westerly into the sea bed without disturbing the
approach.
ecology. In effect they’re building a platform
of reclaimed land for the extra runway.

Above: Superb modelling on the jetways.
Below: Lots of animated objects on show.
Taxi2Gate update
The Prepar3D product reviewed here is a major
update to Taxi2Gate’s original version released
in 2014. It includes new HD textures, lots of new
buildings, animations, hand-placed autogen
tiles and more. It also provides compatibility
with P3D v4 and v5. Unfortunately, as yet there
is no update for FSX. Nevertheless, owners of
the previous version can upgrade for the special
price of just €14.40 (£13 approx) inclusive.

Installation
There’s not much to say about installation
as it’s pretty much an automated process.
After purchase, you’ll get a download link
with an installation code. It’s a 540MB
executable download, which for most FS
users should be completed in a matter of
minutes. Then it’s simply a matter of running
the executable file to install the product
which expands to 1.2GB when installed.
The terminals feature
new bump mapping and
reflective windows.

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 49

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR PREPAR3D
The Fly-in
For my first approach to Chek Lap Kok, I
thought ‘where better to start from than the
original Hong Kong airport, Kai Tak?’ Luckily,
in P3D they have not yet dug up the runway.
So, I took off from the infamous Runway 13,
which now has no runway designator, save
for the required ‘no longer in use’ large yellow
cross. Compared to my last visit (when Kai
Tak was operational), the scenery was sparse
to say the least with just a smattering of the
skyscrapers that exist around Kowloon Bay.
After take-off, I turned due west along
Causeway Bay, on an almost direct
heading for HKG (or VHHH if you prefer),
which is the ICAO code adopted by the
new airport when Kai Tak closed.
The airport of Chek Lap Kok was
built primarily on reclaimed land, when
the former mountainous island and
that of Lam Chau island was flattened
in order to begin construction.
On approach to Runway 25L, you can see
the Hong Kong to Zhuhai Macau Bridge. At
34 miles long it’s the longest open-sea fixed
link in the world. It crosses the Zhujiang
River Estuary from the Joint Border Crossing
Station situated on the small promontory that
extends to the east of the main Chek Lap Kok
Island ending at the similarly shaped island
of Gong Bei Kou An, off the coast of Macau.
There’s an elevated motorway connecting
these two islands that curves around the south
of the main island. Near the junction of the
Scenic Road it passes the Ngong Ping 360
gondola lift, a cableway that crosses Tung
Chung Bay between Tung Chung and Ngong
Ping. This has also been modelled in the
scenery but unfortunately is not animated.
Bringing it to life
The airport is liberally sprinkled with support
vehicles and the ancillary yet essential
equipment normally found at all major aviation
hubs. Many of these are also animated which
adds to the realism because they project
the impression of a living, breathing airport.
Sadly, many producers forget about these
elements, resulting in their airports looking
too clinical. It can even feel like you’ve
arrived at an airport suspended in time.
To maintain this theme of activity, the
50 / PC PILOT #129
There are plenty
of stands to fill.
Taxi2Gate designers have also added moving
jetways, new AFCAD files, photoscenery
and volumetric grass. They’ve also
improved the terminals with newly modelled
internal details, viewable from outside.
Also, the glass frontage has new bump
mapping with more realistic reflections and
naturally the terminals light up at night.
Other areas that stand out include the
modelling of the jetways. They’re highly
detailed with under-slung air conditioning units,
slender guard rails, access stairs and see-
through glass sides. They’re also illuminated at
night and using the supplied SODE application
can be animated as well. Another object new
to this version is the massive 200m long ‘Sky
Bridge’ connecting Hong Kong’s Terminal 1,
with its North Satellite Concourse (NSC). This
is a beautifully designed flowing structure
that’s a perfect replica of the original. Once
again it has glass sides, a detailed interior
with staged access stairs at each end.
I guess it’s now obvious that I like to see
lots of detail at the airports I visit, basically
because it’s what you see in real life. If it’s
missing then you just have lifeless buildings
which somewhat destroys the reality most of
us are expecting to see. It’s different if you’re
exploring VFR, because then it’s the flight and
the points of interest you see along the way
that need to have this element of reality, in
Subtle reflections can be seen
around the buildings.
which case you’re probably flying from a grass
strip anyway, where you wouldn’t expect to
see much activity. Happily, Chek Lap Kok has
plenty going on, with service vehicles, cars,
vans and of course aircraft movements as well.
Incidentally, some of the aircraft you’ll see in
my screenshots are from Flight1’s Ultimate
Traffic Live, which I already had installed.
Documentation
Because installation is automated, you don’t
need much documentation. In fact, the five-
page document supplied with Chek Lap Kok
contains more information about the real
airport than anything else. There is however
a paragraph on installation that covers the
unlikely scenario in which the airport does not
appear in your simulator. It’s basically the same
method you would use when adding a freeware
product, where you add it via the scenery
library. Incidentally, I didn’t have this problem.
Conclusion
The Taxi2Gate team has created a fine
representation of Chek Lap Kok and a
worthy update to its previous version. In
my opinion, it includes enough new content
to warrant the upgrade, particularly at the
reduced price. If you fancy a trip to the Far
East, you won’t be disappointed.
By Joe Lavery
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: Not quite as dramatic an
approach as the original Kai Tak but well worth
considering for your airport collection.
Developers: Taxi2Gate
Publisher: SimMarket
Price: Taxi2Gate Hong Kong V2.1 -
€30.00 (£27 approx)
Upgrade Price: €14.40 (£13 approx) inclusive.
Website: http://taxi2gate.org/
3D Modelling: Excellent
Graphics: Very good
Documentation: Good
Performance: Excellent! Unusually for such a
detailed product, I had no perceptible loss of
performance but this is obviously
directly linked to your available
hardware and settings applied. 88
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
INTERVIEW MICROSOFT AND ASOBO STUDIO

Microsoft
Flight Simulator An exclusive interview
with Microsoft and
Asobo Studio

“This is not for gamers, but for simmers

and newcomers who want to become
simmers.” Jorg Neumann, Head of
‘Microsoft Flight Simulator,’ Microsoft

52 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

The photorealistic cockpit of Flight Simulator’s
Airbus A320neo.
t has been a long time coming but
I by the time you read these words,
a new version of Microsoft Flight
Simulator was due to have been
released. To say we are excited by this would
be an understatement. As you may have read
in the past few issues of PC Pilot, we have
been regularly updating our readers on the
progress of this highly anticipated simulation
via our ‘Developer’s Diary’ series. So before
bringing you our extensive review of this
ground-breaking simulation, which you will
be able to read in the next issue, we thought
it would be nice to invite both Microsoft and
Asobo Studio to talk to us about the simulator,
which they kindly agreed to do in spite of their
busy schedule. Taking part in this discussion
are Jorg Neumann, Head of ‘Microsoft Flight
Simulator’, Microsoft and Sebastian Wloch,
Chief Executive Officer, Asobo Studio.
Origins
I began the interview by asking how and
why did Microsoft decide to get back into
the flight simulation business. “There has
been a strong desire to bring Microsoft Flight
Simulator back to the market for some time,”
Jorg said, but apparently they started thinking
seriously about it back in 2015, although work
actually commenced in 2016. Around that time
Jorg had recognised that there was a lot of
technical innovation in evidence, such as the
Cloud, Bing Maps and Azure AI. “There was a
technology leap going on around us but it was
not being implemented in games,” he said.
He added that the catalyst for the project came
with the idea of streaming data but the final
piece of the puzzle was to find a great streaming
and rendering engine – the pursuit of which led
Jorg to Asobo Studio (although Microsoft and
Asobo Studio had previously collaborated on
a HoloLens project). Asobo has a proprietary
engine that has evolved over time. So, the key
was being able to stream Bing scenery data into
Asobo’s rendering engine. Given the crucial
role each of these technologies plays in the
simulation, it would be fair to say that the new
Microsoft Flight Simulator we have today could
www.Key.Aero
not have been produced until relatively recently.
“The quantity of available data is phenomenal.
There has never been so much visual data about
the planet as we have today. We also have the
technology for weather prediction which is also
implemented into the simulation,” Jorg said.
“So the main technical innovations [of
the simulator] are the use of: Bing Maps,
Azure AI and the weather predictor.
Microsoft Flight Simulator represents a
convergence of technologies,” he added.
Data sources
From the project’s inception, one of the
team’s greatest challenges was deciding
how to represent the world. Ultimately, this
came down to acquiring the relevant data
and knowing how to use it in an effective
and efficient way. The primary data source,
as previously mentioned, was Bing Maps.
Bing Maps has 2 petabytes (equal to 2,000
terabytes) of aerial imagery, elevation data and
3D scans for a number of cities comprising all
the cities, airports, roads and mountains in the
world. Bing Maps also has photogrammetry
(in essence, extracting and using information
from photographs) data for over 40 cities.
The second ‘breakthrough’, again, as
Detail and fidelity: A close-up of the
A320neo’s throttles, trim wheel and
MCDU (Multi-Function Control and
Display Unit).
Who is Asobo
Studio?
Asobo Studio, estab lished in 2002 and comprising
206 employees, is a highly successful Frenc
developer, which has created many game
date) for a number of different platforms
h games
s (26 to
and in
collaboration with many well-known comp
anies.
These include: Disney, Pixar, Universal, Fox,
Hasbro,
Ubisoft, Codemasters, FOCUS and Micro
soft. The
company’s motto on its website reads: “It’s
all
about fun, talent and commitment.” The
company,
in particular, has always enjoyed working
on
innovative projects. However, Microsoft
Flight
Simulator is the company’s first flight simul
ator.
mentioned earlier, came with the ability to
stream all of this data to the simulator. Being
able to do this allowed the team to include all
the airports in the world which is estimated
to be over 40,000. “The technology also
allowed for the inclusion of all the cities (which
is estimated to be over 2 million), roads and
mountains in the world”, Jorg said. As a result,
the simulation accurately matches the planet.
Using Azure Cloud to
generate new data
However, Bing Maps was just the start
of the process - more specific data was
#129 PC PILOT / 53
INTERVIEW MICROSOFT AND ASOBO STUDIO

