When Microsoft Flight Simulator was released, various airport addons and sceneries were also released, by Orbx, offering discounts to those who had versions from other simulators. I owned Leeds/Bradford Airport for X-Plane 11, so it made good sense to purchase the MSFS version too. Therefore this review is based on a product I have purchased with my well earned cash.
The airport
Leeds Bradford Airport is one of my local airports, and probably the one I know the best. I grew up in the locality, and have not only flown(as a passenger) from there, but I have spent a cold Sunday afternoon plane spotting from viewing areas. Locally known as Yeadon Airport, it is situated 14km north of Bradford and 11 km north of Leeds, in the town of Yeadon.
Like many municipal airports in the UK, Yeadon Airport started life as a general aviation airport, but as aircraft size increased, so did the airport, eventually serving airliners and becoming a truly international airport. Today, the airport serves airline companies, offering both domestic and European routes.
installtion
Being an Orbx product, installation is fairly simple, though I did it through Orbx Central. I was given the option of installing within the simulator, or in a separate file location. Being outside helps if you have to reinstall MSFS, but it makes no difference performance wise. Bear in mind the download size is just under 3 GB.
first impressions
As I had already used Orbx’s X-Plane version, and was reasonably happy with what I saw, I was expecting great things from the MSFS version. Namely because, graphically, the simulator was said to be better. I was not disappointed. The airport scenery blends seamlessly into Asobo’s default photogrammetry data, giving a true feeling of what the airport and surrounding areas are really like. The fact that this has been accomplished without buying any other scenery addon, as with X-Plane, is a real bonus.
Modelling
Modelling is of a reasonably high standard, with well defined brickwork and buildings. The main terminal, and adjoining buildings, comprising of old and new styles, are as accurate as you can get. I was particularly impressed with the roof, with detailed air ducts and air conditioning units, all modelled effectively. The windows are realistic to some extent, though with a frosted appearance which is unlike the real thing. I suppose this shows the limitations of modelling.
Away from the terminal, across the runway, lies the general aviation section, and this, again, has been modelled to a high standard. The corrugated roof, for example, is well detailed and looks amazing when the sunlight bounces off it.
The only downside to the modelling is just outside the airport. The car park is poor and an adjoining kiosk is particularly bad. It’s like they thought no one would notice. That being said, signage and billboards do look impressive.
textures
Like the modelling, the textures are of a good standard, though this is to be expected with the emphasis being on PBR textures with the new simulator. Ground textures are particularly good, even at ground level. Grasses and fauna are good too. Again, the only place where textures are a let down is in the car park just outside the terminal. I’m not entirely sure whether this is an Asobo or Orbx problem, but it does spoil the entrance area to this popular airport.
The good thing to notice is that the textures do follow the time of day. There is a red brick building (probably one of the original buildings) that showed good use of shadow at different times of the day. Night lighting is effective too, with some very good use of PBR night textures.
Textures on the runway are, again, impressive, and everything has been completed accurately. The notable thing about Leeds Bradford Airport is the undulating runway, which has been copied exactly.
surrounding area
It is hard to tell where Orbx ends and Asobo’s scenery begins, though that shows just how seamless this scenery is. However, just outside the airport are some notable features that the default sceneries get wrong. One is a tunnel that runs under the runway. This can often look like a flat road that disappears into the ground, only to magically appear on the other side. With the Orbx version, it does look like a tunnel (though you can’t drive through it with the drone camera – yes, I tried). Another is the inclusion of a local pub modelled to the same standard as the airport itself.
The local Hawthorn Park Public House, great spot for plane spotting.
performance
Apart from a slightly longer loading time, I found no issues with performance, whatsoever. I’m running on High-End and there are no stutters, though there was a frame rate drop when viewing the general aviation area and the public house. Generally, however, there is no severe performance drop with this addon.
Conclusion
Whether you are familiar with the area or not, this is a first class rendition of this Yorkshire airport. Not only has it been realistically modelled, with good use of textures, it blends well into the Yorkshire scenery. On taking off, your met with breathtaking landscapes, especially as the airport is perched on a hill.
It is a shame that the outside of the terminal hasn’t been rendered to quite the same quality, and I feel it could be improved by adding some interior to the terminal, but that said, this is an amazing addition to the Microsoft Flight Simulator scenery.
Leeds Bradford Airport can be purchased from Orbx Central priced at EUR 10.75.
