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Aircraft Review : Challenger 300 V2 XP11 Captains Edition by Ddenn


Stephen

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Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Header.jpg

 

Aircraft Review : Challenger 300 XP11 V2 Captain's Edition by Ddenn

 

One of X-Plane's absolute favorite aircraft has been upgraded to X-Plane11 with the Bombardier Challenger 300 XP11. This excellent private jet can already fly in X-Plane11, and that is mostly with more patches than what Keith Richards has on him. So what is this upgraded version?

 

Patches are great in keeping a current aircraft flying, but in reality they are what they are as a patch or a temporary fix of issues or bugs. In reality you need a completely revised aircraft and a more solid flying experience and in the case of X-Plane11 the required performance tuning to meet the conditions of the new simulator.

 

In reality there are not many quality private jets in X-Plane... why is really a mystery as they are very interesting aircraft to fly and this Ddenn's Challenger 300 very popular acceptance aircraft adds in even more to the head scratching of why developers don't produce more aircraft of this genre.

 

The aircraft has been a sort of experimental platform as well, with ideas of chrome and glossy fuselages and other bits of ideas. But that was before X-Plane11 and most of the ideas that the developer was trying to imitate are now part of the full package of X-Plane11 features.

 

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Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Head 3.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Head 4.jpg

 

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You can't disregard the fact that the Challenger 300 is stunning aircraft, these light jets have that pedigree feel about them and mostly do the Davos shuttle or ferry the 1º Percenters around the globe. In other words the only way you and I will get to fly in one is on your desktop.

 

External

It is hard to get your head around that the Challenger 300 from Ddenn has been around in X-Plane since the middle of 2011, that is nearly seven years for the taking and the aircraft still looks as stunning now as then and now with new 4096 (4K Size) textures inside and out, even more so with the latest X-Plane11 PBR - Physical Based Rendering effects and the surrounding X-Plane11 look and feel. The results are that the chrome effects are now so realistic with... true chrome, and real reflective chrome (note the older special effect plugin has been removed).

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 2.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 1.jpg

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 3.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 4.jpg

 

The external cabin windows highlights the beauty of the effects, great chrome (again) and the excellent reflective glass.

 

But there are some areas that do still show the aircraft's design age. The navigation lights are quite basic and the main undercarriage internals are also standard modeling... there is nothing really outstanding  here that actually dates the aircraft but they are still there if you look or observe very closely.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 5.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 6.jpg

 

But you have to admire the work as the detailed front gear and rear tail shows, this was done seven years ago and it is still excellent work.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 7.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Detail 8.jpg

 

Menus

There are two sets of menus with the Challenger 300. The slide out main menu is positioned on the left side of your screen and has seven tabs and they cover:

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Menu 1.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Menu 2.jpg

 

Fast Start - Sets the aircraft up quickly and lets you fly straight away.
Exter Preflight - (Above) you start by pressing the buttons numbered 1 to 24 and it produces the different angles of checking around the aircraft, It also allows you to add or remove the storage flags, wheel chocks and engine covers. Want to start again? then you can by just pressing the “Start Again” point.
Cameras - Pre-set views inside the aircraft (useful before the current built in X-Plane version), views include Pilot, Co-Pilot, Cabin 1,2 & 3, Lavatory and Bagage (Baggage).

Animations - A useful set of tools that opens the aircraft's Main door, Baggage door, Emergency hatch, Blinds (internal all), Internal cabin Lighting on/off, Washroom door (internal), rear baggage door (internal), and tables (internal).

Instruments - A menu to access different that instruments and displays on the panel of the aircraft (image above right) that covers the EICAS display, CKLST (Checklist) and MFDCTL (Multi-Functional Display).

 

The main changes in the menu is mostly on the options menu, originally there was only two options in saving your current position and status and adjust the volume of your sound. This has now expanded to include:


Options - The save your plane position still works very well and the adjustment of the volume of sound has been expanded to include both external and internal engine volume.

Now you can display or hide the pilots, Lock the camera during the PREFLT walkaround, Hide the Main Menu automatically, Let the MFDCTL menu pop-up automatically, Non-reflective Cockpit Glass and allow the Auto-Throttle to work.

