bill is the man!!!hope we see the van soon :)

All this bellyaching is making me want to defend Carenado a little. There seems to be a bit of piling-on here about all the things we think are wrong with them. Would any of us care how their planes flew if they weren't so damn good-looking? Because let's face it, Carenado produces some of the best models and textures around. Yes, there are frequently problems with the flight dynamics, and clearly they have some deficiency of expertise in that area. But credit where it's due, they've got a track record of getting things sorted out with the help of the community. No, they don't participate on these forums as often I think they should, but they're far from unresponsive. And in case anyone hasn't noticed, they're one of the most prolific teams in aircraft creation to boot, turning out multiple aircraft every year, and for a good price. Are they perfect? No, of course not. But for my money, they're very good at what they do and they're showing signs of improving with every release. That's enough to keep me coming back every time.Looking forward to the C208!

It is enough to keep me coming back every time too. They release planes that no one else does for whatever reason. GA sells better than warbirds and such, so it is even more strange Carenado is really the only big GA prop producer out there. I own close to a dozen and a half of their aircraft for a reason. That doesn't excuse all the problems after release though.I don't care how good an addon looks if its flight model is badly flawed. I don't buy planes because they look cool. I buy them because either they bring a new level of realism to the sim or if I just find them to be interesting subject material. I think with a better beta team and better testing, they could have much cleaner releases with far fewer headaches. Cost to them- $0. It would make everyone happier.

As above i like there aircraft because they do a lot of GA aircraft that i like.But some people forgetting FSD there aircraft and flight models are good.someone needs to do a GAF N22 or N24.Paul

Carenado's business model seems to be to put together their best work and trust that the community will point out the short-comings of their products immediately after release. They've been very successful with this, because they get input from those who are most passionate about each particular airplane -- look at the post-release arc of the C185, which is an astonishing offering.

The C185 is my all-time favorite GA aircraft, but without the modificatons to the flight model made by Glenn and Bernt I very much doubt that it would still be on my harddrive.I definitely will not be buying the Grand Caravan on release day - I'm sure it will look great, but will it fly right? I shall be following the discussion on the forums with great interest ... :(

not a short final is it...25miles out still LOL. is the caravan on radear contact yet???

As I have NO idea whatsoever if the C208 will "fly right" (I am not a RL pilot and haven't flown one, not even as a passenger - and I think I represent 98% of all prospective customers for that plane), I will be satisfied by great looks and great framerates - and take improved flight models as a goodie later :-)

But some people forgetting FSD there aircraft and flight models are good.

I have yet to get one of their aircraft, even though I'm interested in the Pilatus Porter and the Cessna Skymaster. But what I've read about their service and their treatment of people who had problems with their copy protection scheme scares me away. If only half of that is true I take Carenado's somewhat unresponsive forum service over FSD's any day!

As I have NO idea whatsoever if the C208 will "fly right" (I am not a RL pilot and haven't flown one, not even as a passenger - and I think I represent 98% of all prospective customers for that plane), I will be satisfied by great looks and great framerates - and take improved flight models as a goodie later :-)

Good on you (although I tend to become suspicious when someone claims that they speak on behalf of the majority).I'm not a real-world pilot either, but that was absolutely no requirement to determine that the C185 version 1.0 flight model was completely off the chart. I'll be quite satisfied if the C208 flight model is in the ballpark - but I'll let others bite first.

So Caravan is released! :(

Thanks for the heads-up! Downloading now...

as am I!!!!! thnaks Fernando! :(

I told you, it would be Tuesday. Carenado only releases planes on Tuesday. Patches on Mondays. Why, I have no idea. it just works that way.Rob

I told you, it would be Tuesday. Carenado only releases planes on Tuesday. Patches on Mondays. Why, I have no idea. it just works that way.Rob

Yes, you were right. Maybe it is something like a ritual? :)

Very interesting, there is a "certification" of the flight dynamics of this release: (from the Carenado website)ABOUT C208B GRAND CARAVAN FSX FLIGHT DYNAMICSFlight dynamics and real behavior of C208B Grand Caravan have been tested by three C208B real pilots.Being a very versatile aircraft, the C208B was tested in several conditions, different weathers and different types of airfields. Putting special attention in every aspect of flight such as: takeoff, climb, cruise, descend, landing, taxi and fuel consumption.After several months of testing, Carenado C208B flight dynamics have been approved by all our pilots.Captain Daniel Díaz M.Captain Díaz has more than 2000 hours in a real C208B. He flies daily in a regional airline in many different conditions and into different types of fields."As a C208B Grand Caravan real pilot, I can certify Carenado C208B is a loyal representation of the actual aircraft. Flight dynamics are very accurate, aircraft handling is very close to reality and the visual representation is excellent. This is a truly representation of a rock solid work horse!"

Got it! Some of the naysayers will be impressed, I think, especially about the 3D knobs that you can disable if you want to use 3rd party gauges. The removable cockpit glass will be a winner as well, because it has a tint again (which I don't mind). ;)Just did a short flight and I love it. Great visuals, great sound, great feel. All the instruments seem to work properly either, although I couldn't enable the cursor to scroll down the GPS pages and select a waypoint from the list. But that isn't just a Carenado problem.