Hey allThinking about taking the plunge (into my wallet !)and spending some money on Payware aircraft.Not that there aren't some great freeware models out there(POSKY , FFX and any Paul Golding Panels come to mind)I'm thinking about a turboprop or a maybe asmall Boeing.Anyone know about FSD International ?How is the support there ? Are the folks reasonably freindly ?Been looking at dreamfleet200.com as wellI'm already just passable on frame rates (20fps without too manyof those great looking MS clouds in the sky) so my systemwon't run any major resource hogs very well.So many payware craft seem to be designed forFS2000 or 2002 and don't use some of thefeatures of FS2004 like a workable Virtual Cockpitthe VC in the Pilatus Porter or the Piper Cheyenne -- compatible with FS2004 ?Tried asking at the FSD website but can't seem to login their forum.

Bought the Cheyenne about a year ago and the support staff has been extraordinary...they seem to go that extra mile and make you feel like a valued customer, which any addon payware supplier should. The support staff also come across as very friendly and willing to help judging by the tone of interaction in their support forum. The Cheyenne is a marvelous plane and is 100% compatible with FS9 as are all their products. The VC is incredibly rendered as you would expect from a top notch outfit. I especially enjoy the Cabin Pressure feature which makes the whole experience that much more realistic. What a plane for VFR flying especially if you have good addon scenery such as FS Genisis. Yep they do it up right with everything but the bow! It's worth the cash in my book!Regards,Tom Stewart

If you want quality GA aircraft, you can't go wrong with FSD - they are a reputable group who's been around for a long time.Their support is great and yes, they are indeed a friendly bunch of guys.Both the Porter and Cheyenne VC's are excellent, and FS2004 compatible.I have just accessed their forum, and all seems to be working fine, maybe give it another try.Kind regardsHenning| P4 2.0 GIG | Epox 4G4A Motherboard | 1 GIG RAM | Gainward GeForce4 Ti4200 128MB | 80 GIG IBM Deskstar 7200 | Sound Blaster Live! |"You know that you are low and slow when you get a bird strike from behind..."

I have a few FSD aircraft they are really nice. Support for me has been very good, but you will hear from those that have problems. As far as friendly, depends on who you deal with! LOL Now as far as framerates go, if you are just passable now, I would skip on payware aircraft, they are harder of framerates than others because of the added detail and the FSD ones are a bit of a hog, especially the Porter.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://mysite.verizon.net/res052cd/mybannercva1.jpgCalVirAir International VAwww.calvirair.comCougar Mountain Helicopters & Aviationwww.cgrmtnhelos.com

Seems like a bit of suttle advertising here again, funny why FSD keeps springing up here........ :-violin Go for Dreamfleet or Carenado, quality and quick friendly support.Anthony....

I own just about every product FSD has produced and I have been more than satisfied. They are a fine group of developers with a keen attention to detail. The Cheyenne is still a favorite in my hangar.Go for it!

If you like flying small biz jets then look into Eaglesoft. They have the Beechjet 400A, Premier 1, and Hawker 400XP (all work in FS2004) and they are working on the Citation X and the Citation 550.

Hi,You may need to turn on the referral log to access FSD's website.If you are looking for a turbo prop, I would recommend the FSD Cheyenne. The best turbo prop in my hanger! Their support is excellent, albiet sometimes a bit touchy. :) However, they have the best and fastest replacement policy and direct support. Contrast FSD's with PMDG's $10.00 redistrubution fee to cover the cost of their excessive license protection scheme. FSD also provides integration of XP Reality's exceptional Garmin 530, Jet Line 2 and Jet line 4 products. They do not charge the customer for the extra work. Overall an excellent developement team who consistently deliver some of the best payware planes available. BobP :)

