The Chinese Thread

[WingZ 547]

Ian's earlier thread renewed my interest in this potentially vast area of flightsimming.

Skysoft and others have some great sceneries, some of which I have installed. Here's my China:

 

 

 

... they have some very nice detailing

 

ZULZ

 

And as mentioned in that thread, coming to ZUJZ takes more than a Cessna (or a Bonanza)

Altimeter reading =11328

Why a Greek AF Emb135, you ask?

Well the Seneca I had started out with, didn't make it over the surrounding mountains!

Anyway, makes a reasonable story: Chinese bailout money is being sought at the highest levels...

Really a very nice scenery, and sure enough, there's a Blue Roof

 

What others in your experience are up to this standard?

Edited October 30, 2012 by firehawk44
First image removed. Exceeded 400KB limit - yours was over 5MB.

[Appliance 51]

WingZ take a look at Billy Gou Design's Real Kashgar ZWSH at SimMarket. Also known as Kashi in many atlas' ... located in far western China.

[HaraldG 559]

Beside the freeware airports, Skysoft has made ZULS, ZUNZ (buying these both together at simmarket, you get a little discount) and ZBSJ. But there seems to be a problem with ZULS (see my yesterday thread), so until further testing I will use some freeware scenery (tibet_93.zip) with standard much below Skysoft's for just having the ZULS airport anyway.

[WingZ 547]

As mentioned in the other thread, I'll get the remaining Skysoft sceneries and see if they work.

@App: I though Tolmachevo was in the stix, but this one... who lives there??

Actually I'd see Kashgar as a neat stepping stone from eastern Europe, rather than a "Chinese" airport!

[HaraldG 559]

Kashgar may rather be a tourist destination, you can get access to Mt. Kongur and Mustagh Ata from there. I have friends preparing for an expedition to these mountains naxt year. Seems to be much more safe and reliable than from Tajikistan.

 

I just ordered Kashgar 2011, for me it's a nice hop from UTDD, to where I fly quite often.

[WingZ 547]

Be good to see a screen or two of Kashgar, and your opinion.

I'm working through the Skysoft sceneries, their freeware is every bit as good as the pay product.

[HaraldG 559]

It's a rather remote place, and definitely no place for spotters (I saw no more than 2 planes together there - but that's just what you see at google maps - and on the parking lot you will find exactly one car, a Porsche Cayenne), but I like it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's almost no FPS deviation from 30, where I have them fixed. The airport buildings are empty, but I don't need them equipped inside. In my opinion, it's a quite fair offer for 15 EUR.

What I don't like is the empty surrounding - there are only fields between airport and Kashgar city in this scenery instead of typical Uighur settlements (no blue roofs - these appear only in the city where Chinese housings are built I think) and an industrial area, but that's more a problem of stock landclass than of this payware. Anyway, delivering a landclass file or even a phototerrain (larger than the existing) would be a nice "extra".

 

Harald

[Appliance 51]

Harald what would it take to get you out of your beloved DC6B, or props in general?

[HaraldG 559]

Hi Appliance,

 

when I recently asked for a good 737-200, Ian (kiwiflyer) suggested trying the 727 instead, and Mel (mebull) remindered me to the HJG 727 model. Since then, I tried to fly the 727. And what should I say - I like it. It is not too "heavy" for me in terms of simulating depth as I have to get familiar with the high speed all events occur in a jet compared to a propliner. I seriously think of upgrading to the Dreamfleet model after a certain time of learning and practising.

 

However, I updated my "My Simulator" signature already! And I plan to make a journey to Latin America with the 727 once I manage it better and once I have flown my DC-6 back to my home port EDDC. Latin America seems to me to be a good habitat for a venerable airplane as the 727 is, and I like journeying the Southern Hemisphere when it's winter here.

 

But why do you ask within the Chinese thread? Because of the Il-14? This plane seemed appropriate to me for this area, isn't it? It's a little bit faster than the DC-3, but nevertheless a good choice for visual flying, especially for me as I was "born in the GDR".

 

Therefore, I like Vodka more than Whisky

 

By the way, I think the DC-6 will be my favourite plane forever. I never had problems flying it over the mountain ranges here in Central Asia knowing the topography of these countries quite well.

[Appliance 51]

Did you say you'll donate a bottle of 12 yr old Scotch if he moves to a modern a/c, Appliance?

Nope. Harald apparently prefers Vodka. See below.

 

But why do you ask within the Chinese thread? Because of the Il-14?

Yes. Its appearance in your screenies instantly reminded me of your preferences. But seeing Kashgar is sooooo far from anywhere else I figured a jet (727 or Russian equivalent - Suprunov Design's excellent Yak 40 for example) would be more appropriate.for the airport.

 

Therefore, I like Vodka more than Whisky

Unsurprisingly, given your location.

 

By the way, I think the DC-6 will be my favourite plane forever.

First plane I flew in ... as a 6 week old baby. Brisbane to Sydney. Still love vibrations. :wacko:

[HaraldG 559]

I figured a jet [...] would be more appropriate.for the airport

 

Satisfied?

 

 

 

By the way - not a single Chinese airport is AES'ed until now. I think that this should change very soon. Especially ZBSJ and ZLXY really deserve AES, don't they?

