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S550 Citation S/IIPublisher: CarenadoReview Author: Sean McLeodSuggested Price: $39.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_12.04.37.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.25.38.jpgIntroductionWelcome to my review of Carenado'srendition of the Cessna S550 Citation S/II for X-Plane 11. First somehistory about the Cessna Citation II. According to the Wikipedia pagefor the Cessna Citation II (Model 550), the airframe was developedfrom the Citation I (Model 500) and first flew on 31 January,1977. The Citation S/II or Model S550 was an upgrade development ofthe original Model 550, and first flew on 14 February 1984. It has asupercritical airfoil from the Citation III and the improved Pratt andWhitney JT15D-4B engines, which have upgraded internal componentsallowing for more thrust at higher altitudes. Fuel capacity also gotan increase in the S/II, as well as the TKS fluid de-icing system forthe wings and bleed air de-icing for the engines. At the time themodel S550 was introduced, it replaced the model 550 on the productionline; 160 examples of the S550 were produced. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.06.41.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.07.19.jpgAs far as I can tell from their web site, Carenado and the Citationhave a history dating back to 2013 when it appears they supported theS550 for FSX and Prepar3D. It's great that Carenado is bringing theirtried and true designs forward for use with X-Plane. This X-Planeversion of the aircraft was first released in October 2018, with anupdate released soon after and a further update released in November2018. During this time period the stable version of X-Plane was 11.25and 11.26, and a major update including flight model changes wasreleased by Laminar Research in January 2019, X-Plane 11.30. I amcurrently running X-Plane 11.32, which released earlier in February2019 (more on the impact of this information later in the review). /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.19.20.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.23.46.jpgPackage Contents And FeaturesAs I alluded to earlier, version 1.2 was released in November 2018during the time of X-Plane 11.25/11.26. The configurable FPS logicsystem consists of enabling or disabling reflections on the cockpitinstruments and aircraft windows, a feature found in all Carenadoaircraft released for X-Plane 11. I have not yet joined the ranks ofthose flight simming with VR hardware so I cannot tell you how awesomethat experience is, hehe. I utilized theGoodwaycompatibility to help me plan my test flight, and since I chose to usemy MacBook I wasn't able to explore the RealityXP GTN750 since itisn't OS-X compatible, which is a shame because it is quite the unit!Last but not least, Carenado's use of full PBR makes me want to callthem the kings and queens of eye candy - the shininess and reflectionsare enchanting! For the artistically gifted or those that wish to have a go atcreating your own paint job, some digging is required in thesubfolders to find the specific graphic file to accomplish thisgoal. The default texture for the aircraft is all-white, and can befound in the 'objects' folder, files E1.png and E2.png. This isn't aproper paint kit which normally consists of a Photoshop, Gimp or othergraphics editing program file that has all the elements of the texturedivided into separate layers. Remember to create a separate folder foryour paint scheme in the 'liveries' subfolder. Have a look insideanother livery folder to see how it's structured and replicate that inyour livery folder. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_16.08.59.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_12.13.59.jpg DocumentationIt has been said that (by whom I do not know) when the weight ofthe paperwork equals the weight of the airplane, only then can you goflying. Applying this axiom to the quantity and quality of thedocumentation contained in the this aircraft package, at first blushit seems like there's plenty of paper stacked and sorted in an orderlyfashion. Reflecting further, it might just be the right amountconsidering this is a home-based computer flight simulationapplication. I'm accustomed to seeing far more data available for ahigh-performance jet aircraft (car licence plate holder reads: Myother ride is a Boeing 737). It is convenient to have the different sections of what constitutean Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) separated, allowing for the differentdocuments to be open and available at the same time. Before taking theaircraft flying I would strongly suggest that particular attention ispaid to the Recommended 'Carenado Joystick Settings XP11.pdf' andfamiliarize yourself with the 'Electronic Flight InformationSystem.pdf'. If you have your X-Plane graphics settings where you wantthem, then the 'Recommended settings XP11.pdf' is of less concern. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.23.39.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.28.50.jpgThe information available in the included documentation is notsufficient to qualify this aircraft package for Study Level status, asthere is nearly a total lack of technical descriptions about theaircraft systems normally found in a package with Study Level in thetitle. Carenado does not bill this as such an aircraft package soanyone criticizing this and other Carenado aircraft for this lack ofcomplexity should probably look elsewhere to satisfy their study-leveldesires. InstallationMove along, nothing to see here...so I'll just say that it'seasy. Unpack the archive file, move the resulting file folder to yourdesired X-Plane subfolder. No installer to run. Easy-peasy. Once youload the aircraft in X-Plane you will be prompted to provide youractivation code; internet connection required for verification. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.59.05.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.06.48.jpgExteriorIt's beautiful. Yep. In my opinion, the only included livery thatshowcases the exterior of the aircraft best of all is 'OE-GBM'. Thisis because the livery has a larger contrast of color to highlight thereflectiveness in the textures. The other liveries, while well done,don't offer as much visually to make them 'pop' off the screen. