Stephen

NEWS! - Scenery Release : Marshall Islands Scenery by Taburet One area that Flight Simulator had in features that X-Plane didn't was significantly in it's water, or specifically in tropical water. X-Plane's water didn't have translucent effects. Flight Simulator didn't either, but it did do excellent visual textures that created realistic reef and tropical coloured water, X-Plane by contrast was a murky grey wherever you went on the planet. That aspect changed with X-Plane 12. The new simulator version has water that is translucent, as an effect, not hidden textures. So now you can create or have tropical clear water with the underlying sandy and coral floors... To date developers have been slow in using the new water features, but things should change quickly and here is one of the first "Tropical" destinations from Taburet. It is the Marshall Islands, or officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Set near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, and slightly west of the International Date Line. Geographically, the country is part of the larger island group of Micronesia. The Marshall Islands is spread out over five five islands and 29 coral atolls, comprising 1,156 individual islands and islets. The capital and largest city is Majuro. It has the largest portion of its territory composed of water of any sovereign state, at 97.87%. The islands share maritime boundaries with Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the southeast, Nauru to the south, and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west. The atolls included in the scenery are: Alinglaplap; Alluk; Arno; Aur; Bikini; Ebon; Enewetak; Jaluit; Jemo; Kwajalein; Lib; Likiep; Majuro; Maloelap; Mejit; Namu; Taka; Taongi; Ujae; Utirik. Download is 1.72Gb, but this explodes out to 9.62Gb of scenery, into 32 separate files that are placed in your Custom Scenery folder, they have to be correctly aligned in the "scenery packs.INI" text list as well, and to be set below the default Global Airport folder. Features include; Photorealistic coverage at 2 m resolution clouds and color corrected textures of all the atolls dry lands and coral reefs this scenery offer many hours of extremely scenery coral reefs; islands dotted with coconut palms forests flights Can be used in X-Plane 11; however best effects are achieved in X-Plane 12. The Marshall scenery really does exploit translucent X-Plane 12 features well, it looks gorgeous from the air. There is a video that covers the whole of the two chains of islands and atolls. Marshall Islands Scenery is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore. ________________________________ The Marshall Islands Scenery by Taburet is NOW available here at the X-Plane.OrgStore... Marshall Islands Scenery Price is US$16.99 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 8 GB VRAM Minimum Download Size: 1.8 GB ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 11th April 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

Aircraft/Car Review : AirCar Project by NHAdrian This review is starting in a driveway, on a street, amongst the X-Plane Autogen, yet we are going flying? An unusual concept. There was always the concept of driving to the airport, converting the road vehicle to an aircraft configuration, then go flying... coming back to do the reverse, stow the wings and then drive home. It has been on television, remember "Supercar", or the more better concept of the "MAC Jet Air Car", that could convert from a road car to either a plane or a boat in the Joe 90 TV Series 1968, by Gerry (Thunderbirds) Anderson. Then so the oddities of home grown Car/Aircraft, of which most of them never really got off the ground, in this new drone era, is the same idea going to go back to the future, and obviously they will try again to create the road/fly concept, but this time without the heavy engine that bulks up the idea. But an Air-Car concept does exist... it's called KleinVision, and the founder is Stefan Klein a Slovakian. He has devoted the last twenty years converting his flying-car dream into reality. Currently he has completed the flying prototype of an AirCar that has also been tested successfully at Nitra airport in October 2019. This review is that same concept brought to life in the X-Plane Simulator by talented developer NHAdrian. We will look at the car aspect first. The forward area is a bit Porsche 917 in the canopy and nose, even the rear to a point is the same shape in the 917 Long-tail variant, and you don't see the steering front wheels as they are hidden by aerodynamic covers. And you open the canopy via the door switch externally, or lock handle on the roof. The AirCar is a two seater, or a pilot and a passenger. You feel the shell internal design (probably carbon fibre) so it feels a bit "Boaty". Inlaid on the shell are the twin leather seats with red inserts and seatbelts, the quality is perfect to the real car/aircraft. Fuel Selector ON/OFF is set high between the seats. For an hybrid machine, and a part aircraft, there isn't a lot of instruments, more like a car layout arrangement than aviation focused, there is even no rudder pedals for simplicity? Turning on the power will give you the AIRCAR logo on the screens (a nice touch), there are three, instruments left, engine and control positions centre, backup instrument EFD and AviTab right (Plugin required). First is the steering wheel... but in reality it is a Yoke, but in CAR Mode it will only move left right and not forwards or backwards. It is well done and nicely detailed, with a PTT (Push-To-Talk Switch) left and right a car horn! Directly ahead of the driver/pilot is the main instrument binnacle. Here there are four instruments, the first dial left in car mode is blank... then there are the main flight instruments of SPEED, VERTICAL SPEED (V/S) and ALTITUDE, the air pressure adjustment BARO and indicator is built in. To the left are the switches to cover... Trim Adjustment (Elevator) and marker, Fuel Pump, INOP, Battery (Power) and START - ON - OFF, the large red handle is the BRS (Ballistic Recovery System) or parachute. Note top centre Dashboard is the Whisky Compass. Centre display covers the Engine Instruments. Here again in CAR Mode. The large main dial is the RPM graph, with the direction indicator in the middle that covers D (Drive), N (Neutral) and R (Reverse). Left three bar indicators cover... Manifold Pressure, Water Temperature and Battary Voltage, below is the Flaps indicator. The right side covers the current time and date, Fuel Levels, RPM value. Annunciators (very car like) cover Taxi Lights, Landing (Driving) Lights, Oil Pressure, Parking Brake, Tire Blown, Generator Fault, Emergency Lights, ESP (Skidding), Turn Right and Left signals. Below the display is the Flap selector switch (two stage), and a Simple COMM radio. Right display panel has an EFD (Electronic Flight Display) with Airspeed and Altitude Tapes, and Artificial Horizon, Slip, Bank Angle, Turn Coordinator, V/S and Groundspeed indicator, the full backup instrument package. I like the AIRCAR logo below. Left is the AviTab display that can be used with Navigraph charts (Subscription), or moving map... and if you put the CAR into reverse it will show a "Reverse Camera". The lower Circuit Breaker (Fuses) panel are all static, but are well done. Last panel far left is the lighting switch panel, with; Strobe Lighting, Cockpit Light (Dome), Emergency Light (Car hazard lights), Turn Signals and the main front lights in Taxi Lights - Landing Lights. The Centre Console has three levers... Throttle, Parking Brake and Hand Brake, and Direction Lever. This lever is used only in CAR Mode, Neutral, or Forwards (Drive) and Reverse. The detail in the cockpit is excellent and is a very high quality, overall a very nice place to be. Put the weight above 50 kgs for the passenger and a woman will appear, click on her and she will change to a male. Both the Pilot and Male passenger are fluidly animated, but the woman is not. Not really about the AirCar, but it is interesting to sit in a street rather than an airfield. X-Plane 12 trees sway in the background, filter light, and look very realistic... It is quite easy to drive... well like a car. Fuel Pump on, and the starter switch up to START, you have to hold the switch up for a while until it catches and runs, then settles down around 650 rpm. Power is provided by a 1.6 litre BMW road car engine, running on automotive petrol or gasoline and delivering 104 kilowatts (139 hp). Engine is set mid-vehicle for balance. Put the "Direction Lever" into D or Drive, and release the brake... as there are no foot-pedals, you have to have "Regular" Brake set in either a "Key" Command, or like me use my "Pinky" Joystick lever as my braking, throttle is by the throttle lever not a car pedal... Turning circle is atrocious, so you have to plan your speed when turning, but only then it is still doable... In the Car mode it is basically like driving a car, feels like driving a car, very easy, very, very realistic! I'm driving with a joystick, so only small movements are needed, just like fast Taxiing... "Oh dear... Some people just don't know the road rules! tut, tut". Building speed is interesting, you have to think ahead, but with only one small slip and you can easily lose it... focus. I have to think harder, as I drive on the (English) left, not the American right, this way or that way? I find the freeway/motorway to go west on the Polk Parkway (570). Overall most of the driving is sound, but there are weird curve-balls coming from X-Plane. Motorway off ramps can quickly change to dirt? and then you can get stuck? Motorway sections that go under other roads can also make you become undone, as they will easily flip the AirCar... But generally you can drive around quite easily. In joining the motorway, you can up the speed more, but traveling at nearly 100 kmh it requires a lot of focus and concentration, but it also gives you a smile, a mile wide on your face... it is serious fun! You power along... focused, extremely focused, a slight nudge of the stick, and your gone? Navigation is tricky? The X-Plane "MAP" sort of shows you were you are, but to navigate roads the AviTab moving map is actually far better. Time to come off at "Supnik" Obviously the signage does not match the map? Off ramp and then I am at Lakeland Linder International Airport, or in ICAO speak KLAL. And the home of "Sun 'n Fun" airshow. "This is certainly not the usual way I arrive at KLAL?" I turn in, and then make my way around the perimeter road to my usual Lakeland "Office". Now I am at the point I usually START the aircraft review, but first we have to do something to fly! Set into the rear of the vehicle are a set of folded wings... ... put the car in neutral, parkbrake ON, and the canopy has to be CLOSED. Then open up a flap on the right side panel. Flip up the (red) switch to transfer the power supply, then click downwards the other switch from CAR to AIRPLANE, when the light goes green, then the conversion happens! First twin doors open mid-section to reveal the mechanism, which has been faithfully internally reproduced in detail... ... then the tail section will extend out rearwards. Then the internal mechanism will lift out the wings vertically.... ... then drop them to the horizontal position, then the wing unfolds into the full wing. The twin mid-section doors will then close, and you can now shut the side flap to lock everything ready for flight. You can watch it convert a hundred times and still not get bored. Now you have AIR side of CAR, in an aircraft. Several changes have also happened on the instrument panel. One a AOA (Angle of Attack) instrument is now shown in the far left dial. The direction lever is now locked with an A to denote you are in aircraft mode, also noted on centre display as AIRPLANE... .... also the steering wheel now becomes a full left/right - in/out Yoke. "But how to use the rudder without rudder pedals" you ask? Well they work (a bit like X-Plane without a yaw or pedal input) in by being connected to the ailerons, turn left/right and rudders turn in unison to the ailerons. The huge stabiliser works with the in/out Yoke inputs. Two stage flaps are built into the underside of the wings, an old-fashioned way of working flaps (think DC-3), but well done here. Air propulsion is via a huge WOODCOMP s.r.o.68 [in] 1,720 [mm] twin composite blade, ground adjustable propeller, sitting aft between the twin-booms. And there now you have an AirCar ready to fly... Flying the AirCar In Aircraft mode, starting the AirCar is exactly the same, fuel pump on, pushup the STARTER switch and the rpm rises to 650, and your ready to go... more weird is that you just let go of the park brake and push up the throttle, and "Drive" to the runway? Is it "Taxiing", no not really as it doesn't feel like taxiing, but like really driving around the taxiways of an airfield in your own car? Lighting forward is again very car like, Taxi and Landing lights are built in the same way Sounds, well a low "brrm brrm" in Car mode, and a sort of very, very smooth General Aviation modern sound, almost electric feel in Aircraft Mode, and the BMW engine sounds like a high performance lamborghini when you put the power on... weird, but extremely realistic. So the transition from driving on the roads to in being an aircraft is seemless, even in both modes. More weird is the very low CofG or Centre of Gravity, so your sitting low, not high, almost flat to the ground, more weird again there are no rudder pedals? you look and want to feel them, but they are obviously not there. Brake off, power up... the takeoff roll is different, your very low down with a lot of width. Your very used to high and narrow like in a Cessna, it feels ODD? It tracks very nicely, because you are low and wide, then at 150 km/h (81 knts) you pull back on the yoke, note that once you get within the white.. then moving into the green band you are at rotate speed... and then fly! The AirCar will leave the ground quite cleanly, but once you hit the air, then you will quickly need to orientate the way you handle the machine, or feel it... It's not an aircraft with a separate rudder control, it's flat in design, so the air or wind tend to lift the flat wide underside of the machine, slight movements are required to keep it steady and level... Rate of climb is actually a very good 980 fpm ( 4.97 m/s), almost 1000 ft per minute as with the best angle of climb speed of 83 kts (155 km/h), the best overall rate of climb speed is actually 89 kts (165 (km/h)... ... but your flying, if still trying to work out the best way to do so, keeping it simple is one aspect, and don't try to over think it, or try any silly maneuvers, it's not a fully fledged aerodynamic machine, but a large mass flying through the air. Soon I'm trimming the AirCar out, and it responds quite nicely to trim changes. Now your straight and level... Top speed is 115 Kts (213 km/h), but you cruise around 75% power at 2,000 ft or 105 Kts (195 km/h), but you can't go to far, as the range is 158 Nm (300 km), or about 1:30 h:mm flying time, and the fuel tanks empty very, very quickly, even this small circuit gulped a third of a tank(s) of fuel. Full service ceiling is 16,404 ft (5,000 m), but you would never ever use that. Under side is really well sculptured, with the exhausts well modeled, but it looks like a flying wing. Sounds are nice in flight, 360º doppler with a great direct rear prop wash noise... it all feels very authentic. The AirCar is approved for normal and these listed maneuvers: Steep turns not exceeding 60° bank, Lazy eights, Chandelles and even Stalls (except whip stalls), but basically you wouldn't go there. You get knocked around a lot in gusty conditions, no Autopilot either to relieve the workload, basically overall you just trim-out and fly. Soon I'm over Lakeland Linder, then following my earlier path back up the Polk Parkway (570). I'm going to admit I miss my aircraft instruments, VOR pointers, Course pointers... there is the EFD (Electronic Flight Display) which is very handy, but it's hard to work out circuits and finding the correct runway angles. Now I'm over the house that I was parked at only an hour ago. Approach is tricky... The AirCar will descend, but only by putting the nose down, of course you then go too fast, so you have to plan your landing a fair way out. I found 400 ft @ 147 kmh, about 80 knts to be the right height and approach speed... ... almost anything will cause the AirCar to balloon, rise... like the wrong angle of attack, dropping the flaps, strong winds, so it needs steady pair of hands to get the approach right... even then the AirCar will create a massive ground effect boundary as you get closer to the runway... Go down!, Go down!, but the cushion of air just keeps you airborne... more odd is the view out of the AirCar... ... there is the moment you feel the normal landing point, and so high off the runway, but the AirCar just keeps on dropping down, then your sitting scary low! You eyes are saucers as you feel your body is going to actually touch the runway, but then the rear wheels thankfully touch, a small flare works well, and so you let the nose down gently... touch is around 135 kmh, or 72 knts, and the braking is really good, the wide low width keeps you steady as well as the speed runs off... It was a very interesting landing. But one I feel you could master with a bit of practise. Lighting Lighting is basic, but well tuned for X-Plane 12. As noted there are the Taxi/Landing lights in the nose, and also the flashing "Hazard" lights which could be used as a beacon effect. Standard Navigation lights and Strobes (nice) are both LED. Notable are the twin red rear lights for the Car, with brighter braking lights that look realistic on the road, in the air they are the Navigation lights... clever! Instrument panel lighting is one setting (bright) with no adjustment, there are also two red set "Dome" lights up of the seats for reading map/navigation... There is the long taxi... or drive back to the apron. Once there you just flip a couple of switches, and the Air-Car conversion happens in reverse. Restart the engine, and off you go on to drive home, great isn't it. And all very Gerry Anderson! There are no Menus, or Liveries with the package. ____________________ Summary The concept of driving to the airport, converting the road vehicle to an aircraft configuration, and then go flying. Has been around for as long as the aircraft has existed, there has been a lot of crazy odd-ball designs in trying to convert a Car into an Aircraft and most if not all ideas have failed, the AirCar is a concept that really has just stayed a concept. But a Slovakian called Stefan Klein has created the KleinVision, or AirCar, and it really does convert from a road car into a flying machine, and has really flown successfully at Nitra airport in October 2019. Naturally anything "Experimental" will work it's way into the X-Plane Simulator. This AirCar is that concept brought to life in the X-Plane Simulator by the talented developer NHAdrian. And extremely well done it is... it works in simplicity as a Car, but can covert to Aircraft Mode with the touch of two switches. Detail is excellent as the AirCar is reproduced here in full, with both the internal and external detail as per the real machine, yes you can drive it on X-Plane's roads, which is a lot of fun, but also fly and feel the concept as well. The attention even to the smallest detail is astounding, but remember, it is not an aircraft with full aircraft instruments, there is even no rudder pedals! But it does fly and is also great fun to practise and master this hybrid machine. There are no Menus or Liveries. X-Plane is the foundation of "Experimental" machines, and this AirCar certainly fills out that brief, it's clever, but as noted also a lot of fun, I loved it... Highly Recommended. ____________________ The AirCar Project - Experimental Road/Air vehicle by NHAdrian is NOW available here at the X-Plane.OrgStore AirCar Project - Experimental Road/Air vehicle Price is US$29.95 This aircraft is only X-Plane12 and not X-Plane 11 supported Requirements X-Plane 12 Only Windows, Mac (using Rosetta) or Linux 4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 302 MB Current Version : 1.0 (March 29th 2023) Download for the AirCar by NHAdrian is 288Mb Installation is 383Mb in your X-Plane General Aviation Folder. Documentation: AirCar_Users_Manual_1.0.0 Full description of the AirCar and how to drive/fly the machine The AviTab plugin is also required to use this aircraft, and it is deposited in your X-Plane Plugins folder. For MAC OS X users: please read this article about enabling Rosetta: https://www.x-plane.com/kb/using-x-plane-11-addons-with-x-plane-12-on-mac-systems/ _____________________ Aircraft Review by Stephen Dutton 14th April 2023 Copyright©2023: X-Plane Reviews 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 12.05b3 (This is a beta review). Plugins: JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00 Scenery or Aircraft - KLAL - Lakeland Linder Regional Airport 1.0 by Nicolas (Airport by NAPS) - (X-Plane.Org) - Free (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

