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Cessna CT210M CenturionPublisher: CarenadoReview Author: Sean McLeodSuggested Price: $29.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_7.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_16.jpgIntroductionIn 1957, Cessna introduced to thegeneral aviation market what would evolve, over the next thirty years,from a four-seat, semi-cantilever winged aircraft into one of the mostpopular six-seat, cantilever-wing single-engine aircraft ever producedat 9,240 examples (data from Wikipedia). The Carenado CenturionThe Carenado team have created this model exclusively for X-Plane11. The list of special features for this model on their web sitestates: "State-of-the-art configurable FPS-friendly logic system,largely VR compatible, and full PBR (Physics-Based Rendering) givingsuperb material shines and reflections." /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_11.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_12.jpgI have not yet tried X-Plane 11 in VR, but I can report thatthrough the pop-up menu located on the left side of the screen (A>,C>, O>) you can indeed exert some more control over frame ratesthrough the O> menu, by selecting ON or OFF on the windshield glassand instrument dial reflections. This menu also allows you tomanipulate the aircraft doors and change the aircraft liveryon-the-fly without going into the main X-Plane menus. The A> menu is reserved for the King autopilot panel, which I findis actually a bit redundant as you can achieve the same result bymouse clicking on the face of the autopilot on the aircraft instrumentpanel; both will cause a larger sized pop-up of the instrument whichcan be conveniently moved around the screen with your mouse. Thatsaid, it's certainly nice to have options. The C> menu containsoptions for adjusting the field-of-view, volume and a variety ofcamera positions both inside and outside the aircraft. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_13.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_14.jpgOther features touted by Carenado are specifically designed enginedynamics, optimized flight physics, ground handling physics,physics-based rendering of materials and textures created usingsoftware used by the film and gaming industries, support for theRealityXP GTN750 plugin, compatibility with the Goodway flightplanning software, and true-to-life aircraft behavior as well asweight and balance (verified by several real-world pilots for maximumaccuracy). What's Inside The Box?You can purchase your Centurion directly from Carenado or you canget itright hereat theFS Pilot Shopin the usual formats. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_15.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_18.jpgAccording to info available at the Carenado web site, included inthe 382.7 MB download from the FSPilotShop are the following: 5 high definition liveries1 hi-def blank texture; you can paint your own masterpiece...Bendix/King KFC225 autopilot manual PDFRecommended settings for X-Plane 11 PDF32 page normal and emergencies checklist, including performance tables PDFSingle page V-speeds quick reference PDFWhile not exhaustive, the provided information is just what anX-Plane pilot needs to get started with the Carenado Centurion. Recommended System RequirementsThis is the part of the review which you should pay close attentionto, so as to make sure you don't spend your $29.95 USD on this packageand not have it work for you (instead of saving your bucks for yournext hardware upgrade which will allow you to enjoy the talents of theCarenado team). /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_17.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_10.jpgWindows XP, Vista, 7, 10 or MAC OS 10.10 (or higher) or LinuxX-Plane 11CPU: Intel Core i5 6600K at 3.5 GHz or fasterMemory: 16-24 GB RAM or moreVideo card: a DirectX 12-capable video card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel with at least 4 GB VRAM (GeForce GTX 1070 or better or similar from AMD)420 MB available hard disk spaceInternet connection required for installing the productThe FlightThe hardware I am using to perform the test flying is a VKBsimGladiator II joystick, Logitech G502 mouse on a 2015 MacBook Pro 15,2.5 GHz i7 CPU, 16 GB DDR3 RAM and Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB Graphics.In the Rendering Options menu of X-Plane 11.20, I do not select 'drawshadows on scenery' and keep 'Reflection Detail' at minimum. I havethe Visual Effects set at 'High(HDR)', Texture Quality is set at'High', Antialiasing set at 'FXAA' and Number of World Objects set at'High'. With these settings I was able to achieve 18 to 24 frames persecond. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_19.