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/images/reviews/oldersy3/oldersys.jpg "On An Older System" - Aerofly FS 2By Kenneth J. KerrHello there folks, this is Kenneth J. Kerr (a.k.a. "KJKSimmer")once again, and welcome to another article in my series on an oldersystem. While many of my articles will be based firmly in the world of FSX,today I want to branch off in a totally different direction, and itmight surprise the heck out of you. Today, instead of looking at anolder "legacy" sim platform, we're going to consider a "newgeneration" program that actually runs on my old computer. We're goingto "teleport" over to the world of Aerofly FS2. Say what? O yes, I canhear the muffled expressions of shock and horror coming from somereaders even now... "That thing? Are you serious?" Well, yes, Iam serious, and we're going to talk about it very openly, warts andall. Before we jump in however, I should let you know that this articlenaturally splits into two sections. The first part is the narrative,and I've chosen not to add screen shots into that section as it mightdisturb the flow of thought. The second section is photographic, andthat's where you'll find over 50 fullsize (1920 x 1080) screen shotsfrom AFS2. These are not edited in any way, what you see is what I sawon my large monitor, although there might be some image degradation insaving them as jpegs. Where add-ons are shown in those images, I willtry to acknowledge them in the commentaries. I will also add a briefarticle conclusion and summary after the image gallery. So buckle up, and let's fly into a brave new world! Is It A Real Sim?Aerofly FS2 is in many ways a very beautiful simulator. However,many of our flight simming brethren don't even think of it as a realflight simulator at all. Now, I get that, because I've been aroundthis genre for more than 30 years. These days we have very highexpectations in the industry, and with the impending arrival ofMicrosoft Flight Simulator (FS2020 colloquially), the bar is beingraised even higher. And so, we expect a modern sim to at least havethings like real weather, AI traffic in the air and on the ground, AirTraffic Control, detailed global scenery, complex GPS navigation evenin the Cessna, immersive aircraft systems, and so on. Let's face it,after years of add-on development for the legacy sims, we have becomeaccustomed to such things as almost the starting point of ourexperience. Perhaps that's why many simmers dismiss AFS2 without even giving ita try. At the very best, AFS2 is a "light" sim in comparison with thisshopping list of features. It does not have real weather, it does nothave AI traffic, it does not have ATC. There are vast areas of theworld undeveloped, and autogen is sporadic even in some of the areasthat are developed. I must also point out the absence of street lightsat night in many of the core areas, and the fact that there is nothingeven close to real water. Unfortunately, in the eyes of many people,these startling omissions relegate the title to the status of ajoke. However, after two years of using AFS2, I must voice the followingopinion. If you leave AFS2 untried because you think it's a joke, thejoke might just be on you. No matter how incomplete it may arguablybe, I see more and more experienced and discerning simmers giving AFS2a go every month. The numbers are growing in the user base, thecommunity is expanding in the forum, and maybe the best way to answerwhy this is, is to simply tell you my own AFS2 story. My AFS2 StoryLike many of you, I have decades of time (and thousands of dollars)invested in the Microsoft Flight Simulator ecosystem. I've grown veryused to how that world looks, feels, sounds, and acts. It really hasbecome like a second home, a home where I slip on some kind ofalter-ego avatar, and jump back into familiar territory that fits likea glove. But, every now and again, the familiar becomes boring. Ofcourse, we can always buy another add-on, and that's what we typicallydo. It's a constant balance of the known versus the new, but it'sstill the same world. Well, for many people the answer is to tryanother sim. And so they have bought and loaded up DCS World, orX-Plane, or the latest Prepar3D. And, of course these new worlds havereplaced the old world of FSX for many hobbyists. And truth be told,I'd like to do that too! BUT..._ you guessed it... My oldsystem will NOT run these newer programs. And so, I have stayed backin planet FSX while many have moved on. And then, two years ago, I started hearing stories aboutAFS2. People with newer systems were being blown away with 150+ FPS,no stutters, no blurries in photoscenery, and the thrill of a totallynew approach. I was curious. If AFS2 could run that fast on a newcomputer, was there a possibility that (unlike the other new sims), itmight at least run on my old rig to some acceptable level? I pluckedup the courage to download Steam, then I bought Aerofly FS2 with veryfew expectations. "This might end up being a one-flight-and-eraseexperience" I thought. But I was wrong. Two years on, I have loggedover 980 hours in AFS2, and instead of using it less, I'm actuallyusing it more often. So What Did I Like?To begin with, you simply cannot downplay my sheer delight in thefact that AFS2 even runs on my system. A few moments ago I went backonto Steam and reviewed again the so-called minimum required specs forthe