I made a short movie with music that
shows some of MSFS 2020 sceneries. Well, visit some places in the world and
fly as a bird.How do you like it?
February
26, 2021
Hello everybody! A lot of things happened
during few last years. Unfortunately, I have been very busy with my job
and my other hobbies since my last note here. I guess, it will be
better. Nevertheless, I updated some information on my website. The most
spectacular thing is that a new generation of Microsoft Flight Simulator
was issued in 2020. In addition, few (scenery)
updates (Japan, USA, Great Britain and Ireland) were released during
2020 - 2021 as well. Well, enjoy flying and hang on during bad days!
Microsoft Flight Simulator, released 2020, almost real, spectacular...
Microsoft Flight Simulator, released 2020
June
17, 2016
Dovetail Games Flight School has been released. Flight School was announced as a
standalone experience focused on learning to fly. It was not intended as
a successor of the Microsoft Flight Simulator, but probably many users
were expected rather a new great flight simulation program than a common
game. They probably expected at least amazing graphics. I tried the Flight School only for few
days, but my first feeling
is not good. I even think that it is a bad version of Microsoft Flight.
We can not compare this flight simulation with Microsoft Flight
Simulator X at all.
There are some similar features taken from both MS Flight and MS Flight
Simulator X, but the result seems outdated. The graphics looks
unfinished and sometimes quite funny. The ground textures do not match
with position of buildings. The roads are non sensuously interrupted or
even completely crazy (for example at Kennedy Intl.). The next bad thing
is, that the instruments on a panel are not readable. So you must constantly
zoom between the instrument panel and a view from a window or fly without
instruments.
Funny roads (for example
at KJFK)
The ground textures do
not match with position of buildings. Where is One WTC (Freedom Tower)?
The aircraft choices are very limited at the moment. You
can use only Piper PA-18 or Piper PA28. There are two flight schools
which need to be more tested to say assessment. So try it and make you
own opinion. It is only for 14.99€. I still wait for Dovetail Games Flight Simulator and I hope
for much better result than DG Flight School.
Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition Premium, released 2015
On the 9th of July 2014 Dovetail Games announced a licensing agreement with
Microsoft to distribute Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition and to
develop further products based on Microsoft's technology for the
entertainment market. On the 11th of February 2016 Dovetail Games announced
their plans to launch two new flight simulation titles in 2016:
Dovetail Games Flight School and Dovetail Games Flight Simulator. Flight
School should be released in April 2016. That will be a standalone
experience focused on learning to fly.
The Dovetail Games Flight Simulator is scheduled for launch in the latter
part of the year. Dovetail says: "DTG Flight Simulator is still very much in
development and is planned to be more expansive and evolved than Flight
School. We are committed to developing a cutting edge flight simulator which
takes full advantage of modern PCs and can be continuously built upon. For
starters, Dovetail Games Flight Simulator will be a 64-bit simulator using
DirectX 11 and take full advantage of modern GPU and CPU performance. We are
in this for the long term and intend to support and expand upon DFS for
years to come. We aren’t just going to make a new simulator – we intend to
build a new simulation platform which grows with you, our players, over
time".
In
my opinion, this is the most important information, because in fact it means
that
the long Flight Simulator history is still alive!!!
October 7, 2015
My website tries to describe development of subLOGIC/Microsoft Flight
Simulator. Apart from the simulator itself, I always wanted to describe
subLOGIC’s story and especially role of Mr. Bruce Artwick. There are
some articles on Internet, but I discovered, that they are full of
errors, confused statements and missed information. So please read
my new page.
Stu Moment, Bruce Artwick
and their Cessna 150, January 1983
August 24, 2015
My website update began. First of all I made small website face lifting
and solved some minor bugs. I hope that the new look is better, a bit
more modern and what is important, it is compatible with most Internet
browsers. My first main update is downloading. I changed the external
file server from 4Shared to
Uloz.to. Now you can download historical manuals and very very old
versions of Flight Simulator without problems and without registering (login).
