I often wonder will we ever see the Piper PA-E23 Aztec being developed for FSX? This was one of the most prolific light twins in use during the 60s, 70s and 80s and was produced in thousands. It was widely used both privately and as an air taxi aircraft and had a very good short field performance. As far as I can recollect a freeware version was produced for FS9 but a quality free- or payware version has never appeared. I'm sure many of us older simmers will have flown this in the real world and I think this would be a very good seller should anyone develop it. Am hoping someone like Alabeo will take this aircraft on as they have produced a number of addon aircraft that a lot of other developers seem to have ignored. One can only wait and hope!

 

Bill

+1

The closest one to the Apache is the Twin Comanche. Similar looking, but actually a different airplane.

 

Alan 

Flew one from Apopka to Lakeland FL for a §100 burger a few years ago. Fun plane, but one of the ugliest twins out there

I got my MEL rating in an Aztec at DAB way back when. Followed that with a DC-3 type rating there. Aztec was just about the only twin that would actually climb on one engine.

 

Ray

Flew one from Apopka to Lakeland FL for a §100 burger a few years ago. Fun plane, but one of the ugliest twins out there

That must have been one of the very early 4 place blunt nose/straight tail models. The later 6-place version had a pointy nose and swept tail. Looked fine to me.

 

Ray

I also got my MEL in an Aztec back in the Dark Ages, and then put about 120 hours on one. She was kind of like the girl no-one asked to the Prom: not particularly good looking but really sweet.

 

The blunt nose came off the Apache where it was a cause of some very unpleasant yaw...the thing would wiggle it's way through the air, never holding quite steady. Nothing violent, just very, very annoying. And none of the passengers ever believed it wasn't your fault.

The closest one to the Apache is the Twin Comanche. Similar looking, but actually a different airplane.

 

Alan 

 

 

Flew one from Apopka to Lakeland FL for a §100 burger a few years ago. Fun plane, but one of the ugliest twins out there

 

Well the PA-23 Apache was actually the predecessor of the Aztec but with a smaller cabin and an even more blunt and ugly appearance! There actually was quite a good freeware Apache produced for FS9 but I am not sure if that was ever re-developed for FSX. The later models of the Aztec (the E, F and G variants) were somewhat more attractive than the earlier versions, with a longer and later a more pointed nose and a redesigned and somewhat taller tailfin -  they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder!"

 

The Twin Comanche, as the name suggests was a twin engined development of the PA-24 Comanche, utilising the fuselage of the latter. The original planned Twin Comanche actually was designed with two engines in the nose driving a single propellor, to be built by Bill Lear in California! This design however was abandoned as being too difficult and the final more conventional design with engines on the wings was adopted for the prototype (just a bit of useless Piper trivia!).

 

Bill

Bill,

 

The Lyons clan (Lynn & Bill) made the Apache for FS9, and Fred Choate made the Aztec. I have Fred's version, and it's a pretty good flier. There's a guy who flies an Aztec out of KBJC and cruises around the Denver airspace; I can hear him coming a mile away, and usually see him a few seconds afterward flying over my house.

 

Alan 

I wanted one over several versions of FS after listening over and over again to an audio tape from Sporty's Pilot Shop of an entire flight from I69, Batavia, Ohio, to Chicago O'hare, in Aztec 706 Sierra Papa.  Had all the cockpit chatter and all of the ATC radio traffic.  I instead satisfy myself by occasionally flying a MilViz C310.  The 310 has a strikingly similar appearance.

 

Here is a link to a photo of 706SP:

http://www.fluidr.com/photos/lunken_spotter/11588259066/

I also got my MEL in an Aztec back in the Dark Ages, and then put about 120 hours on one. She was kind of like the girl no-one asked to the Prom: not particularly good looking but really sweet.

 

The blunt nose came off the Apache where it was a cause of some very unpleasant yaw...the thing would wiggle it's way through the air, never holding quite steady. Nothing violent, just very, very annoying. And none of the passengers ever believed it wasn't your fault.

 

The one I flew had a long sharper nose...but for sone odd reason Piper chose to mount the trim wheels on the roof/overhead panel (incredibly awkward!)....plus it had a REAL critical engine (ie all the utilities on the left engine only).

 

She had charm though.

I always had something of a fascination with the Aztec. For my 13th birthday in 1994 my parents paid for me to have one of those introductory flying lessons at a local flying school - South East College Of Air Training - at Manston. The flight was in a Tomahawk, but I remember the other aircraft they had were Warriors and Aztecs.

 

A couple of years later I went back to SECOAT with my school's work experience programme. I spent the first week bored out of my skull in the accounts department, filing invoices (I was struck by the number of Nigerian students who disappeared with £10k+ fees outstanding lol). The second week I got to spend with the pilot instructors, I got several rides in the Warriors and one in an Aztec. Definitely made up for the boring first week!

I tried the Apache first - it was cheaper - but the wiggle got the better of me and I switched to the long nose Aztec, which I learned to like very much. Yes, the trim was strange but she was so stable that it didn't seem to matter too much.

 

Ah, those were the days: the only calculator allowed for the writtens was an E-6B, gas was cheap and there was still some uncontrolled airspace.

 

 

Ah, those were the days: the only calculator allowed for the writtens was an E-6B, gas was cheap and there was still some uncontrolled airspace.

 

Great comment.  When I was trained the E6B was the only calculator.  The Bomar Brain was a couple of years away.  I believe my first E6B, a paper model, cost about the same as a hamburger.  The Bomar Brain originally came in around $250, which for me was equivalent to about four month of Air Force separate rations pay.  i.e. if I starved for four months (and lived) I would have been able to buy one.   I still have that paper E6B somewhere.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and then there's the whole matter of perspective.  I have no Aztec time, so my judgements are superficial - and I've always found even the later models to be a face only a mother would love.  A flying friend with considerable Apache time never could understand my prejudices.

 

 

 

The 310 has a strikingly similar appearance.

 

Put them side by side on the ramp and no one would ever mistake the bulbous Aztec for the sleek Cessna 310R.  But y'see, there go my prejudices again. :lol:

 

But seriously, I think it'd be a wonderful plane for someone like Carenado to do.

 

Scott

There are a few freeware Aztecs for FS2004 (That can be ported over to FSX) that I currently know of  (over at simviation).

 

In the payware arena there are a couple for X-plane 9/10 that I can vouch for regarding accuracy of handling - not the best VC-wise (read: no 3D instruments and only a few knobs pop out - not a deal breaker for me though), but external model and FDM are spot on.

 

@ttocs true..side by side the C310 looked like an Albatross while the Aztec looked like an overweight chicken...but I found the Aztec to feel more "solid" in handling somewhat - especially when flying in IMC down to minimums in turbulence...just the trim wheels was something I was never able to get over.....I mean on the ROOF?! Seriously Piper? the roof?

 

I'd love to see one of the more prominent devs make an Aztec for FS2004 and/or X (I use both so it doesn't matter to me which one) - Just that my personal wish would be one with the regular air driven gauges - no garmin glass...maybe a simple kln90 gps at most..I feel that anything more will kill the spirit of it.