Suggestions / requests for further improvement
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Firstly, thanks for the recent updates which have significantly improved the product. I have installed the 1.6 update and running P3D 4.3.
I am using the product for type-specific and IFR currency / practice, and my feedback is based on experience in the real aircraft. A few things I have noted and some suggestions:
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The props now go into full-feather and stop too suddenly and this does not allow for normal feather checks on the ground. I should be able to retard the prop lever to feather and then return it to fine about a second or so later without the prop stopping dead. Suggest a delay of at least a few more seconds before it goes into full feather.
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Rotation on takeoff is improved but is still a bit too pronounced / sudden
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Manifold pressure is not reducing normally as the aircraft climbs. Should not be able to get high pressures of 25+ above a few thousand feet.
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Climb power is generally overrated and unrealistic - this may be related to the manifold pressure issue
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Indicated airspeed seems a little slow in the cruise. eg at 6000 with near max weight, getting cruise IAS of around 130-135 kts, where I'd expect more like 140-145 kts in the real aircraft.
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Autopilot in heading/nav modes seems to be commanding more than a rate-one turn
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Stall performance is not quite there. Generally stalls 5-10 knots below correct speeds and stall warning does not sound until well into the stall.
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VMCA performance is quite a way off from the real thing. Should be seeing a clear stall break with significant roll to the dead engine.
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single-engine performance - getting some yaw toward the dead engine (correct) although it could be more pronounced than it is. Seeing an adverse roll toward the live engine, which is not correct.
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Fuse position logic seems to be opposite - ie fuse-out is 'on' rather than 'off' (I thought this had been fixed in an earlier update?)
Hope this feedback helps, and keep up the good work!
Nic
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Last item: these are not fuses but push-pull circuit breakers; without lip, they are push-to-reset circuit breakers. Aircraft fuses are typically cylindrical in shape with usually a visible fuse element. Yes, they are all pulled out, which means the circuits are inoperative. A&P technician; PP multi-engine, instrument.
PMJ -
Dissatisfaction With The Duchess Performance
I am very disappointed in your latest update, v1.07, which addresses an insignificant glitch—the Stormscope not working.
The main reason I purchase any twin-engine is to practice a very critical aspect of flying it, and that is how to react and control the aircraft on one engine. It is beyond my comprehension why your company did not fix the single-engine dynamics first, not to mention all the circuit breakers are still pulled out. Did you know that if you look at you advertisement video all the breakers are in—what gives?
It is obvious to me that this problem is not going to be addressed and by you words…I will pass it on to development. THAT'S NOT WORKING. How about giving me their email so I can talk to them directly or better yet, their phone number?
I had to purchase MIL VIZ's Cessna 310, which indeed has the proper single-engine dynamics without having to wait for endless revisions.
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PMJ,
v1.07 was not intended to be an extensive update. We received a report of an issue with the Stormscope and the developer that produced that instrument was able to quickly address the issue so we opted to release that to all customers before waiting for the completion of other pending fixes. As you can imagine, our avionics coding and flight dynamics are handled by different people so there's little correlation.
v1.06 was released last month and was intended to address several FDE issues. Further feedback, such as the above from Nic, was received after the release of that update and our FDE creator (@Delta558 ) continues to make improvements based on direct correspondence with any real-world pilots that identify themselves as such. He will get in touch shortly to discuss your feedback.
The circuit breakers animations will be fixed in the next update as per your description above. The breakers are functional in v1.07 so it's just the animation direction that needs reversing.
