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Reviews (by James)

SIMBITWORLD - A PILOT'S LIFE - CHAPTER 2

SIMBITWORLD - A PILOT'S LIFE - CHAPTER 2

A new review now that I've overcome some of the pain points of this app: I am really enjoying what the app has to offer, but still feel it needs a tremendous amount of polish and, most importantly, performance improvements. It feels very outdated and seems to be running off of a very low-bandwidth server as it's the slowest app I've used in recent memory. That said, what the app does is really great. I have about 6 flights under my belt with a small airline doing regional hops with a C208. Other than the aforementioned improvements, the only thing I'm really hopeful for (and will request) is inclusion of some jets we have in MSFS now that don't seem to be represented, particularly bizjets.

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SIMBITWORLD - A PILOT'S LIFE - CHAPTER 2

SIMBITWORLD - A PILOT'S LIFE - CHAPTER 2

I've had about the worst first impression you could have with an app thus far. It is an extremely slow app. I can only imagine what the code under the hood is doing, but it's essentially making what appear to be sychrounous calls for the data because it is SLOW. It's crashed on me once already when clicking the icon (one of several which mysteriously have no label) that looks like a group of people, which I assume is the company tab. After the application crashed, I could not re-log in because it thinks I'm still logged in. It's telling me to wait 5 minutes. This is a really poor user experience, and I'm regretting my expensive purchase.

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ANTS AIRPLANES - TIGER MOTH MSFS

ANTS AIRPLANES - TIGER MOTH MSFS

Incredible immersion. Visuals, sounds and flight model are all great. Checklists are extremely comprehensive and interactive to a degree I've never seen in MSFS (even including audible callouts!) Anthony is the SDK whisperer... if it can be done in MSFS, he'll figure out how to do it. At this price, this is a no brainer. Alongside greats like the 247D, this is simply as good as it gets for vintage flying in MSFS today.

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PROJECT STRATOSPHERE - KITFOX SPEEDSTER SERIES 7 MSFS

PROJECT STRATOSPHERE - KITFOX SPEEDSTER SERIES 7 MSFS

Talk about bang for your buck. This Speedster S7 is an acrobatic joy ride, and the team at Project Stratosphere has really outdone themselves in modeling it to perform like the real thing. While I haven't flown an S7, I've watched enough videos (in cockpit and from the ground) of airshows to know what it's capable of, and thus far I've been able to mimic all of the aerobatics without any trouble. Best of all, it doesn't feel comically overpowered or cartoony. This one is a no brainer if you want to have a tremendous amount of fun in the backcountry or at your local airfield while also feeling comfortable flying cross country with excellent visibility typical of the Kitfox.

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BRSIMDESIGNS - ERCOUPE 415C MSFS

BRSIMDESIGNS - ERCOUPE 415C MSFS

I'd give this a 2.5 for now if half stars were allowed. This is a mediocre release that needs a bit of work to be good. First of all, another reviewer mentioned all steering is handled by the yoke. Not sure if they've even flown it because that's not true, you still have to use rudder pedals. Engine sounds are default XCub. There are sounds for the prop lever movement, even though there is no prop lever. There is no sound attenuation when opening the canopy, as usual for BRSim. If you open the canopy with crash detection on, the plane will crash. This plane was/is regularly flown with the canopy open. The canopy door animation is instant (i.e., there is no animation.) This is lazy and looks bad, but also means you can’t partially open the canopy (something I’ve seen Ercoupe pilots do on approach or just when they need some air.) The aircraft will float forever. It behaves like a glider. You can safely land this at 40 kts with absolutely no power or wind. Very unrealistic compared to the actual 415C. The trim is very slow, and the trim wheel animation frequently breaks for me. Night lighting leaves much to be desired and is way too bright. The click spot for the tablet is about 1px tall which is a pain for TrackIR/VR use. The prop disk animation is very choppy and has a film effect. BRSim, I worry, does not understand aircraft very well and this addon continues to demonstrate that.