NEWS! - Aircraft Updated : CH47D Chinook by X-Trident to X-Plane 12 One of the great things about being active in a review site, is that a lot of times you are the bearer of very good news... so yes I'm very happy to announce that the X-Trident CH47D Chinook is now available for X-Plane 12, better news still the release is an update, not a paid upgrade, so the conversion to X-Plane 12 is free! There are no new features, but then again the X-Plane 11 version had a truck load of features, so it was, or could have been hard to add in anything new anyway, but the conversion does cover all the X-Plane 12 facets in performance and windshield effects (rain, ice, de-ice). The CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engined, tandem rotor, heavy-lift helicopter. The CH-47 is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. The Chinook possesses several means of loading various cargoes, including multiple doors across the fuselage, a wide loading ramp located at the rear of the fuselage and a total of three external ventral cargo hooks to carry underslung loads. The internal detail is incredible... all the doors open of course, and in flight! Sensational before, in X-Plane 12 the X-Trident Chinook is simply outstanding, the quality here is overwhelming.... Features include: Highly detailed 3D model with immersive light systems FMOD sounds with user profiles Animated doors and hatch Accurate engine and systems management Accurate AFCS (with support for both self-centering and non-centering joysticks) Accurate 4 axis autopilot with VOR, TACAN, ADF and GPS navigation External loads (with load/save and flight to options) and cargo drop Compatible with Reality XP Animated ground crew Self hiding pilot and copilot Animated custom fuel truck (with drive and self drive modes) Custom control panels Optional chaff dispenser Paint kit Particle effects (heat, disk tip vortices) For a full comprehensive overview of the features and systems of the CH-47D, here is the X-Plane Reviews X-Plane 11 release review: Aircraft Review : Boeing CH47-D Chinook by X-Trident Video is also X-Plane 11, but still very exciting to watch... The X-Plane 12 version of the X-Trident CH-47D Chinook is now available for update or purchase at the X-Plane.OrgStore. Designed by X-Trident Support forum for the CH-47D Chinook ___________________________________ Yes! the Boeing CH47-D Chinook X-Plane 12 by X-Trident is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing CH47-D Chinook-X-Trident Price is US$38.95 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Mac, Windows, Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 593 MB Current version: 2.0 (April 2nd 2023) ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 3rd April 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

NEWS! - Aircraft Updated : Gulfstream 550 v1.11 by AKD Studio There has been another very small but significant update to the Gulfstream 550 by AKD Studio's. This is version v1.11. Added has been the option to now load in Simbrief (Performance) data directly into the aircraft. The process is quite easy, and a very big timesaver. First you have to input your Simbrief User ID, found under you SimBrief "Account Settings" Tab. This number is then set on the G550 "Settings" page under "Simbrief USER-ID:" There is a new Icon on the "HOME" page called "Simbrief", clicking on this allows you to download the aircraft data of your currently generated SimBrief Flight Brief, clicking "DOWNLOAD SIMBRIEF DATA" will then insert the brief route data into the aircraft's system. Then you go to the "FUEL" page and then loading in the fuel requirements, again via the "INSERT SIMBRIEF DATA" selection, then SET the data to load it into the aircraft, if required you also do the BOARDING the passengers... .... then you press the "READ DATA FROM SIM" selection to load in your "Performance Take Off" data. The process is very quick and easy, but the feature does not fill in the SimBrief route, as the FMS here is the standard default Laminar Research system, I think a custom FMS is coming to the G550, with that aspect I would expect a SimBrief loading of the flightplan as well. There was a huge update only back in February 2023, of which X-PlaneReviews covered here; Aircraft Update Review : Gulfstream 550 v1.10 by AKD Studio so the updates come thick and fast, other changes to v1.11 are listed below. New fonts have been added into the -Added Simbrief integration in EFB(XP12/XP11) -Added new fonts avionics(XP12/XP11) -Added Roll pointer on DU1/DU4(XP12/XP11) Bugs fixes: -Fixed SASL crash on linux "Can't find font"(XP12/XP11) -Fixed outside glass camera position(XP12/XP11) -Fixed Landing gear animation(XP12/XP11) -Some performance optimization(XP12/XP11) -Fixed HUD resolution(XP12/XP11) -Fixed Minor bugs(XP12/XP11) You can update to AKD STudio's G550 v1.11 via your account at the X-Plane.OrgStore, or use the Skunkcraft's Updater application. ________________________________ The Gulfstream 550 v1.11 by AKD Studio is NOW available here at the X-Plane.OrgStore GLF550 - Ultimate Business Jet by AKD Studio Price is US$31.95 This aircraft is now both X-Plane12 and X-Plane 11 supported Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 1.1 GB Current version : 1.11 (April 2nd 2023) ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 3rd April 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

NEWS! - Scenery Release : Banff National Park UHD XP12 by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini The Italian climbers are back again... and this time they have updated their excellent Banff National Park to X-Plane 12. This scenery is dedicated to a region of Canada of Banff National Park and precisely of the Moraine and Louise lakes. It ‘s a very suggestive and touristic area, among the most beautiful in Canada. The Valley of Ten Peaks with Lake Moraine is one of the most photographed. The big attraction of this scenery is the seaplane flight from lakes to lakes ! This new edition for XP12 of Banff National Park has been expanded and modified to have the striking Canadian lakes with 3D water, a prerogative only of X-Plane12. The X-PlaneReviews review of the original X-Plane 11 version is here; Scenery Review : Banff National Park UHD by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini Notable: Owners of the previous Banff XP11 can get the new Banff XP12 version for 40% off. Please find the coupon code in the original Banff XP11 invoice. Features: The area included in this new edition is about 1500 sq. Km included in the degree + 51 ° -117 °. this edition includes a larger area than in the previous one with Moraine, Louise, Bow, Peyto, O'Hara, Emerald lakes and some very characteristic resorts: Baker CreeK, Storm Mountain, Bow Lake, Paradise Lodge, Field... All Textures based on 4K (4096x4096) Airports and Heliports Housing Areas Chateau - Louise Lake Moraine Lake Mountains - 3D Models This scenery is only suitable for VFR flight, only with a "visual flight". Highly Recommended! Images are courtesy of Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini Designed by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini. Support forum for Banff National Park XP12 UHD __________________ Yes!... Banff National Park UHD XP12 by Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini is now Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Banff National Park UHD XP12 Price is US$24.95 Requirements X-Plane 12 only (not for XP11) Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 486 MB Owners of the previous Banff XP11 can get the new Banff XP12 version for 40% off. Please find the coupon code in the original Banff XP11 invoice. Eligible packages: Banff XP11 3D for XP11 ___________________________ News! by Stephen Dutton 1st April 2023 Copyright©2022: 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

NEWS! - Just Flight updates Robin DR400, C152, B-10 Tobago & TB-20 Trinidad for X-Plane 12 The bigger development houses have been quite slow in adopting X-Plane 12, 6 months after the beta release, 3 months out from the version release, and only now are the products trickling out. The three aircraft updated are the; Robin DR400-180 Regent The Robin DR400 for X-Plane features PBR materials with real-time environment reflections for superb quality and realism, HD textures for the highest possible texture clarity and realistic systems functionality. Avionics include a GMA 340 audio selector, GNS 430 GPS unit, KY 97 COM 2 radio, KN 64 DME, GTX 330 transponder, KR 85 ADF and S-TEC 55 autopilot. Cessna 152 The C152 for X-Plane 11 features PBR materials with real-time environment reflections for superb quality and realism, HD textures for the highest possible texture clarity and immersion, stunning audio effects, HDR lighting and numerous animations including doors, windows, air vents and even a realistically animated ignition keychain that responds to G-forces! The aircraft also features full VR support with manipulators and camera snap points, a custom weight and balance manager, and engine management. B-10 Tobago & TB-20 Trinidad The TB-10 Tobago & TB-20 Trinidad for X-Plane 11 feature PBR materials with real-time environment reflections for superb quality and realism, 4096 x 4096 textures for the highest possible texture clarity and a variety of paint schemes and numerous animations. In the cockpit, the amazing level of detail extends right down to modelled screw heads and animated seat backs. Authentic wear and tear, including fingerprint marks, will make you feel like you are sitting in the real thing! A vast array of avionics including a KMA 24, GNS 430, GNC 255, KN 62, KAP 150, GTX 330, KR 87 and an excellent WX-1000 Stormscope. All three aircraft don't have any new features, but only noted for their compatibility to X-Plane 12, so this is an update to X-Plane 12, not an upgrade. No words on the bigger fleet updates from Just Flight, with the sensational PA-28R Arrow III, PA-28-161 Warrior II & PA-28-181, Avro Vulcan B Mk. 2, K.2 and MRR, Hawk T1/A Advanced Trainer and the 146 Professional... The 146 Pro for some reason was not very well accepted into X-Plane, a great simulation in X-Plane 11, it didn't gel for some reason or the other... doubts it will be be converted to X-Plane 12 are relevant, but I personally hope it makes the transition, it would be a very interesting aircraft to fly in XP12. All three updates are now available for download from the X-Plane.OrgStore, or from your Just Flight account. Images are courtesy of Just Flight _____________________________________ Yes! - Updates or Purchase for Just Flight Aircraft to X-Plane 12 are NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Robin DR400 Price is US$14.99 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 1 GB Current Version: 1.9.1 (March 31st 2023) JustFlight C152 Price is US$44.99 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux Video card: 4GB VRAM Minimum Download Size: 950Mb Current Version: 1.9.1 (March 31st 2023) TB-10 TOBAGO & TB-20 TRINIDAD Price is US$44.99 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 700Mb Current version: 1.9.1 (March 31st 2023) ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 1st April 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

NEWS! - Laminar Research releases Airbus A330 MCDU - v12.05b1 It's a big update. Laminar Research have released X-Plane 12 Public Beta – 12.05b1, (it's a beta folks). With the release comes the promised MCDU system for the default Airbus A330-300. This MCDU is Airbus focused unlike the generic FMC that Laminar uses for most of it's platform. This aspect is a significant shift from an generic instrument to use all the aircraft. My first impressions of the new MCDU (Multi-Function Control and Display Unit) was slightly disappointing? I thought at first it looks exactly like the generic FMC, not at all like an Airbus style font? Actually it is an Airbus B612 font design, but the wrong one for the aircraft, this font is only used on the A350/A380... but it grows on you, by the end of this update, I quite liked it. The set of MCDUs are positioned in front of the throttle quadrant... First some good news... both MCDUs are independent, you can use either to program the data. Both MCDUs pop-out for ease of use as well. You can download the same flightplan (FMS) from the X-Plane OUTPUT/FMS Plans, but only via the CO (Company) RTE (Route) insert KL1... then the Departure and Arrival data input is done the same as in any Airbus MCDU. Route editing is standard (CLR). Adding in waypoints was easy and so was creating a route from scratch. However, I found the system would not accept a FL360 (36,000ft), yet I actually needed FL380? but had to settle for FL350 (35,000ft) Second INIT page (Fuel Prediction) required the usual ZFW (Zero Fuel Weight) and BLOCK (Fuel) entries, and it worked as predicted. Tricky is the "TAKEOFF PERF" page... you need data vRef Speeds, Trim (FLAPS/THS) and FLEX Temp. In most cases developers provide or insert this data, but here it is not available for the default aircraft? There is a calculator called perfcalc, that will compute the required data. It does a good job, but there is a lot of information required to fill it in, I used Navigraph Charts. And that is the MCDU completed... ..... It's not bad actually and the editing is versatile. Done a few times you soon work it out and use it like a Pro. Heaps better than the old FMC system... Honestly I couldn't fly the default Airbus A330-300 with the old FMC system, not after the quality of ToLiSS, or even FlightFactor. So I waited for this update before flying the aircraft (Okay I had one cheap quick flight at the X-Plane 12 beta release), now I can fly the A333. An honest assessment is that the Laminar A330-300 is not a comprehensive Airbus system machine, as you can see in a lot of areas of what is missing, but your getting the aircraft free with X-Plane 12, not paying $69 dollars.The aircraft IS payware quality (Cabin is excellent), and the biggest advantage here is the A333 is a really great entrance for someone who wants to learn the Airbus aircraft and it's systems. As it is easier to set up and fly, overall now in this form the A330 does set a new standard for default aircraft from Laminar Research in X-Plane 12. ON top of the new A330 MCDU, PB v12.05b1 is a very significant update Public Beta – 12.05b1 X-Plane 12.05b1 introduces the Airbus MCDU for the A330 and many bug fixes. XPD-13946 – Some stability augmentation system active in all aircraft. XPD-13815 – Crash taxiing across latitude line at LFPG with wind set up. XPD-13677 – DSF Fatal Error Crashes the Sim instead of Quitting. XPD-13940 – Temperatures can jump dramatically near the tropopause. XPD-13706 – Text Offsets on EFIS Map not working for TCAS. XPD-12609 – Hang or dev assert in failed weapons load. XPD-5948 – Approach lights cut off when crossing longitude degree. XPD-13945 – THR LVR FMA doubled in A330. XPD-13925 – DataRefTool text display broken again. XPD-13702 – Clouds break MSAA. XPD-13559 – Replay system does not handle ground-speed acceleration well. XPD-13550 – OBJ with empty key frame table crashes sim. XPD-13530 – t_quit from thread hangs the sim and other sad things. XPD-13446 – From Bug Report: Landing Gear Failures within IOS (Do not Work). XPD-13354 – microburst doesn’t go away when you fix the failure. XPD-13954 – A330 FMC, clicking on the PERF button should always take you to the current active PERF phase page. XPD-13951 – A330 pack flow sound even if no bleed air available to drive the packs. XPD-13723 – Consider CURLSSLOPT_REVOKE_BEST_EFFORT option. XPD-13719 – From Bug Report: Editing Weapon Shell Geometry Using the Weapons’ UI Duplicates the Geometry to the Launcher. XPD-13682 – From Bug Report: Wake turbulence broken for 3rd party integrations. XPD-13540 – Additional CLI Adding Additional Options. XPD-13729 – Not able to reach North Pole with a CTD. XPD-13473 – Manufacture List Runs of Screen (Plane Maker). XPD-13910 – Tree rendering distance massively reduced. XPD-13849 – ATTR_shiny_rat undoes ATTR_albedo_opacity. XPD-13923 – Incorrect draw layer in some runways. XPD-13915 – Missing pipeline with custom billboard lights when recomputing the cube map. XPD-13912 – Airport Line Marking #19 “Taxiway Hatch” no more showing. XPD-13909 – DDS loader crashes trying to free memory. XPD-13891 – CTD when requesting clearance at an airport with no usable runways. XPD-13871 – Make (apt.dat) taxiway layering compatible with 3rd party X-Plane 11 scenery & libraries. XPD-13825 – X-Plane 12 and Plane Maker 12 CTD when opening an X-Plane 11 model. XPD-13707 – Flaps/Slats Timing Not Working. XPD-10868 – OpenGL plugin rendering flickering on AMD. XPD-13937 – Race condition in OBJ_read.cpp. XPD-13932 – Bug report “Black sun is still there”. XPD-13922 – SR-22 needs to use new command for blue level button. XPD-13914 – Take KBTV with updated road network into next beta. XPD-13913 – Zink doesn’t identify if the Zink libGL.so is pre-loaded through LD_PRELOAD. XPD-13911 – Remove Aerosoft – EDLP Paderborn-Lippstadt airport. XPD-13900 – 737 cabin altitude indicator pointer showing wrong value. XPD-13899 – RenderDoc can no longer capture X-Plane (Linux). XPD-13892 – Update global airports to add is_oilrig meta data. XPD-13869 – F14: Adjust Flap Interlock on Wing Sweep. XPD-13867 – L-5 airplane uses wrong dataref for turn coord, so i fixed it. XPD-13856 – Case mismatch in rpaths in libary.txt with actual file names. XPD-13830 – Rounding on LED generic instruments in plane maker needs to be ‘optionable’. XPD-13828 – Ford Carrier small update: removed animated Seahawk. XPD-13820 – Ford Carrier Vehicles update: library update. XPD-13819 – Ford Carrier Vehicles update. XPD-13808 – Updated earth_astro.dat (star positions database). XPD-13771 – Remove on screen debug information output from translations. XPD-13752 – No altitude sel armed when using right side Master for autopilot on Citation X. XPD-13660 – The direction of the slip indicator on the Citation is wrong. XPD-13643 – Crash with empty controller when requesting stop pushback. XPD-13616 – Real weather folder size increasing . XPD-13500 – KingAir smoke visible at night. XPD-13495 – “NONE” cannot be selected in fuel tank transfer list. XPD-13310 – WE NEED DEFAULT FUEL LOAD-OUT SPECCED IN PLN, AND APPLIED ON ACF LOAD AND START IN SIM. XPD-13169 – Once triggered, Master Warnings & Master Cautions fluctuate on and off continuously. XPD-13930 – Bug report “XPLMGetMETARForAirport does not retrieve latest METAR”. XPD-13902 – Bug report “Wierd looking engine smoke in F14D (fix included)”. XPD-13893 – Pro Use Frame Rate Test – Increase from 10 FPS to 20 FPS. XPD-13868 – Add support for Discord rich presence. XPD-13832 – CURLSSLOPT_REVOKE_BEST_EFFORT needs to be set separately for proxy. XPD-13811 – From Bug Report: sim/cockpit2/ice/tks_max_time_left goes down too fast. XPD-13810 – From Bug Report: Inappropriate effect of some failures. XPD-13174 – Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet .sit file bug . XPD-13061 – Total energy compensated variometer in Schleicher ASK21 shows wrong value. XPD-11896 – A330: Pushing in knobs on FCU should show “managed mode” white dots for SPD and HDG as well. XPD-10115 – B738: APU EGT levels regression. XPD-13906 – Re: Bug report “CH Pro Pedals – Axis labelling incorrect.”. XPD-13901 – Fully dark avionics draw at full brightness in ATTR_cockpit_device. All out now on the X-Plane Installer, its a big 1.5Gb download... just run the installer! ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 31st March 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

