Hello guys,

 

I come to you once again seeking for advice. Since the OrbX sale started, I bought several of their smaller GA airports. I had done some flights and quickly fell in love with the low and slow approach, navigating with VOR and ADF, which I have started finding really fun. Now with Accu-Feel, EZCA, TrackIR, and my Saitek Yoke, pedals and throttle quadrants, it truly feels like being there. Now I want a new prop, a small one.

 

Currently I have the Carenado Seneca, which I use fanatically. I love it, but I find it a pity that the wings block all of the view. I mean, Orbx scenery looks so good, and here I am, seeing nothing of it...

 

I also have the Carenado C182RG, which I also really like, but compared to the Seneca, it seems a bit old. The textures just aren't as crisp...

 

Finally, I have the Carenado C208B, which is a blast to fly. It looks great, sounds great, and handles nicely, but I don't find it that great for doing those hops in and out of those tiny GA fields - which is exactaly what I want to do.

 

So my question is: what GA plane out there has the looks of the Carenado C208B, the joy of flying like the Seneca and can offer the nice views like in the C182RG (because the wings aren't blocking the view). Basically, I'm looking for a combination of the three planes I already have.

 

A big bonus would be the absence of glass gauges. I want to really learn and fly using VOR/ADF/DME at the moment. The presence of a GPS unit is no problem, but in that case I would like the option to shut it off, like in the C208B. This doesn't seem possible in the Seneca. It's not a big problem, but being able to look oevr to your right and see that you are on course sort of spoils the fun of manual navigation, I find... As for realism, the more realism the better of course, but unlike in airliners (e.g. PMDG 737NGX), it is not vital to me in GA aircraft.

 

Hope anybody can help!

Well those planes (apart from the C208) are older Carenado offerings - so you're in for a treat because their newer planes (HD) are much better again!

 

I agree that twins aren't great for sightseeing as they do block the view. I use my twins (the excellent MilViz 310R and Carenado C340 II) for proper (VOR, ADF) IFR training. They're great for that, but less so for VFR I think).

 

For what you are looking for, I would recommend one of these Carenado aircraft:-

 

- Bonanza A36

- Bonanza V35 V-Tail

- Bonanza F33A

 

....they are essentially the same plane, from different stages of development. The A36 has a Garmin G300 in it, and is great but my least favourite, as I don't associate Bonanzas with glass cockpits (even part glass). The V35 is ancient and feels it (in a nice way!).

 

But my favourite from these is a the F33A as I have flown a real 1991 version that looked and behaved exactly like the Carenado model.

 

You get good visibility, decent performance, but not too fast: you'll be able to see the scenery! ..but cruise at 150kts etc ..... good sound, good avionics, especially for VOR, ADF, etc.

 

The Carenado AC114 is also similar to the above aircraft to, and also fits your requirements but has a little spark missing (IMHO) compared to the Bonanzas. (People say this is true in real life too!).

 

Have fun!

Check out Carenado's 337. A GA twin, like your Seneca, with basically the same engines, but high-wing, centerline thrust and outstanding visibilty. Absolutely gorgeous up to date textures and VC, but all analog. It does have a GNS 530, in addition to an older Collins Nav/Com pair, but no one says you have to use the GPS for anything other than a Nav/Com if you don't want to. Set it on vloc and enjoy.

 

Scott

Sounds like you should try the Bay Tower. I still don't have her yet, but the views should be very nice (canopy), the landing distance should be fine on smaller fields, the cruise speeds are some 160 kts GS and the optics and feels always get described as top notch, which I don't doubt.

 

Another idea would be the great SibWings Birddog. Still top notch graphics, plenty of style and some very nice details on the modelling. It also comes as amphibian version if you like. http://forum.sibwing....php?f=22&t=906

 

And the Carenado C337 indeed is a good idea too. Great optics and tons of character.

BayTower RV7 would be my recommendation.

 

I also fly the Carenado F33 a lot, but it really needs the RXP FLT and FLN

gauges to shine. Also, you can then replace the RMI by a VOR2 gauge if

you prefer.

