A Flight Sim Enthusiast's Notebook
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HeadShake: A Realism Enhancement Plugin
I’ve been using the HeadShake view enhancement plugin for a long time, but I haven’t introduced it until now, so let’s fix that today.
HeadShake is a free plugin that enhances the realism of the pilot’s perspective. Its main features include: Simulating the effect of G-forces on the pilot’s head position, causing the view to sway with head movement or be pressed to one side by G-force Simulating uneven ground surfaces during taxiing, creating a bumpy effect in the viewpoint Simulating the aircraft’s vibration the moment it touches down The vibration sensation of piston engines The vibration sensation of helicopter rotors And so on.
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How Does an Airplane Generate Lift? Bernoulli's Principle, Kutta-Joukowski Theorem, Starting Vortex, and Wingtip Vortices
Regarding the principles of flight, specifically the question of where an aircraft’s Lift comes from, most books mention Bernoulli’s Principle. Because the airflow is divided into upper and lower parts at the leading edge of the wing, the airflow speed on the upper surface is faster than that on the lower surface. Consequently, the air pressure on the upper surface is lower than that on the lower surface, and the pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces generates Lift.
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Introducing More Free Scenery: Shizuoka, Hokkaido, Europe, USA
China Eastern Airlines recently started operating charter flights from Ningbo to Shizuoka starting March 29th. For friends interested in Shizuoka Airport, you can download the airport scenery from here.
Please note that it requires OpenSceneryX to be installed in advance.Nowadays, more and more people are vacationing in Hokkaido, and the <a href=http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=26029>Sapporo Airport scenery looks really high quality.
It also requires Open Scenery X,
and also needs <a href=http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=17090>Flags of the World , a plugin featuring national flags from around the world.
If you want to see the snowy vastness of Hokkaido, you can try <a href=http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=18061>Simple Season,
it can simulate the changes of the four seasons on top of the default scenery. -
VfrFlight: Free Tool for Creating Visual Flight Plans
VfrFlight is a highly recommended tool for creating VFR flight plans. It is not only feature-rich but also free. Because it is written in Java, it works on various computers like Windows/Mac OS/Linux. Other features include: Simple and easy to understand UI, Linked world map, Database of airports / VOR stations / cities, Global Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA) database, Real-time METAR and TAF data, Flight plan output in pdf and html formats (sample) Automatic search and display of nearby VORs, Automatic calculation of Weight and Balance, Automatic calculation of wind correction [NEEDS REVIEW], Automatic calculation of distance, speed, altitude, and flight time and more.
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Basic Practice of Turns
— Key Points —
Since writing the introduction to slip and skid, I realized it had been a long time since I practiced basic maneuvers. So, I spent a few hours flying turns in the Cessna 172 on X-Plane 10, focusing on my personal weaknesses:
- Adjusting rudder pressure based on attitude to maintain a coordinated Turn, avoiding entering a slip or skid state.
- Maintaining a stable altitude, specifically ensuring no altitude loss.
- Coordinating yoke and rudder operations (using hands and feet simultaneously) with smooth inputs.
- Using external visual references combined with instruments, ensuring the scan doesn’t fixate on a single point.
- Not just following instructions mechanically during flight; be aware of the lift and gravity components during a Turn, and the effects of Thrust, propeller slipstream, P-Factor, and gyroscopic precession on flight attitude.
- Keep the body posture upright; be mindful of unconscious tilting of the body or head.
- Breathe deeply occasionally to relax the shoulders and release tension from the control pressures on hands and feet.
— Entering the Turn —
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CP+ 2015 Camera and Photo Imaging Show and Aviation Photography Seminar
Every year in mid-February, there is a large-scale photography equipment exhibition in Yokohama – CP+. I have been attending for several years. When I go, I look at the equipment, but my main purpose is to attend the free lectures, because every camera manufacturer invites some excellent photographers to give explanations to the audience, such as their works, shooting and post-production skills, and of course, introductions to the latest camera products.
