QualityWings Status Update (3Q2014)

• • Addons, Aircraft, Payware
QWingsSim

QualityWings have posted a newsy update on their Facebook page to let everyone know what’s happening on their two highly anticipated projects under way at present. The 787 and their 737 Class (courtesy of the Enigma team joining them). As an AirNZ fan I’m super excited about both these models. The 787 given its just entered service in New Zealand (and with Jetstar in Aussie) but also as the Classic has been operated on both sides of the Tasman for so long and this model looks like its gonna beat the pants of the only other payware level competition from FeelThere/Wilco.

We hope you all have enjoyed your last few months as much as we have. Summertime is a great time to spend with your families and friends, and we are no different here. As the season starts to change for most of us here at QualityWings from the summer to the fall and as we exit this 3rd quarter…it’s time to provide our update on all things QualityWings.

PMDG 777 review and interview with Rob Randazzo

• • Aircraft, Interviews, Payware, Reviews
pmdg_773er_exterior

I know I know, it’s not like we’ve had a shortage of reviews and accolades for the PMDG 777, but this review has a twist in that it wraps up with a brief interview with Rob Randazzo..

Waiting for Service Pack 1 for the PMDG 777-200LR/F took longer than anyone, including PMDG themselves, expected. But now that it’s finally there, and I’ve had a chance to test it, let’s take a new look at the product in question… When you finish the review itself, keep on reading! Robert S. Randazzo, the CEO of PMDG, has taken some time out of his schedule to answer some questions. The answers he provided are very interesting, and are added to the bottom of this review in the form of a short interview for the readers enjoyment.

Wilco Tecnam P2006T released

• • Addons, Aircraft, FSX, P3D, Payware
tecnam_3d

Wilco have just published a decent looking rendition of the Tecnam P2006T light twin. With a few of these about in the Pacific, and likely to appear in Aero Club and training companies in the region over time, this would be a nice machine to pickup for local simmers…

Wilco Publishing announce a new title in the HiFi Simulations series : the P2006T by Tecnam. The P2006T is a modern 4-seats light twin-engine aircraft.  It is an excellent trainer for twin engined aircraft as used by real life aircraft training companies.  It is stable and provides superb all-round vision with the wing-high configuration.The P2006T features STOL and rough runway operation capabilities.

see the Product Page

FLYSIMWARE – MOSQUITO XE3

• • FSX, Helicopters, P3D, Payware
MOSQUITO_XE3

Interesting release a week or so back by Flysimware of a NZ designed and built lightweight, single-seater helicopter for FSX and P3D. Modelling detail looks decent and the textures are fairly good but could do with a lick and polish I reckon. Haven’t splashed out on this myself but would love to hear from anyone who has. Looks like a fun machine…

The Mosquito is one of the worlds lightest manned Helicopter that has been designed and developed over the last 10 years to deliver performance, reliability and ease of flight. Flying the Mosquito will have you hooked right away and the visibility as good as a bird. Flysimware’s model was designed to mimic a real Moquito XE. We have included all standard gauges and features with a few upgrades. All moving parts are fully animated to mimic real world operations including a custom code for an accurate swashplate effect and a high quality bones animated pilot. Make room in your private hanger as this model will give you many years of enjoyment and helicopter knowledge.

Check out the SimMarket product page if your interested.

JustFlight DC-8 Jetliner Series 50 to 70

• • Aircraft, Payware
dc8-jetliner-series-50-to-70

Some pretty excited kiwi simmers about the place (myself included) now that JustFlight have come good on their plan to release the 50-70 series models for their DC8 airliner. This aircraft was originally released with the 10-40 models and with this new pack they include an Air NZ livery as operated by the airline in the 70’s. Not 100% sure if the earlier model is required, it’s not clear from the website, but there’s plenty of interest in the forums, no doubt it will sell pretty well. Certainly looks the part…

The classic ‘short fuselage’ DC-8 first flew on 30th May 1958 and covered the -10 to -50 series but in 1965 a stretched fuselage series was announced, starting with the -60 series. This FSX and Prepar3D collection covers the short fuselage -50 series up to the ultra-long stretched -73 series and includes three distinctive cockpit variations from the classic round-dial analogue version through a part-modernised version to the modern ‘glass cockpit’ variant in the later models.

