728x90 Rotation 1

21 October 2011

Carenado A36 Beechcraft FSX

Welcome to another Flight Simulator Review.

This one is going to take you into the depths of the A36 by Carenado which is their newest one to date. This is very similar to the Beechcraft Bonanza which I will shortly be doing a review on.

Background Information.

At the end of World War II, two all-metal aircraft emerged, the Model 35 Bonanza and the Cessna 195, that represented very different approaches to the premium-end of the postwar civil aviation market. With its high wing, seven-cylinder radial engine, fixed tailwheel undercarriage and roll-down side windows, the Cessna 195 was little more than a continuation of prewar technology; the 35 Bonanza, however, was more like the fighters developed during the war, featuring an easier-to-manage horizontally-opposed six cylinder engine, a rakishly streamlined shape, retractable nosewheel undercarriage (although the nosewheel initially was not steerable, or castering) and low-wing configuration.
Designed by a team led by Ralph Harmon, the model 35 Bonanza was a relatively fast, low-wing monoplane at a time when most light aircraft were still made of wood and fabric. The Model 35 featured retractable landing gear, and its signature V-tail (equipped with a combination elevator-rudder called a ruddervator), which made it both efficient and the most distinctive private aircraft in the sky. The prototype 35 Bonanza made its first flight on 22 December 1945, with the first production aircraft debuting as 1947 models. The first 30–40 Bonanzas produced had fabric-covered flaps and ailerons, after which, those surfaces were covered with magnesium alloy sheet.
In 1982 the production of the V-tail Bonanza stopped but the conventional-tail Model 33 continued in production until 1995.  Still built today is the Model 36 Bonanza, a longer-bodied, straight-tail variant of the original design, introduced in 1968.
     All Bonanzas share an unusual feature: The yoke and rudder pedals are interconnected by a system of bungee cords that assist in keeping the airplane in coordinated flight during turns. The bungee system allows the pilot to make coordinated turns using the yoke alone, or with minimal rudder input, during cruise flight. Increased right-rudder pressure is still required on takeoff to overcome torque and P-factor. In the landing phase, the bungee system must be overridden by the pilot when making crosswind landings, which require cross-controlled inputs to keep the nose of the airplane aligned with the runway center line without drifting left or right. This feature started with the V-tail and persists on the current production model. The twin-engine variant of the Bonanza is called the Baron, whereas the Twin Bonanza is a different design and not based on the original single-engine Bonanza fuselage.

The A36 variant. (1970-2005) Model 36 with improved deluxe interior, a new fuel system, higher take-off weight, from 1984 fitted with a Continental IO-550-BB engine and redesigned instrument panel and controls, 2128 built.

What's in the package?

- Intaller file for the A36.
- Checklist incorportated in the kneeboard in FSX (F10)
- Emergency Procedures checklist.

I know it doesent seem alot but when the checklist's alone stand for over 30 pages of reading that all add's up.


The Checkout 


This is a new feature that I want to bring to my reviews as a whole the checkout feature. This is where I will try and take you through some of the best and worst features of this airplane as well as give you a great in-sight into what this airplane can give to the end customer before purchasing.
   To start with, the best thing i think is the new autopilot and electronic display's this makes flying this bird allot easier and clearer and adds some realism to the flight and allows better IFR procedures to be practiced. The worst feature on this aeroplane that I think is that it's far to similar to Beechcraft Bonanza that Carenado supply to us. This means that the only thing that is visible is the electronic displays meaning paying another $30  a bit steep. Despite this I must admit that I prefer flying this plane over the Bonanza counterpart.

Exterior Model


Coming onto the best part of this aircraft the exterior model - I find that this has been the most updated thing since the the bonanza release. You can clearly see that there has been alot of effort in the exterior model to make this more like eye candy to the user.  Zoomed in close the A36 still doesen't lose its pix-elation still 100% amazement from the Carenado team. This is a continuing thing throught the products that Carneado release as you may know from my other reviews I am always amazed at what Carenado are able to do with the exterior model.


For the characteristics of this model please see my Bonanza review as this characteristics are like for like with this update - this update is only a update in the cabin.


