In 1929 the Great Lakes Aircraft Company (GLAC) was formed in Cleveland, Ohio at the former site of the Martin Aircraft Company. The company built civilian biplanes and float planes, as well as biplane torpedo bombers under contract to the US Navy. The model that most people think of today when someone says, "Great Lakes aircraft" is the enduring 2T biplane, also known as the Great Lakes Sport Trainer. It was designed and sold as a two-place, open cockpit biplane. The first engines were an 85hp (63 kW) American Cirrus Mk III. The 2T biplane was not as large as some of its contemporaries manufactured by Stearman, WACO and Travel Air.
This Bundle includes all the Golden Age Simulations Great Lakes models:
The original Great Lakes
The original Great Lakes aircraft was designed as a sport trainer and powered by the 90hp American Cirrus. A low and slow flyer, it is ideal for cruising the virtual skies and a joy to fly. Having no electrical system it's a VFR aircraft with no vices. It is paired with Phenick Field, a flight training academy which once existed near Newark, Ohio - a perfect location for practising in the pattern and performing touch-and-go's. Test your skill by flying through barn a - feat not for the faint of heart!
The Menasco and Ranger in-line engine conversion series.
This package introduces engine conversions done just prior to WWII with the mating of the 125hp Menasco C-4 Pirate to the Great Lakes airframe. You might have seen this bird had you been wandering around the American aviation scene in the late 1930s as it appears to have been a fairly popular conversion. The extra power provided by the Menasco delivers a modest increase in performance - perhaps 10mph more at the top end and six or seven mph at cruise, or a bit more if you want to burn more fuel! This engine/airframe combination is a very pleasant aircraft to fly, and economical to boot.
The Fairchild Ranger 200hp l- L-440-3
The Fairchild Ranger 200hp l- L-440-3 version would be a typical post-war conversion, with returning service men wanting the extra speed! With only 26 gallons of gas available to feed this beast you wouldn't get far without refuelling but you'd have a blast getting there. The increase in torque effect and P factor both require pilots to pay a bit more attention, especially on take-off. At 144 mph, the top speed of this version will raise an eyebrow, but the real eye-opener is its vertical performance.
The Great Lakes Sport Stunt Plane collection
This collection represents conversions that were popular from the 1950s up until the early 60s and utilised surplus 165hp Kinner R56 five-cylinder radial engines as used on the Ryan PT-22 and the 185hp Warner Super Scarab which was arguably the most sought after power plant for the Great Lakes and, until kit planes started mating the airframe with Lycoming power plants, the defining Great Lakes model until as late as the 1970s. Liveries are included here that honour both Betty Skelton and Hal Krier, airshow icons of the day.
Features
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Incredibly detailed model with full animations and completely clickable virtual cockpit
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Highly detailed engine modelling
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Two unique liveries per aircraft with blank textures for creating your own designs
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Precise 3D modelled gauges with backlighting
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High fidelity sound package - unique to each model
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Precise flight dynamics
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Detailed user manual
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Bonus scenery included
Additional aircraft information
The original models had a wing span of 26 feet 8 inches and length of 20 feet 4 inches. The useful load was 578 pounds (262kg) and it was stressed for 9G positive and 6G negative. It had outrigger landing gear with spring oleo shock struts and the range was 375 miles. The sale price started out at $4,990 dollars but as the depression came it was lowered to $3,985.
The first four Sport Trainers built were of a rare straight-wing design, one of which was modified into a special racer. Because of problems recovering from flat spins, the top wing was swept back and that is what most people recognise first when looking at a Sport Trainer. At its peak, Great Lakes had as many as 650 deposits for new aircraft. With the onset of the great depression, however, the Great Lakes Aircraft Company went out of business in 1936. The company built just 264 of the Sport Trainers ordered.
That's not the end of the story for this iconic golden age aircraft, however, as its timeless design has inspired others to keep the dream alive through almost continuous modification and refinement over the decades since the original factory closed its doors. Golden Age Simulations bringing the Great Lakes to FSX and Prepar3D is the latest chapter in the history of this fine aircraft.
System Requirements:
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Flight Simulator X (Acceleration, Gold or SP2 required) or Prepar3D
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2.0GHz or any Dual Core
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2.0GB RAM
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256MB graphics card
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Windows 8 / 7 / Vista / XP (32-bit or 64-bit)
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3.5GB hard drive space
US$14.99
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