Every copy of X-Plane comes with the utility Plane Maker that lets you create and fly your own aircraft. The creative process is quite rewarding and enjoyable but may seem daunting at first. In this tutorial Ray Hill shows that it's not as hard as you might imagine, as he walks you through the basic design steps. Here in part 3 he concentrates on engines and landing gear.

Being that the Spectr-Aero SP-30 is not the prettiest plane on the field, you might be tempted to not give it a look. But that would be a big mistake. Designer Mad Flight Studio has created what may well be the most detailed light aircraft ever made by X-Plane. It has the accurate flight model and 3D details you'd expect, but goes way beyond that with features that include aircraft maintenance, walk-around inspection, optional crop-dusting equipment and much more. You'll need to read Stuart McGregor's review to the end to learn about it all.

Sound is a part of flight experience that is sometimes overlooked, but it adds an important extra dimension to the realisim that we all seek. For nearly twenty years Aaron Swindle (Skysong Soundworks) has been supplying the flight simulator community with improved sounds. In this article he discusses various aspects of audio and how it applies to flight simulation, from the early days of basic loops to the complex sounds cones of today.

Every copy of X-Plane comes with the utility Plane Maker that lets you create and fly your own aircraft. The creative process is quite rewarding and enjoyable but may seem daunting at first. In this tutorial Ray Hill shows that it's not as hard as you might imagine, as he walks you through the basic design steps. Here in part 2 he covers flying surfaces.

EGSG Stapleford Aerodrome is a busy general airfield not far from London. Orbx has recreated it for X-Plane with their usual high level of detail. Reviewer Bruno Esperanca was pleased with the results and says he would easily recommend this scenery.

Every copy of X-Plane comes with the utility Plane Maker that lets you create and fly your own aircraft. The creative process is quite rewarding and enjoyable but may seem daunting at first. In this tutorial Ray Hill shows that it's not as hard as you might imagine, as he walks you through the basic design steps.

After trying, over the years, all the flight simulators from FS2000 to Prepar3D, Robin Meyerowitz found that immersion is more important than realism and that FS2004 suited that need for him. To aid that, he discovered the Ford Tri-Motor Project put together by Garry J. Smith and Edward C. Moore. As he describes, the project is even more than just the history of the famous Tri-Motor but provides a variety of period resources to aid in that flightsim immersion.

The Where In The World series challenge from Ron Blehm continues as readers have stepped up with a bunch of new destinations. Last month's location may have been too easy, as everyone who tried got it right. No big clues this month--let's see who is up to the challenge.

Planning is an important part of flying, and if you are looking for the ultimate flight planning tool, reviewer Rohan Nair will tell you that would be Professional Flight Planner X, also known as PFPX. This tool has a lengthy list of features and also integrates with things like real world weather sources and NOTAMS, virtual airline and multiplayer systems and of course your flight simulator itself.

Ever wish you would have multiple installs of FS2004 running under Windows 10? It is possible, and it's not even all that hard. In this tutorial, Robin Meyerowitz walks you through the necessary steps. He also offers pointers to useful tools as well as custom interfaces that you can set up.