I own one aircraft from each.FSD - Commander 115I always had great support, and it was one of my favorites in MSFS2002. I think those folks are 1st Class, as long as you read the well-detailed manuals. Those that have concerns don't bother reading the manuals it seems. I have been lazy and need to get the upgrade for 2004. :-)As for their Porter, I might buy it, but I got their old 2000 Freeware version working just fine, and kind of modified it for my own use. I actually prefer the old 2D version cockpit instead of the new one. I can live without the VC. (Fly! II fan you see.)Here are some pics of my version:http://www.pbase.com/sonar5/msfs9_porterI am thinking about buying their new version of the Porter, but am a bit worried about frame rates, so I will most likely wait until I upgrade my computer, early next year.*****************As for Dreamfleet,I bought the Cardinal for MSFS2002, and I personally hacked it over to 2004, like many, many others have done. Last I heard they were supposed to provide an update for MSFS2004, but it's getting pretty late in the game, IMHO.Personally, I'm getting pretty tired of excuses about that, keep hearing about it, but by the looks of it, MSFS2006 will be out before we get it. so I reworked it for my own use in 2004. As for their support, can't say, since I have not required it yet.I do wish they had their own forums ON THEIR OWN SITE, sort of like FSD has. makes it easier for customer support, especially when you bought the product.I most likely won't buy anything from then again, until they move their support, but I'm just one guy, and they simply no longer meet my expectations. Personal Choice & opinion, you know.Both make some of the highest quality Payware products I have seen, and they are the only ones I have ever bought from.So, In conclusion, you have picked the two best IMHO, but mileage may vary, and what works on my or anyone elses system may not apply to yours, so as always buyer beware.Best of Luck,Joehttp://aboutpolitics.net/images/bannerav.gif.About Politics.net - FORUMShttp://pub207.ezboard.com/bpoliticsgivemel...tyorgivemedeath.Contribute to the Richard Harvey Scholarship Fund.http://www.avsim.com/pages/scholarship.shtml

I own the FSD Cheyenne and she fly's like a gem in FS9 on my mid range PC. I own a half dozen or more payware planes and this is the one I find myself flying the most.Regards,Boone,"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown in to the sea." E. Cantona

My thrupence worth on the payware I have bought.I bought the Seneca V from FSD, and to be honest, on a superficial level it didn't grab me. Just can't get immersed with the graphics, and the view out the windows is frustrating (practically all engine and nothing else - which of course may be as it is in reality).I have bought and still regularly fly Carenados Dakota and Centurion, which are both lovely planes to fly and present excellent value. In particular, the Centurion's flight model is excellent and the VC is one of the best out there (though it has 2 niggles - The seat position seems too high when looking out the window, consequently the view is not too good; and the external engine sound, sounds like an electric hairdryer).Finally I have bought the Dreamfleet Archer 2. While fairly old in the tooth now, many consider this to be one of the classic payware a/c out there.No support or download issues with any of these 3 companies.

I own all FSD planes. They are well modeled and attention to details is awesome. They fly like real ones. In one word, immersion is extreme.Concerning requirement, my system is built around an AMD XP2400+ processor, 512 M of memory and Geforce TI 4200 VideoCard and framerate is stable around 20 FPS.And if you are not convinced, I would add that their support give quick response.Each time, after encountering problems, I received an answer few hours later.So, don't hesitate. You won't regret your purchase.Before forgetting, my preference goes to the Porter.Vincent.

>Seems like a bit of suttle advertising here again, funny why>FSD keeps springing up here........ :-violin >>Go for Dreamfleet or Carenado, quality and quick friendly>support.>>Anthony....It's not funny why FSD comes in for so much praise, it's simply because they - and Dreamfleet - deserve it.I have aircraft from most payware developers. Among the best for product and support are FSD and Dreamfleet. Among the worst are Carenado who seem brisk at taking your money and tardy at supporting the product you've paid for. I have never, ever had a reply to specific issue e-mails about Carenado products and they do not offer a support forum. Their external visual models are superb, their panels and sounds less so and their flight modelling very poor. The Centurion engine modelling is nothing like the real thing, the pitch response of the default model inappropriate, yaw all over the shop. It can be fixed but it's clear that they concentrate on some things to the exclusion of others, whereas both FSD and Dreamfleet can deliver the `whole`. My 2 cents worth.Allcott