Alabeo Mooney M20R released!

[DavidP 1,408]

Thanks JYW, you've convinced me to pull the trigger and have a go!

[shivers9 1,174]

1 hour ago, DavidP said:

Thanks JYW, you've convinced me to pull the trigger and have a go!

Hi DavidP. Please let us know how it feels to your experienced hand. Credit card at the ready. Love the looks of the Panel.

[violingineer 2]

I'll ask what my question is ALWAYS with Carenado/Alabeo. Framerate inconsistency between planes.

A) Please reply if rates are on par with one of the below:

1) Early Carenado Mooney/Bonanza/AC11/C172/Arrow IV, Alabeo Cutlass (basically FSX default rates)

2) "Frame rate Friendly" (Such as Alabeo Saratoga or C310).

3) Lower rates (but still steam gauge speeds), such as Piper Aztec, C340, Piper Seminole (yes, this is in a slower frame class than 2 above)

4) Terrible, such as all/most of their Bizjets, or anything with their Avidyne EX500 or G1000 glass cockpits, such as C182, Meridian, TBM.

I would expect this plane should be close to the (2) category, especially the C310... which isn't as good as the Saratoga for the quality of bling, but not bad.

 

B) Test this: With the Mooney's basic GPS/GNS-530 on terrain display mode, during a hard turn, does the terrain refresh make the VC view out the cockpit pause on update? This is inconsistent on their (really on all P3D/FSX) payware planes. Some have it, some don't. If it has this problem, you will notice during the turn that the frame rate should be smooth except for a "clicking" type pause when the terrain display on the GPS terrain updates every 1-2 seconds or so. It is REALLY annoying and I will not put up with it. The Alabeo Saratoga and C310 do NOT have this, while the otherwise superior frame rate Carenado AC11 does, as does the Cardinal, I believe.

 

[DavidP 1,408]

40 minutes ago, shivers9 said:

Hi DavidP. Please let us know how it feels to your experienced hand. Credit card at the ready. Love the looks of the Panel.

Will do Shivers, I'll have a quick play and report back some initial impressions!

[JYW 2,977]

1 hour ago, violingineer said:

A) Please reply if rates are on par with one of the below:

1) Early Carenado Mooney/Bonanza/AC11/C172/Arrow IV, Alabeo Cutlass (basically FSX default rates)

2) "Frame rate Friendly" (Such as Alabeo Saratoga or C310).

3) Lower rates (but still steam gauge speeds), such as Piper Aztec, C340, Piper Seminole (yes, this is in a slower frame class than 2 above)

4) Terrible, such as all/most of their Bizjets, or anything with their Avidyne EX500 or G1000 glass cockpits, such as C182, Meridian, TBM.

@violingineer Category 2 I would say.  Although the standard VC textures are 4096 so whether or not you render them at the full 4096 or cap them down (if using P3Dv4 which allows this, in-sim) will also influence performance.

Initial bugs identified:

1. The trim wheel and trim indication are completely reversed!!   C'mon Alabeo, talk about basics.   So when you press your 'Trim up' button on your yoke, the trim wheel goes in the wrong direction, and the trim indicator moves towards "Down".      (Functionality of the trim is not affected by this - it's just the animations).

2. The Oil Temp gauge has digital and analogue (dial) indications.  the digital readings seem correct but the analogue dial does not move and stays on the minimum :-

3.  (Probably not a bug!) .... I was under the impression that this engine was turbo charged, no?    Because it certainly isn't in this model and MP drops off surpringly quickly in the climb.

4. The Rudder trim has a zone marked for T/O ...... don't set the rudder trim to this zone for take-off!  It may be marked in the correct place according to the real Mooney but "in sim" setting the rudder trim to this zone upsets the ground roll model.   Leave the Rudder trim in the neutral position.

 

[softreset 33]

Sounds like the Dornier 228 trim indicator was used then (same problem there). 

[Gregg_Seipp 565]

8 minutes ago, JYW said:

3.  (Probably not a bug!) .... I was under the impression that this engine was turbo charged, no?    Because it certainly isn't in this model and MP drops off surpringly quickly in the climb.   It can still do 200kts TAS at 7,500MSL easily though.

Don't think it is...a good thing since it would have longer range being non-turbocharged and, also, the P3D turbocharger model is messed up.

[DavidP 1,408]

11 minutes ago, JYW said:

1. The trim wheel and trim indication are completely reversed!!   C'mon Alabeo, talk about basics.   So when you press your 'Trim up' button on your yoke, the trim wheel goes in the wrong direction, and the trim indicator moves towards "Down".      (Functionality of the trim is not affected by this - it's just the animations).

Yep, agreed. This is a stand out.

 

11 minutes ago, JYW said:

3.  (Probably not a bug!) .... I was under the impression that this engine was turbo charged, no?    Because it certainly isn't in this model and MP drops off surpringly quickly in the climb.   It can still do 200kts TAS at 7,500MSL easily though.

The Ovation is a normally aspirated engine, but agree that the MP does drop rather quickly. I also think that it is substantially over powered. Once setting 23/2400 I still see the IAS still increasing rapidly and settling on the yellow arc. Although I have not flown an Ovation, the M20M will settle at around 140 KIAS. Then, I reduce the power to 18"/2400 (typical pattern setting) and the IAS takes forever to reduce. The M20 is slippery, but not that slippery. Properly managed, it can easily be reduced to approach speed.