 

(note on the save your plane position. This feature can mess up your loading if you want to move the aircraft to another airport, if wanting a free positioning, make sure the box is ticked off)

 

Internal

After the walk-around and cleaning up the aircraft of its static elements it was time to open up the Challenger 300.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 1.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 2.jpg


From the original release of this Challenger this cabin was one of the very best, and it held that honour for years. It still stands up against even the best of them out there, but the quality has caught up in detail, again it stresses how good this aircraft was all those years ago and still is.

 

Cabin lighting off and cabin is dark but the PBR effects bring out the detail. Cabin lights on and it is now a much more brighter cabin than you had in the Challenger 300 cabin than before, it is debatable if it is too bright as it washes out the seat textures?

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 3.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 4.jpg

 

You may get used to this brighter world or you may not, personally a few notches down would be more to my taste or give us the independent spot lighting as the switches are already set out and in gold! The detail however is still overwhelming, it is a beautiful space in which to fly (note the lovely animated blinds)

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 5.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 6.jpg

 

Washroom now has the correct glass reflections and the chrome fittings that the developer has desired from the start, courtesy of X-Plane11's effects.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 7.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 8.jpg

 

Some handles and fittings are not perfectly round as per the aircraft's heritage, but it is a nice space to use when the need arises. Far rear cabin is the baggage compartment and the loading door can be operated internally as well.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 9.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB 10.jpg

 

Cockpit

Open the divider between the cabin and the cockpit and you are in the "office". A note in that if the divider is set across the doorway you can't walk through as the boundary is now in place? Same with the main door when it is closed, those physical restraints were not in place before...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 1.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 2.jpg

 

With X-Plane11 the lighting dynamics are very good, but to be honest I expected more deeper shadows and more dynamic, dynamics, and the overall grey design doesn't help, still X-Plane11 does lift the cockpit to far more and greater realistic feel than you had before.

 

The window shades are animated and move right around on rails for use. To many in X-Plane this cockpit is a very familiar place, a home away from home.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 3.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 4.jpg

 

But you do feel it is different, obviously the layout is the same, but there are several fundamental changes that do give you that more newish feel and the notable upgraded version difference.

 

The first item is not part of the package, but an addon...  It is the optional "Terrain Radar" by DrGluck

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 5.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 6.jpg

 

It is free, and has been refined by the developer for use in the Challenger to be part of the Map/Nav Display, and is well worth the addition.

 

The second was the most wanted function on this aircraft since it was released in a real FMC.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 10.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 7.jpg

 

Granted it is the native X-Plane11 FMC and not the custom FMC we had been waiting years for. But it is still a fully function FMC with SID&STARS, AIRWAYS and STEPs. Also thankfully the nasty red route line has gone as well and that has been replaced by the newer pink and grey route segment layout. You can programme the FMC via the usual pop-out or directly if you want the authentic feel of the Challenger.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 8.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 9.jpg

 

EGKB (Biggin Hill) to EFMN (Nice)

If you spend a lot of time in the United Kingdom you get used to a lot of crappy weather...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 11.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 12.jpg

 

Rain effects have had a strange ride lately in X-Plane, a few years ago they were in vogue and everywhere, then the developers took them off their aircraft again. But here they work, and work really well in the Challenger, for me I love rain effects and the sounds are great as well...

 

Talking of sounds as they are now all dynamic FMOD, yes they were good before, but this now standardizes the sound package. Engine start up was always a great event, but the engine time start up has now been extended, so now even more time to enjoy the whine of the two Honeywell HTF 7000 turbofan engines that are flat rated to 6,826 pounds of thrust each.

 

Start-up is also greatly helped by the excellent EICAS - Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System. The displays are changed through the EICAS panel aft pedestal or via the pop-up panel. They cover: Anti-Ice, ECS, Electrical, Flight Controls, Fuel and Hydraulics, there is also a standard “Summary” display that gives you an overview of the systems.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 15.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 16.jpg

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Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 20.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 19.jpg

 

It is a great layout to check out the aircraft's systems which is vital at start-up with the required bleed channels to the engines and APU use, and I really like the summary information on the condition of the aircraft. The text is still micro small, but now quite readable than it was before. Note the excellent built-in checklist, as you can mark off the items as well.

 

Nav Source is to select between the FMC, Nav1 and Nav2 sources, and best set before you depart...  REFS gives you your takeoff Ref speeds (landing as well) and are handy to know.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Cockpit 21 LG.jpg

 

Time to get out of this nasty English weather and go to the sunny French Côte d'Azur.

