Flight Simulator For The Avro Lancaster Four Engined Bomber Behind Your Personal Computer
The moment I write this I am 64 years old and so is the peace that followed World War 2. This means that I'm "post war", and that's the way I want to keep it! It also means that I only saw Roy Chadwick's Avro Lancaster beautiful in peacetime fly-by's which is a scarce enough happening, considering that there are only two (!) flyable Lancasters left in the whole wide world. There's very little airtime to be shared among the enthusiastic candidates, so there are probably less than 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 Lancasters, is via simulation. I am dedicated to Microsofts Flight Simulator X, in which I fly "my own" version of the Lancaster bomber, a hybrid based on the "Wings of Power" version for exterior and flight dynamics, and for the 2-D 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 existing panels and gauges that I collected during my flight simming years, I created a strictly individual panel version.
Panel redrawing required!
There are two reasons to design my own panels and gauges. Firstly, of course, because there's no ready made Avro Lancaster panel available that's even remotely to my liking "looks-wise". Secondly because all existing panels put the simulated captains eyepoint somewhere in the lateral center of the cockpit, like straight behind the throttle controls. That's truly bad because it takes away much of the illusion or immersion. Although my real world flying experiences are sadly confined to single engines like Cessna 172 and Piper Cherokee, I know that Lancaster pilots did not sit with their valuable parts shoved painfully into the throttle quadrant of their Avro Lancaster bomber!
My own panels deliver a more natural pilots position, and considerably enlarged instruments and gauges. Simulation, including flight simulation, is simply illusion - and I don't give a fig 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
To achieve a sufficient 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 as a perfect second. Fortunately these things are available in a wide price range, from pleasantly strong but equally expensive, to somewhat wobbly but easily in the affordability sector of most of us.
And now I have a confession to make. Some six years ago I got the cheapest yoke and pedals that I could find, and I still have and use them without a problem and to my complete satisfaction! In those years I must have bought for more than 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 flustered face!
I will never say that a relatively simple computer simulation like MS Flight Sim X can ever give you the joy of flying the real thing, but sometimes it comes surprisingly close. I've made quite a lot of sim landings under conditions that turned my face sweaty with concentration, and sweaty with almost real 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 Dam Busters raid. Those fighter pilots and "Anything, Anywhere, Anytime" types left their specifically constructed after their final flight with a healthy respect for MSFS-X, and for the good old Lancaster. You won't see them looking down on "that game" or "that old bomber" anymore!
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