X-PlaneReviews : 4th Anniversary Competition!

 

X-PlaneReviews : 4th Anniversary Competition! Winners!

Thanks for everyone who entered our 4th Anniversary Competition and the winners are!

 

• Tinmug - Finalist  DC3
• FlyGal - Finalist  MD88
• Grant543 - Finalist A330
• Pilotofnothing - Finalist PA28 vFlyteAir
• Sukhoi Baron - Finalist - B737

 

Winners will be contacted by the X-Plane.OrgStore over the next few days (Don't email the store till they contact you).

Thanks Again...

 

X-PlaneReviews is four years old, but who is counting?  age is in the mind not the body right. But with all the seriousness around us we should celebrate a significant milestone and so we shall, by feeling great and giving lots of free stuff away. 

 

 

So thanks to the generosity of developers and the X-Plane.OrgStore we have a lot of very nice aircraft for you to win.

 

Five Winners can choose one aircraft from:

 

FlightFactor/VMax Boeing 777

FlightFactor/VMax Boeing 767

FlightFactor/VMax Boeing 757

FlightFactor  Airbus A350

FlyJSim Boeing 727

 

All aircraft are on offer in the competition and only for the month of August 2017 and CLOSES midnight 31st August 2017

 

So how do you win the prizes!

 

We want to know what you think is the best aircraft in X-Plane, but the aircraft must have been in a review that has been released by X-PlaneReviews.

 

So you have to refer to the review in X-PlaneReviews...   a link is worth more brownie points...   Example:

 

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Aircraft Review - DC-3/C47 by VSkyLabs Flying Lab Project

Then give us 150 words on why you think it is the best aircraft in X-Plane and why it is worth the purchase.

 

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Conditions for entry

Just insert your entry on only this page below to enter and sorry only one entry per user is allowed so make it count. No X-PlaneReview review connection will mean your entry is invalid for the competition.

 

The competition is only open to joined members of this X-PlaneReviews site, so you have to log in to enter.

 

X-PlaneReviews have the rights to republish the winners on this and other sites. Winners will be picked on detail and originality of their answers, and winners prizes are final and the prizes are supported with updates, but not upgrades. Winners are drawn 1st September 2017.

 

Do your best and enjoy, I am looking forward to seeing what your views are on X-Plane products.

 

Stephen Dutton

5th August 2017

 

 

tinmug said:
The story of the twin, the sweaty palms and the forgotten hamburger.

 

She has been described as perfect, beyond compare. She can only be replaced by another which, no doubt, will want to take you a little left. Or perhaps right. Every one has her own way. This is as much about the twin as it is about the shapely perfection in between. About marking territory, then going off to find new horizons. It's about the incredible DC-3. And more specifically, the VSkyLabs DC-3, as so thoroughly outlined in the xplanereviews write-up right here.

 

Pilots are like quite simply like this. Seduce the practical J3 today, want the racy P51 tomorrow and yearn for the twin the day thereafter. It's in our blood. We want more. We want it all.

 

But this particular twin makes us sweat. Sweat and work at it like no other. Makes us focus on the task, eyes never straying from the intimate details. The mind is always trying to keep abreast with the twin's zesty streaks. A sense of fun, adventure, accomplishment all rolled into one noisy yet utterly memorable affair. Why this twin? Perfection is why. Like no other you are implicitly aware that you are kept aloft by those five shapely foils. The lightest touch provides a response, and not always what you had hoped for ... feisty. Never entirely predictable. Always striking, enthralling and bewitching.

 

Satisfy her needs and you walk away with a wry smile. And you'll be back, wanting more. To go further. A little better this time, more balance, more anticipation. The twin knows about the J3 and the P51, and she doesn't care because she knows you will have to be back. Why this twin, an not the other? The sweaty palms, her response to your touch, the aural sensation and perhaps the fact that when you first had your way with her every other gal was a hemisphere away. Whole days – weeks! – spent with her perfecting your touch, the never-ending endeavour to please her and enjoy the journey even more than the destination. Because she is unsurpassed.

 

And all that for the price of a hamburger.

