Your Current TOP 10 Aircraft

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5736

:slight_smile: Itā€™s very very close at the top. Pretty much equal for those 2 I guess in my mind.

Not sure if they can be compared in that way though. The Wilma is more active (less heavy/numb) but still not really fast in direction change (as it is still chunky / big compared to other bush planes). But you can throw it around more than the Commy. Youā€™re not meant to throw the Commy around I suppose. I fly them in different ways so canā€™t really compare. The Wilga loses speed a LOT more readily though with flaps down and I am much more in control with her (due to the hours I put in I suppose, so Iā€™ll get to learn the Comanche more in the coming monthsā€¦ already started to understand how to slow it down better but it needs much more distance to do so. Plan ahead).

They both feel very natural the way they move and flow through the air though. So I think the inertia is appropriate to each considering the type that they are?

2 Likes
5737

New July List:

  1. FlyingIron Sim Bf 109
  2. A2A Sim Comanche
  3. Azurpoly Transall
  4. FlyingIon Sim Hellcat

I donā€™t need 5-10.

4 Likes
5738

Old list

  1. JPL Cessna 152 ( fairings )
  2. Black Square Analog King Air
  3. Flying Iron Spitfire MkIX
  4. SimWorks Studios Kodiak 100
  5. Black Square Analog Caravan
  6. Azurpoly Fouga
  7. Carenado Cessna 170B
  8. Carenado Bonanza V35
  9. Flying Iron F6F-5 Hellcat
  10. Asobo Robin DR400

New list

  1. Azurpoly Fouga : I have been having too much fun in this one not to put it at the top. Just an amazing airplane.
  2. Cessna T-37 Tweet : A nephew of the Fouga as it uses the same engines. A very nice free rendition of this plane. If the cockpit was a touch more polished, it would be one of the nicest planes in the sim.
  3. JPL Cessna 152 : Beautiful plane, so much fun.
  4. Black Square Analog King Air : Itā€™s taking a back seat to the jets.
  5. Flying Iron Spitfire MkIX : A life-like digital twin of this masterpiece of an aircraft.
  6. SimWorks Studios Kodiak 100 : Still a toss-up between this and the Caravan.
  7. Black Square Analog Caravan : See above.
  8. Default Cessna Caravan EX : This plane is actually quite nice. Starting this one or the analog one, itā€™s pretty similar. Nice for a change.
  9. DC Designs F-4 Phantom : Itā€™s a Phantom. I have always wanted one. If you are not too bothered with the plain cockpit visuals, you will be having fun. From what I hear this is one of the better DC planes. Good marketplace score.
  10. Flying Iron F6F-5 Hellcat : Always a treat to fly this one.

Others :

  • DC Designs F-14B Tomcat : Absolute, 100% insanity. The way this thing knifes through the sky is absolute insanity. Now I realize why the Navy pilots were extremely sad when they had to return this one in 2006.
  • Blackbird PC-6 Porter : :frowning:
  • Iris PC-21 : This is what replaced the likes of the Fouga and T-37. Itā€™s better in every which way but not as much fun.
6 Likes
5739

Nothing like the Comanche - itā€™s one issue I have with GGā€™s flight models, he doesnā€™t really believe in inertia. Either that or heā€™s using the wrong thing to add inertia. Bothers me enough that I donā€™t fly it anymore. I think I mentioned that Iā€™m a little dubious the Comanche can stop rolling so instantly ( especially without opposite aileron ) with full tip tanks, but otherwise it really does feel properly weighty.

I got in the Hype 145 again yesterday, massive improvements to the autopilot, it transitions smoothly now instead of instantly. Thereā€™s still a little bit to sort out with the cyclic interaction with the AP, but itā€™s much nicer to fly around now - so holding outside the list still ( must be quite a fight there now ).

2 Likes
5740

Old list from June:

  • Beechcraft Staggerwing
  • Blackbird C310
  • Black Box L-19 Bird Dog
  • Black Square A36 Bonanza
  • Denarq Beech 18
  • JF BAE 146
  • JF Piper Warrior II
  • Microsoft DHC-2 Beaver
  • PMDG DC-6
  • WB-SIM Cessna 172

My list for July differs in 2 aircraft. The Staggerwing and the Beaver had to go because the F28 and the Comanche arrived. Hereā€™s the list in alphabetical order:

  • A2A Comanche
  • Blackbird C310
  • Black Box L-19 Bird Dog
  • Black Square A36 Bonanza
  • Denarq Beech 18
  • JF BAE 146
  • JF Fokker F28
  • JF Piper Warrior II
  • PMDG DC-6
  • WB-SIM Cessna 172
2 Likes
5741

It has been slightly more than a month since I last posted. I donā€™t think things have changed much, but Iā€™ve been spending a lot more time with the Piper L-4 Cub, especially on floats!

