Reviews (by Terrence)

Bill Ortis, of Lionheart Productions, has staked out a unique niche in that he designs very innovative, fictional and futuristic, but very credible and high quality aircraft. His FSX and P3D addons are, in their way, works of art. Great texturing and very high quality modeling are the standard with each of his works, and they're clearly labors of love. They're also consistently good value for the money. I have several of his past releases and have enjoyed them all. The the Stingrey, however, is his most innovative and radical design. I had never previously been interested in tail draggers until I discovered this bird. I doubt that there's any add on aircraft in the Flight Simulator/P3D world that is more unconventional and innovative. It's incredible looking; among its coolest features is a very innovative STOL mode, where the props can be adjusted to rise to an angle, and it becomes a hybrid helicopter/tiltrotor, that enables it to perform landings and takeoffs in under 500 feet. At the same time, it is exceptionally fast in cruise. Beware though—it's quite a challenge to fly. I suppose experienced tail dragger pilots would have an easier time getting accustomed to it. I've had quite a number of years as a desktop airman, but I crashed it more times than I can count in learning it. It's a blast, but it's also the most unforgiving of all of the planes I've flown. It will drop from the sky in an instant if you let the airspeed drop too far. It's also extremely touchy, and will spin out on you during taxi, or takeoff or landing if proper technique isn't used. It's essential to pay close attention, and stay on those rudders during taxi, and watch your airspeed like a hawk when you're in the pattern. It can turn on a dime, and do maneuvers that very few other planes an do--but it will get away from you if you get carried away, or are not paying close attention to what it's doing. It's one of the most rewarding planes I've ever flown. I felt a great sense of a achievement and satisfaction once I gained proficiency in it. I'm fervently hoping that Mr. Ortis will see fit to upgrade the model and add new features to it going forward. I highly recommend it!