Flying Free in Microsoft Flight Simulator
By Adrian McCormick
One of the things I have enjoyedseeing with the new Microsoft Flight Simulator, is the increasingamounts of freeware being made available to users.
When a new flight simulator is launched, be it civil or military,there is always a question mark over how popular it will be with thecommunity, and this of course has a knock on effect on how muchfreeware is developed.
Both FSX and X-Plane continue to be very popular with freewaredevelopers, but what about the new Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Well, having explored the file library at FlightSim.Com, I can tellyou that even in these early days, things are looking pretty healthyin terms of freeware. At the time of writing, there is as follows: 83aircraft enhancements, 150 sceneries, and 37 misc items. Of course,as with most freeware, these vary in quality, but on the whole, mostare pretty good and generously offered.
In this short article, I will list three items which I feel areworthy of your time and well worth downloading.
Caernarfon Airport
The first add-on we will be looking at is Stewart Haworth's sceneryof Caenarfon Airport in Wales. One of the reasons why I chose thisparticular scenery, was due to its proximity to Snowdonia located offto the east. If you have never flown around Wales, then this area inparticular has to be one of the most beautiful locations on offer.With its stunning mountains and gorgeous valleys, Snowdonia really isa sight to behold.
Caernarfon Airport, formerly RAF Llandwrog, is mainly used by smallfixed wing aircraft, helicopters and microlights. Several companiesare based at the airport that offer flight training. North WalesFlight Academy offers fixed wing training for the issue of a PPL (A)and other fixed wing qualifications.
As you can see from the screen shots, Stewart has done an excellentjob at improving the area. The default airport, if I am brutallyhonest, really was not very good at all, but with this custom version,things are very much improved (even with the missing wind turbines).Yes, not all the objects are custom made, but the way they have beenlaid out, increases the authenticity no end.
Download other Stewart Haworth scenery
Paignton Pier
Our second scenery takes us down to Paignton, a rather scenic townon the Devonshire coast of England. The scenery in question is not ofthe actual town, but rather the 140 year old Paignton Pier.
It was financed by Arthur Hyde Dendy, a local Paignton barristerand designed by George Soudon Bridgman. The 780 feet (240 m) pier,with its customary grand pavilion at the seaward end, was opened tothe public for the first time in June 1879.
In 1919 the pier-head and its associated buildings were destroyedin a fire. These were never replaced and a period of declinefollowed. Sectioned as a defence measure in 1940, for fear of Germaninvasion, the damaged neck was eventually repaired once hostilitieshad ceased.
In 1980 the fortunes of Paignton Pier took a turn for the betterwhen a major redevelopment project was undertaken. This included thewidening of the shoreward end to ensure a uniform neck, and theconstruction of the rather stylish pavilions that remain today.
The author of this impressive scenery is Keith Hackett, andPaignton is just one of a series of piers he has created for MSFS.The amount of detail Keith has managed to include in his model isquite something. The pier not only includes authentic looking shops,but also kiddy rides at the far end, and when the sun sets, the pierlooks even more atmospheric with its night-time lighting effects.
Download other Keith Hackett scenery
Mount Rushmore
Heading across the pond, we leave good old Blighty and take a lookat our third and final scenery, that being Mount Rushmore byBluntSmokeTrauma.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is centered on a colossalsculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore in the BlackHills in Keystone, South Dakota. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created thesculpture's design and oversaw the project's execution from 1927 to1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum.
The sculpture features the 60-foot (18 m) heads of PresidentsGeorge Washington (1732-1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), TheodoreRoosevelt (1858-1919) and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), as recommendedby Borglum.
The four presidents were chosen to represent the nation's birth,growth, development and preservation, respectively.
The default landmark in MSFS is a low-resolution photographicoverlay with no 3D relief and doesn't do the historical landmark anyjustice whatsoever. However, all this changes when the new scenery isinstalled. Instead of a flat area devoid of any character, we nowhave a 3D model featuring all four presidents. Again, the screen shotsspeak for themselves.
Summary
So, there you have it, three add-ons which I feel are well worthdownloading and exploring. Caernarfon Airport provides you with astarting point to explore the wonders of Snowdonia, Paignton Pier isgreat fun when using the Icon A5, and Mount Rushmore is juststunning...at any time of the day!
Happy flying!
Adrian McCormick
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