[Test-Pilot Notes] 2026-Edit - originally issued in 20th October 2022.
When I flew full-scale 'Microprose F-19' missions for the first time using the VSKYLABS F-19 in X-Plane 12, it felt a bit strange compared to my good-old-F19-memories from the late 80's.
After taking off and heading towards the primary target area...(carrier or land takeoff), time stretched up. In a 1:1 scale mission, it *takes time* to cross ~250+ miles to a so-called enemy territory.
In X-Plane, a Strike-simulation is a self-induced fun...imagination works..and so as the over-g and radar altimeter warnings...and then...bugging out at Mach 1.0 until cleared the 'exposure' zone, then, back to Mach .9 flying to the intended air-base.
Long minutes went by...fuel is consumed...so I climbed to a more economic flight profile...reducing speed to ~Mach .7. I was oversea, no land on the horizon, just me and some thoughts: Time...flight takes time...
Complete mission times in the 80's F-19 game (covering distance of ~500 NM) were not too long...about 20-30 minutes from takeoff to landing (There are online versions of the Microprose F-19 that confirms this).
Average 'F-19' simulated mission times in X-Plane 12 was about an hour for a ~500+ miles flight plan, when pushing the aircraft at Mach 0.9 from takeoff to preps for landing. Measured this roughly, in the Microprose F-19 game, distance coverage was highly accelerated when compare to 1:1 scale...roughly even up to ~8 times faster when reviewing the speeds and mileage. The average flying speed in the F-19 game was not even close to Mach 0.9...
Interesting isn't it?
Read the full 'From Fast-Forward to Real-Time: F-19 Missions and Time Compression in Microprose vs. X-Plane 12!' article in the VSKYLABS Magazine!
Huss
VSKYLABS