[WingZ 547]

I had a play with the Skysoft sceneries, and made some shoot-from-the-hip ratings.

 

These are relative to each other, and the lower ratings come about because they don't suit my GE Pro surrounds, which generally work well. ZUNs particularly disappointing. A landclass file would fix that I'm sure.

This is more for my own reference, too, as I find the names totally confusing!

And, I left out ZBSJ I see. Thanks Harald, I agree it deserves AES.

Edited October 30, 2012 by firehawk44
first image removed - exceeded 400KB limit - yours over 5MB!

[Appliance 51]

By the way - not a single Chinese airport is AES'ed until now. I think that this should change very soon. Especially ZBSJ and ZLXY really deserve AES, don't they?

Certainly I agree, particularly for SkySloft's forthcoming ZBAA. We must realise, however, Oliver is doing AES as a business. Aerosoft have no Chinese airports in their portfolio. Very few domestic simmers in China apparently and in Japan interest has been waning for years now. Biggest market is Germany, greater Europe and then the USA. The majority of simmers fly within their region. So AES, it follows, concentrates on popular airports.

 

It is good to see smaller Asian destinations becoming more prevalent (plaudits to SimMarket. for sticking their necks out while testing demand) however that market remains tiny by comparison Nevertheless we live in hope.

 

I heard the other day that China is currently building 82 new airports. On average each takes less than 6 months to complete! I can't see the X-plane platform exploiting this region so potentially we FS9'ers have a lot to look forward to yet.

 

Satisfied?

 

I'm never satisfied Harald. Nor should you be. :rolleyes:

[HaraldG 559]

Looking at WingZ' pictures and comparing them to google maps view, the surroundings of ZULS, ZUNZ, ZUJZ and ZLXY fit quite well with RW land usage. At ZULS, the phototerrain option is very nice in my opinion, unfortunately it doesn't cover Lhasa city itself.

 

At ZPMS, ZBSJ, ZWSH (here not shown) and particularly ZSOF a better landclass is needed, as there are settlements up to industrial areas where FS2004 shows just fields.

 

Generally, using a mesh add-on improves scenery realism at the mountainous places ZULS, ZUNZ, ZUJS. I use the old Abacus worldwide mesh (World landscapes or so) and it changes the landscape impressingly. So far, only at ZSOF there are few incompatibilities with this mesh, showing a kind of trench around the port.

 

By the way, what I wonder about - is there really no good add-on for a Shanghai or Guangzhou (Canton) airport, these belonging to the most busiest airports in China?

 

I'm never satisfied Harald. Nor should you be.

 

Hi Appliance,

I'm not satisfied at all! Particularly at these days, when I sit at my PC until midnight or even later to improve or upgrade things or to install new sceneries - in the last year I bought more FS2004 sceneries than in the five years before. Hard to fly anymore when permanently building at the FS installation...! So I will be satisfied when the following four wishes come true:

1. AES at least for one or two Chinese airports; or three, of course including ZBAA. (Maybe?)

2. My little son gets a flightsimmer. (o.k., he is four years old now, it will need perhaps ten years, but then it is quite possible, as he likes sitting on my knees and looking when I "fly" already, and we often do spotting together at the nearby EDDC airport)

3. I get money for flightsimming. (rather unlikely)

4. A day lasts 48 hours. (very unlikely)

 

Regarding AES - when I look on the compatibility list there is a quite balanced worldwide distribution of the airports. But there is one black hole: This is the complex CIS states, Central Asia and China.

You are certainly right that Oliver Pabst follows the crowd of simmers, and it's o.k. that German Airports are a important part of this airport list, given the fact that he works for Aerosoft. But I wonder about a huge list of Japanese airports in the list, opposing NONE in China and CIS. I can't believe that there is no demand for FS products there, having in mind the vibrant freeware developer scene in Russia and CIS countries whose work I admire at avsimrus.com. Corresponding to that fact, three out of five AES'ed airports in Russia are freeware. Perhaps that is the problem - it lacks in one or two important developers securing compatibility with AES. Maybe that will change with Skysoft. A ZBAA scenery of their standard will be hardly to ignore by AES.

 

First plane I flew in ... as a 6 week old baby. Brisbane to Sydney. Still love vibrations.

 

In my case, this can be ruled out. But my dad owned a Trabant car when I had this age:

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Trabant_601

It was not as loud as in a DC-6 inside, but the latter is supposed to run with less vibrations than the car with his stuttering 2-stroke-engine...

[Appliance 51]

my dad owned a Trabant car

(For some reason can't get MultiQuote to work today)

 

Saw the movie! Trabants have lots of character ... like the old FIAT 500.

 

in the last year I bought more FS2004 sceneries than in the five years before.

I can understand that. We have been blessed with many releases during 2012, with more to come. So far this year Central America, the Caribbean, and South America have joined the regions I choose to fly in. Has kept me even poorer ( I am a retired pensioner) particularly since I rounded out my aircraft collection with the Blackbox (PSS) 777, PMDG MD11 and QualityWings AVRO/BAC. My wishlist at simMarket includes a number of smaller Asian airports which are joined by an expanding range of Middle Eastern destinations. As I said in another post I most definitely am not bored. :rolleyes: