I'm looking for a low cost addon in the regional prop category. I'm looking at the two stated in the subject. Does anyone have both of these? I'm just wondering what is considered the better buy for the money. The Caravan received an award from another website for this category, I don't know if PMDG has received any rewards as such. I know they are both somewhat simplistic in their approach, but any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks! Curt

depends on what you like to do, the 1900c is a little faster and hauls more people. I enjoy flying both once in a while, but wish the caravan had backlit gauges at night. At least the 1900c somewhat does this, even though you get a weird blue glow.I think it would be a hard choice for me to make, thats why I got both!

PMDG by a long shot! LOLIf the Caravan got an award, they are biased or blind. I have both and personally the caravan was a total let down.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

why a let down?

I'd go for the 1900C. I don't have the Caravan, so I can't compare. But the 1900C is a nice little plane!

>why a let down?Alex, I am just used to "payware" detail and it didn't deliver, although it got a little closer after the patch. I do 3d modeling and I found lots of areas that could have been improved to make it stand out over the default. Plus the lack of a float or amphib version and the attitude that came with that left a sour taste as well (doesn't take much to add floats to the model). I ended up getting the deluxe version and afterwards realised I should have gone with the basic one.I share a VA forum with several other VAs and many of us were looking forward to the release....and many of them were dissapointed also.I look at pics of the 737 Vc and think to myself "is this the same company??!!"ya live and you learn.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

1900C hands down. They are both short haul cargo/commuter A/Cs The quality difference between the 2 is no contest. 1900 all the way.One man's opinion and you know how that goes.Dave

I don't have the Caravan, but the 1900C is very nice. Yes, it's simplistic in the systems department; in that regard it's very similar to the default King Air 350. But...the exterior model is outstanding, the panel has good custom gauges in it along with some FS2004 defaults, the VC is one of the smoothest and frame-rate-friendliest you'll find, the sounds are excellent, and the flight model is SUPERB.Best of all? It's cheap. It's a fantastic bargain, and proof that "simple" doesn't necessarily mean "bad." It just means you need a 30-page manual instead of a 200-page one. :)If you want a more complex turboprop, you should take a look at the Aeroworx King Air B200. It's very complex and realistic from a systems standpoint, has some very cool avionics, and is a total dream to fly.Lewis "Moose" GregoryRichmond, Virginia

Caravan all the way, even with its flaws. The PMDG has a lot of gauges that if they are not default they look default.If you have a chance try this as they are IMO the best GA ACs:Aeroworx King Air or Eaglesoft Cirrus (any of the two Cirrus).If you want to pay nothing for an AC that is almost the same quality: TMB700 Socata from the Avsim library.Sorry for my English, but it is New Years eve and at 2:00 a.m. the beers and Pina coladas have done their effect.Anyway, I would think the same being sober, lol.Happy New Year!!!!Leo

The Caravan has the worst panel and VC (and possibly model) I have ever seen in a payware product. I bought it and gave it away the very same day. The 1900C is better than the 1900D but either are leagues apart from the Caravan which was the worst payware product of last year without a doubt. The Aeroworx King Air is excellent but you need a pretty fast machine to fly her.

>...I don't know if PMDG has received any rewards as such.Hello!I just bought the 1900 and my very first impression was a little bit disapointing. Maybe because prior to this I purchased those excellent 737NG and 747 from PMDG.But after flying around with the 1900 I started to like it more and more. Okay the panel can not even reach those from the other two but it is very smooth and extremly frame rate friendly and it lacks of nothing vital. The virtual cockpit is amazing even I never use it for flying, but I love to walk around in my plane and have a seat and watch the replay of the takeoff and and landing from a passengers view. Yes the cabin with its 19 seats is modelled too.In my oppinion the 1900C is much better than the 1900D. The panel looks better and has more details and the sound is better. The 1900D sound is quite nerving.The exterior model for both variants is excellent, so is the flight model. Flying them by hand and/or by autopilot is a nice experience.Last but not least both variants are very nice to taxi on the ground!!! Different from many many other smaller ga aircrafts which behaves more than a cat somebody steped on it's tail :-)Pull the throttle forward a little bit and after the aircraft starts to move pull it back and with this setting my 1900 never exceeds 17kts. Worth every cent of it's price. If your budget has not to bee calculated too short, buy it! If you can purchase the boxed version distributed by Aerosoft you even get a nicely printed manual and it contains both the 1900C and the 1900D.The Caravan I don't have, so no comment...Mick!

>The Caravan has the worst panel and VC (and possibly model) I>have ever seen in a payware product. I bought it and gave it>away the very same day. The 1900C is better than the 1900D but>either are leagues apart from the Caravan which was the worst>payware product of last year without a doubt. The Aeroworx>King Air is excellent but you need a pretty fast machine to>fly her. "worst" panel and VC? now thats a long stretch. It isn't the best, but there is nothing wrong with it. It is just average

I have both.Would agree that the Caravan was a bit of a disappointment. I'd say it's on the low side of average (but not a completely horrible effort), but unless you are a die-hard Caravan aficionado, it's money poorly spent given all the other options out there. 3D model is ho-hum, flight dynamics are OK, and the panel is defaultish.The PMDG B1900C/D are what they are advertised to be...a "light" version at a much lower level of fidelity than the full-up PMDG projects like the B737NG and B744. That said, you get good 3D Gmax models, excellent flight dynamics (which are hard to find for turboprops), and a workable panel albeit with some default MS gauges and switches. I find them fun to take on a "kick the tires and light the fires" quickie when I only have a few minutes.For $5 more than the Caravan either the PSS Dash-8 or the Flight1 Cessna 441 are options.For $20 less than the Caravan, and $15 less than the PMDG birds (free that is) you have the Aero Commander or Dash-7 from Milton Shupe and crew (http://www.flightsimonline.com), or Oleksiy Frolov's Dash-8 (http://bathursted.ccnb.nb.ca/fanda/). They're at least at par with any of the "lite" payware versions you mentioned.CheersBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Santiago de Chile

You can't go wrong on any model from PMDG... Though I do not purchase every payware aircraft that comes along, just had to have this one. After all the talk Ive seen about the FPS Hit that payware aircraft, was -surprised- that this flew so well. Even though I turned the graphic up to 1280, still have a good average frame rate. Even with lots of AI 15-20 aircraft at Big Bear City L35 (using GA-Traffic) FPS still averaged 20-30 fps on my Laptop.That may be due to the Lite version, if so, now am open to buying every Lite version PMDG comes out with. After all, 99% of the time, am looking at the inside of the aircraft, I'm not willing to take a big frame rate hit for 1% of the time. I want to keep the graphics for scenery.... that you see all the time.

I appreciate everyone's posts, but I'm surprised to hear how negative the comments are regarding the Caravan. It received a pretty good review in Computer Pilot and an award on that "other web site". It just proves that everyone has different expectations. I'll look at the alternatives mentioned and the 1900C a little closer.Curt