rara-avis sims
I've been developing for Microsoft Flight Simulator since the early days of BAO Flight Shop which I got on my 16th birthday, but had to wait until I got home from school to try it out.... that's when I got hooked on making my own content. Although back then the tools were nothing like we have today, they were very basic and the planes we created vaguely resembled the aircraft trying to be made.
Since then I've bought every iteration of Microsoft Flight Simulator (all still all boxed). All of the planes you find in my Freeware page are for FS9 (FS2004) or FSX and will always be Freeware.
Please also check out the Projects page for news on any current and future projects....
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Bulldog Autogyro
The Bulldog Autogyro was a one off, It's unknown if the prototype flew but flight testing was supposed to have happened around July 2015. It was publicly introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen airshow in 2015. The designers did an amazing job at creating a modern Autogyro with a classic look, mainly made from carbon fibre the Bullldog is light and comes into the Ultralight category.
The Bulldog features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in tandem open cockpit with two windshields, convent... The Bulldog Autogyro was a one off, It's unknown if the prototype flew but flight testing was supposed to have happened around July 2015. It was publicly introduced at the AERO Friedrichshafen airshow in 2015. The designers did an amazing job at creating a modern Autogyro with a classic look, mainly made from carbon fibre the Bullldog is light and comes into the Ultralight category.
The Bulldog features a single main rotor, a two-seats-in tandem open cockpit with two windshields, conventional landing gear and a nine-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke, dual-ignition 150 hp (112 kW) Rotec R3600 radial engine in tractor configuration. The aircraft fuselage is made from composite materials.
English Electric Wren
The Wren, designed by W. O. Manning, was a lightweight motor-glider. Manning was a designer of flying boats and decided to try a simpler project.
The Wren was a single-engined high-wing monoplane with an empty weight of only 232 lb (105 kg). The first aircraft (Serial Number J6973) was built in 1921 for the Air Ministry. Interest in building very light aircraft was encouraged at the time by a £500 prize offered by the Duke of Sutherland (who was the Under-Secretary of State for Air). The Wren, designed by W. O. Manning, was a lightweight motor-glider. Manning was a designer of flying boats and decided to try a simpler project.
The Wren was a single-engined high-wing monoplane with an empty weight of only 232 lb (105 kg). The first aircraft (Serial Number J6973) was built in 1921 for the Air Ministry. Interest in building very light aircraft was encouraged at the time by a £500 prize offered by the Duke of Sutherland (who was the Under-Secretary of State for Air).
The entrants had to build the most economical light single-seat aircraft. Another incentive was a £1,000 prize offered by the Daily Mail for the longest flight by a motor-glider with an engine of not more than 750 cc. Two aircraft were built for the 1923 Lympne light aircraft trials in October 1923.
The Wren shared the first prize with the ANEC I when it covered 87. 5 miles (140. 8 km) on one Imperial gallon (4. 5 litres) of fuel.
In 1957 the third aircraft was rebuilt using parts of the second aircraft. It is still airworthy and is on public display at the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome in Bedfordshire.
Flying Flea (Pou du Ciel)
The HM. 14 is most commonly described as a tandem wing aircraft, although the main wing overlaps the rear wing in the basic design, so it almost qualifies as a highly staggered biplane without horizontal tail.
Construction of the airframe employs mostly birch plywood sheet, spruce laths, steel tubing, steel cables, proprietary metal fittings and fixings, adhesives, and linen fabric. The prototype HM. 14 had a wingspan of 5. 5 m (18 ft). It was powered by an Aubier et Dunne 540 cc three-c... The HM. 14 is most commonly described as a tandem wing aircraft, although the main wing overlaps the rear wing in the basic design, so it almost qualifies as a highly staggered biplane without horizontal tail.
Construction of the airframe employs mostly birch plywood sheet, spruce laths, steel tubing, steel cables, proprietary metal fittings and fixings, adhesives, and linen fabric. The prototype HM. 14 had a wingspan of 5. 5 m (18 ft). It was powered by an Aubier et Dunne 540 cc three-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle engine, producing about 17 hp (13 kW) at 4,000 rpm. The engine was connected to the propeller shaft via a chain drive with a 2. 5:1 reduction ratio. Subsequent examples were built with many optional engine and wingspan variations. Unlike conventional aircraft, the HM. 14 has no ailerons or elevators, and no foot-operated flight controls. The flight control system comprises a conventional control stick.
