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Abacus's Flight Simulator WWII Try-Buy Aircraft
By Pete WaddellBesides the tools, you'll need the know-how to be able to make edges appear invisible, to make transparent windows, to make surfaces smooth instead of ragged. All of this takes a lot of experience.Prior to beginning my evaluation, I asked Arnie Lee of Abacus a few questions regarding the Try-Before-You-Buy program and their add-on aircraft:
PW: The 'demo' versions and the 'paid' versions are very similar. What are the differences?
ARNIE: Other than the seven-day trial limitation, there are no differences. After using a plane for seven days, it expires.
The P-51 Cockpit
PW: The aircraft have a lot of detail put into the design and flight model. How long does it take to make a typical aircraft?
ARNIE: Anywhere from 100 to 500 hours. It depends on the complexity of the model. You'll notice that on the P-51 for example, the paint is fantastic, unlike most others. This is where we have the good fortune of graphic artists such as Scott Nix working with us to get it just right.
PW: What is involved in making an aircraft?
ARNIE: First, you'll need to create the visual model. Designers used to use Aircraft Factory 99. Now they use FS Design Studio. We publish both of these tools. To add moving parts, you need to have great coding skills, or use a tool such as Aircraft Animator. We publish this tool too. To make a cockpit and instrument panel, you can use a tool such as Custom Panel Designer. Guess who makes this? Yes, us.
The Mustang External View
To make it fly right, you'll need an appropriate flight model. In many cases, we use the published specs, but that won't suffice. You'll need an experienced flyer that can tell if the turn radius feels right or if the power increases proportionately to the throttle. To create a great flight model requires a lot of trial and error.
Outside view of the 262
