This is a review of the RealAir Spitfire as distributed by Flight1 by Paul Webster.
I was given the boxed product to review, but the full package is also available as a download from Flight1’s website. Initially, the most exciting aspect of this product for me is that it is FSX only meaning that unlike a lot of add-ons prominently labelled “For Microsoft Flight Simulator X”, this is not just the old FS9 model patched up to run under FSX, but, as Flight1’s web-blurb states, it has been “painstakingly developed from the ground up for Flight Simulator X to take advantage of the new technology Microsoft’s latest sim provides”.
The Spitfire
Probably the best known British fighter aircraft of all time, the first production Spitfire rolled off the assembly line in 1938 and in different guises the aircraft saw continuous service in several air forces well into the 1950’s. It was the only Allied fighter that was manufactured continually through the duration of the Second World War and was produced in greater numbers than any other allied design. The design brief for the spitfire was to produce a well balanced, high performance Fighter aircraft that could make full use of the supercharged V12 Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce whilst remaining relatively easy to fly.
The trademark elliptical wing design enabled a thin cross-section, which allowed a higher top speed than many of its WWII contemporaries, the trade-off being that it also enabled an above normal degree of wing flex and twist, which resulted in some unwanted handling characteristics such as stalls in tight turns, or at high speeds the aircraft sometimes rolled in the opposite direction to the control column input. During its 10 year production run, over 20,000 Spitfires were manufactured. There were 24 marks and numerous variations, including 2 seater trainers and high speed photo-reconnaissance aircraft.
The Product
The RealAir / Flight1 product contains 9 variants of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engined Mk IX and 9 variants of the Rolls-Royce Griffon engined Mk XIV Spitfire, in a mixture of WWII era aircraft depicted with levels of wear and tear and newly renovated airworthy examples with a functional Bendix-King Nav/Com radio and transponder. Also included is a rendition of the WWII airbase at West Malling in Kent to make your historic flying that little bit more authentic.
As is usual the box contains the installation CD, 40 page pre-printed manual and catalogue of other Flight1 products. As well as the installation files the CD contains promotional videos of the following Flight1 products;
- Flight Environment
- Pilatus PC12
- LevelD 767
- Siai-Marchetti SF260
- Ultimate Traffic 2007
Installation
Installation of the 490Mb of data takes about 3 minutes. The process is simple, taking just 6 clicks, with your default FSX install directory being picked up even if it differs from the default location. A shortcut to the products configuration utility is placed on your desktop and a new program group is created on your start menu containing links to the configuration and uninstall utilities, along with the following 3 .pdf documents;
- Flying Guide – An extensive full colour product guide which is definitely worth printing and referring to, as it is much more detailed than the included pre-printed manual.
- Pilots Notes – Detailed cockpit layouts in full colour, along with full operating procedures from Cold & Dark to landing and shutdown. Also includes performance data, etc.
- Real Spitfire XIV Pilots Notes – Actual POH scanned from the original.
Configuration
The main configuration utility allows you to make a few tweaks to the way the aircraft is rendered and the way it behaves. This needs to be run and any changes saved prior to launching FSX (for this review I have selected the 32bit uncompressed textures). Additionally, both the pre-printed manual and the more comprehensive .pdf manual cover the recommended settings within FSX to get the most out of the product and to make it behave as it should. Unlike the majority of FS9 patched to FSX payware models, you do not have to go through the rigmarole of first loading the default Cessna at Seattle in 2D view before loading the aircraft for the first time. Once you’ve customised the aircraft and FSX to your own preferences, you’re ready to go.
The Walkaround
I started my first flight at the included RAF West Malling airfield, which in a way was a shame, as my attention was immediately diverted from the aircraft to the authentic looking period style airfield buildings and the good number of Spitfires both parked up and getting ready to depart. Within the first few minutes of loading my flight, 2 Spitfires had already taxied past me and were in the air.
