Just Flight’s PA-28R Arrow III, currently your favorite GA airplane in MSFS, will soon have company from its most powerful sibling. The Turbo Arrow III/IV is nearing completion and should be out in the coming weeks.

Here --> https://www.justflight.com/in-development/pa-28r-turbo-arrow-iii-iv-microsoft-flight-simulator

 

Yea I dunno...I was flying the regular arrow last nite and noticed I was able to climb a bit too aggressively as compared to what the specs of the real plane are. I think I was easily able to maintain about 1,200fpm climb at 100kts (I stopped at 6,000ftmsl) with half fuel and no Px. Doesn't this seem a bit much? Maybe for a turbo version yea, but... I dunno.

27 minutes ago, hangar said:

Yea I dunno...I was flying the regular arrow last nite and noticed I was able to climb a bit too aggressively as compared to what the specs of the real plane are. I think I was easily able to maintain about 1,200fpm climb at 100kts (I stopped at 6,000ftmsl) with half fuel and no Px. Doesn't this seem a bit much? Maybe for a turbo version yea, but... I dunno.

The book numbers for a 200 HP PA-28R-201 are 837 fpm sustained best rate of climb, presumably at max weight because that is how POH tend to do it. 

Vy for an Arrow is actually 90 knots at max weight but will be lower than that with reduced weight

So who knows 😄 

• your getting 350 fpm more than the book figure of 837 fpm
• we do not know the power settings for the book figure which may be lower than yours as they assume sustained climb
• your weight is presumably lower than the book figure improving climb performance
• you are not flying at Vy hence reducing climb performance

 

NOTE THAT the Turbo Arrow will probably have almost identical performance to the current Arrow below 6000' it will not have a significant effect on performance until more like 18,000 feet.  The turbo is to compensate for thinner air at altitude, not increase the power near sea level.

Edited May 8, 20215 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

I'll probably do some quick testing with it today at max weight to see what the difference is...as far as power settings I was using 25/25 during climb.

So maybe when light they can actually do  a 1000-1500fpm climb at around sea level to 5,000msl? Yea I doubt it, but who knows...and every plane is different in the real world, but still this seemed a little too lively 🙂

I found some chatter here about how sluggish they can be at high altitude airports (the non turbo):

Piper Arrow Gross weight - High altitude | Pilots of America

 

Here's another thread trying to talk people out of buying the Turbo's, lol:

Turbo vs non-turbo Piper Arrow | Pilots of America

 

Edited May 8, 20215 yr by hangar

1 minute ago, hangar said:

I'll probably do some quick testing with it today at max weight to see what the difference is...as far as power settings I was using 25/25 during climb.

So maybe when light they can actually do  a 1000-1500fpm climb at around sea level to 5,000msl? Yea I doubt it, but who knows...and every plane is different in the real world, but still this seemed a little too lively 🙂

I found some chatter here about how sluggish they can be at high altitude airports:

Piper Arrow Gross weight - High altitude | Pilots of America

 

Here's another thread trying to talk people out of buying the Turbo's, lol:

Turbo vs non-turbo Piper Arrow | Pilots of America

 

Yeah, no idea really, but if the book says 837 fpm you would think 1000 fpm is possible with less weight..

The one comment I read on real life forums that absolutely fits the JF aircraft in game,  is that they "acquire all the flight characteristics of a house brick" with flaps and no power. In game apply full flaps and cut power and you can quickly end up in a stall with the yoke all the way back dropping at some massive rate.

I have actually reverted to my FFB stick instead of Yoke when flying the Arrow in game as the FFB gives me a lot more feedback, discouraging me from cutting power too much on short final and falling out of the sky.

15 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

discouraging me from cutting power too much on short final and falling out of the sky.