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REDWING SIM - L-1049 SUPER-CONSTELLATION AIRCRAFT MSFS

REDWING SIM - L-1049 SUPER-CONSTELLATION AIRCRAFT MSFS

It's difficult to review an aircraft in early access. I've seen two predominant perspectives (with some folks being in the middle): 1) The aircraft has a ton of potential and it's enjoyable already and 2) The aircraft is nowhere near ready for release and isn't worth the price. Both aren't entirely wrong. There's too much to type here but in general, I've flown the Connie for over 10 hours and I have had a lot of fun. In that time, I've also encountered many of its shortcomings. Textures are mostly good but they need to hire someone to breathe new life into the panels. Currently they are worn for the sake of being worn. Scratches are too evenly placed and consistent, whereas true wear would be in hot spots and not around gauges typically other than where paint has faded or peeled. Sound needs an overhaul as the engines lack oomph and the interior sounds are absent. Modeling of the exterior is also incorrect in a few places and needs to be tidied up. External textures are underwhelming and too uniform. Be sure to check the WIP list in their discord/website and some videos before buying so you know what you're buying but I do recommend this aircraft for people interested in the Connie.

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BRSIMDESIGNS - DEBONAIR 35 - MSFS

BRSIMDESIGNS - DEBONAIR 35 - MSFS

I'm bumping my review from 3 to 4 stars. The latest update just fixed a huge number of day 1 issues, thanks so much for that BRsimDEsigns! Edited review: The Debonair modeled is the 35-E33, which was actually a Bonanza as far as I understand (the A33-C33 were Debonairs, there was no D33 and the E33 switched to the Bonanza name.) The Debonair was essentially a Bonanza with a straight tail at a time when the V-tail 35 was popular. Regardless, for all intents and purposes this is an old school Bonanza. Keenly, BRSim understood the Debonair's cargo potential. From the 35-33 supplement: "Careful workmanship and inspection employed in airframe construction assure that structural components will withstand flight loads in excess of FAA requirements for a Utility Category airplane at the certified maximum gross weight of 3050 pounds." Well represented by a dynamic cargo loading animation (move the payload slider to see boxes and suitcases come and go), this is nice choice for GA cargo operations in your preferred mission software. After the first update by BRsimDesign, I strongly recommend this addon. The only things I'm really looking for are sound attenuation of the engines and an option to remove the tip tanks potentially to make the winglets more viable. It's very close to being a 5 star addon at this point. Pros: - It flies nicely, no issue with the aerodynamics. - Model and texture quality is very good overall. - Animations are mostly excellent. - Opening doors (2) and window (1). - The dynamic cargo loading is really cool. - Fuel transfer system works well. - Everything is truly clickable. - Working circuit breakers. - Nice selection of 8 liveries to start with, not sure if there's a paint kit though. - Swappable electronic attitude indicator. - Toggleable static elements are modeled. - No issues encountered with any navigation equipment. Cons: - The sounds are not original from what I understand. - No sound attenuation for the engines when opening doors/windows. - Engine sounds are too a bit too quiet still. - Winglets on tip tanks doesn't make sense + No option to remove tip tanks. - I had to use 'b' to recalibrate the altimeter because when doing it using the mouse-wheel it had a tendency to fully reset itself, this happened several times. The mouse-wheel can be used to increment it, but not decrement, that causes the reset for me. - The avionics switch doesn't seem to come on when I use the Honeycomb Alpha (but the avionics themselves do so it's not a huge deal.)

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MARIO NORIEGA DESIGNS - CAPRONI-VIZZOLA C-22J VENTURA MSFS

MARIO NORIEGA DESIGNS - CAPRONI-VIZZOLA C-22J VENTURA MSFS

This is one of the most impressive MSFS debuts yet. A highly affordable and unique aircraft with superb attention to detail, comprehensive systems, checklists, extensive documentation, great modeling and mostly great texturing, good sounds including attenuation, great night lighting. The flight model seems to match the manual, so be sure to read it because this bird can get spooked at the edge of the envelope and you will have a bad time if you're not prepared. I'm hooked and eagerly awaiting more from Mario!

