This is my first time posting in this forum so please forgive me if my comment does not suit this thread. I'm a CS major but space flight & aviation has always been my passion. I had my first flight over 2 years ago, then a couple transcontinental ones since then. I've always wanted to fly.   About a month ago, I came across this video by Max Lenormand on How Microsoft Accidentally Made the Most Realistic Map which nudged me into researching more on MSFS and how I could also play that and fly. Before this, I had only known that MSFS was a flight simulator, but other than that knew pretty much nothing about it. So on I went learning more and more about this simulator. When I realized that it was only available on PC & Xbox, I was a bit disheartened as I wished it would run on my MacBook (I have the M1 Pro base model).   Then somehow going in the rabbit hole, I came across X-Plane. On finding that it was supported cross-platform (thank you X-Plane devs!), I immediately went ahead and downloaded it. It's been the most incredible few days learning about this awesome piece of software!   Initially, I had only thought that X-Plane was a slightly "lower" 2nd option for those who could not have MSFS (like me). But when I learned more about X-Plane, read on these forums, and watched Austin Meyer the creator himself! connect with his audience through YouTube, I came to realize how wrong I was!   Even though it has only been a few days, it already feels like I'm a part of this incredible team effort! I'm extremely fortunate to have found this incredible community of builders and flyers and just want to Thank you all for creating something like this for the world to enjoy!   Lastly, I'd also like to thank @Stephen. Your article was an amazing read, and I'm sure we'll see many great improvements in X-Plane in the days to come! Will wait for the end of the year update!  

Behind the Screen : Year in Review 2024   Rereading back through my Behind the Screen edition in November 2023, I was obviously not a happy bunny. Frustrated after a long development year, that had gone backwards AND forwards, and at even one point the simulator hadn't even worked at all...  I was a bit of all over it. Someone suggested I go on holiday, so I did, for two weeks around the Pacific on a very nice cruise ship in February. It summed up the year I wanted to forget.   Laminar Research had also reached the same conclusion in 2023, with the Vulkan/Metal API transition also causing their own long term frustration, it coincided with the climbing high pressure outside from the MSFS 2020 juggernaut, the powers that be in South Carolina knew that something had to change and quickly, the price of X-Plane changed first, then later came a complete reset.   Laminar Research The first X-Plane release came very, very early in 2024, 4th January in fact, with the release v12.09. This was a small global scenery update. In that the scenery had been re-rendered with slight improvements, but for the users it was a 86Gb download. Although Laminar had already announced that there would be a new X-Plane release numbering system for 2024. Then there was also the major shock at the X-Plane Simulator Developer's conference in Montreal 4th of February 2024, that the Simulator was getting built in Store like with Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2020/24.   The sudden announcement did not at all unite the developers to the Laminar cause, in fact it totally divided the conference, and in itself created a rolling discontent amongst the attendees, certainly when the news hit the forums, then all sorts of comments came out. The problem stems from the fact that the X-Plane.OrgStore provides the support for the X-Plane.Org, this X-PlaneReviews site depends on the .OrgStore for review product as well, so moving the monetary support from the .Org to Laminar's store would seriously upset the current delicate balance in the Simulator. Obviously a reaction to MSFS, but could the change do more damage to X-Plane than do actual good? like they say, "don't takeaway the hands that feeds you". To date the Laminar Store has currently still not gone live, and is still in development, so that aspect will have a big bearing on 2025.   The X-Plane's reset came with the release of the new numbering system release of v12.1.0 in mid-May. It also came with a fancy introduction page of new features, including a focus on Graphics with; Cloud shadows on water, Bloom lighting effects and finally RCAS (Robust Contrast Adaptive Sharpening), more changes included Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) Improvements for the badly needed anti-aliasing improvements, and the MSAA resolution is now photometrically correct. The results were sensational, and it was the reset that X-Plane had badly needed.   The June 21-23, FlightExpo 2024 in Las Vegas was only a few weeks later...  there was a spring in the Laminar Research step, but the seminar was only 14 min long, not the usual hour or so. But they did produce a worthy presentation with both Austin and Ben (Supnik) both in attendance this year. Although MSFS had already announced FS2024 a year before, they again paraded out a long list of features that started to feel implausible, a lot again stolen from X-Plane. But the conference was a great success for Laminar, and in fact over 80% of the attendees were running X-Plane from boxes, as Microsoft couldn't stream well from the conference center.   Websockets was installed, and also announced as coming is "Synthetic Vision" for the G1000, with features of Terrain/Water, Obstacles, Navigation Aids and better performance. It all looks very comprehensive, plus weather radar is also coming. But the default G1000 was the main avionic focus for upgrades this year in avionics.   The next X-Plane update released 18th July was a minor one in v12.1.1. Basically it was a revision of the Graphics Core Engine to improve stability, this was then followed by v12.1.2 or the "Caribbean Update"...  which almost a direct ripoff of MSFS "World Updates", which showed us again of where now the mindset of Laminar Research is going, and to what market the X-Plane Simulator is in wanting to in being pitched to. But it was again a very successful update with heavy ships, five leisure watercraft, including Austin Meyer being chased by sharks...  to highlight the Caribbean release, three airports and destinations were also included; Princess Juliana International Airport at Sint Maarten, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport on the island of Saba and the famous short sloping runway at Gustaf II Airport on the island of Saint Barthélemy, or St. Barth’s. At this point you really felt the X-Plane 12 v2.0 reset feeling, X-Plane was very smooth and reliable, with great features and refinements being added consistently.   November 15, 2024 saw the release of v12.1.3, currently the last for the year with a massive update for the ATC (Air Traffic Control), Sounds, more weather improvements, A.I. Aircraft, MAP changes and the introduction of an X-Plane Identity (relating to the store). On the Oct 31, 2024, Ben Supnik (X-Plane head developer) gave an excellent idea of the future X-Plane roadmap, mostly set around the NGS (New Generation Scenery) that is currently in development, and it is the most important factor if Laminar want to compete with Microsoft in Flight Simulation. The results should be excellent, but a release date is still not announced, but it really did end the year of a major high for Laminar Research after the disastrous 2023, it was a truly excellent return to form, and a solid and reliable Simulator to boot...   they really did good this 2024 year, but that Store announcement looms over the Simulator like a black cloud?   Microsoft Flight Simulator 2022/2024 First is "Why is this here in an X-Plane site?". Because it is a reference between the Simulators, and the gap between them still grew immensely wide over the year 2024. As the barrage continued, and the anticipation grew over the release of MSFS 2024, it started to get all a bit frantic, in hype and expectations.   Obviously there were gazillions of weekly and monthly Development Updates from Asobo Studios, and aircraft and scenery releases were piling on to the platform everyday...  is it sustainable? MSFS 2020 started the year with World Update XVI of the Caribbean (Surely not!), followed by Southwest Germany in April, City Update VII European Cities II came in late May. On June 9th Microsoft announced the "Take to the Skies" on November 19th 2024 as the release date of MSFS2024, that was reinforced by a 95 minutes talkathon and Q&A comment period at the Las Vegas Expo late June, again a lot of more expanded features were announced for the MSFS 2024 release, would all this actually work? To coincide with the Vegas Expo, Asobo released City update Vlll Las Vegas (Laminar put their name on the Las Vegas strip!).   City Update lX Northeastern United States came late July, also in July came the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, so another World Update XVII for the United Kingdom and Ireland regions to coincide was released. World update XVIII came in the middle of August for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. There was an Aircraft and Avionics Update 3 released 1st October...  but from then on the focus for Microsoft/Asobo was on the release of MSFS 2024.   Default Aircraft released for FS2020 in 2024, were the Bell 47J Ranger, Dornier Do 31, C.7 Skyvan, Douglas C-47D Skytrain & Waco CG-4A, Curtiss C-46 Commando, Westland Scout & Wasp, Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor and the Boeing 707-320C.   The release on November 19th 2024 of the new wonderkind Microsoft version 2024, was probably one of the worst releases of any Simulator platform, and that even includes X-Plane. To say it was a huge is debacle is an understatement. Millions tried to log on and stream, mostly for everyone it didn't work, then the servers crashed. After a few days you could get access, but users were then finding then that most areas were not either loading or working at all to their satisfaction, plus the huge restrictions on actually getting access. FS 2024 is now working, but MSFS 2024 will take well into the New Year to be anything if a reliable Simulator, I noted the MSFS year as an "Overreach" and called that statement out mid-year.   Trends of the year The X-Plane 11 to 12 transitions petered out about mid-year. These aircraft are a blessing and curse. A blessing is in that you get your favorite aircraft upgraded for X-Plane 12. But also a curse in that they take developers away from new projects, so there isn't really a lot of new aircraft coming to market (2023 was horrible for new releases). At this point most if all of the transitions are now done, including the huge vSkyLabs catalogue. The scenery transitions still have a longer way to go, but Aerosoft have been finally busy also in getting through the long list. Nice has been the introduction of lately new developers in both aircraft and scenery to the scene. The other trend of converting old X-Plane 11 aircraft (mostly Carenado) to X-Plane 12 has been vibrant as well, so a lot of loved Simulations should survive to X-Plane 12, as was the Ortho4XP crowd. As noted above, Laminar Research reset their year in a more modern Flight Sim feel and look, and overall that experience has delivered great benefits, also quicker and faster updates saw changes to the X-Plane face, these aspects were long overdue.   