Marc Collins

Yes, we've been working on our first update. Once the first version is available on the MSFS Marketplace (should be soon), we will finalize the first patch. Here's the list of changes so far, which we posted on our discord: Brand new cameras, including default VR view, by Drew Bolton Vspeeds on speedtape, fixed Corrected loading trivia LOD issue fixed Added TO CONFIG button functionality Added dynamic increments to autopilot altitude select knob ELT Switch direction corrected SAI now on an automatic brightness for better night flying New G1000 reflectiions and fingerprints TOGA button clickable on the throttles Increased volume of exterior GPU sound Changed position of exterior GPU sound to better coincide with the actual GPU Many updated cockpit textures Fixed bug where engine ignition would get stuck on the second leg

There was a public announcement on our Discord and Facebook that the Hawker is on hold until more info about MSFS 2024 becomes available.

The Vspeeds are definitely supposed to work in our version. I found a mistake in my code that was preventing them from showing up on the speed tape. This will be fixed in our first patch.

Yes, we are currently in the process of submitting it to the Marketplace.

I find that the plane steers best when the groundspeed is below 10 kts. Above 10 kts, the nose wheel will start skidding and differential braking is necessary. If I enter a turn at less than 10 knots, I do not need differential braking. The engine sound set is the same one that is used in our Mustang. Custom soundsets are a real challenge for small developers. I personally do not have any experience in sound recording or design. It is quite an undertaking to record a high quality sound set. In many cases, it involves chartering the airplane for a day and contracting with a recording studio.

I'm not aware of any plans to do that at this time. FSReborn is currently working on the 300, and I'm confident that Raul will do an incredible job with it.

Takeoff power in the Phenom is at an unusually low N1 compared to other jets. At sea level on a standard day, takeoff power is approximately 88.5% N1 according to the AFM. The FADEC calculates and manages the maximum rated power based on temperature and pressure. The TOGA button is not clickable in the release version, but the functionality should still work if you use a keybind for TOGA.

We modeled the original Phenom 100 that began deliveries in 2008 -- before the E and EV upgrades.

As the engine model developer and a systems coder for the Cockspur PH100, I'd be happy to answer questions about what we've modeled. Overall, this plane is much more well-rounded than the Mustang was at release. The airplane has a custom FADEC that was built from a bunch of real-world data. All of the engine parameters have been tuned to match the available data, including engine N1, N2, ITT, oil pressure and temperature, fuel flow, including fuel flow at all altitudes. Engines have been a preoccupation of mine as a simmer, and it bugs me when engine indications aren't realistic. A lot of effort has gone into tuning this plane's engines, and I'm happy with the results. The lead developer Seb and I have also worked on implementing a custom engine display for the G1000NXi. It isn't perfect in every detail, and we're still learning how to customize it. We're excited that we were able to get close to the engine display in the Phenom's Prodigy flight deck, though. We also have some custom systems code that produces engine igniter annunciations at the correct times, and the FADEC thrust target is displayed above the N1 gauge. The airplane has a ground power unit that can be used anywhere (even at airports that don't have ground power natively in MSFS). It also has baggage that will appear in the baggage area as you add weight. There are some extra sounds (for oxygen push knob, gpu, and some other odds and ends) compared to the Mustang, but it's worth noting that the engine sounds are the same as the Mustang.

I'm personally confused by the suggestion that the TBM 850 has bad sounds. Clearly, it is bothersome to some people, and I'm not trying to negate that. But the sounds don't bother me at all. The only critique I would make (and a minor one) is that beta sounds are pretty quiet. Even with that shortcoming, I would rate the sounds "good" (4 out of 5 stars). They aren't top-of-the-line, but they are respectable. I especially like hearing the rush of propwash and wind when enabling 850 mode and pushing the throttle up to 121% torque.

I just received a mandatory update when I loaded the sim today also. I didn't note the version number, but it appeared to be navdata only. After installing the update, the screen resolution in the main menu was incorrect. Everything looked stretched. I changed it back to the correct resolution in the menu and started a flight. The graphics looked like they were from 20 years ago. There was no anti-aliasing and everything looked pixelated and flat. I opened the MSFS graphics menu and saw that everything had been changed from my previous settings. I clicked the button to restore defaults, saved the changes, and resumed the flight. For a few seconds, everything looked back to normal until the picture froze and the sim crashed to desktop. I haven't noticed any problems with my addon airplanes not appearing, but I had one additional CTD after reloading the sim and restarting the flight and a few stutters that were so severe I was afraid a crash was imminent. This is a first for me. I've never seen an update affect my graphics settings before. Almost every setting in the graphics menu was altered. Edited to add: I don't have any REX products, so that wasn't the problem in my case. I also use MSFS addons linker and only had one addon airplane, one addon airport, and the PMS50 GTN in my community folder at the time. It seems quite likely that the MSFS update was the culprit.

As an engine nerd, I'm excited about the piston engine improvements. Developers will need to update their planes to use the new parameters, but if they do, there are some nice improvements: 1. Fuel flow will no longer *increase* when leaning the mixture at altitude (if use_volumetric_fuel_flow is enabled) 2. It will now be possible to tune the fuel mixture ratio more accurately using mixture_lever_to_ratio_table. Before this, the hard-coded behavior didn't allow enough flexibility to ensure that fuel flow was correct at both full-rich and lean mixtures. 3. Turbocharged engines will now be better supported with use_intake_density_on_mixture enabled. This will fix the bug that affects most turbocharged piston engines in the sim, where you need to lean the mixture during climb.

I have such mixed feelings about this. The deep engine simulation, walkaround functionality, fluid color monitoring, etc are so impressive, but I really don't have a soft spot for the Comanche. I'm sure I'd grow to like it, especially with all the extra features, but I'd be much more excited if it was the V-tail Bonanza. I'm struggling with whether it's worth buying a plane I have no attachment to just for the systems depth. For me, an apt comparison would be the BAe-146 vs. the Fokker F28 from JustFlight. I've been fascinated with the BAe-146 since I was a kid, even though I never had a chance to be a passenger in it. The shape of it was so cool to me. So its sentimental value made it an easy choice to buy, and the detailed simulation from JustFlight is icing on the cake. I read the entire manual, which was a few hundred pages. I have no similar attachment to the F28, so even though the systems simulation appears well-done, I don't plan on buying it. The A2A Comanche seems close to that category for me, but the systems simulation is sure tempting.

Wow, these repaints are stunning! Trying to resist buying this, because I'm not sure how much I'd fly it after the novelty wears off. It's incredibly tempting, though.

The new sim announcement makes me think about who the developer is and whether they are likely to support their products in the new sim, but for the most part I have no plans to pause buying addons until 2024 is released. I am also very likely to buy the new sim soon after it releases, but probably not on release day. I have no problem waiting for some initial bugs to get worked through before jumping on board.