Please use this thread to provide general feedback and impressions about this aircraft in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. For all bug reports, please create a new topic (or upvote an existing topic) in the Bug Reporting Hub > Aircraft & Systems section of the forums. Please use the full bug report template when creating a new bug report.
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being best), how do you rate the Flight Model and Aircraft Systems?
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On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being best), how do you rate the Interior and Exterior Graphics?
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On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being best), how do you rate the Audio and Aircraft Sounds?
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On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being best), how do you rate your Overall Enjoyment of this aircraft?
Itās nice overall and dumping water is insanely satisfying! One thing though, I donāt know if itās my fault or notā¦ After scooping I really struggle getting airborne again. I know, that the plane is way heavier now, but but it really takes forever to somehow get the bird into the air againā¦ And then thereās constant stall-warning and then my engines die, because I kept them at max-throttle for too longā¦ Iāve seen CL-415 scoop water in real life and they didnāt struggle anywhere as hard, as I do in the simā¦
I completed the first mission by scooping water this way:
Land (but keep torque at 20% to avoid high rpm). Donāt scoop water immediately.
Configure aircraft for takeoff: no flaps and trim set to TO.
Go to the end of the lake and turn around.
Accelerate, scoop and only fill water up to 60%
Increase speed and when you are almost at lift up speed add the first (and second) flap and increase torque temporally to 110%, immediately decrease torque to 100% after getting out of the water.
Yup, I had the same issue, but the controller suggested I should check the wind direction, which sounds like good advice, if only I could figure out how to do that, on a lake with no windsocks and no apparent avionics to tell me.
Are there deployable water rudders for this aircraft, as it appears to be very tough to turn on the water?
Hmmm, maybe I should have clocked the direction of the smoke of the conveniently placed nearby fire?
Edit: It looks like there is an MSFS command āToggle Water Rudderā but whether this aircraft would do anything with that mapping, Iāll need to find out, I guess.
Has anyone been able to discover the secret to getting the condition lever to the Start/Feather position using peripherals. With my Bravo I can only get from Fuel Cutoff up to āMinimumā but no matter how many variations I try I canāt get the Condition Lever mapped correctly to stop at the Start/Feather position without using my mouse.
I had been searching for the command for just that, but in the SWS Kodiak 100, and it would appear that the binding command that was present in FS2020 has for some reason been removed.
It might get re-added at some point, but until it does, it looks like manipulating it with a mouse is the only option.
I really do think the CL-415 is underpowered in the sim. I was tracking two real CL-415s during the SoCal fire, and they were consistently hitting 200+ mph (~175 knots), and this was after a scoop.
Yes, I know about winds, DA, fuel load etceteraā¦but I canāt seem to get near even the cruising speed listed for the CL-415ā¦180 knotsā¦in any configuration.
This is really my only gripe with the CL-415. I did the Fire extended attack mission and with full water tanks and like 1/4 fuel she struggled to get of the water and climb without getting into the damage areas on the engines. I basically had to fly listening to the stall/AoA warning. watching videos of the real thing they seem to handle the water weight fine on climb out from scooping. now I donāt know if theyāre filling the tanks to full like the sim wants but I imagine they are.
But one thing I do really like is that you can taxi this plane with the reversers like a turboprop should be able to. The others in the sim seem to be youāre not in beta/reverse and build speed quickly thus having to constantly go into reverse and then back out while taxiing. the CL-415 I can set the throttle to manage my speed without having to constantly adjust or brake
Coming from the aerial firefighting neck of the woods, currently all firefighting aircraft in this sim are under performing and/or are only partially functioning in how the real aircraft should be. As well as them being loaded incorrectly. Itās become apparent after talking to other people in the firefighting and other niches, that no SMEās were contacted when trying to construct these sorts of missions or test the aircraft properly to ensure they were performing the missions tasked properly.
