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Category: Prepar3D V1-4 - Flight Plans
CargoJet Flight Plans Download

File Description:
Attached is an Excel Flight Planner including recent (Jan/Feb 2019) scheduled flight plans for CargoJet for use with the CaptainSim 757-III Freighter expansion. A couple of weeks ago, I made two CargoJet liveries for the CS 757-III Freighter, available at Avsim: https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=&Name=&FileName=&Author=meier&CatID=p3dacrp To use these files, copy the attached .rt files to your Captain Sim route directory: *\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\Captain_Sim\757-III\Routes\ These accompanying route files (60+) DO NOT include any SID or STAR data, nor do they include any performance information (cargo/fuel weights)...I've intentionally tried to keep these files customizable with any ATC program you may be using. The Excel spreadsheet use should be pretty straight forward (it was designed using MS Excel 2019...you'll need MS Excel 2013 or newer for the macros to work correctly). The spreadsheet will open to a worksheet containing CargoJet's current, scheduled route network. From this worksheet, simply select a departure location from the buttons on the world map. Once a departure location is selected, a second "Flight Planning" worksheet will open with a UserForm Box directing you to select an airport destination based upon your selected departure location. The UserForm box is pre-populated only with current destinations from that departure airport (based upon current CargoJet Jan/Feb 2019 schedules obtained from online flight tracking data). I've included a weather snapshot download from each of the departure and destination airports into the flight planning worksheet. I have not yet included enroute weather information...that may come in a "V2" of this flight planner. As I have not yet included enroute weather information, flight fuel calculations/fuel burn are only approximate for now. Down the road, I may also include calculations for derate temperatures...that will take considerable more work. I think this Flight Planner is a pretty good version 1 for sharing. In the absence of a website dedicated to a "CargoJet Virtual Airline", I thought this Excel spreadsheet and accompanying flight plans may be of benefit to anyone who might enjoy flying the CS757-III Freighter expansion with CargoJet livery. Personally, I was fortunate to already have the full compliment of SimAddon airports (Canada wide) which makes for enhanced enjoyment of the CaptainSim 757-III add-on and this flight planning spreadsheet. (That statement wasn't intended as a promotion for people to go out and buy the SimAddons software!!!) I haven't had a chance to test all the flight plans yet...I'm hoping I haven't made any errors! Anyhow, I hope this spreadsheet and flight plans can be of benefit to others. Feedback always appreciated! Rob February 15, 2019


Filename: CargoJet_Flight_Plans.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 16th February 2019, 22:00:12
Downloads: 169
Author: Rob Meier
Size: 1.93 MB


Category: Flight Simulator X - Scenery
hythevillage_pier.zip Download

File Description:
Hythe Village and Pier

Hythe Village [Town] nestles between the edge of Southampton Water and the New Forest, some 500 yards west of the ‘American Base – RAF Hythe’; the surrounding area is known as ‘The Waterside’. Hythe, with its waterfront, boasts incredible views across Southampton Water, while the village [town] centre, with its Georgian High Street, offers a range of shops, services, traffic-free precincts and parking facilities. Nearby is ‘Hythe Marina’, to be found on Southampton Water's southern shore; it’s a unique development of a 206 berth marina, together with waterside homes, shops, restaurants, bars and a boutique hotel.There is also a passenger ferry which sails back-and-forth from Hythe Pier to the City of Southampton every 30 minutes. Before Hythe Pier was built, ferry and other boats arriving at Hythe had to use a gravel hard ramp which ran from the land out to the low tide point in Southampton Water. Walking along the hard gravel was not easy and travellers often got very wet. Various ideas to improve the situation were suggested at the time and construction of Hythe Pier was eventually started in October 1879 and officially opened on the 1st January 1881.  Many World War II heroes departed from this pier on D-Day in June 1944.The pier itself stretches some 640 meters into Southampton Water and is one of the ten longest piers in the British Isles. In 1922, a narrow gauge electric railway opened in order to take passengers the full length of the Pier. This railway, with its original engine and rolling stock, is the oldest operating electric pier train in the world and is still operational to this day – playing an important part in the local transportation system between Hythe and Southampton.