  1. Piper L-4 Cub (Flight Replicas) ā€“ I conquered my earlier frustrations and user error and am having a lot of fun mastering this plane. Flying it on floats is a real blast!
  2. JN-4 Jenny ā€“ pure, slow flight. Lots of adverse yaw that teaches how to use a rudder properly!
  3. F-14 A (DC Designs) ā€“ I fly this plane when I want to feel competent. Itā€™s surprisingly easy to fly.
  4. Harrier (DC Designs) ā€“ This is really tricky to fly at first, but rewards careful planning when taking off and landing either vertically or short.
  5. MiG-21 (GKS) ā€“ This plane is really fast! It goes fast and lands fast and is a real challenge. Itā€™s especially interesting when all the gauges and labels are in Russian and I donā€™t speak or read it. Luckily, thereā€™s a good manual available.
  6. Caudron C.430 ā€œRafaleā€ (Bluemesh) ā€“ This plane is simply fun to fly and looks fantastic. I think that thereā€™s an update for the plane that hasnā€™t hit the Marketplace yet.
  7. Nieuport 17 (Big Radials) ā€“ another plane that is simply a joy to fly.
  8. The Halo Pelican ā€“ I use this when I want to hover over something interesting. Itā€™s neat to ā€œget upā€ (move the camera) from the cockpit and walk to the rear to look out the lowered rear ramp. I used it to check out the site of the Hobbiton movie set from The Lord of the Rings in New Zeeland.

The stock Cessna 152 has fallen out of my playing rotation for now due to some new acquisitions.

I picked up the Ford Trimotor when it was free and am really enjoying flying it. I got a ride in one many years ago and Trimotors have been a favorite of mine since then. I am enjoying it a lot. The recent update was good too. My younger son (age 13) also enjoys flying it.

I also just picked up the Fouga Magister (Azurpoly). Itā€™s a really great plane! Iā€™m looking forward to learning to fly it well.

Thatā€™s it for this month. :smile:

5 Likes
5742

Itā€™s been a while since Iā€™ve done this, here goes:

  1. FFX Cirrus VisionJet - The improvements to this with the integration of the G3000, and the mission profiles make me keep wanting to come back for more. Wanna fly low? Take on some short fields? Go high and cruise up in the jetstream? Full IFR and staying on top of a panel that is meant for a single-pilot. Love the interior presets, it really does feel like youā€™re loading up for a family vacation. Letā€™s go!

  2. A2A Comanche - rockstar out of the gate. Would take first place, but there are a few things I canā€™t quite put my finger on. Suffice it to say every aircraft should incorporate the walkaround feature, a hands-down, full-fledged must going forward.

  3. Blackbird Cessna 310R - Hasnā€™t let me down. Always a good sportscar, fitting many mission profiles, but you have to treat her nicely

  4. Black Square Analog King Air - Crept up the list as a very solid turboprop, fitting many mission profiles and keeps you active enough that you canā€™t fall asleep on her.

  5. Carenado Archer II - A plane I fly often in real life, it is a very simple and accurate representation. A great plane to take out for a leisurely cruise and to practice maneuvers.

  6. C172 G1000 (+ Bagolu G1000 Improvement) - A classic. Also very representative of an aircraft I fly. Great for practicing flows with the G1000. Easy to just hop in and go without much pretense

  7. C172 Steam (+WBSim Classic Enhanced) - Like itā€™s G1000 sister, just wants to be flown. Great for simstruction; showing people the old-school way of flying, navigating, instrument scans, etc.

  8. Black Square Analog Bonanza - bumped the JustFlight Arrow off the list as a solid complex, high-performance cruiser. Various panel integrations mean lots of fun doing different configurations while IFR.

  9. PMDG 737-700 - list would be incomplete without this. Sadly, I donā€™t get enough time in this one as she doesnā€™t fit my usual mission profile, but sheā€™s too good, too solid of a simulation to leave out

  10. JustFlight Fokker F28 - a new contender. Newness factors in here, but everything about her is fun and makes me want to come back for more. A handful to keep up with, but doable as a single pilot with a nice vintage panel and great sounds. A little more flexible with my preferred short-hop profile. Will be exploring more.

