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Cessna 340Publisher: CarenadoReview Author: Shawn WeigeltSuggested Price: $32.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_5.jpgIntroductionI am a creature of habit. Every day Igo about my personal routines with a fair amount of consistency. Iwake up around the same time day in and day out. I need to have twocups of coffee every morning so that I'm able to function and conversewith people with any reasonable semblance of politeness. I tend tofrequent the same restaurants and order the same thing off the menuevery time. I always order the same drink at Starbucks. I use thesame machines and lockers at the gym. I watch The Office and The ITCrowd over and over again on Netflix despite having watched them halfa dozen times already. I go to bed around the same time every night(which is way too late if you were to ask my wife). I tendto...ahem...follow the same format when writing reviews forFlightSim.Com. What can I say? I like familiarity and routine andthe sense of comfort this sort of repetition brings to my life.Honestly, I think most of us gravitate toward the familiar and our ownlittle personal rituals whether we care to admit it or not. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_1.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_2.jpgWhen I seriously considered my personal X-Plane use I saw the sametheme coming up. I tend to fly to and from the same handful ofairports in the Pacific Northwest despite having the entire globe atmy disposal. I strongly prefer flying piston engine general aviationaircraft and almost never stray into the jet or helicopter world. Ialso tend to favor the aircraft of certain third party developers overthose of others. I looked back at all of the "payware" aircraft Ihave owned since X-Plane 9 (when I first got into the hobby) andCarenado and Alabeo produced the vast majority of them. This istelling as it clearly shows me, at least, what I like and what I'mcomfortable with. Carenado recently released their Cessna 340 II for X-Plane 11.Their C340 isn't exactly a "new" file and has been around since atleast X-Plane 10 (though I never owned it for that particularplatform). Despite being "new to me" and, I'm assuming, many of you,Carenado's Cessna 340 for X-Plane 11 offers a welcome amount of thatgorgeously comforting familiarity that I've come to love, while beingcrafted specifically for the outstanding X-Plane 11 platform. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_3.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_4.jpgI'm not going to get super deep into this review as, let's face it;this file has already received plenty of press with its pastiterations for X-Plane 10, Prepar3D, andFSX.What I will endeavor to do, however, is provide our readers with myunique take on the aircraft in its X-Plane 11 state and whether or notI recommend my fellow sim pilots spend their hard earned money on itthemselves. Sights And SoundsFull disclosure; I was generously given this file for review fromCarenado and did not purchase it. I suppose that receiving a freeairplane here and there can be a perk of writing reviews, but I'd liketo think I have earned a reputation within the FlightSim.Com communityfor my candor and honest assessments of the aircraft I've tested. Mythoughts and opinions are both a service to you, the consumer, as wellas to the developer. No one benefits through a deceitful "review"that only paints a picture of rainbows and unicorns without pointingout the negatives and areas that need refinement. Honest reviews onlyhelp to grow our hobby by making already great development teams evenbetter! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_24.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_6.jpgNow that my mini rant is over, the Carenado C340 II for X-Plane 11is...amazing! Perfect? No, but I have yet to test and review theperfect airplane file. The C340 is, in typical Carenado fashion, agorgeously accurate rendition of a real world airplane that holds upvery well to scrutiny. The 3D modeling and exterior and interiortextures are particularly well done and support my assertion thatCarenado is one of the "best in the biz" when it comes to making anairplane file look good. This is my first Carenado file madespecifically for X-Plane 11 and I have to say that the physicallybased rendering (PBR) materials and textures make the exterior of theC340 actually look like it is made of metal like the real airplane.It definitely gives the sim pilot an added degree of realism thatsimply wasn't attainable with older versions of X-Plane. The file includes four high quality liveries in addition to thedefault blank canvas. My particular favorite is the modern grayscheme with N553F registration. It looks all kinds of beautiful onthis aircraft! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_7.