 

But that was easier to say than do? Then the heavens opened...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 1.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 2.jpg

 

...  my only guide was a yellow line and my well known layout of Biggin Hill Aerodrome. The rain effects were very, very good, but you still wished for a windscreen wiper. The hangar on TWY H loomed out of the gloom, best not to hit that? You need a white stick out here...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 4.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 3.jpg

 

I found EGKB RWY 03 and powered up into the greyness, it wasn't the easiest departure I have experienced, but once airborne I kept just flew dead straight and climbed hard at around 4000fpm to climb out of the "merde". You can do that with an aircraft like this, as you can power your way out of trouble for the thrust is huge to the weight of the machine even with a heavy 17770 kg gross weight (aircraft is 10730 kg).

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 5.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 7.jpg

 

Then at 9800ft I cleared the weather... and started to breath on my own again.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 8.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 9.jpg

 

It was time to get back on to schedule and start the flightplan. But with the difficult departure I had to go to the flightplan, I could do a DIR INTO or DIRECT-TO course back to SFD VOR as now I had a FMC to use, but why not feel the aircraft instead.

 

I have always found the Challenger a bit of a niggly aircraft, and even with a slight pitch or bank movements it sort of reacted rather than moved to the new angle or the change of pitch. You got used to it and sort of flew around it's odd foible characteristics. But now in this version you now have X-Plane11 flight dynamics which are very different from the past X-Plane flight models. Some aircraft haven't changed over well to XP11 dynamics, but the Challenger 300 has...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 10.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 11.jpg

 

...    the XP11 changes to the aircraft has benefited the feel and the flying considerably. The turn to the south was a "wow" moment as the aircraft gracefully moved under your commands, it held the tight radius really well and you felt the aircraft respond to your inputs far, far better than you remembered in the past, before I loved the aircraft but now with this excellent flight model it is also very nice aircraft to fly manually.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_EGKB Dep 12.jpg

 

Time to fly to the sun...

 

The cockpit is VR (Virtual Reality) ready with both the manipulators and teleport spots changed for the interaction and the scroll is also available for adjustment of knobs, the logic of 3-pos switches like for lighting now works as well. But the knobs don't now make that ratchet sound when you turn them. (on VR expect more changes in time, it is still very new in X-Plane and currently most areas are still basic)

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Flight 1.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Flight 2.jpg

 

The main SASL plugin has been upgraded to v2.5.1 for better and smoother operations and features, supposedly to come. But you do feel the difference with the this latest update in your interactions and the quick responses.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Flight 3 LG.jpg

 

The weird thing is that things that you thought were standard, were actually not... take glass reflection for example, not there before but it is now. This is feature that did get muddled as gloss and reflections were a part of the developers ideas to replicate them with out the current X-Plane11 tools. Certainly X-Plane11 does the job far better, but what was actually wasn't until now.

 

Lighting

The lighting in the Challenger 300 was always very good, but depending on the period you take it from. In the early days it was simply brilliant, but the laws of life and constant rolling forward progress can diminish that halo a little. But you use the new X-Plane11 effects to give some ummph back into the aircraft and that shows here.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 1.jpg  Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 2.jpg

 

In the cockpit the feel is excellent, and the newer FMC adds in to the more complete feel than the average version before. Panel lighting adjustment is via two side panels by both the pilot and co-pilot including separate adjustments for all the display panels and the pedestal...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 3.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 4.jpg

 

....   The important knob is only on the co-pilots side pane in the "Dome". This adjusts the single overhead light that covers the cockpit, but it is very flexible in adjusting the lighting from a very dark (landing) to a night working environment.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 5.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 6.jpg

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I was very easily to find a sweet lighting spot to be in a dark environment, but have an outline of all the knobs and buttons I required and a lovely reflection glow from the instrument panel and .

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 9 LG.jpg

 

So the cockpit lighting is extremely good, but I was not as happy with the cabin lighting...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 10.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 11.jpg

 

Cabin lighting is purely on/off...  dark or brilliantly bright? There are great spot lights around the cabin, but with no function which is a real shame.

 

Worse if you have the cabin lighting on the cockpit is as brightly lit? And the aircraft is quite bright externally unless you pull the all the shades down?

