G'day all,First - its great to see AVSIM back again! Many happy postings.I bought the Aerosoft DHC6 Twin Otter download via the special sale that came up recently on PC Aviator :( . Golly, I'm really impressed with it so far but I have one burning question... How accurate are the flight dynamics?I ask because I'm finding it really easy to fly and I seem to be able to land it in near impossible situations without damage. I can't say that it's because I fly well because I'm hardly anywhere near as good as a pilot should be (I still crash from time to time - in other aircraft). I have my FSX realism settings set to the most realistic available.Is it really this good?Cheers,

I know what you mean about the AS Twin Otter being very easy to fly and perhaps a little too forgiving, but the truth is that it really is a very good aircraft in reality, so it's not as far fetched as you might imagine. The Twin Otter is in fact one of two aircraft that have a legendary saying about them in the aviation industry, the other one being the DC-3: pilots say that the only thing that can replace a DC-3, is another DC-3, and they also say that with regard to the Twin Otter too.In recent years that saying has proved to be absolutely the case beyond any doubt. Check this out: Although production of the Twin Otter ended in 1998, a company which specialised in refurbishing the Twin Otter (Viking Air) recently procured the license certificate from Bombardier, and they've now put the Twin Otter back into production! A new version (the 400), with a whole raft of improvements and updated avionics is being built, and it is proving a blessed relief to many airlines who fly the Twin Otter, because they could not find a suitable replacement for their original Twin Otters that were approaching being out of hours on the airframes. It is interesting to note that a similar thing occurred with the DC-3, of which you can still buy a rebuilt 'like new' variant, with a fuselage stretch and new turboprop engines, in the form of the Basler BT-67. And another thing to note, is that neither the Twin Otter, nor the DC-3 (or BT-67) are pressurised, which means they don't endure half the stresses on the fuselage which more modern pressurised types have to put up with, that being another thing which accounts for their durability.Until the new 400 variant was announced, finding a low hours Twin Otter available for sale was like finding gold dust. The same is true of a few other out of production small turboprop airliners, the BAe J41 Jetstream being one, and the Fokker F27 another, both of which do a roaring trade on the lease and purchase markets, despite being long since discontinued.With regard to being forgiving to land, the Twin Otter is legendary in that respect. It has a very basic, but incredibly sturdy undercarriage shock absorber system on the main landing gear, which is essentially some rubber blocks which compress to absorb the shock of landing. This means if you touch down hard on the main landing gear, it might not be that comfortable for the passengers, but there is little chance of damaging the aircraft. What that means in 'simming' terms, is that you can pull off landings that the real aircraft probably could also do, but would generally not because of concerns about passenger comfort, after all, airlines want repeat business, and bone shaker landings are not a good way to ensure that! Similarly, you can get a very short roll out by engaging beta reverse thrust with the thing and stop in a matter of yards, which is why it is a popular aircraft at those notoriously dodgy mountain airports in places like Tibet. The Twin Otter is great at all that, but it comes at the expense of it being an unpleasant aircraft to be a passenger in, since it is not the most comfortable of aircraft to fly on, and the noise levels are somewhat extreme too, although that has improved on the new 400 variant apparently, which actually has more powerful engines, so probably would have been deafening to fly on had the issue not been addressed. Other legendary aircraft occasionally share such unpleasant traits when you are a passenger, among them the C-130 Hercules, which is notorious for inducing air sickness.If you are finding it easy to fly, perhaps you are a better pilot than you give yourself credit for, and of course, one of the hallmarks of all great aircraft is that they tend to make pilots look good too.You might like this link by the way: http://www.vikingair.com/content.aspx?id=276Al

Great stuff Al. I had heard that the Twin Otter was going back into production. It's just one of those planes that should have been replaced by a new model but never was. A testament to the original designers!I also bought the Aerosoft Twin Otter and love the way it flies. Seems like you can just float down for a STOL landing and stop in no time. Very forgiving and fun plane to fly.

How accurate are the flight dynamics? . . .Is it really this good?

I flew Twin Otters in the Canadian Arctic off and on for about five years in the late seventies, early eighties, so my memory of specifics is not perfect. But it really is that good a handling aircraft. When I transitioned from DC-3's to the de Havilland it was like shifting from a 19th century tramp steamer to a starship. Everything worked, everything was clean, nothing rattled, and the heater worked. On top of that the sheer ease of airmanship in the Twin was a revelation. I am really impressed with Aerosoft's flight dynamics and how well they seem to have captured the real thing, at least in my memory. This is an aircraft designed right from the drafting table to be hand flown. It is stick and rudder and honest flying characteristics all the way. But pay attention to trim and keep the control forces neutral.It's not the best aircraft in the world but it is the best at what it does and it won't go out of its way to kill you.Rick GrantCalgary

G'day all,First - its great to see AVSIM back again! Many happy postings.I bought the Aerosoft DHC6 Twin Otter download via the special sale that came up recently on PC Aviator :( . Golly, I'm really impressed with it so far but I have one burning question... How accurate are the flight dynamics?I ask because I'm finding it really easy to fly and I seem to be able to land it in near impossible situations without damage. I can't say that it's because I fly well because I'm hardly anywhere near as good as a pilot should be (I still crash from time to time - in other aircraft). I have my FSX realism settings set to the most realistic available.Is it really this good?Cheers,

I have this aircraft too. My understanding from the product details was that this was by design positioned as one that is not too demanding to fly in FSX.

If you love the Twin Otter you're going to love the Lionheart Quest Kodiak. All that twin engine goodness in a single engine configuration, plus a Garmin G1000. Together with the Twotter, these are my two most flown "bush" aircraft.

All conventional aircraft that are built well are easy to fly, and I sometimes wonder why people are surprised when a well made aircraft doesn't buck, weave, shudder, jerk or do unpredictable things. Almost all aircraft, unless they are very high performance requiring a deft touch, will fly themselves if they are trimmed out and left alone, and respond entirely predictably provided you don't push things to extremes.The idea that a good flight model is one that is difficult to handle has always struck me as odd, not that the OP is implying this, but I occasionally see posts expressing surprise at how easy basic handling is on most aircraft.Rob Young

Thanks all for your opinions. Especially Alan for sharing your deep insight of the Twotter.I know what you mean about the DC-3, Alan. They were affectionately known as "The Dak" in South Africa where I once served as a conscripted airman. Never flew in one but had the pleasure of working with & around them and seeing (and hearing) them in action.Oh, and don't get me started on the C-130! (Known as a "Flossie" in South Africa). Aside from doing lots of work loading and unloading I also had the pleasure of many trips in them, including a few as a guest on the flight deck over some fantastically scenic areas of South Western Africa. The commander made flying them look as easy as a countryside Sunday drive in a convertible!I have a feeling the Twotter and I are going to be spending a lot of time together :( .Cheers again.