Best PA-28 for training

[Guest danowat]

Hi,I am starting flying lessons soon in a Piper PA-28.Does anybody know of the best PA-28 available for training purposes in FS2002?.Thanks in advanceDan.

[Guest Marvel]

hi, without a doubt Dreamfleet/flight1 Piper Archer II is the best PA-28 you can find for FS. ----> www.flight1.com BTW, the bottom line is this plane is not certified to be a trainer, but well it's the best you can find for FS.Vatin

[Guest danowat]

Hi,Thanks for your reply, forgive my ignorance but I thought the PA-28 was the Warrior?.ThanksDan.

[Guest Ian Ritchie]

Quite similar...

[Guest danowat]

Hi,Checked out the Flight1 Archer, looks very nice, BUT they dont take my card, or paypal, so I cant get it.Does anyone know what this one > http://secure.simmarket.com/product_info.p...&products_id=68 is like?.Dan.

[alastairmonk 0]

Flight1 can cater for non-Internet / non-card transactions:http://www.flight1.com/view.asp?page=orderfrmTheir Archer is so good, its worth the effort of seeing if you can't get it after all !Alastair

[ronzie 21]

There are a couple of freeware ones I have used based on the Piper Cherokee fixed gear PA28-180. Search here for:1975 Piper Cherokee 180 LN-ROG v1.1By Roger Austli and Ole Egholmor:These files will make the three versions of the Default AI Piper Cherokee 180 flyable in FS2002 Std/Pro. Adjusted by Tom millerChanges to the pa28_180 folder include:1)I have adjusted the air file to make the planes selectable. 2)I adjusted the aircraft.cfg to reflect more proper handling, gear placement vertically, and a reasonable passenger weight. Also adjusted the radio settings.3)I added appropriate panel (alias the default C172.)4)I changed the engine sound (alias the default C172.)The first listed was my preference having put many hours in the real 140/180 series.

[Guest danowat]

Hi,Thanks for all of your replys :).Dan.

[brucek 38]

Hi Dan,Some here may disagree with me on this, but whatever the answer it's a matter of what's right for the individual. I assume you are commencing private pilot lessons? While the sim is excellent for systems (even the small GA planes we fly have some systems) and flight by reference to instruments (which you need several (3 I recall) hours of to qualify for your license), and while the sim does aid in the basic mechanics of flight, it has one fall-back (at least for me while I was training). VFR flight, especially as a student, is extremely visual, and almost all your cues come from that visual preception (later visual perception gets supplemented by a less defineable sense that comes with experience- also called "the seat of your pants"). FS has some rather gross visual perception errors that result from attempting to portray a 3 dimensional world on a 2 dimensional monitor screen. As long as you're able to seperate the 2 in your mind, practicing with FS is great. Just beware that you don't introduce another factor to overcome in your real flight training. :)Good luck with your training, keep us up to date with progress.Bruce.

[Guest danowat]

Hi Bruce,Thanks for your reply, I know exactly what you mean, I did a trail lesson and was amazed how different it was visually you just dont get the depth perception on a 2D "picture".Basically I was going to use FS for systems and instruments, if I can do some of this "for free" it would help a lot.I am very excited about training for my PPL, I just wish I had the time and money to do it earlier in life.Hopefully practising with FS will help?, I hope so.Thanks Dan.

[Guest Grunt]

I have to agree...the Archer by Dreamfleet is awsome! One of the best planes ever in my opinion. There are quite a few freeware Pipers that are very nice too. There is one by Rien Cornelissen with a decent VC, file name is warrior4. I think I got it from Simviation.com or Flightsim.com. It needs better flight dynamics in my opinion howevr, but try an air file from the default Piper made flyable packages.Good luck!B. StockwellCOO, Spirit Virtual Airlineshttp://www.westernvirtualairlines.com/spirithttp://forums.avsim.com/user_files/18342.jpg

[Guest DreamFleet]

To respond to a comment above: The "PA-28" is actually an entire series of aircraft, not just a Warrior or Archer. Just off the top of my head, and no doubt forgetting some:PA-28-140 (Cherokee 140)PA-28-150 (Cherokee Cruiser)PA-28-180 (Cherokee 180)PA-28-181 (Archer)PA-28-161 (Warrior)PA-28-235 (What I used to own: Cherokee 235 / Charger / Pathfinder)PA-28-236 (Dakota)PA-28-180R (Arrow)PA-28-200R (Arrow)PA-28-201R (Arrow)PA-28-201RT (Arrow)I've thrown a "names" in, so you can relate the model to the name.Piper Once made a variant of the Warrior specifically for training applications. It had only 2 side windows, and I believe it was called the "Cadet", or something like that.The last three digits are essentially the engine horsepower, and otherwise these aircraft can vary somewhat dramatically depending upon what year the aircraft is. The biggest difference being whether the ship has the old-style "Hershey bar" wing (-140,-180,-235, -200), or the newer semi-tapered wing (-161, -181, -236, -201).Today, all the PA-28s have 2 fuel tanks, but in the old days, the Cherokee 235 had 4 tanks, same as the Cherokee 6.A very early PA-28-180 and PA-28-235 would have had only two side windows, while later models would have three.These earliest models also had vernier engine controls, while the later ones went to levers.There was also a fuselage stretch on some models for the 1973 model year.Let's also not forget when Piper tried to make the Arrow look like a 727, and gave it a T-tail! :-eek They learned the error of their ways, and soon went back to the straight tail, due to the limited effectiveness the stabilator had being wayyy up there.BTW, the bigger Cherokee, the "Cherokee 6", now known as the Saratoga, and soon coming out as fixed gear "6X" and "6XT" models, may look like a big PA-28, but these aircraft are actually PA-32 series, the same as the Seneca.Part of the design of the 6X is reminiscent of the older Cherokee 6, as it has only three side windows, not 4 as later versions and the Saratoga have. I guess this was done to save money.http://www.newpiper.com/fleet/piper6x/images/6x-banner.jpgHere's a link to the Piper Aviation Museum, located, as it should be, in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, in the former Piper Engineering center. No, Piper did not start building aircraft in Florida, although that is where many PA-28s were built.http://www.pipermuseum.com/See what happens when ya' get me started on Pipers! ;-)Regards,http://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...RUM_LOUF_A2.jpg

[Guest danowat]

Hi,Thanks for the history of the PA-28, it is much appreciated.I have purchased the Archer through Just planes, this way I don't have to pay the postage costs!!!.I think (well pretty sure) it was a Warrior, but I have download EVERY PA-28 I could find, so there must be something for me.Thanks for all of your help guys.Best RegardsDan.