Aircraft We knew coming into 2024 that FlightFactor Aero would dominate the year with their colossal Boeing 777-200 V2 Ultimate, and deep and massive it was. But the release was slightly dulled by the launch process. First with long and an invitation only Alpha access, then and still currently the B777V2 it is still in a public release Beta access. It is a standard bearer machine for the X-Plane Simulator, even for Simulation itself. But dense it is, actually not in the flying aspect, which is sensational, but in the long list of features and the biggest EFB Tablet you could struggle to manage. So it is study aircraft of deep immersion...  I am expecting the B777F Freighter to be the next variant from FlightFactor.   Flight Procedures Simulation released the Embraer E-190 as a follow on from the excellent E-195 of 2023, again a great price to feature ratio. In July Peters Aircraft upgraded the Airbus A380-842 to X-Plane12, a hybrid of old planemaker and a new fuselage. it was nice to have the A380 back, but it's age factor is still built in there, restricting the Airbus for what it could be. Later in the year the other A380 engine versions were released for free as part of the same package.   The sensational E-Jet Family was updated to v1.1.0 by X-Crafts (the older E-Jets are now available for free). v1.1.0 was an excellent update with a focus on the VNAV aspects, with a clever "Autotune" system that detects and automates the systems for a ILS landing. So the Auto Speeds and Altitude (VNAV) are now all fully functional. Still one of the very best X-Plane 12 releases. But the X-Crafts ERJ Series didn't arrive in 2024, but X-Crafts did note recently the Lineage 1000 was coming very, very soon.   We thought the Rotate Passenger version of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F Freighter would be just another added variant, how wrong could you be? It was (still is) one of the most sensational releases of the year, and highlighted the huge amount of changes done to both the MD-11F and the newer MD-11P over the years since the X-Plane 11 MD-11 release, certainly a highlight of the year, and actually my favorite release 2024!   Concorde FXP by Colimata went to v3.50, with an upgraded CIVA V2, created especially for the aircraft, there was some nice updates as well, including the dynamics to X-Plane 12. FlyJSim were very quiet during the year with just one small update for the DashQ, and still no sign of the Boeing 732 Twinjet or B727 Series for X-Plane 12?   I was actually disappointed that ToLiss chose the A330neo as their next project, but the results was a sensational aircraft with a huge amount of features. Once you got in there, it was very hard to move on, as you wanted more and more of this exceptionally high standard Simulation. Late in the year (Dec) ToLiss did a very nice set of updates for the A319, A320neo, A321 and A340-600 of a few features in the A330neo.   At the end of the year it was a solid one for airliners, and the outlook for 2025 is already exciting, There is a Boeing 707 coming from Nimbus, A Boeing 737 MAX from AirfoilLabs, and a cargo aircraft from Felis with the B747-200F, and Flight Procedures made a note of a new B748 (V3) and even (maybe) a B747-400, ERJ Series, and Flightfactor could even deliver a Dreamliner, so there is a big year coming up.    General Aviation Once the thriving heat of X-Plane, the General Aviation sector is still feeling the loss of Carenado. A few of the usual suspects were notably absent this year like vFlyAir with only one small update. Most releases were still basically transition aircraft from X-Plane 11, in so again slowing down any new releases as well.   The Beechcraft Duchess Model 76 by JustFlight/Thranda brought the aircraft back to X-Plane 12, as usual a thoroughly nice upgrade, the PA28R Piper Arrow III followed in July, and the Cessna 152 came out later in the year as did the PA-28R Turbo Arrow III / IV all from the JustFlight stable. The Beechcraft Bonanza G36, the G1000 variant, was released after Easter by PAE Addons, again a new developer for the X-Plane Simulator.   In early April vSkyLabs released a most unusual machine, the Junkers A50 Junior S-LSA, a 1920's inspired modern take on this iconic aircraft, it was far more fun that it had any right to be. Another revision to X-Plane 12 was the Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter from Thranda Design in May, it came with a new menu and large 8K textures. vFlyAir's only contribution to the year was the transition Cherokee 140, their original design updated for X-Plane 12.   A new developer entrant was with a PA24-250 Comanche by InDepthSimulations. It was basic, but has loads of potential for future designs. SimSolutions did an updates to their Diamond DA-40NG updated to v1.2.2 in April, with X-Hangar updating the Diamond Katana DA20 C1 and Cessna 404 Titan.   vSkyLabs were moving their way through their very large collection and updating the aircraft to X-Plane 12, there were loads of updates from mid-year, first the boat like Polaris AM-FIB, the Aeros-2 Ultralight Trike, then the sensational CT/4E Airtrainer from New Zealand, the Phoenix Air U15 S-LSA , ICON - A5, Tensor 60 and the Tecnam P2006T v9.1 a twin-engined Italian machine and finally the Aeroprakt A22-LS in October.   PA44-180 Piper Seminole for X-Plane 12 by AeroSphere came out in August, and later in the year Ted Cook released the Stinson 108 Package for XP12. STMA also upgraded their Sherpa K650T Turbine Bush Plane to X-Plane 12.   The GA year wrapped up with Thranda Design releasing their best yet, and a totally new aircraft in the Pilatus PC-12, a highlight of the year and Aerobask released their DA-20NG.   Business Aircraft AKD Studios had done a nice up date to the GulfStream 550 very early in the year, but then released the bigger G650/650ER GulfStream in early November, both aircraft are now parallel in design and features. X-Hangar updated their G550 in November as well. AirSim3D did two updates for the Citation C-560XL in July and October, but is now moving on to a new project.   Classic Aircraft X-Hangar did several updates to the DHC-5 Buffalo, early and late in the year, the DHC4 C-7A Caribou had the same, two updates early and late, and both aircraft benefited from the attention. In February we had one of the most unusual releases with another new developer entrant for the Aircruiser 66-75 by Hangar 23, a shed of an aircraft, it quickly had the Float version added only weeks after, a strange machine that was impossible not to dislike, you were captivated by the design and on how you flew it. The North American T-6G Texan by Khamsin & Philip Ubben was another gem, if hard to land, but X-Plane 12 shined through. vSkylabs did X-Plane 12 an update to the SR-71 "Thunderbird" to version v2.0, it is a bullet of an aircraft, and the weird He-162 Project also had an update to v3.0.5.   Helicopters Overall after the previous years, Helicopters were basically quiet in 2024, but in there were two exceptional releases. The first early in February was the JRX Design Bell 407 v1.30 now with CINEFLEX, a quality machine. The second was even more exceptional from X-Trident, in the AgustaWestland AW109SP in May, overwhelmingly brilliant the AW109SP set a higher standard for any new designs in X-Plane 12. vSkylabs updated four aircraft in 2024, the Guimbal Cabri G2, Robinson R66 Turbine and the Revolution Mini-500 and even a “Gyroplane”. The HSF Eurocopter EC130 B4 v1.4 had only one small update, as did the K-1200 K-MAX XP12 by STMA. Dreamfoil Creations were very quiet all year?   Military X-Hangar updated their C-130 Hercules to X-Plane 12, but it is still a bit too basic for me, the "Herk" deserves better. One of the most outstanding releases of the year for the military was the excellent Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 AJT by Deltawing Simulations, this aircraft just ooozed X-Plane 12 in all of it's glory, a review that is still not forgotten. AoA (Angle of Attack) had a very busy year, the T-7A Red Hawk, T-6A Texan II and the F-22A Raptor all had big updates, but the highlight from AoA was the amazing V-22 Osprey Tilitrotor, now a very mature Simulation, and a very versatile machine.   Scenery 2024 in scenery followed on from 2023, the biggest scenery story of the year was still AutoOrtho (Ortho4XP) or streaming ortho imagery. Some bright spark wanted to recreate the Microsoft ortho steaming system in X-Plane. To a point it is still very successful, but a fast internet connection and a powerful computer is required. The trick is downloading the tiles as you need them, not storing the tiles on your computer, but I'm not a fan of flat photo images, or certainly not jerky simulations. To add on top, another success this year still has been SIM HEAVENS X-World scenery Series. It will be interesting on how the coming NGS from Laminar will change this factor, not much I think as most are welded tightly into this very inefficient way of doing visual textures. Notable is that NGS will use DSS "Direct Scene Snapshot", to replace DSF, but both will run in parallel for a while, as DSS scenery won't work with DSF.   Again MSFS 2020, delivered a gazillion of scenery that nobody wants, but they did a very clever idea of Vertical Obstacles, that X-Plane in some form should adopt, the idea is to fill in real world obstacles in the landscapes. Obviously MSFS 2024 takes the scenery idea to almost insanity, the only issue is you can't stream it all through a tight internet straw.   For X-Plane the scenery developers had a very tough year, income was almost next to nothing and few dropped out, that said, the scenery releases were very good, to excellent considering the conditions, did we get a lot of cross-platform conversions from FS to XP? not really, but a few crossed over. Aerosoft kicked off the year with Airport Zürich XP12 on the 4th Jan, as with barely no updates since X-Plane 12 was released 14 months earlier, most Aerosoft stock was looking old in X-Plane 12, but as the we moved through the year they finally got into gear... Dortmund XP,  Society Islands XPTahiti & Windward Islands was next to compliment the earlier Leeward Island package, and that was just the thing for a South Pacific cruise. Next was Airport Newcastle XP, then a double update in June with Airport Stuttgart XP and Airport Istanbul XP, then Helgoland, XP Kassel XP in August, and Vitoria-Foronda XP and Greater Moncton International XP in November, so it was a big year of updates, missing still though is Norway's Bergen XP, a badly needed new scenery from Aerosoft?   VerticalSim had a busy year updating as well, first was KONT Ontario, then KMYR Myrtle Beach, KBOI Boise Air Terminal and finally KSRQ  Sarasota Bradenton International. FS Designs kicked off the year with KJAX Jacksonville, KPNS Pensacola, and KPAO Palo Alto Intl   Skytitude delivered a lot of scenery this year with KGNV Gainesville, Everglades Airpark, KTLH Tallahassee and an excellent RSW Southwest Florida International Airport to replace the dated Aerosoft version.   