Well it’s time for me to test the system as it’s been a month… and there’s lots of changes for you this time so I hope it doesn’t overstress your tables!
A tumultuous month with no less than 6 (yes, six) big changes from last month’s top 10 as some excellent new aircraft have shown up for us to fly and one existing aircraft that had been hangared for a while got a huge upgrade due to AAU1 and became very flyable again.
Or perhaps I’m just too fickle?
The only aircraft I can now see coming on the horizon that will likely affect this revised list much in the next few months are the promised Asobo ATR and the Blackbox Shorts 330/360 which are both on my list - but I’m sure I’ll get surprised again…
FSW C414. Unchanged from last month. This would be my “if you could only have one…” choice. But it’s nice not to have that limit
Asobo CJ4. Now Maran Gharab Hjet. The Hjet has been updated to V2 and had the AAU goodness applied to all its avionics. It’s much smoother now on frame rates and with the avionics improvements it’s a real joy to fly and is pretty much study level with such detailed configuration checks, performance planning, systems modelling - and with an E2 variant that gives us AT, automatic spoiler deployment. ( and stowage) on landing and additional payload capacity , this replaces the CJ4 in my list this month. For sure, great work by Maran Gharab and his development team… But there is a lesson here also about making lots of major changes and upgrades to an aircraft too quickly - it’s almost become an expectation in some quarters but there can also be lots of adverse consequences as a result.
FFX VisionJet G2. Now Cockspur C510 Mustang. Very, very close run thing. I like the FFX VisionJet a lot but I’ve always wanted a C510 Mustang to fly and the Cockspur offering is great - the integration with the Garmin G100NX cockpit has been well done if not totally complete yet ( they’re dependent on some WT works) but the aircraft comes with a superb sound package, a great feeling flight model and luxurious interior upholstery. There’s even a limousine and red carpet for the VIP if needed. There are a few minor bugs - lack of a functioning FADEC means fuel burn figures aren’t accurate with altitude, and the main door doesn’t make any sound when opened or closed - but this jet is very immersive to fly and just pushes the VisionJet out of my top 10
BBS Islander. Unchanged from last month.
BBS Trislander. Now the Hangar Studios 713 Camair 480 Twin Navion. Yes I still fly the Trislander aircraft and it’s still one of my favourites along with the BN2 Islander - but this small developer has come along with a very unusual, excellently modelled twin piston engined aircraft that has become one of my favourites. This aircraft was a total surprise for me and I wouldn’t necessarily have picked it up except for some of the reviewers’ comments on the aircraft itself ( it’s built a small legion of dedicated fans) and the developer’s efforts and passion to improve it. The flight model feels very very good, and it needs work to make good landings as it’s sensitive to power and pitch settings. Very enjoyable, analogue gauges, autopilot, retractable canopy, opening nose compartment for baggage, nice selection of colourful liveries it’s a very unique and rare airplane and it’s been modelled very well, the developer has spent a lot of time improving it before releasing on Marketplace - the more time I spend with this one, the more it grows on me.
Asobo/Milviz DH2c. Unchanged from last month. A lovely legend to fly around and kid yourself that you’re a hardened grizzly bear of a bush pilot
Big Radials Grumman Goose. Loses its place to another new aircraft, the Got Friends PZ104 Wilga. A pilots’ aeroplane even though it’s as ugly as heck(sorry Wilma) in a utilitarian way,and sounds a bit like a Massey Ferguson (well she is a sky tractor after all) when compared to the big radials on the Goose. But it’s a great bush plane for VFR and demands some attention in the air and on the ground. Will get a lot of flight time when I’m not flying the Caribou about. Got Friends have done a superb job modelling this aircraft, their attention to detail shines through and it’s very satisfying to pull off a good landing on a difficult short strip…
Asobo Carenado Beech 18. Unchanged from last month. It’s always ready to bite you on landing and always ready to fly like a dream once you get back up into the sky.
