A2A Simulations 3D LightsTM REDUX cast realistic light out into 3D space, creating stunning visuals and a more immersive flying experience. FEATURES Over 40 new lighting effects including strobes, beacons, navigation, and runway lights Fully-realized 3D landing lights actually cast light into space Microsoft Acceleration Expansion pack supported Vintage, halogen, and modern xenon lights included Installs into all Twenty-four Microsoft FSX aircraft Entire new effects suite results in stunningly realistic night time environment.

When British pilots first saw the P47, it was often mocked due to its size.  The light, maneuverable Spitfire’s could get on a P47’s tail with ease in test trials.  What they didn’t know at that time was the P47 was different type of fighter, and the battles were to be fought at higher altitude where the air is thin, using high-energy tactics.  Both the British and the Germans soon found out, in the right hands, the P47 was lethal.

Down low the P47 lumbers along but up high is where it lives and breathes with its high speed and terrific zoom climbs.  A quick burst of the eight browning .50 caliber machine guns is powerful enough to shred a fighter, which was essential for a properly executed “boom and zoom” attack.  .  Being tasked to protect the B17 and B24 heavy bombers up high, and with their ruggedness and power, the P47 performed it’s job with great capability.

Built around a massive Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine, The “Jug” was tough, powerful, and fast.  The Wings of Power P47 captures this beauty of the sound, function, and feel of the real P47 like no other.  Like the aircraft, the entire Wings of Power P47 Thunderbolt series is enormous and includes many variants from the Razorback’s to the experimental XP72 prototype.

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt holds a unique honor in the ranks of World War II fighters.  This plane was much heavier and bulkier than other fighter planes of its day, outweighing aircraft like the Fw 190 by several thousand pounds.  Equipped with a large, powerful radial engine, it looked as tough as it was.  Known as the “Jug”, this aircraft was a mainstay of the Allied fighter fleet and, with its eight .50 caliber guns, was capable of shredding ground targets and airborne opponents alike.  While it could not turn with Axis fighters such as the Fw 190 and Me 109, it could outdive both of these and had a zoom-climb capability that was amazing.  This zoom-climb was used to good advantage; it was said that if a P-47 pilot met an enemy Focke-Wulf at 25,000 feet and wanted to out-climb him to 30,000 feet, the P-47 could dive to 20,000, zoom 30,000, and be waiting for the enemy.

The first “Jugs” were fitted with 2,000 HP engines and framed canopies.  Later models such as the D-25 were fitted with bubble canopies and engines of increasing horsepower.  The final production version, the P-47N, had an engine which would produce 2,800 HP with water injection.  The plane’s increased weight offset the power to some degree, but the plane was still very fast, with a top speed of nearly 470 mph.  The additional power and strong airframe allowed a lot of ordnance and fuel to be carried, making the P-47N a very long-range fighter that could carry a lot of damage to the enemy.

In all, 15,683 Thunderbolts were manufactured, more than any fighter produced during war.

The He 219 was a superb and lethal gun platform and the later versions packed as many as eight cannon, including the potent 30mm “Schrage Musik” which fired upward into a bomber’s belly at an oblique angle.  These accompanied as many as six forward-firing cannon.  The “Uhu” was absolutely devastating to any aircraft that came into range of its guns.  This was accomplished through the use of radar, a new technology.  Ground-based stations would direct the night fighter to the bomber stream, and when in range, the Uhu’s radar operator would then take over and guide the pilot to within 100 meters of the target.  The bristling antennae were ugly and added a lot of drag, reducing the aircraft’s ultimate top speed substantially.  But without the radar the plane would have been useless at night, and since the Uhu was still about 150 mph faster than the Allied four-engine bombers, this was really not a handicap.  Some of the latest versions were used to track, hunt down, and kill the Mosquito bombers, which were a much more challenging quarry than the lumbering four-engine craft comprising most of the night fighter’s prey.

In the end, the He 219 fell victim to bad decision-making and was too little, too late.  But it was the most advanced aircraft for its time, signaling the shape of things to come.

Troubling reports begin circulating that the Germans are about to introduce a new super fighter and station it just across the English Channel where British fighters are now patrolling with confidence.  One report indicates the new fighter to have a top speed of 390mph, which if is true, would make it 20mph faster than the Spitfire.

