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Reviews (by David)

FLYTAMPA - DUBAI REBOOTED FS2004 FSX P3D

FLYTAMPA - DUBAI REBOOTED FS2004 FSX P3D

I got these from FlyTampa direct as a replacement for a previous scenery problem. Which should be noted as amazing customer service. FlyTampa not only offers so,e of the best scenery around, but also is run by a person of great integrity who cares about his customers.  That said this Dubai scenery is epic. Full of detailed custom buildings and other sites. The airport itself is up there in terms of quality and true to FlyTampa standards. Working jetways, ground vehicles and a lot of other airport details fully implemented. It’s quite a vision on approach with all those tall and interesting towers. It’s especially nice at night or sunset.  Taking a helicopter up to get a closer look at things is a blast. There are at least a dozen roof top helipads to visit. My only complaint is with the helipads and it’s really minor. I wish that the helipads had a little more detail like access stairs or ramps. As is you there are no visible means for folks to get on or off the pads. Again a minor gripe.  Frame rates are outstanding even with some weather and high end add on aircraft in use. This is the best Dubai scenery I’ve been able to find and I highly recommend it even with missing some of the most recent airport additions that came after this was released.  Works great with FSC Steam. 

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AEROSOFT - KASTELLORIZO (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - KASTELLORIZO (DOWNLOAD)

This is another outstanding FSDG scenery! Full of details and photo real visions that take you a virtual island visit. Of the Aerosoft Greek islands it’s the smallest but totally worth it. Other than the main island you also get a couple other small islands nearby that have helipads. I really like this scenery especially with having all the other Greek islands they make. The Caribbean is nice and gets the most attention but the Greek isles are equally as nice and make fun some excellent island hopping.  Very easy on frames. 

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FSHELI.CH - SA315 LAMA X

FSHELI.CH - SA315 LAMA X

I was expecting an exceptional helicopter simulation and I guess I mostly got that. However I don’t feel like it’s any better than a lot of other helicopters available? It is indeed excellent and does come close for an FSX offering, it’s as good as a Cera helicopter but with lots of added missions and variations that bring a bit more to the table. The appearance of these are actually pretty good, but the virtual cockpit shows its age a bit. It’s not bad, just could be better for the money.  The add on scenery is kinda nice but causes weird problems with flight planning for other aircraft so I disabled them and everything was fine after that. Very odd bug that if I selected any other of my aircraft FSX could not load a flight plan and just got hung up or froze.  The Lama itself as a whole does have a very good feeling of being well developed with care.  I think it’s a bit overpriced even with all the extras but is still pretty cool all together as a package. 

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AEROSOFT - DIGITAL AVIATION DO-27 X (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - DIGITAL AVIATION DO-27 X (DOWNLOAD)

This old gem should still be considered for purchase. It’s another of Aerosoft fully simulated airplanes that surrounds you with a true experience. At least as close as possible in FSX. While you can turn off all the detailed realism features and just fly worry free, that’s not what the core of this Do-27 is about. Like the Katana (but implemented very differently) you get to approximate a realistic aircraft complete with all of its quirks and general needs. Not unlike A2As Accusim, you’ll have to take care of this plane just as if it were real. It’s a highly detailed system that if you can suspend reality for the time being, you’ll be rewarded with a very fulfilling and entertaining time. It’s hard to find these types of simulations but they are of the best kind. Even while showing its age a little bit the Do-27 is nicely detailed and centered most on the appearances of well used aircraft. The only thing missing is the physical feelings of being there to experience the vibrations and gravity etc.  I just wish I knew why the rear windows are not see through? Not sure what’s causing that. Anyway this is one amazing plane. Still worthy of a serious look. 

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GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - GOLDEN AGE - PITCAIRN PACKAGE FOR FSX

GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - GOLDEN AGE - PITCAIRN PACKAGE FOR FSX

GAS does a great job with their add on planes. I have many and never had any complaints. This package is just as good. What a strange and interesting aircraft. Really different to fly and fun also.  Excellent details, very sharp. Pretty good sounds but a little inconsistent when looking left or right in the cockpit.  It’s not an exact replica but all things considered and working with what was possible GAS managed a really good product that approximates the real thing pretty closely. At least so far as I can tell having never seen one of these except in pictures. 

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UK2000 SCENERY - UK2000 VFR AIRFIELDS VOLUME 2 V2 FSX P3D

UK2000 SCENERY - UK2000 VFR AIRFIELDS VOLUME 2 V2 FSX P3D

Having bought vol 1 and loving it, I just had to get this as well. I am glad I did as now nearly every airport and strip is covered in the southern UK. I’ve come across many interesting and different places as I explore. I’ve encountered A10s and C130s, DC3s, and more flying around and some doing circuits like at Duxford for example.  With vol1 and vol2 I finally have good reason to fly around the south of England and Wales. Before I got these it all just was so dull and uninspiring. Not anymore. Couldn’t be happier. The frames are excellent even with both volumes running. Great value! 

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UK2000 SCENERY - UK2000 VFR AIRFIELDS VOLUME 1 V2 FSX P3D

UK2000 SCENERY - UK2000 VFR AIRFIELDS VOLUME 1 V2 FSX P3D

Considering how much you get for such a small price tag this is a great add on. So many airports and strips all around the area have so much more detail now than without this. Sure the major airports don’t have the best textures and most of the better places are the small airports but you still can’t beat the shear numbers of places that are included. Everything is much better than the default FSX Scenery. If you really want, you can still buy the major airports separately but at a much higher level of quality. I can’t complain and am thoroughly enjoying this and exploring the area. Lots of goodies to find like a hovering helicopter, hot air balloons and loads more. 

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AEROSOFT - DA20-100 KATANA 4X FSX

AEROSOFT - DA20-100 KATANA 4X FSX

This is a real surprise and cool plane simulation.  If you’re familiar with the excellent A2A Accusim products you’ll feel right at home here. The user interface is a bit different but pretty intuitive. Like Accusim your aircraft is fully simulated down to the slightest detail and then some. There are some differences such as in this you can wash and clean your plane inside and out. It simulated every aspect of the process right down to filling a water bucket and dipping the sponge, to vacuuming the interior. So much is detailed for all maintenance of the aircraft, it would take too long to list them all out. What you’re getting is a small plane with a huge amount of real world related necessities associated with it.  My only complaint is that the various maintenance options take a long to complete. There should be a speed up option but I’ll be damned if it isn’t realistic.  So far as the plane itself it performs just like it says on paper. You can easily damage something and ruin the flight if you don’t pay attention and just full throttle your way through flight.  So be prepared to treat this like it’s a real plane or have a hard time with it.  To folks like me that’s great. A fully simulated plane that includes ever little detail is a remarkable and fun deal.  Not too mention the aircraft is extremely well designed and very immersive. Only Accusim offers something similar. I wish Aerosoft made a lot more like this.  Don’t worry too much if you don’t want to deal with all the little things, you can turn those off and just fly for fun. 

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FLYTAMPA - LEGACY -  GRENADINES FSX P3D

FLYTAMPA - LEGACY - GRENADINES FSX P3D

Having bought Corfu and thoroughly enjoying the spectacular scenery within it I decided to also get Grenadines. I was very disappointed to find that after installing and activating the scenery in FSX Steam that there is zero autogen outside of the airports on all islands. The airports do indeed have the excellent new scenery, so does everything related to water like boats and docks. However not one building or tree anywhere else on the islands. Just black photo scenery for the included islands. After much troubleshooting via the included doc or manual, uninstalls and reinstalls still the problem persists. I tried everything laid out in the manual and the forum.  It appears also that this is a very common problem for a lot of customers that for reasons I can’t fathom has never been fixed by FlyTampa.  If FlyTampa can somehow respond to my support request and fix this I’ll gladly change this review.  I just don’t get why they never fixed it considering how prevalent the issue is.

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CARENADO - E50P PHENOM 100 HD SERIES V2  FSX P3D

CARENADO - E50P PHENOM 100 HD SERIES V2 FSX P3D

First off this is way better than the FeelThere Phenom100 by a mile. The plane is of course high Carenado visual quality. Very nice liveries. The flight model seems very good but I have nothing to truly base that off of. The systems are lite as with all Carenado planes but there is enough to enjoy a nice direct flight plane or GPS. My one complaint is that I cannot have cockpit dome off and cabin dome on. It’s all or nothing no matter what combination of lighting is used internally. This is annoying enough to knock off 1 star. The best lighting configuration possible at night leaves the cabin dark but the cockpit perfectly lit for night flying. Sorry passengers, I hope you weren’t counting on being able to read a book.  Other than that strange lighting  bug I really like this add on. 

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FLYTAMPA - LEGACY - CORFU FSX P3D

FLYTAMPA - LEGACY - CORFU FSX P3D

Wow. What a great scenery add on. This is so highly detailed and with lots of unique custom autogen. Ships come and go, dock and undock. Ferries even open and close their rear gate. They didn’t ignore anything. Lots of light posts all around the island and at night they light up perfectly. N fact all of the islands lighting is super well done. I get now why FlyTampa sceneries get such rave reviews. The frame rates are amazing also. Even with some weather and high end add on aircraft and high FSX graphic settings I get between 40 to 60 all over.  Don’t overlook this one, it’s truly amazing.

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AEROSOFT - ANCHORAGE X FSX

AEROSOFT - ANCHORAGE X FSX

This was very nearly a five star add on. Everything about the airport and its details is excellent. However I’m getting a few strange bugs. The water areas within the scenery area is solid ground. That was extremely disappointing as I was really looking forward to using some of my seaplanes here. Nope! Then I noticed no train, anywhere, ever! Also the taxiway gates that should open and close automatically don’t. The don’t open at all.  If the overall airport detailing wasn’t so good I’d have given only 3 stars.of all the add ons by Aerosoft SimWings made products are the ones I have had the most troubles with.  At least it’s a very nicely made airport with a lot of detail. Winter settings are especially cool. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM P-51 CIVILIAN MUSTANG FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM P-51 CIVILIAN MUSTANG FSX

This was the last AccuSim plane for me to buy. I knew what to expect when I completed the collection and was not disappointed at all. If you are looking at your first Accusim or just another, just don’t worry you will get something very special. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again these are the very best airplane simulations you can get for FSX. The very best. It’s almost like having the real thing so far as one can get without owning the real thing. Every little detail is designed and simulated with incredible detail. The results are a by the book and believable virtual aircraft. Everything works exactly as it should and no flight is the same, for real.  This powerful aircraft isn’t something you can just put the throttle to the firewall and start doing aerobatics without practice. Oh yes it can do all those things but you better understand the aircraft first or you will spin wildly out of control. Once you do get the hang of things you are rewarded with the most satisfying flight sim experience there is on a home PC.  I found this civilian P51D to be a little more demanding than the military version. Not sure exactly why but I think it has much to do with the fact that these are much lighter among other things. Whatever the actual case is, I just love this plane. It can’t be helped, it’s just that good! 

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LIONHEART CREATIONS - LIONHEART - LJ24B GENERATION2 FSX P3D

LIONHEART CREATIONS - LIONHEART - LJ24B GENERATION2 FSX P3D

I hope SimMarket will allow me to comment on this plane despite having purchased elsewhere, because it needs more word of mouth.  The Lionheart LJ24B is a real hidden gem. They overstate the need for a high end PC a bit though. I use a Win 10 i7 16GB Ram with an Intel UHD630 GPU that only has 128mb dedicated video memory and it runs perfectly even in high density add on scenery. I average 40fps never been lower than 30. That said it is a super nice plane inside and out loaded with systems to watch over. But it isn’t overly complicated. Only the fuel transferring might have a slight learning curve.  Yes it looks smashing from all views. Yes it flies like one would expect and seemingly quite realistically.  It’s a plane that has a scary price tag that is described as needing a lot of power to even load. Those were the things that put me off for a long time. I’m glad I finally brought it to my virtual hangar and love to fly it. Let’s face it there just aren’t a lot of really good and believable light biz jets to buy. Oh sure there are a lot available but when considering value for your money, this beats all the others.  Don’t let this high speed little bird go without serious consideration. It beats all my Carenados even though they might look a little prettier. If a realistic and well simulated biz jet is something wanted, this could very well be the best choice these days.  My only complaint is the people I’m the passenger area looked like they are unhappy with each others company. Sitting with dead doll eyes appearing to wish they were either with somebody else or somewhere else. It’s a little funny and no biggie as they can be easily removed from view with a click on the seats.  Lastly the sounds a pretty darn good. Plus it comes with a nice snack pack for the Captain!  Don’t miss out on this one. 

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SKY SIMULATIONS - MD-11 V2.2 FSX P3D

SKY SIMULATIONS - MD-11 V2.2 FSX P3D

I see why people complain about this plane so much. It’s true indeed that the VC has very bad textures but they are mostly limited to the cockpit window framing. They look pretty bad, but this alone doesn’t make this a bad aircraft. It doesn’t help that the FMC is poorly implemented with severe limitations. The systems that are simulated are done so well enough to have an enjoyable flight.  However the rest of what you get is pretty good. The exterior is well done and the audio is as well. The flight model shines brightest. You get a plane that feels like a big heavy airliner or freighter. Be sure to go to SjySims website to download the livery pack which doubles the total count.  It seems to me that this is a competent but slightly hindered MD11 attempt. Currently, there’s not any other option to purchase and it does overall beat any freeware available. Well any freeware I have found and tried. The main issue here is that for you get you have to pay far too much. Since there isn’t any other MD11 around that’s any better, they kind of got you by the ear.I don’t regret buying it but I do regret that I could never find it on sale for a more reasonable price. As is it’s just over priced. If it were lower then more could be forgiven regarding the areas of sub par development. So if you want a MD11 significantly better (but still not great) than freeware, this is as of 2023 the ONLY option. 

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RLABORIE - CL-215 FSX P3D

RLABORIE - CL-215 FSX P3D

RL did a fine job modeling this aircraft. It has a realistic and believable flight model. Sometimes it feels a little on rails but mostly it feels like a rather cumbersome bird just shoving it’s way through the wind. The VC is very nice with crystal clear gauges, buttons and knobs. The main thing that bugs me is how painfully hard it is to steer on water. I guess maybe the real world one also must use thrust from alternating engine power to turn? I’m all for realism but this is just a pain on the water.  The audio is the best part. The engines really sound right. Powerful and loud.  The water load and dumping is pretty fun so there’s that.  Runs very smooth with no FPS hit. Nicely done for the most part. A couple strange and clipped camera views on the external views. But I like it.

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AEROSOFT - SKIATHOS X - THE GREEK ST. MAARTEN FSX

AEROSOFT - SKIATHOS X - THE GREEK ST. MAARTEN FSX

All of the Greek island sceneries sold by Aerosoft are excellent! Skiathos is equal to Rhodes and Mykonos. The airport is perfectly modeled and has a lot of details around it. You’ll even see some nut standing on a concrete block snapping off pictures at all hours complete with his flash. A couple cars and beach goers are also modeled at either end of the runway. The runway does in fact resemble TNCM greatly. It’s like a smaller version on the other side of the planet. The custom autogen is excellent. Many many unique buildings and stuff can be found all around the island which feels alive. The island is beautiful day and night. Absolutely worth it for not just the challenging airport approaches but also the views all around. 

