It's here. At last Ozzy can finally stop marmalading everything in sight, and calm down in front of his PC with his favourite aeroplane, the Supermarine Spitfire. It's a name steeped in history, and now we have a complete package for Flight Simulator 2002/2004, and CFS 2/3, covering the development of the Spitfire from the prototype, K5054, to the MK22.



Having been beaten to the shelves by the Real Air Simulations Spitfire XIV, the Just Flight package has a lot to live up to, although in fairness they have covered a lot more of the Spitfire's history. Lets have a look at what we've got in the box.

The add-on comes on two CD-ROMs, and includes a comprehensive manual, which is styled as, and includes, abridged pilot's notes covering the Spitfire. This is of the usual good quality from Just Flight. There is also an interactive program covering flying the Spitfire. As far as the aircraft are concerned, we have 39 models, depicting the following marks (a full list of the specific airframes included is available on the Just Flight website):

*denotes CFS3 enabled, ** denotes CFS2/CFS3 enabled

Prototype K5054
Mk. I, Mk. Ia* & Mk. Ib*
Mk. IIa
Mk. Vc*
Mk. Vb**
Mk. IX, IXE & T. IX
Mk. XIVE*
Mk. XIX
Mk. XXII


Spitfire PR Mk XIX in Swedish colours

So, we have a rounded selection of aeroplanes, which I was thoroughly looking forward to getting my hands on. However, before I do that, I'll put down my cup of tea, put on the flying jacket and saunter over to the dispersal to have a closer look at these beauties on the ground...

Visually, the modelling is of a generally very good standard. The Spitfire is an aircraft well known for its flowing curves, and is notoriously difficult to model well. The one area where this package may have been let down is the vertical fin and rudder, which on certain marks (XIV and XXII) does not look quite right. The early marks (Prototype and early Mk 1s) come with a beautifully crafted two bladed wooden propeller, the later ones with variable pitch props with up to five blades. The movement of the blade pitch is modelled statically, and it is a nice touch to see it moving as you conduct you pre-start checks. The other animations are fairly standard (Opening canopy, door, radio access panel).


Spitfire Mk IX in the marking of one of the "Free French" Squadrons

The markings on the aircraft are generally fairly accurate, and are from several countries, including a Free French Mk IX, Belgian Mk XIV and Swedish PR Mk XIX. Some of the colours are slightly wrong on some particular aircraft (duck egg blue undersides on several aircraft that should be light grey), but you would have to be very familiar with real aircraft to notice, and it detracts very little from the package. The textures are nowhere near as fine as those found on the Real Air Simulations Spitfire (which are exceptional), but there is a lot more variation in the types of scheme, be it the light blue of the prototype (the best quality textures in the package), the yellow civilian T. IX trainer, or the natural metal finishes of the Mk XIV and XXII.


Early Mk 1 Spitfire

The 2D panel is very good, as should be expected now that we are in the age of the virtual cockpit. The virtual cockpit itself has the relevant controls animated, to allow manual functions such as engine start to be performed from it, and is different for each of the individual marks.


Spitfire PR Mk XIX 2D Panel


Spitfire Mk 1 Virtual Cockpit

Numerically, I rated the Just Flight Spitfire package as follows:

External model - 8/7 (most of it is very good, but let down by some modelling errors and the textures aren-t of the highest quality)
Internal model - 8 (not up to the standard of Real Air Simulations Spit, but very good all the same)
Flight dynamics - 8 (Realistic as per spec - could benefit from some simulation of buffet near the stall)
Sounds - 7 (Merlin sounds are very good, Griffon sounds not quite as good, but they still capture the essence of the aeroplane)

Likes: Variety of aircraft and colour schemes, most of the modelling, Merlin sounds, Handling, Fun to fly (you'll be flying it for ages)...
Dislikes: Lack of attention to detail, lack of "finesse" items, such as stall buffet (the only effect being included is simulated gun firing), for the purists the swing goes same way on take off for both types of engine (which of course it doesn't on the real aircraft)...


The T. IX is modelled so it can be flown from either the front or rear cockpits

Overall - 9

You may wonder why, having given the package elements scores of 7 or 8, I have given it 9. To conclude, the Just Flight Spitfire package is a must for any Spitfire fans. It is quite expensive for an add-on at around £25 to £30 (one retailer has it for £17.99), but the inclusion of thirty-nine Spitfires, when compared to say the number of aircraft in the Wings of Power or Vulcan add-ons, or less in some single aircraft packages, probably justifies this price. The quality of the visual model is not up the standard set by the exceptional Real Air Simulations Spitfire, and it does not include the features such as "Real View" and the stall buffet modelled on the Real Air Spitfire. It is also disappointing to see the lack of attention to detail when it comes to actual aircraft markings (particularly when the publisher's office is close to two of the best reference sources one could want, IWM Duxford and The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden) and aircraft marks (the worlds only T. VIII being modelled as a T. IX). But I would still recommend it for any MS Flight Simulator user, particularly for anyone who doesn't want to pay for the limited variety of marks offered by the Real Air Simulations model. Although a little more expensive, and in some area lacking in quality, the Just Flight package offers that little bit variety that the other does not, and fills a gap in the payware market that has existed for a very long time.


Spitfire Mk XIVE

I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying it now...

Cheers,

Charlie

System Package reviewed on:
Celeron 2GHz, 768Mb RAM, Radeon 9600XT 128Mb...

Screenshots taken using FRAPS in FS2004, edited using Irfanview. Taken over the UK, and Ascension Island on the 8 - 10th Feb 2005...

www.justflight.com