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Gift Guide: Just Flight - PA-28R Arrow/Turbo Arrow Bundle
Nels_Anderson posted an article in Featured
PA-28R Arrow And Turbo ArrowPublisher: Just FlightReview Author: Michael HaywardSuggested Price: $64.99/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-02.jpgThe Piper PA-28 Cherokee family ofaircraft has been a mainstay in general aviation for many years. Sincefirst production in 1960, there are now numerous variants availablewith a wide range of upgrades to suit the needs of the pilot thatflies it. Just Flight have recently released three variants of the PA-28R,the Arrow III and Turbo Arrow III/IV, available either as two separatepackages or combined as a combo pack for all three. Having produced a range of high-quality aircraft for all majorflight simulators on the market, today we take a look at the JustFlight Piper PA-28R range and see if it holds up to their usual highlevel of quality. The Arrow III is also a Just Flight "speciality",being one of their major common releases across every flight simulatorplatform on the market, meaning they have a lot to aim for with thisone! PA-28R Arrow IIIThe 'basic' package is what we'll take our first glance at. ThePA-28R Arrow III features all of your standard steam-gauge cockpitfittings, alongside a range of Bendix King radio and communicationspanels and options for GPS and GNS flight computers. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-03.jpgSystems on the PA-28 have also been realistically recreated,including fully functional circuit breakers and working landing geardrop when in an emergency or when flying at low speeds. The Arrow III also features original Lycoming IO-360 enginerecordings natively working alongside the MSFS Wwise sound engine. Asa result, you get the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of one ofthese aircraft as the sound engulfs you on your virtual journey. This variant also includes eleven different liveries of Arrow III'sfrom all around the world. PA-28R-201T Turbo Arrow IIIThe Turbo Arrow III is an engine upgrade on the classic Arrow IIIbody. Featuring a Lycoming TSIO-360, it is the first turbochargedvariant of the PA-28 family, with an upgraded nose cowling to sit thebeefy 6-cylinder turbocharged engine. It features the same cockpit layout as the standard Arrow III butincludes a turbocharger fixed wastegate and overboost simulation,meaning you'll need to keep a closer eye on your gauges as you'll notea progressive engine failure if you damage the wastegate by overboosting the engine (more on the progressive failures of this aircraftlater in the article). /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-10.jpgThe Turbo Arrow III also features authentic sounds from theTSIO-360 engine, meaning those familiar with this particularconfiguration of aircraft will feel right at home when taking it for avirtual flight. Five liveries based on real-life Turbo Arrow III's have beenincluded with this add-on. PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IVThe Turbo Arrow IV breaks away from the classic Cherokee look witha T-tail configuration over the standard low-rear-wing but keeps thesame Lycoming TSIO-360 6-cylinder turbocharged engine as the TurboArrow III. Once again it features the same cockpit layout as the other twovariants, including added turbocharger overboost simulation andfailures, meaning once again you will need to keep a close eye on yoursystems before inadvertently blowing the engine up. The T-tail rear wing also means the aircraft in terms of in-airstability ever so slightly pushes the nose down, but this is easilyadjusted with the electrical elevator trim to keep the aircraft justas steady as the Arrow III's. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-04.jpgDownload And InstallInstallation of the Just Flight Piper Arrows (both the bundle andindividually) is very simple and only requires a few steps. Afterpurchase at the FlightSim.Com Store, download and run the installer,input your activation key when prompted and from there the rest of theprocess is automated. There are four manuals in total, amounting to 219 pages ofoperational information to help you get going. This includes manualson use for both the Arrow III and Turbo Arrows, as well as OperatingData manuals for both. These all give you information on how tooperate and even look after your virtual aircraft. The Arrow III andIV have a lot of systems depth making these worth the read to know youraircraft. As an added extra, the in-sim default checklists have also beenadded, going through all of the procedures for flying the PiperCherokee. Exterior ModelAll three aircraft models share common features amongst each other,including the cockpit shell and wings. Both turbo models of Arrow havebulkier engine cowlings while the Arrow IV has its rear wing mountedon top of the tail. Each looks like their real-world counterpart andhave plenty of detail right down to each panel and bolts securing themin place. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-08.jpgTextures are done in 4K resolution and look fantastic within theMicrosoft Flight Simulator world. Liveries look just like theirreal-world counterpart with weathering applied to age the aircraft,making them look well-used. Decals and text on the aircraft are alsoclear and can be read, adding to the high level of quality the PiperArrow package has. Animations and effects have also been added and recreated to theaircraft, with full wing surface controls, landing gear movement,doors and hatches all moving as you would expect to see on real-worldaircraft. Touching down on landing you can see the wheel dampers ineffect as it softens your contact with the runway. Lighting too has also been accurately recreated and looksfantastic, especially when flying at night. Microsoft Flight Simulatoralready has a fantastic lighting engine that developers can use totheir advantage, which in this instance has been done with full wingand tail lighting, as well as a strong and bright landing and taxilight when low to and on the ground. Cockpit And InteriorAll three aircraft variants have the same cockpit layout with onlyminor differences between the Classic and Turbo models. The aircraftmakes use of a standard set of steam gauges, all 3D modelled with depthadded to the gauge panel, as well as a series of Bendix King GPS, radioand communication panels. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-06.jpgThis add-on includes a fully functional cockpit setup including allswitches and circuit breakers that you can manipulate and affect youraircraft with. The fact that everything is functional is especiallyuseful when going through real-life checklists for this aircraft,meaning even as a training or familiarisation tool you will be able toreplicate what you do in real-life within the simulator itself. I do also like the ability to switch the cockpit layout around withthe EFB, between an all-digital GNS Dual digital radio and GPSdisplay, only a GNS530 with Bendix King radio panel or a full analogGarmin GPS 100 system. There is also the option to add a GTN 750 usingthe freeware PMS-50 GTN 750 mod. The Arrow also includes an EFB tablet system which lets youcustomise different factors of the aircraft from your starting state(engine on, cold & dark, etc.) to aircraft wear and age andfailures. This system includes a lot of depth and brings the aircraftto life, as you will need to take special care of your aircraft and'maintain' it by resetting the battery and gauges every so often, asyou would on the real thing. The battery simulation in particular israther smart, slowly draining the system as you use it without arunning engine. Lose all of your power and your aircraft will becomestranded. I have however noted that the pilot models in the cockpit don'tmake use of the default simulator avatars, rather their own pilotmodel which looks good, but perhaps not the one you have selected ifthat's something that you are particular about. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-07.jpg SoundSounds on the Piper Arrows are fantastic. All have been sampledfrom the real aircraft and engines to get the best likeness to life aspossible. Sound samples have been mixed with the simulator built-in Wwiseengine, allowing for the aircraft to sound just as good inside as itis out. This also includes audio for each button and switch on theaircraft, physics-based effects for wind and engine and differentcontact points of the aircraft with the ground, whether or not it'slanding gear on tarmac or the wing scraping the side of a hangar. For those flying with VR, Just Flight have also gone intoconfiguring the 3D soundscape of the aircraft too, meaning soundsources will be audible from where they have been made, just to add tothe level of immersion you already have. A lot of care has been taken with the audio of these aircraft.You'll be sure to appreciate the work that has gone into this. Flight DynamicsThe Piper Cherokee has a steady base to fly with, and the JustFlight Arrows for MSFS are certainly no exception. The aircraft is easyto fly. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-05.jpgWhen airborne you can also certainly feel the prop drift at play,the aircraft has a slight tendency to drift to the left as it does inreal life, but this is very easily corrected with a minor amount ofyoke input. Climb and descent are easy and speed can be managed withease by manipulating the throttle and your angle of attack. The T-tail Arrow IV has a slight tendency to push the nose downwhen compared to flying the Arrow III, but this is expected with theraised rear wing changing the airflow to move the aircraft in aslightly downward direction. It only takes a minor amount of trim tokeep the aircraft steady and flying level with its Arrow IIIcounterparts. Takeoff and landing too take a bit of practice to keep the aircrafton the centerline, but overall this is simple to manage and adds toyour virtual flight experience. Opinion And Closing RemarksI have adored flying the Just Flight Arrow III and Turbo III andIV. They are a fantastic set of aircraft and perhaps some of the bestsimulations of general aviation on Microsoft Flight Simulator rightnow. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-09.jpgAs mentioned at the beginning, the Arrow III is perhaps theflagship of Just Flight add-ons with a version of this aircraftavailable on all major platforms past and present. It only gets betterand more detailed with each simulator version released and so far, theMicrosoft Flight Simulator version is by far their best. Everything from the modelling detail to the audio and functions istop-class and overall really help to bring this aircraft to life. I would highly recommend these aircraft, either standalone or aspart of the bundle to those that enjoy flying their Cherokees or arelooking for a simulation of a GA aircraft as close to lifelike aspossible. The Technical BitMinimum RequirementsMicrosoft Flight Simulator (i.e. the 2020 Standard, Deluxe or Premium Deluxe PC/Steam edition - NOT FSX or any previous edition)Processor: Intel i5-4460 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (Intel i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X recommended)RAM: 8 GB (16 GB recommended)Graphics card: nVidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon RX 570 (nVidia GTX 970 / AMD Radeon RX 590 recommended)Operating System: Windows 10Peripherals: Joystick or compatible game controller (e.g. Xbox One Controller for Windows)2 GB hard drive space /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-01.jpgReview PC SpecMicrosoft Flight SimulatorWindows 10 Professional6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 6700K Processor32 GB RAMNVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660/images/reviews/jfpa28r/title3.jpg Michael Hayward Purchase Just Flight - PA-28R Arrow III and Turbo Arrow III/IV Bundle Purchase Just Flight - PA-28R Turbo Arrow III/IV for MSFS 2020 Purchase Just Flight - PA-28R Arrow III for MSFS 2020 -
PA-28R Arrow And Turbo ArrowPublisher: Just FlightReview Author: Michael HaywardSuggested Price: $64.99/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-02.jpgThe Piper PA-28 Cherokee family ofaircraft has been a mainstay in general aviation for many years. Sincefirst production in 1960, there are now numerous variants availablewith a wide range of upgrades to suit the needs of the pilot thatflies it. Just Flight have recently released three variants of the PA-28R,the Arrow III and Turbo Arrow III/IV, available either as two separatepackages or combined as a combo pack for all three. Having produced a range of high-quality aircraft for all majorflight simulators on the market, today we take a look at the JustFlight Piper PA-28R range and see if it holds up to their usual highlevel of quality. The Arrow III is also a Just Flight "speciality",being one of their major common releases across every flight simulatorplatform on the market, meaning they have a lot to aim for with thisone! PA-28R Arrow IIIThe 'basic' package is what we'll take our first glance at. ThePA-28R Arrow III features all of your standard steam-gauge cockpitfittings, alongside a range of Bendix King radio and communicationspanels and options for GPS and GNS flight computers. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-03.jpgSystems on the PA-28 have also been realistically recreated,including fully functional circuit breakers and working landing geardrop when in an emergency or when flying at low speeds. The Arrow III also features original Lycoming IO-360 enginerecordings natively working alongside the MSFS Wwise sound engine. Asa result, you get the feeling of sitting in the cockpit of one ofthese aircraft as the sound engulfs you on your virtual journey. This variant also includes eleven different liveries of Arrow III'sfrom all around the world. PA-28R-201T Turbo Arrow IIIThe Turbo Arrow III is an engine upgrade on the classic Arrow IIIbody. Featuring a Lycoming TSIO-360, it is the first turbochargedvariant of the PA-28 family, with an upgraded nose cowling to sit thebeefy 6-cylinder turbocharged engine. It features the same cockpit layout as the standard Arrow III butincludes a turbocharger fixed wastegate and overboost simulation,meaning you'll need to keep a closer eye on your gauges as you'll notea progressive engine failure if you damage the wastegate by overboosting the engine (more on the progressive failures of this aircraftlater in the article). /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-10.jpgThe Turbo Arrow III also features authentic sounds from theTSIO-360 engine, meaning those familiar with this particularconfiguration of aircraft will feel right at home when taking it for avirtual flight. Five liveries based on real-life Turbo Arrow III's have beenincluded with this add-on. PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IVThe Turbo Arrow IV breaks away from the classic Cherokee look witha T-tail configuration over the standard low-rear-wing but keeps thesame Lycoming TSIO-360 6-cylinder turbocharged engine as the TurboArrow III. Once again it features the same cockpit layout as the other twovariants, including added turbocharger overboost simulation andfailures, meaning once again you will need to keep a close eye on yoursystems before inadvertently blowing the engine up. The T-tail rear wing also means the aircraft in terms of in-airstability ever so slightly pushes the nose down, but this is easilyadjusted with the electrical elevator trim to keep the aircraft justas steady as the Arrow III's. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-04.jpgDownload And InstallInstallation of the Just Flight Piper Arrows (both the bundle andindividually) is very simple and only requires a few steps. Afterpurchase at the FlightSim.Com Store, download and run the installer,input your activation key when prompted and from there the rest of theprocess is automated. There are four manuals in total, amounting to 219 pages ofoperational information to help you get going. This includes manualson use for both the Arrow III and Turbo Arrows, as well as OperatingData manuals for both. These all give you information on how tooperate and even look after your virtual aircraft. The Arrow III andIV have a lot of systems depth making these worth the read to know youraircraft. As an added extra, the in-sim default checklists have also beenadded, going through all of the procedures for flying the PiperCherokee. Exterior ModelAll three aircraft models share common features amongst each other,including the cockpit shell and wings. Both turbo models of Arrow havebulkier engine cowlings while the Arrow IV has its rear wing mountedon top of the tail. Each looks like their real-world counterpart andhave plenty of detail right down to each panel and bolts securing themin place. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-08.jpgTextures are done in 4K resolution and look fantastic within theMicrosoft Flight Simulator world. Liveries look just like theirreal-world counterpart with weathering applied to age the aircraft,making them look well-used. Decals and text on the aircraft are alsoclear and can be read, adding to the high level of quality the PiperArrow package has. Animations and effects have also been added and recreated to theaircraft, with full wing surface controls, landing gear movement,doors and hatches all moving as you would expect to see on real-worldaircraft. Touching down on landing you can see the wheel dampers ineffect as it softens your contact with the runway. Lighting too has also been accurately recreated and looksfantastic, especially when flying at night. Microsoft Flight Simulatoralready has a fantastic lighting engine that developers can use totheir advantage, which in this instance has been done with full wingand tail lighting, as well as a strong and bright landing and taxilight when low to and on the ground. Cockpit And InteriorAll three aircraft variants have the same cockpit layout with onlyminor differences between the Classic and Turbo models. The aircraftmakes use of a standard set of steam gauges, all 3D modelled with depthadded to the gauge panel, as well as a series of Bendix King GPS, radioand communication panels. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-06.jpgThis add-on includes a fully functional cockpit setup including allswitches and circuit breakers that you can manipulate and affect youraircraft with. The fact that everything is functional is especiallyuseful when going through real-life checklists for this aircraft,meaning even as a training or familiarisation tool you will be able toreplicate what you do in real-life within the simulator itself. I do also like the ability to switch the cockpit layout around withthe EFB, between an all-digital GNS Dual digital radio and GPSdisplay, only a GNS530 with Bendix King radio panel or a full analogGarmin GPS 100 system. There is also the option to add a GTN 750 usingthe freeware PMS-50 GTN 750 mod. The Arrow also includes an EFB tablet system which lets youcustomise different factors of the aircraft from your starting state(engine on, cold & dark, etc.) to aircraft wear and age andfailures. This system includes a lot of depth and brings the aircraftto life, as you will need to take special care of your aircraft and'maintain' it by resetting the battery and gauges every so often, asyou would on the real thing. The battery simulation in particular israther smart, slowly draining the system as you use it without arunning engine. Lose all of your power and your aircraft will becomestranded. I have however noted that the pilot models in the cockpit don'tmake use of the default simulator avatars, rather their own pilotmodel which looks good, but perhaps not the one you have selected ifthat's something that you are particular about. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-07.jpg SoundSounds on the Piper Arrows are fantastic. All have been sampledfrom the real aircraft and engines to get the best likeness to life aspossible. Sound samples have been mixed with the simulator built-in Wwiseengine, allowing for the aircraft to sound just as good inside as itis out. This also includes audio for each button and switch on theaircraft, physics-based effects for wind and engine and differentcontact points of the aircraft with the ground, whether or not it'slanding gear on tarmac or the wing scraping the side of a hangar. For those flying with VR, Just Flight have also gone intoconfiguring the 3D soundscape of the aircraft too, meaning soundsources will be audible from where they have been made, just to add tothe level of immersion you already have. A lot of care has been taken with the audio of these aircraft.You'll be sure to appreciate the work that has gone into this. Flight DynamicsThe Piper Cherokee has a steady base to fly with, and the JustFlight Arrows for MSFS are certainly no exception. The aircraft is easyto fly. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-05.jpgWhen airborne you can also certainly feel the prop drift at play,the aircraft has a slight tendency to drift to the left as it does inreal life, but this is very easily corrected with a minor amount ofyoke input. Climb and descent are easy and speed can be managed withease by manipulating the throttle and your angle of attack. The T-tail Arrow IV has a slight tendency to push the nose downwhen compared to flying the Arrow III, but this is expected with theraised rear wing changing the airflow to move the aircraft in aslightly downward direction. It only takes a minor amount of trim tokeep the aircraft steady and flying level with its Arrow IIIcounterparts. Takeoff and landing too take a bit of practice to keep the aircrafton the centerline, but overall this is simple to manage and adds toyour virtual flight experience. Opinion And Closing RemarksI have adored flying the Just Flight Arrow III and Turbo III andIV. They are a fantastic set of aircraft and perhaps some of the bestsimulations of general aviation on Microsoft Flight Simulator rightnow. /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-09.jpgAs mentioned at the beginning, the Arrow III is perhaps theflagship of Just Flight add-ons with a version of this aircraftavailable on all major platforms past and present. It only gets betterand more detailed with each simulator version released and so far, theMicrosoft Flight Simulator version is by far their best. Everything from the modelling detail to the audio and functions istop-class and overall really help to bring this aircraft to life. I would highly recommend these aircraft, either standalone or aspart of the bundle to those that enjoy flying their Cherokees or arelooking for a simulation of a GA aircraft as close to lifelike aspossible. The Technical BitMinimum RequirementsMicrosoft Flight Simulator (i.e. the 2020 Standard, Deluxe or Premium Deluxe PC/Steam edition - NOT FSX or any previous edition)Processor: Intel i5-4460 / AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (Intel i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X recommended)RAM: 8 GB (16 GB recommended)Graphics card: nVidia GTX 770 / AMD Radeon RX 570 (nVidia GTX 970 / AMD Radeon RX 590 recommended)Operating System: Windows 10Peripherals: Joystick or compatible game controller (e.g. Xbox One Controller for Windows)2 GB hard drive space /images/reviews/jfpa28r/t/just-flight-pa28r-01.jpgReview PC SpecMicrosoft Flight SimulatorWindows 10 Professional6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 6700K Processor32 GB RAMNVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1660/images/reviews/jfpa28r/title3.jpg Michael Hayward Purchase Just Flight - PA-28R Arrow III and Turbo Arrow III/IV Bundle Purchase Just Flight - PA-28R Turbo Arrow III/IV for MSFS 2020 Purchase Just Flight - PA-28R Arrow III for MSFS 2020
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/images/notams/notams21/arro0811/arro0811.jpgThe PA-28R Arrow III and the PA-28R Turbo ArrowIII/IV for MSFS 2020, as well as a bundle pack combining both,is now avialable at the FlightSim.Com Store from Just Flight.Just Flight has created versions of these planes for a variety of simsand now brings them to the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator as well. /images/notams/notams21/arro0811/arrow-3.jpgThese aircraft have been developed by Just Flight's in-house teamfollowing comprehensive, hands-on research with the real aircraft. The Arrow III and Turbo Arrow III/IV are four seater, piston-engineaircraft equipped with a retractable tricycle landing gear andconstant-speed propeller – ideal for touring and instrumenttraining. First available in 1977, the Turbo Arrow III was the firstturbocharged variant of the PA-28R Arrow, retaining the conventionaltail of the Arrow III and a new cowling which housed the six-cylinderturbocharged engine. The Turbo Arrow IV followed in 1979 and featureda distinctive T-tail. The Arrow is flown all around the world and this add-on reflectsthat global popularity, featuring a total of 21 liveries from aroundthe world – 11 for the Arrow III, five for the Turbo Arrow III andfive for the Turbo Arrow IV. /images/notams/notams21/arro0811/arrow-2.jpg /images/notams/notams21/arro0811/arrow-1.jpgPurchsae PA-28R Arrow III for MSFS Purchase PA-28R Turbo Arrow III/IV for MSFS Purchase PA-28R Bundle for MSFS
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Just Flight Piper Turbo Arrow III/IV and Arrow III Differences
Nels_Anderson posted an article in Featured
