YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO FLIGHT SIMULATION

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X PLUSOSFT
MICRO
FLIGHT SIMUL
REVIEWS
ATOR
PLANE
SPECIAL!
New Series by
Austin Meyer
Creator of X-Plane

ASOBO’S JUNKERS JU 52, MILVIZ’S PC-6

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01
January/February 2022

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EDITORIAL

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ello and a very warm welcome to another

X-PLANE!
his passion and for continually striving to push and scenery add-on reviews for Microsoft

H exciting issue of PC Pilot. As you will

have seen from our front cover, we have
a special X-Plane edition for you. Not only do
we have reviews of X-Plane aircraft and scenery
but this issue sees the start of a very special
series on X-Plane 12 written by none other than
its creator: Austin Meyer. Austin is well-known
throughout the flight simulation industry, not
only for producing his highly respected, high-
fidelity and long-running franchise but also for
the boundaries of flight simulation itself. I have to
say, we are really excited to have Austin write for
PC Pilot. In his new series, he discusses in great
detail what he has in store for us with his eagerly
awaited and the next chapter in the franchise,
X-Plane 12. You will find Austin’s piece not only
informative but very educational. Turn to page
26 to start reading this six-page feature.
However, if you do not own X-Plane, fear
not, for we also have a number of aircraft
Flight Simulator. Other highlights in this issue
include: the exciting DCS Mosquito FB VI
and Thrustmaster’s TCA Captain Pack Airbus
Edition, as well as our regular Flight Adventure
and Back to Basic tutorial.
So all that remains for me is to wish you all a
very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Happy flight simming!
Derek Davis, Editor
Derek@pcpilot.net

EDITORIAL
Editor: Derek Davis (derek@pcpilot.net)
Technical Editor: Richard Benedikz
Contributors to this issue:
Joe Lavery, Peter Stark, Andrew Underwood,
Chris Partridge, Jessica Bannister-Pearce,
Austin Meyer and Evan Reiter
Head of Publishing: Finbarr O’Reilly
Production Editor: Sarah Robinson
Head of Design: Steve Donovan
Designers: Lee Howson and Tom Bagley
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www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 3

Contents
Regulars
03 Editorial
06 News
10 Comms
Flight Adventure
56 The Piper
Cheyenne family
Reviews
14 iniBuilds' Airbus A300-600 - Is this the
best airliner ever made for X-Plane?
18 VSkyLabs' C-47 Skytrain/DC-3 - The
most versatile of aircraft
22 FA Simulations’ Helsinki Metropolitan
VFR - More than a plausible rendition…
32 Asobo's Junkers Ju 52 - Asobo models
a 1930s classic
36 MilViz's PC-6 Turbo Porter - The
Swiss Army knife of the sky
40 Just Flight's Mallorca Airport - The
gateway to the Balearics
44 Orbx's Landmarks Auckland City
Pack – The City of Sails
68 Turtle Beach's VelocityOne Flight -
The Universal Control System
72 Thrustmaster's TCA Captains Pack
Airbus Edition - Is this the ultimate
Airbus flying experience?
76 ProSim 737 - Interfacing a 737 home
cockpit
Thrustmaster's TCA
72 Captains Pack
4 / PC PILOT #137
Features
26 X-PLANE 12 by Austin Meyer – Part 1
Since 1995, a major version of X-Plane
has been released every few years.
While updates have been coming fast
and furious, the user interface has
barely been good enough and the test-
ing has been at a minimum. But with
X-Plane 12 on the horizon, everything is
different. X-Plane’s creator Austin Meyer
explains why.
48 FlightSimExpo 2021 -
The show must go on
North America's community-
driven flight simulation conference,
FlightSimExpo, took place at the Town
and Country Resort in San Diego,
California. It was run as a hybrid event
with visitors attending in-person or
taking part online. Event organiser
Evan Reiter recounts his experience of
FlightSimExpo 2021 and describes the
many challenges the team had to face
to get the show off the ground.
52 The Human Element -
A personal journey
Chris Partridge looks back at his flight
simulation journey, starting with a
Sinclair Spectrum ZX81 in the early
1980s, through to the golden age of
Asobo's Junkers
combat simulation in the 90s and the
VR experience of high-end modern jets
32 Ju 52
and helicopters currently available in
DCS World. 64 DCS: Mosquito FB VI
Back in Issue 133, we ran an in-depth
56 Flight Adventure - interview with Sergey Gerasev - the project
The Piper Cheyenne family manager and team leader for the Mosquito
In this issue, we head towards Alaska FB VI project at Eagle Dynamics. Now that
while exploring some of the features the aircraft has finally landed, does this
and innovations of the remarkable Piper eagerly awaited DCS Mosquito live up to
Cheyenne twin-turboprop aircraft. expectations? Let's find out!
MilViz's PC-6
36 Turbo Porter
www.Key.Aero
 Next Month
The next issue of
PC Pilot (Issue 138) will
be on sale in UK shops
on February 17.

DCS: Mosquito
FB VI 64

VSkyLabs' C-47 ProSim

18 Skytrain/DC-3 76 737

Tutorials
60 Back to Basics – Flying circuits and
landings at night
In this lesson, we wind up our night
flying training by preparing for a cross-
country navigation exercise while
learning how to handle any surprises
that may occur along the way.

Hardware
80 Building a Cessna/Piper Panel
Assembly – Part 2
In this instalment, Joe Lavery
describes how to assemble the cockpit
Orbx's Landmarks
Auckland City Pack
44 components and the process of
interfacing the encoders.

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 5

NEWS
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Game of the Year Edition
Asobo Studio has announced Microsoft Flight
Simulator (MFS) Game of the Year (GOTY)
Edition is now available. The new edition was
released to celebrate the positive feedback,
reviews and awards garnered since the initial
release of Microsoft Flight Simulator but is
also a thank you to its customers.
The GOTY Edition also ties in with the
release of Sim Update VII, which adds a host
of new features and bug fixes to the platform.
GOTY adds a substantial amount of
MFS Sim Update VII
The launch of GOTY tied in with the release
of Sim Update VII, adding new features and
bug fixes. The update list is extensive but
highlights include an early implementation of
DirectX 12, an in-development replay system
and upgraded navigation data. Additionally,
the weather system has been improved with
better METAR ingestion into live weather and
it is now possible to place clouds below sea
level in regions such as the Dead Sea.
The default GA aircraft have received
several updates such as better sound
6 / PC PILOT #137
content to the simulator such as new
aircraft, handcrafted airports, additional
photogrammetry cities, new missions and
tutorials.
The five new aircraft include the Boeing F/A-
18 Super Hornet, VoloCity eVTOL urban air
taxi, the Pilatus PC-6 Porter STOL (Short
Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, a CubCrafters
CC-19 with a nosewheel option and a single-
seat version of the Aviat Pitts Special S1S.
The update also adds eight handcrafted
airports in Central Europe and the US:
• Germany: Leipzig/Halle Airport (EDDP),
Allgäu Airport Memmingen (EDJA) and
Kassel Airport (EDVK)
• Switzerland: Lugano Airport (LSZA), Zurich
Airport (LSZH) and Luzern-Beromunster
Airport (LSZO)
• United States: Patrick Space Force Base
(KCOF) and Marine Corps Air Station
Miramar (KNKX).
Additionally, approximately 545 previously
missing airports in the US have been added.
effects, new key bindings for the condition
lever on turboprops and improved logic
for the primer on piston aircraft. The
default airliners also have upgraded flight
management systems and cockpit displays.
For the global scenery, new watermasks
have been added around the world and
night lighting is more realistic. Finally, Asobo
revealed World Update VII is scheduled to
release on January 25 and will cover Australia.
Like the previous World Updates, it will
feature new POIs and photogrammetry cities.
New Discovery Flights, at six locations
globally, include: Helsinki, Freiburg im
Breisgau, Mecca, Monument Valley,
Singapore and Mount Cook. Asobo, in
partnership with FS Academy, has produced
14 new tutorial flights and additional bush
flying experiences in the Icon A5 and IFR
flights in the Cessna 172.
As part of an ongoing collaboration with Bing
Maps, photogrammetry data is improving at a
steady pace. This release includes coverage
for eight new cities:
• Finland: Helsinki
• Germany: Freiburg im Breisgau
• United Kingdom: Brighton, Derby,
Eastbourne, Newcastle and Nottingham
• Netherlands: Utrecht
• France: Vers-Pont-Du-Gard and Chambord
and Port-Vendres.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Game of the
Year Edition is available as a free update for
existing customers on both PC and Xbox
Series X|S.
www.Key.Aero

Thrustmaster Unveils
the TCA Boeing
Edition Range
Thrustmaster has unveiled its new officially
licensed TCA Boeing Edition range of
flight controllers. Designed to replicate the
controls of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the
line-up consists of three products: the TCA
Yoke, TCA Quadrant and Yoke Pack. These
controllers can also be used with the Xbox
(Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S).
The TCA Yoke is designed to reproduce the
feel of a floor-mounted yoke on a desktop. It
features Thrustmaster’s proprietary HEART
magnetic sensor technology to provide
precise control inputs with the pitch axis
featuring a 21cm movement range. Other
highlights include integral thrust levers, an
undercarriage lever, 18 action buttons and an
eight-way hat switch. The TCA Yoke Boeing
Edition will retail at £349.99 and is due to be
released on December 23.
TCA Quadrant is a replica of a Boeing
throttle quadrant with a built-in autopilot.
It features three axes with progressive
resistance to replicate the control inputs on
actual Boeing jets. These also use magnetic
sensors and can be configured for various
functions such as speed brakes, flaps or
thrust levers. The Quadrant will retail at
£129.99 and is due to be released on March
10, 2022.
The Yoke Pack Boeing Edition includes the
TCA Yoke and TCA Quadrant in one package.
It will retail at £449.99 and is due to be
released on December 23 this year.
SHOP • MANAGE • CONNECT DOWNLOAD THE FLIGHT1 AGENT
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Reno Air Races released
Asobo Studio has announced Reno Air
Races is now available on the Microsoft
Flight Simulator Marketplace. The
development team worked closely with the
Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) and
dozens of pilots and owners to develop
highly authentic recreations of many of the
world’s most famous racing aircraft.
The package includes two versions: the
Reno Air Races: Full Collection, and Reno
Air Races: Expansion Pack.
Reno Air Races: Full Collection features
40 officially licensed aircraft, including 10
North American P-51 Mustangs, 10 North
American T-6 Texans, 10 Aero L-39 Albatros’
and 10 Aviat Pitts Special S1S. Among them
are famous ‘Gold’ champions like Miss
America, Strega, Voodoo, Baron’s Revenge,
Radial Velocity, Six-Cat, American Spirit,
Just Flight’s Hawk Advanced Trainer
Just Flight has released the Hawk T1/A
Advanced Trainer for Microsoft Flight
Simulator. Developed by Just Flight's
in-house team, the Hawk sports several
high-definition liveries (including the
RAF and Red Arrows), Physically Based
Please visit
www.flight1.com
www. .com
for more information
UPCOMING RELEASE
iFly Jets Advanced Series - The 737NG
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Pipsqueak and many other top racers. The
pack retails at $59.99 (£45 approx).
The Reno Air Races: Expansion Pack is an
entry point to air racing. It includes an online
multiplayer racing experience along with four
detailed starter aircraft: a North American
T-6 Texan, a North American P-51 Mustang,
an Aero L-39 Albatros and an Aviat Pitts
Special S1S. It retails at $19.99 (£15 approx).
More information is available at www.
flightsimulator.com.
Rendering (PBR) effects, realistic payloads
including AIM-9 missiles, rockets, practise
bombs, a 30mm Aden cannon gun pod, Red
Arrows diesel/dye smoke pod and ground
service equipment.
Both the front and rear pilot positions are
modelled in detail with smoothly animated
3D instruments and fully functioning custom-
coded systems and avionics. The aircraft
features a high-fidelity Wwise sound
environment, an authentic flight control
system, custom lighting, and an Electronic
Flight Bag (EFB) tablet for controlling various
options. The Hawk is available from Just
Flight's website for £32.99 -
www.justflight.com.
FOR
P3D V5
#137 PC PILOT / 7
NEWS
TrueEarth Spain South
for X-Plane
Orbx has announced TrueEarth Spain South
for X-Plane 11 is now available.
The massive 98,000 sq mile region covers
the area from Costa-Del-Sol to the Sierra
Nevada mountains and the historic city of
Granada.
The scenery sports crisp aerial imagery with
colour-corrected hand-edited textures and
optimised 10m mesh resulting in detailed
mountains and coastlines with hand-placed
ports/boats and numerous coastal features.
It comes with more than 200 Points of
Interest (POIs) covering major cities, castles,
Q400 Takes Flight in X-Plane
Following several years of development,
FlyJSim has announced that the long-
awaited Q4XP for X-Plane 11 has been
released.
Based on the Bombardier Dash 8
Q400, the package features a detailed
3D model with 4K textures both inside
and out. It sports a fully modelled cabin
with animations such as window shades,
overhead bins and tray tables.
Up front, the flight deck is an accurate
recreation of the real aircraft with realistic
prop and power lever controls. It also comes
with authentic avionics such as a Flight
Guidance Control Panel and a UNS-1Ew
Flight Management System (FMS).
Other highlights include an authentic
simulation of the pneumatic, electrical and
fuel systems. The engines are modelled
8 / PC PILOT #137
churches and other major landmarks. It also
sports accurate Spanish-themed autogen
based on LiDAR data and vegetation with the
correct species and height.
The SD version is at a 2m/pixel resolution
and uses 49.2GB of disc space when
installed. It is available on OrbxDirect for
AUD$33.71 (£18.37 approx).
The HD version is at a 1m/pixel resolution
and uses 176.3GB of disc space. It is
available for AUD$39.99 (£21.80 approx).
More information is available on OrbxDirect -
https://orbxdirect.com.
in detail with Full Authority Digital Engine
Control (FADEC) and Propeller Electronic
Control (PEC) simulation enabling realistic
power management for all phases of flight.
A custom sound set captures the
distinctive tones of the Pratt & Whitney
PW150A engines, including the gearing,
starter, low pressure and high-pressure
turbines. The Dowty R408 propellers are
also modelled with different pitch angles
and RPM regimes.
Finally, a custom Electronic Flight Bag
(EFB) includes a payload manager, built-
in checklists, and a configuration tool for
selecting the load state, your role as captain
or first officer and various aircraft settings.
The Q4XP is available on the FlyJSim
website for $79.95 (£60 approx) -
www.flyjsim.com.
Skiathos for
Microsoft Flight
Simulator
Orbx has released Skiathos International
Airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Developed by Matteo Veneziani, the
package is a complete rendition of
Skiathos Airport (LGSK), with detailed
landside and airside areas. The scenery is
based on 2021 data and features custom
aerial imagery at a 50cm resolution along
with custom Ground Support Equipment
(GSE) and static aircraft. The entire island
is also covered with custom buildings,
hotels and other notable landmarks. The
package is available on OrbxDirect for
AUD$23.63 (£12.98 approx) - https://
orbxdirect.com.
Electra takes
flight in Microsoft
Flight Simulator
Aeroplane Heaven has announced that the
Electra 10-A for Microsoft Flight Simulator
has been released. The twin-engine
Lockheed Electra is evocative of the 1930s
and 40s, made famous by Amelia Earhart
who disappeared during a round-the-world
record attempt. It also found fame in the
movies such as Casablanca in 1942.
The package from Aeroplane Heaven
sports 11 liveries with a detailed exterior
and interior based on years of research
and factory drawings. It sports an
authentic cockpit with unique animations
and functions such as a switch-out
for 'modern' avionics and an optional
Sperry autopilot. Special effects include
engine exhaust, animated doors and a
3D passenger cabin. It is available on
OrbxDirect for £24.30 approx - https://
orbxdirect.com.
www.Key.Aero
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COMMS
Pilots for kites
Dear PC Pilot
I’m following the development of Microsoft
Flight Simulator closely, as I’m planning
to replace my entire FSX system (both
hardware and software) next year, once
MSFS has more fully matured, ie has fewer
upgrades, bug fixes and more aircraft.
One aspect that I’m still finding difficult
to evaluate is choosing the optimum PC
hardware. It’s something I would suggest PC
Pilot can help more with by having a section
in the magazine that tracks the experience
of the ‘PC system used’ information from the
Dear PC Pilot
I have been following with interest your
dialogue on this debatable question.
From Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 and a
simple joystick, I graduated to FSX and
Saitek controls and in the early days I
suppose with its relatively simple format
and facilities, it could have perhaps
been described as a game but with the
latest sophisticated products and hardware,
the medium has been transformed into a
professional flight simulator, lacking all but
physical motion. As I am always at pains to
point out to non-aficionados, if you don't
operate it exactly like the real thing, disaster
will ensue (albeit that you can walk away
from a mishap, hopefully having learned
some valuable lessons). So, for me, now
equipped with X-Plane 11 and Honeycomb
controls, it is definitely a simulation and the
intense concentration, planning and attention
to detail is what makes it so enjoyable and
challenging.
Although I have been fortunate enough
to experience flight in everything from a
747 to an ultralight, strangely I was never
particularly interested in actually learning to
fly. However, the breadth of knowledge and
diverse subjects needed to master the skill
were always so intensely fascinating that I
10 / PC PILOT #137
various users/developers/third-parties now
using/developing features/products in MSFS
or other platforms.
This info/evaluation could be presented
in a similar format to that used in other
magazines, namely, the ‘A-List’ – the best
products on the market in respect of the
gaming/flight simulation market and MSFS
in particular. This would include: best PC
producers, best storage producers, best
graphics processors, best monitors and best
control peripherals.
The information presented on each could
Game or simulation?
PC Pilot
Hi Maurice,
Thanks for your though
ts and kind
words – much apprec
iated!
Cheer s, Derek
taught myself many of these disciplines long
before I ever discovered flight simulation.
Having spent all of my days in and around
aviation from a young aero-modeller and
plane-spotter to 20 years in the airline
industry in various roles and now in
retirement, flight simulation, together with
be model, price and summary of spec/
performance, plus any review reference
featured in the magazine.
This concept could be extended to the
various flight sim platforms, given the type
of flying/simulation, the ‘pilot’ is looking for
or wants to get into. For example, given the
huge improvement in scenery in MSFS, VFR
(with GA aircraft) is likely to be more of an
experience than with a commercial airliner
at 35,000ft.
I have been interested in IT, flying and flight
simulation for many years - right back to
the days of the BBC Acorn’s ‘Jumbo sim’.
With accelerating changes in technology,
it seems to me that the gaming/flight
simulation issue is not one of either/or, but
of and/both.
We are entering (or have already entered)
a technological race in which it’s apparent
that it’s a kind of ‘horses for courses’
situation. While MSFS might appear to be
the best of the rest, you need to decide
what sort of ride you want, ie a ‘pilots for
kites’ choice. I hope you find this useful.
Kind regards, Peter Brown
PC Pilot
Hi Peter,
Emails like yours are ext
remely helpful as
they let us know what
you would like to
see in our magazine.
We will cer tainly take
on board your ideas and
see if we can
accommodate your sug
gestions over the
coming issues. Many
thanks.
Cheer s, Derek
writing about air transport history, are natural
outlets for this lifelong enthusiasm.
Thanks to you and your dedicated team
for producing an excellent, entertaining and
often thought-provoking magazine.
Maurice Wickstead
Chudleigh, South Devon
www.Key.Aero

Back to Basics
Dear PC Pilot
Here are some comments that came to mind
after I read the previous edition of PC Pilot:
another great issue, thanks.
I’ve enjoyed Peter Stark’s series on Back
to Basics, especially those on unusual
attitudes and night flying. He’s spot-on with
his explanations and warnings and I’d like
to add a couple of my own. In Issue 133, an
image caption on page 58 indicates: “Always
roll level before recovering…” For the specific
situation, level flight, but inverted, it fits. As a
panacea, that may be misleading.
Power is always the first consideration -
nose low, decrease throttle; nose high to
increase it. In an extreme nose-high, with
rapidly decreasing airspeed scenario, you
need to maintain the bank angle and perhaps
increase bank angle to bring the nose down to
the horizon or below before rolling the wings
level. In USAF pilot training, we got to practice
unusual attitudes in the back seat, under the
instrument hood; no peeking please.
About night flying… My first night solo was
a breeze; once around the traffic pattern.
Eight to ten planes (T-6G Texans - the original
taildragger) were lined up at the end of the
PC Pilot
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for your email. Yes, digital compilations of our Challeng
still available from Pocketm ags at: https://
and Back to Basics series are
pocketmags.com/pc-pilot-magazine/specialissues. You will also
other digital publications there, which may be updated in the future.
Cheers, Derek
www.Key.Aero
Contact us Visit us
mail@Key.Aero www.Key.Aero
runway. At ‘official’ sunset, the first bird rolled
and the rest followed at a minute or two
intervals. When tail-end Charlie landed, it was
barely dark. My first solo night cross-country
was another matter.
That night, it was well after sundown and it
was dark before take-off. By this time in our
training, we had an excellent grounding in
instrument flying, which comes in handy in the
pitch-black skies and made a believer of me.
Instrument training included an Instrument
Take-Off (ITO), again, in the back seat and
under the hood - hold the plane straight on
the runway heading, with 800hp of torque
dragging the nose left and use a vacuum-
driven directional gyro to get the job done.
Only those who were smooth with the throttle
and fast with torque-rudder (right rudder)
were successful.
I do not believe there is any such thing as
night VFR. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate - a
pilot’s motto that will keep you alive. First and
foremost, maintain control of the plane, next
make the plane go where it should and lastly
tell others about it - in that order.
Second subject: Microsoft Flight Simulator
(MFS). Microsoft abandoned me and the
PC Pilot Tutorials
ing Airports
find our
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entire flight simulator community shortly
after releasing FSX (version 10) and has had
a decade and a half to get its act together.
I gave it the benefit of the doubt and did
my best to give MFS a fair chance. I’d been
away from that flight sim for a few weeks,
concentrating on other projects. On my
return, I double-clicked the flight sim icon and
got a message, “upgrade before using” (or
something like that). I was unable to get the
upgrade because I didn’t have some ‘games
service’. I invested at least six hours chasing
around the internet and experimenting with
useless fixes. Web chatter indicated that a
Windows 10 update crashed MFS.
I’m not exactly sure what I did to solve my
dilemma but finally MFS was running in an
updated state. Now, when I stop the sim and
relaunch it, the sim has forgotten my settings.
I’ve turned the background music off four or
more times and I think that’s the least of what
it forgets. I gave MFS a fair shot. As far as MFS
is concerned, it has turned my new computer
into the largest, most expensive paperweight
I’ve ever owned. It’s time to call Microsoft
out for a pitiful product. It touts the fantastic
scenery, and I agree it is good but it has
forgotten the name of its product: Microsoft
Flight Simulator. It should be concentrating
on flying aeroplanes, not looking at pretty
static items and chasing fixes to make it run.
As of now, MFS is gathering dust on my hard
drive and I’m allotting my time to three other
sims that are more satisfying to fly. Just one
person’s opinion.
Cheers,
Kind regards,
John Achor
PC Pilot
Hi John,
Thanks for your email
and your valuable
hints and tips. I’m sor
ry to hear that you
are having issues wit
h MFS. We will look
into this problem for
you and will respond
once we have a solutio
n.
Cheer s, Derek
Dear PC Pilot
I read with interest your comments in the
Comms section of Issue 136 mentioning
that digital compilations of previous tutorials
have been published in the past. I am
always impressed with your tutorials and
this sounds like just what I am looking for!
With that in mind, are these still available
please? And if so, how can I get one?
On a similar note, do you intend to update
them/add later tutorials to them as time
goes by?
Thanks again,
Jonathan Jackson
#137 PC PILOT / 11
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REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE
he 1960s saw the Americans
T tighten their grip on the civil
aviation market. In 1967, the UK,
France and West Germany began
to fight back, forming Airbus Industries. The
UK left the project in 1969, but Airbus went on
to produce its first aircraft just five years after
it was formed: the Airbus A300.
From the start, the A300 was a winner.
The wide-body design and good range
were mixed with modern technologies, like
the all-composite material tail, which put
Departure is fun, with the aircraft quick to pick up speed.
The EFB offers a lot of functions, including this
interactive refuelling page.
14 / PC PILOT #137
the A300 on the cutting-edge of 1970 tech,
and customers loved it. Its twin-engine
design proved to be more efficient than the
trijets of the day, and the A300 would make
history as the first twinjet to meet Extended
Range Twin Engine Operations (ETOPS)
requirements, opening up the North Atlantic
routes and beginning the downfall for trijets
in the process.
By the 1980s though, the
range needed updating
and the A300 B4
Airbus
I actually kept the white tail livery as it really showed off the detail
in the textures.
600, more commonly referred to as the
A300-600, joined the party alongside the
new A310. The 600 proved just as popular
and was the first wide-body aircraft to
reduce the crew to just pilot and co-pilot.
Today, more than 300 A300s still fly and
Airbus itself now holds 50% of the civil
aircraft market. For flight simulation, the
A300-600 has been missing, until now. Step
up iniBuilds, with its A300-
600R add-on for
X-Plane
iniBuilds’
Externally, there’s a lot of detail. That said, a new
model is due out by the end of the year that will be
even better.
www.Key.Aero

