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Stinson L5 SentinelPublisher: Just FlightReview Author: Nigel PorterSuggested Price: $24.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.pngI can remember my late father tellingme that a real aeroplane always has a wheel at the back! Thiscertainly held true in the main until the last world war, but I think thereal meaning of this phrase intimated that it took a real pilot to flya tail dragger whereas anyone could fly an aircraft with a nose wheel.There is no doubt that the technique used to get a taildragger on andoff the ground is substantially different, and much more involving,than that of a modern tricycle undercarriage aircraft /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-23.jpgThe Stinson L5 along with the L1 (its predecessor) were the onlyAmerican liaison aircraft of World War II that were purpose-built formilitary use, and had no civilian counterpart. All other militaryliaison airplanes adopted during World War II were lightly modified"off-the-shelf" civilian models. It was designed from the outset to bea light observation aircraft, but as a result of its phenomenalperformance, due in short to its hugely powerful 6 cylinder engine,gave it the ability to get in and out of very small strips. It wassubsequently modified to serve various different country requirementsand thus earned the name "flying jeep". Some 3500 aircraft were built in athree year period, most of which were unarmed, although some enterprisingsouls did attach bazookas to them with apparently some modicum ofsuccess in the latter part of World War 2. This L5 has been produced by Aeroplane Heaven, a company well knownfor producing reasonable quality aircraft, and it is available throughthe auspices of Just Flight. InstallationThe installation is straight forward; having paid for the aircraft onedownloads the files and receives an activation code and invoice viaemail. Upon unzipping, the download asks for the location of the simthat you wish to install to and which version, i.e. FSX or P3D. Oncethe location is given, the installation is rapid and trouble free. /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-41.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-50.jpgThere is a reasonably comprehensive manual supplied in .pdf formwhich is a must read - not only so as to get some history of this aircraft,but also to learn the finer points of how to operate it. It is quitethorough, with the important omission that there is no mention ofstall speeds at various weights and flap/aileron configurations.There is also no mention of a VNE or service ceiling - a surprisingomission. ExteriorThe L5 is supplied with seven different color schemes, representingtheir different theaters of action: the USAF, US Marines, USCoast Guard, the Royal Air Force South East Asia Command, and the SwissAir Force. All of these have been faithfully reproduced in gooddetail, and feature weathering. The RAF version benefits from muddywheels and splatters on the fuselage, a nice touch. There is also abutton attached to the battery (between the legs of the pilot) whichwhen activated removes the left hand engine cowling, giving a view ofthe well detailed engine. Another feature are the animated doors anddrop down plexiglass windows. InteriorThe interior has been well detailed, including the abundance ofplexiglass which gives a great all round view, a necessity for anobservation aircraft such as this. There has been a small concessionfor modern pilots with the addition of navigational and ADF radioreceivers on the inside of the right wing, next to ones head (anothernice touch). /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-29.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-32.jpgThe electrical panel can be found on the inside of the left wing athead level and contains switches for navigational and panel lights,main battery and generator, along with two concession switches, onewhich provides a dark and cold set up, and the other which providestie downs and covers. Other nice details are the operational flaplever with its communicating cables, and the fire extinguisher behindthe front seat, which when activated might put out an engine fire.There is also a handle on the head frame which droops the ailerons tosupplement the lift of the flaps. Basic yes, but functionality wasthe name of the game when this aircraft was built - if it didn't servea purpose it was not destined to stay onboard. Instrument PanelAs in the real aircraft, the glare shield obscures forwardvisibility making it a necessity to weave when taxiing - this helps tosee where one is going. The instrument panel is simple with only the bare necessitiesrequired for flight. /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-38.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-35.jpgAll the instruments have been well modelled and are beautifullyclear and well placarded; the needles of some of these vibraterealistically when the engine is at idle. Another concession tomodern day pilots is the addition of navigation instruments. What fewswitches and knobs there are work well and do their job correctly(complete with correct sounds). There is also a cold and dark modeavailable using a switch beside the pilot. Flight DynamicsI have used the many versions of Microsoft's Flight Simulator formuch longer than I care to admit, and have seen it slowly improving -however, in my opinion, it has always been lacking when it comes toproviding realistic flight dynamics. Before trying to fly any new aeroplane, one should always read thepilot operating handbook; however the manual supplied with the L5 ismissing a few important figures, i.e. stall speed and flap extensionspeed. There are a few helping phrases such as "best approach speedwill be 56 mph", but in the next sentence you get "maintain an approachspeed of 67 mph", which is not a great deal of help. So the onlysolution was to go and fly the aircraft and see at what speeds, andwith what flap settings the plane fell out of the sky with. In thecourse of ascertaining these figures, I had a eureka moment - thisplane can be side slipped quite well! It is something I have tried todo on numerous occasions with quite a few aircraft over the years buthad always failed miserably (something I had always put down to theway FSX works); however, this little fellow side slips like it isgoing out of style - well done Aeroplane Heaven! /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-53.