Orbx’ Grumman TBF Avenger

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124

Update: I asked the below and got a response from Orbx (directly below that separated by ******)

Considering this model but I’m a bit put off by a series of bugs reported on the official forums, and noting a lack of responses to inquiries here on these forums. I noted that Orbx lists version 1.1 as the latest, but users are still noting the following issues:

1. Inaccurate flight dynamics, to include engine performance (too slow, for example) which even necessitated a third-party mod on flightsim.to to align the aircraft more towards real world manuals.

2. Significant texture mirroring preventing accurate repaints.

3. Inner flap section missing animation.

4. Engine sounds stuck at idle when at full power if canopy is open.

5. Prop pitch lever animation inverted.

6. Aircraft porpoising if on autopilot.

7. Overly sensitive in pitch.

I’m just noting what I’ve read from multiple users and repainters. Again, noting zero responses to these issues by Orbx. Is this aircraft abandoned or are updates forthcoming, and when may we expect them (rough estimate)?

******************************************************

Hello,
there are always plans to respond to customer feedback and this aircraft is no exception.
What is never published, is a timeline for those plans to be implemented and a release to be made.

To answer your points in order:

1. I don’t have the real world knowledge or experience to comment on whether the developers or the flightsim.to mod author are correct and I doubt that many of us are skilled enough in that field.

2. The developers were making a model of a specific aircraft and as with the Wolf Pitts Pro, another one owned in the real world by the same person, I don’t think that they envisaged repainting.

3. Correct, I don’t know why not.

4. This has been fixed and no longer happens.

5. The “prop pitch lever animation” is fixed and correct, as it came up in testing.

6. Very few MSFS 2024 aircraft don’t porpoise on autopilot, I think that more work is required on this.
Possibly by Asobo as well.

7. Similar to the answer to question 6, many default aircraft are similarly very quick to react to changes in pitch.

125

Well that’s a disappointing reply. I would love a FI or BS-level Avenger and I know this could never be that but being open to updating and not just saying “that’s the way it is” would be a step in the right direction. Performance figures can be taken from manuals and videos. Repaints should always be assumed, especially for a warbird. Autopilot porpoising just needs PID numbers to be messed with. Pitchiness has any of 4 different ways to be fixed, depending on the phase of flight. None of it is impossible. But alas….

126

Not a single person working on the thing ever thought someone would try to make another livery? Seriously?

127

Yeah I just don’t understand it at all. People have been repainting everything released since the sims of the 90s.

128

It doesn’t say that at all.

130

It gets the job done, and it makes great screenshots. I don’t think you’ll find any military birds in the sim that come across as “perfect”. It’s on par with the rest of my hangar.

131

Points 1, 2, 6, and 7 certainly say that. 6 and 7, in particular, they’re falling back on the old blame-sim-limitations excuse when a simple fix would suffice

132

Looks like they closed my thread on the official forums due to my post here, and with that goes my interest in the aircraft unless updates appear.

I’m a bit taken aback at Orbx approach of “we don’t know and won’t say”. My thought is, if you don’t know, ask the actual dev team and communicate that to the consumer, and also, at least ballpark a release estimate for updates, or at bare minimum fully commit to updates for your aircraft.

An approach like “I don’t know why x decision was made but we’ll reach out to the developers and ask and get back to you”, along with “we don’t publish update release dates but can assure that updates are forthcoming likely by the end of the year or within X months” would go a LONG way to consumer confidence and satisfaction.

Just the notion of the publisher and dev team both not having foresight (repaints?), and the publisher (orbx) dismissing their own lack of knowledge with no indication that they’ll seek to understand what they’re selling is……unusual…as is of course a lack of commitment to even follow-through on the product. I don’t need to know if it’s out on Tuesday at 09:23 in the morning, I just want a rough “yes, fixes are coming, here’s the plan, etc”.

A dev and publisher should demonstrate drive and commitment and to me their response so far doesn’t do that. Rant over…let’s see what happens.

133

There’s a mod being worked on for this aircraft, the same guy who has been developing the Asobo Mustangs & T-6 has been working on a few changes for the Orbx Avenger. It’s happening on Discord & is still in early stages of testing & has not been released however it will most likely be uploaded to flightsim.to as was the Mustang & T-6. There is hope for the Avenger!

134

To be fair, this is how Orbx operates. They dropped their Caribou, FVII, and Blackwing like lead bricks after they launched. They choose not to support their products after release, which is fine. I choose not to buy their products because of that.

135

Facts:

The Caribou and Fokker V.II are both Microsoft “Local Legends” and have never been offered for sale by Orbx.
If you own them, they must have been bought from Microsoft at the in-game Marketplace.
The Blackwing was released in April 2023 and updated in June 2023 and again in July 2023.
In total 22 issues were resolved.

136

That’s good to know about the third party development. I actually already follow him on discord due to his P-51A improvements so it was exciting to check in and see what he has already fixed and has planned.

137

Good review here. He doesn’t pull the punches.

RandallSnow is the developer working on the mod.

138

Also facts:

They can update them if they wish. This has been verified by MS. They choose to abandon them instead. We can only hope they make some touchups to the Avenger - like the ridiculous bouncing on autopilot.

139

Has anyone flown this one recently? Is it in a better state? I don’t want to rent it just to find out, I wish it had a free trial

140

It’s better than launch. They fixed things like the airspeed indicator. It’s ok, but it’s not stellar. I bought it on sale for $10 I think and I’m not unhappy. My only real complaint is that it porpoises a bit on autopilot and Orbx came back with “all planes do that” which of course they do not. Not on 1x sim rate anyway.

It’s not the equal of Flying Iron for sure, but costs less.

141

Orbx in fact came back with:

6. Very few MSFS 2024 aircraft don’t porpoise on autopilot, I think that more work is required on this.
Possibly by Asobo as well.

but don’t let facts get in the way.

142

What do you think of the plane?

143

Thank you, that helps! Hopefully it goes on sale again

144

I stand corrected. They don’t though. So it’s still incorrect and an excuse not to fix it. In fact I certainly wouldn’t say none do, but I have a hard time recollecting one that does noticeably.