All previous downloads are available and I appended the first ever
Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00 user manual. It is really world rarity!
I made it from the original paper book, which has more than 100 pages.
For few reasons there is a password for download: sublogic
Do you remember your first take off in your live with some version of
subLOGIC/Microsoft Flight Simulator? Just use my
DOSBox or
MESS download
which allows playing of old FS versions on current computers with
Windows.
DOSBox with D-Fend
Reloaded interface
I made a new DOSBox package which
includes Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00 and 1.05 for IBM PC, Microsoft
Flight Simulator 2.10, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14 for IBM PC and Tandy and all
subLOGIC scenery disks like Hawaiian Odyssey Scenery Adventure, Japan,
Europe and others, Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0 for IBM PC with
scenery disk Europe, Microsoft Flight Simulator 4.0b for IBM PC with all
scenery disks (Mallard's and Microsoft Scenery Disks by MicroScene, BAO
and subLOGIC) and Microsoft
Aircraft & Scenery Designer, Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0 for DOS with
Microsoft Caribbean, Japan, Paris and New York Scenery, Microsoft
Flight Simulator 5.1, subLOGIC Flight Assignment: Airline Transport
Pilot with subLOGIC USA East, USA West and Nomssoft 3D Advanced Graphic
System for 3D glasses, subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Data
General/One, subLOGIC Jet 1.0, 2.1 for IBM PC, subLOGIC Thunder Chopper
1.0 for DOS and finally subLOGIC Flight, Flight Light, Flight Light Plus
for DOS and Windows. Really very large package of subLOGIC/Microsoft
Flight Simulator flying history!
Microsoft Windows 3.11
running in DOSBox and subLOGIC Flight, Flight Light and Flight Light
Plus
I made a new MESS package which includes everything you need in one
file. Now you do not need to download separately MESS, software and
ROMs. The package includes subLOGIC first ever Flight Simulator demo
(from A2-3D1), subLOGIC Flight Simulator 1 for Apple II, subLOGIC Flight
Simulator 1 for TRS-80, subLOGIC Flight Simulator II (v1.0, v2.0) for
Apple II, subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Color Computer 3, Commodore
64, Amiga, Data General/One, subLOGIC Flight Simulator with Torpedo
Attack for MSX, Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00, 1.05, 2.10, 2.12, 2.13,
2.14 for IBM PC and 2.12 for Tandy, Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00 and
1.02 for Apple Macintosh, Microsoft Flight Simulator 3.0 and 4.0 with
scenery disk Europe.
I would like to notice, that now there are for download my
flight
simulator history movies. I appended also my older movie which ends
with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 - it was my first FS movie. You can
see all my movies online on
my
YouTube channel.
August 14, 2015
Hello my
flying friends and enthusiasts. After significant long time I came back
to my never finished job with Flight Simulator history research and with
my website. It is unbelievable that the Flight Simulator history website
celebrated 10 years of existing this year! Much work must be done. So,
let’s go!
I missed here for more than 3 years. It was just when the Microsoft
Flight was released in February 2012. Although the Microsoft Flight with
its philosophy is mostly focused to easy game flying, I did not expect
that they cancel development of the Microsoft Flight so soon (on 26 July
2012). In my opinion, the Microsoft Flight has nearby nothing with
previous long genealogy of Microsoft Flight Simulator. So I do not
consider the Microsoft Flight a follower of Flight Simulator series.
Anyway I had to mention this side direction. You can read a small
article and see screenshots regarding to
MS Flight on its special page.
Microsoft Flight
Another side direction of Microsoft Flight Simulator, which should be
mention, is Prepar3D
by Lockheed Martin, released in 2010. Prepar3D is based on source code
of Microsoft ESP which was a commercial version of Microsoft Flight
Simulator X. Prepar3D is still alive and in development. It goes its own
way.