Honorable Mention (and opportunity)

  • DHC-2 Beaver, currently flying on my Roads Less Traveled Series. Fun to fly, well-crafted, and very full-featured, but doesnā€™t fit my usual profile. Would like a much more robust radial sound, inside and out.

  • Carenado PC-12 - mission-profile is great, one of my favorite IRL aircraft, version is just a little old and ported, would like more features, and always leery of the Avidyne frame drops. But when she works well, she works well.

  • Got Friends Wilga - just havenā€™t been bush flying enough to make use of her. Strong opportunity to move up if/when I get back to regular Bush Flying

  • XCub - also a perennial favorite that just hasnā€™t been out of the hangar much lately. Would really like to see Working Title get hold of the G3X and bring it up to standards. Until then, a little cartoonish, but canā€™t be beat as a bushplane, performance-wise.

  • Kodiak 100 - just off the end of the list due to disuse. A great model and panel, just isnā€™t quite fast enough for an everyday cruiser with that profile. Will probably make it back in someday.

  • JustFlight Arrow III - also just off the end of the list due to some aerodynamic issues. Probably the most likely to fly frequently out of all the honorable mentions. Fights hard against the Bonanza.

6 Likes
5743

Hmm, what is that? I only know of the bagolu improvement mod.

5744

Ah yeah, oops. Fixed

1 Like
5745

Ah too bad. I was hoping he modded the G1000 version the same way he did the classic one :blush:

2 Likes
5746

My first post on these forums!

I have four carefully selected aircraft on my list, because I donā€™t want to dilute it with a bunch of aircraft I donā€™t actually fly much:

JPLogistics Cessna 152
Perfect for when you want to go on a relaxing low and slow solo flight and enjoy the beautiful view under those high wings. No complicated flight controls to worry about. Just fly. There is something freeing about that. And this thing just feels ā€œaliveā€ when you power on the engine. No wear and tear or damage modeling though, but itā€™s completely free of charge so you canā€™t expect to get everything!

A2A Simulations Piper Comanche 250
Highly detailed and beautifully crafted single piston engine aircraft. Great for personal transportation in good weather. The flight modeling, wear and tear and failure modeling is bar none. This thing feels ā€œaliveā€ just like the C152. I just donā€™t think I will actually fly it that much because itā€™s not the most suitable aircraft for most of my ā€œmissionsā€.

Flysimware Cessna 414AW Chancellor
This thing has it all, doesnā€™t it? It can go reasonably fast, it can go over mountain ranges, it is pressurized, it has an anti-ice system, it has a capable autopilot complete with a flight director and a yaw dampener, it can be fitted with TWO GTN 750s, it can haul your whole family. Itā€™s just a very versatile twin piston engine aircraft. Nicely modeled and great support from Flysimware. No wear and tear or damage modeling, but thatā€™s alright with me. I donā€™t need those features in every aircraft, and this thing is already great without those extras.

Black Square Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
If I could only fly one aircraft in MSFS, this powerful single engine turboprop would most likely be it. It doesnā€™t have the best flight model, and the exterior detail is not the best, but the Caravan is the most versatile aircraft I can think of, and Black Square has done a great job improving the base aircraft. It can do everything that the 414AW can do, if not with quite the same ā€œfinesseā€, and unlike the 414AW it can haul a lot of cargo and can land and take off pretty much anywhere on the planet. The failure modeling is great. It is quite easy to overstress the engine if you are not careful. And it even comes with a freaking RNAV computer so that you can perform many RNAV approaches without a GPS! One nitpick is that I really wish the Cargomaster version came as an option.

You might have noticed a common theme among my picks. They can all be configured to be flown without a GPS, and they all have PMS50 GTN 750 as an option!

If I add another aircraft to my hangar, it will be something jet powered with a G3000 or a G5000. Maybe the HJet or the Longitude. Iā€™m also a big fan of the TBM 900 series, but something about the MSFS implementation of the TBM 900 doesnā€™t sit quite right with me.

The Kodiak 100 is quite nice as well in theory, but I just donā€™t enjoy operating the G1000 in MSFS. Too fiddly.