LICD- Lampedusa Airport and Linosa Island, Italy by Cami de Bellis was released in January, and a couple of updates followed. LIMJ - Ligurian COAST Totally Insane", was an amalgamated package of LIMJ - Genova COMPLETE 5 - The Revolution" from BCSceneries, same scenery, but updated to X-Plane 12.   Nimbus Studios released a very, very impressive New York JFK, then followed that up with another impressive KCLT Charlotte Douglas in June with another update for KCLT later in the year. FunnerFlight also released an updated XP12 JFK, plus another massive update to the KSAN - San Diego - Naval scenery, huge is not an underestimation of this scenery.   By Taimodels standards they had a quiet year in only two releases, first was a lukewarm EGCC- Manchester International, but the second scenery was a big missing element finally in X-Plane...  HECA Cairo International, Egypt XP12! and yes I love it. Fly Tampa pop-in to X-Plane every once a while, but when they do, they blow you totally away, this time it was FlyTampa Sydney, just brilliant. Another Australian scenery came from Orbx, with another long wanted scenery for X-Plane in YSSY Melbourne.   X-Codr Design was not really visible in X-Plane in 2024 except for a small update to KDEN (v2.1), instead he was now doing MSFS sceneries, one we have lost to the other? Another big X-Plane Scenery developer MIA is Short Final Designs, he delivered with only KSJC San Jose International Airport as a release for the year, he has now gone to Laminar Research, so it will be interesting for 2025 in what the maestro will deliver there.   Chudoba Designs released Bratislava International Airport for X-Plane 12, an interesting Chudoba scenery is RKPC Jeju International Airport in Korea, a review I couldn't get around to, maybe 2025? ESGG Göteborg Landvetter Airport was released in April, and last but not least was LKTB Brno-Turany Airport in the Czech Republic, all solid sceneries at great prices.   Drzewiecki Design have upgraded their renamed "Washington DC" scenery to "KDCA Washington Airport & City XP12", but otherwise they were another that have moved on to MSFS for scenery, and a lot of old DD scenery is feeling their age. An odd scenery was vSkyLabs Airbases: Base-8, a testing ground for your flying abilities.   New developers to the X-Plane scenery mostly focused on small airport sceneries, like crossover FX3D with a load of French sceneries, including LFKF Figari, LFKC Calvi, LFKT Corte, LFMQ Castellet, LFMR Barcelonnette, LFNS GAP-Tallard, LFNC Mont-Dauphin Saint-Crépin Airport and LFNS Sisteron, an impressive list...  KXNA Northwest Arkansas National Airport by TearWear Designs was another new face. There was a neat three Venezuelan Airports package for X-Plane 12 by Positive Climb Design. DarkBlue Scenery released RJGG Chubu, and RJBB, both in Japan.   NorthernSky were also a little slower this year, but still delivered outstanding scenery at a budget price, including; PAPG Petersburg - Alaska, PHOG  Kahului Airport and PHHN Hana, PHNY Lanai, PHJH Kapalua all in Hawaii, and last the sensational PASI Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, Alaska.   There were no landscape sceneries released in 2024, except maybe for St. Vincent and the Grenadines by 3DReal...  Maps2XP and Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini didn't release any landscapes in 2024.   In context, although a fair few of the above sceneries were transitions from X-Plane 11, overall for scenery releases it was a very good year, actually unexpected in the volume delivered.   Sound Packs A mention...  BSS BlueStarSky released the BSS A321 Reloaded CFM pack, but that was about it, but Mango Studios had a great year, there was a lot to choose from, not only the great sound packages for; ToLiss A319 Sound Pack, IXEG 737 Sound Pack, GLF 550/650 Sound Pack, Toliss A330 sound pack, but the neat little engine mod conversions as well; PW2000 Engine - FF 757, PW4000 Engine - FF B767, ToLiss A340 Trent 556 Engine Mod, but my favorite was the excellent MD80 Series IAE V2500 Engine mod, with later added the P&W JT8D-200 + IAE V2500 engine sound package. There were a few new REP "Reality Expansion packages", including the Thranda DH2 Beaver, PT-6 Porter and the PA28 Arrow lll.   Plugins I will state upfront that I am not a huge plugin connoisseur, so I only run what I call essential plugins in my simulator, running the VRAM profiler (Menu/Developer) can give you the horrors of on how much these little monstrous tools can gobble up your framerate and their overall efficiency, I take out as many of these laggards as possible.   The Skunkcrafts Standalone Updater Client v3.0. became the standalone tool for updating X-Plane aircraft in 2023, efficient, clever and fast, and it still rules big in 2024 as every developer bar FlightFactor now uses it. openSAM replaced the nasty SAM 3, it is a basic tool, but gets around the issue. There was a few organiser tools released, one just for X-Plane's scenery, and xOrganizer that covered the whole simulator.   WebFMC had a few updates through the year to cater for new releases, but really not many other changes, BetterPushBack had the same, but overall needs a revision (adjustable volume anyone). Traffic Global had a few updates (0199 and 0217), but not much new was really done except to make it reliable, the clever tool was the "Regent Traffic" updates, complicated to install, but it brought a huge amount of new airlines and services to TG, it is well worth checking out.   Stick and Rudder updated both X-Camera and X-Keypad, but the maturing X-ATC Chatter v1.7.2 became my cockpit friend this year.   Navigraph was again the king of the tools, now highly intergrated with SimBrief, they are now simply essential tools for the Simulator, SimBrief became the defacto (auto) flightplanning tool inside the cockpit. Navigraph added in Annotations, ATC Sectors and Expanded Airport Data to Charts 8 in 2024.   X-PlaneReviews X-PlaneReviews passed eleven years of providing quality and detailed reviews for the X-Plane Simulator. And in this year 2024 we have delivered even more consistent reviews and NEWS! than any year before.   The team has grown as well...  besides the dynamic Dominic Smith and his lovely wife Felicity, who also contributes immensely to the X-Plane.Org Weekly Roundups and Developer Interviews, is a major contributor in X-PlaneReviews as well, plus the extra talented reviewers of Alan Ashforth (alpeggio), Peter Allnutt, Dennis Powell, Nick Garlick, Stéphane Tolédo-Paul (Tieman68), David York (datadave), Stuart McGregor (Scottish Wings), DrishalMAC2, Michael Hayward, Jack Thompson and Joshua Moore, all genuine talented and contributors to not only X-PlaneReviews, but to X-Plane in general. I am personally signing off a little earlier this year to have a family Christmas in another Australian State, but Dominic will do some more reviews right up to the festive season, and a big new Christmas release review is still yet to be released from me.   Always a thank you to the exciting work by the tireless developers that give us all this incredible product to fly and use, as they and X-Plane has come a long way and created leaps in quality and complexity in the last few years, certainly with the jump to X-Plane 12, and to a point I was always very proud of the work they have produced, it is world class if not the very best in simulation product ever produced, and this year better than ever in systems and quality detail, and they are all top notch and very clever. To the X-Plane.OrgStore who supports this site with review products, service and updates, a really big thanks to Nicolas Taureau, as this site just also would not function without that outstanding support.   This aspect shows that X-Plane as a Simulator is alive and well after a fair few years of disruptive development, X-Plane 12 is now (thankfully) maturing towards the central part of its evolution cycle, and as well noted throughout this "End of the Year" edition it has had a transformation (or would you call it a reset?) this year in 2024. My outlook optimism for 2025 is at an all time high, my gut says X-Plane as a Simulator has turned a corner, and it can only get better from here, but X-Plane as a Simulator also has to now grow as well, expand vigorously in 2025.   Certainly the central community is very active and very collaborative in creating dynamics that is expanding the Simulator, but growing in all the different areas is just as important, not just the core, numbers must grow in 2025, new additions in not only the software and hardware, but developers and active users, it is people, the time to grow... and move forward. _________________________   We will finish off with the X-PlaneReviews famous best of the year awards…   So I will now list my Best of the Year 2024🏅 (note the awards are given to only products I have seen and tested and so the only ones I can vouch for)   Overall Best of the Year : A very hard choice this year, as there are four outstanding entrants, FlightFactor Boeing 777v2, X-Tridents AW109SP, Rotate's MD-11 Passenger and the TolIss A330neo , all deserving 🏅 🏅🏅   Best Aircraft : FlightFactor B777v2.🏅🏅 A look into the future of X-Plane 12 quality and design, it delivers on a huge scale. Honorable Mention : Rotate's MD-11 Passenger is just brilliant, as is the ToLiss A330neo   Best General Aviation Aircraft : Pilatus PC-12 by Thranda Design Thranda Design are behind a lot of X-Plane aircraft besides their own creations, but the PC-12 brings back to the X-Plane Simulator a brilliant aircraft done well. Honorable Mentions : vSkyLabs, for their huge and unique catalogue of aircraft and machines, they just keep on coming.   Best Classic Aircraft : North American T-6G Texan by Khamsin & Philip Ubben This is what happens when you put two extremely talented developers together, Khamsin & Philip Ubben create history, or at least a part of it in the T-6G Texan. Honorable Mention : What can you say about flying a shed, the Aircruiser 66-75 by Hangar 23 was certainly unique, fun as well.   Best Business Aircraft : AKD Studios G650/650ER GulfStream Not perfect, but development this whole year has been very steady and consistent from this talented Polish developer, next year 2025 this category will be tighter with the promised X-Crafts Lineage 1000 and maybe even the Aerobask Falcon 6X anyone, now years late.   Best Military : Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 AJT by Deltawing Simulations 🏅 With some releases you see the future, the amazing M-346 AJT showed off the wonders of X-Plane 12, nice aircraft to fly as well. Honorable Mention : AoA again with another huge improvement over the original, the V-22 Osprey was great to fly, also a very versatile dynamic Simulation as well, I loved it.   Best Helicopter : AgustaWestland AW109SP by X-Trident 🏅🏅🏅 A no brainer on choice for the best helicopter of the year, again a projection into the future of Simulation, brilliant avionics are well worth mastering. Honorable Mentions : JRX Designs Bell 407 was very good as well, the best of the bunch currently, except for the above AW.   