 

11 minutes ago, JYW said:

Leave the Rudder trim in the neutral position.

This is what I do for real - leaving a big load of rudder trim at take off could get nasty! The rudder trim switch also doesn't appear to function correctly when pressing for right trim.

The flap selector - this class of Mooney has UP, T/O, LDG selectors - this model has a 4-5 step flap selection.

I don't know what it is with FDE writers, but there seems this fixation with a load of engine torque constantly wanting to roll the aircraft left in cruise flight. This simply doesn't happen in the aircraft I've flown. In cruise, the M20 can be set up to fly straight and level quite happily with virtually zero rudder trim hands off.

My first thoughts anyway ... it's OK, but not great.

[Lmaire 38]

Here, the radio master switch doesn't work and the magneto/start switch as well.  Turning the STBY VAC switch changes nothing on the advisory panel (maybe it's not a bug and finally is there a switch to activate the speed brake?

[awash2002 12]

I also bought this Mooney and it is indeed a rocket ship I'm at 8,000 23/2400 15.6 fuel flow getting 189ktas True I am really liking this plane so far 

[raymie 81]

I am really hoping that all the "bugs" found in this aircraft will be reported to Alabeo so they will do a fix type of patch. Thanks for all the input as I am seriously considering purchasing this addon myself. I may try to wait until a patch is done.

[Treetops45 1,082]

3 hours ago, violingineer said:

I'll ask what my question is ALWAYS with Carenado/Alabeo. Framerate inconsistency between planes.

A) Please reply if rates are on par with one of the below:

1) Early Carenado Mooney/Bonanza/AC11/C172/Arrow IV, Alabeo Cutlass (basically FSX default rates)

2) "Frame rate Friendly" (Such as Alabeo Saratoga or C310).

3) Lower rates (but still steam gauge speeds), such as Piper Aztec, C340, Piper Seminole (yes, this is in a slower frame class than 2 above)

4) Terrible, such as all/most of their Bizjets, or anything with their Avidyne EX500 or G1000 glass cockpits, such as C182, Meridian, TBM.

I would expect this plane should be close to the (2) category, especially the C310... which isn't as good as the Saratoga for the quality of bling, but not bad.

 

B) Test this: With the Mooney's basic GPS/GNS-530 on terrain display mode, during a hard turn, does the terrain refresh make the VC view out the cockpit pause on update? This is inconsistent on their (really on all P3D/FSX) payware planes. Some have it, some don't. If it has this problem, you will notice during the turn that the frame rate should be smooth except for a "clicking" type pause when the terrain display on the GPS terrain updates every 1-2 seconds or so. It is REALLY annoying and I will not put up with it. The Alabeo Saratoga and C310 do NOT have this, while the otherwise superior frame rate Carenado AC11 does, as does the Cardinal, I believe.

 

(B) Interesting observation.

I am in the middle of trying to sort something like this out.

Running P3D v4 non Lite version out of Orbx Southampton, [AS16 & a PTA as well], & GPS/GNS530 terrain display mode, hard left after lift off & had major stutters. Not had that at Southampton before with any other aircraft that I can recall.

Went to Lite version, with other parameters the same, not as bad, but still some stutters.

Took out AS16 & flew non Lite & got a couple of stutters, but smoother.

Going to try P3D v3.4 tomorrow, & a different Alabeo aircraft in v4 to try & sort out what is going on.

Whether its the M20R, or AS16/PTA??

T45

[FDEdev 955]

6 hours ago, DavidP said:

1. I also think that it is substantially over powered. Once setting 23/2400 I still see the IAS still increasing rapidly and settling on the yellow arc. Although I have not flown an Ovation, the M20M will settle at around 140 KIAS.

2. I don't know what it is with FDE writers, but there seems this fixation with a load of engine torque constantly wanting to roll the aircraft left in cruise flight.  In cruise, the M20 can be set up to fly straight and level quite happily with virtually zero rudder trim hands off.

1. It's not overpowered, as you said it's no M20M.    The M20R manual says: 1000ft 23/2400 (65%) = 168ktas  

2. R U sure that you have the realism sliders set at max (fully to the right), the fuel is balanced and the joystick correctly calibrated? Just tested and at 2000ft at 23/2400 I get 169ktas with the M20R remaining wings level without any rudder trim applied.

 

@Gregg_Seipp

Stolle definitely didn't make the old (or new) Mooney FDE as his first plane for Carenado was the 337 AFAIR.

[DavidP 1,408]

1 hour ago, J35OE said:

1. It's not overpowered, as you said it's no M20M.    The M20R manual says: 1000ft 23/2400 (65%) = 168ktas  

1. Don't know what tables you are looking at, but at 1000' @ 65% I see about 150 KTAS in the tables provided by the developer.

[FDEdev 955]

Now that's interesting. I'm using the combined POH & AFM Mooney for the M20R Ovation 2 (with the higher performance engine) and the performance of the Alabeo model matches the Ovation 2 performance. 

The higher MTOW also indicates that this is actually an Ovation 2.