Behind the Screen : March 2023 After the chaos of the first two months of the year 2023, X-Plane 12 with the release of version Beta v12.04r3, then as a release v12.04r3, everything suddenly went normal, or you had a working simulator. I was skeptical at first, we have been here before and many times. But no this time it was for real, I could fly without a load of CTD (Crash to Desktop) moments, and also at the upper reaches of the stratosphere I wasn't being bundled around violently up there like I was in a dingy. Aircraft now flew straight and true, the weather (after losing the Gribb Files for a few days) came good as well... all too good to be true? To find out I had to push the Simulator hard, and there is nothing harder than doing a lot of flights. Short VFR (Visual Flight Rules) was not going to cut it, as you needed height and distance... time to go for a big challenging machine and Rotate's monster MD-11. So began a criss-cross of the Mediterranean. Flying hard between Barcelona to Tel Aviv, then back to Rome, then back to Cypress... then back to Barcelona, tons of fuel were used as I built up the flight mileage. The results were outstanding, no CTD's, great weather formations, and even realistic bad weather at some destinations. Then when I had flown over Greece for the third time, and was passing landfall over Southern Italy, I realised something... I was enjoying it, the flying, the whole X-Plane 12 experience. To a point it was a shock, in not waiting for something to come and usually ruin the moment, the day, to go back to ZERO, again... it really did actually did work. Obviously I have been through X-Plane version releases before and countless Betas. But I had a niggling that this 12th version of X-Plane maybe a bit too complicated, to much of too many diverse elements, plus the fact of also a total core reconfiguration of the simulator could actually be made to behave altogether and correctly... before you start calling me out, I admit, that there are still a few elements that need work, replays are one with it's crazy zooming clouds, lighting is still a bit off (but still far better than the release murk)... but thankfully a large percentage of it works. So for the month of March (this edition) then Reviewing went back to something called "Normal". Remember that... Normal. Moving on from the MD-11, it was a review of the ToLiSS A320 NEO, again "Normal", I was able to do the review without something crashing down around me, problem was I was enjoying the flying so much, I just wanted more. Again I could criss-cross Greece, even landed there once to refuel at Athens, fun, the most fun I have had in ages. The ToLiSS made it easier. I've mentioned this feature before, and yes I am going to go on about it again. The ToLiSS "save" feature. It allowed me to do things in the review that were impossible before, the time saved was enormous. This aspect was highlighted by the next aircraft I had to review (in a beta), sorry I can't mention it, but suddenly I was back to reality. I didn't have that ToLiSS feature as a backup. It is not that the beta crashed a lot, as the aircraft flew very well in the v12.04r3 X-Plane version. But it was the consistent resetting of everything to get the aircraft to fly, twice, sometimes three times a day. Setting the aircraft up ready, does mean you will not "actually" flying in it, the active aircraft has to be correct for the review in the testing and the visual aspect, if you use the Replay, you are coming back to another reset, then another, and another. With the ToLiss you just clicked on the correct setup "save" that you had you set ready earlier, and you are instantly ready to continue, with other aircraft, you are completely back at square one, only then you can start your reviewing twenty or thirty minutes later, do that as I mentioned three times a day, and there is an hour and a half gone on just doing the same thing over and over. I don't mind the resetting aspect, but it is seriously time consuming... so please developers, try harder with "save" features, because I doubt Laminar can do a "Global" save feature with the current specialized aircraft plugin architecture, certainly not with the PlaneMaker default settings that the X-Plane "save" and "situation" aspects can only do, honestly over the years it has very rarely worked either. I did wonder however if a third party plugin could do what ToLiSS does, if it could be done then enlighten me, it is to be a quality tool, but please no cheap FlyWITHLua scripts. Sometimes the biggest features that come into the Simulator are the ones that do the basics better, or are needed to make the Simulator a better place to be. A lot of default features haven't been touched for a decade, hence the poor "save" features, the replay is pretty basic as well.. Because I had to use the default pushback tool because the "BetterPushBack" app didn't work with the MD-11, you realise how bad the default pushback really is, slow, unrealistic. Thank God Rotate fixed the problem quickly, but it highlights the problem. I always pointed out that Laminar should use these better tools from third-parties than spend time or wait for years to do their own. The Librain app was a great example on why it works. Created by a master coder Saso Kiselkov, Librain added rain effects to aircraft windows. Originally developers had to add in the effects directly into their aircraft, so a lot used them, but a lot were also too lazy to do so. To a point in X-Plane 12 the developer still has to add in the effects, but in now being a generic built in system, it is easier to do and is more effective as part of the X-Plane application. But it is the time aspect that counts here for Laminar, why not have BetterPushBack as part of the Simulator, or other great tools like Dr Gluck's "TerrainRadar", yes you can download the plugins and have these tools available... but where they do a better job than the poor dated original tools it is a very quick update or be a replacement to make the X-Plane Simulator more modern and relevant. The Chudoba Design Announcement for "Project People" for X-Plane is a great example again on how to expand X-Plane more quickly with better features than for Laminar to try to keep all the development in house, in house with limited resources is just TOO slow. Bringing the application in house also has other benefits. If the original coder leaves the X-Plane universe that the plugin tool is left hanging. A good example of this is "Marginal's" Autogate system. A decade ago it was excellent with consistent updated attention, and X-Plane built it's eco-system around the plugin's architecture. But coder Marginal dropped out of X-Plane around 2016, and no further supplemental updates never then came along. So you are left currently with a broken system, that works sometimes at your arrival destination or at most times in it doesn't. The SAM (Scenery Animation Manager) system has mostly replaced the original Autogate plugin, but that is also a cumbersome and bloated application for just moving jetways and opening aircraft doors. The SAM "seasons" feature is now basically dead in X-Plane 12, but the SAM seasons didn't actually work that well before (burdened down with textures), an updated X-Plane 12 SAM needs to go back to basics. Q2 period of 2023 should be interesting. Now that v12.04r3 is a more solid platform for developers, the products will start flowing again. Upgrades to X-Plane 12 will come as well, although debatable, a lot of users are very vocal about paying for version upgrades, it is the X-Plane mantra that "Free" is good, but they are missing the whole point. What of say US$15 to upgrade to X-Plane 12 an old favorite with the modern features of X-Plane 12, it is amazing how many really get upset about this aspect. The developer has done the changes that X-Plane 12 requires, then will service and update that product for the next four years, in other words you will be able to enjoy your favorite aircraft for another four years, you are not repurchasing the complete aircraft, but just paying a upgrade fee. Yes I understand that to upgrade a lot of aircraft in your collection, in that the costs can add up. But my old mantra is important. Value is in use, not in features. If you fly the aircraft three or times a month, then it has value to you, that aspect is certainly worth the upgrade fee of $15. But you are not going to get it for free, unless you have just bought the aircraft recently, say in the last twelve months. There is the definition here that "Payware" is for quality, "Freeware" is a lower quality, but the lines can sometimes be blurred, poor average Payware can be over ridden by a quality freeware developer. But in reality the freeware developer is doing themselves a disservice, giving away their substantial skills and hard work for nothing... but being the hero, users will just want more, more of you and for free, they will take and just take... "thanks very much". X-Plane is really a two-tier flight Simulator, the default cheap level, with no quality, but a lot of it. And the payware network of quality flying. Yes I understand that a lot of users don't have the money to create a quality network, but networks can be small, say ten quality sceneries that you use regularly, the "Value" aspect, if you use the scenery frequently it will have value, where as using a LOT of nothing means just that in you are flying a mediocre experience, but then again users don't like cabins on aircraft either, even if to watch your amazing landing skills! But as we approach Easter, and it is a fine time with no commitments to indulge in a bit of flying. It will be a better experience this year around with a nice and stable X-Plane 12 to fly in, and then look around on how far we have all come in the last twelve months... See you all next month. Stephen Dutton 5th April 2023 Copyright©2023 X-Plane Reviews

NEWS! - Scenery Release : ESGG - Göteborg Landvetter Airport by Chudoba Designs Sweden's second-largest airport after Stockholm–Arlanda is Göteborg Landvetter Airport. The airport is named after Landvetter locality, which is in Härryda municipality. It is 11 NM (20 km; 13 mi) east-southeast of Gothenburg and 40 km (25 mi) west of Borås. It is operated by Swedavia, the national airport company. Since the closure of Göteborg City Airport for commercial operations, it's the city's only commercial passenger airport. Now ESGG is available in the X-Plane Simulator for X-Plane 12 and X-Plane 11 Landvetter Airport has traditionally had two terminals, domestic and international, but they lately have merged into one common terminal. There has also been criticism on the choice of location of the airport, which is fairly foggy, located 150 meters above sea level and often affected by low clouds. The runway direction also often means fairly strong crosswinds which can cause landings to scare passengers. Of which X-Plane Pilots relish! Features: PBR Textures Custom buildings with PBR textures Accurate custom PBR ground-poly (supporting weather from X-Plane 12) Custom 3D vegetation Scenery Animation Manager integration Well Optimized for best performance Custom buildings and objects Custom jetways Accurate night lightning Compatible with X-Plane 11 & X-Plane 12 Compatible with SAM vehicles / SAM follow-me Scenery is also available for X-Plane 11 (obviously without the dynamics and effects of X-Plane 12) Images and Video are courtesy of Chudoba Designs... The ESGG - Göteborg Landvetter Airport is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore _____________________________________ Yes! - the ESGG - Göteborg Landvetter Airport by Chudoba Designs is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : ESGG - Göteborg Landvetter Airport Price is US$16.99 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB VRAM Recommended Current version: 1.0 (March 20th 2023) Initial Release ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 24th March 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

NEWS! Update X-Plane 12 : Aeropro EuroFOX Project v8.0 by vSkyLabs The very popular Aeropro EuroFOX by vSkyLabs is now configured for X-Plane12. The Aeropro Eurofox is a Slovak-built two-seat light high-winged aircraft. It qualifies as a light-sport aircraft in the United States. The aircraft is a high wing STOL aircraft with class leading handling, specification, payload and performance that cannot be matched by its direct competitors and is powered by the Rotax 912 series engine. The project consists Three versions of the EuroFOX; The Tricycle (Known in the US as the 'Aerotrek 240'), the standard Tail wheel version ('Aerotrek 220'), and the Tundra tires Tail wheel version ('Aerotrek 220 STOL'). All three variants are equipped with the Rotax 912/100 hp engine. Aircraft variants: EuroFOX-3K: Tri gear version. Sold in North America as the Aerotrek A240. EuroFOX-2K: Tailwheel version. Sold in North America as the Aerotrek A220. EuroFOX-2K/STOL. The vSkylab philosophy is that you are purchasing an ongoing project, so any aircraft you purchase is not fully completed or is completed to 100%, that is the deal you sign up for to get access to the aircraft and all the development is free and ongoing throughout the X-Plane 12 version. These projects are under constant development: the development road-map is including flight model refinements, enhanced systems depth, additional liveries and other improvements. The upgrade to X-Plane 12 v8.0 is quite extensive XP12 - v8.0 (20th March 2023): FDM - Physics and aircraft performance (all 3 variants): Aircraft drag update. Engine power update. Propeller design update. Fuel consumption update. Cruise performance update. Landing gears update, including suspention and ground handling characteristics. A240 - landing gears design update (new wheels, removed wheel-pants from the mains). A220 STOL - landing gears design update - new tundra-tires with updated physics. A220 STOL - LE slats performance update. Systems: New analog panel layout. Remodelled panel, switches, gauges and gauges. New altimeter (dual system). Remodeled/re-wired VSL Autopilot panel. New 'Alpha Systems AOA' Eagle AOA indicator. New GNS530 (old VHF radio removed). New Transponder (old transponder removed). Avionics wiring change: All avionics are tied to 'avionics' switch with separate GPS, and AP servo switches. 3-d modeling: Complete re-mapping of the aircraft (externally) and massive re-mapping for the interiors (older liveries are not compatible with the v8.0!). New added paint-kit. New 6 liveries included. New propeller 3-d model. New landing gears for A220 tundra, A240. Aircraft internal architecture re-engineering (shared parts, various fixes). Interior aircraft 'shell' - remodeled. Cockpit floor - remodeled, retextured. Rudder pedals - remodeled. Texture enhancements all-around. Windsheilds remodeled and re-textured. New prop-disc textures. Sounds: New FMOD 2.0 sound pack. New engines sounds in and out. All-around improvements. Manual/POH: Whole new pdf manual/POH. Project Highlights Three aircraft included (A240/A220/A220-STOL). Designed for X-Plane 12 cutting edge flight model environment. Authentic flight dynamics with authentic performance and flight handling characteristics. Built for VR: Tailored for VR, and optimized for 2D usage. Engineered and designed as a genuine, default X-Plane 12 aircraft. The VSKYLABS projects are practically show-casing X-Plane, as they are stretching X-Plane default features, systems and flight model to its limits without any dependencies on complementary plugins or software...delivering a very robust simulation model, having maximum compatibility with the ever evolving X-Plane flight simulator. Perfect fit for beginner and expert pilots. Practice your skills through the Tricycle landing gears EuroFOX, Tail-Wheel variant, and a STOL Bush-Plane variant. Equipped with Alpha Systems AOA 'Eagle' indicator replica. Built-in Avitab Plugin Compatibility (AviTab plugin is not included). FMOD 2.0 sound pack. Autoupdater based on the SkunkCrafts autoupdater - all updates are being pushed smoothly without the need to re-download the entire base package (base package will be updated every once in a while to minimize the gap). Highly responsive VSKYLABS support forums: VSKYLABS offers continuous professional support, from all aircraft related aspects (operating and flying) to X-Plane technical support. The project is under constant maintenance and development. EuroFOX background and history This aircraft is also available for X-Plane 11 (obviously without the dynamics and effects of X-Plane 12) Images are courtesy of vSkyLabs... The Aeropro EuroFOX by vSkyLabs is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore _____________________________________ Yes! - the Aeropro EuroFOX Project by vSkyLabs is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Aeropro EuroFOX Project Price is US$29.00 (Currently on sale for only US14.50!) Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Current version: 8.0 (March 20th 2023) ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 23rd March 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

You're actually right Michel... the LEAP is not a geared engine, but a scaled-down version of Safran's low pressure turbine used on the GEnx engine. Swear to god I watched a documentary on that engine? (fixed).

NEWS! - WebFMC Pro updated to v2.1.0 and ToLiSS A320 NEO The popular WebFMC Pro Application by Green Arc Studios has been updated to v2.1.0, and is X-Plane 12 configured. Notable with the update is now the intergation of the remote tool to the recently released ToLiSS Airbus A320 NEO. The WebFMC is a plugin that allows you to use a FMC (Flight Management Computer) on an external screen via a web browser. That is an another computer or tablet. So it is a remote tool, but a very beneficial tool and even a powerful one in programming in route and performance data and following the set aircraft route in flight and in mirroring the aircraft's built in FMS (Flight Management System). Added into the functionality is a load of features in the use of the FMC on another screen. WebFMC Pro is available as noted for X-Plane 12, and also previously for X-Plane 11, if you already have WebFMC Pro for X-Plane 11, then there is an upgrade for previous users there is a US$10 off offer to upgrade to the X-Plane 12 version. Which also covers your plugin and service updates for the run of the X-Plane 12 version. There is a WebFMC DEMO version also available that has access to the default X-Plane 12/11 Boeing 737-800/Zibo 737-800. New in v2.1.0 Support for ToLiss A320 NEO Fixed missing pilot’s waypoints on A/C Status MCDU page in ToLiss Airbus series JD340 has been enabled back (make sure to use the new JD340 XP12 version) Support for changing WebFMC network port with a config file (see documentation) Upgraded to Google Analytics 4 Supported current aircraft list for X-Plane 12 consists of: Default X-Plane FMC DualCDU FlyJSim Q4XP DualCDU Hotstart CL650 TripleCDU Toliss A319 DualCDU Toliss A320 NEO DualCDU Toliss A321 DualCDU Toliss A340 DualCDU FlightFactor 757 v2 Professional DualCDU FlightFactor 767 Professional DualCDU FlightFactor 777 Professional FlightFactor A320 Ultimate DualCDU FlightFactor A350 (old style MCDU) Rotate MD-11 TripleCDU Rotate MD-80 JRollon CRJ-200 IXEG 737-300 DualCDU X-Crafts ERJ Family DualCDU JarDesign 330 JarDesign 340 SSG 747-8 Series v2 Zibo Mod 737-800 DualCDU Note that currently WebFMC does not support Apple Silicon, you need to enable Rosetta mode. It will be fixed with the future update. The update to WebFMC Pro for X-Plane 11 will be released in the upcoming days. X-Plane 11 will be supported by Green Arc Studio's for the next 12 months, but a decision on forward support of the X-Plane 11 platform will be held at that point in time (depending on X-Plane 11 releases). Obviously the plugin will still continue to work in X-Plane 11, but no future aircraft FMS's will be added to the application. Update download to v2.1.0 is now available at the X_Plane.Org Store, just remember to swap over your registration txt to the new version folder. ____________________________________ Yes! WebFMC Pro v2.1.0 XP12 by Green Arc Studios is NOW AVAILABLE from the X-Plane.Org Store here : WebFMC Pro XP12 Price is US$29.99 Current WebFMC XP11 users can get this new XP12 version at $10 off. Please find the coupon code in the original WebFMC Invoice X-Plane 12 Operating system requirements: - Windows 10 64-bit - Mac OS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer - Ubuntu 22.04 LTS 64-bit Web Client requirements The CDU can be displayed on any modern and up-to-date web browser with JavaScript support. We recommend the latest versions of Google Chrome on PC or Android and Safari on iOS. No internet connection required, remote device needs to be on the same local network as X-Plane PC. We do not guarantee support for vintage and obsolete iOS devices (according to official Apple classification, here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624). If you have an old device try WebFMC Free before buying or upgrading. Access CDU / FMC of select X-Plane 12 airplanes via any modern web browser running on your PC or mobile device over local network. Quick and easy access to the FMC Get easy access to the FMC: quickly edit the flightplan, monitor flight progress, set up your approach and do all the typical work of the pilot without having to move around in the cockpit, even if the plane doesn’t support FMC as a popup natively - on the same PC, or different monitor, tablet or phone - in fact you can use multiple displays at the same time! Make pilot tasks easy and comfortable Enjoy external views during cruise while monitoring flight progress on separate screen or take a quick look at your phone to verify calculated landing speed with just a glimpse of an eye during busy time on approach. Make flying complex SIDs / STARs easy as you can focus on the important flight parameters while having overview of the constraints all the time. Take your mobile to the kitchen as you cook a dinner during a long haul and never miss T/D again! Convenient to use Use physical keyboards on PC with extra keys such as Prev/Next page mapped to keyboard keys for easy access. WebFMC scales dynamically to fit any display or window size and can look as native app on mobiles by using browser's "Add to home screen" feature. Web Client The CDU can be displayed on any modern and up-to-date web browser with JavaScript support. We recommend the latest versions of Google Chrome on PC or Android and Safari on iOS. No internet connection required, remote device needs to be on the same local network as X-Plane PC. Support for WebSockets RFC 6455 standard is required which implies at least iOS version 6. _________________________________ NEWS! by Stephen Dutton 22nd March 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) 

Yes it would be interesting with the Fenix, three areas are interesting, ToLiSS has done this development for a decade, more importantly are the amazing tools you get with the aircraft, in performance it is perfect, I can't see MSFS matching all three... they will gush when they have no decent comparison.