Aircraft Review - McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Pro v1.31 by Rotate

 

I'm going to leave most of the techno mumbo-jumbo to the professionals/experts, as in the expert who wrote the linked excellent write-up on the Mad Dog above in my post.

 

Flying the Mad Dog is like flying the real plane.  But let's not start with flying, lets start by dropping ourselves into the cockpit.  Your instant impression is that this plane is not like any Boeing, Air Bus or any of the other airliners out there. The Mad Dog is a hard looking, complicated array of instruments, switches and controls that look like it's from another planet. In reality, it's definitely from another era, but still modern and sensible.  After delving into any of the supplied reading materials, YouTube vids (both by the Rotate and fan base, as well as from real pilots flying real MD80's!) you start to understand a little bit more what the differences are and, most importantly, what the difference in flight management, aerodynamics and handling has to offer.

The graphics are, to put it simply, astounding! The attention to detail is second to none and will, IMHO, blow you away if you haven't already been blown away by the whole plane itself by now. 

Systems are well built and the developers are constantly updating and adding more realism in every update. (talking about updates, how about that free update from X-plane 10 to Xplane-11? eh? Pretty cool if you ask me )  Same updating goes for their beautiful graphics. 

The FMS? Whew! Probably one of the best if you don't mind me saying.

Yes, The MD80 line ....IS DIFFERENT!  It's like learning to fly all over again.  But, if you're into learning to fly the real deal, and 'getting as real as it gets', learning this plane is worth every second you spend reading, watching and listening to people that are knowledgeable in the Mad Dog.

One person that is extremely in the know, is this MD80 pilot who was retiring and wanted to share his experience in flying this unique aircraft. In fact, he was the first bit of info I found before I went and purchased the Mad Dog. Kent Wein talks about how he Fell in Love with the Mad Dog in this YouTube video.

 

So, take the leap if you haven't, in fact, take the flight! The ROTATE MD88 is, in my opinion, the best built aircraft for X-Plane!  Did I miss anything? I'm sure I have, but it's now up to you to find out all the beauty and excellence this plane has to offer! So....That's my story, and I'm stick-in' to it!

 

JARDesign Airbus A320neo V3.0r1

 

In exactly 150 words:

 

For me, an aircraft is considered realistic when I simply cannot help myself but smile. With JARDesign’s Airbus A320neo, its realism does exactly that.

 

From the landing gear, to the cabin windows, I am astounded by JARDesign’s attention to detail throughout the entire aircraft. The A320 makes excellent use of X-Plane 11’s new features, such as the brilliant lighting in the cabin, and the immersive reflections of lights on the wing as I taxi – It makes for particularly sensational night flying. The aircraft is a joy to fly too, as its admirable systems simulation and overall stability means nothing ever goes wrong. The optional BSS sound pack is unbeatable – I am seduced when I hear the roar of the engines at the back of the aircraft during take-off.

 

And thanks to Stephen's review, I knew I had made an excellent choice from day one in the JARDesign Airbus A320.

having grown up watching these beasts of the skies fly in and out of kord with United, Eastern and last with UPS, how could i not want this on x-plane 11.  a four engine classic that i had to have in my hangar.  Everything about this airplane is just awesome to look at.  from sitting at the gate with the beacon on to the in flight views, just a really well done aircraft.  The length can be concerning at times for a tail strike on rotation until you get used to it.  But this update to xp11 is a welcome update.  While i enjoy the fms system, sometimes you just want to fly for to for like the old days of flying.  

 

Classics like this are a welcome addition to xp11 and hope more are to come!

My aircraft review: JRollon CRJ-200

Ever since I started using a CRJ-700 back in 2009 in X-Plane 9, the CRJ series has been my favorite series of regional aircraft. When I got X-Plane 11, without have been using a flight simulator for 8 years, I found out there was a payware version of the CRJ-200. I have wanted to get my hands on a copy of this study level aircraft. I got it was on sale for $30 or something like that. When I first started using it, I had no idea what I was doing. I read some manuals, and I am starting to get the hang of it. The JRollon CRJ-200 is a very challenging and fun aircraft to use. It has many liveries, including the Delta Connection livery and the Air France livery. There also some good liveries on x-plane.org, like the Northwest Airlink livery and the American Eagle livery. The aircraft also has very realistic sound effects. The aircraft still sounds good without the sound pack. The interior is also excellent. The cockpit is very realistic, and we can phase through the cockpit door just fine. The door to the cabin is good. You can adjust it to any angle you want. The cabin is also realistic. The cabin almost looks exactly like the cabin of a CRJ-200 that I flew on a few years back. I highly recommend this aircraft, because of it’s amazing interior and exterior. This aircraft flies very well.

