I just purchased the PA44 Seminole from the Marketplace and I have some information about it.
The aircraft has 2 piston engines. It is most similar to the Baron 58 in the Deluxe version of the game. However, unlike the Baron, this aircraft has steam gauges, not the Garmin G1000. This makes the PA44 the only aircraft in the game with twin piston engines and steam gauges.
The startup procedure that I found that works is to:
- Turn on the master/battery switch and alternator (only 1)
- Turn on the fuel selector (in between the seats) for target engine
- Turn on both mags for the engine, close cases
- Turn on the fuel pump for the engine
- Prime the engine by pressing the button once
- Press the engine starter once (either left or right)
- Repeat process for other engine
- Turn off fuel pumps
The aircraft has cowl flaps that can be opened when taking off/climbing to reduce cylinder head temperature (I do not think this has any actual effect on the CHT though). The aircraft has carbonator heat levers that can be turned on when descending/taxiing. The aircraft has a throttle/prop/mixture setup:
The RPM lever affects the RPM and the throttle affects the manifold pressure as expected. The mixture lever does affect the Exhaust Gas Temperature (EGT) at low altitudes, but you really need to lean it out at higher altitudes to see any effect. There does not appear to be any fuel flow gauge that I can find.
The aircraft comes with a very small auto-pilot:
The auto-pilot switch is located with the lights/radio switches. The CDI switch on the Garmin works, and all the buttons on the auto-pilot appear to work.
The aircraft can optionally display static elements when parked:
It comes with 5 liveries:
Conclusion
The aircraft is a much better deal than the C182T, even though it is the same price. It is similar to the Mooney, but it has 2 engines instead of 1. Like the Beechcraft Baron G58, this aircraft feels quite stable to fly. I have also purchased the Duchess Model 76 from Just Flight in X-Plane 11, and this aircraft feels quite similar to the Duchess in terms of airframe shape and behavior (though I think the systems on the Duchess are modelled much more accurately).
Fun to fly, a much-needed aircraft in the simulator.
