208 Squadron around Edinburgh...

[simondix]

It would be nice to have a package for the 70-80 era like Silverwings covering the whole world.

[speedbird591]

It would be nice to have a package for the 70-80 era like Silverwings covering the whole world.

Ah! You're not the first to wish for such a thing, Simon! It can be done, mind you. All of the necessary flightplans are available at retro AI http://www.retroai.org/. All you need then are the aircraft to add to them. Unfortunately you'll need to trawl the download sites for the base model and all the repaints you can find. I'd guess in the region of 1,000 combinations? You then need to install them and match them to the flight plans. The 50s/60s are easy because you can use the CalClassics package, but I'm like you -70s/80s was my decade!

Although it sounds daunting, I guess you could start with the airlines at your favourite airport and then extend to your favourite destination and gradually build it up as you fly further afield. But you'd have to bear in mind that very few of the airports are as they were in that period and some of them aren't there at all, so it wouldn't feel authentic from that angle. Again, CalClassics can provide older airports but retro airports of our era aren't readily available.

So that's why I've concentrated on three airports of that period and populated them with a pretty good selection of retro traffic and the rest of the world is modern with World of AI traffic. It sounds a bit fiddly but it works fine. So I can dive into selected bits of the past whenever I fancy.

Ian

[petermcleland]

I've started work on the full 208 Squadron flying progam from the Stradishall base...I've been touring the UK in Echo, visiting military or ex-military bases to see if they are suitable for inclusion on my destinations list. The list is now complete at 32 airfields, but some need a little work on the parking. The Hunters will fly six days a week in pairs or fours and all 32 airfields will be visited, some will be lunched at. They will all get Sundays off.

Here are shots of Echo (user version) at a couple of places...All 32 airfields are UK2000 scenery.





:flying:

[forthbridge]

Would Charterhall be one of these stops Peter?

[petermcleland]

No Jim,

Charterhall is not on my list of 32 but the two places in those pictures are

[DogTailRed2]

Did the Hunter survive the Lightning under RAF service?
I remember seeing a black Hunter at North Weald in the 80's (89?) and some RAF dogfighting Hunters at RAF Abindgon (dog fighting hawks) early 90's. I've never seen a Lightning. But wasn't the Hunter earlier than the Lightning?

[petermcleland]

Yes the Hunter was long before the Lightning but there were many more of them and in various roles they went on for longer...Here are some nice moments while testing the squadron flying program:-



















:flying:

[DogTailRed2]

Hi Peter,

so how does the simulated Hunter compare to the real Hunter.
Is it a good aproximation or absoloutly no comparison?

Ted.

[forthbridge]

:think:
Hi Ted

I think it's like any PC sim. The Hunter is a superb rendition, but it's like a motorbike/car/boat/submarine simulation - it emulates reality but you can't really compare like with like. Sure, certain characteristics can be programmed in (speeds etc) but in reality, it's not quite the same thing....

[petermcleland]

DaveG's Hunter is as close a simulation of the real aircraft as can be achieved in FS9 (can't speak for FSX). With one provisor...NO USE of a Force Feedback stick. His simulation is way ahead of any other model and as far as I'm concerned it is near perfection. As for the visual modelling and technical accuracy of his model...Well, that IS perfection :flying: