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Aircraft Review : Embraer ERJ 195 LR by X-Crafts


Stephen

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erj-195-lr_heading-700px.jpg
 

Aircraft Review : Embraer ERJ 195 LR by X-Crafts

 

Embraer S.A. (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica) started as a state owned manufacturer with their first product which was a turboprop transport, the Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante that was first flown on the 16 April 1973. Today Embraer is known for their series of E-Jets that have been so successful that they are now fighting with Bombardier of Canada as the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. The series is split into two parts in the regional markets with the ERJ 135, 140 and 145 jets and the longer range (E-Jets) of the versions 170, 175, 190 and 195 aircraft and coming soon with their second generation of the E-Jet family, as the E-jets E2, which are due from 2018.

 

The E-Jets are well represented in X-Plane with the E-140 from Daniel Klaue, and the 170 and 190 LR from SSG (Supercritical Simulations Group) and here now is the E-195 LR from X-Crafts.

 

ERJ 195 LR_Head 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_Head 2.jpg

 

ERJ 195 LR_Head 3.jpgERJ 195 LR_Head 4.jpg

 

X-Crafts announced the ERJ 195 LR in May 2013 and the design has pushed forward well ever since, and now we have the release of the aircraft.

 

ERJ 195 LR_GND 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_GND 2.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_GND 3.jpgERJ 195 LR_GND 4.jpg

 

First views of the aircraft is the excellent 3d work. The aircraft looks really good and the detailing is first rate. There isn't a lot of really fine detailing as X-Craft has used the textures to simulate the access panels and component panels that make up the spars, flap runners and wings. The main work is very smooth with no odd 3d shapes or bad angles.

 

ERJ 195 LR_GND DETAIL 5.jpgERJ 195 LR_GND DETAIL 6.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_GND DETAIL 7.jpg  ERJ 195 LR_GND DETAIL 8.jpg

 

The smaller detailing is just as good, with opening pilots/co-pilots side windows of which are the things I really love for realism. All doors and cargo doors open individually (via buttons in the cockpit) and the detailing can be seen inside the cargo holds is very well done. But try to disembark your passengers and your in trouble as the autobridge and stair alignment is not set.

 

ERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 2.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 3.jpgERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 4.jpg

 

The cockpit is shockingly great as well. The 3d work is exceptional from the driver's seats and everything is sharp and clear. It is beautifully modeled, but the FMC is just the standard X-Plane version.

 

ERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT PILOT.jpgERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT CNT.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT COPILOT.jpgERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT SYS.jpg

 

The panel is dominated by the five display screens, very bright and very clear...  but they seem a little empty in places?  The MAP display is quite barren with the Nav map being very small, you need to go all Sherlock Holmes with a magnifying glass to see your fixes?  As they are just small dots on a screen. More oddness is in the fact to get your Systems/Status display you have to go to the 2d panel and then back to the 3d panel to use it? The rest of the menu selections in Flight Controls, hydraulics, Fuel, Electrical, ECS and Anti-Ice displays don't work?

 

ERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 2D.jpgERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 3D.jpg

 

Switching between the 2d and 3d views you will find the 2d is much more a horizontal perspective than the correct 3d view. The aim was for the 2d to help with the frame-rate and you are provided with a 2d/3d version and just a 3d version which you switch over by replacing one .acf file for another .acf file. I found both files to be both 2d and 3d?  so couldn't check if the 3d was better than the 2d/3d combo. There was a HUD in the 2d that I couldn't find in the 3d either? In most cases it feel like you are flying a completely different version if you just switch over between the views.

 

ERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 5.jpgERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 6.jpg

 

The cabin is well appointed with all seats and great overhead walk-on-luggage bins. The cabin is a nice place to be, so overall ERJ's 195 fit-out and layouts are very good.

 

ERJ 195 LR_FLY 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_FLY 2.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_FLY 3.jpgERJ 195 LR_FLY 4.jpg

 

I flew two routes with the E-Jet, the first from KMVY Martha's Vineyard to KBOS Boston and the second from YSSY Sydney to YPMQ Port Macquarie in Australia. Both are really short hops for an aircraft of this size, but the idea was to fly from a very light scenery to a heavy one to see how the aircraft related to that...  The problem is the ERJ didn't and to any one of them either?

