So if we were to say, since FS9 > FSX > P3D1 > P3D2....  which model do you think has the best flight dynamics or handling characteristics?

You can give a top 5 if you like.   Mine would be ;-

1. RealAir Marchetti SF260 (FSX)
I don't fly this now, but still think it gives the most unbeatable feel of flight through air.

2. Majestic Q400 (FSX)

When it came out, we all thought it was broke because we couldn't land... then we watched the YouTube videos and realized how realistic the characteristics were!

3. PMDG 737 NGX / Level D 767 (FSX)
Say no more. heavy metal perfection.  I place these dead equal.  Just beautiful to hand fly,

4. A2A Piper Cub J3 (FSX)
Pure windswept fun, and feels perfectly balanced and responsive.

5. MilViz C310R (FSX)
The most beautifully balanced twin.

Majestic q400 and anything RealAir. The recent A2A offerings seem very well done also.

In no particular order, some that have impressed me include:

Lotus Simulations L-39C

RealAir Legacy

SSW F-104

MilViz F-86

MilViz F-4E (Beta) ... I absolutely dig this one, but perhaps I'm a bit biased!

My top 5 would be:

 

Majestic Q400

PMDG 737NGX

PMDG 777-200LR/F

Aerosoft Airbus X Extended (Not for realism but it's an excellent aircraft either way)

Captain Sim 757

 

I really LOVE the Q400 from Majestic. They really nailed it with that one. 

Anything from A2A - for the GA offerings it's actually possible to judge because many people have real-life time on those types. The new C182 is excellent, also the C172 and of course the PA-28.

 

And if you've ever flown any of their warbirds, anything else will become boring... 

Have any of the posters actually flown all these aircraft?

For me it'd be Lotus Simulations L-39C and Real Air Turbine Duke.

I can vouch for the accuracy of the A2A cub and 172. Based on memory I initially didn't agree with some behaviors in the 172 so I decided to test them in the actual aircraft. I found that A2A was far more accurate than my memory.

I've only ever flown a C150, C152 and C172 in real life. And the only addon that felt reasonable and behaved close to what I expected was the RealAir FDE for the default FSX C172. A2A's C172 FDE was ok, but has flaws in my opinion. I continue to see the aircraft climb after cutting power to idle.

 

I was never impressed with any Carenado FDE in FSX as the aircraft always felt heavy and I needed a lot of power to maintain a proper rate of decent on final. However, their C152 in X-plane flies well.

Rcboffa, can you elaborate on that? The amount of lift is an area I specifically took issue with on the A2A 172 and was proven wrong by my testing.

 

What circumstances do you mean with climbing at idle? I don't see how you could achieve a sustained climb at idle power.

Ive got roughly 200 hours in a C172 and id say A2A FDE is fairly decent. I think the number one problem with FSX/P3D etc is the way a plane flies through the air. The outside turbulence effecting a plane on different days. A bumpy day to a smooth one (particularly during sunrise/sunset), or a windy day to a clam day. I have heard Xplane is better for that but i dont own that product. 

Rcboffa, can you elaborate on that? The amount of lift is an area I specifically took issue with on the A2A 172 and was proven wrong by my testing.

 

What circumstances do you mean with climbing at idle? I don't see how you could achieve a sustained climb at idle power.

 

In almost every case that I reduce power, the aircraft either maintains altitude or in many cases starts a slight climb until I either push the nose down, or the speed bleeds significantly. I find this particularly unrealistic on final approach when I'm trying to adjust my rate of descent by making adjustment to power but the aircraft doesn't respond as expected. If I'm high on my approach, and I reduce power, it mostly has no effect, however the rate of descent should increase. I'm finding it necessary to use pitch to control rate of decent which is not consistent with my real world experience.

Wow that is strange and not my experience at all. That would certainly drive me nuts.

 

As you paid for it and might want to use it, have you downloaded the most recent update?

My FAV 5

 

RA Lancair

RA Duke V2

Milviz 310

F1 Mustang

PMDG 737

Have any of the posters actually flown all these aircraft?

Hi! I have flown on the jumpseat of a Q400 and a 737, and as a passenger in the 777 and 757. As far as the Q400 and the 737 go, I can definitely vouch for the realism, though I wasn't the one controlling the aircraft.