Alabeo PA32 My Thoughts (P3D)

[ryanbatc 12,770]

I bought it because I really like the GTN 750 - this is all from P3D btw

All around for 30 bucks its decent.  I like how it handles.  It's not a super fast single but it could carry a few bodies and luggage far away and at high altitudes.  I did a short flight at lower level cruise (6000) and got about 167 ktas at best power (well 80% per the manua; - 32" 2400rpm, leaned).  Since it is TCed it will go a lot higher and I think this plane typically would be a long hauler type with O2 onboard.  Anyway it flies well.  

At night and day it looks pretty well.  Typical Carenado flood interior lighting with one switch for alphanumerics backlighting.  There's blue OH lighting as well.  In the daytime there's a nice gauge reflection at certain angles, gives the panel depth.  There's not really "systems depth" but I didn't expect much, this being from Alabeo.  I kinda hoped it was 25 bucks but inflation I guess lol!  I do use the GTN 750 installed - the nav2 is carenado's default-based 430 gauge.  There's no DME which I had hoped they'd put in.  (I requested one because unlike the RXP 530W which will display distance and radial from a VOR tuned to NAV1, the GTN750 doesn't have this feature.  Apparently the word on the street is that Garmin forgot to transfer the feature from their old 530 and a new hardware update will happen for RW users at some point with this very feature.  I doubt we'll see it in the F1 version but maybe!  Anyway for now I tune the carenado GNS430 to a VOR if I need distance info).

The sounds, IMHO, are not a strong point.  They sound muffled and fake inside and out.  I guess the exterior idle sounds decent but at full power the exterior sounds like default piston of some sort.  I'm not at all familiar with this engine in real life so maybe it's accurate.  Still muffled outside at times though.  Interior is pretty bad and I wish they modeled ANR headsets like A2A does - where you click the headphone jack that's really nice.

There appears to be a aural checklist on the main panel but it doesn't work.  I remember something like this unit in the old FS2002 F1 Meridian.  The Orbx Lancair IV-P also has it (and it works too).  The engine monitor panel works in general... you can rotate through the various functions with the knob.  Autopilot operation is pretty much typical Carenado (hate it or like it hehe).  The transponder zero issue has finally been fixed (for a while they were using the same gauge code over and over - anytime user entered a zero digit there was a blank space hehe).  There's a weeping wing anti ice switch, pitot heat of course.  There's labels for stormscope but not a unit in the panel lol.  There's A/C at the far far right panel.  Fuel usage says LEFT and RIGHT but both tanks are running out at the same rate.  Must be the old "BOTH" bug leftover from my default aircraft flight.

And the TAS calc does sort of work - it's not as nice as the Realair Legacy or Dukes but it works you just can't accurately set the dial - it's more like +/- 2 degrees.
 

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

Nice review Ryan!  I would have liked to see DME as well.  How do you get distance info out of the 430?  I futzed with it for a while on mine (different airplane) and couldn't get it to show up.  Operator error?

 

In terms of the 750, it uses the Garmin trainer under the covers, yes?  So, if Garmin updates their trainer with DME I wonder if it will work.

 

Gregg

[cvearl 60]

Thanks for the review Ryan!

 

Being that I live in P3D land and miss my RXP 530 dearly, the list of options for planes in P3D is pretty limited. But here we are. Hangar getting some love.

 

I trust your opinion that the plane is decent and native 750 support make it a viable option.

 

A2A 182 is another one with a native GTN 750. Heavy on fps though.

 

I use the Cherokee 180 for non-GPS vfr + dead reconing old school trips.

 

And now there is Milvis 310R with a 3D modeled GTN750? Need to confirm. I own but never installed.

 

And from what I read, a very acceptable 750 screen hidden behind the 530 hack done for the PC12.

 

Finally fleshing out some real options in P3D now. Been a long time coming.

 

Thanks again for the review!

 

C.

[tttocs 301]

Nice review Ryan - thanks from me as well.  On the sounds, it appears to be the model they (Carenado/Alabeo) have settled on - bad sound recycled into every new plane.  Sorry, but I've had to buy aftermarket sets for the last two Carenados I've bought, and this whole sound thing may well be the final straw for me on their airplanes.  I climb into A2A's 182 and realize how good sound can be for a piston plane (as well as pretty much everything else).  Sure the A2A is more expensive than the comparable Carenados, but when I add in another $10-$15 dollars for the cost of a sound set, it becomes a head-shaker.

 

Stil it is great they're moving to 750 support no doubt.

 

Charles I think Milviz' support for the 750 on the 310 and B55 requires you to buy a separate P3D version to get to V2.  If in FSX (and P3D 1.4), the V2 update supporting the F1 Garmin's is $9.99 for existing owners.

 

Scott

[cvearl 60]

Nice review Ryan - thanks from me as well.  On the sounds, it appears to be the model they (Carenado/Alabeo) have settled on - bad sound recycled into every new plane.  Sorry, but I've had to buy aftermarket sets for the last two Carenados I've bought, and this whole sound thing may well be the final straw for me on their airplanes.  I climb into A2A's 182 and realize how good sound can be for a piston plane (as well as pretty much everything else).  Sure the A2A is more expensive than the comparable Carenados, but when I add in another $10-$15 dollars for the cost of a sound set, it becomes a head-shaker.

 

Stil it is great they're moving to 750 support no doubt.

 

Charles I think Milviz' support for the 750 on the 310 and B55 requires you to buy a separate P3D version to get to V2.  If in FSX (and P3D 1.4), the V2 update supporting the F1 Garmin's is $9.99 for existing owners.

 

Scott

Roger. Found that. Bought the upgrade and the model update. Waiting for an email from them to download with.

 

C.

[focamagica 0]

my vor dosent work at all, not even on the ils aprroach. is it soposed ot work? im tunned on vloc, to the station, im on the approcach but nothing, only the corse on the hsi

[ryanbatc 12,770]

It should work...  are you using the GTN or default option?  If default make sure the CDI is set to VLOC  (look on the garmin 430 in the lower left corner, it will say GPS or VLOC.)

[cvearl 60]

So I bought it. Now I see what everyone says about the sound. Comparing with the C337 as the bar and a 10/10 in all catagories? I would score this plane...

 

Looks - 9/10

Flight Model - 9/10

Sound - 4/10

 

I will need to look around for a resolution to that. Shame on you Carenado!

 

Charles.

[hangar 658]

I need to ask about something with the flight model. Did they forget to model uncoordinated flight again, or do you actually need to use rudder during turns? I don't know why, but in FSX most of their planes were modeled with an fde that essentially fly's through turns as if you have the auto-coordinate rudder feature turned on all the time. Their planes don't do this in X-plane and feel much better to me in that sim.

 

...but I could really use a nice single prop in FSX that's faster than the a2a cherokee, so I'm asking...do you need to keep the plane coordinated in turns, and does it slip well enough on crosswind landings?

[hangar 658]

got my answer...has a serious flaw somewhere in the flight dynamics..it becomes very obvious to anyone who flys approaches in windy conditions...in this plane you simply cannot. You get some truly bizarre behavior when kicking the tail around with the rudder and dropping the opposite wing before touchdown. Not bad with light winds but if the winds are kicking up forget it, unflyable.

[ryanbatc 12,770]

Agreed...xwind landings are not a strong point of this flight model.