The Cessna 310R is also quite nicely implemented, but I really donā€™t like the cockpit layout and Iā€™m not a huge fan of the practices of Milviz/Blackbird. There are simply better alternatives out there in my opinion, like the 414AW and the Comanche 250.

The Piper Warrior is a very strong contender to the Cessna 152, but I like the Cessna 152 implementation better, and I just love those high wings.

12 Likes
5747

This monthā€™s update for me.

Fenix A320. Thatā€™s pretty much all Iā€™ve flown, 90% of recent flights according to the pilot log.

Might as well leave the rest of the list the same, Iā€™ve bought several planes that Iā€™ve not even loaded up to look at, and although the Comanche looks amazing I refuse to let myself spend any more money until Iā€™ve at least tried out what Iā€™ve already bought. The problem is everytime I load the sim I just want to fly the Fenix. One day I hope to manage a good crosswind landing with it. :laughing:

1 Like
5748

Thanks for your first list! Nice micro-selection. I respect the restraint! :slight_smile:

And they are all yoke controlled :slight_smile:

1 Like
5749

Some significant shifts since I last listed in February

Old list:
Cessna 414
PAC 750 XSTOL
PZL Wilga
DC-6
BAe146
MaddogX
HondaJet
FG-1D Corsair
Airbus H145 helicopter
AS33-Me glider

New List:

GA
Comanche 250 (A2A): The new all-around GA champion. Itā€™s that good.

Cessna 414AW (FlySimWare): Great for longer, higher altitude GA flights

Spartan 7W Executive (HCG Digital Arts): Wonderful Golden Age flyer. Would be nice to see a Duckworks or Denarq style engine performance mod for this bird.

PZL Wilga: The STOL of choice for getting in and out of tight spots.

Airliners
BAe-146 (JustFlight): Getting in the cockpit of this one feels like coming home.

Super Constellation L1049G (Redwing): With a flight engineerā€™s station, thereā€™s a bit more jumping around the cockpit in this one than in the DC-6. Pilot, co-pilot, and/or engineer AI assistance at your disposal. Failure and damage modeled.

Military
FG-1D Corsair (MilViz/Blackbird): This is the one Iā€™ll take most often on a WWII sortie. It still wants to kill me, but I keep climbing back in.

AV8B Harrier (DC Deesigns): V/STOL and 400+ knots. Whatā€™s not to love?

Helicopter
Alouette III (Taogā€™s Hangar): Really well done overall. Despite being billed as having ā€œchallenging flight characteristicsā€, I find it responsive and fairly easy to handle.

Oddball
Astro (GotFriends): The go-to craft for low-and-slow inspections around airports or anywhere else where you want to get up close and personal with the scenery. Just about every new payware airport gets an Astro Inspection Tour right out of the box. If I had a hundred grand lying around collecting dust, Iā€™d probably get one of these IRL.

Honorable Mentions

PAC-750 XSTOL (Orbx) - I really like this versatile steam gauge turboprop, especially in the wilds of PNG.

AS33-me (MADolo) - still the most technically advanced glider in the sim, IMO.

Fokker F28 (Just Flight): Itā€™s got that cool quirky factor, but not quite enough to knock the BAe146 off of itā€™s perch.

5 Likes
5750

After watching Stevie Triesenbergā€™s c140 restoration videos I have started flying the c140 again.

It might be a bit loud but it is still a charmingly relaxing thing to fly.

2 Likes
5751

After watching Stevie Triesenbergā€™s c140 restoration videos I have started flying the c140 again.

It might be a bit loud but it is still a charmingly relaxing thing to fly.

She did a good job of giving it a new look, but keeping the retro vibes to it.

I keep going back to the C140 and have flown it a lot this month because Iā€™ve been concentrating on improving my tail dragger landing skills.

That training was paused because of the Comanche, but watching that video got me into the mood to get my lil 140 out and I was even tempted to start my own trip from California to Oshkosh, but againā€¦the Comanche (and it will take forever in the 140).

There was a C140 sound mod that I believe used the default 152 sounds for the 140. Unfortunately, it looks like the developer pulled it from flightsim.to. I need to try and figure out who made it and see if itā€™s available somewhere else.

1 Like
5752

We really need the GI275 gauges implemented in the sim. Nice easy way to keep the retro look but fully kit out an old bird for IFR flying.

