Simviation Forums

Any chance we could sticky this?

After Kirk Olsson released the Viper, the freeware design community really kicked things into high gear.  My goal is to create a list of the absolute BEST freeware aircraft and sceneries.

Don't add anything to the list that is "okay".  I'm talking a hands down winner -  the very best of the best.

I'll start.  HOPEFULLY this list won't be full of "Yeah I agree" type posts.  I'm trying to compile a true list.  Feel free to add to it, as I'm sure I will as I think of more add-ons.

My nominations, in no particular order are:

1.  The 737 Experience by Moach.
2.  Kirk Olsson's Viper.
3.  Meljet 747.
4.  Meljet 777.
5.  F-18 Hornet by Daisuke Yamamoto.
6.  Bacolod SuperScenery (animated) by Arch't. Ver Walter Gulfan.
7.  The Stearman Package by Dave Eckert.
8.  Airport Environment Upgrade by Chris Arrington.
9.  Project BlueSphere by Gerrit Kranenbarg.
10.  MAAM Reading, Pennsylvania scenery by Bill Womack, Kenneth Weik, Charles Dayhuff and Tony Fosler.
11.  Project AI - by Project AI.
12.  Terrain Mesh by Stephen Rothlisberger.
13.  Waterzone replacement water texture...can't find an author name, but Lemoncat/Spitroast built this one.
14.  Liquid Scenery by HoverControl.  (A must have for rotorheads!)


EDIT:  It's been asked already a few times to put links up for people who don't know how or are to lazy to look for them...problem is, I'm the guy who is too lazy to look for them.....I'll modify periodically with links.

The recent P-3 Orion by FS KBT  ;)

Downloading it right now!^

Great Idea Hype!  Hope the mods will slap this onto the bulleting board!  I think we should also add where to find addons if they're not easily found at SimV, Nonodes, or AVSIM or other large FS sites.  That way half the responses wont be 'where to find' questions.

My nominations are some of the other big design houses for silver cigars:
~SGA DC-10 series,
~SGA DC-9,MD-80,717 series
~iFDG A320
~Posky 757s, A340s, 767sV4- the best of these types in freeware are definitely from POSKY.
Also:
~Boston Logan Intl Scenery by George Grimshaw
~Hong Kong International Scenery by Thomas Kwong
~FS Sky World?

Colombia River Gorge Scenery - Holger Sandman
Howard 500

Please don't forget the Project Tupolev TU154_V94. True it's a little difficult to learn, being so complex, but well worth the effort! The only thing I wish was that they would allow replacement of the Soviet nav system with a modern GPS for use outside Russia.

My list:

Alpha Ciel Bleu- Corsair    
Alpha Ciel Bleu- Alphajet  
KBT FA-18 E/F   EAG
KBT P3C Orion  
Dave Eckerts Stearman
Posky 757     (wspilots special compilation at www.wspilots.com)
Moach's 737 Experience
Aeroplane Heavens Seafire www.aeroplaneheaven.com
Simtech Staggerwing  www.wspilots.com
Simtech Lavochlin La-7 www.wspilots.com
P-47 Thunderbolt    www.fswarbirds.com
Howard 500
Mil Mi24 Hind
Dino Canteo's F-14 A/B  
Coral F-15
DSB Tornado F3/Gr4 (panel aint good but exterior )
DSB Eurofighter
FSDZigns Constelation (waiting for the VC)
Berserk's Mig-29
Hawker SeaHurricane  from Robert Sanderson
Bell 430 package+repaints www.Hovercontrol.com

Kai Tak Scenery by Roger Mole
Balcalod Scenery
World Mesh
Bill Lyons Water fs9wat.zip (page 4 scenery over here)
Airport environment upgrade
Fs skyworld 2004
Sun upgrade (avsim-typy sun in fs2004 misc it's the bottom file)

Last but not least

F1VIEW  www.flight1.com (an absolute must if you do not have active cam)


Where the sites are not noted then it's availible here at simv. If you cannot find a file then just ask
Something like this?

Beechcraft Twin Bonanza by Eric Dantes
Beech 18 Volpar by Brian Gladden
Aero Commander sieries by Milton Schup
Rockwell Turbo Commander 690B* Dont know who its by, but it is awsome.
Cascade mountains scenery by Holgar Sandmann (I dont mess with add-on scenery much, so it might not be the BEST ever, but I think it is)

All available here at The V!

*dont remember where I got it, could have been here, or AvSim.

..mmmm....aircraft like the 737 Experience are wonderful as are individual airports for the guys who like to fly from them, but they don't do much for the Sim as a whole..IMHO.

My two-pennyworth of Payware add-ons...

FS Navigator....for FS 2002/FS 2004...essential must-have's...!
LAGO's FSSE (Flight Sim Scenery Enhancer) for FS 2002.
LAGO's FSE   (Flight Sim Enhancer) for FS 2004, (together with Soundscape).

Cheers all...!

Paul.

On the freeware;
ANY Rick Piper aircraft
The Soko Galeb (available here in Military downloads)
The Hungarian Scenery add-ons (to make up for M$ ignoring this corner of the world), found at http://web.axelero.hu/varhegyiw

On the payware front;
Just Flight Vulcan
RealAir Spitfire

On the "must have" freeware list.........

the BAe 146-200 by Jon Murcheson of Aircraft Repaints New Zealand with the version 3.0 "cold and dark" panel by Matthias Lieberecht of the BAe Panel Project.

It is in the SimV libraries.

best,

................john

On the freeware;
ANY Rick Piper aircraft

I was about to say the same thing! ANything from the guys over at CBFSIM

My top favorite is  David Maltby's collection all of them have a good mix of 3 great qualities: friendly to fly, pretty design and extended documentation.
http://www.dmflightsim.co.uk/

the Tu 154 from http://www.protu-154.com is also a gem but way too fussy complication in pre-required procedure. too tricky: starting the engines is long but rather easy: just follow the 3 pages of switch and press actions. But if you wish a working autopilot or navaids and ils, then come all a work to browse the forum to find about the various erratas in switch orders.
But when all this is completed this splendid model will give you GREAT TIME

Another piece of art is Erick Cantu's  'Vistaliners Boeing 727

On freeware one of the very best has to be the Bf108 Taifun by Guenter Kramer.

If you havn't tried this, do so you will not be dissappointed.

The P-C3 ORION by TEAM FS KBT AVAILABLE HERE AT SIMVIATION!!

http://www.simviation.com/fs2004military59.htm