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AEROSOFT - MEGA AIRPORT ROME (DOWNLOAD) FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - MEGA AIRPORT ROME (DOWNLOAD) FSX P3D

It’s a good scenery package but not one of Aerosofts best. The parking assignments are really weird and all say Gate X GA  parking which is strange. Is it a gate or GA parking cause they aren’t the same. Also the train doesn’t move unlike other sceneries with airport trains bringing and taking people about.  The unfinished terminal looks lousy but I suppose was accurate at the time this was done. Also every time I use ATC to request landing it sends me to 18 Water, regardless of aircraft type. Seems a little strange clearing an MD 11 to land in the ocean no? These may be ticky tack complaints but they were annoying enough to detract from an otherwise excellent scenery.  The existing terminals are well done and so are all of the structures that make up LIRF. A fair amount of ground traffic from airport service vehicles to aircraft make it a lively place to visit. I don’t see anything the least bit “cartoonish” as every building matches it’s real world counter part. The runways and taxi ways are all nicely modeled too. So I must say having got it on sale I’m mostly happy with it. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - CHEROKEE 180 FSX ENTERTAINMENT

A2A SIMULATIONS - CHEROKEE 180 FSX ENTERTAINMENT

Having bought nearly all A2A products I knew what to expect. Greatness. That’s what you get here just like all of their other planes.  This Cherokee is the best you can buy. A fully simulated in the highest detail plane.  As with all AccuSim planes you get something nobody else can deliver. A fully believable and highly detailed simulation that can make you forget it’s a sim.  There’s little to say other than yes it’s totally worth the money even today. Everything looks and feels right.  You can do no better than Accusim. Outstanding!  Installs and runs perfectly in FSX Steam, Win10.

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BEAR STUDIOS - FLANKER B+

BEAR STUDIOS - FLANKER B+

I get people being frustrated by bad customer service but this plane is way better than one star. There is a detailed manual included that has information on all of this planes features and functions. It isn’t the best manual I’ve seen but the answers are in it if you take the time to look.  That said this is actually quite a solid Flanker package with a lot of details and a well simulated model. Well who really knows how well it can be simulated without being a Chinese or Russian pilot, but it does have the expected power and maneuverability that seem well within a believable package.  The cockpits are very good but as with all Bear products have very few cursor hover information. I mean that when you put your mouse cursor on or over a given switch, button, knob etc there is no info about what they are or do. There are a LOT of them and if you can’t read Chinese or Russian then you better be willing to open the manual and look it up. So that makes this something you will have to read up on quite a bit. It’s this lack of helpful in-cockpit info that keeps it from being 5 stars in my opinion. Aircraft of this type should have robust mouse over details that say what the switch, button or knob is. There are a few but very very few.  Getting over my frustration with lack of cockpit info the rest of these are very nicely designed. Each model has its unique cockpit layout relating also to which country it’s from. The VC is clearly a labor of love and shows a great attention to detail. The exterior is also something that is evident of a huge amount of effort and care. There’s some areas that could be picked at but I think that would just be nit picky for no real reason. The planes look very very good.  With a little manual reading and a few button reassignments like water rudder, concord nose drop etc you can have active (not full combat capable)  and functional weapons and fire control systems. Mussels fire, rockets guns counter measures etc all can be fired off. You even will get lock tones if you set your weapon's control systems correctly. You’ll need to have at least 30% air traffic in your sims settings. What you fire at or drop on does not explode or is not destroyed but you’re getting more than the usual.  The whole package is well done. I should mention the sounds are well done also.  I have all of the available Flankers or SU models and this is the best by far! The others all feel like toys with very limited systems. This is a highly detailed package that is full of features and functions. While not perfect it is better than anything else available to purchase. It could even be called a study level product perhaps? Well I have had to do some studying for sure.  One bad review by an impatient buyer unwilling to read or look up the in and outs is unfair and this product deserves better.  Installs and works perfectly in FSX Steam and Win10.

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FLYSIMWARE LLC - C441 CONQUEST II FSX P3D

FLYSIMWARE LLC - C441 CONQUEST II FSX P3D

If you’re looking at buying this then you’ve probably also seen the Alabeo version of this same aircraft as well. Might even wonder what the difference is? If you prefer realism and functioning systems then forget about the Alabeo version. This is the 441 C2 to own if realism is most important.  FSW did do a remarkable job simulating the Garrett engines from start up spool to shut down spin. Additionally they managed to simulate all of the systems in great detail. Flight physics are great so far as a non real world pilot like me can tell based off videos and documentation.  The drawback is all in the visuals. While the textures aren’t bad, they are however nowhere near as nice or pretty as the Alabeo 441 C2. But for those who prefer a detailed simulation of the plane over being an all eye candy, no realism affair, then you will appreciate the detailed systems and physics of this plane. This is very close if not a spot on study type aircraft sim. 

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FLIGHT 1 - BN2 ISLANDER FSX

FLIGHT 1 - BN2 ISLANDER FSX

A surprising little plane. I’ve read good things about it for a while. If you’re like me and enjoy island hopping like say The Seychelles (Aerosoft add on scenery) then this is a really nice plane to have. It’s low and slow but does have an auto pilot. The GPS is something I’m not familiar with but there is a manual to download.  The engine sounds are amazing. All the sounds are well done actually.  Excellent modeling and a good plane to look at all around.  The gauges are exceptional. I didn’t know Virtavia was involved with this plane’s developmental. Don’t worry everything is top notch quality. The BN2 fills an empty spot in my hangar that I didn’t know I had. So glad I finally bought it. These days you never know when a FSX add on might vanish from the market never to be seen again.  Did I mention the flight physics are well done and feel realistic? They are. A worth purchase for the island hopping masses that shouldn’t be overlooked.   No cold/dark option, it always starts engine on. A little annoying when you have to turn it all off before starting a flight from scratch.  I also really like that you can hit a click spot under each lever to tie or untie the pairs for power, pitch and mix. Very cool.  All in all it’s a great plane that I am enjoying. It just a little bit over priced if you ask me. 

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FLYSIMWARE LLC - GRUMMAN G-44A WIDGEON FSX P3D

FLYSIMWARE LLC - GRUMMAN G-44A WIDGEON FSX P3D

Having watched this go on and off sale several times as it sat on my wishlist I finally pulled the trigger. The screenshots don’t do it justice. It looks better (on my pc at least) than those shots. It also flies really nice. It doesn’t steer well on the water as there is no water rudder. You have to carefully manipulate the throttles separately in order to turn on the water. So be sure to give your surroundings a real good look before trying to power steer this duck. You’d think they’d have a rudder on this but apparently not. I also wish there were a couple more civil liveries. At any rate it’s well made and nice to fly. Great for island hopping and seeing the sights. No auto pilot at all by the way.  Everything that matters is done well by FSW and that is most important. Great catch on sale. 

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CERA - BELL 412/EP FSX SP2

CERA - BELL 412/EP FSX SP2

Sure it’s really really old. It is also however, one of the best available helicopters when it comes to realism. No FSX chopper is totally realistic, we all know that. But even with the limitations in FSX that hamper helicopters on general you can still find excellent helos. This is one of them and espite being 15 years old it still holds up and demonstrates a very cleverly designed helicopter that is both fun and challenging to fly.  The 412 has dual engine power that can make new helicopter pilots wince a little bit when first trying to fly it. It behaves about as close to real as FSX will allow, much is a credit to Cera. All their choppers are actually excellent so this should be no surprise.  If you’re like me and want to get close to realistic, CeraSim is the place to check first. You will have to forgive the texture age as they are not up to more recent development expectations, but still not bad at all. Sit this 412 next to there newer choppers and the difference is obvious. But again it’s about the best possible physics and flight behaviors that interest me most so take it for what it’s worth.  Either way if you haven’t tried a CeraSim product this Oswald be a great start and all the others they make are all very good.  I knocked one star for lack of Auto Pilot because I know for a fact it’s possible and one of their other helos has A/P.  Also no back of cabin views.  Otherwise totally worth getting.

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FLIGHT REPLICAS - SUPER CUB - DELUXE IFR AMPHIBIOUS FSX P3D

FLIGHT REPLICAS - SUPER CUB - DELUXE IFR AMPHIBIOUS FSX P3D

A mostly exceptional sim of a classic. These fully modernized amphibians are very well modeled in visuals and flight characteristics. Only a couple weird bugs. First the other reviewer has my appreciation for including the solution for the Red plane and it worked. It was also a very easy fix.  The rifle never appears when selected and the Pod doesn’t appear when selected on just the red one. On the yellow bird the pod is visible but cannot be opened like with other Flight Replica Cubs. This can be forgiving as they weren’t something I really cared about, but others may not feel the same way, so that’s why I bring it up here. It’s a small price for two excellent planes so why not.  Used with FSX Steam Win 10.

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CARENADO - TBM 850 HD SERIES FSX P3D V2

CARENADO - TBM 850 HD SERIES FSX P3D V2

Of course it looks amazing. That is always going to be the case with Carenado. One problem is that the cabin dome light button doesn’t work. The only way to light up the passenger cabin is hitting the L key. Then you have to check that everything else is on again. That’s the only significant problem I found so far. It flies great and has believable behaviors in flight. It’s certain fast! Faster than a lot of twin turbo props. TBMs have a fairly minimalistic interior and that’s evident here too. You can set cabin pressure, temps, defrost etc. I can’t seem to get it to accept approach procedures, vectoring and such. To me that’s just annoying but I prefer to manually fly my planes anyway.  All in all it’s over priced with these bugs but still the best TBM 850 you can buy these days. 

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CAPTAIN SIM - 1011 CAPTAIN BASEPACK FSX

CAPTAIN SIM - 1011 CAPTAIN BASEPACK FSX

This may be almost 9 years old but it doesn’t show. As with nearly all CS products you get something special here with this L1011. The cockpit is beautifully modeled and packed with realistic textures. No cheap looking anything. Everything is modeled and systems are complete! This is not your every day start and fly plane. They managed to fully simulate the plane in great depth. You will not be able to jump in and CNTL E then fly. Nope. You will need to learn how to prepare and start the plane manually and it’s not exactly obvious. I spent two hours like an idiot trying to figure it out before I caved and watched a tutorial video. Miss one single step and no start. I love it! Realism galore here. Not only is learning the systems necessary but you will also need to fully understand aircraft load weights and balance in order to successfully land the beast. Of course you could just auto land as it has that capability, but that’s no fun. It has extremely realistic behaviors and feels so right. If you like a challenge and don’t mind a little reading or video watching you’ll be rewarded with a unique flight sim experience. It’s already one of my favorite airliners and while ahead of it’s time when built, it’s now a relic that revives the joy of early 80s flying. You just need to be ready to be not just the pilot, but also copilot and engineer all in one unlike modern airliners. I’d call this a thinking pilots plane.  I only wish there were a few more liveries in the download and some airstairs and a passenger cabin model, but you get so much as is at a price that’s still well worth paying.  A perfectly gorgeous bird that really sets itself apart from the pack. No serious complaints. Runs great on FSX SE Win10. 

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - NEW YORK CITY X V2 FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - NEW YORK CITY X V2 FSX P3D

I have all Drzewiecki Designs cities except Chicago. I had been impressed by their amazing attention to detail and offering of such large scenery areas. So I got NY City.  v2 thinking I’d have the same outstanding experience.  Sadly not quite. While there is a huge amount of custom autogen and excellent photo scenery with nearly every point of interest viewable, there are also a lot of strange issues with some of those custom autogen buildings. A lot of them are just black or dark gray with limited night lighting. An equal number of these look exactly like the real world building and light up great. Throughout the city there are these off colored buildings that in shape only, resemble their real world counterparts. It’s kind of split like 50/50; perfect vs imperfect building appearances in all. The more historic the building the more likely it is actually modeled and lit well. So you will see the Manhattan skyline in mostly excellent detail and accuracy. Buildings below famous skyscrapers that are less well known appear to be those less accuracy grayish structures that even sometimes look like clay models in a way. All of the bridges are well modeled and none are off colored like some buildings I’ve described. They are well lit.  I guess I’d say that mostly this is a very good scenery package but not as good as all their others.  It’s possible that the appearance issues I am having are because of my GPU, so I can’t in all fairness remove more than one star. I still like flying around the enormous city area taking in the sites. Helicopter flying is especially fun and there are a few well detailed heliports to use.  Compared to Aerosofts Manhattan X this is much better by way of sheer size and scope to be explored. But AS Manhattan X is better when considering just Manhattan although very outdated. This scenery has the new towers completed where the Aerosoft Manhattan X show them only partially built. That is another reason this is the better option overall. 

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CAPTAIN SIM - C-130 X-PERIENCE BASE PACK

CAPTAIN SIM - C-130 X-PERIENCE BASE PACK

I haven’t found or experienced any of the bugs reported in other reviews myself. I use FSX SE and have done a few test flights to test everything out and so far everything is working well.  Granted it’s old and some textures are showing their age, but I find it to be tolerable. Mostly it’s hard to read the words at the switches, dials and knobs that describe what each do when zoomed in closely.  From a more normal VC sitting distance they look fine. The plethora of 2D panels can be very useful and are crystal clear. But there is no denying this is old. The external textures look pretty darn good for their age and make for a pleasing look even today.  Most importantly the flight model seems very realistic and believable. Much better than any freeware by a wide margin.  All doors, hatches and windows that can be opened and closed do open and close properly for me.  Cockpit night lighting is too bright and although there seems to be a few dimmers, none actually work. It’s strictly on or off. Exterior lighting also show their age a bit but aren’t bad.  The auto pilot might confuse those who have not seen the type used here but it is working and following my GPS flight plans perfectly.  Engine sounds are a bit off. When idle and or cruising they sound really good, but when advancing or retreating the throttles the engine audio is inconsistent throughout throttle travel. This is about the worst problem I’ve discovered, but again I was expecting things to be a bit off due to the models age.  All in all for the price I’m satisfied with the purchase and enjoy flying the CaptainSim C130 and look forward to adding the extras. It’s not that bad for its age and worth taking the chance if your collection needs this plane. 

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AEROSOFT - IBIZA X EVOLUTION FSX P3D (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - IBIZA X EVOLUTION FSX P3D (DOWNLOAD)

Not bad but pretty lite on any custom auto gen. There is a some but very little and most of the island outside of the airport is FSX generic autogen. The airport however is amazing and looks like the real place. The water traffic is better than an average with custom boats and ferries. The photo scenery coverage is also very good and highly detailed. This is overall a good scenery package but lacks custom auto gen in the city (like no resorts such as found in other AS sceneries ie; Rhodes etc) and around the island. I am mostly satisfied.  FSX Steam with very high settings.

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AEROSOFT - MALLORCA X EVOLUTION FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - MALLORCA X EVOLUTION FSX P3D

I hate to say this but I was really disappointed with some of this scenery. First if you are looking for just having excellent photo scenery coverage and the 2 airports in excellent detail then yes this is very very good. However half of the island has only trees for autogen, zero buildings on the island side opposite of the airports and main city. The airports and surrounding city extending a fair distance even further into the mountain does have auto gen of all types except no marina boats. Plus the auto gen lacks much custom buildings and except for a couple major sites is almost all buildings are generic FSX autogen stock. For the size and money I expected better. But again the airports especially LEPA is very very good and looks just like the airport should and is full of life with moving carts and various airport vehicles all in excellent detail. I’m using FSX Steam with very high settings.

