I use the Big Radials version and have no experience in the real thing (obviously!) so take this with a grain of salt, but I’m pretty sure the Goose is meant to be bad on the water because it doesn’t have a water rudder. So I use a single engine at a time to taxi in water (both engines on but only one at higher power to steer)
Using differential engine thrust has no effect at all. Try it for yourselves. It’s not just poor handling, it’s completely uncontrollable at all. If there is any sort of wind you can’t even takeoff from the water. You just get spun around and pushed into the shore.
Note: These comments are for the Grumman Goose included in MSFS 2024 base game, not any third party versions (which aren’t what this thread is about)
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That’s super annoying, hopefully they’ll be a fix for that at some point!
Yea, I can’t answer to that tho it’s hard to believe. All twin engine aircraft in this game that I’ve ever flown have torque based on engine thrust. I’ll try to try the Goose from the game a bit later. It’s possible it’s just broken though. A lot of the old aircraft from 2020 are broken to some degree. That is not one that got any updates so far as I can remember.
Edit: Ok I logged in to try it. Yea you’re right, there’s very little turning available until you gain enough speed to get it from the rudder. The engines should provide more side thrust.
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Any mod we can use to enable simple autopilot?
No, it’s disabled in the config files.
The Big Radials version is better in most ways though, and that has a basic gyropilot and works well with PMS50’s GTN750 including the 750’s autopilot thats included with the paid version.
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I have to express real disappointment regarding the Grumman G-21A Goose.
This aircraft is unique. It has soul.
It’s one of the very few classic amphibians that offers a truly different experience: coastal exploration, remote lakes, retro bush flying… It brings an atmosphere that very few other aircraft in the simulator can deliver.
Yet today, it feels like the forgotten member of the inbuilt fleet.
Simplified systems, lingering bugs, flight dynamics that could be refined… It feels like it hasn’t received the same level of care and attention as other included aircraft. And that’s unfortunate, because its potential is huge.
One particularly important aspect is water handling.
Taxi behavior, low-speed maneuverability, wind and current influence, and overall water operations could be significantly improved. For an amphibian aircraft, this phase is an essential part of the experience. Right now, it lacks finesse and realism, which limits immersion.
The Goose is an aircraft that has successfully crossed decades in real life. It evolved, it was modernized, it adapted.
Why not consider adding a more modern variant in the simulator as well? A remotorized or updated version, inspired by contemporary restorations such as the Grumman Goose by Redc, would show that this aircraft is not just a relic of the past, but a timeless machine.
Leaving the Goose behind is not just about a 3D model —
it means setting aside a piece of the simulator’s soul.
It deserves:
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Updated and refined systems
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Improved flight dynamics
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Enhanced sound design
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More realistic water taxi and maneuvering behavior
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And potentially a modernized variant
Many simmers love the Goose for what it represents: adventure, history, and freedom.
It would be truly disappointing to see it remain overlooked when it could become a benchmark amphibian within the simulator.
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Yes I agree, and ain’t we very lucky that Big Radials made Goose before default one. Now that one is something else! Of course you have to pay some money for that, but it’s worth every penny. We can’t say that from many other planes, which were released first in sim, so that nobody would not touch to make that model again. First that comes to my mind is 707…
-eelis-
The graphics on the Big Radials goose are pretty outdated tho.