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_8.jpgBack in the mid 70's just about everyone and their brother wasmaking a full stable of piston twins. Cessna was certainly noexception in this regard. It was kind of "the thing to do" back thenand one had never truly "made it" as a private pilot and aircraftowner unless they were flying a twin. The turbocharged andpressurized Cessna 340 was a cabin class upgrade over the smaller butpopular 310. Sure, Piper and Beech were making cabin class twins too,but, in my opinion, the Cessna's easily looked the best and the 340has the best proportions of the bunch. I love the pointed nose, sleekblended tip tanks, and oval cabin windows tapering to smaller sizes asyou head aft. Yes, the Cessna 340 is a truly beautiful airplane andCarenado has wonderfully captured the airplane's legendary aestheticqualities. Transitioning to the interior of the aircraft provided me with moreviews of beautiful textures and expert modeling. No surprise comingfrom Carenado. The instrument panel is clean and comprehensiveconsisting of full IFR instrumentation, autopilot, and dual GNS 430's.This thing is perfectly tailored for long cross-countries. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_9.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_10.jpgSeveral areas throughout the interior of the airplane are"clickable," enabling the user to toggle switches, turn knobs, opendoors and windows, and enlarge the GPS displays. The table in therear of the aircraft folds out with a mouse click so your imaginarypassengers can enjoy a meal or play a game of cards. The gimbaledoverhead reading lights switch on and can even be panned around thecabin casting their light in different directions. This is the levelof immersion customers have come to expect from Carenado products. One of my favorite features of past Carenado airplanes has alwaysbeen the audio files. I am pleased to report that the C340 has someexcellent sounds that further enhance the sim pilot's flyingexperience. The eye candy and ear candy abounds with this file!Switches turn on with an authoritative "snap." Fuel pumps buzz,avionics whirr, and the engine noise seems to flood the cabin with thecockpit windows open. I did notice some sounds were conspicuouslymissing, however, when compared to previous Carenado and Alabeoaircraft I have tested. The cockpit windows transmit no sound whenopened, nor do certain switches that clearly move when clicked on. Anexample of this are the climate control switches on the right side ofthe panel and the two air conditioning switches under the copilot'swindow. One a/c switch makes noise and the other doesn't. Honestly, Ican't say that this bothers me all that much, but it is worth notingnevertheless. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_11.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_12.jpgI was pleased to see that the familiar tabbed menus are stillpresent with Carenado's Cessna 340 as they are with their otherofferings. Clicking on the "A" tab for an enlarged version of theautopilot is particularly helpful, as it would otherwise necessitatelooking at the bottom of the throttle quadrant to search for the rightbuttons. This would definitely be a hassle while trying to controlthe aircraft at the same time. The "C" tab allows the sim pilot to quickly change camera positionsand adjust the volume, while the "O" tab provides options toadd/remove window and instrument reflections, open doors, add/removestatic elements, etc. For those familiar with Carenado and Alabeoaircraft, nothing has really changed here. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_13.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_14.jpg Flight ModelCarenado airplanes are not study level simulations. Let's just getthat out of the way right off the bat before I get into the flightmodel of the C340. This is not a mystery to those who have been intothe flight simulation hobby for a while now. Is this a bad thing?Absolutely not! Carenado aircraft are gorgeously crafted 3D models ofvisual and auditory beauty with what I like to refer to as"realistically accessible" flight characteristics. I find them to be"accurate enough" for most sim pilot's purposes with performancenumbers that very closely match those of their real worldcounterparts. Fortunately, our hobby is one of variety with plenty ofaircraft options that suit a wide variety of customers. Some peoplecrave the study level simulations that require one actually reads theprovided documentation and follow prescribed checklists before theycan even get their airplane started. Some people just like the lowercost, hop in and tool around the airport kind of aircraft. I findthat Carenado (and Alabeo) aircraft strike a happy medium. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_15.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_16.jpgParked at the FBO ramp of Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW) I preparedto fly the C340 for the first time and do a few take offs andlandings. Cranking up the aircraft was easy and familiar and I wasable to do it without referencing the excellent provided PDFdocumentation. Was this "by the book?" Probably not. Did it matter?Not at all. This is an example of the accessibility I was talkingabout. The sound from the twin Continental TSIO-520-K's was gloriousand pouring into the open cockpit windows. With the weather set tostandard day, no wind conditions, I taxied to runway 17 and preparedfor my first takeoff. Once lined up, I smoothly advanced the throttles and prepared todance on the pedals to overcome torque. I actually didn't find it tobe too bad and with a slight amount of back-pressue I was able to keepthe 340 tracking down the centerline. The sound from those turbocharged engines was loud and high pitched and put a huge smile on myface. 