Introduction:

I’ve been a fan of Flight1 for some time, so I was disappointed when they announced that the Cessna 172 that was under development would be released as a packaged Flight Training product only, and would not be available as a Flight Simulator add-on aircraft.

Luckily, the many requests in the forums got to Jim Rhoads, the product manager and Flight1 released a 172R for FS9 early October. Ever since, forum members have been testifying to the quality of this new release and its position as a real contender for best FS9 light GA aircraft ever.

Ever since the earliest days of Flight Simulator, a Cessna single engine plane has been the default FS aircraft. Initially, it was the Cessna 182RG, then the 182S was added, and most recently, the 172S. So what are you getting by adding the Flight1 Cessna 172R to your hangar?  Well, just like FS has re-invented itself from release to release, the notion of what represents “As real as it gets” has seen a steady evolution. Initially Dreamfleet showed us what a high resolution camera and good graphics design could do, and then RealAir Simulations showed us how a carefully handcrafted air model could enhance the default plane.  And there were others like Carenado who managed to capture the look and feel of Cessna aircraft in their unique fashion. So, there is a rich history of innovation here.  What then sets Flight1 apart?  Well, you can tell that this title was primarily designed with the professional training market in mind.  Minimalist design and “form follows function” seem to be the guiding principles. No “neat features”, but instead everything executed to a consistently high standard of excellence.

Before we get to the specifics, a few words on the history of the Cessna 172. In the FS9 documentation, we are told:  “The Cessna 172 is …a steady, constant companion to fly with for a long time to come. A stable and trustworthy plane, most pilots have logged at least a few hours in a Cessna 172, since it's the most widely available aircraft in the rental fleet and is used by most flight schools. Since the first prototype was completed in 1955, more than 35,000 C172s have been produced, making it the world's most popular single-engine plane. One of Cessna's first tricycle-gear airplanes, the 172 quickly became the favorite of a growing class of business pilots. Its reliability and easy handling (along with thoughtful engineering and structural updates) have ensured its continued popularity for more than 35 years.”  Given the popularity of the 172, there are also many opinions on what the ideal FS 172 should look and behave like, which makes the introduction of any new 172 title subject to many critical eyes. 

Installation & Documentation: 

Like all Flight1 products, the 172 is available as a download from the Flight1 website. It weighs in at 60MB and installs using the provided Flight1 installer. It ships with a single factory livery, but repaints are supported by the provided Text-o-matic program that neatly installs additional liveries without hassles and provides the choice of installing DXT3 (better performance) or 32 bit (better graphics detail) paint jobs. This all worked without a hitch on my system. A configuration manager application is provided that allows you to select passenger load and choose from several aircraft configurations (with or without wheel pants, stable or spinnable flight model).

Panel and External Model: 

The panel is where you are going to spend most of your time, so this feature is where I am usually most critical. Even little imperfections here, can really ruin an otherwise nicely made airplane.  Luckily, I can report that this panel is truly well done.  Display it at the highest resolution you can – you can almost smell the paint, so crisp and lifelike are the details. 

Test System P4 - 2.8 GHz 512MB DDR Ram GeForce4 Ti4200 128MB Video Card 17" LCD monitor 1280x1024 Resolution CH Products joystick w/throttle WindowsXP Pro   Flight Test Time: 30 hours

This aircraft looks great not only from the inside, but also from the outside.  No matter from which angle you look at this plane – it looks clean and unmistakably Cessna 172.  When you look at the plane in spot view as it touches down and you apply the brakes, you’ll notice how well the suspension is modeled, the plane sinks down on the nose wheel and bounces back with just the right dynamics. The outside lighting is very nicely done as well with just the right attention to detail and a nice balance between taxi and landing light illumination.

Flight model: 

After setting the elevator trim to its take-off position and selecting 10 degrees of flap, the 172 is ready to accelerate down the runway.  At 55 knots you lift the nose wheel, and at 60 knots you feel the plane lift off.  The plane is very stable and responds well to control inputs. There are as many theories on what feels “real” as there are flight simmers, but I for one really like the feel of this airplane. It behaves in a predictable manner and when coming in for a landing, reacts well to the “using throttle to adjust vertical speed” school of flight instruction.  As for the finer details, I agree with the often stated view by real world pilots that every individual airplane is unique in the way it handles and that it is up to the pilot to fly the plane, quirks and all.  The real 172 is well known for its benign handling characteristics and this model reproduces that faithfully.

Tutorial: An interesting feature of this package is the provided tutorial flight. This is less a familiarization flight than a full scale test of your ability to fly this plane in a prescribed manner, with a demanding flight instructor sitting next to you.  If you approach the tutorial with this in mind, you will find it to be a valuable training aid… if you try it out as a fun exercise, as I did the first time, you will find yourself frustrated as the instructor expects perfection while you are still trying to figure out the finer details of flying this plane… so be warned! Summary: So how do I rate this package?  Well, in my view, it combines the best of everything that has come before in a well designed, tight package and sets a new standard in panel design.  This is the 172 that FS9 should have had from the very beginning!  It shows off every capability in the FS architecture. The exterior model is flawless, lovely to look at and very much the Cessna 172 I know from watching them at our local airfield. The handling is first rate.  The documentation is professionally done and the included applications work well. Unlike some add-ons, I can find nothing to fault, certainly not in the current 1.1. version which addressed a few teething problems of the original release.  The benchmark in the Avsim rating system is the “current state of the art”, in other words, has this product in some way gone where others have not gone before?  In my view, the Flight1 Skyhawk meets this test. Not only is it visually appealing, but it succeeds in conveying the sense of being in the real airplane better than I have seen before. The 2d panel and gauges display crisply at high resolutions and the virtual cockpit view is almost indistinguishable, so that you can switch from one view to another without losing the “suspension of disbelief”. The instruments, the sounds, the handling all make you feel that you are flying a Skyhawk. From now on, other products can no longer get away with placing clickable icons on the panel, or delivering virtual cockpits that are a stripped down version of the 2d panel, or popping up the default radio stack, just to name a few common imperfections.  As such, this is an exciting product that has raised the bar, and fully deserves its coveted 4.5 star rating.   Flight1 Cessna 172 Default FS9 Cessna 172 The difference in quality speaks for itself

• Consistently excellent design:  top to bottom
• Crisp detailed panels, “As real as it gets”
• Beautifully rendered exterior model
• Safe, predictable handling, a pleasure to fly
• A new standard setter that has made it to be my default FS9 aircraft