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vdae

Just Flight DC-8- should I buy it?

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Howdy!

I have lately been tempted to buy the DC-8 for Prepar3D v4. But I can't decide whether I should buy the Just Flight or the Aerosoft DC-8. I have combined feelings for both dev's aircraft.

The Aerosoft DC-8 doesn't have a fully functional cockpit with non-functional buttons. And the "button action" sounds seem to be "Ctrl+C -> Ctrl+V" from the Airbus. Maybe not a biggie for the most, but I consider it to have a great impact on the immersion. The textures are fabulous though! But not enough to convince me to buy their DC-8.

I have read through the "Aerosoft DC-8 vs Just Flight DC-8" topic, where Aerosoft seemed to be far superior over Just Flight's buggy model. This was discussed more than a year ago, so have Just Flight taken action and "fixed" their DC-8 for Prepar3D v4 under this period? Another cone are the cockpit textures- have they been enhanced or even reworked for Prepar3D v4? I have only come across FSX videos showcasing the Just Flight model except for two which showcase the aircraft in Prepar3D. Sadly, the tutorial flight shows that the cockpit textures haven't been improved. But the video is from 2017, so I am uncertain if the cockpit has remained unimproved since. But the other video seems promising though. The cockpit looks stunning with Tomato Shade during dusk/sunset! But I also want to see the cockpit with Tomato Shade during day-time!:blink:

All opinions and thoughts are appreciated!:wink:

Regards,

Viggo.

 

 

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The aerosoft dc-8 is fantastic. It’s not “study” level but it is very enjoyable and rewarding to fly. It has a functional CIVA INS for navigation that loses accuracy over time and needs updating via VOR-DME. Or you can fly VOR to VOR. It can be very challenging and overwhelming at first but it’s very satisfying when you master it.

Performance is also very well modeled. You can set engine EPR according to the tables in the manual and it will fly exactly as the table states. You can tell a lot of effort went into this and it’s basically a one person team who created it.

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46 minutes ago, vdae said:

The Aerosoft DC-8 doesn't have a fully functional cockpit with non-functional buttons. And the "button action" sounds seem to be "Ctrl+C -> Ctrl+V" from the Airbus. Maybe not a biggie for the most, but I consider it to have a great impact on the immersion.

Hi Viggo,

I felt exactly the same when I got the Aerosoft DC-8. I even was so disappointed that so many buttons are not working that I temporarily requested a refund. But I then gave the bird another chance and started to like it - so much, in fact, that it is currently probably my favourite aircraft model.

Yes, many buttons do not work, but you are still left with a lot (!) of functioning controls. The developer has found a very good balance: having too many click-spots reduces fps, so he picked all the switches that one would operate during a normal flight. For instance, I was particularly taken aback that cross-fuel levers didn't work, but that actually helped me to realize that I almost never used it in other airplanes.

Honestly, the Aerosoft model has so many functioning controls that it will keep you way more busy than any modern jetliner, regardless from which developer. There are so many things to take care: CIVA-INS as mentioned above, fuel tank management, engine management, weight and balance, speed bugs ... If you accept the challenge that the plane presents, you will have a very rewarding experience when you master it. I would call the Aerosoft model a 1960s study-level sim. And it comes with very good documentation.

I cannot comment on the JF version, but if you like early jetliners, this one is probably the best out there.

Cheers,

Peter

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I do not own the JustFlight DC-8, so I cannot comment on it, other than to say that JF has modelled a bunch of variants of the DC-8, including the fat turbofan DC-8-70 series, and the long stick DC-8-60 series.

Whereas Aerosoft has only modelled the DC-8-50 (pax) and DC-8-50 Jet Trader.  But it goes beyond that...read on...