Orbx PAC750 XSTOL. Now the Orbx/Microsoft DHC-4 Caribou. Orbx bring us another unique and unusual aircraft. It’s a huge accomplishment to model an old classic piston engined STOL aircraft like this in any detail but Orbx have done an excellent job, very realistic feel to the flight model, excellent implementation of the flight deck, a great sound package including a set for the cargo doors and ramp. If you wanna be a loadmaster you’re in luck here - you can even simulate a para drop if you like… Very well done external modelling with a nice set of liveries (though the default is Canadian, confusingly as it’s a WU12 companion), and a “high tech” approach speed guidance indicator for short field approaches and prop pitch reverse to play with on a complicated looking flight deck, this ‘plane is a real joy to take up. There are a few minor bugs of course but this is an outstanding ( and brilliant value - it’s a snip at the price’s )addition to the “Legends” collection in my opinion and I find myself flying it more than anything else just now and thoroughly enjoying it too. But if you really have to have an autopilot or any automation, this one isn’t for you.
Was the Carenado PC 12. This month its edged out of the top 10 by the Carenado Piper Archer II. Fantastic visuals, as you’d expect from Carenado, with the addition of a beautifully balanced and realistic feeling flight model and great sound, with excellent visibility, this aircraft is very immersive and a real joy to hand fly. There isn’t an autopilot if you’re asking, but why would you want one when this is such a gorgeous aircraft to fly? With a little bit of trimming and good pitch and power, this aircraft practically flies itself anyway. This aircraft feels like it’s almost perfect to me - definitely one of the very best aircraft to fly in MSFS just now.
Hurricane is a single engine prop, very very similar to Spitfire. The Hurricane entered WW2 before the Spitfire. (Actually, 32 squadrons of Hurricanes in Battle of Britain vs 19 of Spitfires….allegedly.)
V22 Osprey - sort of a hybrid thing really, helicopter/ twin engine prop/ military perhaps. This is one for ‘other.’ Really contentious one - I’ve categorised my aircraft in order to keep track of them and I don’t know where to put this. When I think of ‘military, I think of jet engine and warbirds as WW2 and therefore prop.
Can I humbly suggest that for the Wilga, the Westray - Papa Westray flight would be a better challenge than the Mach Loop. Quickest times in the Wilga?
That’s a good idea (but like SUPER short!! ) but not this time. It’s not meant to really be challenging… or a race… just some fun blitzing around but I think the Loop will work as we will be able to see each other well and try catching up / cutting corners etc. Could end up like Go Karting in the air if we are all quite evenly matched!!
If we get a decent enough turnout on Sunday and have some fun doing that, then I have some more ideas, yup indeedy!!
We can all put some locations “in the (goulash) pot” and make a plan heheh
EDIT: I have the Orbx Race Fun with Friends installed which marks the course if needed (I know it anyway) but maybe as a free alternative I should suggest to install one of these to help guide people? I didn’t try them yet but can check them tomorrow.
@Baracus250 ,
The Goose, Mallard and PBY are easy, if they have wheels they’re Amphibian, the Short Sunderland on the other hand is a Seaplane as it had no wheels and could only land on water.
I take it you haven’t forgotten Rotary, I would also put the Osprey in here as it can fly like fixed wing AND Rotary. Anything with fire in it’s ar$e and a pointy nose can be simply called Fast Jet.
My categories;
Amphibian
Bush (all the Cubs and STOL thingies)
FJ Civ
FJ Mil
Heavy Civ
Heavy Mil
Light GA
Passenger GA (Multi seat Cessna/Piper etc)
Rotary
Trainer (Covers Bulldog and Chippy. Moth I’d put as Vintage)
Ultralight
Vintage
Warbird
Follow the old Engineering adage, KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid
Has anyone tried Fsadnis new Warbird yet? the Junkers JU87 Stuka
But then Kodiak (as example) would need to be Amphibian, meaning it won’t show up in the other more obvious category (both for ranking top per category and for people to find what they are searching for).
But this one isn’t in the sim yet, or at least not on the list. The list is only what we have had votes for in the past so it may appear one day, at which point we will assign the right category.
Yeah I get that - so we have only 2 of those - can’t make a “top 5 in category” from that!
Well, no, but I called it Helicopters. I have placed the Osprey in there for want of a better place.
