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Reviews (by James)

CARENADO - FA50 EX FSX P3D

CARENADO - FA50 EX FSX P3D

Been waiting for a larger sized biz jet. Graphics are what you are use to seeing from them. Running on a I7 6700 @4.5/W10 on latest ver with all the usual Rex/AS/Orbx etc, the computer does break a sweat. No stutters or crashes but around cities or lots of clouds I get a glance of 30s-50s. The "lite" ver takes out the cabin,wing view and imo see no difference. Flies and handles like you would expect where you can feel the higher weight but it is very agile. Sounds are some of their best. I am a A-B pilot and do not spend time setting up detailed flight plans and approaches. Overall it feels wonky especially the AP. On numerous occasions I have had the ap blow right through a set altitude. That said I admit to speed reading the better than normal manuals. Overall a joy to fly by hand, speed control keeps you busy and the FM is realistic enough to satisfy most pilots. Again, those who want to really bury their faces in the FMS and have RW approach plates in hand will be be getting the usual Carenado basic barely enough to get realism.

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FLYSIMWARE LLC - LEARJET 35A FSX P3D

FLYSIMWARE LLC - LEARJET 35A FSX P3D

Wow. Flew gutted 25s as freighters late 80s. All the Lears available have identical looking pop up menus which is confusing. I assumed there was ONE and the rest were bought and detailed??? Unsure I ended up buying them all. Anyways,I own the Lion/Xtreme and now the Flysimware. This is my FAV.The sounds/FM are realistic. All around the 35A is just more polished and mature. Lighting is good. Sure the VR pit like the others is not cutting edge but you will be to busy flying to nit pic about dash gloss or carpet. Little to no performance hit. I prefer round gauges, shag carpet and don't need no stinkin FMS. So set off some car alarms and contribute your part to global warming and fly a Lear.

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GLOWINGHEAT - LOCKHEED A-12 CYGNUS FSX FSXSE P3D

GLOWINGHEAT - LOCKHEED A-12 CYGNUS FSX FSXSE P3D

Unless you are a hard core Sr-71 fanatic and cannot believe nobody has done this amazing aircraft "right" and are tired of waiting,might want to wait longer. This is a $15 Fs9 maybe basic FSX aircraft that reminds me of the Alpha Sim planes. Basic, easy on the frames and realistic enough if you had a good imagination. At least the FM is not a rocket that handles like a F-16 but is sluggish and meant to fly A-B quickly. An attempt is made to model the very low G, straight line +2 -1 G overpowered spy plane. Its takes a step procedure to get up to cruising alt and speed. Landing can be tricky and ground effect is very pronounced. The parachute seems overly strong. 2 stars for the basic,bland interior and exterior graphics,no wing views. Sounds are bla but a decent burner sound. I collect sounds and do my own.The stock gear up/down is ancient and sounds like a DC-3. Documentation "pdf" is good. One star just for doing the Blackbird. Catch it on sale but for $30+ $5 more with international fee is WAY to much imo. So if you are hard up for the Sr-71, basic graphics/sound don't bother you nor the price, its the only game in town.

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JUSTFLIGHT - METEOR F.8/FR.9 FSX P3D

JUSTFLIGHT - METEOR F.8/FR.9 FSX P3D

One word to sum the Meteor up is mediocre with the exception of the sounds. Unless you just love the Meteor you will bore quickly especially if you fly the Lightening or any of the fast jet or planes with great flight models.Graphics are ok. Its a vfr, relaxing, rock solid forgettable plane. Other than stalling which is usually fatal,its a pussy cat. Still for the price, ZERO performance hit, its priced accordingly and a honest effort.

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AEROSOFT - ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING T5 FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING T5 FSX P3D

I am really into cold war era aircraft and seeing there are not many to choose from they are rare to find. Not really interested until I watched some YT vids on it. Quick impression. Early FSX even Fs2004 bland vr pit but its got that very busy layout we crave and all appears to be there. Never read the documentation, just some quick flights so its not so systems deep that jump in and fly need to worry.Full burner,point the nose up and get to 20 grand quick.Sucks fuel worse than a 60s muscle car. Fun to fly and not nearly as difficult as expected. All around well done, good sounds, believable flight model. Easily worth the $20. Compared to today's payware, a 3 star for the cockpit. Another star for not for not doing another airliner or GA aircraft but something off the beaten path.