Scenery Features

* Bus Shelter
* Ferry Ticket Collectors (On pier landing platform)
* Ferry Ticket Office
* High Street Shops
* Hotspur House
* Hythe Library & Car Park
* Hythe Pier
* Hythe Pier Landing Platform
* Hythe Promenade
* Library Road & Shops
* Lidl Superstore & Car Park
* People (Static & animated)
* Pier Railway & Safety Railings
* Pier Train (Parked at village end of pier)
* Lord Nelson Public House
* Prospect Place Park
* Public Toilets
* Seashells Lounge Bar & Restaurant
* St. John's Church & Cemetery
* Street Lighting
* Streets & Roadways
* ‘The Marsh’ & New Road
* Vegetation (Trees, bushes)
* Vehicles (Buses & cars)
* Waitrose Supermarket & Car Park
* WWII Remembrance Plaque (Prospect Place) 

Special Effects

* Animated Birds (seagulls-close to village & pier)
* Chimney Smoke
* Night, Dusk & Dawn Lighting Effects
* Seagull Cry Sounds


Filename: hythevillage_pierzip.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 21st November 2025, 12:42:28
Downloads: 68
Author: Barrie Semmens
Size: 16.37 MB


Category: Flight Simulator X - Scenery
RAF Elvington Download

File Description:
The station was originally a grass airfield within No. 4 Group. In the early 1940s the airfield was entirely reconstructed with three hardened runways replacing the grass. It re-opened in October 1942 as a station for 77 Squadron RAF and along with RAF Melbourne and RAF Pocklington was known as No "42 Base". The squadron had a strength of approximately 20 aircraft and initially used the twin engined Armstrong Whitworth Whitley medium bomber although this was quickly replaced by the Handley Page Halifax four engined heavy bomber which was being introduced. No 77 Squadron suffered heavy losses during its time at Elvington with over 500 aircrew killed, missing or taken prisoner and almost 80 Halifaxes lost as it played a major part in the Battle of the Ruhr and the bombing of Berlin. In May 1944 No 77 Squadron posted to the newly opened nearby RAF Full Sutton and was replaced at Elvington by two French squadrons, numbers 346 "Guyenne" and 347 "Tunisie" who both played a leading part in the bombing of Germany. Elvington was the only airfield in the United Kingdom used by the remainder of the Free French Forces, they also flew Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers until they moved to Bordeaux in October 1945 where they became the basis for the new air force of liberated France. In September 1957 a memorial was unveiled in Elvington village dedicated to the two French squadrons. While they were at RAF Elvington nearly half of the squadrons' members were killed. After the war the 400-acre (1.6 km2) airfield was transferred to No 40 Group under the control of Maintenance Command until 1952 when it was greatly enlarged and extended for use by the United States Air Force. United States Air Force use The United States Air Force (USAF) built a new 3,094 m (10,151 ft) runway, which was the longest in the north of England, and a huge 19.8 hectares (49 acres) rectangular hardstanding apron as well as a new control tower to turn Elvington into a "Basic Operation Platform" which would have operated as a Strategic Air Command (SAC) dispersal airfield. After spending £4 million the airfield never became operational as a SAC base and was abandoned by the US Air Force in 1958. Other uses In the early 1960s the Blackburn Aircraft Company, now part of British Aerospace used the runway for test flights of the Blackburn Buccaneer. Elvington retained its status as an RAF relief landing ground and was used by the RAF flying training schools at RAF Church Fenton and RAF Linton-on-Ouse until the airfield was finally closed in March 1992. Present day The airfield is now owned by Elvington Park Ltd. The adjacent buildings and control tower have been restored, and serve as the Yorkshire Air Museum which has many varied and rare aircraft and exhibits, including a complete Halifax bomber. Elvington is also a popular motorsports venue for motorcycle racing. Source:Wikipedia


