Xsimreviews

Comments received at Chaos Manor the past several hours seem to confirm that Apple’s latest OS – v10.8 “Mountain Lion” – is transforming the experience many of us have of X-Plane, and in powerfully positive ways. Framerates improved, RAM usage down, GPU efficiencies and correspondingly better rendering noted by all reporting, and fewer crashes in 10.10b4 would seem to highlight the benefits coming in so far.

Maybe it’s just me, but with the Mac community a large part of the installed base in XP, and with Mac sales increasing dramatically the past two years, this just seems like a very big deal to me. Along those lines, all of screenshots in today’s post are putting these results out there for you to look over, and all in v10.10b4 with res at “HIGH” (not VERY HIGH, not EXTREME), with objects maxed out, and with HDR at 4x. Framerates solid and never dropping below 30, but usually in the 40s-60s range when down near airports, and much better at high altitudes. And NO OSM, all default rendering.

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Take a look at this video from Ramzzess highlighting all the liveries that are currently ready for the Trip7:

That’s 100 and growing, in case you missed it. Thankfully we’ve heard no grousing about these liveries being payware. Being sold in small batches makes this an affordable proposition, and will help keep these excellent painters happy and making more. That’s another win-win situation. Oh, how about Braniff? I missed that one? And a TWA retro? Please?!

And Philipp is producing some Trip7 FMC videos, and our correspondent Perry is keeping up to date on these. Perhaps we all should! 1000 + pages of OPS manuals? Sheesh!

Greg Hofer advises that a massive v10 update for his CF-104 is in the pipeline, and look for an updated post on this gorgeous file from us soon.

Reader John Rawlinson sends in these pics from Airventure/Oshkosh, by gosh!

The Douglas Dauntless seen above holds a special place in my family history – as my Dad flew these beasts in WWII, VMSB-235, during his first overseas deployment. There’s a nice one at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in D.C. too, but it sure is nice to see one still airborne today. Below, a newer variant of the same!?

And something a little more on the wild side;

Great images, John. Be sure to get Austin’s autograph!

In other news:

•  Cessna Aircraft has announced a new engine option for its Skylane 182 that will run on Jet A aviation fuel. The new engine, which burns up to 40% less fuel than an avgas engine, will be available in the second quarter of 2013, the company said. “This is a game-changer that opens up new markets and new regions of the world due to its versatility and performance,” said Jeff Umscheid of Cessna. General Aviation News
• The US Congress passed a bill Monday that would increase pilots’ rights, and the bill now awaits President Barack Obama’s signature. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., sponsored the bill after he landed a private plane on a closed runway in 2010. “This bill remedies many of the most serious deficiencies in the relationship between general aviation and the FAA, and ensures that pilots are, like everyone else, treated in a fair and equitable manner by the justice system,” Inhofe said. Las Vegas Sun/The Associated Press
• The technology that EADS North America uses in its X3 long-range helicopter can be transferred to other aircraft, the company says, and should allow the company to expand sales to the U.S. military. EADS is demonstrating its X3 hybrid helicopter, including in Washington. Defense News
• Brunswick Community College in North Carolina is partnering with Cape Fear Regional Jetport in Oak Island, N.C., to provide training for aviation jobs such as air-traffic controllers. “There is always a need for air traffic control operators,” said airport director Howie Franklin. “It’s a good job, with a good future, and it’s got a need.” The training program may not begin for several years. WECT-TV (Wilmington, N.C.)
• Pilots now have an opportunity to help the Recreational Aviation Foundation keep a valuable California airstrip open to the public. The National Park Service has begun the process to develop a new management plan for the Saline Valley Warm Springs area of Death Valley National Park that includes the Chicken Strip, an uncharted 1,350-foot dirt strip that provides fly-in access to the warm springs. AOPA Online.
• Every flight is different, and the risk involved for any given flight should take into account a variety of factors. Experience, weather, airport conditions — all play a factor in determining how eventful (or not) any flight will be. Let the Air Safety Institute help you decide if you’re pushing your envelope a bit too far. Our popular ASI Flight Risk Evaluator online course is coming soon to an iOS device near you. Take the course, then stop by the AOPA Tent at EAA AirVenture to see how we’ve turned this course into something you’ll want to reference before every flight!

Now, let’s drop back in on the Edinburgh, Scotland area and look at some OSM again.

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Aipilot’s Tree Lines and Farms for XP10 was just revised, and the efforts/results just may put this one on your radar if not already downloaded. Just look at the farmscapes in the image just above, and imagine them arrayed all over your rural landforms. Negligible frame-rate hit too.

I reinstalled the OSM Edinburgh scenery  by andydckent after hearing from him, and reinstalled my OSX scenery library as well. The results are much improved, and with Mountain Lion handling the rendering chores the results were more than impressive. Let’s jump in the STMA Turbine Otter and take a roundabout!

The Otter above is a “beta” of the next revision, still pending as a few more mods are going to be squeezed into the next update. The area above is about a mile south of the airport…

And above, about 3 miles SSE. Below, headed east now.

And above, heading east along the waterfront.

A lot more density now for some reason, so perhaps reinstalling helped out. I’d say this one moves in to the recommended / must have files for flights around these northern towns.

