Yes, you are able to see the rear passenger when loading cold and dark. And the neat thing is, it isn’t always the same passenger, but a different one each time (they use figures from MSFS2024 itself).
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Ah ok. I was editing the passenger weight with the Gotfriends Legacy weight & balance addon which didn’t add the passenger model. Editing through the tablet has them show up. Haven’t had this issue with the gotfiends addon before
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In my opinion, the T-34 is well worth the amount that Carenado is charging. Within the realm of aircraft developers, warbird and vintage especially, I don’t know of anyone that tops Carenado when it comes to the amount of detail and accuracy in their 3D modeling (inside and out), as well as the incredible photo-realistic nature of their texturing. I think just both of those aspects alone are not given enough credit/consideration. The sound set with the Carenado T-34, in my opinion, is absolutely fantastic, especially with the amount of bass and nuanced sounds from the wind vortices off the prop blades when you’re idling or taxiing around with the canopy open. The flight dynamics also feel phenomenal, and with stick forces I’d expect - it feels happy, and it’s hard not to want to do aerobatics the whole time you’re flying it. The aircraft’s performance numbers seem to be right on the money as well. Additionally, this T-34 is the latest from Carenado to feature details such as the shock-mounted instrument panel and instrument needles responding with accurate physics when the starter is engaged and the engine comes to life. Things like the working emergency canopy release and working emergency landing gear extension (manual crank), as featured in this product, are also items that until recently wouldn’t just be expected. It also comes with all of the bells and whistles available to MSFS 2024 developers, including all of the walkaround features (including being able to open the engine bay and check the oil dipstick), as well as dirt and bug splatters that accumulate as you fly it.
Having said all of that, I also have always had a soft spot for the T-34, so it probably depends greatly on where your interests lie, if you end-up feeling as I do that the aircraft is worth the expenditure. As I’ve said before, if a developer built a Stearman, or a P-51, or a B-25 to the level that Carenado does, there’s no telling how much I’d spend to have them (and I might never need another MSFS aircraft again).
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Do you have anything from SWS, BlackSquare or Fenix?
I’ve got it, it’s nice but it certainly is a bit pricey for what it is. Probably not helped by recent Marketplace price hikes…
Whether or not a product seems pricey probably has, in good part, to do with how much interest each of us has in the aircraft. For me, if it were a Boeing Stearman done by Carenado, to the same level as this T-34, I wouldn’t mind spending $100 in an instant, but that’s just me. If it’s a Cessna, no matter the type, even done to the same level as this T-34, I probably wouldn’t spend more than $12-15, because I have next to no interest in those.
I have all of the Vans aircraft from SWS and the Zenith, as well as the Baron and Bonanza Professional pack from BlackSquare. I would say that Carenado and BlackSquare are comparable/identical when it comes to visuals (3D modeling/texturing). Obviously BlackSquare takes their products much farther than Carenado when it comes to advanced systems coding.
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Yes, I am. That must be it! Hopefully they’ll sort that out in an update to Chase Plane. Thank you!
Thinking about this a lot - and also about @JohnnyT5000‘s posts in this thread. If you ask me what I want in an MSFS airplane, I’m going to tell you I want “study level” - that is, deep systems simulation where the RPM drops on the mag check because the add-on is actually modeling the ignition system. But in practice, the airplanes I fall in love with and fly the most aren’t necessarily like that. Instead of systems (or sometimes in addition to systems), what they deliver is atmosphere - a combination of graphics, sounds, effects (like needle and panel vibration) and a convincing flight model - factors that, taken together, create a “you are there” impact, the sense that you’re flying a physical airplane, not a simulation of one. That can happen even if the airplane doesn’t have the world’s deepest code - if all those other factors are there, then I’m not all that concerned whether the RPM drop is because of a system simulation or a simple IF/THEN piece of coding. The system simulation is nice to have but… for me… not as important as the willing suspension of disbelief.
The Carenado T-34B is Exhibit A.
Others’ mileage, as always, may vary.
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Honestly how I feel about the MS/Carenado P-28. I totally neglect my Just Flight P-28’s that supposedly are “Better”.
I bought the T34 as well, and the F33A.
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Beautifully put 
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This thing even has working circuit breakers, which y’all systems grognards are always on about.
I’ve flown a real T-34. The only things missing here are the motion sickness and the guy in back complimenting my formation skills.
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In-case anyone might be interested, here is some information and photos of the real world T-34 Mentors from which the liveries included in the Carenado product are based on. I believe all of the US-based examples seen here/covered by Carenado have also made the trip to AirVenture Oshkosh at least once or more in recent years (the place where you’ll see the largest gathering of T-34s every year).
N34BV - Owned by Frankie Dessuit, based at McKinney, Texas (still sporting the same 40+ year old exterior paint it had last applied when it served with the Chilean Air Force). Photo by Flickr member “OnlyKR64”:
N421NM - Owned by Wings Over the Rockies Flight Museum, based at Centennial Airport, near Denver, Colorado. Photo by Flickr member “K Kuhn”:
N34EP - Owned by James Skogen, based at Blue Earth, Minnesota. Photo by Jeremy D. Dando:
N802HV - Owned by the Commemorative Air Force (Coyote Squadron), based at Corsicana, Texas. Photo by Alan Wilson:
N134SM - Owned by Michael Mosing (Czech Six LLC), based at, I believe, Destin, Florida. Photo by Mike Kell:
CC-KST - Owned by Santiago Air Club, based at Tobalaba Airfield, near Santiago, Chile. Photo by Andrés Arancibia:
N834G - Recently sold to Randel Compton with Florida registration, but not sure where it’s now based (prior to its recent sale, it could be seen at a number of airshows in Texas in recent years, as well as at Oshkosh like many others). Photo by Flickr member “OnlyKR64”:
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Does this aircraft use the MSFS 2024 CFD flight model?
Regarding Manuals, I couldn’t find one on Carenado’s website for the 2024 version and don’t bother to download to look for it (It’s not there), but, I found the FSX version here…
Here’s a handbook and parts manual for the (USAF two-blade) T-34A (the Carenado plane is a T-34B, though)
And then the NAVAIR 01-90KDB-1 Handbook (1981) and NATOPS 01-90KDB-1B Pocket checklist for the T-34B here
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It happened to me that while flying in weather conditions with snow or freezing rain the front glass of the cockpit froze, but I didn’t see any deice controls, or am I doing something wrong?
I don’t believe the T34 has any anti ice other than pitot heat
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If Carenado read this, I would like to have following points added for immersion:
- walk on the wing to enter the cockpit and open the canopy mid flight without crash.
thank you
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Bit of a cheat, but disable the ‘structual failures’ in the settings and you can open it.
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yeah i know it, but have it with structual failures on would be better
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The Mentor doesn’t seem to be great in crosswind conditions. At a 17 knot crosswind from the right I didn’t have enough rudder authority and veered off the runway without any chance to steer against the push. 