Intro

The FG-1D is a single seat, singleengine, low wing, piston powered tail dragger built with the purposeand role as a carrier-based fighter-bomber aircraft and was primarilyused in WWII and the Korean War.

Originally the aircraft was developed and built by Chance Voughtbut the FG-1 series was licensed built by Goodyear and on the samespecifications as the Vought's Corsairs.

In February of 1943 the first FG-1 flew and only two month laterthe aircraft entered a full scale production until the end ofWWII. There were in total built 4007 FG-1's where 517 of theseaircraft was FG-1D's built for the RNZAF and the RAF.

The engine is a powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800-8W Double Wasptwo-row radial engine featuring a two-speed two-stage superchargerproviding the engine with an enormous 2000 hp. The engine powers a3-bladed Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 6501-A/6541A-0 propeller with a13 ft and 1 in diameter.

General Information & Aircraft Specs for the FG-1D variant

Purchase, Download And Installation

I got this add-on directly fromwww.FSPilotShop.comand the purchase and download went as usual with ease and with asuperb connection to the download server, so the entire download ofthe about 700 MB file was completed within two minutes or so.

The filename is MVZ-350 and the installation is about 1.22 GB, butstill even though this large size the installation was quicklycompleted - only took about 25 seconds. The installation wizardfeatures an auto-find P3D main folder, so all I actually had to do wasto activate the wizard and verify the installation folder. There is nolicense key needed for this add-on which again just simplified theinstallation.

The version tested in this review is v1.171026 and is compatiblewith Prepar3D v2, v3 and v4. This review covers the test on Prepar3Dv4(.1).

Included in the FG-1D pack is a comprehensive and very helpful PDFmanual featuring 53 pages of in-depth explanation of the virtualcockpit and the systems together with normal and emergency procedures,specs, tips, checklists, etc.

Also included is the popular program MVAMS which stands for MilVizAddon Management System. This small program allows the simmer toeasily customize the aircraft simply by selecting or de-selectingvarious options. In the FG-1D you can select panel state to be either"Cold and Dark" or "Ready to Fly" - you can also select a defaultradio frequency or assign a controller.

The MVAMS is connected to all the products that you have fromMilviz, so that when you open the program, you can select which add-onto customize. The armament / loadout of bombs, rockets, etc. is notperformed in the MVAMS but instead this can be customized when theaircraft is loaded thereby enabling you to see the selection whilemaking the changes.

Finding the loadout manager is done by cycling though the viewsfrom the virtual cockpit using the "A-key". The loadout managerallows you to customize the loadout within a range of selectableitems like rockets placed underneath each wing or applying bombs ordrop tanks on the left / right / center pylon.

If you select an armament on the center pylon you will not be ableto select a loadout on the left and right pylon and vise versa. Thedrop tank for the center pylon is a huge 172 gallon tank whereas the droptanks for the left and right pylon is only 150 gallon each. The left andright pylon can also be equipped with AN-M64-A1 500 lb bombs - one oneach pylon.

Do notice that you cannot change the loadout during flight - theaircraft must be on the ground for this feature to work which alsowould be most in accordance to real life of course. Also using theweapons will require a licensed copy of the TacPack which I do not ownand therefore I have not been able to test that feature.

After the installation was completed I opened P3D and checked thevirtual hangar. I quickly found the aircraft perfectly placed underMilviz aircraft when selecting the filter on Publisher. You can alsofilter on Manufacturer and then the aircraft shows up as Goodyear.

There are a total of six liveries where four liveries are for theFG-1D, one livery is for the F4U and the last livery is for the F4U-1A.According the Wikipedia only the FG-1D's, FG-1A's, FG-1E's and FG-1K'swere built by Goodyear on the license from Vought, but here the F4Uand the F4U-1A are listed as Goodyear aircraft. That might be a minorerror or maybe the Wikipedia is slightly off - I know, tiny detail.

External

I started my first flight in this old warbird with a walk aroundthe aircraft like when performing a pre-flight inspection, this justto get a glance and an idea of the model and the overall quality. WhatI found was a well made model that featured almost an endless numberof beautiful and realistic details.