The Aerosoft DC-8 is a really good add-on.  To add to what JasonPC said, you also can (or need to) update the INS to re-calibrate on a long flight, or else it will lose its accuracy, just like the real one.  Nav'ing with INS is fun and different, and this is a really nice thing in the Aerosoft DC-8.  I was going to say the EPR is perfect as to the real-world tables but he already said that :)

It also features a fairly complex fuel system / Flight Engineer panel that requires some management on long flights.   The start procedure is pretty neat, too.  The developer is a good guy and will respond to questions and requests.   One negative, I find the paintkit to be difficult to use.  I do not really notice switches that click and don't really do anything -- but I think there may be a few here and there, like the flight data recorder switch, but I'm not going to hold that over on what is otherwise quite an advanced simulation.

I would say if you really want the other variants (-10, -20, -60 -70) then JF is for you, even though I'm pretty sure it lacks the features of the Aerosoft one.  And if you want to highest fidelity one, and don't mind just having the DC-8-50 / 50 cargo, then get the Aerosoft one.  Personally, I'm enough of a DC-8 guy to buy both, but I haven't gotten around to buying the JF one. 

 


Rhett

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@vdae I can not emphasize this enough, do NOT get the Justflight DC-8.  Horribly broken even after a few "fixes".  Had a lot of promise with so many variants, but its garbage.  The Aerosoft Diesel 8 has been a lot of fun however.  All the studying you need to do to properly manage the Carousel INS will keep you on your toes enough to make up for lack of functionality on the engineer Panel.  Still tons however to interact with though.


Brian Thibodeaux | B747-400/8, C-130 Flight Engineer, CFI, Type Rated: BE190, DC-9 (MD-80), B747-400

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@JasonPC @qqwertzde @Mace @thibodba57 @Reader

Thank you so much guys! I feel more than convinced to buy the Aerosoft DC-8 now!:happy: Great to hear your experiences with the aircraft- both the Aerosoft and the Just Flight model. Also great to know what to expect from Aerosoft's DC-8 and the plane's systems!👍

Regards,

Viggo.

Edited by vdae

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I know this an older post but I just came across it because I'm in the market for a DC-8 since it doesn't seem as though CS is going to come out with a 707 for P3D v4. I see a lot of people like to have all the systems modeled and they even complain when they don't.

This does beg the question for the folks who prefer to have all the systems modeled. Are you flying with a full cockpit crew or by yourself? I do understand the desire to have all the buttons and switches working but a real DC-8 was by no means meant to be flown and operated by one person. I have a strong appreciation for A2A aircraft because all the systems are modeled but you can choose to have  parts of the systems handled automatically by the virtual cockpit crew using Accu-Sim.

I've never flown the Aerosoft or the JF DC-8 so I can't comment on either but I do want to choose one. I can't get a feel for the flight dynamics from the videos people post because most of them hit the ground at between 250 and 500 ft per min. Just an FYI, in the real word, that's aircraft damage and in some cases, personal injury. best case is a plane full of really ticked off passengers. These comments come from real world pilots.

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17 minutes ago, bnesbitt0 said:

I know this an older post but I just came across it because I'm in the market for a DC-8 since it doesn't seem as though CS is going to come out with a 707 for P3D v4. I see a lot of people like to have all the systems modeled and they even complain when they don't.

This does beg the question for the folks who prefer to have all the systems modeled. Are you flying with a full cockpit crew or by yourself? I do understand the desire to have all the buttons and switches working but a real DC-8 was by no means meant to be flown and operated by one person. I have a strong appreciation for A2A aircraft because all the systems are modeled but you can choose to have  parts of the systems handled automatically by the virtual cockpit crew using Accu-Sim.

I've never flown the Aerosoft or the JF DC-8 so I can't comment on either but I do want to choose one. I can't get a feel for the flight dynamics from the videos people post because most of them hit the ground at between 250 and 500 ft per min. Just an FYI, in the real word, that's aircraft damage and in some cases, personal injury. best case is a plane full of really ticked off passengers. These comments come from real world pilots.

I do believe one of the more recent updates for the Aerosoft DC8 included an automated Flight Engineer to handle the fuel-system during the flight if you'd like the workload reduced somewhat. I believe you will still need to look after the INS somewhat though.

Been a long time since I last took the DC-8 for a spin, but it is a fun aircraft to fly from memory, the amount of manual control is refreshing compared to more modern aircraft.


