I opened my own
YouTube
channel. There you can see short video clips
from all subLOGIC - Microsoft Flight Simulators. Thanks to YouTube I placed my videos on this
page as well. You can see the videos online and read my
detailed descriptions. The videos are sorted in descending order (with
some exceptions). The new videos have subtitles.
The first video is a bit
different from all others. I called it "The Fantastic World in Microsoft
Flight Simulator X".
I captured 250 GB of movie materials which is about five hours of
recordings. I selected 10 minutes (the YouTube limit) for my
YouTube channel. I intentionally used only original Microsoft Flight
Simulator X and Acceleration Expansion Pack. There are not any
additional add-ons, planes, sceneries, special cameras. There are
intentionally only original sounds without music. I want to show you a
virtual world of flight enthusiasts. Everything you will see in the
video you can see on your computer.
I started the clip of the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (Century of
flight) with honor to Orville and Wilbur Wright brothers. They built the
first flying aircraft – Wright Flyer. So I tried to simulate their first
12 seconds long flight near the Wright Brothers Memorial statue in North
Carolina. The video continues by showing few historical aircrafts. They
are Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny”, Vickers Vimy and taxiing Ryan NYP “Spirit of
St. Louis” – the plane which Charles Lindbergh used for his first solo
non-stop flight from New York to Paris in 1927. The next aircrafts are
Ford Trimotor on the sunset sky, Curtis JN-4 in the raining night and
its instrument panel, de Havilland DH.88
Comet with lightning on the dark night sky, Cessna
172 Skyhawk (with an external view window) closing to Hong Kong at
sunset, Learjet 45 over Grand Canyon, DC-3 Dakota against background of
San Francisco, Ford Trimotor (again) in Himalayas panorama and finally
Boeing 777-300 (with few external views) over the Alaskian Mountains.
The Microsoft Flight
Simulator 2002 video starts with Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, the version
with floats, in scenery of Alaska. It is followed by Bell 206B JetRanger
helicopter over New York’s skyscrapers and the air traffic control of La
Guardia airport. Next appears Beechcraft King Air 350, Extra EA-300 and
Learjet 45 over Grand Canyon, Boeing 747-400 somewhere on the sky and
a final approach of Cessna (with few external views) to my favorite
airport - Chicago Meigs Field. I have to notice you that there were not
set up full details.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2000 is known thanks to Aérospatiale-BAC
Concorde. So I dedicated the introductory part to this famous plane. It
is somewhere at Northwest USA – near Seattle. The Concorde has really
impressive 2D instrument panel. The video continues with Boeing 777-300
ready to take of at Chicago Meigs, Cessna 172 Skyhawk over snow-covered
Berlin (see the TV tower and few internal aircraft views), the World War
1 aircraft - Sopwith Camel flies under the Golden Gate Bridge, Schweizer
2-32 Sailplane glides over San Francisco Bay, Bell 206B takes of in
front of the White House. The latest seconds of this video are dedicated
to Boeing 737 (over Hong Kong and its night landing).
My Microsoft Flight Simulator 98 video starts with Learjet 45 (2D and 3D
instrument panel) over Grand Canyon covered with clouds. I wanted to
show you graphics comparison with similar sceneries from the other
Flight Simulator versions. I think the graphics differences are the most
obvious. The video continues with Bell 206B past to the Statue of
Liberty, the World Trade Center buildings in New York and the 3D view of
San Francisco. Cessna against background of spouting lava is based on a
real event. There was an eruption at Big Island of Hawaii – Kilauea
Volcano. I dared to fly through the Tower Bridge and flew round
Westminster Palace in London, over Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow
(notice Lenin’s Mausoleum and the Vasil Blazeny Temple) and finally I
landed on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
Cessna 182RG Skylane over pyramids in Giza starts Microsoft Flight
Simulator for Windows 95. You can see all three pyramids (Pyramid of
Cheops, Pyramid of Rachef and Pyramid of Menkaur) and even the Great
Sphinx of Giza. Then the Cessna flies past to the 39A ramp at Cap
Canaveral and over Paris with Eiffel Tower. The video continues with
Sopwith Camel over Washington (the Capitol Building and the Washington
Monument), Boeing 737-400 over Mount Fuji in Japan, Learjet 35 over
Grand Canyon and finally Extra EA-300S.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
5.1 video consists of few views from Cessna 182 RG Skylane near Los
Angeles, a flight past to a dirigible over Chicago, 2D instrument panel
of Learjet 35 and a flight past to a hot balloon. The video documents
the texture improvements since previous version 5.0.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0 video starts a bit differently. A camera
falls from the space to the Earth near München, Europe. Cessna 182RG
Skylane flies shortly over Paris, but then it comes back over München,
near famous Olympic stadium. The video continues over Chicago with few
external and internal Cessna views. Then Schweizer 2–32
Sailplane appears
over San Francisco Bay, Learjet 35 over New York and San Francisco
(notice the textures). The last view is dedicated to sunset and night
effects in Chicago scenery.
