6 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

Not meaning to derail the thread, but as the DA-42 has been mentioned as a possible real life successor, has anyone tried the COWS DA-42.  It is on a black Friday offer at the moment. 

I already have the BS Baron and Bonanza, but the DA-42 would be something different with the G1000.

It is absolutely amazing.

To me, A2A / BlackSquare level, but underrated and doesn't get the hype.  Flies, looks and sounds like a dream.  The best external aircraft model I've seen in any sim.

PS... Their DA40 is just as good - and comes with both the European NG TDI version and the North American XLS (Lycoming) version.

Stunning value, even at full price.

I've become a quality snob and the only aircraft I have installed now are the A2As, Black Squares, COWS and FS Reborn Sirius. 

Another positive vote for COWS.  They frequently update their products long after release.  They even released a new variant of the DA40 for free for existing -40 customers.  One of those developers I always support.  I'm not a real pilot or an expert on the systems, but they fly well and seem to have a lot of depth.  

The Black Square planes have all my attention right now, but I flew the heck out of the COWS stuff the last year in 2024.  Their 42 is older, but they just went and updated all their aircraft recently (again all for free).  

They have a Discord that is worth checking out too.  I was having a "problem" where pulling back the throttle would not reduce the manifold pressure right away.  I search the support discord and there it was, a video of the real plane doing exactly what it does in the sim.  

I don't think COWS 42 has a failure mode, does it? I know it monitors some of the parameters on the engines for wear and tear but I am not sure how comprehensive it is.

Also, the nose does not look correct. Every real DA42 I have seen has the radome bolted to the nose but the COWS representation has no bolts, it looks like a unibody plastic-like mold. It is a small point I am sure but it throws me off when I see it and breaks the immersion. Am I missing something? Is COWS modelling another model type with a different nose?

56 minutes ago, Cognita said:

...Every real DA42 I have seen has the radome bolted to the nose but the COWS representation has no bolts, it looks like a unibody plastic-like mold...   ...Am I missing something? Is COWS modelling another model type with a different nose?

Yes, they are modelling the DA-42V that doesn't have the radome bolted on, it uses Velcro(TM) attachment strips instead to save weight. 

In all seriousness, there are pictures of the DA-42 on the internet where the bolts don't seem to be present; not sure if they are of the NG version. 
Maybe someone else can enlighten us, because it would be unlike COWS to miss a detail like this.

Edited November 25, 2025Nov 25 by bobcat999

1 hour ago, bobcat999 said:

Yes, they are modelling the DA-42V that doesn't have the radome bolted on, it uses Velcro(TM) attachment strips instead to save weight.

Ok, that got a laugh!

1 hour ago, bobcat999 said:

Maybe someone else can enlighten us, because it would be unlike COWS to miss a detail like this.

Yes, it is kind of why I asked because their model is highly praised but everything I look at the pictures on ORBX it just looks incorrect. But it may very well be my lack of knowledge.

3 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

not sure if they are of the NG version. 

Diamond_DA42_NG_Twin_Star

 

"Recreated through thousands of reference photos and scans from a local DA42, each and every bolt is accounted for 🤣 during the production of the 3D and texturing."

https://www.cows.studio/work/da42

Duplicate post

 

Edited November 25, 2025Nov 25 by Cognita

54 minutes ago, turbomax said:

Recreated through thousands of reference photos and scans from a local DA42, each and every bolt is accounted for 🤣 during the production of the 3D and texturing."

This is exactly what I see. The first photo posted has the radome bolts; in the second image which I assume is the COWS, those bolts are not there...  What am I missing? There seem to be some unaccounted for bolts!

@Cognita

I did about 50 hours in a Baron.

Most of those flights were ruined by the guy sitting next to me putting large plastic screens over the windows so I couldn’t see out, and throttling back an engine when I wasn’t looking.

If it wasn’t for that guy I would have really enjoyed my time in the Baron.

@mrtommymxr

You found one! The picture is from 2004, of OE-VDB, serial number 42.004, so the fourth DA42 ever built; It was used as a test aircraft for the type. From what I could find the pre VI 42s had a smooth radome.

From what I can see, from the sales literature and the manuals the VI had a "re-engineered airframe" and this is when the radome was changed?  I see the COWS models both the TDI and the Vi so maybe all of its marketing is only of the early TDI version and not the VI?

Edited December 24, 2025Dec 24 by Cognita