Any recent reviews/opinions?

[CaptKornDog 282]

Hello all,

 

Does anyone have any recent opinions/reviews of the C208? I'm interested in getting it during the Carenado sale but I recall hearing some pretty mixed reviews (with some significant bugs) when it was first released. I'm probably looking at it for FS9.

 

Thanks!

[flying_bob 38]

FSX one is pretty good. cannot comment on FS9

[fppilot 4,360]

I just snagged in on the sale yesterday at the Carenado site. I applied the flight dynamics upgrade that is available on the Carenado site and also edited my panel to include the RXP unit based on guidance in this forum. I then spent time completing a minor repaint of the red livery to change the gold strips to black and to change the tail number to my own. Haven't taken her up yet. I do feel after what I read about the flight dynamics update that this is a very good buy for the $18 sale price. I also sprang for the 337 Skymaster as it should be a great "observation" aircraft. I'll post about my flying experience with it early next week after I return in my King Air C90 to my home base.

[SkipperMac 1]

Just picked this up in the sale. It flies really nicely, very smooth and controlled with the updated flight dynamics.

Only disappointment is that the virtual cockpit reminds me what they were like a few years ago - 2D gauges, + and - click spots to be found, etc. I much prefer RealAir's right and left click and drag...

Still a great addition to the hangar, but unlikely to become a favourite for anything other than hauling lucrative loads in FSEconomy.

[PieEater 10]

If you want a payware caravan your choices are limited and the Carenado one is proabably what your choice is limited to.

 

If you're looking at the Carenado sale and wandering whether to spend any money, mine would be on the C337, it's not one that I own but I've seen countless posts recommending it, and the newer potentially better models arn't included in the sale.

 

I recently bought the C208 & Cargomaster expansion because I wanted a decent model to use with AirHauler and as above my choices were limited. The only aspects that interest me are the VC and the ability to fly by the book, and I'd say I was 75% satisfied. After adding a reality XP 430 I'm a fait bit happier but the inability to arm the AP with a pre-selected altitude prior to take-off is a let down, the AVSS has the Arm and Engage buttons but they are not funtional. The sounds are another issue, it's not that they are not there but the default settings make them all but inaudible, so you can't tell if the flaps have engaged other than by looking at the lever.

 

I can only really compare this model with the RealAir Duke & TurboDuke package I bought roughly at the same time. Initial satisfaction was 90% and with the reality XP 530 I'd put them at 95%, for me a much better option but again it depends on what you need / want in your hanger.

[kiki 89]

has the Arm and Engage buttons but they are not funtional.

 

If so, how do you use them?

[Gazzareth 808]

From memory I think engage will hold your set VS, you use arm to capture & maintain a set altitude...

 

Pretty sure that is how it works in the PC12.... other than that not working it seems pretty good though....

 

G

 

[PieEater 10]

If so, how do you use them?

 

As they're not functional you cannot use them.

 

If they were funtional you would be able to preselect the assigned altitude, preferred climb rate and heading prior to take off and engage the autopilot just after take-off which I assume is what would happen in the real world, however you can kind of work around this.

 

By default when you engage the AP the wings are kept level and the vertical speed is set, so you can still engage the AP just after take off, the wing leveller keeps you on the runway heading and you can use the trim wheel to adjust your climb rate.

 

Using the altitude hold mode on this model isn't really adviseable until you've reached top of climb - engaging altitude hold captures and maintains the current altitude cancelling any climb, also any positive or negative trim appears to adversly affect the autopilots ability to acheive the correct vertical speed so you need to put the wheel back to nuetral before using the AP to initiate a climb or descent which is fiddly when you're climbing out.

[CaptKornDog 282]

Went ahead and picked up the C172 and 208 during PC Aviator's 10% off Tuesday. $8.98 each, not bad.

 

Are there any alternate FDEs floating around for the 208? That thing sure is squirrelly on the ground. Tapping F3 once, even with a low prop and mixture setting, and you can wind up flying down the taxiway at 25-35 knots.

[PieEater 10]

That thing sure is squirrelly on the ground. Tapping F3 once, even with a low prop and mixture setting, and you can wind up flying down the taxiway at 25-35 knots.

 

I can only assume that's the way it behaves in real life as Carenado normally do a fair amount of testing of their models with RW pilots. But I agree with you the throttle does seem all or nothing at just 2% the aircraft will keep accelerating on the ground soon getting up to silly speeds. I don't know whether this is applicable to the real world but taking the condition lever down to about 18% seems to help maintain a steady speed on the ground.

[flying_bob 38]

I can only assume that's the way it behaves in real life as Carenado normally do a fair amount of testing of their models with RW pilots.

 

thanks I almost fell off the chair laughing..! Carenado is known to be one of the companies where you pay to become a BETA tester.. and mentioning RW pilots mean absolute sweet all..

Carenado : Does this look like a 208?

RW Pilot : Yeah it looks like a 208..!

Carenado : Ok thanks for comming in, see you in 2 months when we release a new plane..!! We will then call you again to certified the plane..!

[crashdriver 1]

 

Are there any alternate FDEs floating around for the 208? That thing sure is squirrelly on the ground. Tapping F3 once, even with a low prop and mixture setting, and you can wind up flying down the taxiway at 25-35 knots.

 

Welcome to the world of turboprops. They make a lot of power, so as a result the big prop pushes a lot of air. I don't have any RW 208 experience but I have a couple hundred hours on a B200. Basically you leave the power levers at ground idle and release the brakes, when you get to about the speed you want you pull the power into beta a touch and slow down a little, then back to idle. Same is true with the 208.

[CaptKornDog 282]

 

 

Welcome to the world of turboprops. They make a lot of power, so as a result the big prop pushes a lot of air. I don't have any RW 208 experience but I have a couple hundred hours on a B200. Basically you leave the power levers at ground idle and release the brakes, when you get to about the speed you want you pull the power into beta a touch and slow down a little, then back to idle. Same is true with the 208.

 

Not as exaggerated as this model. No need to welcome me to anything, I work with Tubroprops and have done some RW C208 work;)

[PieEater 10]

I think if you put some cargo in the aircraft and used a hardware flight controller instead of your keyboard you might find it handles better.