After a full day with the Katana I'm a very happy customer. I already blew up the engine twice accidentally draining the oil! :LMAO: It will really teach you to do pre-flights after sitting there twice, 5 minutes each while the engine is repaired.

Oh right, I almost forgot about that. I've always had an eye on this addon in the past. But my excuse for not getting it was that it wasn't DX10 compatible.

Now that I switched back to DX9, I have no more excuses. And it would make a great addition to the African Airstrip Adventures bush plane fleet.

Well, the Do-27 is back on the shopping list now. Thanks for the HU!

 

Just a HU:

The DO-27 is featured in Aerosoft's Flying History sales weekend with a 20% discount (until april 9th).

Guess I cannot find any more excuses for waiting... :Thinking:

well is there anything slower that the Cub?

 

Yes, indeed it is - Cub on a taxiway :LMAO:

 

As for a GA - take a look at MilViz C310. VC is not top notch, but the simulation feels very different and many RW pilots claims it is as real as one gets. The steam gauges covers many things - I especially like the EGT/CHT gauges for leaning the motors. It also has outstanding documentation like all MilViz machines.

Yes, indeed it is - Cub on a taxiway :LMAO:

 

As for a GA - take a look at MilViz C310. VC is not top notch, but the simulation feels very different and many RW pilots claims it is as real as one gets. The steam gauges covers many things - I especially like the EGT/CHT gauges for leaning the motors. It also has outstanding documentation like all MilViz machines.

 

Yep, the flight model of that one feels very "alive" and dynamic.

A quick bump. Which of the aircrafts you mentioned carries on damage and wear from flight to flight like A2A products do? Which of does have manteinance screens available? I know the Katana 4x does, how about the others?

There are some freeware damage mods for Carenado planes and the default C172:

 

http://library.avsim...xacrp&Go=Search

 

I haven't had the time to try them yet.

There are some freeware damage mods for Carenado planes and the default C172:

 

http://library.avsim...xacrp&Go=Search

 

I haven't had the time to try them yet.

 

But do those damage mods keep track of the damage if i quit FS and then create a new flight?

Well, looking at the description of the mod it seems so:

 

"All Damage situations will be logged and saved. (If you leave the aircraft with damaged status, then you have the same damaged and weared status at next day) "

Seems like the Katana is discounted today at Aerosoft's Easter sale.

If you are European.

I don't get it either why they don't do the sale at the US store. Have you tried buying the download from the euro store? Maybe it's possible.

Well if you're not she is only 24 bucks anyway.

 

I don't really get those discussions. The answers often are to get a RV-7 or the Turbine Duke. Those planes are fine but the Katana 4x is simply in a different league, and cheaper. The argument most often 'misused' is that the Katana is too slow. So who cares? Does it matter how fast you get from A to B or how much fun you have? Why not plan your routes accordingly? I use Plan-G to plan my VFR-Routes for the Katana to be 70-100 miles so such a trip lasts me good hour - enough to relax after a hard day of work. Why would I want to go farther? I pick a field in Plan-G that I stay overnight (atm I'm parked in Pudding Hill staying in the lodge) and will continue from there.

 

The magic of the Katana unfolds after a few flights. Everything you do or don't is logged after you landed, EVERYTHING. When you continue from there, you have the very same plane, not a factory new one like you get with the RV-7 or Turbine Duke and the likes. After a few flights the stains on the plastic airframe will remind you that she needs a cleaning. Small issues popping up will remind you of a checkup you've forgotten. Even if you're following the rules and fly her by the number, she will age and will show sings of it.

 

And then there is the damage. You can break so much more than just a turbine engine because you mistreat it - as if that would be feature worth of praise in an age where a lot of addons offer engine wear. You can damage the wheel fairings if you're landing too hard on a strip that is too rough. The repair will remind you to take a look as the surface of your next planned stop and maybe take them off and live with the increased drag instead. The propeller suffers wear and tear over time and needs to be looked after and even the elevator can break if you mishandle her.

 

Yes she might be slow(er) but she is the first real simulation of a GA plane there is. There is simply no alternative, no RV-7 and no Turbine Duke will ever give you the level of satisfaction the Katana gives you. The Katana simulates the ownership of a GA plane in every aspect, not just on a flight per flight basis. A2A offers similar with their Warbirds but there is no alternative in respect to a GA. After you've suffered an engine failure and have successfully made it back to earth in one piece and an inspection reveals that you forgot to to close the oil door after your last oil change you'll notice and appreciate that the Katana 4x teaches you some proper manners.

 

You learn to respect her, treat her right and even care for her. If you want a game, get a faster RV-7 or Turbine Duke, but if you wan't to feel and experience the thrill of real GA ownership, there is no way around the Katana 4x. There is nothing better, no matter how slow or fast.

 

P.S.: Even if you could purchase from the European store, the price would be 25 bucks (18.80 Euros). The standard price in the US store is 23.93 so why try to get a European sale that would turn out to be more expensive? It might even be discounted since the regular price is 29.something. Maybe it's just not showing 20% off but those 23.93 are pretty much 20% off regular price.

In your opinion....

 

The Duke and RV give me much more satisfaction than the Katana.... but that's because it is too slow... I want to go faster. You want to go slow... which is why it gives you joy... This is the beauty of addons - we pick which ones we want!

That's fine and as said depends on what you're looking for. If you want a 'game' and go fast, than the RV or Duke are fine. If you want a sim, they are worth less because they simply don't simulate properly.

 

The developer of the Katana is working on an DA20 Eclipse and a Pilatus Porter. Both will offer those features but will be faster. I'm waiting for those desperately because I'd like to go faster too. But I'm not willing to sacrifice everything my Katana gives me for a little speed.

Whilst that is all certainly true about the level of immersion the Katana gives you, in simulating ownership of the real aircraft, you should bear in mind that not everyone who flies GA aircraft actually owns them. I've got tons of real life GA hours, and I've never owned anything bigger than a radio controlled aeroplane. I'll admit that there has been some caring for and servicing aeroplanes which I've been involved in, but most of the time they have been club aircraft, flying one of those pretty much simply consists of turning up at the airfield, hauling it out of the hangar, giving it a once over to make sure the control locks are off and the wings are not about to fall off, a quick wipe with a cloth, and then it is off into the blue, and that is also true when you rent an aeroplane. Sometimes it invloves even less than that if someone has already been flying the thing that day.

 

Al