Futhermore, Congratulations to the Carenado team in the making of Alabeo! Lets hope Carenado and Alabeo can bring another side to our GA lifes.

Carenado - Bonanza A36






Plus if there is anything else that you would like to see please email me at mattmarshal120@hotmail.co.uk!

17 October 2011

Carenado Rockwell Commander AC11 FSX

Welcome back to another Flight Simulator Review's Review!

This time we are going to be reviewing one of the most iconic single engine aircraft to be flying in the skies today this is the AC11 - Carenado like always have made an amazing representation of the aircraft in FSX for us all to enjoy!

Exterior Model

I have decided to jump straight to the exterior model for this review - As each time I have been reviewing the download and installation which is pretty much the same every time that I download a product from Carenado for FSX.

So loading her up on the GA parking at Coventry Airport UK. The most Iconic thing that sticks out about this aircraft is that it is not a T-Tail plane neither is it a normal tailplane you will notice that it has got it half way up the rudder. I think that Carenado have done another amazing job in capturing the detail of the AC11. 

Commander on the GA Parking at Coventry
Moving further forward along the fuselage - Even in high zoom the detail is still retain which is a feat that I think Carenado are great at acheiving as some other producers you might think that the livery's are high quality but then when zooming in they become blurred and distorded.

     The animations on the outside model are amazing - the airelons are great there is not a thing wrong with the animations in this model I find that I can move the controls on my yoke with quick accurate response on the outside of this model. The flaps again are amazing the animations that Carenado have included are great like usual. Moving to the properllor - for me this is a first that I have found whilst using Carenado aircraft, there doesent seem just to be a series of pictures put together to make the prop spin affect you actually get quite a fluid display of the prop when it is moving which is a small but nice feature that seems to have been incorporated into this model.


Virtual Cockpit

As some of my last reviews have lacked the photo's that I should I have put up I am going to let this one sell it's self with the virtual cockpit looks.












As you can see from the above photos no rock has been left unturned with this model it is one of the best virtual cockpit models that you can get from Carenado's fleet to date. Looking at photos of real Commander cockpits this seems to match pretty much like for like with obviously a few minor changes that they have had to develop to make it easier for you and I to use. The above photos don't show what the passenger seats and captain seats are like - I know that it is not essential that the aircraft seats look like they have been used and that there are a few spec's of dust here and there but it add's to the whole realism of what this aircraft can provide.

Also these photos as you may of noticed are in dusk/night time scenery as this time the flight test is going to be done at night time to show off the true IFR abilites that Carenado allow you to use on their aircraft.

Flight Characteristic's

Before I get onto the flight test this time I am going to say a few things about the characteristics of flight on this aircraft. Like with most small aviation aeroplanes they are controlled by thin wires stretching across the entire airframe to move the control surfaces - this is true on the Commander but it also means that the reactions from any kind of movement on the contol stick means an almost instantanous reaction from the aircraft. I started this test at around about 2000 ft above the Channel from a short flight to Calais. I found that the aircraft responded well in pitch and roll conditions and was easy enought to trim for straight and level flight. The good thing that I found - is that in slow flight conditions the aircraft was slower to respond like what happens on the real aircraft (slower speed = slower reaction from control surfaces).
    With flap down into the approach to Calais the aircraft handled well at slow speed and I was able to conduct a normal standard landing like usual.


Flight Test

This flight test like I said earlier on in the review - is going to be a night flight to show of the true IFR that Carneado aircraft can handle. This flight is going to take us from Coventry (EGBE) to Jersey (EGJJ) this will take is south then over the channel so VFR navigation is going to be hard.

The flight plan is here.

EGBE - DTY (Daventry VOR) - DCT - EGJJ.

The reason I chose this route is because it allows me to fly the first part of the flight manually to DTY which should take about 10 minutes from takeoff to show analyse the IFR instruments in the cockpit and then the DCT (Direct) flight plan I will engage the autopilot and allow that to take us for the rest of the 1 hour journey. The best thing that I found about this aircraft is that it has a GPS in the cockpit without the need to open up another panel which is a nice little feature.