90 KIAS crept up on me quickly and I gently raised the nose.The graceful Cessna was already in the air before I realized ithappened. With a positive rate established and usable runway nolonger in view over the nose, I raised the gear and continuedclimbing. Once I cleaned up the takeoff flaps I pitched for around110 KIAS and was pleased to see the VSI easily exceeding 1,500 fpm.Granted, the aircraft was loaded to its default settings, which isnowhere near gross. Still, I love the climb performance of atwin! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_17.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_19.jpgAdjusting the manifold pressure and prop RPM for the pattern wasmore guess work on my part, but I continued to "fudge" my way throughflying the airplane. My first approach actually wasn't too bad, againguessing on flap deployment and approach speed. The subsequentlanding was, however, awful. I chopped the power way too quickly andbled off gobs of airspeed in the flare resulting in an unceremoniousthree point plop onto the runway. Clearly unsatisfied, I took to theair again and conducted several more takeoffs and landings. I foundthe mid 90's to be a good full flap approach speed and eventually gotsome halfway decent landings out of the 340. Carrying a little powerinto the flare and slowing pulling it out in ground effect is helpfulfor getting those highly coveted "greasers." A later cross country from Tacoma Narrows to Friday Harbor (KFHR)gave me a good opportunity to test the Carenado C340's cruiseperformance compared to the tables in the included PDF. Once airborne and on course I took the C340 up to 5,000 feet forthe first cruise speed test. I set power for 28" manifold pressureand 2300 RPM. Mixture was leaned to flow approximately 176 pounds perhour. This comes out to around 14.6 gallons per hour/per engine.That is a LOT of fuel to be burning for a predicted 171 KTAS in thereal deal. In X-Plane 11.25, the Carenado C340 was turning in about184 KTAS...13 knots better than book value. That kind of gas guzzlingfuel flow serves as a good reminder that flying a twin in the realworld (with a few exceptions) is a rich man's game! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_20.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_21.jpgI then climbed up to 10,000 feet for my second cruise speed test.I set power for 28" manifold pressure and 2200 RPM. Mixture wasleaned to flow around 165.4 pounds per hour (13.73 gph/per side) andexpected true airspeed was 172 KTAS. I was doing 189 KTAS...17 knotsfaster than book value. Cruise speed in the Carenado Cessna 340 seems to be a little toofast, but a good tactic for plausibility's sake would be to imaginethat the aircraft has received an engine upgrade. Honestly, I'm theanalytical kind of guy that notices these sorts of minor inaccuraciesthat I'm sure many people either ignore better than I or otherwisedon't notice. The Final VerdictLike all airplane files made by Carenado, the Cessna 340 II forX-Plane 11 has a lot going for it. The airplane offers gorgeouslooks, immersive sounds, a brilliant user interface, and an accessibleflight model. The various PDF documentation files are excellent, andmuch of it is taken directly from a real world C340 pilot's operatinghandbook. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_22.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_23.jpgThe Carenado C340 performs admirably on my new(ish) iMac and I liketo run my graphics at what I would consider medium-high settings. Inmost weather conditions I tested I was getting consistently betterthan the mid 20's for frame rates. As always, however, prospectivebuyers should check Carenado's web site to ensure that their machinesmeet the minimum requirements prior to making a purchase. This takes me to my final topic...do I recommend this airplane?The answer is a resounding "yes!" Carenado has done an outstandingjob with this aircraft, which will definitely appeal to sim pilots whoenjoy flying piston twins and general aviation airplanes. It willappeal to sim pilots who might not want something as complex as someof the recent "study" level simulations from other developers outthere. The Carenado C340 will feel familiar to those individuals whojust want to casually get into the air with a very high qualityairplane and not feel like they need to climb a steep learning curveto do it. At $32.95 the C340 is a lot of airplane for the money andwill serve X-Plane 11 flyers admirably! /images/reviews/carec340/CAR-795-c340ii-xp.jpgShawn Weigelt Purchase Carenado C340 II X-Plane 11
