Flight Gear Flight Sim upgrade to version 1.9.0

General Aviation Flight Simulator

Changes

Major new developments and features:

• Major overhaul of the graphics code. FlightGear 1.9.0 makes use of the OpenSceneGraph library
  
• Easy setup of multidisplay systems using multiple OpenSceneGraph "Cameras" driven by one single instance of FlightGear.
  
• Multithreaded 3D model loader leads to much smoother performance
  
• New particle system based precipitation code
  
• configurable XML particle animations for smoke, spray, fire, etc
  
• New dynamically configurable 3D Clouds.
  
• pick animations, which allow for better clickable instrument panels
  
• multiplayer specific on-screen menu
  
• AI code can generate wingmen
  
• At selected airports, it is now possible to start at a predefined parking position, as an alternative to starting at the runway.
  
• Support for Lighter than air vehicles
  
• Shader based tree rendering. This new feature allows For much denser tree density without any frame rate loss.
  
• Support for jpg and png textures
  
• A new multikey command mode, where multiple key strokes can be combined to form a command.
  
• Detailed buildings at various airports and major cities around the world
  
• Scenery can be kept up-to-date by downloading it from and SVN repository using TerraSync
  
• Over 200 Aircraft are now available for separate download.
  

Code Improvements:

• Improved Flight Dynamics
  
• Several Improvements to animations
  
• Improved behavior of Taxiing AI Aircraft.
  
• Miscellaneous GUI improvements
  
• Major improvements to FlightGear's route/waypoint manager code.
  
• Improved runway management
  
• Improved encapsulation of Navaids
  
• Improved nasal scripting security
  
• Improved behavior of VOR radios when close to their maximum range.
  
• Configurable Heads up displays
  
• Improved support of GPS instruments
  
• Easier definition of AI traffic patterns
  
• Improved accuracy of coastlines

General Aviation Flight Simulator

• The FlightGear Flight Simulator project is a free, open-source (GPL), multi-platform, cooperative flight sim development project.

Current features include:

• Scenery for the entire world
  
• Accurate sun/moon/star ephemera
  
• Several flight dynamics models
  
• Operational radio stack
  
• Sound support
  
• Weather support
  
• Runway support
  
• Aircraft 3D model support
  
• Satellite imagery support
  
• Many features are configurable via XML files (HUD, instrument panel, keyboard, joystick, etc)
  
• Distributed, network support