 

The problem comes down to the frame-rate, It is horrible?  All that wonderful 3d work is pulling down the aircraft to single digits...  So overall the aircraft is unflyable.  Okay I am slightly over exaggerating the issue and I admit that as I can fly the aircraft. but there is something not refined here and the aircraft acts really badly to almost nothing that could create a frame-rate pull down.

 

ERJ 195 LR_FR 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_FR 2.jpg

 

Here we have an outside view of the aircraft and we have (highlighted) a plentiful frame-rate of 41fr (as my texture resolution settings are very low), zoom in and it plummets to 11fr? what has changed?...  nothing...  the scenery is a very low count and my graphic intake is only 368mb with plenty of headroom there?

 

ERJ 195 LR_FR 3.jpgERJ 195 LR_FR 4.jpg

 

Put the aircraft on the runway and you are sitting pretty at 35fr at the hold, push up the throttles and half way down the runway and the frame-rate collapses to a horrible 9fr?  again what has changed?...  nothing?  And on it goes.

 

After a while it gets frustrating with these come downs and you don't really fly the aircraft but stutter around with moments of fast free air. When the ERJ 195 flies it is brilliant, but over a period you are ready to bin it.

 

ERJ 195 LR_FLY CAM 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_FLY CAM 2.jpg

 

You can kill the centre camera as it will gain you 10fr's, This idea never works because it takes the wholescreen view and duplicates it twice but the second is compressed down on to the smaller screen, frame-rate will hate that.

 

ERJ 195 LR_COCKPIT 7.jpgERJ 195 LR_REV.jpg

 

Speed tape on the PFD (Primary Flight Display) does not show knots but only the .Mach number, which makes it impossible to set your transition speed and speed marker before takeoff, You can only set your speed when you get within the correct range with the pointer and so that is in the climb phase... really annoying. On landing the reverse thrust handle goes forward, but on the ERJ the throttle actually goes backwards to the MIN and MAX REV position below the idle position, the reverse thrust is barely adequate either as it feels like the MIN setting than the MAX setting, and the company will have to go through sets of carbon brakes a week just to keep the aircraft in service. And so all these little annoyances add up.

 

To check again I flew now in the beta 10.30b8 from SYD to PQQ. Sydney has just had its Botany Bay dredged and grass taken away and the water resumed to its normal state (thanks to the update) and I wanted to get back to business now that SYD was back into X-Plane operations again.

 

ERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 2.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 3.jpgERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 4.jpg

 

The resolution is quite low and all the "autogen" switched off, but Sydney is quite heavy scenery and I did get the ERJ to sit above a bleak 20fr, but still workable. (Note the SSG ERJ 190 LR gave me 40fr in the same settings?) Aussie flag flying it was time to depart. And on the taxiway B (B10) going to Runway 16L the dreaded frame-rate stuttered in again at 9fr if you zoomed in to close?

 

ERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 8.jpgERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 5.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 6.jpgERJ 195 LR_FLY SYD 7.jpg

 

The aircraft does feel a little bit better in the new beta (b8). And I climbed out over Botany with no dramas, with a tight left turn as per normal departure from RWY 16L and climbing at 1800fpm. A 90º turn north will set you up right for the quick ride up the coast to Port Macquarie.

 

There are fifteen liveries, with six with the aircraft (White, House, Flybe, Lufthansa, Air Dolomiti and Augsburg Airways)

 

ERJ 195 LR_Livery White.jpgERJ 195 LR_Livery House.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_Livery Flybe.jpgERJ 195 LR_Livery LH.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_Livery Dolomti.jpgERJ 195 LR_Livery Augsburg.jpg

 

the rest are hard to find but are here at X-Craft's Content on the .Org. These include BA, Azul, Air France, Virgin Australia, and Polish LOT

 

ERJ 195 LR_Livery BA.jpgERJ 195 LR_Livery Azul.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_Livery AF.jpgERJ 195 LR_Livery Virgin.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_Livery JetBlue LOT.jpg

 

And four great variations on the JetBlue livery in - Stripes, Mosaic, Blueberries and Barcode.

 

ERJ 195 LR_Livery JetBlue Stripes.jpgERJ 195 LR_Livery JetBlue Mosaic.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_Livery JetBlue Blueberries.jpgERJ 195 LR_Livery JetBlue Barcode.jpg

 

the liveries are all excellent and well done and look great on the aircraft.