 

The FJS 732 - For pure unadulterated joy of Flying 

There are the big jets and there is the 737-200. This little Stubby Bird is, in my opinion, the best aircraft in X plane. You can automate and take on the role of 'pilot monitoring' in the other jets but you have to truly become an aviator and imbibe the spirit of flying the aircraft in this little gem. The 737 was the brainchild of two of the legendary engineers at Boeing, Jack Steiner and Joe Sutter. Jack's vision to use the 707 fuselage and share commonality of parts with the 727 and Joe's vision to keep the jet low to the ground for ease of maintenance and rapid turn-around for the airlines was a master-piece, the result was the first short-haul jet to have engines under the wings and hence the stubby bird's distinctive appearance. 

The FJS-732 was designed by another Jack-namely Jack Skieczius (aka the Flying Jackal) and his creation is as brilliant as the aircraft. You are greeted by authentic steam gauge instruments which you have to master to tailor the aircraft to your liking. There is not an iota of an FMS (none of the stupid LNAV and VNAV) and hence you have to fly VOR to VOR and as Stephen says, "throw an occasional NDB". You get the sense of communicating with the aircraft by easing the wonderfully modeled throttles, flap and speed brake levers. The aircraft itself, in the words of the Canadian Northern pilots who are still lucky enough to fly it, is probably the sweetest handling bird which keeps them on their toes for flying proficiency and Jack has captured the perfection of hand flying this machine.

Whenever I fly this beauty, she never fails to put a smile to my face! She gracefully responds to every control inputs and the Sperry 77 Autopilot is powerfully simple and elegant to operate. No wonder, the chief test pilots Lew Wallick and Argyle did not want the test flight to end! Kelly Johnson, the legendary developer of the SR -71 once remarked that for an aircraft to fly good, it has to look good and the WWII engineers at Grumman said that every aircraft had to follow KISS (Keep it Short and Simple). This Stubby Bird checks both the boxes. 

I Thank the developers for giving us this purely electro-mechanical wonder in this sterile digital era. 

 

 

My aircraft review: Jardesign A320 Neo

 

First off all may i personally say a massive thank you for your excellent reviews the reviews you do are easy to understand easy to read and give a really great review and insight into the product in question so thank you from me to you for your input to the community.

 

I was a long time FSX user before i switched to XP11 and boy am i glad i did.  I was a big airbus fan in FSX with the aerosoft airbus bundle and was really looking for a great detailed and in-depth A320.  I spent many a hour googling reviews etc then came across your website and read your review fully and it helped me finally decide on the Jardesign A320.  I absolutely love the aircraft the level of detail is incredible even the small things really help you enjoy the flight more from the metar computer (something the aerosoft airbus does not do) to the simple and easy to use push back.  Every bit of thought as been put into the aircraft to make it as real as possible.  The choice of wing tips is great as well as the two engine types you can select.  Then there is the huge catalogue of free liveries available on the jardesign website to help enhance the fleet even more. The added feature of cabin crew announcements enhances the realism as does the co pilot who can assit you with the checklists from cold and dark right up to the landing.  The developers have really thought of everything with this aircraft where if the temperature is to hot or cold in the aircraft the crew will complain about it and you have to adjust the temperatures.  There is a really nice cabin view as well that lets you set up some amazing wing views to watch your flights from the passenger cabin.  Would i recommend the Jardesign A320 to people yes i would and would tell anyone out there who is thinking of getting it to go out there and get it as soon as you can.

DC-3 / C-47 Vskylabs.
Despite some flaws, the plane is well made, flies perfectly. Possesses completeness. I contacted the author directly, having learned that the project is constantly developing, I decided to do something for the aircraft myself. Thus, a completely new visual perception was born, which was so lacking for this aircraft - panels and rivets. I know that there will be version 3.0 and with the author we have already agreed on my feasible help in working on the cockpit.
My name is Oleg Tronov and for me it's DC-3 / C-47 Vskylabs.

