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Aircraft Update! : Cessna 172SP Skyhawk v1.70 by Airfoillabs


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Aircraft Update! : Cessna 172SP Skyhawk v1.70 by Airfoillabs

 

Airfoillabs have updated the Cessna 172SP to v1.70. When the c172SP was released from Airfoillabs it set a new level in immersion for General Aviation aircraft and introduced many exciting new features to the X-Plane simulator.

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 head 1.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 head 2.jpg

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 head 3.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 head 4.jpg

 

Immersion is the word here, as from not just flying this aircraft which is highly realistic, but to the maintenance and the general running of the aircraft including wear and tear the C172SP runs to a very deep level. This made the aircraft a huge success in X-Plane and it is well deserved.

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 cockpit 1.jpg

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 cockpit 2.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 cockpit 3.jpg

 

In most ways the C172SP does not feel very X-Planey, it has it's own feel, intergration and sounds. But that is what makes it more interesting and more challenging than most GA aircraft. It is also something you would like or not, but the overwhelming response in the user base is for the "very much like" than the other.

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Menus 1.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Menus 2.jpg

 

Features are extensive and most areas were covered in X-PlaneReviews main review of the C172SP here:

 

Aircraft Review - Cessna 172SP Skyhawk by Airfoillabs

 

v1.70

If you are familiar with the original release of have read through the review, then you would notice the biggest changes to the aircraft has been a complete reworking of the menu system and newly designed layouts (above right).

 

The v1.70 update mostly continues on that theme with a new panel in the "Failures and Behaviour" menu (below right) that has been split from the "Maintenance" (belopw left) and that menu now is all focused only on repairs and the general state of the aircraft.

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Menus 3.jpg

 

The "Failures and Behaviour" panel now separated allows for a more bigger selection and selected failure groups which can be used in a new function of training and the handling of failures. You can also select the system fail probability factor between Never - Medium - High.

 

I selected "Engine Systems" to fail and set the training timer to five minutes, I also set the probability factor to Medium.

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Fail 1.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Fail 2.jpg

 

To start the scenario you press the "Start Scenario" checkbox and then wait unnervingly to die!

 

It didn't take long before the engine started to cough...  then splutter and the needles started to do things that they shouldn't usually do.

 

Then the 172SP started to feel really sick!   Sounded really sick!

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Fail 3.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Fail 4.jpg

 

The 172SP didn't just conk out which is the easy thing to do, but just ran rough and spluttered along at a minimum of power, a look at the maintenance panel showed that my spark plugs were fouled.

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Fail 5.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 Fail 6.jpg

 

So I found a bit of clear ground and put the Skyhawk down...

 

You can adjust the time of the failures, plus how many you want to...  fail and which group of systems were you want those failures to happen. As we saw above or heard, the sounds have been added to simulate the problems and the overall sounds have had a few tweaks as well.

 

So the notes in v1.70 are for the new failure system activation, New complex failures in the system, the engine failures have all been reworked and the adjoining maintenance has also been overhauled and had new components added to the already extensive list.

 

Starting and ease of use features have been added via a slider with Ease - Medium - Real settings.

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 ease of use.jpg

 

And (thankfully) the actual starting (including Autostart) procedures have been made a little more realistic than before.

 

Engine oil and EGT temperatures have also been adjusted for realism. Brake and flat tire logic has also had attention.

 

My only quibble here is the pilots and the passengers?

 

Airfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 pasengers 1.jpgAirfoillabs_C172SP_v1.70 pasengers 2.jpg

 

Their actions and animations are very good, but the texture quality is quite average and they are very visible both inside and outside the aircraft, and they look a little cartoony and in need of medical attention. Fittingly a better set of people would be more in tune with the quality of the aircraft.

 

Summary

To a point this upgrade completes the aircraft in the menu panels and systems as that with like with the maintenance menu, as it was missing at the release of the aircraft a few years ago.

 

So the best description of this v1.70 update is to say it is a maturing of the the Cessna 172SP Skyhawk from Airfoillab's, but to note it is still an X-Plane10 version and not yet converted to X-Plane11, although I would say that release won't be too far away.

 

Overall this v1.70 keeps this excellent Skyhawk general aviation aircraft at the front of the best of all GA aircraft, mostly through it's in depth systems and running wear and tear features, still good...  now slightly better.

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

X-Plane Store logo sm.jpg

 

The Cessna 172SP Skyhawk by AirfoilLabs is available from the New X-Plane.Org Store here :

 

Cessna 172SP Skyhawk

 

And is priced at only US$34.95

______________________________________________________________________

 

Full v1.70 Change log:
REWORKED FAILURE SYSTEM ACTIVATION
NEW FAILURES COMPLEX MENU
REWORKED ENGINE FAILURES
REWORKED MAINTENANCE MENU + NEW COMPONENTS
AIRCRAFT MUCH MORE EASE TO OPERATE AND TO START
POSSIBILITY TO SET EASE OF USE PARAMETER
FAILURES SCENARIOS OPTION
SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT LOGIC
BIRD STRIKE BROKEN WINDSHIELD
FLAT TIRE FLIGHT MODEL LOGIC
NEW BRAKES LOGIC
ENGINE OIL TEMP LOGIC CORRECTED 
ENGINE EGT TEMP LOGIC CORRECTED
CORRECTIONS IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
AUTOPILOT 100 FEET SELECTION CORRECTED
REWORKED AND CORRECTED AUTOSTART
CONTROLLER PANEL TOE BRAKE AXIS CORRECTED
CONTROLLER PANEL MIXTURE AXIS CORRECTED
COCKPIT PANEL 3D MODEL AND TEXTURE ENHANCEMENTS
SOUND CORRECTIONS
NEW SOUNDS REPRESENTING FAILURES

 

Stephen Dutton

17th December 2016

Copyright©X-Plane Reviews: X-PlaneReviews

 

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