In short, the worst plane by SWS is still a really good plane, and it is always available at a bargain price.
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Hi Guys,
It was time to update my list. Bought quite a few new planes. Like a lot of them but as the list grows the choice for a top5 becomes more difficult.
- Aerosoft CRJ series
Still in love with this one. Itās not perfect, but every time i do a short hop with A pilotās life (Air canada express or American Eagle) i relax and enjoy.
- BBS/Milviz DHC-2 Beaver
What can i say. Flying this thing in Alaska for the last couple of days is amazing.
- SWS Kodiak 100
Quality wise a great addon and everything clicks with this one. I only wished SWS would add a tablet for customization. Itās starts to become the norms and their addons are expensive enough to warrant that.
- Carenado PC-12
I know. This should not be here, but after SU10 this one has been almost problem free for me. The SWS will probably be better, but realistically thatās still 6 months away.
- P42 Fox2
Still my number one for camping and exploring.
Grt M
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Iāve only bought five aircraft, but will list them here as my favourites (because the fact Iāve bought them makes me feel like I should).
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Spitfire L.F Mk IXc: So much fun to fly, and the only aircraft I can start from cold and dark!
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F-35 Lightning II: Good fun, I enjoy the extra of the hover mode over other jets.
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F-14 A/B Tomcat: I havenāt flown it for a while, but when I did I found it enjoyable and nice to look at.
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Beechcraft Model 18: I feel like I should enjoy this plane more, but it hasnāt really stuck with me yet.
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MB-339: Another one I havenāt really gelled with, I need more time with it.
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Pretty generic list, hereā¦ But:
- PMDG 737/738
- Fenix A320
- iniBuilds A310
- Black Square / JustFlight King Air with analog gauges
- Black Square / JustFlight Caravan with analog gauges
- JustFlight Arrow III
They are all number 1 depending on the type of flying I want to do. All are absolutely epic in VRā¦ thatās a requirement for me.
FBW 320neo gets a very honourable mention.
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Hi. Thanks for the list. I made some assumptions on your behalf as you are only allowed 5 and we count the variants of the 737 separately.
So, I used the 737-800. and excluded the Arrow III. Gave each of those others 3pts each, as you said they are not really ranked in order. Hope thatās OK - cheers!
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I am such an idiot!! Sorry for messing with the surveyā¦ (I need to read things more carefully before posting!!)
Yes, your interpretation of my list is accurate. Sorry again for messing
with the intent of this great thread! 
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There is an update out for the PC-12. Its much better now.
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I think that if you do a lot of reading on this - youāll find a few posts saying the same sort of thing about the JU52. And I saw a YouTube video explaining how the DC flight model
Itās a long and very detailed video but worth watching as youāll learn a lot from it. A lot went into this DC3 flight model actually. Itās probably very accurate in all regards.
The upshot is that these kites can get airborne at extraordinarily low speeds - but the old sweats would say - āyes you can but no you wouldnāt.ā As you have just got airborne in an extremely unstable aircraft. You may well get away with it most of the time but thenā¦. the day comes when you donāt. We donāt suffer the real consequences of this in the simā¦ but the number of DC3 crashes going over the hump tells a slightly different story ā¦. Recommended reading - Fate Is The Hunter, Ernest K Gann - what it was really like to fly these old aeroplanes - best aviation book Iāve ever found.
Edit: so as to not get off topic, this is a strong hint that the DC3 is flying towards a new top 5 along with the Beaverā¦ revised list coming next week as Iām just recovering from real Jet lag.
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Thank you! I will watch that with interest. I have Fate is the Hunter, a great read.
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I am new to MSFS 2020 and this is my first post on this forum although I have been following it for quite awhile. Being a pilot IRL I have found flight simulators very useful in staying proficient in procedures, especially IFR procedures, since starting out with MSFS 2004 several years ago. Finally we are getting into a era of immersion with flight simulators where the visuals, aircraft and other addons, not to mention VR, are making them true simulators on a level that approaches real life. Thanks to the moderator and all members that have shared their top 5 aircraft, I have purchased several addons using this forum and my particular interests as a reference and of course are trying out all the default aircraft. I will contribute and post my top 5 after I wring them out and whittle it down to my favorite top 5.
