Considering purchasing a few aircraft

[Guest acolvard]

I currently mainly fly the default 172 mostly, sometimes the Baron. I am a private pilot and use FSX mostly for IFR profiency with an occasional VFR flight for fun and sight seeing. I currently have no payware aircraft. I use Vista 64 and FSX SP2 with DX10 exclusively.I considering a few payware aircraft. My current choices are Realair's SF260, Eaglesoft's Twin Commanche and Columbia 400, and possibly Flight1's 172. I am looking for realistic flight dynamics and excellent VC IFR panels. How do these compare to the defualt planes? I would love a 182 turbo with a G1000, but no one makes it. In real life I fly a 172SP, and T182T and a Seneca IV.

[Geofa 108]

The Realair sf260 has incredibly smooth gauges making ifr work excellent and right now that is what I use when practicing ifr procedures. The Commanche has a very good twin feel and that is what I use for twin flying.The flight one 172 is a great depiction of the real thing.I don't have the Columbia so have no opinion.Dreamfleet should be coming out with their planes-they will be worth the wait also.http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1b5baf...b9f427f694g.jpgMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[ryanbatc 12,775]

Yeah, RealAir SF260 and RealAir Scout pack 2007I've heard the COL4 by Eaglesoft is nice too, and they are updating their Cirrus acft for better SP2 performance, so that's like a must have. I think I read somewhere that they are making a Diamond Twinstar with the G1000 as wellDreamfleet is working on the FSX version of the Piper Dakota....so that will be great to have

[Tim Arnot 5]

All of them are nice planes to fly, although I don't have DX10, so can't comment on that aspect.The Twin Comanche does not have either DME or ADF equipment; that may be a problem if you want to use it for IFR proficiency (you couldn't legally fly it IFR here in the UK)

[Geofa 108]

I am curious about this. Section 1-1-19 of the Aim states "charted requirements for ADF and/or DME can be met using the GPS system, except for use as the principal instrument approach navigation source.Is there no such rule in the UK?http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1b5baf...b9f427f694g.jpgMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[Guest acolvard]

GPS can be used in place of DME if the navigation aid used for distance measurement is in the GPS database and of course the database is current and the GPS is IFR certified. ADF is almost a thing of the past. I could not see using the ADF except in rare cases.

[Geofa 108]

I use mine to listen to radio stations while on flights.. :-)http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/1b5baf...b9f427f694g.jpgMy blog:http://geofageofa.spaces.live.com/

[kiwikat 506]

>I considering a few payware aircraft. My current choices are>Realair's SF260, Eaglesoft's Twin Commanche and Columbia 400,>and possibly Flight1's 172. I am looking for realistic flight>dynamics and excellent VC IFR panels.Any of those planes are way better than defaults. However, you should consider the AlphaSim Long-EZ as well. It is cheaper than the ones you listed, and is at least as good if not better quality. The flight dynamics have been approved by real EZ pilots. LOTS of people skip over that plane. I'm not so sure why. Is it because its AlphaSim? Regardless of the reason, it is a pity. It is the best GA plane I've seen and the best GA plane I own. The quality of the VC and 3D gauges is incredible.

[Guest JimC1702]

I have the Eaglesoft Twin Comanche and the RealAir Scout Pack and enjoy them both very much. But the plane I fly more than any other in FSX is the Flight 1 Cessna 172. It flies well, had a superb V/C, and is nice for VFR sight-seeing.JimDell XPS 420 Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0 ghz3 gb dual channel 800 mhz DDR2 RAM512 mb nvidia 8800GT500 gb SATA drive 7200 rpmSoundblaster X-Fi Xtreme Music22" Acer widescreen LCDWindows Vista Home Premium

[Erv Moore 21]

Think you would enjoy the RealAir SF260 and RealAir Scout packages. I fly both on Multiplay. Looking forward to the Duke!Good luck!erv/KSDF

[Tim Arnot 5]

No. Schedule 5 of the ANO (Air Navigation Order) states(1) All aircraft (other than gliders) within the United Kingdom:(a) when flying under Instrument Flight Rules within controlledairspace...Radio communication and radio navigation equipment capable of enabling the aircraft to be navigated along the intended route including:(a) automatic direction finding equipment;(:( distance measuring equipment; and© VHF omni-range equipment.Although, technically you could fly IFR without them, provided you remained outside controlled airspace (ie staying within classes G and F).NDB/DME approaches are still very common here, and there's no particular drive or funding to replace them. We don't have any GPS approaches (although there was a trial a couple of years ago).

[Guest Shalomar]

You can't go wrong with anything from RealAir.The SF260 can cruise at over 150 knots, the Scout is a bit faster than the J-3 at 100 knots. And they are working on a Duke.I just typed a long post about this in another thread, please see my post in "looking for complex, slow aircraft".Best Regards, Donald T.:-waveFLYing? It's cool. Trillions of birds and insects can't be wrong.

[oqvist 11]

flight1 172 is really good but the question is it may be annoying if you fly the real one to notice that and that and that isn

[wb5okj 26]

I will heartily second the opinion for the LongEZ from AlphaSim. Its not really set up for IFR,( can be done though), but it is a tremendously fun plane to fly. The flight charesterics are probably as close to right as you are likely to get in this sim.

[Guest acolvard]

I purchased the Flight1 172 and the Realair SF260. I love the SF260, fun to fly, great gauges, stable, aerobatic, etc. The 172 is great, however it is not DX10 compatible and Flight1 has no plans to update the aircraft, so I will probably ask for a refund. The panel is much nicer but with my setup DX10 has huge performance advantages. Next, I will be making a decision between the Columbia 400 and the Twin Comanche, I am leaning towards the Columbia. I have heard Eaglesoft should have a G1000 upgrade soon.