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DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - WASHINGTON X FSX P3D

DRZEWIECKI DESIGN - WASHINGTON X FSX P3D

P3DV3/W10/I7 4.5 980TI SSD. Orbyx everything,Activesky16,REX.M sim settings high except shadows. I am not familiar with DC except for the major landmarks but wanted a helicopter playground. Not going to comment on the accuracy of the scenery or the details. It appears to be a google map type map with buildings and scenery place on it. Looks ok at best. The area is dead flat and in slow helis at 1000 agl you see it at its worst. At speed and altitude it should become more believable. However the fps and performance are smooth and runs better than ANY Orbx airports including the small, single grass strips. A few tugs and hitches here and there flying Milviz helis but overall smooth. Install give you the option to cut the textures by 50% iirc and other things such as static aircraft etc but I ran DC fully loaded. So far all I have done is run helis from Andrews AFB to the Capital and a few quick circuits of this large scenery. I am familiar with the well known DCA River Visual Approach RW 19 and flew it and all landmarks are there. So overall for my use a a heli playground it was worth the price. Fps was very good although if you run Ai and high end airliners that I cannot comment on. 5 is OMG you are there,4 is incredible but a few problems 3 is gets the job done which this does.

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FLYSIMWARE LLC - MITSUBISHI MU-2B-60 FSX P3D

FLYSIMWARE LLC - MITSUBISHI MU-2B-60 FSX P3D

After a long much needed 2 yr break from FSX, I loaded P3d onto a new W10 machine built for gaming. With rumours of a Mu-2 flying around since fs2004 when I saw it I had to have it. I actually flew the extended version with the addition of a crew door back in the early 90s that were converted as freighters,mainly carrying banking records. Anyways,the not so HD 2016 interior at first turned me off from hitting buy but positive reviews pushed me into getting it. Install was easy. 1st impression was that engine sound! I have 16% hearing loss partially due to those Garretts. Nice looking vc that I have better luck looking down that at the ceiling with my trackir. Flies like it looks which is a sporty Kingair with surprising short field to and landing. there is a satisfying cockpit workload but not overwhelming. The price turned me off but if you want to do 250+k in unique which is a linemens worst nightmare due to all the tanks you will love it. 4 ext graphics, 3 int, 4 fm, 4 sounds. Worth the price. Yes.

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AEROSOFT - DHC-6 TWIN OTTER EXTENDED (DOWNLOAD) FSX P3D

AEROSOFT - DHC-6 TWIN OTTER EXTENDED (DOWNLOAD) FSX P3D

Extended is not how I would have named this release.Its seems to me to be a totally new aircraft with great graphics and realistic FM.Cockpit is really top notch and not a polished version of the old Otter but a total rehaul.Its also a hands on plane and needs to be flown.The trim and controls feel a little sketchy at first but you gotta realize this is not a streamlined flies on rails modern plane.It can get you in and out of some tight,short strips but you have to make the plane do what you want it to.One of my initial concerns and why I love the original is that its great on frames.Well I am happy to say that the performance is as good or better than the default planes!I can easily fly in Orbx PNW with no hit on performance.How they got all of this and able to run so smooth deserves applause. A worthy successor to the original. 5 stars

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A2A SIMULATIONS - CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP B377 FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP B377 FSX

Do not be intimidated by all the realism and by the book emphasis. I glanced over the manual,flew like I had some sense and after a dozen flights,no fires or lost airplanes. Whereas earler efforts by some had you blowing up engines if you looked at em wrong, this plane is not like that. You really need to try and with the Accusim addon,ignore the crew in order to cause damage. Dont get me wrong,if you go throwing out flaps at high speed just as in real life, the damage is immediate. I am not going to review the entire plane as the entire community has praise for it. I just wanted to let you know that you do not need to be a systems junkie who can cold and dark start a 747 to fly it. BTW-The plane is already running and ready to go when you load it. If you love vintage aluminum oil dripping loud smoking planes, then you already have it. If you want to fly a real mans plane,4 actually and give the new video game cockpit carbon fiber green planes a break, give her a try.

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XTREME PROTOTYPES - X-15-1

XTREME PROTOTYPES - X-15-1

I broke a personal rule I set for myself and bought from a unknown company that DOES NOT have a forum. A big NO NO. When I heard they had added a VC after reading a recent Avsim review, I emailed them to ask about the 100000 ft ceiling limit. The reviewer was unable to climb past that mark. Never heard back from them so I took a chance. The mountain of information is alot to take in but I understood that 1.1 took care of this limit. Well, after a few dozen tries, I struggle to make 70000 much less 100000. In FSX, you are apparently able to hit over 300000 and mach 4.Or so they say.... I will have to see it to beleive it. With no forums and very little being posted about the plane, you are on your own. As is, the x-15 flies no higher or faster than my Alphasim Sr-71 so its more of a short thrill ride. On the plus side, the vc is not "blurry" as a recent review of it suggest. I think it looks great and is why I bought it. The flight model and overall feel is what you would think it would be like. The coolness factor is high with the acceleration,climb and landing being the main attraction. Systems junkies and anyone who enjoys the historical background will love the documentaion and actual pilots handbook. But with NO forum, no email reply,very little being posted and the reviewer not being able to exceed 100000, I can only assume its broken or a limitation. Blame it on Acceleration or SP2. So its like a Ferrari with a governor set to 55. If I am doing something wrong,a patch is released or some sort of work around,4 out of 5. As is, 3.