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.54.31.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.58.14.jpgLooking closely at the exterior model, the attention to detail isobvious. While I wouldn't call it insane, I am impressed by the extenttexture and 3D details have been applied to the landing gear, landinggear bays, engine nacelles including the thrust reversers (open themand have a look), empennage, wings and fuselage (um, I guess that'sthe whole plane! Hah!). The 3D detail of the navigation lights, wingrecognition lights, static wicks, ventilation grates, radio antennas,even elevator trim tab actuators really bring the airframe tolife. The textures are certainly photoreal, high-definition resolution4096x4096 pixels for each one, and it might be this fact that limitsthe crispness of panel lines as you move in close to the exterior. Iimagine in order to improve the resolution of the textures that employphotographic overlay would require high resolution photographs of thesubject aircraft, which can be hard to come by unless you go and do ityourself (which isn't always possible). The textures in the mainlanding gear bays are as if Carenado is saying to the curious X-Pilot"Ahhhhh! I bet you thought we forgot about these, hmm? Nope!" It'ssatisfying to see the completeness of the exterior textures. InteriorWelcome to your private jet! As you enter the main cabin door,luxuriousness hits you like a ping-pong paddle to the side of yourface; SLAP! Following closely is a giddy grin spreading across yourface as you move around the cabin, observing the overstuffedvery-comfy looking seats (can you smell the odor of leathercleaner?). The tables can be extended with a click of the mouse, thewindow shades can be drawn against the blazing sun at FL350, theoverhead reading lights can be actuated and directed in the dark of anight flight to Las Vegas. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.31.20.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.42.35.jpgDon't have a fire in the cabin because even though the placardabove the rear left passenger seat points to where a fire extinguishershould be stowed, it's not there! You might also have to 'hold it'until you arrive at your destination; typically the lavatory on boarda biz-jet of this size is located in the aft of the cabin but itdoesn't look like there is a privacy curtain or port-a-potty installedin this machine. Luckily for you, depending on your chosen location toenjoy this simulator aircraft and it's proximity to lavatory services,you have the almighty 'pause' button. The front office looks as it should, like a flight deck. Switchesand buttons click, lights illuminate and extinguish, fuel pumps whirr,fans hum, engines whine, a cacophony of alerts assault your ears whenyou neglect to follow the checklists. Aahhh, yes, the sweet Fmodsounds of flying a jet airplane. The visual resplendency abounds in the cockpit of the CarenadoCitation S/II as well. Zooming in on the control yoke center you aregreeted by the golden logo and then the wet shininess of the controlyoke itself. You can stow your armrest if it's in the way, and you canmove your sunshade so it's set just right as you rocket through thewild blue. Observe the reflection of the cockpit environment on thesunshade as you drag it along the track. The reflections on shinysurfaces are very impressive. That said, the reflectiveness ofinstrument faces might be a bit overdone when it comes to theinstruments that are of a synthetic display variety, namely the EADI,EHSI and central MFD. In the real flying world these kinds of displayshave an anti-reflective coating so the display information can stillbe seen in bright ambient lighting or direct sunlight. For the timebeing the only way you can achieve this in the Carenado Citation is toturn off the instrument reflections. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.29.33.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.30.12.jpg Systems"Systems? I don't have to show you any stinking systems..." Thisis a paraphrase of popular dialogue from a novel titled The Treasureof the Sierra Madre (1927). It came to my mind and seemed appropriateto insert here. Do you really need to see any systems information toenjoy the Carenado Citation? Nah, not really. Chances are you aren'tusing it to learn to fly a real Citation. Without being able to verifyinformation against an actual AFM or Flight Operations Manual (FOM), Ican only assume the configuration of the electric, hydraulic andpneumatic systems are as faithful to the real aircraft as X-Plane willallow with its native systems modelling. A cursory trip through PlaneMaker reveals extensive attention was paid to the electric system. Ipoint it out because I think, by far, the native Plane Makerelectrical system allows for pretty accurate system modelling withoutcreating a break-out plugin system model. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.00.36.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_16.07.57.jpgWhere the systems of this presentation really shine is theElectronic Flight Information System and autopilot. Only the FMS isnative to X-Plane 11, and works well enough for its intendedpurpose. Carenado uses the SASL plugin to create the EFIS screens withpop-out capability, as well as their proprietary menu system ofAutopilot-Cameras-Option. You can click on the EADI, EHSI or MFD and apop-out version of the particular display will appear in 2D on thescreen. You can click and drag the display to position it where youlike, and you can resize it as well. The EHSI button panel also haspop-out capability. The features of all the EFIS panels are modelledthoroughly, in my opinion. The features are described quite well inthe instruction document provided. I found the Autopilot control panelpop-out very useful, so I didn't have to keep slewing the camera viewdown and to the right to operate the 3D control panel (even though itlooks very nicely modelled). /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.03.28.