Anyone else having a hard time slowing down?
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The Baron Bonanza pack was the first addon I ever purchased for MSFS and I have enjoyed these so much that I just couldn't not get this Caravan!
Really enjoying it overall but I'm finding it suspiciously hard to slow down to land. It seem like even with full flaps and idle power I can't go down more ~500ft/min without speeding way up. It also seems to really "float" on the runway which I wouldn't expect given the Caravan isn't exactly "slippery".
Does anyone feel the same, any real-world Caravan pilots that could comment on that?
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Hmm, I have no problems slowing it down during descent. In fact, I have to be careful not to get too slow on final approach. I typically descend at 140-160 Kts during arrival, slow down to 130 Kts, deploy flaps 1, slow down to 100, deploy flaps 2, and then approach at a bit above 80 Kts.
Where I do have problems slowing the plane down is on the ground. Even with idle throttle, condition levers half-way up, and props nearly feathered the plane tends to accelerate.
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Are you switching to Beta range after touchdown?
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The Baron Bonanza pack was the first addon I ever purchased for MSFS and I have enjoyed these so much that I just couldn't not get this Caravan!
Really enjoying it overall but I'm finding it suspiciously hard to slow down to land. It seem like even with full flaps and idle power I can't go down more ~500ft/min without speeding way up. It also seems to really "float" on the runway which I wouldn't expect given the Caravan isn't exactly "slippery".
Does anyone feel the same, any real-world Caravan pilots that could comment on that?
Does anyone feel the same, any real-world Caravan pilots that could comment on that?
What is your TQE showing during descent? Is it possible that you still have some power in? In the real airplane, bringing the power lever back to around 300-330 ft/lbs is akin to throwing out a boat anchor...
The amount of drag that huge prop creates at that low power setting means speeding up on a normal descent is seldom a problem. For example, yesterday, I had a 7.7° descent angle at a mountain airport here in the Western US, and it was no issue keeping from speeding up, even outside of that PL "zone". That said, I've not noticed this same exact "airbrake effect" in the Black Square (yet, because I think Nick is working on it), but I've also not had any issues slowing it down. -
Thanks @V1-Vr-V2 for the specifics
I was definitely at idle (zero TQ), but I hadn't realized there was a 3rd notch of flaps so that should help a bit...But, I still think there's something fishy with the thrust/drag at low speeds. I did the following "experiments":
- Spawn the default passenger version (empty, ~1/2 fuel) on a long, flat runway (I used YVR) in calm weather and release the brakes without touching anything else (idle power, zero TQE), I was doing ~55kt by the end of the runway still showing zero TQE (where is the thrust coming from if there is zero torque)!
- Same thing on water with the amphib: it will get on step and reach ~40kt, at idle...
- I also tried to see how much TQE it takes to maintain level flight and it looks like I can maintain altitude all the way down to ~250TQE (~80kt, no flaps), which doesn't seem right to me as the prop should just be a giant airbrake in that situation and the engine should deliver very little power.
I've never been in 208 IRL, but I have flown in a Turbo Otter a couple times and I imagine it would be a fairly similar experience, you really get thrown forward when the pilot throttles back in the final approach (landing in a harbor so steep approach) and it seems like you would have to go full beta in the air to get that same experience here!
Anyway, I hope that part of the handling gets improved, fantastic aircraft otherwise!
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Are you switching to Beta range after touchdown?
@indrajitsg said in Anyone else having a hard time slowing down?:
Are you switching to Beta range after touchdown?
Yes, but only while on the runway. I am not a RL pilot, but I thought beta is not used extensively on the ground. May I am wrong?
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Thanks @V1-Vr-V2 for the specifics
I was definitely at idle (zero TQ), but I hadn't realized there was a 3rd notch of flaps so that should help a bit...But, I still think there's something fishy with the thrust/drag at low speeds. I did the following "experiments":
- Spawn the default passenger version (empty, ~1/2 fuel) on a long, flat runway (I used YVR) in calm weather and release the brakes without touching anything else (idle power, zero TQE), I was doing ~55kt by the end of the runway still showing zero TQE (where is the thrust coming from if there is zero torque)!