Everything from the bubble-canopy which were adapted into the lateFG-1D models, to the unusual shape of the wings, to the huge tail andthe long nose - it all looked so very authentic and realistic and toperfect the model even more, the textures used are high qualitymulti-layer textures with a realistic old and used look for allmodels... well except one which actually looks brand new directly fromthe assembly line, which is also very interesting.

The wear and tear is shown on the wings, the fuselage, the engine,etc. and the textures do also cover the small rivets around the platesthat create the skin of the aircraft. I also noticed a great and cleanreflection effect when viewing the aircraft which contributes to therealism and atmosphere of the experience.

The aircraft features a few effects such as the light effect fromthe wingtip lights, a smoke effect from the engine as well as aground shadow effect, etc. The lights are fair quality with a soft andwarm shine and they are placed very well in accordance to real lifeand fully operational.

The smoke effect is primarily when starting up the engine whichgenerates some thick smoke which is quickly blown away by the windfrom the propeller. Hereafter the smoke effect is close to none;however there is also the ground shadow effect which is really nicelycreated and very realistic.

Of course there are also various animations included such as thecontrol surfaces (rudder, elevation and ailerons) together with canopyopen/close, gear up/down, flaps and cowl flaps, wheels rotating, tailwheel turning, wings fold/unfold, propeller turning at various rpms,etc. All animations are very well in accordance to real life and arecreated beautifully with a realistic and smooth motion.

I also tested if there were some animations which could not beactivated when the aircraft was flying or on ground. E.g. the wingsare not able to fold/unfold during flight as well as the gear cannotbe raised when the aircraft is on ground - these are good details andI believe also in accordance to real life.

Viewing the model can be lifted to a higher level using the loadoutmanager, because now you can select a specific loadout, and you canalso add the pilot to the cockpit or remove him if the aircraft wereto look cold and dark ready for prep.

I verified the models to various images that I found on theinternet and the resemblance was superb. Absolutely an awesome andrealistic model!

Internal

Jumping into the cockpit of this old warbird I suddenly foundmyself sitting in a very realistic environment. There is no 2D cockpitbut instead a nearly perfect and high quality virtual cockpitfeaturing a complete environment with working switches, buttons,systems, etc.

The textures used in the virtual cockpit are also high qualitymulti-layer textures, which contributes to the realism and atmosphereof the cockpit by showing a great deal of wear and tear all around thecockpit - this I would also assume since these aircraft are very oldand also very used.

There are numerous animations to be found around the cockpit such asthe controls (stick and rudder pedals), the throttle, the variousother levers, toggle and rotator switches, buttons, trims, etc. Againall motion of the animated elements is with a smooth and veryrealistic movement.

The depth performance is excellent and provides the simmer with aperfect, very detailed and realistic 3D experience, which is toppedoff with a very well made finish and the awesome textures.

Starting up the engine also provides a great and realisticexperience where the sounds and the cockpit panel / airframe shakesrather violently until the engine kicks-off and runs idle. Hereafter theshakes almost disappear and are now just normal rumbling shakes.

I searched for various images on the internet of the FG-1D cockpit,but didn't find many - they were all mostly from the F4U but sincethese were more or less identical I have used these images asreference. When comparing the images to the virtual cockpit created byMilviz I am absolutely stunned by the eye for the details and thesuperb focus that Milviz has kept when creating this cockpit - awesomejob!

My experience of the virtual cockpit as well as the model itselfwas a very authentic and realistic experience where the atmosphere ofbeing close to the aircraft or even in the cockpit wasexceptional.

Sound

The sound sets included are highly detailed and high quality soundsets which resemble the real sound of the FG-1D perfectly. The enginefeatures the various stages of rpms, the startup and shutdown and themodel features various environmental sound sets specifically designedfor the switches, the flaps, wings fold, etc.

