| Aerosoft Piper Super Cub |
| Monday, 20 November 2006 | |
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Now this is one add-on that I have been looking forward to writing about. I have heard nothing but the best about the Super Cub before installing it, so I went into the review process with very high expectations. It was somewhat of a bonus when the kind folks at Aerosoft provided my with a download copy of the Cub to fly around in when reviewing Scenery Germany Bremen and Scenery Germany 4.
You get 25 liveries (which are taken from real world models all over the world), 13 models (ski, wheels, tundra wheels, float and an amphibian version), three different pilots who's head actually moves when you pan around the outside of the plane in spot mode. Each model flies differently from the last because each model has it's own set of flight dynamics. There are 3 fully useable virtual cockpits which are all highly detailed and a fully simulated Narco avionics set. All of the instruments in the cockpit (2D and 3D) can be enlarged by clicking on them to make flying that little bit easier for you. This is a great function, which many developers are doing now, as sometimes the panel can become a little crowded and difficult to read with all the dials that are on there!
The package comes with it's own throaty custom soundest, which is superb and a vast improvement on the soundest included for the J-3 Cub by Microsoft. As standard for Aerosoft an extensive manual is included (35 pages) that covers everything from understanding the instruments to the checklists for flight. I would've liked to have seen some form of tutorial flight in the manual to help you get to grips with the aircraft a little quicker, but learning for myself only enhanced my enjoyment. I read the manual thoroughly before attempting to fly the Cub, and I found the manual to be a great help. Also included is an automated update check feature from within FS itself, to make sure that your model is as up to date as possible. So now you have read all that, you're probably think that your hard-drive will take a pounding when you install it. Fear not, the downloadable installed is only 60mb and when installed the package only takes up 160mb on the hard-drive. I think that Aerosoft deserve special praise for being able to pack everything into such a small file. If you would like to add yet more liveries to your Super Cub package, then there is the option of downloading the paintkit from the Aerosoft website. The model is based on the cabin of a Finnish aircraft and has only been adapted very slightly by Aerosoft. With the 5 models also come 3 engine types: Lycoming 0-290-D2, 0-320-AC3 and 0-320-D2C
So after installing that package, which as with other Aerosoft products is a case of extracting the downloaded zip file and running the installer, what do you find in the aircraft menu in FS? You will find:
I won't go into each model in detail, but will discuss the package as a whole to give you a good idea of what to expect. First of all, for such a low price with so much included in the package, you may think that the price is low because the quality is low. This is not the case. I have many light aircraft pay-ware add-ons, and this is by far the best of the lot. I lost count of the number of hours I have spent flying around Germany testing her out, trying to find something wrong with her. The only complaint as such that I have, is that she is very twitchy on the trim, but this is something that over time you will become used to, and will be able to find a balance of throttle and trim to give you straight and level flight. My first flight my flight profile looked more like a city scape it was that up and down! Aersoft told me that the Cub was the ideal aircraft to explore Germany with, and I don't disagree with them. If you prefer you short grass strips and flying club fields, this aircraft is perfect for them. It's STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) capability means that any landing strip can be landed on with ease. I have flown the default J-3 Cub in MS many times, and have never been able to get her down without a long float or bounce. But if you study the manual provided by Aerosoft and fly the Super Cub to the numbers, landings become far more fun. I have now managed to conquer landing tail draggers, and had a lot of fun doing it. Hopping from one airstrip to another using the Scenery Germany Bremen, Scenery Germany 4 and the Super Cub was lots of fun.
The cub is highly manoeuvrable and steady. When making sharp turns or rapids climbs and descents she doesn't become unstable. There was no fear of crashing when you got low to the ground. When exploring the rivers and docks in SG4 and SG-Bremen, if I felt I was getting into a spot of trouble, open the throttles and pull back on the stick, the response is instant. The package also includes some features that have never been seen before in FS. You have to check the oil levels every few hours, a very simple task, yet highly realistic. The magnetic compass has some serious problems with deviation, so you will need to learn how to use the deviation card in order to remain on track, and you need to manually set the gyro-compass. The electrics system works as it should from the battery switch right down to the circuit breakers. The water rudder control cables actually work too, even the cable used to release the water rudder is animated and can be clicked on in VC mode. The whole package has been optimised so that it is extremely light on frame rates. Some products have been brought out in recent months that are very realistic, but for that extra realism you pay a price with your frame rates, not in the case of the Super Cub. Granted, this is not a complex aircraft to operate or fly (if you are looking for an add-on that requires you to operate complex FMC's etc… then look elsewhere), but the exterior model is beautiful and it is obvious that a great deal of care and attention has gone into bringing it to the desktop simulator.
All of the animations are very smooth and the exterior model is a masterpiece. The model is very smooth with hardly any jagged edges. Flying from within the VC is easy and great fun. The pilot's view is superb, and I performed most of my flights from gate-to-gate in the VC. One of the major problems with tail-draggers is taxing whilst on the ground as your view is severely restricted. Taxing from the 2D panel in the Super Cub is very difficult unless you raise your eye-point or use ‘W' to get rid of the panel. But from the VC I found it very easy. Some pilots may find flying a little difficult at the start as there is no GPS included in this package, but when you are flying low and slow, it's all about exploring and having fun, rather than getting from A-B. It's a great way to practice your VFR and IFR skills by not having a GPS, and a challenge which I thoroughly enjoyed.
There are a couple of problems with the VC, and Aerosoft have provided fixes for them both. The windows are tinted, as they are on many Super Cubs in order to reflect the sun. If the tinted windows are not your thing, there is a section at the end of the manual which tells you where you can find the replacement texture so that you have a ‘normal' view. Also the propeller on the Cub is very large and very wide, and at low revs it is very visible from within the VC. Again, there is a section at the end of the manual explaining how to cure this by using a replacement texture. I opted not to replace either texture as I enjoyed flying around in the Cub as real world pilots would have done, warts and all! And another thing, the Super Cub doesn't come with an auto-pilot, it's a completely hands on plane. An autopilot on this plane would take away the enjoyment of flying by hand. After flying some longer routes using aircraft with FMC's and autopilots, the challenge of coming back down to a hand's on aircraft is one that is greatly welcomed. The Cub isn't a high performance aircraft and cruises along quite happily at around 90kts depending on the model you are using, with final approach speeds at around 60kts. You will spend most of your time flying low and slow and hopping in and out of short airstrips, so the combination of the Piper Super Cub and Scenery Germany 4 and/or Scenery Germany Bremen is a match made in heaven, the Piper Super Cub is the best GA Aircraft I have had the pleasure to fly. Thank you Aerosoft for allowing me to review 3 great products.
It's fun to fly low and slow!!! PAY8156 SYSTEM SPECS: Microsoft Flight simulator 2004 |