Lockheed Martin Prepar3D
- F-22 Raptor over Langley Air Force Base
Finally,
Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition was released on 18
December 2014. According to official announcements, it is a re-release of
Microsoft Flight Simulator X Gold Edition, which includes the Deluxe and
Acceleration packs and both Service Packs. It includes "all standard
Steam functionality", and replaces the GameSpy multiplayer system with
Steam's multiplayer system. FSX: Steam Edition has not a box
distribution, only Internet download with activation is available. On
the 9th of July 2014 Dovetail Games announced a licensing agreement with
Microsoft to distribute Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition and
to develop further products based on Microsoft's technology for the
entertainment market.
FSX: Steam Edition has not a box distribution. This is only the
fictional box on the Internet.
February 29, 2012
On 29 February 2012, half a year after
an official announcement, Microsoft released their latest flying product
made by ACES Studios team. It was my honour to participate in a beta
testing, so I had some time to form my opinion on the Flight Simulator
successor. The page dedicated to MS
Flight is here.
The main menu of
Microsoft Flight
November 15, 2011
When I made
the Flight Simulator History movie (almost 40 minutes long)
a year ago, I thought about to make some short promotional movie as well.
Now I did it! It consists of nearly 150 film cuts and amazing song
by Queen (Don't stop me now - Jazz, 1978).
You can download
my website promotional video in HD resolution as well.
This is a promotional movie
for the Flight Simulator History Website
This is a
promotional movie for my Flight Simulator History Website. Would you
like to know more about whole history of the subLOGIC / Microsoft Flight
Simulator ? Go through my website or see my other detailed films
dedicated to all FS issues ever released. The complete (almost) 40 minutes movie
is available in Download section or
now on-line on YouTube.
The Microsoft Flight
Simulator history movie
February 2, 2011
I would like to notice you that Microsoft Flight development team
released few next new screenshots of the Flight. They mainly present
scenery environment look. In the mean time they explained few main
questions from the Flight Simulator community. So if you want to see
more pictures, to know why they changed the Flight Simulator name or
other answers, give a look at their
official website. By the way,
there and
there, are very nice comparisons of the sceneries from Flight
Simulator 98 to Flight.
Picture of the Microsoft
Flight from the official web
November 14, 2010
On June 2-3, 2010, the
Computer History Museum in Mountain View, USA, hosted a 6-session
conference on the PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching
Operations) learning system – “PLATO@50: Seeing the Future Through the
Past”.
Session 5 was
entitled "PLATO Games: An Early, Robust Community of Multiplayer, Online
Games." What is interesting, there was
Bruce Artwick among guest participants. Except his session
appearance,
Robert Scoble, blogger, Building 43 member, caught Mr. Artwick and
made an off hand interview. It is amazing to see Bruce Artwick, because
there are very few pictures of him. You can find couple of very old
photos on Internet, but any of current one. So now, thanks to Robert,
you can see even a video.
Bruce
Artwick interview - the father of Microsoft Flight Simulator
During more
than one hour session Bruce Artwick appeared few times. He answered
several questions regarding to PLATO with connection to his Flight
Simulator. I would like to notice you with a sequence at 0:22:25
– 0:23:23. The conference organizers used a screenshot, which I
personally made from subLOGIC Flight Simulator 1 for TRS-80, as a
background picture on the projecting screen.
PLATO@50 conference -
Session 5 - "PLATO Games: An Early, Robust Community of Multiplayer,
Online Games"
August 18, 2010
August 17, 2010, on the eve of Gamescom 2010 in Cologne, Germany (Aug.
18 – 22), Microsoft Corporation announced the development of “Microsoft
Flight,” a new entry inspired by the best-selling “Microsoft Flight
Simulator” franchise. For the present, little information is available.
In fact we have only press announcement:
Twenty-eight years after the debut of “Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0,”
Microsoft Game Studios announced the internal development of “Microsoft
Flight,” a new Windows exclusive. “Microsoft Flight” will bring a new
perspective to the long-standing genre, welcoming everyone, including
long-time fans, to experience the magic of flight.