“Microsoft Flight Simulator represents a

convergence of technologies.” Jorg Neumann
needed, such as, where to place trees, the
shape of buildings, the colour of roofs, the
type of roof etc. So in order to generate that
additional data, Azure cloud computing is
used. In essence, Azure allows the developer
to run AI and computer vision algorithms.
Azure cloud computing detects all the
trees in the world, improves the buildings
generated, adds missing buildings and
improves the quality of the Bing Maps aerial
imagery. So, for example, if you just used
Bing Maps data to generate the island of
New Guinea, it would appear flat – you would
not have the trees and buildings. So with
Azure detection, the developer knows where
to place trees and buildings and what the
latter look like. This allows Asobo to create a
much more believable, precise and accurate
representation of the world. However, on top
of this, the developer has done additional
work by incorporating features such as
ground details, grass, asphalt, water shading,
night lighting (both on the roads and on the
buildings), plus details to the buildings - all
of which results in a more believable world.
better the overall experience. However,
Microsoft Flight Simulator comes with a full
off-line flying mode that is based on real-
life data and which gives a reasonably
accurate representation of the world.
Understanding the subject
One of the things Jorg said he likes about
Asobo Studio is that the company really
wanted to understand the subject and the
flight sim community: “It takes people who
really care [to produce this kind of product] –
it’s not just a piece of tech,” he said. In fact,
Asobo Studio CEO, Sebastian Wloch, became
a pilot because of this project. He explained,
“It’s difficult to make a product for someone
without understanding how they use it. How
The simulator provides a
wide range of helpful in-sim
assistance which can be
toggled on or off.
can you make a flight simulator if you don’t
fly and don’t know pilots or anything about
flight simmers?” So from the beginning, Asobo
jumped into the hobby, with the key members
of the team doing their full PPL training.
Sebastian made the point of saying that there
are two elements to Microsoft Flight Simulator.
On the one hand there is the scientific/technical
aspect to the simulation, with respect to how an
aircraft flies and the optimisation of the software
so that it runs smoothly. On the other hand,
there is the question of ‘how does it feel?’
“You cannot achieve that 100% faithfully just
by relying on the software,” he said. So Asobo
Studio spent a lot of time finding out how it ‘felt’
to fly. This involved talking to pilots to find out
what were the key elements when it came to

Variable bandwidths
Although streaming data is a great solution,
there is the issue of variable bandwidth which
can have an impact on how each individual
experiences the simulation. Fortunately, the
simulator incorporates adaptive streaming
and caters for the available bandwidth
at any given moment. This means that it
detects the available bandwidth and adapts
accordingly in terms of what will be displayed
on screen. The better the bandwidth, the

54 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

Left: The Airbus A320neo on final approach. Asobo
Studio has incorporated all the core systems for
each included airliner.
Right top: Weather conditions can be either live or
customized to your personal preference.
Right bottom: The most creative and innovative
feature of the UI is the use of the globe as a tool to
set up your flights.

flying an aircraft. In addition, the team sat in the
cockpits of many aircraft doing a lot of filming,
which allowed them to get that ‘feeling’ right.
This helped the studio to create an ‘experience’
– not just a simulator. “It’s a realistic simulator
in every respect but the studio went to great
lengths to get the ‘experience’ right. So, the
simulation ‘feels’ like flying, as technically
possible. And the only way you can get that
feeling right is by having the experience
yourself,” Sebastian said. This encapsulates
Asobo’s ethos towards the simulator. It also
highlights the company’s attention to detail,
experience and passion for the product.
What’s in a name?
Some of you may be wondering about the title
of Microsoft’s new simulator. According to Jorg,
there was talk of calling the simulator FS11 but
that was discounted because in many ways
this is a re-start of the franchise and the team
is thinking about the product differently now.
“This is a platform that will keep evolving and
developing for many years to come. This is a
re-imagining of the idea of flight simulation,”
he said. So that’s why the decision was made
to call it simply ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’.
(not gamers) to the hobby. Some people will
need more help than others, with many not
having had any previous experience with flight
simulation. So, with that in mind, Asobo spent
a lot of time creating aids and tutorials to
make the simulator accessible to as wide an
audience as possible. This is more in the spirit
of what the sandbox is all about,” Jorg said.
The most creative and innovative feature of
the UI is the use of the globe as a tool to set up
your flights. The planet concept allows you to
go anywhere - everything is at your fingertips.
Even when flying, you can pull up the weather
and change the conditions. The team wanted
to give the user as much power as possible,
yet, at the same time, they didn’t want to
overwhelm the simmer with too many options.
Live weather
One of the key components of this simulation
is the integration of live weather. When the
simulation is running, it pulls environmental
data from the internet in real time. Sebastian
explained that when it comes to weather,
the simulation is made up of areas of
‘boxes’. Within each box the simulation
knows things like humidity, temperature
and water condensation and wind speed.
In addition, real-world turbulence is also
modelled in real time, while real time
microclimates have been modelled globally.
So, one of the attractions of the simulator
is that every time it launches, the weather
is different - therefore you have a new
experience each time you run it.

Designing the user interface

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a ‘sandbox’ of
possibilities and is intentionally designed
not to be prescriptive, which is reflected in
the simulation’s user interface. According to
Sebastian, the User Interface (UI) has gone
through a number of iterations and the team
continually makes improvements based on One of the included aircraft is
this Beechcraft King Air 350i.
user feedback. “There will be ‘newcomers’

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 55

INTERVIEW MICROSOFT AND ASOBO STUDIO
The clouds and
weather systems in
the simulator have
a dynamic effect on
your aircraft.
Accessibility
“Microsoft’s target audience is simmers and
those who might become simmers,” Jorg said.
The simulator is not aimed at gamers. “That’s not
what we’re making – we’re making a simulation,”
he added. He went on to say that they are also
trying to make it accessible to ‘newcomers’
who want to become flight simmers.
Accessibility to all users, no matter what their
experience, is a key component of this simulation.
“How do you get someone to fly an aircraft who
has never flown one before?” Sebastian said.
“Part of the reason Microsoft Flight Simulator
is so accessible is because it allows you to add
or subtract elements so you can concentrate
on certain aspects of a flight. You can therefore
choose which areas you get assistance with;
the aim being not to overload the newcomer,”
he added. The AI can take control at any point,
which means you can delegate it certain duties,
such as checklists, flying the aircraft, take-offs
and landings, the handling of the radios and
communicating with ATC. In short, whenever
the AI is needed, you can call for assistance.
Aircraft flight models
When it came to the aircraft flight models,
Asobo visited as many aircraft companies as
possible to get test pilots to fly the aircraft in
order to add those extra details on each aircraft’s
characteristics. They did this with individual
manufacturers and consequently acquired the
kind of information you would not find in an
aircraft’s POH (Pilot Operating Handbook).
Landing
As well as the flight characteristics, Sebastian
said that Asobo spent a lot of time working
on getting the landing aspect right. “Landing
is the hardest part of flying and it was really
hard to get it right in the simulator. As a result,
it has been repeatedly refined,” he said.
“Landing itself is not that difficult, it’s
perfecting it which is the challenge. Defining
what constitutes a good landing is not easy.
Sometimes the requirement is to land as
smoothly as possible, in as short a distance
as possible or on a particular spot. So when it
comes to the landing challenges included in the
simulation, the aim is to make you a better pilot.”
The simulator also models ground effect,
which the team spent a lot of time getting
right, which comes in to play when landing.
“As you cross the runway threshold and cut
56 / PC PILOT #129
the engine, you want to hold the aircraft in the
air and use the ground effect to keep you in
the air for as long as possible,” Sebastian said.
Audio
The audio side of the simulation has also
received great attention and has a very
important role to play in this simulator.
“When you fly in the real world, we have
more feedback than you do in a computer
simulation,” Sebastian said. “In the real world,
you can feel vibrations, the temperature etc,
however in a simulator, you need audio to make
up for everything that’s missing from a sensory
perspective. Audio therefore has a big role to
play and was a major element from the start of
the project. So you will hear the frame twist and
the sound of the airflow a little more than you do
in real life – just to make up for the loss of the
other senses that you do not have in a simulator.”
Airliners
When it came to researching airliners, use
was made of simulators and pilots who had
flown them. However, Sebastian made the
point of saying that it should be remembered
that the simulator is an ‘entertainment’
product, so although Asobo is trying to
make the simulation of airliners as realistic
as possible, by incorporating all the core
systems, they had to make a decision on
what to simulate and what to leave out.
Another cited reason for focusing mainly on
the core systems was that Microsoft wants
the third-party industry to continue to produce
add-ons for the simulator, hence the inclusion
of the SDK (the toolkit which allows companies
to produce content for the simulator).
“Microsoft does not want to compete with
the third-party industry, so when it comes
to airliners, we want to provide enough
of an airliner [in terms of content and
features], so that people have something
straight out of the box,” Jorg said.
However, if you really want to ‘go deep’, as he
put it, then the user can purchase a hi-fidelity
add-on. More importantly, Jorg mentioned that
if Microsoft had not created an airliner, then the
core systems for such aircraft would not exist
in the simulator for third-parties to work with.
The future
So what plans does Microsoft have for the
future of the product? Jorg told us that
Boxed versions
and editions
Microsoft, in collaboration with Aerosoft, plans
to
release boxed versions of Microsoft Flight
Simulator - in
addition to the download option. One practi
cal reason
for producing a boxed version is that it will
benefit
those who don’t have a great internet conne
ction.
In addition, Microsoft is releasing three differ
ent
‘Editions’ of the simulator. The first is the
Standard
Edition, which will come with 20 aircraft
and 30
handcrafted airports; retailing for £59.99.
The second
is the Deluxe Edition, which includes every
thing in
the Standard version, plus five additional
aircraft and
five additional handcrafted international
airports;
retailing for £79.99. Finally, there will be
the Premium
Deluxe Edition, which again has everything
in the
Standard release but has 10 additional aircra
ft
and 10 additional handcrafted airports; retail
ing
for £109.99. Each version will include 10
discs.
Microsoft Flight Simulator will go through
continuous evolution and rather than
release new editions periodically, as was the
practice in the past, the plan is to continue
iterating/updating the current version.
He also told us that Microsoft would
also be adding more aircraft in the
future, but at time of writing this will
not be part of the base offering, so
simmers will have to purchase them in
addition to the base product. However,
Jorg stressed that Microsoft intended to
support the third-party eco-system.
Jorg added that Microsoft and Asobo Studio
are in the business of making simmers happy
by giving them what they want: “However,
you can only do that if you listen to the users.
The team is building this simulator with the
flight sim community, and so have found the
various forums extremely useful,” he said.
He also made the point of saying that Asobo
was the perfect fit for doing this project
because they listen to the community. He
ended by saying that ‘Microsoft was in this
for the long-haul and that they are looking at
what they will be doing for the next decade.’
Conclusion
For me personally, the most striking thing
to emerge from this thoroughly enjoyable
interview was the deep passion and firm
commitment that these two gentlemen
have for this project. After talking with Jorg
and Sebastian and having experienced the
fruits of their labour, all I can say is that the
Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise is in very
safe hands. Mission accomplished!
By Derek Davis
www.Key.Aero
TUTORIAL BACK TO BASICS

Back to
here are we? That’s what we

W were saying when we left off

last issue as we suddenly
realised that we were not where
we should be. The visual fixes we were
expecting to mark our location simply didn’t
appear. This issue, we wrap up Stage 2 of
Back to Basics by learning how we might
get ourselves out of this very fine mess.