Filename: RAF_Elvington.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 10th April 2017, 22:08:13
Downloads: 167
Author: Terry Boissel
Size: 220.79 KB


Category: X-Plane - Original Aircraft
B17 Flying Fortress Download

File Description:
The B17 is arguably the best known heavy bomber from WWII. Followed closely by it's direct successor the B29 SuperFortress it symbolizes the best of WWII's heavy Bombers. The B17 was one of the planes that barely made it into the war. In 1934 the then very small Boeing company had a prototype four engined bomber design called the B-299 but it had not been ordered by the US military. It had suffered several serious setbacks in it's design competition including a crash during a fly-off. Boeing continued work the plane and eventually secured a small service test order and the troubled early history of the bomber began. The B17 and bombers like it were planes created as "strategic bombers". The essential idea was that a strategic bomber should be able to carry a very large payload for long distances. The military had come to the realization that bombing technology was by nature imprecise even with new advances like the American Norden sight, and what was required was a large number of bombs delivered by large number of planes to assure that a target was destroyed. Although the Germans actually had a decent "smart bomb" and the British built specialty bombs, neither was reliable, so it seemed the best idea was just to blanket the target with bombs. An American extension to this concept was that of a self-defended bomber. Bombers could be built so tough and with so much defensive armament, it was thought, that they could simply fly to the target, drop bombs, and if necessary fight their way through fighters to get home. There would be security in the large number of bombers in formations, and the defensive capability would allow bombers to fly during the day for better accuracy in drops. It was to this design concept the B17 was built. Early experiences in the war with B17's and B-24's could only be termed as disastrous. Loss rates of up to 25% showed the concept of unescorted bombers in daytime to be entirely wrong. Escort fighters were a necessity for success. It soon became apparent that with fighter cover the B17 really was an unparalleled strategic bomber. Success for the B17 shot up dramatically, and it's initial design specifications of huge amounts of armor and gunner positions served it well when fighters did make it close in. The Fortress had enough strength to stave off attackers until escorts showed up, and it became legendary for the incredible punishment it could take and still make it home. Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress Wingspan: 103 ft. 9 in. Length: 74 ft. 9 in. Height: 19 ft. 1 in. Engine: 4 x Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone rated 1,200 hp. Loaded Weight: 65,500 lb. Maximum Speed: 287 mph. Service Ceiling: 37,500 ft. Combat Radius: 1,000 miles Armaments: 6,000 lbs. of bombs, 12 x .50 cal. machine guns


Filename: B17_Flying_Fortress.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 23rd March 2003, 15:42:16
Downloads: 3,544
Author: Robert App
Size: 761.49 KB


Category: Flight Simulator X - Original Aircraft
FedEx McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (N604FE) Download

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File Description:
The Boeing MD-11F aircraft, N604FE, named "Hollis" is based out of Memphis, TN and can fly both Domestic and International Routes. The MD-11F (53 built) are the Freight transport aircraft version and were the second variant on offer at launch in 1986, and was the last and longest (1988-2000) manufactured version. 22 MD-11F's were delivered between 1991 and 2001 to FedEx. According to Flight Aware, she flies mainly domestic routes daily. The aircraft is almost identical to the DC-10F, although BOEING modernized their model with a longer fuselage and more powerful engines, giving her a longer range and higher service ceiling. Most flights are at full payload, and those disclude the center long-range fuel tanks, and involve flights ranging between 2,000 and 4,500 nm. I've been dealing with several versions of this aircraft for many years, actually since the first offered on CompuServe for FS98 in the '90s, and through time have found many aerodynamic details that were required in order to make her fly realistically. The Internet slowly added the details I needed, and then came the testing. Needless to say, I've flown many versions, including this one, for way too many hours, and added and corrected things along the way. This version is the best I've ever done, and I've worked on her for about a year before this upload. Everything is aerodynamically correct, and the engines (and their placement) are beyond anything ever presented by anyone with anything like this previously. I even fixed the gear to be 100% authentic in placement and use. I tried to fix the lights, but the textures are from FS2004, so I did the best I could. I chose this aircraft because it is actually in service today, and because the painter did a great job in making her look authentic. She now flies in FSX just as she does in reality, but you are better advised to study this on your own, rather than take my word. Aircraft ratings by manufacturers are based on simple standards, and very conservative. FSX is a virtual “WIND TUNNEL” when realistic aerodynamics are employed, so we can see what aircraft are capable of if we do it all right. Sorry to say, no one ever builds a free aircraft for upload with the correct engine/aerodynamics employed. In fact, I don't think anyone, other than myself, has ever put that much effort into it. So, keep this in mind. What you have now is real. It is Free. Now learn from it. READ THE MD11Readme.txt document before any operation after unzipping this. Tri-Engine Sound by B.G. Hany; Textures by Bradley McCoy; Panel by Marco Spada; Real World Engine/Aerodynamics by Douglas E. Trapp, [email protected], June 2018. This aircraft is designed for educational use protected under the Fair Use Doctrine: (http://www.expertlaw.com/library/intellectual_property/fair_use.html) ... It cannot be sold or bundled for sale, and such will never be approved by me or the original authors. FREEWARE DISTRIBUTION ONLY!!!


