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Aircraft: Howard 500 for FS2004
File name (with VC): hw5vc4.zip
(14.7MB)
File name (without VC): hw5nc4.zip
(14.3MB)
Authors: Milton Shupe, Scott Thomas, &
Joáo Paz
Introduction: This is a
review of the newly released Howard 500 for FS2004
which was created by Milton Shupe, Scott Thomas,
and Joáo Paz. They have released
two versions of this plane, one with a virtural
cockpit and the other without. For this review,
I have only flown the version with the VC but
they are the same otherwise. Once again I will
be using my 100 point system to evaluate all the
aspects of this aircraft.
External Model (30pts): When I downloaded
this plane, the first thing that I noticed was
its stunning model. This aircraft has been skillfully
created using gMax and the model is one of the
finest I 've seen. Not only is the model itself
incredible, but it is fully animated. It includes
rolling wheels, moving flaps, an opening door,
and much more. When I compared this model to actual
photographs of a Howard 500 it looked correct
in every way. Also, this aircraft doesn't seem
to eat up a lot of frame rates. When I was flying
it, I had my resolution set at 800x600x32 with
most of the sliders maxed out (you can see my
system specs above) and it ran smooth. The only
time it was a little choppy was when I was flying
in stormy weather and even then it ran pretty
well. I feel that this wonderful model deserves
the full 30 out of 30 points.
Texturing (30pts): Of all the great features
that come with this plane, I have to say that
the texturing is my favorite. First of all it
is very authentic; its the livery that the only
remaining flyable Howard 500 in the United States
wears. This authentic texturing has been brilliantly
applied to this plane resulting in one of the
most beautiful aircraft available for FS2004.
One thing I noticed about the textures is they
look very real. By the look of them they appear
to be photorealistic textures; this means that
actual photographs of the plane were incorporated
into the texturing. Another wonderful feature
of the texturing is how colorful it is, the combination
of yellow, red, black, and silver makes the plane
shimmer in the sky. I give the textures 30 points
out of 30.
Panel (15pts):
2D Panel (10pts): The panel has been beautifully
made to represent the interior of a real Howard
500. Great care was taken to ensure that the panel
looked correct inside this aircraft. Other than
being very authentic, the panel provides all the
necessary tools needed to fly the 500 and leaves
enough window room to see where you re going.
I feel that this 2D panel is ideal for this plane
and as a result I give it 10 out of 10.
DVC (5pts): If you choose to download
that version that has a dynamic virtual cockpit
(DVC), you're in for a real treat. This is one
of the finest DVCs I have ever seen; it has all
the bells and whistles. The modeling in the cockpit
reflects the same talent and attention to detail
that created the exterior model. The creator did
a fantastic job modeling the interior. What impresses
me the most about this DVC is that there is more
than just a cockpit; they have modeled the entire
interior. Trust me, if you have a machine that
can handle the DVC it is definitely worth getting
it. This is a 5 out of 5 DVC!
Sounds (5pts): One of the least common
features for an add-on flight simulator aircraft
is a custom sound pack. Not only does this place
have one, but it has a very good one. The sounds
that come with this plane really make it come
to life. Without them, it would really detract
from the aircraft. They get 5 out of 5 points.
Flight Characteristics (20pts):
Where Tested: Seattle, WA. USA
Gainesville, FL. USA
Takeoff Characteristics: I found this
plane rather easy to get off the ground. The only
difficulty I had was keeping it perfectly straight,
but that wasn't a big deal. With the flaps set
at 50%, it takes a very short runway to get up
to takeoff speed. Once the plane reaches about
100 knots I gentle pull on the joystick is all
that is needed to get this beauty in the air.
In-flight Handling: This plane is a joy
to fly. It handles just how you would expect a
small passenger plane to handle; its somewhat
sluggish and forgiving. It is very easy to get
up to cruising altitude and fun to fly to your
destination. To me, this a very relaxing plane
to fly; as the creator's web site puts it, it's
A Pilot's Aircraft.
Landing Characteristics: This is an easy
plane to land because it handles nicely and does
not require a long runway, you could probably
land it almost anywhere. I found it best to touchdown
at about 110-120 knots with the flaps fully extended.
Overall: I feel that the flight characteristics
of this plane are very accurate. Plus, it's a
fun aircraft to fly! I give it the full 20 points.
Rating: 100% This plane is simply awesome,
it has everything that you could want in a FS2004
add-on.
From the Writer: Thanks for reading my
review of the Howard 500. If you have any comments
about what I have said please feel
free to let me know, I love to hear from people
who read my reviews. Also, if you enjoy this plane
as much as I do I recommend e-mailing the designers
and letting them know. The kind words of those
who love their work can really help inspire them
to make more aircraft of equal quality. Remember
it takes many long hours to create these wonderful
planes and they do it for free so if you love
their plane, let them know.
Also, if you would like to know more about the
Howard 500 or the creation of this wonderful FS
add-on (including many photos of both the real
and FS plane); visit the Howard 500 Project website
here: http://www.flightsimonline.com/howard500/
Richie
Barrett
Date Tested: June 27, 2004
Computer Specs
Processor: AMD Athlon XP2500 (2.0GHz)
Ram: 512MB PC2700
Graphics Card: 128MB ATI Radeon 9500 Pro
Test Pilot: Richie Barrett (RichieB31619@yahoo.com)
Do you fly for Real? No (well-not yet anyway)
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