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FLIGHT 1 - IFLY JETS - THE 737NG FSX FSXSE

FLIGHT 1 - IFLY JETS - THE 737NG FSX FSXSE

I sat on this in my wish list for a long time hoping for a sale but never saw one. So I caved and finally got this. Right off the bat I installed the updated services pack from Flight 1. First thing I noticed is when I launch any 737 in FSX SE I get a warning “iFly 737.DLL failed to load”. Yet the plane does load up and flies fine. The configurator used to set fuel and loads doesn’t send data to the sim, so I have to do that the old fashioned way. The engine sounds are very nice. Distinctive and robust sounding. Being able to add the HUD to any given livery is cool as well as engine options, winglets, imperial vs metric etc. There is a long list of customizable options to satisfy just about anyone. You just can’t do any on the fly and must be adjusted before starting FSX. The HUD itself is great to have.  The exterior textures are outstanding as well as the lighting and reflection FX. The landing lights at night in fog look so cool lighting up fog and the sides of the plane realistically. The cockpit seems a little bright. Systems are all in order and auto pilot is as expected with a Boeing.  The flight model is exceptional. Noticeably better than any freeware or the stock 737. It has the believable impression of being the real thing. It reacts like you’d expect a plane of this size to react in all sorts of weather.  Frame rates even in dense add on scenery is 30-60FPS and sometimes higher.  My only complaint is that the initial download comes with only house liveries and a single KLM. That is lame. For the money I’d expect at least ten standard or common airliner liveries to start.  After fumbling about with the livery manager and configuration manager I managed to load up a couple dozen liveries downloaded from Flight 1. It’s so tedious and time consuming.  Overall I’m happy with the iFly 737s and am enjoying flying them. I just don’t feel it’s worth $55 USD at this stage of the game. But what are you going to do? 

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CARENADO - H25B H850XP HD SERIES FSX P3D

CARENADO - H25B H850XP HD SERIES FSX P3D

The age is showing a little bit and you can only open the main door. However the flight model is really well done and it’s a joy to fly. Is it worth nearly $50? Nope. But you can’t get this particular aircraft anywhere else for less. I decided I needed to fill the gap I had in my biz jet collection between small and large and this does the trick.  It does have very good sounds and lighting, and the it’s not like the textures are bad. Not at all. Just not as good as my Carenado Phenom  of a more recent development age wise. 

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AEROSOFT - LA PALMA X FSX P3D (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - LA PALMA X FSX P3D (DOWNLOAD)

This might be one of the very best add on sceneries I’ve owned! So much amazing detail and excellent custom auto generation it’s so close to real. It certainly looks like the real place so far as can be determined by google earth and other photos I could find. It seems that every point of interest is fully mocked up and modeled. The airport is just as fantastically designed as the whole island with excellent photo real ground. Even the ground traffic and boat traffic is cool. Of my hundreds of add on sceneries this is easily in my top five. Couldn’t recommend this high enough! Don’t miss it!

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JUSTFLIGHT - CANBERRA PR9 FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - CANBERRA PR9 FSX P3D

Amazing replication of such an icon. Not an easy plane to fly and especially challenging to land. Full of detail and exceptional textures. The plane is highly detailed with systems and an understanding of how it all works can make your life and flight more enjoyable. Like the real Canberra you can’t just throw full throttle and leave it there as it will overheat and possibly cause flame out. That extra attention to detail makes this such an amazing simulation. Totally worth it! 

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AEROSOFT - MYKONOS X (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - MYKONOS X (DOWNLOAD)

I love the Mykonos style. Everything is white, and blu outside of the airport that is. Makes for a truly different sort of scenery.  The airport is highly detailed and a solid amount of animated bits scurrying about.  The photo scenery is excellent and I can’t find any serious issues or bugs. This is just a real nice place to virtually visit. Excellent frame rates even on high detail settings.  Excellent night lighting at the airport and the island as a whole. 

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JUSTFLIGHT - LANCASTER B MK.I FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - LANCASTER B MK.I FSX P3D

Wow just wow! I had to have a Lancaster for my collection and they sure did put a ton of love into this! It’s easy to say quite simply in all areas they made a crazy beautiful plane here.  One that flies like an old lumbering bird that has incredibly powerful engines. I only wish I could load the damn busters spherical bombs, or the 12000lbs Tirpitz killing darts. But I can live with the cookie and standard bomb load.  If you like WW2 aircraft you can’t forget this legend. A must have for those of us still too invested in our FSX hobby to give up in favor of shiner and newer FS2020 that has hardly any good add ons yet. 

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FLIGHT REPLICAS - DH.114 HERON FSX P3D

FLIGHT REPLICAS - DH.114 HERON FSX P3D

I really like this old plane. Slow as it is I feel like they really did a good job simulating it. Be prepared this is a super slow aircraft considering it has 4 engines. My best cruise with a typical load was around 152 mph at 7000 feet. The old A/P held nicely and it was an enjoyable flight.  The overall appearance is quite good inside and out. The audio is equally well done, maybe a little understated for my tastes but nothing the volume control can’t fix. A great choice for flying around high detail scenery areas like Aerosofts Madeira & LaPalma. The slow speed makes you appreciate the views a bit more.  Excellent views from the detailed cabin and lav. 

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AEROSOFT - US CITIES X - NIAGARA FALLS/BUFFALO FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - US CITIES X - NIAGARA FALLS/BUFFALO FSX P3D

Not the best US Cities X I’ve bought. Yes the area around the falls is a lot better but even with max settings a lot is missing.  The entire downtown high rise area is gone, not a single auto or custom gen building throughout the whole scenery area is over 300 feet. I can forgive it’s dated looks were it not for leaving out every single high rise. There is nothing I can turn up any higher. Watching the orcas is pretty neat though. It’s far better than the stock scenery at least. Just not great. 

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TFDI DESIGN - 717

TFDI DESIGN - 717

I’d like to replace my first impressions review with this more reasonable one. At first the automations were giving me fits. Especially when disengaging AutoFlight and having the audio warning constantly repeat “Auto Flight….” Over and over with no way to shut it up other than to turn Auto Flight back on. It made taking manual control very frustrating. Since my first few hours were total craziness I’ve taken the appropriate time to get to know this 717. So far so good. I still don’t really like so much automation and prefer to pilot my planes myself. I understand better now what needs to be done to have a good flight as the aircraft was designed to do.  That said I do like the textures inside and out and the details within. The lighting is excellent also.  The only real issue I have is that they don’t include any liveries with the purchase. You have to manually add them which is annoying when every other developer includes at least a solid number of popular airline liveries. Some time the downloaded liveries don’t even work or are all black. Nevermind that they were added exactly the same way as the others that showed up perfectly. Plus having to download one at a time with no option for a package option is even worse. Tedious process and if you never added a livery before good luck figuring it out. The instructions are lousy. Livery issue aside this is an excellent simulation of the 717 and I’m getting good fun use from this. 

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A1R DESIGN BUREAU -  A1R PIEL EMERAUDE FSX

A1R DESIGN BUREAU - A1R PIEL EMERAUDE FSX

This is a nice little plane. Very maneuverable and easy to fly. Forgiving and fun.  It’s a simple aircraft with little to cause any confusion making for an easily recognizable cockpit.  Not very fast but better than a C172 for sure.  Nice night time cockpit and excellent audio.

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ROLAND LABORIE - VOUGHT CRUSADER AEG FSX

ROLAND LABORIE - VOUGHT CRUSADER AEG FSX

For some (regarding aircraft carrier ops) reason this plane bounces like a rubber ball all over the carrier deck no matter how good your landing is. It’s fine when landing on the ground, but try the same thing on an aircraft carrier and this F8 ends up all over the place and sometimes in the water. So forget about doing a naval operations with this. Also the speed is wrong. Out of the box these barely get to Mach 1.3. I had to adjust the aircraft  .cfg thrust scaler up to 1.75 in order to make this super sonic aircraft get close to its top speed around Mach 1.7 in level flight at fl300.  Also the speed gauge Mach indicated is broken. It will never indicate a Mach speed about .85 so I had to use an aeronautical speed calculator to figure what the actual Mach is. That stinks. That’s ll the bad.  The good is pretty good in that the airplane overall appearance is excellent. The radar works, the scope works, you can fire (without FX)  your missiles or drop bombs.  It handles like I would expect for an F8. I like flying it quite a bit.  The engine audio is understated so you’ll have to crank up your volume. The night lighting is well done.  In summary the bad: Top speed too low and requires end user to fix. Mach meter gauge is broken. Cannot perform any carrier ops.  The good: Excellent textures and flight modeling. Nice night lighting.  Fun to fly.  It’s the ONLY Crusader you can buy so whether or not it’s work the price is beside the point. I’m a collector so I begrudgingly bought it and am OK with it. 

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FSDG - RHODES FSX P3D3-5

FSDG - RHODES FSX P3D3-5

FSDG really has a special talent for creating scenery at the highest level of quality and enjoyment. Rhodes is another example that does not disappoint at all! So much custom autogen mixed perfectly with generics that in some way even makes the generics look better. Diagoras is incredibly well done. The airport feels alive and welcoming. No hit to my PC performance. Efficient code!  I could easily go on and on about how good this scenery is, but you just have to see it and fly it to get it. Very worth buying!

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AEROSOFT - MADEIRA X EVOLUTION FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - MADEIRA X EVOLUTION FSX P3D

As with nearly all of my Aerosoft products (and all of the various developers contained within) this is a beautiful scenery. I’m a little disappointed with the smaller amount of custom autogen but the most important things are definitely present and look great. No frame loss even with high-ish settings and really high quality aircraft. I just wish they would’ve somehow make air stairs work with parked planes when no jetways are around like at this airport.  The landing isn’t as difficult as I expected. The lead in lights help a bunch at night on that curvy final approach. 

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AEROSOFT - AIRBUS BUNDLE (A318/319 & A320/A321) FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - AIRBUS BUNDLE (A318/319 & A320/A321) FSX P3D

What a great deal even at its age. Buying the bundle saves a lot of dough. Could’ve been more liveries for each variant but there are a good amount as is.  The cockpit is spot on and really looks and feels right.  However there is a lot less clickable working systems than I expected. In fact there are a bunch that cannot be used on the lower center console. Not exactly the “%90” I was expecting. More like about %65.  At any rate you do have all necessary controls at your finger tips and can easily have a realistic feeling Flight from the captains chair.  Nice cockpit audio includes ambient sounds like a coughing, or sneezing copilot, a flight attendant will bring you a drink from time to time and of course there are all the appropriate aural warnings and others to chime in when appropriate.  The engines sound fantastic from any perspective. The external textures are also high quality. It really seems that everything is well done so I can’t complain much. There really should’ve been a passenger cabin view. If Captain Sim can do it, so could Aerosoft. Anyway 4 stars for the light number of liveries and omitted usable systems to click on.  Being a Boeing fan I have to say I am impressed with these Airbus. I am glad I finally bought them. 

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RLABORIE - DEWOITINE D 551 FSX P3D

RLABORIE - DEWOITINE D 551 FSX P3D

This is one surprising plane. I’d never heard of it until I saw it on the Market. The cockpit is really nicely done. Very realistic gauges and some of the best I’ve seen for an old warbird remake. The exterior textures are just as nice.  It flies a bit on rails, but that is really common. I say “a bit” because at times it seems to have natural responses that feel more realistic. It’s hard to pin point where those differences are but the stall mechanics stand out as over simplified where the turbulence response feels more realistic.  The engine sounds are really good and so is most of the lighting. Externally lights appear as expected. However from inside the cockpit the wing tip lights are off and above the wings which is distracting at times.  There is no touch down or wheel audio and hardly any wind sounds FX. I don’t like any plane that doesn’t have a realistic audio change when you open the canopy and this is one of those that sounds the same open or closed.  If some of these little things were given more attention it could’ve been a 5 star plane. No chance of that happening anymore, but I still think it’s a nice plane to have and I enjoy flying it. Plus it has smoke effect and that’s cool. 

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CARENADO - DO228 100 HD SERIES FSX P3D

CARENADO - DO228 100 HD SERIES FSX P3D

So good! This is such an under appreciated aircraft. They did a super good job with this planes details in both texture and flight characteristics. A couple more liveries would’ve been nice, but Carenado is always stingy with liveries. All the same I love flying this bird. It’s surprisingly quick too. Well done!

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AEROSOFT - ASPEN EXTENDED FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - ASPEN EXTENDED FSX P3D

I had thought that “extended” might mean a bit more scenery area coverage like I’ve seen with several other Aerosoft extended or “X” products. It’s not tiny or anything and it does cover the whole valley with excellent detail and loads of custom autogen. I was hoping for something like the MtEverest area or maybe not that big but more than this. I can’t say I didn’t get what was paid for, no way. This is an excellent scenery add on. Seems small for 2.5 GB. Whatever it’s very nice and the summer / winter textures is very nice. 

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CARENADO - B120 FSX P3D

CARENADO - B120 FSX P3D

Of course it looks amazing all around and in all aspects.  I like the way it flies. It feels a little less “on rails” than some other Carenado planes. It has excellent system depth and really good sounds.  My only complaint is there is no cold and dark or any start up options. Even the fuel on/off switches don’t work. The only way to shut this plane down is by pulling the fire handles for each engine. Why? That is why only 4 stars. 

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - WASHINGTON X FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - WASHINGTON X FSX P3D

What can I say that others haven’t already? I echo all the positives about this scenery. It is a full area with so many unique autogen objects and buildings. If you go to the White House and get really close to the Oval Office you can see what appears to be a serious discussion about the pros and cons of soft vs hard shell tacos between Trump and Pence while Milania stares blankly at a wall. All of the cities historic sites can be visited.  The city looks so good at night as well.  All of the airports are finely detailed. Even the little ones are well done. No frame loss.  Another DD masterpiece. 

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CARENADO - B120 FSX P3D

CARENADO - B120 FSX P3D

Just about every Carenado aircraft is a thing of beauty. This B120 is is no exception. Eye candy galore here. Sharp, clean bright and beautiful on all counts.  The flight model is seemingly accurate and makes this aircraft very nice to fly. No strange bugs or glitches. 

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - POLISH AIRPORTS VOL3 V4 FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - POLISH AIRPORTS VOL3 V4 FSX P3D

Drzewiecki Design is one of the best scenery developers around. I have several of their products and love them all. Polish Airports vol3 is another amazing one. It says 4 airports but actually you get 5. Also you get 3 full small cities. Everything is excellently optimized and has virtually no system recourse impact. You cannot go wrong with this. 

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BEAR STUDIOS - MIG-15BIS P3D4-5 FSX FSXSE

BEAR STUDIOS - MIG-15BIS P3D4-5 FSX FSXSE

I’ve had a very good experience with their Mig17 as well, so why not go for the Mig15 bid? I sat on it in my wishlist for a long time and finally bought it. So glad I did! The texturing is noticeably improved making for some beautiful aircraft. Lots of reflection and clean looking air frames. Even though they are all very old, they appear as if they just rolled off the line. Some may not like that but I don’t mind so much. There aren’t as many repaints as with the 17, but what you do get is still a very nice selection to choose from. I didn’t count but I think there is at least a dozen plus liveries!  The aircraft handle as expected and seem spot on to the historic documentation available.  Only real complaint is that after a while of flying the compass goes berserk and I keep getting a FSX notice that my compass is incorrect and to push “D” which only sends the compass spinning. The back up dash compass remains accurate but the console one among all the other gauges is the problem.  Everything is of course in Russian with almost no data pop ups when scrolling the mouse over any switch, dial or button. That would’ve helped a lot. So get ready to read and memorize the manual specifically the cockpit layout info. Unless you speak and read Russian.  I also wish there was more accuracy in the engine modeling. It should not be difficult to over heat the power plant but I can’t do it no matter how hot the weather is or how long I push full throttle, she won’t overheat. But she should! That missing element of realism bugs me a little, but I can live with it I suppose. Overall the Mig15bis here is a mostly awesome plane! Looks great next to my MilViz F86, and F100. 