program. Frankly, my old rig shouldn't even run AFS2, but it does!Do I get those lightning speeds with super smoothness? No, Idon't. BUT it does run just about as well on my old computer as FSXdoes, and for me that has been the passport into a new world, and anew experience. And, there is so much to love about the new experience. The firsttime I ran AFS2, I remember being totally shocked that I could be upand flying in less than a minute. I have become so used to launchingFSX and literally having time to go and put on a pot of coffee beforethe sim has even got me to the loading screen! Wow... How manytimes had I felt like flying for just five minutes and been unable toaccomplish that with the loading times of the old technology? Now itwas possible. There was more to love. Want to gain altitude and fly around at say5,000 feet in a Cessna? No need to piddle around climbing. Just press the"U" key a few times and you are there. I've used that a lot in AFS2when I had limited time to fly. Or what if I feel like a change oftime? Who needs menus when you just hit the "T" key and instantlywatch the sun move around the sky, complete with appropriate changesin shadow, shade, and light. These are seemingly small items in theoverall scheme of things, and yet I have grown to really appreciatethem. Still talking about light and shadow, I used to watch YouTubevideos from X-Plane and Prepar3D and feel very envious as Ipractically drooled over the way the sunlight and shadows moved acrossthe instrument panels in the VCs. FSX could never match that advance,and my system could not run the sims that had it. My first few days offlying AFS2 brought smile after smile to my face because I couldfinally enjoy something as simple as that on my dinosaur computer! And then something else hit me. I flew the F-18 low and fast,and... Where were the famous FSX blurries? There were none. Whatabout the annoying "popping in" of the distant trees? No, they werevisible for miles! I took it higher. How does the photoscenery lookin the distance now? Stay within the AFS2 default scenery areas and itdisplays far clearer than add-on photoscenery does in FSX. OK, let'sadd mist and see how that looks. Weather menu perchance? No. Justpress the "V" key a few times (or Shift+V) and change the visibilityon the fly. Looks pretty good with a hint of fog on the horizon. Thesewere some of the lasting first impressions of AFS2 for me. I alsoliked the map screen for changing location, the fact that I could hitthe "L" key and have place names displayed on the screen in flight,and the sheer beauty of the VC interiors, surpassing the aesthetics ofalmost everything I had seen in FSX add-ons over the years. Yes, therewas so much to love about AFS2 right from the start. And Then The Boredom Set InAnd so, for several months, I simply put FSX aside and spent all mytime exploring AFS2. I went back into Steam and added some free DLCpackages put out by IPACS (the makers of AFS2). Now I could also enjoyUtah and Colorado, and higher definition textures for the more westernUS states. Many of the airports in those IPACS sceneries (and some ofthe cities) are very nicely done, so I added more months to my flying,exploring this new world with a passion. It was addictive andstimulating, until the first little hints of boredom began to showup. It was lonely to fly out of an airport with not as much as anotherCessna on the frequency. Indeed there was only silence and an emptyworld. I started to miss using ATC, started to long for the sight ofanother aircraft taking off or landing in front of me, and even missedthe road traffic on those terribly empty highways. Was I the lastperson left alive in the virtual world? I went back to FSX, and flew it for a few weeks. BUT I was sofrustrated at the long loading times, the return of the blurries, andall the deficiencies I had forgotten about there. Sometimes, I'd fly ashort flight in AFS2 to get the real scenery, then I'd repeat the sameroute in FSX to get the missing immersion. Each simulator had itsstrength, and each had its weaknesses. There was truly no such thingas perfection in any one simulator. The funny thing was this, despitethe limitations of AFS2, I did not abandon it, just as I had notabandoned FSX even in spite of its old architecture. That simpleaction speaks volumes about the inherent appeal of both AFS2 andFSX. But Behold The Turning Point ComethWell, that was two years ago, and now it is the second week of2020, and I'm flying AFS2 more than ever. Sure, I am still aware ofthe perceived negatives, the idiosyncrasies, and thelimitations. However, as we advance into the new year, an interestingturning point has been reached. It's a crossing of the Rubicon sort ofa moment, a paradigm shift if you will! In a nutshell, the third partyecosystem for AFS2 has come alive! Why is this important? Just look at industry history to find theanswer. Microsoft Flight Simulator would have been buried decades agowithout the development of the add-on ecosystem that supportedit. Same can be said for X-Plane. This is why these two platformscontinued when many other contenders disappeared. And now, the thirdparty world has finally started to explode for AFS2. In fact, there'shardly a day goes by without something new coming from the third partydevelopers. In the last three months we have seen the entire UK beingtransformed from something unusable