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-26.jpgHaving climbed up to 2000 feet, I set about discovering the stallspeed: the break with full flaps and droops was 49 mph, retracting thedroops (ailerons) made no difference at all. A flapless stall occurredat around 55mph - the stall was benign with a gentle up and down headshake and no wing drop. I then set about finding maximum speed andthis was 160 mph, with the maximum speed warning coming up a few knotslater. These figures compare very well with those from the Stinsonfactory which are: a stall speed of 42 mph and VNE of 163 mph, so again,well done Aeroplane Heaven. The Stinson required very little rudderinput to keep it on the runway, both with taking off and with landing,which is a trifle unrealistic, but I am willing to cut these guys abit of slack as the rest of it works well. Hints On How To FlyOnce in the air the Stinson flies like any other light aircraft, itis the departure and arrival phases that make taildraggers moreinvolving. /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-44.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-47.jpgTaxiing (at walking pace) requires lots of weaving and headbending, so as to see around the glareshield and engine compartment.This aids in avoiding/running over the clubhouse's pet dog, or runninginto another taildragger coming the opposite way. Once lined up onthe runway, one pushes the stick fully forward and opens the throttlesmoothly, whilst keeping the plot in the middle of the runway by"dancing" on the rudder pedals. As the tail rises you reduce theforward push on the stick, and by the time you get it centralised, itwill be time to pull back and climb away. Landings again are different - descend until the wheels are a footor so over the runway and cut the power, whilst all the time pullingthe stick further and further back as speed bleeds off, and the noserises, blocking out the view. If you get it right, all three wheelshit the ground at the same time, which can be quite satisfying,leaving you the job of gently bringing things to a halt with thebrakes. SummaryI am a reasonably new convert to Just Flight's models, and whilstthis aircraft is not as visually detailed as their recent Arrow 3 and4 series, it is very nicely presented all the same. It is both fun tofly, and challenging to get right, and will give hours ofenjoyment... and at $24.95 it is not a piggy bank breaker. It will bea very nice hangar addition, especially if you use some of the smallatmospheric airports, such as those in the PNW by Orbx. /images/notams/notams18/stin0206/stin0206.jpgI thoroughly recommend it! Nigel Porter Purchase Just Flight - Stinson L-5 Sentinel

Stinson L5 SentinelPublisher: Just FlightReview Author: Nigel PorterSuggested Price: $24.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.pngI can remember my late father tellingme that a real aeroplane always has a wheel at the back! Thiscertainly held true in the main until the last world war, but I think thereal meaning of this phrase intimated that it took a real pilot to flya tail dragger whereas anyone could fly an aircraft with a nose wheel.There is no doubt that the technique used to get a taildragger on andoff the ground is substantially different, and much more involving,than that of a modern tricycle undercarriage aircraft /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-23.jpgThe Stinson L5 along with the L1 (its predecessor) were the onlyAmerican liaison aircraft of World War II that were purpose-built formilitary use, and had no civilian counterpart. All other militaryliaison airplanes adopted during World War II were lightly modified"off-the-shelf" civilian models. It was designed from the outset to bea light observation aircraft, but as a result of its phenomenalperformance, due in short to its hugely powerful 6 cylinder engine,gave it the ability to get in and out of very small strips. It wassubsequently modified to serve various different country requirementsand thus earned the name "flying jeep". Some 3500 aircraft were built in athree year period, most of which were unarmed, although some enterprisingsouls did attach bazookas to them with apparently some modicum ofsuccess in the latter part of World War 2. This L5 has been produced by Aeroplane Heaven, a company well knownfor producing reasonable quality aircraft, and it is available throughthe auspices of Just Flight. InstallationThe installation is straight forward; having paid for the aircraft onedownloads the files and receives an activation code and invoice viaemail. Upon unzipping, the download asks for the location of the simthat you wish to install to and which version, i.e. FSX or P3D. Oncethe location is given, the installation is rapid and trouble free. /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-41.