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Reviews

   

The "Sportsmans" package

Part1

from Bill Lyons

REVIEW by Roger "Maddog" Gaylor

Good day to ya fellow simmers. The "Maddog" here with another review to feast your eyes upon. Today I have some HOT news for you that you won't want to pass up.

I'm sure anyone who hasn't been living under a rock are familiar with Bill Lyons' wonderful classic creations for the flightsim world. Creations such as the Waco, the Cannibal Queen stearman, the T50 Bobcat and even a blimp and hotair baloon just to name a few. His last release being the Classic DH82a Tiger Moth biplane collection.

His freeware contributions have been around for several years now. But to obtain his ingenious creations today it's now necessary to contribute to his retirement fund a bit :-) But, unlike a lot of the payware offerings today, to quote a simmer from a recent forum message, "you get more bang for the buck" from Bill.

Now Bill Lyons has done it again with his new "Sportsman" package from the Golden Eagles Squadron. This package features the beautifully crafted classic Ryan STA/YPT16, but that's just for starters. Along with this stunning aircraft, you get for the first time anywhere a human snow skier to experience the slopes of Aspen with. And also a skater to hurry on down to the coner grocery to pick up your favorite six-pack between commercials. If that's not enough to wet your appetite, there's also a fabulous 1934 Ford convert-a-top to see the scenery from the ground view. And to explore all the waterways Bill has included a wooden cruiser that will blow your mind.

 

The Aircraft - Ryan STA

So lets break it down some to show you just what "Bang" you're getting. Let's start with the plane itself. It comes in two models, one a float version with a variety of color schemes for each. It is a very fun aircraft to fly as you scoot through the clouds. It is designed with all the latest features including reflective textures and virtual cockpit.

Bill has been almost a pioneer in the use of the virtual cockpit. I think he was the first to design a VC utilizing gauges way back in FS98. Pressing the "/" key inserts animated pilots. The pilots have animated scarfs blowing in the wind, a nice touch. The plane even has animated flames coming out of the exhaust pipes, which is sooo cool. The beautiful antique gauges even have a lighted glow when you're flying at night and the cockpit is fully animated.

And of course Bill is one of the best FD crafters there are bar none. So you'll enjoy flying this pretty bird just as much.

The 34 Ford is a work of art. From it's classy lines down to the exquisite chrome capped rims. Both doors open to show a fully textured interior including a wooden dash and cloth seats. The stearing wheel turns with the front wheels and the ahooga horn blows also. What more could you want?! It has great night lighting including exterior and dash lights. The convertable canvas top pops off with the strobes key and you can even see the smoke from the exhaust while the engine is running. The Aoooha horn can be heard by pressing the F8 key. As you're driving along the dash with it's wooden look and the antique gauges make you really feel like you're back in the 1930s with the wind blowing through your hair. A most magnificiant addition to the package. Oh, and in case I forgot to mention it, the "/" inserts two passengers in the Ford.
The Garwood is another invaluable collection piece which, if you owned a real one or similiar today, it would truely be a most expensive collector's item. It as with the Ford, has an animated virtual interior and is even more in depth. You will see two entrys in the aircraft menu. Garwood and Garwood Cabin. The first entry will put you behind the helm in the interior while the second entry puts you into the hull or living quarters below of the cruiser. The helm which is animated along with the throttle gives you a feeling of complete control. The cabin area is fully detailed from an old Philco radio and books on a shelf to pictures on the wall of Bill & Lynn. There's some charts and a lamp and you can see out the portholes. The cabin door to the upper area will even open when using the Shift +E key. All that's missing is Popeye :-) The Garwood has several features besides the unique virtual interior one of which is the anchor. The anchor can be retracted with the F5 Key and dropped into the water with the F8 key. Or once you start moving, it will retract automaticaly. If you're inside the cabin you can even hear the anchor chain as it is raised or lowered into the water. Very cool. Also once the cruiser starts moving, you'll notice the flag will appear and flutter in the wind. As with the car and plane, the "/" key inserts a driver and a passenger in the rear seated at the table. It has a full aray of individually controlled night lighting and if you'll notice in the Flights image, you can even see some colored lights when choosing the "Christmas on the Columbia River" Flight. As with the Ford, it has lots of chrome all over from the railing and lights, and just smells of the aristocratic nature of this exquisite vessel. You will have hours of enjoyment and check out the flights that come with the package for exploring sights that I'll bet you've never seen before.

 

 

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