Blackbird Simulations releases Livery Pack for its FG-1D Corsair – Review

Blackbird Simulations has released today a livery pack for their flagship FG-1D Corsair in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This pack, comprising ten meticulously designed liveries, offers simmers a nice selection of military, civilian, and fantasy liveries to choose from when flying the Corsair, which is still today one of the best warbirds currently available for MSFS.

PC simmers are used to getting freeware liveries from several sources around the web, but those flying on Xbox are not as lucky: they have to get everything from the in-sim Marketplace. This makes this livery pack especially enticing for those on the consoles, but everyone can enjoy the designs on offer here as Blackbird Simulations has taken considerable input from their user base, incorporating suggestions and preferences into the final designs.

Right off the bat, the selection of designs in this livery pack is quite striking. Each livery brings a unique flair to the Corsair, ranging from historically accurate military skins to Blackbird’s original creative touches. This variety caters to a broad spectrum of tastes, ensuring that every simmer finds something to their liking.

Here’s the list of 10 liveries as detailed by Blackbird:

• VMF-323 18
  VMF-323, more commonly known as the ‘Death Rattlers’ Squadron, became famous for racking up 124 Japanese planes shot down during the Battle of Okinawa, without a single loss of the squadron. Apparently, the squadron got its distinct name & nose art from three fighter pilots who killed a 6-foot rattlesnake and hung its skin in the squadron’s ready room.

• VF-42 310
  This distinct bright blue livery served with the US Navy and Fuerea Aerea Honduras. The Squadron it was part of shot down 25 Japanese aircraft until the squadron was disbanded during the Battle of Midway. These days, this cool blue bird is seen at airshows & museums. 

• Silver Bullet
  If Howard Hughes played videos games…

• Lancer Two
  A tribute to the iconic racing livery, Lancer 2 participated in air races from the 1960s-70s, reaching speeds of over 310mph! Can you beat the record? 

• FN 15F22
  Gorgeous textures makes up this recreation of the classic French Navy Corsairs – for the Francophiles out there, this one is for you! Allez les Bleues!

• Fifty-Seven
  This livery has a long history: starting from a warbird of the past, it has journeyed to air racing, and now aviation shows & museum displays. This sleek design is the perfect livery to try and break your top speed record! 

• 192378
  Brighten up your Corsair’s journey, with this eye catching white livery!

• 19WF
  “Does it come in black?” 

• War Torn
  For anyone that doesn’t want to fly a squeaky clean Corsair, this one is for you! Bullet holes, and battle damage riddle this torn up livery to bring you a closer look at what these Warbirds would sustain in battle. 

• Hot Rod
  Nothing to say – it’s just badass!

Our take

All of these liveries are a visual treat and very cool to look at! I had the chance to try the pack ahead of the release and appreciated all the included designs, but a few definitely stand out. The War Torn is particularly awesome with its bullet-riddled fuselage – a nod to the rugged survivability of the real-world Corsair. Historically, the Corsair was known for its durability in combat, often sustaining and surviving significant damage, and this livery shows it!

All the liveries are rich in details and feature realistic textures. A closer inspection reveals that the resolution of the liveries is not at the highest we’ve seen in some areas, but this isn’t a significant drawback. This can only be detected from 2 or 3 virtual feet away, which is not a typical scenario when flying, but it’s a point worth noting for those who relish the finer details.

An advantage of these texturing optimizations is that these liveries have no impact on FPS, which is particularly beneficial for console players, for whom performance is paramount.

Step away a few feet, though, and they all shine! There are obvious signs of wear, oil streaks, and other marks that depict the underlying nature of these aircraft. The paint mixes with the metal texturing beautifully and when the light hits just right, it looks perfect!

So, yeah, it’s just a pack of liveries, but if you’re a fan of the Corsair they do add some fun new looks to this incredible aircraft!

The Corsair Livery Pack is available now from Blackbird’s website, priced at just $5.99 USD. It should also be available in the MSFS Marketplace soon.