The Menasco and Ranger in-line engine conversion series. This package introduces engine conversions done just prior to WW2 with the mating of the 125 hp 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 ten miles per hour more at the top end and six or seven at cruise, or a bit more if you want to burn more fuel. This engine/airframe combination is a very pleasant airplane to fly, and economical to boot.
The Fairchild Ranger 200 hp l- L-440-3 version would be a typical post- war conversions and returning service men had a desire to go fast and with the surplus Rangers available this combinations did just that. With only 26 gallons of gas available feeding this beast you wouldn't go far without refueling but you'd have a blast getting there. The first and most immediate is the increase in torque effect and P factor, both of which require our pilots to pay a bit more attention, especially on takeoff. At 144 mph, the top speed of this version will raise an eyebrow, but the real eye opener is the vertical performance.
About Great Lakes Sport BiPlanes
In 1929, the Great Lakes Aircraft Company (GLAC) was formed in Cleveland, Ohio at the former site of the Martin Aircraft Company. They built civilian biplanes, 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 85 hp (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.
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 9 g positive and 6 G 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 recognize 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, the Great Lakes Aircraft Company went out of business closing their doors in 1936. The company built just 264 of the Sport Trainers ordered.
That would not be the end of the story for this iconic golden age flier as its timeless design has inspired others to keep the dream alive in through modification and refinement almost continuously over the decades since the original factory closed its doors. So it has inspired Golden Age Simulations to bring the Great Lakes to FSX and Prepar3D.
All of our models feature:
- Incredibly detailed model with full animations and completely clickable virtual cockpit
- Fully detailed power plants
- Seven high definition liveries with blank textures for creating your own designs
- Two unique liveries per aircraft presented
- Precise smooth 3D modeled gauges with backlighting (if so equipped with an electrical system)
- High fidelity sound package unique to each model
- Precise flight dynamics
- Detailed user's manual
- 4 titles are available
System requirements:
- Flight Simulator X (Acceleration, Gold or SP2 required) or Prepar3D
- 2.0GHz or any Dual Core
- 2.0GB RAM
- 256MB graphics card
- Windows 8 / 7 / XP (32-bit or 64-bit) / Vista
- Hard Drive Space (see individual options above for storage requirements)
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