Aircraft Review : Airbus A320-271N NEO by ToLiSS Just over a decade ago, aircraft in X-Plane mostly consisted of Boeings or American based machines. The problem facing developers was that any Airbus aircraft were extremely complicated, what with their Flight Control Laws, and automated cockpits. You couldn't really create a realistic Simulation in PlaneMaker of these very of European based technology aircraft. Then came a collaboration between QPAC (QualityPark AviationCenter) and Torsten Liesk, a Canadian based developer who wanted to create an Airbus A320 for training purposes. The result was the first authentic X-Plane A320 aircraft in the QPAC A320-323, that project release was back in 2009, with 2d screens and for the first time X-Plane users had access to quality Airbus flying systems, as plugin systems were now available in X-Plane (10) and QPAC took total advantage of the technology. Crude certainly by today's study aircraft, but the core design was correct, and it was very advanced for it's time, if you want a glance at that past, here is the X-PlaneReviews announcement for aircraft; Aircraft Development and Announcement : QPAC A320-232 v2. In May 2014 there was a significant update to v2.02, and it is again well worth browsing the details. Aircraft Update : Airbus A320-232 v2.0.2 Basic by QPAC. The QPAC project was then cancelled in October 2017, but it also left a significant legacy in Simulation for Airbus aircraft, and in X-Plane at that time in being the forefront of Electronic systems and cockpits. Torsten Liesk however went on to create ToLiSS, with the new foundation the developer's fame then rose through Airbus aircraft releases like the A319-112, the A321-231 and lastly the Airbus A340-600. But oddly there was no original redesign of the A320, and the highest selling airliner in the world. The surprise was a announcement of an ToLiSS Airbus A320 back earlier in this year (2023), but the aircraft released is the variant of the A320-271N... or the NEO (New Engine Option), with two engines types provided in the Pratt&Whitney PW1127G (fan - 206 cm),and the CFM-LEAP 1A26 (fan - 198 cm). both engines are GTF "Geared Turbofan", for better performance and fuel economy. There will be no CEO (Current Engine Option), for that you will have go to either to the JARDesign A320, or the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate. Honestly if you are already familiar with both the A319 and the longer A321, then a lot here in the A320neo that is going to be the same, even with the same engines, which can be both added to the A321 via the A321 NEO Upgrade. So cross-cockpit functionality is very easy, certainly from the A321neo version. In 2006 Airbus started the A320 Enhanced (A320E) programme as a series of improvements targeting a 4–5% efficiency gain with large winglets (2%), aerodynamic refinements (1%), weight savings and a new aircraft cabin. Renamed NEO (neo being Greek for "new", as well as an initialism for "new engine option") and re-engined with CFM LEAP scaled-down GEnx engine or the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines and fitted with sharklets as standard. The NEO is 15% to 20% more fuel efficient than prior models, It was launched on 1 December 2010, made its first flight on 25 September 2014 and was introduced into service by Lufthansa on 25 January 2016. Outwardly the ToLiSS A320neo is nicely modeled. Earlier or first addition ToLiSS modeling was good, but far from the best in class, but since swapping modelers a few years back then the quality and detail has slowly climbed with each release, the A340-600 was excellent, and slowly the rest of the fleet have all been refined to be the quality products they all are. The NEO is obviously visually more oddly balanced, with those monstrously oversized scaled-down version of GEnx/GTF engines.... Someone will always pick over the detail of a A320, mostly the unique nose style, but what we have here is good, solid and well done modeling and detail, everything you want in detail is present and correct, this is of course an Airbus Official licensed product so it has to pass a certain grade of quality. Wing and forward edge detail is very good. Every developer has their own style, not the extreme of say Rotate, but still quality work you can admire. Flap complexity is also first rate, but you get a clean aircraft.. no heavy dirt or wear and tear here, which is okay on this aircraft. Undercarriage in detail is excellent, perfectly formed for all the assembly and links. Tyres are however not as round as they should be, you see the movement when taxiing or when the gear is retracting, as there are too many slabsides to the round. Tyre detail could be better as well. Interior strut assemblies are however excellent, with great detail of Oleo cylinder, axle beam and hydraulic systems. Ditto the complex nosegear, detail and assembles are excellent. All the detail you can admire and look at while doing the walkaround check. Doors cover 1R, 2R, 1L (service) and 2L (service), Front and rear main cargo and small rear bulk cargo doors all open. All doors are animated in the three modes, AUTO, OPEN and CLOSED, with still the AUTO as default. Not my favorite ToLiSS feature as they open when you want closed, or closed when you want open, so you have to go around the menu to reset every door to manual, then they flip back to AUTO again? your always at war with your doors? There are three new external features! First are animated baggage loaders for the front and rear main holds... ... Second are the new animated Catering Trucks, on doors 1R and 2R, DOORS have to be set to OPEN for them to work. ... third new feature are the amazing DE-ICING trucks. These animated De-icers spray first the main wings and control surfaces, then move to the tail to do the rear control surfaces and even the rudder, beautifully animated, they are an excellent fun detail to use in cold clime's. I would expect all three of these features to be added to the A319/A321 and the A346 aircraft. Oddly there are no forward stairs, of which you really miss, but ToLiSS has noted they are coming soon. There are no visible external GPU and the supplied Air pressure units (High and Low) available on the menu either, there are however chocks. Cabin In reality it is the standard ToLiSS cabin fitout you use on the A319/A321, no really big surprise there. It is nicely done, if a bit bland in colours, the painters can probably help out here with some Airline flavour. There are a few Airline cabins to be seen later in the review. It is very tasteful, but basic. Both forward and rear galleys are well fitted out, and the cabin lighting is controlled by the IACP (Interactive Audio Control Panel), but it is thankfully only standard lighting and not the new rainbow liTeMood® LED cabin lighting with all its bright colours. Window detail is very basic, with no inner surrounds or double perspex windows? as are the passenger upper panels with no lighting of the "Seatbelt", "No Smoking" signs. But overall it is a good cabin. Cockpit - Cold The cockpit is the traditional Airbus blue. Basically it is the standard A320 cockpit, the seats are the same from the A319/A321 with no changes, and both have the animated armrests. The panel texture feel is excellent, there is a nice worn/wear effect throughout all the instrument assemblies, all new here, and redone for the A320neo. You notice this effect a lot while flying and it creates a very good ambience in the cockpit, it does however feel more early airbus, than the newer cleaner surfaces you would find on a latest NEO variant. Cabin - Powered (Hot) Turn on the battery power supply and you get a "Test" evaluation for 40 secs, then you can set the IRS Alignment. Small details, but very authentic. Mostly you would keep the aircraft in turnaround mode, or here APU+ADIRU ON. System depth here is enormous, basically mostly all the A320's systems are simulated, so yes it is a study aircraft, maybe even a bit deeper than that, more importantly the systems are totally authentic. In other words everything is by the book or the Airbus manuals, you feel it, and thankfully ToLiSS provided a lot of information and a flight based tutorial. System depth is highlighted here by being on ground power but the battery supply is switched off, perfectly simulated, "Study" obviously. To a point we take a lot of the system detail now for granted, not understanding the complexity and the work to bring us these perfectly tuned machines, dig into the systems and then you realise how really good they are today, we literally have everything at our (mouse) fingertips. Instrument layout is the standard Airbus T Five across One down, or PFD, NAV/MAP each side and the two stacked ECAM (Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor) displays in the centre. Centre Panel has the Backup Instruments, Timer, Brake pressure and Gear lever/indicators. But the lower screens are the CPDLC displays which stands for “Controller Pilot DataLink Connection”. The CPDLC system does actually work in the ToLiSS aircraft, but used mainly for On-Line Flying. You require a "Hoppie ID" to use it and to access the ACARS function (Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System). Also there is the function to print out CPDLC messages and weather reports OHP (OverHead Panel) is standard A320 Airbus in layout, as is the central Console. Glareshield Autopilot system - Auto-Flight-System Control-Panel (AFS CP), is again the standard Airbus twin-engine fitout, nothing special, but the system depth is hidden by the basics, and I do like the single dot (push) and twin dot (pull) and mouse scroll manipulator system. The iconic A320 stubby throttles are really well done, as is the now famous Side-Stick "Mon âme", the soul of the A320 aircraft. Early ToLiSS aircraft didn't have a lot of smaller features, which I called "Toys", or things to play with, and you really missed them... ... slowly they are being added in to the ToLiSS fleet, one (or the two here) are the pullout drawers for documents... ... second and a new feature for ToLiSS are opening side windows, the small catch (arrowed) allows you to close them again. The window blinds, front and side however still don't work, a needed feature, but the open window it is a great step forward. ToLiSS ISCS - Interactive Simulation Control System The Menu system is a bit more in depth than for just selecting SETTINGS, it is the heart of the ToLiSS way of flying and using the aircraft. You can access the ISCS via the banner "Plugins", menu, the other setting option is "Resume from last flight", we will look at that soon. I set the ISCS menu on a key command (key S), this makes it far more accessible and quickly, plus the same command works on any ToLiSS aircraft. First surprise is that the ISCS here on the A320neo is different, not the light green shades of before, but now the variations of blue colours. Tabs and layout are however the same as the earlier version, but the colour is far, far better (yes I like the ISCS a lot more), and the menu is also scalable in size, also available in a pop-out Window format. There are seven ISCS tabs available covering: Situations A/C Config, Loading Perfo, Ground Services, Faults Scenerios, Addons, Sound/Actions, Joystick and the General Settings Actions. Situations A/C Config The Config page is used to set up the aircraft with three sections, "Load/Save Situations", "Aircraft Configuration" and "Performance Adjustments" Load/Save Situations is an absolute gem of a tool, basically it is "Save" tool, but it saves EVERYTHING including the important FMS settings and your route, and better still it gives you a backup "Auto-Saving" feature in case X-PLANE does a nasty CTD (Crash to Desktop) or a freeze on you, all the saves are held in the X-Plane Plugin's Folder and not in the A320neo Aircraft folder... Simply years better than any other save tool in X-Plane it is simply golden to set up or to have your aircraft ready at a certain state of "ready to Flight", helpful if you just want to come back and just fly, then you can save the aircraft situation ready that way... it is just simply brilliant. The saved situations can be "Filtered" to find certain saved situations if the list is long. AUTO-SAVING time can be set from 1 Min to 30 Min, but every 5 Min is the best compromise. ONE of the biggest features on the aircraft, other developers take note... WE WANT THIS FEATURE. Aircraft Configuration section covers engine selection (AUTO, PW1127G-JM and CFM-LEAP 1A26), the Auto setting is used with the codes on the liveries (PWG) or (LEA) to automatically set the correct engine type to the livery. Other options include - Use Imperial Units, SATCOM Antenna, ERudder Config, Multi-Functional RWY LT (Switch from standard to wingbox arrangement), Auto NAV on GA (Activates NAV function on Go-Around). Performance Adjustments cover "Aircraft Age", Engine Age" from NEW to OLD. Note: all the set page settings have to be saved before use. Has BUSS Switches; here you can display switches that allow reverting PFDs to the display of the AoA-based backup speed scale and the GPS based backup altitude individually, they are present next to each PFD. ERudder Config - Airbus has replaced the 7 Flight Control Computers (2 ELAC, 3 SEC, 2 FAC) by 4 new generation computers (2ELAC, 2 SEC). This option allows switching between the two configurations. Loading Perfo This tab covers the "Aircraft Loading" and "CG-CW", Payload, Passenger, Cargo and Fuel which can be set, then added to the MCDU INIT B page values. Fuel loading can be "Quick" or "Slow" (real Time). CG-GW Diagram gives you your Centre of Gravity and Gross Weight limits on a graph. TO PERFORMANCE settings can also be set here. Ground Services This tab covers the external factors on the aircraft. Ground Supplies provides options for "External Power" (GPU) and "High and Low pressure air" to start the engines and provide ventilation/air-conditioning while on the ground. But as noted there are no external physical units, Chocks however are shown. But there is a built in PUSHBACK feature... The pushback is quite basic in look and to use in auto or manual modes. However I always use the excellent BetterPushBack Truck as an alternative. The ToliSS A32oneo has been configured correctly for the BetterPushBack use, so it works extremely well here. Note in watching the pushback operation on the ECAM! New on the right is DEICING... You can do a "Quick" De-Ice, or use the animated De-Ice Trucks as seen earlier. AIRCRAFT DOORS have three selections with Auto (default) Close and Open. The auto will open the doors when the park brake is set and the engines are off. But they do have a tendency to be a bit uncontrollable in opening/closing at the wrong times or not opening when you need them to be open. So the manual "Close" is my preference to control them. There is no save selection either and so every time you open the aircraft you have to then (constantly and annoyingly) reset all the doors back to your AUTO preference state, as the default auto setting will always switch and will always have the front left and the two cargo doors open every time you load up the aircraft? Not a fan? New bottom are the two animated "Baggage Loaders" and the two "Catering Trucks", (note the DOOR 1R/2R has to be set to OPEN, for the Catering Trucks to work?). Faults Scenerios The A320neo has a great failure system, or fault Scenarios. These failures can be set up on the ISCS Panel. This feature is listed under the "FAULT SCENERIOS" tab. You can have a total random setting that covers a wide range of 90 faults over twelve systems in "less" or "more" than "100 Flights", or you can set your own failure with the options including: NOW, AT TIME (set time in Seconds from now), AT IAS (Speed), AT ALT (set altitude) or RANDOM, New is the point of failure in Take-Off, Climb, Cruise, Desent, Landing and Flight... and you can set as many failures as you like. Sound/Addon/Accounts There has been three areas now combined into the one Sound/Addon/Accounts Tab Sound Settings; Turbine Sound Studios (TSS) provides the sounds for ToLiSS aircraft, but you can default back to the X-Plane default sound volumes if you wish in controlling a MASTER, INTERNAL and EXTERNAL volume, 3D Sound Fading will silence the PTU and Flap sounds in the cockpit. No ADDONS here, usually for Engine variants, but the standard engine default is you get the GTF versions with the aircraft, ACCOUNT IDS; New are accounts for your SimBrief ID and HOPPIE CPDLC Logon, If you want to use the ACARS function for flight plan download, you can put your SimBrief pilot ID into the field “SimBrief ID”. Important note: This is a pure number, not your SimBrief Email address. You can find this number on the Simbrief Website, under “Dispatch / Account settings” and then in the Simbrief data tab under “Pilot ID”. Ignore AIRAC/AC Type mismatch: If this option is OFF, the flight plan download will fail if the active AIRAC cycle in the FMGS does not match the AIRAC cycle used by Simbrief for planning. Set Payload + Fuel to Simbrief: If you select this option, the cargo, payload and fuel on board in the ISCS will be set immediately to the Simbrief values. Always use SimBrief winds: If this option is selected, any wind request in the FMGS will take the wind data from the Simbrief plan HOPPIE option The option “Auto Execute handovers” allows to switch to the next ATC station automatically upon receiving the “handover” command from your current ATC station without having to notify the new ATC station. Joystick Actions; Joystick Configuration selections options cover the "Primary Joystick", control of NWS (NoseWheel Steering) on/off, Enable Second Joystick (For custom setups like home built panels or training as it supports the use of two sidesticks (pilot and co-pilot side), A dual input and priority logic are also available as on the real aircraft), Tiller Assignment (with Tiller centre setting). (Rudder) Pedal Brakes Assignment with brake strength, Smart Park Brake, Allow Brake on One Pedal, keys F1/F2 Toggle reversers (I use joystick trigger!), "Smart THR Idle Lock" and "Rev on Same Axis" Detent calibration; The fields on the right side of this screen are designed to allow quick alignement between hardware detents and software detents. Simply place the hardware thrust levers into the detent that you want to calibrate and read the results. Actions; Include "ADIRU Quick Align", or "Jump to next Waypoint" (Jumps the aircraft a maximunm of 200nm or the next waypoint) "You don't do you!" Clever is the new AUTO-PAUSE This feature allows the user to leave the computer during a flight and make sure that the simulation pauses automatically if something happens that requires user interaction. The feature allows automatic pausing of the simulation, if: A master warning is triggered (e.g. due to AP disconnect) A master warning or a master caution are triggered. (Any system fault) A master warning or caution is triggered, or the aircraft has passed the T/D, i.e. has entered the DESCENT phase. General Settings; The General Settings tab has five sections in: "Product Info", "Visual Settings", "Startup Behaviour", "User Interface" and "Miscellaneous". Product Info (Information) covers the current build number and version (very Airbus), and License ID Visual Settings include Display (Instrument) reflections, Window Reflections and Screen background Glow. Windshield (Librain) effects and Particle Effects. "Refresh PDF every X Cycles" This is an option for the weak graphic card users, in that instead of the heavy use every cycle to refresh the system displays, you can set the cycles to be redrawn either every 2nd or 4th cycle. Startup Behaviour sets the aircraft to a certain startup situation (known as Cold or Hot), options include: OVHD XP Start. Cold Start Type in COLD+DARK, EXT POWER (connected) and really all on with APU+ADIRU ON. Default Baro in either HPA or InHG (note you can also have the choice to SYNC or adjust manually the separate PFD Baros). Finally you can set your own default "Transition Altitude". User Interface is options on how you interact with the aircraft. Options include: Use Mouse wheel, Sync Baro Settings, Pop-out windows for Pop-ups and you can save your set Pop-Up configuration (Cockpit builders) on Quit. Miscellaneous ILS auto align is a feature that if the custom scenery that rotates the runway; for these cases the ILS and the runway are not aligned anymore. The ToLiSs A320 plugin thereby contains a feature that detects if there is such custom scenery installed and then realigns the ILS in the internal database with the new runway heading. XPDR Compatiblility Mode, is the use of different transponder modes. Cache Routes only on Startup, prevents the plugin from checking for changes to your fms flight plan files during the flight. Enable AviTab Tablet, The AviTab tablet is installed on the lower left of the Pilot and usable if you have the AviTab plugin set in your plugin folder and acts like the EFB (Electronic Flight Bag). Again remember you have to save any Settings and Default values for them to be effective and in some instances a restart is required to activate a setting. Avitab- EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) There are two Avitabs situated on the sills on both sides of the cockpit... if you have a Navigraph account, you can access the Navigraph Charts, tools and other features on the A320neo. Besides the AviTab EFB there are now four new other tab options... WGT-BALANCE, TO PERF, LDG (Landing), PERF and CHECKLIST There is a lot of performance data here to be used, and all are at your finger tips, includes; Weight summary, Take-off weight and the landing weight with CG, landing performance calculator and a very good tick (Green) Checklist. Interactive Audio Control Panel (IACP) There is another menu access system situated on the Radio Panel, called the "Interactive Audio Control Panel" (IACP). This feature gives you finger access to an item in a more pop-up accessible form... two options are MECH or five ground communication tabs; SERVICES, PUSHBACK, FUEL/DEFUEL, CARGO HANDLING and DEICING. Second IACP option is ATT selection covers Cabin interaction; DOORS, PASSENGERS and CABIN LIGHTING... .... Cabin Lighting adjustment is great because it gives you control over the brightness of the cabin lighting, I really don't like bright cabins, and worst with no way to tone them down. ACARS - Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System ToLiSS aircraft comes with the ACARS function, used as noted earlier with the CPDLC. But it has another function here in the ability to download the FlightPlan from Navigraph's Simbrief. The tool was introduced on the ToLiSS Airbus A340-600 v1.1, since then also updated to the rest of the ToLiSS fleet (A319/A321) and so it is a big feature in the A320neo as well. A full tutorial in how to use it was covered in Airbus A340-600 v1.1 by ToLiSS... but we will do a brief overview here to see how it works. SimBrief Remember that you have to complete your SimBrief Pilot ID in the ISCS (SOUND/ADDON/ACCOUNTS). Then the "Data" link has to be opened by pressing the COMMS VHF 3 button the Radio panel. Also important is to set the "Set Payload + Fuel to Simbrief", option ON, if not you will have to set up the aircraft fuel and weight options separately. Then complete and generate your SimBrief flight profile, note you use the Aircraft Type A20N, for NEO, not the A320-200. Our route today is easyjet EC453 from LEBL (Barcelona) to LCLK (Larnaca, Cyprus). Select INIT REQUEST (Make sure the asterisk is showing that the data link is live), then the Simbrief Flight Briefing should load into the MCDU, It does two loads, so don't close it to quickly, as it takes real time to load, when data is uploading it will say "PERF DATA UPLINK". Next is to set your Departure RWY/SID/VIA and Arrival RWY/STAR/VIA . When done you can then set the TO-PERFORMANCE data via the TO-DATA REQUEST, sometimes it is best to do it manually as it is far quicker and more accurate, the data is found on the ISCS (TO PERFORMANCE) option. Brilliant isn't it, makes aircraft set up and ready for flight a very easy job, but mostly it saves tons of time, your flying time. The New option on the EFB can give you your now set WGT - BALANCE situation, and also available is your TO-PERF data, you press the ""COMPUTE" button to set out the TakeOff data, including your V markers set out on a runway map.... all so fantastic isn't it. And your all ready to go. ________________ Flying the ToLiSS A320neo Pushback from Stand 222 Barcelona, notable is that I'm using the BetterPushBack plugin, the ToLiSS aircraft does have a built in PUSHBACK feature, but the BPB is better and has even been refined by ToLiSS for use in the A320neo, note the N/W STEERING alert on the lower ECAM display while the pushback is in operation. Pushback completed, I got an "Alert Warning", my Trim was not set correctly? or in Airbus speak "F/CTL PITCH TRIM/MCDU/CG DISAGREE", This alert shows the depth of the system detail in ToLiSS aircraft, yes as noted it is a "Study", aircraft, so it is best to study up on the details, and in how to fix alerts such as this one. And this alert only came up after the engines were powering the systems. I can't even begin to cover all the systems here, but only to note on how extensive and authentic they are. We are now in X-Plane 12r3 (or Release 3). Thankfully the more mature version. One aspect of that is the developers can now fine tune areas that were a bit of mess before. Lighting is a big one. Here the external lighting, Turnoff/Taxi/Landing lighting is now nicely tuned... ... but there is a choice in external lighting, first the usual underwing landing lights and forward gear turnoff lights, or second with both sets combined on the centre wing box, or "Multi-Functional RWY LT". Taxiing is being aware of the nose gear having a slower response in movement, something you had to adjust to as far back as the QPAC A320, so you have to anticipate turns to get it right, it soon becomes natural, but you still have to adapt to it. Ready to go on LEBL Runway 06L (note in X-Plane it will sometimes say 07L, with the magnetic variation, depending on your AIRAC). TakeOff weight is 71,114 Kg, with a fuel load of 13,700 Kg to get me to Cyprus, but my main concern is the east gusty crosswind of 13 kts, straight off the Balearic Sea. Power up to TO/THRUST and your rolling... The CFM-LEAP 1A26 give out 120.64 kN (27,120 lbf) Takeoff thrust, plenty of power and you feel it. v2 (Rotate) is 152 +10, but on clearing the runway I feel that gusty wind, so I'm already crabbing a little with a lot of right foot rudder and a bit less right engine power to keep the aircraft on course... My point here is the feel, it is so brilliant, you feeeeel this aircraft so well, flying it as per recommendations, or realistically, it is a brilliant simulation of a A320neo. All Airbus "Flight Control Laws" are in action here, there are four named flight control laws, however alternate law consists of two modes, alternate law 1 and alternate law 2. Each of these modes have different sub modes: ground mode, flight mode and flare, plus a back-up mechanical control. The flight mode of normal law provides five types of the aircraft's flight envelope protection: pitch attitude, load factor limitations, high speed, high-AOA and bank angle. Flight mode is operational from take-off, until shortly before the aircraft lands, around 100 feet above ground level. It can be lost prematurely as a result of pilot commands or system failures. Loss of normal law as a result of a system failure results in alternate law 1 or 2 in normal law vertical side stick movement corresponds to a load factor proportional to stick deflection independent of aircraft speed. When the stick is neutral and the load factor is 1g, the aircraft remains in level flight without the pilot changing the elevator trim. Engine Thrust Management is covered by the engine control law, so you have to follow the SPEED commands, or shift the throttles to the required A/THR detent, or first the CL (Climb detent)... Set FLEX mode can also be used. It's all an awareness of Airbus system flying. Sounds like mentioned are good, and cover a wide spectrum... so your not missing anything here on the basics, and the GTF whine is nicely done in flight. However I am very used to the BSS (BlueSkyStar) PRO Packages that is available for the FF Airbus A320 Ulitmate. I mean 500+ sounds, that is hard to emulate, and the package is extremely good, if BSS do release a A320neo pack, then it would be certainly be a good investment. In the air, and in X-Plane 12... it's a great combination! In the pilot's seat, it's a pure A320 environment, everything works and this is the office, only complaint are the non-usable blinds, both the forward and side screens don't work. Yet X-Plane 12 is glaring up here at FL380. Lighting Over the last few months of the X-Plane 12 beta, internal lighting was hard to define, bloated text and dark cockpits were not the best places to live. In the ToLiss A320neo the Instrument panel is glorious, highly adjustable as per Airbus lighting knobs, no bloated text either... all nice and sharply clear. But you are missing the downlights in the daytime, this makes the instrument panel a bit dark in the daylight. The X-Plane 12 Lookup/Lookdown adjustment works well here, but the panel down-lighting would have broken up the gloom a little. DOME lighting has three settings; OFF, DIM and BRT (Bright), all very good... But missing are a few lighting areas... there are no overhead tray lights, or side lights, the reading light doesn't work either? OHP ANN LT test is excellent, very realistic. Dark Cockpit mode for night TakeOff and Landings is also excellent... an important one for me, I hate any overhead lighting reflecting on me when I need to see out of the aircraft... impressed. The cabin lighting is very good, as you have a large adjustment on the IACP of the lighting from OFF (dark) to Full Bright. OFF is BLACK, nothing, and there are no separate galley lighting points either, which would be nicely needed. So you set it around 10% which is a nice low-light cabin ambience. External lighting is excellent. Navigation and Strobes are perfect, wing(Ice) lights are also well done. Tail light works, but only when the flaps are not set to zero as per Airbus rules. As you can adjust the cabin lighting, you don't get that Ocean Liner effect, so the aircraft looks highly realistic at night. Off the coast of Greece.... Performance; Seating is One class 195, Two class 165, with a cargo capacity of 37 m3 (1,300 cu ft) - Cruise: Mach 0.78 (450 kn; 833 km/h), Max.: Mach 0.82 (473 kn; 876 km/h) - Ceiling 39,100–39,800 ft (11,900–12,100 m) - Range 6,500 km / 3,500 nmi There is a New feature from ToLiSS called the EQUI - TIME POINT, found under DATA lower RK6. ETP (Equal Time Point), which is basically the point at which it'll take a shorter time to continue to the next suitable diversion airfield than to turn back to the last one. Mostly used on ETOPS routes and over oceans for diversion actions. Liveries You basically only get two liveries with the package; ToLiSS House livery, and the official Airbus A320 NEO House livery... But the painters will be taking up their paints very quickly... Christoph_T, Emma Bentley and Matt Hayward are the main official contributors (Thanks to Matt for the easyjet Livery), Another is a very nice "MakeChange", Austrian Airlines by clemacamelc, and the cabin details show what you can do to hide the bland default cabin (Yes I take a bow for the applause). Let us put it this way, you won't be short of liveries, they can be found at the X-Plane.Org; ToLiss/Aircraft Skins/Liveries, a paintkit is also available here; Paintkit;ToLiSS A320 Neo v1.0 Approaching Cyprus from the west, and you set your landing PERF on the MCDU, then you can access the information on EFB (LDG PERF) for a visual and data reference... yes I like it very much. Over Cyprus and the weather report is not good, with low cloud to 2,000ft, and yes rain. X-Plane 12 has the Librain effects built in, and they work well here, front and side windows, but you get nothing on the cabin windows, another "but" will come later. ILS S into Runway 22 is a tricky loop, first you overfly Larnaca International (112.80 LCA), then head west to the tight turn into the ILS (ILC-110.30)... ... then you set up the aircraft ready for landing, gear, lights, arm spoilers. The turn is extremely tight at the top... ... X-Plane 12 is literally DAZZLING, brilliant! Coming out of the turn your numbers have to be exactly right, Flap 3, 170 knts and the height perfect around 2,000ft... ... when you come out of the turn and straighten up the vertical ILS diamond is right there on the ILS beams activate line, so you approach height has to be perfect, as does your speed. I get it perfectly right and hit the slope automatically. You can fly an Airbus A320 manually, the normal law allows this, so this approach can be done hands on, which would mostly be the case in real world flying. Up comes the rain again, but the wipers don't clear the streaks, and in the bright sunlight it makes it very hard to see the runway? With the strong headwind I could do a nice 140 kts approach at FULL flap, now you can let the aircraft do the automatic "Autoland" sequence... airbus style. I'm extremely impressed with X-Plane 12 at the moment, it gives you a great all weather simulation, certainly in the atmosphere and effects, not perfect, but now very good. Airbrakes and AUTO/BRK (MED) worked very well on touch-down and with a nicely noisy, landing configuration which was very good in detail. Coming into RWY 22 I couldn't see "anything"? then on the ground the wipers suddenly started to clear the water? A Laminar Research issue or a Developer issue?, but you need those wipers working on the final approach! The adrenalin kick from Simulation flying is when it all goes perfectly correct, your skills interacting with the aircraft.... ... more importantly the aircraft doing "exactly" what you are asking it to do, then you get into the flow, then you get the high rush.... Here it all works perfectly, a great simulation, but a brilliant aircraft Interpreting your commands and wishes, you get that and more with this ToLiSS A320 NEO. ________________ Summary ToLiSS was the part of the 2009 original collaboration with QPAC to create the first X-Plane A320 simulation with realistic Airbus Flight Control Laws, and automated cockpits. Since then the developer has gone on to creating the best Airbus aircraft for the X-Plane Simulator, with the A319-112, the A321-231 and lastly the Airbus A340-600. Here is a return to his roots, but with a slight twist with the Airbus A320 NEO, as the release is only with the NEO (New Engine Option) with the two engines types provided in the Pratt&Whitney PW1127G and the CFM-LEAP 1A26. One engine is scaled-down version GEnx engine (LEAP), the PW a GTF "Geared Turbofan", for better performance and fuel economy. No CEO (Current Engine Option) will be offered. Modeling and design is very good, but early ToLiSS didn't have the extensive extreme quality you can now expect in this category, but with a change of a modeller a few years back, now in every area the detail and quality is highly improved, and certainly now matching the high quality Airbus Official systems and for the excellent flying feedback of the aircraft. This ToLiSS is absolutely the best of it's category and class. That said I'm not crazy about the lumpy tyres, and in areas the lighting could be better, with missing tray spotlights, rear reading lights and no separate galley lighting, no window blinds is highly noticeable at altitude, cabin lighting however is highly adjustable. System wise the ToLiSS A320neo is the best in X-Plane (all ToLiSS aircraft are), with all Airbus Flight Laws and Protections highly intergrated, with the authentic engine control laws. If you want to fly the automated Airbus you can, but if you want to dig deeper into the "Study" aspect of Airbus Philosophy. Then that aspect is also very highly available here, so both Pro's and Newcomers to the Airbus way of aviation can be easily satisfied here. Innovation in Simulation is also available with the ToLiSS A320neo. The ToLiSS ISCS - Interactive Simulation Control System is far more than a menu, it provides tools and options that are truly remarkable. The LOAD/SAVE Situation tool is a godsend for any Simmer... saving perfect situations to return ready for flight or even an unexpected simulator crash, I was back up and flying perfectly in minutes after a bad scenery crash, this shows the tool's peerless power. SimBrief intergration can load in the "Full" data brief into the aircraft's systems, another huge time saver. Fault Scenerios are also excellent as are aircraft configurations. AUTO-PAUSE, this feature allows the user to leave the computer during a flight to do a pause in three alert scenerios. Sounds are by Turbine Sound Studios, good but not BSS quality. The ACARS function is fully intergrated with the CPDLC system , but really only available to on-line fliers with the HOPPIE network, but very good it is. New to ToLiSS on the A320neo are ground equipment Baggage Loaders and Catering Trucks, and the sensational animated De-Icing Trucks, but still no stairs (coming) or GPU/AIR. Opening Side Windows and the Electronic FLight Bag EFB tools for WGT-BAL, TO PERF, LDG PERF, and extensive built in CHECKLIST. The "Interactive Audio Control Panel" (IACP) has also been extended to include both Ground and Cabin tabs with excellent cabin lighting adjustment. The list can go on, and on... but notable is the X-Plane 12 version in using the X-Plane features, an X-Plane 11 version is included in the package, but that would takeaway a lot of the dynamics and the immense fun this aircraft has to offer by using the X-Plane 12 environment. The level required in this category of simulation is very high, but the ToLiSS A320NEO delivers superlative performance in every area, certainly in systems and innovation... ToLiSS stands for brilliant Simulation, even sets the standards for the X-Plane simulator, and here available for X-Plane 12... "Hugely Recommended". _____________________ Yes! the Airbus A320 NEO by ToLiSS is NOW currently available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Airbus A320 NEO Price is US$89.99 The feature list is HUGE! Highlights: Brand new cockpit textures optimized for X-Plane 12 Choice of 2 engine types: PW1127G-JM and CFM LEAP1A26 Custom EFB with Avitab integration, weight and balance computer, take off and landing performance as well as interactive check list ACARS functionality: SimBrief flight plan import directly into the FMGS, TO Performance computations and wind upload. Hoppie CPDLC and PDC functionality including weather download from the Hoppie network Implementation of over 130 circuit breakers to cut power to certain systems. More than 210 failure modes that can be injected, including “resettable” failures. Can still run in X-plane 11 with most of these features, except for the XP12 specific rain effects Reversable back up speed scale (BUSS) 1. Highly complex FMGS: SID/STAR and airways support in a fully custom FMGS backbone supporting all A424 leg types (Arc, course or heading to intercept, Radius to Fix, Holdings, etc.) Active, alternate, 2 temporary as well as secondary flight plans 2 completely independent MCDUs and autopilots Pilot item database for custom fixes, navaids, flight plans and runways Full VNAV guidance with TOC, TOD, Deceleration point, speed limits, fuel prediction, and consideration of speed and altitude constraints etc. Support for go-arounds and diversions Step altitudes Offset function Direct To function including abeam points, radial in and radial out Hold function including computed and database holds as well as pilot defined holds Satellite availability model, including prediction for specific places and times Nav Aid autotuning Flight plan saving via the Pilot routes page Equitime point computation Nearest airports page Airways function including automatic computation of intersection point between two airways Fix info functionality to create reference circles or bearings ACARS function to simulate flight plan, TO Data and Wind upload from ground station using SimBrief data. SLS/GLS and FLS type approaches RNP-AR capability 2. Accurate systems: ToLiss Fly-by-wire and autopilot module, with support for Alternate and Direct Law Unique feature: Control Surface hinge moment modelling allows the surfaces to float to the appropriate position after loss of all actuators on a surface or to not reach full deflection if running on a single actuator. fault injection interface allowing to inject custom selected failures, or randomly selected failure based on fault probabilities with over 210 failure modes available. Custom TCAS with resolution advisory function. Terrain on ND and Weather radar available (WX radar works with default X-plane weather engine) Brake temperature model based on the detailed physics of heat transfer between the individual brake components Hydraulics model with proper hydraulic flow computation as function of surface motion, flap/slat motion, gear extension etc. You will see this by the pressure dropping when flying on RAT Custom engine model for accurate thrust and fuel flow modelling including oil pressure and temperature model as well as many engine failure modes. Thrust and fuel flow modelled for each engine type. Special engine logics, such as dual cooling on the PW1127G engine, are also modelled. Detailed model of each ADIRU including alignment, small pressure sensor differences between the units, switching of sources for PFDs and Aps Quantitative bleed system modelling affecting engine fuel flow Electrical system simulation with correct bus reconfiguration and load distribution, simulated electrical transients as well as emergency generation from the blue hydraulic system. Fire detection simulation for engines and APU Custom radio navigation computations including ability to perform backup RADNAV tuning through the RMPs Custom air conditioning model supporting high altitude operations at airports like Cusco in Peru or La Paz in Bolivia without spurious warnings Flight warning system with ECAM actions supporting numerous system failure scenarios, e.g. engine failures, generator failures, hydraulic failures. Custom indicating system including DMC and SDAC simulation. Choice between Multifunctional runway lights or the classic landing light configuration. 3. Eye- and ear-candy: Detailled 3D cockpit Opening side windows Animated tray tables Moving cockpit seats Animated ground services for refuelling, pushback and deicing as well as cargo baggage loaders 3d exterior model with PWG and LEAP engine Custom sounds from Turbine Sound Studios (TSS) included for all engines Integration of X-plane 12 native rain effects. 4. Useability features: Situation loading and saving. It is possible to save the flight at any point in time and resume it another day. This can also be used, e.g., to save the position just before approach and practice just the approach many times. This feature reinstates the complete aircraft state (except communications with ATC, such as AOC and CPDLC messages or ground service states.) Autosaving allows recovering where you left off, should the X-Plane session end unexpectedly. Jumping waypoint-to-waypoint through the cruise phase: Shorten your flight to focus on the more interesting parts as you like. Integrated takeoff performance calculator supporting the use of flex temperature. 4 different start-up configurations from Cold and Dark to engines running and ready to go In-screen popup displays or use of x-plane windows for popups Interactive audio control panel to change ground services, fuel, loading, passengers etc. without breaking immersion Electronic flight bag on both sides with Avitab integration, weight and balance computation, take-off and landing performance calculator as well as a user customizable interactive checklist. Print function for AOC messages, CPDLC messages and selected FMGS functions Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows , Mac (requires use of Rosetta on M1/M2 Macs with X-Plane 12)or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 745 MB Version 1.0 (March 20th 2023) Installation Download of the Airbus A320 NEO is 705.50mb and it is installed in your Airliner Folder as a 1.19Gb folder. On start up you will have an activation screen presented to enter your Serial Number (Key), and then press the "Activate" bar to authorise the aircraft. I recommend to restart the aircraft from your desktop to realign all your plugins and load the aircraft cleanly. There is extensive full instructions on how to set up the aircraft to your X-Plane settings (commands) and addons (Joysticks/Throttles) and other 3rd Party items in the ToLiSS A320 NEO V1.0_SimulationManual. Documents There are Three Manuals Included with the package. All are extensive and well laid out with great details Simulation manual : Describes installation, and setup of the model as well as usage of the “Interactive Simulation Control System”. Tutorial flight, which provides a step-by-step description of a complete flight from cold & dark to aircraft shut-down after landing. This is the best manual to learn flying the aircraft. Aircraft manual, which is primarily intended as a reference after the tutorial has been completed. It provides a reference for standard operating procedures, as well as a more in- depth look into the different systems of the aircraft. Extra Airbus system information is highly recommended and SMARTCOCKPIT is a great place to start. _____________________ Aircraft Review by Stephen Dutton 20th March 2023 Copyright©2023: X-Plane Reviews 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 Version 12.04r3 Plugins: JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00 : RK Apps XPRealistic v2 - US$34.99 Scenery or Aircraft - LEBL - Barcelona XP by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$27.99 - Barcelona City by Logo Projects - (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$26.95 - LCLK - Larnaca International, Cyprus by JustSim (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$19.90 (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

