Description:New in v1.50:
This will be the last version done for Condor 2. It contains the following improvements:
* Turnpoints have been added for most of the named landmarks in the area.
* Some minor problems in the terrain have been fixed (like riverbed mismatches at tile boundaries).
* Nearly all the buildings at the airport and airfields are now individually modeled.
* The dry grass areas of Alice Springs airport are now more recognizable instead of just covering the entire block.
* The static aircraft are more accurately modeled, and there are more of them (including three Pilatus PC-12 turboprops).
* Kangaroos and wild camels can be discovered here and there in the landscape.
* Last but not least, soft and hard edges are now used to best effect in the 3D models!
I doubt whether anyone has ever flown in wave over the ranges in real life, but (with much patience) it is possible in the sim if you set ideal conditions. The areas of lift are fairly small and the strength quite weak compared to more mountainous landscapes, but they can take you above 20,000 ft. (600 m) AMSL.
Original description:
This Condor2 landscape, being the first version, covers a relatively small area around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. There are 5x3 tiles (120x70 kilometers) that show off the unique red-desert landscape, from the very flat surrounds to the not-so-high but quite rugged MacDonnell Ranges west of the township. The resolution of the tiles is 8192x8192 pixels throughout, over a mesh generated from 30-meter elevation data. Most of the year round there is no flowing water, so that is also the case in this landscape.
Alice Springs airport has one of the busiest inland runways in the country. It was once host to the late Hans Werner-Grosse when he set a new world record (970 kilometers out and return) in the experimental two-seater SB-10 sailplane in 1980. In general, though, regular glider operations only take place at the Bond Springs dirt airfield, which is a short distance to the north of Alice Springs. Another dirt airfield has been modeled at Hamilton Downs, which is some 60 kilometers to the west of Bond Springs.
All three modes of launch (aerotow, winch, and airborne) have been tested off both ends of the runways at Alice Springs airport, Bond Springs airfield, and Hamilton Downs airfield. In addition, you can land at the disused dirt strip just west of Bond Springs and the secondary asphalt runway at Alice Springs airport. Everywhere else is pretty much unlandable, although someone did once successfully land in the claypan near Bond Springs.
Setting thermals to "very strong" and "very wide" up to 12,000 feet (4,000 meters) cloudbase is quite realistic for summer operations in this area! In those conditions, fly conservatively under 6,000 feet AMSL over the flat land. In winter, the thermals can be narrow and rough but still quite strong.
Desert environments reflect more sunlight than temperate ones, but they also tend to receive long hours of strong sunlight. Volumes of warm air build up amongst trees (and to a lesser extent, buildings) and then get triggered along the downwind edge where there is more open ground. In the NT_Alice_Springs landscape, there are small areas of dense vegetation that are considered to be the best thermal sources, and these are Condor2 coniferous forests. Yes, that means fir trees, unfortunately! If you turn off trees, the underlying surfaces are dark green patches with blended edges, so that's an option if you find it more realistic.
Here are the thermal map values:
H303030 sparse vegetation
H505050 normal vegetation (red or grey terrain)
H808080 residential, asphalt airport
H909090 dense vegetation
Please note that landscapes only work for their respective version of Condor. Condor 2 landscapes can be used on Condor 3 if and only if installed and converted with Condor Updater.
In order to offer a comfortable download, simultaneous downloads are limited. Please turn off download managers, they are not supported and will be blocked.
Condor Updater is a tool dedicated to the installation of Condor 2 & 3 landscapes and goodies. It’s the preferred (and the easiest!) way to download and install landscapes. You can download it from here.
Should you need help for manual download and install, consult this page.
on February 21st, 2025.
Tim Parish 