Basics
Wrapping up Stage 2. Series 2 Lesson 13. By Peter Stark
Brief recap
Our visual flight from Ashland-Parker
(S03) to Grant Co. Regional/Ogilvie (5J0)
appeared very straightforward (Figure 1).
We departed Ashland-Parker at 09:00 in
our A2A Simulations V35 Bonanza on a
heading of 022°M as we climbed to 9,500ft.
Our rather lazy flight planning indicated we
should pass abeam Silver Lake and Table

58 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

Rock airstrip at around 09:37. However,
at that time, all we could see was a
seemingly endless and featureless plain. We
considered the factors involving flying for
range or endurance, and now examine some
techniques to get us back on track – literally.
Start out simple
Having now noted the time and changed
our power setting to suit the conditions, we
return to trying to determine where we went
wrong while orbiting a prominent object.
(Some advocate using a figure eight or race
track pattern rather than a circular orbit as
this can disorient some pilots.) Now check
all your calculations for the leg – heading,
assumed winds, ground speed etc. If you
still cannot find an error which will enable
you to determine your position on the chart,
www.Key.Aero
you need to progress to the next level.
To do this we will determine our ‘area of
uncertainty’ – don’t you just love all the
euphemisms that pilots create for ‘getting
lost’! To determine this area of uncertainty,
we start by noting how long it has been
since our last fix and make an estimate of
the distance covered since. For example,
we have flown for 37 minutes since a good
fix at an estimated 160 knots, so we draw
a line across our planned track at 105nm
from the last fix (Ashland-Parker). This is
called a ‘line of position’, or LOP (Figure 2).
Next, we need to also determine how
far either side of this track we might
reasonably expect to be after this time. A
rule of thumb is to allow 2nm for every 5
minutes since that last fix. In the above
example, we have flown for 37 minutes:
Fig 1 - Our route from the last issue.
#129 PC PILOT / 59
TUTORIAL BACK TO BASICS

A basic understanding
of radio navaids or
GPS can help save
the day.

Above: Fig 2 - The ‘Line of Position’ gives you a basic
point from which to identify where you are.
Below: Fig 3 - Adding the ‘Area of Uncertainty’ gives
finite boundaries with an 80% chance of success.
37 minutes/5 = 7.4 minutes
7.4 x 2nm = 14.8, say 15nm
So this LOP must extend 15nm either side
of track. If we now draw a circle that uses our
track as the intersection point as the centre
and the LOP as the diameter, we have our
area of uncertainty (Figure 3). I am assured
by those who understand these things, this
means there is an 80% chance our position
is within this area - pretty good odds!
We have now progressed from being utterly
lost to having quite a good chance of being
within a defined area. The next step is to try
to identify some features on the ground and
match them to what is on our chart. This is
often called ‘reading from ground to map’ and
is the opposite of what we normally do! When
things are going to plan, we usually look at the
chart and say to ourselves, ‘we should pass
over this town’, or ‘we should pass abeam
this road and river junction’ etc. Experience
has shown that this is not the way to do it
when you are not certain of your position as
you tend to see things on the ground that
don’t really tally up with the chart – call it
‘wishful thinking’ rather than good navigation.
If we are satisfied that we have located
our position, we can plot that on the chart
and calculate our required track to either
regain our original track or to navigate to
a good fix to reassure us we have in fact
correctly identified our position. When these
calculations have been done, we can note
the time, turn on to our required heading
and return to normal cruise power. (If this
has taken some time and you are concerned
about your fuel levels, you may consider
diverting or flying for range instead.)
However, life isn’t this certain and you may
not be able to identify any prominent landmarks
which enable a good fix. What then? Eeek! We
need a plan that effectively searches our area
of uncertainty to look for such a prominent
landmark and fix. One such method is to use
an ‘expanding square search’. Returning to our
planned route, Figure 4 shows how we start
by flying on to one of the major quadrantal
headings (eg north, south, east or west) for
two minutes. We then turn 90° to the left and
fly that quadrantal (west in this case) for two
minutes. Next we fly south for three minutes,
east for three minutes, north for four minutes,
west for four minutes etc, in a repeating pattern.
Make sure you note the time and headings
in your log and time the legs accurately.
Continuing this search from my location,
I eventually came across a pair of circular
lakes nestled among some hills which are
quite distinctive in this otherwise quite
desolate landscape. A check of the chart
quite clearly identifies them as Paulina and
East Lakes. Woohoo! Now we can plot a
direct track to our destination – or if we’re
a bit rattled – to a closer alternate.
If, despite your very best efforts, you still
can’t identify a good fix, there are still a few
tricks up our sleeve. It is in the interests
of all VFR pilots to at least know how to
tune and track to a navigation station
using aids such as the fast disappearing
Non-Directional Beacon (NDB), VHF Omni
Range (VOR) or GPS. While their detailed
use is beyond the scope of this series,
and using them without good training can
result in you becoming very lost indeed, a
basic knowledge will allow you to at least
reduce your area of uncertainty and quite
possibly give you a heading to a good fix.
Communicate
During all this, it may be prudent to consider
contacting the flight monitoring service. If

60 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

In a worst-case scenario, you may
need to contemplate an out landing.
Above: Always practice the old GA adage of never go
past a fuel bowser without using it. You never know
what is just around the corner.
Below: Fig 4 – The expanding grid search helps you
efficiently explore the area of uncertainty.
www.Key.Aero
in regular contact and under a full reporting
flight plan, you will have to update your ETA
anyway, so use their expertise and tell them
things aren’t going well. I have sadly seen
many cases over the years where GA pilots
have not called ATC for help for fear of having
to face embarrassment and a large amount
of paperwork. All too often this resulted in
unplanned landings in hostile terrain. ATC
has access to services such as radar and
contact with experienced aviators across most
regions etc to help you check through your
calculations and sort out the problem. This
will leave you free to fly safely while many
heads get together to come up with a plan.
As far as Flight Simulator pilots go, this
can be simulated by contacting ATC via the
‘Nearest Airfield’ option. Identify an airfield
with a tower and you can then request
a direction and distance to that airfield.
Once safely on the ground, breathe a sigh
of relief and remember to always plot your
positions and times next time you fly.
Watch out for Back to Basics Stage 3 – visual night flying.
In closing, did you discover why we were
so far off course? Last issue, after some lazy
planning, you were instructed to track 022°M
after departing Ashland-Parker. If you had
checked your track on a chart, you would
have found that the correct outbound track
in fact should have been 032°M! So always
be sure to double check your flight plan
before getting airborne. To reinforce these
techniques, head into unfamiliar territory
in a different aircraft and see if you can
find your way to your destination.
By Peter Stark
Acknowledgements
I hope you have found Stage 2 of Back to
Basics entertaining, informative and useful. It
demonstrates just how useful Flight Simulator
can be for emulating real-world navigation
training while adding to your enjoyment of flight
simulation in general. Watch out for Stage 3 in
upcoming issues. Special thanks must go to
A2A Simulations and Orbx Simulations Systems
whose products greatly enhance this series.
#129 PC PILOT / 61
FEATURE CHALLENGING AIRPORTS

Challenging
Airports Reggio di
Calabria, Italy
(LICR)

T
his month’s Challenging Airport
takes us to the southern ‘toe’
of the Italian peninsula and the
seaside airport of Reggio Calabria.
Squeezed between the Strait of Messina
to the west and the high mountains of the
Aspromonte massif to the east, the seaside
airport presents interesting challenges of
limited runway lengths, terrain and somewhat
unorthodox approaches. With special flight
crew qualifications required to operate to
Reggio Calabria, this airport seems to fit the
bill for our readers’ appetite for the unusual.

Brief history
Originally constructed in 1939 as a military
airfield, ‘Aeroporto dello Stretto’ (Airport of
the Strait) occupies a significant chunk of real
estate on the eastern shoreline of the Strait
of Messina, which separates mainland Italy
from Sicily. In recent years,
traffic loads have

62 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

hovered around a half a million passengers
per year with the airport linking the region to a
wider international audience via Milan, Rome
and Turin. As recently as a few years ago,
Alitalia, the troubled flag carrier of Italy, had
announced the suspension of flights to Reggio
Calabria but soon thereafter reversed course
and continues to serve the large population
centre with two flights per day at time of going
to press. Blue Panorama also offers service
to Reggio Calabria, though reading through
customer satisfaction reports for the airline
might cause one to pause. Whatever the
case, perhaps it is keeping with the spirit of
Challenging Airports that it is the journey that
is the adventure as much as the destination.
Between sea and stone
With the Strait of Messina constituting the
western airport boundary, there is no further
escaping the high terrain of the Aspromonte
mountain massif to the east of the airfield.
With terrain rapidly rising to the east of the
airfield to the peak of Montalto at 6,414ft in
elevation, there is not much room for aircraft
to manoeuvre other than over the waters of
the strait. Airport operational notes stress that
operating to Reggio Calabria presents “specific
orographical, meteorological, and operational
peculiarities” that require special flight crew
qualifications. Special flight crew qualifications
largely have to do with aircrew experience levels
and specific Reggio Calabria familiarisation
training via briefings, direct observations and/
or flight simulation exposure to the airport. It
is probably worth considering that if special
attention is required for professional pilots
to operate to Reggio Calabria, then casual
aviators might want to be doubly well briefed.
www.Key.Aero
Reggio di Calabria Airport serves the city and the
surrounding area population of nearly half a million
residents with services to Milan, Rome and Turin
among other destinations.
Fortunately, our flight simulators allow us
the freedom to experience challenging
airports with little consequence other than
a bruised ego if we find our skills lacking.
Offsets and displacements
The airport has two intersecting runways,
15/33 (6,555ft) and 11/29 (5,574ft) with 15/33
being the primary use runway. Due to rapidly
rising terrain to the east of the airfield,
Runway 11 is prohibited for use for take-
off. Runway 15/33 is the preferred landing
runway. At 6,555ft in length, it is not a short
runway but displaced thresholds reduce the
length to 5,722ft (Runway 15) and 6,378ft
(Runway 33). Throw in some rain, wind and
turbulence and those runway lengths start to
feel a bit shorter for large, transport category
aircraft like the MD-80, 737 and A320.
The primary approach to Reggio Calabria is
the localiser (LOC) approach that is technically
a circle-to-land since the localiser is both
Duplicating
this flight
Flights to Reggio Calabria can be flown in FSX,
P3D or X-Plane with varying levels of realism.
For P3D, the recently released Reggio Calabria
Professional scenery provides an excellent
representation of the airfield complete with
authentic markings, lighting and structures
(http://aerosoft.com). X-Plane users can find
an excellent freeware LICR scenery by author
‘flydav’ on X-Plane.org (http://x-plane.org).
Another developer, Tailstrike Designs (https://
www.facebook.com/TailstrikeDesigns/), is
set to bring Reggio Calabria to X-Plane in a
payware package that is soon to be released.
Aircraft suitable for operations to Reggio
Calabria include: Airbus A319/320, McDonnell
Douglas MD-80, Boeing 737-400/800 and
Boeing 757, as well as the ATR-72 among other
regional turboprops, regional jets and general
aviation aircraft.
Below: The final segment of the offset localiser
approach to Runway 33 consists of a low-altitude
visual manoeuvre with a continuous left turn to line up
on the runway.
#129 PC PILOT / 63
FEATURE CHALLENGING AIRPORTS
Right: Traditionally served by the somewhat troubled
Alitalia, the flag carrier of Italy, the airport has seen
a mix of fleet types over the decades with McDonnell
Douglas MD-80, Boeing 737 and Airbus A319 aircraft
being frequent visitors.
Below: With no parallel taxiways, all operations at
Reggio Calabria require back taxi into position to
reach full take-off runway length.
offset from the runway axis by 46° as well
as displaced south of the runway by about
a mile-and-a-half. The localiser procedures
(there are several published) all include a
teardrop manoeuvre out over the Strait of
Messina to establish on the offset localiser
course. Pilots should use caution when
flying the teardrop since it does occur over
open water where spatial disorientation can
become a factor under certain environmental
conditions like haze and low light.
Volcanic activity
With the active volcano Mt Etna frequently
spewing ash into the atmosphere from the
Due to the threat of volcanic ash emitted by the
active volcano Mt Etna across the strait on the island
of Sicily, multiple arrival, departure and approach
‘contingency’ procedures are published - keeping
aircraft clear of ash hazards.
While not a short runway at 6,762ft, it is certainly
not a long one either. A wet runway coupled with
an engine failure at around V1 will leave little
margin of error.
64 / PC PILOT #129
island of Sicily across the strait, contingency
procedures and restrictions have been
published to alert aircrews to the threat and
provide traffic routing to avoid the hazards
of flying through ash clouds. The ash cloud
‘sectors’ are divided radially from Mt Etna
in 12 slices. Depending on which sectors
are activated by ash cloud presence,
associated fixes on arrivals (STARs) and
departures (SIDs) will be suspended to
prevent penetration of the ash hazard.
Localiser and lights
The aforementioned localiser approaches from
south of the airfield require careful study and
planning to accomplish safely. One of the most
important details to recognise is that Reggio
Calabria has both a VOR/DME located on
the field (RCA / 111.00) and a localiser/DME
south of the airfield (REG / 109.30). Check your
approach plate carefully since you may find
that Jeppesen approach charts reference DME
for the approach based on the Reggio Calabria
VOR instead of the Reggio Calabria localiser
DME – the difference can be as much as 1.5
nautical miles. Selecting the proper navigation
aid when referencing the approach DME is
important to give yourself the best opportunity
to spot the airfield. The missed approach
point on the localiser approach is quite high –
1,630ft MSL (1,535ft AGL). Another important
note on the approach plate is that the localiser
is not usable for coupled approaches inside
of 5nm from RCA VOR or approximately
3.5 DME on the localiser approach – inside
of that distance, the aircraft must not be
coupled to the localiser for tracking.
One of the interesting components of the
localiser and NDB approaches is that they
lead to a visual manoeuvre to the landing
Runway 33. Circling to Runway 15 can be
done but only in daylight VFR conditions. To
continue to Runway 33, pilots must spot the
light bar and flashing sequenced lead-in lights
that curve towards the left to provide a line-
www.Key.Aero