Best Landscape Scenery : Society Islands XPTahiti & Windward Islands by Maps2XP (Aerosoft) Does this broad scenery count as a Landscape scenery? It sort's of covers a large area of the South Pacific, well detailed as well, so yes.   Best Airport Scenery : YSSY Sydney Fly Tampa  🏅🏅  A study on how to do perfect scenery, Fly Tampa always deliver, but more so here, a giant. Honorable Mention : Taimodels on delivering HECA Cairo, and Nimbus had a great year with JFK and Charlotte.   Best Plugin(s) : Skunkcrafts Standalone Updater Client 🏅 A plugin... it was, but also still the biggest standout tool of the year, now for the second year in a row and grown, it's so fast! Special Mention(s) : Navigraph for their excellent navigation tools, and seriously clever new additions, and for openSAM, fixing a major problem.   Person(s) of the Year : Marko Mamula The developer that just seemed to be everywhere in 2024, but in delivering the X-Plane 12 future we deserve, talented, and tons more to come in 2025.   Best Moment of the year 2024 : Leaving Schiphol (EHAM) in a heavy morning weather to arrive at a sandstorm dusk in Cairo (HECA), Simulation at it's very, very best.   Worst Moment(s) of the Year 2024 : Laminar Research is doing their own store, the ramifications are dangerous, and will it cost jobs in X-Plane, you could even lose  the X-Plane.Org...   forever! Biggest distraction of 2024 : ...  The dark cloud of the X-Plane Store.   Biggest overall feeling of 2024 : Another tough hard year, but the outlook at the end of this brutal year was a revolution of a new and better X-Plane Simulator, shame the Laminar store will ruin all the good work.   Personal Favorites of 2024 : Any ToLiSS (the save system allows ultimate flexibility) again, but my standout aircraft of the year is the amazing Rotate MD-11 Passenger, unbelievable Simulation, seriously addictive was that wide-body aircraft...  I just loved it.   Routes...   Barcelona, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Dublin, Dusseldorf,  Roma, Cairo, Helsinki, Oslo, Munich, Tel Aviv, London Heathrow and Dulles, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Notable is that with the newer scenery, Cairo, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore finally came on-line in 2024.   That is X-PlaneReviews for 2024, and we will be back after a very much needed recovery and the review site returns again early into the New Year on the 7th January 2025.   So Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2025   Stephen Dutton 14th December 2024 Copyright:X-PlaneReviews 2024   (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)  

NEWS! - Aircraft Updated : Airbus A319-112 v1.10 by Toliss     ToLiss has updated the "Baby Bus" A319-112 to v1.10. Usually when another new ToLiss aircraft is released, and in this case it was the A330neo. As usual the new features introduced then trickle down to the other Airbus Aircraft in the Series. first a few days ago it was the A340-600, here now the A319-112.   Main change is the ISCS (Interactive Simulation Control System) menu, which is now available on the EFB Tablet, and not just as a pop-up menu. Included ECAM (Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring) improvements package, FMGS (Flight Management and Guidance System) or autopilot improvements Package, Hydraulics, again a big new improvements package. More Failure modes, R TO page prefills the RADIAL IN on the DIR TO page as required, quick starts for APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) and Engines are now also available from the ISCS, possibility to use Airport ICAO codes as waypoints, and there is also a load of bug fixes.   New features: - ISCS in EFB - Hydraulic improvement package:  . Added simulation of trapped hydraulic fluid in asymmetric actuators such as landing gear or spoiler actuators.  . Fixed the PTU overheat when ENG1 is failed. - MCDU improvement package:  . CLR command is now indented in scratchpad as in real life . DIR TO page prefills the RADIAL IN on the DIR TO page as required . FPLN Page Destination EFOB turns amber, if below minimum required. - ECAM improvement package:  . Overspeed warning now triggers based on actual flap/slat position and not lever position (PFD barber pole is still lever position driven as in real life.) . Removed duplication of system titles if the same system shows multiple subsequent rows of ECAM messages. . Weight display logic for SD: Prior to engine start, the dashes are now cyan. Weights now only show after engine start, like in real life. . Status page improvement: Approach procedures for hydraulic faults . Rework of the ECAM messages for electrical bus failures to represent a newer FWC standard - FMGS improvement package: . Added possibility to use Airport ICAO codes as waypoints . Bug fixes for the path computation leading to an overall much stabler path computation in complex procedures. . Empty flight plan shows as PPOS / Discon rather than just "End of flpn" and can be built up from there. . VIA selection is now automatic, if there is exactly one VIA that matches the selected FINAL and STAR. . Constraints of first waypoint in STAR are not dropped anymore. - Added cross track error display on ground prior to departure - New failure modes:  . Slow and rapid decompression . THS jam. . Cargo smoke, including latched closure of the isolation valves . Added high lift failures, including loss of SFCC channels and slats/flaps lock . Windshears with correct REAC W/S detection and indication. - Visual improvement package: . Added AoA Vanes to fuselage model . Fixed the tiller textures . Animated the flap lever guard . Correct the eye reference ball colors and location . Fixed text overlaps on the overhead panel - Added new Circuit breakers (for high lift, air conditioning packs, ...) bringing the total to 242 - Added pitch influence to the RADALT value, so that the RADALT decreases when you pitch up (like IRL) - Added limitation with filtering to the maximum number of waypoints shown on ND when WPT overlay selected. - Quick starts for engine and APU are now available on the Joystick/Actions tab. - Mapped flight number to x-plane dataref "sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/flight_id" for third party plugin interfacing. - Improved Master Warning flashing frequency. - Terrain on ND drawing around the airport is now inhibited for areas of same elevation as the airport. - If you select a livery with 2 OWE pairs, the maximum number of passengers will increase to 160. - Added selected heading value on ND, if in ARC mode the heading bug is not visible.   Bug fixes: - Fixed issue with the interaction between the CLR button and the status page - Fixed issue with status page overflow. - The emergency generator now consumes hydraulic fluid. - The magnetic variation model now updates for the current year. - Fixed FMA alignment of armed modes and issue with empty boxes - Extended the permissible value range for FCU speed window to 399kts and Mach 0.99 like in real life - Extended the permissible value range for FCU altitude window to 49000ft like in real life - ISI startup correction: QNH is also visible during ISI startup; moved QNH to right location. - Removed CHG CODE field for other phases than PREFLIGHT or DONE. - Improved string termination on MCDU string datarefs. - Fixed an issue with SID route in alternate plan on first alternate plan programming. - Fixed an issue with waypoints preceded by a discon where the outgoing leg is of the CI/CD/CR/CA or VI/VR/VD type. - Fixed FMA indication for managed descent on profile with significantly too slow speed. - Fixed behaviour of the FCU HDG managed dot when a managed mode (NAV, LOC, APPR) is armed. - Fixed shape of the ADF2 needle on the ND. - Removed GS indication on ND, when the associated ADIRU is OFF or invalid. - Made the deceleration when descending through the SPD LIM altitude smoother. - Fixed issue with the beta target leading to excessive rudder deflection and spoiler extension on the wrong side. - Corrected the color of the RAM Air Inlet indication when open in flight. - Disabled autobrake if 2 or more SECs are lost. - Fixed a bug that could cause sending many requests to the Hoppie network in a short period of time. - Miscellaneous other bug fixes         The Airbus A319 is a member of the Airbus A320 family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger twin-engine jet airliners manufactured by Airbus. The A319 carries 124 to 156 passengers and has a maximum range of 3,700 nmi (6,900 km; 4,300 mi). Final assembly of the aircraft takes place in Hamburg, Germany and Tianjin, China. The A319 is a shortened-fuselage variant of the Airbus A320 and entered service in April 1996 with Swissair, around two years after the stretched Airbus A321 and eight years after the original A320. The aircraft shares a common type rating with all other Airbus A320 family variants, allowing existing A320 family pilots to fly the aircraft without the need for further training.   The Journey of the ToLiss A319-112 has been also the story of their incredibly rise to being one of the very best developers in X-Plane, maybe the overall best Airbus developers in Simulation as a whole. The aircraft here in v1.10 reflects its current modernity, totally updated in it's X-Plane 12 role as are the whole balance of the ToLiss Airbus fleet, so the "Baby Bus" has not been left wanting, or certainly it is not at all dated in this competitive environment, but encompasses the detail and the quality required today to be at the very top of aircraft experiences, from an excellent developer...  you always wanted the very best, if you want an Airbus, then here it is...   and totally X-Plane 12 ready. _________________________     ToLiSS A319-122 v1.10 is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :   Airbus A319 XP12 by Toliss Price is US$89.99   To upgrade from the X-Plane 11 A319 version, it is only US$10, just go to your X-Plane.Org Account to get the upgrade voucher. ________________   Requirements X-Plane 12 or X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux  4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Not for commercial use. For any commercial use enquiries, please contact [email protected] Current version : 1.10 (December 10th 2024)   _____________________   NEWS! by Stephen Dutton 13th December 2024 Copyright©2024: 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    

I am / was a reasonably experienced Super Cub pilot in the UK with about 100 hours on the aircraft. The REP for the Super Cub in Xplane 12 is a truly great effort and great value. However the rudder still lacks control on take off and landing, far more so than with the real aircraft which is easy to fly once you've sorted the landings. I've got the full Thrustmaster kit including rudder. Also, there remains no noise indication on landing - the program knows the aircraft has landed so this appears easy to add.

No Landclass is gone, revising photo imagery to take out the nasty artifacts is a clever step forward, and the far more smaller scale of the tiles will give more arid area detail, so those really bad repeatable images will be gone and replaced by more realistic open space textures, for better realism.

