[VSKYLABS Spotlight] issued 12th October 2015
...It's about time!
This is a little flight simulation software I have known since, I think, the year 2000 (its development began in 1999, by Soji Yamakawa). With lots of add-ons and packages, it's one of the most spicy flight simulators I know and use today, and it's still improving and updating.
Here is a quick report to give a general idea of this nice piece of flight simulator. I've gathered in this post some important links to start with.
First think to know:
YSFlight is different from nowadays high-end flight simulators. It's a low-end software with low-resolution graphics. Add-on stuff is getting better and better, including really detailed and animated aircraft and other vehicles, as you can see in some of the videos I've attached down this post. The GUI takes you back to the 80s, but is functional. After passing these barriers, things start to get really fun!
YSFlight is mainly good for:
- Air Combat (Air-to-Air / Air-to-Ground missions and multiplayer), with good A.I. opponents.
- Formation flying and aerobatics.
- Military / Civilian aviation.
- Flight School.
Flight Dynamic Model:
List of YSFlight general features:
- A growing community.
- A growing list of features.
- Free to use.
- Windows and Linux.
- Aircraft and weapons are easy to fly and operate.
- Multiplayer server.
- Runs on low-end computers.
- 71 aircraft included, "out of the box".
- Add-ons (aircraft, maps, cars, tanks...).
- Add-ons creation by users.
- Weapons, guided missiles, AAA + A.I.
- Real action in it's included and multiplayer war games.
Here are some major community and add-ons LINKS:
- The YSFlight simulator main developer's site: www.ysflight.com. This is basic, but include the recent updates and versions for YSFlight.
- The YSFlight Headquarters, the YFHQ site: www.ysflight.org which is a huge portal with aircraft and scenery downloads, as well as Media section and, most important, the YFHQ forums. They have a good facebook page also with some amazing stuff.
- YSFlight Realism Pack is another major add-on page which can be found here: http://www.flightsimhq.org/ysflight/#Features. This place has add-on packages with improved flight model characteristics, and aim for a 'super download of YSFlight' with great add-on packs, missions, aircraft and scenery.
- YSFINDER - YSFS Aircraft Add-On Database: www.ysfinder.net. This is a big portal for YSFlight aircraft add-ons.
- Taskforce 58's YSFlight Hangar: www.ysflight.ca. Portal for huge packages of WWII and modern aircraft, maps, weapons, motor vehicles.
- Default key/joystick control (updated 11/02/2005): http://ysflight.in.coocan.jp/ysflight/ysflight/manual/control.html
I really recommend having this flight simulation software installed on your machine, even for a “rainy day.” It’s a whole different flavor of flight simulation and action, with lots of features, and with its mods and add-on packages, it could be a “low-fat” treat for flight simulation, combat flight simulation, or aviation enthusiasts.
Here are some GREAT videos, which show what I meant when I wrote “spicy” at the beginning of this post. These are not my videos; I don’t own any rights to any materials within these videos. If, by any chance, the rights holders of the videos would like me to remove them from this post, please email me and I’ll do that.
Note that some of the videos are showing really old versions of the simulator (the latest version is from 2015). The updated version includes particles, fog, transparent smoke, puffy clouds, etc.
Hope you'll find it useful. I did :)
JMH.
JMH.