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I owned and flew a '79 Turbo Arrow IV (Technically a PA28RT-201T) and the position of the MP/FF and RPM gauges are indeed correct for a plane with a stock panel like this. Like sd_flyer, I never found the gauge that hard to read IRL. Due to the fixed wastegate, you really had to watch MP on the takeoff roll, as it could quickly shoot past redline (overboost) once the turbocharger began to spool up. No, it wasn't in an ideal location, but really not that bad. Of course, in the sim it can be a problem, but that's the case for some gauge or switch in just about every sim plane to one degree or another. Turns out that there's another gauge missing in the P3D version that appears to be missing in the MSFS version as well from what I can see in the screenshots and that's the CHT gauge, and it is also critical for engine management in the RW plane. Since the plane as manufactured also lacked intercooling (and cowl flaps, though mine had aftermarket ones), you really, REALLY had to watch CHTs during climbout. As with overboosting, CHTs could redline in a heartbeat if you didn't pay attention. I worked with the developer on the original P3D version, providing images and information on flight characteristics and RW operation and was part of the beta team but unfortunately thanks to an unexpected hospital stay I couldn't provide beta feedback until it was too late. Scott

Attractive, provocatively dressed young lady aside I found the video one of the most unwatchable Steveo has ever done. That flight instructor was just plain obnoxious, overbearing and condescending. One session with him in the cockpit and I'd be looking for another instructor. He gives no time to understand and react before he's running right over the top again. Scott

Dang. You got me! Scott

Huh. Just looked at the linked map and realized I've been down that jeep trail several times and have been within a very shot distance of it. It does not appear to be that far from the trail. Scott

Scott

I also caught this in time to take advantage, so I'll add my thanks to DD for making this happen. It's a win-win, as I've been on the fence about picking up the airports package and the city package. Now that I've got the airports, getting the city becomes a no-brainer. Scott

Ryan asks the critical question here that no one else seems to think of when graphics memory issues come up. There's a big difference between what someone needs running 4K and what they need just running 1080. I'd bet most running into issues with 8G cards are also running 4K. Scott

It's been a while since I moved from LVFR v1 to v2, but IIRC it was a substantial improvement. What I can say with certainty is that I love LVFR v2, it blends competently with Orbx SoCal and I've never felt the desire to move to the Orbx version. If I had neither, I still think I'd trend towards the LVFR version simply because something about the Orbx ramp/runway textures looks funky to my eye. Still I can't imagine being terribly unhappy with either. Scott

It's entirely a GPS approach, so you stay in GPS mode. For LPV approaches like this there are two keys to glideslope capture success with the Garmin units. First, as always make sure you're at the proper altitude to intercept the glideslope from below, and second DO NOT change to APR mode until you see the glideslope come alive on your HSI or CDI. Scott

Must be working pretty well - my air-fuel mixtures are spot on these days. 😬 Nope, I didn't generally re-jet either - but you didn't have to be a combustion engineer to know that the mixture was wonky with large changes of altitude. The last 4x4 I had that wasn't FI was a 1974 Ford Bronco. Loved that thing, but oh my good dog how it would load up at high altitude, especially at odd lean angles or when bouncing off rocks thanks to the float bouncing around causing raw fuel to get dumped down the carb throat. You could very obviously smell all the un-burned fuel. And yes, there were times when I had to disassemble the float chamber somewhere out in the middle of nowhere to unstick a jammed float. I'll stand by my statement that electronic FI is the best thing to ever happen for high altitude driving, and especially backcountry driving in rough terrain. Carburetors are Rube Goldberg devices that I do not miss. Scott - Colorado resident since 1971 (and a Cubs fan for life!)

Yep! Those of us who live in the high country do NOT miss carbs AT ALL!😀 Yes, I knew how to work on them - good thing because I HAD to. Scott

Sorry for the delay in responding... Thanks much for the followup, Frank. Still on the fence for now, as I've actually not had any time for simming of late, but the information is still much appreciated. Scott

No, they are not. You're confusing Riddlez with Turbulent. BTW, I concur that Riddlez did a very nice job with KBLI and was quite disappointed when they basically disappeared from the flight sim scene. They'd announced they were working on two airports I'd love to see done, Santa Fe, NM and Kelowna, BC Canada. Had they ever finished either with anywhere near the quality of KBLI, I would've been thrilled. Scott

Frank, as Al mentions, the pots are basically at the bottoms of the throttle levers. I simply slide the straw all the way down into the quadrant to where the lever ends. I generally give a quick squirt from both the top side and then the bottom side of the lever and then work the lever through the full range of motion a few times. Repeat for each lever (I have two quadrants for six total). Both of my quadrants had become unusable before I resorted to this, with major spikes on all of them. I won't say the treatment made them "good as new", but pretty doggone close. Scott

Honestly, I don't really know. I haven't done it since at least sometime early last summer that I can recall. I guess the answer is, not often enough that I have to think about it. 🙂 Scott

Ray, you misunderstand me. I don't disassemble them. I stick the "straw" on my contact cleaner through the slots so that it's spraying right where the <cough> "sealed" pot is. I then cycle that lever several times and voila! Major spikes are gone. Note that minor noise is still there, but that was there when the throttles were brand new. As noted before, the biggest issue is that these pots are junk from the get-go. You're blaming a technology that can actually be quite serviceable (again I have pots that are older than me that work just fine), based on an implementation of that technology that was of poor quality from the start. Scott

