FS2004 Air France SuperStarliner F-BHBN

This repaint, titled "La Motte Cadillac," brings an authentic Air France livery to the Lockheed L-1649A Starliner in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Created by Alex Carry, it showcases detailed textures modeled after one of Air France’s historical piston-engine airliner fleets. Please note that this package only includes the livery; to experience it fully, you must first install the freeware Lockheed L-1649A base model from Manfred Jahn and Team, accessible in the Fly Away Simulation library.

Key Aspects of the Air France L-1649A

The Lockheed L-1649A, often referred to as the Super Starliner, represents the last major evolution of the renowned Constellation series. It excelled in ultra-long-haul routes, connecting cities like Paris and Tokyo in fewer stops than its predecessors. Known for its impressive performance during the golden age of prop-driven travel, the aircraft established several distance records, many of which still hold historical significance. Air France adopted these elegant designs to offer passengers a more comfortable transoceanic experience during those pioneering years.

What This Texture Set Provides

This repaint proposes a realistic rendition of Air France’s “La Motte Cadillac” scheme, matching the real aircraft’s subtle markings, tail insignia, and distinctive fuselage stripes. Every cockpit window and rivet alignment is carefully adjusted so that simulator pilots can appreciate the intricate details. In addition, the developer included era-specific markings and an accurate registration number to reflect the airline’s operational environment.

Steps for Successful Installation

• Ensure that you have already installed the Lockheed L-1649A Starliner by Manfred Jahn and Team (file references L1649-11.ZIP and the L164911A.ZIP update).
• Locate your Lockheed_L1649A folder inside your main Fs9/AIRCRAFT directory.
• Extract or copy the texture.af folder from this repaint package into the associated Lockheed_L1649A folder.

Required Aircraft.cfg Adjustments

Open your aircraft.cfg within the Lockheed_L1649A folder using a text editor. Insert the following block, replacing XX with the next sequential number to match other [fltsim] entries:

[fltsim.XX]
title=Lockheed L-1649A Starliner Air France
sim=L1649A
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=af
kb_checklists=Doc\L-1649A_check
kb_reference=Doc\L-1649A_ref
atc_id=F-BHBN
atc_id_enable=1
ui_manufacturer=Lockheed
ui_type=L-1649A Starliner
ui_variation=air france
description="The Starliner was the last of the long-range piston-engine airliners. Designed to fly Los Angeles-London or Paris-Tokyo in around 20 hours non-stop, it established numerous long-distance records, many of them still current today. Providing accommodation for twenty-six first-class and forty-five tourist-class passengers, the Starliner entered service with TWA in May 1957. Other operators were Air France and Lufthansa."
atc_flight_number=45
atc_airline=air france
atc_heavy=0
visual_damage=1
atc_parking_codes=
atc_parking_types=GATE,RAMP
prop_anim_ratio=0.99 //avoid frozen propdisks
atc_id_color=0x00000000
atc_id_font=Verdana,-11,1,600,0

Additional Notes

The Air France L-1649A was instrumental in broadening the airline’s capabilities for non-stop routes and long-haul flights. By applying this repaint, you can experience a piece of that classic era each time you depart from iconic European hubs or cross intercontinental flight paths. Remember that this repaint is exclusively designed for the freeware base model by Manfred Jahn and Team, and its historical nuances and markings have been meticulously crafted by Alex Carry.