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I try not to do just exterior models, but this one deserves a note. Project Open Sky produce very high quality work and their acclaimed 747 series now has a real high point - the NASA shuttle carrier. Even if you’re not into heavies I think their is a real charm about the sheer size and satisfaction of carrying a space shuttle.

It is avaliable directly from the Project Open Sky website.

Small business jets have been fairly few on the ground but now many come at once. Pick of these is Lars Roennig’s fantastic first package. It’s very smoothly modeled with plenty of details and it’s covered in high resolution textures. There is also a small panel included. It’s a lovely piece of work available from the Avsim library.

This new Israeli design team has produced a cracking first project. The ATR isn’t well represented these days in freeware but ISDT look set to solve this with a -500 in the pipeline and small improvements to this download. The package contains a single blank livery but more are available in the forums and for now it doesn’t matter too much as you can just look at the modeling quality which is excellent. Visit ISDT.

Vladimir Zhyhulskiy has produced some fine soviet add-ons and his model of the sturdy turbo prop Antonov AN-26 was a really welcome surprise. It features a smooth frame rate friendly model, a tidy 2D panel and very neat VC. It’s really nice to fly and on top of that repainters have been busy. Get the AN-26 from Avsim.

Today I bring you three items of freeware that join together to make a truly awesome package for 737 or airliner fans. Project Opensky provide the exterior with excellent high resolution textures covering a very detailed and accurate model with lots of eye candy such as push back tugs etc. Posky also gives you the entire NG range including BBJ and military variations.

The panel (Avsim) comes from the now defunct PSPanels and is a very high resolution, detailed former payware product that’s just great in every way. It will make you feel like a real captain but without having to delve deep into the depths of an FMC though flicking through checklists is probably required.

Finally the “real deal” sound set (Avsim) is from Christoffer Petersen of Turbine Sound Studios and it provides high quality interior and exterior sounds that really add to the realism.