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Welcome! I look forward to seeing what you pick 
Do you use VR?
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Thank you, I have not made the leap to VR yet, although I have tried out others VR setup. I use a wxga ultrawide monitor with Trackir, having owned this setup for a few years. I am looking forward to the next generation vr headsets coming out as well as the more capable graphics cards. I think the potential is incredible with increased resolution, FOV and developing haptic feedback. I am hoping to go all vr, even for hardcore IFR flights using PilotEdge and VatSim for ATC. Just need to get the peripherals and software utilities I need to do that, already got the Behringer x-touch mini and Navigraph subscription. Iām sure a PMDG tubeliner, Cessna 414A and WB-Sim 172SP will end up on my list as I have used the PMDG for years in previous simulators, really like the 414A after trying it and have owned a 172 IRL and miss flying that bug smasher around. Looking forward to the future development of this sim and the addons that are on the horizon, including more PMDG and the A2A aircraft.
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I understand what you mean. We spend a lot more time in the cockpit and flying the plane that we do looking at the scenery, but I find that itās the scenery that keeps me exploring the world.
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Right, the scenery in MSFS 2020 is a revolutionary aspect of flight simulators. Even when popping out of the clouds on an IFR approach itās a refreshing sight. And of course you can explore the whole planet now as if you were flying your own plane around the globe. And itās a lot cheaper! I spent the first several hours after installing MSFS flying familiar airplanes from familiar airports over familiar routes, and found the scenery virtually indistinguishable from real life at low altitudes in most cases. And the airports werenāt bad either until taxiing off the movement areas, but still better than the previous simulators Iāve used.
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My last vote was post #1280.
Old list:
- Milviz Cessna 310R
- SWS Studio Kodiak 100
- SWS Studios Vans RV-14
- //42 Freedom Fox
- Wing42 Boeing 247D
My new list:
- Blackbird Simulations Cessna 310R - I havenāt flown her in a while, but I know she is still my favorite.
- Blackbird Silumations DHC-2 Beaver - Iām happy Microsoft made this beautiful aircraft available to everybody, and I hope Blackbird Simulations profited hansomely from it. Howeverā¦ I feel a bit of sadness that we may never experience the āfull fatā treatment from Blackbird Simulation that we had once dreamed. GotFriends has released a mod that makes the Beaver incrementally better. I hope that either they or another developer some day produce a full-on payware realness mod to bring her to perfection.
- //42 Freedom Fox - Yep, another bush plane. Iām still loving the Fox and still think she is one of the most used planes in my hanger. She is my go to for Nevada, Utah, Idaho back country flights.
- SWS Studio Kodiak 100 - Not much to add that hasnāt already been said.
- FlyingIron F6F-5 - I love WWII warbirds and right now, sheās one of the best in the simulator.
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Well there have been the C172, King Air and Caravan upgrades but I suppose itās less likely with it being a commissioned project.
It occurred to me that Black Square could team up with Blackbird and make another company. Name being Black X Black, or āBlack Squaredā if you will humour me
Same setup I have currently. I have not even tried VR yet but will get it one day when I feel the time is right.
I really like that one. Great value essentially getting a more refined version similar to the Black Square upgrades but a fair bit cheaper.
I agree with you, especially since it has steam gauges. I still prefer those over the Garmin panels since it is what I am used to in GA planes and easier to read. I even like the old Bendix/King radios in the Just Flight Arrow III, itās a bit more challenging using VORs and NDBs than just going GPS direct all the time.
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I guess that makes the Just Flight Arrow III my fourth pick. 
Just need one more to round out my top 5 before I can post. Although itās due to change rapidly, easier to enjoy the aircraft you can hop into without much of a learning curve. As I learn the systems and the switches on more addon aircraft Iām sure they will gravitate upward on the list.
Everybody says VR is a real game changer and you will never go back to 2D flat panels. Chomping at the bit to jump in, but āwhen?ā Just like you waiting for the technology to get to the point where I wonāt regret waiting just a little bit longer.