NEWS! - Aircraft Release : Citation C-560XL by AirSim3D for X-Plane 12 In November last year 2022, AirSim 3D released their excellent Citation 560XL in X-Plane, but only in X-Plane 11... also the twilight zone in X-Plane 12 Beta. The aircraft was fantastic, but like me I had already moved on to the bright and shiny X-Plane 12, Beta and all. So in a way the release timing was not fair to the aircraft. Here it is now released in it's proper X-Plane guise, and if any aircraft was created for X-Plane 12, it was this Citation C-560XL. The X-Plane 11 release review is here; Aircraft Review : Cessna Citation 560XL by AirSim3d There are now three 560XL aircraft packages X-Plane 12 X-Plane 11 X-Plane 12 + X-Plane 11 If you have already purchased the AirSim 3D 560XL before March 15th 2023, your purchase already includes both XP11 and XP12 versions, notably there will be no upgrade between the packages so please make sure you select the right one. AirSim3D C-560 XL: Real-Jet authenticity Real jet visits at Boeing airfield were extensively used to inform build and design decisions 100’s of pages of real POH manuals, specs, drawings, pics used Real pilot tested and extensively beta tested Result: real-world systems, lighting, functions, modeling and procedures authenticity Rich FMOD sounds Sample recordings from the real jet at Boeing Field Result: Custom Engine, APU, GPU, Warnings, Call outs, Clicks, Beeps, airflow, in/out, sound modulation...all included Example: AP disconnect – that's the actual sound real pilots hear! But not overdone: The real jet is quiet at cruise; AirSim3D’s C-560XL follows that model “My main interest is flying bizjets, and this one is an excellent addition to my ''hanger".... Also, Support responds very quickly on this forum too. Thanks for that." “Just doing a night flight, the night lighting is excellent. I do like this airplane a lot” “Engine sounds are really good inside and out. I live near an airport, and it sounds like the real Citations as they take off” “The best aircraft of my hangar .. and I have all the other more popular biz jets and Airliners!! From the XPlaneReview: “Having flown the XL a lot over the past month, I now really love it, even miss it a lot when flying other aircraft. Recommended.” “Are ya'll thinking about making other AWESOME models like this one? 5 Star (support) service!” Designed by AirSim3D Support forum for the C-560 XL ____________________ Yes! the Cessna Citation 560XL X-Plane 12 by AirSim3d is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here: Cessna Citation 560XL XP12 Price is US$59.95 Cessna Citation 560XL XP11 Price is US$49.95 Cessna Citation 560XL XP12 + XP11 Price is US$79.95 Features: AirSim3D C-560 XL: Real-Jet authenticity Real jet visits at Boeing airfield were extensively used to inform build and design decisions 100’s of pages of real POH manuals, specs, drawings, pics used Real pilot tested and extensively beta tested Result: real-world systems, lighting, functions, modeling and procedures authenticity Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Current version : 1.5 (January 12th 2023) There are 3 purchase options for the 560 XL XP11 only Version . Get it here XP12 only Version. Get it here XP12 and XP11 Bundle . Get it here (this one) Important Notes: If you purchased the 560XL before March 15th, your purchase already includes XP11 and XP12 versions There will be no upgrade between packages so please make sure you get the right one. ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 17th March 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

NEWS! - Aircraft Released : Piper PA28-161 Warrior II XP12 by Aerosphere Simulations Aerosphere have released the Piper PA28-161 Warrior II in X-Plane 12. This newly released aircraft is an upgrade, not an update of the original 2017 X-Plane 10 Warrior (so a full price purchase), that was back then later converted to X-Plane 11. This new model has come full circle with all new 3D modeling and textures and a whole host of other changes to fit X-Plane 12, such as the rain and new lighting. The original Cherokees were the Cherokee 150 and Cherokee 160 (PA-28-150 and PA-28-160), which started production in 1961 (unless otherwise mentioned, the model number always refers to horsepower). Piper then reintroduced the Cherokee 150 in 1974, renaming it the Cherokee Warrior (PA-28-151) and in giving it the Archer's stretched body and a new, semi-tapered wing. The model is a four-seater, fixed landing gear landplane, Lycoming O-320-D3G or O-320-D2A engine of 160 hp (119 kW), gross weight 2,325 lb (1,055 kg). First certified on 2 November 1976. Certified on 1 July 1982 for gross weight of 2,440 lb (1,107 kg). Features: X-Plane 12 ready such as the new rain and lighting effects. 3 HD (4096 x 4096) liveries with a plain white texture that can be used for custom paint schemes. Steam gauge classic general aviation panel with required instruments for IFR. Garmin 530 & 430 All gauges are 3D Detailed flight model and interactive 3D virtual cockpit with animated knobs, buttons etc. cabin door, storm window and front/rear baggage compartment door. Toggle button to remove/display yoke Compatible with HDR and normal lighting effects Many textures taken from the actual aircraft Virtual Reality friendly and includes the click regions and hotspots required for VR gameplay. FMOD sounds Two versions included: X-Plane 12 and X-Plane 11 The Warrior II by AeroSphere was created using the Pilot Information Manual to fully encapsulate an accurate flight model for X-Plane. Both X-Plane 12 and X-Plane 11 versions are included in the package... Images and video are courtesy of AeroSphere Simulations Design by AeroSphere Support forum for the Piper Warrior II _____________________________________ Yes! - Piper PA28-161 Warrior II XP12 by AeroSphere Simulations is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Piper PA28-161 Warrior II XP12 Price is Currently US$28.95 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 (both versions available) Window, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB + VRAM Recommended Download Size: 185 MB ___________________________ NEWS! by Stephen Dutton 13th March 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

NEWS! - Aircraft Update : SA 341B and SA 342J Gazelle by JRX Design for X-Plane 12 A few weeks ago JRX Design updated their fantastic Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 DBS-4 to X-Plane 12. That aircraft has now been followed up by JRX Design's first aircraft release in the SA 341B and SA 342J Gazelle. An exceptional design, if a little tricky to fly, unless you are a highly skilled chopper pilot. X-PlaneReviews full X-Plane 11 review is here; Aircraft Review : SA 341B and SA 342J Gazelle by JRXDesign Notable this release is only configured for X-Plane 12, there is still included in the package the X-Plane 11 version. This package incorporates two Gazelle versions in one and both are separate stand-alone models, The SA341B: Is based on the military variant and uses “old school” avionics in use from the late 1970s onwards, including VHF and UHF military radios with “chatter” added for immersion. It has a functional PBDI (position bearing distance indicator) similar to the NADIR on the French variant, which can be programmed with X-Plane FMS flight plans. This version has 17 military / service style liveries included as standard. The SA342J: Is a civilian variant with a more “modern” avionics suite, an up-rated engine and a different body kit, along with custom made avionics based on the Garmin and Avidyne real world family. There is a fully functional autopilot module and a “pop out tablet” showing either the GNS530, AviTab or a Services page showing critical flight data. This version comes with 19 liveries of various aircraft from around the world. The Feature list is extensive... Model and Textures: Integrated GTN750 / 725 and AviTab compatible Detailed animated 3D model both internal and external High quality pilot, co-pilot and passengers Animated rotor head and tail rotor All textures are PBR 4k external textures including all liveries 4k instrument panels All custom-made instruments with no legacy stock X-Plane instrumentation All doors and windows fully functional with sound attenuation Animated rotor tie downs and engine / pitot covers Animated yaw string Custom engine vibrations Animated friction locks for the cyclic and collective AH cage functions Custom animated instrument gauges and needles Dynamic aircraft ID plate based on livery Dynamic seat colours and pilot helmet / flight suit based on livery Custom external lighting (NAV / STROBE / LANDING / FLASH / DIM) with light spill Rotor blur and ground shadow All panel switches / buttons / controls are animated with sound Custom and fully functional warning and annunciator lights with test where applicable Fuel, Equipment and PAX loading: Fuel and passenger loading are done within the cockpit Fuel weights are dynamically changed Pilot, co-pilot and passengers modelled – with dynamic weight Door removal – with dynamic weight Munitions (for the SA341 (INERT)) – with dynamic weight Sling loads are invoked in cockpit with no third-party plugin required – with dynamic weight / CG Detailed flight reference cards (FRCs) are included in-cockpit with all procedures Sound: Full FMOD sound is included in both version’s with over 50 sampled sounds from a real Gazelle helicopter mixed live with FMOD studio. 3D external sounds with doppler effect Custom radio chatter both civil and military. Tuneable on the com radios Headset attenuation (helmet simulation) Custom blade slap Custom warnings and alerts All switches / buttons have sound assigned Flight Model: Realistic flight characteristics Start-up to shutdown realistically modelled on the flight reference cards The new X-Plane experimental flight model recommended Fully working under the 11.50 beta programme and compatible with Vulkan Longer shelf life for future X-Plane updates and will not “break” like many others VR and manipulator ready Customised Failures: Hydraulics (WIP) Over-Torque Hard landings > 425 f/min Crash detection Engine fire Flame-out / Compressor stall With custom fire / sounds / smoke Help and Support: Dedicated support forum at the XP.ORG Detailed user manual Full lifetime support, product updates and development as required Designed by JRX Design Support forum for the Gazelle The SA 341B and SA 342J Gazelle XP12 version is now available for download from the X-Plane.Org store, to purchase see below. Download size is 1.81Gb _____________________________________ Yes! - the SA 341B and SA 342J Gazelle XP12 by JRX Design is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : SA 341B and SA 342J Gazelle Price is US$29.99 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 (Separate versions provided) Windows, Mac or Linux 4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 1.8 GB Current Version: XP12 (March 9th 2023) ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 11th March 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

NEWS! - X-Plane 12 : Revolution Mini-500 by vSkyLabs Oddity aircraft are part of X-Plane's DNA. And vSkyLabs love producing project style aircraft. This one is the Revolution Mini-500, outwardly it looks like a small Hughes 500, but it isn't, but an American single seat light helicopter, designed and built in the 90's by Dennis Fetters, as a home-built kit. The X-Plane version of the Mini-500 was released back in January 2019. This is the fully upgraded X-Plane 12 version, is not just an adjustment to configure to fly the helicopter in X-Plane 12, but a full redesign of the original project, details include... light dynamics latest tuneup to fall in line with the latest X-Plane 12 related helicopter simulation physics. Sounds - new sounds (FMOD 2.0). 3-d external - skids flex animation was added. 3-d external - tail-vibration animation was added. 3-d external - (experimental) damage due mast-bumping visualization was added. 3-d external - rotor-blades flex animation was added. 3-d external - rotor-disc visualization refinements. 3-d int - new PBR textures for most cockpit elements. 3-d int - new higher resolution airspeed indicator plate. 3-d int - new higher resolution VSI indicator plate. 3-d int - new Altimeter with dual pressure system. 3-d int - improved VSL autopilot LED system. 3-d int - new built-in avitab support. 3-d int - new ignition switch. 3-d int - fixes to yaw-string. 3-d int - new hour-meter. 3-d int - added better animation to fuel-tank selector. 3-d int - new high resolution mapping for canopy pieces (in and out). Avionics - new GNS 430. Avionics - new Transponder. Avionics - autopilot, gps, radios are wired via 'avionics' switch. VR interaction - new/improved VR interaction for the entire cockpit. Manual/POH - new manual (please read before flight). All-around refinements and optimizations. Aircraft features include; VSKYLABS 'Test-Pilot' Project - Professional-grade physics, handling and performance characteristics. Highly defined and engineered flight dynamics model of the Revolution Mini-500, built around the powerful X-Plane flight model. The Mini-500 performance was analyzed by experts. Fully functional VR (Virtual Reality). Multi-Layer FMOD sound pack, composed with actual recordings of the Mini-500 helicopter engine and rotor sounds. Unique aspects of the Mini-500 helicopter are simulated and are part of the flying experience by definition: Manual engine/rotor RPM management, low rotor-inertia aspects, in-flight nose tuck during engine-stop, rotor RPM management, retreating blade stall condition (Vne), typical Mast bumping, typical autorotation capability and more. The VSKYLABS 'Test-Pilot': Revolution Mini-500 is designed as if it was a real kit-built helicopter, awaiting for it's first test-flight. Was it built exactly as instructed? Will it fly as expected? wow there is only one way to find out! You will have to get familiar with it step by step...or you might get yourself into serious trouble when mistreating it. Mastering the Mini-500 will sure make you a better helicopter pilot! The original pilot's manual and other 1st hand references contributed by the Mini-500 real-world designer were one of the core-materials during development of this project, and the VSKYLABS Mini- 500 pilot's manual includes the actual data and information of the actual Mini-500 manual. Autoupdater based on the SkunkCrafts autoupdater (XP12 only) - all updates are being pushed smoothly without the need to re-download the entire base package (base package will be updated every once in a while to minimize the gap). The project is under constant development. Highly responsive VSKYLABS support forums. The vSkylab philosophy is that you are purchasing an ongoing project, so any aircraft you purchase is not fully completed or is completed to 100%, that is the deal you sign up for to get access to the aircraft and all the development is free and ongoing throughout the X-Plane 12 version. These projects are under constant development: the development road-map is including flight model refinements, enhanced systems depth, additional liveries and other improvements. This aircraft is also available for X-Plane 11 (obviously with out the dynamics and effects of X-Plane 12) Images are courtesy of vSkyLabs... The Revolution Mini-500 by vSkyLabs is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore _____________________________________ Yes! - the Revolution Mini-500 Project by vSkyLabs is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Revolution Mini-500 Price is US$26.50 (Currently on sale for only US13.20!) Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Current version: 3.0 (March 9th 2023) ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 11th February 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

NEWS! -Aircraft Released : CRJ 1000 Series from Deltawing Simulations AD Simulations landed in X-Plane just over a year or so ago in December 2021. Their first aircraft was the CRJ-700, a regional jet airliner that was designed and manufactured by Canadian transportation conglomerate Bombardier (formerly Canadair) between 1999 and 2020. Seating ranges from 63 to 78 passengers, the -700 has three fuel/weight options: standard, ER, and LR. The ER version has an increase in fuel capacity as well as maximum weight, which in turn increases the range. A X-PlaneReviews review of the CRJ-700 is here; Aircraft Review : CRJ-700 by AD Simulations/Delta Wing A year a so on, and you have had quite a lot of significant development to the aircraft, but also there has been added the -900 version (76-90 Seats), now here is the final and longest version of the CRJ Family... the CRJ 1000. The -1000 is the largest aircraft in the CRJ family, capable of seating up to 97-104 passengers in a standard configuration. The aircraft was designed to be a stretched version of the CRJ-900, offering increased capacity and improved operating economics. The CRJ-1000 features a modern and spacious cabin with larger overhead bins and windows than previous models. It is powered by two General Electric CF34-8C5 engines, which provide improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions compared to older regional jet engines. Notable is AD Simulations ambition, now renamed DeltaWing Simulations, three aircraft released in just over one year is a massive feat, and being on the changeover from X-Plane 11 to X-Plane 12 eras, doesn't help either. But the progress has been impressive, there was a mid-life update for the both the 700/900, and everything updated will be incorporated into this newer longer CRJ-1000. First impressions in X-Plane 12 are extremely impressive, great modeling and a depth of detail... General Notes Basic Systems are programmed based on CRJ-1000 aircraft. In subsequent updates we are making systems deeper and adding new ones. CRJ real life pilots and few simulator enthusiasts are helping us to develop and make them work properly Flight Control Panel knobs support fast scrolling via left mouse button press and hold and precise scrolling via mouse wheel scroll All switches now support new manipulators with Above/Below click for UP/DOWN movement and mouse wheel scroll Mode Control Panel SPEED and other modes simulate the real Autopilot modes on the CRJs. Implemented Electrical System Circuit Breakers are all animated and ready to perform certain actions accordingly to their function in future updates Tablet/EFB on Captain and FO sides Functional Audio Control Panel with lit buttons and animations Rectangular and Arrows Flight Director Command Bars as an Options Center Glareshield All Center Glareshield Knobs and Pushbuttons animated and functional Displays Displays are exceptionally crisp and with letters and symbols easily visible PFD Primary Flight Display Modeled and functioning exactly as real life counterpart MFD Multifunction Display can display following modes HSI The horizontal situation indicator shows the compass card with overlaid selectable navaids, bearing and course pointers NAV SECTOR Navigation display with compass card and a background map. The navigation display shows course pointer and deviation bar. VOR bearing and DME distance information is shown FMS MAP Flight Management System Map shows the track and waypoints programmed in the CDU (Control Display Unit). FMS MAP shows the aircraft heading. TCAS Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System investigates the air traffic control transponders of nearby airplanes and identifies and displays potential and predicted collision threats. FMS PLAN MAP shows programmed waypoints of the route. Shows north at the top of the display. Waypoints can be selected by using UP and DOWN arrows on CDU (Control Display Unit) RADAR- to be implemented in future versions EICAS (ENGINE INDICATION AND CREW ALERTING SYSTEM Displays. Following displays can be shown using ECP (EICAS CONTROL PANEL) PRI STAT ECS HYD ELEC (AC and DC) FUEL F/CTL A/ICE DOORS CAS (not implemented yet) MENU = UP + DN STEP PopUp Displays (movable, scalable able to be dragged to multiple monitors) Tablet/EFB Captain and FO PFD (Primary Flight Display) Captain and FO MFD (Multi Function Display) Primary EICAS Secondary EICAS Left and Right CDU (Control Display Unit) Skunkcraft Updater To be implemented in the future Cockpit and Cabin Lighting There is FULL lighting implemented, FLOOD, INTEGRATED and DISPLAYS with animated knobs and switches You can adjust the intensity of displays, panels and light in any combination you like In addition, CABIN LIGHTS and STAIR LIGHTS are also adjustable via corresponding switches in the back of the cockpit STERILE Cockpit Light working (visible from inside the cabin when cockpit door is closed) AD Simulations CRJ-900 Cabin is using the option called “Atmosphere”It provides Button to adjust DOOR ASSIST, CEILING, SIDEWALL and ENTRANCE Lights. Using combination of different lighting conditions creates different look You can adjust Cabin and Stairs lights using Buttons on the right wall looking toward cabin External Lighting FULL external lighting is available via animated corresponding switches Tablet/EFB and it's corresponding Pop Up DOOR HANDLING PASSENGERS LOAD FUEL LOAD SETTINGS (COLD AND DARK, READY TO TAXI, EXTERNAL POWER) INFO (Loading Take Off Speeds, Landing Speeds and take Off Trim) Sounds FMOD Custom sounds are implemented using FMOD Engine sounds Cockpit sounds: Avionics, Gyro, Relays, Fans (Packs), Controls (Buttons/switches, levers) Warning sounds: Take-off GPWS (Too Low Terrain, Too Low Gear, Too Low Flaps, Terrain Caution, Bank angle, Sink rate, Don’t-sink, Pull Up) Autopilot, Fire, Alerts Cabin sounds: Galley, Cooling Exterior sounds: Gear Roll/Touch, APU, GPU, Flaps, Hydraulic and Fuel Pumps, Wind drag, Packs Weather sounds: Wind, Rain, Thunder, Wind Gust (on the ground only) Cabin and Cockpit muffing effect caused by Cockpit Door closed/open Flight Model Flight model has been carefully adjusted to match the real life CRJ-900. Real life CRJ-200/700/900 pilots were involved in the process. Realistic wing flex Wing Flex has been modelled and adjusted for realistic aircraft behavior FMS FMS and it's Pop Up is customized as far as look but based on the Default X-Plane one. Note: Default XP FMC is based on the Collins FMS-4200 and CRJ is using that one, no Honeywell and Thales types. 3D Modeling and Textures Almost all maps are 4K High Resolution Exterior is modeled with all details existing in real aircraft. Pilots are visible in external views and turn their heads slightly to ward camera view Interior modeling has been made paying attention to details in the real life CRJ-900 cockpit. Cabin and Stairs have adjustable lighting, see above Liveries included in the package are listed below Aegean Airlines, American Eagle, CRJ, Delta, Horizon, IBEX Ana, Lufthansa, Scandinavian 1, Scandinavian 2, Spirit Unique Package Features Stairs Rails can be raised and lowered (per customer request) Cockpit shaders slide and rotate as you need them All Windows Shades, Overhead Bins and Seat Trays are animated and functional VR Compatibility Package is VR compatible Notable is that all RJ-700 and -900 customers can get the CRJ-900 for 30% off. You can find the discount coupon in the original CRJ-700 or -900 invoices at the store. Also both X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 versions are available in the package. Designed by Deltawing Simulations Support forum for the CRJ-1000 About the team: https://deltawingsim.com/ _____________________ Yes! the CRJ-1000 by Delta Wing Simulations is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : CRJ-1000 Price is US$49.95 Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 (both versions available) X-Plane 12 Only (not for XP11) Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 1 GB Current version: 1.0 (March 8th 2023) CRJ-700 and -900 customers can get the CRJ-900 for 30% off. Please find the discount coupon in the original CRJ-700 or -900 invoices at the store ________________ News by Stephen Dutton 10th March 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 Right Reserved.