Filename: FedEx_McDonnell_Douglas_MD11F_N604FE.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 1st July 2018, 02:41:02
Downloads: 1,474
Author: Douglas E. Trapp
Size: 121.26 MB


Category: Flight Simulator 2004 - Scenery
Bethel PABE in southwest Alaska Download

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File Description:
There are four main northwestern Alaska towns which have good airports and are serviced by Alaska Airlines. From these airports local flights connect to nearby villages, "nearby" in Alaska meaning up to 200 miles away. The northernmost is Barrow. Southwest of Barrow is Kotzebue, then Nome, and the furthest south is this one, Bethel. The town of Bethel has a population of just over 6,000 and is 50 miles from the sea on the Kuskowim River, that splits and forks into many tributaries. Bethel Airport is close to the town and provides the only contact with the rest of Alaska, as there is no connecting highway system. There are scheduled flights by Alaska Airlines, ERA (now called Ravn) and Grant Aviation, plus others such as Ryan Air. There are cargo flights by Everts, Northern, and Lynden, and redistribution onwards to nearby villages by the smaller locally-based planes; all of these are included in the AI. There are two main runways, one just under 6,400 feet and another just under 3,900 feet, both of them aligned 19-1. The third runway is around 1,800 feet and mainly gravel, aligned 11-29. Parking at PABE is on three aprons, the northern for smaller commercial planes of Grant, ERA, Ryan etc, the central for larger planes of Alaska, Northern, Everts, and Lynden, and the southern for a large collection of GA; each apron has further hangars for maintenance companies and smaller operators. There is also another separate apron for the local military and Coastguard. There is not much photographic information available for PABE, and I have never been there; as a result it was impossible to make detailed photographic textures for some of the buildings. However, for most hangars I have made textures of at least the right colour etc based on the information I assembled and if it is green with white trim and side windows then that is how it now appears here. The exceptions are the Alaska Airlines terminal building which has complicated curved elements, and the two military hangars and workshops where I had to settle for an Alaska terminal building from another airport and the same for the military. There are numerous small villages in the vicinity of Bethel, all of them being beside either a river tributary or the coast. There are two Google Earth screenshots to show the villages that are served by the flights from Bethel and that are (mostly) included in the AI. Some of these airfields were not included in FS9 but AI will still operate in and out of Bethel. The smaller area screenshot shows the villages that are close to Bethel, and of these eight I have so far made six and they are included in this post: Napaskiak PKA, Napakiak WNA, Kwethluk KWT, Atmautluak 4A2, Nunapitchuk 16A, and Kasigluk Z09. I will work my way through the rest of the area.


