Flight Simulator X

FSAddon has released their long awaited Plum Island X for Flight Simulator X.

Plum Island’s small airfield (2B2) is situated near Newburyport, some 27 miles north of Boston along the Atlantic coast. The FSX version of it conveys the atmosphere of a small local field, often slumbering in the summer heat or laying deserted in the wintery cold. According to the Airnav pages aircraft operations average some 54 per week, so clearly not a busy airport, but instead the ideal companion for your VFR-loving GA aircraft!

FSAddon’s version for it is a ‘native FSX’ title and tested under Windows XP and Vista, and with FSX SP1, SP2 and Acceleration. It includes the airfield itself with abundant detail up to and including the field’s instructions hanging next to the entrance of the main building.

It also includes a wide area around the field including the town of Newburyport, the tidal flats from the river to the Atlantic, the beaches and the many holiday homes along the coast. This entire area is made using high-res aerial photos and painstakingly placed customized autogen houses and other objects.

Also included is a dedicated AI traffic file, a nice little manual in pdf format and last but not least a dedicated support forum on FSAddon’s web site.

The second best part of all this, next to the incredible detail and immersion the package brings you, is the price. Plum Island can be had for only $15, as an introductory price to the new series.

SimFlyer has just released SR3 for the Series X line of products. The release is FREE to all customers that have a valid version of the Series X products installed.

The changes include revised gauge code to provide optimal performance with Microsoft Flight Simulator X (SP2) and Direct X 10 as well as a few fixes for some minor issues resulting from the release of Microsoft Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1.

AlphaSim have added a Kaman SH-2 Seasprite to their collection of helicopter add-ons for Flight Simulator X and Flight Simulator 2004.

Both versions of Kaman’s utility helicopter (the F and G) feature in this extensive package for FSX (with optional FS2004 version).

The 6 phenomenal texture sets (by esteemed FS artist ‘Pierre’) show amazing attention to detail and are enhanced further by FSX’s bump mapping and self-shadowing features. There are custom bump and spec maps throughout the model.

Lifelike crew figures wear colours appropriate to the aircraft and even have realistic helicopter-type helmets with radio umbilicals (crew are togglable). The models are compatible with the FSX shared cockpit feature. Both the New Zealand and Australian models carry a superbly-detailed M60 machine gun AGM-65 Mavericks and a FLIR turret.

The virtual cockpit is a tour de force - it exceeds even the amazing H-60 and Ka-50 cockpits in terms of realism and usability - with no less than 154 individual animations (AlphaSim’s RealGauge tech is used extensively), all normal operating systems are represented in 3D switches, including realistically-animated windscreen wipers.

There is an accurate basic simulation of both the TACNAV monitor and central unit. The v-c night lighting is superbly realised, even the panel and console description texts are individually self-illuminated. Cockpit self-shadowing is also available to FSX DX10 users. The soundset was supplied by TSS and is the best helicopter sounds package we’ve heard, perfectly rising and falling in pitch with user application of the collective, including start-up and shut-down sounds.

The flight model was carefully tuned and provides a realistically agile flight envelope for this sprightly machine. A 60-page, colour illustrated user manual in .PDF format covers all aspects of the package. Source textures are included for repainters. We think the new AlphaSim Seasprite is the an ideal showcase for FSX and is also the pinnacle of its type, setting the quality and features benchmark for other FSX helicopters to follow …

FIVE model variants, SIX texture sets included :

1. SH-2F, HSL-32 ‘Invaders’, USN
2. SH-2F, HSL-30 ‘Neptune’s Horsemen’, USN
3. SH-2G, HSL-84 ‘Thunderbolts’, USN
4. SH-2G, US Coast Guard (fictional)
5. SH-2G(A), No. 805 Sqn RAN, RANFAA
6. SH-2G(NZ), No.6 Sqn, RNZAF

Sim Giants has released their Fuerteventura Airport Canary Islands add-on for Flight Simulator X.

The semi-desert Island of Fuerteventura lies just less than 100km off the coast of Africa (near the border of Morocco and Western Sahara).

Fuerteventura is the longest Island in the archipelago at 98km north to south and the second-largest Canary Island after Tenerife. The unforgiving barren and arid interior of the island shares much with its African neighbors of Morocco and the Western Sahara including sparse rainfall, rocky-desert landscapes. Fuerteventura is perhaps most famous for its beaches, with over 50km of stunning white and golden sand.

See Fuerteventura airport as never before in FSX. The airport and its surroundings are highly accurate and based on satellite imagery.

Features

• Based on commercially available satellite image
• High resolution ground and objects textures
• Highly detailed scenery of the airport and its near surroundings
• All major roads includes traffic
• High resolution mesh terrain
• All navigation systems
• Astounding night-time effects
• Full night textures
• Numerous static and dynamic objects
• Very high framerates
• Realistic runway and taxiway lighting
• Numerous scenery effects
• Marinas and ports

Flying-W Simulation is pleased to announce the availability of Super Traffic Board (STB) for FSX. Starting from the idea of displaying flight information as you would find at any airport, STB goes far beyond this with new and exciting ways of interacting with your AI traffic. Supporting all FSX AI packages, STB includes specially configured content for Just Flight Traffic, MyTrafficX, ORBX/FTX, Ultimate Traffic and World of AI with others to follow soon.

In addition to displaying basic arrivals and departure flight details, STB categorizes aircraft according to the operator (offering unique interpretations for Passenger, Cargo, Military and GA flights), shows flight numbers and IATA codes where available, displays real world airport names and reports advanced information including allocated runways, speed, altitude and distance of each flight from the airport.

Taking interactivity to a new level, through STB you can monitor approach airspace and automatically resolve conflicts that might otherwise result in go-arounds, dynamically optimize your traffic volumes across airports for the best possible performance, follow a flight from departure airport to destination and order flights to begin departure procedures immediately. Old favorites like View AI and Delete AI are included too.

Further details and screenshots of Super Traffic Board may be found at SimMarket.