Mustang 0 Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Hi all, With my latest aircraft (screenshot competition prize) installed and a quick familiarisation done, last night I fancied a fly around the Caribbean after reading the 'challenging airports' article in PC Pilot for Saint Barthelemy's, just across the water from Princess Juliana Intl on Saint Maarten. Some freeware scenery was included on the magazine's cover disk, so I installed that and off I went for a quick circuit. The French-registered 'GoTrop' scheme that comes with the Carenado C208B Grand Caravan couldn't be more appropriate for the location! Ready for launch down the hill: Leaving the bay, obligatory left-hand turn completed: Making my way around the island: The 'HD' in the title of this series really is appropriate! Starting to get lined up for the approach: Flaps out, commence descent: The view on early short final: Passing the roundabout and planespotters: Diving for the threshold. It's a 17% gradient! (The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice how much darker it is compared to the last cockpit shot from a few seconds earlier, and how the clock has advanced over 10 minutes. That's due to using FSRecorder to play back my track later on where I took most screenies! Also the reason for the 'generator off' warning.) Nearly there: Touchdown just before the markers... ... and stopped with plenty of runway left. I was just over halfway down. Bless the brakes and reverse thrust on the Caravan :icon_thumbup: All that was left was to taxi back and shutdown, because this pilot has many other duties to attend to lately, so simming time is limited. First impressions are that I like this aircraft a lot, except that the turn & slip indicator is hidden behind the yoke. I can always hide it but I prefer not to. There are a few non-3D knobs too which mess up the usability factor a little. It's awkward to find the +/- click spots for them. Much easier to left/right click a 3D knob as in many other aircraft. Minor complaints for an otherwise excellent product! Cheers all, Martyn Link to post Share on other sites
rob16584 42 Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 I love the caravan. I usually fly the heavies and get involved with all the systems, but I've racked up more hours in the C208 than all the heavies put together Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre 28 Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Excellent screenshots, nice little trip. I have the Caravan also but I'm not experienced enough to notice the minor issues you mention. It's great to fly. Have either of you had any trouble with the engine throttling up from idle on it's own. The last twice I've flown this the aircraft engine has throttled up moving it forward, the last time with devastating consequences as it hit the hangar in front of me. I don't recall it being like this and I fear I've got an issue with the joystick set-up. Can't think what and it's not the obvious - the throttle is definitely in the idle position Link to post Share on other sites
mutley 4,498 Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Hi Martyn I am so pleased you are enjoying your SS prize. I love this series of shots but must agree, some shots taken whilst in playback of FS Recorder belay what you were doing at the time. I scrapped a whole load of shots yesterday as the playback didn't really show exactly what happened in the live event. However, if you don't zomm in on the detail then the shots are ok :001_th_smiles89: Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Excellent screenshots, nice little trip. I have the Caravan also but I'm not experienced enough to notice the minor issues you mention. It's great to fly. Have either of you had any trouble with the engine throttling up from idle on it's own. The last twice I've flown this the aircraft engine has throttled up moving it forward, the last time with devastating consequences as it hit the hangar in front of me. I don't recall it being like this and I fear I've got an issue with the joystick set-up. Can't think what and it's not the obvious - the throttle is definitely in the idle position Hey buddy, with regards to the throttling up issue your having! your not hitting the "PAGE UP" key for anything are you? I noticed this when I set that key up to make my screen shots, and got the same as just happened to you. BOT: Very nice screen shots, the water makes me want to go swimming , and that reminds me! did you ever download the REX2 Overdrive? it has a few very nice new water options in it, I'm useing one of the new OD water effects ATM and am please with it, OD also has some new sky options that are nice as well Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
Tim_A 997 Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Mmm nice. I know where I'm going for Christmas this year... :icon_thumbup: Don't have any 'lurching' issues with my 'van either when it starts. Link to post Share on other sites
pacinka 0 Posted June 27, 2011 Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Very nice shots! Looks like a great trip. Link to post Share on other sites
Mustang 0 Posted June 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2011 Cheers all! I have had the C208 lurch forward on start up, but then I realised I hadn't checked the parking brake beforehand... :blush: Otherwise it's okay so far, though turboprop aircraft can be a bit fiddly to handle on the ground in FSX regarding the throttle it seems, even in low idle. You give it a bit more power, then a bit more, then before you know it you're doing 30 kts! I'm quite a turboprop newbie. I recently got the Flight1 ATR 72-500 after resubscribing to PC Pilot, so it's soon time to get my turboprop studying hat on. That hasn't stopped me from getting them up in the air though! The engine spool up/down times are the biggest surprise to handle after flying piston aircraft for so long. Graham, I didn't get REX Overdrive yet but hope to soon. My connection isn't the fastest (2Mb) but I will grab it (well, let it 'trickle' in) at some point. I rarely change the textures, to be honest. I've probably used only 3 cloud variations in 2 years. :blink: At least I vary the sky colours every few weeks - that's something! Martyn Link to post Share on other sites
PanzerFodder 0 Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Graham, I didn't get REX Overdrive yet but hope to soon. My connection isn't the fastest (2Mb) but I will grab it (well, let it 'trickle' in) at some point. I rarely change the textures, to be honest. I've probably used only 3 cloud variations in 2 years. :blink: At least I vary the sky colours every few weeks - that's something! Martyn Hey Martyn. I posted a screen shot as I can never remember what any of these themes are called, (I must be getting to old for all this tecnical stuff) Water looks nice with these new REX OD textures, and the sky is pretty good as well . Settings I am useing ATM, all the new Overdrive textures have an "(OD)" after their names. Cheer's...Graham... Link to post Share on other sites
hurricanemk1c 195 Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Great shots Marytn! Link to post Share on other sites
Mustang 0 Posted June 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Cheers both! I'll give those settings a try once I've downloaded Overdrive One thing I've decided I don't like about REX (getting a bit off-topic but oh well) is that it removes the fog layer when viewed from above. I know, it was rather ugly, cutting into mountains and through trees in a very harsh manner, but at least I knew when it was foggy down below. More than once I've been flying back to Albury (my AirHauler home base), where REX said it was VFR before take off, but had the weather change on route, little to my knowledge! As I'm descending towards the airfield and asking for permission to land, I'm either denied by the tower (currently IFR) or suddenly plunged into a blanket of fog that I didn't know existed! Before I bought REX, someone on the AH forums said that it replaced the ugly fog layer with some thin clouds instead, which were far more palatable, but I've never actually seen that (perhaps it was a coincidence for that user). I think I need to find out how to re-enable the default layer, ugly as it was. Better that than suddenly being thrown into IFR when least expected, shortly followed by being vectored 50 miles away to start my instrument approach for the airfield that I was just about to fly over! :001_th_smiles48: Oh, and just in case there was any doubt of the effect I'm referring to :icon_yikes: Link to post Share on other sites
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