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SWISSMILSIM - DE HAVILLAND VAMPIRE DH-100 MK6 FSX P3D

SWISSMILSIM - DE HAVILLAND VAMPIRE DH-100 MK6 FSX P3D

This is a well made and thoroughly simulated aircraft. It really does capture the age from its came. The Vampire Mk6 is a slow first generation jet fighter so don’t expect to get in and fly at top speed or full throttle. It won’t let you. These early jets are plagued with shortcomings but that’s to be expected. They were very new. It climbs slow and can easily overheat or just stall. In some ways that’s some of the fun. You must pay attention to your gauges and be very aware of throttle position all while moving that throttle very carefully. All of these things are accurately remade for the PC pilot who love a challenge and enjoys realism.  Unfortunately they didn’t quite pay as much attention to the quality of textures in the cockpits. They aren’t bad, but they could’ve been much better. Also a better variety of liveries should’ve been included for the price. It’s not worth full price by even standards of 3 years ago. Also the developer is very slow to respond to questions and still hasn’t answered my questions from 3 days before purchase. Now I have to wait who knows how long just to get the required serial number code in order to install some of the so called “free” sceneries. Lurid hen and Payerne were easy but the rest require some strange method of contact and wait for a download/ install activation code. Seems overly complicated for something that is free?  Whatever, I like the plane and all its quirks that the real world Vampire was known for. It gives a very authentic experience that I consider worth having in my virtual hangar.  Oh, and it’s easy on frames. Thumbs up! Mostly.

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AEROSOFT - GREENLAND - NUUK X FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - GREENLAND - NUUK X FSX P3D

Aerosoft delivers yet another amazing and huge scenery add on. Nuuk is full of detail and life in the city and the airport. I don’t think I saw a single default autogen building at all. You don’t get just the airport and city but also a very big area surrounding it all. It may be just barren Greenland rocky landscape void of any vegetation but it is a great deal better than the default FSX scenery. The waters around Nuuk are full of icebergs in varying sizes. Unfortunately you can’t land. Helicopter on any of the ice but it does add a lot more character to the place. Be sure to visit FSDG and download the scenery manager tools for free. It will allow you to select specific month by month atmospheric changes and make specific scenery adjustments, such as enabling Northern Light, road traffic etc.  So far I haven’t seen any northern lights as result, but I keep hoping I will.  There are so many places that can be found on earth to explore, but FSX just fails to bring to life, like Greenland so this is a fantastic add on to have and explore. 

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CERA SIMAIRCRAFT - SIKORSKY UH60L BLACK HAWK FSX P3D

CERA SIMAIRCRAFT - SIKORSKY UH60L BLACK HAWK FSX P3D

Wow this is excellent! So much attention to detail visually and audibly. The flight characteristics are very nice as well (so far as a non Blackhawk pilot can tell) making for a fun chopper to fly. Cera Sim helicopters are in my option the best for FSX. I also have the Virtavia Blackhawk and it’s not even close to the quality and realism of this Cera Blackhawk.  It’s not perfect but that is expected with any FSX helicopter. It can somehow exceed its real world performance by a wide margin doing things that should cause a crash or disintegratio. However if you avoid pushing it beyond normal or even maximum operational parameters then that shouldn’t matter. What really cast this a 5th star is the light offering of liveries. A sparse selection is included where there really should’ve been several more. Putting that aside this is a very nice Blackhawk with great detailing. The lighting is amazing and yes even night vision can be used for those covert black of night ops. The night vision is accessed via the config manager where you also find all the other options like cold/dark, open/close doors etc.  love it!

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AEROSOFT - KEFLAVIK X FSX FS2004

AEROSOFT - KEFLAVIK X FSX FS2004

First off if you have any interest in Iceland then this should be high on your wishlist along with Iceland X. As is by default FSX Iceland is awful. Just a barren lifeless island that never stood out. I consider this an injustice to one of the most interesting and beautiful places on earth. That said this airport add on does finally bring some detail and life to the sim world. The airport isn’t exactly a marvel here, nor in the real world (based on viewed videos and pictures) but it is an excellent representation of the real thing.  Depending on your settings the airport can become a busy place. Mine are pretty high so I’m seeing a lot of things at the airport in nice detail. It looks great at night too!  You can’t fully enjoy it or Iceland with just Keflavik X. You really get the best Iceland experience by having both this and the Iceland X to fully open up this amazing island and all it has to explore and view.

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FLYFREESTD - EUROFIGHTER EF-2000 TYPHOON V2 FSX

FLYFREESTD - EUROFIGHTER EF-2000 TYPHOON V2 FSX

What we have here is a fair representation of the Eurofighter 2000. Not much of the systems are simulated and it’s pretty much a load and fly kind of plane. That’s what I expected and why I bought it. Sometimes ya just want to strap on a fast plane and go for a ride.  Everything does look very nice including the lighting but just be prepared for a pretty dumbed down version of it. I wish there was a light interceptor weapons load option but no.  What stops me from giving 5 stars is that FFS did a terrible job with the speed capabilities. All variants can barely do Mach 1. That’s just plain wrong. It’s known for being a very fast accelerating fighter to perform quick intercepts. However regardless of load or no load and at any altitude these all top out at a little over Mach 1.08. This requires manually adjusting the thrust scaler in each aircraft .cfg file to around 2.0 from the default 1.0 Which is not terribly accurate generally, but you can at least make the Eurofighter as fast as it should be in the air. Problem is it also will increase idle thrust so taxiing requires more breaking. Why can’t developers just correctly build a planes speed capabilities from the start? It’s very annoying to buy a Mach 2 aircraft that can barely perform at %50 known specs. Just put in the extra work with coding the drag variables with engine thrust performance etc etc. whatever they know how. You get what you pay for. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM BONANZA FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM BONANZA FSX

I’m a broken record when it comes to my reviews of A2A Accusim products. But I bares repeating that they make the most realistic and fun planes. The V tail Bonanza is no exception and delivers the best flight simming experience.  This one has new gauges technology which means the gauges age and behave like real world gauges as they get older. Just watch their video. It adds just one more cool thing to the abundant list of realistic features. Tap them with the mouse cursor and they react differently depending on their each individual condition.  It is not the same plane as the Comanche, Cessna etc. The Bonanza has its very own and different flight characteristics that set it apart even more than the others do in their own right. It does feel like a plane that can do more in the air than just fly straight and level. It’s hard to resist attempting semi aerobatic maneuvers.  As usual what you get is a plane that feels so right and looks outstanding at the same time. It flies like it should and is by no means another pretty on the rails plane that you see most of the time from most other developers.  Sure A2A AccuSim planes are expensive, but you get so much more than just a plane. You get what feels like a really well simulated experience that sometimes makes non Accusim planes just feel boring. Any of them is worth every penny and in my opinion all developers should be doing the same things.  I just love it! 

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AEROSOFT - ICELAND X FSX

AEROSOFT - ICELAND X FSX

I knew going into this that it wasn’t photorealistic scenery and it makes sense as that would’ve been an enormous download easily at or above 20gb. But I do not regret the purchase. There is a lot to see and they did a really good job with the land class, mesh and textures. First of all even though you don’t get Keflavik airport and have to buy it separately (I feel should have been included) you do get loads of improved and new airports that were missing in FSX. Even Keflavik is improved quite a bit with better, and new buildings, fences, parking, ground equipment etc. It is vastly improved from the default drab and dull airport before this add on. With 40 other airports, or strips and many points of interest there’s now good reason to explore the island nation. The colors make sense now and much better reflect the actual Icelandic scenery. A fairly barren island with very few trees but nice scenery all the same. The photo real glaciers also make a great improvement to the landscapes.  A lot more buildings around as well where before this is added there was a seemingly uninhabited country outside of Reykjavik, and now has life and infrastructure.  The many ports or docks and ships that spot the coastlines inspire float plane use, but there are no float plane starting points. Also most of the new airports cannot be found in the FSX flight plan directory which makes for very limited planning options.  All in all this is a very nice add on that does some justice to Iceland and makes it worth flying to and around.  Go visit hot spots, many water falls that are accurately placed, or just see a village. Chimneys smoke (some) and roads are alive as well as shipping lanes with some boat traffic. All that was not to be found prior to installing Iceland X.  One complaint is that some spotty autogen miss placements, such as a dock with a tour boat and tour bus in reverse positions. The boat is on the dock and the bus is in the water. Funny sure but kind of annoying to see.  If you want to finally explore Iceland without that nagging feeling of it being terribly barren and lifeless with bad coloring and terrible land class/mesh then you should get this. It really opens it up for a fun time with a lot to explore and see. 

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FLYFREESTD - UAV JETS FSX

FLYFREESTD - UAV JETS FSX

You get a lot for your money and the planes are fun to fly but there are some annoyances that keep me from giving 5 stars.  One super annoying thing is that the plane keeps warning “don’t sink” all the time including while on approach. I was doing an approach and “don’t sink” wouldn’t shut up even though I was on a controlled final at -500fpm with gear down, which does not warrant any warnings. It’s like the plane doesn’t understand how landing works and won’t stop bugging you! You have to sink to get down to the ground.  Also warnings “flaps” goes off with aircraft that have no flaps.  Why is there a G lock effect when there’s no pilot to black out?  Needs more “cockpit” or control room camera options. One single forward cam alone isn’t enough. I know for a fact that drone pilots have a much better point of view and can make adjustments to their view, but not here. Look straight and only straight!  Other than those irritants I like the variety of drones that can be selected. Each with different speed and handling characteristics. But all with the exact same engine sound.  Got it half off so it’s worth that price. 

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GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - STEARMAN 4E JR SPEEDMAIL P3D FSXA FSXSE

GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - STEARMAN 4E JR SPEEDMAIL P3D FSXA FSXSE

GAS always does a great job with making true stick and rudder classics. There’s isn’t much to these planes, just the pilot and the machine. This is my favorite Stearman. It has excellent power and control. A very forgiving Aircraft to strap on and buzz the tree tops, soar through canyons or sight see your favorite scenery.  Very well done. Very worth buying. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM SPITFIRE MKI-II FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM SPITFIRE MKI-II FSX

Another amazing offering by A2A! I have almost all their planes and this is as great as the rest.  A meticulously designed Spitfire simulation with the Accu-Sim makes for an incredibly realistic experience. Most of us will never get to fly a real Spitfire so this is as close as we can get.  Nothing has been left unaccounted for. Every switch, clicks, squeaks, rattles or anything that made a peep in the real plane does so here as well.  You just have to remember to taxi and get in the air as fast as you can or your flight will end on the ground with billowing smoke and steam or even fire. Not much of an intercooler was installed in these planes. They were far too small and even rather useless if when the engine was running, you weren’t pushing through the air at over 200mph to cool things down.  Just like the real thing. If you take care to handle your Spitfire as instructed you have a great flight. If not, fire is in your future.  All that attention paid to delivering such a realistic simulation is a must have for any fan of this legend. Worth every penny!

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A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-FEEL V2 - GLOBAL FSX ENHANCEMENT

A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-FEEL V2 - GLOBAL FSX ENHANCEMENT

Doesn’t work. The add on installed without issue but is not anywhere to be found within the sim. Not in add on drop down like other (GSX, Aircraft Carrier etc) add ons. Plus immediately after installing it’s caused FSX SE to crash on title screen every time I tried to start up.  Reinstalled, restarted etc, I did everything (nothing on A2A forums and no response from them either) but it wouldn’t stop CTD until I deleted Accu-Feel from my PC. Stuck with a useless add on that only added problems.   Really disappointed as I’m a big fan of all A2A products except this destructive malfunctioning mess. 

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RAZBAM - AV-8B HARRIER II PLUS

RAZBAM - AV-8B HARRIER II PLUS

Even though I didn’t buy this plane here I’d like to offer my thoughts anyway.  First I should note that no Manual was include in my installation either. I did fine one online though.  Second the modelings and sounds are all amazingly well done.  What bothers me is that even after following the manual to the letter several times it simply will not VTOL! Instead it goes forward then pitches up wildly out of control. Yes the weight is set for VTOL and so is the aircraft configuration according to the manual. It is only capable of STOL and will not hover under any circumstances. I’ve followed tutorial videos as well and made dozens of by the book attempts at VTOL. No joy!  It’s does however perform STOL maneuvers well, with practice. That said I still enjoy flying it and since I didn’t pay much for it I can live with the limited capabilities. Even though I wanted the plane specifically for its hovering ability that makes it such a unique and cool aircraft. Half off and half the capability.  The weapon load out actually does work with the engines running, just need to make weight adjustments to certain fuel loads in order to place weapons as desired. 

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CLS - MD81/82 JETLINER

CLS - MD81/82 JETLINER

I took a chance on this old bird (developed in 2010) and I’m glad I did! I was very surprised to find a well developed and good looking plane considering the year it came out. It’s as good as any Captain Sim to say the least. Sure it’s overloaded with 2D panels but that doesn’t interfere with the excellent virtual cockpit and I hardly use any of those panels. Yeah it’s a “lite” type but not so much so that you should get bored with it. I have the CLS DC10 and 747 and this is easily the best of the 3. The cockpit is more clickable than expected and looks real good. The external modeling is equally good and highly detailed. The audio is fantastic! The engines roar when viewed from the outside and are much less notice from within the cockpit. Makes sense as the engines are way back on the end of the plane making for a very quiet cockpit other than normal ambient noises. A nice passenger cabin is also included. Two camera views from the seats are also included. Something that is all too often ignored by most airliner add ons. No lavatories or galley modeling but still that passenger cabin looks great. From the outside (only) you can even make out passengers seated by the window.  The plane flies and handles like the on paper specs suggest. It is a very enjoyable plane to fly.  My one complaints is there is no Alaska Airlines livery. ?.?? Why would they not include that? Even the extension pack doesn’t have it listed as being included.  Whatever the case I am pleasantly surprised by this CLS aircraft and got something much better than expected.  Based on use with Win10 3.3ghz i7 16GB RAM Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. Excellent frames!

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JUSTFLIGHT - DH.98 MOSQUITO FB MK VI FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - DH.98 MOSQUITO FB MK VI FSX P3D

Even if you’re not a WW2 aviation nut like me you should still consider this interesting aircraft. They did an amazing job with developing the Mosquito and paid great attention to detail.  Every little thing is noticed and given much love. The crisp but well used cockpit, the weaponry, the wood detailing in the one unpainted livery etc. All is very vividly detailed.  The engines sound great too! So glad they paid attention to so many details, this is really something. All with zero loss of frames. Based on use with FSX SE win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB RAM Intel UHD630 integrated GPU

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - LUKK CHISINAU X FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - LUKK CHISINAU X FSX P3D

Drzewiecki Design makes some of the very best scenery add ons you can find. I have almost all of them and this is the first time I was a little disappointed. Everything does indeed look very good and is easy on frame rates but the city is just lacking a little bit. Too many of the same textures are used for buildings. I’m not sure if it’s DDs doing or if that’s just what the architecture is really like? At any rate it is a nice addition to my collection that brings more route options for this part of the world connecting to all of my other DD sceneries in Europe.  I should note that the airport is spot on (for the year it was representing at time of development) and as always well done.  I’m probably a little spoilt by Warsaw, Moscow, Tallin,Azerbaijan and Krako which all have incredible detail of architecture and more unique auto-gen. Based on use with FSX SE Win 10 3.3 ghz i7 16GBRam Intel UHD630 integrated GPU 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM P-47 RAZORBACK FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM P-47 RAZORBACK FSX

You can’t love WW2 aircraft and not seriously consider this. I have another P47 that is extremely well done and high quality, but this is just special. This will get you a close as possible to experiencing the real thing. After several hours with my new P47 I have a whole new respect for it’s real world pilots. I mean having to constantly monitor and adjust coral, oil intercooler flaps and keep one eye on the gauges with the other on the skies is bewildering. How did they do all of that and del with combat? It’s a chore (albeit a fun one) to fly and if you don’t pay attention to all that your plane needs it will kick your @##!  That’s the kind of realism I personally appreciate!  As well as a highly realistic systems simulation it’s also very nice to look at and fly. While it’ll climb kind of slowly it’ll repay you with excellent speed once high above the clouds around FL300. That’s where the Razorback beats anything the enemy could throw at it.  Hats off to the Tuskegee airmen, they had more than the right stuff! They flew these complex aircraft with amazing skill and grit!  Just give this a try and you’ll agree. Also I want to note that A2A include a few more historic liveries than they usually do.  Based on use with FSX Steam Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU 128mb dedicated.  Smooth frames.

