Cowan dropped his LongRanger yesterday.
Anybody have it yet? It’s a bridge between both the B206 and the default 407, so I think it’s hard for this one to generate enthusiasm. But, I saw someone comment on a fbook group that it’s Cowan’s most polished release yet (you would hope so, being the latest). It should be a bit faster than the 206B (120kt cruise vs. 100kt) and more payload, obviously.
Today I bought the Cowan Simulation Bell 206 L3 LongRanger helicopter. Fantastic, wonderful work ! 
Still not sure if I should get the Long Ranger. I hardly ever fly the Cowansim 206B3 because I prefer the FI version. I like the 500E and still think the H125 has a lot of potential. But is there anything special about the L3 that would justify paying the full price for someone like me who already has two B3s in their hangar?
Highly doubtful. Most devs bundle different variants of the same aircraft, not put them on the market at full price to compete against each other. Strange move from Cowan.
It will have different load out options similar to the H125. With the medical HEMS load out and such. It’s a bit longer of an aircraft and slightly larger payload. Cowan has said it’s a completely different aircraft model and not a variant of the 206B.
Not sure how this is a strange move from CowanSims… they have this for x-plane. To me it looks like they are moving their aircraft catalog over from x plane to the their updated MSFS 2020 library.
As well Cowan has stated this is not a variant of the 206B3 but a completely new 206L3 model. I don’t think they will just be copy and pasted.
I remember that you have a strong opinion about the graphics of the other releases, do you feel that the 206L is much better than the 206B as far as modeling & textures?
They will probably end up as a B206B3/L3 bundle at a discounted price in the future. That is what CS did for XP11 after the initial release.
For now, I’d pick up whichever model appeals more to you. The L3 or Long Ranger is more common to see flying around these days…
Yeah, Josh said he would be offering a bundle but not in the near future. I’m really happy with the 206B…I guess I was just wondering if there’s a quality bump that’s worth the investment.
I would say no, the quality is the same for both. Especially since the B3 was just updated to V1.0.3
I think that he should offer a volume discount to his loyal customers. Something like a cumulative 10% discount on each additional aircraft purchased. I have 4 or 5 of his helicopters so I would get a 50% discount if I bought the Long Ranger. His prices are also a touch high now relative to other aircraft. His price should be more like $24 and he would sell a ton more planes. I am going to wait for now to see what happens.
I love his aircraft but I don’t feel like this one is much more than just a long model of the B3 (which…it is in real life…so it’s accurate haha). I feel like if you are happy with the B and don’t have a strong connection to the L, you may want to wait for a bundle in the distant future.
On the plus side, there are some cool repaints for the L, such as that of the Canadian Coast Guard. Other than that, it’s a long B3. I’ll personally enjoy both, but again, you have to have a connection to the L to really want it in addition to the B3.
Hello! There are also bugs in the cockpit of the Long Ranger helicopter that need to be fixed. The cockpit is not finished. Lots of jagged jagged edges, very disappointing.
We have received update 206, MD500 E. I exchanged several letters with the Cowan sim, pointed out the problems, and sent photos. I asked for the corrections at least five times. They released the update without a fix. I’m disappointed!
My opinion is that the helicopters come every month, large-scale production, but the quality of the cockpit is unfortunately not good. I hope they go back to the released helicopters and fix them at some point.
The exterior model is beautiful, and in the case of all Cowan products, the cockpit is not. I do not understand why…
I wrote to Cowan Sim, who replied that they would fix it. I honestly don’t think they will be fixed. But don’t be right…
I also love the Cowan 206 JetRanger, Long Ranger, MD 500 E helicopters. And thanks for your work Josh!
Sooooooo I think the 1.0.1 update broke it.
Picking up off the ground at 17% collective, throttle value reads zero, pedals are hyper sensitive. It’s like the power got multiplied by 1000.
Edit: Yea,Check out the torque gauge. I can’t not fly to the right, the tail rotor is so strong.
Well that sucks. I was considering picking it up
There should be a discount for this if you bought the other bell. Another to be finished Helo. Not good.
I think you are correct. I’m having the same issues with V1.0.1 so I’ve gone back to V1.0.0 for now.
I think the issue may be with the turbine because both the ToT and RPM gauge are pegged at the max and the gov switch isn’t responsive…just like in your posted screenshot.
edit:
I tested again from cold and dark and the behavior was correct, accept the TOT gauge read a hot start.
More testing to come…
Glad i checked this thread, i was close to buying it after enjoying other Cowansim helicopters but it seems there is problems and the full price for every release is getting a bit crazy in Aussie Dollars.
A little more testing,
So something with the increased fuel flow is affecting runway/helipad starts.
Open SimObjects/Airplanes/Helicopter_206L3/engines.cfg and change these back to 65 if you want to patch it yourself for now.
Cowan responded to me on Twitter so hopefully he’ll take a closer look at what’s causing it.
Glad I’ve been out for a bit with shoulder issues, waiting to see which one of the ‘typical’ helicopters ends up being the most polished post-updates, still want the 500 the most but sometimes waiting it all out ends up better in the long run.