The CL-415 IRL can scoop a maximum load of 1,620 gallons of water (6,140L) which they do once their fuel load is optimal, but they still scoop even when fuel laden over 1,000 gallons. Most firefighting aircraft fly with 4 hours or less of fuel on board. Never more than that, unless they are ferrying to other bases. As no firefighting aircraft flies with fuel tanks full. As they have to operate at their best performance envelopes due to the environments they fly in. This is drastically overlooked by all firefighting and ag aircraft currently in this simulator.
This is an addition to the 415 being underpowered. This also doesnāt help matters when the aircraft is loaded currently.
Water weighs 8.33lbs per gallon, Fire retardant weighs 9lbs per gallon. This is why weights and performance on these airplanes is so important. When you get underpowered aircraft, it results in poor/dangerous performance and in the case of MSFS 2024, unenjoyable inaccurate (or impossible) missions.
Totally agree. During the Palisades fire, I was watching in real-time on the Waterbomber app. The two CL-415s hit above 200 mph (around 180 knots) AFTER scooping. Iāve only gotten that fast in the Sim in a clean configuration and in a slight dive (without going over 100% torque).
And just I realized Iāve already posted thisā¦but still bears repeating.
Seeing your above post in regards to this and the earlier one, I think this echoes part of the issues weāre dealing with in a number of aircraft. At least in the aerial firefighting and agriculture operations.
The 415 as an example is a powerful airplane, it has a great power to weight ratio. But in this sim currently, the way itās configured makes it feel like trash. In the real world they are doing 200+ mph flying around with a full load onboard. As an example, directly from real world testimony from pilots AND from Bombardierās manuals themselves, the CL-415 can achieve a climb rate near 1,200 FPM with a full load of water aboard. In the missions currently, you canāt even get close to matching that. Even if you took into hot density altitudes and such even getting 800 FPM in the worst conditions is feasibly possible with 13,000 lbs of water onboard.
The Scoop action button is set too slow, at 60kts or thereabouts before it lets you drop probes. The action button should be made to allow the probes by 80kts at the slowest. 60kts on the water is far too slow for this aircraft and greatly extends takeoff time/distance. For best results, probes should be down before touchdown.
Using alternate water drop modes, the water drop sound only plays with the first door(s) to open, but does not play for remain drops in the same dropping run.
Seems to be slightly too much drag on the airframe clean and dirty.
Overall itās an incredible effort and a ton of fun. A highly technical aircraft that punishes poor technique. With practice iām finding that full scoops under 15 seconds, without going over 100% torque, are possible. The effort that has gone into this model is apparent and I hope people continue to put the time into learning it.
Yes indeed the scoop speeds are far too slow. According to pilots flying the Aero-Flite owned CL-415s, they state the 415ās scoop airspeed is no lower than 80 knots (92 mph). A full scoop of 1600 gallons of water takes 12 seconds in the real aircraft. They are not allowed to fly anywhere near the aircraftās stall speed, which is 68 knots. Scooping at 60 knots is far too low, since āscoopingā has to be done in the aircraft at flight speeds, near best maneuver speeds to avoid possible obstacles, so for the 415, thatās ideally between 80-120 knots. This current restriction is 8 knots below the slowest speed the aircraft can even fly at. Unrealistic and also a dangerous flight profile. As it not only means you are too slow to maneuver around potential safety issues, it also means are are far to slow to climb to also avoid them.
Hi, I think the CL-415 is astonishing visually, both inside and outside. You did a very well plane!
I think their is some room for improvement in almost any systems and I was thinking about making a list of some of improvement that could be made to the plane to make it a bit more accurate or realistic.. Is it possible that I can exchange some technical stuff of the plane with people working on the SIM since I flew it? Thanks!
On a side note
Wondering if it is possible to add a GNS430 to the CL-415 as seen in real 415.?!
Iāve tried to search 3rd party GNS430 or WT for msfs2024 through marketplace but nothing pops up..
Thanks again!
There isnāt a way. Currently, all MSFS 2024 aircraft are encrypted and protected from modifications. Which is why liveries cannot be even created or added to the sim currently, with the exception of some of the airplanes that were available for 2020. Unsure if or when that will change, but itās a huge wishilst item the devs seem to keep ignoring.