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VIRTAVIA - T-34C TURBO MENTOR FOR FSX-SE

VIRTAVIA - T-34C TURBO MENTOR FOR FSX-SE

I got this recently on sale elsewhere but really wanted people here to know just how good this plane is! Virtavia is mostly known for low quality to mid quality at best. That is not the case with the T34C Turbo Mentor. It is as good as anything else by other high end developers. The cockpit is extremely well done and has a living quality to it.the gauges are truly as good as they are hyped to be. The flight characteristics are excellent as well and won’t disappoint. I love the extra added realism with hypoxia and canopy fog effects. Plus if you land and or brake too hard your tires will blow and your brakes might fail. You don’t see those things all that much. The liveries are all excellent. Nothing can be complained about. I own quite a few of their airplanes all varying from barely worthy of freeware download to decent. I’d say this is Virtavia’s very best offering to FSX ever! I wish they’d put this much into all things.  If you have or are considering Carenados T34B Mentor ( I own both) just skip it, this is infinitely better! It’s also not a frame killer at all.  Highly recommended!  Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU 128mb dedicated. No problems at all.

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JUSTFLIGHT - DC-6B LEGENDS OF FLIGHT (DOWNLOAD)

JUSTFLIGHT - DC-6B LEGENDS OF FLIGHT (DOWNLOAD)

I feel like no Douglas collection is complete without the oft overlooked DC6. Its history is rich. Unfortunately while it looks really good, it’s not as in depth systems-wise. The planes were pressurized yet it’s not a simulated system? Unless I have gone blind? If that’s the case I apologize. I suppose that’s not a really big deal. The planes are so nicely modeled with exquisite detail and they are plenty fun to fly. I forgot that Red Bull used a fully restored one for a while. The lighting is excellent and the engines do roar. This all makes for a great experience for a relatively low priced add on.  There’s 2 add on extensions with some more liveries if you want more options beyond this base package. 

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AIRCRAFT FACTORY - HEINKEL HE219 UHU

AIRCRAFT FACTORY - HEINKEL HE219 UHU

A2A offer the best add ons you can get for FSX and this non Accusim product is really good. I collect WW2 era aircraft and couldn’t pass up this little known plane. I don’t know how I never noticed until now but I’m glad I did. Sadly there’s no back seat view option and only the one forward VC camera option. But this is a pretty old old add on so I can forgive it as everything else really holds up all these years later.  You get some nice liveries and some different variants each with their own unique (if slight) visual differences. The RAF depicts the most powerful version with the fastest top speed despite being also the heaviest version.  All in all the HE219 is a very unique and maybe even rare aircraft that Aircraft Factory has done a great job recreating for FSX.  After reading up on the plane I feel like they have done a competent job with making it fly and feel like the real one.  The engines sound very good from the cockpit, but are somehow less impressive in external views. This seems to be a common trait with A2A? Whatever the reason I still am very happy with my purchase and to be able to expand my WW2 collection with such an interesting warbird. Excellent frames and performance. 

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JUSTSIM - STRIGINO - NIZHNY NOVGOROD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FSX P3D

JUSTSIM - STRIGINO - NIZHNY NOVGOROD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FSX P3D

I hate to sing two stars but in my experience of this add on there’s some bugs. Many building have no roofs and in a lot of cases in the surrounding city buildings only have half of the buildings visible. They look like incomplete movie props. Not all are like this but a whole lot of buildings are. It’s most apparent while flying low over the city and it hurts the overall immersion feeling quite a bit when looking down and seeing huge blocks of partial and incomplete buildings. I’d say approximately half of the autogen in the airport and surroundings are effected.  The airport while on the ground you’d never know the buildings there have no roof. I can’t make any sense of it as all my other JustSim sceneries are fine.  Other than the weird bug mentioned this is an excellent add on with a large area to explore and nice photo scenery. The night lighting is very good and considering the large number of incomplete autogen buildings, night flying is preferred as it in a way conceals the errors in darkness. If the developer would’ve answered my support message I’d have given more stars.  At any rate it makes for a fairly nice destination and short flight from my Moscow city add on scenery by another dev. If I hear back with a fix I’ll happily amend my review but as is I am having a less than excellent experience with this. 

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GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - GOLDEN AGE - DOUGLAS DOLPHIN PACKAGE FSX

GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - GOLDEN AGE - DOUGLAS DOLPHIN PACKAGE FSX

Being a bug fan of WW2 era aircraft I just couldn’t pass this up. It’s such a nicely detailed and well simmed creation for FSX. The extra Catalina scenery is a big extra even if it was not automatically installed and took a few extra minutes to locate and move to the appropriate add on scenery root folder. I also have the Wilmington terminal on the LA side. Having both definitely is a big kick to fly back and forth.  The airplane itself is a typical quality GAS product that looks, sounds and feels well done. A couple more private type liveries would have been appreciated but you do get enough to see what differences each type (civilian, commercial, military) offers. Those differences are only apparent in the cabin which has no preset view. Instead I have to move the camera back from the FO cockpit to the cabin section before every flight in order to get a feel for the passenger impression.  Other than that I can’t complain. It’s a fun bird. Very easy on the frame rates. No impact at all even with the US Cities X Los Angeles add on and the two GAS seaports. Keep in mind only the Catalina scenery is included here, I got the mainland Wilmington scenery from GAS via a different airplane I purchased previously. I forget which one exactly? But that said there was still no frame rate loss with all add on scenery I own and activated  in the area.  To sum it all up, this is an excellent package from GAS. 

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AEROSOFT - KTNP - TWENTYNINE PALMS FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - KTNP - TWENTYNINE PALMS FSX P3D

This is another excellent scenery add on from Aerosoft. I’ve driven through the real world area several times but many years ago. From what I can recall this is a spot on recreation.  The various airport animations are a cool addition not usually found in most add on sceneries. Even if a few of the people are just walking in the same repetitive circles.  The night lighting of this area is really good as well as the ambient audio sound effects. The low flying eagle can be heard above the field, as well as seen. Really good amount of AI traffic make for an active feeling airport in the desert.  I wish they could’ve made the surrounding area a little bigger. The description makes it sound huge, but it’s really not. Still very nice and if you have other Mojave area sceneries then you can’t pass this up. 

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JUSTFLIGHT - HS 748 PROPLINER FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - HS 748 PROPLINER FSX P3D

I’ve had my eye on this for a while and finally pulled the trigger. I must say this is a very good representation of the 748. They did an excellent job with the audio. I mean that the engines sound amazing! Incredible high quality details in the cockpit making for a highly immersive and fun experience flying the 748.  Without having any real world experience with the plane, I’d still say it’s an authentic simulation.  I only wish there was a cold/dark panel option . If there is I haven’t found it? The aircraft always loads fully running and powered up. I guess I can live with shutting it all down and then go through the checklists but it does slightly detract from the otherwise excellent immersion of everything else. Not enough to remove a star from my rating of this package.  Also in the JF demo video you can see passengers in the cabin from the outside view, however this is not depicted in the final product and the passenger windows appear to be shaded.  Still I can’t bring myself to not give 5 stars.  Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 I7 3.3 ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU.  Excellent frames no loss. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP 049 CONSTELLATION FSX ENTERTAINMENT

A2A SIMULATIONS - CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP 049 CONSTELLATION FSX ENTERTAINMENT

A2A makes some of the very best add on aircraft that can be found. The quality and realism is without peer. Unlike some other premium developers they don’t just make really good looking and highly detailed planes but they also give the greatest attention to realism and accuracy. This L 049 is no exception and delivers on all levels. Every flight is different and attention must be payed to the aircrafts systems or you could suffer severe issues in flight.  The COS system is a lot of fun and just ups the fun factor even more.  If you want the very best possible experience, this example won’t disappoint. If this is your first A2A then you should save up and try to get more of their products. You won’t regret it.  I only wish they would offer a few more liveries.

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ALABEO - M20R OVATION FSX P3D

ALABEO - M20R OVATION FSX P3D

Another beautiful Alabeo plane. Such amazing care for detail and an accurate representation. Really nice liveries.  In case you’re wondering about having to keep your eyes on your fuel tanks because they require manual switching just like the real plane does. I’m glad Alabeo kept things realistic and did not make the fuel automatically fed by both tanks as that would be detracting from the realism that us flight sim enthusiast love. Just be aware that you’ll need to switch tanks to feed the engine sometimes to keep the balance.  This is the kind of GA aircraft that makes swimming so fun!

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JUSTFLIGHT - F-111 AARDVARK  (DOWNLOAD)

JUSTFLIGHT - F-111 AARDVARK (DOWNLOAD)

I have all of the available F111s that can be bought. Virtavia, and the GSK collectors edition. Each has something done better than the other. The Virtavia’s are the fastest and can reach max capabilities but way low resolution and no working radar.  The GKS collection has the most available liveries and amazing textures as well as best engine sounds. These JF Aardvarks may be the best all around. Except like every other Just Flight military fighters the speeds are done ll wrong! The F111 is quite capable of reaching M2.5 when all externals are removed but these JF versions can barely reach M2.2 and that’s while getting an Overspeed warnin after M1.9 ish. Again they botched the speeds. The F111 does not “Overspeed” with a clean load over FL380 at a measly Mach 1.9. Will they ever get this right? Otherwise they did a good job with the flight model and very good textures. The liveries are almost all the same except for a few minor tail graphics. NO Terrain Follow capabilities, but on the plus side the radar systems actually do work. Something GKS missed badly.  The overall cockpit experience is best had here. I just hope I can edit the .cfg to fix the stupid “Overspeed” warning error and scale up the thrust a tad bit.  That said this is your best bet of the 3 overall. The working radars were the clincher.

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RAZBAM - SA227-BC METROLINER III FSX

RAZBAM - SA227-BC METROLINER III FSX

I bought this from the Razbam website direct and a considerable discount. Despite not purchasing this plane here at SimMarket I have information that should be helpful to others considering the purchase.  First off you should know that there is a well known issue with the lighting, as in there is none! All but the cockpit dome lights fail completely and will not ever light up. Also the annunciation “Pwr Fail” light will always blink and cannot be shut off. All systems except pressurization and climate control work so it’s totally flyable but only during the day. There is much speculation on the forums about what the bug is exactly but the prevailing suspected cause is related to the very wonky installer and an issue with a DLL on the aircraft .cfg entry that is missing causing both the flashing warning and the lack of any functioning lights.  There are various suggested fixes but for folks like me who are excellent sim pilots but terrible with computer coding or editing they are painfully difficult despite being portrayed as “an easy fix” in the forums.  Not everybody will experience these issues, but my FSX Steam version using Win 10 definitely did.  That all said I’m so glad I got it on the cheap. If I had paid full price id be furious. As is it is nice to fly during the day. It does have nice textures in the cockpit and many excellent liveries. The flight model is seemingly well simulated as well. You will need to be aware of your RPMs and temps just like in the real world. The cabin is modeled but poorly. Really only good for looking out the window as there is nothing worth looking at in the cabin.  So if you’re OK with the high probability of not having any lighting and can live with this being a day flyer only, then go for it. Just look for a sale or something. Also if you’re confident in editing .cfg files then you may have no problem with the forums suggested fixes.  Oh yeah. The installer is a colossal mess. Be prepared. It will require some extra steps and manual installing. There is no developer support, so be warned.  Good luck. 

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CARENADO - SR22 GTSX TURBO HD SERIES FSX P3D V2

CARENADO - SR22 GTSX TURBO HD SERIES FSX P3D V2

Gorgeous aircraft! That’s to be expected. Not sure why there is always a yellow highlight “TER ERR” message on the pilots Garmin? Nor can I figure out why hey both can get stuck on a screen making it impossible to get from Radar to map once radar is selected. The flight planning is all wonky as well. I’ve run through the manual and cannot find any solutions.  Other than those weird display issues the plane flies great and looks even better. Way way way better the Eaglesofts version of this same plane. I just it had the animated chute deployment. Unfortunately if you pop the chute it just ends the flight and resets it.  It’s a satisfying eye candy flier that stays reasonably close to a realistic sim of the SR22. Amazing night lighting also.  Oh, and the air conditioner drowns out the engine noise. That’s some crazy cabin sound proofing. 

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FSDG - REUNION FSX P3D3-5

FSDG - REUNION FSX P3D3-5

To me this is a must have scenery pack if you intend to get Mauritius, Seychelles, and Maldives! Then this completes the FSDG French West Indies scenery of amazing islands. Reunion is so well detailed and a great place to explore by helicopter. A equally great place to start your island hopping adventures.  So much to see. Even alone it’ll provide many hours of fun!

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AIRCRAFT FACTORY - F4U CORSAIR

AIRCRAFT FACTORY - F4U CORSAIR

So much better than the JustFlight version. Unlike the JF Corsair this one doesn’t overspeed at 240knots at any alt. This thing flies like it should. Fast and loud.  I only wish they made an Accusim version. Oh well, it’s the best F4U that you can buy.  Really well made with excellent textures and flight model. I wish there were a couple more liveries though. 

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FSDG - MAURITIUS FSX P3D

FSDG - MAURITIUS FSX P3D

First I got Maldives and loved it, then Seychelles and loved that too! So I had to get Mauritius and wow it just gets better! Such a nice island with so much to explore. A great place for helicopters. Love the details.

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AEROSOFT - LUKLA - MOUNT EVEREST EXTREME FSX

AEROSOFT - LUKLA - MOUNT EVEREST EXTREME FSX

Absolutely amazing scenery package! You get so much more than just the Lukla area and Mt Everest. The whole area spans an enormous amount of coverage. Dozens of heliports and small airstrips. All in great detail. Lukla won’t disappoint and there are some other airports just as difficult. The base camp at the base of Everest is covered with tents and even some climbers hanging around amongst them. So much to explore you just shouldn’t skip this scenery. 

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CAPTAIN SIM - 707 CAPTAIN

CAPTAIN SIM - 707 CAPTAIN

This is an almost perfect replica of the classic 707. My biggest issues are with the cockpit night lighting Ewing too bright. Even with white dome off and red dome on it’s barely any different. Makes for some challenging night flying. The navigation computer doesn’t turn on at all so you cannot manually enter way points. Other than those, everything else is great. Both appearance inside and out are excellent and really are well done. The passenger cabin is detailed nicely as well. Complete with lavatories you can open the doors also.  The flight model seems right so far as one who’s never flown the real thing. I love this plane. 