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PIXEL COWBOYS - PYRO

PIXEL COWBOYS - PYRO

Another JIMJAM review. I usually shy shy from the concept helis and X planes. Usually they have super exaggerated performance thats just too unbeleivable. Instant acceleration,stops on a dime ect. But coming from guys with a name like, Pixel Cowboys, its either going to be very bad or very good. I am happy to say, the Pyro is VERY GOOD. The VR pit is crisp and clear. The gauges,interor all look polished and alot of time was put into it. No jaggies or bland textures. The view is also as good as it gets. They were not kidding when they said the Pyro is a perfect aircraft to view scenery from. FPS on my system was simular to the FSX stock bell except at high speeds. Screaming at 250 plus at tree top level you can expect the same as you would with a fixed wing. Some stutters and pop ins are expected but I doubt you will be concentrating on anything else other than flying. Its a blast! Handling- Whooooaa. I had to turn my realism sliders all to mid way. This heli is a Ferrari with blades. Very nimble and very quick. It easily cruises at 250k and feels tight. I have not gotten into any acrobatics but the Pyro has a high performance fighter feel but still maintains that helicopter handling. Its a thin line betreen the two but they pulled it off. The soundset is also very good. One of the complaints about helis is that they are just too slow and it takes forever to get anywhere. Yet you want the vertical ability and handling. This heli fills that void perfectly. 5 stars for the Pixel Cowboys..Yeeehhaaaww

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A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM B-17G FLYING FORTRESS FSX

A2A SIMULATIONS - ACCU-SIM B-17G FLYING FORTRESS FSX

I already owned the FS9 version and refused to pay full price for a upgraded FSX version. I fought it off for months and yesterday bought the SW P40. I has such a good time and was impressed with the performance of the P40 in FSX, I against my feelings bought the B-17. At first glance from the cockpit, I was not WOWED at all. Then as I startd taking it all in I began seeing all the details. And there are a lot of em. Overall the b17 has been overhauled and polished. If you liked the FS9 version, you will love this one. Only negatives are paying full price for existing owners. But that topic has been beat to death. First time you hear those engines roar and pull her off the ground you forget about it. Second and no fault of the designers is that the plane is just plain too EASY to fly. After having both hands and feet busy to keep the fighters on the runway, the b17 is like a bus. So was the 17 worth paying for twice to get the FSX version. For me YES.

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NEMETH DESIGNS - SIKORSKY CH53-E SUPER STALLION FSX

NEMETH DESIGNS - SIKORSKY CH53-E SUPER STALLION FSX

Quick follow up. As we speak the graphics problem has been fixed with a simple patch. After spending some time with the CH-53 I can now say its ONE OF THE BEST helicopters in my stable. Surprisingly good on fps and handles just like you would imagine it. Also the virtual cockpit is really incredible. Us helis guys are really passionate about our birds and when one we have been waiting on comes out, we get bent out of shape when there are problems. There is one guy in particular on Hovercontrol who has taken this heli under his arm and is seeing to it that problems get adressed and deatures added. Seeing the quick response to the graphics issue, I feel confident that other bugs will be look at and fixed. So 1 more star and I highly recommend if you are into complex helis to get this one.

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NEMETH DESIGNS - SIKORSKY CH53-E SUPER STALLION FSX

NEMETH DESIGNS - SIKORSKY CH53-E SUPER STALLION FSX

I support Nemeth and want to see others come out with quality helicopters. Thats said, I am also tired of being a paying beta tester. This heli is great to look at,very nice panels and a top notch virtual cockpit. Starting is easy once you figure out how to do it. Now the BAD. I have already had a few graphic problems. Once fooling with the gps, the screen garbled. Turning on the lights causes all kinds of wierdness.Blacked out screen,garbled graphics,exterior model is jumbled. I have not even experimented with the systems but I figure if you cannot even turn on lights with all he** breaking loose, there are bound to be problems. Once again, what coulda shoulda mighta been. Unless you enjoy frustration and like a good headache, I suggest holding off on this one until Nemeth steps up and fixes it.

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AEROSOFT - MONACO X (DOWNLOAD)

AEROSOFT - MONACO X (DOWNLOAD)

Not Bad,Not Great,like a good TV dinner. Im into helicopters and lets face it, with FSX thats a good thing. The good. Unique city crammed on the coast with rising very quickly thousands of feet. Very well done heliport. The bad. Ground textures are horrible. Without any traffic or static helicopters, Monaco feels lifeless. Few places to land other that the heliport which for me means this addon will quickly get old. On my high end rig, the fps are decent but Im getting wierd colorful scenery draws and some flickering. If you are into helis I prefer Helgoland which is much more up to date graphically and looks incredible. Lots of places to land,airport,SAR,oil rig ect.

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