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts Frank. Thanks much! But that's the thing Ray. The pots in the Saitek throttles are about as cheap as you can get. One of my former hobbies was restoring old radio transmitters and receivers and some of those have pots older than I am that are still serviceable. All things being equal, I'd prefer HE sensors to pots as well but it's not necessarily the showstopper for some of us that it is for you. I hear you (and honestly respect your opinion as well) especially as it comes to things like throw-away plastic. That said, my main issue with my Saitek yoke is that it was a compromise from the get-go. It was never great. But it's actually held up very well in its mediocrity for the years that I've had it. It's only now that the (never great to begin with) pots are beginning to cause additional problems. BTW as an aside for those struggling with spikey Saitek throttles, a shot of contact cleaner actually works wonders for extending the life. I often hear simmers claim that this "can't possibly work" as the pots are, supposedly, sealed. I'm afraid they're not as sealed as they should be, and that's likely part of the problem. For all that this technique isn't supposed to work, it's extended the life of my throttles for several years. Don't be afraid to try it as a workaround until you (and I!) can afford/justify a better replacement. Scott

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification. I fully understand the resistance to knee-jerk over regulation. A lot of my early flying was done exactly this way. Flying off private land in a rural area with permission from the landowner. Scott

Please don't tell me you were propping with your finger!? 😨 Scott

I like a good rant as much as the next guy, but I'm truly confused on this one Mark and I'm wondering if there's something I'm missing For background, I started flying RC aircraft about the same time as I started flying for real but haven't actively flown in years. As I believe it is in the UK, insurance isn't a legal requirement here in the US, but it's a practical one for personal protection and also because most (probably all) flying fields require it. What I'm not understanding here is what, exactly, you believe drones have to do with the changes you describe? Is it because you believe the proliferation of drones are causing the rates for your aircraft to go up? From my limited perspective, most moderate to large traditional RC aircraft DO in fact pose larger risks, as they are 1) harder to fly and 2) do not have the sophisticated collision avoidance and signal loss capabilities as their drone brethren. I'm also not understanding why this would cause you to give up a hobby you've obviously got a fair investment in. A quick look at the BMFA website seems to indicate that yearly dues are now 38 GBP and each extra registration 9 GBP. That hardly seems prohibitive relative to what you obviously have invested (unless you have a whole garage full of aircraft you're actively flying) and seems to be less than what I was paying in the US several decades ago. Current AMA yearly membership (the US equivalent) is $75. Not criticizing, just trying to understand the situation that has you a bit burnt. Scott

I'll echo what Al says as well as Frank's comments on USB power management which definitely causes issues if not set properly - I run an aging Saitek yoke, plus PS2 plugin quadrant (the one that plugs to the yoke) plus a USB version of the same, all with no issues on Windows 10. You may have tried a number of things that didn't work, but I'd gently submit that you haven't yet tried it "all". Scott

OK, thanks. At 349 and current exchange rates it's still a possibility. Sure, but in all honesty I'm not as convinced as you are that this will be an issue. On the Saitek side, the pots were glitchy from day one. Not enough to cause problems at the start, but you could see the issue if you looked (in my case in FSUIPC). Over time, this has gotten worse, but that's partly a result of what was obviously a poor part to begin with. My yoke is now something like 8 or 9 years old. (The pots in the Saitek power quadrant are a whole 'nother issue - they started bad and proceeded to problematic all too quickly.) In Austin's vid, it's easy to see that the starting point for the yoke is much better. There's simply no noise to start with indicating a better part. There's no question the HE sensors are the better choice. I just don't know if it's worth almost doubling the cost. You're right, of course. If the Fulcrum really is about to release it's probably worth waiting and getting RW reviews of it before I make the final choice. I've been wanting to switch to something better for years, so waiting a few more weeks isn't a showstopper. Thank you both for sharing your thoughts. Scott

Hi Ray. Where are you seeing the 349 GBP number? The only thing I find on their site states 429 GBP (which does include VAT, but I have no idea how this will be handled for worldwide sales). At 349, that works out to about $450 at current exchange rates - a bit less than twice what the Honeycomb costs. At 429 it moves up to about $555 which I'm afraid is getting outside of what I can justify to myself. My aging Saitek (which has always been a compromise) is about worn out and I don't know how much longer I can wait. I'm personally inclined towards the Honeycomb as it's available today, affordable and, while not perfect, is by most accounts a substantial improvement over the Saitek gear. Thanks, Scott

I've been on the verge of picking up KPDX for a while now. The sale makes it a no-brainer! Scott

Like quite a few here, I am a RW pilot, so not only have I seen, I've done. Using a good wx program and well-done aircraft, I never "fly on rails" in P3D, and in difficult conditions things can get downright heart-thumping. A good example - a week or so ago I flew the VOR/GPS-B approach into rwy 31 at KPSP in the Milviz 310 redux. It was a breezy day, and the turbulence I fought all the way down to the runway had me literally breaking out in sweat. That said, there are other elements of the flight and engine models I would also like to see improved. As noted in these forums many times by me and others, P3D's piston and turbo-prop models are badly, embarrassingly broken. This is base-level stuff to my mind and desperately needs fixing. Scott