Radials 'Round the World

I’m committing to it! A world tour, in nothing but radial-engined aircraft! There’s a purpose to this little project, and it’s important to me as a hobbyist.

FS24 is a real bummer. Right from the minute it launched, problem, after problem, after problem. Reading the fourms the past two months is bad enough, but Asobo isn’t communicating with the community at all. Couple that with my own struggles with getting it to work well enough to use, and I burned myself out real fast. For a short time I considered leaving the hobby behind, but I was convinced by @NixonRedgrave not to.

This post isn’t about FS24 though. No, this post is about rekindling a passion for flight simulation by getting back to what we’re all supposed to be doing, flying!

The plan is flying low and slow around the world in some of my favorites. Because this project is about fun first, my only hard rule is radials only. No reciprocating pistons, no turboprops, no jets, no helicopters. Otherwise, everything is fair game. I won’t bother with ATC when flying VFR. I may not use live weather, I may change time of day if I don’t feel like night flying. I will however, use BeyondATC when flying IFR so that I can learn the program. Volanta will record my flights for posterity.

I’m starting on the east coast of the US traveling south into the Caribbean, down the east coast of South America, then back north up the west coasts. I’ll post screen shots along the way.

I’ve narrowed down my aircraft selection to:

  • Grumman Goose (Big Radials)
  • Douglas DC-3 (Duckworks mod)
  • Douglas DC-6 (PMDG)
  • PZL 104 Wilga (GotFriends)
  • Boeing Super Stearman (Golden Age Simulations)

I’ll freely rotate through these depending on the terrain and flight plan. I’ve included some wild cards that I might want to include:

Goodyear FG-1D Corsair (Milviz)
Boeing 307 Stratoliner (Redgrave Redux)
Lockheed Super Constellation (Redwing Simulations)
Late 631 (Bluemesh)

With all that out of the way, on to the world tour!

I grew up on Long Island, not far from the Grumman plant. It felt right to start off at KFRG Republic Airport, in the plane built so that the rich could commute to NYC and back quickly. Today’s route starts at KRFG and ends at KPHL Philadelphia International (or… in the Delaware River next to it), with a little detour to see the sights around Manhattan.




It’s here that I ask for your help. Keep me accountable! I will post in this thread for each flight, if I can.

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Such great idea.

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Thanks! I had planned to do this in FS24 so I could experience the enhanced terrain but this will do just fine.

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I’m so glad you decided to make this happen!!

:heart:

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I think that you should consider a radial ‘war bird’ (Grumman F6F Hellcat?) for some areas, so you can get up close and personal with the hills and valleys. :wink:

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Hav you considered the Beech 18 with the excellent mod? One of the very best radial engine airplane in the sim :slightly_smiling_face:

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When I saw his post, I was tempted to emulate him and “take the 18”+denarq.

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I may fly a warbird here and there! I could definitely use the Beech 18 too!

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Leg 2 today!

Starting at KPHL, I flew the DC-3 southwest along the Delaware River, then I cut across Delaware and continued south along the Chesapeake Bay. It was overcast the whole way, so not so great for pictures, but I snagged a couple as I flew along the Virginia and North Carolina coast. I parked at KMQI Dare County Regional Airport. Unfortunately, I encountered someone in some sort of jet I don’t own, so a 787 was hovering all up in my business on final and while trying to park. Fortunately, they left me alone just long enough to get a few distance shots of the Wright Brothers monument.

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You’re not alone!

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Sorry, I should have thought better of posting in your thread. I did not get it that you were doing a tour of your own here.

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