P3Dv4 Alabeo Mooney Ovation - Showcase

JYW · August 22, 2017

The last 3 or 4 Carenado and Alabeo purchases for me, have resulted in regrets. This one hasn't. I like it.

It's immersive and atmospheric. Those expecting a shiny new Mooney with 0 hours on the Hobbs will be disappointed. This is an older aircraft. Not 70s older but perhaps 90s I'd guess? It's just nicely worn in, in the right places. Luckily this is exactly how I like my aircraft addons. :)

Texturing is the usual high quality Alabeo job. Hard to fault in any area. In an unusual move, Alabeo offer two complete seperate aircraft installations - one standard and one 'lite'. I mean completely different aircraft folder, and you need to (for example) activate the GTN750 in both. Not sure why they've take this approach - guess there must be a benefit.

This is the lite model, as I've afraid P3Dv4 doesn't perform great with my modest system.

Engine sounds themselves are nice - very nice to me - throaty!! BUT...... Alabeo have been lazy and are definitely reusing a starter and cut sound from another aircraft. I recognise it (I think it's the Saratoga IITC) and the starter / cut sounds just don't blend in with the main engine sounds.

Took it for a quick circuit - I have zero knowledge, experience or authority with Mooneys but all I can say is that it flies nicely, feels convincing and immersive. There are enough Mooney oddities to make things interesting in the aircraft and not just like 'every other Alabeo'. Eg... The fuel pump switch is under a plastic guard that must be flipped. Other cockpit controls are in unusual places and well, it's clear this isn't a Cessna or Piper. It's immersive and I think most simmers will enjoy it.

I think that the 'lite' model shown in these pics, uses 1024 textures in the VC. I'd guess the 'full' version uses 4096 as per Alabeo/Carenado standards. Don't forget you'll have to tweak the VC_Texture setting in the Prepar3d.cfg to get VC textures above 1024 !!

(Click on each pic to see it full size).