1 Like
5753

Another month, another list - though I honestly donā€™t think Iā€™ll change it all too much. I didnā€™t end up liking either the LatecoĆØre 631 or the Boeing 307 that much, and Iā€™m holding off on the obviously excellent A2A Comanche until its compatibility with career addons is ensured. That said, without further ado-

  1. Vision Jet by FlightFX - not surprising, really. The upgrades have made this plane a fantastic cruise flier to practically any paved airport out there, procedures or otherwise. It looks great, sounds great, and feels good to fly approaches by hand. Whether youā€™re a chronic autopilot addict like me or a hand flying enthusiast youā€™ll have a good time with this plane. 110% worth it even at full price.

  2. Duckworks DC-3 by Imenes - Iā€™ve been flying this a lot this month. Not only is it a money-making FSE staple, it feels good to fly too. Too many hours Iā€™ve spent hearing and watching this plane cruise at 10,000 feet, and none of them I regret. Fantastic plane.

  3. JRF-6B Goose by Big Radials - the radials are music to my ears and it flies well. Itā€™s also top-notch eye candy in external or showcase views. I really do love this flying boat.

  4. PZL Wilga by GotFriends - bush flying with this plane is so satisfying it regularly gets me to hand fly its flights from start to finish. And this is coming from an autopilot addict! Itā€™s that good! Feels great to fly, great sounds, great model, lots of other features. Lots to love.

  5. Embraer 121 Xingu by BRSimDesigns - Itā€™s a fantastic mini King Air with a lot of love poured into it. I highly suggest you follow the topic here on the forums because this can only get better from here (knock on wood).

  6. Cessna Citation Longitude by Asobo/WT - the quintessential MSFS bizjet armed with a fully operational avionics suite. Iā€™ve flown this a lot this month chasing after FSE bills, and itā€™s been a smooth ride. Working Title did an amazing job upgrading this plane with the AAUs.

  7. Pilatus PC-12 by Carenado - I finally picked the PC-12 up after its update and, I gotta say, Iā€™m liking the plane. I like the visual model and it flies nicely, and I quite like the cockpit and panels too. I was surprised at how strong the reverse thrust was on this plane, but that made it well suited for the missions I was running in airstrips around Papua Niugini and the Solomon Islands.

  8. Tecnam P2006T by FSS - Model flies and looks great, my favorite G1000 plane. I fly it around Southeast Asia and it makes for fantastic VFR flying. I still think itā€™s pricey, but honestly I think I got my moneyā€™s worth out of it.

  9. Daher TBM 930 by Asobo/WT - Good plane for FSE bucks, flies well, has those upgraded avionics. Great versatile flier for whatever mission you require.

  10. Messerschmidt Bf 108 B by Inibuilds - it was a toss-up between the HCG Spartan 7W and this one, but this time I think the Bf 108 B is the superior entry. It handily beats the Spartan visually (I really am not a fan of the Spartanā€™s panel) and though I like the Big Radials-licensed sounds on the Spartan the Bf 108 B has some really decent sounds too. At the end of the day both are pretty close and I was just more in the mood for the Bf 108 B this time around.

ā€“end of top 10, remarks followā€“

Yeah, this month hasnā€™t really been that good pickups-wise. I did get the Latecoere 631 and though I admire the model I feel I am out of my depth with it so itā€™s gonna be in the hangar until further notice. The free Tri-Motor and the 307, both by Aeroplane Heaven, are huge disappointments and Iā€™m not really looking forward to yet another AH release so soon. As for the highly anticipated A2A Comanche itā€™ll probably be a while until I get one because Iā€™d like to fly it in FSE, and itā€™s currently unusable there until compatibility fixes can be patched in (read about it on the A2A forums).

Iā€™m still undecided about the Embraer 110 and will need to fly it quite a bit more to see if itā€™ll make it to the top 10 or not. The soundpack by FTSim makes it quite a bit more enjoyable. Otherwise Iā€™m looking forward to the upcoming Piper M500 by FSReborn and the Shorts SD3-60 by Blackbox.

5 Likes
5754

I know my suggestions are ā– ā– ā– ā–  almost always, but hereā€™s another one anyway, haha:

As we now have a few really, really, really good aircraft Iā€™d be interested in a list of Top 3.

5755

I think most people are still listing them in ā€œfavourite orderā€ (except those that list by hours or type or alphabetically but they usually say that they are doing that). Could probably assume a few thingsā€¦ the top 3 of the month this monthā€¦ isā€¦ aā€¦ surprise until Sunday 30th :stuck_out_tongue:

2 Likes