NEWS! - Aircraft Updated : Airbus A340-600 v1.4.0 by Toliss     ToLiss has updated the A340-600 to v1.4.0. Usually when another new ToLiss aircraft is released in this case the excellent A330neo, then the new features introduced then trickle down to the other Airbus Aircraft in the Series. And that is the case here.   Main change is the ISCS (Interactive Simulation Control System) menu, which is now available on the EFB Tablet, and not just as a pop-up menu. MCDU (Multifunction Control Display Unit) improvement package, the ECAM (Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring) improvements package, FMGS (Flight Management and Guidance System) or autopilot, again a big new improvements package. More Failure modes, added simulation of trapped hydraulic fluid, pitch influence on the RADALT valve, quick starts for APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) and Engines are now also available from the ISCS, the guard on the flap lever is now animated, and you can now reroute the inner tank transfer via the aft pumps if required. And there is also a load of bug fixes.   Version 1.4.0 (December 6th 2024) New features: - The ISCS is now available in the EFB, once enabled by the user. - MCDU improvements: . CLR command is now indented in scratchpad as in real life . DIR TO page prefills the RADIAL IN on the DIR TO page as required - ECAM improvement package:  . Overspeed warning now triggers based on actual flap/slat position and not lever position (PFD barber pole is still lever position driven as in real life.) . Removed duplication of system titles if the same system shows multiple subsequent rows of ECAM messages. . Weight display logic for SD: Prior to engine start, the dashes are now cyan. Weights now only show after engine start, like in real life. - FMGS improvement package: . Added possibility to use Airport ICAO codes as waypoints . Bug fixes for the path computation leading to an overall much stabler path computation in complex procedures. . Empty flight plan shows as PPOS / Discon rather than just "End of flpn" and can be built up from there. . VIA selection is now automatic, if there is exactly one VIA that matches the selected FINAL and STAR. . Constraints of first waypoint in STAR are not dropped anymore. - New failure modes:  . Slow and rapid decompression . Added high lift failures, including loss of SFCC channels and slats/flaps lock . Windshears with both Predictive and Reactive W/S detection and indication. - Added simulation of trapped hydraulic fluid in asymmetric actuators such as landing gear or spoiler actuators.  - Added pitch influence to the RADALT value, so that the RADALT decreases when you pitch up (like IRL) - Added limitation with filtering to the maximum number of waypoints shown on ND when WPT overlay selected. - Quick starts for engine and APU are now available in the ISCS - Mapped flight number to x-plane dataref "sim/cockpit2/radios/actuators/flight_id" for third party plugin interfacing. - Improved Master Warning flashing frequency. - Terrain on ND drawing around the airport is now inhibited for areas of same elevation as the airport. - The guard portion in the flap lever is now separately animated. - Added CTR to inner tank transfer via AFT pumps if main ctr tank pumps are failed. - Added selected heading value on ND, if in ARC mode, the heading bug is not visible. Bug fixes: - Fixed a bug with the date on Wind and Flight plan data printouts - Fixed the undesired transparency of the mirror on the cockpit rear wall - Fixed deicing animation for the wings. - Fixed issue with the interaction between the CLR button and the status page - Fixed issue with status page overflow. - The emergency generator now consumes hydraulic fluid. - The emergency generator now cuts out when the slats are extended - The magnetic variation model now updates for the current year. - Fixed FMA alignment of armed modes and issue with empty boxes - Extended the permissible value range for FCU speed window to 399kts and Mach 0.99 like in real life - Extended the permissible value range for FCU altitude window to 49000ft like in real life - Fixed the width of the green lights on the FCU. - Fixed behaviour of the FCU HDG managed dot when a managed mode (NAV, LOC, APPR) is armed. - Fixed shape of the ADF2 needle on the ND. - Removed GS indication on ND, when the associated ADIRU is OFF or invalid. - Made the deceleration when descending through the SPD LIM altitude smoother. - ISI startup correction: QNH is also visible during ISI startup; moved QNH to right location. - Removed CHG CODE field for other phases than PREFLIGHT or DONE. - Improved string termination on MCDU string datarefs. - Fixed an issue with SID route in alternate plan on first alternate plan programming. - Fixed an issue with waypoints preceded by a discon where the outgoing leg is of the CI/CD/CR/CA or VI/VR/VD type. - Fixed FMA indication for managed descent on profile with significantly too slow speed. - Fixed issue with the beta target leading to excessive rudder deflection and spoiler extension on the wrong side. - Corrected Ctr Tank gravity feed into inner tanks 2 and 3 - Improved landing gear compression at low weights       The Airbus A340 is a long-range, wide-body passenger airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the A300, its first airliner, and developed the A340 quadjet in parallel with the A330 twinjet. In June 1987, Airbus launched both designs with their first orders and the A340-300 took its maiden flight on 25 October 1991. It was certified along with the A340-200 on 22 December 1992 and both versions entered service in March 1993 with launch customers Lufthansa and Air France. The larger A340-500/600 were launched on 8 December 1997; the A340-600 flew for the first time on 23 April 2001 and entered service on 1 August 2002.   You can update to the new v1.4.0 by going to your X-Plane.Org Store account and download. The v1.4.0 update is also available to download via the new Skunkcraft Updater   Design by Toliss Discussion about the A340 Addition Liveries _______________________________     Yes! the Airbus A340-600 v1.4.0 by ToLiSS is available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Airbus A340-600 by ToLiSS Price is US$89.99   Most accurate system functionality for any A340 aircraft in the flight simulation world   Requirements X-Plane 12 and X-Plane 11 - not available for MSFS Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Not for commercial use. For any commercial use enquiries, please contact [email protected] Download Size: 1.2 GB Current version: 1.4.0  (November 29th 2023) _____________________   NEWS! by Stephen Dutton 9th December 2024 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  

WOW!!!  I think I know what aircraft (other than CowanSim's 'Airwolf' B222) that I'll be flying once I get my flight simulator set up and get to 'flying'!  That's absolutely gorgeous!!!!  (Of course, I love anything to do with the SR-71, anyway!)

Thank you for this Behind The Screen to which I am always looking forward to! Your observations are honest. And your insights are always enlightening.   I don't agree with landclass as the saviour, though. Even with more texture variety and some measures to prevent repeating patterns. Areas with little to no variation in landclass data (pampa like Patagonia, deserts, ...) will stay lame and dull. Yet with ortho they have wonderful colours and you can see many features. I don't know a single Youtuber or streamer not using ortho scenery. Improved landclass will help to improve the default sim but I can only see it as a stop gap measure, not the ultimate goal. I've seen SFD, and it is better (and I would expect better OSM- and building footprint data to be included) and it might be a good solution for the default sim, but ortho is easily even better than that. In fact we have most things in place for really good scenery representation. It should receive a little more acknowledgement and support by Laminar in my opinion.   I really don't see the baked-in artefacts in ortho imagery as a real problem. Terrain shadows often help in "selling" the terrain better (even if they are not coinciding with the current sun position). Shadows under houses are not a real problem in my opinion. Cars on roads: for smaller roads we use overlays anyways and on highways (xroads) I don't see it a s a problem. The only disturbing bake-in is clouds, but this is solved for many areas of the world. If we don't continue to sleep on the topic we might be able to use AI to get rid of bake-ins anyways.   What Laminar could do without too much effort is improve overlay resolution for vector stuff. And coastline resolution. And use higher resolution digital terrain models (elevation). Make it an option so the current lowres is still there for potato PCs. And communicate more real technical insights about where they are heading with nextgen scenery. What they really mean by "streamable" would be interesting and if it serves the AutoOrtho use case. Maybe even ask the community about it.

