Having had the pleasure of reading quite a few informative 'freeware focus' articles here at FlightSim.Com, I thought I would offer my own thoughts on three MSFS add-ons that I have recently enjoyed. Being relatively new to the flight simming community, and also as a student with limited funds, I have been amazed at how good a lot of the freeware contributions are.

The three add-ons I will be looking at today are: Shoreham Airport by Alf Denham, the Percival Gull by Keith Paine, and lastly, Campbeltown Airport by Dmitriy Kozrev.

Shoreham Airport

Brighton City Airport, also known as Shoreham Airport, is an airport located in the parish of Lancing in West Sussex, England. Founded in 1910, it is the oldest airport in the UK and the oldest purpose-built commercial airport in the world. The 1930s Art Deco terminal building was designed by R Stavers Hessell Tiltman.

During the First World War, the aerodrome was used by the Royal Flying Corps. During the Second World War the airfield operated a variety of military aircraft including Westland Lysanders that were later replaced by Supermarine Spitfires, Hawker Hurricanes, Boulton Paul Defiants and a pair of Bristol Beaufighters. It was also an air-sea-rescue base with Supermarine Walrus aircraft joining other wartime activities in the nearby harbor.

Today the airport is used by privately owned light aeroplanes, flying schools, and for light aircraft and helicopter maintenance and sales. A number of operators provide flying lessons, sight-seeing and pleasure flights, including the experience of flying in two T-6 Harvard World War II training aircraft.

Wikipedia

Shoreham Airport by Alf Denham

The FSX version presented here, has been created by the highly respected and hugely talented Alf Denham.

No stranger to creating small atmospheric airports; Shoreham is Alf's latest scenery and one that I am sure will delight many flight simmers.

One of the main features of Shoreham, and perhaps its standout feature, is the Art Deco styled main terminal building. If you've ever had the pleasure of visiting the airport yourself, then you'll know firsthand what a beautiful site this is. Luckily for us simmers, Alf's carefully modelled FSX version of Shoreham includes this wonderful grade II building, and as such, has been modelled in exquisite detail.

Other details include nicely modelled hangars and maintenance buildings, plus bridges over the River Adur. All of these objects lie on a photographic overlay of the area and the end result is most pleasing.

Lastly, if you wish to add additional static aircraft to the scenery, then these can be downloaded via a link in Alf's documentation. These work well and add a 'busy' feel to the airport.

Note: these were not included in the screen shots as I wanted to show the original scenery only.

Download Alfs UK Airfields Volume 36 - Shoreham EGKA for FSX

Percival Gull

The Percival Gull was a British single-engine monoplane, first flown in 1932. It was successful as a fast company transport, racing aircraft and long-range record breaker. It was developed into the Vega Gull and the Proctor.

The Percival Gull was the first aircraft of the Percival Aircraft Company, formed in 1932 by Edgar Percival and Lt. Cdr E.B.W. Leake. It was designed by Percival himself, and was strongly influenced by the Hendy 302, designed by Basil "Hendy" Henderson, that he had previously owned and raced.

Although Gull variants were powered by five different engines, those were all inverted inline air-cooled types driving two-bladed propellers, making for a neatly faired installation. The rear fuselage was of square cross section with a rounded top. The glazed cabin joined smoothly into a raised dorsal fairing, and placed the pilot in front and two passenger seats, slightly staggered behind. Entry into the early models was via the sliding canopy. The main undercarriage was fixed and spatted, each wheel mounted on three struts in the early models; there was a small steerable tail wheel.

Gulls sold well to private owners, offering speed and comfort. Others were bought by charter companies, and were used for photographic and newspaper work. Out of the 48 aircraft originally manufactured, two are still operational, with a further three on display.

Wikipedia

Percival Gull by Keith Paine

The FS2004/FSX Percival Gull presented here has been created by Keith Paine, one of the community's most respected freeware aircraft modellers.

Keith's model of the Gull, like most of his aircraft, has been recreated in wonderful detail and is a fine example of a Gull 4. The exterior texturing, while not Carenado or A2A quality, is more than adequate and adds authenticity and realism to the model. Stepping inside the aircraft, you'll find a basic, yet pleasing virtual cockpit with most controls within easy reach. The instrument panel is very reminiscent of the period, so you won't find any modern avionics (be prepared for a lot of hands on flying).

Side windows can be slid open, and your passengers, depending on payload, can be removed or added, which is a nice touch.

The included sounds are perfect and really match the character of the Gull. I think they are modelled on a Gypsy Six, but I can't be certain.

It's in the air though where the Percival Gull really excels, as she is truly a delight to fly. While not sporting by today's standards, she is all the same quite speedy! Both takeoffs and landings are enjoyable as long as you remember there are no flaps! The Gull does however sport a handy speed-brake, which comes in useful during enthusiastic landings! Lastly, due to the large glass area, visibility is really good, so if you're in the mood for a spot of country flying, the Percival Gull makes a great partner!

Download Percival D3 Gull 6 for FS2004/FSX

Campbeltown Airport

Campbeltown Airport is located at Machrihanish, 3 nm west of Campbeltown, near the tip of the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute on the west coast of Scotland. The airport was formerly known as RAF Machrihanish (after the village of Machrihanish) and hosted squadrons of the Royal Air Force and other NATO air forces as well as the United States Marine Corps. The airport is at a strategic point near the Irish Sea, and was used to guard the entrance to the Firth of Clyde where US nuclear submarines were based at Holy Loch and where Royal Navy Trident missile submarines are still based at HMNB Clyde (Faslane Naval Base).

The United States Navy handed the airfield back to the MoD on 30 June 1995, marking the end of its service as a NATO facility since 1960. The airbase was sold to Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) in May 2012, and two thirds of the runway is leased to Highlands and Islands Airports for Campbeltown Airport.

Wikipedia

Campbeltown Airport by Dmitriy Kozrev

Campbeltown Airport for FSX/P3D by Dmitriy Kozrev, like Alf's Denham's Shoreham, represents another fantastic freeware scenery. Here a photographic overlay of equally good quality has been used, and situated on top of this are numerous nicely modelled objects. These include the control tower, numerous maintenance buildings and hangars, vehicles, and lastly the rather small passenger terminal.

Having viewed the real airport on Google Maps, it's clear to see that the 3D models used in the scenery are not exact replicas. However, they are placed accurately and make the airport feel authentic.

Campbeltown Airport is situated on the western fringes of Scotland and so is often subjected to extreme conditions. With real weather conditions loaded in FSX, I was amazed at how real the airport and its surroundings looked, and is one of the reasons why this wonderful scenery is mentioned in this freeware focus.

Download Campbeltown EGEC for FSX/P3D

Conclusion

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I am relatively new to the flight slimming world, but find it hugely enjoyable (great learning experience too). I hope you have found the article useful and I look forward to reading your comments.