Filename: Bethel_PABE_in_southwest_Alaska.zip
License: Freeware, limited distribution
Added: 8th March 2019, 00:37:58
Downloads: 305
Author: Roger Wensley
Size: 32.02 MB


Category: Flight Simulator 2004 - Scenery
Homer PaHO in Alaska US Download

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File Description:
Homer is a mainly GA airfield with rows of open air parking, but it also has scheduled flights, a terminal building, a long (for GA) runway of just under 6,700 feet that is 150 feet wide and aligned 03-21 with VASI on both ends and ILS on 03. So I think we can refer to it as an airport. Plus, at the time of this scenery (around 2010) there were three newly completed hangars on the north apron that I was told were for three companies, Bald Mountain Air service, Maritime Helicopters, and Pathfinder Aviation. I do not know which was for whom, but all three companies are in the helicopter and/or plane charter business. The south apron has a number of hangars and other buildings along it's length, starting at the western end with Smokey Bay Air that has an old control tower on the roof, then the Fire Station, and then Homer Air. I am not aware of who owns what after those first three, except that at the far eastern end there are several garages etc for the airport maintenance equipment. Next to the airport at that end there are a number of boat maintenance companies with boats pulled out of the water; this could not be well replicated due to the airport elevation above the sea level and a misplaced road. The nearby Beluga Lake 5BL float base is also included here, with some AI. The lake height above sea level has been adjusted to cope with too many cliffs intruding into the water; this is an annoying FS9 habit. The Homer scenery is as close to the actual airport as I could make it, while coping with inaccurate coast lines and roads, and grassed areas that could not all be modified for reasons that I will not bore you with. The Spit is a major scenery feature next to the airport, and I have added to this to provide some boats, docks, and nearby buildings etc. Small planes use the adjacent gravel taxi path instead of the runway when back-tracking to take off on runway 21. They only go as far as the path takes them and then u-turn onto the runway and take off. By the way, this airport's AI will function at its best if the prevailing wind makes 03 the runway in use. And I will eventually stop writing 03 and just call it 3, as the US, alone in the world, does not put a zero in front of 01, 02, 03, 04 etc. Just one other thing to note is that all access to the runway is from taxiways A and B; there was (in 2010) no access to the extreme western end of the runway as the taxiway there is marked as out of service pending a needed resurfacing. If you find an error email me please, and note that my email address has been changed to rogwens at Gmail dot com.


Filename: Homer_PaHO_in_Alaska_US.zip
License: Freeware, limited distribution
Added: 28th July 2021, 03:31:04
Downloads: 129
Author: Roger Wensley
Size: 11.86 MB


Category: Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) - Aircraft Repaints, Textures and Modifications
Bleriot XI Britannia Download

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File Description:
This folder contains a repaint for the Bleriot XI by Wings42 in the colors of Bleriot XI-2 Britannia. The third Bleriot XI imported into New Zealand, it was a two seater presented by the Imperial Air Fleet committee to the New Zealand government. The committee's aim was to promote the development of aviation in the British empire, and the presentation was intended to stimulate military aviation in New Zealand. The aircraft was a proven one, having been flown 347km non-stop from Dover to Cologne by Gustav Hamel in 4 hours 18 minutes on April 17, 1913. The aircraft was dubbed "Britannia' at a ceremony at Hendon on May 22, and Hamel then took former New Zealand Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward for a short flight. The committee was composed primarily of London businessmen and Sir Joseph was the deputy-Chairman. The aircraft was paid for by public subscription and was valued for insurance purposes at 1400 pounds. The aircraft was disassembled and shipped to New Zealand aboard the Athenic. The aircraft arrived in Wellington on September 29, 1913, where it was discovered that the propeller was not in the shipment. This was soon shipped to New Zealand. In the meantime the aircraft was stored in a purpose built shed at the Buckle street Defence stores. In late 1913 Joseph 'Joe' Hammond had been appointed official Government pilot. Mr Hammond suggested flying the aircraft to Auckland for display at an Exhibition. However the aircraft was railed north and was assembled in Auckland on January 14, 1914. On January 17, 1914 Mr Hammond made his first flight in the aircraft from the Epsom showgrounds. The following day he completed an hour long flight over Auckland at low level. A flight on the 19th with a journalist as passenger was aborted during takeoff when Hammond found he had no rudder control. Repairs were made and the aircraft flown again on January 24th. Another flight with a passenger then took place. Rather than a member of the media or any of the officials present Hammond chose to take Miss Esme McLalland as passenger. Miss McLalland was a member of the touring Royal Pantomime Company which was performing in Auckland, and the choice failed to impress the officials - Joe Hammonds employment as official pilot was terminated. The aircraft remained on static display for the remainder of the Exhibition and was returned to Wellington at the end of April 1914. Without a pilot (there were several Army Officers training in England - 2nd Lt. A. Piper and 2nd Lt. W. Burn) any official role for the aircraft (and officials did not seem to know what to do with it), it was placed in storage at the Mt Cook barracks in Wellington. Soon after, a report by General Hamilton, the Imperial Inspector of Overseas Forces discouraged further aviation development. With the outbreak of war an offer was made to send the aircraft with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. It was shipped back to England, departing on the Arawa on October 16. It was unloaded in London on January 15, 1915 and and went from there to Brooklands where it is believed to have been used as a trainer. Repaint by Jan Kees Blom


