Well today I am buying the BlackSquare Caravan (it is on JustFlight Sale), but what I want to know is how far is the development done on this current project and when can I get it.  This is day 1 release buy for me.

Edited July 14, 20232 yr by Skywolf

23 minutes ago, Skywolf said:

Well today I am buying the BlackSquare Caravan (it is on JustFlight Sale), but what I want to know is how far is the development done on this current project and when can I get it.  This is day 1 release buy for me.

Just Flight Scott said a few months.  Read into that as you like hehe!

On 7/13/2023 at 10:34 PM, ryanbatc said:

I see the older generation will be happy hehe....looks like an ancient Bendix GPS (ohoh I might be old too - I flew with the KLN90B when I started hehe)

I like how you appreciate the old-style flying and old style flight planning with Little Navmap and Skyvektor, having nothing but VOR1 and VOR2 inside the cockpit.

With the only help while flying through the rainy night being an old KNS-80 or other eighties or early nineties navi.

After studying a few screenshots of the cockpit one can clearly say the Turbine Duke will become the Duke of illuminated seven segment displays - no other cockpit ever had more of these. But what is even more interesting is the Bendix KLN90 GPS - can one input Google Maps coordinates as custom waypoints into this device after converting them into the DMS degrees, minutes, seconds format?

This feature was awesome in the Fenix Airbus, creating custom waypoints where no regular waypoints are available for example near that Eiffel Tower replika over Tokyo or to get an extra waypoint directly over the Aokigahara forest. With strict VOR-only or SID/STAR+waypoint-only navigation this is impossible, that´s why a simple contemporary GPS is always appreciated as bonus.

Why has this plane a white and a red cockpit illumination to choose from? Was this some typical instrument illumination style from the sixties until the eighties to keep the natural night vision of the eye even with illuminated cockpit?

Can´t wait to hop in 😄

 

21 minutes ago, JetCat said:

But what is even more interesting is the Bendix KLN90 GPS - can one input Google Maps coordinates as custom waypoints into this device after converting them into the DMS degrees, minutes, seconds format?

Yes you can. If it is in the real manual, then it is simulated, including custom waypoints of all types, which are saved persistently.

Excellent! Wonderful 🙂 because I cannot really use virtual waypoints with the KNS80 and 81, many VOR have only a radius of 40nm that´s why creating a virtual VOR as LNAV guiding point to a special place or airport is rather limited... most of the time I have no reception at all when flying in more rural areas and so the virtual VORs do not function.

That´s why a simple retro GPS is very helpful for this task.

Which one of the two Dukes will be more exciting and exotic, the Piston Duke or the Turbine Duke? Only 20% of the B60 where turbine-driven so I guess these are more elusive.

But on the other hand the Piston Duke has a more comfortable cozy and nice interior...

I loved the RealAir Turbine Duke back in P3d.  But...  the main reason it was so appealing was the outstanding flight model.  I'm a junkie for a great flight model.  Don't all the Black Square planes just use the default flight models and update the instruments and external models only?  

35 minutes ago, Cavemanhead said:

I loved the RealAir Turbine Duke back in P3d.  But...  the main reason it was so appealing was the outstanding flight model.  I'm a junkie for a great flight model.  Don't all the Black Square planes just use the default flight models and update the instruments and external models only?  

There is no default flight model for a Duke in MSFS as that aircraft doesn’t yet exist in the sim. I doubt they’ll pull a Captain Sim and attach the C152 flight model to it.

Is there anything new and exciting about the awesome Piston Duke? (Wow even the name is great, "Piston Duke" compare that to other aircraft with boring names like C152 or B757.....)

Will we get at least a beta preview before Christmas on YouTube? 🙂

Oh look what I have found!

Is THIS the airplane we are getting?

This is beyond awesome!!! So this aircraft was already released for a different last-gen sim, surely P3D (or maybe X-Plane) I guess? Aw lovely so we can already getting a sneak-peak of the good things that will come!

Are we getting this beautiful wooden instrument panel and the analogue clock on the yoke too? Wow it can´t get any better for GA flying than this!!

Edited December 9, 20232 yr by JetCat
found vids of these awesome planes!

Why put up with the agonizing wait....

 

https://aircraftforsale.com/aircraft/multi-engine-piston/beechcraft/60/b60-duke/6568c195-d32d-4fda-962d-313601178581?utm_source=omail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SME_12/8

 

 

4 hours ago, JetCat said:

,,,Is THIS the airplane we are getting?...

Errmmm, Not Quite... 

RealAir was a different team and their products were exquisite and legendary in most every aspect.  However, they are no longer around as a team and are not producing the pending release of the same airframe for MSFS.  

All that being said, BlackSquare will no doubt do a great job, we'll certainly get the clock on the yoke and if there is no walnut or wood burl panel I will make one myself and put it up for download at the ".to" to go along with my other wood panels.  But I wouldn't expect the flight model and all other features to compare to RealAir only because their efforts raised the bar to a supremely high level that few others have ever reached.  So to expect a new release to be at the same level would be setting unrealistic expectations although if it comes anywhere close we will be extremely satisfied I'm sure.  For starters it looks like we'll be getting both the regular Piston B60 Duke plus the (even awesomer name) Turbine Duke in the same package, which is what the RealAir gents offered in their package as well, 

4 hours ago, JetCat said:

 

Are we getting this beautiful wooden instrument panel and the analogue clock on the yoke too? Wow it can´t get any better for GA flying than this

You can look at the preview sites for the piston and turbine - cockpits look incredible to me!  And from what I understand both will have a complete soundset inside and out

https://www.justflight.com/product/black-square-piston-duke

https://www.justflight.com/product/black-square-turbine-duke

Both will have an assortment of avionics options from what I recall....

pistonduke by Ryan Butterworth, on Flickr

TurbineDuke by Ryan Butterworth, on Flickr

Edited December 9, 20232 yr by ryanbatc

The Duke(s) are one of my most anticipated addons right now, I really wish we get an update on them soon, its been months and we haven't heard anything, the dev page is still the same. 🤞 hopefully before xmas! 🤞

2 minutes ago, Mets737 said:

The Duke(s) are one of my most anticipated addons right now, I really wish we get an update on them soon, its been months and we haven't heard anything, the dev page is still the same. 🤞 hopefully before xmas! 🤞

I think it was answered that release in Q1 2024?  But yeah, maybe an update before Christmas with some textured dukes 🙂

Q1 2024 is here! And even with the new Fenix I am still also looking forward to my beloved Piston and Turbine Duke 🙂 is there anything new and exciting? Any release date? 

Edited January 2, 20242 yr by JetCat
and the Turbine Duke of course....

On 12/9/2023 at 3:44 PM, Stoopy said:

...if there is no walnut or wood burl panel I will make one myself and put it up for download at the ".to" to go along with my other wood panels.  

I hated that panel in my father's Mercedes W124 back in the eighties, but now it brings back the memories...