REALAIR - BEECHCRAFT DUKE B60 V1.5

The Duke is RealAir’s first piston twin-engined aircraft simulation and its development has taken a total of two years. Our aim was to offer the most satisfying simulation of a piston twin aircraft yet available for FSX and meticulous attention has been paid to the integration of every possible aspect of operating this classic Beechcraft aircraft, so that the visual aesthetics, sounds, cockpit and panel, animations and flight model all contribute equally to the highest standards possible within FSX.

New in V1.5

• Optimised LOD (Level Of Detail) models in the exterior MDL file to reduce system resource use when viewing the exterior model.
• Optional medium and low polygon exterior models, in additional to the default high detail multi-LOD model. This option can be set in the updated Duke V1.5 Config Panel.
• Optional mip-mapped textures to further reduce system resource use when viewing the exterior model. This option can be set in the updated Duke V1.5 Config Panel. When using the mip-mapped textures, the FSX ‘Global texture resolution’ slider MUST be set to ‘very high’, or the Duke’s exterior and VC textures will appear very blurry!
• Improved GPS HSI integration. Specifically, the HSI should now work perfectly when being driven by the GPS units (no more Nav flag while under GPS control). This applies to the default FSX GPS and the Reality-XP GNS WAAS units. Please Note: FSX SP2 or Acceleration MUST be installed for this feature to work. Some FSX SP2 users may find that the HSI doesn’t slave properly to the Reality XP GNS gauges - installing the FSX Acceleration add-on should fix this. Alternatively there is an update available on the Reality XP website that should also fix this issue.
• HSI Auto or Manual DTK: ‘Auto DTK’ or ‘Manual DTK’ can be selected in the updated Duke Config Panel. When the HSI is being driven by the GPS, and with ‘Auto DTK’ selected, the HSI course needle will automatically move to the GPS DTK bearing. With ‘Manual DTK’ selected, the HSI course needle must be manually set to the GPS DTK bearing (this is more realistic for an aircraft like the Duke).
• Animated rain-drops on the windscreen glass. Please note: Our personal preference was to make the raindrops quite subtle - we find it more convincing that way. Because of this the raindrops will show up better against some background colours and worse against others. Please also note there are no animated raindrops on the rear cabin windows. When the aircraft is stationary there are raindrops on the windscreen only, and when the aircraft is moving there are raindrops on the windscreen and the pilot’s left and right side windows.
• Improved ‘Cold and Dark’ function. The code for this function was rewritten to make it more reliable, so if you choose ‘Cold and Dark’ in the Duke Config Panel, you will now see a ‘cold and dark’ cockpit every time the Duke is loaded.
• Improved engine starting. Starter motors now more reliable and the Duke should start at sea level on first press of the starter buttons.
• More realistic generator gauges. The generator needles now behave more realistically, indicating an increased current load when the various lights, heaters, avionics, gear and flaps are in operation.

Here is a summary of the key features which the RealAir Duke offers you as an FSX virtual pilot:

A highly detailed exterior model featuring:
• High resolution textures.
• Smooth and accurately shaped 3D model.
• Bump mapping which captures the look of stretched metal skin on the wings and along the fuselage, typical of the Duke’s real world counterpart’s construction.

Optional Reality XP GNS WAAS 530/430 Integration
For owners of the Reality XP GNS WAAS 530 and/or GNS WAAS 430, the Duke offers full VC panel integration of these two gauges. The GNS 530 and 430 have been modeled completely in 3D, featuring 3D knobs, buttons and enhanced backlighting that works both day and night.
When installed into the Duke’s 3D panel, the Reality XP GNS gauges work identically to how they work when installed into a 2D panel (or pop-up window). The only difference is the buttons and knobs are modeled in 3D. All of the default click spots and mouse interaction methods are retained, and the Duke's autopilot can be slaved to either GNS unit.
Included in the package is a configuration utility that allows you to select between the GNS 530, the GNS 430 or both GNS 530 and GNS 430, and you can choose between several different radiostack layouts.
Please Note: The Reality XP GNS WAAS 530 and or GNS WAAS 430 must be bought separately. Neither the Reality XP GNS WAAS 530, nor the Reality XP GNS WAAS 430 are included as part of the RealAir Duke B60 package.

A beautifully rendered virtual cockpit and panel featuring:
• 3D gauges which are exact replicas of the Beechcraft and Bendix/King gauges found in real-world Dukes.
• Ultra-smooth gauge animation.
• Accurate modeling of all the Duke's systems.
• Accurate simulation of the Duke's pressurised cabin. All pressurisation controls work as they should plus the cabin will rapidly depressurise if the cabin door is opened.
• Back-lit gauges and radios.
• Bendix/King radios and autopilot that are accurately modeled in 3D and function exactly as they would in the real-world.
• Reflections on cockpit glass.
• Well-equipped IFR panels.
• The yokes can be hidden with a click of your mouse to improve panel visibilty.
• Intuitive click-and-drag mouse interaction.
• VC variations that include tan, white or black panel backgrounds as well as variations in trim colour.
• Visual stall-buffet effect.
• Optional Reality XP GNS WAAS 530/430 VC panel integration (Reality XP GNS WAAS 530/430 gauges must be purchased separately). When using this option you can choose to display the GNS 530, GNS 430 or both GNS 530 and 430, with multiple radiostack layouts to choose between.
• Jump between VC camera view with the click of your mouse button, or assign custom keyboard shortcuts to change VC camera views.

