The review has just gone live this past week on multiple forums and the FlightSim.com homepage.  

Hope you guys are satisfied!

Kevin




This package was originally released in FS9, and was rebuilt for FSX.  In Captain Sim's C-130, I was a bit surprised to see the amount of systems programming in her, as it didn't really click with what I'd seen from Captain Sim in the past.  However, when Captain Sim updated this for FSX and released the Block F, I think that this was a sign that they are looking to enter the market of the sort of models that make you feel like you could fly the airplane in real life.  They're turning their backs on models that just look nice and are now looking to designing software that not only looks good, but performs.

Please note that this was reviewed with the Pro Pack, -300 upgrade, and the Freighter upgrade.

First Impressions-

As usual, the download came in the form of three different packages: the Pro Pack, the -300, and the Freighter package.  The installer ran, requiring your order number and product key.  A fairly short time after clicking the install button, I found a new 757 group under Captain Sim in the start menu, as well as related files in the FSX folder.  As is usual with Captain Sim's latest releases, there was a massive manual required for the Block F.  Quite frankly, if you're new to large, in-depth simulations of airliners, you'll need to read the manual very thoroughly to understand the airplane.  I read it, section by section, have flown the airplane, but I'm not foolish enough to think that I could hop into a real 757 and fly it.  This was my first such airliner, and while I can't say I enjoyed the mass quantities of tedious script, I must say that I learned a lot, and hopefully this knowledge will leave me better prepared for similar packages I may fly in the future.

Interior-

*Whistles*  Very, very nice.  Detail right down to the seat controls.  The cockpit is a mass of tan, brown, and grey textures, which, while drab, are very crisp.  The seat bottom is a grey material, and here, perhaps, the textures are not quite up to scratch with the rest.  It looks like wool, and I can imagine that might become uncomfortable on long flights.  As the rest of the parts of the seats are composed of movable armrests (click-to-drag), a surprisingly nice headrest (again, very good texture quality) and seat controls on the inner side of the seat which actually move it, but not the eyepoint, unfortunately.  I always have to chuckle a little when I see the seats on a high-quality simulation like this.  While they're nice to look at, I sometimes think it's perhaps a little ironic to use my graphics cards’ precious memory on these.  Not that I'm complaining, however.  It's just that you rarely see them.  The rest of the cockpit controls are fully modeled, with detail on the fully-functional overhead panel, pedestal, and glareshield.

It's nice to see so much realism crammed into this cockpit.  Realistically, it's all unnecessary and for show, but there are some neat features which will keep you entranced for about five minutes in your first flight.  For instance, on the pilot's left side, there is a small sort of indent, where some of the manuals are kept.  Clicking them raises them up out of their bin a little bit, just so that you can see the titles.  There's another bookcase with a door that swing open when clicked, the fuse panel opens, etc.  These neat, but rather unnecessary little things are littered throughout the airplane to keep things interesting.

Moving away from the cockpit, which is somewhat inadvisable in flight, you'll find that Captain Sim modeled part of the passenger cabin.  This section behind the opening flight deck door includes the galley, a restroom, and part of the seating area.  If you think your passengers are cruising in absolute luxury, think again.  This isn't a first-class configuration, but more like the business class.  The seats are in rows of two, and there are about three rows.  Even though the passengers may be a bit cramped, at least they'll be entertained; on the forward bulkhead, there's a small TV mounted on each side.  While you can't play a movie, by clicking a button near the bottom you can switch through the 757 safety procedures pages.  These seats are modeled quite  as well as the flight deck ones, but are of a streaked grey fabric (intended to be streaked, I hope) and have the row of in-flight magazines on the back.  Above the seats are the luggage bins, lights (which turn on with the FSX light command) and of course a window, the shade of which can be opened or closed.

I must say, I was fascinated by the restroom.  Never having flown much aboard commercial vessels, I was interested to compare this to the bathrooms that I'd seen.  Well, let's call it an upholstered Porta-Potty.  The walls of the airplane give it a cramped feel, and, I hardly need to say, there's details right down to the tissue box.  The flush lever, sink, tap, and the bathroom as a whole is nicely done, with great texture quality and a realistic look.  I was rather disappointed to find there were no animations here.

The galley is a simple little thing, with levers that you can click to move out of the way, then take the food carts out of their little cubby.  Next to the galley area are some of the doors, which you can open by clicking.  The area is photoreal, so there are some switch boards, a phone, the lock and stickers on the door, etc.