Aircraft Review - V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor XP12   Is it a helicopter or an aircraft? that is usually the first question asked about the V-22 Osprey. It's formal title is "Tiltrotor", so you would say helicopter with those massive three blades per side, but the machine can also convert to a forward flying aerodynamic winged aircraft, and then flies in that same configuration as a normal aircraft. It doesn't fly like a helicopter either with no collective to bite the air or cyclic...  it is a strange machine.   The failure of Operation Eagle Claw in 1980 during the Iran hostage crisis underscored that there were military roles for which neither conventional helicopters nor fixed-wing transport aircraft were well-suited. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) initiated a program to develop an innovative transport aircraft with long-range, high-speed, and vertical-takeoff capabilities, and the Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) program officially began in 1981. A partnership between Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters was awarded a development contract in 1983 for the V-22 tiltrotor aircraft.   The story starts with the Bell XV-3 (Bell 200), an American tiltrotor aircraft developed by Bell Helicopter for a joint research program between the United States Air Force and the United States Army in order to explore convertiplane technologies in the middle 1950's. The XV-3 featured an engine mounted in the fuselage with driveshafts transferring power outwards to two-bladed rotor assemblies mounted on the wingtips. But flutter and that the driveshafts was carrying power from the fuselage out to the wingtip rotors, along with the gearbox and tilting mechanisms at the wingtips, they found that the concept had substantial loads placed upon them and were very heavy, as they were transferring large amounts of power and torque long distances for an aircraft power transmission system.   Another XV-15 experimental aircraft introduced a major design concept advance. instead of engines in the fuselage, the XV-15 moved the engines out to the rotating wingtip pods, directly coupled to the rotors. The normal path for power was now directly from the engine into a speed-reduction gearbox and into the rotor/propeller without any long shafts being involved. There was still a driveshaft along the wings for emergency use to transfer power to the opposite rotor in case of engine failure, but that shaft did not normally carry any power loads, allowing the overall system to be lighter.   The success of the XV-15 created the concept of an American multi-use, tiltrotor military transport and cargo aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. The V-22 is operated by the United States and Japan, and is not only a new aircraft design, but a new type of aircraft that entered service in the 2000s.   The first of six prototypes first flew on 19 March 1989 in the helicopter mode and on 14 September 1989 in a fixed-wing mode. The third and fourth prototypes successfully completed the first sea trials on USS Wasp in December 1990. The V-22 however has had a mixed safety record, marked by several high-profile accidents, especially in its early years of testing and deployment. While the aircraft has since become an integral part of military operations, its development and operational use have been frequently marred by crashes that has raised always questions about its safety and design.  This X-Plane 12 version of the V-22 Osprey is from Angle of Attack (AoA) Simulations, mostly AoA aircraft are military designs like the F-22A Raptor and F-35B Lightning ll and T-7A Red Hawk. The original V-22 Osprey for X-Plane 11 was released March 2018. Honestly X-PlaneReviews never reviewed the AOA XP11 version of the V-22. We looked at it at the time and followed it's development, but it was a very quirky aircraft with a few quibbles that needed more development (okay a lot more), these aspects now have been all done, and this is the X-Plane 12 release of the Osprey, it's an aircraft now presented in a far more completed mature form. It certainly looks the part. If anything else the V-22 Osprey is a very dramatic looking aircraft, feels odd, with those huge rotors suspended in the air, and not at all like most helicopters (okay maybe a Chinook). Its a transport machine, so more in the C-130 Hercules vein, with a couple engines lopped off, and the inner engines turned skywards. Modeling and design by AoA is very good, certainly not in the ultra X-Trident category of their high standard of finesse quality department, but the V-22 still looks very well done even impressive in X-Plane 12. Fuselage is very modern military, with nice normal raised rivets to show the construction. Panels are mostly drawn on here, but it's still well done. A lot of the developer's attention has gone towards those two Rolls-Royce AE 1107C-Liberty turboshaft engines, specially designed for the Osprey, and their complex nacelles. Blades are 38 feet (11.58 meters) long per rotor, they are are a carbon fiber and epoxy resin composite blade, built for strength, durability, and weight reduction. Detail of the exposed areas of the pod and wing are really very well done, with all the inner tilt hydraulics and mechanism are well detailed. The wing is also really well detailed with ribbing and laminar flow aerodynamics. Cockpit glass is a bit thin, the (light) reflections are there, but not pronounced, and there are no scratches or rainbow glass effects. The undercarriage is a bit basic, just the piston and extension guide, no plumbing or hydraulics to be seen. There are animations on the V-22, manually they are accessed by ↕︎ arrows...  the front right door opens, first in an observer top door open position, the secondly the lower drop down walk up stairs. Also the main rear ramp, again two positions, half (for dropping loads), and also a full down ramp. There is also separate pop-out menu found on the X-Plane banner/Plugins Menu called "Options". (Support tab is the AoA email address) All the external door animations are on the graphic top, plus engine/pitot covers and tags (very nice), refueling probe, and under belly load hooks. Also on the pop-out menu is the selection of the four different variants, and each version has its own unique internal (fuel) configuration and external distinguishing elements. US Marine Corp MV-22B (default) USAF SOCOM (Special Operations Command) CV-22B US Navy CMV-22B COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) Japan Self Defense Force MV-22J   Inside the V-22 it is quite cavernous at 20ft long, 5 feet wide and 6 ft high, and has a workable 430 cubic feet. The V-22 internal cargo area detail is impressive from AoA, really well done, there is also the option to add in four Marines from the menu, two forward right and two rear left...  however another option for a full load of Marines would have been nice though. The internal door to the cockpit can also be opened with the top or lower sections moved separately. Into the cockpit...   the instrument layout is very jet fighter military, with four Multi-Functional Displays (MFD) and one large Control Display Unit (CDU) center.     There are some really nice Marine pilots, and they will swap seat positions depending on which seat you use, if you don't want one or both, then just click their helmets, and they will disappear, and the helmet(s) are hung on the side of the OHP (Overhead Panel)     There is the third crew member in the Flight Engineer in the rear center seat, selected via the Menu, all crew members are very realistic and relatable to their roles.     Although this a menu driven aircraft, overall there is mostly also automated processes to relieve the pilots of high workloads, so both the upper OHP and lower center console are both quite sparse in their layouts and are easy to use. hint the wipers are noted as W/W on the console keyboards.     On power up, the backup instruments are activated first, then the primary instruments via the OHP "Avionics" switch.     Each MFD display has 22 soft keys. The five across the top are “T” keys. The two at the bottom are Caution/Advisory and Acknowledge keys. The remaining 14; seven on the left (L1-7) and seven on the right (R1-7) are all page dependent.   "T" keys include HVR (Hover Trim Key) or VSD (Vertical Situation Display) and Rotor Position Indicator (RPI) are to the left , NAV, FLIR (Forward-Looking Infrared), STAT (Status) and SYST (System)     Blue-sky Attitude Direction Indicator (ADI) on the upper half of the display and a 170 degree HSI style compass card is shown on the lower half. The Blue-sky can be turned off, mostly with the VID (Camera) Function. TACAN, Nav2 VOR/ILS or GPS are selectable on the NAV     HVR shows you your vertical position to the ground (In the hover mode).     NAV will also show the standard X-Plane map, but you can also use the pop-out the G1000 MAP panel and it's tools besides the HSI.     VSD (Vertical Situation Display), is a version of the PFD without the compass card. FLIR is a camera (view) that does not have any flight information on it.     STAT shows you the various system status in; FUEL, FCS (Flight Control System), ENG (Engine), ICE and ELEC (Electrical)     SYST (System) has engine parameters and a full menu of options.     There is also a built in PREFLIGHT "Checklist" and Flightplan Planner.     As with most military aircraft there a load of various menus and options, far too many to list here, however AoA do provide two very good comprehensive manuals in a detailed User Guide and 68 page Cockpit Display Guide.   The Control Display Unit’s (CDU) primary display mode is the Engine Instrument Crew Alerting System page, with dedicated Copilot and Pilot keyboards which are located below the CDU. Above are the backup Instruments that generalise the V-22s systems and PFD (Primary Flight Display). Traffic Collision Advisory System display and the CDU menus can be swapped LtoR for both pilots.     The glareshield holds the  Flight Control System (FCS) Autopilot, and the NAC (Nacelle) control from AUTO to MAN modes, both glareshield ends has the Remote (Radio) Frequency Indicators (RFI) that display Com1 radio Active and Standby frequencies. The SEL key will flip the active and standby frequencies around each other.     Maintenance Mode One great feature is the folding of the Rotors and Wing for Carrier operations. To use the feature however is a bit of a trick to get access to the "BLADE FOLD/WING STOW selections on the pop-out Menu. The way to switch it on however requires a specific set of settings...   Flaps have to be up (stowed), Power and APU has to be on for the hydraulics to do the operation...  Then you go to the SYST and the MAINT MODE (R-7). The AUTO NAC (FCS) has to be set in MAN Mode and finally selecting BFWS or "Blade Fold and Wing Stow system" (R-4)...  then wallah, the BFWS popup Menu should now be active.     First operation is to FEATHER / UNFEATHER the blades...     ...  Then FOLD / UNFOLD the Blades, then you TILT / UNTILT the Nacelles to the forward position...     ...   Finally you can then rotate the wing assembly to the STOW / UNSTOW position.     Yes it is a great feature and done really well here by AoA, in it being very authentic to the real BFWS system.   On the OHP the Radio Panel is available in flight, but the panel itself is inert, in Engine shutdown mode or the Rotor Brake on, it coverts into systems situation panel, noting which systems are active.     AviTab is available on the Menu...  (Note: Plugin is required and the latest v0.7.1 version). It is positioned only on the right side of the cockpit, as in the V-22 the Primary Pilot is in the right hand seat, like with a Helicopter pilot, not like a fixed-wing left seat position.     Both side windows can be opened (Animated) via hot-spots.     Internal Lighting I hope you like GREEN? as it is very green in here, as everything is bathed in the Military night mode colour. Looks brilliant though.     You can adjust the CKPT DOME main lighting as well as the SECONDARY lighting, on the Secondary switch their are two more options for NVG NORMAL, and DAY/NIGHT. Primary Lighting (Three knobs) will adjust the instrument panel and each pilot side lighting. The essential backup CDU goes white instead of green, and this is particularly well done.     External Lighting There are two Landing lights built into the nose, also Navigation lights (known here as "Position") each nacelle and white rear. Two Beacon lights are set under fuselage and left upper tail light.     There are two sets of "Formation" lights, also call SLIME lights, used to help identify friendly aircraft, particularly during formation flying or carrier operations at night, usually made of phosphorescent or electroluminescent materials, which emit a soft greenish-yellow glow. The main body strips are on the nacelles, upper wing and tail, but there is also the exciting option of also the separate selection of "Prop Tips" Slime lights, which looks amazing in flight with those massive rotors.     