Can I just add my kudos to Blackbird here too? I’ve finally gotten around to getting this beauty and what a piece of work! It proves to me that a dev can do a well researched bird that captures the lines very well, amazing vc and unique sounds as well, all for a reasonable price. I’m impressed. Too many times I’ve been disappointed with sloppy research and poor execution from some other devs. Not this time. I do like to fly restored warbirds in the sim, and with John’s FHC livery I felt like I was finally able to experience something of what it must be like to fly the real thing. Even the taxi out at KPAE was epic. Thank you Blackbird! And thanks to John and Hayate for the excellent repaints.
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Thank you for your kind words of appreciation.
I’ve been a Zero fighter fan for over 50 years, ever since reading Leiji Matsumoto’s battlefield manga series as a child.
I agree that Blackbird Simulations’ A6M5 is a well-researched and carefully recreated aircraft of excellent quality.
I fly the skies of MSFS almost every day in either this A6M5 or the DC Designs F-15C, and today I enjoyed a 4.5 hour flight in the A6M5.
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Life has changed a fair amount for me (understatement!) and I rarely have time for flying the sim.
My last few flights have been exercises in frustration. I’ve bit off more than I can chew by trying to fly an airliner I haven’t flown in forever, or had stupid bugs with BATC, or some other dumb thing. It all ends in an alt-F4 or a pause to write up a bug or some other ”immersion” (gag) ruining experience.
The Zero, has simply become my go-to airplane if I just want to fly without any frustrations. I wrote, a number of posts ago, that the Zero has been like my trusty Cessna in MSFS 2024. Even with the realistic startup settings, I can still get it up and running and into the air with minimal fuss. I love that it just puts me in a place where I am flying, and not down the rabbit hole of configuration and nonsense that can go wrong.
I love this aircraft and what Blackbird has done with it. I love the various liveries some of you have made for us, too.
This is, easily, one of the most underrated aircraft in the sim.
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Thanks for the accolades… they are appreciated….
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Same! I barely have time for flying these days. When I do, the Zero gives me the most satisfying experience with no hassle and with barely any time spent before I’m in the air. Even a 15-minute flight gives me a charge that lasts all day. I said months ago and it still holds true that it’s my ride of choice, by a wide margin.
Great work by Blackbird - a standard-setter.
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It really is that fantastic.
I am so not a 3rd person view flyer, but I love the look and sound of it so much that I find myself setting the, oh-so-appreciated-if-not-realistic, autopilot and switching to 3rd person so I can gawk and listen to it.
I really do love flying it that much. It does what it needs to do, can be docile (that fuel economy!) or ferocious as needed, flies beautifully and looks the business.
What more do you need?!
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Couldn’t agree more. I sometimes step out for a moment (no autopilot) to admire it. It’s also the only airplane in my hangar where I really enjoy the walkaround. In fact, it’s the only one where I’ll add a post-flight walkaround just to appreciate how good it looks - the way you might in a museum. Particularly enjoyable to do that with @JohnnyT5000 ‘s and @hayate1944 ‘s astonishingly good repaints.
I particularly appreciate this conversation on a day when, in another thread, there are complaints about unappreciative rivet-counters and a general celebration of… adequacy? I think that’s what’s being celebrated.
It’s nice, every so often, to stop and admire the few add-ons that really excel.
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Does it accommodate stock MSFS autopilot
I just uploaded these textures on fs.2:
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