I just purchased the Flight1 Islander because I think it will make the perfect Island hopper in the Caribbeans. It is overall good but there is one think I really don't like:The clicking sounds in the cockpit! They are way over done (too loud) and some items like the KLN90, radios and transponder make NO noise in real life when we turn the switches.I know many simmers have been asking for clicking sounds since FS98 but this is too much.I have been flying for 25 years and I cannot hear a single switch clicking as soon as the engines are running. Furthermore designers imitate sounds from the cockpit with engines off and headset off, but in real life with a headset on we do not hear the switch sounds that much, same for all other small sounds in the cockpit (fans, air conditionning, fans, avionics).What I find ridicoulus is that on the Islander they even put loud clicking sounds to switches that don't make noise in real life, I can't beleive real life pilots let trhat one go!Other than that it's a good aircraft.I would like to know if there is a way to silent those clicks, otherwise I may get reimboursed because I can't get over this lack of realism. I will post on their forum later, right now I'm in a rush.Hollywood has been over doing sound effects in movies for years, now simming will beat Hollywood at it.Dan

I agree the clicking is way over donehave you tried turning down the cockpit sounds in the sound settings in FSX?

I agree that switch sounds are too loud.

Even the Yoke makes a sound when it hits the stops!?!What is a real letdown are the engines in the external view IMHO. They sound like a duo of high performance lawnmowers.The idea with the shaking 'panel' is nice, but it's not only the panel but the whole fuselage which is a bit strange on a concrete runway! I would suspect a flat nosewheel IRL. There are a few other strange shortcomings but as there's a 30days money back guarantee, there's no need to hurry.

I feel it bears saying that on the whole this is an excellent offering, there are just a few niggles that can be patched out.

I feel it bears saying that on the whole this is an excellent offering, there are just a few niggles that can be patched out.

Yeah, just noticed a sound bug. If you watch a replay or pause the sim while the shaking & rattling sound is active, this sounds plays during the whole replay or pause.The most disturbing feauture for me is that the instruments aren't round but 24 sided angular shapes, and I don't think that's going to be patched.Together with the thick panel this doesn't look very pleasing. Even the default planes have 'round' gauges

The most disturbing feauture for me is that the instruments aren't round but 24 sided angular shapes, and I don't think that's going to be patched.Together with the thick panel this doesn't look very pleasing. Even the default planes have 'round' gauges

FS doesn't allow "round" anything. The modeler is limited to ngon shapes, the only choice being how many "sides" to use. Even then there is an absolute limit of 1mm vertex spacing (FS9 has a 4mm limit!). Any pair of vertices below that limit are "autowelded" and will ultimately create a crumpled mess.Even the default models have this same limitation. Most of the "roundness" you admire are actually the result of very well done textures that mask the corners and create the illusion of "roundness..."

Most sounds on FS aircraft can be easily edited to reduce their volume by simply opening them up in a sound editing program, dropping the volume, and then saving them, so less than stellar sounds is definitely not a deal breaker for an FS aircraft, since it is so easily fixed in most cases.Al

Most sounds on FS aircraft can be easily edited to reduce their volume by simply opening them up in a sound editing program, dropping the volume, and then saving them, so less than stellar sounds is definitely not a deal breaker for an FS aircraft, since it is so easily fixed in most cases.Al

Thanks Al I'll give it a try.Dan

FS doesn't allow "round" anything. The modeler is limited to ngon shapes, the only choice being how many "sides" to use. Even then there is an absolute limit of 1mm vertex spacing (FS9 has a 4mm limit!). Any pair of vertices below that limit are "autowelded" and will ultimately create a crumpled mess.Even the default models have this same limitation. Most of the "roundness" you admire are actually the result of very well done textures that mask the corners and create the illusion of "roundness..."

FSX has a much finer resolution than 1mm. The RealAir Duke shows this as the knurling on the radio and gauge knobs is in 3D and much much tighter than 1mm. I think the dials on the Duke actually have 48 sided polygons to get a nice round shape and at a normal zoom level and in the normal sitting position this is good enough to provide the illusion of a round dial. Even the old SF260 had 40 sided dials. The reason you may be confused, Bill, is that FSDS has a 1mm limit in the models it exports (actually the FSDS limit is 0.9765mm).One thing to remember though is that more sides = much much more polygons. A simple 24 sided tube will have 48 polygons (ie 2 triangles for each square side of the tube). Rollover the edges where it meets the panels and you will need more polygons. Lets say you need a never 3 layers to rollover the edges and this will mean you will have a 24 sided tube with 4 sections which equals 192 polygons. Multiply that by, let's say 10 for 10 gauges and you have 1920 polygons to make the gauge tubes. Now, if you use 48 sided tubes instead that's another 1920 polygons for FSX to draw. The default Cessna 172 interior model has a total of 24842 triangles. As you can see those triangles add up real quick when using curved shapes.On the matter of sounds as Al says though you can change sound levels by loading the .wav files into a sound editor and applying some volume reduction. A google search should show up a number of freeware sound/audio editors which will get the job done (don't use Audacity though is it doesn't have an editor inbuilt). Another option is to replace the Islanders click noises with some others you may already have (you can check the relative sound levels by running the .wav files for your media player). This would simply involve backing up the islanders sounds and then copying across the new click sounds and renaming the files to the same name as the islander files.

To be honest,I don't like this discussion as it is at the moment. Someone who don't know this product may have the impression, that there are lots of shortcommings here. Bad sound.....terrible panel.....who knows whatever also is not working here!!But all those simmers who may be interested in this airplane listen:this is a wonderful product, with a VC you never ever have seen before. All is sharp, all instruments work smooth, every single texture inside is well done. Very much functionality, it doesn't miss anything. So I'm sure noone will regret buying it.And regarding the click-sounds: I LIKE THEM !!!!!! In real-life when you click something, you feel with your hands, that you have moved something. In FS you don't feel it, so you must hear it! So please don't remove those sounds.Don't let you influence by something like: "instruments aren't round but 24 sided angular shapes". That is much overdone critic. You don't see those polygons, you will see nice round instruments.Bernhard (not a developer or elsewhere involved in this product, just a consumer)

I don't like this discussion as it is at the moment. Someone who don't know this product may have the impression, that there are lots of shortcommings here. Bad sound.....terrible panel.....who knows whatever also is not working here!!

I like the airplane, too, but I'm ok with different opinions (as long as those opinions have some factual basis).The click sounds are a little overdone in my opinion, but not that badly (and I agree with your comment about no tactile feedback in the sim). What I don't understand is why there are no posts on the Islander support forum on the issue, presumably that's where you'd post if you wanted something changed.And I'm a great fan of the Flight1 sales policy that allows a refund within 30 days if you are in any way unhappy with your purchase!