The RAF’s worst fears began to unfold when the first batch of Focke Wulf 190’s began leaving the factory at Marienburg to the 6^th Staffel at Jagdgeshwader 26 in Belgium.

RAF pilot’s began to encounter this new fighter and described it as being fast and maneuvered unlike anything they’ve ever seen before.  The first contacts misreported it as being a German captured P36 with a radial engine, but top RAF officials knew this was nothing they produced; it was the mysterious new super fighter they have been hearing so much about.  What they didn’t know was just how much of a shock the FW190 had in store for them.

Encounters over the coming months proved that this new German fighter could not only penetrate British airspace at will, but could cut their fighters down with a brutal efficiency.  This reputation gave the Focke-Wulf the title, “Butcher Bird.”  This isn’t to say the British were unable to defend or fight back, but things changed for even the Spitfire as it went from the role of hunter patrolling the Channel to the hunted.  The FW190, with it’s faster speed, climb, and maneuverability could dictate when and where to fight and to disengage at will.  Needless to say, this had British high command gravely concerned.

For almost a full year the Focke Wulf enjoyed this decisive edge.  The Spring of 1942 was still a tough time for the RAF pilots as more Focke Wulf’s were being deployed each week.  The British high command was concerned to the point of orchestrating an elaborate commando operation to hijack a Focke Wulf.

The Focke-Wulf Ta 152 series was considered Kurt Tank’s crowning achievement with respect to the development of a high altitude reconnaissance fighter and interceptor.  The Ta 152 H-1 was similar in general layout to the Fw 190D, as it used a liquid-cooled inverted V-12 for motive power.  But the airframe was considerably different.  The wings were much larger and the fuselage and tailplane were significantly improved and modified.  In addition, the nose was further streamlined and the aircraft was fitted with a bubble-type canopy for better pilot visibility, and the cockpit was pressurized.

The Ta 152 H-1 is considered to be the definitive version of the series.  It had a fuel capacity of 180 U.S. gallons total in the wings and fuselage, and was fitted with a Junkers Jumo 213 E-1 engine which used both the MW50 methanol-water injection and the GM-1 nitrous oxide injection to increase available power at both high and low altitudes.  This aircraft was designed as a high-level reconnaissance fighter and interceptor.  It did not have the fast roll rate of the Ta 152 C owing to the drastically increased wingspan, but the trade-off was the aircraft’s very high operational altitude — its ceiling was over 48,000 feet and it could reach a top speed of 467 miles per hour at 40,600 feet with the GM-1 boost.  In this version, the rear fuel tank was deleted to accommodate the GM-1 tank and to resolve a center of gravity issue.  The MW50 is located in the left inner wing tanks.

But, despite the hype that was associated with this aircraft (Liberator crews sometimes groused about there being 11 crew members on every B-17, including a publicity officer), there were very solid reasons why the B-17 Flying Fortress holds a revered place in history and in the hearts of those who flew her.  It was, first and foremost, a supremely functional and extremely rugged aircraft.  No other aircraft to served during WWII has come away with as many documented cases of surviving extreme battle damage and making it home.  Designed during peacetime, the aircraft was not rushed to the drawing board and emerged as wonderful aircraft to fly.  The Fortress was a very stable and forgiving aircraft, truly a “pilot’s aircraft” in all respects,  and was a pleasure to fly.  It can be trimmed to fly hands-off for any normal flight regime and, while slow to maneuver, is quite responsive to the controls for such a large craft. While aerobatics are prohibited officially, there are many documented cases of B-17s being put into spins, rolls, stalls, and other acrobatics by instructors and pilots who flew the type. Pilots who flew all of the major American bombers of WWII — the B-17, B-24, and B29 — state almost universally that the B-17 was a joy to fly as compared to the other types.

Production of the B-17, which totalled 12,731 of all types, was eclipsed by that of the B-24 Liberator, a later aircraft hurriedly designed with the single intention of getting as many bombs on target as possible, with little regard to aesthetics or handling characteristics.  In fact, over 6,000 more Liberators were built than B-17s, a numerical advantage of 50%.  To this day, however, the Flying Fortress continues to outshine the Liberator as the flagship of the United States Army Air Forces and a symbol of victory and American ingenuity and know-how.  It was that kind of airplane.