11. Can an A320 pilot like myself fly the old
girl? Will I be able to navigate the steam
dials and can I cope with the yoke? Let’s
find out.
Downloading and installing
Let's start with the basics. The download is
a nice 1.5GB or so in size and expands to
nearly 3GB. Inside, you get the passenger
and freight versions of the aircraft, a small
plugin to make use of the terrain display and
an HTML manual. Installation is as simple
A300-600
Is this the best airliner
ever made for X-Plane?
The A300-600R was slightly longer than the previous
A300s and sported the now-familiar arrowhead wing
fences we see today.
www.Key.Aero
as copying the aircraft to the aircraft folder
in X-Plane and copying the plugin to the
plugin folder. Then when you start the sim
and select the aircraft, you'll need to enter
the product key. And that's it. There are no
liveries but you can download them from the
iniBuilds forum.
First impressions
and walk-around
I head to the passenger version first and
favour the GE-CF6 engined
variant, though a Pratt & Whitney version
is also available. The white-tailed aircraft
that greets me is fairly familiar. A300s are
frequent visitors to Vienna both as passenger
aircraft and cargo hauliers.
Externally the model looks great, even in
the plain white paint. 4K PBR textures are the
order of the day for this aircraft and the detail
shows through. There are also little hints of
how this A300 laid the groundwork for the
A320 and family to come, most notably the
arrival of the arrow-shaped wingtip fences.
Outside is fun but it's the cockpit I need to
look at.
PCPilot PC
PLATINUM
AWARD
Airbus genesis
Into the left-hand seat and the cockpit is
familiar yet different. The yoke stands out
as seeming 'out of place', letting you know
this really isn't the Airbus I know, yet looking
around, I can see the A320 in the A300. For
starters, it has modern flight instruments.
There's a standard EFIS display set, with the
PFD on the top and the ND underneath. Then
there are two ECAM (Electronic Centralised
Aircraft Monitor) monitors set on either side
of the pedestal. The layout is reminiscent of
the Boeing 757/767, but there's definitely the
Airbus thought process in this cockpit. Moving
to the overhead panel and while it's undeniably
more complex-looking than the A320 family,
you can see the heritage there, and I manage
to get around the overhead with ease.
As I powered up the aircraft, I noticed how she
dealt with power constraints. Start with just the
batteries and until the APU is up and running,
much of the overhead panel stays powerless. It
feels like forward-thinking for a mid-80s aircraft.
There's also a lot of system self-testing going
on as you bring the old girl to life. Watch the
overhead fuel gauge for example. It will test
#137 PC PILOT / 15
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE
itself before it displays the current fuel on board.
There's a lot of systems-depth going on behind
the scenes here and it's excellent.
With a sense of confidence, I start preparing
the A300 for a flight. Getting the APU running
is easy; finding the ADIRUs for the IRS is a
little more tricky as there are three separate
panels instead of one on the A320 but I
manage. Fuel and lighting are pretty much
where I'd expect them to be. The air bleeds
are exactly where they should be - on a
Boeing, so that's a surprise. There are a few
areas where the overhead panel mixes with
the Boeing way of doing things. The engine
start-up, for example, is very ‘Boeingesque’.
Moving to the glareshield, I run into my first
issue. The autopilot is on but blank. This
puzzled me for the longest time. I turned every
light on in the cockpit. In reality, the glareshield
only powers up correctly when the first engine
starts (that initial confidence is starting to
wane…). Filling in the Multi-Function Control
and Display Unit (MCDU) or Flight Management
Computer (FMC) proves to be equally familiar,
though there are differences I actually prefer.
For example, setting an airway entry and exit
point is made easy. You enter the airway on to
the MCDU as you would in the A320. You're
presented with a list of waypoints along that
airway, which you scroll through to the exit
point, then select. In the A320, you just enter
the airway and then the exit point yourself. It's
quicker but I found I had a better understanding
of the route by scrolling through that list.
With the pre-flight done and engines running,
I take a moment to have a good look around
the A300’s cockpit. The details are great, right
down to the dust on the displays. That level
of detail wowed us back when the PMDG
737 NGX arrived on FSX and it hints here at
the level of detail and complexity that’s been
The cockpit by
dawn's early light.
16 / PC PILOT #137
Departure is fun, with the
aircraft quick to pick up speed.
coded into the A300-600R.
While looking around is nice, getting moving
is better and the aircraft feels heavy. Taxiing
has the right amount of inertia to it, making it
feel real, while getting the nose up as airspeed
builds is spot-on. Speed is very important on
the A300, and if you get into a stall, iniBuilds
has produced specific stall and buffeting
behaviours that get the heart pumping.
In flight, things feel not unlike the A320 but
certainly not the same. There's no 'push/pull'
autopilot operation here. Instead, it's more
Boeing-like with buttons for Profile and Nav
hold; again, familiar but not.
Modern tools
Away from flying, I would like to shine a light
on the iniBuilds Electronic Flight Bag (EFB)
included with the aircraft. Positioned on the
left and right window sills, the EFB is one of
the better examples I've come across. You
can adjust the load sheet easily, allowing for
quick setups of the aircraft. You can also call
the fuel trucks out to fuel you in real-time if you
like. There are controls for all sorts of ground
vehicles and a nice set of quick reference
checklists to work through during your flight.
The real power of this EFB is in the performance
calculator. Here, you can enter the fuel onboard
A mix of steam gauges and screens makes things
interesting. My favourite is the flaps and slats gauge.
The Airbus A320 just uses flap settings 1 to 4.
The MCDU has a pop-out panel and is very easy to
navigate.
and the Zero Fuel Weight (ZFW) alongside your
take-off runway, weather conditions and so on.
The EFB will calculate your V speeds for you
and allow you to transfer the data across to the
MCDU ready for the flight. This saves searching
through countless performance charts and
saves plenty of time.
Conclusion
The iniBuilds A300-600R is a remarkable
aircraft. It flies and feels like the real thing.
The sounds are impressive, the texturing top
class and the attention to detail excellent. This
is PMDG standard stuff and I love it. What I
like the most is that it combines a lot of what
I love about the A320, with what I enjoyed
about flying older Boeings. The workload
is higher, yet comfortable. It's wonderfully
familiar yet still challenging. Get the aircraft
too slow on the approach and it will bite you.
There were a few bugs here and there. I had
one bug that would not accept my departure
and arrival routing when entering it in the
MCDU. I cleared it by entering a different
route name, then re-entering the original. The
most annoying bug, however, has to be the
autopilot disconnect. For some reason, once
it begins to sound, I cannot silence it unless
I re-engage the autopilot. No amount of
pushing the master caution or warning lights
seems to help and it’s a joy to park at the gate
and disengage the power.
The other thing I would really like to see
included is a good manual with a tutorial. I picked
up the A300 with only a few issues but a guide
to the cockpit layout would have been more than
welcomed and a tutorial would have sped up my
familiarisation with the A300 no end.
These are minor things, however, and by
the time you read this review, a new updated
version is scheduled to arrive, with a new
external model, updated systems and more,
and that's free to all current customers. The
iniBuilds A300-600R is one of the best, possibly
the best airliner available for X-Plane and is one
of the top airliner add-ons of any simulation.
Grab it today and fly like it's 1988.
By Jessica Bannister-Pearce
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: A gem of an aircraft that's both
challenging and fun. iniBuilds has done a
fantastic job in recreating the A300-600R.
Developer & Publisher: iniBuilds
Price: £69.99 (excluding VAT)
Website: https://store.inibuilds.com/
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Okay
Systems: Excellent
95
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE
The C-47 flies like a dream once in the air but demands
to be flown with care, planning and respect.
Flight dynamics and ground handling is highly
sophisticated and takes a lot of practice and patience
to learn to fly well.
Systems simulation is quite advanced for such a
reasonably priced model.
Airframe and engine damage is fully modelled,
complete with visual effects.
18 / PC PILOT #137
n our previous issue, we introduced
I vSkyLabs Aerospace Simulations
which has been producing X-Plane
aircraft since version 9. This time
around we fly the most recent incarnation
from its C-47 Skytrain Flying Lab Project.
Needing no introduction
The C-47 Skytrain and its civilian airliner
stablemate, the DC-3, would have to be
one of the most recognisable aircraft on
the planet. While the DC-3 was primarily
produced between 1936 and 1942, the
war years saw a military transport version
developed which was variously dubbed the
C-47 Skytrain, Dakota, R4D and even the
Gooney Bird. Perhaps less known is that
C-47 variations included troop and equipment
vSkyLabs’
C-47
transport, paratrooper delivery, VIP and even
photographic reconnaissance platforms.
To deal with the rigours of military service,
the DC-3 base design was modified to have
stronger flooring, a large rear cargo door, hoists
and a rear cone attachment to allow them
to also tow gliders. Such was the demand
and success of the design, that more than
10,000 were produced with many still flying
commercially in many parts of the world today.
vSkyLabs C-47
Flying Lab Project
The C-47 is a labour of love for vSkyLabs
with it initially releasing a C-47 for X-Plane in
2017. The lead developer flew C-47s during his
career and he seemingly became obsessed
with continually tweaking and modifying the
www.Key.Aero

Skytrain/DC-3
code to get the handling
dynamics as close as
possible to the real bird –
whether that be on the ground or
in the air – and on one engine or two. Hence,
it has been dubbed the Flying Lab Project.
So even more than four years later, there
are periodically new versions being released
with critical aspects of the design and flight
dynamics being revisited and improved. The
latest build 4.0r5 has just been released.
The 388MB download can be extracted
straight into your X-Plane Aircraft folder.
The package includes the C-47 in wheeled,
ski and float versions in five liveries that
range from bare metal to military transports
and the inevitable Buffalo Airways paint
job. The suite of PDF manuals includes a
www.Key.Aero
The most versatile of aircraft
full Pilot’s Operating Handbook and a
quick ‘essentials’ guide. With the C-47
possessing very accurate flight dynamics
and systems simulation, you had better read
it first. Some C-47/DC-3 products for various
flight sim platforms tend to simplify some
handling characteristics but not this one.
The walk-around
Build four of this product features some of
the old favourite liveries of earlier versions as
well as new models that take advantage of
Vulkan texture graphics. As with most classic
aircraft, there are also a plethora of add-on
repaints available at the X-Plane forums with
one package alone containing no fewer than
72 additional liveries.
The panel and gauges are straight out of the
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
1940s with well-worn and scuffed panels with
large dial faces. The concessions to modern
aviation include click spots for the default X-Plane
GNS530 GPS, S-TEC autopilot and the freeware
AviTab electronic flight bag (available separately).
The radio panels are likewise, quite modern sets
and include dual VOR/ILS and dual ADFs. This is
more than enough to undertake serious IFR flights
and be able to land in poor conditions.
The main cabin is also rendered with quite
modern custom seating that even have video
screens embedded in the seat backs. Overall,
the internal textures are very acceptable
but not the slick high-definition gauges we
more commonly see. The start procedure is
straightforward if you’ve flown almost any
C-47/DC-3 in any flight simulator platform but
again lacks some extras such as counting
#137 PC PILOT / 19
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE
No C-47/DC-3 model is complete without a Buffalo
Airways repaint.
The panels also reflect the age of the C-47 but with a few modern avionics available if preferred.
prop rotations and the cough and splutter
you’d expect from the pair of 1,200hp twin
Wasp radial engines.
Flight Test
Real C-47/DC-2 aircraft have a castoring
tailwheel which takes a combination of
planning, differential braking, asymmetric
thrust and skill to do well and this is certainly
the case with this product. Throw in a
crosswind and some will be left wondering if
it is possible to taxi this beast at all. Needless
to say, it can be done with practice but to
soften the blow, vSkyLabs has implemented
a ‘soft option’ via a button on the panel
which allows you to taxi as you might in a
conventionally configured aircraft.
Take-off with the tailwheel locked is perfectly
straightforward, until the tail wheel lifts off the
ground. The torque effects from the engines
and any crosswind component immediately
conspire to unravel your smooth take-off.
Again, practice and planning resolves this
and as soon as you’re airborne, the aircraft
immediately changes personality.
Another very realistic feature is the
20 / PC PILOT #137
simulation and implementation of the flaps
and landing gear controls. In real C-47/DC-3s,
the pilot not flying would have to reach behind
them to manually activate an hydraulic valve
lever to raise and lower flaps and also unlock
the manual gear lock mechanism before also
reaching behind to raise or lower the gear via
a separate valve lever. This is fully modelled
in this product, so it really helps if you map
some views of these valve arms before flight
so you can quickly raise/lower them and then
immediately get your eyes back outside.
Using freely available power C-47/DC-3
settings works a treat and as you accelerate
to normal climb and cruise speeds, aircraft
handling becomes a delight and if there is
one area that this product really shines, it is in
the flight handling. It is notoriously difficult to
tweak the dynamics to achieve a truly realistic
handling experience on the ground, let alone
in the air. But to achieve both is very rare. The
vSkyLabs C-47 absolutely nails both. Let’s
be upfront here however, and point out that
if you try to fly it like a Cessna, you’ll be very
frustrated and disappointed. The C-47 is a
large aircraft with cable and pulley controls
with two powerful radial engines that simply
must be managed the right way. Flying the
C-47 is more about control and nuance and
anticipation than heavy-fisted control inputs.
Yes, the controls feel heavy just as they
should but applying subtle inputs results in
the aircraft reacting correctly. You almost
‘feel’ the C-47 into a bank or a climb etc.
The original Sperry autopilots were really basic
gyro stabilisers that could only manage to hold
heading and altitude when the aircraft was
perfectly trimmed and in the absence of any
turbulence. This too is also accurately modelled,
so don’t expect a modern system which locks
on to your heading or altitude like a rock. You
still have to fly this bird in all but the most
benign conditions. Some other features include
The C-47 served as a transport and freighter during
the 1940s.
The float model loads separately and is available in all
the supplied liveries.
simulation of the superchargers, oxygen and fire
extinguisher systems.
Approaches etc are also easy to manage
with the right inputs but soon after you
touchdown, get ready for that roller coaster
ride as you slow. Very careful ‘dancing on the
pedals’ is sometimes needed to safely bring
the aircraft to a safe standstill. On that note,
damage is also modelled with poor or abrupt
engine handling, flaps or gear overspeed etc
causing system and visual damage.
Conclusion
First up, this is not an easy aircraft to fly. The
flight dynamics and ground handling is so
well tuned, it will take pilots some time to feel
comfortable in handling the C-47. Years of
development have gone into getting this as close
as possible to the real aircraft, which absolutely
demands planning and respect when flying it.
The flip side is that you don’t get too much in the
way of glistening eye candy and overly complex
animations but instead a very functional cockpit
and textures. If you are prepared to accept these
minor compromises, which is not difficult at this
price, you will find no better replication of actually
flying a C-47/DC-3.
By Peter Stark
The vSkyLabs package features wheeled/ski versions
that can be managed from the cockpit during flight.
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: The most realistic flight dynamics
for a C-47/DC-3 I’ve seen but not for the faint-
hearted or impatient.
Developer & Publisher: vSkyLabs
Price: $29.95 (£22 approx)
Website: vskylabs.com
Flight Model: Excellent ++
Graphics: Good
Documentation: Very good
Systems: Very good
86
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE
FA Simulations’
HELSINKI
Metropolitan VFR
More than a plausible rendition…
I
've never liked ‘plausibility’. It always seems
to do a lot of the heavy lifting in situations
where plausibility is needed. For example,
I'd like to go out and drink 10 shots of vodka
and not get a hangover. We can argue it's
'plausible' but in reality, I'm probably gonna
spend the night hugging a toilet feeling like
there's a pickaxe embedded in my brain. In
the world of X-Plane, plausibility is working
overtime. X-Plane 11 (XP11) and its so-called
plausible world sounded great. A world that
would look as you'd expect, kinda. It would
be plausible if not realistic. For me, plausible,
The night lighting has been given a makeover to
look even more realistic.
22 / PC PILOT #137
the world was not. Apart from a few subsets
of German-style buildings and vehicles, most
of the XP11 plausible world was anything but.
Everywhere felt like North America, except
where the German autogen subbed for
European places. If there wasn't good Open
Street Map (OSM) data, a place could feel
empty. While I love a lot of XP11's features,
the plausible world isn't one of them.
Enter scenery designers, such as FA
Simulations. It looks at the plausible world
and knows it could be better. So, it set out to
reshape it, mould it and bring forth something
that is much more realistic. In this case, I'm
talking about Helsinki Metropolitan VFR v3
for X-Plane 11. Can it rid me of a 'plausible'
Helsinki? Let's find out.
Details and installation
As noted, this is version 3 of the popular
Helsinki scenery. The first version arrived
for X-Plane 10 back in 2016 but much has
changed in the Finnish capital over the years
and this latest version takes this into account.
The scenery covers over 4,000 square
metres and includes a great 50cm/px
www.Key.Aero
 Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD

orthophoto to truly represent the city. There

are two small airfields included and several
helipads for whirlybird pilots to enjoy. Even
the night lighting has been overhauled to
better represent the city from dusk until dawn.
It’s compatible with all versions of XP11 from
v11.41 for Windows, Mac and Linux, the latter
being quite rare.
Downloading the files will take its time,
as there's well over 7GB of data to install.
Installation is as ever with X-Plane, quick and
simple, with the Helsinki Metropolitan VFR
files sorted into the correct order, ready to
run. If you have any third-party airports for
Finland, make sure you adjust your scenery.ini
file to place them above Helsinki Metropolitan
VFR or you’ll be treated to some very empty-
looking airports.

First impressions Above: One of the many stadiums around the Helsinki area.
I happen to love the Nordic countries but
I've yet to visit Helsinki. That said, my first
impressions go something like this. Trees –
lots and lots of trees. A lot like Sweden, there
are forests everywhere. In XP11, it's possible
to create perfect replicas of the real thing
and FA simulations has done just that. There
are more than 10 distinct forests created
just for this scenery and it immediately lifts
the realism scale up for me. The thing you're
likely to notice first as a pilot on approach are
the forests, and seeing a perfect replica of a
treeline fits in perfectly with the VFR moniker
attached to this scenery. Above: The small airfield at Nummela, with its cute Above: Here we see Helsinki Cathedral.
There's more to life than trees though. little office.
To get a look at the city, I start my flight at
Helsinki Malmi which sits to the northeast of
the city and is much closer than the bigger
Helsinki Vantaa Airport further north. Flying
the approach to Runway 36 at Malmi will
bring you in over the city centre and offers
great views. Neither of these airports have
been touched by FA simulations, so freeware
or payware are your friends here. Since I’m
heading away from Malmi for Downtown, it’s
not a problem.

Downtown, where all the

lights are bright
One of my favourite things about XP11 is
that I can let my aircraft circle the city and
switch to the drone cam to get a better look
at the city below. It isn't long before I find
something that catches my eye. Along the
shore, I find a train station that crosses a large
bay. Kalastama station caught my eye due to

Above: Welcome to the real world. Note the attention to

detail.