Fore-and-aft movement of the stick is transmitted via cables to the rear underside of the main wing, that is supported by a single pivot at the front underside, mounted on a pylon on the fuselage. Rearward movement of the stick pulls the cables, and increases the pitch and therefore the lift of the main wing. The aircraft will then pitch up, due to the centre of pressure being forward of the centre of gravity. Side-to-side movement of the stick controls the all-moving rudder via cables. In flight, this produces a stable rolling motion, as required in a banked turn, because the wings both have dihedral. That rolling characteristic is not safely available during take-off or landing, so crosswinds are not easily tolerated.
Horten IX / Ho 229
The Horten Ho 229 was a German prototype fighter/bomber that was designed by Reimar and Walter Horten during World War II. It was one of the first flying wing aircraft to be powered by jet engines, and had several remarkable features, such as: It was very fast and agile, capable of reaching speeds of up to 977 km/h (607 mph) and performing tight turns and rolls. It could also fly at high altitudes, up to 15,000 m (49,000 ft), making it difficult to intercept by allied fighters.
It was ve... The Horten Ho 229 was a German prototype fighter/bomber that was designed by Reimar and Walter Horten during World War II. It was one of the first flying wing aircraft to be powered by jet engines, and had several remarkable features, such as: It was very fast and agile, capable of reaching speeds of up to 977 km/h (607 mph) and performing tight turns and rolls. It could also fly at high altitudes, up to 15,000 m (49,000 ft), making it difficult to intercept by allied fighters.
It was very stealthy, due to its low radar cross-section and its use of a special wood-based material called "charcoal mixture" that absorbed radar waves. It was estimated that the Ho 229 would have been invisible to radar at distances greater than 80% of its range.
It was very advanced, incorporating features such as an ejection seat, a pressurized cockpit, a tricycle landing gear. It also had a sophisticated weapons system, consisting of two 30 mm cannons and two 500 kg (1,100 lb) bombs.
The Ho 229 was the only design that came close to meeting the "3×1000" requirement issued by Hermann Göring, the head of the Luftwaffe, for a light bomber that could carry 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) of bombs over 1,000 km (620 mi) at 1,000 km/h (620 mph). However, the project faced many challenges and delays, such as the lack of suitable production facilities, the interference of rival companies, the shortage of materials and fuel, and the Allied bombing raids. Only three prototypes were built, and only one of them flew, before the project was captured by the American forces in 1945.
The Ho 229 was a remarkable aircraft that was ahead of its time, and may have influenced many later designs, such as the Northrop B-2 Spirit and the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk. It is considered by some to be the first true stealth aircraft in history. The only surviving prototype, the Ho 229 V3, is currently on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D. C
Zippy Sport
Ed Fisher first designed the Zippy Sport, which was officially introduced in 1983 as a participant in the Dupont/Western Flyer design contest, and was marketed through Fishercraft.
It is not the design prototype, but rather, the “proof of plans” aircraft. This “Sport Plane” was identified as an ARV, (Air Recreational Vehicle). At that time, designer, Ed Fisher flew the Zippy with a Cuyuna 430 dual carb engine, and a Winters 2:1 planetary gearbox. Over the next couple of years a full VW 1... Ed Fisher first designed the Zippy Sport, which was officially introduced in 1983 as a participant in the Dupont/Western Flyer design contest, and was marketed through Fishercraft.
It is not the design prototype, but rather, the “proof of plans” aircraft. This “Sport Plane” was identified as an ARV, (Air Recreational Vehicle). At that time, designer, Ed Fisher flew the Zippy with a Cuyuna 430 dual carb engine, and a Winters 2:1 planetary gearbox. Over the next couple of years a full VW 1200 driving from the heavy end was fitted. Through, much of 1986, the aircraft was VW powered, while “debugging” flights took place.
Green Sky Adventures had been interested in the Zippy's development from the early stages. By 1986, the Rotax Service Center was in serious need of a test platform with a broad speed range to explore the effects of variable loads on small engines in general, and Rotax 2-strokes, in particular. A deal was struck with Ed Fisher, and by late fall of that year, Green Sky Adventures were flying a Rotax 503 powered Zippy Sport, enjoying its handling and speeds to 120 mph.
This Add-on is based on the VW variant.
Zippy Sport Version 2.0
