Aeroplane Heaven Developer Showcase

By Andrew Herd (6 June 2004)

his is the first in a series of reviews which will showcase products by a particular developer - and what better place to start than in Aeroplane Heaven?

The Aeroplane Heaven brand is not that well known in Flight Simulator circles - which is one of the reasons why I chose them to begin the series - but any CFS3 fan who bought their recent Battle of Britain package should be familiar with their talents. Battle of Britain is available on CD from Just Flight for €34.95 ($34.99) and is one of the better addons available for Combat Flight Simulator. There are five planes in BoB: a Spitfire 1a; Hurricane Mk. 1; Heinkel 111; a Ju-87B Stuka; and a Messerschmitt BF-109 E. The classy paint schemes caught my attention when I reviewed the package for another magazine and when I heard that the developers were embarking on a high quality two seater Mk IX Spitfire for FS2004, it seemed like a good moment to take a look at the rest of their products.

After spending a while wandering about the Aeroplane Heaven website, I decided that one thing that you definitely cannot fault these guys for is lack of energy. There is a good choice of planes available and depending on which one you want, versions are available for CFS2 or 3, and FS2002 or FS2004. The exception is the Bristol Bulldog, which lacks a CFS version - when I discussed this with Barry Bromley at Aeroplane Heaven, he told me it marked the beginning of a move towards Flight Simulator, although there are no plans to abandon CFS development at present. This remark didn't totally surprise me; because although I was enthusiastic about Combat Flight Simulator when it was first released, it has never been as popular as Flight Simulator. The reason isn't too hard to divine, because it sits on the shelves of every game store worth the name: IL-2 Sturmovik.

IL-2 is a rare case of Microsoft getting caught with its pants down and the guys and gals at Redmond must be scratching their heads at the rapidity with which it all went wrong. At its launch, Combat Flight Simulator seemed to have an unassailable lead, and yet only a few years later here it is a very poor second best to a game which came from nowhere to build up an apparently unshakable lead. I am sure that the CFS team are sweating the midnight oil right now figuring out how on earth they are going to outsmart Maddox, because one thing is for sure - if the next version of CFS doesn't offer serious competition to the IL-2 family, the Microsoft title will be looking pretty sick.

Combat Flight Simulator might lack a little lustre compared to the Ubisoft title, but it does have a couple of things going for it that IL-2 does not. The first, and most important, is that the package was designed from the start to encourage addon development - which means that (at least in theory) once you have tired of all the default planes you can simply go out and find some more. The trouble is that where there is a flood of addons for Flight Simulator, there is only a trickle for CFS, but more of that later. The second strength of the game is that writing missions and new campaigns for it isn't too difficult; and adding scenery is a cinch. CFS can be easily extended in areas where IL-2, by and large, is not - and this is where the team that make up Aeroplane Heaven originally saw their chance.

The present group grew from an idea that came up in the course of a DH Hornet project at Sim-Outhouse and comprises ten members with a wide range of skills. Between them, they have come up with an impressive range of addon aircraft ranging from a World War I DH2 to a Grumman F9F Panther - you can't come up with much more variety than that. Apart from the two seater Mk IX Spit, they have a Fokker DVIII, a Bristol Fighter, a Fairey Flycatcher, a Handley Page 42, a B-17, a Lavochkin La-9 and a Hawker Hunter in the works.

Never heard of half of these types? Well, I guess the best way of describing them is that they are forgotten classics. The Fokker was probably one of the best single seat fighters of the first war, while the Bristol Fighter from the same period completely outclassed all its two seat opposition and many of the single seaters as well. Though only eight HP 42s were built, the type represented the last gasp of the 'steamship age' of inflight comfort, albeit at the expense of a 65 mph cruise at 5000 feet and a cringingly low rate of climb at full load. The B-17 hardly needs any introduction and the Hunter was perhaps the most beautiful Cold War jet ever to see the light of day.

I took a look at all the existing planes with the exception of the F9F and had fun with them all. The CFS influence shows pretty clearly in the designs and with the exception of the Bulldog, they all fitted better into the combat sim than they did into Flight Simulator; but this is a common finding where 'dual compatible' planes are concerned. Unless the FS version is tweaked to suit, the panels never seem to look as good or work as well in the civil sim. I also gain the impression that CFS designers work towards different goals - the interiors of the planes simply aren't as important as they are in Flight Simulator, because of the faster pace CFS enforces and programming concentrates more on fluidity and general impressions than style and eye candy. When you are trying to look behind you at the same time as you are pulling a tight turn to draw a bead on an evasive target, there isn't much time left to admire enhancements like reflective glass on the lower panel instruments.

So while many of the planes look a little uncomfortable in Flight Simulator, they fit extremely well into CFS and I had fun flying them. I spent most time with the DH2 and the Eindecker, which make a great pair. The Eindecker completely changed the course of aerial warfare when it appeared in the summer of 1915. Prior to the onset of what became known as the 'Fokker scourge' flight over the western front had been a gentlemanly affair, but with the E1 came a brutal change, because slow though it might have been, it mounted a forward firing machine gun. Air to air combat, which had been a rarity, became commonplace and until Allied aircraft development caught up, Germany enjoyed virtually complete air superiority. Many German aces began their careers in E1s, including Immelmann and Boelcke, and if any aircraft deserves a place in a 'decisive weapons' list, this early Fokker surely does. The Aeroplane Heaven sim of an EIII/EIV is one of their earlier packages and it isn't at all bad - although isn't quite as good as the DH2 - the pair make the basis of a great early WWI set for CFS, since the Airco plane was designed specifically to take the Eindecker on. The fact that the Allies lacked reliable synchroniser gear meant that the DH2 had to be a pusher design and Aeroplane Heaven have reproduced an early model, in which the pilot had not only to fly the plane, but aim a flexible mount machine gun - an arrangement that was quickly abandoned for fixed gun mounts. Despite its apparently anachronistic design, Geoffrey DeHavilland's design outperformed the E1 and ended the Fokker's domination of the skies. The flight models of both sims are well done and bring out the strengths and weaknesses of both designs - I particularly liked the way the DH2's machine gun auto-swivels and fires at any enemy within range. Various deals are available where one or both planes can be downloaded or purchased on CD for FS2002/CFS2/FS2004/CFS3 - as a guide, the individual planes are available from around $12.95 as a download, or $18.95 on CD; but since the pair can be downloaded for only $25.95, there isn't much of a contest.

The Grumman F3F was the next plane I checked out. Again, it is an interesting choice, partly because it was one of the very few retractible gear biplanes ever produced and partly because it represents the apogee of US military biplane design. Affectionately known as the 'flying barrel', considerable numbers were still in service in the US Navy when the Second World War broke out and though the F3F was an agile and much loved airplane, its pilots must have been glad when monoplanes finally replaced their steeds. There are some amazing stories about the F3F - one lost power during a carrier launch at San Diego, was retrieved from the ocean, packed up and sent to Philly for repair servicing and inspection. As soon as it was signed off, a lieutenant flew it all the way back to the west coast, arriving late and complaining bitterly about how badly the plane performed, despite having had it looked over by TWA mechanics on the way. It was inspected again - and this time they found the prop blades had been fitted with the leading edges on the trailing side. Apparently Roy Grumman had the report, which began 'Propeller Blades in Backwards', framed in his office as an example of how good design can triumph over Murphy's Law.

The Aeroplane Heaven F3F is one of the most appealing CFS planes I have seen in a long while and the download version is available - with no less than eight different paint schemes - for only $12.95 and on CD-ROM for only $3 more. Versions are available for CFS2, CFS3 and FS2002. As you can see from the screenshots above and left, the visual model and cockpit are well up to the standard of the best CFS addons and I had terrific fun playing around with it. If the developers had provided a 1930's carrier, I would probably be fooling around with it yet (-:

The only problem with the F3F is that there isn't anything appropriate to match it against in CFS; if there was, some interesting 'what-if?' scenarios come to mind. Biplanes did see a good deal of service during the Spanish Civil War and even World War II - the earlier conflict featuring clashes between aircraft of the F3F's generation against the first stressed skin monoplanes, as well as biplane vs. biplane dogfights. Had the US entered WWII earlier, it is more than possible that F3Fs would have found themselves in action against Axis warplanes, as did the three Gloster Gladiators - Faith, Hope and Charity - that so famously defended the island of Malta in the early months of the war.

