This is a quick view of the aircraft available at the X-Plane.org store. Only flown it less than one hour, so not really a full review. [Go to the end for an update to this quick view] For the most part, I like it, but...
...there are two things with it I don't like. (Go to the end for some examples of things I do like.) First is the painted stabiliser shadow on the camouflaged ones. Even if we don't yet have full illumination effects in X-Plane, sometimes it's very obvious that the shadow is just plain wrong and then it's, in my opinion, better to leave it out. Apart from this, the paints are first class.
Second is the HUD.
With the default pilot eye position you sit so high you look over it, which is easy to see by firing the guns and see where the bullets go. Yes, you can lower it, but having to do that every time you load the aircraft feels unnecessary. (And the readme seems to indicate the author doesn't want us to fix it in Planemaker!?)
Symbology seems to be an attitude repeater, meaning the horizon and pitch ladder doesn't match the outside like on a "normal HUD" does today. I think there've been bank indicators on gun/rocket/bombsights. But pitch too? I even seem to recall the HUD is decluttered by removing the pitch ladder on AJ 37 Viggen with in gun/rocket/bomb aiming mode.
To me this doesn't look like neither an enhanced gunsight nor a typical, but rather small, 1970's HUD meaning it's mostly a distraction. I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think it's prototypical.
In this screenshot we can see that the outside paint scheme is repeated on the inside. This is not right. I'm not knowledgeable enough with 3D modelling to say if it's got to do with getting better frame rates.
Things I do like
The 3D modelling is done so that it doesn't require a high performance computer to run on. I like that and wish more authors would take that into account when it's possible. (For example, I don't believe the RJ85 need so many extremely large object files at all.)
Flight model seems right. Possibly it's too stable in roll. In a real one I'd expect to have to work a lot the first hours to keep the wings level, but with this one you can let go of the stick. But since this isn't a training aid I like it that it's easy to fly but still close to realistic.
Update 2011-07-18
Four versions are too many for me, so I choose the BAE Systems to fly. When looking at photos of the real one it's apparent this is only a different skin as the real one's guns are removed, it has a couple of extra antennas and bulbs. If this was a freeware aircraft I'd offer to add these and I'd make a skin of white and blue N437FS.
I've also found two more things I don't like about it. One is the shape of the external tanks. They're made with only 8 stations, which makes them pointy where they should be round and part of the front looks conical. This can be done much better which I know because I can do and also tried. Not a whole lot of work either. At a guess the author is more familiar with making shapes outside of Plane-Maker.
The second is the Mach meter. It doesn't move, so the higher you go the more it shows too low Mach number. This one is tricky to get right, but I'm sure it can be done and to get tricky things done right is exactly why we pay for aircraft . If this was a really low price aircraft it would be acceptable, but its initial price (which has since been reduced) was the same as the much more advanced AMX.
Update 2011-07-18
Four versions are too many for me, so I choose the BAE Systems to fly. When looking at photos of the real one it's apparent this is only a different skin as the real one's guns are removed, it has a couple of extra antennas and bulbs. If this was a freeware aircraft I'd offer to add these and I'd make a skin of white and blue N437FS.
I've also found two more things I don't like about it. One is the shape of the external tanks. They're made with only 8 stations, which makes them pointy where they should be round and part of the front looks conical. This can be done much better which I know because I can do and also tried. Not a whole lot of work either. At a guess the author is more familiar with making shapes outside of Plane-Maker.
The second is the Mach meter. It doesn't move, so the higher you go the more it shows too low Mach number. This one is tricky to get right, but I'm sure it can be done and to get tricky things done right is exactly why we pay for aircraft . If this was a really low price aircraft it would be acceptable, but its initial price (which has since been reduced) was the same as the much more advanced AMX.
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