Stephen Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 Aircraft Review : Schweizer S300CBi Helicopter X-Plane 12 by Dreamfoil Creations Without doubt the biggest pioneer in X-Plane Helicopters is Dreamfoil Creations. The list is too long to mention here of over a decade of development, but the Eurocopter AS350 B3+ and Bell 407 are brilliant examples of his work... not to mention the brilliant plugins like DreamEngine sounds. Then Dreamfoil went quiet about three years ago, disappeared off the X-Plane Simulator radar. There was another brilliant project released for X-Plane 11 by Dreamfoil Creations and that was a small gem of a ultra-light Schweizer S300CBi two-seater helicopter, now both DreamFoil and the S300CBi are back for X-Plane 12. By all accounts this the S300CBi a small machine, almost more like a large backpack of strapping on an engine and rotor blades, James Bond style, than a fully fledged flying machine. But even when considering the compact size of the aircraft, it has the capacity to be not only a good working machine, carry two people and fly a fair distance, but I doubt I would want to spend 101 hours in a hover pattern in it. The prototype of this machine first flew as far back 2nd October 1956. In other words only weeks before I was born, and that is nearly sixty seven years ago. That aircraft was the Hughes Model 269, and only by 9th April 1959 did the 269 actually receive certification. In 1964, Hughes introduced the slightly-larger three-seat Model 269B which it marketed as the Hughes 300. The Hughes 300 was followed in 1969 by the improved Hughes 300C (sometimes known as the 269C), which first flew on 6 March 1969 and received FAA certification in May 1970. This new model introduced a more powerful 190 hp (140 kW) Lycoming HIO-360-D1A engine and increased diameter rotor, giving a payload increase of 45%, plus overall performance improvements. It was this model that Schweizer began building the 300C under license from Hughes in 1983. In 1986, Schweizer acquired all rights to the helicopter from McDonnell Douglas, which had purchased Hughes Helicopters in 1984. the helicopter was known for a short time as the Schweizer-Hughes 300C and then simply, the Schweizer 300C. The basic design remained unchanged over the decades. Between both Hughes and Schweizer, and including foreign-licensed production civil and military training aircraft, nearly 3,000 units of the Model 269/300 have been built and flown over the last 50 years. The CBi version available here is the fuel injected version of the 300CB that alleviates carburetor icing concerns in colder temperatures. The 300CBi also includes overspeed protection and an automatic rotor engagement during start-up, as well as a low rotor RPM warning system. So here is the X-Plane 12 version of the S300CBi. If you had flown the original X-Plane 11 version you will find this new version very familiar. It is modeling and detail wise, but there is still a substantial twist on the basics to make the aircraft really shine in X-Plane 12. First off is that the XP12 version has the new 4k PBR textures... and "Wow" I remember the quality was good, but the striking thing here is that the X-Plane 12 detail now feels levels above again over the X-Plane 11 version, you can almost touch those molded pressed metal panels and the rivet construction. Note the absolutely perfect window frame and door panel. The 32.5 gallons (123 liters) fuel tank is perfectly designed as well, most S300's have two for a full 65 Gal capacity, the frame is there, but the tank isn't attached? but wait it is! as the extra range auxiliary tank is now set as an option. The highlight here is the amazing belt system running off the Lycoming HIO-360-D1A engine that connects to the tail rotor prop-shaft, in detail it is astounding in creation and animation, of course your life depends on any of those bands not breaking. The whole guts of the machine is on show, beautifully created, you can spend hours dissecting it all and marveling at the intricate work here, as all detail is so complete. Even small items like the engine oil and air filters, piping and exhaust systems which are all exceptionally well done. Again you feel it all looks very different from the XP11 version, as everything pops out at you and simply cries "Realism". Same options are available with the exhaust, with "Short", "Long" and "Long+Tip" versions all available. Rotor linkages and control rods are the heart of great helicopter design, and shows the skills of the developer. DreamFoil is certainly the best, and the expert work really shows here. As all the links are animated and perfectly done too, and they work (animated) from the cockpit all the way up to the rotor hub and out to the moving blades. Move the controls, Cyclic, Collective and they all work perfectly. More clever stuff is also the rubber covers will also move in shape to the linkage movement... the detail here is in the extreme with great texture work in that the assemblies are perfectly worn and highly realistic. At the end of the long boom tail, the tail rotor assembly is just as highly detailed, with again those magnificent animated boots. Yaw movement (Rudder) is again animated and perfect. Another change is that the rotor hub adjust, where you could move the rotor blades to a set position is now gone (or moved). It is replaced by a "Rotor Tie" menu, that can