Next in line is the Commonwealth Boomerang. This little known warplane fills a place in most Australian's hearts, because in 1942, their country found itself facing the Japanese with nothing more potent than Buffalos to defend itself. The Buffalo was so completely outclassed by the Zero during the defence of Singapore that it was clear that a replacement was needed extremely quickly. So Wing Commander Laurence J. Wackett at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation at Fisherman's Bend set out and designed a new fighter based around the North American Trainer and after working flat out day and night, the prototype flew in barely fourteen weeks. It is a tribute to the team that despite such a compressed development cycle, the Boomerang proved a tough and able opponent against the existing Japanese fighters and production continued until 1944.

The Aeroplane Heaven Boomerang is available for CFS2, CFS3, FS2002 and FS2004, download versions costing $11.95 and the CD $17.95. As you can see, the lines of this most dumpy of all airplanes have been captured to perfection and it also has the most terrific sound set. Pitching it up against the Zero makes an interesting contrast to the default aircraft, as the Boomerang's lack of pace, but excellent maneuverability and all over toughness make zoom and boom tactics the method of choice - but still let you enjoy tailchases without the certainty of coming off second best. There are a variety of liveries, not least a high gloss simulation of a plane currently doing the Australian display circuit, the textures on which positively hurt the eye, but there are also some more restrained wartime matte paint jobs for users who are inclined to suffer from migraines.

One thing the Boom does do is to highlight CFS3's peculiar AI programming, which frequently results in the opposition flying inverted for extended periods. I had great fun pitting the plane against the JU-87 from the same developer, but was put off my aim several times by a fit of the giggles caused by a gaggle of Junkers flying upside down with their wheels waving in the air. This isn't anything to do with Aeroplane Heaven's programming, since all CFS3 AI planes seem to be prone to inverted flight, and hopefully CFS4 will see the end not only to this strange behavior, but also the tendency AI bombers have of circling patiently around waiting to be attacked.

Next on the list is the P-47, on which the team have really gone to town. The 'megapack' includes three P-47C skins, four P-47D razorback skins, two skins for the Malcolm Hood P-47D, five for a P-47D bubbletop and two skins for a P-47M - all for $25.95 download and $31.95 shrinkwrap. This really is a bargain by anyone's standards and versions are available for FS2002 and CFS3, with the bubbletops also being compatible with CFS2. You can also download single skin variants for $9.95 each, or buy them on CD for $15.95 - the good news being that all of Aeroplane Heaven's shrinkwrap prices include shipping and handling.

The Jug hardly needs any introduction and although it always played second fiddle to the P-51, it differed from the Mustang in that its designer, Alexander Kartveli, got it pretty much right first time. One of the reasons why the P-47 looked the way it did was that the 2000 hp twin row radial that powered it needed a humungous supercharger ducting system - so Kartveli designed this first and then built the fuselage around it. A by-product of this arrangement was that the P-47 turned out to be pretty tough and between early 1943 and the end of the war, combat losses amounted to less than one per cent.

P-47 tactics were dominated by the fact that it could outpace virtually anything in a dive, but at anything other than high altitude it was much less maneuverable than German fighters and couldn't climb anywhere near as fast. This limited its usefulness to the high altitude escort role until someone came up with the bright idea of authorising P-47 pilots to use up their remaining ammunition on freelance ground strafing on the way home. The tactic was so successful that it had a material effect on the length of the war.