Filename: Bleriot_XI_Britannia.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 8th May 2021, 17:39:55
Downloads: 17
Author: Jan Kees Blom
Size: 38.51 MB


Category: Flight Simulator 2004 - Miscellaneous Files
The Steamer PATRIA, pearl on VFR of Lario - Como Lake, Italy Download

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File Description:
Steamship sailing, GMax model with photo real textures and panel with exterior views.

The History: Born with the name of "Savoia" this steamer was placed in the yard June 7, 1926 by the Odero's workers at the construction site of Dervio, and in a very short time, triumphantly launched July 31, 1926 first in the waters of Dervio , to start shipping in the Como Lake.
Soon after this launch, the site was put on the twin " October 28 ", which later became the "Concordia". In December 1926, the " Savoia " incorporates a major change : the distribution system of the machine new one "Caprotti" type that has excellent results and is , up to date, the only example in the world (reduction of rolling steam). In May 1927, the " Savoia " has the honor to welcome on board the King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele III , escorted by the steamers " October 28" and " Plinio". During World War II , following the fall of the fascist regime , July 25, 1943 , is required to change the name of the steamer. Even public opinion is mobilized and decide to rename the steamer by the name of "PATRIA". At the same time the twin " October 28 " is renamed "Concordia". Back after a break in service , January 10, 1945 is attacked and strafed while browsing the center of the lake . At the end of was counted 5 victims and 17 injured of which one will die as a result. At the height of the bridge spread of a fire, for piercing and incendiary bullets used by the Anglo-Americans, but soon subdued by the crew. In June 1951, the PATRIA is back in service with some modifications. The smokestack is shortened to about 3 mts and boilers and burners are converted from coal to oil. In August 1952, the boat service on the lake shift from "Lariana " to Government Management, which taken the steamer. In 1973 the interior of the " Patria" is restored according to the original scheme: the magnificent ship back into service June 10, 1973.

Great new features are the stained glass windows in the inner surface that allow you to see the paddle wheels in motion. In the 80s the PATRIA is used mainly for special cruises and rentals, limiting the use of the line. The summer of 1990 is the last one that sees the "PATRIA" in service. In the fall it is stopped at the construction site of Tavernola, later transferred to Dervio where it remains moored for years waiting to know his fate ... between demolition or renovation (this strongly desired by the Lariana population). Finally in 2003, the Province of Como takes the field by engaging in the recovery of the steamer, with PATRIA's historic "friends" of "Famiglia Comasca"; February 27, 2004 the remains of the steamer is formally sold to the Province of Como in the symbolic figure of " 1 Euro". After a series of bureaucratic delays, in August 2008 is finally contracted the first batch of works and the renovation starts. On 8 May 2013, PATRIA comes to Dervio for a short cruise, and for testing stability on the lake, and received a "Certificate of Class" that officially renames it as a ship. After 23 years it is the first time that the PATRIA sails again, since 1990, the year of its disarmament. The inauguration takes place July 19, 2013, at Villa Olmo in Como present authorities, proponents of the huge recovery and many other enthusiasts ... as me. Enjoy.

