I'm already looking into a next purchase, but an important part of that includes the flight model.  Some of the default aircraft seem decent.  I flew the TBM a couple times now and found that it trims good on final and lands smooth.  Takeoff in some of the default planes I've tried isn't so easy...too twitchy.  The Longitude and TBM are pretty over-responsive on take off.  Then the Cessna Caravan which floats over the runway way too much, making a normal flare impossible.  I have the Fenix and PMDG, and both are very good in their flight characteristics.   The Fenix seems to tolerate the wind the best, especially on the ground, but the PMDG is decent in heavier winds too. 

So, I've been looking at the C310, C414, Kodiak 100 and the upgraded avionic kits from Black Square.  I like old steam gauges.  Do the Black Square upgrades do anything for the flight model?  Such as the Caravan upgrade from Black Square.  I like the idea of having a Caravan, but if the flight model is still the same, then there isn't much point to me.   Same for their Baron, Bonanza, or whatever else they offer for interior upgrades.  I'm still on the fence with the Kodiak, C310, or C414, as I still find some complaints about them.  Kodiak seems sketchy on take off/low FPS with standby indicator on, C414 lingering bugs, less complete than C310...?? 

I'm used to PMDG, A2A, Majestic, and now Fenix, kind of detail and handling.  Overall, I'm looking for opinions about flight models with respect to the planes considered commonly recommended.

Thank you!

The C310 is fantastic.  It IS sensitive in pitch, but in the same way the real airplane is.  It's my go-to GA IFR platform; systems depth and detail are fantastic.

The Kodiak is nice but always struck me as too twitchy and not draggy enough without CCM's flight model mod.

The Milviz Porter is slower, but it's one of the best flying aircraft brought to the sim.  If you like bush flying I highly recommend it.  Take it for a spin around the jungle strips in the mountains of Papua New Guinea / Indonesia.... all kinds of fun!

Not a rl pilot, so my ‘reckons’ are not worth much, but the payware planes that feel intuitively real for me are also the Kodiak and 310, with the Sting S4 getting an honorable mention.

Having said that, some of the best are freeware. I haven’t used all of them, but the default TBM and 172 now feel very good. But the best imho is the JPL 152. Difficult for me to qualify, being just a sim pilot, but one of my bugbears in most of the planes has been a feeling they have no inertia (or sometimes even mass😅). The 152 just feels like it’s following the relevant physical laws at all times.

Very near, or on par with my favourite feeling fm of all time, IL2BoS’ 109s.

Edited April 15, 20233 yr by scotchegg

I guess I'm just trying to decide what to buy next, lol.  I'm struck by how amazing the Fenix is in a crosswind.  Last night I flew out of SFO in a 15-20 knot gusting crosswind.  For once I didn't have to fight with my controls to stay center or level.  The wind effects in the sim are just too much at times.  I don't think zig-zagging all over the runway in a prop is very realistic.  When I feel like a bobber in rough water with a wind of 5-10 knots, I can't help it get annoyed.  Some of the aircraft I'm flying land better than they takeoff.  I've had a lot of good recommendations, but I don't want 10-15 airplanes in my hanger that I just don't use because the FD are bad.

I'm inclined to jump on the Black Square steam upgrades because I really prefer old gauges in the sim.  It's a lot harder to read and interact with the Garmin 1000/3000.  I do well with the glass screens in the Longitude and TBM, but I just took the default Bonanza out and I just have no idea how to navigate the menus or read things very well.  The flight dynamics in the default Bonanza were ok, but not great.  I just can't find any discussion about the Black Square enhancements modifying the default flight dynamics.  

I'm also considering that I need an eye tracker of some sort.  Navigating with the mouse isn't as easy as it was in previous sims.   

I really really like the Blackbox Islander, which isn't mentioned here. Fun airplane to fly.

19 minutes ago, mspencer said:

I really really like the Blackbox Islander, which isn't mentioned here. Fun airplane to fly.

I recently got it and I can't put it down. It might not be as technically impressive as some of the new releases but there's something about it that has me absolutely hooked.

12 minutes ago, kiwikat said:

I recently got it and I can't put it down. It might not be as technically impressive as some of the new releases but there's something about it that has me absolutely hooked.

Yeah it's super fun. I was flying one around the Pacific for an FSCharter company, I'll probably revisit that extensively once the new WU comes out.

I have no real world pilot experience. With that, I have been using MSFS since it's release. After lots of time with most of the default GA planes, and then the various Just Flight Arrows, I jumped on the Blackbird (MilViz) C310R and I agree, it's one of the most well rounded GA payware aircraft you can get. I also really love the Black Square aircraft. I have them all except the King Air. My favorite of them is the Caravan, and I feel it flies much better then the default Caravan. If you like bush flying, I think you would be happy with that one. It flies like I feel it should, even though I am no real life pilot like I mentioned. Also, check out the WB-Sim 172 Enhancement at the Just Flight store. I have not purchased that one yet, but I have researched it very much and it looks like a similar type of addon as the Black Square addons. You have to have bought the deluxe or premium deluxe version of MSFS, because it uses the analog C172. In fact, all of the aircraft I mentioned are the analog versions, as I prefer them as well. Oh, and I agree with @Stearmandriver above, the Blackbird (MilViz) analog version of the PC-6 Porter is also another good GA release.

Edited April 15, 20233 yr by sniper31

15 hours ago, Orlaam said:

The flight dynamics in the default Bonanza were ok, but not great.  I just can't find any discussion about the Black Square enhancements modifying the default flight dynamics.  

Do you have the Rob Young Turbo Bonanza?  That would be first thing I would try if you are looking for a better flight model.  If you like it, you can get the Blacksquare version for the analog gauges, and add the Rob Young flight model if that is what you are looking for.  As for the others... I really like the C414, and while it is still "under development", I can see no reason to wait.. it is really good and immersive.

The Blacksquare Bonanza and Baron seem to have improved flight models. For example, the stock Baron was, to me, unflyable due to the lack of propellor drag (if that's what it's called). So, with gear down and flaps full and throttles closed, the craft would fly as if it's a glider: just float and float. Totally unrealistic. This was off putting and I never flew it. The BS version is much better and, in my opinion, performs much closer to an actual aircraft. Same with the Bonanza. I assume the Caravan too would have improved flight modeling.