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_2.jpgFor my chosen area of operations, I moved to my current homeairport - CYHM John C. Munro International Airport, located south ofHamilton, Ontario, Canada. For my destination I sought a defaultairport with 3D features closest to Watkins Glen, New York, because Iwanted to fly over the area of Watkins Glen International race track;KELM - Elmira/Corning Regional Airport was chosen. The whole routeconveniently equated to about an hour's flight time, which worksperfectly with the default fuel load when the aircraft is loaded inX-Plane 11.20. Beginning at the CYHM JetPort FBO with the aircraft cold and dark,it is worth noting that you must turn the fuel selector to either theleft or right fuel tank, as when the aircraft is loaded in the sim itis in the OFF position. With that sorted out, the GPS programmed withmy route of flight (CYHM-BUF-GIBBE-KELM) and cruise altitude of FL210set in the autopilot, it was time to get moving. Of note, the GIBBEintersection is near the town of Dundee, NY which is located midwaybetween Keuka and Seneca Lakes, with the planned track from GIBBE toKELM passing next to the location of the race track. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_20.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_22.jpgManeuvering for departure from runway 06 at CYHM, aircraft controlon the ground is quite straightforward. Select one notch of flaps,power up and the adventure begins in earnest. The smooth sound of theengine is quite soothing with a low frequency thrumming from thesimulated 310 hp turbocharged Continental TSIO-520-Rhorizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine. Carenado's use of the FMODsound creation suite really shines. I somehow missed the handy noteon the instrument panel written on pink tape, strategically placednext to the MAP and prop RPM gauges, clearly stating "ALL TOP OF GREENBest Climb", because I set the prop RPM to 2500 and kept the MAP at35" for the climb to altitude. The aircraft performed very well ofcourse, and I didn't have any engine issues (thankfully). /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_23.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_24.jpgSettling in to cruise at FL210, I then set everything at the top ofthe green which yielded a true airspeed of 200 knots. While in cruiseI experimented a little with the rendering options in X-Plane to seeif I could eek a few more FPS, but I had to be content with around 22FPS. I should mention that I haveAlpilotx UHD Global Scenery v4installed along with his Treelines and Farms v2. An odd occurrencewas that the autopilot disengaged any time the simulator reloadedafter I made a change to the rendering settings. This could be anX-Plane anomaly but I'm not sure. Passing through the Watkins Glenarea was unremarkable from the point of looking for the race track, asthere are only generic ground textures (a littleOrtho4XPwould fix that), but it was the thought of it that counted for me. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_3.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_4.jpgDescending for arrival to Elmira, I set the autopilot to -1500 fpmV/S and left the engine settings at cruise, resulting in about 180KIAS. Passing overhead of KELM airport, I maneuvered so to arrive atrunway 06. During the approach I was reminded by how wide aperformance range the Centurion has at its disposal. Both theapproach and touchdown speeds really highlighted the fact that I wasflying a single-engine airplane, while the cruise speeds this airplaneachieves are usually reserved for twin-engine prop airplanes; that'sreally one of the main features that made this airplane so popular forprivate and business owners alike. The Centurion 210M appears to be a little roomier inside than aMooney M20K of the same era (late 1970s), and achieves twin-enginecruise speed with single engine fuel consumption. Kinda sounds likethe best of both worlds, right? ConclusionThis is a high-quality, polished aircraft package for X-Plane 11.I wasn't able to explore all the bonus features like VR, RealityXPplugin support or the Goodway Flight Planner, but even without thoseextras, the Carenado CT210M Centurion delivers a dependable experiencein the simulator. There is even a Reality Expansion Pack by SimCodersavailable for the Centurion if you find the default level of detailisn't up to your discerning standards. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_5.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_6.jpgFor the price, which for some might be a little expensive, it'sworth saving up for if you really enjoy flying single-engine aircraftacross country in X-Plane. If you're simply collecting airplanes,it's a bit much to spend on a sim hangar queen, unless you have moneyto spare - but it WILL look pretty and go fast when you decide to takeit for a trip. /images/notams/notams18/care0403.jpgSean McLeod Purchase Carenado - CT210M Centurion II for X-Plane 11