Check video available here: http://youtu.be/KALgHsGiPu8


Filename: The_Steamer_PATRIA_pearl_on_VFR_of_Lario__Como_Lak.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 22nd February 2014, 01:25:28
Downloads: 589
Author: Aldo Della vedova, Daniele Lanfranchi, Gian Mario Verga
Size: 10.5 MB


Category: Flight Simulator X - Aircraft Repaints, Textures and Modifications
Consolidated PBY-5A VB-126 #20 Download

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File Description:
A repaint for the Aerosoft PBY-5a Catalina in the colors of PBY-5a #20 (BuNo 7277) of VB-126 as it looked during a rescue operation on the Greenland ice cap in 1943. On 5 november 1942, a C-53 en route from Iceland to Greenland was reported missing off Greenland's east coast. Four days later, a B-17F, en route for England was aked to to keep a lookout for the missing plane, but it crashed on the ice cap. The crew of suffered only minor injuries, and they soon received food and other supplies that were dropped on the ice. Unfortunately, they had landed in a heavily crevassed part of the icecap, making an evacuation difficult. On 28 november, a USCG Grumman Duck, flown by Lt Pritchard, managed to make a wheels-up landing on the ice and brought out two of the crew. The next day, a ground rescue team arrived on the dite as well, and things looked good.... One crew member and a rescuer died when their sled disappeared in a crevasse, and later the same day, Lt. Pritchard's Duck disappeared as well, with a crew of three. On 6 december, an attempt was made to evacuate the B-17's navigator, Lt. O'Hara, who suffered from gangrene in his feet. One member is the rescue party fell into an crevasse, and the motorsled they were using broke down, so the men had to dig in and wait for help. The days continued until over christmas, but morale was kept high with airdrops whenever the weather permitted. A rescue by sled became impossible however due to bad conditions and heavy snows. Lt.Col Balchen, who had used a PBY the previous summer to rescue the members of the B-17 'My Gal Sal' (currently under restoration in Ohio) of the ice, and was now in charge of the rescue operation, proposed to try the same here. The last summer, the PBY landed on a melt water lake on the icecap however, this time he wanted to belly land the PBY, and nobody knew if the hull could withstand such a battering. In the meantime, a ski-equipped T8P1 aircraft tried the same, but dispappeared over the east coast. The crew members were found five days later in a rubber dinghy. The Navy finally gave permission to try an attempt with the PBY. and two PBY-5a"s were send to airfield BW-8, to wait for the right weather. On 5 febuary 1943, Lt Bernard Dunlop succesfully bellylanded BuNo 7277 / 20 (the above paintjob) at the motorsled camp, and the three survivors were taken on board. It has frozen solid in the ice, but after two hours of hard labor, the crew managed to free the PBY and it took off. Now only the three crew members still at the original site needed to be rescued. A ground rescue party was sent to the wreck to transport the survivors to a spot where the PBY could land, but bad weather prevented any flying until 17 march. On that day, Lt. Dunlop landed on the ice, dropping off Lt.Col Balchen and the rescue party, who reached the wreck the following day. The weather closed in again until finally, on april 5th, Lt Dunlop landed his PBY for the third time on the ice cap. All hands were taken on board, but after five attempts to take off, the starboard engine caught fire. The blaze was extinguished, but repairs were necessary. The next day, they managed to take off, but without the rescue party, to lighten the load. 149 days after their crash, the B-17 crew was finally clear of the ice. It wasn't until 18 may that the last member of the rescue party was finally evacuated, making this a six and a half month rescue operation... Repaint by Jan Kees Blom, based on the paintkit by Aerosoft


Filename: Consolidated_PBY5A_VB126_20.zip
License: Freeware
Added: 13th July 2018, 20:33:17
Downloads: 135
Author: Jan Kees Blom
Size: 10.19 MB


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