B-25J 'BRIEFING TIME' for FS2002 TRIAL VERSION

by Mid Atlantic Air Museum Simulations - MAAM-SIM
Bill Rambow, Jan Visser, Fred Banting, Rob Young

The MAAM-SIM developers are all unpaid volunteers.  All proceeds of sales of MAAM-SIM packages go directly to the non-profit Mid Atlantic Air Museum to support its restoration programs.  Please visit www.maam.org to learn more about MAAM and its mission.

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This reduced-feature, but time-unlimited, version of the Mid Atlantic Air Museum's B-25J Mitchell, 'Briefing Time' has been produced to fulfill two purposes: 

First, it will introduce the full aircraft package to FS2002 flyers who will then, we hope, be encouraged to purchase the product from the museum.

Second, it will serve as a practice platform for the Landing Competition to be held at the AVSIM 2003 Simulation Conference and Exhibition.  That event will be held on September 26th and 27th at the home of 'Briefing Time', the Mid Atlantic Air Museum, Reading Regional Airport, Pennsylvania.  For the first time, this competition will feature a non-jet aircraft, and we are proud that our 'Briefing Time' has been chosen as the subject of the contest. The winner of the competition will win hundreds of dollars worth of flight simulation products, so it's time for you recip-engine fans to show the jet jockeys how it should be done!

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WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS TRIAL VERSION: 

EXTERIOR AIRCRAFT MODEL - The complete, exterior aircraft model, along with the interior portions that can be seen through the windows from outside, is included.  All exterior animations, including flaps, gear and gear doors, cowl flaps, crew entrance, pilot's window, bomb bay doors, and all control surfaces are fully functional.

BASIC 2D PANELS - The normal Pilot's and Copilot's panels with all controls and gauges fully functional are included.  The Starter and Switch panel is also included.

FLIGHT MODEL - The flight model is the same, super accurate one as you will find in the full product.

SCREENSHOTS - Because we want you to see what you are missing, when you use your hat switch or number pad keys to look around, you will see small screenshots showing the various full version features not inlcuded here. Also, when you click on the icons for the missing panel features, you will see non-working versions of them. Please give them a look, then, suitably dazzled and impressed, go order the full version and support the museum. :-)  These pictures will not unduly obscure your view, but by hitting the W key you can dispense with them all together.

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WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS TRIAL VERSION

3D VIRTUAL COCKPIT AND CABIN - The plane's incredibly detailed virtual cockpit and cabin encompass the entire flight deck, upper turret compartment, connecting tunnel to the nose, and the bombardier's compartment.  None of these are present in the trial version.

ENLARGED IFR PILOT'S AND COPILOT'S PANELS - If you mistakenly hit the magnifying glass icon that normally calls up the large oanels, you can get back to the normal panel with Shift +1 for the pilot and Shift + 2 for the copilot.

RADIO STACK - You will not have the large, easy to read and set, Com 1, Com 2, Nav 1, Nav2, ADF, or Transponder.

FLAP GEAR AND TRIM CONSOLE - This pop-up allows access to operate the landing gear, wing flaps, cowl flaps, aileron trim knob, and rudder trim knob.  You may still adjust these controls by keyboard commands.

FULL QUADRANT - This pop-up allows access to all of the controls on the quadrant, including the throttles, props, mixture and elevator trim wheel that are visible and adjustable on the normal quadrant. But it also gives you mouse control of the superchargers and carburetor heat levers.

SOUNDS - The genuine engine, flight, and cockpit sounds recorded aboard and outside of the real 'BT' will not be included.  The sound for this trial version will be aliased to the default Baron sounds.  Your neighbors may appreciate this, but you will be missing the true ambiance of the mighty short-stacked Double-Cyclones that made the Mitchell one of the loudest airplanes in existence.  However, if you would like to hear a SAMPLE of what the real sounds are like, open the Trial's Version's Sound folder and double-click on the four wav files you find there.  What the heck, turn the speakers all the way up!

PHOTO-REAL VIEWS - The eight "cockpit views", which include views from the bombardier's nose, top turret, and both waist gunner positions, along with the forward quarter and side pilot's views will not be there. These have been replaced with screenshots of thes missing features.

KNEEBOARD PAGES - The extensive checklists and reference pages taken from actual B-25 flight manuals will be missing, as will their printable, MS Word format versions.

START-UP FLIGHTS - The six 'Briefing Time' flights, along with their associated briefings, approach plates, airport diagrams will be absent.

CD-ROM FEATURES NOT INCLUDED - In addition to the above, the extra features included only on the CD version of 'Briefing Time', are not to be found on the trial version, naturally.  These include:

B-25 PILOT TRAINING MANUAL - a genuine 170 page vintage manual in high resolution scans.

DIGITAL VIDEOS - 11 digital instructional videos taken aboard and outside the real 'BT'

TRAINING FILM - a 20 minute World War II vintage B-25 training film covering all phases of flight.

HTML 'BRIEFING TIME' PACKAGE MANUAL - (see the next section) *

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*  'BRIEFING TIME' FOR FS2002 MANUAL

You may, and certainly should, download the free html manual for the package, though.  It is illustrated with 190 pictures and diagrams which explain all of the plane's features and instruct on operational procedures.  The file name is "btmanual.zip and you can check our website, www.maam.org, for a list of downlaod sites.

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PURCHASE THE FULL VERSION - PLEASE!

If you like what you see in the trial package, please support the Mid Atlantic Air Museum and its restoration programs by purchasing either the CD version of the B'25J Mitchell 'Briefing Time' for FS2002 package, or the full download version.  All proceeds of the CD sales go directly to the museum.  The CD's are produced by Bill Rambow, so after material costs are subtracted, the museum receives over $24 of every $25 dollar CD sale.  Buying the CD is the way you can help the museum the most.  To read about all the extras you get on the CD go to www.maam.org.  You will find a link to purchase it directly from the museum, which is the only way you can get it.  It will be shipped anywhere in the world for $4.95, usually the day following your order, at the latest.  

However, if you just can't stand to wait even a few days, you may also purchase a Download Version of the package from the AVSIM STORE at www.avsim.com for $25  The Download is 33.8 MB and does not include the manual, which is available as a separate, free download of 16.4 MB. None of the CD's extra features are included. We actually thought about not providing a download version at all, but there seems to be a certain part of the market that just goes for downloads only, regardless of how fast delivery service is - and ours has garnered many compliments.  So if it seems I am trying to persuade you to go for the CD, you are very perceptive!  Our aim, after all, is to make as much money for the museum's restoration programs as we can.

We appreciate your support very much, and hope you enjoy flying 'Briefing Time'. I hope to see you at the AVSIM Convention.  The MAAM-SIM display will be set up in the main hangar right beneath the real 'Briefing Time's' wing.  Be sure to stop by and say hello.  We will also be in the hangar at MAAM's big World War II Weekend show.  Hope to see you there. 

Bill Rambow
Feb 2003

  MAAM-SIM
"The R4D Team"

Mid Atlantic Air Museum Simulations
e-mail: [email protected]