 

ERJ 195 LR_PQQ 1.jpgERJ 195 LR_PQQ 2.jpg

ERJ 195 LR_PQQ 3 stop.jpgERJ 195 LR_PQQ 4.jpg

 

Coming down from the cruise altitude (FL260) you need the airbrakes to contain the speed as it will quickly run away from you and at only 1800fpm in the descent. The autothrottle should hold it better than that. In the turn to approach there is a lot to like when the aircraft performs well, but stopping on the runway is again another wide-eyed hold your breath moment with another set of carbon brakes worn out on the end of RWY 21, but with just a little room left to turn around...  The detail under the speedbrakes and lowered flaps is again exceptional.

 

Parking up at YPMQ is very tight, and the passengers were lucky the front window of the pilots side opened so they could disembark down the unaligned stairs!

 

Summary

You would think I would really hate this ERJ 195LR from X-Crafts?   But I don't.  Frustrated yes, but the balance between what is really, really good does funny enough outweigh the issues. The aircraft by design is really outstanding, but not refined or finished in a complete way. When it works, it is brilliant and would quickly become one of my favorites as I like it that much. It does not have either the outstanding features of the SSG 170, 190 versions and it is still a standard X-Plane FMS of which a fully operating FMS is really now a requirement on payware aircraft and certainly on these sort of regional routes.

 

Most annoyances are just simply bugs, even though it has already had an extensive beta period, but I don't know about the frame-rate as that is a tricky one, the worry here is that the aircraft does not react in a way that causes the usual frame-rate issues, certainly the heavy 3d work is having an effect here. To develop an aircraft of this quality you have to pretty good, and certainly X-Craft is a developer house to watch because the work is very good, but in the important area of testing and refining that last 5% of 100% required of payware aircraft it has still come up short.

 

For value it is excellent at that under US$20 price, fully refined and completed it would have been at least worth the US$25-$30 sector with a full FMC in there, you are paying twice that for the JRollon CRJ200. So the quality for value the aircraft is outstanding...  So is it worth the purchase?

The answer is yes because the release ver2 should fix up those niggles and then you will have a very good aircraft, a bonus however is to a have a powerful computer to over-ride the frame-rate if just in case the those issues can't be refined or dialed out.

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

X-Plane Store logo sm.jpg

 

Yes! the Embraer ERJ 195 LR by X-Crafts is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :

 

Embraer ERJ 195 LR

 

Price is US$19.95

 

Installation : Download is 395.30 mb which is unzipped to your X-Plane in your regional Jet folder (if you have one or "Heavy Aircraft") at 839.10mb with the extra liveries loaded.

 

Support Thread : ERJ-195 by X-Crafts

 

Review by Stephen Dutton

Copyright © 2014 : X-Plane Reviews

12th August 2014

 

Technical Requirements:

Windows, MAC or Linux - X-Plane 10.25 or higher - 32 and 64 bit compatible. Joystick required

1GB VRAM Recommended

Current version: 1.0

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

Review System Specifications:

Computer System:     

- 2.66 Ghz Intel Core i5 iMac 27”

- 6 Gb 1067 Mhz DDR3

- ATI Radeon HD 4850 512mb

Software:     

- Mac OS Mavericks 10.9.3

- X-Plane 10 Global ver 10.25 (final) and a test flight in 10.30b8

Addons

- Saitek x52 Pro system Joystick and Throttle

- Bose Soundlink WiFi Speaker

Scenery

- SYDNEY YSSY Version 4.0_.3b 2 SYDNEY4.0_.3b 2. by MIKX

- KMVY Martha's Vineyard by dkm (ver3.1 .org)

- YPMQ Port Macquarie by VOZ (Barry Roberts)

 

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  • 7 months later...
Guest Keith

I agree with Stephen that for the under $20 market it is a value, but the Ejets by Wilco/Feelthere that I fly on FSX are much more realistic like the real aircraft.  Simmers that buy payware look for more realism, more actually working switches and systems.

 

 

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  • 5 months later...

i brought the plane yesterday but the ground objects are permanent they spawn with the aircraft and I can't get rid of them please help!!!

To remove the static elements then open the tab on the right of your screen and the tick box is in there...  Mine works fine, so just make sure you have the latest version or check out the X-Craft support on the X-Plane.Org

ERJ_195_LR_External.thumb.jpg.e538625950

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