PUT In the UK.

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It is an old post - the recent comments caught my attention as to which is better. I do like the DC-8 and as a 707 is now unlikely to eventuate for P3D I went back to the DC-8s I had in FSX.

I have both the JF and the Aerosoft version. I originally got them for FSX and had both in FSX. The first versions of the JF DC-8 were comprehensive in terms of the models covered (all of them actually) and the textures and graphics were first class but the models were a mess in a lot of aspects. Guage coding seemed to be hit and miss and a lot of functionality seemed flaky! They were also hard on the GPU and CPU and killed the frame rate to the point of being useless in FSX for me!. So I parked them and then later when the Aerosoft DC-8 came out I bought that one (I really only wanted the 52 series anyway). The Aerosoft DC-8 was different and it worked just fine, not perfectly or study level but more than acceptable my only issue was that it had what I would call a modernised cockpit and I felt the JF versions were more authentic in appearance and layout to the originals as the model progressed. I thought the JT8 sound of the JF version was better as well. Thats where I left them for some time even though I had been meaning to do a number of long haul flights in them and get to know them better but I confess I did spend a lot of time in the JF 8 initially until I was confident with it in all phases of flight, start, taxy take offs, general handling, doing circuits etc. The bugs in the JF * appeared as the variants changed so it seemed the  implementation by JF as they added in more was a bit sloppy, the DC8-10 was ok but the DC-8-60/70 not so great. There were pages of complaints about bugs at JF etc etc so I let them slide (parked in the hangar) on the basis that sometimes in the sim world these things never get fixed (and I could not be that bothered chasing down the bugs) and my go to would be the Aerosoft DC-8. 

Zoom forward to 2021 and P3D and V5 (now my only simulator). I re-downloaded the Aerosoft DC-8 now updated for P3D. No issues with it at all! Then I thought I would revist the JF DC-8 and downloaded the latest package for P3D (Plus the additional model addons to give the full range of DC-8's) The JF installed into P3DV5 and I can only say they must have in the meantime finally fixed most of the bugs and on a really high level PC with a very good GPU they were a completely different experience, no more hangs and bugs and they all worked and looked very good indeed. 

The answer is they are both now good renditions of this era of Jet Transport although the later DC-8s the 70 models with EFIS cockpits are a little more simplistic but they work ok too! If you want all the DC8 variants with the more authentic early Douglas cockpit look then go the JF version the 10/20/30 variants are very good indeed. With P3D,  EA and 64bit architecture they both are enjoyable. So I guess both - thats what I ended up with but no recent sim activity other than a few short runs. I am getting to enjoy the little brother the DC-9 at the moment Others may have a different experience but no complaints from me at all now! Both are good, both cover a different niche of the DC-8.

Aerosoft's DC-8-50

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Edited by coastaldriver
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I only have the JF DC-8 in all variants, and these variants are certainly the advantage over the Aerosoft version, wich only covers the early models. There are bugs in the JF DC-8 for sure, but it is possible to fly it. It's again months since my last flight with it but if I remember right the autopilot is working, you can do a flight from one airport to the other with a flight plan. The only bug I regularly encountered is the engine start, which is a bit chaotic. The switches sometimes don't work like expected. But sooner or later the 4 engines run and it doesn't bother you any longer. For me it's one of these planes I can just take and fly without preparation from A to B. 

The model is rather old and they did not fix a lot, just ported it to P3D4 without taking care afterwards. It's pretty typical for Justflight, but I still use them, like the F-27, which also wasn't cared for for years now.

Outside the JF DC-8 looks great, the VC is not high res, but ok. 

A guy presented a bug fix on their forum and said he was waiting approval to publish it. I think he will wait forever an never publish it, too bad. https://community.justflight.com/topic/1634/p3d-v4-x-dc-8-50-70-fixes

A bit strange on his pics, the middle engines are in reverser mode during flight. 

