Oops, I did it again!

I succumbed to "download-itis" again, that is.

The first set of images comes from an recent and extraordinary freeware offering, the Hawker Hurricane IID by Touch the Sky Simulations. As you can see from the images, the virtual cockpit is extremely detailed, and most of it can be worked with the mouse. The sound set makes the engine roar like its meteorological namesake.

I've been looking for a really good warbird, and have contemplated buying one, but I think this model will fill the need. It's a real challenge to land this thing, so it will be a satisfying accomplishment when I feel really comfortable. Getting it on the ground in one piece is only the beginning-- those high, closely-spaced gear make it pretty wobbly on the ground, so it takes a bit of skill to keep it from scraping a wingtip, or worse. In the second screenshot you can see the stall warning in the lower right just as I am touching down. I guess I did that one ok!

There is one issue I discovered with this model last night, as you can see here. This is not a crash, but an inexplicable sinking into the ground. I'm sure there will be a fix for this soon.

And now for something completely different-- the Pebble Shores Municipal Airport by Kobbe Farwick. I normally resist airport upgrades, since I am concerned about performance hits. However, this is in an out of the way location in Oregon, so I figured there was little risk. This scenery is strictly for fun. There are lots of neat details scattered around the airport as well as the surrounding area. It is more or less realistic, with a few fantasy items thrown in, such as the rainbow and the killer whales that bob out of the water.

I'm flying the ultralight so that I can go slow enough to check out the fine details.

This fly-through barn is stock Microsoft scenery, as anyone who has tried the "kiosk" barnstorming flight knows. Not so hard in the ultralight! This scenery is a nice break from more challenging exercises, such as landing the Hurricane.
OK, that's it. No more downloads for a while. I promise. :-)

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