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 23

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR X-PLANE
A view of FA Simulations’ Helsinki.
the giant glass structure that seemed to be
over a road. I figured this was a mistake and
the road was meant to be a train station but
it was not. The huge structure is all part of a
new build that incorporates the road, rail and
bus stops that connect to a large mall. It's a
very new structure and that massive glass
roof covers the whole six-lane road. From
here things only get better. The main train
station is an easy spot from the air but away
from there, I catch sight of various stadiums,
cool modern buildings and oddities such as
the Teppeliaukion kirkko - a church built into
the rock in the 1960s, and very much visible
from the air. From modern architecture, you
can head towards the main harbour and
discover old Helsinki. Helsinki Cathedral is a
beautiful 19th-century building with a huge
plaza outside of it, complete with a statue.
For a more sedate experience, there's the
Tähtitonivuoren Piusto in a park near the
harbour that acts as an observation spot.
Its beautiful 19th-century design stands out
on the hill. Speaking of harbours, you won’t
miss the ferry berthed along the quayside,
just waiting for passengers. This is a nicely
modelled ship and it includes a helipad for
you to test your helicopter skills on. All the
buildings in Helsinki are available to land on
for heli pilots, which is a nice touch.
The world beyond
Getting away from the city, there are two
great little airfields to enjoy. The first is
24 / PC PILOT #137
The detailed Kallion kirkko or Kallion
church, built in 1912.
Above: One of the many helipads around the city. You
can even start your flight here.
Nummela (EFNU). It's a small field with one
asphalt runway and one dirt strip, surrounded
by trees. There are a few buildings around,
the nicest of which is the tiny office that sits
between the runways. Nummela would make
a great base to explore the wider countryside.
The second included airfield is Mäntsälä – a
tiny little grass strip that is really only suited
to ultralights. If you can get anything bigger to
stop or take-off from the 400m grass runway,
then good luck to you.
In truth, while it’s nice to have these little
fields, they’re nothing special. Neither offers
great detail, but as they’re included in the
much bigger base pack for the city, it may be
unfair to expect more.
Something a little extra?
Helsinki Metropolitan VFR is constantly
evolving and one of the nice things I
discovered was a free mission, available
from FA Simulations’ website. Called HEMS
Mission 1, you play the part of an emergency
services helicopter pilot who has to navigate
to an accident site, avoiding buildings trees
and more as you go, to land the chopper on
the road. Then with the patient on board,
return them to Helsinki ready for treatment.
I did give this a few tries and… well, let's
just say my efforts were unsuccessful.
Helicopters and I don't get on and I spent far
too much time bouncing off things to help my
patient. Nonetheless, you should download
the mission as it includes a fair bit of high-
resolution scenery for the area. That means
you could just enjoy the scenery, from higher
up, away from the trees.
Conclusion
Helsinki Metropolitan VFR V3 is a very nice
product. It does a great job of producing
a version of Helsinki that's far beyond
‘plausible’. The level of detail around the city
is good, and if you want to explore on the
ground, there are surprises to be found for
sure. There are a few unwelcome surprises
too. The underlying mesh isn't perfect and
there are errors here and there that catch
the eye. One street I found seemed to have
collapsed on one side due to an error in
the mesh. Fixing these errors in mesh is
notoriously difficult as X-Plane uses some
incredibly outdated methods for mesh
creation, and so I'm not going to be too hard
on FA simulations here. Given the nature of
orthophotographs as well, there are places
where models 'don't quite fit' correctly over
the building footprint below. It's perfectly
normal but it can look out of place depending
on the building.
Finally, there are the included airfields. As
mentioned earlier, they’re great to have but
the few custom buildings found there don’t
really sell the sizzle. A little extra work on a
nice ground polygon in place of the standard
X-Plane airport textured asphalt would go a
long way.
Putting the negatives aside though, Helsinki
Metropolitan VFR V3 is a huge upgrade over
the default scenery, and it's clear that much
time and effort has gone into replicating the
city in as high a quality as possible. I really
enjoyed spending my time idly sightseeing
from a Cub or Cessna, and so will you.
Priced at just around €26 (around £22 at
time of writing) it’s a bargain. So, if you have
never thought of visiting Finland, now you
really should!
By Jessica Bannister-Pearce
PC Pilot Verdict:
At a Glance: A great little pack that brings
Helsinki to life inside of X-Plane 11. Take off and
enjoy a scenic flight around the city today.
Developer: FA Simulations
Price: €26 (£22 approx)
Website: Aerosoft.com
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: Okay 85
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
UPGRADE
YOUR
SCENERY.
Add unparalleled realism
to your X-Plane experience

orbx.to/pcpilot
FEATURE X-PLANE-12

S
o, I’ve come out with a new major
version of X-Plane every few years
since 1995 or so, and the driving force
has always been the same: “Oooo! Here
is some new stuff I coded! And I haven’t
charged anyone for an update in a few
years… let’s call this a new version!”
The updates came out fast and furious,
the user interface was just barely good
enough for a techie to get the job done, and
the testing was rather minimal. But now, for
X-Plane 12, everything is different. This is a
really different release.

Making improvements
About two years ago, Microsoft announced
it had hired a company to make a sim with
scenery that looked really good [the new
Microsoft Flight Simulator]. Right then, it
became obvious that we had to continue to
lead in flight modelling and also come up
with a scenery overhaul that would leave

X 12
By Austin Meyer – Part 1

PLANE The cloud renderer has

been completely re-written
for X-Plane 12, so that the
clouds are now volumetric.

Austin explaining the work done on

the weather system in X-Plane 12.

26 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

customers speechless.
And that, of course, was the moment that a
virus broke out in China, swept the world and
left us all locked in our home offices for two
years.
So that was my set-up two years ago: a
competitor that looked great in certain ways
and a virus that had my staff and myself
locked at home in front of our computers. We
had the competitor. We had the knowledge.
We had the source code. We had the time. We
had no distractions. What would we do with
this situation? What would we improve and
even re-write? The answer turned out to be:
Everything. Because it had to be.
Of course, the flight modelling had to be
maintained or improved but in addition to that,
any system in X-Plane that would not compare
favourably to the state-of-the-art had to be
re-written from the inside out. We couldn’t be
weak - anywhere. We did too much to list it all
here, but here’s some of the major stuff.
Flight modelling:
The ALIA test
Okay, let’s just get this one out of the way first.
X-Plane is based on a technique called ‘blade
element theory’. It’s a concept of breaking
propeller blades into many elements, finding
the airspeed and angle of attack on each
element and then looking up the coefficients
www.Key.Aero
of lift and drag and pitch-moment and for the
airfoil(s) on the propeller blade at that location.
X-Plane does this for not just any propeller
blades your aeroplane might have but also for
every wing and stabiliser. Once X-Plane has
found all of these speed and coefficients, it
then corrects for finite-wing effects, ground
effect, Mach compression (though hopefully
not both at the same time!) plus a bunch
of other factors and uses that to find the
forces on each bit of the aircraft. X-Plane
then adds up all those little forces to get the
total forces on the aircraft and uses that to
compute the accelerations and integrate those
accelerations to velocities and velocities to
positions, so soon you are somewhere else,
which is technically why we like aeroplanes.
X-Plane has been doing this since 1995,
though, so today let’s talk about a few things
that are new for version 12.00.
The origin of X-Plane 12
I’ll start by explaining the crucible that X-Plane
12 was born in. Several years ago, a man
named Kyle Clark from a company called
Beta approached me to simulate the next
generation of aviation, an aircraft that would
use neither fuel nor runways. This aircraft,
which after many iterations would ultimately
be called ALIA, gained its freedom from fuel
and runways at the cost of multiple, electric-
driven propellers and since this aeroplane was
to be electric, where battery weight would
be huge and performance therefore critical,
every single bit of the design and operation of
this aircraft would have to be predicted and
refined to an absolute extreme level of detail.
So, the need was clear: a simulator that
would simulate many different propellers
of different sizes, at different orientations,
running at many different speeds and once
the craft was at speed, all lift would shift
away from the propellers and on to the huge,
carefully-sculpted wings. So, the simulation
needed to cover all types of flying surfaces,
at a range of speeds starting at ZERO
and accuracy was absolutely critical. The
simulation would be used to evaluate how this
aircraft would fly before the first prototype
was built and once that first REL aircraft
flew, any differences between simulation and
reality would be instantly exposed. This was
the perfect and ultimate deployment of blade
element theory. Could X-Plane meet this
mission? This was trial by fire... er... electrons,
not fire. As it turned out, X-Plane could meet
this mission, and did. ALIA now has hundreds
of test flights of the full-scale aircraft and
X-Plane’s predictions have been well-realised
in the full-scale prototype. Beta uses X-Plane
to train test pilots, to pre-flight actual test
flight missions and to predict the performance
#137 PC PILOT / 27
FEATURE X-PLANE-12
X-Plane 12’s new fully
fly-by-wire Airbus A330.
X-Plane 12 uses the
graphics card to simulate
millions of raindrops.
of countless proposed aircraft modifications
and upgrades.
New improvements
So, the performance evaluation and overview
have been great and have resulted in
countless refinements to the flight model. Here
are a few of the specific new improvements.
X-Plane 12 now has a clever new ‘velocity
connector’ algorithm. Here’s how it works.
So far, we’ve talked only about looking up the
speed and angle at which air attacks each
bit of the wing or propeller but that has left
a bit of the process unspoken. How does
each bit of the aircraft affect the air? This
may seem not to matter, until you realise the
impact of the wings and props on the air will
determine how the air attacks every other
bit of the aircraft. Wings cast downwash on
horizontal stabilisers. The upper and lower
wings on a biplane affect each other (as do
the twin vertical stabilisers on the SR-71 -
28 / PC PILOT #137
for exactly the same reason). Wings cast
not only downwash but also wake; sheets
of low-energy air, their energy dissipated
by the boundary layer of the wing they just
flowed over. Will that wake hit the horizontal
stabiliser? Huge reduction in effectiveness
(and stability and control) will result. As
always, of course, I don’t just arbitrarily put
in some fake stability or control reduction. I
have X-Plane reduce the airspeed in the wake
according to the speed reduction observed
and published in NACA tech reports. That
reduction in airspeed is applied to each
element on the stabiliser that intersects the
wake and the stabiliser forces are reduced
accordingly. X-Plane always operates from
first principles and published data; I never
put in fudge-factors. As well as wake and
downwash causing one part to affect another,
don’t forget about the biggest of them all,
propwash. I now have a new propwash model
that includes the way air is sucked into the
X-Plane 12 feeds all of the physics information
into the graphics card to make the rain
simulation on your windscreen more realistic.
disc in front of the prop, pressurised and
accelerated out the back. This matters for
any stabiliser in propwash but not just in
the ways you might expect. For example, if
you are in a single-engine propeller-driven
aircraft and you pull power to idle at high
speed, it might not be obvious, until you think
about it, that the prop is absorbing energy
from the air. That actually slows the air down
behind the prop. Sure, it’s propwash but in
reverse. In this scenario, the aircraft might
be at 120 knots but the stabilisers, in the
low-energy flow disrupted by the prop, may
see considerably less speed. Reduction in
stability and control is sure to result and, as
always, it happens from first principles in the
X-Plane model, reducing airspeed pursuant
to momentum conservation through the prop
disc, not through some sort of fake fudge-
factor. So how far can we take the propeller
propwash model? Well, a test case I used is
a co-axial helicopter. The airflow of one disc
www.Key.Aero
 affects the other. The upper disc pressurises
to push extra speed on to the lower one but
the lower disc is accelerating the air through
the upper disc through suction. Each disc
affects the other.
What about the body of the aircraft? It surely
affects the air but does that have any impact
on the rest of the aircraft? Of course. Look at
a King Air at a high angle of attack with one
engine at full throttle and the other at idle.
The fuselage, at that high angle of attack, is
developing significant drag and casting a huge
wake shadow right on to the vertical stabiliser.
Boom. You are in an aircraft with one engine
out, needing maximum effectiveness out of
that vertical stabiliser but even though the
aircraft might be flying at 120 knots, many
elements of the vertical stabiliser might only
see 60 knots as they hide in the wake from the
fuselage. The velocity connector procedure
in X-Plane 12 handles all of these things,
carefully tracking how each part of the aircraft
affects the air, so the air can then properly
affect each part. The computation is of course
significant, but hey, computers.
Lighting: first-principles
physics
So, the flight model in X-Plane is a no-games
first-principle deployment of maths but the
lighting in X-Plane has always been rather
second-tier. Just sort of add some ambient
and diffuse lighting of some colour and call
it good. But what about materials? Carbon
fibre, polished aluminium, painted metal
and rubber all absorb and reflect the light in
radically different ways. And come to think of
it, so does air. So, for X-Plane 12, Ben [Ben
Supnik – senior coder and product organizer]
has come up with a whole new lighting model
that is based on first principles. He keeps
calling me asking exactly how bright things
look inside cockpits, inside rain and inside
clouds, muttering about endless watts per
square metre, lumens, emissivity constants.
He’s literally starting with the brightness of
the sun and working those rays through the
A virtual version of Austin’s
Lancair Evolution in X-Plane 12.
www.Key.Aero
atmosphere and off the aircraft or into the
cockpit. X-Plane has used first principles
for flight modelling for many years and now
we’re doing the same for lighting. The effect is
incredible. [This video on YouTube shows the
new X-Plane 12 lighting in action https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=AvJrSSWWBGY. – Ed]
Air: some ways that it moves
Decades ago, I put in a random ‘Perlin’ noise
function for thermals; here there’s a thermal,
there, there isn’t. Gliders could use it. Too
bad it was so lame. There was no rhyme or
reason to where you would find a thermal
or how high it would go. You would stumble
around hoping to find one by chance. Now,
with X-Plane 12, I’ve hooked the thermals
model into the cloud modelling system. So
now, you select the cloud cover you want and
the vertical speed of the thermals you want to
simulate. X-Plane runs those thermals up to
the cumulus clouds that you can plainly see,
allowing you to run between clouds, finding
the thermals as you would expect, based
on the rendering. Also, ridge lift is carefully
simulated, carrying the wind up the windward
side of mountains and down on the lee. An
interesting tidbit is that very close to the
ground, the wind tracks every little detail of
the terrain, perfectly following each little ridge
and valley but higher up the wind follows
the larger-scale topography. Take that into
account when ridge-running!
So those are some nice ways to operate
gliders, giving quite a few challenges but
another new way to move wind for X-Plane
12 is the new ‘Microburst’ model. And you
won’t have to be in a glider to detect this,
trust me. This wind effect can take down an
airliner. So here is how it works. In reality,
millions of pounds of cold air from a storm
fall down rapidly. And when the air hits the
ground, it acts like a million marbles poured
out of a bucket; it spreads out rapidly in
every direction from the point of impact.
Now, how would this affect an aircraft?
Clearly, anyone taking off towards such a
#137 PC PILOT / 29
FEATURE X-PLANE-12
phenomenon would suddenly see an increase
in airspeed and resulting altitude; it would
seem like free energy. Flying into the torrent
of marbles spreading out would seem like a
rush of headwind, dumping tons of extra air
over the aircraft. Unwise pilots would reduce
the power and lower the nose to stay on their
normal take-off and climb profile. This would
seem fine for maybe 30 seconds or less, at
which point the aircraft would arrive under
the microburst and the pilot suddenly get a
‘sinking feeling’ (pun intended) that would
make them think, quoting the US sitcom
Arrested Development: “I’ve made a huge
mistake.” At this point, the headwind is gone
and much of the airspeed with it and now the
aircraft is in a sinking column of air… altitude
is deteriorating rapidly. But to counter-
phrase singer Tony Bennet, the worst is yet
to come. Passing the point of impact of the
air with the ground, the pilot is now moving
into the portion of the microburst where
the marbles are being dumped behind the
aircraft, and now suddenly has a tailwind. We
all like tailwinds, unless they are dumped on
With X-Plane 12, you can now have a
proper pilot and co-pilot dual-control
setup. So, you can build yourself a
cockpit with two sets of yokes and
two sets of pedals – assigned to the
appropriate position.
30 / PC PILOT #137
The jetways are animated in
X-Plane 12 and also make the
appropriate sounds when moving.
us quickly at low altitude because now, the
X-Plane was crucial in the development
pilot might suddenly have 30 or 40 knots less of the Alia-250 - an electric vertical take-
airspeed due to the air suddenly coming from off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft being
behind, moving right along with the aircraft, developed by Beta Technologies.
leaving them with little flow over the wings
and tail. In fact, airspeed may even be below
stall speed. Settling down to the ground at
that point is inevitable… have we already
passed the runway, leaving all that landing
zone behind us?
Try this. Get into X-Plane, at the start
of a standard runway, in an airliner. Hit
CONTROL-M a bunch of times until it says
‘Thermals and Microbursts’ so you can see
what is going on. Invoke the microburst
failure in the failure screen, then take-off.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you - we have a nice
wake turbulence model. Hit CONTROL-M
until you see the ‘Wake Turbulence’ label
switch to external view and you will see your
turbulence. Now set up some AI aircraft that
are a lot bigger than you and get into their
turbulence. Do you like the result? Get in a
Below: The Air Traffic Control user
big heavy plane and get right in front of a interface has been upgraded in
smaller AI aircraft. Can you flip it? X-Plane 12.
www.Key.Aero
 X-Plane is based
on a technique
called ‘blade All the sounds in X-Plane 12, including
element theory’ those for the ground service vehicles,
which is visualised have been upgraded, with appropriate
in this image. sounds recorded from real equipment.

Water: First-principles…
with a marriage of rendering
and physics
So, X-Plane has had ‘somewhat’ decent
water-interaction for seaplane physics for
some time now but the physical effects of
floats or hulls have never felt quite right and
the rendering of waves has never been there
to perfectly display what the water is really
doing in the physics model.
I’ve been rolling my eyes at this rather
glaring shortcoming for some time and finally
prioritised getting the rendered and physical
water all in sync, so what you see is truly
what you get. The results are impressive,
with a new member of the team, Sidney
Just, coming up with new 3D water that is
really incredible to look at. Floating in the
waves in a 172 or R-22 on floats, I can almost
‘feel’ the thousands of tons of water moving
underneath me, as I bob on top of it like a
cork. Also, Sidney made sure to provide the
precise shape of this water surface to the
physics engine and with a water interaction
overhaul there, we finally have 3D water
rendering, with physical interaction
perfectly matching the rendered water. Set
some high wave height - can you take off
into the swells? Or maybe you want to go
along with them… or along them? A lot of
them roll as they move underneath you or
maybe you can aim your take-off to not
cross any swells? Oh wait, but then aren’t
you taking off with a quartering tailwind?
Hmmmm, this gets interesting…
By Austin Meyer