A highly refined flight model featuring:
• Accurate single-engine asymmetrical performance and handling.
• Highly detailed flight control that is a joy to fly and pleasure to handle.
• Realistic side-slipping.
• Accurate spinning. The Duke is not certified to spin but if badly mishandled it will enter a spin.
• Realistic stall handling.
• The option for either conventional FSX rudder and nose wheel ground steering or passive nose wheel with differential pedal braking.
• Accurate performance figures (cruise, climb, takeoff, stall speed etc).
• Accurate engine handling characteristics (fuel flow, CHT etc).

A high-fidelity sound suite featuring:
• For the first time in FSX to our knowledge, a sound suite that is ultra wide panned in full stereo, so that the left and right engine and other interior sounds are totally separated in the straight ahead view position, and with new innovations that enhance the stereo effect, together with full stereo separation of engine and other sounds in spot view, the whole suite being co-ordinated and fine tuned so that the sounds match perfectly both inside and out.

Comprehensive documentation including:
• A detailed 37 page flying and setup guide.
• Detailed Pilot's Checklists.
• Detailed charts outlining such things as takeoff performance, cruise performance, cruise power settings, range, plus more.

A Configuration Panel which allows the Duke to be personalised. For example you can choose between having the Duke load with the engines running or 'cold and dark' (engines stopped and all switches, fuel valves etc turned off).

Flying the Duke
The Duke flight model has all the ingredients of the usual RealAir attention to detail, but with new innovations to ensure that manual handling has the predictable and harmonised controls the Duke is renowned for. In normal operations the controls are slick, smooth and a delight to fly. Stalls are programmed to range from a gentle loss of lift to deeper stalls and if the pilot really pushes the envelope, wing drops, slow spins from elevator only, more pronounced spins with added rudder and of course side slips, for which the Duke is cleared for a duration of 30 seconds. Yet in normal flying conditions the Duke is designed to be stable and a pleasure to fly, with excellent handling in patterns and approaches, finely tuned autopilot functions, excellent ILS capture and with our new free castoring nosewheel option for those with rudder pedals and pedal brakes, superb ground maneuvering.

The Duke fully simulates one-engine operation after a user-controlled practice engine-failure. Propeller controls can feather the props exactly as in the real Duke. A simulated engine-failure can therefore be practised with all the expected outcomes: Substantial rudder is required to eliminate fuselage yaw and drag, and to keep the turn and slip indicator centred. The correct specification of 300-350 feet per minute single engine climb at gross weight is accurately simulated, with blue line speed critical to maintaining a positive climb rate.

Within Flight Simulator X limitations we have simulated accurate performance variations based on outside air temperature and pressure. Fuel Flow and mixture control is much more realistic than is usually found on the default FSX aircraft and the usual FSX requirement for immediate leaning of mixture with altitude has been adjusted to be more realistic within the constraints of FSX's core programming. The turbocharged engines retain much of their sea level power until critical altitude is reached, and this is reflected in the Duke's ability to maintain high climb rates right up to and beyond 15,000 feet.

Cockpit & Panels
In the RealAir Duke’s virtual cockpit, you will find an environment in which the views are crisp, clear, beautifully curved and moulded, and there are controls which are smoothly animated and a pleasure to use. All the gauges, gauge needles and so on are truly three dimensional. That is to say that if you zoom in and angle or pan your view, every aspect of the gauges maintain a realistic degree of depth.

The panel layout reflects a typical Beechcraft Duke IFR panel as you would see it today. Most currently operating Dukes have had their original gauges and radios replaced with more modern equivalents at least once. This is also the case with our simulated version of the Duke.
Many of the original flight/nav gauges have been replaced with more modern Bendix/King gauges while the antiquated radios in the original Duke have been replaced with digital Bendix/King units. A Garmin GPS 500 is also present on the panel. The panel in our Duke reflects a fairly typical panel upgrade as would be seen in a Duke that is operating today. You will find it an absolute pleasure to fly during all IFR procedures.

Most Dukes are privately owned—it is very rare to see a rental Duke so the condition of the panel and cockpit in our version simulates a well looked after privately owned aircraft. The condition of the panel, cockpit and exterior is high with only minor wear.
Every switch, gauge, dial etc can be operated via the virtual cockpit. The primary flight instruments are mirrored from the pilot’s seat (left) to the co-pilot’s seat (right), but the panel is designed around the pilot’s seat especially for IFR flight.