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JUSTFLIGHT - HAWK T1/A ADVANCED TRAINER FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - HAWK T1/A ADVANCED TRAINER FSX P3D

OK Wow! I didn’t expect to be so happy with this purchase. I’m glad I did. You get a terrific flight model and excellent textures inside and out. Most things in the cockpit work. Parasitic drag will depend on your external load and impact the flight envelope noticeably. Not like lazily made military planes that fly exactly the same with pylon loads or none. Nope. This will fly as expected according to all load factors. At least that’s what I am experiencing.  The liveries and lively! Some very creative and beautifully made liveries to choose from. Even without TacPac you can load any weapon configuration, but none will fire or work.  Fun  and easy plane to fly in all aspects. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP B377 FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP B377 FSX

I hate to give just 5 stars but they could’ve updated some of the interior texture. As is it looks like it was developed almost 15 years ago….which it was of course. Something so amazing deserves to be brought up to date in my opinion. So minus one star for some neglect.  Other than that it’s still an incredibly well made aircraft that is a lot of fun to fly. I love how passengers react to my landings especially hard landings. They scream! It’s darkly funny.  Crew chatter adds to the already high level depth of immersion.  Even if you don’t prefer old aircraft you should still consider this. It’s a masterpiece simulation of a fantastic aircraft you won’t find elsewhere or at least not even close to this level of quality.  The B377 is not an easy beast to land, at least without getting complaints.  As with all A2A Accusim planes you get a lot for your dollar.  Don’t miss out.

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A2A SIMULATIONS - C182 SKYLANE FSX ENTERTAINMENT

A2A SIMULATIONS - C182 SKYLANE FSX ENTERTAINMENT

Another superb A2A product! First something very strange happened when I installed this C182. My A2A T6 and Comanche both went completely haywire. I mean like really strange. They were perfectly fine just prior to installing this but right away they were mute in the cockpit, unable to be repaired without instantly having severe engine damage. The T6 rolled backward and when I hit brakes it went up on its nose somehow. So strange. Fortunately I just needed to delete the, and then reinstall to fix them. But wow that was odd. Just a heads up.  Beside that craziness I love this plane as much as my other Accusim aircraft. Lie the others the C182 is meticulously designed in all aspects giving the most realistic simulation possible. Nothing is compromised or lazily portrayed. You get a beautifully engineered aircraft. These A2A planes are the cream of the crop. Worth every penny and ooze quality.  If you are looking for planes that feel look and sound right not to mention fun, then these works of art are the best options. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - T-6 TEXAN FSX ENTERTAINMENT

A2A SIMULATIONS - T-6 TEXAN FSX ENTERTAINMENT

I have always enjoyed my Virtavia T6 but also always felt it desperately lacking in the realism department. Not to mention low rez visuals. Seeing A2A had this T6 with Accusim (and having some birthday cash to spend) I couldn’t pass it up.  I’m very glad I did buy it even at full price.  Like all A2A aircraft it is modeled to be as real as it gets for FSX and looks amazing! Even though it has only two virtual cockpit cams (front and back) which limits certain view point I still can’t get enough of my T6.  The auto pilot is weird and has issues holding altitude some of the time. It manages to keep the heading though.  I wish they had added a cockpit flood dimmer but perhaps that would ruin the authenticity for some?  Whatever the case these are minor complaints all things considered.  If you haven’t experienced any A2A Accusim products I suggest checking out the A2A website where you can get a free sample by downloading the free P40 Warhawk package. It’s as complete as any of the others and will give those unsure about making a big price tag A2A purchase a solid idea of just why it’s so worth the money.  Love this T6 so much. Looks, sounds and feels as real as it can get.  Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - COMANCHE 250 FSX ENTERTAINMENT

A2A SIMULATIONS - COMANCHE 250 FSX ENTERTAINMENT

A2A and its Accusim tech are a very special. I had not fully understood their products and would shy away from purchasing any because I thought they were too expensive. They sort are expensive but for darn good reason! These are some of the most realistic simulations around in not “The most”. if you’re not sure yet yourself check out A2A website and get the P40 Warhawk that they are just giving away for free. That’s how I got bit and fell in love with their products.  This Comanche is just so nice. They did not skip any detail and even the smallest is carefully represented. As good as any Carenado in appearance but simply superior in realism.  The Comanche is so nice to fl excellent speed and handling.  The whole Accusim thing immerses you like nothing else. I can’t say enough good things without this going on too long.  My only complaint is only the passenger door opens and closes. No baggage door for some reason. Also no preset back seat camera views. The later is common with A2A products.  Even with two minor complaints I still want to give it more than 5 stars.  Based on use with FSX Steam Win10 i7 3.3 ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. Excellent frames until entering high density large add on city scenery. Others with dedicated GPUs should have better performance. 

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MAJESTIC SOFTWARE - DASH 8 Q400 PILOT X32 FSX/P3DV3

MAJESTIC SOFTWARE - DASH 8 Q400 PILOT X32 FSX/P3DV3

I love this plane! Wow what a well made simulation. This is as complete as it gets and so much detail. The Dash 8 is relatively easy to fly but if you’re not used to highly simulated planes it may take some practice. The way it responds in the sim definitely gives a big impression of realism. A gentle touch and careful trimming are required or it can easily be put out of control if you make exaggerated stick input movements. A light touch is all its needs for turns. I mean this is really something special.  Everything in the cockpit is simmed. A Clickers dream! The FMS is very in depth so make convoluted flight plans from the seat.  The liveries are all well done and you get a fair amount, but there could be more.  My only complaints are as follows: For some reason if I contact ATC to ask for taxi, take off or landing permissions and complete the read back, then got to FSX Map view for a few seconds, then come back and all those previous ATC requests are as if they never happened and I have to do it again. Pretty weird and annoying as I often like to get my approach frequencies from that Map after I contact ATC. No idea why this happens and it’s only started with this specific plane, and no others are affected.  The other complaint isn’t really a compliant but a wish. I wish there were a few more liveries.  All in all and considering how intensely this plane is simulated the frame rates are great. Same as any other well made plane no chugging. Unless approaching a heavily populated major scenery add on city and airport sceneries. Other wise no problem. Im sure results will very from PC to PC. A must have for serious or heavy use simmers.  Based on use with Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB RAM Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU. 

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A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM B-17G FLYING FORTRESS FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM B-17G FLYING FORTRESS FSX

The B17 is my favorite WW2 era military aircraft. Seeing that there is this A2A version with Accusim I felt it was a must to buy it. I’m glad I did. Everything about this sim is amazing. Details details details! Everything is modeled and simulated. You get crew help options which are very handy. The crew also randomly makes comments here and there. The radio broadcasts are authentic and a great extra piece of immersion.  I also have the AeroHeaven B17 and while that is also very nice its just for fun and pales in comparison to this one.  This is as close to the real thing as most of us can possibly get. A truly remarkable product!  Based on use with FSX Steam Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. Excellent frames. 

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FLYSIMWARE LLC - C402C BUSINESSLINER FSX P3D

FLYSIMWARE LLC - C402C BUSINESSLINER FSX P3D

This C402C is a nice twin to fly around in. It’s especially good for those charter type flights in and out of small airports and island hops say like the Seychelles. I like the way it’s been designed to fly as close to real world as possible. However I believe it could be a little more realistic, but that’s a little nick picky maybe. It’s a smooth easy forgiving ride that is quite enjoyable. The textures are a little lacking but not bad. I really like that all of the doors open and close. The sounds are pretty close to the real thing so far as I can tell in comparison to real world videos. Everything works as expected and I can’t find any problems. Very easy on frames. Based on use with FSX SE Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.

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FLYSIMWARE LLC - FALCON 50 FSX P3D

FLYSIMWARE LLC - FALCON 50 FSX P3D

I’m a bit sad to say this could be a lot better, it’s not bad, just not as good as the price would indicate. First off I had to deal with a flickering interior cockpit and cabin. It was maddening and made the plane unusable. After some forum research I found almost nothing by way of a solution. On the FlySimWare website F50 product page I found a file labeled “No flash” and downloaded it. The description said “not for FSX SE” however installing the patch completely resolved all flickering. So somehow it is for FSX SE. whatever the case problem is solved now. Next up the general graphical appearance is a little less than great. Almost zero cabin lighting beyond the very dim ambient ceiling lighting, the rest is very dark. Again not terrible. Next complaint is the configuration tool doesn’t work. Only external door that opens and closes is the main door. The cockpit lighting is pretty good though. No baggage or any other external door animations. That leaves me feeling like this is a bit incomplete for such a high price. However the plane does fly and behave nicely and as described on paper. Auto pilot works great and follows the route and waypoints. Fuel seems to burn a little faster than it should and the overall range suffers for it. In the end I’m not regretting the purchase as it was on sale. If I had paid full price I’d be a lot more dissatisfied. Nevertheless it is fun to fly and I’m happy to finally have it in my virtual hangar. Based on use with Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 GPU. Recommend if on sale.

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JUSTSIM - INNSBRUCK AIRPORT  AUSTRIA - LOWI FSX P3D

JUSTSIM - INNSBRUCK AIRPORT AUSTRIA - LOWI FSX P3D

I love this scenery. It’s not just the LOWI airport but the whole Innsbruck city and surroundings. Including the various ski resorts. Excellent photo scenery of the entire area. It’s all just gorgeous. The airport is in perfect detail and well represented. The approach of course is a big part of the appeal being so challenging and complex assuming you choose to follow the actual charts and procedures. All of which are included in this package. There is loads to explore and see. Excellent night lighting and comes with automatic seasonal textures. Works perfectly with FSX Steam. I just needed to direct the install patch to my main FSX SE folder then activate it. Amazing frame rates! Based on use with FSX SE Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.

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FSDG - SEYCHELLES FSX P3D

FSDG - SEYCHELLES FSX P3D

I love this scenery! I love large scenery add ons that have much to explore over a wide coverage area. This delivers both in fine quality of the scenery and a huge area to to enjoy. Excellent custom auto gen, land class and many different airports and air strips. All with unique flavors. There are a bunch of AI things to see from ships to birds and even a turtle. Not sure the turtle counts as AI? Whatever. It’s a fun, big and great looking area to fly around. It’s a nice companion to the Maldives scenery also. Sure it’s 1200 miles away but a nice flight to or from either scenery areas. Seychelles is the perfect place to fly just about anything but especially nice with helicopters, otters, beavers, small business jets and amphibians. You can play charter pilot to your hearts content and find something new every time. Highly recommended. Based on use with 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU, amazing frames!

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AEROSOFT - BEAVER X (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - BEAVER X (DOWNLOAD)

There is no better option for the Beaver. MilViz was the only real competitor and did have better textures, but also had many problems with their version of this plane. Aerosoft has done a very good job with the Beaver and delivers a huge collection of variety to enjoy. A real bang for your buck with so many models including a crop duster with even more liveries. The interior is where the age of this shows a bit but it’s by no means bad. They look like 50 plus year old planes. The exterior textures are very good and trying to choose which one to load and fly is the only issue. These Beavers fly great! There is a nice sense of realism as attention to the planes physic are clearly well catered to. You get a lot in this package and even at full price it’s a good value. Every flight simmer should have a good Beaver to fly the virtual skies. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.

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RAZBAM - MCDONNELL F-2 BANSHEE

RAZBAM - MCDONNELL F-2 BANSHEE

I didn’t buy this from SimMarket but I did buy it direct from Razbam on special. Since there’s only one review I thought a more up to date review could be helpful despite being purchased from the developer and not here. It’s exactly the same plane so here goes. I’m a big fan of military aircraft and have a large collection. The Banshee was a short lived naval aircraft but a significant part of early jet development. I recommend reading up on the Banshee as it’s an interesting part of history. This virtual version seems pretty accurate in its performance. Not particularly nimble by todays standards but it did climb very well and had good altitude capability which is well represented here. It’s a fast plane but short of supersonic. It can exceed Mach 1 in a power dive but that is likely to destroy the aircraft if you fly in full realism type settings. But for its time it was indeed a fast plane. Keep in mind this plane was released in 2007 and it really shows. There is NO eye candy to be found. Much of the VC is inoperable except for critical systems and controls. The radars and recon screens do not work. It reminds me of an old Virtavia quality but maybe slightly better concerning the external modeling. That said if I hadn’t gotten this on special that included the expansion pack at a considerably lower cost, I’d say forget it. If however you can spot or come upon a decent sale, then maybe consider it as it is a worthy piece to add to your collection. Despite its visual shortcomings it’s fun to fly. Has no impact on frames at all. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.

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RLABORIE - CARGO 400M V2 FSX P3D

RLABORIE - CARGO 400M V2 FSX P3D

First I want to let folks know that it can work with FSX Steam. You will probably need to use the included patch which will also make the HUD no longer functional. You’ll know this if when you start a flight the screen flickers like a spasmodic strobe light of green and white random blocks and triangles as well as what looks like a center screen flashing explosion of lights. If you see that then say good bye to the HUD as the patch cures the horrific light show but deletes the ability to turn the HUD on forever. This is the main reason I am giving 3 stars. Other than the lack of a HUD (in my case) the planes are real cool! The plane is well simulated but not academic level by any means. You cannot control everything as much is automated. The A400C has a clever auto trim function that keeps flight at the perfect AoA at all times including manual flight, there is no manual trim at all. The cockpit is nicely detailed and only take a short familiarization period to know where and how everything is and works. The doors are opens by a pedestal turn knob with 7 positions. Each opening or closing various doors minus the rear main cargo door. The rear cargo door has a two position rocker that controls it. Night lighting is pretty nice inside and outside. The plane is fly by wire so it’s really easy to fly. As easy as a small plane but heavier obviously. All in all it’s a solid package with a nice variety of liveries. I just wish the HUD worked for me. Don’t know why as I have dozens of other planes with working HUDs (except my Wilco Harrier) and no problems. Pretty smooth frame rates except in large add on scenery like Los Angeles but everywhere else no worries. Based on use with FSX Steam Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU

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AEROSOFT - MALDIVES X - THE MALE ATOLLS (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - MALDIVES X - THE MALE ATOLLS (DOWNLOAD)

This is a pretty decent pack with a lot to explore. However it’s not a complete Maldives package. You do get the main atolls and of course Male. It’s realistic in general including the crowded shipping lane with lots of cargo shifts hanging around waiting to dock at the tiny port. Yes it actually looks like this in the real Male area, just check google or google maps. Each resort is a little different from the other but all have a sense of similarity. It’s a great place to fly the Aerosoft Twin Otter around, but I also like using helicopters. The trees don’t looks so bad, I don’t see anything to gripe over them, but to each his own. It may be a bit dated even by FSX standards but it’s the only Maldives scenery worth getting. I just wish you could start flights from the various resorts with sea plane spots. All flights have to begin at Male Intl. So get your swimsuit and visit some amazing resorts including Club Med! 4 stars for not including more of the Maldives atolls and generic amount of auto gen, but still worth it! Based on use with FSX Steam Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU with very high auto gen and other scenery settings. Love it!

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RAZBAM - T-2 BUCKEYE

RAZBAM - T-2 BUCKEYE

I bought this direct from Razbam. Despite having not purchased from SimMarket I hope my review will be allowed anyway. First I think it’s important to note that it is FSX Steam compatible. I only needed to redirect the install path. Easy as pie. Once installed I eagerly loaded up these interesting planes and was pleasantly surprised by a very nice flight model. I place high importance on a good flight model and Razbam delivered. It really gives the impression of accuracy and feels realistic. The graphics model is a little dated, but still pretty good. My only issue is that despite the features on their site speaking to all of the systems that are simulated, some do not appear to be, Such as icing, and engine damage not ever occurring when in heavy icing conditions and excessively pushing the RPMs. Yes I have the realism and engine stress causes damage on and set. It’s not a deal breaker but was a little disappointed considering how much it’s written about in the manual and their features description on their website. At any rate these are quite fun to fly and look good doing it. The audio is also very well done. The engines roar when viewed externally and the internal cockpit audio is very nice adding to an immersive experience. All in all. I recommend these. Based on use with FSX Steam Win10 i7 3.3 ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU. Excellent frames!

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MSK PRODUCTIONS - SAAB MFI-17 / PAC MUSHSHAK (THE PROFICIENT) FSX P3D

MSK PRODUCTIONS - SAAB MFI-17 / PAC MUSHSHAK (THE PROFICIENT) FSX P3D

OK this isn’t the highest quality plane ever. It is however a very nice plane. Despite the slightly low rez visuals (but not terrible or as low as the common freeware) the plane is very well simulated. A lot of add on plane fly just fine but lack any real feeling of it being natural. Obviously nothing is natural about a simulation but when a developer carefully codes the flight characteristics of their aircraft to respond and react to the simulated environment, then you have something special. This is one of those planes! It responds to winds and turbulence about as naturally as possible in my opinion. That is something worth having. The responses also aren’t exaggerated or inappropriately understated either. It gives a very realistic impression of flying within the simulator world. That said the textures while not flashy are actually really what the real plane looks like. It’s not a real world fancy or eye candy type of plane and you get that here all the same, could it be a little better? Sure. But I’ll take accuracy over fluff any day. Not really worth more than the on sale price all things considered, full price should be avoided if possible. I’m ok with the $9 U.S. that I paid and am really enjoying this little bird. Based on use with FSX Steam Win10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU 128MB dedicated. Recommended!

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FSDREAMTEAM - VANCOUVER INTL FSX P3D

FSDREAMTEAM - VANCOUVER INTL FSX P3D

Amended review. After having enjoyed this scenery for a while without major issue, suddenly it no longer works at all. I haven’t added anything besides other paid scenery or planes. This developer has a means of which to update their products often. Normally I’ll get an update notice, run it and all is well. Recently and immediately after an update ALL of my CYVR scenery is gone. Poof just gone. Only the photo-real foot print remains. No auto gen of any kind. Because their products randomly revert to “Trial Mode” often and the only fix is to run the FSDT Live Update software to get my paid scenery back, there is no way to simply ignore any update. I checked the Virtuali app to see if CYVR needed to be re-registered but it showed “CYVR Installed and Registered” which should mean no problems. Something from that recent update caused a major malfunction. I tried reinstalling, but no change. So because they use so many other applications (Couatl, Virtuali, FSDT Live Update, and FSDT GSX Control Panel & they don’t tell you that before you buy these are all required) it’s hard to know what the problem is and they don’t exactly answer emails. That all said and having been a flight sim beta tester for many years as well as considerable experience with FSX SE and hundreds paid add on scenery and planes, I feel obligated to let potential customers know what they are getting into with FSDT products. While the scenery (when it isn’t reverting to Trial Mode or broken by an update) actually works it is really quite incredible, but all these extra apps & updates that cannot be ignored or skipped are problematic.

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NORTEASUL - FULL CITY - FLORIANÓPOLIS

NORTEASUL - FULL CITY - FLORIANÓPOLIS

The product screen shots look nice and $5 is hard to pass up. The scenery is plagued with problems and omissions. No bridges, miss matched photo scenery areas with many cloud shadows on the ground, and to make matters worse there are a lot of buildings floating in the air. There are parts of the island that look pretty good, but it’s like they took random photos taken at different times of the day and lined them up with each other in a rush or something? Really though it’s all the floating buildings that make it difficult to tolerate. I’m not talking about a few, but large areas of floaters. I tried contacting the developer but was ignored each time.

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FLYFREESTD - SUKHOI T-50 & PAK-FA FUTURA FSX

FLYFREESTD - SUKHOI T-50 & PAK-FA FUTURA FSX

4 stars because again FFS released a slow plane. These 5th gen aircraft were built for speed and super agility. However only super agility is present in this package with sorely underpowered thrust. They are faster at sea level than at high altitude, totally backward. They performed more like 2nd gen aircraft. They barely could hit Mach1.1 at altitude ( FL400) where they should be capable of hitting around Mach 2. Thankfully there’s plenty of YouTube or forum advice on how to adjust the .cfg file “engine thrust scalar”. After I did the appropriate adjustments to said .cfg I can get these amazing aircraft to perform as intended! Fast and insanely agile. All things considered as well as the low price this is a pretty cool set of “what if” type aircraft that are a blast to fly. Also you can’t really get them anywhere else so there’s that. Based on use with FSX SE Win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.

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AIRCRAFT FACTORY - P-51H HIGH PERFORMANCE MUSTANG FSX

AIRCRAFT FACTORY - P-51H HIGH PERFORMANCE MUSTANG FSX

I bought this from Steam for my FSX Steam but I hope SimMarket will allow my review. Somebody has to say something about this fantastic plane. I’m a big P51D fan and love it’s history. The H model as you’ve surely read in the description was never used in WW2, but wow it would’ve been great! It may be a simplistic simulation of the plane but the flight model and its behaviors seem to mimic everything I have read in FSX. Vs my D the H is noticeably quicker, and more agile. It can really climb and is superbly controllable. Despite each livery being nearly the same with just subtle differences and nothing as interesting as say the “Jersey Jerk” and the likes, they are beautiful models regardless. Shinny polished metal is still nice to look at in my opinion. The cockpit layout is improved as well with much better instruments visibility. The automated supercharger, radiator flaps etc make it a lot easier to just fly without worrying about when or how much to adjust. No more chasing the manifold pressure gauge, this bird was built to give the pilot the freedom to concentrate on the fight. If you like or love WW2 planes like the P51D Mustang then this is another would be legend to add to the collection. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU. Excellent frame rates!!

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GLOWINGHEAT - LOCKHEED SR-71A BLACKBIRD FSX P3D

GLOWINGHEAT - LOCKHEED SR-71A BLACKBIRD FSX P3D

Wow, what an upgrade! I had the Cygnus for a while and have always enjoyed it but things didn’t feel complete without an actual SR-71 Blackbird in the stable. Sure this is a slightly dumbed down version but it does deliver on speed and performance expectations. Speed is what this does best, performance not so much. Zero aerobatic capability in an unforgiving airframe can’t be overlooked. GH did a fair job modeling the flight characteristics but was lite on systems especially the FSX version. No radar of any kind for the FSX version (which is the version I use) and a few less other systems as well. No cabin temp or pressure control. You can turn on the oxygen but that’s it. The FSX radar limitation bugs me because I have older planes that DO have radar or a periscope function that work fine. So why not here? That and you also can’t turn on much of anything in the backseat. You get a moving map but cannot adjust the range or terrain function. I have more advanced passenger liners complete with ground and weather radar that work fine, so what’s the FSX limitation here? I don’t get it and that’s why I knock off 1 star because frankly if my 777 has it, then surely a Blackbird could too? Whatever the case with the simplistic and limited systems or lack of it’s still a really nice flying SR-71 with a great selection of rail art liveries to choose from. They are all very nicely detailed and you cannot get them anywhere else, so love it or leave it. I choose to mostly love it! One last thing and this may be a new release bug, but if I so much as tap the radar power button I get a horizontal red line across the mid screen over the primary compass, then after ending the flight a error message I forgot to note pops up and forces FSX to close. As long as I do not touch any radar buttons everything is just fine. All in all it’s a great upgrade to the old Cygnus and it wasn’t terribly expensive so all is well. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 3.3ghz Intel i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU excellent frame rates, no loss.

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GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - GOLDEN AGE - LOCKHEED MODEL 12 FSX

GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - GOLDEN AGE - LOCKHEED MODEL 12 FSX

Such a nice plane. It’s a smaller version of the L10 and flies very similarly. It may be a little faster though? Despite having fixtures in the cabin there are no dome or night lighting other than the cockpit panel. The GPS auto pilot option doesn’t follow the flight plan. You have to use heading lock. Other than those two issues I’m pretty pleased with this models flight characteristics. Nice liveries as well but one that is shown is is missing.

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CAPTAIN SIM - 777 CAPTAIN BASEPACK (777-200) FSX

CAPTAIN SIM - 777 CAPTAIN BASEPACK (777-200) FSX

I hope SimMarket will allow me to review this despite having purchased directly from CaptainSim online store. If so… This is a good add on. Not being an actual pilot I can only be so sure about accuracy of flight modeling and behaviors but being a experienced flight sim enthusiast. That said I believe this to be a pretty good simulated representation of the real world plane. Obviously it’s not going to be dead perfect, but it certainly has the systems and characteristics that all come together to deliver what feels as close as possible for FSX. In other words it feels right. Is it worth full price? Well that would depend on the simmer I guess. One who loves the 777 and can’t find a better option elsewhere (I couldn’t find any?) then yes. Everyone else might want to wait for a sale like I did. I won’t rub it in but I did get a stellar deal on a flash sale from Capt.Sim direct. All that aside, this is a fairly deep sim of a really cool real world plane. Some things might require you to RTFM in order to use properly, while the average experienced simmer will find most systems to behave intuitively needing little manual reading. I am surprised to find that unlike say the CS727, this 777 does not have Pilot or crew announcements, or a built in passenger cabin view. If you want to see the passenger cabin you have to start a flight selecting the 1 and only passenger cabin aircraft and enjoy your flight ONLY from the passenger point of view. To pilot the plane you have to do it from the cabin using the 2D panels, no VC! This really bugs me and is why only 4 stars. How come CS would give a passenger cabin view with any livery as well as the complete VC with the 727 but NOT the 777? It doesn’t make any sense? Especially for the heavy price tag. I should knock it to a 3 star but since it’s the only currently available 777 of high design standards (the AFS triple seven doesn’t count as a legit option) I can’t be that harsh. Letting the crazy weird passenger cabin view as a separate option to select and fly aside this is a very good plane, and I am enjoying it. The sounds are very well done and flying by hand is delightful. I do recommend it but if you can wait, do wait for a sale. Based on use with FSX Steam win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU excellent frame rates!

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VIRTAVIA - T-34C TURBO MENTOR

VIRTAVIA - T-34C TURBO MENTOR

I have an older version of the very same product from when Virtavia sold it in the FSX Steam add ons. I’m reviewing here and now because the start up sequence is not hard at all. You just have to turn the fuel switch on (under the throttle) then flip the starter on the right side forward console area, and make sure the generator is on. It does work and I learned it by reading the included manual and. Little common sense. I hate to see bad reviews because of operator error. That said I only paid a total $11 back when I initially purchased this and see nothing new to suggest justifying a $28 price tag except for a couple new liveries. The engine audio is fantastic and so is the flight model. Just be sure to turn on the oxygen and the cabin heat when over 10K feet or the canopy will fog up and also hypoxia is simulated which will end your flight. This is way better than the Carenado Mentor but not $28 better. It’s way over priced now. Still it may be one of Virtavia’s best simulated turbo prop they ever offered, but seriously why nearly 3 times what I paid now?

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AEROSOFT - DHC-6 TWIN OTTER EXTENDED (DOWNLOAD) FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - DHC-6 TWIN OTTER EXTENDED (DOWNLOAD) FSX P3D

It might be 9 years since it first came out, but it doesn’t show. Aerosoft did a real good job with this! The steadfast work horse that is the DHC6 is so well represented here one might even say a lot of love went in to the making of it? Well I love that they made it so well. Despite not saying so it IS FSX Steam compatible and even has the Steam install option. The various types that are included like Float, amphibious, wheeled, ski or tundra wheeled is great. I just wish there were a few more liveries for each. It would also have been nice to have the option of changing between cargo or passenger. You just get either or depending on the livery selected. For the money it seems that should be a standard option but it’s not. Complaint aside the details are not glossed over and are carefully brought to life. Nearly everything in the cockpit is workable save only a few dead switches. I was surprised however that you cannot control cabin heat at all. I guess I can let that go all things considered. Excellent textures and an even better flight model accompanied by a super good audio package and a aircraft config tool that allows for detailed fuel, weight and aircraft set up round out this extended edition very nicely. I understand why so many people love this plane. It should not be overlooked and especially if on sale a easy purchase. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. Very smooth frame rates even in very bad and heavy wether conditions. GET THIS!

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CAPTAIN SIM - 727-100 CAPTAIN BASE PACK

CAPTAIN SIM - 727-100 CAPTAIN BASE PACK

Ok sure it’s really old and dated, but there just isn’t any other way to buy a decent 727 for FSX Steam these days. It shows it’s age for sure but that can be forgiven considering how well the whole thing is simulated. Cpt.Sim pulled no punches with this classic jet and even by todays standards delivers a comprehensive and entertaining package. Pretty much everything is simulated even the oft forgotten pressurization and heating systems. The VC is highly detailed with all the switches, dials and buttons having actual purpose. I like the passenger cabin getting some love too. You can move trays, overhead compartments, window shades, even the Bathroom door opens to a nicely detailed head. All very very cool. I’m a stick and rudder type and much prefer to fly my planes by hand, using automation only when I really needs to like say long flights. That said this 727 flies like a 727 would be expected to fly. You can feel the weight and responsiveness or lack of, in nearly any flying condition. In other words it does feel different from say a 737 or whatever. I love that. My only complaint is the ACE tool for bringing in new liveries. It simply doesn’t work. Not for me anyway, and I’m not a rookie. The installer comes with a FSX Steam option built in, and of course it is fully Steam compatible. Great frame rates, very smooth. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. love it despite its age.

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GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - MEYERS OTW-160 P3D/FSX

GOLDEN AGE SIMULATIONS - MEYERS OTW-160 P3D/FSX

This is another outstanding stick and rudder aircraft by Golden Age! Truth be told when you fly one biplane, you’ve pretty much flown them all. Very little separates one from another. Of course there are differences (climb, turn, etc) but they are rarely noticeable unless you pay very close attention. Some do have much better speed capabilities. In general they are all low and slow fliers. That said there is something about the Meyers OTW that just feels different. Sure it’s a slowpoke for a aerobatic capable bi plane, but it has a different sort of character that stands out from the common fare. I personally love the subtle design differences especially when viewed on one of the two polished metal liveries. The super shiny chromed looking bodies with contrasting wing colors are lovely. The other two liveries (total of 4) are also very nice even if still common looking. The OTW has captured my imagination and makes for a highly enjoyable experience. Something that makes the OTW stand out performance wise is the narrow windows of which certain acrobatic maneuvering can be performed correctly. The relatively weak powered engine doesn’t offer much speed or acceleration to execute spins and rolls. You’ll need to rely more on a combination of factors to do any one type of move and be aware of how to allow for recovery before attempting another. Makes for excellent training but not for any actual combat….which is the whole point I suppose. Nice plane that feels like a trainer should and with some nice liveries.

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - BAKU X FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - BAKU X FSX P3D

I have mixed feelings about this. Of the several Drzewiecki Design sceneries I own this one is my least favorite. For some reason it is a system resources hog despite being the least detailed (settings all being the same) where auto gen is concerned. I’ve made sure I have no duplicate files or anything that could cause the frame rate chugging. The auto gen is relatively sparse (set to very high) with many empty foot prints. You will have to visit DDs website to locate and download the photo real Azerbaijan country and lite airports package as it is no longer included. It’s easy enough. The city photo real is much much better than the surrounding country, however even the lower quality surrounding country photo to real is still better than the default FSX if you stay above 3000 feet, but has very few trees. Up close the country photo image scenery is pretty lousy. But I think it’s work having if you can’t run ORBX resource greedy scenery. The UBBB Baku airport is indeed very nice and the highlight of the entire package. The airport is populated with planes, buses, carts, and people, of which many vehicles are animated and travel the airport. It is packed with great detail. All in all it’s the main airport that makes this package worth buying but only when at sale prices.