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 31

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR
ASOBO’S
JUNKERS
Ju 52
A
s the availability of new scenery and
aircraft add-ons for Microsoft Flight
Simulator (MFS) via its Marketplace
continues to accelerate, we take the
opportunity to review an Asobo release of a
historic classic of the 1930s, the Junkers
Ju 52.
A classic and innovative
aircraft
One of the signs of a ‘classic’ aircraft is how
well it is recognised today. The Ju 52 certainly
fits the bill with its distinctive corrugated
duralumin skin material and the tri-motor
engine configuration. Design commenced in
1930 and within two years, both the design and
engine testing was complete and they were
beginning to fly commercially with airlines in
Europe and South America.
Capable of carrying two crew and up to 17
32 / PC PILOT #137
Asobo models
a 1930s classic
passengers, it hosted a range of cutting-edge
features with perhaps the aforementioned
duralumin outer skin being the most
significant. Despite Junkers having created
this skin design many years before, with it
first making an appearance in 1917, it wasn’t
seen commonly until the release of the Ju 52.
It was a clever way of adding strength to the
fuselage and wings which, when coupled with
a set of duralumin spars, allowed the aircraft
to have single cantilevered wings rather than
the biplane construction more common at the
time. It also featured an autopilot and could
be easily adapted to float and ski landing gear
configurations.
During World War Two, it saw extensive
use as a military transport aircraft and
when hostilities ceased, it continued to be
manufactured, albeit in countries such as
Spain, France and Ireland. There must be
something about the design, as the Ju 52
continued to fly for airlines and the military in
some parts of the world right into the 1980s.
Sadly, there are only three now remaining in
active service, although encouragingly, there
are several more undergoing restoration.
The walk-around
The Asobo Ju 52 is only available via the MFS
Marketplace and is based on the civilian airliner
‘3mg2e’ version with BMW Hornet engines.
The 2.27GB package includes the Ju 52 in
wheeled, float and ski versions, with varying
internal and cockpit layouts and textures
depending on whether you select the 1939 or
‘retrofitted’ model. The latter contains more
modern equipment and a cleaner, less abused
panel. Additionally, some models are fitted with
two-bladed props and others three. While a
total of 11 different liveries are available, not all
www.Key.Aero
 Above: The ‘retrofitted’ panel is cleaner and fitted with gauges and avionics we might typically see today.
of them are available with each configuration.
Keen-eyed pilots may notice that the credits
mention Microsoft and Oliver Edmund Mosel.
Oliver is a poet, writer, painter and well-known
to X-Plane pilots as the creator of X-Plane 11
versions of the Ju 52 and the Lockheed L18
Lodestar (reviewed back in Issue 130). Now he
would make an interesting dinner guest.
Downloading and installation is fully automatic
with the files deposited in the official MFS
Packages folder. The first thing that strikes you
upon loading any of the modelled versions is
The duralumin skin makes the Ju 52 easily recognisable
and helped increase fuselage and wing strength.
The Asobo Ju 52
cuts a striking
figure in the early
morning light.
www.Key.Aero
how the rippling corrugated skins glisten and
gleam. Almost every external surface (and
many internal ones) are covered in it and they
play in the light beautifully. The walk-around
reveals a lot of detail when you get up-close,
including the complex tailwheel design and
engine exhausts that show heat tarnishing,
pipe clamps etc.
Another Ju 52 feature that has been perfectly
modelled is the full wing length Doppelfluegel
or double-wing design. The ailerons and
inboard flaps were on control surfaces that
are well separated and slightly below the
main wing. Also of note was the fact that each
engine cowling had its own fuel and oil level
indicators. There weren’t any in the actual
cockpit.
The cockpit visibility is excellent with lots of
glass panels, of which the side and a unique
overhead window can be opened. Depending
on your selection, the layout is either based
on a 1939-era layout or one which has been
retrofitted with more modern analogue gauges,
including VOR/DME and NDB avionics. The
layout will startle many as it is far from the
conventional engine management layout we
see today. To alarm some of you even more,
the control placards are in German. To help
you get started, however, you can use Ctrl+E
or make it more immersive by using the built-in
interactive checklists. Checking off each item
will change the panel view and highlight the
switch/lever you should be throwing. However,
be prepared for a bit of a learning curve when
you first start out.
One set of controls that is also likely to raise
inquisitive eyebrows is the pair of yellow
handles above the rudder pedals. They are
effectively a form of rudder trim and are of
great use during an extended cruise or when
managing asymmetric thrust following an
engine failure, which wasn’t uncommon in the
1930s.
Flight test
It is worth mentioning that on loading, the
Ju 52 loads with just the pilot, co-pilot, flight
engineer and only half the fuel capacity. This
makes it very light indeed, which really isn’t
an issue until you try to land so be sure to visit
the weight and balance section when loading
it to make the aircraft performance far more
realistic. Once you have worked through the
#137 PC PILOT / 33
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Above: The three 725hp BMW Hornet engines propel up to 17 passengers along at
around 130 knots.
checklists and cranked the engines, the throaty
rumbles from BMW Hornet radial engines
will bring a big smile to your face. They were
recorded off an actual Ju 52 in 3D giving them
a satisfying roar from any position in or around
the aircraft.
Ground handling is quite straightforward for
a taildragger. Asymmetric thrust and a touch
of brakes can assist but once rolling, it needs
little managing. Having a set of throttles is
a huge benefit here as you can simply map
each engine to its own lever and use this to
manage your taxiing whether you are flying the
wheeled, ski or float version.
Directional control as you head down the
runway is surprisingly stable and the trick to a
smooth take-off is to allow the Ju 52’s tail to
fully rise before easing back a little on the yoke
and allow it to lift off. Climb performance is a
steady 500fpm with very docile handling. While
there is no manual whatsoever, other users
have posted suggested power settings etc and
actual Ju 52 manuals can be found online.
General aerial handling is also very docile
and predictable (in a nice way), which is just
as well as only the 1939 vintage models are
fitted with a rudimentary heading and altitude
hold type autopilot, which is incidentally, an
Sadly, the float version suffers a bit from the MFS float
dynamics, but is still perfectly flyable.
34 / PC PILOT #137
Above: Getting up nice and close reveals a heck of a lot of details for such a modestly-
priced product.
accurate simulation of the innovative autopilot
of the era. This stability is also very helpful
when flying in IFR conditions or at night. On
that point, night lighting is non-existent on the
vintage models except for the default torch
lighting, which to be fair, is actually perfectly
adequate. The retrofitted aircraft however, do
have some basic panel lighting to guide you
through the night.
Approaches in the wheeled and ski versions
are also easy with no nasty surprises unless
you try to touch down with the airspeed on
the high side, especially when at those very
light default weights. It’s better to learn to
adapt to the airspeed in kilometres/hour
than skip off the end of the runway. The float
version however is subject to the vagaries of
the mediocre MFS float dynamics. I found
it is near impossible to land in light weight
configurations. Hopefully, MFS will receive
an update in this area soon. That aside,
asymmetric thrust really is needed to taxi the
float version, as even the real-world Ju 52s
were never fitted with water rudders.
Conclusion
While there is no doubt that a PDF manual
would be extremely helpful, you cannot but
help put this into some context. We have a
product selling for around $15 (£11 approx)
that comes in several variants/configurations,
performs as you would expect for an aircraft of
the era and includes the interactive checklists.
While the lack of a manual and dubious
floatplane dynamics are a disappointment and
a few minor bugs remain, they are more than
balanced by the interactive checklists system,
beautiful textures and delightful handling. Add
in the extremely modest price tag, and it’s hard
to resist this 1930s classic for the pure fun of
learning to fly and master it.
By Peter Stark
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: Hard to pass it by at this price. It
will provide many hours of entertaining flying
despite some limitations.
Developer: Asobo, Microsoft, Oliver Mosel
Price: $15 (£11 approx)
Website: MFS Marketplace
Flight Model: Very good
Graphics: Excellent
Documentation: No manual
Systems: Very good 80
PC Pilot Score:
www.Key.Aero
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Beta descents -
the first thing
everyone wants to
try when they get
their hands on the Porter!
MilViz’s
PC-6 Turbo
Porter
T
hey say beauty is in the eye of the
beholder and never has this saying been
more apt than when describing the unusual
dimensions of the Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter.
Rather than being personified by the conventional
blended aerodynamic aesthetics one might
associate with ‘pretty’ aircraft, the Swiss STOL
machine features plenty of straight lines and right
angles, a boxy fuselage and a giant nose that
measures 9ft from spinner cone to firewall.
Design and history
It is a utilitarian aircraft in its purest form,
designed to be flown in and out of short
unprepared landing sites normally only
accessible by rotorcraft. In order to achieve this,
Pilatus combined a 52ft-wide high lift NACA
airfoil with a powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-
36 / PC PILOT #137
The Swiss Army
knife of the sky
27 turboprop powerplant, giving the airframe
incredible payload-lifting capability at very slow
airspeeds.
Its sturdy tailwheel landing gear configuration
increases overall stability when operating on
rough surfaces too, along with providing a
greater wing and propeller-to-ground clearance
which makes the aircraft less susceptible to
FOD damage when operating off airport.
Around 600 Porters came off the production
line between 1964 and 2019 and have been
flown in both civil and military roles in all corners
of the world. The CIA’s ‘Air America’ famously
operated a fleet of 23 in South East Asia in the
’60s and ’70s, later immortalised in the 1990
blockbuster film bearing the same name. Many
examples are still flying today, proving to be the
best machine for the job whether it be remote
passenger or cargo transport, paradrop, aerial
photography, surveillance, aeromedical or search
and rescue duties.
The MilViz PC-6
Such a versatile aircraft has been a flight sim
favourite for a while now, with veteran payware
developer MilViz, which had previously released
popular renditions for both FSX and Prepar3D;
releasing this all-new PC-6 for the Microsoft Flight
Simulator (MFS) platform in September 2021.
MilViz announced that the product was to
be a two-stage release, with the first stage
featuring a modern G1000 cockpit with both
wheeled and ski landing gear options. This
will be followed by a traditional steam gauge
cockpit, along with floats and tundra tyre-type
landing gear.
www.Key.Aero

The PC-6 upgrade
While the first stage release is unquestionably
a complete experience in its own right, early
buyers will receive the stage 2 upgrade free of
charge on its release. For those who decide
to wait to purchase until stage 2 is already
out, the overall package price will increase
accordingly when the new content gets
added.
The release notes from version 1.0 stated
the aircraft was not fully compatible with
Working Title’s pre-release G1000NXI mod
that is already widely available. Fortunately,
MilViz has already patched the Porter to
version 1.0.8 with much better functionality
with the NXI interface. After Asobo acquired
Working Title, it has also been announced
that the NXI will soon replace the base sims
default G1000, at which point, MilViz has
promised full compatibility with their Porter.
It’s also worth noting that at the time of
writing, at least three other developers
have announced that they are working on
their own versions of the Porter for MFS, so
simmers will soon be spoilt for choice.
Over-torquing the engine has
been modelled by MilViz, with
oil pressure falling away.
www.Key.Aero
Above: The G1000 ‘modern’ cockpit configuration, as
included with the Stage 1 release. Below: The EFB
configuration utility included with the Porter.
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
Feature-rich simulation
This PC-6 from MilViz is the team’s second
product for MFS, after releasing the FG-1D
Corsair warbird back in April. I’m beginning
to notice a trend emerging where a studio’s
second release is much more feature-rich
than its first. I suppose this is to be somewhat
expected, once the developers have come to
grips with the limitations of the SDK and then
been able to push them a little bit further on
their next offering.
The Porter certainly benefits from being
the second child here, with the inclusion of
an Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) configuration
utility. The EFB tablet allows the user to
select between passenger and cargo variants,
and then adjust cargo weight through a
dynamic slider interface which will spawn the
appropriate cargo load and volume inside the
cabin. A functional trap door complete with the
visual effect of droppable cargo has even been
added which is a first for MFS as far as I’m
aware. Passenger loading is also randomised
so that slightly different weights are present as
each station is filled.
The EFB also allows for the selection of
static elements such as chocks, tie-downs,
pitot covers and intake bungs to add an extra
level of realism to your start-up and shutdown
phases of flight.
The aircraft configuration can also be
adjusted through this interface, adding or
removing elements such as external fuel tanks
or ski landing gear, as well as enabling or
disabling a co-pilot figure and changing the
seating arrangement.
Attention to detail
I was fortunate enough to be part of the beta
testing team for the Porter and was impressed
from the get-go with how much care and
attention Jim Stewart and his team put into
bringing the aircraft to life. The flight model was
#137 PC PILOT / 37
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR

tested by real PC-6 pilots and during testing, I

was able to try out several variants where both
aerodynamic and engine handling was tweaked
and tuned to become the end-product that was
released publicly.
Correctly replicated turboprop start-
up requirements have been implemented,
allowing for varying ITT temperatures, up to
and including catastrophic hot starts. The
CTRL+E method of auto-starting will result in
this happening - due to simulator lever position
limitations, so make sure you wait until Ng
has risen above 12% before introducing
fuel. Engine over-torquing has also been
modelled, with triggers for 30, 90 and 240
second exceeds of 1,445ft-lb resulting in
a Chip Detect annunciation, followed
by falling oil pressure and then Review System
catastrophic engine failure with Processor: AMD Ryzen
complete power loss. 7 3700X Graphics: NVIDIA 20 degrees angle of attack for steep beta
descents are permitted with the PC-6.
Both the exterior and interior GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER
3D visual models are incredibly 4095MB VRAM RAM: 32GB configuration for optimum effect, the propeller becomes like a huge
detailed, ranking among the best Hard drive: Samsung 970 experience. spinning disk braking against the airflow.
in my virtual hangar. The physically EVO 500GB SSD You can allow the airspeed to reduce further,
based rendering materials used to Beta mode using flaps if desired and upon commencing
build MFS aircraft really put them in a The one thing the Porter is particularly descent, will notice you can pitch the aircraft
class of their own when compared to previous famous for and possibly the primary reason to 20 degrees nose-down resulting in a rate
sims and the 10 HD repaints that come included that so many simmers are attracted to the of descent of up to -4,000fpm, with airspeed
all look fantastic on the model. One of my type, is the Porter’s ability to enter beta mode remaining stable below 100 knots. Even if
favourite schemes is the Indonesian registered in flight. In this propeller mode, jaw-dropping the airspeed creeps over 100 knots, the beta
variant with mud splatter all over the wheels rate of descents can be achieved, with airspeed valve remains open until power is reapplied.
and lower fuselage. Dozens more liveries sitting at sub-100 KIAS.
made by community members are available on This technique of descending is highly Quick handling tips
flightsim.to as well. Detailed animations exist specialised and used by skydive pilots The PC-6 requires full right rudder trim to
throughout the aircraft, including all cabin and returning from high-level jump runs back to be set for take-off (green band on the panel
cockpit doors, the storm window, windshield their drop zones, often landing before the indicator) as well as pitch trim to be set
blinds and panel instrumentation. parachute canopies they previously released. correctly within its corresponding green band.
The sound set was professionally recorded Bush pilots flying above mountainous Failure to do so will result in a master warning
from a real-world PC-6 specifically for this terrain or cloud banks also make use of sounding and very challenging handling
release to provide the utmost in immersion. beta descents to ‘drop’ the aircraft into characteristics upon attempting a take-off.
A particular favourite effect of mine was the confined areas of Visual Meteorological Another commonly missed requirement
slam-clunk heard when gravity forces the Conditions (VMC) or down into valleys where is the engagement of the tailwheel lock
cabin sliding door to close when tipping the manoeuvring space is at a premium. (SHIFT+G by default) once lined up on
nose forward to commence a descent after In order to enter beta mode in the sim, with the runway. Failure to do this will result in
a simulated skydive sortie; some very clever prop RPM set to full (typically 2,000rpm dancing from left to right all over the track
programming and a subtle but effective in the cruise) one must slow the aircraft to as rudder inputs are applied. Sim Update 6
immersion enhancement. below 100 knots by reducing the power has thankfully improved p-factor for all tail-
A lot of time has been spent making all and adjusting the nose pitch. As airspeed dragger aircraft and makes the Porter easy to
checklists fully interactive and they are decreases, the propeller blades angle will operate.
accessible from the MFS user interface menu self-adjust up to the fine pitch stops to
bar, starting from the pre-flight walk-around. maintain the RPM value set by the governor. Conclusion
A 45-page PDF file is also included within the In crudely simplified terms, below 100 knots In summary, if you want a powerful, fun,
Community installation folder and provides with the power reduced to idle, the RPM will hands-on virtual flying experience, then look
further copies of normal and emergency become ungoverned and the beta valve will no further. This add-on is already great and will
checklists, performance charts as well as further open, driving the propeller to an even finer only get better with time.
information about recommended simulator angle which generates maximum drag. In By Andrew Underwood

Cargo loading in the hold,
visible from both internal
and external views.
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: A great quality STOL aircraft to make
the most of MFS’s ‘land anywhere’ philosophy.
Publisher and Developer: MilViz
Distributor: MilViz
Price: $29.99 (£22 approx)
Website: https://milviz.com/flight/products/PC62020/
index.php
3D Modelling: Great
Graphics: Great
Documentation: Good
Performance: Great 90
PC Pilot Score:

38 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

REVIEW RADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR

Just Flight’s W
hat with the dreadful pandemic and
family commitments, it’s been a
few years since I visited the holiday

Mallorca
island of Majorca. If you’ve never been there,
it’s well worth a visit. It’s a beautiful location
and always a big favourite with British
travellers, mainly because of its temperate
climate that provides dawn to dusk sunshine
for many months of the year. However, it's
not a ‘one trick pony’ either as there are
many cultural places to visit beyond the main

AIRPORT
beach resorts. In fact, you could spend a
whole week exploring the sights and sounds
of the capital Palma, famous for its beautiful
Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca,
right next to the Royal Palace of La Almudaina
and the imposing Castell de Bellver that
overlooks the city.

The gateway to PC
Review
In case you're wondering, Majorca
is the Anglicised version of the
Spanish spelling of Mallorca but
they are in reality the same

the Balearics
System place. It’s the largest of the
Intel i7 9700K Balearic Islands, situated
3.60GHz processor with in the Mediterranean
Corsair liquid cooler Sea off the coast of
32GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM
Gigabyte GTX 1080Ti, 11GB
GDDR5 video card
1 x 1TB Crucial NVMe M.2 SSD
1 x 6TB Samsung hard drive
32 inch 4K iiyama monitor
EVO 500GB SSD

An overview of Majorca Airport.

40 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero


Passing over the southern tip of the island.
Landing the 787 at Majorca.
mainland Spain approximately 175 miles
east of Valencia and 125 miles south-east of
Barcelona.
Palma De Mallorca Airport
While I’ve waffled on about the island, this
review is nothing to do with Majorca per se
but is based on the Palma Airport (LEPA) that
serves the island. Also known as Son Sant
Joan Airport, it is located on the south coast
just five miles east of the city, near the pretty
little town of Can Pastilla, which is another
resort I’ve stayed at, so can personally recom-
mend.
The airport is the main hub for the Spanish
carrier Air Europa and also a primary
destination for easyJet, Jet2.com, Ryanair
and Vueling. It also shares its runways with
the nearby Son Sant Joan Air Force Base,
operated by the Spanish Air Force.
Under normal conditions, the airport would
handle upwards of 30 million passengers a
year, making it the third busiest airport in
Spain. In 2020, however, due to the COVID-
19 pandemic, passenger numbers were down
www.Key.Aero
to just six million. In fact, during the summer
months of 2019, the airport handled as many
flights a day as London-Gatwick. With two
parallel runways, it currently has the capacity
to handle 66 movements an hour compared to
Gatwick’s 55 per hour.
Installation
The product is available as a 554MB .exe
file downloaded directly from the Just Flight
website. Installation is simply a matter
of running the downloaded application
while following the onscreen instructions.
This requires you to enter your usual Just
Flight account details and after a quick
online check, the installation will proceed
automatically.
Just Flight’s Mallorca/
Majorca
This is the latest release from Just Flight,
developed (I’m informed) by a small team
of airline pilots consisting of Stefan Lorenz,
Julian Stögerer and Pierre Bouillon who
are actually based at the airport. This of
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
course gives them intimate knowledge and I
suspect direct access to every facet within
its boundaries, a facility that very few (if any)
developers would normally get. Most rely
on blueprints or Google street maps (where
available), combined with images and data
from Wikipedia, or perhaps information
accompanied by photographs gleaned on a
personal visit.
Arriving at Palma
I decided to fly from the nearby island of Ibiza
to get my first impressions of Palma Airport.
On this occasion I flew the brilliant Just
Flight Piper Arrow III I reviewed in Issue 136.
Ibiza is located roughly 85 miles southwest
of Majorca and yet another of the beautiful
Balearic Islands that I’ve visited with my
family.
While you can’t compare the default
Microsoft Flight Simulator (MFS) airports
with handcrafted ones, the airport at Ibiza
is actually quite acceptable and far better
than any of the default airports you’d find in
either FSX or P3D. In order to make the flight
uncomplicated, I took off from Runway 06,
climbed to 3,000ft and stayed on that heading
until I could see Majorca in the distance. As
I flew over the southern tip and the town of
Santa Ponsa, I could clearly see the city of
Palma ahead and the airport just beyond. In
fact, at 3,000ft the city looked most realistic.
It was then quite a straightforward manoeuvre
to adjust my heading to align with Runway
06L for a straight-in landing.
I had taken a couple of screenshots before
installing the airport, so it wasn’t difficult to
see the vast improvements the team had
made to bring this airport to life. Where there
were originally generic monolithic concrete
buildings that gave a loose impression of
the real airport, now stood architecturally
accurate structures in both form and colour.
The diversity on the approach was obvious;
even the generic control tower is remodelled
to mimic the one that exists at the real airport.
As I turned on to the taxiway, the enhanced
features around the stands and terminals
made the long taxi to the stand more
interesting, simply because there was so
much to see. Naturally, from this viewpoint I
was not fully aware of the massive amount of
work the team had also invested outside the
apron. So, for a more detailed inspection I
enlisted the help of the drone, which allowed
me to check out other areas of the airport
from a different perspective. If you like to
The magnificent façade
of the main terminal.
#137 PC PILOT / 41
REVIEW RADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR

do the same, I would encourage you to buy

a cheap Xbox controller, because they’re
instantly recognised by MFS and provide
much more control than a joystick.

The architecture
I must say the main terminal is simply a
masterclass in 3D design. It’s an impressive
building in the real world and the
team has recreated it to an
extraordinary level. You only Minimum
need to see the long row System
of white arches above Requirements:
the front facade of Microsoft Flight Simulator
the entrance hall or (Standard, Deluxe or Premium
the azure-coloured Deluxe PC/Steam edition)
glass frontage of Processor: Intel i5-8400 /
terminals B and C to AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
recognise the amount Memory: 16GB
of work that went into Graphics card: NVIDIA GTX 970
the modelling. The / AMD Radeon RX 590 Above: Escalators and a play area for the children.
windows are naturally Video memory: 4GB
transparent to show off OS: Windows 10 v18362.0 holding area, with curved particularly noticeable when parking at a gate
the incredibly detailed or higher glass fronts that again where the interior modelling seen through the
interior. This extends to two are equipped with seats, windows of the terminals adds another level
floors connected by escalators information signs and desks. To of reality.
complete with glass panelling and be picky, the only things missing from
handrails. Also, there are shops, nicely scaled this airport are the passengers themselves. Landmarks and points of
seating and even a play area for the children. Naturally, the airport consists of more interest around Majorca
These internal views are further enhanced than the terminal buildings. There’s a whole As I mentioned at the start of the review, this
by the high-resolution textures where, for commercial community that exists around product only concerns the airport and the
example, the signage around the desks at the it and to some extent because of it. These grounds that surround it. Having said that,
front of each passenger gate displays pin- range from hotels and car parks to cargo the depiction of Majorca in MFS is pretty
sharp graphics and readable text. There are carriers and the logistics companies that good anyway but there are very few points
extended satellite arms attached to terminals keep the airport and the aircraft that visit it of interest to note. In fact, I was surprised to
D and C with connecting concourses leading supplied, not forgetting the wide variety of see that the magnificent cathedral in Palma
to the boarding gates. They are numbered A1 animated support vehicles and buses that is actually depicted as a massive black
to D99, covering all four modules (terminals A, cater for both the passengers and the staff commercial building. However, I’m sure that
B, C, D). Not all the gates are equipped with who run it. will be rectified when Asobo turns its creative
airbridges. In fact, terminal A is the only one Finally, to see what the airport looked like attention on Spain.
equipped with twin bridges but most feature from one of the ‘heavies’, I took a short
a fully operational Visual Docking Guidance trip around the island in the default Boeing Conclusion
System (VDGS) and bridges that can be 787 Dreamliner. You get a very different When you consider that this amazing airport
connected to your aircraft. viewpoint from the much higher flight deck was not produced by experienced 3D scenery
Also, at each gate is a small passenger compared with that of the Piper Arrow. This is designers (no insult intended), it simply
underlines what is possible to achieve with
The azure-coloured glass the knowledge and some determination.
frontage of Terminal C. The attention to detail both inside and out is
extraordinary and as good as I’ve seen from
the most talented and experienced scenery
designers. I look forward to seeing where this
group will turn its undeniable talents next.
Highly recommended!
By Joe Lavery

PC Pilot Verdict:
At a glance: With this fine rendition of Majorca,
Just Flight has added another destination for
our MFS flights.
Publisher: Just Flight
Developers: Stefan Lorenz, Julian Stögerer,
Pierre Bouillon
Price: Download £14.95
Website: https://www.justflight.com/product/
palma-de-mallorca-airport-microsoft-flight-
simulator
3D Modelling: Excellent
Graphics: Very good
Documentation: Very good
Performance: Excellent 90
PC Pilot Score:

