Stephen Posted August 8, 2019 Report Share Posted August 8, 2019 Aircraft Update : Dash 8 Q400 Legacy by FlyJSim It is not very often in reviewing that you actually have the chance to say goodbye to an aircraft, it is a bit like the retirement of the final flight of a design that has been the backbone of an airlines for years, and it is now happening with regularity with the retirements of aging MD-80 Series and Boeing 747-400 fleets. To note this De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q Series is not being totally withdrawn by FlyJSim, as it will still be available to buy for X-Plane11 users and noted under the new "Legacy" moniker (from the XP11 label) to differentiate the version from the coming newer v2 Q4XP. So price wise you are going to get a good deal (currently around US$30) but to note as we shall see here it the aircraft is originally dated from 2012 and it is a full 10 Years since the commencement of the project and yes it has been well developed to keep up with the changes in that time of the surrounding simulator versions. The Dashy has weathered the years well... and in this new v2.19 Legacy version has now PBR or Physically Based Rendering textures as well. So the exterior textures now have a more believable glossiness and metalness effect and the Dash 8 shows it all off here very well. The hull and tail is now more highly reflective and note the particle effects that power out from the exhausts. Close up and the detail is still very good, with new NML's (normals) showing off the design. Those six-blade R408 propeller system propellers on the Bombardier Q400 incorporates an advanced swept blade design and optimized ARA-D/A airfoil and are still exceptionally well done here. Glass has been redone, but with no reflections, so it looks good, but could have been better. Menus have been updated to reflect the new Legacy name, both external and internal Weight & Balance menus are still here. The external is now quite simple, but the W & B menu is still one of the best out there (note the Summer and Winter weight setting). Q400's are extremely weight sensitive (most flights will require you to move seats for weight corrections in real life)... and that is highlighted here if you get the loading balance wrong... 25% of MAC is the best setting. But I will note the nosewheel now also sinks slightly into the ground... odd. The Dashy was always a tricky aircraft to fly and many users couldn't quite master it's quirky nature. For me I always found it not to bad, but it could be slightly frustrating the use and fly... just those small things that annoy you. The largest and still not fixed here is the throttle to mixture levers that are complicated to use.... so shut the Q400 down and it is hell to restart, if nigh impossible. Never fixed if the mixture levers are set to Fuel (cut) Off then you can't reset the throttle levers to idle, they need to click in again to restart, and in most cases only a full engine running restart will get the aircraft started? another issue is again the throttles and the built in beta (reverse) selection. Sometimes it works in beta mode, and sometimes it doesn't? (I use an external twin throttle Saitek system and the settings just don't like the unit) So throttle idle is somewhere, or where you sometimes have to guess... thrust reverse is like Quantum Mechanics, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Personally over the years these areas it has drove me batshit, but when it works the Dashy is a great aircraft. Cockpit detail is still extraordinary even after all these years, pure FlyJSim work of art, although a few of the switchgear items are now showing their age. New PBR reflections have lifted the cockpit to new heights, it can be gorgeous in here in the right lighting conditions, and yes the detail is almost ten years old, but it still feels as good as new. Main instrument PFD and MAP/NAV displays have been made brighter and sharper, and you notice the significant difference. The cabin however with no updates since the original release and really shows the original age, and it is not pretty back there. So for me it is the last flight of this original Q400 from LPPR - Porto to LEBL - Barcelona... ... in flight she feels as good as ever, the update has brought on some new dynamics with the newer current 11.35 flight model and with that comes some increased drag and better handling, and yes the aircraft does feel really nice (if balanced correctly). You will work hard at the controls in the Dashy, and it requires very fine throttle control to fly this of all X-Plane machines a very manual hands-on aircraft... .... speed and balance is everything, but get your balance right and the aircraft is extremely rewarding, but get it wrong and that nose can be so light. \ So you have to use your skills to the max and you will then get your high-five reward. My last landing in the Q400 Legacy? maybe, certainly for now, but it doesn't have to be your last ride in an X-Plane classic. It will be extremely interesting on the differences between the not so old and the new compare when the Q4XP arrives, and there is currently no arrival date yet for that aircraft... until then savior the legacy. Summary This is currently the last update v2.19 and a change of name to the "Legacy" for the Classic FlyJSim Q400 until the Q4XP version 2 arrives. The update brings in a lot of the latest X-Plane11.35 features to the aircraft, including better performance and a new flight model, PBR effects (glossy and reflective) and glass tweaks. The quirks including a difficult throttle/mixture and unreliable beta (reverse-thrust) are still as maddening to use as ever as is the engine start up from shutdown, and still also a very tricky aircraft to fly but ultimately very rewarding this Q400 is a long time in service aircraft and certainly deserves classic status from the simulator. Like with most and even the greatest of aircraft designs there comes a time the aircraft has to make way for the new. And so it is here for the FlyJSim Dash 8 Q400. For those that don't want to spend a huge amount of dollars, but want a quality and tried and true aircraft then this "Legacy" version will keep you very happy and test those skill levels on a the manual of manual flying by the fingertips aircraft, so there is great value to be had here. For me it will be interesting on how the newer Q4XP measures up to an original classic machine. ________________________________________________________ Yes! the Dash 8 Q400 Legacy by FlyJSim is available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Dash 8 Q400 Legacy Price is US$30.00 Note make sure you have v2.19 when downloading, All previous purchasers can now update via your X-Plane.OrgStore Account Features *NEW* PBR Enabled Exterior Accurate Flight Characteristics Created from over 60 hours of flight tests with information from real world data and backed by actual Q400 pilots. Detailed Exterior Model Created from extensive research of hundreds of images and references. Everything from the airfoils used on the wings to actual tire sizes modeled with detail in mind. Includes a full set of high resolution textures including normal maps, specular maps, and night lighting. Highly Accurate 3D Cockpit Fly happy knowing what you are looking at really is to scale. 3D cockpit modeled from detailed Q400 data. Textures created from thousands of images taken of the interior. Detailed Interior & Exterior Night Light Be able to see the plane at night along with strobe and beacon lights that light up the fuselage. Cockpit lighting as well allows you to still see everything and enjoy flying in the dark. Custom Sounds Hear what the real Q400 sounds like. We have recorded real world Q400 sounds, including cockpit call-outs. The sounds alone add so much to the experience. Plugin enhanced: We use plugins to add more systems and features that would otherwise be impossible to be implemented if left to use the default X-Plane logic. Load & Balance Manager: A first in X-Plane, the Load & Balance Manager is a pop up screen which allows you to change the load-out and balance in real time. Pick from thousands of combinations of seating arrangement, cargo hold weights, and fuel amounts. See the Center of Gravity change as you load the aircraft differently and burn fuel in flight. Many Liveries available: V2.19 Changlog FlyJSim Dash 8 Q400 changelog v2.19.rtf ______________________________________________________________________ Update by Stephen Dutton 8th August 2019 Copyright©2019 : 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) tbaac 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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