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Best VFR aircraft for exploring ORBX beautiful scenery?


Republic3D

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I have FTX Global, PNW, PFJ and all the freeware airports in the area installed. I absolutely love flying around exploring the scenery, discovering new airfields and trying difficult approaches. 


 


Currently I'm usually flying the Aerosoft Twin Otter X Extended, and I just bought the Carenado King Air B200 HD. I'm looking for more high quality aircraft that are suitable for VFR flying and discovering the scenery. I usually don't have time to sit around for hours on end though, so I'm looking for aircraft with a 200 knots or more cruise speed. That's why I got the King Air. 


 


Do you have any more suggestions for me?


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Hello


 


For speed, GA, IFR capable and great views from the cockpit.


 


ORBX own Lancair IV-P (Don’t’ own it, but great reviews)


or


RealAir’s Lancair Legacy non-pressurized (I have it, and it is one of the best all around, quite hard to slow it down though.)


 


For hair raising speed the A2A Civilian Mustang seems just right. (Don't have it, not my cup of tea, but A2A is also among the best)


 


There are many other (high altitude) fast turboprops, but you won't get to see much from the left seat.


 


Note:


When I want to enjoy scenery I fly low and slow and use the Alabeo Waco at (80-120 kts), the RealAir Scout or Carenado's C185.


 


Cheers.


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>200 knots generally requires a turbo.  You might try the Aerosoft DA Piper Cheyenne.  I just bought it this week, and it is fast and very good quaity for graphics and systems depth, even though a few years old.  For piston twins, I recommend  the Milviz B55 and C310R, they will get close to 200 but not greater.  I am not too keen on Carenado (lack of systems depth generally), but they have a Piper PA46T, turbocharged single, so it should be pretty fast, and without engines on the wings should give a better view of the ground. 


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In the 200+ kt category, I would recommend the classical RealAir Legacy, a splendid two-seater, fast and extremely well crafted. More unusual but, at the end of the day, a VFR plane too in these days and age, and a ton of fun to fly, is the A2A P40 (warbird with no avionics suite but you can manually add the default handheld GPS).


 


Both have very high quality physical and flight modeling.


 


I do some (a lot ?) VFR touring with the Aerosoft Huey too 8) .


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Thanks :) I've been thinking about the A2A Civilian Mustang or another warbird like the A2A P40 like suggested. Will definately look into those, and the ORBX Lancair and the RealAir Legacy, and the Milviz B55 and C310R. I considered the Carenado C340 II but decided on the King Air B200 earlier because of the higher air speed. Seems like it needs quite the runway length though.


 


Open for more suggestions!


 


Edit: Regarding the Carenado King Air B200 HD, I'm pretty happy with it.. it's fun to fly, and its very fast for such a small aircraft. What I didn't like though was the limited functionality of the Autopilot. I still haven't explored it fully. Last night I was flying it at 250 knots just 100 feet over the fjords south from PAKT... it was so much fun!


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The P51 civ. is a great plane, faster than the P40 or RA Legacy. You can fly higher too. Like the Legacy she has a nice avionics suite.


 


For a 200 nm flight, I fly the Legacy if I want to shoot an approach or the P40 beast for the sheer fun of it, above 300 nm, I tend to fly the Mustang to stay within 1 to 1,5 h of flying time.


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 Regarding the Carenado King Air B200 HD, I'm pretty happy with it.. it's fun to fly, and its very fast for such a small aircraft. What I didn't like though was the limited functionality of the Autopilot..

 

I'm in the market for a new toy too. What's the Carenado King Air like in the FPS department? The only GA aircraft I have at the moment is the Alabeo Tomahawk which I really love, but its a little bit slow!

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From my collection of aircraft, I'd recommend Aerosoft's Bronco for sight seeing. Great visibility ( as befits the original purpose of the plane ) speedy when you want, slow with good lift when you want to loiter. It also comes with external tanks if you need those, so all in all a great scenery-touring aircraft. :)


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Hello

 

For speed, GA, IFR capable and great views from the cockpit.

 

ORBX own Lancair IV-P (Don’t’ own it, but great reviews)

or

RealAir’s Lancair Legacy non-pressurized (I have it, and it is one of the best all around, quite hard to slow it down though.)

 

For hair raising speed the A2A Civilian Mustang seems just right. (Don't have it, not my cup of tea, but A2A is also among the best)

 

There are many other (high altitude) fast turboprops, but you won't get to see much from the left seat.

 

Note:

When I want to enjoy scenery I fly low and slow and use the Alabeo Waco at (80-120 kts), the RealAir Scout or Carenado's C185.

 

Cheers.

 

Not sure why you have an issue slowing down the Legacy. The spoilers in itself are incredibly effective. Add a little up elevator in addition, and she really loses airspeed quickly.

 

Bob

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For bush flying I use the Lionheart Kodiak which has a reasonable cruise for a STOL aircraft; 180kts.  And it comes with a float version.