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FSXCENERY - KAVL ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT MSFS

FSXCENERY - KAVL ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT MSFS

This scenery is out of date. FSXcenery did not take a minute to look at the airport or consult anyone, but this airport is now over a year out of date from the construction project and has the wrong active runway, as a result you cannot practice pattern flying or anything meaningful here as this also means taxiway B is missing and all of the new connectors are missing. It is also missing the new terminal. I have a freeware X-Plane 11 scenery from two years ago that is more up to date than this. Please update!

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NEMETH DESIGNS - YAKOVLEV YAK-18T MSFS

NEMETH DESIGNS - YAKOVLEV YAK-18T MSFS

I bought this direct through Nemeth when it released. Glad to see it here! This addon is absolutely worth the money. There are some small issues that Nemeth may want to address that I'll cover, but the short story is that this Yak-18T is a very nice model that is wonderful to fly. I only give this 4/5 because of the lack of opening windows/doors and the occasional sound looping on the engine which can get annoying. Otherwise it's an easy 5/5. The good: The 3D model is very nice inside and out The night lighting is simple but very visually pleasing The aircraft is ILS capable In game checklists are very robust and helpful Engine sounds are unique and good, though they do have a loop at times (see "the not so good") Flight modeling feels superb, I have no complaints about the FM at all The not so good: Engine sounds do have an audible loop at some settings despite being good sounds. The in game checklists do not feature focus, so you will have to hunt for some switches the first time around. Windows and doors cannot be opened The aircraft always starts with all non-essential switches ON which is annoying as the checklist has you turn them OFF at the end of each flight.

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REALPHYSICS - DORAND AR1 A2 200 MSFS

REALPHYSICS - DORAND AR1 A2 200 MSFS

I really look forward to improvements because I want to love this thing. Here are the main issues: The good: - It handles alright, maybe too good but the flight model overall feels pretty good. - The model realPhysics used is pretty solid overall and does resemble the real world counterparts in most ways. The bad: - There is no sound in the cockpit. It's an open cockpit, so you should be able to hear everything, but it's dead silent. No ambient noise, no other aircraft, no wind, just the engine. Not hearing the wind is the biggest problem, but not hearing anything at all at the airport also isn't great. - No sound for anything other than the engine and some minor standard structural noise. - The engine sound is good but it's not directional and it sounds very mono. It lacks immersion. - The aircraft is insanely clean. No sign of age anywhere. This aircraft is supposed to be over 100 years old. Shiny chrome metal, clean fabric... no discoloration or aging anywhere. - The panel feels like it's entirely fictional. I don't think there are any photos of this aircraft's panel to be fair, but this model has a lot of modern stuff. That isn't necessarily bad, but it's overkill in this one. Com radio, transponder, landing lights, instrument lights, beacon, nav lights, etc. I'd rather see a totally vintage cockpit with the option of having the GPS tablet. I look forward to updates and hope realPhysics keeps at it as I'd love to see more WWI flyers in the future!

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BLUEMESH - CAUDRON RAFALE 430 MSFS

BLUEMESH - CAUDRON RAFALE 430 MSFS

Can't give 4.5 stars unfortunately. I'd give this 5 stars easily but for these few issues: No sound attentuation when opening and closing the canopy. No sound for things like the canopy opening. All interior textures are mirrored and once you notice it's hard not to see it. This probably saves on performance so it's hardly the end of the world. Otherwise? It's fantastic and absolutely worth every penny. I can't speak to the accuracy of the flight model (I honestly don't know if there's anyone alive who could) but it feels very convincing. The aircraft struggles a bit to climb (watch out for obstacles!) and can stall quite violently if not handled with care. But once at speed, which is about the same as a stock VL-3, DA20 or Piper Arrow III, it handles itself quite nicely. Visibility out the front canopy is pretty bad, which only adds to the feeling of flying a vintage bird. But the view out the left and right of the narrow canopy is very good and as such I consider this a great option for touring, just expect to be looking left and right more than forward. BlueMesh has done such a great service to this aircraft and to aviation history fanatics. You won't see planes like this from the bigger names, so I'm very grateful we have BlueMesh and others to do these models. BlueMesh: Bring on more like this and you'll have a customer for life!