Aircraft Update Review : McDonnell Douglas MD-11 v1.07 by Rotate Nearly one year ago in March 2022, Rotate released their second major aircraft release after their well renowned McDonnell Douglas MD-80. This was the most anticipated release of the year, four years in development, and even by X-Plane standards that is a long time. With such extreme expectations the release of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11, the iconic Tri-Jet was always going to be controversial. My first flights on the beta aircraft confirmed the worst, it was an extremely complicated machine, as the design straddled the era between the earlier 1970's analog dial, to the current glass computerised cockpits we fly today. The flight profiles were extremely complicated, as was the aircraft's management systems, it made a "Study" aircraft more like a university degree, and it took me a few weeks to work it all out, worse was that many users became fixated on the last quality MD-11 that was released for Flight Simulator a decade before, very good in it's time, but not relevant to the Rotate MD-11. basically though, for anyone one not prolific in heavy aircraft systems and new to flying heavies, the Rotate MD-11 was always going to be a mountain to climb. For a comprehensive look at the aircraft, here is the X-PlaneReviews review of the release; Aircraft Review : McDonnell Douglas MD-11 by Rotate Yes there were a lot of bugs in the MD-11 original release. From updates v1.0 to v1.04 the lists were endless... but by the time the Skunkcrafts Updater was added in September 2022 (beta access was also introduced). The focus on updates then went to X-Plane 12, just released in the same September... Basically then the last two up dates with v1.05 (October) and v1.06 (December) and both were focused on X-Plane 12. This brings us to v1.07 (beta) currently, and this version can only be accessed via the beta channel in the Skunkcrafts updater. Note that both the "updater.cfg files, the main cfg one and the "_beta" one as well, are both required to update to v1.07. v1.07 is in reality the X-Plane 12 release of the Rotate MD-11 aircraft. It is now fully compatible with X-Plane 12. And a lot of the detail in v1.07 is related to that aspect. In updates, oddly it is sometimes the smallest annoyances that you want fixed... this annoyance was a blinder, in betterpushback. Set the aircraft up for flight, that is twenty minutes of your life, then do the betterpushback... and suddenly the aircraft went into a violent circular spin, burning out the front tyres in doing so. To get out of the drama you had to reset the aircraft, but you lost your perfect setup. As expected I hated it. Now it has been fixed in v1.07 and your set up is kept intact, including your tyres. But currently it all now works, but the front wheels now don't turn but the aircraft does (Now fixed for the update!, if the aircraft still does this, then you have the wrong update). When loading the MD-11 won't beg up on it's tail anymore either, but stay level and flat, this weird X-Plane 12 bug seems to affect a lot of heavy aircraft. On the pushback I was very impressed with the rain effects. With X-Plane 12 you get a conversion of the old Librain plugin, most developers don't adjust the effects, but the swishing and pushing of the rain on the window by the wipers here was very effective, a small detail but an important one from Rotate. If you love heavies, then this MD-11 is a large aircraft that defines the category. Chunky, massive to taxi. Notable is the excellent wing detail, forward leading edge spoilers and the complex flap system... It took four years to create, so revel in the work. My initial flight in the "Diva" was back in X-Plane 11. This release is certifies the aircraft in X-Plane 12, honestly the biggest plus+feature here is the MD-11 in the new X-Plane 12 version, it is glorious to look at. Notable you do get a few anti-aliasing marks along the leading edges and the cockpit instrument surrounds and the textures here are extreme quality 4K. So until X-Plane 12 is adjusted to the cope with excessive texture sizes, then they will show more anti-aliasing jaggies here than many other aircraft, retuned, it is going to be very, very good. One thing you will notice straight away is the XP12 MD-11 is far less dirty... Rotate has reduced the dirty engine smoke effect, which I wish they hadn't as the dirt represents the period past, I never saw the MD-11 as clean aircraft, so it feels far too clean now. Wingflex has also been adjusted to be more realistic, an interesting point when you can step back from the initial development, then you can fine tune these more specific areas. Landing gear bogies have also had the same refined attention. The outer mains have had their tilt reduced, to only a slight tilt, not as dramatic, but more realistic to the real MD-11... just check out the videos. Center landing gear geometry has also been fine-tuned. Over the year, there has been a lot of bug fixes and adjustments to the FMS, noted as the Operative Flight Management Computer. It is a very good FMS system, very deep and detailed, it has also had a lot of attention over the past year and here again with v1.07. SID/STAR procedures LNAV display and guidance have had attention, as has again (and again) the focus is on LNAV trajectory calculations. Users had a fixation of the aircraft's projected curves at a waypoint turn, obsessive even. Personally I never saw this aspect on the MAP display or with the actual maneuver in flight... but still they go mad on about it? More items include VNAV flight path calculations and guidance, and now you have an Implemented flight path interception after early descent command. There are also Improved deceleration distance calculations and better deceleration distance calculations. And there was also a bug now fixed on the AIRWAYS page. X-Plane 12 differences include; CG Calculation and a new GO AROUND page on the FMS. This feature can only be accessed when the TO/APPR is in APPROACH mode (or close to the arrival airport). The K6R key gives you access to the GO-AROUND approach page... ... this page will give you the GO-AROUND mode settings and parameters, a nice new detail. Included now also are slope/wind FMC fields in Situations presets. Finally ILS selection is now by frequency in NAV/RAD page. This one is interesting as the selection of ILS selections can be quite large, and you need the ILS Designator code to find it, sometimes it is easier to set the ILS code closer to the arrival airport as it moves closer to the top of the list There is better throttle and reverser hardware configuration, which is now more user friendly. A lot of addons didn't reflect the aircraft, and a lot of work has gone in to making sure the interaction is now more easier, and there is now support for better throttle beta/reverse axis configuration. In the same sphere, the brake commands and toe-brakes will now work together. But you still can't unlock the parking brake from a default command, a small annoyance, but you will get used to it... also there is the ghosting on the throttles in AUTO-THROTTLE mode, which I find annoying, and there is no selection to turn it off? However keeping your addon throttles at the full MAX position will keep them to a minimum. Now that X-Plane 12 (slightly) more mature, the developers can try to get the lighting more realistic. When a pro developer gets it right, then you see the ambition of X-Plane 12's lighting effects. Here it is excellent. Thankfully adjustment is very easy via the twin OHD panel knobs and the single instrument panel knobs, there is also the side (Briefcase) pilots seating lights and the usual STORM (THNDSTRM) and DOME lighting. Low reflection TakeOff and Landing adjustments are excellent, for a good external view. But the rear cabin/rest area is still completely dark? A needed function as you do a lot of overnight flying in this intercontinental MD-11. I'd like a working toilet as well if possible? Externally it is very good as well, as the lighting is nicely defined... no landing or taxi lighting in the wings on a MD-11, as they are positioned on the fuselage. Navigation, Strobe (HI-INT), Wing & Runway Turnoff and LOGO are all (really) well done. The first update to configure the MD-11 when X-Plane 12 was released, also created probably the worst blackhole aircraft in X-Plane, it was a total blackout in here. Now it is a very nice space to be in. Controversial is the effect of the change of lighting, from the darker front screen view to the "look down", brighter cockpit view. Myself I love it, it works and it feels very natural. You spend a lot of flying hours in here, and you don't want it to grate on your nerves, for me as a well confessed "Hauler", the Rotate MD-11 is probably currently the best Long Haul Freighter you can fly in X-Plane. Note the sharp light silhouettes, the lines are clean and no (if very fine) jaggies. So the cockpit environment is now excellent, yes i'm impressed. There has not been a lot of changes around the instruments. However there are few to mention. The Flight Mode Annunciator (FMA) has had the FMA modes adjusted during descent and approach. The navaids auto-tuning system had a few issues that have been fixed. Heading Bug indicator in LOC mode and ARC commands have also both been fixed. The TCAS symbol is now within the the confines of the ND as is finally the ND aircraft icon during TRK mode is now correctly visible. As i mentioned earlier, the real star of this release is X-Plane 12. You take the two elements of a far more featured Simulator, then add in a sensationally developed aircraft and you get the serious wow factor. In a way this combination shows you the future of X-Plane in both a complex aircraft and a very good simulator environment. Flying from one end of the Mediterranean Sea and back to the other, it was a sensational simulation, I have never in a long time been so enthusiastic in my flying. All I wanted to do was to do it again.... maybe again after that, as this combo really delivers. Look out of your windows at the glorious scenario... the towering cloud formations! This is not X-Plane 11 bland anymore, this is X-Plane 12 spectacular. Admittedly X-Plane 12 is not yet perfect, but the dream is happening, and the future is now here... Fly the Rotate McDonnell Douglas MD-11 in X-Plane 12 and live the dream... I did. ______________ Summary Released just under a year ago in March 2022. The Rotate McDonnell Douglas MD-11 was a complex and buggy aircraft. With a year of numerous updates from v1.0 to v1.06, here is the official update in v1.07 to X-Plane 12. Overall this v1.07 update is just another long bug and fix update. There is nothing here in real new features or details, although the GO-AROUND mode page is new. Everything else here is X-Plane 12 refined, from the details to the internal and external lighting, various FMC refinements as is also the PFD and ND/MAP display bugs and fixes, the full effect of both the refinements and the use of X-Plane 12 cannot be underestimated here, it is spectacular outcome, one very much worth experiencing. And thankfully the betterpushback atrocity has also been fixed, it won't destroy your aircraft anymore! A few points are more wishes... Key input to open the menu. Wanting to load, then unload the same cargo at the other end would be nice (Cargo disappears when the doors close?), upgraded rear cabin area with toilet and lighting... some users ask for the passenger MD-11 version, personally I'm not fussed. VR (Virtual Reality) still needs a few areas addressing. Reading through this update review, you are going to think if purchasing the aircraft if it is just too far in it's complexity. I'm not going to waver from the fact that this is noted as a "Study" aircraft, yes you need a skills and heavy aircraft skills to fly it. But once you understand the systems and preferences, it is a brilliant aircraft to fly, so it is well worth investing your time to learn and master the MD-11. The refinement now coming into the aircraft actually makes it easier to fly, because the aircraft does what you want it to do, and does it well, I think the MD-11 has hit a mature level with all the work put in, I rarely had any issues... understand the MD-11 and enjoy the immense rewards the aircraft delivers... the best aircraft in X-Plane 12 at the moment? That aspect is always debatable, But Rotates MD-11 is certainly currently my best simulation aircraft, addictive and rewarding. _____________________ Yes! the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 v1.07 by Rotate is currently available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Rotate MD-11 Price is US$83.95 The feature list is HUGE, so if you want to read it, then open the text file. Feature List.txt Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows 8 or Mac OSX 10.12 or newer (using Rosetta for ARM Processors) , Linux Ubuntu 64b 18.04 or newer 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM recommended Current version: 1.07 (March 5th 2023) Currently the v1.07 update is only available for download using the Skunkworks Updater, the "beta" selection also needed to be selected. Designed by Rotate Support Forum at X-Plane.org or http://support.rotatesim.com/ Full v1.07 changelog is here; MD 11 v1.07 Changelog.txt _____________________ Aircraft Review by Stephen Dutton 10th March 2023 Copyright©2023: X-Plane Reviews 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 Version 12.04r3 (This is a beta review). Plugins: JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00 : RK Apps XPRealistic v2 - US$34.99 Scenery or Aircraft - LIRF - Airport Rome XP by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$25.99 - LLBG - Airport Ben Gurion XP by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$24.99 - Full review availble here: Scenery Review : LLBG - Airport Ben Gurion XP by Aerosoft (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

NEWS! - Updated : RealView Next to v1.30r1 by HighSkyTech Immersion effects can bring out a totally different realism to your Simulation flying. I love them obviously, and they have progressed from the earlier "Headshaker" by SimCoders and the best one currently out there by XPRealistic Pro v2.0 by rk Apps, of which I personally use. Another Immersion effect engine is RealView Next by highskytech or HST. Which brings brand new movement technology, new camera immersion effects and VR compatibility to your flying. This update is for version v1.30r1, which is an essential update for X-Plane 12 compatibility, plus some new effects in; Speedbrake effect, Stall effect, Revised landing effect and Overspeed effect. There is an improved Horizontal hold effect, and better Camera shake effects. Finally the Sounds module is back. V1.30r1 (March 6th 2023) - Added full X-Plane 12 compatibility; - Added new speedbrakes effect; - Added new stall effect; - Added new overspeed effect; - Added new landing effect; - Corrected method of camera shake generation (test mode); - Improved horizon hold effect, now it must works well on all yaw angles; - Plugin updater system temporary is deactivated; - Sounds module is back; The feature list is HUGE! NEW CAMERA MOVEMENT ENGINE All-new camera movement engine provides the most accurate simulation of the pilot's view. Movement and shaking are now soft and are calculated according to a gentle formula. The camera engine calculates the conditions under which you are moving or over what you are flying and what aerodynamic forces are acting on your aircraft. There is no more sharp shaking. From now on, all camera movements follow the movements of the aircraft in the air and on the ground, and you feel exactly what the pilot feels when flying the aircraft. EFFECTS PREVIEW MODE & BEYOND - BRAND NEW USER INTERFACE The updated user interface just got better. A new preview mode for each effect is available, soft transitions and a dose of ready-made presets for aircraft. And if you don't want to deal with setting variables, you can choose Automatic Mode. RealView Next will automatically generate the settings that suit exactly your aircraft on which you are currently flying. FEEL G-FORCE The new G-Force immersion will add extreme flying to you. Set the takeoff thrust and release the brakes and feel yourself being pushed into the seat. Get off the ground and feel the air. If you land the plane very tightly or allow overloads during maneuvers, it will be just as hard for you as for a real pilot. Another one reason to improve your piloting skills. FEEL THE GROUND Acceleration on an asphalt and unpaved runway will be different. The touchdown will not be the same as before, you will feel the touch of your landing gear as soon as you touch the ground. Gear vibrations and all other effects are gently simulated and you will get the full experience of the surface you are driving on. Everything is like in real life. RealView Next simulate each surface, which is presented in X-Plane 11. You can drive off from asphalt runway to grass and you will see a diffrence. Simulated surfaces list: • Grass strip • Concrete • Asphalt • Gravel • Dirt • Snow PRE READY MADE PRESETS AVAILABLE The RealView Next comes with pre-ready made presets available for all types of airplanes and other types of aircrafts. You can choose it by yourself or turn on Auto Mode: RealView Next will setups itselfs. Available presets list: • General Aviation • Glider • Fighter • Heavy Metal • Jet Airliner • Ultra Light • Seaplane FEEL THE AERODYNAMICS Landing Gear - the best speed brakes, feel each vibration during exit and retracting of gear. Feel your flaps, when they are change position. Feel your speedbrakes, when you dissect the air. The modern RealView Next camera engine simulate each vibration, which feel your aircraft during all phases of flight. With new RealView Next - each deployed surface is important. FEEL THE SKY RealView Next is deeply integrated with xAmbience Pro. They both operates to give you the most precise immersion of the real world sky ambience, starts from turbulence ends by air flows. AUTOMATIC UPDATE DELIVERY You don’t need to update your plugin each time via complex reinstall. RealView Next will automatically download all updates and install it. You don’t need to do anything, all processes are automatic! OVERALL PLUGIN FEATURES: - General view movements engine (Pitch; Heading; Horizon) with independent soft channels; - The most modern interface in X-Plane with animations, effects preview and other; - Ability to view manual trough simulator (Optional); - Smooth camera movement during all phases of flight; - Stand-alone plugin written on modern language; - Fast growing list of immersions; - Compatible with X-Camera & ASXP; - Sound Environment (Optional); - Multi monitor support; - Frequent updates; - FPS Friendly; - Vulkan Ready; - VR Support (Beta); EFFECTS LIST: • Pitch General & Angular Axis; Controls view depends of aircraft pitch, view will be changed due increase of speed or pitch; • Horizon General & Angular Axis; Controls horizon angle depends of aircraft bank angle, view will be angled due aircraft angle position or control position; • Heading General & Angular Axis; Controls heading angle depends of aircraft heading, view will be changed due aircraft heading change or ground rolling; • G-Force Simualtion Module; Simulate all G-Forces with soft movements and realistic forces. You need try to land aircraft with Over G or try to pull yoke to yourself - you will feel the G-Force; • Static Camera Motion; Reflects ground surfaces in static camera mode. You will feel vibrations, shakings which reflected by gear in static. • 3D Spherical Camera Motion; Reflects ground surfaces in 3D spherical camera mode. You will feel the ground shakings which reflected by gears in 3D. Your view will softly reflect to it. • Longitude G-Force; When you set your thrust to takeoff, you will feel like you pulled into seat. When you push the brakes, you will feel like brakes tilt you. • Side G-Force; When you leaning your plane too much will push you into the corner of your seat and you will certainly feel it. • Ground Touchdown Effect; When you touch the ground, you will feel how your head beats if you land your plane too hard. If you plane will be landed softly - you will feel a light shake. • Overspeed Effect; When you accelerate a little too hard, the fuselage starts to vibrate from severe stress on it. You need to slow down, otherwise your plane may break down and collapse right in the air! • Landing Gear Effect; The best air brake? Correctly! Landing Gear. As you release and retract the landing gear, feel every vibration that a real person experiences while on the plane. • Engine Effect; Starting a rotary engine is always accompanied by vibrations in the cockpit - the pilots will tell you exactly! Feel every vibration from starting the engine. And if your engine is defective, feel the severe vibration and movement from the engine ahead of you! • Flaps Effect; The flaps are extended and retracted depending on the speed accompanied by vibration. Feel every vibration from your flaps as you retract and extend. • Stall Effect; If you are flying on an airplane and suddenly started to fall, you will understand this thanks to this effect. The intensifying lateral vibrations will not let you lie - you are stalled! • Speed Brakes Effect; The release and removal of the spoilers is always accompanied by a certain retraction into the seat and a slight vibration. This usually happens on every plane that sharply engages them. If you release the spoilers gently, or do not greatly affect the aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft, you will only feel a slight vibration across the cockpit panel. • Automatic View Centerize; Forward deflection can be automatically compensated at different speeds to the correct position. • Smart Zoom In a certain area, try turning the mouse wheel forward, you can get closer and zoom in on the area of the cockpit that you want. Did you do the manipulation? Came back by returning the wheel back. Smart zoom will help you with this. • Angular Accelerations; The yoke turns will be accurately compensated by angular accelerations. You will be able to fully experience the control of your aircraft. • Environmental Vibrations; RealView Next is deeply integrated with xAmbience Pro. You can feel each turbulence and air flow which can be properly inputed from xAmbience Pro Environmental Engine. • Engine Reverse Thrust; Feel reverse thrust of your engine by Longitude G-Force. Set it to full power and feel how your engine breaks you. A promotional video of RealView Next has also been hosted... For support, please contact [email protected] or Support forum for Realview The updated realism engine is well worth checking out, and is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore ____________________ Yes! RealView Next v1.30r1 by HST Simulations is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore RealView Next Price is US$19.95 Current RealView owners will find this new release ready for download in their Org Store Account as an update at no cost. Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Current version: 1.30.r1 (March 6th 2023) ____________ News by Stephen Dutton 7th March 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.