add on the blade, hub and windshield covers. You can also use the same point and click tool on each of the separate blades. Another point and click menu will lower or raise the wheels, note the lovely spring and cover action to the skids. Initially I found the cockpit windows too dark, almost black compared to the XP11 S300CBi? Then I found in the Menu, now there is a slider that will adjust the translucency of the windows from 0% to 100%, and I found that 50% opacity was about perfect (as before). Doors of course can be opened, or removed altogether, either by touch or via the menu. Cockpit Internally the cockpit is the same, with the same seats and materials. But again everything is highlighted more by the higher quality textures and the excellent X-Plane 12 lighting... Realism 101 Those seats are thin, but the vinyl seating covers are just so realistic in their shapes, stitching and light reflections. Quality headphones that are hanging on the center roof support can be used by clicking on them, and the external sound goes down (slightly) with their usage. Slender collectives both sit between the seats for either pilot or co-pilot use, and you can hide the control set (collective and cyclic) if you want to. Twist throttle movement is excellent. Panel instruments are quite basic which would mean VFR rules only, turn on the power and the GPS Garmin GNS 430 powers up as does the Garmin GTX 32, which is the built in transponder unit. Instruments are top row down is (left to right).... Chronometer, Vertical speed, Speed (knots/MPH), Altitude, Engine RPM, Manifold Pressure. But wait? You can now also select (or insert) an Artificial Horizon (missing before), and that makes the V/S and Altitude instruments shuffle across and down to fit. Another option is to replace the GNS 430 with a Bendix/King KY 98A that is usable for COMM 1 use. A set of six gauges cover... Fuel Gauge - Fuel Pressure Gauge - Cylinder Head Temperature, and lower, Oil Pressure Gauge (PSI) - Oil Temperature Gauge - Ammeter Gauge. Below the gauges is a hourly Hobbs Meter. Lighting switchgear includes - both adjustable avionic and panel lighting, panel main switch, position and beacon switches. Fuel mixture and fuel shutoff knobs with electrical main key switch, Battery and Alternator switches are also lower right panel. All the Circuit Breakers (fuses) are active, and each function is fully listed in the manual. To note that the Cylinder Head Temperature (CHT) here is driven by a custom algorithm which simulates more realistically the CHT behavior to give a more realistic flying experience, instead of it being just a dumb gauge. The Panel at night is very nice (so was the XP11, but a bit too bright) here it is lit perfect. Menu For X-Plane 12 the menu system has been overhauled. Gone is the spinning dial menu, mainly because it was too limited for all the options. The menu now is a bit more a standard rank and file square, but it can hold far more features and options. You access the menu via a "hotspot" top right corner of the Instrument panel... You can also access the menu externally by pressing a "hotspot" lower windshield. Originally you had eight selections, but here you have two more in ten selections... Menu items include: Smart livery - Stability - Customize - Report - Volume - Weights - Correlator - Quick Views - Extra - Settings. Missing is the POV (Point Of View) feature. Smart Livery: There was Eleven liveries with the XP11 version. Installed here are Five liveries: White (default), Calypso, Grapite, Orange, Purple and Silver Blue. But on the X-Plane.Org there are another 25 selections!, so altogether there are 36 liveries to choose from. Note the Calypso, this livery comes with floats. The new Smart Livery menu is of course different than the circular version before, in the choice, it is now on a horizontal scroll. Stability: This feature allows you to specify the percentages for (Yaw, Roll and Pitch) in stability augmentation. The "Rigid Cruise" feature shares the same principle of Stability Augmentation, but instead of keeping in a fixed value, and it will progressively increase the values from Hover to Cruise, in so making long flights an easier task for general simmers.... in other words holds the aircraft to make it easier to fly. Customize: There are a lot (loads) of options were you can customize the S300CBi... top is the "Panel" options in the shown "Alt Indicator" and "Garmin 430" (or Bendix/King KY 98A) Next are options for the "Covers & Tie(downs)", shortcuts include "All On" and "All Off", and "Doors" on/off Next is the "Exhaust" options... Short, Long and Long+Tip "Wheels/Floats/Spray kit" these options first remove the wheels on the skids, put some very nice floats on the S300CBi, and finally install a very nice "Spray Kit" with twin mounted inboard tanks. "Windshield Opacity" can be graded from 0% to 100%, note here is that the setting is not saved? so you have to adjust it at every new startup? Next three options include a "GPU" (Ground Power Unit), but it is more of a Power Stick, called a Li-Ion start stick, which is stuck into the side of the machine. The second "AUX fuel tank" option, and an external "Hook" under the S300CBi. "Governor Kit" allows you to have on the Collective a Governor, or a clean short collective. The Schweizer 300CBi is not equipped with governor from the factory, but in few cases owners do install