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Review: Carenado Cessna 340By Shawn Weigelt /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_5.jpgIntroductionI am a creature of habit. Every day Igo about my personal routines with a fair amount of consistency. Iwake up around the same time day in and day out. I need to have twocups of coffee every morning so that I'm able to function and conversewith people with any reasonable semblance of politeness. I tend tofrequent the same restaurants and order the same thing off the menuevery time. I always order the same drink at Starbucks. I use thesame machines and lockers at the gym. I watch The Office and The ITCrowd over and over again on Netflix despite having watched them halfa dozen times already. I go to bed around the same time every night(which is way too late if you were to ask my wife). I tendto...ahem...follow the same format when writing reviews forFlightSim.Com. What can I say? I like familiarity and routine andthe sense of comfort this sort of repetition brings to my life.Honestly, I think most of us gravitate toward the familiar and our ownlittle personal rituals whether we care to admit it or not. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_1.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_2.jpgWhen I seriously considered my personal X-Plane use I saw the sametheme coming up. I tend to fly to and from the same handful ofairports in the Pacific Northwest despite having the entire globe atmy disposal. I strongly prefer flying piston engine general aviationaircraft and almost never stray into the jet or helicopter world. Ialso tend to favor the aircraft of certain third party developers overthose of others. I looked back at all of the "payware" aircraft Ihave owned since X-Plane 9 (when I first got into the hobby) andCarenado and Alabeo produced the vast majority of them. This istelling as it clearly shows me, at least, what I like and what I'mcomfortable with. Carenado recently released their Cessna 340 II for X-Plane 11.Their C340 isn't exactly a "new" file and has been around since atleast X-Plane 10 (though I never owned it for that particularplatform). Despite being "new to me" and, I'm assuming, many of you,Carenado's Cessna 340 for X-Plane 11 offers a welcome amount of thatgorgeously comforting familiarity that I've come to love, while beingcrafted specifically for the outstanding X-Plane 11 platform. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_3.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_4.jpgI'm not going to get super deep into this review as, let's face it;this file has already received plenty of press with its pastiterations for X-Plane 10, Prepar3D, andFSX.What I will endeavor to do, however, is provide our readers with myunique take on the aircraft in its X-Plane 11 state and whether or notI recommend my fellow sim pilots spend their hard earned money on itthemselves. Sights And SoundsFull disclosure; I was generously given this file for review fromCarenado and did not purchase it. I suppose that receiving a freeairplane here and there can be a perk of writing reviews, but I'd liketo think I have earned a reputation within the FlightSim.Com communityfor my candor and honest assessments of the aircraft I've tested. Mythoughts and opinions are both a service to you, the consumer, as wellas to the developer. No one benefits through a deceitful "review"that only paints a picture of rainbows and unicorns without pointingout the negatives and areas that need refinement. Honest reviews onlyhelp to grow our hobby by making already great development teams evenbetter! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_24.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_6.jpgNow that my mini rant is over, the Carenado C340 II for X-Plane 11is...amazing! Perfect? No, but I have yet to test and review theperfect airplane file. The C340 is, in typical Carenado fashion, agorgeously accurate rendition of a real world airplane that holds upvery well to scrutiny. The 3D modeling and exterior and interiortextures are particularly well done and support my assertion thatCarenado is one of the "best in the biz" when it comes to making anairplane file look good. This is my first Carenado file madespecifically for X-Plane 11 and I have to say that the physicallybased rendering (PBR) materials and textures make the exterior of theC340 actually look like it is made of metal like the real airplane.It definitely gives the sim pilot an added degree of realism thatsimply wasn't attainable with older versions of X-Plane. The file includes four high quality liveries in addition to thedefault blank canvas. My particular favorite is the modern grayscheme with N553F registration. It looks all kinds of beautiful onthis aircraft! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_7.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_8.jpgBack in the mid 70's just about everyone and their brother wasmaking a full stable of piston twins. Cessna was certainly noexception in this regard. It was kind of "the thing to do" back thenand one had never truly "made it" as a private pilot and aircraftowner unless they were flying a twin. The turbocharged andpressurized Cessna 340 was a cabin class upgrade over the smaller butpopular 310. Sure, Piper and Beech were making cabin class twins too,but, in my opinion, the Cessna's easily looked the best and the 340has the best proportions of the bunch. I love the pointed nose, sleekblended tip tanks, and oval cabin windows tapering to smaller sizes asyou head aft. Yes, the Cessna 340 is a truly beautiful airplane andCarenado has wonderfully captured the airplane's legendary aestheticqualities. Transitioning to the interior of the aircraft provided me with moreviews of beautiful textures and expert modeling. No surprise comingfrom Carenado. The instrument panel is clean and comprehensiveconsisting of full IFR instrumentation, autopilot, and dual GNS 430's.This thing is perfectly tailored for long cross-countries. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_9.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_10.jpgSeveral areas throughout the interior of the airplane are"clickable," enabling the user to toggle switches, turn knobs, opendoors and windows, and enlarge the GPS displays. The table in therear of the aircraft folds out with a mouse click so your imaginarypassengers can enjoy a meal or play a game of cards. The gimbaledoverhead reading lights switch on and can even be panned around thecabin casting their light in different directions. This is the levelof immersion customers have come to expect from Carenado products. One of my favorite features of past Carenado airplanes has alwaysbeen the audio files. I am pleased to report that the C340 has someexcellent sounds that further enhance the sim pilot's flyingexperience. The eye candy and ear candy abounds with this file!Switches turn on with an authoritative "snap." Fuel pumps buzz,avionics whirr, and the engine noise seems to flood the cabin with thecockpit windows open. I did notice some sounds were conspicuouslymissing, however, when compared to previous Carenado and Alabeoaircraft I have tested. The cockpit windows transmit no sound whenopened, nor do certain switches that clearly move when clicked on. Anexample of this are the climate control switches on the right side ofthe panel and the two air conditioning switches under the copilot'swindow. One a/c switch makes noise and the other doesn't. Honestly, Ican't say that this bothers me all that much, but it is worth notingnevertheless. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_11.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_12.jpgI was pleased to see that the familiar tabbed menus are stillpresent with Carenado's Cessna 340 as they are with their otherofferings. Clicking on the "A" tab for an enlarged version of theautopilot is particularly helpful, as it would otherwise necessitatelooking at the bottom of the throttle quadrant to search for the rightbuttons. This would definitely be a hassle while trying to controlthe aircraft at the same time. The "C" tab allows the sim pilot to quickly change camera positionsand adjust the volume, while the "O" tab provides options toadd/remove window and instrument reflections, open doors, add/removestatic elements, etc. For those familiar with Carenado and Alabeoaircraft, nothing has really changed here. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_13.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_14.jpg Flight ModelCarenado airplanes are not study level simulations. Let's just getthat out of the way right off the bat before I get into the flightmodel of the C340. This is not a mystery to those who have been intothe flight simulation hobby for a while now. Is this a bad thing?Absolutely not! Carenado aircraft are gorgeously crafted 3D models ofvisual and auditory beauty with what I like to refer to as"realistically accessible" flight characteristics. I find them to be"accurate enough" for most sim pilot's purposes with performancenumbers that very closely match those of their real worldcounterparts. Fortunately, our hobby is one of variety with plenty ofaircraft options that suit a wide variety of customers. Some peoplecrave the study level simulations that require one actually reads theprovided documentation and follow prescribed checklists before theycan even get their airplane started. Some people just like the lowercost, hop in and tool around the airport kind of aircraft. I findthat Carenado (and Alabeo) aircraft strike a happy medium. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_15.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_16.jpgParked at the FBO ramp of Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW) I preparedto fly the C340 for the first time and do a few take offs andlandings. Cranking up the aircraft was easy and familiar and I wasable to do it without referencing the excellent provided PDFdocumentation. Was this "by the book?" Probably not. Did it matter?Not at all. This is an example of the accessibility I was talkingabout. The sound from the twin Continental TSIO-520-K's was gloriousand pouring into the open cockpit windows. With the weather set tostandard day, no wind conditions, I taxied to runway 17 and preparedfor my first takeoff. Once lined up, I smoothly advanced the throttles and prepared todance on the pedals to overcome torque. I actually didn't find it tobe too bad and with a slight amount of back-pressue I was able to keepthe 340 tracking down the centerline. The sound from those turbocharged engines was loud and high pitched and put a huge smile on myface. 90 KIAS crept up on me quickly and I gently raised the nose.The graceful Cessna was already in the air before I realized ithappened. With a positive rate established and usable runway nolonger in view over the nose, I raised the gear and continuedclimbing. Once I cleaned up the takeoff flaps I pitched for around110 KIAS and was pleased to see the VSI easily exceeding 1,500 fpm.Granted, the aircraft was loaded to its default settings, which isnowhere near gross. Still, I love the climb performance of atwin! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_17.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_19.jpgAdjusting the manifold pressure and prop RPM for the pattern wasmore guess work on my part, but I continued to "fudge" my way throughflying the airplane. My first approach actually wasn't too bad, againguessing on flap deployment and approach speed. The subsequentlanding was, however, awful. I chopped the power way too quickly andbled off gobs of airspeed in the flare resulting in an unceremoniousthree point plop onto the runway. Clearly unsatisfied, I took to theair again and conducted several more takeoffs and landings. I foundthe mid 90's to be a good full flap approach speed and eventually gotsome halfway decent landings out of the 340. Carrying a little powerinto the flare and slowing pulling it out in ground effect is helpfulfor getting those highly coveted "greasers." A later cross country from Tacoma Narrows to Friday Harbor (KFHR)gave me a good opportunity to test the Carenado C340's cruiseperformance compared to the tables in the included PDF. Once airborne and on course I took the C340 up to 5,000 feet forthe first cruise speed test. I set power for 28" manifold pressureand 2300 RPM. Mixture was leaned to flow approximately 176 pounds perhour. This comes out to around 14.6 gallons per hour/per engine.That is a LOT of fuel to be burning for a predicted 171 KTAS in thereal deal. In X-Plane 11.25, the Carenado C340 was turning in about184 KTAS...13 knots better than book value. That kind of gas guzzlingfuel flow serves as a good reminder that flying a twin in the realworld (with a few exceptions) is a rich man's game! /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_20.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_21.jpgI then climbed up to 10,000 feet for my second cruise speed test.I set power for 28" manifold pressure and 2200 RPM. Mixture wasleaned to flow around 165.4 pounds per hour (13.73 gph/per side) andexpected true airspeed was 172 KTAS. I was doing 189 KTAS...17 knotsfaster than book value. Cruise speed in the Carenado Cessna 340 seems to be a little toofast, but a good tactic for plausibility's sake would be to imaginethat the aircraft has received an engine upgrade. Honestly, I'm theanalytical kind of guy that notices these sorts of minor inaccuraciesthat I'm sure many people either ignore better than I or otherwisedon't notice. The Final VerdictLike all airplane files made by Carenado, the Cessna 340 II forX-Plane 11 has a lot going for it. The airplane offers gorgeouslooks, immersive sounds, a brilliant user interface, and an accessibleflight model. The various PDF documentation files are excellent, andmuch of it is taken directly from a real world C340 pilot's operatinghandbook. /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_22.jpg /images/reviews/carec340/t/Car_C340_23.jpgThe Carenado C340 performs admirably on my new(ish) iMac and I liketo run my graphics at what I would consider medium-high settings. Inmost weather conditions I tested I was getting consistently betterthan the mid 20's for frame rates. As always, however, prospectivebuyers should check Carenado's web site to ensure that their machinesmeet the minimum requirements prior to making a purchase. This takes me to my final topic...do I recommend this airplane?The answer is a resounding "yes!" Carenado has done an outstandingjob with this aircraft, which will definitely appeal to sim pilots whoenjoy flying piston twins and general aviation airplanes. It willappeal to sim pilots who might not want something as complex as someof the recent "study" level simulations from other developers outthere. The Carenado C340 will feel familiar to those individuals whojust want to casually get into the air with a very high qualityairplane and not feel like they need to climb a steep learning curveto do it. At $32.95 the C340 is a lot of airplane for the money andwill serve X-Plane 11 flyers admirably! Shawn Weigelt Purchase Carenado C340 II X-Plane 11
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/images/notams/notams18/care0816/care0816.jpgCarenado presents a new general aviation light twin for flight simulator users. FeaturesState-of-the-art configurable FPS-friendly logic system.Fully VR compatibleFull PBR (Superb material shines and reflections)Specially designed engine dynamics for XP11Support for RealityXP's GTN750* (integrated into 3D cockpit, when available).Flight physics optimized for XP11 standards.Ground handling adapted for XP11 ground physics.Physically Based Rendering materials and textures throughout.PBR materials authored with industry-standard software used by the film and gaming industries.X-Plane GNS530 (FPS friendly)Goodway Compatible.Realistic behavior compared to the real airplane. Realistic weight and balance. Tested by several pilots for maximum accuracy.*RealityXP GTN 750 is sold separately /images/notams/notams18/care0816/carenado1.jpgPurchase Carenado C340 II X-Plane 11 /images/notams/notams18/care0816/carenado2.jpg
