Classic British Flight Sim

Quick heads-up. Just flight have 25% off A2A products until 16:00 on Monday. Methinks I'm going to buy something . For those with Accusim products, for people with little time are they worth giving a go or will I just end up with an more ground time than air time?

If you have little time to attend to your aircraft, it's probably not worth the trouble, Chris.
Each aircraft remembers its running time, and if you don't do maintenance, things go wrong.
If you over-strain bits through harsh treatment, you'll need to mend them; it remembers all that, too!

You won't get more ground than air time, but you need to give attention that is not needed on run of the mill aircraft.

Otherwise, it's a great experience.

Thanks Mike. The idea of virtual maintenance makes my head hurt. Working for the maintainer of the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines on the London Underground I'm not sure there's any room in my head to fit in virtual maintenance as well! I hope you Accusim users have the right AMS package . Might still give it a go though, particularly with the darker months coming and the fact that I've managed to pursued SWMBO to delay any decorating until after Christmas.

ChrisHunt wrote:For those with Accusim products, for people with little time are they worth giving a go or will I just end up with an more ground time than air time?

Chris - they absolutely are worth giving a go! For those who don't have a taste for the virtual maintenance hangar or performing pre-flight walk rounds, A2A provide a "damage off" option in their shift + 3 "controls" menu. This means you can fly without having to worry about keeping the oil topped-up, component failures/damage or some of the other Accu-Sim surprises like carburettor icing or a blocked static port.

However, you'll still be able to enjoy the other benefits of the products: customised flight dynamics and engine performance, accurately modelled avionics and some great sounds and gauge physics. You'll also have a chance to try GA add-ons which arguably have the best attention-to-detail and ongoing support/development in the business.

Chances are you'll find that the whole maintenance side of things is worth a look too. It means there's actually a reason to look at something like an oil pressure or cylinder head temp. gauge. In most add-ons, you needn't really bother: they're just clutter in the cockpit!

Cheers,
Nick

Thanks for that perspective Nick. TBH I'll almost certainly get one of the Accusim models (which one I can't yet decide). I don't really mind the maintenance bit - it'll be a bit like daily first service all over again. My problem is the limited time I have in front of the computer to do that and enjoy the flying; invariably it's a case of switch on, climb in and off we go.

ChrisHunt wrote:My problem is the limited time I have in front of the computer to do that and enjoy the flying; invariably it's a case of switch on, climb in and off we go.

Chris - I can quite understand that! Though I don't mean to contradict Mike's comment above, I don't think lack of time is any obstacle to really enjoying these simulations. I tend to fly 'em in quite a cavalier way myself sometimes: just jumping in and flying a few quick circuits without doing a pre-flight inspection or anything. It keeps things interesting, though I haven't suffered any really serious consequences yet. (Well - missing a jammed flap can make things a bit interesting when you extend them!)

As to which one to get... Is your preference for GA (modern or 1960s) or a warbird?
Nick

I'm considering the Comanche 250 Nick. Warbirds are all very well but sometimes a bit of a poodle around does the trick. I've already got quite a bit of fast and furious but having said that I'm definitely going to get the P51H - it would be a crime not to at that price.

That's a great choice Chris. The Comanche and Cherokee have (I think) the most atmospheric cockpits and the most 'character' with an interesting S-TEC System 30 autopilot which is very rare in FSX. The Comanche also offers excellent performance without being too much of a handful in the circuit (provided you don't forget the gear!). The Cessnas benefit from more sophisticated modern avionics such as the Bendix King KAP 140 autopilot and the slaved HSI in the 182.

Cheers,
Nick

I'll go with Nick - the A2A range is superb, maintenance included. If you want to reset everything, go to the maintenance hangar and click on 'complete overhaul'. It can be as simple as that, if you wish. As for which G.A. one to get, I'd go for the Cherokee or Comanche - the Cherokee has a lovely interior, but the Comanche is becoming my favourite due to its performance.

Comanche it is - just got that along with the P51H. I have to say the video on the Comanche was very well done - those wing skins look incredibly realistic. Looking forward to flying it - probably on Monday now. Staying with P3D 2.5 for a bit until the bugs in V3 get shaken out and Orbx do their thing.

Thanks for the opinions folks!