RealAir Duke Turbine V.2 ... Wow!

I hesitated on this one – the Upgrade price isn’t much lower than the full one – but after a few hours’ flying I’m sorry I wasted the V.2 flying time …

 

The many tweaks and modifications are noticeable, individually -- the HD textures, beautiful wind and engine sounds, engine management and failure options, etc., etc, . all of them improvements – but it’s magic when they all come together.

 

To pick a few: I just love the instantaneous VC loading, shifting from spot or exterior views, draggy on V.1 (and other models): it’s really pretty much instantaneous; and the whole package has no noticeable hit on my low-end system. The textures are clearly sharper, sounds are wonderful -- complex and remarkably realistic.

 

It’s as if a middling composer handed his piece of music to a master to rework. (Don’t get me wrong: along with a lot of other simmers, I’ve found the RA Duke Turbine V.1 to be a fine model, great to fly, up to this point my favourite GA model.) But now new tones and harmonics appear, new and deeper melodies, everything polished up, more immersive, more exciting. The Duke’s personality comes through.

 

It’s a label I’d only apply a handful of times in my 20 years’ simming, but RealAir seem to have have really pulled it off with this one. It’s a masterpiece.

I want my money back frankly, those PT6s are very unreliable! I blew the right engine idling on the ramp before takeoff last night, then reloaded the aircraft, got about 3/4 of the way to the destination airport and I'll be damned if the left engine didn't blow up too! This is getting very expensive as these engines cost on the order of $000,000.00 bucks apiece to replace! Not to mention the drama involved with losing an engine in the dark at FL200 under IFR conditions damn near gave me a heart attack!

 

Seriously I too am in love with this aircraft. Agreed on all counts. I haven't flown anything else since about an hour after it was released. There are no rough edges with RealAir, the fit & finish on everything is perfect from the purchase transaction all the way to the landing bump at the destination airport.

There are no rough edges with RealAir, the fit & finish on everything is perfect from the purchase transaction all the way to the landing bump at the destination airport.

 

Exactly! And can't wait to fly more with the engine management config on ... expensive fun ...

 

Trying to keep my comments short, I left out even a quick remark on the new flight dynamics -- simply stunning!

Sorry to go on, but have stumbled across another RealAir breakthrough.

 

With all other models in my experience, if you shift to another view -- eg. co-pilot -- and then try to pan, to move from the instruments to look for the airport, check out the view, whatever, things move like frozen molasses. With this model the panning is smooth and fast for every view. Have no idea how they do it, but it's such a simming difference ...

I guess I hadn't noticed that as I usually use the mouse look thingy for panning around in all views for that very reason as it seems mouse look isn't affected by that phenomenon. Seems a simple matter of adding PanAcceleratorTime=0 to [CameraDefinition.X] in the aircraft.cfg for the view in question though and then adjusting PitchPanRate=XX and HeadingPanRate=XX to your liking if you wanted to make views in other aircraft behave the same way. (which I'll be doing to some of my other aircraft here directly so thanks for pointing that out!)

 

I totally agree on the flight dynamics, I think I had 4 hrs on the Duke before I ever switched on the autopilot because it's just so much fun to hand fly!

 

Have you added the integrated Flight1 GTN gauges BTW? If not I recommend giving them a look, they're awesome. I've never been big on avionics addons but as Ray Marshall said in his Avsim review "this changes everything"! All the Garmin stuff runs outside the sim and takes full advantage of an idle CPU core so flying this aircraft with both GTN gauges running is about like flying the default Baron performance-wise. That said I've got more $$ wrapped up in this T. Duke than the PMDG T7, lol. That's OK though, it fits my type of flying better than the T7 and the GTN gauges can be installed in any aircraft so they'll be useful for a long time yet. Each one is $50 USD but you really don't need the GTN 650. I bought 'em both because the 650 just looks so nice on the panel sitting below the 750 :) .

 

Last night I did a flight from KRAP to KBIL with ASN weather and finally managed to do the arrival and approach without screwing anything up, KBIL was socked in so didn't see the runway lights until about 30 seconds before the wheels touched, it was awesome! (we need a smiley for sh*t eatin' grin!)

RealAir planes are excellent.

The last I heard, they were working on a Cessna, that seems to have been dropped.

Has anyone heard anything as to what they are working on next?

I will upgrade my Turbine Duke to this version 2 very soon.

Meanwhile I just have a question: Does it still have VC rain effects?

I like this. Can't understand why some developers put condensation effects on their models (sometimes even dust and scratches) and not rain.

 

Thanks,

They say it does and nobody seems to be complaining but I haven't seen it. There are a bunch of files in the common texture folder with names like VCRainMoving*.dds and VCRainStopped*.dds so I'm sure it still has it. I don't know if I'm not loading the right weather, maybe it doesn't work in DX10, or maybe I'm just blind, been meaning to revert back to DX9 and try it out though, I'll let you know. The landing light effect is sweet, that I do know :) .

Jim ... no, haven't tried out the Flight1 GTN gauges, but will check them out, thanks. My current alternative rave is Active Sky Next, which I see you have. Such a difference ...

Well I'll be dipped if I can get the rain effects to work, maybe it's something that isn't supported with my graphics card or something because I can't get it to work on the T. Duke v1 either. GTX-770?

 

Currently sitting on the ground at KBZN in from Billings last night:

 

http://www.cat-tamer.com/flightsim/atchmnts/kbil_kbzn01.jpg

Well I'll be dipped if I can get the rain effects to work, maybe it's something that isn't supported with my graphics card or something because I can't get it to work on the T. Duke v1 either. GTX-770?