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 12.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 13.jpg

 

So unless your passengers are sitting in the dark, you can't use the excellent cockpit lighting or vice-versa, even the spots working in the cabin would help to fix that issue. The seatbelt and EXIT signs all work (on/off) and there is an entrance lights set in stairs.

 

External lighting is excellent. There is wing (ice) lights and tail logo light, navigation, strobe and beacon lighting.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 14.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Lighting 15.jpg

 

Front gear has a taxi and landing light, and two landing lights in fairings inner wings.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Flight 4 LG.jpg

 

Arrival at the Côte d'Azur is swift in a private fast .80 mach jet.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 1.jpg

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 3.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 2.jpg

 

I always found that stability was hard going as you reduced the speeds and tried to balance the lower speed, flap extension (to match the speed) and power adjustment. It is still tricky, but the XP11 dynamics do give you more control, mostly in the throttle area.

 

LFMN - Nice RWY 04L is now in sight and my approach is under good speed control. I have found that the NIce 04L - 04R ILS to be a bit tricky, sometimes they align correctly and sometimes they don't and mostly on 04R. So you have to be ready to change quickly from the flightplan if you are not aligning correctly, but today everything is aligned as it should be.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 4.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 5.jpg

 

Nice always did make for a very dramatic arrival, as the comprehensive X-Plane11's autogen works really well here.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 6.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 7.jpg

 

For a fast jet the aircraft is very good at slow approach speeds, here it is 145knts at 20º flap and down to 120knts on full/30º flap. Your throttle use has to be good, almost perfect to keep it within the right approach speed range as the aircraft is sensitive, more so when the gear is extended, the drag is considerable. Note the excellent "TerrainRadar", as the it works very well here at LFMN.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 8.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 9.jpg

 

With the flaps extended the detailing is still very good and authentic...  finals and your flying now just by the throttle adjustment.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 11.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 10.jpg

 

The tricky, tricky part is getting the right flare in this aircraft, but it is better here with more throttle feel, as it is very easy to crash the aircraft hard down onto the runway...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 12.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 13.jpg

 

...  get it right and you a happy pilot, those huge cans can give you a lot of reverse-thrust...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 14.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 15.jpg

 

....  and the passengers get their first view of the South of France in Nice Airport.

 

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And finally a taxi to Stand 22.

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_LFMN 19.jpg

 

Finally on the stand and engine shutdown... there is no external power cart which is a bit strange after all this time, but you do get external power to the aircraft.

 

Liveries

All the liveries provided have been upgraded to 4K 4096mb quality, but a of the few originals (and some favorites) have not been transferred. With the package you get one blank and eight liveries...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery Blank.jpg

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery OE-HPZ.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery HB-JFO.jpg

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery N101UD.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery N130CH.jpg

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery N508FX.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery N605RF.jpg

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery PR-IDE.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery XA-FRD.jpg

 

There is a huge range of 53 liveries available on the X-Plane.Org, including these...

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery CG.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery BCG.jpg

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery BA.jpgBombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery SAS.jpg

 

But not all of them work as some if they have a metal exposure you get a bad mottled effect?

 

Bombardier_Cl_300_XP11_Livery Chrome.jpg

 

There is a painkit, but not yet updated to the 4K textures.

 

Summary

I am really preaching to the converted here, as the Bombardier Challenger 300 by Dden is an X-Plane classic aircraft, everyone pretty well owns it and has flown it.

The original aircraft is nearly seven years old and in areas that age does show, but it is not a significant point as this is an aircraft that has moved on very well with the times and is in many ways it is as good now than ever and even far better than a lot of the aircraft released today. The aircraft and its excellent comprehensive menus and features are still top notch, and I wholeheartedly recommend the "TerrainRadar" plugin to add in some more detail that much more now than ever.

 

This is the X-Plane11 interpretation of the aircraft, and that means all the features that X-Plane11 brings to your simulator are now accessible on the Challenger as well. And it is a lot of changes and it does significantly change the design in feel and dynamics...  you could say this is the mature and grown up aircraft and finally it comes with that much wanted built in FMC even if it is the native X-Plane11 version.

 

Physical Based Rendering and this aircraft were always going to be the dream team, but although extremely good, it is not as dynamic as I thought it would have been compared to other aircraft, I feel there is a little more fine tuning is needed here as also with the cabin lighting, which is too bright, although others may disagree with that assessment, but besides that point the cabin lighting needs attention to divide it from the excellent cockpit lighting anyway, as they just don't work together.

