The way to learn how to fly a particular plane is YT. Like the no glass screen autopilot on the Chancellor (this plane is now on a 40% off sale according to the Deals forum here).

 

On 5/26/2024 at 4:53 PM, Matt Sdeel said:

I'm wondering which aircraft has the highest learning curve in all MSFS assuming...

The pinnacle of learning curves in flight simulation, as well as in reality, are non-normal procedures of airliners in all flight situations, such as different weather/terrain conditions. To enter these areas as a user and to be able to carry out the procedures in a realistic manner, it takes more than just knowing which buttons and switches to press in which order in normal situations. It is important to understand what pilots do besides pressing buttons and, above all, why. So if you want to reach the top of the learning curve, I recommend that you consider the right choice as a combination of aircraft and instructor. MSFS related and in German speaking countries this is the Fenix with Cpt Ingo's online flight school. Perhaps English subtitles can be used, or there is something comparable in English-speaking countries. I don't know, but I would see airplane and instructor as a combination. At least if you want to reach the top of the learning curve.

DC-6 is pretty good provided you don't use the "helper" mode and do everything yourself. Piston duke is good too if you're into GA. The Bae146 is pretty complex as well with 4 engines and a lot of steps taking you everywhere on the overhead panel through the startup process.

Bae146 and DC-6 are some of my favorites.

1 hour ago, bofhlusr said:

Do you know if MSFS is sold in Russia?  Makes me also wonder if Avsim is available there.

It is and they, much to the consternation (at least in the past) of this website, have their own Avsim called Avsim.su (alternatively Avsimrus.com). Totally separate entity unrelated to this one. Yes, they are one of the larger and more active sites still using the Soviet Union domain. 

There are only a few of the more "button clicky" soviet era aircraft available for MSFS, with the Famous Flyer An-2 Colt from AT Simulations being one of them, which I think does add to the complexity. Also present is the Cera Sim Mi-17, and in development is the Anoxos Mi-2. So, if difficult includes tons of switchology, those are (or will be) good choices. The Cera Mi-17 is the export version at least with 90% English labels. 

Edited May 28, 20242 yr by STK

2 hours ago, Fielder said:

The way to learn how to fly a particular plane is YT. Like the no glass screen autopilot on the Chancellor (this plane is now on a 40% off sale according to the Deals forum here).

Doesn't always work though. I've watched a fair few vids on flying the DC3 and they've all been wrong. None of them take into account backloading on the engines. You're not supposed to let the prop drive the engine at any point, so you should always keep manifold pressure above square of the rpm. I've yet to see a YT'er adhere to that rule.

Speaking of which, the classic DC3 is actually a pretty touch aircraft to fly in accordance to their real world procedure.

Edited May 28, 20242 yr by s0cks

On 5/26/2024 at 4:53 PM, Matt Sdeel said:

I'm wondering which aircraft has the highest learning curve in all MSFS assuming the user is completely new to MSFS (but knows how to fly DCS' A-10C). Thank you.

Why is the A-10 considered difficult? It is a worthy challenge after having mastered the Fenix Airbus. 🙂

Flying is only difficult if you are at the state I was in 2022, zero knowledge about aviation. If you don´t know how a VOR functions, if an ILS is located at the end or the beginning of the runway, not knowing hidden fun-facts like for example an airport is a four letter code in flight management computers, and with no idea how much "one feet" and "one nautical mile" is, the learning curve will be very time-consuming and steep....

It takes about a full month from not even knowing what "one feet" 🦶is to the knowledge of making the first fully automatic flight with automatic ILS landing. With intense-YouTube-training and lots of writing down notes how the MCDU is programmed, or what a waypoint is, and what every button does. 

Once you know the basics about flying and navigation no aircraft is difficult anymore because they are literally all the same. Just the Boeing FMC differs from the Airbus MCDU, but no other surprises await the keen aviator anymore. There is no learning curve anymore in any aircraft, all systems will be familiar after some time. Just the PMDG 777 release will require some FMC-tutorials.

