This aircraft is woefully over priced...

[BobP 56]

I've been simming since Sub-logic days and have bought my share of stinkers, but this one  tops the leader for the amount of money payed.  The Navigraph Extension  delivers nothing in terms of flight management with the incredible omission of even  the ability to save a flight plan, or load one.  This airplane sits in a class of $50 business jets along with the F1 Mustang and Eaglesoft Develpment Citation V2. The Carenado is not  even in the same postal code if you value functionality of systems or candidly your money. 

 

Bob

[RW1 615]

Bob i agree, its a Kia sold at a Porsche price, i`m glad we have guys here that have the talent to mod this bird into something enjoyable, they have lost another customer.

 

Rick

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

In my opinion, Carenado has spread itself too thin with too many aircraft available on too many platforms. I haven't bought one of their planes in a long time.

[KenG 492]

 

 

That is something I am trying to wrestle with myself. Price versus quality of product.

 

One thing the Carenado product offers is for one price you get both FSX and P3D support. I don't think either the F1 Mustang, F1 B200 or the EagleSoft Citation lines offer a one price multi-platform price strategy. In fact I don't think any of them offer a P3D option. (Yes I understand they can be made to work in P3D.) The only thing I can think of right now in this price point is the yet to be released Milviz B350i. In that case they want $60 for both FSX and P3D.

 

The Carenado product does come with 4096 HD textures. I have to give some credit to eye-popping textures especially when the others mentioned don't have them.

 

The FDE is just amazing. I know some people disagree, but this is really one happy to be hand flown airplane. While I understand mileage may vary on engine performance as I look back to the Airplane Flight Manual and other performance documentation this airplane is usually fairly close to being spot on.

 

The avionics are fairly good with the primary exception being the FMS. If you take the FMS out of the equation and replace with with different box I think allot of people would be happily enjoying this product. Squeeze a GTN750 into this thing and I think you have a very nice airplane. The other major issue is the Sperry SPZ-500 autopilot. This is a hard one to judge since the SPZ needs TCS to operate many of its modes. OK we will discount TCS then the main issue is still the IAS mode. The initial pitch-down is unacceptable. If you already have the correct pitch set for IAS then the airplane should initially maintain that pitch in a climb or descent then adjust as necessary. Not pitch to 500 fpm regardless. 

 

My other observation is the FMS update is not just an update for the FMS but there are also a few bug fixes such as the always on weather radar has been fixed. This is the point I have to agree it is not just an FMS update but charging money for a bug fix. That in my book is a big thumbs down for Carenado. The bug fixes should have been part of a separate SP for the base aircraft owners.

 

Discounting the FMS expansion is the aircraft worth $45? I have to say I think so.

 

Is the FMS worth $10 (since $5 is an introductory price)? This one is also hard to say. If you don't have any advanced avionics products available then it does allow for modern RNAV DPs and Arrivals to be flown. Something the base aircraft could not do.  But, there is just so much functionality missing. To add functionality they seemed to have removed some functionality, such as the inability to load flightplans.  At this point I would have to put the FMS update into the realm of half baked product.

 

I am really interested in what others think.

[carlito777 712]

After reading a lot of posts on the Carenado S550 I can only say that I'm kind of amazed how people can pay in excess of $50 for such a buggy product. The price tag puts it in the same league as the Majestic Q400 or the Realair T-Duke v2. And almost in the league of PMDG. I really don't understand how one can spend that much money on a Carenado plane if you can get one of those other marvelous planes I mentioned. I know, they are not business jets. But at least, they are a lot of fun and money well spent... But to each his own...

[Glynn 405]

Carenado knows it's market very well, everything they produce sells like hot cakes.

 

These days many folks seem happy with colourful shiny things than don't demand to much in the way of thought to operate, that phenomena is not just limited to flight simulation either, its everywhere.

 

When folks rush to buy the latest Carenado/Albeo  they only reinforce to the Developer that their business plan is perfect.