While digital gauges in the real world offer many advantages, on my pc the text is barely readable( can't go higher than 1920 x 1600 with my video card) and my " attitude awareness" while flying is no longer there. With analog guages I could scan the panel and have a pretty good idea of what the aircraft is doing. There's also the sheer beauty of analog guages that digital ones don't provide. The provide depth, almost like a real cockpit. I don't know. Maybe it's time for me to be sent to a retirement home....;-)

If you were flying IRL with analog would you sure appreciate “glass”! But I do hear you - “steam” had it charm. There is 172 with six pack and other light sport like Savage that you can pick out of stock aircraft 

Have a look at the Carenado Mooney.

Nice cockpit 😉

1 hour ago, flyforever said:

With analog guages I could scan the panel and have a pretty good idea of what the aircraft is doing.

Yep, just like with an analog clock -- no numbers needed to know what time it is!   😃

In a glass cockpit the use of vertical 'tapes' (bar graphs) can provide advantages similar to analog gauges. For example, if all the CHTs are displayed as side by side vertical bar graphs you can tell with a quick glance if there is an issue with one of your cylinders in your engine.

Al

Edited December 24, 20205 yr by ark

A classic British roadster with floor shifter. With proper round gauge displays, it's a cinch to drive around a steep varying downhill/uphill winding road. I would hate to try it in a modern sports car despite a fine suspension. When visiting a showroom, I ask to see a car with a standard level display option. If there isn't one, then I'm done.

Flight sims: A pointer on a dial (say the VSI) is two inches long on your monitor and its meaning is instantly clear.

 

There are a few analog gauge aircraft in the base sim.  Unfortunately none of them have an autopilot.  You have to get the Deluxe (or Premium Deluxe) package to get the steam gauge 172 with the AP.  Or invest in one of the 3 Carenado aircraft, all of which are on sale right now. 

I'm finding that in VR, analog gauges are working better for me than the EFIS systems.  I wish Asobo had implemented a split rendering system like X-Plan has, where the resolution/refresh rate of the interior of the aircraft can be higher than the outside world in VR.

Once I flew with retired TWA captain for a check out in Piper Arrow with Aspen retrofit. The guy used to fly heavy iron like 707, 727 and etc. So after 30+ years or so he decided to come back to fly GA..

We did some airwork and I wanted to make couple touch and goes. He ran approach check list and stopped at “gear down” then looked at me. I said “what are you waiting for” ? He said “for you to put gear down” I said “ No Sir you  gotta to do it yourself: put gear down, switch fuel tank “. We laughed and he replied “ well when I flew 727 my copilot always put gear down and my flight engineer always balance fuel tanks. We laughed and I replied “now two of them squeezed inside you  body”

So remember guys steam nostalgia and big airplanes comes with  multi  crew lol 

The Carenado Mooney is my go to GA aircraft in MSFS right now and is on sale...highly recommended if you’re looking for a good steam gauge single. The Seminole is quite good too if you yearn for a steam gauge twin.

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

A classic British roadster with floor shifter. With proper round gauge displays, it's a cinch to drive around a steep varying downhill/uphill winding road. I would hate to try it in a modern sports car despite a fine suspension.

This one is in my garage.  IRL. It is still a blast.  Have to thump the tach after I start it to get the needle active.  That bring back any aviation memories?

I had a nice Triumph Spitfire , red, in my garage. I held it until my wife reminded me that each spin around the block cost me $100.00. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Exactly what I have in mine as an option. Only its the later version with the rubber bumper. It still has the wonderful lever shocks that you access under the floor mats. Nothing hugs the road like these. The Lucas electrical parts need replacement, but nothing else seems to wear out! No spokes, but then that's less maintenance, but less fun.  DIY tune ups are easy, but not fast, have to remove the rocker cover.

Before I could legally drive, we could bike (legally) to local airstrip to hoe weeds and such, being paid in flight time instead of cash (we had no licenses of course and really we just 'took the wheel' as passengers). We learned to fly, never how to operate systems nor even talk on radios.

I don't remember any NAV instruments, no ATC. There were others of these type of strips to land on fairly close by. I don't remember any planes being stolen from the padlocked quanset (Nissen) huts, as usually nobody else was around. The only pounding was to beat time to the tunes on the portable radios.

 

2 minutes ago, Fielder said:

Exactly what I have in mine as an option. Only its the later version with the rubber bumper. It still has the wonderful lever shocks that you access under the floor mats. Nothing hugs the road like these. The Lucas electrical parts need replacement, but nothing else seems to wear out! No spokes, but then that's less maintenance, but less fun.  DIY tune ups are easy, but not fast, have to remove the rocker cover.

Before I could legally drive, we could bike (legally) to local airstrip to hoe weeds and such, being paid in flight time instead of cash (we had no licenses of course and really we just 'took the wheel' as passengers). We learned to fly, never how to operate systems nor even talk on radios.

I don't remember any NAV instruments, no ATC. There were others of these type of strips to land on fairly close by. I don't remember any planes being stolen from the padlocked quanset (Nissen) huts, as usually nobody else was around. The only pounding was to beat time to the tunes on the portable radios.

 

the Spitfire had the shortest turning radius of any sports car. I could literally do a u turn in my driveway.

I would drive the little roadster up in hills during winter and when passed the windscreen was covered completely for short time so that you could not see. Because the car was so low compared to other traffic.

4 hours ago, flyforever said:

While digital gauges in the real world offer many advantages, on my pc the text is barely readable( can't go higher than 1920 x 1600 with my video card) and my " attitude awareness" while flying is no longer there. With analog guages I could scan the panel and have a pretty good idea of what the aircraft is doing. There's also the sheer beauty of analog guages that digital ones don't provide. The provide depth, almost like a real cockpit. I don't know. Maybe it's time for me to be sent to a retirement home....;-)

 

The Jabiru package on the marketplace is two different models of jabiru and each variant has a steam gauge and a glass cockpit variant. All up 4 aircraft variants, 2 of which are steam gauge.

It is a good package though due to SDK issues (soon to be fixed) it is still twitchy in ground roll and under brakes. Easy with the throttle and brakes and just takeoff with no flaps it is fine. One of my favourite aircraft.

A couple of videos showing the two main steam variants:

 

 

For comparison this is one of the Glass variants you get in the package:

 

 

Edited December 25, 20205 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

Fly

Agree with you.  Although i am still on x plane 10 i did the boeing thing but went back to GA  just because of the gauges

When i started simming those analog gauges had some magic for me, mainly because i didnt know what the heck each of them do.

And although i started learning how to use them, the magic is still there.  Maybe thats why i dont use GPS at all

And, as some writer once mentioned. dont look at the gauge, just glance at it and look away, the "picture" will stay in your brain to "see"