into something completely flyable,with freeware photoscenery, hundreds of basic airports, autogen, nightlighting, and hi-res topographic coverage. We're seeing the same thinghappening for areas as diverse as France, Argentina, Norway, the CzechRepublic, Italy, and parts of western Canada. We have also seen therelease of a magnificent freeware Tecnam P2008 to fly, and it iseasily up to commercial standards. In addition, there are hints offurther development of the free airport-adding program that waslaunched almost two years ago, and a newer photoscenery creationprogram has taken the place of older approaches that were the normeven a year ago. All of this is coming freely to the AFS2 world at thehands of hobbyists. They even have their own web site(http://www.flight-sim.org). And the commercial world is taking note too. Orbx has severalhighly-detailed airport packages on the market, as well as the AFS2version of TrueEarth Netherlands. While they pulled back from theiroriginal plans to give us a lot more in 2019, we are still hopefulthat 2020 may see a revival of their AFS2 interest. Aerosoftalso has a few smaller scenery packages out. But it's not just scenery. Just Flighthas ported four of their popular General Aviation aircraft intoAFS2. While they do not have the systems depth of their legacy-simversions, they have all the looks and sheer fly-ability in them! Andyou know something? I cannot even run the FSX versions of those sameaircraft on my old rig without it becoming a slideshow. Yet in AFS2, Ican finally enjoy the Just Flight Cessna 152, PA-28 Arrows, Duchess,and Tomahawk. There are also new mesh offerings for AFS2 fromTaburet,a new commercial version ofBostonfrom a new development team, and a somewhat complex (and so-farlimited) ATC program as the starting point of development in thatarea. These are commercial offerings. This change augurs very well for the future of AFS2 from the user'spoint of view. Let's get to the screen shots! (Clickable to expand in size.) So, what's the best way to share the beauty of AFS2 with you now?That's where these screen shots come in. Please note that they aretaken on a monitor (a very large TV actually). I say that because oneof the biggest selling points for AFS2 is that it's the best sim outthere for those with VR headsets. Well, my old rig won't run one ofthose new-fangled devices, so monitor it is! I'll add comments to theimages as I go along. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_1_-_Default_Cessna_172.jpg1. The default Cessna 172 over default scenery near Santa Barbara,California. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_2_-_Cessna_172_cockpit.jpg2. The Cessna 172 cockpit. There are two female pilot avatars inAFS2, and quite a number of gentlemen too. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_3_-_Default_Beech_Baron.jpg3. The default Beech Baron 58 over default scenery of SanFrancisco, California. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_4_-_Beech_Baron_cockpit.jpg4. The Beech Baron cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_5_-_Default_Pitts.jpg5. The default Pitts over default scenery near Trinity Lake, California. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_6_-_Pitts_cockpt.jpg6. The cockpit of the Pitts. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_7_-_Default_Corsair.jpg7. The default Corsair over default scenery near San Diego,California. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_8_-_Corsair_cockpit.jpg8. The Corsair cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_9_-_Default_C90.jpg9. The default Beech C90 over default scenery near Reno, Nevada. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_10_-_C90_cockpit.jpg10. The Beech C90 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_11_-_Default_Lear_45.jpg11. The default Learjet 45 lifting off in default San Franciscoairport scenery. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_12_-_Lear_45_cockpit.jpg12. One of the gentlemen pilot avatars at the controls of theLearjet 45. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_13_-_Default_P38.jpg13. The default P-38 over the default Las Vegas scenery. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_14_-_P38_cockpit.jpg14. In the P-38 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_15_-_Default_A320.jpg15. The default Airbus A320 in Delta colors lifting off from SaltLake City, Utah. Utah is a free Downloadable Content (DLC) from IPACSavailable on Steam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_16_-_A320_cockpit.jpg16. The Airbus A320 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_17_-_Default_B737.jpg17. The default Boeing 737 as supplied by Milviz, high overColorado. Colorado is a free Downloadable Content (DLC) from IPACSavailable on Steam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_18_-_B737_cockpit.jpg18. The Boeing 737 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_19_-_Default_B747.jpg19. The default Boeing 747 in suitable KLM livery near Amsterdam inOrbx TrueEarth Netherlands scenery. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_20_-_B747_cockpit.jpg20. The Boeing 747 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_21_-_Default_Jungmeister.jpg21. The default Jungmeister over Switzerland. Switzerland is anadditional paid content available from IPACS via Steam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_22_-_Jungmeister_cockpit.jpg22. The language-appropriate Jungmeister cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_23_-_Default_ASG29.jpg23. The default Schleicher ASG29 glider over Switzerland. Switzerlandis an additional paid content available from IPACS via Steam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_24_-_ASG29_cockpit.jpg24. A great view from the ASG29 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_25_-_Default_R22.jpg25. The default Robinson R22 helicopter over New York City. TheNortheast USA is an additional paid content available from IPACS viaSteam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_26_-_R22_cockpit.jpg26. The view from the R22 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_27_-_Q400_DLC.jpg27. The Dash8 Q400 is a free downloadable content by IPACSavailable on Steam. The scenery is part of Orbx Innsbruck, a paidadd-on also available on Steam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_28_-_Q400_cockpit.jpg28. The Dash8 Q400 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_29_-_Default_Extra.jpg29. The default Extra 300 over Switzerland. Switzerland is anadditional paid content available from IPACS via Steam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_30_-_Extra_cockpit.jpg30. Extra 300 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_31_-_Default_Sopwith.jpg31. The default Sopwith Camel over user-created freeware scenery ofEngland. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_32_-_Sopwith_cockpit.jpg32. Sopwith Camel cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_33_-_SDK_Robin.jpg33. This Robin 400 is for those adventurous enough to download andinstall the SDK, and then run the aircraft converter program. Ihappened to also add a fictional Canadian registration. The scenerygives a tip of the hat to the early days of flight simming, it's theOrbx rendition of Chicago Meigs Field as it was before being tornapart and turned into a park. The scenery is available to purchase onSteam. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_34_-_Robin_cockpit.jpg34. A "Go-Pro inspired" wide angle shot from the Robin 400 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_35_-_Default_B777.jpg35. The brand new default Boeing 777 was just added by IPACS in theChristmas 2019 update. This Air Canada example is high over LosAngeles in default scenery. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_36_-_B777_cockpit.jpg36. The Boeing 777 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_37_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Duchess.jpg37. The Just Flight Duchess model 76. I've been a fan of JF for avery long time, and I was saddened that their latest in-house aircraftdesigns would not run on my old system in FSX. However, the AFS2versions run fantastically! I will do a separate article on the AFS2Just Flight fleet shortly. You can purchase direct from JF, Steam, orin theFlightSim.Com Store.The freeware scenery in the picture is user-created, somewhere nearthe coast of southern Wales. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_38_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Duchess_cockpit.jpg38. The Duchess cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_39_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Cessna_152.jpg39. The Just Flight Cessna 152. The freeware scenery isuser-created, somewhere over the northern coast of France. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_40_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Cessna_152_cockpit.jpg40. The Cessna 152 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_41_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Piper_Turbo_Arrow_3.jpg41. The Just Flight Piper Turbo Arrow III lifts off from Liverpoolairport, England. This is one of the very few highly-detailed freewareairports created by hobbyists so far, but they are coming! You cancreate simpler airports using a program calledFSCloudport(also free), but the detail shown here is still exceptional. The photoscenery, mesh, and "cultivation" are also freeware. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_42_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Piper_Turbo_Arrow_3_cockpit.jpg42. The Piper Turbo Arrow III cockpit. I used to fly a PiperWarrior equipped with an Archer engine and constant speed prop, so Iwas very happy to see this aircraft fly in the AFS2 skies. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_43_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Piper_Turbo_Arrow_4.jpg43. The Just Flight Piper Turbo Arrow IV. The freeware scenery isin northwest England. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_44_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Piper_Turbo_Arrow_4_cockpit.jpg44. The Piper Turbo Arrow IV cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_45_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Piper_Tomahawk.jpg45. The Just Flight Piper Tomahawk, their latest AFS2 commercialrelease as this article is written. The freeware scenery isuser-created, covering a small area on the western coast ofCanada. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_46_-_JUST_FLIGHT_Piper_Tomahawk_cockpit.jpg46. The Piper Tomahawk cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_47_-_Freeware_Tecnam_P2008.jpg47. The recently-released, user-created, freeware Tecnam P2008. TheScottish scenery is a combination of both user-created freeware, andcommercial releases. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_48_-_Tecnam_P2008_cockpit.jpg48. The Tecnam P2008 cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_49_-_Default_F15.jpg49. The default F-15 Strike Eagle. The Scottish scenery is acombination of both user-created freeware, and commercialreleases. That's Loch Ness in the background. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_50_-_F15_cockpit.jpg50. Screaming down low in the front seat of the F-15, the villageof Fort Augustus (my old Scottish home), flashes by at over 400knots. THIS is what has re-kindled my interest in AFS2. The excellentbase program being added to almost daily as the third party ecosystemis now developing. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_51_-_Default_F18.jpg51. The default F-18, repainted by a user into a gloriousrepresentation of an actual RCAF aircraft. It's just flown throughpart of the Mach Loop, experiencing this user-created freeware sceneryof Wales. /images/reviews/oldersy3/t/AFS2_Image_52_-_F18_cockpit.jpg52. The office of the F-18. The aircraft received significantsystems upgrades by IPACS just before Christmas 2019. Sometimes theirdevelopment may seem slow, but as this shot suggests, it is worthit! Aerofly FS2 - So What Do I Think Really?While I am still primarily an FSX user, I can honestly say that Ienjoy AFS2 more than ever these days, and my continued interest islargely due to the third party developers. Is AFS2 a perfect simulator? Not a chance, but I enjoy itregardlessCan I fly it with all the sliders to the right? No, but I fly itanywayIs it a real flight sim? Of course! It is a real flight simbecause it simulates flight, it simulates aircraft, and it simulates aworld to fly overIs it an expansive sim like X-Plane or P3D v4? Not a chance. But,those other sims won't run on my system at all, and AFS2 does!Will I still run it in the future when I have a modern system?That is academic until I have such a systemWill AFS2 run on your system? I have no way of knowing thatWill it even appeal to you? I don't know that eitherBUT, if you dismiss it as worthless, you may be making one heck ofa mistake, and missing out on a beautiful flight simming experienceyou could find as addictive as I do at this time. So, if you'veenjoyed this article, why not give this brave new world a try? Love itfor what it is, accept it for what it is not, and you might indeedbecome a fellow citizen of AFS2 Nation... Even on an oldersystem! /images/reviews/oldersy3/aerofly-fs2.jpgKenneth J. Kerr Purchase Aerofly FS 2
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/images/reviews/oldersys/older-system-title.jpg "On An Older System" - Just Flight ChipmunkBy Kenneth J. KerrHello there folks, this is KennethJ. Kerr (a.k.a. "KJKSimmer" from some of the forums out there), and awarm welcome to the first "proper article" in the series "On an oldersystem." If you haven't read the series intro, I invite you to follow thelink here.But for quick review, here are the five principles thatyou need to remember when flight simming on an older computer. You must have realistic expectationsYou must find the compromiseYou must bring the right attitudeYou must pick your products wiselyYou must be adventurousIn this article you will see hints of many of these principles, sokeep an eye open for them. And now, get ready for take off, for we'regoing to look at a little beauty of an aircraft that works fine on myold rig... the De Havilland Chipmunk, from Just Flight. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-1-2.jpgTelling A Story/images/reviews/oldersy2/chippie1971.jpgOne of only three pictures that survive from my tripsto RAF Newton in the early 1970's. The Bloodhound missile is hidden in theover-exposure just off the nose of the airplaneThe Chipmunk is my all-time favorite aircraft, in fact I've been inlove with it for almost 50 years. I turned 62 a few days ago, but whenI was a mere lad of 13, it was "the Chippie" that introduced me toflight. I was in the Air Cadets, a member of 422 Squadron (Corby,Northants), and we'd made a trip up to RAF Newton (near Nottingham) togain some Air Experience. It was a magical day for me. I rememberbeing transfixed by the solitary Bloodhound ground-to-air missile thatpointed skyward near one of the hangars. I recall wandering through alarge collection of myriad types of aircraft being stored at thestation for technical training, but most of all I remember that firstever taste of flight. You didn't walk out to the Chipmunk, you waddled out to it! Likethe other cadets, I'd suffered the ordeal of having the parachutestrapped to me after my pre-flight safety briefing. It was so tightthat I couldn't stand straight, and the straps between my legs seemedto threaten any hopes of future fatherhood! But all of that wasimmaterial, for my gaze had but one focus, the classical lines ofChipmunk WK591. Moments later, I clearly remember standing on the walkstrip at the wing root, looking into the cockpit and wondering wherethe seat was! Then it dawned on me that the parachute WAS my seat, andwith a little help from another cadet, I settled into the concavemetal pan in the rear cockpit. /images/reviews/oldersy2/kjk1971.jpgThe fresh-faced 13-year old in cadet uniform