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.04.43.jpgFlight Model"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" spoken by theWizard of Oz himself. From my experience with this Carenado aircraft,it performs to spec. I validated the cruise speed and power settings Iexperienced on my test flight against the appropriate cruiseperformance chart. This should be sufficient to satisfy almosteveryone except the Anoraks* amongst the flightsim community. Peekingbehind the proverbial curtain in Plane Maker surprised me, but theresults of the efforts of the Carenado team speak for themselves. Themodel performs to spec. * "Anorak" is a British slang which refers to a personwho has a very strong interest, perhaps obsessive, in nichesubjects. This interest may be unacknowledged or not understood by thegeneral public. The term is sometimes used synonymously with "geek" or"nerd", the Spanish term "friki", or the Japanese term "otaku", albeitreferring to different niches. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.10.01.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.11.03.jpgTest FlightI chose to fly from Edenvale, Ontario, Canada (north of Toronto) toHalifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, allowing for some time to get acquaintedwith and experience the "Slowtation". This is a moniker bestowed bythe industry upon the early aircraft of the Citation model line, dueto its cruise performance relative to its class competitorLearjet. According to Wikipedia a Learjet salesmen mocked it as the"Nearjet" vulnerable to "bird strikes from the rear". Primarily due tothe fact that the Citation has straight wings as opposed to sweptwings, the resulting cruise speed at altitude is markedly lower thanswept wing bizjets. I used Goodway to generate a flight plan and exported it to theFMS, loaded it and began the journey. I elected to have real weatherconditions load throughout the flight which didn't have an impact atdeparture. Climbout was uneventful, the autopilot was straightforwardto configure. I planned to climb to FL330 initially, setting thealtitude selector and pressurization accordingly (so I thought). Sometime later in the climb, a master caution warning lit up - no warningsound. What gives? Observing the instrument panel my attention wasdrawn to the pressurization panel; it appeared the cabin altitude hadsomehow increased above 10,000 feet. I was able to fix this by adjustingthe cabin altitude selector and the cabin altitude descendedaccordingly, thankfully. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.17.21.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.19.46.jpgOnce level at FL330, the Citation displayed its infamous'Slowtation' performance; 91% fan rpm, 195 KIAS yielded 315 KIAS, M0.56. This is no fault on the part of Carenado, it just means theyaccurately recreated the S550 in X-Plane. While the Mmo is listed as M0.72, the aircraft is incapable of reaching this limit in level flightat cruise altitude. No birds to chase me up there, that I knew of(does a Canada goose carry a Mode S transponder? I don't think so.) AsI drew nearer to Halifax, I loaded up the instrument arrival andapproach; FUNDY2.ILS23 is what I selected in the FMS. I had to refer to the FMS instruction manual to get familiar withthe specific ways the native FMS operates. I wasn't able to use theinput format I am familiar with when using a Universal UNS-1 FMC. Thatsaid, I was very impressed with how the autopilot coupled with the FMSflew the lateral navigation route. I didn't set up the VNAV properlyso I used the Mk 1 eyeball to navigate my descent profile. The reported weather at CYHZ was windy, even by East coaststandard; at 00Z wind from 300° true, 22 knots gusting to 33 knots,10 statute miles visibility, light snow, clouds few at 2000 feet, brokenat 4600, temperature -12C, dew point -20C, altimeter 29.63" Hg. Ishould have chosen the approach to runway 32, but I chose 23 for thefun of it. The approach went very well until I had to wrestle the birdto the ground. I would like to think I could have made it look easierif I was using a yoke and rudder pedals for control input, I was usingthe Gladiator Mk II instead. On touchdown I think I bashed the wingtips a couple or three times, but finally got it settled andstopped. I would say that the sight out the front window on theapproach with the light snow streaking by looked very much like whatHan Solo and Chewbacca see when the Millennium Falcon jumps tohyperspace. Oh the places you'll go! - Seuss /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.22.33.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.28.27.jpgEvaluationThe team at Carenado are masters of the visual art of creatingaircraft for PC flight simulators, their rendition of the CitationS/II is no exception. There is just the right amount of supportingdocumentation to get you in 'the game' but not so much as to overwhelmthe novice bizjet pilot. I found this aircraft model to be verysatisfying to operate successfully. There is an element of challengeto figuring out how to make it all 'go' properly, which when achievedshould give the end user a sense of accomplishment. While this isn't astudy-level rendition of the Citation S/II, I would say it isn't faroff the mark. There is one glaring omission from the aircraftoperation documentation, which I've save to mention here in order tobring focus and attention to this point. Nowhere, in any of the provided literature, have I been able tofind any mention of the power lever locks. I found my salvation in theforums at X-Plane.org as I was not the only person having difficultywith the power lever movement. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.47.27.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.58.50.jpgConclusionIf you think the Citation S/II from Carenado is something you'denjoy, I won't tell you 'no' if you decide to buy it. At its listedprice, I would call it a great value for the money. /images/reviews/cares550/CAR-855-s550-citation-ii-xp.jpgThanks for reading. Sean McLeod Purchase Carenado - S550 Citation II for X-Plane Other Carenado ReviewsC172SP SkyhawkPA31 Navajo690B CommanderF33A BonanzaCessna 340CT210M Centurion II
