Old vs. modern GA aircraft

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I don’t know about you, but I have the impression that in the field of smaller GA aircraft there are very few well converted “modern” aircraft available. By “modern” I mean aircraft that are currently being sold, e.g. a Cirrus SR22, a Diamond DA40 or DA50 etc. These aircraft are characterized by state-of-the-art technology and avionics. And they are topsellers IRL.

Unfortunately, third party suppliers mainly offer the old GA aircraft with the typical clock store.

I would be very happy about a well converted SR22 or DA40/DA50. But even with the available mods they don’t reach Milviz C310R or BSQ A36 and so on.

Why is the demand for “old” planes so high? What do you think? What do you prefer and what modern GA aircraft (small; not Turboprop i.e. Kodiak) do you recommend? Do you know about any modern GA aircraft what is in development?

Thanks for reading & happy landings!

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Other people surely know far more about this subject than I do, but I suspect at least some of the reluctance for 3rd party developers to invest their time in aircraft featuring modern avionics has depended on the progress of Working Title technologies. As a developer, I may ask myself myself, “Why put all this time and energy into creating custom coded modern avionics for an addon (no small feat) if it’s going to be available natively x months from now?”

I also suspect that we will see more modern addons as this technology continues to improve. Again, other people probably know more than I do on this subject.

It’s not super new, but you may want to look at the RV-10 by SWS. Read about it in the forums, reviews, etc. and see what you think.

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I understand what you mean, in my opinion it’s a bad mix. I like both, but there’s a lack of modern GA’s. Her e is one I absolutely love:

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It’s simple really. There is way more choice and variety in older aircraft.

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The trend is to leverage the interest not just in analog but also more detailed airframe capabilities - i.e., things like walk-arounds, system failures, working CBs etc.

Plus looking at WT’s thousands of hours to redo Asobo, no other shop wants to try that with a Dynon etc.

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Thanks for that heads up, this one passed me by, but that video makes it worth a look.

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Maybe developers have easier access to older GA aircraft to model it. We do have a Kodiak and a Sirrus GA jet. It seems like a lot of simmers also prefer analog gauges to glass. Just my guess.

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Thanks … I checked some YT videos and it looks really great.

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I like the steam gauges as I find them easier to judge at a glance.

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There is a mod for the DA-40 that improves it.

I do hope the SR-22 gets some WT love eventually, though, technically, the only thing missing is the keyboard needs to be activated. I’m not sure what else is missing from it. It did recently get a small upgrade to the flight dynamics, and there was somebody working on an improvement mod for it. It’s hard to mod, though, because it’s one of the Premium planes and therefore encrypted.

What other “modern” planes are you thinking about? There’s really not that many to choose from.

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There is of course one or the other mod for the modern GA aircraft, I have tested all of them (SR22, DA40). But as I mentioned in my opening post, they don’t even come close to the 3rd party models. And that’s what I’m looking for: a modern GA plane like the SR22 or DA40/50 in the quality of a Blackbird 310R or BSQ Bonanza A36 or JustFlight PA28 series.

@JustMicko I bought the Tecnam 2006 today, it is really a lot of fun. The walk-around alone is great. Thanks for the hint!

Thanks to all for your answers.

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The Vision Jet is supposed to be pretty good, too; though, as I understand it, the avionics need an upgrade. That might have been rectified by now.

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Almost there. :sunglasses:

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+1 for the vision jet.

EDITL: This part should have been directed at OP.
There is the Sting S4 if you haven’t seen it. It is quite a simple light plane and not very fast, but it is very complete, has maintenance modelled well (you get through brake discs quickly if you don’t treat it right) and has some novel features such as a chute! It has provision for GTN750 if that’s of use rather than default avionics.

You might want to have a look at what the dev, FSReborn, is up to as well, you might be interested in his forthcoming models. If they’re of the same quality as the Sting, they will be very good.

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“Modern” small GA aircraft are designed with ease-of-use, economy, and safety as top priorities. They’re the airplane equivalent of a Toyota Camry. A good economical practical car with no major flaws. But they’re boring! When you don’t have to pay for the plane, maintenance, or fuel, why not try something a little more dangerous, expensive, and exotic? Like the Beech 17 Staggerwing, V-tailed Bonanza, or the Cessna 337?