Almost nobody knows that Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0 was released in
Japan for NEC PC-9821 as well. It has better resolution than IBM PC
issue. I
placed the clip to Microsoft Japan scenery add-on.
Now three Microsoft Flight Simulator 4.0 videos will continue. They are
releases for different computers. The first one is the 4.0b version for
NEC PC-9800 series computers (not IBM PC compatible). The whole video
shows San Francisco area (notice Island of Alcatraz).
The 4.0b version for IBM PC computers seems to be very similar. The
first aircraft and its instrument panel are not originally included in
the 4.0b version. It is a part of Microsoft’s official add-on called
Microsoft Aircraft and Scenery Designer. Then Learjet 25 flies over
Manhattan,
Schweizer 2–32
Sailplane glides over San Francisco Bay, Sopwith Camel flies in the
World War 1 scenery and Cessna Skylane lands on the aircraft-carrier (notice
lightning in the distance).
The 4.0 version for Apple Macintosh computers looks different. The whole
video is dedicated to Chicago scenery and Cessna 182RG Skylane. You can
see few views like a tower view, an external view, a map view and so on.
Notice much better sounds than in other 4.0 versions.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0 for IBM PC starts (as usual) at Chicago
Meigs with Cessna 182RG Skylane. Then Sopwith Camel flies in the World
War 1 scenery. Notice that the instrument panels of both aircrafts are
the same. Then Learjet 25 waves wings (the instrument panel has
different speedometer), the video continues with a view of an
aircraft-carrier and the Cessna flight through clouds (a left wing
view). The clouds have like ball shape. I landed safely on Runway 18.
Now my videos will be
continuing by a large number of Flight Simulator 2.x and II. Why? Bruce
Artwick programmed the Flight Simulator for his own firm called
subLOGIC, but he programmed the Flight Simulator for Microsoft as well.
So, the both corporations released Flight Simulators during the same
period under their trademarks. You can recognize them easily. The
subLOGIC marked the Flight Simulator by Roman II. The Microsoft used
just 2.x. Why there are so many issues? The both corporations took
advance of home microcomputer boom. So the Flight Simulator was released
for all main computer platforms.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2.12 for Tandy computers is in fact the same
as the version for IBM PC. The Tandy version even runs on IBM PC
computer. The version can change a graphics mode during the game playing
which other versions can not. The video shows Cessna 182RG Skylane over
Chicago, a map view (you can recognize the Meigs Field Airport at the
edge of Lake Michigan), a flight towards Sears Tower (one of the best
known Chicago’s skyscrapers), there is included the World War 1 scenery with
10 x 10 squares, a river in the middle, mountains (like a scene
shape) along the two sides. Then the video shows night view of Chicago
(a backside view with a rudder, a left wing view, a view of John Hancock
Center, a right wing view – lights off effect).
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2 for IBM PC was released five times. There
are versions 2.10, 2.10A (and internal update 2.11), 2.12, 2.13 and
2.14. My video shows the 2.12 version, which is quite similar to the
other 2.x versions. The video starts at Chicago Meigs. Cessna is taxiing
past to a hangar (a left wing view), then a map view appears. Then the
plane flies towards skyscraper of John Hancock Center in Chicago, past to
the World
Trade Center in New York and towards the Empire State Building (a night
view). In the end I tried to shoot down an enemy plane.
The subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Color Computer 3 video shows few
views from Piper Cherokee PA-28-181 Archer II (front, map, rear views
and a right wing view), then the World War 1 scenery and a night flight
past to the Sears Tower in Chicago. You can not hear any sounds because this
version of Flight Simulator II has not sounds.
The subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for NEC PC-9801 presents very rare
issue for Japanese market. It has very nice graphics. The version has
not sounds.
The
subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Data General One is a rarity as well.
There is not a DG1 emulator, so I used DOSBox and I had to improve
colors to the inverted gray shades to get real
DG1 LCD colors.