up to the runway. There are also three lighted
red and white checkerboards reminiscent
of the old Hong Kong Kai Tak hillside visual
approach aid. The curving path of sequenced
flashing white lights lead to a High-Intensity
Approach Lighting System (HIALS) and a 3.5°
Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) is
canted 5° to the south to help pilots establish
their vertical profile sooner. Operation of
the PAPI is a requirement for the approach.
As an additional approach aid, the Reggio
Calabria middle marker beacon (325 / RCA)
is collocated with the first bar of white lights
that indicate the start of the curving left turn
for line-up. It is recommended to cross the
middle marker at 750ft to be best positioned
to pick up the PAPI visual glidepath. Another
notation of the approach plate warns
pilots not to follow localiser indications
once past the middle marker beacon.
Warnings in the airport notes remind pilots
that the curving approach over the lights
does not meet the technical definition of
a stabilised approach due to the low level,
moderate bank angles that are required
to complete the turn. Pilots are further
cautioned that if strong winds are blowing
from the west, even higher bank angles may
be required to maintain the prescribed track.
Increased bank angles mean an increased
www.Key.Aero
Left top: Special attention should be given to the
approach plates since some reference the localiser
DME (REG) and some reference the VOR DME (RCA).
Left bottom: The reason for the offset localiser
approach to Runway 33 becomes readily apparent
when overlaid on the terrain map. Right: Pay close
attention to runway hold short markings and ‘hot
spots’ marked on the airport taxiway diagram. The
GA and airline aprons lead directly to the runways.
load factor on the wings and higher stall
speeds. Two more final notes in the airport
briefing warn of occasional terrain-induced
wind shear and the possibility of optical
illusions due to the uneven slope profile
of the runway. To put it succinctly – the
localiser or NDB approach to Reggio Calabria
requires a thorough pre-approach briefing
and extreme vigilance throughout both the
instrument and visual phases of flight.
Other factors
Situational awareness during the approach
is not limited to the initial procedure and
visual track – a thorough understanding of
the missed approach procedures is also
important. VOR approaches from the north to
Runway 15 are also available with minimums
that are 500ft lower than the localiser approach
minimums. High terrain to above 6,400ft rises
quickly to the east, while ridges to above
4,000ft lay just across the strait southwest of
Messina. This is not an area of the world in
which to be lost. Pay attention to the approach
plate notations that indicate teardrop turns
and missed approach turns are not to be flown
in excess of 200 knots indicated speed.
Winds generally tend to be out of the
north, most often favouring approaches
to Runway 33. Airport chart notations
A combination of a light bar, curved
sequenced flashing lights and a
trio of red and white checkerboard
panels provide visual references for
the track to Runway 33.
state that IFR operations are only allowed
with a ceiling of 1,500ft and a visibility of
1,500m (approximately one statute mile)
so any significant low cloud will prevent
operations. Though it may seem obvious
when looking at the local geography –
circling manoeuvres are prohibited east of
the airport due to the rapidly rising terrain.
Use caution when accepting Standard
Instrument Departure procedures out of
Reggio Calabria since some of the procedure
transitions have climb gradients of up to
9.3%. Some aircraft may require a climb-
in holding to meet departure corridor
altitude restrictions and multi-engine aircraft
should be aware of engine-out performance
and have a contingency plan ready.
Conclusion
While not at the most extreme end of
the spectrum for Challenging Airports,
Reggio Calabria provides an interesting
approach challenge to a beautiful area of
the world. When flown with some of the
higher performance, transport category
aircraft that have traditionally operated
to the field, the stage is set for a busy
approach that requires good planning
and execution to complete safely.
By Chris Frishmuth
#129 PC PILOT / 65
FEATURE FLIGHT ADVENTURE

Twin Coma

his issue Peter Stark explores a GA

T
The sleek lines and
gem, that, if not for the vagaries tiger shark engine
of nature, might have had an even cowlings were
pretty revolutionary
more pronounced impact on the in their day.
sector - the Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche.

Background
Piper Aircraft had a string of very successful
GA aircraft from the 1950s. One such
success offered was the single-engine
PA-24 Comanche, which sported exciting
technology of the day such as retractable
undercarriage, constant speed props – even
an optional autopilot. So when Piper was
looking for a replacement for their ageing
twin-engined Apache, they had aeronautical
engineer Ed Swearingen (of later Swearingen
Merlin turboprop fame) design a twin-
engined version of the popular Comanche.
The resultant four-seat version flew
beautifully, was very economical and had
long service periods and so was a winner.
The rakish design featured twin 160hp
piston engines, ‘tiger shark’ engine cowls, globe and was used extensively by private
TWINKIE FACT #1
Like many GA aircraft, you could
a raked nose and windscreen and with commuters, charter companies and even carry a full
payload or full fuel - but never both
the optional wing tip fuel tanks it looked flying schools where it was used to train . In practical
terms, this meant that with a full
load, you had an
sleek, fast and modern – and still does. pilots converting to twins. In just nine years, endurance of as little as 2.9 hour
s. If you could
The Twin Comanche soon earned favour 2,150 were built, including upgraded models load full fuel and use the tip tanks
and lower
with pilots and owners and it acquired the with two extra seats and more powerful power settings, you could extend
this to a very
affectionate nickname of the Twinkie. engines. One later model also sported contra- impressive 9.5 hours. Given the
lack of ‘facilities’
in a light twin, this was rarely attem
Over time, it could be found around the rotating props to help reduce engine torque pted.

66 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

anche PA-30

effect. But as we will read as we fly some

TWINKIE FACT #2 typical Twinkie scenarios, its production
life was cut short by Mother Nature.
recommends 10° flaps and to
One idiosyncrasy of the Twin Comanche was the take-off. The manual This issue, the accompanying screenshots
and rolling as it tries to fly.
rotate at around 80 knots. By that time however, the Twinkie is bucking
for the high rotation speed was that if you lost an engine below your minimum were taken flying the vFlyteAir PA-30
One of the reasons
into the ground. Many pilots used nil Twin Comanche in X-Plane 11, and Orbx
single-engine control speed, you could potentially (ie easily) roll
stay on the ground a bit longer in order to decrease the amount of time Simulations Innsbruck/LOWI and Vienna/
flaps in an attempt to actually
minimum control speed).
between lift-off and reaching the safety of Vmca (single-engine LOWW airports. Details on where to get
these, plus charts and alternatives for FSX/
Prepar3D, can be found in the Pilots Notes in
the Download section for issue 129 at www.
key.aero/article/pc-pilot-issue-129-downloads.