 

Currently sitting on the ground at KBZN in from Billings last night:

 

http://www.cat-tamer.com/flightsim/atchmnts/kbil_kbzn01.jpg

 

Google "fsx vc rain fix" and you will find a replacement set of VCRain texture files (32 textures). Make a backup of those that are in the Texture folder of FSX and try the fixed ones. Of course they only work with aircraft that are modelled to use them, such as Realair, Ants Airplanes and some others. Really cool effect. It works with DX9, not sure about DX10.

 

Cheers,

I will upgrade my Turbine Duke to this version 2 very soon.

Meanwhile I just have a question: Does it still have VC rain effects?

I like this. Can't understand why some developers put condensation effects on their models (sometimes even dust and scratches) and not rain.

 

Thanks,

 

Yes the rain effect is best I've ever had in any plane. I use three screens and the effect covers the whole of the view, in the old Duke version the rain effect abruptly stopped about 25% from the outer edges, version 2 covers the whole windshield. I didn't need any fixes either it worked out of the box. :)

I concur...the rain effects work great with V2.....even in DX10 mode. I've been having "Duke-gasms" ever since :)

After some rain testing I think the problem is actually my eyesight because in retrospect I'm definitely seeing some flecks on the VC glass that go away when I select clear weather although it takes half a minute or so for the windshield to clear. I'm not seeing any movement though, I guess I was expecting something like you see in 2D panel view when it rains. Are you guys seeing these rain effects move across the windscreen in flight?

 

Thx,

Jim

Yes the rain effect is best I've ever had in any plane. I use three screens and the effect covers the whole of the view, in the old Duke version the rain effect abruptly stopped about 25% from the outer edges, version 2 covers the whole windshield. I didn't need any fixes either it worked out of the box. :)

 

Now I am really disappointed since I cannot find any excuse to delay the upgrade of my Turbine Duke. I guess I will be flying a lot in rainy days. :rolleyes:

... Are you guys seeing these rain effects move across the windscreen in flight?

 

Thx,

Jim

 

Yeap, and not like in a 2D panel because the rain drops move on the side windows too.

 

And something else worth testing:

- Take off with the passenger door opened and guess what...

- Extended flaps above speed limit, watch and ear them vibrate. Leave them extended and keep your speed. Quite impressive.

Of course I am talking about the B60 V2 but I am guessing that the Turbine V2 has the same effects.

 

Have fun.

Yeap, and not like in a 2D panel because the rain drops move on the side windows too.

 

And something else worth testing:

- Take off with the passenger door opened and guess what...

- Extended flaps above speed limit, watch and ear them vibrate. Leave them extended and keep your speed. Quite impressive.

Of course I am talking about the B60 V2 but I am guessing that the Turbine V2 has the same effects.

 

Have fun.

 

Yep, it does all that but there's no movement with the rain effects for me, just static flecks on the windshield (and side windows). Yes I have advanced animations on. It's minor though and I don't care enough to sort it out, I'm just flying and it doesn't rain in January where I'm hanging out anyway.

 

Also the random engine failure thing, I almost KRAP-ped my pants on a flight that was supposed to be between KSUX and KBIL when all of the sudden "Bang!" my left engine blew up, completely shattering all serenity at FL200. I checked and found KRAP, Rapid City SD was my best bet for getting her on the ground so this will forever be remembered as the flight that went to KRAP! :)

 

Aside from the much more attractive model and textures I'd have to say the sounds and FDE are the biggest improvement. The sounds are much deeper and the prop noise is awesome. FDE just feels better to me, I did a quick flight in the v1 yesterday for the fun of it, it's hard to describe, I guess v2 feels heavier and more stable maybe. It seems a lot easier to hand fly a traffic pattern, the autopilot is something you'll want to avoid, lol.

Rain effects work fine, I guess I wasn't using the right weather (gray & rainy theme). Just landed at KTWF with ASN historical WX for 1/16/2015 17:00Z with plenty of action on the windshield. :)

 

http://www.cat-tamer.com/flightsim/atchmnts/kjac_ktwf01.jpg

 

Stoked!

I think I've found a glitch !!!

It will only concern those who have and install the GNS WAAS GPS in the config program and use Saitek Radio Panels.

 

I found with the GNS gps turned on when I select the nav frequency using the Saitek radio panel it won't change the numbers in the nav panel on the aircraft, even if you use your mouse and change them in the aircraft you still wont be able to use the approach button or hear the morse signal. Removing the GNS from the aircraft every thing works fine. Has anyone else discovered this?

 

Aside from the much more attractive model and textures I'd have to say the sounds and FDE are the biggest improvement. The sounds are much deeper and the prop noise is awesome. FDE just feels better to me, I did a quick flight in the v1 yesterday for the fun of it, it's hard to describe, I guess v2 feels heavier and more stable maybe. lol.

 

Agreed ... altho' I do feel, as said originally, that altho' one can analyse out the details, it's in their union that the real sizzle, magic, lies.

 

BTW, thanks, Jim, for the CFG tweak you pointed out for fast panning in various views. Will try it in a few other models I like.

I too have been a fan of the Duke for a long time now and like some have hesitated in investing in the V2. For me personally the cost has been prohibitive. The conversion price comes pretty close to the actual model price but I think I've been convinced that the improvements in the V2 are worth the pennies! As a final note, I think that the producers have done a really great job on all their models. My only critiscism or observation is that I would like to see just a little more scratches and scrapes just to give the models that 'well flown/used look'. They always look so new as if the've just come out of the paint shop.; or am I being too picky?