FS9 or FSX for Classic Flight Simming?

[paul26may]

I'm sure this has been touched upon many times but I am coming around to the conclusion that I prefer FS9 for classic flight simulation! The excellent stuff available for those of us who prefer the early jet and prop liners appears in the main to be geared up for FS9 and having only bought FSX because I lost FS9 disc number 4 somewhere I have decided to bid on ebay for a new set of FS9 discs. I think I will use FSX for present day flying and FS9 to transport myself back those far off sunny days and evenings at Ringway in the '60's! What do you think?

[J0hn]

I'm running FSX only with a huge amount of classic aircraft - Brit, Yank and others.

I also run several virtual cargo companies with Air Hauler that consist entirely of 'classic' aircraft - usually from a 20 year period - 1930s-1940s, 1940s - 1950s etc.

So I don't entirely agree.

However, I happen to have a genuine FS9 in a box on my shelf - as new and only installed once a couple of years back - and am open to offers
Might even include the couple of DVDs worth of add-ons (and set of FScene) that I have for it.

JD

[AndyG]

I think the difference is, FS9 has a lot of addons available to make a much more genuinely 'period' sim - FS1954, if you like. With the scenery and AI available over at CalClassic (including David Maltby's retro Manchester) you can achieve some very impressive results. In fact I have a number of FS9 installs, FSGW, a 1950-60's and a modern setup, so I can tailor the environment as I see fit - my understanding is that this sort of multi-install is not possible with FSX?

So, I do have FSX, I do fly in it (period stuff mainly, in the form of Rob Richardson's wonderful creations) but I have to accept compromises to do so - something that is not the case with my FS9 setups.

Just my two pennorth!!

[Vancouver]

To be fair, FS2004 has 3 years on FSX. What I find regretable is that unlike FS2004, FSX cannot have multiple installs. I even have 2 copies of FSX. One I bought when it first came out and cost $79.99CAD and the Gold version I bought 15 months ago as insurance and that cost just over $35 from BestBuy. Consequently I have 2 serial nos but cannot install them both and have a modern and vintage choice.

[AndyG]

To be fair, FS2004 has 3 years on FSX.

Wasn't disputing that, merely pointing out that there are lots of addons available to backdate FS9, and there is no need to compromise by having "ancient & modern" in the same sim. If I wanted a retro FSX then it would have to be all or nothing; with FS9 I can have choices. And, to be fair, with the various after amrket addons for terrain, landclass, water, weather etc I have, my FS9 installs look every bit as nice as the newer sim, without the dreaded stuttering screenies. And there are still things arriving to make it better (Hooky and Ian Elliot's recent retro RN bases, with the promise of AI to follow, for example).

Yes, I'm a luddite, I admit it. I only actually reinstalled FSX specifically to fly Rob Richardson's planes (and some newer Piglet productions), but it certainly isn't my sim of choice. By using 'scenery layers' (as detailed at CalClassic) I can have a options within my FS9 installs; so, for example, my FS1954 actually covers all the bases between the early 1950's and the late 1960's with decent period specific AI; my modern install has all the AI whistles and bells going, courtesy of MAIW/WOAI/PAI/Alpha India (at 100% with no stutters) but I can also run it for just a few years ago, at the turn of the Cold War, with RAFG, Buccaneers at Honington, a busy USAFE ......

There are a couple of ongoing threads over at the Outhouse which illustrate what can be done; Okami's thread is taking him "Around the World in '62" and Ralf Roggesen's thread is doing a similar thing prewar, starting from Croydon. Both have given us some lovely images & have actually been quite educational.

[speedbird591]

For freeware classic aircraft, AI and scenery then FS2004 offers by far the best opportunities and is why the dedicated classicists on this forum prefer it. It's the amazing detail and quality of payware aircraft in FSX that swings it for me, although the choice of classic aircraft is restricted.

I do miss my FS9 1970s airports and AI but I recently loaded up a couple of my favourite FS9 classic aircraft for another look. Much as I loved flying them at the time they can't come anywhere near the immersive experience of a decent FSX aircraft. But these do cost money so don't really belong in the spirit of this forum.

My simming experience is more about the cockpit but obviously everybody enjoys different aspects such as the environment, scenery, navigation or AI. But as we always agree in this discussion, both are available and you can choose either or both. There's plenty of room.

Ian

[J0hn]

Well my response was in relation to the reference to 'first jet and propliners' rather than scenery - although there is some of that about, too.

I just had a quick scan through my list of FSX aircraft and reached 192 aircraft (although this includes military and helicopters - but then only aircraft with a VC) that would come under the term 'classic' as indicated by the OP as being up to '70's.

My own understanding of the term would be up to maybe 1970 - but not after. It's all relative, of course, some would mean pre-war as classic.

In any event, as far as aircraft go, I still say that FSX has plenty to offer.

JD

[DarrenL]

Early jet & propliners I currently have installed in FSX.

B707, Comet, DC3, Electra, DC4/C-54, DC6, Viscount, L049A/G/H/L1649 Starliner, Hastings, Short S23, S30, Solent, Viking, Ju-52, Trident, Twin Pioneer, Tu-114.

The only different things I have installed in FS9 are - Caravelle, VC-10, BAC 1-11, Lancastrian, York, DC8 family, Convair 880/990, Britannia, Hermes, Tu-154, IL-62, Herald, Vanguard.
Almost all of which I have at some point installed in FSX anyway but moved out when not being used.

[Vancouver]

To be fair, FS2004 has 3 years on FSX.

There are a couple of ongoing threads over at the Outhouse which illustrate what can be done; Okami's thread is taking him "Around the World in '62" and Ralf Roggesen's thread is doing a similar thing prewar, starting from Croydon. Both have given us some lovely images & have actually been quite educational.

Oh damn, now you have forced me into a position of having to research these things of which you speak. Just when I was settling down to have a nice afternoon of flying the PNW.

[Dev One]

If you have lost or damaged Disc 4 for FS9 there is a free patch that one can use - maybe not really legal, but I should think one could say 'legal' if one has already bought the product?
As for FSX I have it also but I much prefer FS9 because of the deatail & frame rates I get with my 'reasonable' setup 2 core 3.3 MHz, 4 Megs RAM & Nvidia 8600gts.
Keith