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FLYFREESTD - ANTONOV AN-225 MRIYA FSX

FLYFREESTD - ANTONOV AN-225 MRIYA FSX

This is very close to a 5 star aircraft. Everything about this package (of 3 Liveries available to select as Russian or English language cockpits) is pretty well done. Only issues are no dome lights and a wonky auto pilot that is not instinctively operated. But the AP does work as it should when you figure out it’s weird quirks. The dome lights appear to be a known issue pending future update fix? When loading the front cargo the whole process is animated and movements are at the speed one should expect, slow. It will kneel down to ground supports bear the forward wheels that also kind of tuck themselves in. The plane flies like I’d expect, slow and lumbering under its massive weight and awkward external loads. I love the various load types that can be selected. They are all graphically represented in detail. I am satisfied in general and happy with my purchase. This is a unique aircraft to have in ones virtual hangar. Not a lot of airports can accommodate such a behemoth but don’t let that stop you, just be aware of the need for a lot of braking distance when landing and use the thrust reversers. Based on use with win 10 FSX Steam 3.3ghz i7 16GB ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. Zero frame rate hits even with add on scenery like the entire Moscow area.

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - MOSCOW CITY X FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - MOSCOW CITY X FSX P3D

This developer doesn’t pull any punches! I always enjoy there work and own 6 so far. I think this is one of their biggest scenery areas? Whatever the case it’s huge! Several airports in the vicinity of Moscow and an amazing amount of unique autogen for a great many locations of interest. It’s a helicopter pilots dream. They even have Putin at the Red Square heliport where I find it to be an entertaining place to visit him with a heavily armed Apache Longbow. Also included is a challenging mission to land a Cessna at Red Square. Really nice night textures and lighting. Pretty good winter textures as well. So much to explore and discover. Based on use with i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU, settings at high to very high no loss of frames. Very smooth!

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - EPKK KRAKÓW X V3 FSX P3D FSW

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - EPKK KRAKÓW X V3 FSX P3D FSW

Another amazing and large scenery By Drzewieki! There is nothing to complain about here. You get a large area to explore and enjoy. So much amazing detail especially in the historic old town. Very easy on the frame rates. The flight museum is a fun place to see. There is a runway nearby the museum that is a nice challenge thanks to power lines right at one end. Not quite as large an area as Seattle or Warsaw but still a sizable plot. Definitely makes for some very nice short flights between krakow and Warsaw. Based on use with i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. High to very high graphics settings.

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PAULO RICARDO - RIO DE JANEIRO - SANTOS DUMONT SBRJ 2020  FSX P3D

PAULO RICARDO - RIO DE JANEIRO - SANTOS DUMONT SBRJ 2020 FSX P3D

Paulo Ricardo offers some of the biggest scenery products you can buy (if not THE biggest?) and this Rio De Janeiro Santos Dumont is positively enormous! Stretching all the way up coast to Macae down past Rio to Ilha da Marambaia! Tons of custom generated content along with even more generic auto gen mixed in! All on really nice photo scenery. This is a area you can spend a great many hours exploring. It has a bunch of helipads strewn about as well, including a hospital near Macae if you want to have a nice and fairly lengthy helicopter flight. I found a few building roof tops in the city of Rio that helicopters can land on as well that are not mentioned in the products description. I also found some helipads that look clearly marked as such but are not solid. Have fun finding which ones are solid to land on or are not. The night lighting is spectacular. The city sparkles at night. Having so much in a huge area is pushing my PC to its limits. I actually had to lower my Autogen Complexity and Autogen density to high from very high. My only complaint was my initial download from SimMarket came with some kind of malfunction causing a strange area crash. I mean that when I went a little bit east inland from the Rio bay it crashed FSX when I crossed an imaginary line. Not to worry though and don’t sweat this as the developer was quick to help and sent me a new download to install. The new download solved the crash and I can now fully explore the entire area without fear of see my desktop very suddenly. Weird that the new download is missing the non airport complex that previously was visible at the SBRJ airports east border, and now just borders water? Amazing!

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A1R DESIGN BUREAU -  A1R CP-80 RACER FSX P3D

A1R DESIGN BUREAU - A1R CP-80 RACER FSX P3D

If you want a very nimble, quick and stable racer or stunt plane this will do nicely. However it’s really a racer that has acrobatic capabilities. Just be aware that the type of engine installed does lose power when inverted. It recovers power relatively fast I’d you return to level flight but I would not do too many inverted maneuvers consecutively or you’ll stall I wish it had a smoke feature. A very nice little no frills, bare bones kit plane for zipping around pylons or valleys and mountains during the day. No lights of any sort.

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NEMETH DESIGNS - EC-135 FSX

NEMETH DESIGNS - EC-135 FSX

Another excellent helicopter by Nemeth! Very nice details in and out. Flies very nicely and easy to control. Only complaint is the back cabin doesn’t light up ever no matter what light switches are on. The wipers don’t work. No functioning autopilot but that’s pretty common in helos.

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PAULO RICARDO - SBKP-VIRACOPOS-CAMPINAS FSX P3D3

PAULO RICARDO - SBKP-VIRACOPOS-CAMPINAS FSX P3D3

while I gave this 5 stars it is not perfect. It is amazing and full of cool places to see like a huge oil refinery, amusement park with a big roller coaster and rides, and a couple smaller airports as well as many other sites. The area of coverage is huge! it goes beyond the immediate city and main airport. This large coverage area is typical of P Ricardo sceneries. you get more than what you pay for and are granted a massive (compared to most other add on scenery products) area to explore. The scenery itself is very nice and satisfying even at low altitudes. there are a few floating buildings but not many and i find them easy to ignore. The night lighting is outstanding. highly recommended! Based on use with FSX Steam 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU excellent frame rates at high scenery settings.

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PAULO RICARDO - SALVADOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SBSV AND CITY FSX P3D

PAULO RICARDO - SALVADOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SBSV AND CITY FSX P3D

This is my second scenery from this developer and I love it. FYI you’ll need to download the ORBX Freeware libraries to fully enjoy the FTX 3D lighting as seen in the screenshots. Otherwise it’ll just be default lighting which fall flat and doesn’t do this package justice. Not only do you get the whole city of Salvador but the photo scenery extends far beyond city limits for even more amazing or at least much better scenery. Some of the extended photos scenery beyond the main city area has sporadic autogen building and foliage. There’ll be like a small neighborhood with houses and then maybe half a mile away no autogen, just photo. I’m not complaining as it’s basically extra free scenery. The city is dense! So much to see and enjoy. This is one scenery set that delivers and then some! Can’t be beat for the price especially on sale. Based on use with FSX Steam 3.3ghz i7 16GB RAM Intel UHD630 integrated GPU with 128mb dedicated. No frame rate or display or rendering issues at all.

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - EETN TALLINN X V2 FSX P3D FSW

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - EETN TALLINN X V2 FSX P3D FSW

Maybe I’m spoiled by their Warsaw city, Seattle City but Tallinn leaves me a little bit disappointed in comparison to those other massive and amazing scenery packages. Granted this is the city AND airport combined so there is that. The city itself just doesn’t have that satisfying of a coverage area. That said this is NOT bad by any means. Just smaller than I expected. The airport is incredibly detailed has some very cool options to open a few hangars which reveal some sparse but nicely detailed interiors. The terminal is beautiful with connecting jetways, custom airport vehicles and a few ground crew personnel hanging around. The ports could be better with actual 3D docks but instead the docks are just photo scenery. A few nice ships and ferries dot the ports. For some reason you cannot land helicopters on the ferry helipads. The city is what leaves me most dissatisfied. The auto gen is mostly standard FSX objects with a smattering of custom 3D buildings that could have been done better. All in all it’s not worth full price, I’m glad I got it on sale. But again maybe I’m just spoiled by their bigger cities Warsaw and Seattle. Not bad not great, definitely above average compared other developers.

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - WARSAW CITY X FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - WARSAW CITY X FSX P3D

This developer makes some of the largest sceneries I’ve seen. Warsaw is a massive area full of amazing sites, details and discoveries. It’s one of the best for helicopters, and crop dusters. Metropolitan area is full of unique tall buildings and historical sites. Several villages and small air strips to explore as well as vast farming areas. Loads of detail around every corner. Next to Seattle X this is a favorite scenery to fly. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 16GB ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU. Running near max settings with no loss of frame rates. Amazing!

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VIRTUALCOL - SAAB REGIONAL PACK V2 FOR FSX P3D

VIRTUALCOL - SAAB REGIONAL PACK V2 FOR FSX P3D

For the money you get a pretty nice collection of Saab 340A,340B and 2000. The great number of liveries is a big selling point and they do deliver many. My only complaint is the idle power is too high, these things practically take off without any power. Yes an exaggeration, but they do start moving quickly and pick up speed too fast at idle even with condition lowered to %5. The planes are well done and satisfying to fly those regional routes. The graphical quality is a little low but not bad. I enjoy these birds a bunch. Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB ram, Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.

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CAPTAIN SIM - B-52 DRIVER

CAPTAIN SIM - B-52 DRIVER

First I’d like to say this works perfectly with FSX Steam Win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram. Only needed to direct the downloaded to my FSX Steam root folder and wallah. You get a pretty simplified B52 but considering there aren’t any other options to buy any others, it’ll do. I don’t think it’s really worth the full price as you get just 1 model and livery. The free liveries that supposedly can be downloaded actually cannot be downloaded. They just don’t exist anymore, all the links on the Captain Sim site are no good. What you do get is a very nice looking B52 that for the most part flies nicely. I really wanted one badly so I’m cool with this over priced and under represented product. Not bad at all. Love the Smokey trails.

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FLYFREESTD - MIG 29/35 FULCRUM FAMILY FSX/P3D

FLYFREESTD - MIG 29/35 FULCRUM FAMILY FSX/P3D

Works great with FSX Steam. I only needed to direct the installer to my FSX Steam root folder which was very easy. That said this is easily the very best MiG 29 family you can buy. So many great liveries and multiple variants each with their unique virtual cockpit. Nice and varied weapon load out options. Some with extra fuel tanks. Great detail in the cockpits, and with each livery as well. My only complaint is they are all much slower than what the paper specs say. Generally the MiG 29 should be a Mach 2 plus aircraft. They were build to take on the F15 and these (except for the MiG 35 maxes out at M1.59) all can barely reach Mach 1.2 which is woefully underpowered compared to the real world 29s. These ( with a clean load out) can barely take on an F5 much less a Mach 2.5 capable F15 Eagle! They have the extreme agility for sure, but with a huge speed handicap that just doesn’t make any sense? Why skimp on speed? Anyway they are fun to fly, but I’m very dissatisfied with the terribly inaccurate and low engine power. At least they aren’t very expensive. Based on use with FSX Steam Edition win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram

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JUSTFLIGHT - TORNADO GR1 FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - TORNADO GR1 FSX P3D

I was skeptical about the modeling of this aircrafts high Mach speed capabilities from the start. After being dismissed out of hand by JF when I asked why these are so underpowered and max out at M1.29, I spent months researching the GR1. I found videos, books articles etc that included aircraft development records and gulf war pilots real world testimony that all state the GR1 absolutely should be able to achieve Mach 2plus easily above FL320. But these simulator versions cannot go any faster than M1.29 while clean and level. A “Overspeed” warning always pops up around M1.35 (when flying nearly straight down in full burn) which is just not accurate at all. Even the included manual and at least one of the aircraft selection details about a specific livery (MRCA PO2 XX946) state the aircrafts capabilities of flying well over Mach 2.+ above 32000 feet in level flight (flt 281 5/3/79), with a clean load. Yet these are not capable or even close to being able to fly as fast as they should! I expect more from JF. Other bugs I reported such as a crash when trying to load a flight with a flight plan, a interior light switch that causes the throttle for engine one to not move past 50% and others were confirmed by JF to being fixed in future updates, but not the low Mach speed limits. That said, the plane is still pretty and fun to fly low hugging the hillsides and clipping tree tops. All full load out specs add up, but not speeds while clean. So if flight model speed characteristics accuracy and consistency are important to you then skip this for now and wait to see if JF corrects the issues. As is this Tornado is little more than a low altitude dust devil.

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FLYFREESTD - DASSAULT RAFALE C,M,B V2 FSX

FLYFREESTD - DASSAULT RAFALE C,M,B V2 FSX

Attention FSX Steam Ed users!!!!! This is compatible with FSX Steam Edition. You will only need to direct the installation to your FSX SE root folder. Very easy to do as long as you don’t also have the Box or Gold version installed on the same drive. That said I love this plane. I’ve paid more for lesser aircraft add ons. I never flew (simulated of course) a Dassault Rafale before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. So I read up on everything about the plane I could find for a few weeks before buying. Based on what I learned about this bird I feel like I have received a pretty accurate simulation here. It behaves just as I expected based on paper specs. Very quick acceleration and can reach top speed (Mach 1.8) and beyond. Maneuvering capabilities seem to properly differ depending on load out and weight assignments. A clean load out will perform best as it should versus a loaded up Rafale will. Compared to the Eurofighter the Rafale is a competent rival but noticeably less agile (and slightly lower top speed) especially at high speeds. I’ve had more aerodynamic and high speed stalls in this when performing similar acrobatics. Not saying this isn’t agile, it is! You just need to be a bit more cautious or thoughtful about your situation overall when doing complex acrobatics. Careless maneuvering can easily result in an unrecoverable spin or tumble. Nothing a little practice can’t overcome. As far as looks go this is a beautiful aircraft inside and out. Excellent lighting and reflection effects. Shadows and ambient lighting cast smoothly in the cockpit. Night lighting is just right. The engines purr and roar when reheated. The weapon and fuel loading is done by a “Ext” drop down menu and you have full control over each hard point with some very cool weapons to choose from. The same menu controls the ladder, formation lights, and auto start function. I can’t think of anything that isn’t well done except the fuel burn seems a lot slower than expected, but not bothersome. Totally recommend this. The price is relatively low and attractive. Get it! Based on use with FSX Steam Edition Win10 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.

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NEMETH DESIGNS - EUROCOPTER EC-130 B4 FOR FSX P3D

NEMETH DESIGNS - EUROCOPTER EC-130 B4 FOR FSX P3D

Amazing helicopter! Known as one of the quietest helicopters around, you really get that when flying it. Some may thinks it’s too quiet, but that’s how these are designed in the real world. Still nothing you can’t overcome by simply turning your speakers up. The liveries are some of the best I’ve seen in a helicopter addon. The interior is very well done too. It’s a little more challenging to fly than most helo add ons but can be mastered with some practice. My only issue is that when I arm and then engage emergency floats nothing happens? Is there a third step not mentioned in the user manual? Strange, problem costs 1 star. Used with FSX Steam Ed. Win 10 3.3ghz i7 16GB ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU. No frame rate loss even when inside highly detailed and dense add on scenery areas.

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JUSTFLIGHT - DC-8 JETLINER 50-70 FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - DC-8 JETLINER 50-70 FSX P3D

I also have the 10-40 model variants and somehow these 50-70s feel and look a little better. Anyway these DC8s are beautiful all around, in and out. Excellent attention paid to details big and small. Fantastic flight model that should satisfy any flight simmer. The engines roar and smoke like they should. Love the ground crew details that match each airline. The systems are almost all simulated, some more than others like the fuel management during flight while demand your attention sooner or later. No computer to manage tank draw during flight so you’ll need to periodically monitor every tanks level as your flight goes on and know when to throw the levers to change tanks or cross feed fill current ones in use. Very nice wing flex. Another excellent JF product. Used with FSX Steam Ed. Win10 3.3ghz i7 16GB Ram Intel UHD 630 integrated GPU. Frame rates become more demanding when within high detail add on scenery. Just occasional pauses when entering add on airspace that subside.

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