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S550 Citation IIPublisher: CarenadoReview Author: Rohan NairSuggested Price: $39.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_1.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_10.jpgDon't be shy. Admit it. You, me and athousand other flight simmers have dreamed of it. A private jet ofyour own. Fully crewed and ready on a moment's notice to whisk youaway to sign a million dollar deal. Or do you fancy a getaway to anopulent Caribbean island for your flamboyant personality? Corporateaircraft and biz-jets are no strangers to the flight simulationworld. If you've been around long enough then you definitely rememberthe King Air 350 and Learjet 45 from the Microsoft FlightSimulators. The question now is: what does X-Plane offer the virtual corporatepilot out of the box? Well there's the venerable King Air C90 and thediminutive Cirrus Vision Jet. If you like to think big then you aren'tthinking prop. You're thinking jet. For many of us, that little Cirrussimply won't cut it. So as long your biz-jet fantasies aren't in theleague of massive Dassaults and Bombardiers, they're something in theoffing for you. It's sturdy, lean, nimble and with 2000 nautical milesof range, ladies and gentlemen, behold.. the Carenado S550 Citation IIfor X-Plane 11! /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_11.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_12.jpgSecond in the iconic Cessna Citation lineage of corporate jets, theCitation II (Model 550) series is a family of light twin enginecorporate jets. The first variant, the Citation II flew in 1976. Itwas followed by the Citation II/SP, a single pilot version, and theimproved S/II. Eventually, the production line was occupied by thefinal variant: the greatly improved Citation Bravo. Productioncontinued until 2006 and by that time, more than a 1000 Citation IIshad been built. The improved S/II featured supercritical airfoils andimproved turbofans. This is the variant Carenado have chosen tosimulate. Will their representation of the Citation S/II live up tothe standards they've set for themselves in recent times? Read thisreview to find out. At the time of writing this review, version 1.2 was the latestversion of this product for X-Plane 11. Carenado have published thesystem requirements for the add on as recommended requirements. Thisdoes mean that if your system can run X-Plane 11, then it can run thisadd on too. If you're on MacOS 10.10+ or a Linux OS, then you've noreason to worry as the add on is compatible with those platformstoo. A 3.5 GHz i5 6600K, 16-24 GB RAM, a DX12 capable graphics cardwith at least 4 GB of VRAM that parallels the GTX 1070 in performanceare what Carenado recommend to get the most out of their product,though. I did the review on a 3.6 GHz i7-4720HQ with 16 GB of RAM anda 4 GB GTX 960M running Windows 10 and X-Plane 11.34r1. /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_13.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_14.jpgThey say that the first impression is often the lastingimpression. The saying can't be more true in the case of the CarenadoS550. The exterior model is in one word, resplendent. True to lifevisuals are augmented by appealing shines and reflections of PBRtextures throughout. Zooming in reveals the amount of details modeledand is indicative of a skilled and competent 3D modeling team. Theusual animations and lights are there and work as expected. A fewextra goodies are operable passenger and baggage doors in addition toa ground power unit, pitot covers and a few other staticelements. Available out of the box, are six high definitionliveries. There's also a blank livery to serve as the blank canvas forthose of you out there with an artistic flair. The quality of theexterior model is quite pleasing and I'm sure that the screen shotswill speak for themselves. /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_15.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_16.jpgInside, the Citation S/II is just as impressive as it is on theoutside. The virtual cockpit is fully 3D and highly detailed. Highdefinition textures adorn the true to life representation of thevirtual cockpit. All switches, buttons and controls are there wherethey're supposed to be and almost all of them are operable. The S/IIfeatures a semi-glass cockpit with an EFIS. The gauges and displaysare quite clear and readable. Along with the windshield, they sport areflection effect. I'm of the opinion that this effect for the gaugesand displays is a tad exaggerated. It's a good that thing that it canbe toggled. Lighting in the virtual cockpit is great and the lightingcontrols allow for a good range of adjustment. There are a fewinteresting gimmicks like adjustable overhead lights, moving arm restsand an operable cockpit door. Beyond that cockpit door is where, Ibelieve truly is, the business end of a Citation jet. The virtualcabin is impressive with many animations for the virtualbusinessman. Pull out your own work table to sign that importantdocument. And then turn down the overhead lights, pull down the windowshade and then slouch in your seat as you have earned that much neededsnooze. /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_17.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_18.jpgThe real Citation S/II features an EFIS evidenced by its semi-glasscockpit. Carenado have simulated this in their rendition of theaircraft. There's an EADI, EHSI, MFD and even an FMS. The former threeEFIS modules look and work realistically albeit the EHSI and MFD havea few operational quirks. Map graphics such as airports andnavigational aids are very low resolution much like what is seen onsome default X-Plane 11 aircraft. These graphics are mirrored onto theMFD when enabled. I'm not really sure if this is realistic. The sameissue is present for the weather radar too. What I'm sure isn'trealistic is that changing the MFD to the arc mode doesn't alter theposition of the aircraft on the MFD screen. This is quite a let downas the MFD, in the arc mode, effectively provides misinformation. Mostunfortunately, terrain radar, though selectable, isn't simulated atall. Similarly, it isn't possible to actually alter the weatherradar's configuration although the relevant knobs and switches can beoperated. On the brigther side of things for the MFD and EHSI, theTCAS does work. /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_2.