Just Flight Piper Turbo Arrow III/IV and Arrow III DifferencesBy thecorporatepilotdadAs a professional pilot and YouTuber who has actually flown PiperArrows and Turbo Arrows, I show the differences between the PiperArrow III by Just Flight and their soon to be released Piper TurboArrow III and IV. In this video, the differences in engine behaviorand aircraft performance are discussed. This is the Just Flight PiperArrow and Turbo Arrow versions for Microsoft Flight Simulator. thecorporatepilotdad Youtube channel About The AuthorThis video is produced by thecorporatepilotdad. He has been aFlightSim.Com member for close to twenty years and using FlightSimulator since back in the day of FS98 and FS2000. He is also aprofessional pilot with over 7000 hours of real world flightexperience ranging from Cessna 152s to super-mid size businessjets. -
/images/notams/notams19/arro0716/arro0716.jpgHere's our second GA aircraft add-on for Aerofly FS 2 now on sale -the highly detailed and accurately modelled PA-28R Turbo ArrowIII/IV! /images/notams/notams19/arro0716/arrow-1.jpg /images/notams/notams19/arro0716/arrow-2.jpg /images/notams/notams19/arro0716/arrow-3.jpgSource Product Page
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/images/notams/notams19/just0712/arrow-1.jpgExciting release news - Our PA-28R Turbo Arrow III/IV will bereleased for Aerofly FS 2 next week. Here are some of the latestscreen shots: /images/notams/notams19/just0712/arrow-2.jpg /images/notams/notams19/just0712/arrow-3.jpg /images/notams/notams19/just0712/arrow-4.jpgSource Product Page
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/images/notams/notams19/just0322/turbo-arrow-3.jpgThe Just Flight production line is keeping busy. Today they'veoffered some preview images of their upcoming Turbo Arrowfor Aerofly FS 2. These are described as "early shots" but it lookspretty well developed: /images/notams/notams19/just0322/turbo-arrow-4.jpg /images/notams/notams19/just0322/turbo-arrow-1.jpg /images/notams/notams19/just0322/turbo-arrow-2.jpgSource
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PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IVPublisher: Just FlightReview Author: Shawn WeigeltSuggested Price: $41.99/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_24.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_25.jpgIntroductionIt feels so good to be back! Aftertaking a long hiatus from writing reviews for FlightSim.Com and, forthat matter, from flight simulation in general, I am pleased tofinally be "back in the saddle." There is something about thetransition between versions of X-Plane that just kills my enthusiasmfor the hobby. I can't imagine I'm alone with this sentiment. Justwhen I finally felt comfortable with X-Plane 10 and how I had itconfigured to run on my machine, Laminar Research announces X-Plane11! I knew my somewhat antiquated 2011 iMac would never keep up(let's face it, it barely could with X-Plane 10) and there simply wasno computer upgrade in the foreseeable future for the Weigelt family.When X-Plane 11 finally released, I found myself flight simming lessand less until, eventually, months passed by and my joystick andpedals collected dust. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_4.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_5.jpgGood things come to those who wait, however, and I am pleased toannounce that I am now the proud owner of a new iMac and a freshlyinstalled copy of X-Plane 11! With my flight sim enthusiasm newlyrekindled, my good friend, Dom Smith, pointed me in the direction ofthe Just Flight line of aircraft as a possible avenue to get back intothe reviewing "game." To be perfectly candid, my initial reaction wassomething akin to, "who's Just Flight?" Now wait a minute, before youcrucify me in the comments, please remember that I have basically beenliving under a flight simulation rock for the past several months.Apparently, Just Flight is something of a big name in FSX and P3Dcircles and has recently begun developing general aviation airplanesfor X-Plane 11. Most of their XP11 aircraft are based upon theubiquitous Piper PA-28 line of low wing piston singles to include theWarrior, Arrow, and Turbo Arrow models. Not to be of singular focus,Just Flight has also recently released theSocata TB-10 and TB-20as well as the popularCessna 152trainer. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_6.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_7.jpgA quick perusal of Just Flight's X-Plane "hangar" in theFS Pilot Shop was enough to have me drooling. It didn't take long tosettle on the PA-28 Turbo Arrow III/IV as the subject of my firstreview for FlightSim.Com in a long time. My familiarity with highquality airplane add-ons for X-Plane mainly center on some seriousjuggernaut development groups. Let's see if the new-to-me Just Flightdevelopment team and their rendition of the Piper Turbo Arrow measureup to the competition! Sights And SoundsOnce my shiny new Just Flight Turbo Arrow was installed I booted up(does anyone still say that?) X-Plane 11.21r2 and excitedly waited tolay eyes on the airplane. Now let's be honest for a minute...Pipersingles aren't exactly the sexiest general aviation airplanes sittingon the ramp of your local airport. I would wager most people regardthem with little more than a passing glance. The Piper Turbo Arrowis, unfortunately, really no exception in this case. In fact, theTurbo Arrow is little more than a retractable gear, tapered wingCherokee with a blower under the hood. Still, I have a great amountof respect for the tried and true PA-28 line of aircraft that Piperhas been churning out for decades and the Arrow is arguably the bestlooking one of the bunch. Sometimes one can find great beauty inheritage and utility. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_8.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_9.jpgOnce Just Flight's Turbo Arrow finally loaded at my home base (KTIWTacoma Narrows) I immediately switched to an exterior view and beganpanning around the airplane grinning ear to ear. I think I've earneda reputation in my airplane reviews as being a stickler for detail.If a development team makes a mistake with the looks of their productI am more than happy to call them on it. There are far too manypayware airplanes available for X-Plane that simply aren't a goodvisual facsimile of their real world counterparts. It was obviouswith this Turbo Arrow, however, that Just Flight has done theirhomework and has done it well. This model holds up very favorably toscrutiny and the dimensions and proportions look spot on. Theexterior textures and reflective surfaces of the aircraft are simplygorgeous to gaze upon and give this "ho hum" looking Piper someserious ramp appeal. I was pleased to see that Just Flight has essentially included bothmodels of the Piper Turbo Arrow (the conventional tailed III and theT-tail IV) into one package. One is able to go into X-Plane 11'saircraft menu to cycle through the various liveries, which arespecific to either the III or IV aircraft model. Cycling throughliveries also conveniently changes the aircraft model. Just Flighthas included ten beautiful and authentic looking liveries as well as apaint kit for those creative types wanting to "make it their own" orshare their new liveries with others. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_10.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_11.jpgMost of the registrations are for European countries, but there aretwo American ones (to my excitement) and one Australian registeredaircraft. Another way to cycle between paint schemes is by clickingon the tabbed menu at the left hand side of the screen. At the bottomof the pop up menu are the words "CHANGE LIVERY" flanked on eitherside by arrows. Simply clicking on the arrows cycles through the tenavailable paint schemes with their corresponding airplane model(either the III or the IV). My personal favorite is of N3023K, amodel IV T-tail aircraft with simple but attractive red and graystriping over a white base. Switching my view to the interior of the aircraft revealed moreoutstanding texture work and attention to detail displayed thus far bythe Just Flight team. Like similar aircraft add-ons available fromother notable developers, the interior of the Turbo Arrow "feels"truly authentic with a worn appearance offered by the high-resolutiontextures combined with reflections on glass surfaces and gauge faces.The Turbo Arrow III model includes blue interior fabric with a lightgray instrument panel. The Turbo Arrow IV, on the other hand,features brown interior fabric with a light brown panel. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_12.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_13.jpgSince this is a facsimile of a late 70's/early 80's airframe, thedated steam gauge instrument panel featured in the Just Flight TurboArrow accurately reflects the technology of the day. Despite notbeing equipped with the latest in all glass instrumentation, the panelis quite comprehensive and IFR capable with good working models ofantiquated King Nav/Comms, DME, and ADF. I was pleased to see thatthe Turbo Arrow also comes with Piper's archaic Autocontrol IIIBautopilot, which, in a real airplane, only controls the roll axis.Actually reading the included documentation, however, revealed thatclicking on the PIPER logo of the Nav/approach coupler knob allows oneto utilize a very helpful altitude hold feature in the sim. While notexactly "authentic," this hidden feature certainly beats having toconstantly juggle the pitch trim while in cruise and doesn't ruin thecharacter of the instrument panel by integrating a visual toggle thatlooks out of place. The X-Plane rendition of the Garmin GNS 530 GPS above the throttlequadrant is a welcome bit of 21st Century technology for those of uswho prefer GPS navigation to following VOR's. Many real world privatepilots upgrade their aircraft in such a way and it is certainlyplausible to believe that a loving owner upgraded the panel of histired old Turbo Arrow with a GNS 530 to keep his airplane relevant intoday's modern airspace without sacrificing its soul. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_15.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_16.jpgOne of the most helpful features of the Just Flight Turbo Arrow isthe inclusion of the tabbed pop-up menu that I've already brieflymentioned. The developers call this the "Panel selector." Other thanthe ability to quickly swap liveries (and airplane models), the menuoffers a handy host of pictograms that allow the user to performvarious aircraft functions instantly with a simple mouse click. Whilecertainly helpful, not all of the pictograms were necessarilyintuitive (for me at least) and I found myself having to reference theincluded Operations Manual to figure out some of their functions. Mypersonal favorites are the weight and balance menu, the logbook, andthe frame rate saving window reflection and instrument reflectiontoggles. When I finally finished ogling the Just Flight Turbo Arrow (theT-tail model IV with my favorite livery) I was finally ready to gether started up and into X-Plane 11's virtual skies. Setting theweight and balance to my personal specifications for a single pilot, Ifollowed Just Flight's helpful checklist menu and brought the TurboArrow's 200 HP Continental TSIO-360-F to life. If I thought thevisuals of the Just Flight Turbo Arrow were good, the sounds were evenbetter. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_17.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_18.jpgThis is, to date, the best sound package that I have everexperienced from a general aviation airplane for X-Plane. Every"clickable" area of the aircraft seems to have its own sound, whichbeautifully serves to fully immerse the sim pilot in the experience.The engine convincingly roars to life and the wind from the prop seemsto cascade over the airframe. Opening the ventilation window or thedoor convincingly enhances the sound of the wind entering the cockpit.Switching to an exterior view and panning around the aircraft changesthe sound of the running engine when heard from different angles as itwould in real life. Other offerings from some notable developmentteams do this as well, but the sound package in the Just Flight TurboArrow sounds more authentic and less "canned" than some of thecompetition. Flight ModelWith 25 degrees of flaps set and the Just Flight Turbo Arrowrunning and lined up on runway 17 of KTIW, I set the weather tostandard day conditions and insured that there was no wind present. Iknow this is incredibly unrealistic and somewhat cheating, but I liketo establish a good baseline for comparing the simulated model to thereal world performance tables for reviewing purposes. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_19.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_20.jpgWhen I slowly advanced the throttle to takeoff power I was thrilledto hear the high pitch whistle of the turbo kick in to further lendsome realism to this already impressive aircraft file. I immediatelyrealized that the Just Flight Turbo Arrow requires some hefty rightrudder input to overcome torque and I found myself skidding all overthe runway on the takeoff roll, the tires squealing all the while.Eventually I got it straightened out somewhat and eased back on theyoke at around 65 knots. The airplane obediently pitched up andpractically leaped into the sky. This is a bit of the opposite ofwhat I've read about the real world Turbo Arrow's uninspiring takeoffperformance (especially the T-tail Arrow IV), but I had to remindmyself that I had the airplane configured pretty lightly in the weightand balance department. Mindful not to over boost the turbo, Ipitched for 75 knots, raised the landing gear and cleaned up theflaps. Unsurprisingly, the aircraft required constant right rudder inthe climb as we easily surpassed 1000 fpm on the VSI. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_22.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_23.jpgI then took the Just Flight Turbo Arrow IV up to 2000 feet to testthe aircraft's low-level cruise performance. Once I had it trimmedfor pitch and the autopilot set to follow my desired heading, I begantuning the throttle quadrant for 75% power. The provided cruisetables (which essentially look as though they were scanned directlyfrom an actual operating manual) indicated that I could expect around136 knots true with this power setting and altitude. I've read thatPiper has traditionally erred on the conservative side with theirpublished performance numbers and real world pilots were typicallyable to squeeze better-than-book values out of their airplanes. JustFlight's simulated model seems to follow the same paradigm and at 2000feet I was seeing around 140 KTAS. Taking the Turbo Arrow up to 6000feet I was seeing around 148 KTAS with 75% power. I leaned themixture to flow about 12 gph, which isn't exactly stellar fuel economyfor those speeds. Still, this is a simulation of a Piper airplane,not a Mooney! I continued taking the Just Flight Turbo Arrow higher into the airtesting cruise performance and found it to be extremely accurate and alittle better than book numbers. At 10,000 feet (the highest I went)I was able to wring about 160 KTAS out of the airplane. Not bad forwhat is essentially a retractable gear turbocharged Cherokee! Thebeautiful thing about the Turbo Arrow is that the pilot has all 200horses available to him/her all the way up to 12,000 feet and will beable to fully make use of that power in high-density altitudeconditions where having a normally aspirated engine can sometimes be adetriment. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_2.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_3.jpgWhen I was finished with my cruise testing I did a few steep turnsand "played" a little before deciding to head back to the airport. Ifound that keeping the ball centered on the turn coordinator was a bitmore challenging than I'm used to with other aircraft available forX-Plane. Not being a real pilot I'm unsure if this makes JustFlight's Turbo Arrow more or less realistic than some of itscompetitors. Once established on a long 10 mile final for runway 17 at KTIW, Ilowered the landing gear and smiled as the wind noise increased andthe airplane slowed down considerably. This feels so real! JustFlight's Turbo Arrow is all kinds of "draggy" once I lowered the flapsto 25 degrees and even worse with full flaps on short final. Intruth, I probably hung the flaps out too early and ended up draggingthe aircraft in with power. I made another huge mistake and basicallychopped the power when I crossed the threshold. Let me tell you thatthis is NOT how one ought to land a Piper single! The aircraft almostimmediately decided it was completely done flying and unceremoniouslyplopped onto the runway. Angry with myself and obviously out ofpractice I cleaned up the flaps, added full power, and went airborne,determined to try again. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_26.