42 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR
Orbx’s
LANDMARKS
Auckland City Pack
I The City of Sails
t was announced back in April 2021 that
my home city Auckland, New Zealand had
been placed on the Orbx City Landscapes
product roadmap for Microsoft Flight
Simulator (MFS). It was with eager anticipation
that I watched and waited for updates,
refreshing Orbx Central weekly until finally the
scenery was released publicly in mid-October
2021.
Auckland – the city
Auckland is the largest city in the land of
Aotearoa, with a population of 1.7 million
that makes up just over a third of our
entire national population of five million.
Administratively, the region is referred to as
a Super City, uniting the councils of central
Auckland with Waitakere City to the west,
North Shore City on the other side of the
harbour bridge and Manukau City to the
south.
The city is located on an isthmus of land
that lies between two natural harbours: the
Waitematā Harbour, which opens up to the
Hauraki Gulf and Pacific Ocean to the east,
and the shallower Manukau Harbour, which
opens up to the Tasman Sea to the west.
Early indigenous settlers have inhabited the
region from as far back as 1350 AD, with
an estimated 20,000 Māori already living in
the area when Europeans first arrived in the
1840s.
Today the population can certainly be
described as multicultural, being home to
44 / PC PILOT #137
both the country’s primary international
airport and shipping port making it the first
point of entry into New Zealand for many
visitors. The majority of the population
remains of European descent, although large
communities of Pacific Islanders technically
make Auckland the largest Polynesian city in
the world as well, with an ever-growing influx
of Asian migrants too.
Interestingly, the thin strip of land that the
country’s biggest settlement is built upon lies
directly above a dormant volcanic field with
over 53 volcanic cones of varying size spread
across the city. The most recent of these
eruptions was Rangitoto Island in 1450 AD.
Future eruptive activity remains a real threat
to the city and it has been predicted that it
could occur at a new, unknown location within
the volcanic field. The city is also flanked
by low mountain ranges to both the west
and east that catch the rain and provide a
water supply for the fast-growing population
from large man-made reservoirs within their
valleys.
The extensive coastline, fertile volcanic soils,
subtropical climate and diverse landscapes
that make up the region have led to rapid
expansion over the last 180 years. Modern-
day Auckland is now the nation’s economic
and financial centre, with most major
international corporations having an Auckland
office. In this scenery, you’ll be able to pick
out the logos of well-known corporate brands
such as PwC, Deloitte, HSBC, Westpac,
Zurich, Tower, Vero, Lumley, ANZ & ASB atop
their respective buildings.
The central business district boasts over 44
skyscrapers that stand at least 70m (230ft)
tall, clustered together in a central location
adjacent to the Waitematā Harbour waterfront.
The iconic Sky Tower at 328m (1,076ft) in
height is the tallest of the lot being somewhat
reminiscent of Seattle’s Space Needle and
is the tallest building in the country. A great
Easter egg that’s been included with this add-
on shows animated thrill seekers in orange
jumpsuits walking around the outdoor ledge
of the Sky Tower’s observation deck, who
take turns bungee jumping off the side!
Orbx’s Auckland upgrade
Disappointingly, the default MFS scenery
for the city originally comprised generic
autogen tower blocks which didn’t come
anywhere close to representing the unique
silhouette of towers that are well-known
to all those who have lived in or visited the
city.
www.Key.Aero

The rear view of Auckland War Memorial Museum.
Orbx has done an outstanding job of fixing
this by filling downtown with highly detailed
custom landmarks alongside more than 100
medium-detail custom buildings showcasing
the unique architecture examples of both
historic and modern Auckland. Many of these
Points Of Interest (POIs) contain custom night
lighting based on real-world photography and
look particularly impressive at sunset and
after dark.
For rotary-wing pilots, landable helipads have
been included atop the ASB Bank Centre
and Auckland City Hospital. Mechanics Bay
heliport, adjacent to the shipping port, has
also been modelled in detail but is non-
spawnable. In the real world, NZMB has a
large concrete ramp that drops from the
parking area into the water and was used as
a commuter seaplane base for many years.
I was slightly disappointed to see that this
ramp was not included with the scenery,
nor the location selectable as a spawn point
www.Key.Aero
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
You can have just as much fun exploring this
scenery from the water as you can from the air.
Review
System
Processor:
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce
RTX 2070 SUPER
4095MB VRAM
within MFS. To compensate, RAM: 32GB DDR4 RAM Auckland, breathing some
there are several moored Hard drive: Samsung much-needed life into the
vessels at the port with 970 EVO 500GB wider environment. Some
landable helipads instead. SSD boats have wake trails while
others do not, a feature I would
The ‘City of Sails’ have liked to have seen implemented
Auckland is also famously known as the City universally. On a busy day, you’ll often see
of Sails due to its extremely high rate of boat dozens of trails from the various pleasure
ownership per capita. There are more than craft, ferries and cargo ships criss-crossing
500,000 sailboats and yachts anchored and one another, whereas in the sim, the water still
moored at marinas within the city, meaning appears a little too clean.
if you live in Auckland you either own a boat
yourself or know several people who do. Of Updated orthoimagery
particular note is Westhaven Marina, known It was a nice surprise to see that Orbx
to be the largest yacht marina in the Southern chose to include not only an updated
Hemisphere with nearly 2,000 berths. This orthoimagery ground plate for the downtown
was disappointingly not modelled by default Auckland area but extended it to cover the
in MFS but has been brought to life beautifully entire Waitematā Harbour coastline. This
by Holger Sandman and his team at Orbx with includes watermasking from Bucklands
this scenery. Beach peninsular in the southeast right up to
There are plenty of animated and static Whenuapai Airport in the northwest, showing
vessels now filling the waterways around exposed rocky foreshore, tidal mudflats,
Above: Flight Plan Map for our Auckland City scenic.
Left: Auckland CBD, looking east towards Rangitoto Island.
#137 PC PILOT / 45
REVIEW ADD-ON FOR MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR

Above: Auckland – the real thing! Above, right: Auckland – Orbx’s superb simulated rendition!

mangrove forests and sandy beaches that
were all covered by water in the default
scenery.
Seeing the mudflats exposed as they appear
in the sim is not a particularly common
occurrence with the imagery showing what
looks to be a once-a-month extreme low
tide during the new moon phase. That said,
it certainly adds a lot more character to the
coastlines within the sim and is blended
into the seawater beautifully, making for
a believable transition between the high-
resolution photoreal ground plate and the
generic flatter water textures.
Auckland discovery tour
Orbx has made extensive terraforming and
shoreline adjustments across the scenery
coverage area to ensure it fits with both the
default MFS scenery as well as its own ‘NZ
Mesh’ DEM payware terrain add-on.
Having learned to fly at Auckland myself
in the real world, I have spent countless
hours flying over the city while hour-building
towards my commercial licence. There were
always friends and family keen to come
along for a city scenic, so I’ve recreated

Above: Auckland War Memorial Museum, in Auckland Domain.

Below: ‘The Cloud’ event centre, with its pulsing night lighting display mid-sequence.

46 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

the route often flown as a flight plan for
the international readers of PC Pilot to help
familiarise themselves with the city which can
be downloaded from www.key.aero/article/
pc-pilot-issue-137-downloads.
Depart Ardmore (NZAR) from Runway 03,
climb up to 1,500ft and track north-east along
the Clevedon valley until you reach the coast
at WP1. Turn left to track north to Waiheke
Island, full of lush vineyards and expensive
holiday homes, then follow the GPS magenta
line in a westerly direction. You’ll cross the
islands of Motutapu and then the adjacent
forested circular island of Rangitoto with its
850ft high volcanic peak at the centre.
Continue towards WP5 at North Head,
another volcanic cone that was fortified
in World War Two with defensive gun
installations, then turn right to follow the
sandy coastline of North Shore City.
You’ll shortly pass a small cluster of high
rises and adjacent freshwater lake. This area,
known as Takapuna and Lake Pupuke, is in
fact another volcanic crater that has collapsed
inwards and filled with rainwater.
Track towards WP6 and look out below for
some of the most desirable real estate in the
city with lots of clifftop mansions with great
sea views and beach access.
On reaching WP6, make a left turn and cross
suburban North Shore back to the inner
www.Key.Aero
Waitematā. Fly overhead Hobsonville marina
- a former maintenance base for the RNZAF
flying boats back in the 1950s, then turn
southbound and follow the coastline of the
harbour back towards the CBD.
WP9 will take you across the iconic Auckland
Harbour Bridge, with Westhaven Marina, the
downtown high rises and port all off to your
right. As you fly abeam North Head again, the
flight plan guides you around in a right-hand
turn to take you back around the southern
side of the city centre to Eden Park rugby
stadium - home of the All Blacks.
Another left turn at WP13 will see you
heading back towards the eastern suburbs,
over the volcanic summit of One Tree Hill
(look out for the monument on its peak), to
the Tamaki Estuary (WP16). This location
marks the northern boundary of the Auckland
International Airport control zone and skirts
you around its edges to return to land back at
Ardmore.
Conclusion
In summary, this 5.29GB download (8.34GB
installed) is a landmark improvement from the
default version and I’m extremely grateful that
the developers at Orbx selected my often-
forgotten corner of the world to enhance.
My only further critiques are that perhaps
the roadway over the harbour bridge looks a
little too cartoony when compared with the
surrounding high-res satellite textures, with
some of the AI vehicles that cross it either
falling off the side or driving along the water
below the 3D model, as is commonly seen
with other bridges in MFS.
The generic commercial building surrounding
the custom-made CBD towers are probably a
few storeys too low, giving the CBD a bit of a
hollow feeling. That said, when compared to
what the default MFS Auckland looked like,
this is still a million times better and definitely
gets my recommendation.
By Andrew Underwood
PC Pilot Verdict:
At a glance: A huge improvement to Auckland,
bringing hundreds of custom landmarks to a
major city that was somewhat neglected in the
default scenery.
Publisher and Developer: Orbx
Distributor: Orbx
Price: $15.50 AUD (£8 approx) 25% discount
available for owners of Orbx’s NZ Mesh
Website: https://orbxdirect.com/product/
landmarks-auckland-msfs
3D Modelling: Good
Graphics: Great
Documentation: None
Performance: Great 85
PC Pilot Score:
The waterfront at dusk, showing the under-
construction Seascape tower in its completed form.
#137 PC PILOT / 47
FEATURE FLIGHTSIMEXPO 2021
FlightSimExpo
The show must go on
F
ollowing last year's show cancellation
due to COVID-19, North America's
community-driven flight simulation
conference, FlightSimExpo has returned.
Taking place over the weekend of September
24 – 26 at the Town and Country Resort in San
Diego, California, it was run as a hybrid event
with visitors attending in-person or taking part
online. Event organiser Evan Reiter recounts
his experience of FlightSimExpo 2021 and
describes the many challenges the team had
to face in getting the show off the ground.
Uncertain beginnings
On the Monday leading up to the event, I
stepped on to an aircraft bound for San Diego.
48 / PC PILOT #137
It was the first time I had travelled since the
beginning of the pandemic and my first time
on an aircraft in more than 260 days. That’s
unusual for an airline pilot such as myself
who most years won’t spend more than 10
consecutive days in the same city.
I had no idea what to expect. After we had
to cancel the 2020 event and reschedule
FlightSimExpo 2021 to September, it felt like
a lifetime since we had last been together as
a flight simulation community. As I settled
into the window seat, I couldn’t help but
wonder what was in store for us in San Diego.
After more than two years of live streaming
and video calls, how would the community
feel about coming together again? And
what would the show floor look like with
international travel restrictions preventing
some of our most popular exhibitors from
participating in-person this year?
For the first time, we ran FlightSimExpo
as a hybrid in-person and online event. For
the former, we implemented strict COVID-19
measures that included enhanced ventilation,
social distancing and individual product/
screen cleaning wipes donated by iCloth.
We followed the latest guidance from local,
state and federal health officials, including
recommending mask-wearing for all attendees
(according to California rules, masks were
not required to be worn at indoor events for
vaccinated individuals).
www.Key.Aero
2021
Left: Attendees at the Thrustmaster booth checking out
their flight controls. Later in the day, the new Boeing-
licensed yoke was announced and a prototype was put
on display for attendees to try out.
Right: Honeycomb Aeronautical had one of the most
popular displays on the show floor showcasing the
Alpha, Bravo and Charlie controllers.
Below: Virtual attendees could watch the event live.
Here, visitors watch and comment on Laminar's landing
competition; a challenging approach and landing to
Stewart, Canada flying X-Plane 12.
Exhibitors
Fortunately, the developers who participated
this year showcased some of their best
products. In-person visitors could explore the
large exhibition hall showcasing the latest in
flight simulation hardware and software such
as yokes, joysticks, virtual reality and GPS
replica devices.
Putting on the biggest displays
FlightSimExpo has ever seen, Honeycomb,
Thrustmaster and Turtle Beach impressed
the audience with plenty of new hardware
devices to try. Participants also enjoyed
an exclusive opportunity to try everything
from the recently announced X-Plane 12,
to commercial-grade helicopter simulators.
Professional flight simulation organisations
such as TakeFlight Interactive and Redbird
along with more niche creators like Altimeter
Motives and FlightSimBuilder also provided
live demonstrations. The exhibition hall was
bursting with activity and many exhibitors
commented that the show “felt busier than
FlightSimExpo 2019 in Orlando.”
Another highlight of the show was that
for the first time in FlightSimExpo’s history,
a consumer-priced force feedback yoke,
developed by SIMiONIC, was on display.
Although not able to attend in person, with
the help of a Flight Simulation Association
(FSA) volunteer in setting up the technology,
SIMiONIC could demonstrate the yoke and a
representative was available via video call to
answer questions in real time. Thanks to this
video technology, developers from around the
www.Key.Aero
world were able to participate in the show,
even if they couldn’t attend in-person.
Developer announcements
A number of developers announced new
products and demonstrated what they’d
been working on since the last show in
2019. One of the most highly anticipated
announcements was provided by Laminar
Research, which shared preview images and
videos of the upcoming X-Plane 12 simulator.
Thrustmaster unveiled a new Boeing-
licensed yoke and Turtle Beach debuted its
VelocityOne Flight Universal Control System
for Xbox and PC. X-Crafts shared a preview
of the upcoming E-jets series for X-Plane
Below: Flight Simulation Association Co-Founder,
Evan Reiter’s closing remarks following a successful
FlightSimExpo 2021.
Below: The new Turtle Beach new VelocityOne Flight
Universal Control System for Xbox and PC was on
display for the first time at FlightSimExpo.
and FlightFactor provided information and
previews on what to expect in its development
pipeline. Honeycomb announced several new
upcoming products alongside the launch of
a new flight training academy. The team from
Lockheed Martin was also on site to answer
questions about what to expect from the future
of Prepar3D.
Seminars
In addition to the big product announcements,
FlightSimExpo has always hosted unique
seminars. Topics included building a flight sim
PC, home-cockpit fabrication, flight dispatch
and its impact on simulation, virtual and
augmented reality, and more. Twitch streamer
– TheFlyingFabio, held an in-person AMA (Ask
Me Anything) with his channel and visually
impaired simmer Sarah Alawami explained how
modern technology enables simulator pilots
to literally fly blind. Military and government
were also represented, with the US Air Force
and National Transportation Safety Board
discussing how simulation is used on a daily
basis to train new fighter pilots and make
aviation safer.
One of the goals of FlightSimExpo is to
introduce new people to the flight simulation
community while showing more experienced
simmers that our hobby is used in some
amazing places. From FSElite’s ‘Getting
Started in Flight Simulation’ to Captain Bob
Flight Simulation’s detailed discussion of
home cockpit building do’s and don’ts, there
was a seminar for everyone. What’s even
#137 PC PILOT / 49
FEATURE FLIGHTSIMEXPO 2021
more special to me is that these seminars
come from the community. Each year, we open
speaking applications to experienced pilots,
simmers, dispatchers and air traffic controllers
so the event can be truly community-driven.
Support from the community
Although several developers were unable to
attend the in-person event this year, that did
not stop them from supporting the show.
On Friday, Diamond Sponsor Orbx held
a fly-in with an AMA with their CEO and a
special sale to celebrate the event virtually.
Meanwhile, online ATC networks IVAO,
PilotEdge and VATSIM, along with the Infinite
Flight community, all helped support the show
with special ‘Fly Yourself to Expo’ events
during the weekend. Giveaway items donated
by Next Level Racing, PlaneEnglish, FS2Crew,
Sporty’s Pilot Shop and X-Crafts could be
won by both in-person and remote attendees,
while several participating developers ran
contests and giveaways that were available to
all attendees.
Online participants also had access to
30 presentations including high-profile
announcements, how-to seminars, product
Above: Event participants take in one of the 30 seminars
that took place throughout the weekend. The show also
included seminars delivered by remote presenters who
were unable to attend in person.
Right: At the Platinum Simulators booth, attendees
experience commercial-grade helicopter simulation,
complete with a cyclic and collective.
50 / PC PILOT #137
Above: Attendees watch as the pre-build version
of X-Plane 12 is loaded on to a computer at the
Honeycomb Aeronautical booth.
Online presentations
The FlightSimExpo event closing presentation is
available to watch via the following YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/-xjuqLSoLBk. You can also find the
Prepar3D Q&A alongside recordings of all 30 event
seminars at www.flightsimexpo.com.
If you wish to stay connected with the community
surrounding the show, you can join Flight Simulation
Association for free at www.flightsimassociation.com
and follow them @FlightSimExpo on social media.
discounts, giveaways and could network with
other attendees.
With a line-up of 25 exhibitors and more
than 700 visitors attending in-person, I
believe the event is the largest in-person
flight simulation gathering of the year.
Including online participants, almost 2,000
people from 40 countries participated in the
three-day flight simulation conference and
trade show.
As organisers, Phil and I are so grateful
to the developers, content creators, news
websites and simmers who have supported
this event. Many organisations, large and
small, made a point of helping the show
thrive, even when they could not participate
in person. Whether it was sharing a short
message of support in Discord, arranging a
community fly-in, sharing a product trailer
for us to play in front of more than 3,000
livestream viewers (thanks X-Crafts!), there
were so many ways for developers to get
involved.
And to the simmers who flew across the
country, and even across the world or who
supported us by watching online, thank
you for taking the time to share your kind
words, feedback and ideas with us and the
developers on-site. There’s no substitute for
real-time customer feedback, especially when
you’re looking the person in the eyes at the
time.
Special thanks go to the team of volunteer
simmers from the independent, community-
driven Flight Simulation Association who
helped organise the event. I’ve probably
forgotten to mention several names, so
apologies in advance.
Closing remarks
During my closing remarks on Sunday
afternoon, the emotion and passion Phil and
I feel for this show was running high. We
consider FSA and FlightSimExpo a passion
project; something we feel the community
needs and is something we’re proud to be part
of. Standing on the FlightSimExpo stage on
Sunday afternoon, it finally hit just how much
I’d missed being able to shake hands and
talk face-to-face, even if was from a bit of a
distance and, in my case, with a mask on.
As the show concluded, the question on
everyone’s mind was where are we going
to be next year? The organisers from Flight
Simulation Association are working with flight
simulation developers, news websites and
content creators to look at venues for the
next FlightSimExpo. Options include hotels,
conference centres and museums across the
United States. Whether we’re back in 2022 or
we wait until June 2023, I’ll be counting down
the days.
By Evan Reiter
www.Key.Aero
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FEATURE THE HUMAN ELEMENT
The
Human
Element
C
an you remember your first experience
of using a flight simulator? I can vividly
recall mine. Back in the early 1980s,
the ZX81 was a highly affordable home
computer. Packed with a 3.25MHz processor
and 1KB of RAM (expandable to 16KB), it
was all the rage 40 years ago. It ran flight
simulation from Sinclair Research at a mind-
blowing 64 x 48 resolution. One magazine at
the time said “...no words can do justice to
this most elegant of programs” and for me, at
the tender age of 12, it was right. So, there we
were as a family hunched over this ridiculous
keyboard trying to land the impossible. I failed
several times and it was only my dad, who
was a 747 pilot for British Airways at the time,
managed to do what eluded the rest of us.
Hooked
But I was hooked. Well sort of. The fire that
Above, DID's EF2000. The
cockpit looks basic by
today’s standards but was
pretty good back then.
52 / PC PILOT #137
Flight simulation: A
personal journey
burned with the start of those blocky pixels
simmered for nearly a decade before the
bonfire was lit again, courtesy of GraphSim’s
F/A-18 Hornet for the Mac. The world had
totally changed! The machine in question was
a friend’s venerable LC 475 sporting 25MHz
of CPU grunt with some 12MB of RAM. It ran
Hornet gloriously. You really felt for the first
time that you were inside a cockpit; it was so
detailed and engaging - it even had radar. In
exterior view, you recognised the distinctive
shape of the shaded aircraft. I seriously loved
it and spent dozens of hours immersed in
its missions. It
persuaded me to
buy a Mac (an
Apple Performa
if I recall
correctly) a
few years
later. I was that hooked.
The ’90s: the ‘Golden age’ of
combat simulation
It seemed the mid-to-late 90s delivered an
explosion of content for connoisseurs of
virtual flying. Microsoft’s Flight Simulator
dominated the civilian side of things and
Jane’s Combat Simulations sucked many
of us into a never-ending world of superb
experience. AH-64D Longbow, F-15 and
of course F/A-18 set the bar. Digital Image
Design delivered EF2000 - a super replication
for the time of the Eurofighter Typhoon set in
the Baltic. There was even a patch to bring it
up to date with state-of-the-art (yes, properly
used in this context) 3dfx Glide API for
hardware graphics support.
I remember sitting in a cafe in Epsom, Surrey
in 1997 and reading one of the PC magazine’s
Above: “It’s been a pleasure to see the spirit of
Falcon continue with BenchMark Simulations.”
www.Key.Aero

features on the upcoming F-22 ADF. With full
hardware graphics support, the screenshots
looked incredible! So, I had to have it. But
this was for PC so I would have to ditch
the Performa and embrace the mysterious
world of Windows. Spooky times ahead but I
survived. In fact, my experience thrived over
the next two decades.
Enter Falcon 4.0
The revelatory flight sim experience came
about in 1998/1999. I’d bought a flat in the
suburbs of London, for which I couldn’t even
afford a bed so had to borrow a mattress
for the floor. To the side sat the Pentium II
300 with the Voodoo 2 card, from Diamond
I believe, and a force-feedback joystick from
Thrustmaster… forgive me, it might have been
Logitech but I cannot completely remember.
Whichever it was, it ran the big thing of the
time, Falcon 4.0. There was generally a 50:50
chance of whether you could get through
a mission without an infamous Crash To
Desktop (CTD), such was the sorry state of
the product’s stability at release. But, my
goodness, those developers at MicroProse
gave birth to something extraordinary: the
dynamic campaign.
Above: Falcon 4.0’s Campaign Screen; does it bring back warm fuzzy memories?
www.Key.Aero
MicroProse released a substantive patch in
the guise of 108US which addressed many
issues and as sales passed the 200,000
mark, we all knew something very special
had come to market. Drama and the Falcon
name go hand-in-hand and in 2000, the
source code for the game was mysteriously
released. There followed a slew of third-
party modifications to the sim, either hex
edits or exe edits. A privately owned software
and quality assurance company developed
(with permission), a series of patches that
enhanced the realism of the sim in areas
including weapons, vehicles and aircraft. This
was the start of the Realism Patch Group and
my goodness, the work they carried out was
extraordinary. When Patch 4.0 was released,
I decided to print out the manual. How many
trees were used I have no idea. Like the
original Falcon 4.0 manual, it was huge.
Third-party development
At the same time, modification of the actual
source code was also taking place. A
chap called eRazor headed up the eTeam
fundamentally beefing up the ‘core’ of
the product to deliver Direct X support,
32-bit colour and many other graphics
Above: Falcon 4.0: Allied Force’s cockpit improved upon the original.
EF2000: This version had 3dfx’s Glide
implementation.
enhancements.
So, slowly but surely, my own personal
involvement in Falcon grew. I discovered
Frugalsworld, the Delphi forums, CombatSim
and SimHQ - all bringing together devotees
and rival factions of developers. There was
fun, there were arguments but always the love
of the sim was something that shone through.
At some point in 2002, third-parties IIRC,
RPG and the eTeam sort of combined their
expertise in the form of F4 Unified Team,
combining the best of the RPG stuff and the
best of what eTeam had produced. Well, that
was the theory. From there SuperPak patches
emerged, most notably SP4 which included
new variants of the F-16, new aircraft and
new models, more weapons, better missile
aerodynamics, reworked ATC etc.
Lead Pursuit’s
Falcon 4.0: Allied Force
Lead Pursuit (LP) emerged from F4UT and
the executive team, led by Kurt, Chris, Joel
and Mike, secured a licence from the then
Intellectual Property (IP) holder, Atari, to
develop a commercial product, Falcon 4.0:
Allied Force (F4:AF). My role was to do the
publicity, write the manual and texture many
#137 PC PILOT / 53
FEATURE THE HUMAN ELEMENT