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_3.jpgThe core of the navigation system of Carenado's S550 is provided bya default X-Plane 11 FMS located behind the autopilot controlpanel. I'm not too pleased with this. Real Citation IIs can beoutfitted with FMSs but they're certainly not going to be like thedefault X-Plane 11 FMS. In their FSX and Prepar3D version of the addon, Carenado have provided a custom FMS that is quite realistic. Iwould've really liked to see this in the X-Plane version too. The goodnews, however, is that the add on readily integrates with Reality XP'sGarmin GTN750, a very versatile GPS. I suspect that installing thiswould enable the terrain radar and provide full control over theweather radar. However, it will set you back by an amount greater thanwhat the product under review costs! The product is also compatiblewith the Goodway flight planner for X-Plane. The electrical systems, lighting systems, de-icing systems, radios,air conditioning and pressurization systems are simulated and seem towork with a good level of realism. One issue is there with the airconditioning system. The cabin temperature gauge seems to be stuck at 50degrees Fahrenheit. So either the gauge is faulty or the temperatureregulation controls aren't working. Thankfully, the pressurizationsystem works fine but it can't be disabled even I don't select apressurization source. The aircraft's autopilot system is functionaland realistic and will do a good job in taking care of the aircraftwhile you treat yourself to a siesta in that comfortable virtualcabin. Since the panel is in a hard to reach spot in the virtualcockpit, a pop up of this panel can be brought up for ease ofaccess. This is also the case for the EADI, EHSI and the MFD. /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_4.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_5.jpgThe Citation S/II seats only about 8 to 10 passengers. You won't becarrying much more apart from them and their baggage. Thus, the total5000 lbf of thrust provided by the P&W JT15D4B turbofans make theCitation II a nimble aircraft. The add on flies as expected for anaircraft of this size, weight and power. The airframe is sturdy andthe plane feels nimble as I thought it would. The engines build uppower quickly and even when fully loaded, the plane takes offquickly. It climbs fast too and you shouldn't have much trouble takingit up to FL380 with ease. It burns fuel in accordance to the publishedmanuals. While it can cruise at over 400 knots, it can land at speedsas slow as 90 knots with the flaps fully extended. The controls feellight but authoritative. This airplane is an absolute joy to fly byhand. I have to say that I'm quite pleased by the add on's flightdynamics. Flights are a breeze to do with this add on. It's not too simpleand it's not too complex. To aid the newcomer, there are a set ofmanuals that will describe everything from the operation of the EFISmodules, the autopilot to the normal and emergency procedures. Iwould've liked certain systems to be explained in more detail such asthe air conditioning and pressurization systems, however. Relevantdetailed reference data concerning takeoff speeds, landing speeds andoperational limitations are provided. Fuel burn charts for the cruisephase are provided as well. Some more data or a few rules of thumb toensure more accurate fuel planning would've been nice, however. Notmuch is going to get in your way of having uneventful virtual flightswith this aircraft. This is an easy to fly aircraft systems-wise andhandling-wise. /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_6.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_7.jpgThe add on sounds nice inside and outside. However, I feel that theinterior engine sounds aren't quite spot on. This is based on a fewvideos of the S/II on YouTube. As the aircraft climbs, I expected thatthe whine of the engines would be gradually consumed by the whoosh ofthe relative wind. That effect was there albeit only until a certainaltitude after which I felt the interior sounds didn't change much atall. The usual sounds are there of course such as altitude callouts,the stall warning horn, the stick shaker, and the usual bells oralarms when there are warning or cautionary annunciations. In this review, I've praised the aesthetics of this add on quite alot. Does this come at a non-monetary cost? Yes, it does. However, theimpact of those excellent visuals is more apparent on systems at thelower end of the performance spectrum. Mid-range and more powerfulsystems shouldn't have too much trouble keeping frame rates up withthis add on. On the whole, the add on can be termed FPS friendly whenconsidering the visual fidelity it offers without an unacceptable lossof frame rate. /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_8.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/s550_9.jpgYou've reached the end of the review, virtual corporate pilot. Haveyou decided whether or not you want to purchase this product based onwhat you've read so far? Whether the answer's a yes or a no, I'lloffer my two cents regardless. There's room for improvements insystems simulation, certain parts of acoustics anddocumentation. However, visual fidelity and quality is downrightexcellent. Day to day operation of this aircraft is a breeze sincethere are no hindering flaws. If you're looking for a light, twinengine corporate plane and aren't pedantic about systems fidelity,then I'd say this is an add on that won't disappoint you. Please feelfree to contact me via e-mail if you have any queries, suggestions orconstructive criticism. Enjoy your virtual biz-jet adventures! /images/reviews/cares550/CAR-855-s550-citation-ii-xp.jpgRohan Nair rohannair10@yahoo.co.in Purchase Carenado S550 Citation II for X-Plane 11