 

If you already own the earlier versions of the Challenger 300 from Dden (of which most of you do) then you can upgrade to this XP11 version for the new model for less than $10. Please look for the promo code under your CL300 invoice at the X-Plane.OrgStore.

 

Overall the X-Plane11 features shine very strongly here and there has been a lot of very nice fixes and tuning to make the Challenger 300 still one of the very best private jets available in X-Plane...  if still THE best and long still may the Challenger 300 reign.

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

X-Plane Store logo sm.jpg

 

Yes! the Bombardier Challenger 300 XP11 by Ddenn  is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :

 

Bombardier Challenger 300 v2 Captain Edition XP11

 

Price is US$34.95

 

Note: Owners of the original Challenger 300 can buy the new model for less than $10. Please look for the promo code under your CL300 invoice at the X-Plane.OrgStore

 

Features

Superb Modeling in and out

  • Awesome 3D model - Fully decorated and animated luxury cabin
  • Many high-resolution liveries
  • Considered by many to be the best looking aircraft in X-Plane
  • VR support (more to come as X-Plane progresses)

Fully Functional Virtual cockpit

  • Crisp and easy to read high-resolution panels
  • Click to toggle between 3D and easy view
  • Suitable for beginners and experts  -You decide you level of realism-

Systems modeled after the real Challenger 300:

  • AIR CONDITIONING/PRESSURIZATION
  • AURAL / VISUAL ALERTS
  • FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS
  • FUEL SYSTEM
  • LIGHTING
  • ELECTRICAL
  • FLIGHT CONTROLS
  • HYDRAULICS
  • ICE&RAIN PROTECTION
  • POWERPLANT/FADEC

As accurate as it can be

  • Accurate Flight Model
  • Tested and approved by real Challenger pilots:

 

Requirements

X-Plane 11 (X-Plane 10 not supported)
Mac, Windows or Linux
2Gb  VRAM Minimum - 4Gb+  VRAM recommended
Free updates for the duration of X-Plane 11

 

Installation
Download of the Bombardier Challenger 300 XP11 is only a 105mb and it is installed in your Aircraft Folder as a 251mb folder. 
Optional "Terrain Radar" by DrGluck is free and is installed within your X-Plane/Resources/Plugins Folder
 
Documents
Two documents are provided but are located in the aircraft's folder and not in a separate "Document" Folder, that can be hard to find.
 
  • Challenger 300 Quick Flight Tutorial.pdf
  • CL300Manual_xp11.pdf

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

Review by Stephen Dutton
9th February 2018
Copyright©2018: X-PlaneReviews
 
(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)
 

Review System Specifications:

Computer System: Windows  - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD 

Software:   - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.11

Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose  Soundlink Mini

Plugins:  Environment Engine by xEnviro US$69.90 : XPRealistic Pro v1.0.9  effects US$19.95 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95

Scenery or Aircraft

- EGKB - Biggin Hill (XP10) 1.3 by Chars (X-Plane.Org) - Free

- LFMN - Nice Cote d'Azur XP11by JustSim  (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$19.50

 

Notes:

  • Initial v2  release for X-Plane 11
  • tuned flight model, engines, fuel consumption, autopilot
  • VR basic support : manipulators and teleport spots
  • 4096 textures for the cockpit and the cabin
  • reflection materials to the cockpit and the cabin
  • rain effect
  • cabin TV slideshow
  • mouse wheel control for all knobs
  • commands for popup panels
  • internal engine sound volume control
  • com1 and com2 radios audio can be heared at the same time
  • APU BLEED ALT LIMIT cas message
  • airspeed instrument ias/mach tape, minimum 45 knots indication
  • support for Terrain Radar plugin - https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/37864-terrain-radar-vertical-situation-display/
  • option to hide/show cockpit glass
  • external click spot for opening main door from outside
  • new check marks in the options menu
  • changed logic of 3-pos switches
  • SASL plugin updated to v2.5.1
  • updated manual

 

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...

Cannot make my own .wav files to be played as the manual says.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance

HI Stephen, thanks for your reply.

In the manual item 4 it says 

4. Music control panels. You can add your own music files to playlist, converting them to .wav format, naming “music1.wav”, “music2.wav”, “music3.wav” and putting them to the Challenger300\sounds\music\ directory.