So it is too early to say any worlds about Flight. For continual updates
over time and to view a teaser of the future of Microsoft Flight on the
Windows PC, visit
official game website.
A picture from a
teaser
March 10, 2010
Just today my website met the 5th anniversary. Although I still use old
frame system, I hope that I made quite nice five years boy. I had only
four thousands of visitors during the first year. Now I have more than
195 thousands in all (each IP address is counted only once a day). Of
course, I am not a rival of the renowned webs like AVSIM, VATSIM and
others. I am glad that I managed to popularize a history of the legend:
subLOGIC – Microsoft Flight Simulator. I had success with joining the
Microsoft’s official web -
the FS Insider,
I had an article in the GameStar Germany Magazine, my pictures are used
on many webs and few publications, my video took a part of
Windows Vista
advertising, it was used in the
Aeronautical museum Gianni Caproni in Trento, Italy, for an
exhibition dedicated to a flight simulation. My friend Jos Grupping used
my video for presentation on regular exhibitions in
Aviation
museum in Lelystad, the Netherlands, and few next achievements.
I am quite busy with my job, but always I did my best to give you new
information, pictures, even some 20 or 30 years old versions of Flight
Simulator, to share with you feelings of virtual pilots then years. On
the 5th website anniversary I prepared something special. It is a movie
called "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 web 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.
The second main thing is a movie which describes whole history of
subLOGIC – Microsoft Flight Simulator. My previous edition had "only" 25
versions. Now there are all issues from the first subLOGIC
Demonstration, the first ever subLOGIC Flight Simulator 1 to the latest
Acceleration. There are very rare issues for NEC PC, Data General One,
extremely rare subLOGIC Scenery Disks for Apple II and IBM PC. Whole
movie takes almost 40 minutes, so it is not online on YouTube, but
the file for download is not too
large. Everyone can find his first version, everyone can compare the
graphics. The movie represents more than thousand words.
There are many other new things. Few new
videos
of the rare Flight Simulator versions and Flight Simulator X. I launched
two new screenshot pages with
subLOGIC
scenery disks,
Mallard's
and Microsoft sceneries (it is included
add-on for using with 3D glasses).
Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0 with Microsoft (MicroScene - BAO) Paris
Scenery
subLOGIC Flight Assignment: Airline Transport Pilot with subLOGIC USA West
and Nomssoft 3D Advanced Graphic System
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2.12 for IBM PC with subLOGIC Hawaiian Odyssey
Scenery Adventure Disk - "The Treasure"
This
way I want to say much thanks to all people, including Stu Moment, who
helped with information, to emulator makers, for old software or for
pure support with kind words. Thank you very much guys!
I corrected information about a special release of Microsoft
Flight Simulator 2.12 for AST Research, Inc. The version is exactly the
same version as the version for IBM PC computers. Microsoft made a
special edition with
AST
Research label on a floppy disk and a manual. The game itself is the
same without any differences, even with the same file date. The version
has been sold with new AST Research computer (IBM PC compatible). You
could not buy the special edition separately. The user's manual was
included in
a blue three ring binder. On the picture below you can see
the first manual page with a turquoise stripe - Special Edition for AST
research, Inc. not for resale.
Thanks to Joe
Metro from California, USA, I have information about a special release
of subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for Apple II (the second picture above).
The special issue includes competition from subLOGIC and TWA - find
Moscow's Red Square on a Western European Tour scenery disk and win a
trip for two to Western Europe. You can read the text on a label
here. By the way, you can find my Red Square among screenshots. I
miss the competition for more than 20 years...