All the environmental sounds are excellent - there are no"call-outs" which is also in accordance to real life since this wasnot invented yet when these aircraft were built. Additionally thereis an external wind sound set which is active during thecomplete flight but mostly hearable when flying with the open canopy,or flying very fast or even when flying exceptionally slow like whenstalling - to complement the wind sound set when stalling the aircraftthere are added a rumbling sound set as well which is very realisticand resembles the real life sound of the wind braking on the wing whenstalling an aircraft.

All sound sets are clear and very detailed and I tested all soundsboth internally and externally in both stereo 2.1 featuring frontspeakers with a subwoofer and 7.1 surround sound. All sound setsworked perfectly and added extra atmosphere to the experience of theaircraft.

Flight Dynamics And Characteristics

Flying the Corsair is certainly much fun and also quite challenging- I haven't flown this aircraft in real life so my opinion is basedupon my experience of the test flights as if the add-on is flyingaccording to the specs as well as my real aviation experience fromother aircraft and their flight dynamics etc.

The first thing I noticed was that this most certainly is atail-dragger and that makes the taxiing challenging itself since myvision straight out is very limited. In general the Corsair handlessmoothly on the ground and does not feature a very sensitive enginecontrol. The rudder is more or less useless when taxiing at low speeds- here you have to use the wheel brakes a lot to turn the aircraft inthe right direction.

Taxiing over grass and uneven surfaces make the aircraft bump andsome of the needles in some of the gauges will be jumping up and downdue to that - this is a really nice detail and make the generalrealism and atmosphere perfect. When slamming the wheel brakes iftaxiing too fast will not result in the tail lifting and smashing thepropeller into the ground - this is not possible in the add-on but Ithink I would be rather careful in real life.

Takeoff can be rather tricky due to the lack of visuals straightout but also because this aircraft features a strong torque to theleft. I suppose this torque is generated by the engine and propellerand really makes the takeoff a bit difficult and by applying morepower just increases the torque rapidly. Furthermore if you throttleup too rapidly the engine loses power and coughs, so you have tomanage the throttle with care.

To overcome the torque effect you either start out with the noseposition slightly facing the right side of the runway, so that youreach a minimum speed to gain control using the rudder and lift thetail or you control the aircraft using the wheel brakes whichunfortunately increases the takeoff distance. You do have the optionof locking the tail wheel in a straight position, but that is notenough to hold the aircraft centered on the runway and to counteractthe torque.

When you finally lift off after this tricky takeoff roll the nextexperience is how alive this aircraft feels - the first thing Inoticed was that the aircraft automatically wanted to enter a leftturn which I had to counteract using the ailerons to the right. Thisis probably also due to the strong torque because this characteristicchanges when throttling down to idle.

You really are very concentrated and very busy flying this aircraftand there is no option for a break - no autopilot to release you, youare and have to be totally in control for the entire flight. This ismuch fun but also very exhausting on longer flights and this aircraftreally tests your piloting skills.

Flying this warbird is an awesome experience - the movements of thecontrols are firm but also at the same time they are smooth andit absolutely feels like you strap the aircraft on your back.

I set my goal to test some of the specs such as the max IAS and theservice ceiling - I set a slow and steady ascent and continuouslyoptimized the mixture setting which made the aircraft climb to analtitude of 35,400'. According to the specs I should be able to reach37,000' but I would say this is within a fair range of the specs.

I hereafter lowered the nose, gained airspeed and quickly reachedthe max IAS of 369 knots - hereafter I exceeded the max IAS and foundthat nothing happened. Of course there are no chimes, etc. in this oldbird but it was not until I reached the airspeed of 430 knots that thestandard P3D warning came. This might be a little off from the specsand something that I do need to comment on.

After these tests I flipped the aircraft to inverted flight to seehow it would handle as well as to see if that would kill the engine asoften seen in other old aircrafts. My discovery was that the aircraftactually handles very well in the inverted flight and the engine kepton running with the same amount of power as in normal flight. To keepthe altitude I did have to raise the nose quite a lot but that doesmake sense due to the wing and profile design.

