Bushi
Charter Member
I have nothing but disappointment for most of the airplanes and liveries included with FS2004. I fully expect that the developers knew that the 'aftermarket' would supply quality aircraft for their FLIGHT sim.. and am happy they didn't blow the whole development budget on pretty flying machines! And as is expected, 99.9% of my logged time, is in 'aftermarket' airplanes, be they freeware or payware! Yes.. I do sometimes take the little Cub up for an hour or so.. simply because it was a Cub I soloed in 
But I absolutely despise looking at the default 737,s MD-80's, 777's, Dash 8's, 747's, (..even the low quality textures on the General Aviation types) that share the sky and airports with me. NOT wanting to fly in a post-apocalyptic "Omega Man" world where it's just me left... I have once again decided to replace pretty much ALL of the default aircraft that the AI controls, with ones of MY choosing!
I've done it before, then there was the GREAT hard drive crash of 2013.. and I've put this task off for far too long. So.... over the past week, I've been a busy boy! A couple I had replaced long ago, but decided to have a marathon replacement session... NOT as easy as you might think!
Sure, the detail is higher, so frame rate COULD suffer.. but by making almost everything DXT3 (I have NO idea if this helps), and with my system, (a widescreen gaming laptop), even in San Francisco with AI traffic set to max, my frame rates, especially if I actually SIT in the flight deck in the VC and look out the windows, do not drop below 23.. and I have them set for 25.. so.. not an issue! AND, well worth it for an airport populated by nicely modeled and detailed airplanes.
Yes, I've replaced one type with another in the 'aircraft' section of TTools, but have been careful that the new airplane shares a good bit of the parameters of the one replaced, in order NOT to cause issues with the flight plans. But for the most part, 747's and 777's were replaced by 747's or 777's, Md-83's by MD-83's, 737's by 737's...
I did replace the Dash 8's with a combination of BAE-146's and DHC Dash 7's, even though the Dash 7 from Milton Shupe wasn't very keen on being piloted by an AI... and took a lot of trial and error fiddling with the cfg. to even get it to fly properly... testament to the amount of work and detail incorporated into the flying characteristics of the original model... FAR more than the AI in FS2004 can deal with!! Sure, she porpoises more than a bit on short final.. but I'll look away and not judge the pilot.. . who does get the big girl on the runway in one piece! LOL
Anyway, it's been fun, I have TONS of cool looking eye candy now, and have replaced 17 of the airplanes listed in the aircraft list in TTools. I have yet to add any new flight plans.. maybe later.
So, this was three hours work this morning, a repaint of a blank white TDS 737-800 in WestJet colours. No paintkit.. just my tried and true 'tinting' method, and done from three good photographs sourced on the internet, and a downloaded jpeg of the WestJet logo.
Three hours... a far cry from the almost TEN I spent painting a TDS 727 Freighter up as a passenger carrier for my ficticious "PACIFICA" airlines. It was a lot of fun to do.. even adding all those windows....inside and out... and I'm happy.
I'll add my replacement airplanes in the comments below... three at a time.. because that's all I'm allowed..
So, here are three, my WestJet 737, Pacifica 727, and another paint converted from a freighter to a passenger carrier, my Emirates 777-200.
Cheers
Dave
But I absolutely despise looking at the default 737,s MD-80's, 777's, Dash 8's, 747's, (..even the low quality textures on the General Aviation types) that share the sky and airports with me. NOT wanting to fly in a post-apocalyptic "Omega Man" world where it's just me left... I have once again decided to replace pretty much ALL of the default aircraft that the AI controls, with ones of MY choosing!
I've done it before, then there was the GREAT hard drive crash of 2013.. and I've put this task off for far too long. So.... over the past week, I've been a busy boy! A couple I had replaced long ago, but decided to have a marathon replacement session... NOT as easy as you might think!
Sure, the detail is higher, so frame rate COULD suffer.. but by making almost everything DXT3 (I have NO idea if this helps), and with my system, (a widescreen gaming laptop), even in San Francisco with AI traffic set to max, my frame rates, especially if I actually SIT in the flight deck in the VC and look out the windows, do not drop below 23.. and I have them set for 25.. so.. not an issue! AND, well worth it for an airport populated by nicely modeled and detailed airplanes.
Yes, I've replaced one type with another in the 'aircraft' section of TTools, but have been careful that the new airplane shares a good bit of the parameters of the one replaced, in order NOT to cause issues with the flight plans. But for the most part, 747's and 777's were replaced by 747's or 777's, Md-83's by MD-83's, 737's by 737's...
I did replace the Dash 8's with a combination of BAE-146's and DHC Dash 7's, even though the Dash 7 from Milton Shupe wasn't very keen on being piloted by an AI... and took a lot of trial and error fiddling with the cfg. to even get it to fly properly... testament to the amount of work and detail incorporated into the flying characteristics of the original model... FAR more than the AI in FS2004 can deal with!! Sure, she porpoises more than a bit on short final.. but I'll look away and not judge the pilot.. . who does get the big girl on the runway in one piece! LOL
Anyway, it's been fun, I have TONS of cool looking eye candy now, and have replaced 17 of the airplanes listed in the aircraft list in TTools. I have yet to add any new flight plans.. maybe later.
So, this was three hours work this morning, a repaint of a blank white TDS 737-800 in WestJet colours. No paintkit.. just my tried and true 'tinting' method, and done from three good photographs sourced on the internet, and a downloaded jpeg of the WestJet logo.
Three hours... a far cry from the almost TEN I spent painting a TDS 727 Freighter up as a passenger carrier for my ficticious "PACIFICA" airlines. It was a lot of fun to do.. even adding all those windows....inside and out... and I'm happy.
I'll add my replacement airplanes in the comments below... three at a time.. because that's all I'm allowed..
So, here are three, my WestJet 737, Pacifica 727, and another paint converted from a freighter to a passenger carrier, my Emirates 777-200.
Cheers
Dave
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