 

 

http://xplanereviews.com/index.php?/forums/topic/569-aircraft-update-mcdonnell-douglas-md-88-pro-v130-by-rotate/

 

The notorious MD-88 also know as the Maddog.They definitely called it this for a reason.From the fmc to the overhead,this plane is the most complicated modern plane that was made.I like to call it the Dirty Dog since how quickly you can dirty up the plane and slow it down.The md-88 was the last variant of the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series. So whats so special about this plane for xp 10 and 11?Well it has amazing 4k textures and it was one of the few planes that actually received a free update to xp 11.So lets start with the textures. The plane has high quality textures every where you look.Their was plenty of time spent in the plane to make it look real and study level.If you look at the front of the nose or the apu exhaust for example you can see the amount of detail that has been added.From the wear and teat of the nose to the dirtiness of the exhaust pipe from the apu.The interior textures are even better all the paint coming of from the yoke makes is look like it has been used.Their is no competition that this is a beautiful looking plane. The model itself is fantastic. Even though in the begging their was some problems with the plane.Such as some knobs and switched not being usable at all,they fixed most if not all of the issues with the plane.The plane itself was actually difficult for some pilots to fly since some of the switches and knobs matched the same color of the back panel.Such as the fuel cut off valves.The fmc can be tricky to use if your not familiar with it.Such as the take off speeds. If you dont have the flaps extended and you have inserted the speeds the speeds will be incorrect if you extend the flaps afterwards.Thats why you have to extend the flaps then insert the speeds the fmc gave you.Their is no doubt that this plane is the most beautiful plane on the market.You will have no problem worrying that you made a mistake buying it.If you have problems with the plane they do call it the MadDog for a reason.

     The Jardesign A330-200 is a stunning model of the real Airbus A330, in graphics, systems and overall aircraft handling due to the hard effort and time put into creating this model. Surprisingly,  the video performance is also very good for my system (FX6300, GTX960 2GB(not the best)), making it an ideal aircraft for users with a tight budget who want to experience a large airliner in X-Plane 11, but without further ado, let's kick off the detailed review of this plane with the graphics.

     The Jardesign group did a terrific job here, even detailing the aircraft down to the minuscule bolts on the fuselage in certain areas which can even be seen on lower overall graphics settings, so there is not a huge trade-off, graphics wise, but you will see a boost in FPS. The cockpit is probably the hardest hitting place FPS wise, but that goes for most aircraft in XP11, but beside that the detail is again superb especially on the buttons and knobs which all move as well. Moving back outside and to the only place that lets me down on the exterior, which are the flaps as they look a little bit too square and cartoony in some places, but that shouldn't deter a simmer from passing up this aircraft, the rest of the wing, especially the spoilers, are extremely well detailed. Follow me now to the systems which are a huge step up from the Jar a320 in reliability, making flights more enjoyable and rarely ever ending in a unsuccessful flight. The autopilot calculations are very accurate, working VNAV, LNAV, ATHR and custom FMGS which is something a consumer really needs to pay attention to when buying a modern airliner. To the last section we go which would be the flight handling, and let me say that this handles like a a big Cessna due to the fly-by-wire that the Jardesign company nailed in this model. When hand flying the plane it is very responsive and smooth, a great plane to hand fly, in particular on landing as buttering the landing is a characteristic of the A330 in real life and in the Jar model.

     This has been my go to long haul aircraft for many, many flights now and hopefully in the future the Jardesign group will add the GE and PW engine options, but for now this will suit me and hopefully any consumers that are thinking about this aircraft. I strongly recommend this for simmers with a wide spectrum of experience as the aircraft comes with great tools that will get even a beginning simmer a chance to experience the A330, but don't underestimate this aircraft. Iv'e gone on too long now, enjoy the A330!

Nowadays, when we think in a commercial plane, our mind goes directly to a luxurious, glamorous and fully automated aircraft. But… What about flying the old-fashioned way? 