December 15, 2009
I was very busy with my job last half year,
but in the meantime I collected tons of materials. I bought several subLOGIC Scenery Disks for Microsoft
Flight Simulator 2.x, thanks to Michael Snook
from USA I got few next missing subLOGIC Scenery Disks and other stuff,
thanks to William Vandenberg from Canada I received few Mallard's
add-ons for Microsoft Flight Simulator 4.0, I made hundreds of
screenshots, my best "hacker" - Jeff Leyda from USA, managed to make
disk images from the subLOGIC SD's for IBM PC (from my own floppy
disks), I prepared few new downloads and so on. I will publish the most
of my new stuff during next year. Finally I bought a new strong computer with i7-950 over clocked at
3.9GHz, 12GB fast RAM, ATI Radeon 5870 and Windows 7 64-bit. So
it is time to make a new Flight Simulator history movie.
What is new now? I published the Flight
Simulator X page. My new computer is really strong machine and the
screenshots look wonderful.
Microsoft Flight
Simulator X -
Cessna C208B Grand Caravan - an outside plane view of Sydney, Australia
I opened my own
YouTube
channel to get all my old videos available for on line playing and I
made the special comparison video page on
my website. You can see my old videos and read detailed descriptions.
Thanks to Fred Peralta from USA you can see
an advertising video,
which he made for subLOGIC many years ago, and I improved few next minor
things.
March 19, 2009
I am just celebrating my name day and here is my gift for you. A short
animation of subLOGIC Jet 2.1 for IBM PC/XT/AT and PS/2. Compare its EGA
with RGB of the 1.0 version.
subLOGIC Jet 2.1 for IBM
PC/XT/AT and PS/2
February 20, 2009
After quite long silence period on my website I can introduce a lot of
new interesting things. The first great news is that I enlarged my
DOSBox download page. I thought about to give you possibility to compare
graphics and especially abilities of other subLOGIC flight simulation
programs. So I included next four famous flight simulators:
subLOGIC Jet,
subLOGIC Flight Assignment: Airline Transport Pilot,
subLOGIC Flight (previously Flight Light) and
subLOGIC Thunder Chopper. The new download update is included in
my compilation with D-Fend
Reloaded graphical interface. So you can compare subLOGIC software
production since Bruce Artwick left his first firm. Of course the Jet
was partly Airwick's job.
subLOGIC Jet 1.0 for
IBM PC, PCjr - landing on the aircraft carrier
Just recently I bought subLOGIC
Scenery Disk 9 for IBM PC's Flight Simulator 2.x. Then I made few
interesting screenshots of the rare and hard to find issue. By the way,
if you have any other subLOGIC scenery disks for IBM PC (for Flight
Simulator 2.x and JET), I would be glad to buy it from you or at least
having a Teledisk image copy.
I am missing SD 8, 10 and 12.
I want to make
screenshots from all that disks to save them for history.
Microsoft Flight
Simulator 2.12 and subLOGIC Scenery Disk 9 - Chicago
Finally, I made a completely new section of my website which is
dedicated to a battle Microsoft Flight Simulator branch - to
Combat
Flight Simulator series. I made a small reflection about the combat
series origin. The combat series information has effect to Timeline and
Covers section as well.
Microsoft Combat Flight
Simulator 2 - P-38 in a hard battle over
Hollandia - New Guinea
Still not all news... I appended next two scenery disks for MS Flight
Simulator 4.0 (it is included in Flight v2 compilation). The first one
is very interesting
subLOGIC's Hawaiian Odyssey Scenery Adventure. Load mode called "Volcano
(SD-HAW)" and fly into the crater to find 7 fantasy sceneries or fly
into the other crater to find treasure...
Microsoft Flight
Simulator 4.0b with subLOGIC's Hawaiian Odyssey Scenery Adventure - fly
into volcano...
The second appended scenery is a part of subLOGIC's Great Britain
Scenery. Load "White Cliffs (SD-GB1)" mode and try WWII pilot feelings
when they were coming home to Britain.