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BLUEMESH - AMPHIBIOUS ULTRA LIGHT AIRCRAFT - MSFS

BLUEMESH - AMPHIBIOUS ULTRA LIGHT AIRCRAFT - MSFS

This ultralight can be fun to fly, but has several issues at the time of writing that hopefully can be addressed. Namely, the water rudder behaves unpredictably. In all of my attempts navigating through water, the rudder simply ignores my commands after a few seconds, that is to say after holding the right rudder for a few seconds and the rudder working as expected, it stops (even with no change in speed.) In the water, the boat has a strong tendency to nearly flip in wind. While this might be somewhat accurate given that it has a glider wing attached to it, the effect feels overpowered. The aircraft also has flight model quirks in the air and on the ground. The same tilting is prominent when taxiing. The aircraft seems to nose-over at times, including when dropping the gear, to an unrealistic degree requiring correction (if it doesn't correct itself just as unrealistically.) Sound-wise, pretty much all of the sounds feel like they're from the wrong aircraft. Other than landing gear I think all sounds are generic Asobo sounds. If the wheels (when retracted) make contact with the water you will hear very loud contact noises, as if you're repeatedly banging your gear into a hard surface. This may be intentional but is distracting as I've only landed on calm waters. I've been on a boat and the sound of water slapping the boat is noticeable, but not this loud. There are also sounds that just shouldn't be there. The fuel pump can be activated with hotkeys/peripheral switches and even makes a sound, though I don't suspect this thing has a fuel pump. Similarly when landing (on land) the Morse code for the localizer started going off, but from where? I don't see a radio anywhere in the aircraft. Visually, the ultralight looks nice but I'd love to see a bit of flex in the glider itself. With some work this could be worth the (small) asking price, but without that work it feels like it's a step above being solid freeware.

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INDIAFOXTECHO - LONG EZ MSFS

INDIAFOXTECHO - LONG EZ MSFS

I genuinely want to give this aircraft more stars but in its current state, it feels more like a proof of concept than a complete experience. Comparing it to the payware rendition of this aircraft on the X-Plane store, this one feels very limited. I'd love this to be fitted with a landing light and a much better cockpit light. The current cockpit light bleeds onto the left canard and is extremely bright to the point of being unusable during flight. While I realize the intention of this aircraft is mostly VFR, the Long-EZ was famed for its use in the "Around the world in 80 nights" tour which undoubtedly saw it sporting equipment for night flight. I trust this developer to continue to improve this aircraft, and they have already come a long way in doing so. I suspect the next update will bump it up to 4 stars at least.

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NEMETH DESIGNS - AEROLITE 103 MSFS

NEMETH DESIGNS - AEROLITE 103 MSFS

The only thing holding me back from 5 stars is the price. For such a simple aircraft, I feel it's a bit too expensive. That said, this aircraft is a dream to fly and has quickly become my go-to for sight-seeing any time I fly. The visual modeling is great, the sound is good, and it handles well. I do wish there was an option to model the pilot's arms/legs as looking forward/down and not seeing them does break the immersion. I'd also love to have a bit more to do in the "cockpit" as it were, maybe a simple GPS strapped to one one side of the frame which would help when navigating unfamiliar terrain, but I realize the SDK is fairly limited right now. It'd also be nice to have to maintain the engine or something just to justify the price a bit more, but that may also be impossible currently.

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