Oh yes, three new Otter paints out today by “Snow” as well:

Airlines PNG operates out of New Guinea, and this is the standout of the lot to me, though there is another US registry available (a nice red Pete’s Flying Service) as well as a Canadian (Whistler Air, replete in yellows and blues).

So, how about a turn around northeast Florida in the latest mercedes?

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Well, mercedes as in the developer, and his latest is a v9.70 file, and it just happens to work very well in v10.10b4, and as the facility is in Jacksonville, Florida you’ll be able to use this file with all of those recent files released in the American Southland.

So, welcome to KCRG + Craig Municipal! Let’s take in the overheads first:

Even a cursory glace will tell you that this one fits in with these many recent releases, including yesterday’s KILM + Wilmington. And this is a well executed GA facility, so take note and get this one onboard!

The first thing I noted when flying in here is the antennae farm north of the airport, and how pleasingly good Jacksonville looks with the default XP objects in place. This is, after all, just what these objects were made for, and additional OSM seems unnecessary here!

Below, turning onto final in the Carenado Seneca:

Now let’s take a look at a few of the highlights here, because ‘mercedes’ usually takes the time to get things right. How does this one look to you?

Yes, well, it looks mighty fine from where I sit! The blue fringing on the trees is a little out of character for v10, but c’est la vie. Of course, as this is a v9 file there’s no Global Illumination provided, and the ramps are simply dark as a result. Still, this has to rank as one of the better recent v9 freeware efforts, and is a highly recommended addition to our growing collection of airports in the South…even in v10.

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What a grand surprise this new Chilean airport was! Even with all the excitement yesterday with KILM and the Pitts Special, I couldn’t wait to try Remen’s new SCEL + Santiago de Chile out! Guess what? I think you’re going to enjoy this one for the airport and the region. Spectacular mountains, a huge city that looks very good at night and during the day, and a nicely detailed airport all await. Here’s the lay of the land, too:

Anyway you slice it, this is an excellent opportunity for those looking for a challenging long haul destination, and A340/A380, 744 and 772 OPS ought to be considered here. Regional flights to Colombia and Ecuador, as well as Brazil and Argentina are a natural, as well.

Once again, MacOS10.8 really seems to add a lot of punch to these images, with an excellent sharpness and density : FPS ratio. Take a look at the urban areas around this airport, with default XP objects and no OSM additions.

Still, there’s no doubt OSM would make a nice compare and contrast exercise in this area.

Airport detail, as well as that impressive cityscape, makes this a standout package, too.

And as this is a vibrant international airport I’m hard pressed to think of a better long range OPS opportunity that this one. Take a look at the carriers and destinations (and terminals):

Aerolíneas Argentinas	Buenos Aires-Aeroparque	I
Aerolíneas Argentinasoperated byAustral Líneas Aéreas	Mendoza, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Buenos Aires-Aeroparque	I
Aeroméxico	Mexico City	I
Air Canada	Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Toronto-Pearson	I
Air France	Paris-Charles de Gaulle	I
American Airlines	Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami	I
Avianca	Bogotá	I
Copa Airlines	Panama City	I
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta	I
Gol Transportes Aéreos	Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Porto Alegre, São Paulo-Guarulhos	I
Iberia	Madrid	I
LAN Airlines	Antofagasta, Auckland, Balmaceda, Bogotá, Buenos Aires-Aeroparque, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Calama, Cancún, Caracas, Córdoba, Easter Island, Frankfurt, Guayaquil, Iquique, La Paz, Lima, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mendoza, Mexico City, Miami, Montevideo, Mount Pleasant, New York-JFK, Papeete, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Punta Cana, Quito-Mitad del Mundo [begins October 12, 2012], Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Sydney Seasonal: Orlando	D, I
LAN Express	Antofagasta, Arica, Balmaceda, Calama, Concepción, Copiapó, Iquique, La Serena, Osorno, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, São Paulo-Guarulhos, Temuco, Valdivia	D, I
LAN Argentina	Buenos Aires-Ezeiza	I
LAN Ecuador	Guayaquil, Quito-Mariscal Sucre, Quito-Mitad del Mundo	I
LAN Perú	Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Lima	I
PAL Airlines	Antofagasta, Calama, Copiapó, Iquique	D
Qantas	Sydney	I
Sky Airline	Antofagasta, Arequipa, Arica, Balmaceda, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Calama, Concepción, Copiapó, El Salvador, Iquique, La Paz, La Serena, Lima, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Temuco	D, I
TACA Airlines/Lacsa	Lima, San José (CR)	I
TACA Airlines operated byTACA Perú	Lima	I
TAM Airlines	Rio de Janeiro-Galeão, São Paulo-Guarulhos	I
TAM Airlines Paraguay	Asunción	I

See what I mean? OPS to the US, Europe and Australia are all valid, and of course regional opportunities abound.

So after just a few flights in and out of this one I can recommend this one highly; detail is not overwhelming but is just enough to satisfy, and I can’t wait to take a certain 777-200LR from here to Dallas or Atlanta…soon!

Oh, then there’s that Leading Edge DC3 all dressed up in one of Leen’s latest! A hard to beat combination if ever there was one!

Well, that’s about it for now. Erica is out with surgery tomorrow so I’ll be offline for a few days, but Simon and FT56 will keep you posted if and as things develop. Hasta later – C