Microsoft Flight
Simulator 4.0b with subLOGIC Great Britain Scenery Disk 1 - white cliffs
of Dover
- the
DOSBox download
page is enlarged with D-Fend Reloaded graphical interface, thanks to
Peter Veenstra of DOSBox team, there is the version which can run
Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.00 and 1.05. I appended all FS "booters"
and few scenery disks. There are included some screenshots as well,
Microsoft Flight
Simulator 4.0b with Mallard's (MicroScene) scenery disk 4 - Japan (F/A-18 + USS
Enterprise)
- thanks to
Phil Lange I made several new screenshots of FSII for C 64,
- new animation of
Flight Simulator 1 for TRS-80 is available on
its page.
December 12, 2007
I removed my old comparison page with the real photographs and Microsoft
Flight Simulator 2004. Now you can compare some screenshots taken from
the same scenery in couple versions of subLOGIC/Microsoft Flight
Simulator.
subLOGIC Flight
Simulator II for Apple II and Microsoft Flight Simulator X
November 27, 2007
I present next wonderful program which can emulate virtual hardware
environment. It is the DOSBox. I made a compilation which includes few
Flight Simulator versions from 2.xx to 5.1 with special individual
setups for each version. Now you can fly almost all ancient PC (DOS) versions on
your current computers with Windows. See new section on
Download page.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0
for DOS - in front of Golden Gate Bridge
November 15, 2007
I launched next part of my
disk image collection for downloads. It took much money and much work to
get them running with MESS emulator. My compilation now covers whole
early history of Flight
Simulator. You can see the first ever
Flight Simulator "demo", the first generation for Apple II and TRS-80,
the second generation for few type of computers and you can compare
graphic differences (Apple II, Color Computer 3, C 64, Data General/One,
IBM PC, Tandy), you can see the third generation as well for few type of
computers (Macintosh, Amiga, IBM PC).
Interface of Multiple
Emulator Super System (MESS)
July
20, 2007
When Bruce Artwick established his subLOGIC corporation in 1977, his new
firm offered a “3D microcomputer graphics package” that allow engineers,
architects, designers, pilots and anyone else interested in 3D wire
frame drawings to generate what they wanted on a TV screen. The first
version of 3D Graphics was available in BASIC and M6800 assembly
language already in August 1977. In this time they were preparing other
3D Graphics packages for 8080, 6502 and Z80 processors. Bruce Artwick
presented his programs in Kilobaud magazine, issue 10, in October 1977.
In August 1979 was released 6502 processor version of
3D Graphics package (it hit markets in October 1979). It means the
version for Apple II computers. The program was marked as program number
A2-3D1. The assembly language version was distributed with 32 pages
user’s manual (called
Load and Go manual) and 84 pages technical manual.
The BASIC version was distributed with 22 pages Load and Go manual and 60
pages BASIC 3D Graphics manual.
Here are shown the covers of the assembly language manuals:
The programs were distributed on one cassette or one floppy disk. What
is interesting and the most important regarding to our interest, there
was included a special demonstration program. We can consider the
demonstration program as the first public demo of the following
worldwide famous Flight Simulator.
subLOGIC 3D
Graphics package - demonstration for Apple II
This demo
is an ancestor of the first ever released subLOGIC Flight Simulator 1
for Apple II (A2-FS1). The program is depicting 14 still pictures of the
flying area with six mountains and the airport location which is more
detailed than the similar airport in A2-FS1. Only one airport is
included. The flying area is 5 x 6 grids instead of 6 x 6 grids in
Flight Simulator 1. An instrument panel is not presented. It must be
highlight that it is not playable demo; you can not take control
of the plane. The pictures are repeatedly
depicting. I made an animated picture which shows the view of all 14
demo pictures in right sequence and timing as you can see in the demo on
real Apple II.
Thank you very much to Marc-Andre Handfield for much valuable
information, pictures of 3D Graphics manuals and mediation of
information from Stu Moment and Mark Percival. Thank you very much to
Mark Percival for help with the FS demo loader.