Flying the V-22 Osprey Starting the Osprey is quite easy, as most of the start procedures are automated. Power (Battery) on and APU started, then set to RUN/ENGAGE to provide system power...   to start the engines, then you just move the Fuel Levers to CRANK, Then START/LEFT ENGINE then finally FLY....  simple!   Both rotors will turn together as they are cross-frame connected, but only the left engine is actually running...     There is a second start option for an "AUTO START". This is on the pop-up Menu (top) and the aircraft has to be in the Cold/Dark state to activate the feature. Press the button "AUTO START ENGINES" and start the sequence that will go though the full start up procedures, showing you the checklist phases by text boxes lower screen. It is fully automated including the view movements.     Once the "AUTO START sequence is finished, you go out of the mode via switching the "Timer" back to time (ACK) on any MFD as noted on the last text message.     The last Pop-Up menu option is the "WEIGHT & BALANCE", this brings up the standard X-Plane "Weight & Balance" Menu to set up your aircraft preferences.     To control the angle of the nacelles, you need to set keyboard command key or a throttle hardware switch to tilt the nacelles DOWN and back UP again. (see X-Plane in sim Settings drop down menu, Joystick or Keyboard tab, locate and assign “vector or sweep forward” and “vector or sweep aft”), I used the F11 and F12 keys. There is a manual nacelle adjuster wheel, it is on the TCL or "Throttle Control Lever", but it is a little tricky to use looking forward while flying.     The Nacelle Tilt Angle Indicator (NTAI) angle display is set upper left on the PFD...  90º is straight up, 97º is backwards, and on the ground you are restricted to the (red) boundary of 60º because of those huge rotors.     So is flying the V-22 Osprey the same as taking off in a Helicopter, well no, as for one there is no collective, just a throttle lever (TCL) to create the downward thrust. It is a heavy machine as well, here set at 21260 kg at Takeoff. So the V-22 does not react like a light Helicopter, or a drone for that matter, but it is closer to takeoff like a (very heavy) drone, more than a Heli. Flaps are totally automated, and move to the correct position for that phase of the flight, so there is no need to mess with the flap lever.   TCL up (slowly) 90º nacelle position and the V-22 rises off the ground...  any joystick inputs forward, backwards, left or right, even very small movements will take you in that direction, this HOVER mode.     Press the rudder pedal down left or right and the Osprey will rotate in that direction, so low flight manoeuvres are quite easy, Helicopterish without that massive tailrotor pressure thrust.   You can move forwards just by moving the stick slightly forward, but remember to keep the power on so the V-22 doesn't lose height as you start to gain speed, it's not going to be fast in this mode, so you move the nacelles now forward to 60º...     You require more TCL, but your also moving forwards into a transition phase very quickly, and already moving at a speed of 100 kts+     The Osprey is extremely nice to fly, being heavy, it feels solid unlike a shaking Helicopter...    There is another if quicker way to get airborne. “Jumps” are short rolling takeoffs with the nacelles rotated down just forward of the vertical. With the nacelles at 85, 80 or 75 degrees these takeoffs are called “Jump 85”, “Jump 80” or “Jump 75”. The aircraft rolls forward only a few tens of feet before getting airborne.   In practise you let the park brake off and increase the TCL power...     As you increase the power, you move forward only a short distance before literally "Jumping" bouncing quickly into the air, this could easily be done on a carrier, no problems...  and your now flying.     The technique to accelerate the aircraft into forward flight is to “bump” the nacelles forward and down using the “thumb wheel” on the inside of the TCL. (or keyboard command), as expected the ground limitation boundary is now gone in the air.   The transition to forward flight is to configure the aircraft to the wings without losing height, so you move the nacelles slowly forward, but you have to be careful, as when past 30º, the nacelles will quickly rotate to 0º. You need to quickly give a little backstick and add in more power, if not the V-22 will lose height or dip very quickly, but once transitioned, you can reduce the TCL a little and you are now at around 240 kts forward speed.     Notice the nose dip? you soon recover from it, the trick is to do transition more slowly and explore this change of flight parameters.     But boy, the Osprey really accelerates forward once configured. The V-22 has a maximum speed 316 knots (363 mph or 584 km/h) in Airplane mode, and a Cruise Speed of 241 knots (277 mph or 446 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m). Typically your speed is in the 110-120 knots range in the hover or transition phase.   Combat Radius is around 390 nautical miles (450 miles or 720 km) with internal fuel and a standard payload. And the Ferry Range is 2,100 nautical miles (2,400 miles or 3,889 km) with auxiliary fuel tanks. Service Ceiling is 25,000 ft (7,620 m) with a standard load.     And you cover ground very quickly, very different from a Helicopter.     And you are very aware of those massive blades only feet away from the cockpit.     Autopilot is very simple to use. Select the Heading (HDG), and Altitude and just press the activation button below your selection, to go climb or descend, deactivate the ALT (Altitude) and adjust the V/S (Vertical Speed), it will reset the ALT when it achieves the set new altitude.     One thing I did find in the HDG and set ALT. that the V-22 tended to slightly roll left and right? a slight touch of the joystick to counter the movement usually centered it, but it would get slightly annoying if going a distance. Another factor is that in airplane mode the V-22 doesn't turn very well, on the AP or manually, even with a fair bit of rudder to push the nose around, yes you can do a crazy 45º turn, but it still takes a fair circle to achieve the full turn manoeuvre, so you have to forward plan out any tight (wide) turns to accommodate the Osprey.     The "VID" Video or “Synthetic Vision” is excellent, with a great visual of the landscape outside, you can easily fly by the instruments or in a head down mode with the amount of detail shown here.     Other AoA features include "Roll to See" where in the mode, the view is rolled to the angle of the aircraft.     The second is "Target Track", were as the plug-in code takes command of the pilot point of view camera in order to point the camera at a selected AI plane and follow it, keeping it in view at all times while it is in your aircraft’s forward hemisphere.   Other features include Air-to Air Refuelling, 2D or 3D cockpit modes, one is a locked view, the other free. And the V-22 supports the default X-Plane slung load system. You just choose a slung load object and weight in the weight and balance menu. Navigate to the payloads folder and select one of the available OBJ files.     Now is the transition phase in reverse...  The Osprey loves it's speed, so you have to pull the TCL quite a way back before you lose speed. Tricky is that the NTAI does not show until you go under 220 kts, then you still have rub off speed before it will allow you rotate the nacelles at around 198 kts.     A slight nose up atitude will slightly rub off the speed, but when you reach 50º up angle then the speed passes away a lot quicker.     So you are now losing height and losing speed...  75º is a very nice approach speed of around 55 knts, but be aware of like in a Helicopter there is that very ineffective "Transitional Lift" zone, so you have to be very, very aware of your thrust, as the point of aerodynamic lift is replaced by thrust lift, yes you can sink, and quite quickly, but the slight annoyance is as you move the nacelles to 80º the upward thrust comes in with a bang, the trick is finding a perfect transitional balance (thrust) between the two phases.     But that 80º position is a sweet spot, the nacelles are far enough forward to keep you moving in the approach...  a creeping forward momentum.     ... any moment you go to the straight up (90º) the Tiltrotor stops in it's tracks...   I tried the MFD HVR feature...  but to a point it didn't work as I expected? one was the VID was still a forward view, I expected it to be pointing downwards to show you underneath the Osprey, second, although you had a movement counter 1.2.3 - -1. -2. -3 if you went backwards or forwards, the crosshairs didn't move as much as it did on the AW-109... so it's not much help in that repect.     Time to go down, unlike a Helicopter the V-22 is quite easy to hold in the hover, just gentle stick movements will correct your position...     ...   one great bonus you have, is that if the nacelles are put to 97º the Osprey will fly in reverse, or act like an airbrake on approach...     These adjustable powerplants give you an amazing amount of control, and it is far easier than your Helicopter control, if done in a different way. So low hovers and a quiet touch landing is very easily done, no twitching or fighting the tail yaw like with a Helicopter. On the ground there is the there is an option on the menu pop-up to "Brake with Stick", or pull back on the stick to brake the aircraft (you can release the brakes as well) when taxiing or slowing down with a rolling landing, I never used this, as I use the foot pedals, but you can use in on say a vertical landing to stop the aircraft moving, handy on a Carrier ship.     The V-22 Osprey is an amazing machine, but challenging to fly? no not really like in a Helicopter sense, but unique to itself is the best statement you could make...  overall I love it immensely.     There are no liveries with the package, but there are few you can download...  CV-22B SOCOM and VMX-22 "Metallic", and the latest is the CMV-22B "Titans" livery, which is very nice.   ________________ Summary Is it a helicopter or an aircraft is usually the first question asked about the V-22 Osprey. It's formal title is "Tiltrotor", so you would say helicopter with those massive three blades per side, but the machine can also convert to a forward flying aerodynamic winged aircraft, and then flies in that same forward configuration as a normal aircraft. So a bit of both.   The success of the XV-15 created the concept of an American multi-use, tiltrotor military transport and cargo aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft   This X-Plane 12 only version of the V-22 Osprey is from Angle of Attack (AoA) Simulations, mostly AoA aircraft are military designs like the F-22A Raptor and F-35B Lightning ll and T-7A Red Hawk. The original V-22 Osprey for X-Plane 11 was released March 2018.   The original AoA for X-Plane 11 felt a little under developed, but that was a long time ago (in X-Plane sense) and here it has been completely reworked and upgraded to X-Plane 12, basically it is a different aircraft in now being very matured and far more wholesome.   It needs to be because the V-22 role requires really good handing and dynamics to experience the "Tiltrotor" actions, thankfully that aspect is very well delivered here, it is a very unique flying experience and comes with excellent simulator pilot intergration.   Modeling, design and detail is really good, certainly in the cargo and highly detailed cockpit, and looks far better in X-Plane 12 than XP11, and not for the obvious reasons, it just feels overall far more complete and refined. Great animations for doors external and internal, pilots including Flight Engineer and Marines in the rear, carry hooks (yes you can sling loads), refueling probe, a clever realistic Blade Fold/Wing Stow animation, and Autostart feature, standard (XP) Weight and Balance menu. Standard AoA features like Roll to See and Target Track are also included, there are also four menu selectable V-22 variants. Lighting and Sounds are also top notch.   The V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor is unique, and the Angle of Attack X-Plane 12 version gives an excellent immersion into this incredible aircraft. The V-22 is unique to fly as well, and more accessible than a Helicopter, so you can fly vertical flight, and fast horizontal flight, so the Osprey combines the two skills.   The V-22 becomes very, very addictive, mainly because it's flight envelope is so wide, takeoff vertically, "Jump" into the air, and still do carrier operations, the Osprey has it all, I loved it, addictive...  