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-50.jpgThere is a reasonably comprehensive manual supplied in .pdf formwhich is a must read - not only so as to get some history of this aircraft,but also to learn the finer points of how to operate it. It is quitethorough, with the important omission that there is no mention ofstall speeds at various weights and flap/aileron configurations.There is also no mention of a VNE or service ceiling - a surprisingomission. ExteriorThe L5 is supplied with seven different color schemes, representingtheir different theaters of action: the USAF, US Marines, USCoast Guard, the Royal Air Force South East Asia Command, and the SwissAir Force. All of these have been faithfully reproduced in gooddetail, and feature weathering. The RAF version benefits from muddywheels and splatters on the fuselage, a nice touch. There is also abutton attached to the battery (between the legs of the pilot) whichwhen activated removes the left hand engine cowling, giving a view ofthe well detailed engine. Another feature are the animated doors anddrop down plexiglass windows. InteriorThe interior has been well detailed, including the abundance ofplexiglass which gives a great all round view, a necessity for anobservation aircraft such as this. There has been a small concessionfor modern pilots with the addition of navigational and ADF radioreceivers on the inside of the right wing, next to ones head (anothernice touch). /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-29.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-32.jpgThe electrical panel can be found on the inside of the left wing athead level and contains switches for navigational and panel lights,main battery and generator, along with two concession switches, onewhich provides a dark and cold set up, and the other which providestie downs and covers. Other nice details are the operational flaplever with its communicating cables, and the fire extinguisher behindthe front seat, which when activated might put out an engine fire.There is also a handle on the head frame which droops the ailerons tosupplement the lift of the flaps. Basic yes, but functionality wasthe name of the game when this aircraft was built - if it didn't servea purpose it was not destined to stay onboard. Instrument PanelAs in the real aircraft, the glare shield obscures forwardvisibility making it a necessity to weave when taxiing - this helps tosee where one is going. The instrument panel is simple with only the bare necessitiesrequired for flight. /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-38.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-35.jpgAll the instruments have been well modelled and are beautifullyclear and well placarded; the needles of some of these vibraterealistically when the engine is at idle. Another concession tomodern day pilots is the addition of navigation instruments. What fewswitches and knobs there are work well and do their job correctly(complete with correct sounds). There is also a cold and dark modeavailable using a switch beside the pilot. Flight DynamicsI have used the many versions of Microsoft's Flight Simulator formuch longer than I care to admit, and have seen it slowly improving -however, in my opinion, it has always been lacking when it comes toproviding realistic flight dynamics. Before trying to fly any new aeroplane, one should always read thepilot operating handbook; however the manual supplied with the L5 ismissing a few important figures, i.e. stall speed and flap extensionspeed. There are a few helping phrases such as "best approach speedwill be 56 mph", but in the next sentence you get "maintain an approachspeed of 67 mph", which is not a great deal of help. So the onlysolution was to go and fly the aircraft and see at what speeds, andwith what flap settings the plane fell out of the sky with. In thecourse of ascertaining these figures, I had a eureka moment - thisplane can be side slipped quite well! It is something I have tried todo on numerous occasions with quite a few aircraft over the years buthad always failed miserably (something I had always put down to theway FSX works); however, this little fellow side slips like it isgoing out of style - well done Aeroplane Heaven! /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-53.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-26.jpgHaving climbed up to 2000 feet, I set about discovering the stallspeed: the break with full flaps and droops was 49 mph, retracting thedroops (ailerons) made no difference at all. A flapless stall occurredat around 55mph - the stall was benign with a gentle up and down headshake and no wing drop. I then set about finding maximum speed andthis was 160 mph, with the maximum speed warning coming up a few knotslater. These figures compare very well with those from the Stinsonfactory which are: a stall speed of 42 mph and VNE of 163 mph, so again,well done Aeroplane Heaven. The Stinson required very little rudderinput to keep it on the runway, both with taking off and with landing,which is a trifle unrealistic, but I am willing to cut these guys abit of slack as the rest of it works well. Hints On How To FlyOnce in the air the Stinson flies like any other light aircraft, itis the departure and arrival phases that make taildraggers moreinvolving. /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-44.jpg /images/reviews/stinson/t/image-47.jpgTaxiing (at walking pace) requires lots of weaving and headbending, so as to see around the glareshield and engine compartment.This aids in avoiding/running over the clubhouse's pet dog, or runninginto another taildragger coming the opposite way. Once lined up onthe runway, one pushes the stick fully forward and opens the throttlesmoothly, whilst keeping the plot in the middle of the runway by"dancing" on the rudder pedals. As the tail rises you reduce theforward push on the stick, and by the time you get it centralised, itwill be time to pull back and climb away. Landings again are different - descend until the wheels are a footor so over the runway and cut the power, whilst all the time pullingthe stick further and further back as speed bleeds off, and the noserises, blocking out the view. If you get it right, all three wheelshit the ground at the same time, which can be quite satisfying,leaving you the job of gently bringing things to a halt with thebrakes. SummaryI am a reasonably new convert to Just Flight's models, and whilstthis aircraft is not as visually detailed as their recent Arrow 3 and4 series, it is very nicely presented all the same. It is both fun tofly, and challenging to get right, and will give hours ofenjoyment... and at $24.95 it is not a piggy bank breaker. It will bea very nice hangar addition, especially if you use some of the smallatmospheric airports, such as those in the PNW by Orbx. /images/notams/notams18/stin0206/stin0206.jpgI thoroughly recommend it! Nigel Porter Purchase Just Flight - Stinson L-5 Sentinel