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An interesting angle, even though I see it as the exact opposite.

For me, modern GA aircraft with state-of-the-art avionics and high-end technology are more like Porsche, while old aircraft are like rickety Toyota Camrys.

Good thing tastes are so different. :slightly_smiling_face:

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The Sting S4 is very good but the Technan P600 is my favourite by far. Personal preferences I guess.

Not even sure if it fits solely in the GA category but it is extremely well done. Update just released in the last few days so they are also committed to updating it too.

The checklist laminated card is also really cool, although you will memorise it quickly but a nice to have. It’s great for very poor visibility flying and IFR as the avionics are spot on with the Garmins and I like that system too.

Normally I fly older GA’s but I can’t speak highly enough about the Technan.

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For me, steam panels are simply more interesting…more ‘alive’ I guess. Glass panels are more sterile even though they present the information in a more accessible way. I fly a glass panel for a living, which might be why I prefer ‘steam’ in the sim, which I do simply for enjoyment.

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Reading a glass cockpit LCD panel rendered on my LCD monitor reminds me of “Yo dawg I heard you liked screens! So I so put a screen in yo screen so you can watch while you watch!”

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It’s funny, I have the exact opposite reaction to old vs modern GA aircraft. If I was flying one IRL, absolutely, give me the newest, latest, and safest. Two giant LCDs and a ballistic parachute? Yes, please.

But in the sim? I get excited by a new plane and then just sad when I see it’s yet another G1000/G3000/GTN650 etc. If I’m trying to make a quick buck in FSEconomy, sure, hop in the Longitude, dial in the AP numbers, take off, engage autothrottle and AP, and go do some work.

But when I’m really flying MSFS? I want to fly MSFS. I might turn on the AP for cruise or to to go the bathroom, but it’s way more interesting to me to fly the plane. I’m going to do that turn manually and try to keep the slip indicator centered (easier in a real plane where you can “feel” the plane), try to not to lose airspeed, try to keep the altitude steady. Way more interesting than turning the heading indicator dial with the AP on HDG.

Why do I like classic/steam gauge planes?

  • Aviation has a rich history. It’s awesome to be able to get a feel for flying classic planes.
  • I like flying, not programming. I’ve been using Flight Sim since FS2 on a Commodore 64, and until the last few years I thought “MCDU” was a crossover between Marvel and DC’s movie universes. :slight_smile:
  • Flying manually is more challenging and more interesting.
  • The performance of classic planes adds a level of challenge, as well. I love my Garmin-equipped STOL Kitfox, but getting the steam gauge Noorduyn Norseman down onto a Canadian bush strip gives me much more of a sense of accomplishment.

But seriously, compared to how many plane models have actually been built over the years, modern GA planes feel super-well-represented compared to the classics. I love all eras of flying, and there are a ton of modern GA planes in my hangar:

In addition to the dozen-plus all-glass mostly-same-user-interface planes bundled with the sim (C172, various Cubs, King Air, Cessna jets, all those Diamonds, Cirrus, even the Extra 330LT), just in my own collection I have:

  • Vans RV-7
  • Vans RV-10
  • Vans RV-14
  • Aviat Husky
  • Tecnam P92 Echo
  • Gotfriends MXA
  • PC-6 Porter (glass)
  • Cessna 182
  • Vision Jet
  • HJet
  • Kodiak 100
  • Sting S4
  • Kitfox
  • Pilatus PC-21
  • Jabiru

Even the older GA planes are well-equipped with GPS and otto. These have steam gauges too, but you have full automation available:

  • Blackbird C310 (with GTN)
  • M20R Ovation
  • PA-28R Arrow
  • PA-44 Seminole
  • Cessna 337
  • PA-28 Turbo Arrow III
  • PA-28 Turbo Arrow IV
  • PA-28 Warrior
  • PA-34T Seneca V
  • DHC-2 Beaver
  • Zenith CH701
  • PAC P-750

Anyway, the awesome thing is there’s plenty of choice for everyone who likes stuff ranging from old warbirds to modern jets with autoland and VNAV. But I think some of this is perception: My own reaction is “dang, too many G1000 planes out there.” :slight_smile: But there’s lots for both of us!

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