May 31, 2007
I was lucky last month. After a great fight on Yahoo Japan
Auction I won a copy of subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for NEC
PC-9801F/VF/VM. It took more than four years of hard searching to get
this version. I was lucky twice because by chance I won other copy of
this version for PC-9801U2/UV2 as well. In fact these releases are
differing by floppy disk format only. The first is on 5,25 inch floppy
disk, the second is on 3,5 inch floppy disk. They both are the same
subversion 1.01 of Flight Simulator II. The floppy disk format is
differing because there are available appropriate drives on the
computers.
I made
few tests with original source floppies and finally I was able to make a
disk image suitable for PC-9801 emulator (T98Next, Virtual98 and Neko
Project 2). It was surprisingly easy. Then I can run this rare version
on normal home computer. The screenshots have great quality. The best
thing is that after many years the virtual copy of the version will be
still saved for future. The real copy protected floppy disks will not to be readable
due to their age.
subLOGIC Flight
Simulator II for NEC PC-9801 - Chicago below right wing
May 17, 2007
Few guests of my website a day come
from Wikipedia. So I prepared a new subLOGIC Flight Simulator 1 for
Apple II GIF animation to help them. Here is other one.
subLOGIC Flight
Simulator 1 for Apple II
May 2, 2007
I am very glad that I can present a great job of my American friend Jeff
Leyda. He is one of the smart people who are willing to spend their time
on old floppy disks (booters) to make them working in emulators. We met
two years ago and Jeff made especially for me a disk image of Microsoft
Flight Simulator 2.12 for Tandy computers. So I could make screenshots
and a piece of video for my
subLOGIC/Microsoft Flight Simulator history video. Jeff is back and
he did next wonderful job.
The first task was the copy protected floppy
disk of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2.14. This last 2.xx version is very
rare. It is similar to the previous 2.10 – 2.13 versions but in addition
it supports IBM PS/2 computers. I bought it for about 50 USD in February
in USA. Due to some problems I received it in March. I made a Teledisk
image of the floppy disk, not usable for emulators, and sent it to Jeff.
He managed to make the disk image for MESS and DOSBox.
By the way, I copied whole Flight
Simulator 2.10 manual in PDF format for you.
The second, and the most important, task for Jeff was to make a
disk image of subLOGIC Flight Simulator II for one of the first laptop
in the world – Data General/One. I bought this Flight Simulator version about three
years ago in USA. I even bought
a real DG1 computer
to get the Flight
Simulator running. It did not run on my oldest i386 computer. I expected
that the Flight Simulator version could run on some IBM PC XT. I was
partly right. Jeff managed to make the disk image for emulators but
there is not any DG1 emulator. The image did not work within any IBM PC
clone in MESS. It was the same result as on my i386. It froze on an
introduction screen. Fortunately Jeff found out some check in Flight
Simulator program which was looking in BIOS for DG1. He removed the
check and the disk image became compatible with IBM PC! Then I can run
it in MESS or DOSBox. I have to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GREAT JOB
Jeff!!!
subLOGIC Flight
Simulator II for Data General/One
April 30, 2007
In March 2007 I was asked by Silke Stein, who is a writer for GameStar
Germany magazine, for an interview regarding to my Flight Simulator
history website. I agreed and answered his questions. The interview was
published in April issue of GameStar magazine. The most of my readers do
not speak German and come from other countries. If you have an interest
about, you can read the
interview in English too.
April 25, 2007
I have next nice news today. My
Canadian friend Marc-Andre Handfield managed to get in touch with
Stu Moment. As you probably know, Stu was the second main
person in subLOGIC when Flight Simulator 1 was released. In addition he
is signed a book called “Flight Physics and Aircraft Control” which was
included in Flight Simulator II releases. He shared some interesting
information regarding many early editions. One of the main information
is the release date of the first Flight Simulator 1 for Apple II.
There is very often mentioned 1979 as
the year of the first release. You can find the information on Internet,
it is written in some later Flight Simulator versions manuals and it is
on a subLOGIC
10th anniversary poster
as well. This is a difference from
1980 year which is presented in
a manual to
Flight Simulator 1 for Apple II. It is exactly – January
1980, in the manual first release, first printing. Where is the truth?
