|
|
Simulating The Avro Lancaster Heavy Bomber Sitting Behind Your Own Computer
The day I write this I am 64 years old and so is the peace that followed World War II. This means that I'm from "after the war", and that's the way I want to keep it! It also means that I only saw the Avro Lancaster bomber in peacetime fly-by's which is a scarce enough happening anyway, considering that there are only two (!) airworthy Lancasters left in the whole wide world. There's very little airtime to be shared among the eager crowd, so there are probably not even a dozen people who get to fly a real Lancaster from the left seat every once in a while.
The closest us lowly earth dwellers can come to flying a "true" Lancaster, is via simulation. I am dedicated to Microsofts Flight Simulator X, in which I fly "my own" version of the Lancaster B1, a hybrid based on the "Wings of Power" version for exterior and flight model, and for the 2-D instrument panel on just about everything up to and including the kitchen sink. Out of many available panels and gauges that I collected in years of flight simming, I made a strictly individual panel version.
Panel rearranging required!
I've got two reasons to design my own panels and gauges. Initially because there's no ready made Lancaster panel available that looks to my liking. Secondly because existing panels put the simulated pilots position somewhere in the lateral center of the cockpit, like straight behind the engine controls. That's no good: it takes away much of the illusion or immersion. Although my real world flying experiences are sadly confined to single engines like Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee, I know that Lancaster pilots did not sit with their precious crotch shoved painfully into the throttle/propeller quadrants of their Avro Lancaster bomber!
My panel redesigns produce a much more natural pilots position, and considerably enlarged gauges. Simulation, including flight simulation, is illusion - and I don't give a fig about the panel lay-out being realistic: I want it to look and feel realistic within the confines of a computer screen!!
The physical controls
In order to achieve a acceptable amount of realism, flying your simulated bomber with the keyboard or mouse won't do. If you can even remotely afford it, a steering yoke is an absolute must, with a set of pedals coming in a close second. Fortunately such hardware add-ons are available in a wide price range, from very sturdy but equally expensive, to somewhat wobbly but easily in the affordability sector of most of us.
Concerning this subject I have a confession to make. Some six years ago I got the cheapest yoke and pedals available, and I still have and use them without a problem and to my continuing satisfaction! In those years I must have bought for more than a couple of thousand dollars worth of other flight sim equipment, but I never saw any reason for discarding my old and faithful pedals/yoke set! Sure, eventually I'll replace them, even if it is only on account of normal wear and tear from almost daily use, but it's not necessary yet.
A very flustered face!
You'll never hear me say that a relatively simple computer simulation like MS Flight Simulator can ever give you the joy of flying the real thing, but sometimes it comes pretty darn close. I've made quite a lot of sim landings under conditions that turned my brow sweaty with concentration, and sweaty with almost physical fear! Nor am I the only one with such experiences. I think it was around 2004 that an RAF flight crew trained for, and eventually flew, an MS-simulated historic Dam Busters raid. Those jet pilots and "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime" types left the simulator after their final flight with a healthy respect for Microsofts simulation software, and for the good old Avro Lancaster. You won't see them looking down on "that game" or "that old bomber" anymore!
Manchester Airport Parking Is The Way To Stay
Open twenty four hours a day it is no wonder so many people choose to park their car in Manchester Airport parking lots.
Purple Parking Gatwick - Book London Gatwick Airport Parking On The Internet, Get An Instant London Gatwick Airport Vehicle
Purple parking is a service being offered at all airports across the United Kingdom of England. It is one of the cheapest parking available and apart from parking it also offers ride facility.
Have You Heard About Callerton Parking Newcastle Airport? Some Important Advice About This
Whether you are going on a flight for a business trip or for a vacation, people will always want to bring their own cars so that they can experience the convenience of not going through the not sub-par conditions of the public transportation system.
Best Thing About Newcastle Airport Parking Services
Is there no one to drive you to the airport at 3am? If your answer is no, then you don't have to worry because you can just drive yourself to a car park Newcastle airport. These facilities offer cheap parking rates.
Newcastle International Air-Port Parking Would It Be In Fact A Worthwhile Option
Airport car parking is one of the problems that constantly plague travelers. Many airport car parks slots get filled up fast and they tend to be expensive because they know that people will pay for them anyway, since they're in demand.
Newcastle Terminal, A Contemporary Surprise For North Of England
How hard is it for you to carry all the baggage that you need to the airport? Truly, it can be very tedious to bring all of the things that you need. And if you think about it, you cannot solely rely on public transportation to help you out
Newcastle Airport Parking Promotional Codes How To Find The Latest Codes
Getting Newcastle Airport parking promotional codes means saving a lot of money on parking costs. But why would you even need airport parking discount codes in the first place? On any given day, you could easily be competing with hundreds and thousands of people for parking space.
|
More Articles
Blogroll
|
