tanker

CH has supposedly shipped the first orders - Anyone received theirs yet? I would appreciate any user feedback.Dale

I have been a user of FSNAV for many years and highly recommend it. One feature I especially appreciate is that you can go to the FSNAV screens and the simulator keeps flying (just like the real thing) and it doesn't seem to have an effect on my fps.Dale

Interesting - I checked my inventory and found I have 81 aircraft. Of those, I find that I mainly use 15 types. Here are my must-have 6:1. Aeroworx B200 - Great small tuboprop, Does everything well.2. Eaglesoft Cessna Citation II - I have faster, more expensive Business jets, but I seem to enjoy flying this one the most.3. Flight 1 IK DC-9 - I like the old style jetliners with analog gauges.4. FSD Seneca V - This is the aircraft I wish I owned for real. excellent flight model, very good all-around performance. This was a tough choice with the FSD Navajo and the Dreamfleet Cessna 310 close behind.5. PSS Dash 8 - Very good flight model. The YS-11 was a close second6. RealAir SF260 Marchetti - This one does it all, aerobatics, cross country, sightseeing.These six give a choice of a good single, a small twin, a small turboprop, a large turboprop, a business jet, and an airliner. All are much better,IMO, than the default aircraft. All run well on my P4 2.53, GF4TI4600 system.Dale

Over the years, I've tried several joysticks, including MS, but the best I have found is the CH Combatstick USB. It's a big, solid feeling device with plenty of travel and allows very precise control inputs. It has an 8-way hat switch for views and a 4 way switch I set up for trim. It has 5 other buttons you can program, plus a throttle wheel. CH products seem to last forever.I've tried force feedback joysticks, but don't care for them. IMO, it's better to spend money on a good joystick and rudder pedal combination than on an effect which has very limited use.Dale

>>The Panther is a step up in size, is often used as a>>commercial or private business aircraft. Like the 310, it is>>not pressurized, but can fly above 10,000 with use of>oxygen.>>Is this in any way simulated in FS?The aircraft is capable of flying much higher (I have done FL240). It has an oxygen switch, but I doubt it does anything>>>The B200 is a completely different type - it is a fairly>>complex turboprop with no less than 11 pop up screens. It>has>>damage modeling, cabin pressurization, and is more demanding>>to fly. It has an extensive pilot operating handbook (POH)>>What do you mean with more demanding to fly? Difficult to>handfly?>Extensive documentation reading needed? More complex and>therefore more things that has to be done in the plane?I think the plane flies very well, but it is a heavy aircraft and will not respond to roll inputs like an F-16 fighter. You have to "stay ahead" of this aircraft and keep the controls in trim. It is definitely more challenging to land, especally on a short runway, than the default 172.>>>that really needs to be studied. It is visually stunning,>but>>also a bit tough on frame rates. Of the 3, the B200 is the>>most capable, in terms of speed, altitude, and range.>>>The most significant thing that bogs down for example the>Meridian for me is a lot of harddrive accesss. Is it CPU power>it needs or memory?>I have>Athlon XP 2400+>512 M PC333 RAM (consider to upgrade to 1024 M)>Geforce4 MMX 440 64 M DDR graphics card (consider upgrading to>ATI 9800 PRO 128M)>Do I need to make the considered upgrade for the B200?I would think your processor and memory are sufficient for the B-200. I don't get any hard drive access during flight, so I assume it is CPU intensive. Your graphics card, however, may not be up to the task - you may want to consult with the experts over at FFSDale

I have all three twins you mentioned and they are all excellent. The Cessna 310 is the smallest and is typical of a privately owned GA twin. It has a somewhat "vintage" feel to it, the gauges and cockpit being from the 60's.The Panther is a step up in size, is often used as a commercial or private business aircraft. Like the 310, it is not pressurized, but can fly above 10,000 with use of oxygen. It has a very stable flight model and makes an excellent IFR aircraft. The Panther has damage modeling, so you have to pay attention to the aircraft and engine limitations (This can be switched off, if desired)The B200 is a completely different type - it is a fairly complex turboprop with no less than 11 pop up screens. It has damage modeling, cabin pressurization, and is more demanding to fly. It has an extensive pilot operating handbook (POH) that really needs to be studied. It is visually stunning, but also a bit tough on frame rates. Of the 3, the B200 is the most capable, in terms of speed, altitude, and range.All three have excellent flight models, great customer support, and are fun to fly. Hope this helps a bit to sort out their characteristics. Dale

I was able to do the registration by downloading and installing the product, then loading Flt Sim and then the aircraft. Before clicking on the Aeroworx tab to register, select windows mode (ALT-ENTER). I could then use the Aeroworx tab without locking up.Hope this helps,Dale

I've had it since FS2002 and have the updated version for FS9. It's much better than the default Kingair and is the usual FSD excellent quality add on. The outside view is somewhat restricted, but this is accurate to the real aircraft. My only dislike is the somewhat sensitive throttle during descent.Dale

John,Just downloaded the above file - in the readme file, it says"Embraer 170 (v2) ***Dreamwings proudly presents the Embraer 170 (v2). This aircraft model includes following:"I also checked the aircraft.cfg file, and it appears to still be v2. My guess is that they may have switched it back since you downloaded your copy.Dale

It sounds as if you are ready for a light twin. Two good payware aircraft are the FSD Seneca V and the Dreamfleet Cessna 310. A good payware twin is Milton Schupe's Aero Commander, especially the AC500. All have considerably more speed and range than the 172 and all are a step up in complexity, but reasonably easy to fly.The new FSD Navajo is a slightly larger light twin, but has very stable flight characteristics and is also worth considering.Dale

One of the very best large turboprops is the Dash 7 - check it out at http://www.flightsimonline.com/The YS-11 is another freeware favorite. Be sure to read the manual on this one, but it flies very well and the latest upgrade (2.5 I think) is simply outstanding. You can take a look at http://www.alliedfsgroup.com/?RhZbkYiCnAlN...XqH2vX321XkYgjVThe Olesky Dash 8 is a good freeware aircraft if you like lots of procedures and checklists. Be prepared for a steep learning curve, but it does operate like the real thing. My biggest complaint was they made the dash labels so small, I couldn't read them, even on my 19 in monitor.For payware, I fly the PSS Dash 8, but I'm looking forward to the F1 ATR and possibly the new Saab.Dale

Same here. I had to zoom in from the underside and even then, the effect was negligible. I certainly wouldn't want Realair to correct this at the expense of fps.Dale