Yea but I noticed that with the new update they reduced various drag parameters...dunno what that was all about...but typically when flaps are full I just pitch for around 70 kts on final and SLOWLY reduce throttle over fence...you cant kill the throttle early like you can in more slippery planes 🙂

 

3 minutes ago, hangar said:

Yea but I noticed that with the new update they reduced various drag parameters...dunno what that was all about...but typically when flaps are full I just pitch for around 70 kts on final and SLOWLY reduce throttle over fence...you cant kill the throttle early like you can in more slippery planes 🙂

 

Yeah, it is kind of important to know your aircraft 😄   Swapping from the P149 one flight to the Arrow the next is a case in point, it is really hard to adjust once your settled in with one aorcaft.

These issues are important in real life as well ... this accident report is a Turbo Normalised Bonanza, not an Arrow,  but touches on the same points and is worth a watch ...

 

 

@Glenn Fitzpatrick Now I want to know what the accelerate stop distance is for all of my aircraft!

6 minutes ago, hangar said:

@Glenn Fitzpatrick Now I want to know what the accelerate stop distance is for all of my aircraft!

lol ... useful information indeed - the stuff about resisting the temptation to pull back on the Yoke too early if your struggling to get airborne is very good advice as well  😄  That guy has a really good channel I subscribe to it.

I just did a quick flight in the Arrow trimmed for 90 kts climbing from 1000' and it seems close or even a touch under the book numbers.  Pretty much a sustained 700 - 800 fpm though it can go over that for a few seconds if the nose comes up temporarily.  I think it is actually pretty close to the book figure of 837 fpm to be honest.

2 minutes ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

I just did a quick flight in the Arrow trimmed for 90 kts climbing from 1000' and it seems close or even a touch under the book numbers.  Pretty much a sustained 700 - 800 fpm though it can go over that for a few seconds if the nose comes up temporarily.  I think it is actually pretty close to the book figure of 837 fpm to be honest.

Ok, was this at max weight? What were your MP/RPM?

Edited May 8, 20215 yr by hangar

Just now, hangar said:

Ok, was this at max weight?

About 50 lbs under max weight (100% fuel, 4 passengers between 170 and 200 lbs each, no luggage),  gear up, no flaps, mixture set to just rich of peak EGT, prop at 2500 but full throttle so more like 28 manifold, live weather with baro at 30.00 .  There was a 5 knot tailwind but that should be irrelevant.

Not a particularly rigorous test but the numbers seem in the ball park with the POH .

@Glenn Fitzpatrick

Ok, just tested it at full weight and get the same results as you...it's around 800fpm climb. The weight really makes a huge difference, but I guess with an aircraft this small 20% of it's max weight would.

9 hours ago, hangar said:

Yea I dunno...I was flying the regular arrow last nite and noticed I was able to climb a bit too aggressively as compared to what the specs of the real plane are. I think I was easily able to maintain about 1,200fpm climb at 100kts (I stopped at 6,000ftmsl) with half fuel and no Px. Doesn't this seem a bit much? Maybe for a turbo version yea, but... I dunno.

Depends on the flight conditions. Remember, the POH is written for a standard day, which you very rarely have. Try taking off out of Flagstaff in the summer at noon and tell me what you get. “I can’t get book numbers for my plane!”

Edited May 8, 20215 yr by mtr75

Also, there’s a reason why turbo non-pressurized pistons are like unicorns: sure they have better high altitude performance, but who wants to fly a piston single with a cannula stuck up their nose? Plus unless you’re flying more than 400 NM or so, the time to climb and descend, along with the considerations for warning and cooling the turbocharger just aren’t worth it. That’s why planes that fly I’m the flight levels are pressurized and generally turbine or turboprops. Non-pressurized turbo singles just don’t make a whole lot of sense. 

13 hours ago, guibru said:

Just Flight’s PA-28R Arrow III, currently your favorite GA airplane in MSFS, will soon have company from its most powerful sibling. The Turbo Arrow III/IV is nearing completion and should be out in the coming weeks.

Here --> https://www.justflight.com/in-development/pa-28r-turbo-arrow-iii-iv-microsoft-flight-simulator

I'll pass on this one.  Unless your taking the bird up past 10,000ft there's no difference in performance.  I was hoping they've move on to another more interesting aircraft.  I guess there's more to squeeze out of this turnip.