Carenado Cessna 208B Caravan

This quickly became one of the aircraft I fly often.
Main reasons are that it's a well made aircraft, it's very useful as it can go to small airfields but isn't very slow, it's easy to fly but also has medium complicated systems to operate. As we don't have to pay for fuel it's not a disadvantage it's larger than some smaller GA it is similar apart from size so for me it can replace a few of them in my "hangar". (I'm one of those who like to learn a few aircraft well and usually don't keep rather similar types at the same time.)

I like how its systems are modelled. You can fly it without reading the manual, but might get surprises, so it's better to read it and follow the check lists. Much appreciated that it's not absolutely necessary, though.

Recommended.

But it's not without some faults. Perhaps it's not justified to bring them up as I fly only X-Plane 10 (and beta at the moment) whereas the instructions clearly says it's not really (yet) made for version 10 as X-Plane 10 is in a flux.



One of the things I don't like is that the pilots are only visible in outside view. There, they're very well modelled with regard to detailing and head movement and so on (but they're always dressed the same which looks out of place when using the military livery).

In inside views the pilots go invisible. I'm sure there are good reasons for it, but why then have a rear cabin viewpoint? (Which also re-inforces something that's very common in X-Plane aircraft: No cargo nor passengers.)


You can change its configuration. But you'll have to do it each flight as it's not saved, which means I no longer bother. Also, removing the underbelly cargo pod doesn't change anything to its flight characteristics which it really should. Things like that is after all one of the main points of X-Plane.

Some of it's functions are very cleverly modelled. If you open doors and windows, they will close automatically when a certain speed has been reached for example.

Available here.

Response to comment:

I have looked at data out and drag doesn't change with or without pod. Version 10, though.

The operative word is pilots, plural. That one's "own" body isn't shown is very common.

Saving configuration isn't really explained: Says only edit and set value you wish. I'm sure what values are available and valid options is obvious to the makers, but it doesn't say.