Aircraft Review: AOASimulations-T6A Texan II X-Plane 12 By Stuart McGregor Introduction The release of the AOA T-6A Texan ll was done in the change over twilight zone of a legacy version with its ground-breaking advancements that was achieved with X-Plane 11, which essentially is at the end of its commercial run, and the eagerly awaited X-Plane 12, which still had some way to go until it is in its final release state in December 2023. For us armchair pilots this can be a little frustrating in our 365, 24/7 on-the-go world, where patience isn’t a commodity you see a lot of these days, so I can only imagine the dilemma this gives commercial developers. Do you wait until all the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed in X-Plane 12, or do you continue creating and releasing in X-Plane 11, knowing the platform has been superseded by its younger brother? AOA Simulations decided not to wait to bring us their ‘Texan’, the T-6A Texan II. The aircraft was released for X-Plane 11, with a commitment of a free upgrade to X-Plane 12 for existing users when the simulator upgraded to the new version. That X-Plane 12 release has now happened, and to top off the T-6A package you get both versions for X-Plane 12 and X-Plane 11. In real life, the Texan is described as a single-engine turboprop aircraft and has been around since the late 1990s. It has been used as a training aircraft by several military organisations around the globe and more than 850 have been built to date. From what I have read, it is still very much the mainstay of the United States Air force and Navy when it comes to pilot training. It has a low wing cantilever design with the majestic Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68 1100 hp engine, tandem seating arrangement with ejector seats to allow the flight instructor and trainee to live every moment together, all topped off with a hefty four-blade constant speed, variable pitch prop. The Texan also has a retractable tricycle landing gear assembly, with many of the features being based on the original development aircraft, the Pilatus PC-9. However, don’t be fooled, because the Texan is indeed a very different aircraft in many ways. To explain this in greater detail, the AOA Simulations folks have included a very nice reference document in the manuals section of their package that describes the Texan’s development journey. This is well worth a read to see just how much it has changed from the original Hawker Beechcraft development PC-9. I personally always like additional features like this because in my opinion they bring a greater level of depth to the user experience and allow a more immersive environment when you know a bit about the aircraft, its history and how it came into being. Documentation I will be honest and say that military jets and combat aircraft are not an area I typically venture into very often, so when I had the opportunity to try out what looked a bit like a fighter jet with a prop on its nose, I was intrigued to find out more. My GA side was screaming, “Oh yes please!” The package in review comes in a 360MB download with the aircraft itself and a couple of liveries, as well as a few added extras in terms of documents. In the Manuals folder, you will find an alternative abbreviated checklist (X-Checklist plugin is required) to the one provided by default, a paper kneeboard checklist you can print, emergency procedures, a training flight tutorial with charts (KNGP to KRND), pictorial overviews of flight instruments, and if you are a MAC user, there is an explanation of a workaround if you experience issues when you first load the model. There is also a highly detailed 38-page User Guide to take you through every inch of the aircraft and that is a must-read if you really want to get the most out of the Texan. The developer has also included some contact details and links of where to request help if you get stuck. Sadly, I can’t offer any comment on how successful the MAC workaround is, as I use a PC, however it looks like the developer has put some serious thought into the issue which is good to see. The Aircraft The developers quote that their Texan has been in development since early 2020 and clearly a huge amount of work has gone into the aircraft. You get a real sense of the details and the hours of work by just reading the manual alone, so I believe it is fair to say that the Texan really does come fully loaded. I loved the fact that both the front and rear cockpits are fully functional, thus providing a unique flying experience from each seat, and it was nice to be able to have the choice. The internal details in both cockpits are well presented and bristle with features. The texturing is of high resolution and high quality, and I found reading the various dials and panels to be of no issue, even in VR, when using my Rift S. The developers even quote that the Texan has been optimised to maximise performance in VR, and I would have to admit, that when using my system, I had no issues and enjoyed a very smooth experience. When you first step into either cockpit, it is a bit daunting if you’re not used to military-style aircraft, however, the automated tutorial-level Checklist provided is very useful when navigating around the various systems. In my tests, I probably only scratched the surface of the instrument capabilities of the Texan, and you literally could spend hours and hours just working through your flows and testing out every feature, switch, lever, knob, button, panel, and fuse. As far as I could tell, everything shown works or is at least animated. If you are used to flying fast jets, I am sure the layout will come very naturally to you, however, I must admit it did take me a little time to work my way around. By the way…the ejection seat does work, so be careful with that handle!!! The unobstructed view that the glass canopy offers, is truly excellent, particularly in VR, and you really get a sense of just how compact and well-fitted everything is around you. The feeling of being in the cockpit was something I really enjoyed, and as I mentioned previously, just moving a few feet back to sit in the rear seat, adds a totally different dimension to the experience. The Texan comes with specially created FMOD sounds and the cockpit interaction sounds were nicely done, from the very subtle fuse click actions to the more distinct canopy locking mechanism. From the X-Plane main menu bar, you can access the dust lock removal option, as when in cold and dark, there are several covers protecting sensitive parts of the aircraft. Even these covers are well modeled, as they sway gently in the wind, a very nice touch and great attention to detail. From the outside when the canopy is open in cold and dark, there are no pilots visible, however, they both appear when closing the cockpit and removing the dust covers. The characteristic turbine whine as the engine starts up is very nice, and you really do have the sense of that mighty Pratt and Whitney engine roaring into life right beside or in front of you. As you move around the exterior of the aircraft, the engine tone changes as you would expect, and this is particularly noticeable when you throttle forward and set the Texan into action. The sense of power from the 1100hp engine and prop thrashing through the air as you accelerate down the runway is something you must experience to really appreciate it. The exterior details of the Texan are superb in my opinion and incorporate very high-quality textures, such as the hydraulic lines in the landing gear, through to the multitude of rivets across the shiny aircraft skin. During prefight, it is worth just taking a few minutes to walk around the aircraft and take in the quality of the modelling, and this is particularly impressive if you can do this in VR. You can literally walk up to the various parts and take a good look, reach out and almost touch the surfaces. There is a significant difference between the X-Plane 11 release version and the X-Plane 12 here. You will see far more detail added, and the surfaces are more highlighted than before, the result is a substantial and better overall realism to the aircraft. The developers really have done a wonderful job both inside and out, and in my opinion, the Texan is one of the best in terms of overall appearance, although I do still think it is a little bit of an oddball with the fighter-style canopy, dual seating arrangement, and that big old prop at the front. It does take a little bit of getting used to at first. Now, if you’re anything like me, when you get a new toy, the first thing you want to do is to try it out, so the thought of working through a full set of start-up procedures may not be top of your list. The good news is that very early on, the developers thought of us “impatient types”, and kindly provided a very nice simple 11-step process on page 5 of the User Guide to get up and flying, and this is very helpful. Now don’t get me wrong, at times there is a real sense of satisfaction about going through every step of your flow and eventually seeing the ground disappear below, however, at times I just want to start up and off I go. I like the fact that in the Texan you can do both and I did, although I must admit that just firing up and heading down the runway was my preference. This is perhaps a suitable time to mention that I am using a VKBSIM joystick and pedal set as my control inputs, and I found these to work very well both on the ground and in the air. As there are no toe-brakes with these pedals, I did use a small script to give me brakes and this worked well, although there is a stick forward option that you can use within the aircraft if you prefer. I had no complaints about the handling of the Texan, although care with the throttle is highly advised both when taxiing and when taking off. There is a mighty amount of power at your fingertips, so my advice is to use it wisely. As they say, ‘with great power comes great responsibility…’ and never a truer word was said in the Texan’s case. Remember this thing can do more than 300 knots when flat out!! The glass canopy really does give an amazing view, particularly in VR, however, if you are using flat screens the developers have included a couple of highly novel add-on features to enhance your views in the cockpit. The manual goes into quite some detail to explain what you can expect; however, the best way is just to try them out. These are actioned via buttons on the glare shield and using dedicated buttons on your controller, and the ‘Roll to See’ feature allows you to pan around while taxiing, as well as some interesting effects when doing aerobatics. The Target Track feature allows you to lock on to AI aircraft if you are flying in formation (a key skill by all accounts) and if you are familiar with other aircraft from AOA Simulations, you are likely to be at home with this feature already. As I do most of my flying in VR, these features are disabled so I didn’t spend a huge amount of time testing them out, however from what I did see, this is quite unique and adds another and different layer of immersion to the Texan. One final system feature I would like to highlight is the Flight Assistance system which allows various assistance features to be turned on and off. The button is a bit fiddly to find (highlighted in the manual on page 11) however there are eleven different features such as AOA indexer and brake cues, airspeed indication of gear and flap speed bands, wind direction and speed, through to braking using the control stick and many more. The basic idea is to make life as easy as possible for any newbie pilot or as realistic as possible by switching this off for those who would like more of a challenge. When you are new to an aircraft, this sort of thing really does help, as there is nothing worse than getting frustrated and giving up before you have even started. The lighting is basic, mostly indirect lights on the the panels and the two side wall lights on the separate consoles. You can move the instrument panel spot lights to where you want them to shine on. Externally the landing and taxi lights don't work unless you lower the gear, as they are positioned on the inner gear struts. As I mentioned earlier, the Texan is fully loaded with so many great details and features, and although this type of aircraft is not necessarily my “go-to” happy place in the sky, the more I flew it the more I came to appreciate just how good an offering this is from AOA Simulations, both in terms of the basic aircraft but also just how enjoyable the overall flying experience can be. If you also like lots of technical details, procedures and everything that goes with that side of things, then again, I believe the Texan has something to offer you. Final Thoughts The T-6A Texan II from AOA Simulations, under normal circumstances, is an aircraft I wouldn’t typically be flying, however, I am glad I had the opportunity, as it’s always good to try something new. When you factor in the excellent internal and external textures, the 3D modelling, the control and integration of features, the sounds, and of course the flying experience, I think it’s fair to say that the AOA team really has put out an excellent product. Available now for both X-Plane 11, and to be experienced in X-Plane 12, all the new features in the sim in combination with the Texan’s feature set, it is something quite special. A real synergistic masterpiece… So, should you splash out $40 on the Texan? Well as always that is down to you, your budget and what you are looking for. However, I truly believe that the Texan is well worth thinking about, especially if you have considered the fast jet challenge but have not been sure where to start. If it’s good enough for real-world pilots, then it certainly works for me! __________________________________ The T-6A Texan II by AOA Simulations is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here: T-6A Texan II Price at time of writing US$40.00 Features: This model was developed using the official USAF 1T-6A-1 Flight Manual and SNFO (Student Naval Flight Officer) P-880 Aircraft Systems explanatory guide. Two default liveries, USAF and U.S. Navy TAW-5. 17 additional liveries will be available on the X-Plane.org freeware download manager. This is the T-6A model with federated (many small units combined into one system) glass display panels. The project has been in development since February 23, 2020 and is our most detailed model to date. The Model High quality 3D model with high-resolution, 4K PBR textures. Fully functional virtual front and rear 3D cockpits with more than 380 control manipulators. Everything works, fly from either cockpit. Both pilot and instructor models visible in cockpit views. Optimized to save FPS in VR. Ground equipment The Flight model Fully aerobatic, high performance dynamic flight model tested and approved by several former T-6A pilots. Single “Power Lever” control of engine and propeller enables "jet like" simplicity. Unique T-6 Trim Aid Device (TAD) is accurately modeled. This compensates for most engine torque effect with automatic rudder trim. Sounds Professional FMOD sound package by SimAccoustics Documentation Detailed 38 page User Guide and detailed avionics illustrated guide sheets available HERE ON OUR SUPPORT PAGE prior to purchase. Several checklists options to choose from including detailed checklist powered by Xchecklist freeware plug-in. Tutorial checklist and example Training Flight to get you up to speed with the aircraft. More details All panel displays are accurately modeled and powered by SASL plugin / lua code Complete electrical systems model. Every circuit breaker on both the battery and generator bus panels is functional. Individual systems can be isolated, failed and restored via its cockpit circuit breaker. Optional "AOA Extras" for student pilots or those who want to know a little more about what's going on with while the fly. Save load feature allows you to save some options once and they are the same on your next flight in the model. Default Laminar G1000 available to use with a custom database in the panel mounted GPS unit. Future developments This model is for X-Plane 11 only. It is not compatible with X-Plane 12. When X-Plane 12 is stable then a new version will be released as a free upgrade for existing users. Requirements: X-Plane 12 or 11 4 GB VRAM Video Card Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 360 MB Current version: xp12 (March 1st 2023) Review System Specifications: Windows 10 64 Bit CPU Intel i9-9900k 64GB RAM Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti Oculus Rift S Aircraft Review by Stuart McGregor 3rd March 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)

Wow, absolutely agree... X-Plane v12.04b3 is a gem (with the Gribb files fixed), DONT TOUCH IT! it works, but yes there is still room for improvement. Scenery is as mentioned quite dire, even worrying, both Navigraph and Simbrief are top notch tools, and yes even your notes about SAM are correct, bloated, non-working... I don't like it either, all I want is something to put airbridges on doors after arrival.

NEWS! - Aircraft Update : T-6A Texan II to X-Plane 12 by AOA Simulations Released late in 2022 for the X-Plane Simulator. The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engine turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company (Textron Aviation since 2014). A trainer-twin seater aircraft based on the Pilatus PC-9, the aircraft T-6 has replaced the United States Air Force's Cessna T-37B Tweet and the United States Navy's T-34C Turbo Mentor. This X-Plane version is by AOA Simulations. Since the release there has been already a large update for the AOA T-6A in Dec 2020 to v1.1, but the biggie change is now, in AOA releasing both the X-Plane 11 version, and the coveted X-Plane 12 version. Features include Two default liveries, USAF and U.S. Navy TAW-5. 30 (!) additional liveries will be available on the X-Plane.org freeware download manager. This is the T-6A model with federated (many small units combined into one system) glass display panels. The project has been in development since February 23, 2020 and is our most detailed model to date. The Model High quality 3D model with high-resolution, 4K PBR textures. Fully functional virtual front and rear 3D cockpits with more than 380 control manipulators. Everything works, fly from either cockpit. Both pilot and instructor models visible in cockpit views. Optimized to save FPS in VR. Ground equipment. The Flight model Fully aerobatic, high performance dynamic flight model tested and approved by several former T-6A pilots. Single “Power Lever” control of engine and propeller enables "jet like" simplicity. Unique T-6 Trim Aid Device (TAD) is accurately modeled. This compensates for most engine torque effect with automatic rudder trim. Sounds Professional FMOD sound package by SimAccoustics Documentation Detailed 38 page User Guide and detailed avionics illustrated guide sheets available HERE ON OUR SUPPORT PAGE prior to purchase. Several checklists options to choose from including detailed checklist powered by Xchecklist freeware plug-in. Tutorial checklist and example Training Flight to get you up to speed with the aircraft. More details All panel displays are accurately modeled and powered by SASL plugin / lua code Complete electrical systems model. Every circuit breaker on both the battery and generator bus panels is functional. Individual systems can be isolated, failed and restored via its cockpit circuit breaker. Optional "AOA Extras" for student pilots or those who want to know a little more about what's going on with while the fly. Save load feature allows you to save some options once and they are the same on your next flight in the model. Default Laminar G1000 available to use with a custom database in the panel mounted GPS unit. Video is in X-Plane 11 The Model 3000/T-6 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with enclosed tandem seating for two. It is powered by single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop engine in tractor configuration with an aluminum, 97-inch (8.1 ft; 2.5 m), four-blade, constant-speed, variable pitch, non-reversing, feathering propeller assembly and has retractable tricycle landing gear. The aircraft is fitted with Martin-Baker Mark 16 ejection seats and a canopy fracturing system. The T-6 is a development of the Pilatus PC-9, modified by Beechcraft to enter the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) competition in the 1990s. A similar arrangement between Pilatus and British Aerospace had also been in place for a Royal Air Force competition in the 1980s, although that competition selected the Short Tucano. The aircraft was designated under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system and named for the decades-earlier T-6 Texan. This X-Plane aircraft was developed using the official USAF 1T-6A-1 Flight Manual and SNFO (Student Naval Flight Officer) P-880 Aircraft Systems explanatory guide. Update to X-Plane 12 is free, and the X-Plane 11 version is part of the package. If already a current purchaser of the T-6A, then go to your X-Plane.OrgStore account to update the Texan ll to X-Plane 12. Designed by Fabrice Kauffmann and David Austin of AOA Simulations Support forum for the T-6A Texan II __________________________________ The T-6A Texan II by AOA Simulations is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here: T-6A Texan II Price at time of writing US$40.00 Requirements: X-Plane 12 or 11 4 GB VRAM Video Card Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 360 MB Current version: XP12 (March 1st 2023) ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 2nd March 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

What is wrong with the MBB Bo 105, it is brilliant, looks brilliant in X-Plane 12 as well? Certainly not junk as you say it.