Pre-delivery test flight

Our first flight will be from the home of
the Piper Comanche series, Lock Haven/
KLHV Pennsylvania. This plant also built the
venerable Piper Cub and to this day, there
is still an annual Piper fly-in for enthusiasts,
as well as the Piper Aviation Museum. As
we are flying a short test flight of a new
aircraft prior to delivery, there will only be
you and a technician flying with full main
tanks only. This will give an endurance of
around 2.5 hours – plenty for a systems
check and a bit of local sightseeing.
It may look a little Lock Haven/KLHV (William Piper Memorial) is
dated now but in in central Pennsylvania, about 160nm west of
the early 1960s,
this was cutting- New York. After take-off, turn to intercept the
edge for such a Philipsburg VOR (115.5MHz) and level off at
small aircraft. 4,500ft. Take care as Lock Haven is located

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 67

FEATURE FLIGHT ADVENTURE

The nose wheel is exactly the same as on

the main gear, which demanded you kept
your nose attitude well up on landing.

within a narrow valley. Once in the general
ops area to the west, practice some turns,
stalls and even a little single-engine flying as
you become familiar with the avionics and
aircraft systems. Ensure you remain between
Lock Haven and Philipsburg VOR as you do.
Once you’re comfortable with flying the
Twinkie, it’s time to turn back to Lock Haven
for a few circuits and landings. To do this,
we’ll take a little ‘toil time’ and inspect a
nearby geographic wonder, the spectacular
Bald Eagle Mountain stratigraphic ridge.
Turn to the south and enter any of the
parallel valleys and fly to the northeast
as you take in the views. As you emerge
from the 30nm (approximately) rifts, turn
to the north to intercept the West Branch
Susquehanna River. This will swing to the
west at Williamsport and from there you’ll
be able to join the circuit upwind for Runway
27R at Lock Haven. Perform some touch-
and-go landings so you become familiar with
some of the Twinkie’s unusual characteristics.
We’ll take a closer look at these as we work
through the remaining flight scenarios.
During your circuits, you’ll notice how close
the river is to the airfield and Piper plant. In
1972, torrential rains caused the Susquehanna
River to flood and the Piper plant was
severely impacted with the plant under 4.9m
(16ft) of water. Much of the PA-30 tooling,
aircraft and parts were destroyed. Rather
than rebuild in that location, Piper moved
production to Florida but the Twin Comanche
tooling was deemed too expensive to replace
and the production life sadly cut short.
of New York and its congested airspace.
Be sure to check the weather as while the
Twinkie is IFR rated, it doesn’t have any
de-ice boots, so you’ll need to remain below
the freezing level for the entire route.
After departing Lock Haven, climb to 7,000ft
as you track towards Williamsport VOR
(114.4MHz). Once you are comfortable in
the cruise, switch to your tip tanks – which
brings us to one of the Twin Comanche’s
idiosyncrasies. The main and auxiliary fuel
tanks are rubber bladders, which shouldn’t
be completely emptied to prolong their life.
So the fuel management rules were to use
mains only for take-off, climb and landing.
Once cruising, you had to empty the tip
tanks first as it was essential they were
empty before landing. You could then move
onto the auxiliary tanks but had to be sure
to not quite empty them before moving to
the main tanks. There was no fuel tanks
crossfeed on early PA-30s, so you couldn’t
rely on this to balance your fuel tanks.
En route, you’ll cross the Hudson River
about 55nm north of New York City and
once you cross the coast at Groton, you’ll
get some great views of the coast around
Block Island Sound and then the southern
tip of Martha’s Vineyard. Start your 500fpm
descent into Nantucket at around 30nm
inbound and check the ATIS (127.5MHz)
to determine if you’ll be using Runway
06/24 or the shorter 15/33. Work hard on
your approach and landing and be sure
you don’t bend the brand new aircraft
in front of the customer. Your parking
area is on the northwest side of 06/24.
Weekend charter
For this final flight, you will be flying three
well heeled Viennese hikers from Vienna/
LOWW to Innsbruck/LOWI for the weekend.
You’ll need to fly them and 85kg (170lb)
of backpacks. The weather can always
become inclement in the mountains at short
notice, so ensure you have enough fuel for
not only the 227nm flight and two attempts
at the complex Innsbruck approach but

Delivery flight
You will be taking a brand new Twin
Comanche on its delivery flight to a customer
on Nantucket Island /KACK. There will only
be you on board, so you should have no
weight and balance issues, so fill all six
fuel tanks. Your route will be KLHV FQM
HUO GON ACK KACK, a VOR to VOR route
Safely in Innsbruck. Enjoy your weekend.
of 338nm which will take you to the north

68 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

also for flying on to your alternate airport of keep Above: With a light
Salzburg/LOWS – and still have 30 minutes an eye payload and full
tanks, the Twin
of reserve left! This equates to around on the DME. Comanche could
2.5 hours of fuel which will also bring you At 19nm, start a remain airborne
for over nine
close to your maximum take-off weight. quite steep descent of hours.
Your route is LOWW LNZ SBG RTT 3.77° according to the chart
LOWI cruising at 10,000ft which will vertical profile. With a controlled
involve the tricky LOWI LOC/DME East approach descent airspeed of 100 KIAS,
approach, which is available from VACC you should be descending at around 660fpm
Austria (www.vacc-austria.org). dependent on winds. In the Twin Comanche, punch the
After take-off, track 271°M direct to the this means gear down and about 10° flap. air with your
Linz VOR (116.6MHz), and on to the Salzburg You should pick up the Runway 26 LOC by fists, taxi in to the
VOR 251° radial (113.8MHz). If the weather is now, so transition to VOR1 to make your LOC GA parking area
kind, you’ll get some great views of the Alps DME approach. If you are not visual by 3,300ft and don’t let on to
to your left. If the weather is unkind, you’re (1,400ft AGL) you’ll have to go around, which is your passengers
about to earn your money and things can get also a bit tricky given you are now deep down how hard that was.
a bit tricky after Salzburg. Track outbound a very narrow valley. You will need to quickly By Peter Stark
from Salzburg on the 225° radial. You should clean up the gear and flaps, make a tight left
be able to track direct to the Rattenburg/ turn to track direct to the RUM NDB (320KHz) Acknowledgements
RTT NDB (303KHz) while slowly descending and then to Rattenburg NDB where you try
to 9,500ft. Now is the time to tune to the PAT again. You must maintain 100 knots and at least
DME (112.0MHz) on VOR2, and the LOWI 500fpm during this climb. If you are unable to Simulations Systems for ongoing support
Runway 26 LOC (111.1MHz/258°) on VOR1. At land at Innsbruck, return to Rattenburg and
Rattenburg NDB, track 231° outbound and then track direct to Salzburg. If you did make it,

TWINKIE FACT #3
Another challenge could be the landing. With
bonded laminar flow wings, any landings with
even a small amount of excessive airspeed
could result in your aircraft floating, and floating,
because of the ground effect. Even on touch-
down you had to ensure you kept the nose wheel
off for a while because it was the same size as
the main wheels and had a propensity to strike
first if you were careless.

TWINKIE FACT #4
If you had an engine failure at altitu
de, even
with a pair of 160hp engines, the
best you could
often hope for was a slow descent.
With just
the right technique, conditions and
weight, you
might scrape out a 200fpm climb
. But having
the second engine gave comfort
for pilots and
passengers allowing safer IFR and
night flying,
making it popular with private and
char ter companies.
Safely delivered at Nantucket.

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 69

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR DIGITAL COMBAT SIMULATOR

DCS: Super
Eagle Dynamics’

aval aviation fans rejoice – the The new Supercarrier features

N Digital Combat Simulator (DCS)

Supercarrier is here – and it is
awesome! Let’s skip the flowy
introduction and get right down to business.
animated deck crew that
configure themselves for aircraft
launch and recovery operations.

The package
The DCS Supercarrier package is actually a bit
of an asset pack even though the focus is most
definitely on the modelling of the Nimitz-class
‘Supercarrier’. The early access package includes
the Nimitz-class carriers CVN-71 Theodore
Roosevelt, CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln and CVN-73
George Washington. The package also includes
an updated Russian Kuznetsov aircraft carrier
and the flyable Su-33 Flanker D fighter as well
as the all new Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile
destroyer. Later development of the package will
add CVN-74 John Stennis and CVN-75 Harry
S Truman while adding more functionality and
features to most of the assets included in the
package. With regards to multiplayer compatibility,
non-owners of the Supercarrier package will
be able to see the new deck crew, carrier and
aircraft but will not be able to spawn on the
The Supercarrier adds the Landing Signal Officer
deck or land on the carrier or use any of the (LSO) platform station and deck-embedded PLAT
advanced radio and ATC features The intricate movements of the deck crew are camera. Functionality is limited in Early Access and
superbly recreated. will be improved over time.
specific to the new carrier.

Right: Currently, the F/A-18C Hornet

and F-14 Tomcat are compatible with
the Supercarrier. The community
A-4 Skyhawk also works but is not
completely compatible.

70 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

 PCPilot PC
PLATINUM
AWARD

ercarrier Eagle
Dynamics
raises the bar
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
Unquestionably, the focus of the development
has been on creating the most realistic
simulation of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier
to date. Though not released in a feature-
complete state, what exists thus far is fantastic
in its scope and implementation. The 3D
modelling and texturing of the carrier is superb
but what really provides the WOW factor is
the animated deck crew running about and
providing a real sense of action and drama
on the flight deck. This is the first simulation
that truly immerses you in some of the details
that are intrinsic to being a naval aviator.
A new pop-up depiction of the IFLOLS ‘meatball’ on AI aircraft will move from the hangar deck to the
Early access features of the carrier include
the screen is a nice addition to provide longer range elevators and then up to the deck when all of the high detail animated arresting wires, jet blast
vertical alignment for carrier landings. deck spawn spots are occupied. deflectors, radars, catapult shuttles and
Massive improvements dozens of detailed components of the ship
to the aircraft carrier that come together to provide a stunning
lighting provides a more environment. Steam seeps from the catapult
immersive and authentic
experience. tracks and billows after aircraft are flung into
the air at the end of the catapult stroke. Carrier
lighting has been improved with floodlights
on the deck that make seeing the carrier and
orientating yourself much easier. The addition
of various carrier lighting systems greatly
improves functionality. Static deck vehicles have
been created that can be placed by mission
designers including flight deck and hangar deck
tractors, fire fighting vehicles, additional types
of deck crew, and a salvage crane vehicle.
With deck parking for up to 20 aircraft, the
carrier deck has become a much busier place.

Deck crew
Without question, the greatest feature of the
new carriers is the animated deck crew. After
starting up your aircraft (both the DCS F/A-18C
Hornet and the DCS F-14 Tomcat by Heatblur
are supported), you can request a launch from
ATC, which sets into motion the rearranging of
the deck crew into the launch configuration.
Taxiing up to any of the four catapult locations
(two mid-deck ‘waist catapults’ and two bow
catapults) will present you with a yellow shirt
Plane Director who will direct you via hand
signals to steer left, right, come forward or stop.
This alone is worth the price of the module
since you no longer have to go to the external
view to see how far forward you need to taxi
to hook up to the catapult. Once you are in
position behind the catapult shuttle, the Plane
Director will give signals to unfold your wings,
extend your launch bar and then move forward
to position your launch bar into the catapult
shuttle. Not only is all of this insanely cool, it
actually takes a good bump of power to nudge
the launch bar over the catapult shuttle – a nice
touch of realism and physics-based modelling.

