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Flight Simulating The Avro Lancaster Heavy Bomber On Your Very Own Computer DeskThe moment I write this I am 64 years old and so is the peace that followed World War II. This means that I'm from "after the war", which is exactly the way I want to keep it! It also means that I only saw Roy Chadwick's Avro Lancaster bomber in peacetime fly-by's which is a scarce enough happening, considering that there are only two (!) flyable Lancs left in the whole wide world. There's very little airtime to be shared among the eager crowd, so there are probably not even a dozen people who get to fly a real Lancaster from the left seat every once in a while. The closest us earthbound ground hogs can come to flying a "true" Lancaster, is via simulation. I am dedicated to Microsofts Flight Simulator X, in which I fly "my own" version of the B1 Lancaster, a hybrid based on the "Wings of Power" version for exterior and flight model, and for the instrument panel on just about everything including not only the kitchen sink but also the bath tub, the toilet bowl and the hot water boiler (grin)!. From dozens of available panels that I collected during the years, I created a my personal panel. Panel redrawing required! There are several reasons for me to design my own flightsim panels. Firstly because there's no ready made Lancaster bomber panel available that is to my liking. Secondly because available panels put the simulated pilots position somewhere in the lateral center of the cockpit, like straight behind the throttles. That's no good: it takes away much of the illusion or immersion. Although my real world flying experiences are sadly confined to light single engine aircraft like Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee, I know that Lancaster pilots did not sit with their valuable parts shoved painfully into the throttle/propeller quadrants of their Avro Lancaster bomber! My panel redesigns produce a more natural pilots position, and considerably enlarged instruments and gauges. Simulation, including flight simulation, is simply illusion - and I don't really care about the panel lay-out being realistic: I want it to look and feel realistic within the confines of a computer screen!! The controls and such In order to create a decent level of realism, flying your digital Lanc with the keyboard or mouse won't do. If you can even remotely afford it, a steering yoke is an absolute must, with a set of pedals right on its heels. Fortunately these things are available in a wide price range, from remarkably sturdy but equally expensive, to somewhat wobbly but easily in the affordability sector of most of us. Concerning this subject I have a confession to make. Some six years ago I got the cheapest yoke and pedals available, and I still use them without a problem and to my complete satisfaction! In those years I must have acquired a couple of thousand dollars worth of other simulator expansions, but I never saw any reason for discarding my old and faithful pedals/yoke set! Sure, eventually I'll replace them, even if it is only on account of normal wear and tear from almost daily use, but I'm not holding my breath in either hope or despair. A red and sweaty face! You'll never hear me say that a relatively simple computer simulation like MS Flight Simulator X can ever give you the joy of flying the real thing, but sometimes it comes astonishingly close. I've made lots of simulated landings under conditions that turned my face sweaty with concentration, and sweaty with almost physical fear! Nor am I the only one with such experiences. I think it was around 2004 that an RAF flight crew performed an MS-simulated Raid of the Dam Busters. Those fighter jocks and "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime" types left the simulator after their final flight with a healthy respect for Microsofts simulation software, and for the good old Lancaster. You won't see them looking down on "that game" or "that old bomber" anymore! Related Articles:: |
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