DiD’s F22 ADF: it had cutting-edge

visuals in the late 1990s.

squashing all bugs known to man, Pogo for that is DCS World and the moves there. My
his cockpit expertise, Eric for his beautiful article on DCS in Issue 136 of PC Pilot looked
cockpit artistry, Ed with his incredible data at the big developments on that side and
edits for units, Mike who transformed the there’s a huge amount to look forward to;
ATC and MP (multiplayer) code and Chris, the whole globe being modelled as opposed
who single-handedly hand-painted every tile to the current ‘maps’ system, a dynamic
in the huge Balkans campaign. And finally, campaign, virtual reality improvements
what a delight to team up with GraphSim and the implementation of the Vulkan API
as publisher after all those years before - (Application Programming Interface) and
enjoying the Hornet series. In the months that multi-core optimisation – the latter probably
followed, LP became involved in other things; being the most important ‘under-the-hood’
Where it all started for me: Psion’s Flight Simulator for I gravitated towards racing sims - GTR and feature coming in the next year.
the ZX81. GTR2 got me hooked, and everyone else
followed their passions. Final thoughts
of the weapons. It was a rollercoaster ride It’s been a pleasure to see the spirit of I leave you with quite an incredible thought.
of development and as a non-developer, Falcon continue with BenchMark Simulations, Think what Flight Simulator for the ZX81
a fascinating insight into the workings of a a group which has transformed the look of the delivered 40 years ago and compare that
software development team. I got us a place simulation with full DX9 implementation and to the VR experience of any of the high-end
on the stage of Intel’s launch of its brand a vast array of other improvements over the modern jets and helos in DCS World today.
new dual-core CPU - revolutionary for the original Falcon 4.0 product. And they’re still at What we have now could not even have
time - and Falcon was the perfect product to it today; huge respect. been dreamed of 40 years ago, probably 20
exploit its multi-core goodness. The original years ago. What will the next 20 or 40 years
developer of Falcon 4.0 cleverly implemented DCS World deliver in terms of experience? Truly, the mind
the use of more than one CPU to help For me, I’m thoroughly enjoying the journey boggles…
mitigate Framerate Per Second (FPS) drops. from a different side - going with the flow By Chris Partridge
In those days, in 1999/2000, that inevitably
meant machines with two processors on
the motherboard, which were monsters and
expensive. No surprise that it wasn’t a feature
for the mainstream user. But by 2005, it was
big. At the presentation were many of the big
names in the PC industry and my colleague
Colin did a superb job of showing how F4:AF
could exploit the dual-core nature of the
processor. Intel had kindly loaned me one of
the first dual-core machines before launch to
ensure that AF did what it said it would do on
the tin. I’m delighted to say it did. There was
not much increase in frame rates, but those
annoying drops in frame rate in areas of high
CPU load, such as over the Forward Line of
Troops (FLOT) in the dynamic campaign, were
hugely mitigated.
Falcon 4: Allied Force was the sole release
of Lead Pursuit - a company which comprised
the incredible coding and developing
potential of the likes of Sylvain, who totally
re-engineered the AI codec, Schumi for The glorious cockpit of GraphSim’s F/A-18 Hornet simulator.

54 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

 NE
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FEATURE FLIGHT ADVENTURE
ADVENTURE
The Cheyenne family
H
ow can an innovative product that
blitzed its competitors in almost every
way fall into relative obscurity so
quickly?
In this issue, we fly some Alaskan routes
in the Piper Cheyenne twin turboprop as we
explore its features, innovations and perhaps
why so few remain flying today.
Bigger and better
Time and time again in this series we see
how a classic or exciting aircraft of its day is
56 / PC PILOT #137
Flight
actually the culmination of modifications and
improvements to a series of earlier models;
so it is with the Piper Cheyenne. Its lineage
began in 1964 with the PA-31 Navajo – the
twin-piston engine, eight-seat aircraft aimed
at cargo, charter and small regional airline
feeder markets. The usual quick succession
of more powerful engines, more efficient
systems and improved aerodynamics
followed. During its heyday in the 1970s, Piper
also offered the PA-31P Pressurised Navajo
which was powered by a pair of 425hp piston
engines, making it the most powerful piston
engine aircraft that Piper ever built. However,
it was also complex, heavy and ultimately
expensive to operate.
So, Piper’s engineers went on to replace the
piston engines with the now ubiquitous PW
PT-6A turboprop engines – the result was
dubbed the PA-31T Cheyenne and later the
larger and more powerful PA-42 Cheyenne
400.
Your task
This issue, we are flying the Carenado Piper
Cheyenne II (www.carenado.com) in X-Plane
11 while we explore this quite remarkable
www.Key.Aero
 It may look complex but the
Below: As the model was developed, they basically Cheyenne layout was very
became longer with more powerful engines. familiar to Navajo pilots.

CHEYENNE The IFR departure

FACT #1 from Valdez isn’t for
the faint-hearted.
As the Cheyenne family
range developed, Piper created
aircraft. Much of a series of ever-confusing model and its central location usually fly a turboprop, you’ll have no trouble
the scenery in the designations from the PA-31T-1 has made it a popular after your first run through the checklists.
accompanying Cheyenne I, II, IIXL, III, PA-42- 400 and choice for charter SIDs out of Fairchild require flying quite long
screenshots are PA-42-400LS. Confused? Don’t despair companies, which is distances away from our preferred track, so
from the Orbx if you are – even the US FAA had why we will start our after cleaning up, setting our climb power of
Simulations range trouble! So it asked Piper to make flights from here. Load 95%/2,000rpm and passing at least 2,000ft,
(www.orbxdirect. the designation of the Cheyenne up with two pilots, four we will instead request vectors after take-
com). Alternatives for clearer and Piper responded passengers, 100kg (200lb) off to allow us to intercept the Fairbanks/FAI
other flight simulator using by using PA-42 of day baggage and 830kg VOR (108.60MHz) 153° radial outbound as we
platforms, as well as thereafter. (1,800lb) fuel. This will give climb to FL210. The Cheyenne is pressurised,
some basic charts and us an endurance of around 3.5 so don’t forget to set your cruise altitude
flight plans, are included in hours – plenty to get to Valdez, shoot and check the ascent rate and cabin altitude
the Pilot’s Notes in the downloads a couple of LDA-H approaches if required as you pass 10,000ft! While the initial cruise
section for this issue – located at www.key. and still enough to also divert to Anchorage climb speed is around 150 knots, you may
aero/article/pc-pilot-issue-137-downloads. should we need to. Our route will be PAFA SID want to reduce that to around 140 knots as
The fuel and other calculations are based on HOJOE JOH STAR PAVD. you near 15,000ft. This will maintain your
the Carenado Cheyenne II but the principals One of the features that made the Cheyenne rate of climb to the cruise level. Settle in to
remain the same if you select a different popular among entry-level turboprop pilots the cruise with around 95%/1,850rpm which
aircraft. was the very straightforward start procedure. will give you around 230KTAS. Hopefully, the
A pilot familiar with the already simple startup visibility for you is good so you can enjoy the
Leg 1: Fairbanks to Valdez – sequence of the piston-engined Navajo could views of the Alaska Range which forms a wide
316nm easily start the Cheyenne despite the different crescent directly across our track, and of the
Fairbanks is the largest inland city in Alaska powerplants. Similarly, even if you don’t Chugach Mountains as we start our descent

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 57

FEATURE FLIGHT ADVENTURE

into Valdez.
Valdez is considered to be one of the most
critical ports in Alaska with fishing and
commercial freight but being isolated, it
relies heavily on air transport. Plan to start
your descent 60DME JOH VOR at 1,500fpm
and around 180 KIAS. This will allow you
to shorten the final approach into
Valdez should weather and
CHEYENNE traffic permit. The steep
FACT #2 terrain surrounding Valdez
The Cheyenne The main competitor to the
family of aircraft are means that unless
compact but powerful Cheyenne was the Beechcraft completely VFR, we
performers. C90 King Air. However, it turned must fly the Runway 06
out that the later Cheyenne models LDA-H approach. This
could operate in and out of smaller is a complex approach
airfields, use less fuel, fly higher, fly flying down the Port
The Cheyenne’s climb
and cruise performance
faster and cost less to operate than Valdez using the LOC
outpaced its main the King Air. This was however, rather than an ILS. If
competitor, the King at the expense of some cabin
Air C90.
required (or if you like a
room and payload. challenge!), the approach
chart is freely available
online. Your passengers will
head into town for the day and
return at 15:00.

Leg 2: Valdez to Anchorage –

109nm to 157nm
It is now time to fly the same passengers to
Anchorage/PANC. We took the opportunity

Left: Our first leg from Fairbanks to Valdez.

Right: The slippery design just yells out: faster, faster!

58 www.Key.Aero
 CHEYENNE
FACT #3
The Cheyenne 400 set a series
for the short layover of altitude and speed records in heading (236°) for the valley to OLLEO as you climb to FL160. At
in Valdez to top up 1986. In this filmed and verified flight, 19nm to OLLEO, OLLEO, track 258° direct to Anchorage/TED
the fuel tank to none other than Chuck Yeager piloted the before turning VOR on 113.15MHz. This will take you over
820kg (1,800lb). Cheyenne LS to 12,000m (39,370ft) in just 11 south towards rugged mountains, so you must be visual to
Your RNAV flight minutes 8.3 seconds at an average vertical Johnstone make a standard visual descent from around
plan to Anchorage speed of 3,534fpm and a peak vertical speed Point/JOH VOR 28DME from Anchorage and note that this
is PAVD MNI of an amazing 5,959fpm. This was a faster (116.70MHz). At may mean you have to descend in stages.
JMAAL3.NAKED climb to altitude than a Boeing 737 or Cessna 25DME from JOH, Under usual conditions, you will join right
WITTI3 STAR PANC Citation. Yeager also piloted the 400LS turn right to fly the downwind for 07R and can land as directed
at FL160 - a leg of across the US, crushing a class record 25 DME arc to the above. After landing, taxi back to your starting
157nm. If conditions when he flew from California to New NAKED intersection point, say farewell to your clients and call it
are VFR however, you York at an average speed of before resuming track a day.
can save a lot of time and 480mph. to WITTI. By Peter Stark
procedural flying by filing a From there, fly the WITTI
109nm plan PAVD OLLEO TED 3 RNAV Arrival which will
PANC and making a visual approach place you on right downwind for CHEYENNE
at Anchorage, so check your forecasts. Runway 07R where you expect vectors to the FACT #4
Depart Valdez via Runway 24 if possible, Runway 07R ILS (111.30MHz) or to a visual Despite the impressive
even accepting a modest tailwind to do this. approach. You can land long as your advantages the Cheyenne had over the
The alternative is a series of steep turns after hangar is at the far eastern end of the King Air and others, one fact remained:
take-off as we simultaneously try to clean up runway to your right. it was based on a Navajo airframe with a
the Cheyenne and avoid terrain, which can rated life of 15,000 hours. So now, 37 years
get pretty ugly. The Runway 24 departure VFR Route after production ceased, there are simply very
allows us to maintain runway heading as we As you’ve seen, flying in and out of few airframes left with enough hours available
climb clear of the surrounding hillsides. Valdez in IFR in limited visibility is a to entice many buyers. Accordingly, prices for a
real challenge (and has featured in an used Cheyenne fall quickly as they pass the 10,000
IFR route earlier issue of PC Pilot’s Challenging hour mark. Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing,
If IFR and RNAV-equipped (or you have NDB Airports series). So, if you are able, as aviation technology was accelerating from
and DME available), fly the JMAAL3.NAKED the VFR route is simpler and quicker. the 1990s and soon the Cheyennes would
departure which effectively tracks on runway Fly runway heading of around 236° up need some extensive upgrades to remain
competitive. Still, many are available and
continue to provide an entry-level twin
turboprop at a very reasonable
price.

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 59

TUTORIAL BACK TO BASICS
Fig 1 – Our route is straightforward and over safe terrain.
Fig 2 – Similarly, our alternate airport is close by with a
nearby radio navaid.
Fig 3 – LSALT calculations are important as the tower
near Shelby Airfield is a danger.
Back to Basics
y now, regular readers of this series
B should be competent in general VFR
flying at night. This issue, we start
to wind up our night flying training
by preparing for a cross-country navigation
exercise, while learning how to handle any
surprises that may occur along the way.
PPPPP
I haven’t developed a stutter but am instead
referring to a very old aviation adage - Proper
Planning Prevents Poor Performance. If there
is ever a time that you need to spend time
planning a flight, it is before you depart on a
60 / PC PILOT #137
Flying circuits and
visual night cross-country exercise. None of
the planning is difficult and much of it was
covered in Stage 2 of Back to Basics. We
will therefore be focusing on the differences
between planning and navigating at night
rather than explaining each step that has
been covered in the earlier series.
Examine your route
We will be flying from Havre City Airport
(KHVR) to Shelby (KSBX) in the wide-
open plains of Montana USA, which can
be found on the Great Falls USA Sectional
chart. This chart is available from the major
file libraries (search for Matt Fox) or online
viewers such as skyvector.com. This route
has been chosen as it can be easily flown on
any major flight simulation platform and the
accompanying screenshots have been taken
from several.
Your first task is to examine our proposed
route (Figure 1) in a little more detail by scanning
the route carefully. It can sometimes be worth
tracking extra distance to take advantage of
a particularly good navigation fix or to avoid
hostile terrain. There is little advantage in flying
direct at night in a single-engine aircraft if you
have to fly over alligator-laden swamps, or
www.Key.Aero
landings at night
mountainous terrain etc. In general terms, our
direct route appears perfectly satisfactory for
this particular flight but we must note the high
peaks well to the north.
As you plot the direct route on the sectional
chart, you can quickly determine that a
magnetic track of 257°M and a distance of
84nm should bring us to our destination. At
this stage the PPPPP Principle (or PPPPP P!)
becomes important as, before proceeding
any further, we need to consider what we
will do and where we will go should some
unexpected calamity prevent us from being
able to land at Shelby.
www.Key.Aero
Our alternate airport must obviously have
adequate lighting and runway length but there
is sometimes a prudent requirement that any
alternate must also have a navigation aid of
some sort. For this exercise, we will use Cut
Bank/KCTB (Figure 2), which is located 20nm
west-north-west of Shelby. Cut Bank is a
sizeable airport with cross runways, a nearby
VOR, good runway lighting and an aerodrome
beacon. These features make it an excellent
choice. It is crucial that as we proceed with
our planning, we always make the assumption
we will have to divert to Cut Bank at some
stage. This is simply good airmanship.
Series 3 Lesson 8
By Peter Stark
As we learnt earlier in the series, we had
better check the weather at your departure
airport and planned arrival airports. But do
not forget to also check the weather from
Shelby to the alternate as well as the actual
alternate airfield itself. For the purposes of
this exercise we’ll keep things simple and will
be flying in with a full moon and nil winds.
Remember LSALT?
Now that we have confirmed conditions are
good for the flight, check your LSALT – the
Lowest Safe Altitude – for the route, again
including that from Shelby to Cut Bank.
#137 PC PILOT / 61
TUTORIAL BACK TO BASICS

To make life simple, plan to depart from directly overhead the airfield. Night VFR flying should be planned from taxi to shutdown.

From stage two of Back to Basics, you may

recall that this should be the altitude of the
highest object within a ten nautical mile radius
of our planned track - plus 1,000ft. Figure 1
revealed that this route is very kind to us with
little in the way of significant objects. We do
find however, that there are a couple of radio
towers at 3,690ft AMSL a couple of miles to
the south of Shelby Airport (Figure 3). It is just
222ft above ground level but is very close
to the airport and is therefore a significant
danger to us. This means that our LSALT for
this route is 3,690 + 1,000 = 4,700ft AMSL.
When we look at the alternate leg from
Shelby to Cut Bank, we can also find a 4,130ft
AMSL high spot only a mile or so to the south
of our alternate track. So our LSALT, if we
are required to fly to our alternate, is 4,130 +
Fig 5 – A mud map is a night VFR pilot’s friend and makes navigation in limited visibility much simpler.
1,000 = 5,200ft.
Normally, we must not descend below diagrams and any Standard Instrument you need to know about any US airfield –
our LSALT until we are within 3nm of our Departure (SID) or Arrival (STAR) charts for even how much the fuel costs and which
destination and have the airfield in sight. The any airports you may possibly use. While hotels to stay in. It also has direct download
only safe exceptions are if we can be certain we will be strictly flying visually, the PPPPP links to the charts applicable to that airport.
of having passed the obstruction or if under principle dictates that we are prepared for
ATC instructions. any realistic eventuality and as we will read Completing the flight plan
later, these charts have an added bonus. We can now fill in our flight plan as we
Use charts An excellent ‘one-stop shop’ for all this examined in Stage two of Back to Basics.
Another very useful piece of equipment for information is www.airnav.com. Entering the When we were flying VFR in daylight, we knew
cross-country flights are published airport ICAO code or airport name lists everything we had to take-off with at least an extra 30
minutes of fuel above and beyond what we
calculated we would require for the flight. At
night, we have to allow for reduced visibility and
the increased time it may take to identify any
fixes or airfields, so this additional fuel figure is
increased to 45 minutes above and beyond the
expected fuel needs. Most GA pilots however,
would not hesitate at flying with an additional
reserve, or even flying with full tanks if at all
possible. Figure 4 shows the critical data we
need to complete for this flight including the
fuel and reserve calculations. This information is
determined in exactly the same way as we did
in Stage Two and flying visually in daylight.

Playing with mud

We all love getting muddy from time to time.
No? Maybe that’s just me. If you’re going to fly
cross-country at night, I’m afraid you will have
to get used to mud, as one of the most useful
in-flight tools for a visual night pilot is a mud
map. If you refer back to our main sectional
chart, there are several aspects of our route
The best practice for a night VFR flight is to have flown the route in daylight first. that deserve some mention. Firstly, the colours

62 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

 Study your chart and be aware of hidden obstacles that may not be so apparent in the dark.

Fig 4 – Our completed flight plan must include details to

the alternate and fuel needs including full reserves.

All those night flying skills come to together in our night navex.

Using any available charts can aid your departure and
arrival planning.
their ‘Picasso plans’ for reuse. Create your
own of the route, being sure to also include
the LSALT, heading and distance information
prepared earlier, as well as the communication
and navigation aid frequencies.
Are we ready now?
Next issue...
we’ll wind up this part of Back to Basics by
completing our prepared flight and deal
with some unexpected emergencies.

of the chart are predominantly red and brown.

These colours will not show up very well under
aircraft night lighting – particularly red cockpit
lighting. Secondly, there aren’t a real lot of
ground features that can be used by the pilot
to navigate anyway. Wouldn’t it be simpler if we
had a chart that only showed the information
related to the safe flying of our route and those
objects that we are likely to see in the dark?
That’s where a mud map comes in.
Figure 5 shows a mud map prepared
for this flight. All the contours, small
ground objects and unnecessary airspace
boundaries have been removed. We are
left with representations of the airfields,
major highways, major vertical obstructions,
possible alternate airports etc. Importantly,
it is drawn in black or green ink on a white
background so that even under dim cabin
lights, it is perfectly readable.
Constructing a good mud map is almost an
art form and once a mud map of a frequently
flown route is perfected, some pilots laminate Next issue, we wrap up this part of the series as we complete our night VFR route over the wide-open plains of Montana.