I converted 3 of my .mp3 files to .wav and renamed them as shown in the attached image. When clicked on the spot for music (Cabins) nothing was heard. 

Probably I am missing something so I would need your help. 

The only place where I could find to ask for help was in your review. If this is not appropiate please accept my apologies. 

Best Regards

image.png

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Okay I see your problem... mp3's won't convert to a .wav file because they are a highly compressed file, in other words to make a mp3 and its small size they throw away data to highly compress it, that is why it usually sounds like shit (I loath mp3's and never use them). What your looking for bit rate as a CD which is 44.1 kHz and that is why the sound on a CD is far, far better than an mp3 at 320 kilobits per second (Kbps). So to convert to a .Wav file as It stores the same audio at about 10 MB per minute at a 44.1 kHz sample rate using stereo 16-bit samples. The WAV format is by definition, the highest quality 16-bit audio format. So what you are trying to do is create a quality sound out of a very poor sound. You will have to find a better file source with the higher bit rate...or the same 44.1 khz sample rate to convert to .wav

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great review as always Stephen.  Between this, the Falcon 50EX (which I'm having a lot of fun with), and the Citation Mustang we're finally getting some decent XP11 private jets to ferry the 1%er's around in. Of course, hanging out for the Falcon 8X and hopefully Aerobask will deliver a beauty. Cheers

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  • 6 months later...

What an incredibly detailed review.  Wish I had seen it before buying the plane but I am always skeptical about links in forums that are new to me so I rarely click them.  I'm glad I did!  Trying to figure out why I cannot post a review on the x-plane.org store myself, don't see any links to add a review.  Does this site have exclusive permission to post reviews?

 

Any way, I bought this on sale for $19, so no regrets, it is a great plane with some very neat features.  But also some very annoying issues that would seem easy to fix so I'm not sure why they haven't been fixed.  For instance:

  • The FMC is okay but why is there only one?  There are two positions, pilot and copilot yet only one FMC.  I like to have the legs page on one and the progress or nav/radio on the other.  
  • The lighting in the cabin is also weird not having any individual lights for each seat.  They have them for the pilot and copilot, adding 8 more over each seat would seem pretty easy.  
  • No auto throttle?  If you use the VNAV feature on the first flight it will engage an auto throttle, based on climb, cruise and descent profiles, although the descent doesn't seem to work for some reason.  I think this is an XP11 issue and not the plane.  
  • Same issue with the radars as the FMC, only one option for both sides.  Cannot have terrain radar on one side and weather radar on the other.  Not fun flying into Telluride without both showing the way.  

I use a 2017 iMac with 16gb RAM and 2gb VRAM with XP11.41.  Tried with XP11.50 and Metal but did not work.  No problem with 11.50 and Open GL.  

 

I also installed FlywithLua and the terrain radar mentioned and both work well.  This plane has lots of its own lua scripts which are easy to edit to personalize your experience.  

  • For music, there is a script called sounds.lua in the Custom Avionics directory, open with text editor and find the music1.wav line.  There you can see you can add as many wave music files as you want and call them anything you want as long as the files match what this script says.  I added 10 Bad Company songs and named the Music3 through 12 and placed those files in the Sounds\music directory.  You can get wave converters just about anywhere.  When in the cabin, just select any of the music players above the tables and the songs will play in the order you placed them in the script.  Each click will start or stop and advance.  
  • The display screen in the cabin is also a cool feature to personalize using the tv_screens lua script in the \custom avionics folder.  Using the same idea for naming files and placing in the \tv_screens directory, I added 10 PNG files with a 256 X 256 pixel size and now get a kick of seeing my pets while flying at 41,000 feet.  

Thanks again - happy flying!

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  • 4 months later...
12 hours ago, Tyliver said:

Is there a speed hold on this plane? How do I enable it correctly?

 

No it is manual throttle flying all the way, it is tricky to use as the fuel burn changes the power setting required... but it is authentic

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  • 6 months later...

No these jets can REALLY climb... 5000 fpm is normal, but most stay around 4000 fpm, the Challenger can climb to FL410 in 18 min, with a 14,330 kg (31,590 lb) weight. Weight and load is the key to getting the right climb rate, If I remember right DDenn provided the links to the data, if not then you may have to go searching for it.

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