C-46 Commando released for P3Dv4/FSX

[Chock 17,769]

Yeehar, been waiting for this one to get released, the Just Flight/AH C-46, aka the other DC-3, or more commonly, the Flying Coffin owing to it's abysmal plumbing causing them to explode in mid air depressingly frequently courtesy of fuel tank issues.

[WotanUK 289]

I have been waiting for someone to comment on this...i have been burnt by Just Flights aircraft before.  What are your thoughts on it Alan? 

[Chock 17,769]

It's fairly typical of Aeroplane Heaven's output for Just Flight, i.e. it's nice, but not stunning. It's a bit of a frame rate hog too, so if your graphics card struggles in P3D or FSX, then this one will test it a bit; not terrible, but it certainly makes the GPU work a bit harder than you'd expect.

Cockpit switch and systems functionality is pretty good, on par with other AH prop aeroplanes like this one. Graphics wise, I am okay with the look but but I know not everyone is in love with the way Aeroplane Heaven do VC textures sometimes (except with their B17F, where the VC is awesome - nobody could complain about that one). So if you can tolerate the Aeroplane Heaven/JF Lockhheed Connie and Lockheed Electra VC graphics (both of which you get for free in P3D of course so P3D users know those well enough), then you'd be okay with these too as they have a similar feel to them.

You get a choice of modern avionics or original ones too, which, as is also the case with the Aerosoft Catalina, does make it a bit more usable than most old warbirds for flying about using modern piloting techniques and navaids. The exterior paint jobs are all nice as well, with plenty of airliner and military versions to mess about with. It seems to fly as one would expect a real one to fly, but since I've never flown one for real, that is just an impression rather than something based on any knowledge of the real thing.

If you really want a C-46 (which I did, for Air Hauler, since it is a nice old classic prop with modern avionics, useful payload and a reasonable turn of speed and was used by a lot of operators), then it's a no-brainer purchase, but if it's 'just another slightly interesting old warbird/airliner' to you, then a DC-3 (of which there are some nice free ones available for FSX and P3D) would do as well if you want to fly an old radial-engined twin around in your sim. Having said that, it is not expensive at 25 quid and works in all P3D versions and all FSX versions and would probably work in FSW too, since I know their B17F certainly does, so it's good value in that respect. But on that subject, if I had to say go get an old JF/AH multi-engined warbird, then I'd be recommending their B17F more than this one, as that is a genuine must-have as far as I'm concerned, since that is as good as the A2A B17G in many respects, and if not that one, then the Aerosoft Catalina, which in spite of its age (2009 release), is still one of the best warbirds you can get for any sim if chugging around in a WW2-era radial-twin is what blows your skirt up.

This C-46 then, is one for fans of the real aeroplane rather than a must-have in my honest opinion. I really like it, but then I really like the C-46, since it's kind of the 'underdog DC-3' to me and I can never quite decide if it's pretty or fugly lol, but it's undeniably entrancing, so I'm admittedly biased on that score. You could do a lot worse for 25 quid though, and even less if you've got a few Just Flight loyalty points saved up.

[WotanUK 289]

Thanks Alan, like you i was thinking another aircraft for my Air Hauler 2 company, i think i'll pick this up.