in 1971. Almost 50 years ago.With the engine already running, the harness was secured with theminimum of delay, and then the smelly rubber mask was fixed to myface. A brief radio check followed to make sure I could communicatewith the pilot up front, then the canopy was closed, and we taxied outto the holding point of one of the grass runways. With the engine athigh RPM during the run-up exercises, I distinctly recall wondering ifthe damn thing was going to shake itself to bits, but the noise wasmusic to my ears, a symphony in the key of Gipsy Major. And then itwas time. Position and hold for a few seconds, full power, a bit oflight swinging from right to left as the rudder became effective, andwe were taking to the air. It was a defining moment of my life. I'd been an aviation nut foryears already, but had never flown. I can still see those treesslipping away beneath the wings. All these decades later the detailsare crystal clear. I was looking out over the right wing, not theleft, and there were roads getting smaller, with cars looking like theCorgi and Dinky toys I'd collected before turning to aviation. Andthen after a few minutes we were experiencing light G forces as thepilot demonstrated turning, and I was amazed at how the world seemedto pivot around the wingtip. After gaining altitude, I was given thecontrols, and I was hooked! "You're a natural" the officer said, andsomehow my 13-year old self thought I was flying a Spitfire!All-too-soon it was over, a mere 20 minutes according to my "3822"record of ATC service, but it was 20 minutes that I'll remember aslong as I live. So, why have I shared this story in such detail with you? It's tomake a very important point. When I'm flying the Just Flight Chipmunk,do you really think that the most important thing to me is achievinghigh frame rates, or whether my old computer will allow full detailautogen and clouds? No. Because I am emotionally connected to theChipmunk, the nostalgia takes over and masks the limitations imposedby my old system. This is positive psychology at work. It's the brainmaking use of the Reticular Activating System to filter out extraneoussensory inputs. You focus on the memories, associations, and nostalgiathat an add-on engenders, and enjoy the experience regardless of whatyour system is (or is not) capable of. And now, as we showcase the Just Flight Chipmunk, let's re-livethat first flight using my trusty old FSX. The First Test Flight - British Canopy Version At RAF NewtonGetting ready for this first test flight, it's worth listing theadd-ons used for it. The Just Flight Chipmunk - British Canopy Version (Available Here)A free repaint featuring WK591, done by Peter Watkins (Available here).A whole suite of Orbx scenery (Global BASE, Global VECTOR, Global openLC Europe, EU England).I should also point out the FSX settings I am going to fly with. Ihave a low target frame rate of only 17 fps. This helps keep theblurries at bay on my old system while still representing anacceptable compromise to my eyes. Filtering and anti-aliasing is beinghandled by my video card instead of FSX. Global texture resolution isHIGH instead of VERY HIGH. I have set High-resolution for the virtualcockpit, and while allowing the aircraft to cast shadows on theground, I have disabled shadows on the aircraft itself. Scenerysettings are as recommended by the Orbx guide for EU England,(although dialed down one notch for scenery detail), and I'm settingcloud draw distance to minimum, with simple clouds only. In theweather menu I'll make these clouds cirrus, between 8,000 and11,000 feet, and I'll set a visibility of 20 miles. I'm not using any AItraffic on this flight as I am staying close to RAF Newton for whichthere is no traffic anyway. And, for the heck of it, I will set thedate all the way back to October 9th, 1971... The date of myfirst flight. WK591 has just landed, and I'm waiting for the cadet inthe back seat to be helped out so I can take his place! /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-2-1.jpgAs the poor, ill-looking kid is helped back to the briefing room, Iclimb up on the left wing and look into the cockpit. There's thatmetal seat pan... Not very comfy, but practical if the man upfront says "Jump, Jump, Jump!" /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-3.jpgWell, that certainly hints back to the 13-year old me in 1971, butfor this FSX test flight I'm taking the front seat! So into the VC Igo, savoring once again the gloriously-classic cockpit surroundingme. The design team at De Havilland did a nice job with the real thingback in 1946, and Just Flight (actually I believe it was the AeroplaneHeaven design team), did a nice job about five years ago with thisvirtual example too. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-4.jpgToday I'll forego the checklist. Yes, I do sometimes refer to areal Chipmunk manual when flying FSX, but this time I just want to getin the air and take some screen shots. So, brakes off, a wee bit ofpower, and we're heading out to runway 25, the same runway used on myreal flight all those many years ago. After lining up, I slowly movethe throttle forward, instantly remembering that I'd turned down theP-factor and torque settings to make it easier to maintain directionalcontrol on the take off run. Stick forward, and the tailwheel lifts ataround 40 knots. By the time I reach 60, the aircraft is airborne. Ikeep a shallow pitch and accelerate up to 80 knots. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-5.jpgAfter reaching a safe altitude, several miles to the east ofNewton, I explore again the flight characteristics of theaircraft. Controls are responsive, and I find the Chipmunk very easyto handle in banks of 30 degrees while turning through a full 360degrees. Altitude is a doddle to maintain if you keep the appropriateattention on what you're doing, and with a fair bit of effort you cankeep the needle "somewhat" centered (an FSX issue more than a JF issueI feel). /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-6.jpgTime to get more adventurous. Stalling is simple. Power off, holdback the stick and maintain altitude while keeping the rudder straightdown the middle! The buffet comes on at 43 knots and the stall hornblares at 40 knots. Nose down, a bit of power, and I recover nicelywith minimal altitude loss and no over-exertion on the airframe. Spinsare another matter however. FSX was never good at reproducing accuratespin behavior, so let's simply say that spinning the Chipmunk is notthat satisfying. It's more of a mush into a spiral dive than a spin,with the aircraft practically recovering itself. Even after five yearsof flying the JF Chipmunk, I still cannot reproduce a spin as sharplyas I can in my A2A Cessna 172. Maybe that's why both the real manualand JF manuals state, "For training safety, the aeroplane isintentionally difficult to spin properly in almost all center ofgravity positions. Therefore it is usually necessary to apply aileronagainst the intended direction of spin, in addition to the normalpro-spin control movements. Entry with central aileron will probablycause the aircraft to describe a semi-spiral. This is often confusedwith a true spin." While spins are all but impossible, aerobatics are a blast. Back in1971 we looped the Chippie on my first flight. Time to do it here! Iclimb to 4,000 feet, then maintain full power in a dive until 130 knotsis achieved at around 3,700 feet. Stick back and up she goes! I'm overthe top at 4,400 feet with 55 knots on the airspeed. I kill the powerand watch the world fill the windscreen as the speed comes upagain. Great fun, and I take a go-pro inspired screen shot to capturethe moment. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-7.jpgAfter pulling these maneuvers, it's time to settle down and simplyadmire the view. I have loved the JF Chipmunk since it came out, andhave probably logged well over one thousand hours in it, and it stillappeals to me as much as it did the first time I flew it! I look atthe clock and see I've been up more than 20 minutes, that's longerthan my real life flight in 1971. I head back to RAF Newton, drop downwithout fuss onto the grass, and shut off the engine. The smile on myface and inner feeling of satisfaction says it all. And this on an oldmachine that many simmers would consider a dinosaur. The Second Test Flight - Canadian Canopy Version At Tillsonburg, OntarioOnce again, I will list the add-ons used for this flight. The Just Flight Chipmunk - DHC-1 B-2 Bubble Canopy Expansion (Available Here)A free repaint featuring CF-BXH, part of a 3-ship Canadian collection painted by myself (Available here).A whole suite of Orbx scenery (Global BASE, Global VECTOR, Global openLC North America, Free Orbx Tillsonburg airport).Note that the weather conditions and FSX settings are basicallywhat they were in the first flight, however, we are in a wholedifferent continent, and a significantly differentaircraft. So... Time for another story! The date was April 23, 1994. I'd been living in Canada for almostsix years, and had not flown in a Chipmunk for two decades. On thisparticular day I was at Tillsonburg Airport, Ontario. It was the homeof the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association, and I'd become a memberin order to fly in those glorious warbirds. Early in the afternoon, Iwas strapped into the back seat of a Harvard Mk.2 (the North AmericanTexan for US readers), and we were going through the run up checks atthe end of the westbound runway. Suddenly, over the threshold cameanother beautiful yellow bird. But this was no Harvard, it was an exRCAF Chipmunk, complete with the bubble canopy of course. It wasamazing that my first flight in a Harvard would also be the catalystto re-introduce me to an old friend. That day I flew in both theHarvard and Chipmunk. For those who don't know, the Chipmunk is a Canadianaircraft. Strictly speaking it is the DHC-1, meaning it was the firstproduct of De Havilland Canada. While early prototypes had the British"Birdcage" style canopy, the Canadians went on to develop and adoptthe "bubble" style for RCAF service, making the aircraft look morelike a scaled-down fighter. There were many other changes too, andthese included different instrumentation, a different undercarriageleg design, and the re-location of numerous switches in thecockpit. At first, Just Flight inferred they were only thinking ofproducing the British variant, but a few of us campaigned for theinclusion of the Canadian variant, and I'm happy they produced thisupgrade as an additional paid item. Please note that you do requirethe British product in order to use the Canadian one. With that said,I present one of my own personal repaints of the Canadianversion. Chipmunk CF-BXH, with the former RCAF code 18052. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-8.jpgAs you can see, the bubble canopy indeed gives the aircraft a verydifferent look, and having flown in both variants, I simply cannotunderstand why the RAF did not go for this. The visibility is amazingin comparison. Think of it this way. In the back seat of the Britishversion you feel like you're sitting IN the aircraft. In the back seatof the Canadian version you feel like you're sitting ON it! With thisparticular repaint, I also opted to give the aircraft the civiliancrew. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-9.jpgSo, let's get the Canadian machine up in the air. The flightcharacteristics are the same as the British variant, so we won't gothrough the flight test procedures I often employ when testing FSXaircraft. Instead, we'll simply call this a photo shoot, and as youlook at the images below, take note of how many other differences youcan find. It's not a competition, so no prizes folks, but start offwith this image of the front panel. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-10-1.jpgAnd now enjoy the following sequence, as we say kudos to JustFlight for the Chipmunk, and to Orbx for their transformation ofCanada through their work as well. /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-11.jpg /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-13.jpgThe Just Flight Product And The RepaintsThe British version (base product) comes in nine color schemes. RAF 6 AEF 70s/80s scheme (WP901)RAF early scheme (WP912)RAF Cambridge University Air Squadron (WB588)RAF No.2 Flying Training Squadron, Church Fenton (WG316)RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (WK518)"RCAF 671" - A civil aircraft (G-BNZC)Red and white (G-ALWB)Blue, white and gold (G-JFDH)Silver and green (G-AKON)The Canadian version (optional paid expansion) is available in twoschemes. An apparently fictional civil example (F-CHIP)C-FPOW, owned by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, in the RCAF colors of 18035 /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/oldersystem-chipmunk-15.jpgHowever, since the release of the product, the number of availablecolor schemes has increased dramatically through the work ofthird-party artists using the paint kit. Primary among thecontributors is master-repainter Peter Watkins (Interviewed Here). Hisrepaints have included: An Australian civil registrationMany British civil registrationsA Canadian armed forces exampleA Royal Danish Air Force exampleA Belgian Air Force exampleA US civil registrationA Canadian civil registrationMany Royal Air Force color schemes from the silver-finish eraMany Royal Air Force color schemes from the grey-finish eraA Royal Navy exampleAn Irish Air Corps exampleI have also been active in repainting the Chipmunk. Included are: Three additional RCAF examplesSeveral British military examples in the red-white-grey scheme, including both RAF and British ArmySeveral early silver examples of the first British aircraftI have also come across a few other liveries, including: The first Canadian "Birdcage canopy" protoypesThe Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's latest color schemeWhile we have yet to see an example from Portugal (a major Chipmunkuser), Chippie fans now have plenty of liveries available tothem. Since it would take a very long time to illustrate them all withfull size screen shots, let me simply whet your appetite by displayingimages of thumbnails from the FSX aircraft selection screen. You canclick on this image to see a larger version. And remember, you can doalso do searches in the FlightSim.Com library with such terms as"Peter Watkins Chipmunk"or"Just Flight Chipmunk." /images/reviews/oldersy2/t/my-chipmunk-collection-in-fsx.jpgConclusionIf you go back to the beginning of this article, you will recallthe five principles upon which this series will bepredicated. Clearly, this article touches all the bases. In my use and testing of the Just Flight Chipmunk I always had realistic expectations of how FSX would perform on my old computer. I did not expect the Chipmunk to perform better than anything else in FSX on my system.I also found the compromises, lowering settings from the maximum as needed.I brought the right attitude, a determination to simply enjoy the product while leaving criticism and complaining out of the equation.I picked the Chipmunk because it was something I loved, and I knew it would likely be a wise decision that would stand the test of time.And in my use of the product I was adventurous, re-living real life flights from both British and Canadian locations.With these principles in mind, my enjoyment of the Just FlightChipmunk has now lasted at least five years, and shows no sign ofabating, no matter how old my current computer may be. And, as for theChipmunk itself? If you never fly small aircraft it probably won't befor you. BUT, if you are a former Air Cadet (of a certain age), or aformer RAF or RCAF pilot, or an enthusiast of the De Havilland brand,or one who loves great views out the cockpit when flying lightaircraft, then the Just Flight Chipmunk is well worth adding to yourcollection. I will see you next time. With best regards, Kenneth J. Kerr Purchase Just Flight Chipmunk - British Canopy Version Purchase Just Flight Chipmunk - DHC-1 B-2 Bubble Canopy Expansion