FS2004 Air France L-1649A Starliner F-BHBO

This add-on brings an authentic Air France livery from 1963, featuring registration F-BHBO known as “Champlain,” to the Lockheed L-1649A Starliner fleet in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. Manfred Jahn and his team created the underlying L-1649A aircraft model, and this repaint was carefully developed by Alex Carry. Aviation enthusiasts can enjoy the extended range characteristic of the Starliner while immersing themselves in a historic Air France transatlantic experience. Please note that this repaint is offered free of charge and requires the freeware base model package, available in the Fly Away Simulation library.

Historical Notes and Technical Background

The Lockheed L-1649A Starliner marks the climax of the Constellation series that took to the skies in the 1950s. Built with elongated wings and tuned R-3350 engines, it offered far-reaching capabilities, including non-stop flights of more than 20 hours. Air France deployed these alluring aircraft for long-haul routes, distinguishing itself in intercontinental travel at that time. Thanks to its extended range and refined aerodynamics, this final Constellation variant became a symbol of piston-powered airliner innovation.

Required Base Files

Before applying the new textures, make sure you have installed both: L1649-11.ZIP and the L164911A.ZIP update from Manfred Jahn and his development team. You can find these in the same section of the Fly Away Simulation library where the freeware Lockheed L-1649A Starliner aircraft is hosted.

Key Steps for Installation

• Ensure the existing Lockheed L-1649A folder is present in your “FS9/AIRCRAFT” directory.
• Copy the texture.af63 folder from this download straight into the “Lockheed_L1649A” folder inside your FS9 installation directory.
• Access your aircraft.cfg file (found in the Lockheed_L1649A folder) using a text editor such as Notepad.
• Insert the following [fltsim.xx] entry into the aircraft.cfg file. Replace “xx” with the next available number in your sequence.

Configuration Entry

[fltsim.xx]
title=Lockheed L-1649A Starliner Champlain
sim=L1649A
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=af63
kb_checklists=Doc\L-1649A_check
kb_reference=Doc\L-1649A_ref
atc_id=F-BHBO
atc_id_enable=1
ui_manufacturer=Lockheed
ui_type=L-1649A Starliner
ui_variation=air france 1963
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 distance records. Providing seats for both first-class and tourist-class passengers, it entered service with TWA in May 1957. Air France also added several L-1649A aircraft to its routes."
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=1.46 //avoid frozen propdisks
atc_id_color=0x00000000
atc_id_font=Verdana,-11,1,600,0

Remarks

Once the entry is saved, you will see the Air France 1963 livery for F-BHBO in your aircraft selection menu. This repaint accurately represents the aircraft’s distinctive paint scheme, capturing the essence of that era in commercial aviation. Enjoy operating one of the longest-range piston-powered airliners ever built, and be sure to acknowledge the outstanding work of Manfred Jahn and his team for the base Lockheed L-1649A, as well as the repaint craftsmanship by Alex Carry.