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Shanghai Airlines B-6096 A330 Rejected Takeoff
Rejected Takeoff RTO
That day while spotting at Haneda Airport, I witnessed this unexpected incident (Shanghai Airlines A330-300, registration B-6096). The following is a chronological record of the event.
January 31, 2014
13:58:32 B-6096 moved along Taxiway W towards the southern RWY05
14:01:21 Arrived at the intersection of Taxiway A and Taxiway R
14:03:31 Entered Taxiway S, preparing to queue for takeoff
14:08:36 Saw B-6096 suddenly decelerate during the takeoff roll, a cloud of blue smoke near the landing gear
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Ted's Scenery Updates for X-Plane 10
Ted’s scenery is quite well-known; I have used his airports in Japan and some in the US before.
This time, the official website has released a list of updated files for X-Plane 10. We can see that airports in Japan such as Tokyo, Kansai, and Chubu are included, as well as most famous airports in the US like New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. Furthermore, the file sizes are only a few megabytes, making them suitable for downloading. If you haven’t already, give them a try.
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X-Plane 10.35 Beta 1 Is Out
A month after the release of 10.32r1, news of 10.35 beta1 has finally arrived.
Just like the previous release, version 10.35 has added 562 new airports.
I looked at the list, and since there are no airports starting with Z or RC, it’s a pity that there are no Chinese airports. However, there is one improved airport: ZSPD Pudong.
There are a few airports starting with RJ: RJBE Kobe Airport, RJFM Miyazaki Airport, RJSD Sado Airport, RJSS Sendai Airport. While not many, it’s a good trend.
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The Chase, Ken Takakura, Ryoko Nakano, Odaiba, and Cessna 177RG
The film star Ken Takakura passed away at the end of last year. To commemorate this symbolic figure of the Showa era, many places have recently been showing the old movies he starred in.
That day, I picked up two complimentary tickets from the company and went to a small cinema in Odaiba to watch: Pursuit / Kimi yo Fundo no Kawa o Watare / You Are the
and
The Proof of the Wild / Yasei no Shoumei
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TransAsia Airways Flight GE235 Crash
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Super Ultra High Definition Mesh Scenery X-Plane 10 UHD Mesh Scenery v1
Just over a month ago, I introduced the latest version of the high-definition scenery addon, HD Mesh Scenery V3. Surprisingly, the developer immediately released an even more impressive Ultra High Definition version, X-Plane 10 UHD Mesh Scenery v1. Furthermore, it continues to be free to download and use—what a conscientious developer! Therefore, if you can afford it, please visit the webpage above and donate to show your appreciation.
Currently, the resolution of the Ultra High Definition (UHD) scenery has reached 30 meters in Kyoto. It covers 5 regions, all of which are famous scenic areas: Europe - Alps USA - Colorado Mountains (parts of New Mexico) USA - Canyons and Mountains in Arizona / Nevada USA - Mountains in Montana (5×5 degree area) USA - Sierra Nevada (Yosemite etc.) So, friends who enjoy sightseeing from the air should download and give it a try. Official screenshots are available <a href=https://picasaweb.google.com/101666907909842492197/UHDMeshSceneryV1FINAL?feat=directlink>here.
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Austin Meyer's Latest Interview Q&A: New iPad Client Coming Soon
On the official website, the latest interview with Austin Meyer, the author of X-Plane, has been released. It contains information about Austin’s personal life and some new developments regarding XP. Here is a brief translation.
Q: What was your earliest aviation experience? A: It’s funny; it was playing Microsoft Flight Simulator on the Apple II.
Q: What computer do you use? How does it help you develop XP? A: I program on a MacPro and then spend a long time testing new features on it. The iMac also offers an excellent performance-to-price ratio.
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Slip and Skid
It seems that “slip” and “skid” are both translated as 侧滑, so what is the specific difference? Let me try to summarize them.
When watching car racing, you can often see drivers using slipping techniques during turns, intentionally causing the car body to move “sideways” to achieve a quick turn. (Generally speaking, slip refers to oversteering or fishtailing; for example, if the steering wheel is turned 30 degrees, but the car actually turns 40 degrees.)