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S550 Citation S/IIPublisher: CarenadoReview Author: Sean McLeodSuggested Price: $39.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_12.04.37.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.25.38.jpgIntroductionWelcome to my review of Carenado'srendition of the Cessna S550 Citation S/II for X-Plane 11. First somehistory about the Cessna Citation II. According to the Wikipedia pagefor the Cessna Citation II (Model 550), the airframe was developedfrom the Citation I (Model 500) and first flew on 31 January,1977. The Citation S/II or Model S550 was an upgrade development ofthe original Model 550, and first flew on 14 February 1984. It has asupercritical airfoil from the Citation III and the improved Pratt andWhitney JT15D-4B engines, which have upgraded internal componentsallowing for more thrust at higher altitudes. Fuel capacity also gotan increase in the S/II, as well as the TKS fluid de-icing system forthe wings and bleed air de-icing for the engines. At the time themodel S550 was introduced, it replaced the model 550 on the productionline; 160 examples of the S550 were produced. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.06.41.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.07.19.jpgAs far as I can tell from their web site, Carenado and the Citationhave a history dating back to 2013 when it appears they supported theS550 for FSX and Prepar3D. It's great that Carenado is bringing theirtried and true designs forward for use with X-Plane. This X-Planeversion of the aircraft was first released in October 2018, with anupdate released soon after and a further update released in November2018. During this time period the stable version of X-Plane was 11.25and 11.26, and a major update including flight model changes wasreleased by Laminar Research in January 2019, X-Plane 11.30. I amcurrently running X-Plane 11.32, which released earlier in February2019 (more on the impact of this information later in the review). /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.19.20.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.23.46.jpgPackage Contents And FeaturesAs I alluded to earlier, version 1.2 was released in November 2018during the time of X-Plane 11.25/11.26. The configurable FPS logicsystem consists of enabling or disabling reflections on the cockpitinstruments and aircraft windows, a feature found in all Carenadoaircraft released for X-Plane 11. I have not yet joined the ranks ofthose flight simming with VR hardware so I cannot tell you how awesomethat experience is, hehe. I utilized theGoodwaycompatibility to help me plan my test flight, and since I chose to usemy MacBook I wasn't able to explore the RealityXP GTN750 since itisn't OS-X compatible, which is a shame because it is quite the unit!Last but not least, Carenado's use of full PBR makes me want to callthem the kings and queens of eye candy - the shininess and reflectionsare enchanting! For the artistically gifted or those that wish to have a go atcreating your own paint job, some digging is required in thesubfolders to find the specific graphic file to accomplish thisgoal. The default texture for the aircraft is all-white, and can befound in the 'objects' folder, files E1.png and E2.png. This isn't aproper paint kit which normally consists of a Photoshop, Gimp or othergraphics editing program file that has all the elements of the texturedivided into separate layers. Remember to create a separate folder foryour paint scheme in the 'liveries' subfolder. Have a look insideanother livery folder to see how it's structured and replicate that inyour livery folder. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_16.08.59.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_12.13.59.jpg DocumentationIt has been said that (by whom I do not know) when the weight ofthe paperwork equals the weight of the airplane, only then can you goflying. Applying this axiom to the quantity and quality of thedocumentation contained in the this aircraft package, at first blushit seems like there's plenty of paper stacked and sorted in an orderlyfashion. Reflecting further, it might just be the right amountconsidering this is a home-based computer flight simulationapplication. I'm accustomed to seeing far more data available for ahigh-performance jet aircraft (car licence plate holder reads: Myother ride is a Boeing 737). It is convenient to have the different sections of what constitutean Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM) separated, allowing for the differentdocuments to be open and available at the same time. Before taking theaircraft flying I would strongly suggest that particular attention ispaid to the Recommended 'Carenado Joystick Settings XP11.pdf' andfamiliarize yourself with the 'Electronic Flight InformationSystem.pdf'. If you have your X-Plane graphics settings where you wantthem, then the 'Recommended settings XP11.pdf' is of less concern. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.23.39.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.28.50.jpgThe information available in the included documentation is notsufficient to qualify this aircraft package for Study Level status, asthere is nearly a total lack of technical descriptions about theaircraft systems normally found in a package with Study Level in thetitle. Carenado does not bill this as such an aircraft package soanyone criticizing this and other Carenado aircraft for this lack ofcomplexity should probably look elsewhere to satisfy their study-leveldesires. InstallationMove along, nothing to see here...so I'll just say that it'seasy. Unpack the archive file, move the resulting file folder to yourdesired X-Plane subfolder. No installer to run. Easy-peasy. Once youload the aircraft in X-Plane you will be prompted to provide youractivation code; internet connection required for verification. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.59.05.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.06.48.jpgExteriorIt's beautiful. Yep. In my opinion, the only included livery thatshowcases the exterior of the aircraft best of all is 'OE-GBM'. Thisis because the livery has a larger contrast of color to highlight thereflectiveness in the textures. The other liveries, while well done,don't offer as much visually to make them 'pop' off the screen. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.54.31.