Lancaster Bomber Payware or Freeware

[Aharon]

Shalom and greetings all my pals,

I am wondering if payware FirstClass Simulations Lancaster bomber is really good and worth the buy OR is there really an excellent freeware version of Lancaster bomber I should be aware of??

Please advise???

Thanks,

Aharon

[DaveB]

Hi Aharon

Depends on the sim really. The FCS Lanc is the only native FSX version and the pack comes with the FS9 version too. The Plane Design Lanc is seen by many as the best for FS9 but sadly.. there's no FSX version. Nip over to FSPilotshop if you're keen on the FCS Lanc as it's in their Easter sale

ATB
DaveB

[mgchristy]

Hi Aharon,
The FCS Lanc has always had some rather vexing 'buggy' behavior on my FSX computer - even despite several reinstalls and the FCS service pack. That could just be my setup, though. I'd still recommend the model, as it really does look quite nice. Just don't expect any deep systems depth. Basically just a 'crtl+E' type of plane....

There's also the recently released Virtavia Avro Lincoln. Yes, yes....although it's not a true Lancaster, it's the closest thing we've got in FSX other than the First Class Simulations model.

http://www.virtavia.com/gallery_Lincoln.html

Good luck!

[Aharon]

Thanks Dave and Mark for replies.

Is Plane Design Lancaster freeware or payware? I just saw it on flightsim and avsim as freeware for FSX version and I am totally baffled because I checked Plane Design website only to find out it is payware, not freeware yet flightsim and avsim are offering it as freeware???

Mark, what operating system are you using for your pc and does your FSX have SP1 or SP2 or does FirstClass Simulation Lancaster requires FSX Acceleration? I am using FSX Deluxe SP1 and SP2.

Regards,

Aharon

[DaveB]

Aharon..

With the age of the FCS Lancaster, I'm pretty certain that SP1/SP2 is all you need. I just checked at FSPilotshop and it doesn't specify.. just FS9 or FSX. It's $11.40USD there by the way (Easter Sale) and I reckon it's worth that There are a LOT of repaints available for it too

The Plane Design Lancaster is still payware. I'm not sure if the developer (Ed Walters) allowed it to be rushed into FSX by a 3rd party because there was no FSX version or if this 3rd party just did it anyway but in reality.. the Plane Design model is FS9 only and that version is payware. As it seems you're running FSX SP1/SP2.. I'd not bother with it. Were you FS9.. then yes.

As Mark has said.. don't expect 'in depth' systems modelling off the FCS model and it does have a few oddities but it is the best, if only, FSX native model so you have to go with what you have. The basic repaints are iffy.. much better than the Wellington but iffy none the less. As mentioned above, there are a fair number of repaints available for it and they're all pretty good.

The choice is yours but I think the FCS model at the sale price is ok. At the full price, perhaps not but this can be said with many payware models
ATB
DaveB

[Aharon]

Thanks Mark for more kind answers.

I just realized that 11 bucks is a safe gamble considering the fact I never gamble in Atlantic City or Las Vegas. LOL

Thanks again

Regards,

Aharon

[Paul K]

If you do get the FCS Lanc, post some pictures here. I've never yet seen one in which it didn't look a bit peculiar. Aside from its nose turret being too small, sometimes it seems to have a top-heavy canopy ( are the sides of the canopy vertical instead of the correct slight slope inwards? ). Other times it looks like the inner wing sections are slightly anhedral. Could be just the angle and/or the rendering, but it always looks odd to me.

[Aharon]

If you do get the FCS Lanc, post some pictures here.

Will do it when I have chance. Probably in 2 weeks or so. Whenever I get freeware or payware add on plane or new livery for either freeware or payware, I always conduct ground tests before flight tests so you will definitely get screenshots of ground tests of Lancaster in 2 weeks or so.

Here is WEIRD thing I thought I bought FirstClass Simulation Lancaster but when looking at the file name after downloading the purchased payware add-on Lancaster, the name of the downloaded file says Abacus Lancaster!!!!!!! I certainly hope I did not buy crappy Abacus quality!!!

Also the file version of First Class Simulation Lancaster is version 1.5 dated 12/26/2012 and the patch fix update that I downloaded from FirstClass Simulation website has files dated 3/15/2010. Am I correct that I do not need patch fix update????

Regards,

Aharon

[DaveB]

I can't find my original download zip for the Lanc but I don't remember it being Abacus in any shape or form. That said, I bought the FCS Hawker Heroes set in this sale a few days ago and when I opened the zip, I saw files marked AbacusHawkerHeroes I thought exactly the same as you

I'd try the Lancaster without the patch seeing as the patch pre-dates your file by 2years

ATB
DaveB

[mgchristy]

Mark, what operating system are you using for your pc and does your FSX have SP1 or SP2 or does FirstClass Simulation Lancaster requires FSX Acceleration? I am using FSX Deluxe SP1 and SP2.

Hi Aharon,
I have Windows7 64bit - Intel Core i3-2120 CPU - 3.3Ghz with 6GB RAM....with FSX Acceleration installed...but as Dave mentioned Acceleration is not required for the Lanc to run properly.

I just realized that 11 bucks is a safe gamble considering the fact I never gamble in Atlantic City or Las Vegas. LOL

True enough! Hard to find fault with a pricetag like that...