It looks good from the screenshots - what's the verdict ?

Unlike the Beaver, this one is payware..

I don't how I got the idea this was free, but yeah. Costs about 20 bucks.

So far (from one flight), it's not too bad, and it's WAY better at launch than some of the previous aircraft Asobo put out as payware.

The interior and exterior models look good, and the systems seem to be at about the same level of complexity as the default aircraft, so there's a decent number of inoperative controls in the cockpit, but the important stuff is all modeled and seems to work correctly. 

From what I read about the Caribou, the flight model is pretty good for "matching numbers" on takeoff and climb performance, but since it uses the broken MSFS default mixture and forced induction system (the actual aircraft had mostly automatic mixtures), I did my flying with automixture turned on. The flight model might be a bit fast in cruise, and there doesn't seem to be enough drag from the flaps (the 40 degree setting was almost entirely drag, which doesn't really come across in the FM), but you can get the airplane into some impressively short fields, since the reversible propellers are correctly modeled. 

My impression of the sounds was that they're "okay", since there's nothing glaringly wrong with them, but they don't make you go "wow!", and they seem a bit quiet.

The only immediate issue I could find was that there doesn't seem to be a crew present in the cockpit, but that may be a setting somewhere on my end.

Edited February 24, 20233 yr by ndts

Just to refer to the OP's original question.  Regardless of if it's free or not, I'm keen to hear what everyone's thoughts are on the Caribou.

Pretty excited for this one.

THanks @ndts - just read your notes.  Cheers bud.

Jase

Edited February 24, 20233 yr by JaseMelbo

I'm wondering if it will be available on sites other than Marketplace...

2 minutes ago, danielwilliam said:

I'm wondering if it will be available on sites other than Marketplace...

No. Local Legends and Famous Flyers are Marketplace only.

I did a few flights in it tonight and it's a fun aircraft, the STOL characteristics look to be well modelled.  I landed in a 20 knots headwind so you can imagine how low my approach speed was...I think I've landed with more forward velocity (using poor technique) in some helicopters haha.

Overall an enjoyable aircraft for the price and pretty well done.  There doesn't seem to be an autopilot, not that I could find anyway.  

Like a lot of these local legends it's probably not something that will become one of my daily fliers but it's definitely good fun and worth it I think.

Windshield heat and wipers inop. Oil pressure always over red line. As it mentioned above mixed bag of things. Some switches work some inop. Not enough drag with 40 degrees flaps. You can operate ramp up and down.

Airplane really falls short of AH DC-3 that had more features from the start. Hopefully some similar mods with fix, add and enhance 

3 minutes ago, regis9 said:

I did a few flights in it tonight and it's a fun aircraft, the STOL characteristics look to be well modelled.  I landed in a 20 knots headwind so you can imagine how low my approach speed was...I think I've landed with more forward velocity (using poor technique) in some helicopters haha.

If you follow the in-game checklist, it's actually giving you an approach speed that's about 10kt too high (75kt) for short field landings, and the speed indicator on the top of the glareshield seems to work pretty well, so that's what I was following for my landings.

5 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

.

Airplane really falls short of AH DC-3 that had more features from the start. Hopefully some similar mods with fix, add and enhance 

Unfortunately, since the Caribou is encrypted, I think mods will be limited to maybe fixing the lack of flap drag, since the files needed to add wipers (and maybe windshield heat) are going to be inaccessible.

15 minutes ago, ndts said:

If you follow the in-game checklist, it's actually giving you an approach speed that's about 10kt too high (75kt) for short field landings, and the speed indicator on the top of the glareshield seems to work pretty well, so that's what I was following for my landings.

Thanks, I actually skipped reading the checklist and was going by the speed indicator you mention so all good!

Think I'll wait to see if this gets a little more refined before I buy it, I hope it does. Thanks to all for your comments and opinions.

Seems like a good plane VC and external model look good,flight model seems good never flown a Carabou IRL. The sounds are really nice you definitely know your flying somthing with big radials. In the end it's $14.99 so one shouldn't expect study level honestly I'm glad it's not I fly airliners for a living last thing I want to do is study a flight manual while playing for enjoyment. I just wanna fly cool planes with some systems depth into cool places that aren't LGA haha

Edited February 24, 20233 yr by z06z33

4 hours ago, RichieFly said:

I don't how I got the idea this was free, but yeah. Costs about 20 bucks.

Local legends are never free, they are always around the $20 mark and generally worth it - if the particular aircraft is of interest to you of course.