UK Farm Strips & Gen X VFR Scenery?

[TrafficPilot]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering on the off-chance if any of you are running the UK Gen X Scenery with the freeware FSX UK Farm Strips scenery?

I've just reinstalled FSX to a new SSD and bought the boxed Gen X collection.

Fancying a challenge I was going to take the lovely Chippie for a few bimbles into different farm strips using the freeware FSX farm strips scenery but after installing everything it looks like most of the strips are out of alignment with the Gen X scenery. I thought it was designed around VFR scenery so was surprised that it was in the wrong place by half a mile or so.

Is this just me or have any of you had the same problem?

Cheers

Adam

[DaveB]

Hi Adam

I think the UKFarmstrips scenery was probably designed to go with either the original UKVFRPhoto scenery from Getmapping/VisualFlight (FS2002/FS9) or at the latest.. the original GenX.. version 1. They certainly look like they're from FS2002 vintage era I think the whole UK has 'slewed' a bit with each version of GenX.. it ceretainly has on my system so I'd not be surprised to see some of them out of alignment a tad.

A quick check in my addon scenery folder shows I never bothered dragging them into this install but they're there in my previous install (which I never deleted.. well, I didn't delete the addons in case I want them for the current install). The previous install was to GenX version2/FTX England standard.. FTX England being the reason I had to leave that one behind

ATB
DaveB

[J0hn]

I did a tour around every one of those farmstrips using JF's Real Scenery VFR photo scenery and it was just fine with that.

Never had the GenX, though, so...

There were some issues - some of the bumpy runways were very angular and throw the aircraft into the air, even at low speeds, or make it lean at silly angles. I put this down to the limitations of FSX scenery and accepted it - made it more challenging.

One or two of the grass runways do not support any powered aircraft. Seriously, I had to resort to a glider to get off the ground there. I can look in my old VFR log and find out which ones if you like.

Also, a lot of the textures are not FSX SP2/Acceleration ready and are truly awful to look at and also block areas around them - such as the tree textures and some bushes. I got around that by removing every tree and foliage file in the package. Some buildings are awful, too, though a lot are good.

They also can make it very easy to spot some of the strips, which can spoil the navigation challenge aspect of it (I didn't use any of the NDBs provided - only flew either De'd Reckoning or true VFR by scenery and map reading - following roads and using ref points). This can also be spoiled by the NDB pylons at the strips, which are the easiest way to spot them - from many miles away in most cases.

Having said all that, it was easily the best experience I've had in FSX to date - it took me 18hrs and 29mins of virtual flying time (no rate increase used) over about 6 weeks, to fly the 1,559nm distance around the whole package - although I did have to go back a strip or two a couple of times when I forgot to save the flight before exiting!

Anyway - I'm sure you'll enjoy it

PS - I recently tried it with standard FSX scenery, with all the autogen turned off and it was okay in that, too. I put a couple of videos on YouTube of myself and a Yank internet friend flying that - just look at the way it fits in and ignore my ramblings and excited jabber! In the vids we have it set to the second lowest autogen setting.

http://youtu.be/XldluARumns

http://youtu.be/Mu9ImH1G6qQ

Embarassing when I watch it now...

[TrafficPilot]

Hi Adam

I think the UKFarmstrips scenery was probably designed to go with either the original UKVFRPhoto scenery from Getmapping/VisualFlight (FS2002/FS9) or at the latest.. the original GenX.. version 1. They certainly look like they're from FS2002 vintage era I think the whole UK has 'slewed' a bit with each version of GenX.. it ceretainly has on my system so I'd not be surprised to see some of them out of alignment a tad.

A quick check in my addon scenery folder shows I never bothered dragging them into this install but they're there in my previous install (which I never deleted.. well, I didn't delete the addons in case I want them for the current install). The previous install was to GenX version2/FTX England standard.. FTX England being the reason I had to leave that one behind

ATB
DaveB

I think you're probably spot on there DaveB. I bought the V3 version of GenX which is superb (so much better than my old JF VFR scenery) but it does look like everything has shifted again since the early GenX software. Oh well never mind - the quality is good enough that I should be able to fly in just using the GenX scenery and my 1/4 mil chart (or PlanG if I'm feeling lazy..)

[TrafficPilot]

I did a tour around every one of those farmstrips using JF's Real Scenery VFR photo scenery and it was just fine with that.

Never had the GenX, though, so...

There were some issues - some of the bumpy runways were very angular and throw the aircraft into the air, even at low speeds, or make it lean at silly angles. I put this down to the limitations of FSX scenery and accepted it - made it more challenging.

One or two of the grass runways do not support any powered aircraft. Seriously, I had to resort to a glider to get off the ground there. I can look in my old VFR log and find out which ones if you like.

Also, a lot of the textures are not FSX SP2/Acceleration ready and are truly awful to look at and also block areas around them - such as the tree textures and some bushes. I got around that by removing every tree and foliage file in the package. Some buildings are awful, too, though a lot are good.

They also can make it very easy to spot some of the strips, which can spoil the navigation challenge aspect of it (I didn't use any of the NDBs provided - only flew either De'd Reckoning or true VFR by scenery and map reading - following roads and using ref points). This can also be spoiled by the NDB pylons at the strips, which are the easiest way to spot them - from many miles away in most cases.

Having said all that, it was easily the best experience I've had in FSX to date - it took me 18hrs and 29mins of virtual flying time (no rate increase used) over about 6 weeks, to fly the 1,559nm distance around the whole package - although I did have to go back a strip or two a couple of times when I forgot to save the flight before exiting!

Anyway - I'm sure you'll enjoy it

PS - I recently tried it with standard FSX scenery, with all the autogen turned off and it was okay in that, too. I put a couple of videos on YouTube of myself and a Yank internet friend flying that - just look at the way it fits in and ignore my ramblings and excited jabber! In the vids we have it set to the second lowest autogen setting.

http://youtu.be/XldluARumns

http://youtu.be/Mu9ImH1G6qQ

Embarassing when I watch it now...

Watching your Youtube vids right now J0hn - what fun! I've never tried the multiplayer thing before - must do so at some point. What is that aircraft you're flying in the first vid, is it an Auster?

Yes agree re texture quality. Pretty bad. Weird looking trees, black or incomplete aircraft and some very bumpy mesh induced terrain. I tried them with the FTX Global only scenery but that just placed random trees all over the farm strip runways so that's a no go!

I've booked a "farm strip refresher course" at Clacton Airfield in the new year so thought I'd try it first virtually in FSX. I think they use a Cub for their farm strip course so I'm tempted to buy the A2A version unless anyone knows of some good freeware versions.

Regards

Adam

[J0hn]

Thanks - yes, it's the Auster by DaveG.

I did see a freeware Turbo Cub somewhere a few years back, but I didn't like it and deleted it.

I have the A2A one with the accusim add-on and it's great. Good fun with the nervous passenger, too!

[511Flyer]

Hi Adam,

If you are referring to Gerry Winskills farm strips, I find they fit very well with GenX Vol3. The trees are a bit weird especially at this time of year in autumn colours, but you can always change the season. Or delete the trees altogether.

Other people have produced farm strips and small strips, but I've not tried any of those so don't know how they fit.

You might find this site of interest, a virtual flying club using small strips. They also have links on their site to download aircraft from CBFS. www.cixvfrclub.org.uk

Dennis.