the kit which is unofficial and may vary on functionality. Last customized options include, a Yaw String in the cockpit window, and the Co-Pilot Cyclic and Rudder Pedals on/off Report: Report gives you a status message about helicopter usage, it's useful to see if you have stressed the helicopter. Includes Fuel estimate – It's an estimate in hours of your current - Datcom Engine (engine hourmeter), Datcom Flight (flight hourmeter), Min and Max G's - This indicates the maximum and minimum values that helicopter structure has experienced, including during a crash. You can also reset "ALL" or "G". Sounds: Sadly the original "DreamEngine" plugin sounds are now long gone. Now replaced with the same sounds, but under the FMOD XP12 system. This is the menu adjustment for eight different sound parameters, the slider adjustment is used to change the percentage % Weights: The Weights menu shows you your: Pilot Weight, Pax Weight, Main Fuel Weight, Aux Fuel Weight - Fuel Estimate and Total (aircraft weight). Colelator: More a developer tool, this shows the aircraft parameters and presets, with a debug option panel lower left. Quick Views: this menu selection gives you ten pre-set views of the internal and external aspects of the S300CBi Extra: There are two "Extra" options. The first is a one page (basic) "Checklist", you scroll it up and down at your convenience. Second option is the "Slung Window" or to see the position of your hung load from the hook. Settings: There are four "Settings" available in... "Units" Metric or Imperial. "External Spots" will put "animated hotspots" on the aircraft for actions like; Rotor Brake, Adding Fuel, Moving Wheels.... One action that has been moved from the top of the main rotor to the tail rotor, is the blade centre adjust. Here now you turn the tail, which moves the main rotor blades to the centre parked position. GeForce... This option allows you to adjust the "Lateral" and "Vertical" forces against the aircraft, and a slider or keypad is used to adjust the percentage % Final "Settings" option is the "Rotor Particles" or the exhaust plume in on/off. In the external view you get a pilot, not the most detailed human, and he is non-animated as well... but he looks fine for the job in hand. __________________ Flying the Schweizer S300CBi I was expecting the Schweizer S300CBi to be very, very nervous or twitchy aircraft, as it is such a very small agile little insect of a machine. But in fact it was quite a well balanced and quite a stable aircraft to fly... the trick is to manage your X-Plane and Dreamfoil settings to get the best balance and control... playing with the yaw response curve can do wonders, also there is a "Cyclic Adjustment" below the front of the main pilot's seat, this actuator is a small electrical motor on cyclic base which can apply lateral and longitudinal forces, and you can adjust it via two rotating knobs. Startup was quite easy. Power (Bat) and Alt switches on, make sure the mixture knob is in, turn the key and hold the starter switch for a short while... (the switch changes if you use the governor, on the short stick the start button is on the front)... so starting is easy, lawnmowers are harder. The Governor will correctly simulate the correlator behavior which is a link between the collective and the throttle to reduce pilot workload, when raising the collective it will also increase throttle or vice-versa. Also notable is the clutch which has 3 modes... OFF – Manual, SLOW – Automatic engage in slow speed and FAST – An automatic engage used when belt system is already on a high temperature, like after a flight. When the temps are up to their correct temperature then you can increase the RPM via the throttle grip, the RPM settles down around 2,700 rpm The slim boom tail yaw can be twitchy at first until you feel it, then your away... slight cyclic forward (not too much!) as you gain height moves you forward, when have enough ground, you can give the cyclic more of a forward push, so you can climb and collect speed at the same time, but don't over do it... just nice and easy. Rate of climb is tops at 750 ft/min (3.82 m/s). Anyway you don't want to go too high, as skimming the trees gives you the feeling of speed, as this critter doesn't really go that fast.... Maximum speed is only 95 kn (109 mph, 176 km/h) and your cruise speed is 86 kn (99 mph, 159 km/h), you could probably run faster. Biggest advantage with the XP12 version is the addition of the Artificial Horizon... I found when I used to fly the S300CBi, it was it always flew a bit lop-sided, because it suited itself flying at this angle. Now I have a reference line to straighten the machine up correctly and it makes a huge difference in your flying... in going straight! Sounds are the same, but slightly more advanced than before in now being FMOD based, but there is still the same excellent 3D zoom with directional sound, with an authentic HO-360 engine sound in the rear, blade slap is great if you push the nose too high and volumetric cockpit sounds come with more noise if you don't wear your headset, or even louder if you open or remove the doors... As you bank or roll, there is the need to push the cyclic slightly forward to keep the altitude correct, keep it centre, and you will climb. But that sweet flying aspect is still there, small cyclic movements does all the work, as this was the biggest attraction to