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 71

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR DIGITAL COMBAT SIMULATOR
While all of this is going on, beneath your
aircraft the green shirt catapult and arresting
gear crews send signals to the Plane Director
and go through the motions of connecting
the catapult holdback bar. The animations are
fantastic as they scurry about doing their jobs.
Once you are connected, the jet blast deflector
rises into position behind you and the Plane
Director motions for you to raise your launch
bar as the catapult goes into tension. Once
you are satisfied, a final salute to the Plane
Director sets into motion some safety checks
and with a lunging motion he touches the deck
and the catapult ‘shooter’ sends you roaring
down the catapult track. It is exhilarating.
Comms
Once airborne, a sequence of communications
events is set in motion once you decide to
come back to the ship. New communications
features allow users to use different types of
arrivals based on the weather conditions the
ship is operating in. These patterns are referred
to as Case I, II and III recoveries. The goal, of
course, is to get your fighter down on to the
deck in an efficient, orderly and safe manner.
Radio commands are available to call the carrier,
from which the response will be to enter a
holding pattern based on traffic until previous
aircraft have landed. Though not difficult, the
procedures do require practice. Recoveries
are a busy time and the addition of the new
communications features greatly add to the
stress and realism of being a virtual naval aviator.
Coming aboard
Once you get through the initial approach
clearance process, you will proceed into the
carrier approach pattern with an overhead
break (for Case I recoveries in good weather)
and fly a prescribed pattern to what will
hopefully be an arrested landing. Additional,
but brief, communications are required
during this phase as most of your attention
will be focused on flying the proper pattern
and getting lined up, because you will be
receiving grades and feedback on your flying.
New features added with the Supercarrier
package include a highly detailed Improved
Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (IFLOLS)
lighting system on the left side of the angled
deck. IFLOLS is basically a projected light beam
with reference datum lights that allow you to
accurately fly the correct descent path down to
the arresting wires. While simple in description, a
lot goes into the proper calibration and use of the
IFLOLS. In fact, the Supercarrier module adds the
The improved Kuznetsov not only looks great but is quite
capable of defending itself with a multitude of weapons.
72 / PC PILOT #129
The new Russian Kuznetsov
carrier provides additional
functionality and includes the
Su-33 Flanker D as part of
the package.
Landing Signal Officer (LSO) station at the rear
of the carrier where you can view approaching
aircraft through the PLAT camera mounted in
the landing zone. The crosshairs of the PLAT
camera are aimed up the glideslope and help the
LSO direct incoming aircraft to a safe landing.
A new feature is a pop-up 2D depiction of
the IFLOLS light array so that us virtual naval
aviators can see our position a bit earlier given
the limitations of viewing the ship on a 2D
monitor or virtual reality headsets. The pop-up
IFLOLS allows for faster identification of low
and high trends on the glidepath. In addition
to the 2D IFLOLS, the Nimitz-class carriers
are also now equipped with the Long Range
Laser Lineup System (LRLLS) which provides
horizontal guidance by projecting a laser light
from the rear of the ship along the axis of the
angled deck landing area. As you wander left,
right and centre of the proper lineup, the laser
light changes colours and pulses at different
rates to give you feedback on your lineup.
I’m being graded?
Embedded in all of this action is a humorous but
realistic grading system that rates your landing
performance using abbreviations to describe
your landing attempts. The grades range from
an underlined OK to the death-defying Cut
grade implying gross deviations. The struggle to
obtain even marginal grades is one of practice,
perseverance and wounded pride. In a word:
fantastic! Once you have successfully caught a
wire or ‘trapped’ aboard the carrier, you are free
to request another launch and the deck crew will
assemble at the catapults to help you on your
way. I have to admit that doing catapult take-
offs and arrested landings is about as much fun
as you can have in a combat flight simulator.
Kuznetsov
Those who enjoy flying for the Russian side
will be happy to know that the Kuznetsov has
also got some love and attention but not to
the degree that the Nimitz-class did. The new
Russian Carrier does look great though, has
nice functionality and if you didn’t previously
own the Su-33 Flanker D by owning the Flaming
Cliffs 3 package, you will now have access to
that naval fighter in this package. The ski-ramp
style of launch in the Su-33 requires quite a
bit more skill and finesse, particularly at high
payload weights. Also, you won’t have all of the
advantages that the Nimitz-class carrier offers for
getting back aboard but there is a certain pride in
doing great things with more austere equipment.
The Kuznetsov is quite the fierce ship with an
impressive array of self-defence weaponry.
Arleigh Burke
The package also includes the new Arleigh Burke
guided-missile destroyer, a much-needed picket
vessel to protect the Nimitz-class carrier since
it has limited self-defence capability. An added
bonus is that helicopters can operate to the new
destroyer, providing even more opportunities
for interesting mission and campaign design.
Beyond early access
With something as complex as the interaction
between ATC, multiple aircraft and all that is going
on behind the curtain, there are inevitably bugs
that will need to be sorted out. The development
progress thus far is so compelling, it can only get
even better. Plans as the module moves through
early access include: adding the Air Boss station,
briefing room, LSO position improvements and
functionality, Combined Arms integration, adding
a turbulent ‘burble’ effect behind the carrier’s
superstructure, additional ATC functions to
deal with wave-offs and bolters and adding a
functional emergency barricade net. These plans
sound ambitious but when I first experienced the
deck handlers reacting to me as I taxied around
the deck to hook up to the catapult, I realised
once again that Eagle Dynamics loves creating
content for DCS World, and it shows.
By Chris Frishmuth
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: A superb package that adds
immensely to the DCS World naval aviation
experience.
Publisher and Developer: Eagle Dynamics
Price: $39.99 (£32 approx)
Website: https://digitalcombatsimulator.com
Performance: Excellent
3D Modelling: Excellent – some 3D assets
like the S-3 Viking could use some
updating though.
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Excellent
95
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
THE PERFECT HARDWARE
FOR YOUR AIRBUS!

A EROSOFT
318 319al
profession
A EROSOFT
320 321 A 330
EROSOFT

AIRBUS EDITION
THRUSTMASTER

T C A S I D E S T I C K

www.aerosoft.com
TUTORIAL AIR COMBAT SIMULATION

on whether you hit your target or not.

So given the above, here are some
of the important aspects to consider
before you fire your guns:
1) The range to your target, which
is constantly changing.
2) The relative speed of your aircraft
compared with that of your opponent.
3) The amount of ‘lead’ required to
hit your manoeuvring target, more
commonly known as deflection.
4) The angle at which the target is
crossing your own flight path.

’ve worked the angle down to guns to bear and hit your intended target! It Deflection shooting

I where our paths are crossing

at 40 to 60 degrees. What you
want, ideally, is zero to 10,
with the enemy moving almost directly
would be fair to say that aerial gunnery is the
most difficult aspect of air combat to master.
This difficulty stems from the fact that both
you and your adversary are constantly
As mentioned earlier, the difficulty of aerial
gunnery stems from the relative movements
of the aircraft involved. If your intended
target obliged and flew straight and level at a
away or coming almost straight at you. moving in a three-dimensional space. constant speed, life would be much simpler!
At anything over 30 degrees, it’s almost Ultimately, the attainment of any level of But more often than not they tend to try to
pointless to shoot with a fixed sight.” gunnery efficiency requires constant evade your bullets… The moment a target
No matter how good you are at flying and and regular practice as well as an starts an evasive manoeuvre, you have to try to
manoeuvring your aircraft, all that ‘fancy’ flying understanding of the factors which solve a variety of problems in order to create
will count for nothing if you cannot bring your have a direct influence and impact a firing solution, which will usually requires a

The art
of aerial
gunnery

74 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

 The ideal deflection angle
for scoring a hit is between
0 and 10 degrees.
deflection shot. So, what is deflection shooting?
In simple terms, deflection shooting involves
‘leading’ your target, which means aiming
your bullet stream ahead of your target so
that your bullets go, not to where the target
is currently located but where it will be in the
future. The need to fire your bullets ahead of
the target stems from the fact that it takes
time for them to travel a given distance. So
if you were to fire directly at your intended
www.Key.Aero
victim located in your gunsight while in a turn,
you would probably miss the target because
it would have moved in the time it took your
bullet stream to travel the required distance.
As you probably noticed from the opening
quote to this article, fighter pilots sometimes
referred to deflection in terms of degrees,
with zero being straight ahead. Once an
opponent starts to turn, the deflection angle
begins to increase. As a form of short-hand,
Deflection
shooting
involves aiming
your bullet
stream not to
where the target
currently is, but
where it will be
in the future.
fighter pilots would also gauge deflection
in terms of fractions. So they would use
the following terminology: no deflection – 0
degrees, ¼ deflection – 0-20 degrees, ¾
deflection – 30-60 degrees and full deflection
– 60-90 degrees. As mentioned in the
quote, the ideal deflection angle for scoring
a hit was between 0 and 10 degrees.
So the question you’re now probably
asking yourself is ‘how does one gauge how
much deflection is required to hit a moving
target?’ Well, two of the most important
factors that determine the amount of
deflection you need to apply before ‘taking
the shot’ are ‘Angle-off’ and ‘Range’.
Angle-off
Angle-off or ‘heading crossing angle’, measured
in degrees, is defined as the angle between
your line of flight and that of your opponent. So,
the greater the crossing angle, the more lead
will be required and hence the greater the angle
of deflection. Your final angle of deflection will
depend upon how you initially approach your
intended target. When you decide to attack a
target, you have to decide on the pursuit path
(discussed in our previous issue) to adopt as
you converge on your opponent. However,
before you can make that decision, you have
to anticipate your opponent’s intended flight
path. In fact, your ability to anticipate the
actions and movements of your opponent
Above: Shooting opportunities occur at various times
and in different situations.
#129 PC PILOT / 75
TUTORIAL
and stay one step ahead is a determining
factor in the success or failure of any attack.
However, again, as discussed in the previous
issue, you will often find that it is not always
prudent to line up on your target too quickly,
as this could result in you continually changing
course in order to keep him in your sights.
Rather, whenever the situation permits, bide
your time to increase the probability of scoring
hits on your prey. One thing worth pointing
out at this juncture is that when it comes to
deciding how much lead to pull, it is always
best to aim for too much rather than too little.
In addition, the tighter you turn the more lead
you will need in order to hit your target.
Range
During World War Two, a survey was done of
combat films taken by fighter pilots operating
in England. These films recorded 701 combats
which resulted in the destruction of 186
enemy aircraft. An analysis of these films
showed that 39% of the pilots secured the
majority of the confirmations because they
had fired at less than the maximum effective
range. These figures conclusively prove the
importance of range and range estimation.
There are various means and ways to estimate
Above: During World War Two, pilots made quick
judgements about range based upon how big the
target appeared within the gunsight. Top: Here we see
a tracking shot in which the attacking pilot has flown a
deliberate flight path that intercepts that of his victim.
76 / PC PILOT #129
range. However, the main thing to concentrate
on is whether your target is in range or out of
range. When it comes to judging the distance
to a target and knowing when to fire, we
have certain aids at our disposal - the most
important of which is the gunsight. During
World War Two, pilots made quick judgements
about range based upon how big the target
appeared within the gunsight. For example, if
a fighter’s wingspan, such as a Bf 109, filled
the ring of the gunsight, it was calculated to be
at a distance of around 110 yards. However,
if a larger aircraft, such as a Heinkel He 111
bomber, filled the gunsight, it would be at a
greater distance, because of its larger size; at
around 250 yards. So, the estimation of range
has to take into account the size of the aircraft.
Range also has an impact on the effectiveness
of your guns. By effectiveness I am referring
to what is termed as the ‘lethality’ of your
firepower. Lethality is concerned with the
concentration of bullets at given distances.
The more bullets there are in a particular area,
the more effective your gunfire will be. During
World War Two, wing-mounted armament
was ‘harmonised’ or converged at a particular
distance. Harmonisation involved setting the
guns/cannons so that they gave the greatest
concentration of bullets at a specific distance
- usually 250 yards for guns and slightly further
out for cannons. Once a target was outside
this optimum distance, the chances of hitting
your target dropped markedly. Incidentally,
many combat simulators provide the pilot
with the facility to alter the convergence of
your guns and cannons independently.
Another factor to consider is the effect
of gravity on your bullets. The greater the
distance your bullet stream has to travel, the
greater the effect of gravity – the result being
bullet drop. To compensate for this, pilots
would often aim slightly above their target.
Ultimately, when it comes to range, the general
rule to adhere to is when you think you are close
enough to your target, get closer! The closer
you are to your intended victim, the lower the
deflection angle required and hence the higher
the percentage chance of scoring a hit. So
get as close as you can before opening fire!
Shooting opportunities
“But I’m cocky enough to try something
bizarre. I decide to pull my sights through
the German, keep pulling my nose until I
can’t see him, and hope against all odds
that he flies through the stream.”
The closer you are to your target, the
lower the deflection angle required.
www.Key.Aero
 Shooting opportunities occur at various times
and in different situations. However, shooting
‘solutions’ can be categorised under two
main headings: ‘tracking’ and ‘snap’ shots.
Tracking shots occur when the attacking pilot
flies a deliberate flight path that intercepts that
of his intended victim, which affords a better
chance of scoring a hit. Invariably, a tracking
shot involves controlling the rate of closure.
So the amount of tracking time available to
the offensive pilot is determined by the rate of
closure. High closure rates are more suitable
at long range than at short range because
of the increased element of surprise. In fact,
one of the most important factors of any
attack is that element of surprise; so tracking
shots are often best used against targets that
are unaware of your presence. If the enemy
pilot is not aware of your presence, you will
therefore have longer tracking time and so
your ‘window of engagement’ is greater.
Obviously, the element of surprise is not
essential in shooting down an aircraft but it
does increase your chances of success.
Once the desired range (no greater than 250-
300 yards) and lead have been acquired, you
should relax your turn and open fire, allowing
your target to fly towards your stream of bullets.
When you fire, watch where your bullets are
going and readjust if necessary. Obviously,
however, you should avoid sitting on your
target’s tail indefinitely because this in turn
will increase your chances of being
‘bounced’ yourself. Rather, stay on