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 63

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR DCS WORLD
DCS: Mosquito
Is this the best Mosquito
simulation ever produced?
B
ack in Issue 133 of PC Pilot, we ran
an in-depth interview with Sergey
Gerasev - the project manager and
team leader for World War Two projects at
Eagle Dynamics, the subject of which was
the upcoming Mosquito FB VI module. Well,
it has finally landed and being one of my all-
time favourite aircraft, it’s a DCS module that
I’ve been eagerly awaiting. So, does it live up
to my expectations? Let’s find out!
A unique aircraft
and DCS module
In our previously mentioned interview, Sergey
told PC Pilot that the FB VI fighter/bomber
version of the Mosquito was chosen because
it provided the widest choice of mission type
64 / PC PILOT #137
Eagle Dynamics’
for the user, reflecting the aircraft’s unique
multi-role capability. However, this new
addition to the DCS hangar is unique for a
couple of other reasons. To begin with, it’s
the first player-controlled, twin-engine piston
aircraft to be released for DCS World. The
other significant feature of this release is that
we now have a second crew position for the
observer/navigator, which increases your
workload, unless you are playing multiplayer,
in which case those duties can be done by
another person.
Preparing for flight
To say I was eager to fly this sleek and
beautifully designed aircraft would be an
understatement. However, before you jump
into that left-hand seat, I would recommend
that you first take the time to carefully set
up your controllers and assign as many
in-cockpit levers, dials and switches to your
HOTAS (Hands-On-Throttle-And-Stick) or
whatever set-up you are currently using.
Cockpit tour
Although the Mosquito is of World War Two
vintage, it has quite a ‘busy’ cockpit, which
is a reflection of its twin-engine configuration
and also of its multi-role capability as a
fighter, bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.
The first thing that I was immediately struck
by on first entering the cockpit of this DCS
Mosquito is the very high level of detail,
coupled with its authentic look throughout;
www.Key.Aero
FB VI
Starting top-left moving clockwise: This shot shows off the fully appointed and highly detailed cockpit. • This is the
T.1154 Transmitter, which was designed to provide air-to-air and air-to-ground communications by wireless and
radio transmitter. • Here we see the R.1155 Radio Receiver which was used with the T.1154 Transmitter. • In terms
of handling, I found the Mosquito to be highly responsive to control inputs, particularly in the lateral axis. • The
individual instrument dials have a 3D and glass-like quality to them and really capture the look of their real-world
counterparts. • During the training missions, you are assisted by your virtual observer/navigator called Archie who
appears on screen at key moments.

the attention to detail is breathtaking. In
addition, every component takes on the
appearance of the material from which it is
made, so metal objects have a metallic look;
even the leather padding on the seats actually
look like leather.
The layout and organisation of the various
controls in this comparatively ‘busy’ cockpit
is arranged in a logical and ergonomic fashion
and is typical of the period. Starting on
the port side we have the throttle quadrant
comprising two throttle levers for each
engine, two propeller speed controls and two
mixture controls. Above that is the elevator
trim tab indicator. Forward of the throttle
quadrant is a nicely rendered compass. Below
the quadrant is an operable radio control unit
which enables you to switch between different
channels. Finally, there are two operable
floodlights that actually illuminate local areas
on the port side of the cockpit as well as the
instrument panel. While on the subject of
lighting, there is one other additional feature I
would like to mention, which is also included
with other DCS modules, and that is you are
provided with a torch on night missions to
help you navigate around the ‘cold and dark’
cockpit on start-up. All you have to do is hit
the appropriate keys (left-Alt+L) to turn the
torch on and then use your mouse to direct
the light to the areas of interest; it’s brilliant!
Moving our attention to the instrument
panel, we find a fully appointed and faithful
reproduction of the real thing. The individual
instrument dials have a 3D and glass-like
quality to them and really capture the look of
their real-world counterparts. The instruments
themselves are distributed in a logical fashion.
The RPM, boost, oil and radiator gauges
are located on the left side. The airspeed,
artificial horizon, vertical speed indicator,
altitude, direction indicator, turn and slip,
undercarriage and flaps indicators, along with
the bomb bay, flaps and undercarriage levers,
are located on the centre section. On the right
side of the panel, the most prominent feature
is a curved transparent guard which, when
opened, gives you access to the switches
used to fuse and arm the bombs being
carried. Other items on the instrument panel
include the various buttons and switches used
for starting the engines, the radiator controls,
magneto switches and the rudder trimming
tab and indicator.
Switching to the starboard side of the
cockpit, we find a large black box containing
the various gauges for the fuel, voltmeter and
air temperature, as well as switches for the
gun camera, navigation lights, fuel pump and
the reflector gunsight. I should also mention
that this is a fully clickable cockpit, so all of
these controls are operable using your mouse
or assigned switches on your controllers.
The observer/
navigator’s position
One of the unique features of this particular
module is that you are able to switch to the
second crew member’s seat or have a friend
occupy it in multiplayer mode. The observer’s
position gives you access to certain controls
which ordinarily would be difficult to access
from the pilot’s seat, such as the fuel cocks.
Located behind the observer’s headrest
are the T.1154 Radio Transmitter set and

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 65

REVIEW ADD-ON FOR DCS WORLD

The fighter/bomber version of the Mosquito was chosen

because it provided the widest choice of mission type.

the R.1155 Radio Receiver set. The T.1154

Transmitter, comprised of large yellow, red
and blue dials, was designed to provide air-
to-air and air-to-ground communications by
wireless and radio transmitter. Some could
also be used with mobile ground stations. The
R.1155 Radio Receiver was designed for use in Although sensitive on the controls, I found the Mosquito
conjunction with the T.1154 Transmitter. Both could be trimmed quite effectively.
of these units have been accurately rendered
in every respect, down to the finest details. In
addition, the dials on both of these radios are
also operable. However, at time of writing I was
unable to ascertain how to use them within the
simulation. Situated in between these units is
the circular and rotatable Directional Finder
(DF) Loop antenna. The DF antenna was used
in conjunction with the R1155 Radio Receiver.
Located at the bottom-right of the Mosquito's
instrument panel is a dial for the left/right
beam. This indicator displayed the signal
direction received by the Mosquito's R1155
Radio Receiver, which could be tuned via the
DF rotatable antenna to the home airfield’s
transmitting frequency.
The intricate details of the Mosquito’s
undercarriage have been faithfully
Systems modelling reproduced.
Part of the reason for this wealth of interactive
detail is that all of the Mosquito’s systems team has faithfully captured the smooth, sleek the package. The missions provided with the
have been modelled including oil, cooling, fuel, and elegant lines of the Mosquito. Bearing DCS Mosquito reflect its multi-role capability.
electrical, pneumatic and oxygen. In terms of in mind that this aircraft was constructed Eagle Dynamics has split the missions into
fidelity, Sergey Gerasev told us in our previous from wood, the developer has also managed three categories: Missions, Operational
interview that the modelled systems are based to incorporate fine surface details such as Missions and Instant Action. ‘Missions’ are
on real-world schematics and consider every subtle weathering around the various panels in fact a set of interactive training tutorials
pump performance, radiator heat dumping and exhaust stains along the engine nacelles. (given by an instructor), covering the following
variable capacity, battery capacity, generator Rivets have been appropriately incorporated subjects: cockpit familiarisation, start-up, taxi
power, main load consumptions etc. This and the tones and colours used for the and take-off, guns ground strafe, bombing
makes every system as realistic as possible. camouflage and markings are appropriately run and landing and approach. These voice-
restrained. over training missions are excellent and very
External modelling professionally executed, with clear instructions
Sergey Gerasev also mentioned that the Missions being given. Each one takes you through
biggest challenge of this project was recreating Although I was keen to get this Mosquito into every aspect of operating the Mosquito. You
the main 3D model of the Mosquito as the the air, I decided to follow a more methodical are also assisted by your virtual observer/
team had limited access to original blueprints. approach in familiarising myself with the navigator called Archie (with accompanying
The aircraft itself is made up of complex aircraft and so I worked my way through all of voice-over), whose face appears on screen at
curves but I can attest to the fact that the the available training missions that come with appropriate junctures.

66 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

 As mentioned, the other set of included
missions are firstly, ‘Operational Missions’
(based on actual events that took place
during World War Two). These include:
Operation Snapshot, Operation Jericho and
an additional one called Operation Snapshot
– Dicer Mission. In addition, there are a set of
‘Instant Action’ missions, which include: ‘Cold
and Dark’, take-off practice, landing practice,
train strafe, airfield interdiction, navy convoy
strike, road convoy strike and rail hub. These
exciting and varied missions appropriately use
the Channel and Normandy maps.
Ground handling
and take-off
Like all aircraft, the start-up sequence for the
Mosquito has to be done in a certain order.
Part of that sequence involves requesting the
help from the ground crew for priming the
engines, selected via the DCS comms menu
system. The engines are started one at a
time and I have to say that on every occasion
it is pure joy to hear those Merlin engines
burst into life, with flames belching from their
exhausts.
Taxiing is achieved with the aid of
differential braking – using the throttles
and a combination of alternate inputs from
the brakes and rudder pedals. By the way,
I should also point out that you have the
ability to control the engines in unison or
independently with the two throttles, by
assigning them to individual axes on your
controller.
When it comes to the take-off run, there is
a slight tendency for the aircraft to swing to
port, which can be checked by opening the
port throttle slightly ahead of the starboard
lever. As you build up speed, raise the tail by
a light forward pressure on the joystick. Once
you achieve flying speed, a gentle pull back
on the stick results in the Mosquito gracefully
becoming airborne.
Handling characteristics
Apart from its beautiful lines and multi-role
flexibility, the Mosquito’s other asset was its
A number of air-to-ground missions are
included in this package.
www.Key.Aero
PC Pilot Verdict
At a Glance: The most faithful simulation of the
de Havilland Mosquito yet produced.
Publisher/Developer: Eagle Dynamics
Price: $47.99 (£36 approx)
Website: www.digitalcombatsimulator.com
Flight Model: Excellent
Graphics: Excellent
Tutorials: Excellent
Systems: Excellent
Sound: Excellent
This module requires DCS
World version 2.7.6 or above!
98
PC Pilot Score:
speed, which in fact was its main form of
defence. You soon appreciate this attribute
when you open up the throttles at low level
and watch the landscape below flash by you;
it is truly an exhilarating experience. In terms
of handling, I found the aircraft to be highly
responsive to control inputs, particularly in
the lateral axis. However, I also discovered
that the engines were sensitive to negative-g
manoeuvres, and could momentarily lose
power if the nose of the aircraft was suddenly
pushed forward, so I soon learned to exercise
restraint in that department. Although
sensitive on the controls, the Mosquito can
be trimmed quite effectively. However, the
Mosquito’s stall speed was higher than I
expected. The manual states that with flaps
and undercarriage retracted the stall speed
is 130mph IAS (Indicated Air Speed). With
the flaps and undercarriage lowered, that
critical speed drops to 110mph IAS, so care
should be taken when entering tight turns,
Here we see the Mosquito’s bomb
bay doors open, revealing its internal
bomb load.
particularly when flying at low altitude.
The Mosquito’s stall speed is of even more
importance when it comes to the approach
and landing stage. I found it best to keep
the approach speed a little on the high side.
With the flaps and undercarriage lowered, the
Mosquito has a relatively high rate of descent.
When landing, the recommended approach
speed, with flaps lowered, is 125mph. I
also found it easier to land on the two main
wheels rather than doing a ‘three-pointer’.
Conclusion
So, has Eagle Dynamics’ DCS FB VI Mosquito
lived up to my expectations? Absolutely!
In fact, I would have to say they have been
surpassed. The attention to detail in every
respect is impressive: from the faithful
reproduction of the Mosquito’s elegant lines,
to the fully appointed and fully functional
cockpit. Coupled with the superbly executed
training tutorials, this is a first-class addition
to the DCS hangar and one that I would very
highly recommend to all fans of this aircraft.
For me, this is the most faithful simulation of
the de Havilland Mosquito yet produced.
By Derek ‘Baron’ Davis
#137 PC PILOT / 67
HARDWARE VELOCITYONE FLIGHT

Turtle Beach’s
VelocityOne
Flight The Universal
Control System

68 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero


F
or many aspiring pilots, using a joystick
to fly an aircraft is not the most natural
method of control. This is particularly
true if you’re new to aviation where the yoke
seems more comfortable, simply because
most people are more familiar with using a
steering wheel.
In this review, I’m looking at the latest
product from a company new to the world
of simulation controllers but who have been
designing and bringing to market many
high-tech and gaming products since 1975:
San Diego-based Turtle Beach Corporation.
VelocityOne Flight
This new product was designed to appeal
to both experienced pilots and those new to
flight simulation. It also has a few innovative
features that no other presently available
yoke offers. I guess the most significant of
these are that it caters for both PC and Xbox
players. Essentially, at the press of a button
you can automatically change its whole
configuration to suit the platform you want
to use.
This feature and many more are accessed
from a small full-colour TFT screen (43 x
35mm approx) on the front
of the yoke itself. This
PC review system is called the Flight
Intel i7 9700K 3.60GHz Management
processor with Corsair liquid Display (FMD)
cooler. 32GB DDR4 3200MHz and is unlike
RAM. Gigabyte GTX 1080Ti, anything we’ve
11GB GDDR5 video card. 1 x 1TB seen on a yoke
Crucial NVMe M.2 SSD. before. It has
1 x 6TB hard drive. 32-inch four small push-
4K iiyama buttons on the
monitor. right of the screen
This unit is suitable for both
PC and Xbox users.
www.Key.Aero
Above: The yoke and throttle are actually two separate units.
that act as navigation and activation controls
for the built-in menus. Initially it shows the
‘Current Profile’, ‘Input Mode’ (PC or Xbox)
and the ‘Firmware’ version.
Other menus include ‘Profile’, ‘Training’,
‘Chronograph’ and ‘Settings’, which are all
fairly descriptive options leading to more
pages where you can customise the unit to
suit the overall look and type of flying you
prefer. For example, all the LEDs are fully
RGB, which means you can change both
the intensity and shade of colour to suit your
mood or decor.
The training mode is particularly innovative
as it will identify the function of each button,
lever and axis control by simply pressing or
moving the item you want to interrogate. This
is a very useful feature particularly for new
users with so many controls at their disposal.
The chronometer mode provides both clock
and timer options that automatically set the
current time from the simulator. Alternatively,
you can set it yourself in manual mode. The
same display can also show the time at origin,
local time and the time at your destination.
Finally, the front of the yoke casing is fitted
with a SIP (Status Indicator Panel) that
displays 12 warning LEDs for things like the
parking brake, landing gear, fuel, autopilot
and more. This comes with a pre-printed
magnetic panel suitable for most aircraft.
You also get a blank one with well over 100
printed stickers so you can create your own
bespoke panel.
Because this product is bang up-to-date,
it's no surprise to find that it incorporates
Hall Effect sensors and high-quality self-
lubricating Delrin bearings, rather than the
more usual potentiometers and ball bearings.
More buttons...
As I mentioned earlier, the system
can be used with both PC and
Xbox, a factor highlighted by
the additional buttons on each
handle. To some degree they
mimic the layout of an Xbox
controller, which, if you’ve
never used one before, can
be confusing. That’s because there
are triggers and rockers on the front face of
each handle, the usual hat switches, a pair
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
of four-way rocker switches and a large white
push-button on each. Then down the side
of the FMD, there are the familiar (to Xbox
users) coloured X, Y, A and B buttons.
Admittedly, it takes a while to become
familiar with all of these controls but doing
so will certainly improve the control of your
aircraft and ultimately make you a better
pilot. And take my word for it, you will enjoy
your flying much more once the operation of
your aircraft becomes almost second nature.
Sightseeing is not so enjoyable with your
head constantly inside the cockpit.
Just after I received MFS, I bought an Xbox
controller to use with the Drone, simply
because it’s easier to operate with this type
of controller than using the yoke. Here you
have the best of both worlds. This is not
something I would normally comment on,
but I do like the way this yoke mounts to the
desk. It has strong metal clamps that fit into
the body of the yoke and they’re tightened
by large Allen screws located under the top
magnetic cover and permanently set inside
the body shell. This space also houses the
correct-size Allen key... how very thoughtful!
What they don’t do is bash your knee every
time you sit in front of the yoke, like the
much larger Saitek fixing clamp does.
The Throttle Quadrant
The throttle component of the VelocityOne
Flight is somewhat different to those I’ve
seen before, simply because it
has many more features. For
example, it includes two
complete
Above: The
desktop clamps
are strong and
unobtrusive.
#137 PC PILOT / 69
HARDWARE VELOCITYONE FLIGHT

Many of the options can be

Future features accessed from the FMD
screen - located on the
I should mention that some of the features described front of the yoke.
here were not available at the time I wrote this review.
However, the automatic time feature and aircraft
profiles should, by the time you’re reading this, match
those in the Microsoft Flight Simulator (MFS) options
menu. This means you can change just about every
button and lever simply by choosing a different profile
on the FMD. The same applies to the full integration
of the SIP which I’m told will be activated after the
next update from Asobo. On a similar topic, the yoke
firmware can be updated automatically via the
USB connection. In fact, there’s a menu option for
doing so within the FMD.

sets of levers. One is styled in a

typical Cessna 152 configuration
with black, blue and red pull-out
levers. The second set of four are
similar to those you’d see on a
multi-prop or jet aircraft. These
are initially fitted with white knobs,
however a spare set of different-
shaped coloured knobs are also
included, so you can simply change them
to suit the type of aircraft you’re flying.
The levers are mounted on top of the
quadrant and rotate forward as you would
expect. There’s a firm detent near the bottom
end of their travel. If you push past the detent,
the levers will drop into the lowest position.
This would seem to be the place for the
reverse thrust operation, but currently it has
no function. Button 4 on the TQ pad is the
default option which you can change to suit
your own preference.
To complete the set, the designers have also
added a multi-turn trim wheel immediately
between the yoke shell and throttle quadrant.
This uses an optical encoder providing a
1024-step resolution. It has a nice solid feel
with a realistic amount of resistance. It’s
also a much more accurate way of setting
the trim than using either the keyboard or
joystick buttons because they are simple on/
off devices.
The system in use
The yoke design is loosely based on the
Cessna yoke, with a realistic aileron (X-axis)
rotation of 90 degrees in both directions,
compared to some yokes that only have a
60-degree rotation. The elevator (Y-axis)
travel is roughly 95mm. It’s not overly sprung
and has a firm return to the centre point
that allows for accurate hands-off
flying. This provides greater overall
control of your aircraft, particularly
when flying sport or combat
aircraft.
When it comes to actually flying
with the VelocityOne, there are
no surprises because it’s a well-
engineered product that provides
all the controls you’re likely to need,
whatever aircraft is in your hangar. I tried it
with a number of different models using
the profiles provided, which offer a good
starting point to get you airborne. At
the moment it’s limited to two profiles,
which is actually a limitation of the MFS
system not the VelocityOne yoke. Naturally,
you can also change or adjust all of these
settings in the simulator and save them
into a profile of your own. I nearly forgot to
mention that the yoke casing is also fitted
with a headphone jack on the left-hand side,
so you can experience the full effects of
cockpit sounds without disturbing your family
or the neighbours.
Documentation
It’s pleasing to see that the developers
Xbox users will find
have not left it to the user to figure out what
the buttons familiar. everything does and how it works. To that
end they’ve included a poster-size full-colour
Quick Flight Guide, describing everything you
need to know to get airborne. This information
You get
is also duplicated in a small booklet included
two sets of in the box.
handles with
the throttle
quadrant. Conclusion
If you're looking for a more natural method
of controlling your aircraft without reaching
for the keyboard and mouse, I can highly
recommend this VelocityOne Flight Universal
Control System.
By Joe Lavery
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance: This is a new and fairly innovative yoke
and TQ combination from Turtle Beach suitable for PC
and Xbox users.
Developer and Distributor: Turtle Beach
Price: £349.99
Website: https://uk.turtlebeach.com/pages/velocity-
one-flight
System Requirements: Microsoft
Windows 10 - PC system or
Xbox Series X|S 90
PC Pilot Score:

70 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

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490/21
HARDWARE THRUSTMASTER’S TCA CAPTAINS PACK AIRBUS EDITION

Thrustmaster’s
TCA CAPTAINS PACK
Airbus Edition
Is this the ultimate Airbus
flying experience?
A
fter more than 30 years of
developing high-quality
controllers for military
flight simulation, Thrustmaster
announced its entry into the civil
flight simulation market with the
Thrustmaster Civil Aviation (TCA)
Airbus Edition product range. The
product line-up is officially licensed
by Airbus and designed to replicate
the controls of Airbus airliners.
Its first controller, the TCA Sidestick
Airbus Edition, was released in 2020
(see the review in Issue 129), followed
by the TCA First Officers Pack, which
consisted of a Sidestick and a Throttle
Quadrant. The TCA Captains Pack Airbus
Edition that we will be reviewing in this
issue was released earlier this year and
includes three TCA controllers in one
pack: the Sidestick, Throttle Quadrant
and the Quadrant Add-On Pack.

The Sidestick
First up is the Thrustmaster TCA
Sidestick. It is modelled on an
actual Airbus control stick and is
Right: The TCA Captains
Pack is designed to provide
an authentic
Airbus flying
experience.
made from heavy-duty plastic and finished in
Airbus blue. Along with a pitch and roll axis, it
features a twist-grip or a Z-axis, which can be
used for the rudder or alternatively assigned
to the steering tiller for controlling the nose-
wheel steering. It can also be locked in
place with the press of a button, which
is useful if you already have separate
rudder pedals. The Sidestick uses
Thrustmaster’s proprietary Hall
Effect AccuRate Technology
(HEART). Essentially, these are
magnetic Hall Effect sensors that
provide a 14-bit resolution for the
axis, resulting in crisp and precise
control inputs. Additionally, the
sensors are contactless, so there is
no physical wear and tear. A single
throttle slider on the base of the unit can
be used for controlling engine power with
a detent for engaging reverse thrust if the

72 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero


Sidestick is used as a standalone unit.
The Sidestick has 12 programmable buttons
(six per side) on the base, which can be
configured for various functions. The top
of the stick has a trigger, an eight-way HAT
switch and two push-buttons; the latter can
be configured for functions like push-to-talk
or autopilot disconnect.
It is designed to be fully ambidextrous and
so 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 interchangeable button modules. A two-
way switch on the base can then be used to
change from left-handed to right-handed use.
Eight rubber pads on the base ensures it sits
firmly on the desktop without slipping. There
are also two M6 mounting points so it can be
fixed in a more permanent location, such as a
home-built cockpit.
Throttle Quadrant
The TCA Throttle Quadrant is an authentic
replica of an Airbus throttle quadrant. It is
equipped with dual thrust levers, although it is
possible to attach a second throttle quadrant
(purchased separately), adding two additional
thrust levers. This makes it suitable for four-
engine aircraft such as the A340 or A380.
The thrust levers use 16-bit Hall Effect
sensors to provide smooth and precise
control over the engine power settings. Like
the real aircraft, the thrust levers have detents
for idle, CLB(Climb), FLX (Flex) and TO/GA
(Take-Off/Go Around) power settings and the
detents engage with a reassuring ‘click’. The
friction of the thrust levers is also adjustable,
which is a nice touch.
Although the TCA Throttle Quadrant looks
very much like an Airbus unit, in terms of size
it is a lot smaller than on the real aircraft. The
range of movement of the levers is also quite
short, particularly between the CLB and idle
detents so there is a small range of motion
when using manual thrust.
The Throttle Quadrant is equipped with an
authentic reverse thrust mechanism with
www.Key.Aero
paddles that need to be lifted over the idle
gates to deploy reverse thrust, which is the
same procedure used on the real aircraft. Two
engine master switches and an engine start
switch are also fitted to the base of the unit,
making it possible to perform realistic engine
starts. For users who own the Thrustmaster
T.Flight Rudder Pedals, the throttle quadrant
comes with a port for connecting the pedals
directly to the throttle quadrant, thus saving a
USB port on the computer.
Throttle Quadrant
Add-On Pack
The TCA Throttle Quadrant Add-On Pack
consists of two modules, which can be
attached to the Throttle Quadrant. One has
controls for the speed brake, undercarriage
lever and autobrakes. The second module
features a flap lever, parking brake and a
spring-loaded rudder trim switch. The flap
lever has detents for each stage of flap unlike
the real aircraft, which has a flap handle
safety lock that needs to be lifted over a gate
to change the flap settings. Similarly, the
speed brake lever didn’t have an arm function.
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.
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
The TCA Captains Pack is ideally suited for flying the
default A320neo in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Installation and
documentation
As with other Thrustmaster controllers, the
setup process is relatively straightforward.
The Sidestick is connected directly to the
computer via a standard USB cable while
the Throttle Quadrant and Add-On Packs are
linked up via two SATA cables. The combined
units are then connected to the PC via a
single USB C cable. All the necessary cables
and various screws and tools are included,
making the setup process seamless. The
controllers are Plug-and-Play and once
everything is connected to the PC, they are
detected automatically by the operating
system.
Documentation consists of a quick start
guide with setup instructions and how to
make various adjustments such as changing
the resistance of the thrust levers, flaps and
speed brake lever, etc.
The TCA Captain Pack integrates seamlessly
with Microsoft Flight Simulator and the
controls are automatically assigned. I found
it worked well with the default A320neo out
of the box but it is possible to customise
Above: Based on an Airbus flight control stick, the TCA
Sidestick features a twist-grip, which can be locked into
position.
#137 PC PILOT / 73
HARDWARE THRUSTMASTER’S TCA CAPTAINS PACK AIRBUS EDITION

the control assignment to your liking. The

controllers were also detected on both the
X-Plane 11 and Prepar3D platforms and the
various buttons, switches and axes can be
set up in the same way as other conventional
hardware devices.

