Dornier 328 XP12

[coastaldriver]

For those interested here is another medium size turboprop worth a look at. The Dornier 328 - this was originally an XP11 team effort and one of the team (the last member it seems) took it up to get if functional and compatible with XP12. 

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/43052-mg-dornier-do-328

I was not looking for a Dornier in particular but Flyingtak1 did the Do228 (ok but as usual with Flyingtak some stuff not done) and the 328 came up on a search for Dornier stuff. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and depth of this model. They recreated all the Honeywell EFIS and electronic systems and the overall systems are correctly done and nicely modelled. Good animations and generally interior and textures to a high standard. 

I tried it originally as just an XP11 drop into XP12 and surprised to find that 90% of it was great, now it has been updated and fixed for XP12 and a few minor things to be done but overall gets the thumbs up from me. Runs nicely and is an interesting aeroplane for the sim. No bad habits and flies well - impressed what some folk could do in XP11 but XP12 not so much these days it seems (too hard or what?)

[coastaldriver]

Looks as good inside as out. Interesting aeroplane. Described as typically german over engineered but had very difficult commercial life with Dornier going bust and numerous changes of corporate owners - eventually hid the skids and they stopped. Interesting concept almost Q400 speeds but small cabin, rough field capable and a good climber in hot and high conditions. PW119s same as the Dash 100s  but 6 blade Hartzell props (ala PC12). The group who put this together for XPlane obviously did their research and it is a very high quality simulation. The recreation of the Honeywell EFIS and PFD's alone is worth it, no Laminar bolt on here. All works very well with the mods to get it into XP12, more to come, they (he) are aware of the turboprop performance issues in XP at the moment and the glass will be fixed in a new update. The updates are spread through the comments section at the moment.  

You get used to the blue cockpit, the original Dorniers were blue too!. Oh and its free!

[JRBarrett]

I’d like to get this once it is XP12-compatible. I spent several years working on two 328s that were used as Part 91 corporate shuttles with a 19-seat configuration. They were good performers and quite reliable. We operated them for 23 years.

Most 328s still flying in the US are owned by Sierra Nevada Corporation and are used for various US government missions. Many were highly modified by SNC.

[Paul Deluca]

Crashed XP-12 with ease. Good bird once finished. Be nice to see a purejet version ..UPDATE!!! I reinstalled and runs fine Thanks for the link.

Edited August 8 by Paul Deluca

[coastaldriver]

I completed a long run today from YSTW to YPDN, 5 and half hours. No issues at all ran like clockwork all the time. Still trying to work out how to get the reverse to work correctly. Fine points, fire tests are all inoperative, CVR and few other small bits like that. Not sure if they will be updated or added in. I made some changes to the engines in the ACF to bring it into line with the PW119's seems to behave itself. But not sure about torque and the props. Very slippery on the drop and no air brakes so anticipation and level offs to bleed off the speed useful technique. 

The ground taxy power is too high but the XP11 manual refers to moving the levers to beta and or feather range on the ground - still have no managed that trick! Otherwise fun and very stable and predictable. 

[Paul Deluca]

Hey Coastal: At the time i submitted my last post, i expected the flight model  to crash the sim again, and it didn't.   Things were ok  for a while during testing and i noticed certain things like   speedbrakes etc. were not working, I am not tech savy when it comes to working on these planes. Otherwise i would love to provide texture to the flight deck, and cabin. The panel is great in the dark. very well  illuminated. Thanks for reworking the engines mate.  

Edited August 8 by Paul Deluca

[Bjoern]

If anybody wants pilots and better nacelles: https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/170267-dornier-328-110-turboprop/&do=findComment&comment=1634527

Note: Do NOT use the included ACF files from that, they're horribly out of date. Instead, add the objects manually in PlaneMaker (obviously remove the old engine OBJ first). Offsets for both the pilots and engines are y = -7 (y = longitudinal).

There's also a purely visual mod to turn it into a -310: https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/89834-jet-variant-mod-for-mg-dornier-do-328/

[Paul Deluca]

Wow  Thanks  Bjoern  for the infomation. A purejet would be sweet as apple pie.

[Guido1996]

I would really like to know why all developers publish their news and files in the .Org. It would be very good if they did it in this forum or if they were encouraged to do it here in Avsim. I'm tired of the Org monopoly.

[Paul Deluca]

Good point We might see things change when Laminar opens the aircraft store.  I spend more time here than the other website.

Edited August 9 by Paul Deluca

[mjrhealth]

17 minutes ago, Guido1996 said:

m tired of the Org monopoly.

No so much a monopoly, it's far easier to keep track of things, when they are all in one place, don't see any of this duscused on that forum,.  Come here to get away from the mods over there.

Edited August 9 by mjrhealth

[Guido1996]

2 hours ago, Paul Deluca said:

Good point We might see things change when Laminar opens the aircraft store.  I spend more time here than the other website.

 

Yeah! That's going to be good. Download it directly within X-Plane directly from the Laminar store itself.

[Guido1996]

2 hours ago, mjrhealth said:

No so much a monopoly, it's far easier to keep track of things, when they are all in one place, don't see any of this duscused on that forum,.  Come here to get away from the mods over there.

There are several things. In the .Org you can't give your opinion what you want. You criticize Flight Factor and they delete the comments you made and if you continue saying how bad some products seem to you then they will suspend you. There is no freedom of expression and the attitude they take is to shut you up.

And I think it's good that here in Avsim they can publish their files just like in the .Org

It would be great if in the future X-Plane 12 store you can access everything from there, that is, payware and freeware addons and update them directly from the store

[Paul Deluca]

To get  back on topic  a 328 freighter would be nice. Example ; making virtual  delivery of  humanitarian supplies to an airport that lost power,with no backup generator. due to a tornado, wildfire etc.  an airport with a short runway. Perfect plane  with an apu in it's tail.

Edited August 9 by Paul Deluca

[Bjoern]

On 8/9/2024 at 6:01 AM, Paul Deluca said:

To get  back on topic  a 328 freighter would be nice. Example ; making virtual  delivery of  humanitarian supplies to an airport that lost power,with no backup generator. due to a tornado, wildfire etc.  an airport with a short runway. Perfect plane  with an apu in it's tail.

You won't fit a cargo door for bulky items on that short fuselage and there only ever has been a single package freighter conversion:

https://cargofacts.com/allposts/news/dornier-328-turboprop-cargo-conversion-stc/

On humanitarian relief efforts, you want to keep the flow of aircraft delivering cargo going, so unloading cubic meter after cubic meter of cargo through a narrow main entry door takes way too long.

Edited August 11 by Bjoern