FS2004 Alaska Airlines Convair CV-240 VBF N51331

This repaint showcases the Convair CV-240 VBF (registration N51331) sporting an Alaska Airlines scheme circa 1973. This particular airframe, originally manufactured in 1948 for American Airlines, carried the designations “Flagship Little Rock” and “Flagship Erie” before serving several other carriers, such as Cordova Airlines—eventually absorbed by Alaska Airlines in 1968—and later Pacific Nevada Airlines. The aircraft later returned to Alaska’s fleet for a brief time before changing hands multiple times and ultimately being retired and broken up. Created by Greg Pepper and Tom Gibson, and upgraded by the talents of Georg Hauzenberger (model) and Hans Hermann (textures) from Virtual Birds Factory, this package includes only the textures and associated model. Make sure to install the freeware base pack (CV240VBFCA18_BASEPACK_010.ZIP) from the Fly Away Simulation library prior to adding this enhancement to your Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 setup.

Visual Representation of the Aircraft

Background on the Convair CV-240 VBF

The Convair CV-240 series was developed to modernize regional air travel in the post-war era. It introduced pressurized cabins and twin radial engines engineered for efficient performance. Many major airlines, including American Airlines, operated these aircraft under various “Flagship” designations, while smaller operators like Cordova (absorbed by Alaska Airlines) also found them to be highly versatile on routes across rugged terrain.

Key Historical Highlights

• Initial Carrier: Delivered new to American Airlines in mid-1948.
• Subsequent Service: Transitioned to Cordova Airlines, merged into Alaska Airlines, then passed on to Pacific Nevada Airlines, and returned briefly to Alaska Airlines.
• Final Fate: Eventually left stored, withdrawn from use at Long Beach, and later dismantled.

Technical Installation Steps for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004

This add-on requires an existing CV-240 VBF installation in your simulator. The original base pack folders include “CV240VBFca18,” “cv240VBFcb16,” or “CV240VBFmilitary,” depending on the variation.

1. Extract the downloaded zip file to a temporary location on your system.
2. Locate the setup executable (for example, cv240VBFca18_aal_N94200_01_setup.exe) and launch it. This installer automatically places the required livery files into the correct folder (e.g., “cv240VBFca18,” “cv240VBFcb16,” or “cv240VBFmilitary”). Keep track of which one is selected.
3. Next, browse to your Aircraft directory within “Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9” and find the correct CV-240 VBF folder created or updated by the installer.
4. In that folder, locate a text file titled similarly to (livery name)_add_to_aircraft_cfg.txt. Open it, copy the [fltsim.xx] portion, and then paste it into your aircraft.cfg file, ensuring the numeric sequence (xx) is updated to the next available entry.

Proper Folder Configuration

Double-check folder names if the livery fails to appear. The folder should align with the name used in your original base pack installation (for example, “cv240VBFca18”). Ensure you have not unintentionally altered those names since the initial base pack install. Also confirm you have chosen the correct root directory for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, typically where FS9.EXE resides.

Verifying Successful Integration

Once you have updated the aircraft.cfg file and ensured that the new [fltsim.xx] entry is in sequence, the Alaska Airlines Convair CV-240 VBF repaint should appear within the aircraft selection menu. If you still do not see it, it is advisable to revisit each installation step to ensure correct folder paths and naming conventions.