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Phillip Gallagher

Next aircraft to buy?

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It's time to buy a new add-on!  I seem to have almost everything already but I've made the following short list of top contenders to be added to my hangar:

 

Carenado S550

 

Carenado Hawker 850

 

Milviz King Air 350i

 

Ifly 747 v2

 

I'm leaning heavily toward the King Air.  Any opinions on these?

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Carenado S550 - Not bad, but definitely do not be tempted by the "Enhanced FMC/Navigraph expansion"; the plane is better without it IMHO.  It messed up the MFD and lowers frame rates. Without it the plane is ok but a little simplified.  With the latest SP the AP generally works well, sounds are ok, VC is beautiful (as always with Carenado), and hand flying dynamics are really nice.  If you want a "hop in and get flying quickly, using a default FSX flight plan" sort of biz jet then it really fits the bill.

 

Carenado Hawjer 850 - I don't have it but have you read the reports?? ...... lots (and I mean lots) of problems reported with the AP in the release version, and the SP that was meant to fix them appears to have broken the APPR mode.   People have complained of FMC problems, fuel management and flow disrepancies, and other problems.    Looks a nice jet in terms of visuals but seems like a further SP is definitely needed before considering a purchase.

 

Milviz 350i - Well, it's going to be stunning but it's still at Alpha testing stage so there is a lot "not there" yet.   The ProLine is already looking good.   It doesn't have a sound set yet which gives you an indication of it's unfinishedness.  But it looks fantastic and handles great.  As long as you buy it knowing that it's a "pre-release" version, in Alpha testing stage, it can certainly be enjoyable.

 

iFly 747 - Stunning visuals, deep systems (on par with PMDG), wonderful FDE, wonderful sounds, great features.  But on my system, the worst performer in terms of Frame Rates, smoothness (lack of) and stutters I've ever seen.    Tried everything to get acceptable performance (even running with no autogen, traffic, etc and reducing texture sizes) but with no luck, and had to return it under the F1 refund guarantee, as it just wasn't usable for me.   Frames could start high and then unexplained stuttering and 10 FPS from nowhere.... lasts 3 minutes then the high frames return.   OOMs.   Just something not right with the optimization of this bird (not improved by the SP1 unfortunately).  

 

PS. I get 30 FPS solid in the NGX at UK2000 Heathrow with medium-high FSX settings, to give you an idea of what I'd normally be getting.

 

Hope this helps you reach your choice.   From these options, I think I'd recommend the S550 or the 350i, depending on your priorities.

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What about the Flight1 B200 King Air instead?  It is outstanding!


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What about the Flight1 B200 King Air instead?  It is outstanding!

+1 and the MilViz 350i.  If you love turbo prop, get them.


Vu Pham

i7-10700K 5.2 GHz OC, 64 GB RAM, GTX4070Ti, SSD for Sim, SSD for system. MSFS2020

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If it is not in your Hangar, I would recommend the RealAir Turbine Duke v2. In combination with the Flight1 GTN750. It is just a joy to fly (handflying and autoflight)


Klaus Schmitzer

i7-14700KF 5.6GHz Water Cooled /// ZOTAC RTX 4070 TI Super 16GB /// 32GB RAM DDR5 /// Win11 /// SSDs only

DCS - XP12 - MSFS2020

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If you want to wait and save up, or have enough already, your next investment should be the Aerowinx PSX 747-400 simulator.

 

PSX 744 simulates the Boeing 747-400 in full detail - every single system from OEM data and real world pilot input - every system down to ACARS, CPDLC, and DATALINK, and you even get a working flightdeck printer... Yes, you read that correctly, even the flight deck printer is fully working and a virtual hand will rip the paper from the printer! On top of all that, circuit breakers are fully working and you can even put (virtual) elastic bands on the CBs, which come in blue, yellow, and red - depending on how your airline maintenance department colour codes them.

 

I have actually worked with the developer, Hardy, improving PSX's EGPWS system with my training notes and actual aircraft footage and I will say - not a lot of developers out there do it better when it comes to responding to customer comments for improvements. Hardy came up with an algorithm in his code quicker than I could walk to Tim Hortons to buy lunch - I'll leave it at that.

 

Getting back on topic, PSX is a standalone sim with its own weather and visuals system, you can hook it up to FSX, P3D, X-Plane, and Google Earth without loss of FPS. Actually, PSX runs at 72 FPS on all PCs.

 

I will warn you in advance - PSX only has a 2D pane. Why? Because PSX is, and always will be, used by aviation professionals, airlines, and flight academies for computer-based-training. It is / was never meant for the entertainment category. It is for professional use. It is more of a "systems simulator" that simulates the entire 747-400 avionics systems in full detail rather than just the "output" of the systems. Heck, my academy is planning on getting classroom copies of PSX to assist in the training process of the 744 type rating. I just bought my copy beforehand! PSX is a professional training software - keep that in mind before complaining about no virtual cockpit. Think of it as cockpit building software.

 

And what you're seeing is all developed by a 1 man team. Hats off to Hardy and remember to drop by the forum to say a 'thank-you' to him if you purchase!

 

www.aerowinx.com

 

Regards,


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TFDi Design

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