Yeah maybe we can separate it like that - but then what about Twotter (and others) that is STOL but turboprop?
I see what you mean but I don’t like the names. I think Business Jet is more appropriate for civilian, in which case another name for military hardware.
Same issue here - Airliners is better for civilian. Heavy mil would be??
Too similar IMO. In terms of listing “top 5’s” and users finding planes they like, there is too much similarity.
Yeah true - but I wish it was simple It’s getting a bit more complex with each reply I think less is more though, yup. But how?! Hmmm
But thanks for the assistance - still undecided but thanks! No hurry on this - if I can get it running for March results great, if not, then April I suppose!
To weigh in a little on this discussion: I’m not sure “pidgeon-holing” planes adds much of value. By trying to assign any plane to one particular category it’s you (or we as a whole) who make the decision for everyone. Let’s take the Twotter that you mentioned: is it a STOL, or is it a turboprop? Or maybe even an airliner? To me it might be one thing, but to another person it might be another. Example: I’m into STOL planes, so I’m interested in the Twotter in this context. Someone else might like small airliners. If you put it into STOL the other person won’t see it. If you put it into airliners I won’t see it.
With datasets that cannot be neatly sorted into very transparent categories that almost everyone can agree on I’m not sure that categorising them anyway doesn’t do more harm than good.
Personally I’d solve this via tags. So the Twotter will get the “STOL”, “Turboprop”, and maybe “airliner” tag. The Moth gets “Biplane”, “Vintage”, “Piston”, and “Best Of All The Planes EVER”.
No idea about the effort involved, but I’d guess giving a number of tags to each plane isn’t very much more work than deciding (with blood and sweat) which square category to place that round airplane in.
But to add a couple more cents (or öre in my case) to the discussion: Not sure if this is a feature that will be used a lot. I mean, the way I’ve treated this thread, the list itself is for finding out WHICH aircraft are good. The postings in the thread and in each airplane’s own thread are for finding out which KIND of aircraft it is. My “workflow” is something like:
Step 1: Is it somewhat high in the list?
Step 2: Is it the type of plane I’m generally interested in?
Step 3: Tell me more!
Being able to filter the list down would be cool, but at the end it only removes step two.
Good points - tags (or multiple category sort/filter) is an idea but for that to be useful to viewers, I would need to have a spreadsheet with ‘view changing tools’ (drop downs, buttons, dynamic filtering) in a web-based version of the Charts (at least the All Time chart) that can be accessed and updated via a Web URL link here.
This could be a good option though, but I need to see what my software can actually do on that front. I think it will only work that way in the editor itself (Numbers on Mac / iOS), and no way to have that functionality on an exported document that everyone can access without extra software on their end (Excel or whatever). I will look into it later though as it would perhaps be the most powerful way to go about it. I could use those filters myself to snapshot the top 5’s of each category to post in the monthly updates. Trying to automate as much as possible though
But Numbers can’t export to Google Sheets format (I think). And also whoever last uses the filters, I think it “sticks” for the next viewer (it’s not separate isolated ‘session instances’ whilst viewing - it’s sharing / collaborating.
You were correct sir, admittedly I have added the JF Harrier, Caribou, Stuka and the Carenado PA28 Archer II, my hanger Now stands at a side splitting 177… and I have yet to buy the Wilga, JF Hawk, CJ Teabag etc…
Ok I know I should have never done it but … I did.
I reviewed my old receipts with the view of getting a handle on the amount of $$$$ I’ve invested in MSFS and the aircraft.
MSFS full package $175 ( basic than later premium.)
Aircraft $447
Looks like MSFS is just a gateway drug.
dw
ps I decided NOT to price out the hardware. Sadly I’m in the process of upgrading all of it from the basic XBox to a new PC and monitor. Since I’m not a Microsoft user it will be all-new gear dedicated only to my addiction to MSFS. Please nobody tell my wife.
) but not this time. It’s not meant to really be challenging… or a race… just some fun blitzing around but I think the Loop will work as we will be able to see each other well and try catching up / cutting corners etc. Could end up like Go Karting in the air if we are all quite evenly matched!! 
I think less is more though, yup. But how?! Hmmm