Dreamfleet Bonanza or RealAir Marchetti.www.dreamfleet2000.comwww.realairsimulations.comBoth meet your criteria and will put a smile on your face.

I just wanted to thank you all for your suggestions. I found many of them to be very tempting and probable future purchases. I decided finally, after reading many Avsim reviews and viewing countless screenshots, to go with Carenado's Cessna 182 Skylane II RG. It just seemed to be the best combination of features and eye candy for the price.I'm very happy with my purchase. Being a casual simmer off and on for many years (starting with Flight Simulator 2 by Sublogic for the Commodore 64, circa 1984) flying mainly the stock 172, there are some things I need to adjust to. For example, I'm still trying to figure out the prop RPM control. Is it like a clutch for the prop to get the engine RPM's up or a variable-pitch prop? If anyone has any advice, it would be appreciated. I'd like to fully understand this plane and start cranking up the reality controls in fs9 to get a better understanding of "real" flight.My only knocks against this plane would echo Zane Gard's review. Mainly, there's no ALT hold for the autopilot, but that's manageable. And the status of the buttons on the AP is hard to determine. Otherwise, a very good purchase.Thanks again for all your advice,Dennis

>And had Amelia and Fred, had GPS, they'd have nailed that>little island way out in the middle of the Pacific, within>three feet! >>That's if they "didn't" survive, of course... :D >>L.AdamsonLarryAt the risk of getting this thread high-jacked to "Hanger Chat", finding the little island was only part of the equation. Pan Am and Fred Noonan pioneered "Flight Control" and the use of the "Howgozit" graph. This wasn't generally known at the time (1937) until WWII came along and Pan Am had to share their little trade secrets with military navigators.Pan Am Navigators not only had to find their destinations using celestial navigation but they couldn't let the airplane run out of gas over open water because of un-forecast winds aloft. "Flight Control" and "Howgozit" graphs allowed navigators to measure fuel consumption and position in real time. This allowed the navigator to plot a PNR (point of no return) which floated with respect to winds aloft. Noonan had calculated, after 2000 + miles, that they could look for Howland island for about 45 minutes before going to plan "B". Plan "B" was to head back to the Gilbert island chain and "look for a nice beach" (AE to Vidal). Because they were lost in daylight hours and not able to get a celestial fix, they ended up in the Marshall island chain. The "survived" part was, Amelia was ok but Fred had head injuries that were treated by Amaran Bilimon (sp?).

Freeware:Aero Commander by Milton Shupe (mentioned earlier)Payware:Flight1/Dreamfleet Baron 58 (!!)This might be OT, but I really would like to have a high quality C185, freeware or payware (Any chance, Carenado???). There are no 185 releases since FS2000!

I recall that someone has sent 3 views of the C185 to Carenado, and there are a few of us hoping that they will make it one of their future products.

Dennis, happy you like the 182 !Most FS autopilots will repond to the key command CTL-z for altitude hold, along with CTL-h for heading and CTL-n for NAV hold. I just tried it on the 182 and it works.If you ever get tired of the stock Carenado 182, you can jazz it up with fancier avionics (Garmin GPS, high resolution gauges etc from Reality-XP).. so there is future growth in this purchase !See attached picture.. : - )http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/167724.jpg

Re RPM control... I believe this is a contant speed prop (variable pitch), with RPM adjustable by the pilot. Typically used with fine pitch (high RPM) for best take-off performance and lower RPM (coarser pitch) for better cruise economy and less noise. Like a car that starts up in first gear and shifts to higher gears at highway speeds.

Dude, the best GA aircraft i ever bought was Dreamfleet's Beecg Bonanza A36. Good luck and i hope u get the right one.www.dreamfleet2000.comDaniel Johnson

Nice topic man....I took some advice givin and purchased the Dreamfleet A36.......WOW what a plane if you're looking for somthing sexy,fun to fly and just getting back to the fun of GA flying this is the bird....a little tricky to get installed and set up but well worth it.Ruben RomeroFSX - The day the music died:(

I will hazard to guess that this thread and other similar ones bring in a nice sudden rush of business for people like Dreamfleet etc. that build such beautiful aircraft that include value.I hate to think what the FDS, Feel There, Captain Sims etc. threads are doing for them however but hey, who ever said life was a cakewalkIt's marvelous what the Internet has done for us consumers as far as being able to get instant first hand information "before" we buy.

Interesting. I'll have to review more info, when I get the time.Thanks..L.Adamson

>Nice topic man....I took some advice givin and purchased the>Dreamfleet A36.......WOW what a plane if you're looking for>somthing sexy,fun to fly and just getting back to the fun of>GA flying this is the bird....a little tricky to get installed>and set up but well worth it.>>Ruben Romero>FSX - The day the music died:(Don't forget the turbo mod for a little extra power.

Thanks for that. I have downloaded this and have already taken it for a spin.I must agree with you as to its high standards. I have many payware aircraft and this has to be right up with them.Richard

Don't forget the Maule for freeware. It along with Shupes AC500 have to be the two best freeware planes (for GA) out there