The AirBoss at GAS says they are aiming for a Fall release of their Stearman PT-17
This product is still in Alpha testing but work is proceeding apace
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These are the guys who were so mocked for their Sportwing a few years back that they turned it into freeware, right?
This looks pretty decent. But don’t we have a Stearman already?
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yep there is already one in MSFS Dc Designs i think
Yes is the answer to your first question.
The answer to your second question isn’t so simple.
What is the point of these types of announcements? Do the testing. Fix any bugs. Then announce its release.
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Some folks like to know what’s ahead…same folks who appreciate a clean windshield probably.
Others are fine just looking down at their shoes -
It’s ok either way.
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Is this going to be freeware or payware?
If freeware, fine, I wish they had chosen a different aircraft for more variety in the sim but I can’t fault a passion project.
If payware… Considering how bad the reception the reception to their Sportwing was, I wouldn’t want to invite comparisons to another developer’s payware product if I were GAS, especially one that’s pretty darn solid for the price.
It is a passion project.
Everyone will have an opportunity to make their own comparison when it is released.
I will not disparage anyone’s work to promote another…ever.
In Flight sim it is common to have more than one example of any iconic or renowned aircraft.
The announcement that the GAS Stearman is near release is the only purpose of this thread.
In other news - the PT-13 will also be part of this release. That is the version of the Stearman that is powered by the Lycoming radial engine - vs the PT-17 with its Continental.
This will not be freeware but I do not know what the price will be - that decision rests with the boss man.
I respect that. All I’m saying is this:
Their Sportwing was not up to payware standards in many regards. If they are making an aircraft as payware that another developer already did a payware rendition of, that’s basically saying they think they can do it better. (Unless their pricing is a fraction of the alternative, and the DC Designs version is already priced pretty low.) So I hope they have made strides since the Sportwing and can actually deliver, or the reception will not be pretty.
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I think the decision to move forward on this project was weighed and measured.
A lot of time has passed - a lot of progress made.
We’ll just have to wait a bit and see what this community makes of it, to be sure.
here is one of the liveries to be included - note: the pilot in this shot is one of GF Avitar series, which works right out of the box with the GAS Stearman - however GAS plans to provide its own military pilot(s) for this product.
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Golden Age products for other sims have always had a good reputation and they have a fantastic range of rare classic and vintage aircraft in other sims, aircraft that we are missing here.
The Sportswing was contracted out rather than developed in house - so the issue was inadequate management and quality control of an outsourced product.
That said, I actually really liked the Sportswing, but as a trackIR user I spend most of my time looking around and was not really noticing the bad textures that stood out like a sore thumb in fixed 2D cockpit mode that upset some people. The FM, sounds and external views were great, the big let down was the truly bad textures in the 2D cockpit view, ironically the default livery was the worst.
One would hope they have learnt the lesson about the need to closely supervise outsourced work and presumably if this one is contracted out they are using a different developer.
I must say the choice of an aircraft where we already have an acceptable version is a bit odd. Even if they improve on the current Stearman and bring something out closer to the Tiger Moth level of immersion and detail, how many people will buy a 2nd one ?
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I know - its exciting - right?
Will the community give GAS a second chance?
Will GAS have shown that they can produce high quality, high fidelity Golden Age of Aviation, historically important aircraft for MSFS’s current and future iterations?
The tension is palpable.
I can’t make predictions - all I can tell you is that Golden Age Simulations is committed to bringing historical, vintage and rare classic aircraft to life for flight simmers and this Stearman package is coming to MSFS this Fall.
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I will say this, FWIW (and I think it’s likely that I’m more qualified to say it than most on this forum, given the increasing rarity of the aircraft): the FSX version of the GAS Stearman was a far better rendition than the DC Designs version is in MSFS. The DC Designs bird is fixed somewhat by my mod, but my abilities are limited in that regard; I’m not a programmer, just someone with a lot of time in the real plane.
I still remember the ongoing discussion with a DC D dev about the drastically incorrect roll rate of their Stearman. He was insistent that it was correct, and when I tried to pin him down on why, he shared a video of an aerobatic performance and told me they timed their roll rate to a particular roll in the video.
I watched the roll. Turns out it was a snap roll, NOT an aileron roll. They DIDN’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
There’s definitely room for another payware Stearman in MSFS, and GAS has a proven track record with this plane. I’m greatly looking forward to seeing it!
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I am very pleased that Golden Age Simulations is upgrading their collection for MSFS!
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I, for one, have been eagerly awaiting a fully fledged entry from GAS. I put off getting the other Stearman in hopes of this happening. It will be a day one purchase for me. They not only make solid and accurate addons but seem to be able to catch the spirit and vibe of the era with them. Very happy to hear this!
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Now if they would only make an Aeronca Champ! 
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Sign me up for another version of the Stearman, provided it’s an improvement on the existing one.
If it is I will happily purchase this one, if it isn’t I’ll stick with the one I already have. Looking forward to seeing and hearing (!) more details about the cockpit, the flight model, external modelling and last but most definitely not least: the sound.
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Video is set to private.