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.58.14.jpgLooking closely at the exterior model, the attention to detail isobvious. While I wouldn't call it insane, I am impressed by the extenttexture and 3D details have been applied to the landing gear, landinggear bays, engine nacelles including the thrust reversers (open themand have a look), empennage, wings and fuselage (um, I guess that'sthe whole plane! Hah!). The 3D detail of the navigation lights, wingrecognition lights, static wicks, ventilation grates, radio antennas,even elevator trim tab actuators really bring the airframe tolife. The textures are certainly photoreal, high-definition resolution4096x4096 pixels for each one, and it might be this fact that limitsthe crispness of panel lines as you move in close to the exterior. Iimagine in order to improve the resolution of the textures that employphotographic overlay would require high resolution photographs of thesubject aircraft, which can be hard to come by unless you go and do ityourself (which isn't always possible). The textures in the mainlanding gear bays are as if Carenado is saying to the curious X-Pilot"Ahhhhh! I bet you thought we forgot about these, hmm? Nope!" It'ssatisfying to see the completeness of the exterior textures. InteriorWelcome to your private jet! As you enter the main cabin door,luxuriousness hits you like a ping-pong paddle to the side of yourface; SLAP! Following closely is a giddy grin spreading across yourface as you move around the cabin, observing the overstuffedvery-comfy looking seats (can you smell the odor of leathercleaner?). The tables can be extended with a click of the mouse, thewindow shades can be drawn against the blazing sun at FL350, theoverhead reading lights can be actuated and directed in the dark of anight flight to Las Vegas. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.31.20.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.42.35.jpgDon't have a fire in the cabin because even though the placardabove the rear left passenger seat points to where a fire extinguishershould be stowed, it's not there! You might also have to 'hold it'until you arrive at your destination; typically the lavatory on boarda biz-jet of this size is located in the aft of the cabin but itdoesn't look like there is a privacy curtain or port-a-potty installedin this machine. Luckily for you, depending on your chosen location toenjoy this simulator aircraft and it's proximity to lavatory services,you have the almighty 'pause' button. The front office looks as it should, like a flight deck. Switchesand buttons click, lights illuminate and extinguish, fuel pumps whirr,fans hum, engines whine, a cacophony of alerts assault your ears whenyou neglect to follow the checklists. Aahhh, yes, the sweet Fmodsounds of flying a jet airplane. The visual resplendency abounds in the cockpit of the CarenadoCitation S/II as well. Zooming in on the control yoke center you aregreeted by the golden logo and then the wet shininess of the controlyoke itself. You can stow your armrest if it's in the way, and you canmove your sunshade so it's set just right as you rocket through thewild blue. Observe the reflection of the cockpit environment on thesunshade as you drag it along the track. The reflections on shinysurfaces are very impressive. That said, the reflectiveness ofinstrument faces might be a bit overdone when it comes to theinstruments that are of a synthetic display variety, namely the EADI,EHSI and central MFD. In the real flying world these kinds of displayshave an anti-reflective coating so the display information can stillbe seen in bright ambient lighting or direct sunlight. For the timebeing the only way you can achieve this in the Carenado Citation is toturn off the instrument reflections. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.29.33.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_14.30.12.jpg Systems"Systems? I don't have to show you any stinking systems..." Thisis a paraphrase of popular dialogue from a novel titled The Treasureof the Sierra Madre (1927). It came to my mind and seemed appropriateto insert here. Do you really need to see any systems information toenjoy the Carenado Citation? Nah, not really. Chances are you aren'tusing it to learn to fly a real Citation. Without being able to verifyinformation against an actual AFM or Flight Operations Manual (FOM), Ican only assume the configuration of the electric, hydraulic andpneumatic systems are as faithful to the real aircraft as X-Plane willallow with its native systems modelling. A cursory trip through PlaneMaker reveals extensive attention was paid to the electric system. Ipoint it out because I think, by far, the native Plane Makerelectrical system allows for pretty accurate system modelling withoutcreating a break-out plugin system model. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.00.36.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_16.07.57.jpgWhere the systems of this presentation really shine is theElectronic Flight Information System and autopilot. Only the FMS isnative to X-Plane 11, and works well enough for its intendedpurpose. Carenado uses the SASL plugin to create the EFIS screens withpop-out capability, as well as their proprietary menu system ofAutopilot-Cameras-Option. You can click on the EADI, EHSI or MFD and apop-out version of the particular display will appear in 2D on thescreen. You can click and drag the display to position it where youlike, and you can resize it as well. The EHSI button panel also haspop-out capability. The features of all the EFIS panels are modelledthoroughly, in my opinion. The features are described quite well inthe instruction document provided. I found the Autopilot control panelpop-out very useful, so I didn't have to keep slewing the camera viewdown and to the right to operate the 3D control panel (even though itlooks very nicely modelled). /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.03.28.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-29_16.04.43.jpgFlight Model"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" spoken by theWizard of Oz himself. From my experience with this Carenado aircraft,it performs to spec. I validated the cruise speed and power settings Iexperienced on my test flight against the appropriate cruiseperformance chart. This should be sufficient to satisfy almosteveryone except the Anoraks* amongst the flightsim community. Peekingbehind the proverbial curtain in Plane Maker surprised me, but theresults of the efforts of the Carenado team speak for themselves. Themodel performs to spec. * "Anorak" is a British slang which refers to a personwho has a very strong interest, perhaps obsessive, in nichesubjects. This interest may be unacknowledged or not understood by thegeneral public. The term is sometimes used synonymously with "geek" or"nerd", the Spanish term "friki", or the Japanese term "otaku", albeitreferring to different niches. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.10.01.