- Same thing on water with the amphib: it will get on step and reach ~40kt, at idle...
- I also tried to see how much TQE it takes to maintain level flight and it looks like I can maintain altitude all the way down to ~250TQE (~80kt, no flaps), which doesn't seem right to me as the prop should just be a giant airbrake in that situation and the engine should deliver very little power.
I've never been in 208 IRL, but I have flown in a Turbo Otter a couple times and I imagine it would be a fairly similar experience, you really get thrown forward when the pilot throttles back in the final approach (landing in a harbor so steep approach) and it seems like you would have to go full beta in the air to get that same experience here!
Anyway, I hope that part of the handling gets improved, fantastic aircraft otherwise!
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Does anyone feel the same, any real-world Caravan pilots that could comment on that?
What is your TQE showing during descent? Is it possible that you still have some power in? In the real airplane, bringing the power lever back to around 300-330 ft/lbs is akin to throwing out a boat anchor...
The amount of drag that huge prop creates at that low power setting means speeding up on a normal descent is seldom a problem. For example, yesterday, I had a 7.7° descent angle at a mountain airport here in the Western US, and it was no issue keeping from speeding up, even outside of that PL "zone". That said, I've not noticed this same exact "airbrake effect" in the Black Square (yet, because I think Nick is working on it), but I've also not had any issues slowing it down.@V1-Vr-V2 said in Anyone else having a hard time slowing down?:
In the real airplane, bringing the power lever back to around 300-330 ft/lbs is akin to throwing out a boat anchor..
Turboprop behaviour at low torque settings has for ever and always been completely broken in the Microsoft sims, including in 2024. Blacksquare is by far the best I've seen it done while still building their add-on within the boundaries of MSFS and its SDK. As I recall, only Majestic has ever made a true to life product (in MSFS anyway, Xplane has some ), but they do all of their programming outside of the sim and it takes them a decade or more to make their product.
Both the BS TBM and C208 (don't own any other product) lacks the "anchor" drag in the lower part of the torque range, but we can hardly blame them as they have to try to make it work in MSFS which so far has proven more or less impossible. Again, by far the best rendition available to the platform.
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@V1-Vr-V2 said in Anyone else having a hard time slowing down?:
In the real airplane, bringing the power lever back to around 300-330 ft/lbs is akin to throwing out a boat anchor..
Turboprop behaviour at low torque settings has for ever and always been completely broken in the Microsoft sims, including in 2024. Blacksquare is by far the best I've seen it done while still building their add-on within the boundaries of MSFS and its SDK. As I recall, only Majestic has ever made a true to life product (in MSFS anyway, Xplane has some ), but they do all of their programming outside of the sim and it takes them a decade or more to make their product.
Both the BS TBM and C208 (don't own any other product) lacks the "anchor" drag in the lower part of the torque range, but we can hardly blame them as they have to try to make it work in MSFS which so far has proven more or less impossible. Again, by far the best rendition available to the platform.
@Eseem Thanks for the info. I do recall hearing about the broken turboprop logic in MSFS, but tbh I haven't been following how devs have been addressing it. I appreciate the background.
...I thought beta is not used extensively on the ground.
@qqwertzde We do regularly use it during taxi to keep the plane from accelerating, and to slow us down without applying brakes. Keeping in mind it's beta, with the power lever just 'over' the gate, aka not reverse - though I did use a touch of reverse to back into a parking spot last week, which can be done under the right conditions and then, very carefully.
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If it's an underlying issue with the sim that is causing this excessive thrust at low torque at least it makes sense...
I've flown a bit more and the 3rd notch of flaps make a huge difference (who would have thought!). I am now able to control my airspeed in final even on a steep approach. I did a few flights in PNG last night and had a blast!