Aerobatics are also something that this aircraft can perform. Itrolls easily and very controllably to both the left and right side -maybe actually a bit faster to the left and this might be due to thehelp from the torque.

Loops, spilt-S, etc. are also easily performed however don't pull toohard on the stick or you will encounter a high-speed stall whichalmost always results in a spin. If you suddenly find yourself in aspin, you have to take immediate action because this aircraft does notauto-recover and this is also one of the features that I very muchappreciate of this aircraft and the flight characteristics.

When you enter a stall the panel starts to shake, you hear arumbling sound and the left wing usually drops. If you don't takecorrect action, the next second you are already in a very realisticspin.

I also tested the stall speed at an altitude of 3500 feet with a cleanconfiguration. Flying with flaps and gear up the aircraft started tostall at 86 knots whereas with gear and flaps down (full) the stallstarted at 75 knots. The specs states that the stall speed is at 77knots but not more specifically in regards to the position of theflaps and gear.

Raising the gear is just as several other old aircraft wherenormally the left wheel is raised a bit quicker than the right gear,and so it is also on this aircraft. This would in real life generate aslight drag to the right but this I don't think is included in theflight dynamics for this add-on - well I did not experience anyshort-time asymmetric drag on that part.

Going from full flaps down to flaps up and vise versa did notimpact the nose-position which I would have assumed. Normally theposition of the nose goes down when flaps are lowered and up whenflaps are raised but I did not experience that - unfortunately becausethis I think it would do in real life.

Conclusion

To wrap up my experience of the FG-1D from Milviz, then this add-onis yet another excellent and very detailed add-on just as we normallysee from this developer.

The model is absolutely gorgeous and very accurate with a highlevel of detailing and high quality textures to make the airframe lookrealistic and with a certain amount of wear and tear. The effects andanimations on the model are super well created and fit the model inregards to realism.

Also the virtual cockpit has been created with a great focus on thedetailing and features realistic animations and effects. The visualsin the virtual cockpit are awesome with high quality multi-layertextures that also feature a realistic amount of wear and tear. The 3Dperformance is perfect and the finish is right on.

The sound set is very life-like with the huge roar from the engineand the sound set together with all the environmental sounds and thesuperb model and virtual cockpit created a very realistic atmosphereand experience of this great old classic warbird.

It seems that nothing has been left to chance and that the focusand eye for the details has been kept for all part of the add-on. Idid not experience any loss on frame rates and neither any additionalloading time.

The FG-1D scored a beautiful 4.66 out of 5 and is absolutely anaircraft that I can recommend to my fellow simmers. If you are intoold warbirds and use P3D as your simming platform, then this is amust-have add-on. I did not test the TacPack part since I do not ownTacPack, however I truly believe that this feature will increase theexperience and the realism of flying this aircraft even more.

I would like to thank Milviz for creating yet another excellentadd-on - keep up the awesome work and hopefully we will see even morehigh quality aircrafts from you in the future!

Ray Andersen

Rays Aviation

Purchase Milviz - FG-1D Corsair for P3D

System Requirements (Minimum)

• OS: Windows 7 or 10
• Processor: 2.6 GHz or higher
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Graphics: DirectX®9 compliant video card 1024 MB video RAM or higher
• HDD: 2.5 GB available space
• Platforms: PreparP3D v2, v3 and v4

Review Computer Specifications

• Windows 10 (64-bit)
• Windows 7 (32-bit) (secondary system)
• Intel Core™ i7-4790K 4x4.00 GHz (Turbo 4x4.40 GHz)
• Asus Maximus VII Ranger (ROG-series)
• Antec Kuhler H20 650 Water Cooler
• Kingston HyperX Beast-series 32 GB DDR3-2133 RAM
• 500Gb Samsung 850 EVO SSD
• 3Tb Seagate Barracura (7200rpm, 6 GB/s)
• Asus GeForce GTX 980 Strix OC 4 GB
• 150/150 Mbit Fiber Internet Connection
• Prepar3D v4+
• XPlane 11
• FSX + Acceleration Pack
• REX Overdrive for FSX