And Now For Something .... COMPLETELY DIFFERENT !

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

I don't often get side-tracked .... BUT .... "IF", or whenever, I do then there's usually always a darned good reason for it ;D

For the past 2 years, in particular, virtually all of my personal FS time has been consumed by the last few major new HJG projects which we've released here .... in the form of the B727, CARAVELLE, DC9, and most recently the L1011 TRISTAR projects. Whilst I've enjoyed every moment of working on each of these projects, and getting them released here, I also resolved, this Christmas, to try and do some of those FS things I've been dying to do for so long but which the past 24 months of other FS commitments have prevented my enjoying.

ANYWAY ....

I've always had a fascination in marine aircraft. That's probably born of the fact that as a New Zealander, these aircraft formed the backbone of our national airline, AIR NEW ZEALAND, or TASMAN EMPIRE AIRWAYS LIMITED (TEAL) as it was known during the 1939-1960 era when the big SHORT EMPIRE, SANDRINGHAM, and SOLENT flying boats reigned supreme here .... connecting New Zealand with Australia, and also servicing the remote Pacific Islands (Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tahiti, and Tonga .... a service that was known then as the "Coral Route"). In fact New Zealand was one of the very last countries in the world who's national airline was still dependent on the use of large marine aircraft prior to the introduction of land-based aircraft like the DC6, L188, and DC8, which saw AIR NEW ZEALAND quickly come of age during the late 1950's and 1960's.

My own fascination in marine aircraft is also probably born of the fact that I did my very first ever flight .... aboard a Grumman G-44A WIDGEON amphibian .... operated by NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL back in 1967 .... and in 1984 .... I also did what very nearly became my "last ever flight" as well .... also aboard a GRUMMAN G-44A WIDGEON amphibian .... operated by SEA BEE AIR (the latter incident was a "heavy T/O", but, that's another story :. I was therefore, one might say, well'n'truely aeronautically "baptized in water" .... AND .... by the skin of my teeth/luck (only) just managed to avoid what might otherwise have become as close as I'll ever get to "a Viking Funeral" ;D

Over the past several years, the highly talented Jens B.KRISTENSEN has made "A LOT" of very rare aircraft subjects for the international FS community (all high quality "FREEWARE") .... and among these rarities are his beautiful dual FS2004/FSX compatible 3D models for most of the famous big SHORT series flying boat aircraft .... including some of those aircraft types operated by TEAL/AIR NEW ZEALAND .... complete with both 2D and VC panels

Since we/HJG released the L1011 TRISTAR .... and intent upon trying to get some personal enjoyment out of FS (for once) I've really been having a lot fun lately .... flying some of these big old marine aircraft that have always meant so much to me .... and reliving services like the old "CORAL ROUTE", or at least part of it, considering these old classic/historic aircraft fly low, and so slow, that it takes something in the vicinity of a month of wet Sundays, it seems, just to get anywhere ones headed .... BUT .... that, I guess, is a true/realistic reflection of the state of aviation/airline technology was, at least here (in New Zealand), way back in the late 1930's and until early 1960's period during that golden romantic by-gone age of the big old graceful flying boats.

Here's a little what of been enjoying flying recently anyway. This's hardly "TOUR DE LES CAPITALS" material, I accept (sorry Dan ;D), but, its been a lot of fun all the same. All of these great models and textures are by the great Jens B.KRISTENSEN ....

QANTAS EMPIRE AIRWAYS (QEA) SHORT S.23 EMPIRE VH-ABEA "Coorong" 1939


BOAC (impressed) SHORT S.30 (LR) EMPIRE G-AFCZ "Claire" 1939


TASMAN EMPIRE AIRWAYS LTD (TEAL) SHORT S.33 (MR) EMPIRE ZK-AMC "Awarua" 1939




SHORT S.30 EMPIRE panel - VC mode .... approaching the island of Bora Bora (French Polynesia) near dusk.



ANSETT FLYING BOAT SERVICES S.25 SANDRINGHAM 5 VH-BRC "Beachcomber" 1974




SHORT S.25 SANDRINGHAM panel - VC mode.... a late afternoon approach toward Lord Howe Island, in the Tasman Sea, off the coast of Australia.



TASMAN EMPIRE AIRWAYS LTD (TEAL) SHORT S.45A SOLENT 4 ZK-AML "Aotearoa 2" 1949




TASMAN EMPIRE AIRWAYS LTD (TEAL) SHORT S.45A SOLENT 4 ZK-AMO "Aranui" 1960




SHORT S.45A SOLENT panel - VC mode.... approaching the island of Rarotongs (in the Cook Islands .... a New Zealand possession in the Pacific Ocean) at sunrise.



The above aircraft can all be downloaded from FS.COM .... just search "KRISTENSEN" .... or "JENS B.KRISTEN".

The SHORT SOLENT, in particular, has just been updated to "V3" standard in these last few days.

Most of these other aircraft have already previousl been updated to V2 standard by Jens.

Myself and Benoit PLAMONDON have also just worked up a new BRISTOL HERCULES engine soundpack especially for the SHORT SOLENT (not publicly available yet) .... and .... we may also see what we can develop in terms of decent audio for some of Jens other BRISTOL and P&W powered SHORTS flying boat models for FS2004 and FSX too.

I may add a few more pictures later .... but .... we'll see how we go for time !

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[jimhalinda]

I too have a fondness for flying boats, and awhile back spent some time flying Jens' Empire boats.