Above: The tighter your turn the more lead you less time to acquire a firing solution.
will need in order to hit your target. Top: The
greater the crossing angle between you and your Whatever mode of attack you employ, you
opponent, the more lead will be required and should always try to put your opponent on the
therefore the bigger the angle of deflection.
defensive. When dogfighting, it is better to make
repeated attacks, keeping the initiative and
your energy state high, rather than ‘bleeding’
off your energy and losing the initiative in a long
drawn-out turning battle. After each attack,
aim to climb away and reassess the situation.
Patience and constant practice are the
keys to success in aerial gunnery.
“I pull up and around and fire off
his tail long a quick stream of tracer as he
enough to get disappears under me. And another
off a good burst for luck. I ease the stick back and
of fire or until your he flies back into my view. Hot
opponent’s manoeuvring damn! He’s spilling coolant back
makes firing impractical. into his slipstream. I got him!”
You should then break away, Please note the accompanying
violently, if possible, by zooming up quotes included in this article were
so that you always maintain the tactical taken from ‘To Fly and Fight: Memoirs
advantage of altitude over your opponent. of a Triple Ace’, by Colonel Clarence
Whatever you do, make sure your tail is clear. E ‘Bud’ Anderson which is available
Remember, you are at your most vulnerable from www.cebudanderson.com.
when chasing or firing at another aircraft. By Derek ‘Baron’ Davis
Having said all the above, tracking shots are
not always advisable, particularly in an area Right: ‘Snap’ shots offer a
with a high level of enemy activity in which fleeting firing opportunity
you could become a target yourself. and occur when a target
momentarily appears
This is where a ‘snap’ shot is more in your gunsight.
appropriate. This type of approach
offers a fleeting opportunity and
occurs when a target momentarily
appears in your gunsight. Snap shots, however,
have a lower chance of success compared
to the tracking method because you have

www.Key.Aero #128 PC PILOT / 77

DOWNLOADS
Featured Download
Lots of bespoke
buildings and other
elements can be
seen around
the airport.
Tribhuvan International Airport (VNKT)
Once again, we have a collection of high-quality freeware files for you to enjoy. These aircraft, scenery and
utilities easily compare with many commercial products but don’t forget if you’ve enjoyed a particular file,
please let the author know, it’s their only payback! By the same token, we’re always interested to hear
from you if you’ve downloaded or designed a file that you think is worth sharing. By Joe Lavery
ribhuvan International Airport
T (VNKT) is the only international
airport in Nepal. Located in the
capital Kathmandu, it connects
Nepal to more than 40 destinations in
17 countries. It’s also the major hub
for Nepal Airlines, Himalayan Airlines,
with other seasonal carriers including
Buddha Air, which provides scheduled
international flights to nearby Indian cities.
Because of its proximity to Mount
Everest, Tribhuvan is considered to be the
starting point for the countless climbers
who pit their skills against this colossal
mountain. In fact, there are several daily
flights to the equally famous, or should I
say infamous Lukla Airport, known as one
of the world’s most challenging airports.
78 / PC PILOT #129
The version created here by Kapil Gyawali
for X-Plane 11 is outstanding, with elements
that rival many commercial products. Most
of the buildings are modelled in detail, with
an absolute mass of aviation equipment and
other paraphernalia scattered liberally around
the apron. This super detailing extends
beyond the airport boundaries as you will
see from the accompanying screenshots.
Like most X-Plane scenery, the author
has made use of libraries for many of the
objects to be found within the scenery.
It’s important that you install them all or
the airport will not look as it does in my
screenshots. In any case, X-Plane will
soon inform you if you’ve missed one.
Author: Kapil Gyawali Plenty of activity, surrounded by
familiar airport paraphernalia.
Platform: X-Plane 11
Above: Overview of the airport which blends perfectly
with the surrounding landscape.
PERMISSION
Although the authors of these files have very kindly given us
their permission to include them on our website, they still
remain the property and copyright of the authors. You are
free to enjoy them for your own use but they must not in any
circumstances be distributed, copied, uploaded to any other
The welcome sign that greets
websites, or disassembled in any way whatsoever.
passengers to Tribhuvan Airport.
www.Key.Aero
Star Performers from the Internet
1 2
3 4
6 7
1: Douglas DC-3S
or R4D-8/C-117
This is NOT a C-47 or a standard R4D,
it’s a DC-3S or R4D-8/C-117! It resembles
and is derived from a C-47/DC-3 but is an
entirely different aircraft, sometimes called
Super DC-3S, or Skytrooper. The model
here was designed by Ron Norvelle.
Author: Ron Norvelle
Platform: X-Plane 11
2: ASK-21E electric glider
(fictional)
This is a fictional electric glider based on
an original Laminar Research model of the
ASK-21E. The author Nhadrian has modified
the textures and added a variety of new
objects to enhance the glider further.
Author: Adrian Nagy-Hinst
Platform: X-Plane 11
3: Vought F4U-1A Corsair
Although the Corsair was designed as a
carrier fighter, it was initially difficult to operate
from carrier decks because of its poor low-
speed handling and the difficulty of seeing
over its long nose when landing. However,
it ultimately became one of the most potent
carrier-based fighter-bombers of World
War Two. This nicely detailed model was
designed by A F Scrub for FSX/P3D v3-v4.
Author: A F Scrub
Platform: FSX/P3D
www.Key.Aero
5
8
4: Copenhagen Airport (EKCH) and checklists. By Mario Noriega Fogliani.
This add-on currently includes Copenhagen Author: Mario Noriega Fogliani
Airport, Copenhagen City and high- Platform: FSX
resolution Ortho4Xp Google imagery for
Copenhagen and eastern Denmark, including 7: Mercedita Airport (TJPS)
Malmo and parts of southern Sweden. and City
Designed for X-Plane by Henrik Jonsson. This scenery depicts the airport (PSE) and
Author: Henrik Jonsson the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. It features
Platform: X-Plane 11 a highly detailed city providing a fully
immersed visual experience. The airport
5: McAllister Airport (KYKM) terminal comes with custom animated
McAllister Airport is located in Yakima, jetways and HD ground textures, designed
Washington. The scenery includes the by David Rosado, PhotoRico Scenery.
Piper Cub factory with a detailed hangar, Author: David Rosado,
also the McAllister Museum of Aviation. Platform: FSX/P3D
The author Brett Delana suggests a bite to
eat at Reno’s restaurant on the runway. 8: Republic XF-103
Author: Brett Delana Thunderwarrior
Platform: FSX/P3D The Republic XF-103 Thunderwarrior
is one of the missing aircraft in the
6: Piaggio P-166 Collection Century Series fighters. It’s a high-altitude
This package contains a native FSX supersonic interceptor proposed by the
conversion of all original Piaggio P-166 models US Air Force’s MX-1554 project in 1950.
developed for FS2002/2004. It includes Designed here for FSX by Uenoshing
32 liveries, a virtual cockpit (no 2D panel), Author: Uenoshing
personalised sounds, manual, references Platform: FSX
Library files
Most X-plane users will already know that many freeware airport designers make use of
the freeware library files to enhance their creations. Consequently, it’s important to read
the documentation within each file to find out which libraries have been used. These library
files need to be installed in order to experience these airports as the authors intended.
#129 PC PILOT / 79
 HARDWARE THRUSTMASTER’S TCA SIDESTICK AIRBUS EDITION

Thrustmaster’s

TCA Sidestick
Airbus
Edition
Cleared for
take-off
The TCArelepr oduct lin e
itional products for the TCA line-
asing add
Thrustmaster is are due out on
ilable on pre-order and
up. These are now ava : TC A Qu adr ant Airbus
se include
September 24, 2020. The .99 /$9 9.99/€99.99.
will reta il at £89
Edition, which of the
us Edition, consisting
TCA Officer Pack Airb nt. Ret ail price is
Qua dra
TCA Flightstick and TCA
99.
£149.99/$159.99/€159. r's
patible with Thrustmaste
TM Flying Clamp is com T.16000M FCS
t line as wel l as the
TCA produc d
ustmaster. It can be use
HOTAS system from Thr ly with a quick-
trollers sec ure
to secure the con at
Flying Clamp will retail
removal mechanism. The
£54.99/$69.99/€59.99.
Airbus Edition is an
TCA Quadrant Add-On
ion for the TCA Qua drant. More
expans
suc h as the fea ture list,
information
date
price point and release
will be announced
later in the year.

A single throttle
axis can be used for
controlling engine power
with a detent for reverse
thrust.

80 / PC PILOT #129 www.Key.Aero

 Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD

hrustmaster needs little introduction The look and feel of the TCA

T
Sidestick makes it very well
when it comes to flight simulation. suited for flying Airbus jets
Over three decades, the company such as Aerosoft’s A330
professional for Prepar3D.
has earned a reputation for
developing innovative and high-quality
hardware peripherals for military flight
simulation. So it could be said it came as a bit
of a surprise when it announced a new product
range called Thrustmaster Civil Aviation (TCA),
marking its entry into the civil flight simulation
market. The first controller to be released in the
TCA product line was the TCA Sidestick Airbus
Edition, which is the subject of this review.