 


For speed I fly the Lionheart Epic Dynasty which cruises well over 200kts..  They have almost identical panels.


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Not sure why you have an issue slowing down the Legacy. The spoilers in itself are incredibly effective. Add a little up elevator in addition, and she really loses airspeed quickly.

 

Bob

Hi Bob

 

Now that I have learned to fly the Lancair Legacy it’s not an issue.

But for the first couple months my approaches were way too fast. I was constantly coming in like a bullet.

 

Cheers

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Hi Bob

 

Now that I have learned to fly the Lancair Legacy it’s not an issue.

But for the first couple months my approaches were way too fast. I was constantly coming in like a bullet.

 

Cheers

 

Hi Bob

 

Now that I have learned to fly the Lancair Legacy it’s not an issue.

But for the first couple months my approaches were way too fast. I was constantly coming in like a bullet.

 

Cheers

Hi,

 

It can be fun when ATC has you in on final at 200kts and at the inner marker you hit the spoilers, then the gear, flaps, close the spoilers and touch down.

I heard it is a lot of fun,

 

Bob

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I'm in the market for a new toy too. What's the Carenado King Air like in the FPS department? The only GA aircraft I have at the moment is the Alabeo Tomahawk which I really love, but its a little bit slow!

 

FPS wise I would say the Carenado King Air B200 is between the Aerosoft Twin Otter X Extended (which is very FPS friendly) and Aerosoft Airbus X Extended. :) On my system its completely smooth unless you're in a very crowded area like downtown Seattle.

 

Heard many good things about the A2A 172. Aerosoft Bronco seems like a very interesting aircraft as well. Realair Lancair Legacy looks very sleak.. and I like the fighter style canopy/cockpit window!

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Speed and relatively short runway capability are important.  I too have the Twin Otter X Extended, fantastic STOL, but not very fast.


I prefer bubble canopies for better visibility too.


 


Ant's T-28 Trojan has great visibility, is fast, has lots of power/performance, and has good runway performance.  You can get it on/off a pretty short bush strip :)


 


I also like the Carenado T-34B for visibility, but it isn't very fast.


 


The freeware IRIS T-6 Texan II and PC-9 both have great visibility and are very fast.  Not the best for bush strips though.


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Lots of great suggestions here and I have pretty much all of these planes. The only thing I would suggest you keep in mind is that pretty much all twins have reduced visibility.


That is why a single is usually the best if your requirement is for a great view.


One of my favourites for checking out a new region is the Lotus L39 which has a narrow cockpit, full glass shield and you sit central in the plane.


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Speed and relatively short runway capability are important.  I too have the Twin Otter X Extended, fantastic STOL, but not very fast.

I prefer bubble canopies for better visibility too.

 

Ant's T-28 Trojan has great visibility, is fast, has lots of power/performance, and has good runway performance.  You can get it on/off a pretty short bush strip :)

 

I also like the Carenado T-34B for visibility, but it isn't very fast.

 

The freeware IRIS T-6 Texan II and PC-9 both have great visibility and are very fast.  Not the best for bush strips though.

 

Yep the "Twotter" is great for short fields :) I have managed to get the B200 in and out of Tipella a few times now, but I'm trimming the bushes in the camp with my props every time.. Will look into the T-28 and T-34B.

 

TreeTops, the L39 is a jet fighter trainer right? How is it on FPS?

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Don't forget helicopters! Best way to really savor the details, and lots of interaction possibilities, once you get the hang of flying them. I like any of Nemeth Designs' choppers, the Dodosim is the winner for realism.

 

Oh that might be a good idea.. thanks :) Do you have a suggestion for a chopper that is fast, realistic (but doesn't need 30 minutes of pre-flight checklists and preperations) and fun to fly? I know.. high requirements.. lol

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RamonB, don't feel bad about coming in too fast.  It happens to real world pilots sometimes too.


 


The first time I flew a Mooney I entered my downwind too fast to slow down for the turn to base and had to break off and try again.  I slowed down way before I enter the downwind.


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L39 is excellent on fps and brilliant for multiplayer formation flying. We had a flight of 14 together during late beta testing for Mike on an OZx club flight to help him fix some issues before release.

Helicopters are also an excellent way to check out the finer details of an airport.

Also, don't forget gliders as an often forgotten method of cruising in silence. Slew key will give you altitude if you aren't into true gliding.

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Oh that might be a good idea.. thanks :) Do you have a suggestion for a chopper that is fast, realistic (but doesn't need 30 minutes of pre-flight checklists and preperations) and fun to fly? I know.. high requirements.. lol

 

Choppers are not fast by construction, not as fast as your 200+ kn anyway . The two I've, the Aerosoft Huey and the Cerasim Bell 222B are nice . They are a challenge to master but not overly complicated, you can jump in and fly off (landing is another matter altogether ;) ). The 222b might be easier on a beginner as she has a wheeled landing gear  more forgiving in case of a rough landing. The Huey has a sled -like  gear as brittle as glass or so it seems to me sometimes   ::), sloppiness is not an option here. I  tend to fly the Huey more.