the S300CBi, probably even better now with the superior X-Plane 12 dynamics. Range of the S300CBI is only 195 nmi, 360 km (204 miles). Even though it is only a small container sized cabin. It is all very panoramic, as you feel open and every view is excellent, even the machinery twirling above your head is very noticeable. Certainly if you have a VR (Virtual Reality) headset, it would be levels better again. Effective translational lift (ETL) here is excellent, as you reach into the lower speed zone, around 15 knots, but restraining the speed is quite tricky in trying to slow the Schweizer down... it takes a little practise to get that aspect perfectly right, but Dreamfoil's aircraft were always based very highly on the skills, it is again here. Approaches are low and slow, then find that perfect ETL point as you go into the hover. The S300CBi is still classed as a "light utility" machine, so it is very light in the feel, but you soon switch in... get it wrong though, like I did in the last few feet and the absorbing skids will compress and soften the blow (and your ego)... another great detail from Dreamfoil. Probably need to do that one again. Lighting Cockpit and panel lighting is excellent, the panel as noted is not as bright as the XP11 version, but far better here.... both the instruments and Avionics that can be adjusted separately. External lighting is great with navigation (side rear boom) which are steady, and rear flash strobes. There is a green spot map light on the rear bulkhead that can be fully adjusted in all axis and it is also very good. Under the aircraft there is a spotlight, that is accessed by a hard to see switch on the front of the cyclic. The spotlight is also fully adjustable to get the right lighting angle via a pop-up slider. Summary One of the great X-Plane helicopter developers in Dreamfoil Creations has had a break for a few years. Now he is back with a transition aircraft to X-Plane 12 of his earlier excellent helicopters the Schweizer S300CBi, a twin-seat Ultra-Light for X-Plane 11. This machine was very popular with the punters and chopper jockeys, because of it's sweet flying capabilities, and nothing has certainly changed in that area here, if anything the dynamics are even more heightened in X-Plane 12. When one of the "Old Guard" comes up you can see and feel the difference. Certainly Dreamfoil is a mastercraftsman, but the S300CBI is even more masterful and the extreme quality shows in every part of this helicopter now available in X-Plane 12. It comes with fully functioning systems and components in the rotors and the controls are to be marveled at here, in fact everything can be admired, as the whole machine is exquisitely crafted to the highest degree and takes advantage of all the X-Plane 12 features, a bonus is this is also one of the very best sweetest machines to have and fly. VR ready as well. This is not just a straight conversion to X-Plane 12 of the S300CBi. As almost every area has had attention, notable the PBR textures to 4K, but the glass, sounds (now FMOD) and the details are all enhanced or transformed into a higher quality. The Menu is expanded as well, as long as your arm, and probably your leg as well, it is full of options and tools... including the Smart Livery system (but different here), Stability, Covers/Ties, removable Doors, Floats and an excellent Crop Spray Kit, Aux Tank, Li-Ion start stick, Hook, Govenor Kit and on it goes, and new is windshield Opacity. And all the external spots give you access to the various parts of the aircraft, and Quick Views is in there as well. Basically the "Master" is back, and again Dreamfoil delivers an exceptional Simulation machine in the Schweizer S300CBi. Fabulous investment, but skills are required to get the most out of this Ultra-Light Helicopter. Hopefully more of his Creations in the AS350 B3+ and the Bell 407 will follow the S300CBi into X-Plane 12, until then, you already have a Premier Simulation here for the X-Plane Simulator with this amazing Schweizer machine. __________________________ Yes! - the Schweizer S300CBi XP12 by Dreamfoil Creations is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Schweizer S300CBi XP12 Price is US$39.95 : On sale: $39.95 US$34.95 You Save:$5 (13%) Requirements X-Plane 12 Windows, Mac or Linux 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 445 MB Current version : 1.0 (November 20th 2023) Designed by DreamFoil Creations Support forum for the S300CBi XP12 Installation Installation of Schweizer S300CBi XP12 is done via a download of 423 Mb... With a total installation size of 1.02Gb. (Excluding extra liveries) There is one basic Manual pdf (20 pages) Review System Specifications Windows - 12th Gen IS1700 Core i7 12700K 12 Core 3.60 GHz CPU - 64bit -32 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 - Samsung 970 EVO+ 2TB SSD Software: - Windows 11 Pro - X-Plane 12.08b3 (This is a Beta review). Plugins: Traffic Global - JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00 Scenery or Aircraft - KFMY - Page Field - Fort Myers, Florida 1.0 by timbenedict3 (X-Plane.Org) - Free ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 25th November 2023 Copyright©2023: X-Plane Reviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) All Rights Reserved Kiwiflyer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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