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Extraordinary X-Plane
By Bob "Groucho" MarksProduct Name: X-Plane
Version: 5.54
Category: Civilian & Military Aircraft Simulation
Developer: Laminar Research
Publisher: Xicat Interactive, Inc.
Release Date: Released
System Spec: PII 300MHZ or PowerPC 200MHz PowerMac, 96MB RAM, 80MB HD space, OpenGL capable video card--GeForce2 (recommended) for PC, ATI Radeon (recommended) for Mac
Demo: Demo
Article Type: Review
Article Date: December 19th, 2000
Have you ever wanted to make your own sim? Come on . . . admit it. You have plopped down a few hours worth of wages for a shiny plastic disc, and excitedly slipped it into the retractable drink holder mechanism of your monster gaming rig. This is the newest, most advanced, greatest flight sim produced by MegaConglomo Corporation---rumored to be the next best thing to renting your own metal bird from your local FBO. After all, MegaConglomo has been making flight sims since you were a punk kid, and Simulated Flight 2001 is the newest of this distinguished line.
After performing the defrag/install fandango we all know and love, you fire up this portal to another world, one in which you can actually afford to fly. But what’s this? The pretty looking Cessna that you’ve selected to be your test mule to gauge the authenticity of this new whiz-bang flight sim feels, well, wrong. You can nail crosswind landings in the real thing all the livelong day, but why can’t you get this simulated version to even slow down? Shrugging, you download more exotic fare. An SR-71 might be fun for a jaunt into the upper reaches of the stratosphere . . . but the flight model flies exactly like the stock 737 that comes with the sim, only faster. Each feels so contrived, so . . . simulated. “Damn,” you profane, “I could do better than this, if only I had time, money, talent, training, equipment, brains, a good looking secretary, and a huge distribution contract with a powerhouse software publisher.”
A Saudi Airlines 777 awaits takeoff at Duluth. Obviously an unscheduled stop.
Genesis 1992
About eight years ago, Austin Meyers had a similar thought. Unlike the vast majority who lacked the very basics, he thought he could make it happen on brains and talent alone and put his plan into action by starting a garage company called Laminar Research. Austin, a graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor degree in aeronautical engineering, first coded X-Plane on a Macintosh. In reality, he’s never stopped coding his creation. He estimates that he has released 150 different versions of X-Plane--that’s an average of a new updated build every three weeks!
A Rutan Long-Eze departs KTSP. X-Plane accurately models canard aircraft- a rarity indeed.
X-Plane has, until very recently, been known as an expensive toy for the ultra-hardcore. Initially selling for around $150 US per copy directly from Laminar Research only, it seemed destined to remain a boutique item. Recently, however, after an agreement with Xicat Interactive, the price has dropped to the same level as most PC game software and will soon be appearing on the same retail outlet shelves (sorry, no Mac version planned for retail) as its more entrenched civilian flight sim competitors . Boy, are they in trouble.
A Rutan Long-Eze in wireframe form in Plane Maker.
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