Let’s take a look to the major update of New York Airports packages by Drzewiecki’s designs. Payware update also for v1 owners
We all know how stunning was the view while landing in any New York’s airport with the Drzewiecki’s design amazing scenery. While New York City XP is still available, they updated the New York airports package, sold in two different (and independent) volumes. Let’s see the differences between v1 and v2.
New in version 2 or New York Airports:
Much better visuals
100% of objects re-exported
new ground polygons with better textures
new aerial images
better detail objects (ground service vehicles, cars, people)
animated objects
Performance up to 200% higher than in v1
Extensive LODs
Custom shadows
Lights done from scratch
All models re-exported and highly optimized
All textures compiled to 4096pix sheets
Ground polygons highly optimized
New, optional static aircraft
Updated layouts (aprons, taxiways, markings etc.)
Full compatibility with XP10 and XP11
Support for XP11 native features like reflections, ATC, AI traffic, animated vehicles
The update for v1 owners is still payware but with the 35% of discount (total price is 15.6$, not bad).
The two packages contains the following airports: John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Teterboro in Volume 1 and Newark Intl, Essex County, Linden in Volume 2.
The A-37 Dragonfly is released at x-plane.org. This is the new entry on military market and it’s interesting in the way it flies.
If you were thinking that Cessna produced only little passenger planes and business jets you are wrong. Indeed they produced also some military aircraft that are not well-known as the C172 and the Eclipse series.
The A320 by FlightFactor is a very advanced plane, also in airac updating and installation. This How To post is made to teach the AIRAC updating that seems to be not very understandable by the pilots. I advice you to always read manuals.
The first step is to run your AIRAC regardless of wether Aerosoft or Navigraph. Once you are there install the A320 Airac on your desktop.
You’ll get a “FlighFactorA320” folder. Open it and open the “data” subfolder.
Now rename the “nav.db” file in “nav1.db” and put it on your “data” folder of the aircraft directory.
You’re done. Next month just rename the “nav1.db” file you’ve created today in “nav2.db”, to get a better backup, and repeat the process. You can overwrite the older files or mantain them as you like.
The most advanced Airbus simulation was released today by FlightFactor. Go get your copy for $89.95 while you’re still able to access the .org store!
Yeah, finally! The wait for the FF A320 is ended a hour ago as FlightFactor released the plane while the testers, also me, received some days ago the RC. This is quite a surprise as most of us were expecting the ToliSS A319 to come out first, but FF worked quietly and released one of the best plane for X-Plane today.
A good news also for Tom’s Cockpit. We told you it would have released around the middle of February, and that’s it. Ok Auto-Celebration is finished :).
The full features of the plane are listed below while you can get your plane here:
“The model has its own flight model and a system depth never seen before on any flight sim. The goal was to provide an experience as close to the real aircraft as possible.
Custom Flight model
Flight developed by professional to mimic the real aircraft
Precise aerodynamic model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc
Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics
More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logic and behavior
Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays
High-Definition Model
Hi-quality and realistic interior and exterior visual model
Hi-quality and realistic sound pack with hundreds of sounds from the real aircraft
Hi-quality display graphics (4K panel)
Unique rain effects
Fast access popup panel system
Precise aerodynamical model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc
Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics
More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logic and behavior
Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays.
Realistic simulation of transition effects, self-tests and other real aircraft undocumented features
Physically based implementation of electric, hydraulic, fuel and pneumatic systems with realistic responses and state transitions
Precise flight management system with full profile predictions and modes of operation
Autopilot, indistinguishable from real aircraft, with all modes, transition effects and undocumented features
X-Updater
The model come with the X-Updater for easy update of your aircraft. The X-Updater will easily update your aircraft to the latest version without having to re-download the entire file.”
I advice you to avoid the livery packs as some of the liveries are way less detailed than the one you can find for free on the forums, like the ones done by MB Liveries who’s working right in these minutes to release Alitalia New.
Quick review of SimHat by rkApps (deveoper of XPRealistic) that deserves to be the best alternative to more expensive infrared trackers on the market
It’s the wish of all the iOS users without enough money to buy a TrackIR. For Android addicts is way simpler to set up a good head tracker while it’s too difficult for Apple’s devices owners. SimHAt is the latest demonstration of the cleverness of RK, that also developed XPRealistic.
Roy is quite a certainity as everything he released was mentioned and reviews by almost any blogger or similar X-Plane addicted on every site or facebook group, and that’s my turn.
I found this application by chance, as I didn’t really know the existance of such a thing. I built a decent Android head tracker latest summer based my old htc One S, that was quite accurated, but nothing compared to an original TrackIR. So I gave up on my project in September since I found out my mouse was a lot more confortable, at least until yesterday when I bought this application.
The app has a price of 9.99$ on the USA store but it costs 10.19€ on the italian one (more expensive), and you can buy it here. I think this didn’t happen by author choice, but by Apple’s policy. Of course it has also an official site, with a forum and a customer care that are simply excellent. I had some issues yesterday by installing and using SimHat but in less than 2 hours I sorted it out with Roy’s help.
Once I could connect the app to X-Plane 11 (it works also with the v10 and with FSX/P3D), I built a quick support using an old cover for my iPhone 6S plus, you can see the broken corner, and a hat I got in my wardrobe for ages. The cover is arranged to the visor with a bit of biadhesive tape and hot glue to stabilize it.
To know how it works you can just visit the “Manual” page of the site, all you need is X-Plane and your ipV4 address. I’d focus more on the experience you can get with this tracker.
Without the mediation of any other program between your phone/tablet and X-Plane the smoothness is wonderful, but you need to find the best setup with the sliders of the app for every single axis. This ensure you the best possible quality that, obviously, depends a lot on your hardware and field of view.
As soon as you are in X-Plane you feel the difference between the mouse and SimHat, adding realism and immersion. I advice you to enable the TrackIR option both on X-Plane’s rendering options and on XPRealistic panel to get the best experience you get. To be fair, the best experience requires X-Camera that I don’t use, but if I was you I’d give it a chance.
Despite the great quality and the utility, for me greater than the one provided by XPTracker, this app seems not to be so famous, but it should be at least for the ones not using VR or other infrared tracking systems. Anyway it clearly deserves the 5 stars on the App Store (even if it misses the zoom feature) while the Android version is under development.
I leave you with this demostration video recorded directly by the developer, you can find it on the official site.
I want to clarify that this review it’s totally independent since the developer did not influence my judge neither he provided me the material reviewed.
Do you enjoy X-Plane? Are you experienced enough to help members? Are you a newbie looking for help? As long as you breath and use X-Plane feel free to join XPD facebook group.
