Introduction

In this review, I shall be looking at theJust Flight Piper Warrior II for Prepar3D. I was extremely keen to flythis aircraft in the sim, as only a few weeks earlier I had been giventhe opportunity to fly one for real.

This vintage aircraft was first produced in the 1960s and sincethen has obtained a cult status within the general aviation sector. Afour-seater light aircraft, it is usually used for pilot training andfor personal use.

Just Flight's version of the Piper Warrior focusses on the '161'variant. This was the last version of the Warrior II, rolling off theproduction line in 1977. The main difference between this model andearlier versions, was that it had the most powerful engine of theseries.

Installation

Installing Just Flight models is normally a breeze for me, howeverdue to some faults at my end, I have not been able to install thepackage into P3D v5 (even with the excellent help from the Just Flightsupport team). Due to this, I decided to install the Warrior into P3Dv4, and this went without issue.

Documentation

Included within the package are two documents, a manual which is abasic overview of the aircraft and its systems, and another whichcontains performance data. Despite them being rather basic compared tosome heavy-duty manuals included with larger, more complex aircraft,they are still highly informative.

Exterior

The Warrior II package from Just Flight comes with eight stunningliveries in total, three of which are UK registered, with the othersbeing from Australia, USA, France, Germany, and Canada.

Both the modelling and the texturing of the aircraft is superb,with even rivets being visible on the numerous airframe panels.

I've noticed with PA28's, that they tend to have overly largebeacon lights on the vertical stabiliser, and this is true of the JustFlight model.

The Piper Warrior is very much a mechanical aircraft (none of yourfancy computerized equipment here), and that's really the impressionyou get with this model. Everywhere you look, there are metallicconnections at work, with the most prominent being for the flaps andelevators. Overall, I'm very impressed with how Just Flight havemodelled the exterior of the Piper.

Interior

Like the exterior of the Piper, the interior was also well modelledwith great attention to detail. When cross-referencing the cockpit ofthe Just Flight model with images and videos of the real aircraft, itwas clear to see that Just Flight had worked hard at trying to achieveas realistic appearance as possible.

One thing to remember when looking at the images in this review, isthat on some PA28's (especially the Warrior III), they can have glasscockpits fitted. However, in the case of the Just Flight versionmodelled here, it is based on an original unaltered aircraft from the1970's, and as such, it retains its steam gauge appearance.

Staying with the cockpit gauges, and I must say I was veryimpressed with how they appeared. Being 3D, they looked highlyauthentic, and when it came to their operation, they all seemed tofunction accurately.

One thing I did notice, was that the spacing between the individualgauges seemed a bit too generous, and as such, it gave the illusionthat the PA28 cockpit is actually bigger than what it is in real life.From experience, I would say that the cockpit of the Piper is ascramped as a Cessna 152, but other people might have a differentopinion.

Also included is an autopilot panel, plus a primitive GPS unit. Theaforementioned manual explains how to use both, and as they aren'tparticularly technical, are easy to get to grips with in just a shorttime. However, if so desired, there are options available in which tointegrate a 3rd party GPS unit.

Flight Model

Performance figures are realistic when referenced against the realaircraft, and this includes, rotation speeds, take-off roll, landingdistances, weights, and range performance. When flying the Just FlightPiper, I really got the sense that an incredible amount of detail wentinto getting the flight model just right, it's simply superb. Eventorque effect was simulated and behaved realistically.

The aircraft systems are also worth mentioning as they are highlyrealistic. For example, you have an ammeter displaying load, (thisvaries depending on usage), carb heat which will affect engine RPM's,the need to use more primer on cold days, and fully working circuitbreakers. I really couldn't find anything wrong, everything justworked as it should.

When it comes to how the aircraft performs in the air, I have tosay it feels very much like its real-life counterpart. It's very easyto fly straight and level, and even at low speeds, it is incrediblystable. If I had to sum up the experience, I would say the PiperWarrior is a wonderful aircraft to have fun with and is probably theeasiest and most forgiving aircraft I have flown in a flight sim, muchlike the Piper Cub.

In-Sim Performance

In terms of performance, the Just Flight Warrior performedflawlessly. As I've mentioned in previous reviews, my setup is quitelimited in certain areas, especially when it comes to my graphicscard, so I was really pleased with how the aircraft performed. Therewere no lags or spikes, no sudden FPS drops, no need to adjust mygraphics settings, the aircraft just performed really well.Remarkable when you consider the complexity of the model.

Conclusion

Having learnt to fly in a Cessna 152, my knowledge and experienceof the PA28 (until reviewing this product), was rather limited.However, having recently had the opportunity to fly a real PiperWarrior, I must admit I am rather taken with the aircraft, somethingwhich is now firmly cemented, due to my experience with this model.

This is an aircraft I can see myself taking countless flights in,it really is that good. Not only does the model look visuallyimpressive, but it also flies exceptionally well and performs great onmy somewhat limited system.

To sum up, Just Flight's Piper Warrior II for P3D is an incredibleproduct that should be in everyone's virtual hanger. If like me, youenjoy flying high quality GA aircraft, then this model is a must havefor you and comes highly recommended.

Alex Dickinson

Purchase Just Flight - PA-28-161 Warrior II for P3D

Also available for MSFS 2020, X-Plane 11 and FSX