AVSIM Aircraft Review Raytheon/Beechcraft 1900D

As far back as I can remember, I have had a passion for the twin props that grace our skies. On seeing the Raytheon/Beechcraft 1900D uploaded to the AVSIM Library, I jumped at the chance to fly it and bring you my thoughts on the package. Having lived in various parts of the United Kingdom, I have seen them flying the skies with the sweet note of their turbo props sounding as they passed overhead.

The 1900D is another fine example of the work from reputable designer Barry Blaisdell, who has been designing Regional Aircraft for over 6 years. Included are many aircraft for both FS98 and FS2000. Barry also has a DC-3 package released by commercial publishers Lago and Alpha Software. Some of his aircraft can also be found with the panels in some of AETI's products. This particular aircraft has been daubed in the paint scheme of United Express by Bob May.

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Raytheon/Beechcraft 1900D History

Raytheon has been designing since the early 1920s. In 1994 Beechcraft merged with Raytheon and became the Raytheon Aircraft Company. The Beech 1900D is a 19-seat airliner used extensively throughout the world. It has an exceptional reliability record and is very profitable to the companies who operate it. The 1900D continues the tradition of comfort for its passengers, which has always been one of the prime goals of Raytheon/Beechcraft.

Installation, Display and Documentation

After the initial download I opened the zip file using the old favorite WinZip. The documentation included within the zip was simple and straight to the point with no ambiguities or difficult to follow instructions. The documents explain the file installation needed for both the standard and professional editions of FS2000. The initial installation of the files for FS2000 Pro was quick and trouble free. The paths for the extraction of the aircraft are already implemented in the the zip file, making the process more efficient and less time consuming.

The Aircraft

With the 1900D installed into FS2000, it was time to get down to some serious flying. After selecting the 1900D, I positioned it on the ramp at Newark Intl. for my first test flight. With Barry's previous history of aircraft design, I was not surprised with the quality of this aircraft. The outside view shows accurate detail in all aspects. Panning around the aircraft you can see the care, attention and many hours of work that have gone into this graceful twin turbo making it one of the true kings of the sky. With the FS2000 Pro version using the default panel from the King Air 350, I was already familiar with the cockpit layout.

I downloaded a checklist from the AVSIM Library to enhance the realism of the flight. Taxing from the ramp to the runway was very smooth. No excessive pressure was needed on the pedals to bring it to the desired heading and advancing the prop in direction of your turn made for precise maneuvers. Taking off and climbing to 3,500 feet was effortless. Little trim adjustment was required and barring drastic control inputs, the 1900D was a very stable platform. The animation effects on the surfaces were as expected, detailed in every way. The landing gear even retracts leaving the wheel half exposed. At a cruise speed of 230kts, the flight dynamics—which are Barry's own—were responsive and positive. Having never flown the aircraft, it is impossible for me to truly compare the simulation to the real 900D.

Test System Custom PII 500 MHz Windows98 SE 160 Megs RAM ATI Rage 128 16mb AGP 3D 40 X DVD CD ROM Creative Labs PCI128 Sound CH Virtual Pilot Pro Yoke CH Products Pedals CTX 17" Monitor Flying Time: 10 Hours over 10 days

I continued the flight out over New York passing over the "Lady with the Torch." I took time to pan around the aircraft from the spot plane view and study the textures. It is immediately apparent that meticulous care has gone into the textures that adorn this aircraft.

Bob May, who is responsible for this livery and has worked on various projects with Barry says, "Barry is a perfectionist, and there is no element of 'that will do' in his work. I have lost count of the number of times he has sent stuff back to me for re-working!" Even down to the panel lines and identification insignia, it is all exact as to the real thing. The sun started setting and the night lighting textures came into effect. As you can see from the picture they are of exceptional quality, even down to the exhausts on the twin turbo props.

Experimenting with various configurations of the aircraft, I found nothing to really upset the balance. In full "dirty" configuration (full flaps and gear down), she would still maintain a good degree of flight characteristics before becoming awkward to handle.

The approach into JFK was a total pleasure. Throttling back to around 120kts and extending the flaps and gear, with the 1900D in a slight nose down attitude, she handled like a dream. Bringing her down on the center line of the runway, reverse thrust was applied slowing the 1900D to around 40kts. I taxied to the terminal and shut the aircraft down. What a truly enjoyable series of flight testing.

You can download this aircraft from the AVSIM's Library here.

• Easy to follow installation instructions
• Exterior appearance near 100% accurate
• Great handling and maneuverability
• Superb night textures
• Full animation to the moving parts

• Lack of a true panel for the aircraft. However, this is not the designer's fault.