This is a short review of the new Virtavia payware F-111 aircraft for FSX.
This review is based on what I know FSX can do and four years experience working as an avionics specialist on the FB-111A in the USAF.
What's Good
Good Virtual Cockpit model.
2048 x 2048 Resolution textures.
Better flight model than the FS9 model.
Virtual Cockpit night lighting is good.
Working E scope mode on TFR display.
Nice variety of aircraft and weapons load.
Working spoilers in flight.
What's Bad
Speed Brake key operates spoiler brake instead of the speed brake. All four spoiler should not deploy at the same time in flight. You would crash if this happened on the real aircraft. It should deploy the speed brake as it did with there FS9 version.
Pop-up panels use the default FSX aircraft panels, this takes away from quality of good VC.
Nozzle textures just look bad.
HUD very unrealistic, it is not even close to the real F-111 HUD.
TFR and Attack radar display colors are wrong and TFR ground mapping unrealistic.
It would have been nice to make more Virtual Cockpit switches functional
Take Off Trim set should not set wing sweep and flap position. It should set Elevons to 3.8 degrees trailing edge up only.
A lot of gauges and switches do not operate properly and\or function like the real F-111. ie; Throttle friction lever operates speed brake (and that operates wrong), nozzle position indicator very inaccurate, G model RRU shows radio freq instead of time to go/miles to go, and there are many more that are wrong.
G model uses a C model cockpit
No Terrain Following autopilot function.
BOTTOM LINE:
If you want an F-111 to fly, this is a nice aircraft.
If you want to fly an F-111, the realism falls short. It looks good on the surface, but when you look a little closer it leaves me very disappointed.
Disclaimer: I am part of a two man team creating a release of the Alphasim Freeware F-111 for FSX.
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