/images/notams/notams18/stin0206/stin0206.jpgThe Stinson L-5 is typical of the type of aircraft developed duringWWII for duties such as liaison, artillery spotting,photo-reconnaissance and casualty evacuation. Rugged and dependable,the design is a true 'work horse', showing little to no concern foraesthetics and equipped with no unnecessary embellishments. It simplydoes what it says on the tin. The L-5 was dubbed 'The Flying Jeep' and, along with the StinsonL-1 Vigilant, was the only other American liaison aircraft of WWIIthat was purpose-built for military use. Other types were used, ofcourse, but they tended to be converted from existing commercialdesigns such as the Piper Cub. Nearly all Perspex, the cockpit area affords excellent visibilityin all directions and the large door windows fold down to giveuninterrupted viewing below. The design was created to bemulti-functional and versions of the L-5 were produced to operate asair ambulances and carry small amounts of freight, munitions and othercargo. Its primary use was as a front-line liaison aircraft andartillery spotter. /images/notams/notams18/stin0206/stinson1.jpgThe L-5's supreme ability to get into small, remote areas earned itgreat respect from the generals and troops alike, and L-5s droppedmuch needed medical supplies, munitions, food and other provisions tohard-pressed troops in remote areas. L-5s were also used to guidefighter-bombers to their targets by radio communication and flaredrops. Seeing service in WWII and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, toname but three, Sentinels have flown across deserts, operated fromdense jungle airstrips and in freezing conditions of snow andice. Wherever they were operating, pilots could depend on an aircraftthat would always get them through, and any pilot that flew the L-5came away with a new-found respect for this little 'can do'aeroplane. Today, many Sentinels have found their way into private hands andprovide an inexpensive entry into the world of warbird ownership. Theymake excellent glider tugs and as simple, rugged sports aircraft are asource of pure fun in today's high tech aviation world. Aeroplane Heaven's Stinson L5 comes in seven liveries and has beenbuilt from factory engineering drawings and is highly detailed down toindividual rivets and fabric effects. /images/notams/notams18/stin0206/stinson3.jpgThe highly realistic pilot and observer are fully animated andother unique animations include aileron droop. A removable enginecover reveals a detailed Lycoming engine and the animated doors anddrop-down Perspex windows reveal a fully detailed interior with allcontrols and fittings. Weather covers and pre-flights areincluded. ModelBuilt over the best plans available and from factory engineering drawingsHighly detailed down to individual rivets and fabric effectsMany unique animations including aileron droopFully animated, highly realistic pilot and observerRemovable engine cover reveals the detailed Lycoming engineAnimated doors and drop-down Perspex windowsFully detailed interior visible with all controls and fittingsWeather covers and pre-flights included /images/notams/notams18/stin0206/stinson2.jpgCockpitHighly realistic rendition of a WWII period Stinson cockpitUnique 'shake' on airframe at engine start and idleUnique needle tremble on engine start and low speed idleRealistic engine start procedure with prop stutter'Cold and Dark start function using switchSpecially animated aileron droop function in combination with flapsWear and tear, dust and scratches throughout cockpitWorking rear observer's controlsAll wires and pulleys for control surfaces are animatedFull period radio suiteAnimated doors and windowsTexturesHighly detailed High Definition texture set with weather and wear effectsPro quality Paint Kit available to download here (216MB)Flight DynamicsAuthentic flight dynamics built using factory data and contemporary pilot records /images/notams/notams18/stin0206/stinson4.jpgLiveriesThe Stinson L-5 Sentinel is supplied in the following seven liveries: 'Dangerous Liaison' - Serial No. 4268591US Coast Guard OY-1 - Serial No. 98168US Marines VMO6 - Serial No. 03968 'WB'Swiss Air Force A-96 - this machine was force-landed near Porrentruy by its pilot, 2nd Lt Roy G. Abbot in late 1944 and was later repaired and used by the Swiss Air ForceUS Army machine - Serial No. 42 98989. Stinson L-5s played a key role in the Normandy D-Day landings in 1944 and later. Black and white Invasion stripes were painted on all Allied aircraft so that ground forces would not confuse them with enemy aircraft.KJ420 of the Malaya Command Flight, 1945 - the RAF South East Asia Command operated Stinsons during WWII.The United States Air Force re-designated all of its L-5 Sentinels in 1962. The new designation was U-19A. This example, serial No. 4298633 is from that period.ManualAn illustrated colour cockpit guide with flying notes is included. Purchase Just Flight - Stinson L-5