Freeware Reviews

Here’s a classic from the barnstorming days of yesteryear, The New Standard D25 A. Golden Age Simulations brings us this beauty! They have a great offering of vintage freeware, as well as some classic payware products over at their website. Personally, I have not had the opportunity to review any of their payware packages, but after flying the Waco ATO (often!), the D25 A, and the other freeware aircraft in their hanger; I have no doubt that the payware products are nothing short of outstanding! I realize that I could be going out on a limb on that, but wait until you get a gander at this D25 A and you’ll see what I mean!

After the First World War, the interest in aviation was at a high, with the public wanting to catch a glimpse of anything flying through their skies. To be able to actually ride aboard one of these flying machines was a dream come true (and still is for some!). More often than not, the old Curtiss Jenny’s, like the one that you will find as a default aircraft within MSFS 2004, and the old Standard J-1 biplanes were bought as war surplus from the government by ex-servicemen, and around the countryside they would fly. They would thrill crowds that would flock to the local fields to see these wondrous machines that helped to win the war, and the brave and perhaps crazy pilots that flew these aircraft.

These aircraft were a good start, as they were a relatively cheap buy, but they could only carry one passenger plus the pilot. A man by the name of Ivan Gates, who operated an air show called Gates’ Flying Circus, wanted to get as much out of each flight as he could. That is to say, he wanted to make as much money as he could for each flight, and the only way to do this was to design an aircraft specifically for hauling folks around on short, site-seeing hops. Gates teamed up with the designer of the original Standard J-1 biplane, and they set out to develop an aircraft that could carry up to four passengers.

They used the readily available 180 hp, water-cooled Hisso Engines, and the Gates-Day D-24 was born. It was Day’s 24^th aircraft design, hence the designation. This 1928 prototype could indeed carry four passengers plus a pilot, but its nickname of “Five Men in a Tub” was appropriate. All five on board were sitting in a single open cockpit, like a big bathtub! The actual production design would go on to incorporate two separate cockpits. The business was renamed the New Standard Company and the factory was located in Patterson, New Jersey. A total of six aircraft were constructed.

The mantra, “More Power!” goes back a long way, and power is what the New Standard Company wanted more of for their aircraft. The next design that Day conceived was that of the D-25, which incorporated the new 220 hp Wright “Whirlwind” J5 engine. This design was a big hit with the barnstorming pilots of the day, as they were able to carry not only four passengers at one time, but as the newer engine was more powerful and dependable, they could fly as many as 10 flights a day. At a dollar a passenger, forty dollars a day was some real sweet change to be picking up back in those days! For the passenger to come up with a dollar was no small task, but many would say “what the heck!”, and fork out a whole buck for the experience of a lifetime!

The D25 had doors on each side of the fuselage, to speed the change-out of passengers, much like a carnival ride. The rides tended to be short, but that did not matter to those that were getting to take the ride! I’m sure there were plenty of folks that wished the flights were a whole lot longer! I know I would have been one

of them! The D25 was a rugged aircraft, for it usually used fields to take off and land in. Repairs were also easily made, which was another reason that many pilots liked this aircraft. Most pilots of the day were quite capable of working on their own aircraft, and if they could spend more time in the air than on the ground making lengthy repairs, so much the better! A very distinctive feature of the D25 is its over-sized top wing. It measured 45 feet, tip to tip, compared to the lower wing which came in at 32 feet 6 inches. More lift was the result, enabling them to carry those four passengers. The nickname “Canvas Cloud” was given to the D25 for this reason.

Golden Age Simulations has made this model available for both FS9 and FSX. Two real-life liveries were used for the paints in this package; “Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome” and “Waldo Wright’s Flying Service”. The model is crafted beautifully, detail everywhere. The old Wright J-5 radial engine looks great, with excellent detail, including a blue, animated exhaust flame, which adds a nice, realistic touch to the overall engine effects. A model like this takes patience, time, and effort. Look closely and you will see loads of small details that were included.

Inside both the 2D cockpit and the Virtual Cockpit, you’ll see a highly workable, old fashioned arrangement of stick, pedals, throttle lever, and various other “avionics” that are surely to throw you into the land of aviation nostalgia! Basic gauges are in place, but they do toss you a GPS and a modern radio stack to make your life a bit easier in this old bird! Both are accessible with key commands.

The sounds give you a push in the right direction of reliving the thrill of the biplanes. There’s no mistaking the sound of an old radial engine! Music to the ears of some of us simmer’s! Start up’s and shut down’s are accompanied by the familiar pop’s and puff’s that make these babies a joy to start! Clear prop!!! FBZ is on the way!!!

This is a must have for many reasons. First, it’s FREE! These are great models to “jump into” and have a go at barnstorming! One thing is certain about these old and slow buckets…your graphics load faster for a much better VFR flight! Sure it may take you 2, 3, 4, OK, maybe five times longer to get to your destination, but wow, what a view!

Your hanger just isn’t complete without a “Canvas Cloud” in the lineup! An all around great Freeware Find, I highly recommend that you check out the other freeware aircraft that is offered over at Golden Age Simulations, and take a look at what they have to offer as far as payware models go. Great work gang! Thanks for a great contribution to the Flight Sim World!