 

Javier has come to fill this gap with his Jetstream 32, a masterpiece which provide me hours of fun. Although that little plane could seem simple and easy to fly, Javier has taken care in design it in order to remove that idea from our head. 

 

It is mandatory to be constantly careful with the aircraft parameters. For example, if I forgot to maintain EGT or RPM below limits, engines will go out, or if window heater is not switched on, windows will probably blur. Also, this is not the plane which has FMC or Autotrottle, you only have a basic autopilot and nothing else.

 

These are the reasons I think this plane is one of the best for X-Plane. Tons of fun are guaranteed!
 

The SR20 has been a monumental aircraft in both my X-Plane and real flying. I first began my flight training in an SR20-G3 (N8765W), and that was one of the planes that helped me fall in love with flying. 65W had Avidyne glass, extremely comfortable seating, and a side stick that felt like no other control I've used since. The vFlyteAir SR20 was ahead of its time when it came out, and it still is after their v2.5 update. It was the first plane that gave me real hope for a G1000 in X-Plane. It was also one of the first aircraft I ever flew in X-Plane with the standard vFlyteAir level of detail. I was incredibly surprised to see that everything worked - the systems were accurate, it flew quite well, and everything down to the circuit breakers worked. The immersion is such that, when I hop into the virtual cockpit of the vFlyteAir SR20, I feel that same comfort I felt when I sat down in the comfortable leather seats of the real plane. The vFlyteAir SR20 is truly a work of art, and their continued updates have improved it to a whole other level.

The VFlyteAir PA-28-140 original is my absolute FAVORITE and quite possibly the BEST aircraft ever developed for X-Plane, here's why I think so.

 

My dad used to fly a PA-28-160 Cherokee and so I already had an emotional attachment to the old Piper, so much so that as soon as I saw this plane on the store I HAD to have it even though I had just bought X-Plane 10 that same day. One thing stated in the Xplanereviews.com review was that the aircraft developer VFlyteAir had access to a real world Cherokee so I knew that it would be a great aircraft! The day I learned how to use VOR I was using the PA-28 and even made a video tutorial about it with the aircraft (found here) A few years back I had the chance to fly in a real world Cherokee for the first time in years, When I got the VFlyteAir PA-28 I was stunned by the realism of the handling. Don't even get me started on the realism of the graphics, It seems that every nut, bolt, and rivet is modeled and honestly, I would be stunned if I was wrong! To quote xplanereviews.com, "Textures are excellent, you can almost feel the weave of the material on the seats that worn rip on the Co-Pilots fabric, the tired worn side panels and old leather inserts. Fuel tank switch is low down on the left panel and the air vents are perfectly recreated, and they rotate as well and does the small air adjuster knob. And this is where you are getting into the real feel of the aircraft because the longer you are in here, and the more you look...  then you realise how very well it is all done and put together." 

 

In case you can't figure this out already, then I'll just tell you.

I LOVE THIS PLANE!

 

-pilotofnothing

 

(In Exactly 150 words)

 

The SMS Beaver has to be the best aircraft for Xplane!

First of all the aircraft is one of the greatest Canadian aircraft ever made! it could land almost everywhere! Same goes for the SMS beaver. The beaver gives great FPS when flying those "tree hugger" flights. the model is also very close to the actual aircraft from sound, performance, and visual eye candy. The extra Tundra, floats, and amphib version are just another perk of the aircraft. the best part of this aircraft though, is the Community. the liveries, mods, and people surrounded in the SMS Beaver are purely amazing! The aircraft is just an all around performer, I would strongly recommend the buy! The same thing happens when I sit in a beaver, weather its Xplane or real life, it just makes you want to fly, into the sky, and fly into the stunning country I live in.

Congrats you guys for winning.

A big thanks to you Stephen. As a newcomer to X-Plane this site is my go-to place whenever my wallet feels like lightening itself. A great source for good, honest and to-the-point reviews, and the clickable images help enormously with those carefully considered what-to-buy-next decisions ... as I find myself doing just today, in fact. 

 

 

Thanks very much Stephen!

 

Much appreciated, and keep up the good work on this site. 

 

Regards

Sukhoi Baron 2318