Test machine specs: MSI X670E, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX, 48gb RAM
Reviewed for: FS2024
Add-ons: FS Traffic, GSX Pro
I first spotted Supersonic’s Caen upon release at Simmarket a few days ago and thought it looked much better than the dev’s previous work (which I’ve no experience of). The price was attractive — and I have literally every other third-party major French airport — so I decided to give it a go…
DETAIL
For a budget product, some of the detail is surprisingly impressive. The scenery does no one thing amazingly but it has a lot going for it, with many of the typical bells and whistles us simmers associate with a decent third-party airport. The terminal is nicely modelled (featuring a full interior, though devoid of passengers or staff) and its landside is almost entirely comprised of custom static objects: signs, barriers, fences, etc. Sadly the cars are default Asobo but in a scenery at this price point (£8 or €9.50), it really isn’t a problem.
Out on the apron, the textures and ground markings are a little generic but far from terrible. I’d say they’re middle-of-the-road by 2025’s standards. Ramp clutter is a mix of default and custom and again, at this price point, I doubt you could expect too much more. The runways and taxiways feature default lighting but the airfield’s elevation profile looks pretty accurate (many similarly-priced airports don’t even bother with an elevation profile).
Supersonic have not chosen to omit the airfield’s peripheral buildings, nor have they neglected to add a little eye candy outside the perimeter fence (yes, it has a totally encompassing custom fence, complete with gates and turnstiles). The industrial complex close to the airport is modelled — admittedly quite basically but the important thing is, it’s there.
Finally, night-lighting, which came as a pleasant surprise. If I had to be critical, I’d say some areas seem a bit poorly lit but this could well be the case in reality. The terminal looks good, inside and out, and there’s not an Asobo globe in sight!
PERFORMANCE
As I often do for these reviews, I cranked the TLOD right up to maximum (400) and I couldn’t get it to stutter at all, even with a couple of FSLTL airliners present on the ramp. This is probably to be expected, given the size of the airport and the fact that many textures aren’t of the highest resolution.
VERDICT
For what I paid (the scenery was discounted earlier at Simmarket, to £5.50 or €6.24), I have zero complaints. Had I paid the full release price, I’d still be pretty satisfied. I think I’d have to pay in excess of about £10 to really start complaining but even then, a lot of the complaints would likely be easy fixes. If I had to make a few quick recommendations, I’d like to see passengers in and around the terminal, the addition of an extra piece of custom-modelled GSE to the apron (currently, only the airstairs and one tug are custom), and perhaps more wear and tear/detail on the airside ground surfaces.
Overall, Supersonic’s Caen is a solid, budget release that rounds out France that little bit more. Sure, there are some small niggles but they’re pretty easy to forget about. The landside looks just as good as the airside, with its abundance of custom clutter (shame about the Asobo cars), and something I find particularly pleasing is the absence of Asobo globes! There are also inexpensive versions of LFRK from BDOAviation and FranceVFR but neither looks as good as Supersonic’s rendition, all things considered. In fact, BDO’s isn’t really in the running but, to be fair, FranceVFR’s does have the most accurate airside ground textures (and possibly a touch more custom GSE). The problem with the BDO and FVFR versions is that they don’t feature much landside modelling, or terminal interior development. These aren’t make or break omissions but they are two things that any good all-rounder should probably include — there’s a lot of glass in the terminal’s apron-facing façade and it’s undeniable that being able to peer in from your cockpit greatly increases immersion. In Supersonic’s, you can even see (from outside) the glow of computer screens at night!
At the current Simmarket sale price, this is a no brainer for anyone who regularly flies around France. In real life, Air France Hop! and Volotea are the only scheduled visitors but their networks span several regions of France — so this is a perfect accompaniment to any Pilot Experience Sim airports you might own. There are also regular GA movements for those uninterested in flying airliners, with Caen being only a stone’s throw from southern England, the Channel Islands and various points in Belgium and the Netherlands.
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