The TCA Sidestick

Airbus Edition
The TCA Sidestick is based on an actual
sidestick found in Airbus airliners. Although
on the surface it appears to share some
commonality with Thrustmaster’s T.16000M,
there are significant differences. The TCA
Sidestick is an officially licensed Airbus product
and according to Thrustmaster is a 1:1 scale
replica of a stick found in the real jet and is
made from heavy-duty plastic with the base
finished in Airbus blue. Along with a pitch and
roll axis, the TCA Sidestick stick features a
twist grip or a Z-axis, which can be configured
for controlling the rudder. For those with a
set of actual rudder pedals, the Z-axis can
be locked into position with the press of a
button or it can be assigned to the steering
tiller for controlling the nose-wheel steering.
Like the T.16000M, the TCA Sidestick is built
with Thrustmaster’s proprietary Hall Effect
Accurate Technology (HEART) technology.
Essentially, it uses magnet sensors that
provide 14-bit resolution, so the control
inputs are smooth and accurate. Additionally,
Hall Effect sensors don’t make physical
contact, so there is no wear and tear on
them. A single throttle axis can be used for
controlling engine power with a detent for
engaging reverse thrust. The sidestick boasts
a generous amount of buttons and switches.
It features 12 buttons (six per side) on the
base which can be configured for various
functions such as flaps, undercarriage, speed
brakes, etc. The stick itself comes with three
pushbuttons (two at the back and one on the
front), a trigger and an eight-way HAT switch.
The joystick is designed to be fully
ambidextrous so it can be configured for
left- or right-handed use (or the captain’s or
first officer’s side) by removing two screws
and swapping out the button modules. To
achieve this, Thrustmaster has included two
interchangeable modules with the stick. A two-
way switch on the base can then be used to
change from left-handed to right-handed use.
The joystick is fitted with eight rubber
pads on the base, so it sits firmly on the
desktop without the risk of slippage. There
are also two M6 mounting points so it can
be fixed to a table or unit, which makes it
suitable for use in a home-built cockpit.
TARGET
As an alternative to programming the
peripherals using the default simulator
assignments, Thrustmaster has provided an
application called Thrustmaster Advanced
pRogramming Graphical EdiTor (TARGET).
Essentially, it is used to group compatible
Thrustmaster peripherals, which can then be
configured using custom profiles. For example,
the TCA Sidestick can be grouped with the TPR
rudder systems and custom profiles can then
be created for all the main flight simulators.
Flight test
Installation is as easy as it comes. The
TCA Sidestick is Plug & Play, so you simply
connect the joystick to a USB port and it is
automatically detected and ready for use.
The unit works well across all the main
simulator platforms including X-Plane, FSX,
Prepar3D and the new Microsoft Flight
Simulator. The control inputs are crisp and
precise thanks to the Hall Effect sensors,
although the self-centring forces are on the
strong side where the movement of the stick
on the actual Airbus is much more fluid.
Throttle action is smooth but the travel is on
the short side, which can make it difficult
to achieve accurate power settings, so a

Above: The joystick is designed to

be fully ambidextrous and can be
configured for left- or right-handed use
by swapping out two button modules.

Right above: The TCA Sidestick is a

1:1 scale replica of the sidestick in an
Airbus airliner.

Right below: The TCA Sidestick

features a twist rudder, which can be
locked into position.

Left: The sidestick boasts a generous

amount of buttons and switches,
including 12 buttons on the base, three
pushbuttons, a trigger and an eight-
way HAT switch.

www.Key.Aero #129 PC PILOT / 81

HARDWARE THRUSTMASTER’S TCA SIDESTICK AIRBUS EDITION
Right: Like the
T.16000M, the
TCA Sidestick
is built with
Thrustmaster’s
proprietary Hall
Effect sensors
for smooth and
precise control
inputs.
An interview with Thrustmaster
To get some background
information on the TCA Sidestick
Airbus Edition, we invited
Thrustmaster to answer a few
questions on the product.
PC Pilot: Thanks for agreeing to take part in
this interview. May I begin by asking you what
were your objectives with the TCA Sidestick?
Thrustmaster: Primarily, we wanted to
replicate an iconic airliner sidestick for civil
flight simmers and address a need that hadn’t
yet been met. Collaboration with Airbus was
the best fit for this purpose. We wanted to
create a versatile and ergonomic design
that functioned as a sidestick for captains
(left-handed), first officers (right-handed)
and also as a centre stick for light aircraft.
It was vital to offer the precision required
by advanced gamers and balance price/
quality to democratize our civil aviation
peripherals without compromising on
precision. We have made sure to offer all the
features required for civil flight simulation
including roll, pitch, yaw, throttle and reverse
functionality, as well as enough buttons,
a POV to trim all axes and allow the ideal
camera to be selected to fly any aircraft in
civil flight simulators. This versatility was
also designed to extend to other flight sim
82 / PC PILOT #129
dedicated throttle quadrant would help there.
Additionally, I sometimes found it difficult to
feel the detent for the reverse thrust and it is
easy to accidentally slip past the idle stop,
particularly in the heat of the moment.
But overall, the look and feel of the TCA
Sidestick makes it very well suited for flying
an Airbus, although it will of course work on
any other aircraft. I always felt the classic
T.16000M, also made by Thrustmaster, was
an excellent Airbus sidestick and the TCA
unit completes the experience perfectly.
The build quality of this unit is robust and the
sturdy plastic casing looks like it can take a
battering, so I see no reason why it will not last
for years. Case in point, my old T.16000M has
withstood years of heavy use including being
subjected to many flight simulation shows and
it still shows no sign of giving up the ghost.
Conclusion
Overall, Thrustmaster has done
an excellent job with the TCA
Sidestick. Although it is
based on Airbus controls, it
is equally suitable for other
aircraft. Not only is it a great
joystick for the beginner/
intermediate flight simmer,
but it is similarly at home in
a custom-built Airbus flight
deck, so it really can cater
for everybody’s needs. And
with a price tag of £64.99, it truly
represents excellent value.
By Richard Benedikz
genres, including space and military.
Above all, we wanted to ensure that the TCA
Sidestick is the cornerstone of a complete
civil flight sim peripheral ecosystem hence
the name Thrustmaster Civil Aviation (TCA).
PC Pilot: Why did you decide to
design a controller for the Airbus
rather than other aircraft?
Thrustmaster: The current market offering
is concentrated on light aircraft with a
yoke that comes at a cost but does not
adequately cater for setups with side and
centre sticks, including airliners. We wanted
to meet these demands that were not
being served by the peripheral market.
Airbus is a name that is known worldwide
and has a common sidestick found across
all Airbus airliners. The comfortable shape
allows for various adjustments and uses,
and through our relationships with the
company coming together at the right time,
we were able to make the dream happen.
The quickest way to travel around the world
is on an airliner, even virtually. Piloting a
real Airbus is a dream that is available to
very few people and now that dream will
be accessible virtually to many more.
PC Pilot: Who would you say is your primary
target audience for the TCA product range?
Thrustmaster: Our primary audience
is the core civil flight simmer base that
Right: The
build quality
is robust with
the base made
from heavy-
duty plastic
and finished in
Airbus blue.
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: Combined with solid build quality
and good control feedback, the TCA Sidestick
Airbus Edition provides an authentic flying
experience at a very affordable price.
Developer: Thrustmaster
Price: £64.99/$69.99/€69.99
Website: www.thrustmaster.com/
products/tca-officer-pack-airbus-
edition
90
PC Pilot Score:
flies simulators ranging from the more
advanced titles such as X-Plane 11
to more accessible software like the
Microsoft Flight Simulator series.
However, we built a product range that
can cater to other needs as well; the TCA
Airbus range is adapted for other flight
simulator platforms thanks to the variety
of functions and adjustable features on
each product. Whether you are a right
or left-handed simmer, a space sim fan
or even a military enthusiast, this is a
great way to play your favourite flight
simulator with this product range.
PC Pilot: The TCA Sidestick appears
to have some commonality with the
T.16000M. What are the inherent differences
and similarities between the two?
Thrustmaster: Most importantly, the
handle is completely new and totally
versatile, providing four ergonomic handle
positions in one. The twist rudder can
be locked, which is something that is
not possible with the T.16000M and the
throttle also offers the ability to reverse.
From a design perspective, the stick also
of course uses the iconic Airbus colours and
design features and crucially functions as
part of the wider TCA hardware ecosystem.
PC Pilot: Thank you for talking with us, and
we wish all the best with this new product.
www.Key.Aero
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their entire top selling Global range of add-ons, and
spectacular TrueEarth USA and Great Britain packs!
To enter, visit key.aero/pcpilot/competitions
3 lucky readers will win the entire
Global Upgrades Collection Bundle.
This includes Orbx’s number 1 selling product, Global BASE Pack. No
product in the history of FSX or P3D produces such an instant, radical
and complete global makeover like Orbx’s Global BASE Pack does. You
will also receive Global Vector, Global Buildings and Global Terraflora v2,
which give waterways, roads, coastlines, cities, trees and so much more
around the globe a much more realistic and immersive experience.

3 lucky readers will win the entire

Global openLC Collection Bundle
Enjoy an impressively upgraded Europe, with every town and village
included. Explore the vast and beautiful area of North and Central America
(including Alaska and Canada), Greenland as well as the Caribbean islands
and Hawaii. Take flight over the tropical rain forests and exotic locations
of South America, with photoreal volcanoes. Soar above the stunning
landscape of Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo, Cape Verde to Madagascar.

3 lucky readers will win the entire

TrueEarth Great Britain
Collection Bundle.
Explore Orbx’s TrueEarth regions across Great Britain, with highly detailed
landscapes, suburbs and cityscapes to truly immerse you in the world of
flight. This collection includes Great Britain Central, Great Britain North
and Great Britain South.

3 lucky readers will win the entire

TrueEarth USA Collection Bundle.
Explore Orbx’s TrueEarth regions across the United States, with highly
detailed landscapes, suburbs and cityscapes to truly immerse you in
the world of flight. This collection includes Florida, Oregon, Washington,
Northern California, and Southern California.

Didn’t win or want to know more? See page 31 of this issue or visit orbxdirect.com

Closing date 20 November 2020. See website for full terms and conditions 341/20
“Exactly what X-Plane needed.
My life is complete!”
ALSO AVAILABLE FOR
the best add-on I own”
Air Hauler 2 puts you in
complete control of your
own freight and passenger
company, both in the
boardroom and in the cockpit.
From landings to leases,
flight plans to finances and
repairs to recruitment, the
success of your operation
is down to you!
NOW OUT FOR
“This is brilliant,
Fly jobs between bases, buy
or lease aircraft and create
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Recruit pilots, build routes
and look out for special
humanitarian missions. Trade
cargo commodities, open
factories at your airports and
buy parts - the possibilities
really are endless!
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