Man these topics pop up quick hehe....

 

I'm glad to see more people flying GA :)

 

Avoiding glass... so I'm thinking

 

1)RealAir Piston Duke / low wing / fast

2)Carenado C337 / high wing / fast

3)BN-2 Islander / high wing / moderate

4)RealAir Scout or SF260 / high wing/low wing / slow/fast

5)Milviz C310R / low wing / moderate

7)RV7 / low wing / moderate

8)Ant's Eaglet / high wing / slow

9)Katana 4x / low wing / slow

Only Carenado Aircraft I have right now is C337 and it is a fabulous GA plane. Not only it is remarkably well done FS model, but IMO the plane itself is pretty unique compared to many other light GA planes out there. Like many others in the thread, I can highly recommend it.

And of course the Sibwings Bird Dog. A little too old an aircraft for some perhaps, but nevertheless great fun to fly with fantastic flight dynamics.

I have really been enjoying the Carenado C185F Bush with the FDE patch by Mr. Stolle. Very nice textures, flight dynamics, and an all analog panel. The amphibian model is my favorite because you can use land or water fields.

Thanks for all the replies! Really good harvest here I see :Big Grin:

 

Looking everything over, it seems two aircraft in particular keep being mentioned: the RV7, and the Carenado C337. Also the Sibwings Birddog has had multiple hits. I have looked them over, and think I can narrow the choices down now.

 

- RV7: For sure seems like a beautiful model, but I don't think she's quite my "type". I prefer the less sporty look.

- Sibwings Birddog: In that sense, the Sibwings Birddog looks terrific. Seems really old, with lots of different VC configs for as far as I can see. Defintely a good-looking model, too. Finally, due to its slender design, you can easily look around and see all the terrain, which makes it perfect for sightseeing. It only seems to me like graphically it's not that good. But perhaps that's the fault of the screenshots and movies...

- C337: I see this plane gets mentioned a lot. The design is... interesting, to say the least. The modeling and texturing looks superb, a really nice plane overall. knowing Carenado, it probably sounds very good too.

 

It seems to me like the best fit for me would be the Sibwings Birddog, with the C337 coming in a close second place. People that use these planes, what cna you say about the realism of these planes? Any idea about their authenticity? I guess the best question is, do they feel right? For example, the LDS767 feels right when I fly it, which is the reason it is still so high up on my list of favorite addons. Also the Islander, which I see Ryan mentioned, is one of those planes that not only simulate a plane, but manage to conmvey an atmosphere.

 

And, two other considerations:

- At what speeds can I expect these planes to fly?

- How do these planes perform? I can fly in and out of OrbX airports (e.g. YSTW, YCNK, YWOL) with rather high settings and expect FPS between 15 and 25 most of the time.

The Cessna 337.

I'd go with the 337 also.. Fantastic aircraft to fly, great view and the audio is absolutely earth rattling.. When I have the house to myself I usually go for the 337, kick on the 5.1 w/ the sub turned up and let the room rattle..

The 337 would do maybe 180 KTAS

 

Birddog maybe 120 ktas

Love both the C337 and the Birdog, but if you're after a cockpit with no glass, to get back to basic navigation I'd seriously recommend the Birddog.

The BirdDog, feels "just right" to fly, in the same way the LDS767 (although clearly, both VERY differently! :lol:).

 

I am in a huge minority here but I don't personally think the 337 feels as convincing to fly as some other planes getting mentioned here. (It flies like a Carenado, for all the good and bad that involves!)..... and I personally don't like flying real odd-ball planes that I'll never likely to see in real life. There are hardly any 337s on registers across Europe and although the FS model here is done well, it was not a commercial success for Cessna. I know some will object to my logic but I just can't 'empathise' with that plane, and so don't enjoy it.

 

Now the same could be said for the BirdDog, but clearly it shares more similarities with other aircraft, and also it's hand flying characteristics make it hard(er) to put aside!