How about in categories?  It's like trying to pick the best vehicle ever when you have cars and buses on the same list. 

 

Best Modern Tubeliner

PMDG 737NGX & PMDG 777-200LRF  (Tie)

 

Best Classic Tubeliner:

Coosky DC-9

 

Best turboprop:

Majestic Dash 8-Q400

 

Best 2 Engine:GA

Realair Duke B60

 

Best Single Engine GA:

Realair Legacy

 

Best Military:

Milviz Stuka

 

Best Heli:

????

Abacus 787 is a great one. Arguably the best

 

 

DodoSim, Cera (quite high standards, though the Dodo Jet Ranger is quite dated)

 

Yeah, I've taken the Dodosim 206 Jetranger out a couple of times myself. 

 

Hook

Though I thank you for the Stuka vote, I would say that the VRS Super Hornet is the best....

 

 

This is so interesting. I thought the default aircrafts in FSX where the worst of the worst in every category. How are you able to mod the default craft so they are better?

 

The default DC-3 instrument panel is a thing of beauty, and the main reason I haven't gone with any of the replacement DC-3s is because I like that panel too much.  I'll put up with low res graphics in the rest of the cockpit to keep that panel.

 

Often, fixing an aircraft is just a matter of simple edits to the aircraft.cfg file.

 

For example, the default Goose flies a few degrees nose down at cruise speeds.  To fix this, make a backup copy of your config file (this is very important).  I made the following changes.  These were the first changes I ever made to an aircraft.

 

The nose down at cruise speed problem is caused by too much lift.  While it can also be caused by too little weight, you don't want to increase the aircraft weight enough to fix it.  Open aircraft.cfg (any text editor will work, Notepad is good enough) and make the following change:

 

cruise_lift_scalar = 0.5    // LDH was 1.0, lowering raises nose

 

I mark all my changes with my initials so I can find them quickly, and record the original value and why I made the change.

 

This will leave the aircraft a bit underpowered, but the following change will help that.  Under the propeller section:

 

thrust_scalar = 1.20  // LDH was 1.00, increases power to compensate for 0.5 lift.

 

At this point the Goose should fly looking like pictures of the real thing, and I flew with it like that for a long time.  I've made different changes since then to the .air file, which is not for the faint of heart.

 

The SDK (Software Development Kit) is your friend.  Install it from the install disks.  Don't worry that you don't understand much of it, that will come a little at a time.  Just read through the first page to see what kind of information is available.

 

Be aware that once you start tweaking, you may get to liking it, and end up spending more time editing an aircraft than you do flying it.  But you will fly, if only to test your changes. 

 

Good luck.

 

Hook

If I could only have one plane it would be the PMDG 737 NGX hands down. This might change when the new PMDG 747 comes out.

If I could only have one aircraft, it would be my Carenado F33 Bonanza with RXP gauges.

 

If two:  add the RealAir Duke B60 V2

There are so many categories and styles of flying its hard to classify just one  Many different styles of flying within GA alone.  Fun is the bottom line for me.  If I take a break from FS, and then come back to it., my first choice are the warbirds, particularly the A2A P-40 and Civil P-51.  Nothing in my inventory quite beats the thrill of hugging the terrain in one of these beasts while listening to that beautiful V-12 music.  

 

I love the GAs and Tubes too, and enjoy them when I am in a GA or Tube mood, but choosing a warbird is like going to a parking lot and seeing a Corolla, Passenger Van, and a vintage Jaguar E type....which one are you going to choose for all out 'fun'?  Which one gets your heart going a little

 

A2A's line of V-12 warbirds is particularly great, Spitfire, P-40, P-51Mil/Civ.  All are very systems deep, fun yet challenging to fly right, and its really hard to beat the sound of a purring Allison V-1710 or RR Merlin.

 

All of A2A's Accusim line is excellent, A2A is one of the few devs who I would just buy whatever they make regardless of the plane, simply for the fun and rewarding experience of mastering a new craft.

 

Other favorite planes in my inventory are the Classics Hangar FW series, Baytower RV-7, RealAir's full line, Carenado 337 (with a few user tweaks + accufeel, it is a very nice plane) and PMDG 777 for long hauling.

• A2A C172 Carenado

737NGX PMDG

LevelD767

B727 CaptainSim

Mine would be in descending order:

 

PMDG 777X

PMDG 737NGX

Majestic Q400

Aerosoft A320

 

Majestic would tie with 737NGX if it had a correct turbulence model.

 

I have deleted all my old POSKY and PAIRBUS stuff.

Sir,

 

The number 1 is the A2A Spitfire. Nothing comes close .

 

Respectfully.

BayTower RV-7!!! 

 

Just kidding. Objectively there are several things that puts it behind the latest offerings from the likes of RealAir and A2A, however if I could only ever have one it'd still be that.  B)

I've been flying a frankenstein hybrid Skyhawk made up of the Carenado C172 model & textures, the ancient RealAir FS9 172 flight dynamics, and the default FSX panel. I've got more hours in that than any other sim aircraft probably 5 times over. I used it in FS9 with the FSX 2D panel for several yrs, then when I switched to FSX I started using the FSX virtual cockpit too, recently I ported it all to P3D2 and it works great there as well. It's a beautiful hand-flyer but it's got the full blown autopilot too for when you're feeling lazy. I guess if I had to choose just one sim aircraft that would be it (but I wouldn't live happily ever after :smile: )

 

Jim

I fly only airliners, so if i can choose only one airplane - that would be Leonardo Maddog for sure.

 

It could be hard to choose, but PMDG MD11 has never got that service pack...So, Leo Maddog!

 

There are of course 737NGX and Majestic Q400 on top too.

I would agree with most of the predictable choices that have already been made - Majestic Q400, Flight 1 King Air 200, PMDG 777 etc. I do however notice that a few quite unexpected choices have also been made and for that reason I am also going to include my own somewhat unusual choice - the unique SibWings An-2 - an amazing addon at a bargain price that has been seriously overlooked by the flightsim community!

 

Bill