There are three subLOGIC Flight Simulator II issues, which could be
consider as advanced versions. They are issues for Atari ST, Amiga and
Apple Macintosh. If you want to know more, please, read the main article
on “History page” or check “Timeline
page”.
SubLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Atari ST video starts at San Francisco
airport. You can see dissimilarity from other Microsoft 2.x and subLOGIC II
versions (see below). There is a pull down menu, an external plane view, you
can open next window shoving other view and so on. We can compare this
version to Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0. The video is dedicated to the San
Francisco area. This scenery is included on the Flight Simulator floppy disk
for the first time (all previous older issues need a scenery disk).
SubLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Amiga computers is totally same as the
issue for Atari ST. My video shows the World War 1 scenery and a flight
over Paris, next to Eiffel Tower. Paris is a part of add-on scenery disk
called subLOGIC “Western European Tour”.
Next video needs additional comments as well. Microsoft Flight Simulator
1.00 for Apple Macintosh was released in 1986. That is the same as Amiga
and Atari ST issues but the Macintosh issue was released under Microsoft
copyright. Although it is marked as 1.00 version, it is above 1.x and
2.x (IBM PC versions) technological level. It has only monochromatic
picture. I have to mention that there is version 1.00 and 4.0 for Apple
Macintosh (the versions 2 and 3 were never released).
My video of Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00 for Macintosh shows a flight
over Manhattan, past to the World Trade Center, the Empire State
Building, along the East River, past to the Brooklyn Bridge, and finally
to the Miss Liberty.
The
subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Atari (8bit) is clearly recognized by
an instrument panel in black and white colors. The video shows again
known sceneries of Chicago and the World War 1. Why do I show you the same
sceneries again and again? The reason is very simple. There are only
few sceneries available in II and 2.x issues. They are Boston, New York, Los
Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and the World War 1 area. Then the most
detailed areas are New York, Chicago and the World War 1. My intention
was comparing similar sceneries from the most versions. I notice you
that there are lots of subLOGIC scenery disks, but it is the other
story.
The subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Commodore 64 video shows the same
sceneries as the issue for Atari (8bit). Although in the end of the
video, there is a flight over Paris towards to the Eiffel Tower, which is
part of the subLOGIC "Western European Tour" scenery disk.
SubLOGIC Flight Simulator with Torpedo Attack for MSX was released in
1988. It means in the same year as the year release of Microsoft Flight
Simulator 3.0. At the first glance the MSX issue is completely different
from all other subLOGIC and Microsoft’s issues. Thanks to my video you
can see a torpedo plane within wire shape graphics. It is
comparable to the first ever version by subLOGIC. You can see my bad ship attack.
Two next aircraft I shot down.
There is subLOGIC
Flight Simulator with Torpedo Attack for NEC PC-8801. It has the same
functionality, but a bit different graphics.
SubLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Apple II is the first issue of II
versions (in long 2.x and II versions). You can notice violet color
of water. It is not a mistake. The Apple II computer has only six
colors: white, green, blue, orange and violet. The video includes
subLOGIC Scenery Disks as well.
The Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00 for IBM PC, which was released in
1982, is the first ever version under Microsoft’s trademark. The video
was made from the 1.05 version, but this version has the same graphics.
The first part of my video is in black and white graphics mode, the
second part is in “color composite monitor” mode.
Finally we reach year 1980. During the first quarter of that year,
subLOGIC released their first ever issues, the version for TRS-80 and
Apple II. We had an argument with colleagues about a true release date.
We got an answer from Stu Moment. The whole story is described on
the history page. My video shows the
subLOGIC Flight Simulator 1 for TRS-80. There are few video segments in
a real TRS-80 frame rate. Thanks to very bad graphics possibilities, the
TRS-80 issue seems even older than the Apple II issue. You can see
Sopwith Camel over an imaginary scenery of 6 x 6 squares.
SubLOGIC Flight Simulator 1 for Apple II, sub-version 3, includes few 3D
objects and enlarged 12 x 12 squares scenery. We are not sure if the
sub-version 3 is originally by subLOGIC. I hope sometime we will get an
answer.
The following video presents the first ever released subLOGIC Flight
Simulator 1 for Apple II. It is a great-grandfather of current Microsoft
Flight Simulator X.
The last video
presents the first not playable demo. In fact it is the demo of subLOGIC
3D Graphics Package for Apple II. It consists of fourteen still
monochromatic
pictures of a flying area. We can consider
the demonstration program as the first public demo of the following
worldwide famous Microsoft Flight Simulator.
