I checked the RealAir Simulations homepage (http://www.realairsimulations.com/) today, and saw a wonderful surprise: preview pics of their upcoming Scout!The Scout belongs to the same family as the already released Super Decathlon, but while the latter is primarily suited for aerobatics, the Scout is designed as a bush plane.The Scout has flaps, which should make short field landings a lot easier, and the panel includes an HSI, RMI, ADF and auto pilot.I had heard rumors of RAS developing this Scout, and I'm so excited to see the rumors were true! Can't wait to get my hands on it!!! Finally a proper bush plane ...Okay, I'll try to calm down now ;)VOlker :]

Hi Volker,I'm just like you trying to calm down ;o)If someone is checking the website, note that when you are on the external model preview there is a little green arrow at the lower right corner linking to the virtual cockpit preview ;o)

We OBVIOUSLY have similar tastes ;)What I really like about Rob Young's flight models is that you can actually loose control over the plane if you don't watch your control inputs and airspeed. I'm sure flying into a small bush strip will be far more challenging and interesting with the new Scout ...VOlker :]

Great news! I consider Realair to be THE best GA developer much because of Rob Young's fantastic flight dynamics, but also because of the very well considered overall design of their aircraft and manuals. I was a bit sceptical about the Scout though, as I have tended to perceive it as a less fun version of the Decathlon. But I guess the inclusion of an amphibious Scout is great news.- Oyvind

HI There,Thanks for your interest in the forthcoming Scout. There will be a similar cockpit and VC to the Decathlon, but the Scout is a different aircraft in most other respects, having STOL performance with high lift flaps, and of course the Amphibian version as well as the tundra-tyred workhorse land version.We will be including full a/p facilities as well as a new feature: "Realview" which simulates pilot viewpoint inertia effects, switchable from within the cockpit and which runs from a custom gauge rather than an addon dll file.We'll be announcing release shortly.Kind Regards,Rob Young www.realairsimulations.com

RealView sounds amazing Rob! Kind of like having the cockpit effects of Active camera built right into the aircraft? If so that could be a big advantage for TrackIR users, as we can't currently use those effects and TrackIR at the same time.Best,Joel

Hi Rob,I hope that I am not out of line, but any chance of the new features of the SDK from Microsoft making their way to the Decathlon?I mean raindrops on the VC etc etc.Thanks.

Also, would RealView be backwards- compatible in an update? And let's not forget about the Marchetti:-)

Why keep reinventing the wheel? There's a freeware Super Deacthlon AND Scout available already. I'm not saying this payware version won't be better, just that some totally different aircraft would be more interesting.

hello rob,if i may ask, please make sure realview doesn't break activecamera in any way... :)sincerely, with a paw on his cc,vilk

Yes, I forgot to add that all the relevant features made possible by the FS2004 SDK will be included. That means raindrop effects in the VC and all controls now clickable. Realview (inertia effects)is entirely optional and can be switched ON or OFF via a custom gauge so those using active camera - which has a completely different method of operation - can still use it. Users wishing to use Realview with third party 3 dimensional addons will probably find Realview compatible although we make no guaranteed assurances.Kind Regards,Rob

my initial reaction exactly...and then i saw that cockpit...:)i guess once you have a decathlonmaking a scout may require less workthan building a new model from scratch;)

HI JimmiG,The Decathlon development started over a year ago (we take our time to get our aircraft as perfect as possible), and we also announced long ago to some customers that we intended to make a Scout to complement the Decathlon, and indeed development of the Scout started well before both excellent freeware versions were released. The consumer has a choice.So we are going to stick to our plans if you don't mind.However we will shortly be announcing another new aircraft. If you look at almost every single payware sim aircraft, each has at least one, and sometimes many, freeware equivalents. We don't see we have to be an exception to that. Rob Young

As I have already indicated, we pledged to make the Scout available and although there are some common panel files, the Scout has the addition of a new autopilot, clickable controls, inertia and raindrop effects, a completely new Gmax model (dimensions and wings are completely different), an additional amphibian version, new gauges, flaps, some new sounds, entirely new liveries designed from scratch, new flight models, new and improved pilot animation, the list goes on. The total development time is equal to over half that of the Decathlon. We really are not into making quick fix copies of existing aircraft and calling them something different and our existing customers I think know that very well.So your somewhat cynical comments are provocative enough but not accurate. Rob Young

but of course they're not accurate...how could "i guess", "may" and "less"pretend to be accurate in any way? :)(even though, perhaps, my "less"could be construed as equivalentto your "over half" ;))nobody's questoning your skill or your effortcertainly not melast time i checked the hobbs in my 172it read one-hundred-somethingtime for an overhaul :)it's great you're theredoing what you dovilkps.i laughed at diogenes when i was in grade schooli flirted with socrates in my later teensi exchange e-mail with marcus aurelius todaypretty washed down, my cynicism...i guess