Cessna CT210M CenturionPublisher: CarenadoReview Author: Sean McLeodSuggested Price: $29.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_7.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_16.jpgIntroductionIn 1957, Cessna introduced to thegeneral aviation market what would evolve, over the next thirty years,from a four-seat, semi-cantilever winged aircraft into one of the mostpopular six-seat, cantilever-wing single-engine aircraft ever producedat 9,240 examples (data from Wikipedia). The Carenado CenturionThe Carenado team have created this model exclusively for X-Plane11. The list of special features for this model on their web sitestates: "State-of-the-art configurable FPS-friendly logic system,largely VR compatible, and full PBR (Physics-Based Rendering) givingsuperb material shines and reflections." /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_11.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_12.jpgI have not yet tried X-Plane 11 in VR, but I can report thatthrough the pop-up menu located on the left side of the screen (A>,C>, O>) you can indeed exert some more control over frame ratesthrough the O> menu, by selecting ON or OFF on the windshield glassand instrument dial reflections. This menu also allows you tomanipulate the aircraft doors and change the aircraft liveryon-the-fly without going into the main X-Plane menus. The A> menu is reserved for the King autopilot panel, which I findis actually a bit redundant as you can achieve the same result bymouse clicking on the face of the autopilot on the aircraft instrumentpanel; both will cause a larger sized pop-up of the instrument whichcan be conveniently moved around the screen with your mouse. Thatsaid, it's certainly nice to have options. The C> menu containsoptions for adjusting the field-of-view, volume and a variety ofcamera positions both inside and outside the aircraft. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_13.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_14.jpgOther features touted by Carenado are specifically designed enginedynamics, optimized flight physics, ground handling physics,physics-based rendering of materials and textures created usingsoftware used by the film and gaming industries, support for theRealityXP GTN750 plugin, compatibility with the Goodway flightplanning software, and true-to-life aircraft behavior as well asweight and balance (verified by several real-world pilots for maximumaccuracy). What's Inside The Box?You can purchase your Centurion directly from Carenado or you canget itright hereat theFS Pilot Shopin the usual formats. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_15.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_18.jpgAccording to info available at the Carenado web site, included inthe 382.7 MB download from the FSPilotShop are the following: 5 high definition liveries1 hi-def blank texture; you can paint your own masterpiece...Bendix/King KFC225 autopilot manual PDFRecommended settings for X-Plane 11 PDF32 page normal and emergencies checklist, including performance tables PDFSingle page V-speeds quick reference PDFWhile not exhaustive, the provided information is just what anX-Plane pilot needs to get started with the Carenado Centurion. Recommended System RequirementsThis is the part of the review which you should pay close attentionto, so as to make sure you don't spend your $29.95 USD on this packageand not have it work for you (instead of saving your bucks for yournext hardware upgrade which will allow you to enjoy the talents of theCarenado team). /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_17.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_10.jpgWindows XP, Vista, 7, 10 or MAC OS 10.10 (or higher) or LinuxX-Plane 11CPU: Intel Core i5 6600K at 3.5 GHz or fasterMemory: 16-24 GB RAM or moreVideo card: a DirectX 12-capable video card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel with at least 4 GB VRAM (GeForce GTX 1070 or better or similar from AMD)420 MB available hard disk spaceInternet connection required for installing the productThe FlightThe hardware I am using to perform the test flying is a VKBsimGladiator II joystick, Logitech G502 mouse on a 2015 MacBook Pro 15,2.5 GHz i7 CPU, 16 GB DDR3 RAM and Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB Graphics.In the Rendering Options menu of X-Plane 11.20, I do not select 'drawshadows on scenery' and keep 'Reflection Detail' at minimum. I havethe Visual Effects set at 'High(HDR)', Texture Quality is set at'High', Antialiasing set at 'FXAA' and Number of World Objects set at'High'. With these settings I was able to achieve 18 to 24 frames persecond. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_19.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_2.jpgFor my chosen area of operations, I moved to my current homeairport - CYHM John C. Munro International Airport, located south ofHamilton, Ontario, Canada. For my destination I sought a defaultairport with 3D features closest to Watkins Glen, New York, because Iwanted to fly over the area of Watkins Glen International race track;KELM - Elmira/Corning Regional Airport was chosen. The whole routeconveniently equated to about an hour's flight time, which worksperfectly with the default fuel load when the aircraft is loaded inX-Plane 11.20. Beginning at the CYHM JetPort FBO with the aircraft cold and dark,it is worth noting that you must turn the fuel selector to either theleft or right fuel tank, as when the aircraft is loaded in the sim itis in the OFF position. With that sorted out, the GPS programmed withmy route of flight (CYHM-BUF-GIBBE-KELM) and cruise altitude of FL210set in the autopilot, it was time to get moving. Of note, the GIBBEintersection is near the town of Dundee, NY which is located midwaybetween Keuka and Seneca Lakes, with the planned track from GIBBE toKELM passing next to the location of the race track. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_20.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_22.jpgManeuvering for departure from runway 06 at CYHM, aircraft controlon the ground is quite straightforward. Select one notch of flaps,power up and the adventure begins in earnest. The smooth sound of theengine is quite soothing with a low frequency thrumming from thesimulated 310 hp turbocharged Continental TSIO-520-Rhorizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine. Carenado's use of the FMODsound creation suite really shines. I somehow missed the handy noteon the instrument panel written on pink tape, strategically placednext to the MAP and prop RPM gauges, clearly stating "ALL TOP OF GREENBest Climb", because I set the prop RPM to 2500 and kept the MAP at35" for the climb to altitude. The aircraft performed very well ofcourse, and I didn't have any engine issues (thankfully). /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_23.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_24.jpgSettling in to cruise at FL210, I then set everything at the top ofthe green which yielded a true airspeed of 200 knots. While in cruiseI experimented a little with the rendering options in X-Plane to seeif I could eek a few more FPS, but I had to be content with around 22FPS. I should mention that I haveAlpilotx UHD Global Scenery v4installed along with his Treelines and Farms v2. An odd occurrencewas that the autopilot disengaged any time the simulator reloadedafter I made a change to the rendering settings. This could be anX-Plane anomaly but I'm not sure. Passing through the Watkins Glenarea was unremarkable from the point of looking for the race track, asthere are only generic ground textures (a littleOrtho4XPwould fix that), but it was the thought of it that counted for me. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_3.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_4.jpgDescending for arrival to Elmira, I set the autopilot to -1500 fpmV/S and left the engine settings at cruise, resulting in about 180KIAS. Passing overhead of KELM airport, I maneuvered so to arrive atrunway 06. During the approach I was reminded by how wide aperformance range the Centurion has at its disposal. Both theapproach and touchdown speeds really highlighted the fact that I wasflying a single-engine airplane, while the cruise speeds this airplaneachieves are usually reserved for twin-engine prop airplanes; that'sreally one of the main features that made this airplane so popular forprivate and business owners alike. The Centurion 210M appears to be a little roomier inside than aMooney M20K of the same era (late 1970s), and achieves twin-enginecruise speed with single engine fuel consumption. Kinda sounds likethe best of both worlds, right? ConclusionThis is a high-quality, polished aircraft package for X-Plane 11.I wasn't able to explore all the bonus features like VR, RealityXPplugin support or the Goodway Flight Planner, but even without thoseextras, the Carenado CT210M Centurion delivers a dependable experiencein the simulator. There is even a Reality Expansion Pack by SimCodersavailable for the Centurion if you find the default level of detailisn't up to your discerning standards. /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_5.jpg /images/reviews/carec210/t/Car_Centurion_6.jpgFor the price, which for some might be a little expensive, it'sworth saving up for if you really enjoy flying single-engine aircraftacross country in X-Plane. If you're simply collecting airplanes,it's a bit much to spend on a sim hangar queen, unless you have moneyto spare - but it WILL look pretty and go fast when you decide to takeit for a trip. /images/notams/notams18/care0403.jpgSean McLeod Purchase Carenado - CT210M Centurion II for X-Plane 11

/images/notams/notams18/care0403.jpgSpecial FeaturesOnly for X-Plane 11State-of-the-art configurable FPS-friendly logic system.Largely VR compatibleFull PBR (Superb material shines and reflections).FeaturesSpecially designed engine dynamics for XP11.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)Support for RealityXP's GTN750* (integrated into 3D cockpit, when available).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/care0403.pngIncludes5 HD liveries1 HD blank textureAutopilot KFC225 Manual PDF.Recommended Settings XPLANE 11 PDF.Normal and Emergency ProceduresPerformance tables PDF.Quick reference table PDF. Purchase Carenado - CT210M Centurion II for X-Plane 11