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One Meter Pass Notes
I chatted with my senior on Weibo about low-altitude passes; here are my notes.
Overview: An instructor pilots a light aircraft for a pass at 1 meter. (A low-altitude pass refers to an aircraft flying over the airport Runway or over the front of the viewing stand during flight, Source: Baidu Baike)
Objective: To help the student establish the concept and sensation of low-altitude flight, essentially cultivating the flight feel for landing.
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Seeing off Skymark Airlines A330 at Haneda Airport
A couple of days ago, I wrote about Skymark Airlines applying for bankruptcy protection and business reconstruction. Thinking that I wouldn’t be able to see their A330s anymore after February 1st, I decided to go to Haneda Airport yesterday (January 31st) to capture their final silhouettes.
Before going, I checked Skymark’s official website for A330 flight times and made a simple memo in Evernote. I couldn’t catch the morning and forenoon flights, so I focused on the afternoon flights: Depart to Fukuoka (RWY05) Sky13 12:35 Sky15 13:50 Sky17 15:00 Sky19 16:05 Sky21 17:25
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TAM Airlines Files for Bankruptcy and Business Restructuring
It is truly unfortunate for aviation enthusiasts that Skymark Airlines, my favorite third-largest Japanese airline, filed for bankruptcy protection today.
The primary reason for Skymark’s deteriorating business was the sharp decline in the yen’s exchange rate, which disrupted the company’s international route plans for the A380 (Haneda-New York). To put it simply, the Japanese government’s implementation of “Abenomics” over the past two years artificially suppressed the yen, making it impossible for the company to afford the A380s. Last July, they notified Airbus of the contract termination, but were required to pay huge compensation; since then, negative news about the company has been constant.
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Photos of X-Plane 10 Mobile Android
It seems that the development of the Android version of X-Plane 10 Mobile is proceeding smoothly. Yesterday, relevant personnel posted a photo on Twitter:
As you can see, whether on a phone or a tablet, X-Plane 10 Mobile has been ported to Android. Could it have already entered the testing phase?There's still plenty of work left to do, but #XPlane10Mobile is running just great on @Android! pic.twitter.com/OgIzKcRI8R
— cjserio (@cjserio) January 27, 2015Let’s wait and see.
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Shigeru Shibata Captures Chinese Navy Intercepting Soviet Heavy Nuclear-Powered Missile Cruiser — Part 2
“Fulongzhi” Photo Record (Part 1)
“Fulongzhi” Photo Record (Part 2)
November 19, 1985
At 7:30 AM, the rented Cessna 172 took off from Naha Airport. Visibility was approximately 40 km.
At 9:10 AM, a small white dot was spotted between the clouds and the sea over the East China Sea. Observation through binoculars confirmed it was the “Fulongzhi”. Two warships were ahead of the vessel, with one following behind.
At 9:30 AM, flew over the “Fulongzhi”. Shibata requested the pilot to approach from the side of the “Fulongzhi” in a circling pattern at an altitude of 200 feet (over 60 meters). After photographing the foredeck and panorama using an 85mm lens, continued photographing various parts of the hull.
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Shigeo Shibata Captures the Chinese Navy Intercepting a Soviet Heavy Nuclear-Powered Missile Cruiser — Part 1
Note: The user provided a very long text. I need to translate the content while adhering to the specific terminology and tone. Key terms check:
- 伏龙芝号 -> Frunze
- 重庆舰 -> Chongqing (DDG 133)
- 轻型螺旋桨飞机 -> Light Propeller Aircraft (matches context)
- 赛斯纳172 -> Cessna 172
- 失速 -> Stall (Not applicable here, but kept in mind)
- 拦截 -> Intercept
- 航向 -> Heading
- 航速 -> Speed / Knots
- 基洛夫级 -> Kirov-class
- 现代级 -> Sovremenny-class
Let’s draft the translation blocks.