I always believed that the program was
made in 1979 but I was not sure about the year when it got in public.
Now I can quote Stu Moment. The program was really done later in 1979
and it was ready for distribution during a week after Christmas 1979.
SubLOGIC
“product status sheet” presents exactly December 31, 1979. He
remembers that he had to write few apologetic letters to users who
wanted to have Flight Simulator 1 as a Christmas gift. Then now we know
a background which followed the very first edition.
Just recently I
bought a manual to the very first edition, first printing. It includes
the
“release information sheet”
which is exactly dated January 1,
1980. The information confirmed everything mentioned above. The manual
is interesting by a blue colour of its soft cover because all following
A2-FS1 covers have yellow colour. There even exists exactly the same
manual the first printing with yellow cover. Why other colour? Stu
Moment gave an answer. “There may have been blue covers for FS1 in the
beginnings. All FS1 printing was done at local printers. Color decisions
were often made depending on the printer’s stock. After we grew, we’d warn
printers before reprints and they’d get the correct paper or cover stock.” I made a copy in PDF format
and you can admire this piece of flight simulation history.
March 30, 2007
Great news today!
After few years of very hard searching I could add
two rare releases of Flight Simulator. In actuality you can find its
front box covers on my Covers webpage.
It is Microsoft
Flight Simulator 4.0 for NEC PC-9800 series computers. You know the
program look from my
FS history video or from my screenshots.
I had the version disk image but now I got the real 3,5 inch floppy disk
with manual and paper box. The box was one of the latest missing items
in my collection. It was very difficult to get this version for Japanese
market. Japanese people are really great people but they mostly do not
support international shipping. Then I had to use a deputy shopping
service. It is curious that I won the Flight Simulator in Yahoo Japan
auction for les than 1 US dollar but my shipping and handling fees were
more than 50 US dollars!
The second new
box cover is the cover of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2.14 for IBM PC and
Compatible, PC XT, PC AT, PCjr and PS/2. The 2.14 version is the latest
released 2.xx version and it is very rare as
well.
March 18, 2007
After quite long period I decided to update the introduction page. Well,
there is not much news but some statements were not already accurate and
some Internet links did not work. In addition I appended few interesting
pictures.
March 5, 2007
There is usually at least one great
news monthly on my website and I realized that some of them need more
detailed commentary. Then I decided to make a special section for news.
February
20, 2007
When I started to work on my
website early in 2005, I wanted to make a timeline which describes whole
history of subLOGIC/Microsoft Flight Simulator in dates of releases. I
had a great problem to get this dates simple and clear. There are many
versions, sub-versions and partial releases for wide range of computers.
Mentioning of all the versions can cause chaos to common readers. Then
my first timeline is not
included much detailed information and in spite of that it is quite
complicated.
There was the second reason for the simple timeline. I had not enough
information for exact description. During last year I did really serious
research and discovered much information by myself or with help of many
enthusiasts. The greatest one was Marc-Andre Handfield from Canada. I
had to buy many real boxes with Flight Simulators to find out many
details. Just recently Marc-Andre motivated me to make very accurate and
detailed timeline. He has probably the largest collection of
subLOGIC/Microsoft Flight Simulator releases in the world and his
knowledge fulfilled gaps in my own large collection. Then after our
close cooperation we could launch
the detailed timeline with all
known versions.
January 27, 2007
When some job is done, it is good to know its
review. I received many feedbacks from my website readers by e-mails.
Recently Jakob Horsch from Germany suggested to create
a guestbook
for public reactions and suggestions. Thanks to few first feedbacks I
improved a colour of arrows in a screenshot section; I found out that
due to incompatibility, the screenshot section is not
displayed properly in Opera explorer.
I need your help and opinion for next improvements, for correcting of
bad or incomplete information and of course, for making me happy.
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