Dan

 


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Yep JF/AH never got their heads around the DC-8 start and reversers then again neither did an NZ crew who pranged one at Auckland doing training! Over the years I given up on fixes for JF/AH aeroplanes - I can never understand how they get them to go to so much trouble and then give all their customers the irrits by not doing a few simple fixes!  I guess they are built to a price and that is it! The DC-10 is another one (of many) but thanks to the work of a lot of people and one in particular it has been fixed and is great now (see separate thread here at AVSIM on the DC-10). It is respectable now but only just!

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On 7/22/2021 at 4:33 PM, SimeonWilbury said:

I do believe one of the more recent updates for the Aerosoft DC8 included an automated Flight Engineer to handle the fuel-system during the flight if you'd like the workload reduced somewhat. I believe you will still need to look after the INS somewhat though.

Been a long time since I last took the DC-8 for a spin, but it is a fun aircraft to fly from memory, the amount of manual control is refreshing compared to more modern aircraft.

Yes I just checked their change log on their site. You are correct. It's not clear as to what is automated but it certainly must be better than trying to be a Capt, FO, and FE. All alone in the cockpit and no time to look at naughty Marilyn Monroe pics.

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13 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

Yep JF/AH never got their heads around the DC-8 start and reversers then again neither did an NZ crew who pranged one at Auckland doing training! Over the years I given up on fixes for JF/AH aeroplanes - I can never understand how they get them to go to so much trouble and then give all their customers the irrits by not doing a few simple fixes!  I guess they are built to a price and that is it! The DC-10 is another one (of many) but thanks to the work of a lot of people and one in particular it has been fixed and is great now (see separate thread here at AVSIM on the DC-10). It is respectable now but only just!

Yes I've been very disappointed in AH/JF for those reasons and a few others too. That's setting aside the fact that AH/JF didn't have one single sale on any of their WWII aircraft on memorial day or D-Day or any other important day in history. I ended up buying the A2A B-17 and while I was there, they had the P-40 for free so I added that to the cart too. That was a happy day. Besides, I don't think there is a better B-17 than A2A out there. I would like the DC-3/C-47 but from the pics, it doesn't really look that great. I ended up downloading the Manfred Jahn DC-3/C-47 freeware and I couldn't be happier. Not too happy about the inop on the gyro but everything else is really nice. Cockpit jiggle and everything.

Anyway, I wouldn't go spending money like that just to see. I rather sit for two hours watching videos to compare and getting feedback from forums like this. Besides, it would cost around 80 bucks to get the whole pack and the liveries to install into a $60.00 sim and they rarely, if ever, have sales on current stuff or anything popular just to say here ya go customers.

I think it will be the Aerosoft DC-8 for me. I'll wait and see if they have a sale on it. They do have sales on occasion but they are buddied up with JF so you know how those politics go. Developers who get in bed with them wake up with the ol ball and chain.

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Honestly - I have been travelling along with the Manfred Jahn and teams C-47 from the first issue it finished on Version 6. The JF-AH DC-3 is wrong, if you take a screenshot and line it up beside pictures of the real thing you see it immediately, too much dihedral and the VC is terrible! You will not find a better and more authentically modelled Douglas than the Jahn C-47. IIf you cannot find a livery for it for your favourite operator your not looking! There are even a few PBR paints out there now as well! It will be Jahn's last - he has stopped modelling now and has said he has no intention of going down the MSFS route. Spent many a happy hour in the Jahn C-47 done the whole Pacific crossing in it as well! 

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2 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

 IIf you cannot find a livery for it for your favourite operator your not looking! There are even a few PBR paints out there now as well! 

You can say that again. I downloaded a United that is absolutely beautiful. Manfred Jahn makes the AH C-47 obsolete. When I first installed it, I flew it more in one month than I did the MAAM C-47 the whole time I had it in FS 2004 and later in FSX.

I wasn't aware until this thread that the JF DC-8 was actually an AH model. Now I get it. I also noticed in the Aerosoft DC-8 change log that they added a popup autopilot. I didn't know prior versions didn't have it because I never had the plane. I think I might just buy it when I'm done converting the Jens B. Kristensen B307 from Cal Classics to P3D sale or not.

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