Highly Recommended! ______________________     The  V-22 Osprey XP12 by AOA Simulations is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store:   V-22 Osprey XP12 Priced at US$55.00 Currently US$44.00 You Save:$11.00(20%)   Requirements X-Plane 12 (not for XP11) Windows , Mac (M1/M2 Supported), Linux 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 495 MB Current version: 1.03 (December 3rd 2024)     This aircraft is noted as a new version, to date there are no upgrade deals from the X-Plane 11 version, but that may change. ________________   Installation and documents:  download for the V-22 Osprey is 446Mb and the aircraft is deposited in the "Military" X-Plane folder.   Full Installation is 645MBb   AviTab Plugin is required for this aircraft (latest v0.7.1 version)   Documents supplied are: 1-V-22 User Guide.pdf (41 Pages) 2-V-22 Cockpit Display Reference.pdf (68 Pages) 3-Enter GPS Waypoint.pdf 4-Osprey Start Checklist.pdf V-22 1.0 notes.pdf V-22 copyright.txt     Documentation consists of a User guide (41 Pages), and the excellent Cockpit Reference guide (61 Pages), also provided is a Checklist (pdf) and Notes   Designed by  Fabrice Kauffmann and David Austin of AOA Simulations Support forum for the V-22 Osprey Tiltrotor _____________________   Update Review by Stephen Dutton 6th December 2024 Copyright©2024: 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. Bose Quietcomfort Headphones Software:   - Windows 11 Pro - X-Plane 12.1.2 Plugins: Traffic Global - JustFlight-Traffic (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$52.99 : Global SFD plugin US$30.00 Scenery or Aircraft - KTCM - McChord AFB  - Seattle - Boeing Country 10.5 by Tom Curtis (Sorry not now available)   (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: Stinson 108 Package XP12 by Ted Cook By Colin Parker Introduction Ted Cook has released his latest model, the Stinson 108-3, for X-Plane 12. Building on the X-Plane 11 version, this new release introduces custom airfoils, an updated FMOD sound package, improved weight and balance configuration, and the exciting new water features of X-Plane 12. The add-on includes three distinct models:  Basic VFR model: perfect for straightforward visual flying. IFR model: a VFR model with added blind flying instruments and a basic radio/nav package. Seaplane: for exploring X-Plane’s impressive water physics. The Stinson Aircraft Company, founded in 1920 by stunt pilot Eddie Stinson, was responsible for a small but successful range of general aviation aircraft. The company later became part of Consolidated (famous for the Catalina flying boat) before being sold to Piper. The Stinson 108 first took flight in 1946, and around 5,000 were built. It was a fabric-and-steel high-wing monoplane powered by a 6-cylinder Franklin engine. The aircraft came in two key configurations: Voyager: featuring 4 cloth-covered seats and a 350lb luggage capacity (rear seats removable). This is reflected in the Basic VFR model. Station Wagon: a more powerful version with vinyl-covered seats, wood trim, and a 600lb luggage capacity (rear seats removable). This trim is used in the IFR and Seaplane models. The 108-3 was the final production version and was even sold by Piper as the "Piper Stinson" after they acquired the company. This add-on recreates the charm and character of this iconic aircraft, bringing it to life in X-Plane 12. Installation and Documentation After purchasing the Stinson 108-3, you’ll receive a zip file for download. Once downloaded, simply extract the Stinson 108 folder into your X-Plane 12 "Aircraft" directory. The zip file is 274MB and unpacks to 362MB when fully extracted. Included in the package is a clear and concise Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for each variant. Found in the documentation folder, the handbook provides just the right amount of information for simulator enthusiasts to get the most out of all three aircraft models. It’s an excellent companion to the add-on and well worth a read. One small warning though, don't do what I did and start printing the POH for the second model before checking. They’re all identical!   External Walk-Around The package includes three liveries: maroon, blue, and a plain white option for those who enjoy creating their own custom designs.     Visually, the models may not have the same depth of texture or photo realism as some higher-end add-ons, but they still manage to look the part when parked up. As with other Stinsons, the 108-3 sits at a steeper angle compared to its Piper and Cessna counterparts. This reduces forward visibility while taxiing, making ground handling a bit of a challenge.     The cockpit doors can be opened and closed from the inside using the door handles, while the luggage compartment door requires a function key. A nice additional touch is the animated windows, which can also be opened and closed.     Interior Visually, the cockpit doesn’t quite match the depth of detail or photo realism we’ve come to expect in X-Plane 12 add-ons. However, it’s still a fully functional 3D cockpit that accurately represents the real aircraft.     The Stinson 108-3 features two fuel tanks, one in each wing. On the control panel, you’ll find two switches: one determines which tank the fuel gauge reads, while the other selects which tank feeds the engine. Mix these up at your peril!     The VFR version has a very basic instrument panel, there’s no turn-and-slip indicator or artificial horizon. These “modern” features are included in the IFR model and, at the time, were cutting-edge for instrument flying. Just like in the real aircraft, the turn-and-slip coordinator has its own electrical circuit and needs to be switched on before use.     The IFR Radio and Navigation unit is a vintage 50 KHz system, which unfortunately isn’t compatible with the modern 8.33 KHz radio network used by X-Plane’s Air Traffic Control or VATSim.     Ground Handling Wheeled Version – as mentioned earlier, the high nose angle on the ground makes taxiing a real challenge. Forward visibility is poor, so zigzagging is very much the name of the game.     The Stinson 108-3 is equipped with a highly responsive steerable tailwheel, and differential braking allows for impressively tight turns. However, things can get tricky when it’s windy. Paying attention to wind direction and setting the control surfaces correctly is essential, otherwise, you might find yourself going around in circles, just like I did!     Sea Plane Version – Laminar Research has done an excellent job modelling the swell on seas and lakes in X-Plane 12. When the sea state is heavy, the Stinson bobs about on the water in a highly realistic manner, perhaps even a bit too realistic! The aircraft isn’t designed for rough seas, and during my testing, consistently high waves led to a few unexpected crashes. To avoid being thrown onto the beach (or worse), it’s worth checking the wave height before starting a new flight. When it comes to taxiing, the sea rudders perform well, just don’t forget to retract them before take-off. Unlike modern seaplanes, the Stinson doesn’t have a retractable undercarriage, so water landings and take-offs are your only option.     Flying the 108-3 Like most taildraggers, taking off in the Stinson 108-3 requires a bit of practice. The high nose angle makes the start of the run tricky. I found it helpful to use the compass to ensure I was heading in the right direction and kept an eye on the edge of the runway to stay straight until the airspeed came alive. That said, once the tail lifts, take-off is relatively straightforward, and the aircraft leaves the ground with ease.     The Stinson settles nicely into a stable cruise. It’s equipped with elevator and rudder trim, which help maintain smooth flight. However, it lacks a direction indicator, so you’ll need to rely on the compass to hold your heading.     To minimise the risk of stalling, Stinson added partial leading-edge slats to both wings, and these are faithfully included in the flight model. As a result, stalls are gentle and low-key. When approaching a stall, the aircraft gradually settles into a 500-fpm descent, and the ailerons remain responsive throughout. For those who really want to push the limits, you can induce a proper stall by diving and pulling up sharply, though you’d need to give yourself a proper fright to make it happen! In the real aircraft, there’s a mechanical safety feature that prevents full elevator travel unless the flaps are deployed. This isn’t modelled in X-Plane 12, but it’s a notable detail from the original design.   Thanks to its inherent stability, leading-edge slats, and highly effective flaps, landing is a straightforward process, even with a gentle crosswind.     I’ll admit, I have next to no experience flying from water in X-Plane. Despite that, the Stinson was forgiving enough for me to manage some respectable take-offs and landings.     Night Lighting The cockpit is well-lit at night, with lighting that can be adjusted using a dimmer switch. However, the external lights seem overly bright to me. I’m currently running the 12.1.3 beta, and Laminar has been working on addressing the brightness of X-Plane 11-configured lights. It’s possible this issue will resolve itself once the full release of 12.1.3 is available.     Sound The Stinson comes with an updated FMOD sound package that works well. The Franklin 6A4 150-B3 engine sounds authentic, with no looping to spoil the experience. You’ll also hear detailed effects like switches and levers, the movement of control surfaces, and the satisfying sounds of windows and doors opening and closing.   Performance I didn’t notice any impact on frame rate with this add-on, performance remained smooth throughout, with no degradation experienced.     Conclusion My first impression was that this add-on lacked the visual depth of some others on the market. However, it has definitely grown on me. While it might not have the slickest appearance, the fact that you get three aircraft in the pack makes it great value, and all of them fly just as the original Stinson Pilot Operating Handbook suggests they should. One of my favourite features is the effect of the slats during slow flight, it’s a joy to experience. The attention to detail in the cockpit controls and gauges is also a highlight. Adding the elevator travel inhibitor tied to the flaps would be the icing on the cake. If, like me, you enjoy low-and-slow flying, tackling grass strips, and embracing the charm of 1940s and 1950s grassroots aviation, then this add-on might be just what you’re looking for. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending the past couple of weeks exploring far-flung corners of the world with this delightful model.   ___________________     The Stinson 108 Package XP12 by Ted Cook is available from the Org store here:   Stinson 108 Package XP12 Priced at US$20.00   Features: Three aircraft included: IFR, VFR and Float. Completely overhauled for XP12 from the previous version. Custom airfoils. New and updated Fmod sounds. Floatplane completely overhauled to take advantage of new XP12 water features. Includes POH with checklist New XP12 load stations for each seat, cargo, and fuel Requirements: X-Plane 12 - not for XP11 Windows, Mac, or Linux 8GB +VRAM Video Card Current Version: XP12 3.0 (October 31st, 2024) Customers who own the Stinson 108 XP11 can get the new XP12 version for 25% off. A discount will automatically be applied at checkout. Reviewers System: Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-Core Processor 3.80 GHz Memory: 32.0 GB Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060   Aircraft Review by Colin Parker 6th December 2024 Copyright©2024: X-Plane Reviews     (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copying of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)   

Releasing NGS scenery in stages makes sense, but perhaps for another reason than its availability. Part of the issue for a flight simulation is providing ‘Global’ scenery. Just how much of that Global scenery (subtracting of course the oceans) is actually ever used? My guess 5-10% of the earth’s surface if that. Then adjust for those remote territories that people only fly over at 38,000 feet so the detail is overkill. Perhaps the answer is have Xplane track where people fly and then use that data to build scenery detail levels. Of course there will always be exceptions cases, but they would continue to have the existing level of detail. There have to be huge areas in the Far North (Canada, Russia), Antartica, Africa, Australia (sorry Stephen), Central Asia and South America that no simmer, at least for VFR has ever visited. Having access to the whole world, like MSFS has, is a nifty trick, but wasteful. Data, and perhaps AI might have you understand what scenery you really need.