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.11.03.jpgTest FlightI chose to fly from Edenvale, Ontario, Canada (north of Toronto) toHalifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, allowing for some time to get acquaintedwith and experience the "Slowtation". This is a moniker bestowed bythe industry upon the early aircraft of the Citation model line, dueto its cruise performance relative to its class competitorLearjet. According to Wikipedia a Learjet salesmen mocked it as the"Nearjet" vulnerable to "bird strikes from the rear". Primarily due tothe fact that the Citation has straight wings as opposed to sweptwings, the resulting cruise speed at altitude is markedly lower thanswept wing bizjets. I used Goodway to generate a flight plan and exported it to theFMS, loaded it and began the journey. I elected to have real weatherconditions load throughout the flight which didn't have an impact atdeparture. Climbout was uneventful, the autopilot was straightforwardto configure. I planned to climb to FL330 initially, setting thealtitude selector and pressurization accordingly (so I thought). Sometime later in the climb, a master caution warning lit up - no warningsound. What gives? Observing the instrument panel my attention wasdrawn to the pressurization panel; it appeared the cabin altitude hadsomehow increased above 10,000 feet. I was able to fix this by adjustingthe cabin altitude selector and the cabin altitude descendedaccordingly, thankfully. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.17.21.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.19.46.jpgOnce level at FL330, the Citation displayed its infamous'Slowtation' performance; 91% fan rpm, 195 KIAS yielded 315 KIAS, M0.56. This is no fault on the part of Carenado, it just means theyaccurately recreated the S550 in X-Plane. While the Mmo is listed as M0.72, the aircraft is incapable of reaching this limit in level flightat cruise altitude. No birds to chase me up there, that I knew of(does a Canada goose carry a Mode S transponder? I don't think so.) AsI drew nearer to Halifax, I loaded up the instrument arrival andapproach; FUNDY2.ILS23 is what I selected in the FMS. I had to refer to the FMS instruction manual to get familiar withthe specific ways the native FMS operates. I wasn't able to use theinput format I am familiar with when using a Universal UNS-1 FMC. Thatsaid, I was very impressed with how the autopilot coupled with the FMSflew the lateral navigation route. I didn't set up the VNAV properlyso I used the Mk 1 eyeball to navigate my descent profile. The reported weather at CYHZ was windy, even by East coaststandard; at 00Z wind from 300° true, 22 knots gusting to 33 knots,10 statute miles visibility, light snow, clouds few at 2000 feet, brokenat 4600, temperature -12C, dew point -20C, altimeter 29.63" Hg. Ishould have chosen the approach to runway 32, but I chose 23 for thefun of it. The approach went very well until I had to wrestle the birdto the ground. I would like to think I could have made it look easierif I was using a yoke and rudder pedals for control input, I was usingthe Gladiator Mk II instead. On touchdown I think I bashed the wingtips a couple or three times, but finally got it settled andstopped. I would say that the sight out the front window on theapproach with the light snow streaking by looked very much like whatHan Solo and Chewbacca see when the Millennium Falcon jumps tohyperspace. Oh the places you'll go! - Seuss /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.22.33.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.28.27.jpgEvaluationThe team at Carenado are masters of the visual art of creatingaircraft for PC flight simulators, their rendition of the CitationS/II is no exception. There is just the right amount of supportingdocumentation to get you in 'the game' but not so much as to overwhelmthe novice bizjet pilot. I found this aircraft model to be verysatisfying to operate successfully. There is an element of challengeto figuring out how to make it all 'go' properly, which when achievedshould give the end user a sense of accomplishment. While this isn't astudy-level rendition of the Citation S/II, I would say it isn't faroff the mark. There is one glaring omission from the aircraftoperation documentation, which I've save to mention here in order tobring focus and attention to this point. Nowhere, in any of the provided literature, have I been able tofind any mention of the power lever locks. I found my salvation in theforums at X-Plane.org as I was not the only person having difficultywith the power lever movement. /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.47.27.jpg /images/reviews/cares550/t/S550_Citation_II_-_2019-04-26_15.58.50.jpgConclusionIf you think the Citation S/II from Carenado is something you'denjoy, I won't tell you 'no' if you decide to buy it. At its listedprice, I would call it a great value for the money. /images/reviews/cares550/CAR-855-s550-citation-ii-xp.jpgThanks for reading. Sean McLeod Purchase Carenado - S550 Citation II for X-Plane Other Carenado ReviewsC172SP SkyhawkPA31 Navajo690B CommanderF33A BonanzaCessna 340CT210M Centurion II
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/images/notams/notams18/care1007/s550-1.jpgCarenado has announced that the S550 CitationII has been released for X-Plane. The FSX and Prepar3D versionhas been available for several years. FeaturesState-of-the-art configurable FPS-friendly logic systemFully VR compatibleFull PBR (Superb material shines and reflections)Specially designed engine dynamics for XP11Flight physics optimized for XP11 standardsGround handling adapted for XP11 ground physicsPhysically Based Rendering materials and textures throughoutPBR materials authored with industry-standard software used by the film and gaming industriesSupport for RealityXP’s GTN750* (integrated into 3D cockpit, when available)Goodway CompatibleRealistic 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/care1007/s550-2.jpgwww.carenado.com
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/images/notams/notams18/care1007/s550-1.jpgIn a brief Facebook post, Carenado has announced that theS550 Citation II is coming to X-Plane. The FSX andPrepar3D version has been available for several years. Source /images/notams/notams18/care1007/s550-2.jpg