Getting back to the model, it’s a relatively simple aircraft but the new features of FSX like the bump-mapping and reflective textures really bring it to life. Wear and tear are well and truly depicted on the external model, with some panels looking as if they are peeling away from the frame, paint having been eroded off prominent surfaces and soot streaks from the exhaust manifolds. The overhead canopy is animated, as is the small pilot’s door on the left hand side, both opening with the default ‘Shift E’ command.
Like the aircraft externals, the pilot animation is also first class. Unlike the default aircraft, the pilot doesn’t just look left and right with the rudder, but appears to be actively scanning for traffic both at the airfield and in the skies. Also noticeable at first glance is that the pilot is dressed in authentic clothing and his hands are correctly placed on the controls.
The Cockpit
There is no true 2D cockpit included with the Spitfire. It’s not needed, as there are no complex avionics to control and Virtual Cockpit flying is preferable anyhow (in my books at least). However, for those die-hard 2D fans, there is a fixed view of the VC which mimics a 2D panel. There are various other 3D views available within the cockpit, which take the focus from the centre console to the various instrument / control clusters (throttle quadrant, trim & switches, landing gear, compass). You can either cycle through the views by pressing A on the keyboard, or by selecting them from the FSX menu bar. Again, wear and tear is well modelled on all internal surfaces, adding extra realism to flying the WWII era aircraft. As per the external model, new FSX graphical features including bump and specular mapping have been utilised within the cockpit to give an excellent realistic look and feel.
Getting Started
The start-up procedure from cold & dark is as to be expected fairly simple. The engine roars into life, producing a profusion of exhaust gasses. The 2 different Rolls-Royce engines modelled use unique stereo sound sets and they are noticeably different, with the earlier Merlin engine sounding to my ears the more unrefined and therefore more pleasing. Both sound sets produce a good 3D Doppler effect with the levels and types of sound varying as you rotate around the aircraft in spot view, or as the aircraft roars past you in fly-by view.
Ground handling is modelled to reflect the relatively narrow gait of the landing gear and the massive amount of torque produced by the V12 engines (especially the Griffon). Manoeuvring is therefore challenging until you get used to very gentle movements of the controls and countering the torque steer with the rudder. Full power take-offs are definitely to be avoided. As with all tail-draggers, forward visibility is virtually nil whilst manoeuvring on the ground. Real world pilots would snake the aircraft along taxi-ways. Virtual pilots may prefer to use an external view to get to the runway.
In The Air
Once in the air, the Spitfire sheds its ungainly handling, responding best to smooth inputs from the controls rather than quick fire movements of the stick. It’s always best to try and avoid full throttle manoeuvres at speed in excess of 300mph given the inherent wing twist and flex and the subsequent often scary handling problems this causes. The .pdf manual guides you through initiating spins and stalls and the recommended methods for overcoming these, as well as encouraging you to test out other aerobatic manoeuvres.
Also included with the installation are 6 pre-saved flights to inspire you to get the most out of the various models in different scenarios, such as participating in some low flying manoeuvres at the Reno Races in the souped up racing Spitfire, or flying over Malta, the scene of some of historic WWII action, in an authentic WWII era aircraft.
In conclusion
The RealAir Spitfire for FSX as provided by Flight1 is a pretty outstanding product. I must restate that this is not a previous FS9 model patched for FSX. It is a real FSX product built from the ground up to incorporate all the advances offered by the latest simulator, and it shows. The detailing and effects both on the interior and exterior are incredibly realistic.
In terms of value, this package is also hard to beat. Not only do you get 2 marks of this historic aircraft with individual engines and handling characteristics in a total of 20 variations, but you also get a fully working authentic WWII airbase complete with AI Spitfire traffic to further add to the realism.
The documentation included, especially the .pdf’s, is comprehensive and detailed enough to enable and inspire you to get the most out of this model and the pre-saved flights also add inspiration to get out and make full use of the aircraft.
This is a very well executed product that I would recommend to anyone interested in experiencing an authentic slice of aviation and military history, or for those who just want to expand their virtual hanger with an exceptionally well modelled aircraft that is both challenging and rewarding to fly.