As you can see, the Aeroplane Heaven P-47 looks the part and with over 15 skins to choose from, fans are spoilt for choice. Internally the plane isn't anything to shout about and the cockpit is best described as 'default P-47 plus'. However, the one thing that is likely to limit sales of this addon is that both razor and bubble canopy versions of the Jug are included as standard in CFS3, though the powerful P-47M V1 'doodlebug' chaser is unique and the P-47D bubbletop is CFS2 compatible, which should prove popular with users of that version of the sim.

The last plane I am going to look at in this review is Aeroplane Heaven's Bristol Bulldog; another classic biplane fighter from the thirties. The Bulldog served as the RAF's front line fighter from 1928 until 1937 and was relatively widely exported, serving in the Latvian and Finnish air forces as well as in the Spanish Civil War. Although the aircraft isn't that widely known, it ushered in the dawn of modern fighter tactics, as the Bulldog was designed to act as an interceptor with sufficient performance to take off, climb and engage an enemy, instead of being 'called off' from the standing patrols which had been traditional until then. Perhaps one of the most famous Bulldog pilots was Douglas Bader, who lost both his legs in a flying accident while aerobatting a 23 Squadron plane.

Unlike their previous releases, Aeroplane Heaven's Bulldog is only available for FS2002 and FS2004 - there isn't a CFS version. The pack includes seven schemes: for Spanish, Finnish and British planes - the Finnish Mk IV is on skis. Among the British liveries is the one shown right, which is the plane which Bader was flying when he made his near fatal miscalculation. Downloads cost $16.95 and the CD version is $22.95.

The visual model is good and compared with the developer's early projects demonstrates just how far the team has progressed in the time they have been together. I would rate it as the nicest biplane I have seen for Flight Simulator, though it does have its share of faults: the 2D panel the needles show noticeable jaggies and some of the instrument bezel editing could be better; the tailskid has a strong tendency to submarine; and takeoff is more than a little weird, with the plane trying to stand on one wheel even if power is fed in comparatively slowly. Apart from that it has a nice VC, handles really well and gives a good feel of what a powerful biplane is like, right down to the way the runway has a disconcerting tendency to vanish beneath your wheels if you get the approach speed too high.

The Battle of Britain pack I mentioned at the start of the review is broadly up to the standard of the P-47 - I didn't include it here for space reasons, but if you are interested in simulating that period in CFS3, it is definitely worth a look, with the individual planes available for download at $9.95 each, or on CD for $15.95 (as usual, with handling and shipping included). There is also a Grumman F9 Panther for FS2002 and CFS2, with a CFS3 version planned; that costs $12.95 download and $18.95 on CD. Finally, Aeroplane Heaven market a Grumman XF5-F Skyrocket for CFS2 and FS2002 - a CFS3 version is also planned - and prices vary from $9.95 for a pair of race planes up to $25.95 for a CD packed with liveries.

I can't help feeling that Aeroplane Heaven are an outfit worth keeping an eye on. Judging from the Bulldog, designing for Flight Simulator rather than CFS has been a shot in the arm for them and if they keep improving at the rate they have been, they will offer a serious challenge to the big names real soon. Actually, I take that back. They already offer a challenge to the more complacent big names, some of which seem not to have noticed how fast standards have been rising lately. This is a developer with spirit - anyone who has the courage to market simulations of less well-known classics like the F3F and the Bulldog definitely has my vote. Planes like those two are what flying is all about.

Much depends on the quality of Aeroplane Heaven's future releases - they have chosen some really interesting aircraft and deserve to do well from their move into the Flight Simulator market, but time will tell. Right now, their one weakness appears to be in gauge visuals - many developers lack skill in this domain, but as Flight1 and DreamFleet sales demonstrate, it isn't an area that can be ignored any more. Simmers spend much more time looking at panels than they do at visual models and they have been taught to become increasingly critical of what they see. But Aeroplane Heaven tell me that they are currently upgrading their more popular FS2002 models to FS2004 standard, with XML instruments and fully mouseable cockpits; on the evidence that these guys learn fast; I think the future could be interesting.

Visit the Aeroplane Heaven web site