 

 

25 minutes ago, s0cks said:

Doesn't always work though. I've watched a fair few vids on flying the DC3 and they've all been wrong. None of them take into account backloading on the engines. You're not supposed to let the prop drive the engine at any point, so you should always keep manifold pressure above square of the rpm. I've yet to see a YT'er adhere to that rule.

Speaking of which, the classic DC3 is actually a pretty touch aircraft to fly in accordance to their real world procedure.

Good points in the top paragraph. AS for tough to fly, I haven't flown one. But there were commercial video tapes for sale for years of DC-3's still in regular service in South America. In the one I have, everything at the terminals appeared disorganized and casual in the maintenance and cargo loading. The pilot and copilot joking as they flew along, barely paying attention and obviously not working very hard. The announcer saying how the DC-3 was popular in poor rural areas as a simple solution to their freight hauling needs and that replacement parts were available by mail order for the plane.

Apart from that one 2 hour program and a coffee table book, I don't know much about the DC-3

1 hour ago, Fielder said:

Good points in the top paragraph. AS for tough to fly, I haven't flown one. But there were commercial video tapes for sale for years of DC-3's still in regular service in South America. In the one I have, everything at the terminals appeared disorganized and casual in the maintenance and cargo loading. The pilot and copilot joking as they flew along, barely paying attention and obviously not working very hard. The announcer saying how the DC-3 was popular in poor rural areas as a simple solution to their freight hauling needs and that replacement parts were available by mail order for the plane.

Apart from that one 2 hour program and a coffee table book, I don't know much about the DC-3

Pretty sure those DC-3's in South America are retrofitted no? I doubt they're still using the original wasps. I know that many still in service have turboprops these days.

Edited May 28, 20242 yr by s0cks

23 hours ago, JetCat said:

Why is the A-10 considered difficult? It is a worthy challenge after having mastered the Fenix Airbus. 🙂

Flying is only difficult if you are at the state I was in 2022, zero knowledge about aviation. If you don´t know how a VOR functions, if an ILS is located at the end or the beginning of the runway, not knowing hidden fun-facts like for example an airport is a four letter code in flight management computers, and with no idea how much "one feet" and "one nautical mile" is, the learning curve will be very time-consuming and steep....

It takes about a full month from not even knowing what "one feet" 🦶is to the knowledge of making the first fully automatic flight with automatic ILS landing. With intense-YouTube-training and lots of writing down notes how the MCDU is programmed, or what a waypoint is, and what every button does. 

Once you know the basics about flying and navigation no aircraft is difficult anymore because they are literally all the same. Just the Boeing FMC differs from the Airbus MCDU, but no other surprises await the keen aviator anymore. There is no learning curve anymore in any aircraft, all systems will be familiar after some time. Just the PMDG 777 release will require some FMC-tutorials.

 

 

The A-10 is an aircraft used by the military. It is difficult because it is not only about flying. It's also about surviving. And to survive you have to know how to "fly" different types of missiles, bombs, rockets, and so on that fly faster than a speeding bullet.  And you also have to know what the opposing pilot can use against you and how to avoid them when flown with you as their destination. lol.  To do all that means having to learn many things, and there are many computer systems involved in a battlefield where the only rule is survival.

I agree that the Leonardo Maddog is one of the tougher ones to learn, mainly because there aren't any technological babysitters (FADEC/etc) to rescue you when you get overeager with a control.

Systems-wise, I think if you've mastered the DCS A10, it'll just take a little donking around in the new cockpit of any modern airliner to figure out its FMS, which is always going to be less complex than what you were doing in the A10.

The military has the time to put in to train its pilots heavily, which means they don't care as much if a cockpit isn't user-friendly and therefore hard to use. There aren't a whole lot of military jets that are easier to learn from a systems perspective than the toughest civilian airplane.

Actually probably the toughest to learn in MSFS would be the AN-225, simply because everything's in Russian so it'll take you awhile to figure out what a lot of the buttons do. 😉