1 hour ago, ryanbatc said:

I really need to consider this especially with the upcoming TDS *redacted* update 😉 

I’ve never flown one, but I’ve flown in a few (newer) ones. Handling appears to be quite representative: very sporty & responsive yet still smooth and precisely controllable. 

a genuine pleasure to operate. 

Leonardo MD80 and A2A for me.

Fenix, bar NONE... Everything is top notch, and they dont act entitled and arrogant to boot, never change Fenix, never change...

GA:

1. Starship (Black Square)
2. Duke (Black Square)
3. Tie between C 414 (FlightSimWare) and PC12 (SWS)

When I (rarely) venture into airliners:

1. A 380 (FBW)
2. F 28 (JustFlight)
3. DC 6B (PMDG)

Since I find tubeliners a little dull these days I will comment on things in the GA sphere.

Cannot comment on the Starship (yet), but the Duke (both of them) is just beyond comprehension. It is utterly brilliant from mesh to textures to sound to procedures to flight dynamics. I have spent dozens of hours in the C414 and can absolutely echo all the positive things said about that one (but haven't touched that for a while).

Busy learning systems on the Citation X, opinion on hold (but if the P.180 is anything to go by I expect an airframe that 'feels' right" representative of the power and weight, lands like only a not-asobo bird can).

In helicopters we have, at last, a real contender with the Taog 500C (both versions, of course). Barring a few niggles thanks to the restrictions of the MS flight modelling the Magnum chopper is right up there with the best of them. The Huey was brilliant, this is better (my perspective is obviously solely MSFS 2024). @ryanbatc if you are on the fence with this one (and happy to occasionally stray outside FW) then you can safely buy the 500.

Special mention also to the Flyboy Rans S6S. Not the type of aircraft I would normally spend money on, but a forum recommendation convinced me to try it and ... excellent. Better than excellent. Try it for yourself.

I've agreed with most of what most have said here but just cannot get my head around the followers of the FSR500. Yes I agree Raul has pushed the envelope in many respects, but (for my liking) there is far too much of it that feels like a budget-basement add-on, and that ego ... 🤔 [insert shrug emoji]

19 minutes ago, lupedelupe said:

I've agreed with most of what most have said here but just cannot get my head around the followers of the FSR500. Yes I agree Raul has pushed the envelope in many respects, but (for my liking) there is far too much of it that feels like a budget-basement add-on, and that ego ... 🤔 [insert shrug emoji]

Seconded. 

Several people here have listed the iFly 737 Max… do you mind if I ask how you learned to get it started and fly it?

I’m trying to learn to fly it and finding it tough to find good YouTube videos that aren’t just running through a checklist. Any recommendations?

ps… a few of you listing the Kodiak… I’m surprised… that plane is fundamentally flawed at lower torque. There’s something wrong with its flight model. 

Edited August 1, 2025Aug 1 by Virtual-Chris

19 hours ago, Speedbird 217 said:

the PMDG 777 but I agree with the sentiment that they keep reheating and reselling the same thing since P3D days. There's just very little innovation, not making use of any of the new features in MSFS

I support PMDG, but I have to agree with that statement.

Only do GA / Bush so:

1) A2A Comanche

2) Cows DA42

3) Cows DA40

In terms of time spent:

1. Fenix
2. DA40 (COWS)
3. DC-6 (PMDG)

2 hours ago, Virtual-Chris said:

Several people here have listed the iFly 737 Max… do you mind if I ask how you learned to get it started and fly it?

I’m trying to learn to fly it and finding it tough to find good YouTube videos that aren’t just running through a checklist. Any recommendations?

A330 Pilot on Youtube has some good full flight videos using it which are useful. Also there's a user called Stearmandriver2 on the official Flight Simulator forum who I think is a real 737 pilot and his posts have been very helpful in understanding some of the flight dynamic quirks of the MAX.

Really though, if you've ever flown the PMDG 737NG (or any other 737 model), then you should feel right at home in the cockpit of the MAX. The only real difference are the bigger engines and bigger screens. Overhead panel, FMS, autopilot modes etc is all exactly the same as the NG.

Edited August 1, 2025Aug 1 by Tom Wright

My current favorites:

-  Taog’s Hangar SA315B Lama

-   Gotfriend’s Discus 2c and AS 33 Me

-  Blacksquare’s Turbine Duke

-  SWS’ Kodiak

and, in the range of tubeliners

-  Fenix’ A320

-  inibuilds A350

-  JF’s RJ Series

Aerostar 

Comanche

TBM 850

Piaggio

20 hours ago, Bert Pieke said:

What makes it all perfect is the work done on the Garmin avionics by Working Title, and TDS.

Hear hear!  For GA pilots, these two pieces really make it all work!

No tubes for me, so...

1) Black Square Piston Duke
2) Black Square TBM 850
3) Black Square Turbine Duke

Black Square's planes just feel alive, and the Dukes in particular are just an absolute joy to hand fly and land.  I fly other planes, but always smile when I come back.  And I know I'm in the minority preferring the Piston Duke (in particular, the Grand Duke) to the turbine, but I'm a piston guy at heart and the sounds in the Grand Duke are just...!

Still on the fence about picking up the Starship.  I KNOW it'll be excellent, I'm just not sure the quirky avionics and systems are my cup of coffee.  And I anxiously await the re-do of the Bonanza and Baron. 

Some great aircraft addons out there right now, with more on the way!

 

Scott

It varies as we go along, but right now the following are my three favourites, in no particular order:

A2A's Comanche

Just Flight's Avro Vulcan

PMDG's DC-6.