Alabeo C404 Titan: Anybody take a chance on it yet?

[flapsdown 45]

I do prefer some consequences to poor operational habits - so that I can't extend the flaps at too high a speed, or abuse the crap out of my engines etc. without a bad result,  it adds a level of immersion for me, but I am not a fanatic about to be honest, and it's not ever an instant disqualifier for a purchase...

Something weird is definitely up with the AP pitch controls - the 2D panel actually works better than the VC controls, but the behavior is different for the mouse wheel vs clicking on it (the pitch response is reversed), and the VC control only seems to want to pitch up and never down - I would have thought they had just made use of the AP code from the Carenado SkyMaster, since that works just fine, but seemingly not - sent them a support request, but the behavior is so oddly differnt between the 2D and the VC, I am not sure I explained it good enough...

[Boeing or not going 578]

I wish the Flysimware C441 had RealityXP 430 or 530 integration. They give WX500 integration but no RXP GPS? Why? Oh well.

[zmak 331]

I don't much care for simulated engine failure. In real life, I often flew over very rugged mountain areas, in which engine problems can be disastrous. I was always maintaining my engine, to give it a high probability of no problems. Within a simulation, if I'm to know, that yes, this engine will have some kind of failure within a few hours, then I'm mentally thinking that I don't care to fly the airplane. Hopefully, an engine will run for thousands of hours without some mechanical breakdown. A fact of life.................single engine over mountains or darkness, has an added element of risk. I don't even use "maintenance" such as A2A has for their airplanes. I spent many, many real hours doing aircraft maintenance, and just don't care for it to sim. Of course, these are my thoughts, as others enjoy it.

 

Not random failure but failure because of poor engine management.

[Howellerman 104]

My first impressions are quite favorable. I have neither the RealityXP nor Flight1 units so am unable to comment on that feature.

 

The pitch control on the AP is kind of different: it registers in degree up or down, and I found using the mouse wheel to control it the easiest. 1 degree seems to roughly correlate with 500 fpm, but it ain't no Bendix King unit!

 

Sound pack is nice: while I have absolutely no idea of what a Titan sounds like IRL the sound pack is nice and strong.

 

Flies nicely, what you would expect a big GA airplane to feel like. Not quite a RealAir, but then again, nothing else is.

 

My only real gripe is the cockpit VC "wear and tear": the door frames look like the inside of a shark cage! I am going to look for a poll about how many simmers like new versus worn cockpits, and if I don't find one, will start one! Myself, I prefer factory-fresh.

[flapsdown 45]

After more than a few initial flights, I am still quite happy with the aircraft - I have however, submitted another bug for the GTN750 integration, as for me, I cannot seem to pan the map with the mouse while the 750 is displayed in the VC, I have to pop it out, and if I turn off instrument reflections, the whole 750 display disappears - so not quite as flawless integration as I have seen in A2A and RealAir offerings.

 

I am only an old glider and ultra-light pilot with some SEL hours in real life, so I have no real basis for evaluating the FDE, other than overall it hand flies nicely and seems to handle how an aircraft of this size and weight would generally fly, that said, I notice that 404 appears to like to float a bit on landing and has really ineffectual brakes, but both of these behaviors might be actually accurate to the real thing...

[ryanbatc 12,836]

That pan issue happens in other aircraft if you're using the FSX GTN version. Bill from MV explained why but I can't recall the issue. I have the P3D GTN unit and no issues there

[flapsdown 45]

That pan issue happens in other aircraft if you're using the FSX GTN version. Bill from MV explained why but I can't recall the issue. I have the P3D GTN unit and no issues there

 

Hmm, really? Ok, guess I have been lucky and not seen it in FSX, but then I do run in 2 monitor mode a lot...

[ErichB 3,642]

I keep getting a 'payment failed' message when using Paypal or CC.  Anyone else unable to purchase?  It's becoming annoying

[shivers9 1,174]

Ya...I thought I would give this a try but seems the web site is not working or at least for you and I....LOL Never bought one of their products but it seem like they are just Carenado Ver 2.0. No skill, No talent, and no forum and most likely they are using one of those "Make you own Web Site for $1.95 per month" deals.

[Boeing or not going 578]

Ya...I thought I would give this a try but seems the web site is not working or at least for you and I....LOL Never bought one of their products but it seem like they are just Carenado Ver 2.0. No skill, No talent, and no forum and most likely they are using one of those "Make you own Web Site for $1.95 per month" deals.

That is why you stick with the simple designed aircraft, if Carenado stuck with steam gauged airplanes instead of pretending they can make glass cockpits they wouldn't be so bad. An airplane like the C404 doesn't require complicated programming it's steam gauges and 3rd party gps. Their FDE's are always pretty good with only engine itt never being modeled correctly.

[flapsdown 45]

Hey, what do you know,  now opening a window (or door) in flight, gets you increased wind noise - small little feature, but have always liked it in my A2A planes...

[Guest JetFueler]

I really like this airplane a lot.  Flies very nice, looks great and performs well.

 

I guess I am in the minority in that I really don't like the sounds much at all.  The gear sound is good and the flaps, while annoying, are good too.  The engines don't sound right to me though, particularly at idle outside and the shut down (as well as several others) sound like a single engine piston with an engine mounted into the fuselage.  It just doesn't have that twin Cessna sound in my opinion and the shut down of all things bothers me most because the props should kind of rattle as they spin to a halt.  They don't jerk to a stop on a compression stroke as the sound suggests.  I'm looking for an alternative sound pack.

 

Some people mentioned a click spot for the GTN pop up- it is on the very top of the bezel on the 3D panel and along the left side on the 2D pop up.

 

The autopilot pitch is indeed kind of peculiar.  All it would do was pitch up for me.  Good thing it's a nice hand flier... I've really only used the AP for cruise so far anyway.

 

I really wish they would carry over the DME with the GTN installation though.  They could have just moved it over under the weather radar.

 

I also seem to have a graphical glitch with the left MAP gauge needle in which about the last third of the needle length isn't visible.  There is a faint outline of it but that is all.

 

Other than that this is a fun yet challenging aircraft.  Challenging because it is quick and doesn't scrub off speed as fast as you would imagine.  It is extremely powerful and heavy for a piston twin in this class so it requires a little extra attention.  I am really enjoying it.

[z06z33 763]

My quick review

[johnbla 31]

Thanks for the review. Might just have to get it.

 

John

[ErichB 3,642]

I would strongly recommend Gary Jones' Continental soundset as  replacement for these sounds.    Again, its a sounds fail by Carenado.  The rest of the aircraft is great.