RAZBAM metro-liner review at Aerosoft

• • Addons, Aircraft, Payware, Reviews
RAZBAM-metroliner

Tyler Walter has published a review of the RAZBAM Metroliner over at Aerosoft this week. If you haven’t bought this machine yet you should take a squiz at this review, its positive in almost all respects, and the machine is well represented in real-world in the Pacific… go on, you know you want to..

The Metroliner is much bigger then the Cessna C172, but it flies so easily. You can expect it already; all the flight phases including the landing where a success and while I’m taxing back to the ramp, I can look back to a great aircraft. Great in modeling, a gorgeous virtual cockpit and I think, realistic flight characteristics. Well done RAZBAM! This plane is well simulated, and would function well in my opinion in both of the categories of transition aircraft from general aviation to passenger liner, and good domestic airliner rather like the Dash Q400. I would say that this is a good stepping-stone from general aviation to full commercial airliners.

JustFlight BAe 146-200/300 for 6 euro!!!

• • Addons, Aircraft, Payware
CLS-JF-BAe146

Jeeze, I dont know how they do it, but who really cares if we can buy add-ons at this price huh. Justflight have a deal on for their (well, was built by CLS originally) BAe 146 jet-liner. In years gone by this was a regular fixture on both sides of the Tasman with many of the big operators. Still run by a few charter airlines now but not as common a sight. Get in on this action while the deal still stands, there are Qantas, AirNZ, Ansett and Vincent skins available for it too:

Short haul – high density! With its high T-tail, stubby undercarriage, drooping anhedral wing, four engines and highly distinctive butterfly-style air brakes, you can’t mistake the 146-200/300! The 146 design was originally started by Hawker-Siddeley in the UK in 1973 and production started in 1983. Now Just Flight brings you the superb 146-200 and 146-300 for FSX featuring a highly detailed external model, 21 authentic airline liveries from around the globe, an extremely accurate virtual cockpit (VC) and even a cabin view.

see the JustFlight sale page

VirtuaCol Saab 340/2000 release

• • Aircraft, FSX, P3D, Payware
VirtualCol-Saab340

If you’re a fan of turbo-prop airliners and running FSX you will no doubt be missing the Saab 340 options of old under FS9/2004, especially given the history of operations in NZ and current usage in Australia with Rex and the like. Although there are the FFS and FFG options the payware FFS model doesn’t work in FSX and neither vendor are around these days for updates or support. Razbam are supposedly working on a new model which will be great when its released but in the mean time you might want to look at the payware release from VirtualCol this week. This colombian outfit have a number of products in this sort of sector, and to be fair they are at an entry level fidelity, we’re not talking PMDG sort of quality here. The price is set to suit though and I picked up this release from them earlier in the week and am pretty happy. Check out the screenies for yourself, hopefully I’ll do a detailed release some time soon…

see the VirtuaCol product page

FSLabs A320 Beta Test Applications

• • Aircraft, Payware
FSL-A320

An Airbus fan with a little time on your hands? You might wanna get on over to FSLabs and put in an application for their Beta test team, looks like its gonna be a great product assuming they ship it before everyone’s already bought from the competition?

It’s hard to believe that it’s now been a good four years since we started developing our A320-X for Flight Simulator – time flies! Every day that goes by, every time we check a new piece of code into our source control system, every new piece of 3d modeling that fits into place, we are a tiny step closer to finally giving you the fruits of our labor, so you can also enjoy what we believe will bring flight simulation to a new level. For that to happen, though, we need your assistance – you’ve been consistently asking for this and we believe that we are now at the point in development where it’s necessary to expand our beta test team.

see the forum post