So many aircraft / eras, so little time!

[Dan K. Hansen]

Very nice Mark!

[railrunner130]

I have enjoyed flying boats for many years. Jens' efforts have certainly enhanced that category in flightsim many times over.

[John Reynolds]

Lovely paint schemes, a great model and some really excellent shots!

Kind regards as always

JR

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

I've always wanted to island-hop in French Polynesia.

It's a very nice part of the world Ken .... both in FS (if you've got good scenery/mesh terrain for most of the islands and their airports) and in reality too

In fact I've travelled extensively through the islands of Tahiti, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, and Fiji .... "MANY TIMES OVER" .... over the past 30 years and I still keep going back for "MORE"

I might post some more imagery later .... as an extention to my original posting (above) .... OR .... as an entirely new thread on this same forum page.

Just see how I go for time !

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[bobdawkins]

SHORT S.30 EMPIRE panel - VC mode .... approaching the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora near dusk. I was a bit late getting out of Tahiti and had to get that boat "THERE" (to Bora Bora) and on the water before darkness set in !

Couldn't you have put the "landing" lights on then or was it too wet ;D ;D

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

I had 10 minutes .... or so .... to kill today .... SO .... I did some more "boating" .... the results of which can be viewed above in the form new imagery relating to ANSETT FLYING BOAT SERVICES SHORT S.25 SANDRINGHAM 5 VH-BRC "Beachcomber", and the JBK SANDRINGHAM VC panel.

This was the very last of the great romantic flying boat services in the Sothern Hemisphere (excluding SEA BEE AIR's downtown Auckland based GRUMMAN amphibian operation that continued until 1990) .... which had been operated by ANSETT since 1960 .... flying tourists from Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour .... to Lord Howe Island (an Australian possession in the Tasman Sea), and to both Hayman and Whitsunday Islands (on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia), and also to Lake Eucumbene (in the Snowy Mountains, New South Wales, Australia.

Beyond it's ANSETT service this particular aircraft then went on to serve with ANTILLES AIR BOATS in the Caribbean .... operating out of St.Croix, in the Virgin Islands, as VP-LVE "Southern Cross".

Both the model and VC panel are by Jens B.KRISTENSEN.

The ANSETT FBS textures are by Bruce KENNEWELL.

Both files are available ar FS.COM.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[skyking]

I think the most fun I ever had flying airplanes [for real] was flying the Piaggio Royal Gull, a twin amphibian, on and off the water. Not quite as big as your Shorts, but still a nice craft. For those not familiar, it was a twin pusher. Great performer. I'd like to see one done for FS.

[Dan K. Hansen]

Not quite but ....

fbp136.zip is a FS98 version available on FlightSim

But alas:

www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20567

[skyking]

Thanks, Dan.

But my FS98 is loooooong gone I'm afraid. I'm strickly FS9 [2004].

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Piaggio Royal Gull, a twin amphibian

Never heard of one of those before Jim .... and .... I didn't know you'd ever had webbed feet either at any time during your very long aviation career !

The fun .... I find .... in landing these big SHORT series flying boats comfortably on the water is in finding the "right airspeed" .... in order to avoid skipping across the surface of the water like a pebble .... or an excited porpoise .... upon landing/touchdown ;D

80-90 KIAS seems about the best water touchdown speed .... I find .... and in order to avoid bouncing.

I also find that natural ground friction issue/characteristic (or in this case water friction) which is prevalent among a lot of FS land based aircraft .... requiring higher than is realistic power settings in order to start taxiing some aircraft .... is even more acute on the water in FS. I therefore find that setting around 2500 RPM is necessary just in order to start taxiing across the water .... with power then being reduced to more sensible levels once the aircraft is moving nicely/slowly through the water.

I also seem to remember our GRUMMAN GOOSE pilots telling me they would initially limit T/O RPM to around 2500-2700 RPM (I think it was) .... in order to avoid spray/prop impact damage during T/O with the aircrafts hull still sitting deep in the water .... and then setting full power once the hull still was "up on the step" and with the aircraft then accelerating over the surface of the water .... at which point the probability of spray/prop impact damage was considerably reduced. Of course this little amphibious aircraft, like the GRUMMAN WIDGEON too, sat closer to the water than the big SHORT flying boats ever did, so, T/O precedures for the latter may likely have been quite different again

Whatever the case may be .... it's nice experimenting to learnm those finer points of precision handling among all of these big marine type aircraft .... even if some performance aspects are thrown "OFF/OUT" by the natural characteristics of FS.

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[skyking]

The Piaggio Royal Gull was imported [from Italy] by Kearney and Trecker of Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the time.....early 1960's. They were referred to as the Trecker Royal Gull at that time. Don't know how long they did that. I was just fortunate I guess to get a chance to fly one albeit VERY briefly. Never got a water rating.

As far as the flying off the water goes.....no one ever said it was gonna be easy !! Fun maybe, but not easy. Actually, it wasn't all that bad from what little experience I had at the time. And, naturally the friction is greater between plane and water because there's no wheels.

I spent a little time in the "Flying Anvil" [SeaBee] too. Did NOT like that machine.

[thomas32 - HJG]

It's a very nice subject you bring there, Mark! Great screens of very interesting planes

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Thanks Thomas !

And thanks also to everyone one else who's commented positively regarding .... both on this thread and to me privately.

I've still got a number of other images of other versions of these aircraft modelled by Jens .... which I'll add to the above later on .... as time permits.

Masr