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_27.jpgI'm pleased to report that my second landing was significantlybetter but it was obvious that this would take some practice tomaster. I have found the best technique is to carry a little powerinto the flare and gradually let it out while holding the nose up. Itis also okay to be a little fast on final as well. The speed bleedsoff very quickly in the flare and you definitely won't be floating inground effect for too long. The published Vso in the Turbo Arrow is asurprising 61 knots, which is considerably faster than that of theCessna 172 I usually tool around X-Plane's skies with. Overall I came away extremely impressed with the Just Flight TurboArrow's flight model and found it to be extremely accurate whencompared with the provided real world documentation and the real lifeaccounts of Turbo Arrow pilots I've found through my own personalresearch. ConclusionOwning the Just Flight PA28R Turbo Arrow III/VI for X-Plane 11 isan absolute joy and, in my opinion, represents one of the very best"study" level simulations of a piston single available for the sim.The visuals are stunning and spot on accurate. The sound files are anaudio masterpiece and definitely served to suck me into theexperience. I love the user interface with the tabbed menu and thesmooth functioning animations and plethora of features Just Flight hasincluded here. In fact, I have really only scratched the surface byhighlighting just a few of the exceptional features the developershave packed into this airplane. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_28.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_29.jpgI believe that one of the best ways a development team such as JustFlight can make their product stand out is with the inclusion of aprofessionally laid out and comprehensive documentation folder packedwithin the file. Just Flight has included two very impressive PDF'swith the Turbo Arrow. One of them is titled "Operations Manual," andserves to basically describe the real world airplane and help the userunderstand every detail of how their product functions and how it isto be used in X-Plane 11. The second PDF is titled "Operating DataManual," and includes documentation and performance tables taken froma real world Turbo Arrow. I really appreciate this particular file,as I like to fly my simulated airplanes "by the book." Perhaps thebest feature of the two included PDF's is that all of the pages havebeen book-marked and given headings in the left hand margin so thatthe user can quickly find what they are looking for with a mouse clickrather than by scrolling though the pages aimlessly. Bravo, JustFlight...bravo. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_30.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_31.jpgMy only real criticism of the Just Flight Piper Turbo Arrow is thatit is quite resource demanding. As I've mentioned, I now have arelatively new iMac but even with no clouds I was seeing frame ratesin the mid twenties. Granted, I have X-Plane 11 looking pretty goodon my computer and don't exactly have the rendering options turneddown all the way, but the natural consequence for the extreme amountof visual fidelity with this airplane is a frame rate penalty. Istill have some tweaking to do to get my copy of the Just Flight TurboArrow performing the way I'd like it to on my machine. Needless tosay, however, if you have an older machine with a lower end processorand graphics card you may want to steer clear of this file. Asalways, please make sure your computer meets the minimum systemrequirements before making your purchase. Speaking of purchase, the Just Flight PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IV ispriced competitively at $41.99 USD in the fspilotshop. Some may findthis to be a little steep, but please consider what you are gettingfor your money. You're essentially getting two ultra high-resolution,high visual and audio fidelity airplane models with ten gorgeousliveries between them. Further, you are getting unparalleled aircraftsystems and functionality with a super realistic flight model. Thisisn't a "plug and play" aircraft model...this is a true simulatedPiper Turbo Arrow and is possibly one of the finest general aviationpiston singles currently available for X-Plane 11. Sure, there areother great looking and sounding files out there that offer goodflight mechanics at a lower price point than this file. You won't,however, get the same feature set and systems fidelity from thoseairplanes without spending more money to upgrade them. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_32.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_33.jpgSo, if you're anything like me and general aviation piston singlesare your thing, and if you have a machine that can handle it, the JustFlight PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IV is definitely an airplane you're goingto want to get. Considering that real one will set you back at least$60K, you should view $41.99 for the X-Plane version money well spent!It is definitely the next best thing! /images/notams/notams17/turb1223/turb1223.jpgShawn Weigelt Purchase Just Flight - PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IV for X-Plane
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PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IVPublisher: Just FlightReview Author: Shawn WeigeltSuggested Price: $41.99/images/fsc/wbicons/pilot-shop-buy.png /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_24.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_25.jpgIntroductionIt feels so good to be back! Aftertaking a long hiatus from writing reviews for FlightSim.Com and, forthat matter, from flight simulation in general, I am pleased tofinally be "back in the saddle." There is something about thetransition between versions of X-Plane that just kills my enthusiasmfor the hobby. I can't imagine I'm alone with this sentiment. Justwhen I finally felt comfortable with X-Plane 10 and how I had itconfigured to run on my machine, Laminar Research announces X-Plane11! I knew my somewhat antiquated 2011 iMac would never keep up(let's face it, it barely could with X-Plane 10) and there simply wasno computer upgrade in the foreseeable future for the Weigelt family.When X-Plane 11 finally released, I found myself flight simming lessand less until, eventually, months passed by and my joystick andpedals collected dust. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_4.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_5.jpgGood things come to those who wait, however, and I am pleased toannounce that I am now the proud owner of a new iMac and a freshlyinstalled copy of X-Plane 11! With my flight sim enthusiasm newlyrekindled, my good friend, Dom Smith, pointed me in the direction ofthe Just Flight line of aircraft as a possible avenue to get back intothe reviewing "game." To be perfectly candid, my initial reaction wassomething akin to, "who's Just Flight?" Now wait a minute, before youcrucify me in the comments, please remember that I have basically beenliving under a flight simulation rock for the past several months.Apparently, Just Flight is something of a big name in FSX and P3Dcircles and has recently begun developing general aviation airplanesfor X-Plane 11. Most of their XP11 aircraft are based upon theubiquitous Piper PA-28 line of low wing piston singles to include theWarrior, Arrow, and Turbo Arrow models. Not to be of singular focus,Just Flight has also recently released theSocata TB-10 and TB-20as well as the popularCessna 152trainer. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_6.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_7.jpgA quick perusal of Just Flight's X-Plane "hangar" in theFS Pilot Shop was enough to have me drooling. It didn't take long tosettle on the PA-28 Turbo Arrow III/IV as the subject of my firstreview for FlightSim.Com in a long time. My familiarity with highquality airplane add-ons for X-Plane mainly center on some seriousjuggernaut development groups. Let's see if the new-to-me Just Flightdevelopment team and their rendition of the Piper Turbo Arrow measureup to the competition! Sights And SoundsOnce my shiny new Just Flight Turbo Arrow was installed I booted up(does anyone still say that?) X-Plane 11.21r2 and excitedly waited tolay eyes on the airplane. Now let's be honest for a minute...Pipersingles aren't exactly the sexiest general aviation airplanes sittingon the ramp of your local airport. I would wager most people regardthem with little more than a passing glance. The Piper Turbo Arrowis, unfortunately, really no exception in this case. In fact, theTurbo Arrow is little more than a retractable gear, tapered wingCherokee with a blower under the hood. Still, I have a great amountof respect for the tried and true PA-28 line of aircraft that Piperhas been churning out for decades and the Arrow is arguably the bestlooking one of the bunch. Sometimes one can find great beauty inheritage and utility. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_8.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_9.jpgOnce Just Flight's Turbo Arrow finally loaded at my home base (KTIWTacoma Narrows) I immediately switched to an exterior view and beganpanning around the airplane grinning ear to ear. I think I've earneda reputation in my airplane reviews as being a stickler for detail.If a development team makes a mistake with the looks of their productI am more than happy to call them on it. There are far too manypayware airplanes available for X-Plane that simply aren't a goodvisual facsimile of their real world counterparts. It was obviouswith this Turbo Arrow, however, that Just Flight has done theirhomework and has done it well. This model holds up very favorably toscrutiny and the dimensions and proportions look spot on. Theexterior textures and reflective surfaces of the aircraft are simplygorgeous to gaze upon and give this "ho hum" looking Piper someserious ramp appeal. I was pleased to see that Just Flight has essentially included bothmodels of the Piper Turbo Arrow (the conventional tailed III and theT-tail IV) into one package. One is able to go into X-Plane 11'saircraft menu to cycle through the various liveries, which arespecific to either the III or IV aircraft model. Cycling throughliveries also conveniently changes the aircraft model. Just Flighthas included ten beautiful and authentic looking liveries as well as apaint kit for those creative types wanting to "make it their own" orshare their new liveries with others. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_10.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_11.jpgMost of the registrations are for European countries, but there aretwo American ones (to my excitement) and one Australian registeredaircraft. Another way to cycle between paint schemes is by clickingon the tabbed menu at the left hand side of the screen. At the bottomof the pop up menu are the words "CHANGE LIVERY" flanked on eitherside by arrows. Simply clicking on the arrows cycles through the tenavailable paint schemes with their corresponding airplane model(either the III or the IV). My personal favorite is of N3023K, amodel IV T-tail aircraft with simple but attractive red and graystriping over a white base. Switching my view to the interior of the aircraft revealed moreoutstanding texture work and attention to detail displayed thus far bythe Just Flight team. Like similar aircraft add-ons available fromother notable developers, the interior of the Turbo Arrow "feels"truly authentic with a worn appearance offered by the high-resolutiontextures combined with reflections on glass surfaces and gauge faces.The Turbo Arrow III model includes blue interior fabric with a lightgray instrument panel. The Turbo Arrow IV, on the other hand,features brown interior fabric with a light brown panel. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_12.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_13.jpgSince this is a facsimile of a late 70's/early 80's airframe, thedated steam gauge instrument panel featured in the Just Flight TurboArrow accurately reflects the technology of the day. Despite notbeing equipped with the latest in all glass instrumentation, the panelis quite comprehensive and IFR capable with good working models ofantiquated King Nav/Comms, DME, and ADF. I was pleased to see thatthe Turbo Arrow also comes with Piper's archaic Autocontrol IIIBautopilot, which, in a real airplane, only controls the roll axis.Actually reading the included documentation, however, revealed thatclicking on the PIPER logo of the Nav/approach coupler knob allows oneto utilize a very helpful altitude hold feature in the sim. While notexactly "authentic," this hidden feature certainly beats having toconstantly juggle the pitch trim while in cruise and doesn't ruin thecharacter of the instrument panel by integrating a visual toggle thatlooks out of place. The X-Plane rendition of the Garmin GNS 530 GPS above the throttlequadrant is a welcome bit of 21st Century technology for those of uswho prefer GPS navigation to following VOR's. Many real world privatepilots upgrade their aircraft in such a way and it is certainlyplausible to believe that a loving owner upgraded the panel of histired old Turbo Arrow with a GNS 530 to keep his airplane relevant intoday's modern airspace without sacrificing its soul. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_15.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_16.jpgOne of the most helpful features of the Just Flight Turbo Arrow isthe inclusion of the tabbed pop-up menu that I've already brieflymentioned. The developers call this the "Panel selector." Other thanthe ability to quickly swap liveries (and airplane models), the menuoffers a handy host of pictograms that allow the user to performvarious aircraft functions instantly with a simple mouse click. Whilecertainly helpful, not all of the pictograms were necessarilyintuitive (for me at least) and I found myself having to reference theincluded Operations Manual to figure out some of their functions. Mypersonal favorites are the weight and balance menu, the logbook, andthe frame rate saving window reflection and instrument reflectiontoggles. When I finally finished ogling the Just Flight Turbo Arrow (theT-tail model IV with my favorite livery) I was finally ready to gether started up and into X-Plane 11's virtual skies. Setting theweight and balance to my personal specifications for a single pilot, Ifollowed Just Flight's helpful checklist menu and brought the TurboArrow's 200 HP Continental TSIO-360-F to life. If I thought thevisuals of the Just Flight Turbo Arrow were good, the sounds were evenbetter. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_17.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_18.jpgThis is, to date, the best sound package that I have everexperienced from a general aviation airplane for X-Plane. Every"clickable" area of the aircraft seems to have its own sound, whichbeautifully serves to fully immerse the sim pilot in the experience.The engine convincingly roars to life and the wind from the prop seemsto cascade over the airframe. Opening the ventilation window or thedoor convincingly enhances the sound of the wind entering the cockpit.Switching to an exterior view and panning around the aircraft changesthe sound of the running engine when heard from different angles as itwould in real life. Other offerings from some notable developmentteams do this as well, but the sound package in the Just Flight TurboArrow sounds more authentic and less "canned" than some of thecompetition. Flight ModelWith 25 degrees of flaps set and the Just Flight Turbo Arrowrunning and lined up on runway 17 of KTIW, I set the weather tostandard day conditions and insured that there was no wind present. Iknow this is incredibly unrealistic and somewhat cheating, but I liketo establish a good baseline for comparing the simulated model to thereal world performance tables for reviewing purposes. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_19.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_20.jpgWhen I slowly advanced the throttle to takeoff power I was thrilledto hear the high pitch whistle of the turbo kick in to further lendsome realism to this already impressive aircraft file. I immediatelyrealized that the Just Flight Turbo Arrow requires some hefty rightrudder input to overcome torque and I found myself skidding all overthe runway on the takeoff roll, the tires squealing all the while.Eventually I got it straightened out somewhat and eased back on theyoke at around 65 knots. The airplane obediently pitched up andpractically leaped into the sky. This is a bit of the opposite ofwhat I've read about the real world Turbo Arrow's uninspiring takeoffperformance (especially the T-tail Arrow IV), but I had to remindmyself that I had the airplane configured pretty lightly in the weightand balance department. Mindful not to over boost the turbo, Ipitched for 75 knots, raised the landing gear and cleaned up theflaps. Unsurprisingly, the aircraft required constant right rudder inthe climb as we easily surpassed 1000 fpm on the VSI. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_22.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_23.jpgI then took the Just Flight Turbo Arrow IV up to 2000 feet to testthe aircraft's low-level cruise performance. Once I had it trimmedfor pitch and the autopilot set to follow my desired heading, I begantuning the throttle quadrant for 75% power. The provided cruisetables (which essentially look as though they were scanned directlyfrom an actual operating manual) indicated that I could expect around136 knots true with this power setting and altitude. I've read thatPiper has traditionally erred on the conservative side with theirpublished performance numbers and real world pilots were typicallyable to squeeze better-than-book values out of their airplanes. JustFlight's simulated model seems to follow the same paradigm and at 2000feet I was seeing around 140 KTAS. Taking the Turbo Arrow up to 6000feet I was seeing around 148 KTAS with 75% power. I leaned themixture to flow about 12 gph, which isn't exactly stellar fuel economyfor those speeds. Still, this is a simulation of a Piper airplane,not a Mooney! I continued taking the Just Flight Turbo Arrow higher into the airtesting cruise performance and found it to be extremely accurate and alittle better than book numbers. At 10,000 feet (the highest I went)I was able to wring about 160 KTAS out of the airplane. Not bad forwhat is essentially a retractable gear turbocharged Cherokee! Thebeautiful thing about the Turbo Arrow is that the pilot has all 200horses available to him/her all the way up to 12,000 feet and will beable to fully make use of that power in high-density altitudeconditions where having a normally aspirated engine can sometimes be adetriment. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_2.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_3.jpgWhen I was finished with my cruise testing I did a few steep turnsand "played" a little before deciding to head back to the airport. Ifound that keeping the ball centered on the turn coordinator was a bitmore challenging than I'm used to with other aircraft available forX-Plane. Not being a real pilot I'm unsure if this makes JustFlight's Turbo Arrow more or less realistic than some of itscompetitors. Once established on a long 10 mile final for runway 17 at KTIW, Ilowered the landing gear and smiled as the wind noise increased andthe airplane slowed down considerably. This feels so real! JustFlight's Turbo Arrow is all kinds of "draggy" once I lowered the flapsto 25 degrees and even worse with full flaps on short final. Intruth, I probably hung the flaps out too early and ended up draggingthe aircraft in with power. I made another huge mistake and basicallychopped the power when I crossed the threshold. Let me tell you thatthis is NOT how one ought to land a Piper single! The aircraft almostimmediately decided it was completely done flying and unceremoniouslyplopped onto the runway. Angry with myself and obviously out ofpractice I cleaned up the flaps, added full power, and went airborne,determined to try again. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_26.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_27.jpgI'm pleased to report that my second landing was significantlybetter but it was obvious that this would take some practice tomaster. I have found the best technique is to carry a little powerinto the flare and gradually let it out while holding the nose up. Itis also okay to be a little fast on final as well. The speed bleedsoff very quickly in the flare and you definitely won't be floating inground effect for too long. The published Vso in the Turbo Arrow is asurprising 61 knots, which is considerably faster than that of theCessna 172 I usually tool around X-Plane's skies with. Overall I came away extremely impressed with the Just Flight TurboArrow's flight model and found it to be extremely accurate whencompared with the provided real world documentation and the real lifeaccounts of Turbo Arrow pilots I've found through my own personalresearch. ConclusionOwning the Just Flight PA28R Turbo Arrow III/VI for X-Plane 11 isan absolute joy and, in my opinion, represents one of the very best"study" level simulations of a piston single available for the sim.The visuals are stunning and spot on accurate. The sound files are anaudio masterpiece and definitely served to suck me into theexperience. I love the user interface with the tabbed menu and thesmooth functioning animations and plethora of features Just Flight hasincluded here. In fact, I have really only scratched the surface byhighlighting just a few of the exceptional features the developershave packed into this airplane. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_28.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_29.jpgI believe that one of the best ways a development team such as JustFlight can make their product stand out is with the inclusion of aprofessionally laid out and comprehensive documentation folder packedwithin the file. Just Flight has included two very impressive PDF'swith the Turbo Arrow. One of them is titled "Operations Manual," andserves to basically describe the real world airplane and help the userunderstand every detail of how their product functions and how it isto be used in X-Plane 11. The second PDF is titled "Operating DataManual," and includes documentation and performance tables taken froma real world Turbo Arrow. I really appreciate this particular file,as I like to fly my simulated airplanes "by the book." Perhaps thebest feature of the two included PDF's is that all of the pages havebeen book-marked and given headings in the left hand margin so thatthe user can quickly find what they are looking for with a mouse clickrather than by scrolling though the pages aimlessly. Bravo, JustFlight...bravo. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_30.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_31.jpgMy only real criticism of the Just Flight Piper Turbo Arrow is thatit is quite resource demanding. As I've mentioned, I now have arelatively new iMac but even with no clouds I was seeing frame ratesin the mid twenties. Granted, I have X-Plane 11 looking pretty goodon my computer and don't exactly have the rendering options turneddown all the way, but the natural consequence for the extreme amountof visual fidelity with this airplane is a frame rate penalty. Istill have some tweaking to do to get my copy of the Just Flight TurboArrow performing the way I'd like it to on my machine. Needless tosay, however, if you have an older machine with a lower end processorand graphics card you may want to steer clear of this file. Asalways, please make sure your computer meets the minimum systemrequirements before making your purchase. Speaking of purchase, the Just Flight PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IV ispriced competitively at $41.99 USD in the fspilotshop. Some may findthis to be a little steep, but please consider what you are gettingfor your money. You're essentially getting two ultra high-resolution,high visual and audio fidelity airplane models with ten gorgeousliveries between them. Further, you are getting unparalleled aircraftsystems and functionality with a super realistic flight model. Thisisn't a "plug and play" aircraft model...this is a true simulatedPiper Turbo Arrow and is possibly one of the finest general aviationpiston singles currently available for X-Plane 11. Sure, there areother great looking and sounding files out there that offer goodflight mechanics at a lower price point than this file. You won't,however, get the same feature set and systems fidelity from thoseairplanes without spending more money to upgrade them. /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_32.jpg /images/reviews/turboarr/t/jf_pa28_turbo_arrow_33.jpgSo, if you're anything like me and general aviation piston singlesare your thing, and if you have a machine that can handle it, the JustFlight PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IV is definitely an airplane you're goingto want to get. Considering that real one will set you back at least$60K, you should view $41.99 for the X-Plane version money well spent!It is definitely the next best thing! /images/notams/notams17/turb1223/turb1223.jpgShawn Weigelt Purchase Just Flight - PA28R Turbo Arrow III/IV for X-Plane