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Many great suggestions! Thank you everyone. Hopefully this is a thread others can enjoy as well. 


 


Another aircraft that I consider is the RealAir Beechcraft Duke B60 V.2.. released today :) Looks very promising! It suffers from the same issue as the King Air B200 though.. the engines take up a lot of the visibility outside.. but other than that it seems awesome. Much like a mini King Air.


 


http://www.pcpilot.net/view_article.asp?ID=6914


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Have to second (or third) the A2A Civ Mustang. Just got it myself two days ago, and am blown away by the experience, as usual with A2A products.

Its very fast, has good visibility, basic avionics and autopilot for relaxed travelling, looks and feels unbelievably well and is a challenge to master.

Only shortcoming for the stated mission, it's no short field aircraft (2500ft min, I would say).

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Thanks :) I've been thinking about the A2A Civilian Mustang or another warbird like the A2A P40 like suggested. Will definately look into those, and the ORBX Lancair and the RealAir Legacy, and the Milviz B55 and C310R. I considered the Carenado C340 II but decided on the King Air B200 earlier because of the higher air speed. Seems like it needs quite the runway length though.

 

Open for more suggestions!

 

Edit: Regarding the Carenado King Air B200 HD, I'm pretty happy with it.. it's fun to fly, and its very fast for such a small aircraft. What I didn't like though was the limited functionality of the Autopilot. I still haven't explored it fully. Last night I was flying it at 250 knots just 100 feet over the fjords south from PAKT... it was so much fun!

 

For me it's about time in the air. I can fly an hour here and there so I pick the plane I WANT that night... Then I plan a flight that fits in 45 minutes at cruise.

 

A2A C172. Slow? Ok. 110 knots. Sure. So I do a 50 - 75 knot flight. B200... I would fly a 150 knot plan. This all allows for departure and arrival procedures and fits in a hour just before I feel a yawn coming on.

 

That said. Best planes for FSX are...

 

A2A C172

Real Air Duke Piston V2 and the Turbine

Aerosoft Twin Otter Extended

PMDG JS41

Carenado C340 II (I love this plane)

Carenado C337 

 

These are in my opinion.. The greats!

 

Charles.

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For me it's about time in the air. I can fly an hour here and there so I pick the plane I WANT that night... Then I plan a flight that fits in 45 minutes at cruise.

 

A2A C172. Slow? Ok. 110 knots. Sure. So I do a 50 - 75 knot flight. B200... I would fly a 150 knot plan. This all allows for departure and arrival procedures and fits in a hour just before I feel a yawn coming on.

 

I agree - most of my flights are around 1 hour or less, whether I'm flying the Cub at 55 kts or the TBM 850 at 320 kts..

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For VFR - sight seeing there is nothing like a high wing plane. The Duke being the worse in that matter.


In the L39 you sit in front of the wing but it's stall easily.


 


The TBM 850 look nice but if it's like the C182 with those giant GPS-map it's FPS hungry (momo?)


 


The Epic Victory is fast, slow, great view, fun and easy on FPS.


 


So, best view, good power, beautiful VC......C337.


 


Ben


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I bought the Aerosoft Twin Otter Extended and I love it!! You can go really slow and you can drop it down really fast if you find any type of runway where you want to land! Oh and don't forget to read the procedures or else you will end up like me and having to jump out when both engines catches fire in a non-friendly terrain! :banghead::D


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I bought the Aerosoft Twin Otter Extended and I love it!! You can go really slow and you can drop it down really fast if you find any type of runway where you want to land! Oh and don't forget to read the procedures or else you will end up like me and having to jump out when both engines catches fire in a non-friendly terrain! :banghead::D

 

Haha.. yes, that has happened to me too. It has a lot of failures and icing issues built in. Suddenly the engine catches fire and you have to crawl sideways back home on the other engine. Very important to back down on the throttles after a little while.. and remember to switch on pitot heat, windshield heat and use the de-icing boots if you're going fairly high. It's great fun though.. can land almost anywhere, climbs like a mountain goat, very FPS friendly.. and it's very beautifully modeled too. :)

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Haha.. yes, that has happened to me too. It has a lot of failures and icing issues built in. Suddenly the engine catches fire and you have to crawl sideways back home on the other engine. Very important to back down on the throttles after a little while.. and remember to switch on pitot heat, windshield heat and use the de-icing boots if you're going fairly high. It's great fun though.. can land almost anywhere, climbs like a mountain goat, very FPS friendly.. and it's very beautifully modeled too. :)

yes...I checked a nice tutorial on the Twotter and now I operate it as it should be done! :D

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