Flight test
Overall, the TCA Captains Pack provides
a fairly accurate representation of Airbus
controls. Thanks to the Hall Effect sensors,
the Sidestick inputs are crisp and precise,
although I found the self-centring forces to be
on the strong side. I understand the control
feedback on the stick on an actual Airbus
is much more fluid and less 'snappy'. The
throttle action is similarly precise but I had to
adjust the friction of the thrust levers to get
more 'weight' behind them, as I found them to
be far too light out of the box. Once adjusted,
the thrust levers worked fine and the detents
engaged with a solid ‘click’ for the different
power settings. The only issue I had was
with the autothrottle disengaged, the travel
on the thrust levers was on the short side
which made it difficult to fine-tune the power
settings. On the other hand, the reverse
mechanism is very good and works like the
one on the actual Airbus.
For the more purist among us, there are a
few subtle differences in the way some of the
secondary controls operate compared with
the actual aircraft. For example, the lack of a
speed brake arm function and the flap safety
lock. The autobrake also has six positions,
rather than the three positions: low, medium
and Max, on the actual Airbus.
In terms of build quality, the Sidestick is
based on tried and tested technology. It
appears to share a lot in common with
the Thrustmaster T.16000M, which
Above: The TCA Sidestick is built with Thrustmaster’s
proprietary Hall Effect sensors for smooth and precise
control inputs.
is bulletproof in my opinion. The thick plastic
casing looks like it can take a battering, so I
see no reason why it won't last for years. The
Throttle Quadrant is well built but it looks a
bit more 'delicate' compared to the Sidestick.
That said, I had no issues and only time will
tell how they stand up to long-term use.
Conclusion
Thrustmaster has always made good-quality
products at a competitive price and the TCA
Captains Pack is no exception, particularly
when taking into account that you get the
basic controls needed to fly an Airbus airliner.
The pack is very much aimed at flying Airbus
aircraft as they have a very specific control
layout and the overall look and feel makes the
TCA Captains Pack well suited for the job.
However, the controllers are also suited
to aircraft with a similar control
Above: The Throttle Quadrant is equipped with an
authentic reverse thrust mechanism.
layout with gated thrust levers such as the
Bombardier CRJ series, although they also
work on any conventional general aviation
aircraft. To summarise, if you are after a
realistic Airbus flying experience at a price
that is hard to beat, you won't go wrong
with the TCA Captains Pack.
By Richard Benedikz
PC Pilot Verdict:
At a Glance: Combined with solid build quality
and crisp control, the TCA Captains Pack
Airbus Edition provides an authentic Airbus
flying experience.
Developer: Thrustmaster
Price: £229.99
Website: www.thrustmaster.com
PC Pilot Score:
88

The TCA Throttle Quadrant is equipped

with dual thrust levers and engine start
switches, making it possible to perform
realistic engine starts.

74 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

REVIEW UTILITY FOR COCKPIT BUILDERS
This is the main entry to configuring your hardware.
nce you have a fully assembled
O cockpit, it’s time to add the
component that brings it all to life...
which is naturally the software; in
this case we’re looking at ProSim737 from
ProSim Aviation Research in The Netherlands.
The 737 suite of software featured here is just
one of the products it produces with others
including those suitable for home-built and
commercial flight simulators, to solutions for
airlines that includes pilot training.
An alternative interface
The ProSim737 package consists of a number
of elements that firstly populates the displays
with realistically rendered instruments and
secondly takes control of every switch, lever,
gauge and button in the cockpit. When I say
‘takes control’ I don’t mean that literally, the
software effectively interfaces with all these
different elements, then passes their current
state to whatever simulation software you’re
using. I’m talking about Microsoft Flight
Simulator (MFS), Prepar3D or FSX and the
hardware can be any switch, button or lever
that you click, press, or move. It will also
handle any indicators or LEDs used to identify
any change of state in the hardware.
Fully integrated
What was particularly attractive to me with
this software was the full integration of third-
Acronyms used in this review
CDU Control Display Unit
EFIS Electronic Flight
Information System
EICAS Engine Indicating and
Crew Alerting Systems
FDS Flight Deck Solutions
LED Light Emitting Diode
MCP Mode Control Panel
MFD Multi-Function Display
MIP Main Instrument Panel
ND Navigation Display
PFD Primary Flight Display
76 / PC PILOT #137
party drivers from different manufacturer’s
equipment. This effectively makes the job
of setting up the software and integrating
the hardware much easier, not forgetting of
course that you don’t need to install any other
(potentially conflicting) drivers for the different
hardware components.
For example, I have a large FDS SYS interface
card to connect most of the switches and
LEDs in my overhead panel. I also have a
couple of Phidgets cards for controlling the
gauges and a Leo Bodnar card that handles
some of the rotary switches. The MCP and
EFIS units are from CP Flight and my radios
in the pedestal are customised Go-Flight
modules. All of these different elements (and
more) are natively recognised by ProSim by
simply ticking the relevant boxes in the main
systems configuration menu.
ProS
Installing and initial setup
The ProSim737 Software suite consists of five
main elements: the ProSimB738 System I men-
tioned earlier, ProSimB738 HardwareConnector,
ProSimCDU, ProSimDisplay and ProSimIOS.
The software is quite flexible so it's not important
how many computers you use to run your cockpit
- as long as they’re on the same network it will
work. In fact, a network is essential, because the
main computer that runs the simulator also runs
the ProSim system software and needs to com- While it’s better to have hardware
municate with any computers operating the other components to interface with, the software
modules. also includes very realistic panels that can
Before installing the software, I setup a private be used instead. These are ideal if you want
network of three PCs to handle the different to build a MIP using monitors behind a
modules needed to run the cockpit. They metal or wooden frame with holes cut in the
consist of a main (fairly powerful) PC that runs approximate locations of the real instruments.
both the flight simulator and the main system In fact, I’ve seen touchscreen monitors used
software and it also displays the external view to good effect in such a role as well.
on three 43-inch 4K TVs via a GTX 1080Ti
video card. The second less powerful machine Assigning the hardware
is fitted with a GTX 970, which outputs to four Integrating the physical hardware is quite
monitors displaying the pilot's and first officer’s time-consuming but ProSim makes the job
MFDs. Finally, the third PC runs the CDU easier with the development of a more user-
software to handle the two FDS CDUs. friendly and semi-intelligent interface. For
www.Key.Aero

oSim737
example, when you’re assigning plain on/
off switches, you simply throw the switch
and ProSim will display the interface card
and physical pin number it’s attached to.
The interface then presents a drop-down list
of all the possible combinations subdivided
into their appropriate groups, so for example
switches located in the fuel panel are situated
in the fuel list. Once you’ve found the correct
switch, a single click will copy the location
data into the selected box and it’s done.
Incidentally, you only need to assign one
position per switch, as ProSim defaults to the
unassigned position (normally off), a feature
that saves quite a bit of time when you’re
www.Key.Aero
assigning upwards of 100 switches.
When it comes to the assignment of
annunciators it’s very cleverly done: you
simply select the one you want to assign from
the drop-down list. Next click on the large
‘F’ alongside the description of the switch
which illuminates all the annunciators. Also,
a window pops up asking if the LED is lit,
offering two buttons marked ‘YES/NO’. You
simply keep pressing the appropriate button
as the system automatically switches off
different banks of LEDs until you're left with
just the correct one which will be flashing.
At this point you get a prompt to click on the
‘USE’ button and that’s it, it's assigned.
Pilot PCPilot
CLASSIC
AWARD
Interfacing a 737
home cockpit
Displays
The instrument displays (MFDs) are one of the
main focus points for the pilots because they
provide all the information needed to navigate
and monitor the many different systems on
board the aircraft. The ProSim simulation of
these is handled unsurprisingly by the Display
Module, which is both comprehensive and
flexible meaning you can run multiple iterations
of the module to populate the size and type of
monitors you’re using.
In my case, I have two 20-inch TFT monitors
for the pilot's and first officer’s inboard and
outboard MFDs. The default display is the
PFD and ND but the module is also capable
#137 PC PILOT / 77
REVIEW UTILITY FOR COCKPIT BUILDERS
If you don’t have all the hardware, you can use the on-screen panels.
of displaying any of the other available
instruments or variations of them. They are
normally selectable from rotary switches on
the MIP and EFIS units at each end of the
MCP. The other two monitors I have are bare
10-inch screens mounted vertically in the
centre of the MIP and used for monitoring
the various EICAS systems. Once again, the
crew has the facility to change the specific
information these MFDs are showing.
You can tune the size and shape of the
display elements to suit your monitors and
naturally the quality of the output can be
affected to some degree by the resolution of
the monitors in use. Mine are something of a
mixture but overall the displays are crisp and
sharp with no discernible lag in operation.
Flight model and in-flight
The ProSim737 package also includes a
custom flight model designed specifically for
ProSim users, and available for MFS, P3D or
FSX. However, it’s not just a flight model, it
incorporates a very detailed 3D 737 aircraft
for those who like to occasionally look at the
aircraft while they’re flying. However, this is just
the external shell; it doesn’t include a virtual
cockpit or instrument panel, because naturally
you will use the instruments and hardware
controls inside your physical cockpit.
Although much of this review is concerned
Useful websites
Interfacing Software
https://prosim-ar.com/prosim737/
http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html
Interface cards mentioned
http://www.leobodnar.com
https://flightdecksolutions.com
78 / PC PILOT #137
with the installation of the software and
integration of the hardware, the main purpose,
once this is completed, is to realistically
manage the simulation of the aircraft in
question, and this is something that ProSim
does extremely well.
Obviously the 737 is a large heavy aircraft, yet
you can fly it exactly the same as you would
a Cessna 152. I remember many years ago
listening to the now defunct Air Wales on a
relocation trip from Cardiff to Bristol: no setup,
no flight plan, just a radio call for clearance and
another for the landing at Bristol. However, for
most pilots it’s more the authentic operation
and setup that they look for and possibly why
they built their simulator in the first place.
The CDU is your method of communicating
with the FMC, which ultimately controls the
MCP - sometimes referred to as the autopilot.
The ProSim simulation of this quite complex
instrument is about as comprehensive as you
can get within the confines of a simulator.
While other simulations of the CDU may only
include what’s needed to effectively get from
A to B, ProSim models pages I’d not seen
before, to the point where it’s feasible to use
an original FMC manual.
I have to admit I’m not yet fully acquainted
with all the nuances of this instrument,
however, it’s something that I intend to
work towards. Having said that, absorbing
over 350 pages of information takes quite a
commitment in both time and concentration.
Instructor Operating Station
(IOS)
Once the software is installed and integrated
with the hardware, the IOS program allows
you to setup and operate the aircraft without
recourse to the flight simulation menus. So,
The ProSim Display is used to align the MFDs to your
monitors.
for example, you can reposition to any airport,
gate or approach in the world. You can also
create or import a flight plan, setup the fuel
and payload or make things more interesting
by defining the failure of just about any
component or system on the aircraft.
The IOS also provides a full data overview
for the aircraft’s systems and access to a
variety of cockpit setup options.
Conclusion
In my opinion, ProSim737 is an easier to use
and a more comprehensive solution than its
rivals in the sphere of cockpit simulation.
It also natively supports more hardware
products, which is quite important because
most builders will use a variety of hardware
components in their build.
If you're a regular reader you’ll know that I
recently completed a major upgrade to my
cockpit, so naturally it seemed a good opportunity
to upgrade the software as well. Yet, what began
as a fairly daunting task was completed much
more easily and quicker than I had anticipated.
The cockpit is now fully operational, including
some elements that were not so before.
Currently, I’m running the cockpit with P3D
V4.5 but I plan to move over to MFS when
the simulator has multi-monitor support.
ProSim737 is already fully compatible.
If you wish to check out the software before
making a purchase, you can download a trial version
from the company’s website. You can also have a
look at the manual, which is WIKI-based.
By Joe Lavery
My first approach into Cardiff on Runway 30 (Prepar3D).
PC Pilot Verdict
At a glance:
ProSim is the ultimate software solution for
cockpit builders who model the Boeing 737 or
Airbus A320 and is relatively easier to use than
its competitors’ solutions.
Developer and Distributor: ProSim-AR
Price: On application
Website:
https://prosim-ar.com/prosim737/
PC Pilot Score:
90
www.Key.Aero
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HARDWARE BUILDING A CESSNA/PIPER PANEL

Building
a Cessna/ Part 2 -
Piper Panel Assembly

This is how the panel looks at this point.

This is the BU0835X Bodnar card I
used for connecting the switches etc.
A
t this point, I’m going to assume you
have all your wooden parts cut with the
glareshield extension (sandwich) glued
together. Next, you need to place your monitor
into position in order to cut out the small section
that allows it to sit close to the outer panel.
Before that, you need to remove the monitor’s
front outer casing (carefully); if you have a look
on YouTube, there are plenty of videos showing
how it's done. There are so many monitor
manufacturers and while the methods are similar,
the construction of each case is different. During
the removal process, you will also need to deal
with the monitor control switches. In the case of
the Dell monitor I used they were moulded into
the bezel. Because I had no intention of reusing
the monitor I simply cut out the corner section of
the bezel, however once again yours might be a
different configuration.
Also, before going any further I painted the
front panel and glareshield using pale grey and

80 / PC PILOT #137 www.Key.Aero

Above: Another image (different angle), of the BU0835X
Bodnar card I used for connecting the switches.

FSUIPC
FSUIPC is a utility that integrates with FSX, Microsoft
Flight Simulator or Prepar3D, providing a range of
functions for those who want more control over their
hardware. There is a free version available but to get
full functionality you’ll need to buy a licence from
http://www.fsuipc.com/. Once installed it appears in
the Add-ons menu. Switches were installed on to an engraved panel; back and front views shown.
black paint respectively but you are, of course, cosmetic and designed primarily to cover the lever and gear lever; the latter not absolutely
free to choose your own colour scheme. I also inner workings of the panel. It basically forms necessary as most 172s are not fitted with
rounded the front edges of both upper and an extended cover behind the glare shield, retractable landing gear. If you use the same
lower base panels before painting a thin black however it’s not an essential component, so layout as I did, you’ll need to work out the
strip along them as a demarcation line. I used a it can be left off if you prefer. Fitting is quite exact position of these components before
router for this operation but the same thing can straightforward. I attached the frame with adding the vertical uprights and the cut-
be done with a plane or sanding block; it just screws into the side panels then cut some 20 outs needed to accommodate them. I only
takes a bit longer. x 20mm stringers to fit between the front and mention that because I didn’t leave enough
rear frames. The top cover was made from room between the yoke and throttle quadrant,
Some electronics very thin 2mm flexible plywood or you could so I had to cut a new lower panel. All the
If you decide to use the encoders I mentioned use 1mm thick aluminium sheet if you prefer. components I’ve mentioned are eventually
in the last issue, you’ll also need to solder the In order to make the top sit in line with the fitted to the panel. I also added some
wires to them before fitting them to the panel. I glareshield, I also set the stringers inside the engraved acrylic faceplates to provide a
used 70/.02mm wires, with shrink-wrap tubing frame by 2mm. more realistic facia. While I realise that most
to protect them, then I hot-glued them in place people won't have the same facilities that I
inside the prepared grooves. If you decide Lower structure have, there is more than one way to achieve
against using the instrument bezels, you will The lower structure houses the switch panel, a professional-looking panel. If you have an
have to create a rectangular shape in the back yoke, throttle quadrant, parking brake, flap inkjet printer you could simply print the design
of the panel to mount the encoders. I would
also suggest adding an identifying tag to each
set of three wires before gluing them into the
panel. I forgot to do that and ended up tracing
the wires afterwards with a multimeter.
An encoder converts the rotary motion when
you turn it in either direction, to a signal that
can be recognised by whatever interface you
attach it to. Those with knowledge of encoders
will realise that’s a gross over-simplification
but you don't really need to know how these
things work to use them. The encoders I
used here are quite simple devices, with
three connections on one side and two on
the other that connect to an inbuilt switch.
For this project you would only use the three
connections and currently we don’t have a use
for the switches.
As you will see from the accompanying You can easily
make professional-
drawings, I cut a matching front frame that looking panels with
sits behind the side pieces. This is mainly an inkjet printer.

www.Key.Aero #137 PC PILOT / 81

HARDWARE BUILDING A CESSNA/PIPER PANEL
The yoke wires
were labelled to make
connecting easier.
on to gloss translucent self-adhesive vinyl and
then stick that to a thin sheet of white acrylic.
Alternatively, you could send your designs to
one of the vinyl print companies on eBay, who
will print them on to self-adhesive vinyl for you.
The yoke
I designed this panel in two sections primarily
to mount the yoke, which in a real aircraft is
usually mounted just below the primary six
instruments. Unfortunately, in a design that
incorporates a monitor for the instrument panel
this would mean drilling a hole right through
the centre of the monitor, which is obviously
not a good idea. It just means getting used to
flying with the yoke about 300mm lower than it
would be in a real aircraft.
The yoke I used is a failed Saitek unit I bought
on quite cheaply on eBay, however, it seems
the primary circuit board was fried. Luckily, I
had a couple of BU0836X 12-Bit USB joystick
boards from Leo Bodnar which are ideal for
bringing such equipment back to life and are
also very useful for making switch panels. The
BU0836X units in question are completely ‘plug
and play’ and equipped with very clever push
connectors that don't need tools to attach the
various components. They can accommodate
momentary push-buttons, toggle switches,
potentiometers and encoders and don’t require
any programming. I’d better add a slight caveat
to that last statement: when using encoders,
you have to nominate the pins you intend
to use and the Bodnar website has a small
downloadable free utility designed to do that.
To explain the process, imagine you wanted
to create a landing light switch which
would normally be a simple device with two
connections, one for ground and one for the
82 / PC PILOT #137
The main components located and
wired into the BU0835X card.
signal. The BU0836X board is clearly marked,
so it’s a matter of connecting two wires to
the switch and plugging them into one of the
numbered pins and ground connections. Once
the board is plugged into your PC’s USB, it will
immediately be recognised as a new joystick.
However, it’s inadvisable to use the joystick
settings on your flight simulator. A better
solution is to assign the switches in a program
called FSUIPC, where there’s a section
designed specifically for buttons and switches.
If you press a button or throw a switch, the
board will recognise it, then it’s simply a matter
of locating the appropriate function from the
drop-down list in FSUIPC and assign it as the
landing light...Done! Incidentally, it’s important
that you unplug the BU0836X board from the
USB connector whenever attaching or removing
devices.
And that’s exactly how I configured every
switch, lever and button on the new panel. It’s
a good idea to create a plan showing what’s
attached to each of the pins to make it easier
to identify and quicker to fault-find if you need
to. In fact, I did exactly that for the Saitek
Yoke which has 18 useable switches on board.
Unfortunately they are not marked, so it was
simply a matter of laboriously identifying them
one at a time with a multimeter.
The throttle quadrant
I could have used the throttle quadrant that
came with the yoke but I wanted to have
it more integrated into the panel. Luckily, I
found a very nice TQ on Thingiverse (the main
depository for all things 3D printed) designed
by a gentleman called Vince Prints who
has also designed a 3D printable yoke and
pedals. In fact, I changed his design slightly to
Above: Potentiometers were mounted inside small
enclosures to keep out any dust.
Interface cards & software
http://www.leobodnar.com
https://www.siminnovations.com
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4606456 - For
Vince’s throttle design
http://www.fsuipc.com
accommodate the sloped panel I’d made, so
my design for the facia panel was 3D printed
with a 15-degree angle, which counteracted the
slope and provided a flat extended face for the
levers. I also created my own little boxes to hold
the sliding potentiometers that are attached to
the levers. However, the throttle, mixture and
propeller pitch levers were printed directly from
Vince’s superb design, which incorporates fine
adjustments and all the knobs and a locking
control wheel for the throttle lever.
Flap, landing gear and
parking brake levers
I designed these levers myself, admittedly
taken from a conglomeration of ideas I found
on the internet. The flap lever was based on a
cheap rotary switch to give the four stages of
flap deployment. I fashioned a connector that
fitted the D-shaped shaft of the switch and
had a hole on one side to receive the lever. I
also made a suitable knob for the lever, both of
which were 3D-printed. The flap components
were then mounted into a frame made from
3mm acrylic, which also has small mounting
points for attaching it to the panel. The gear
lever and parking brake assemblies are based
on simple toggle switches and again the levers
and knobs were 3D-printed and mounted in a
similar fashion to the flap lever.
To be continued
Next issue, I’ll cover the installation and setup
of the Air Manager software, followed by the in-
tegration of the panel into the simulator. I’ll also
explain how to create a simple switch panel us-
ing an inexpensive joystick emulator and show
you how to make your own radio panels.
By Joe Lavery
www.Key.Aero
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