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Cessna 207 SkywagonPublisher: AlabeoReview Author: Nils LipsSuggested Price: $29.95/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.png /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_27x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_28x.jpgThe Cessna 207The Cessna Model 207 is a seven oreight seater single engine high-wing (stands out of the crowd by itslength), and is popular with air-taxi companies in particular. In the early sixties Cessna released the 205, a fixed gear versionof the 210. Shortly thereafter they released the successful 206. In 1969Cessna decided they needed a longer 206, so they stretched thefuselage front and back, so it could have more seats. The largeraircraft needed a powerful engine in the form of the ContinentalIO-520-F with 300 horses or a turbocharged TSIO-520-G with the sameoutput, just better at (high density) altitude. In 1980 Cessnareleased a version with an extra seat, the Stationair 8 (the otherversions being called the Skywagon or Stationair 7). Production endedin 1984, with 626 Cessna 207s having been produced. The Alabeo 207 represents the 'Skywagon' or Stationair 7, withthe non-turbo IO-520. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_14x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_4x.jpgPre-Flight Walk AroundThis Cessna 207 looks neat. Highly detailed textures show plenty ofdetails and make the aircraft look like the real deal, yet prettyclean and well looked after for an ageing aircraft. The 207 is a basicaircraft, like most of the Cessna prop family, with the necessaryinstrumentation but not much more (apart from the Garmin GNS530 GPSunit and the Bendix/King autopilot). You also get a pretty neatfeature in the way of the Shadin Digiflo-L digital fuel indicator,situated underneath the ADF gauge. Speaking of the ADF, the wire onthe back of the aircraft is the ADF sense antenna. Nice touch. Interesting fact: the ADF systems consists of two antennas; theloop antenna and sense antenna. The loop antenna consists of twoperpendicular wire loops, making it able to pick up the phase of theADF signal from multiple directions. The sense antenna basically picksup the phase in two ways (from/to). The ADF receiver compares the twosignals to see whether the aircraft is flying towards the beacon oraway from it. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_12x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_32x.jpgInteriorThe cabin is, like one would expect from a 207, simple andeffective, with basic seats, a large passenger door, overhead lightsand crisp textures. The same goes for the instrument panel, yet thelacquered wooden lower part of the panel looks rather fancy. Bush OptionAlabeo added a "bush" option to their interface, enabling the userto have 'on-the-fly' choice of switching the 207 to slightly biggertires and a V-Brace. First of all, these tires are not known asreal bush wheels. These slightly bigger than normal tires are known astundra tires. Real bush wheels are those massive balloons used to takethe punch of real rough locations (look forAlaskan bush wheels),where one would never dare to venture in a 207. The tires on theAlabeo are used to take the edge off of unimproved strips. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_18x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_19x.jpgThe V-Brace is another obvious and true "in your face"modification. Often seen on aircraft with a float kit installed or ongeneric bush planes, the V-Brace is essentially a stiffener. TheCessna fuselage tends to change shape slightly around the frontwindshield area, making it pop out in extreme situations. More often,pilots just hate the squeakiness of the area where the wing root meetsthe cockpit window, or their instrument panel getting beaten up inreally bumpy situations (like riding waves with step on floats). TheV-Brace will get rid of these issues by supporting and stiffening thisgeneral area (mounted near the wing root). This is usually done byadding a doubler underneath the glareshield. As this is not really astructural element, do not hang your entire weight on these bracessince it's not what they're made for! So how does the 207 perform in the backcountry? /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_1x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_20x.jpgFirst of all, the V-Brace made me think of floatplanes rightaway. So are there any float 207s? I found one (N499K), and it had theSoloy turboprop conversion. This 207 struck a boat on take-off andflipped. No person got injured but I found the airframe disassembledand for sale. Seeing no IO-520 207s on floats makes me believe theaircraft is just too sluggish and heavy to safely operate onfloats. And this is an issue on land as well. A proper bush plane needs tobe able to have some power to get out of short strips at differentelevations (this altitude issue is where the turbo or Soloy conversioncome in). The length of the fuselage is an issue as well, severelylimiting the angle of attack on landing and take-off. The long nosewheel keeping the nose up (and prop off of the ground) doesn't make iteasier. The 207 can take the roughness of backcountry flying, especiallywith the V-Brace and tundra tires installed, but its performanceprohibits its use on the real rough patches the 207's smallerbrothers, like the 180, can use. I think the 206 is much better forbush flying, but if you want a real tough bad boy with the same sizeand range, you'd be best off flying the trusty Beaver. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_21x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_22x.jpgI think the 207 looks a bit more badass with the V-Brace andslightly bigger tires installed, and as I like to operate fromimperfect airstrips, I prefer to have these options on. LiveriesThe Alabeo Cessna 207 can be delivered in one of threeFAA-registered liveries. The other two are TCA and Japanese. Each oneis rather simple but highly detailed and brought to the next levelwith reflections and normal maps. Even though the textures are of a highresolution, the impact on frame rates is not significant. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_23x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_24x.jpgInterfaceThe Alabeo plugin menu lives on the lower left part of the screen,having three different windows. The top tab opens a separateautopilot window, making it easy to manage "Otto's" settings. Thesecond tab is for sound volume, field of view and quick cameraviewpoints. The bottom tab contains options like bush kit, fairings,reflections, and static elements, such as pitot covers and chocks. Thefairings options will not work whenever the bush kit is selected, andof course those fairings don't fit on the bigger tires. Also it wouldnot be particularly wise to operate on less than perfect strips withfairings on; it's only asking for them to be damaged. Flying The 207As mentioned earlier, the aircraft can tend to feel a bitunderpowered for the smaller strips, and the length of the fuselagemakes it rather sketchy at a higher angle of attack. This isespecially important on landing where the angle of attack is crucial:a little high and the empennage might strike the ground, a little lowand the more fragile nose wheel will take the punch. On takeoff onemight get enthusiastic near rotation speed and pull the yoke andstrike the tail once more. Just let it roll; light pressure on theyoke, and let it leave the ground naturally. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_25x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_26x.jpgIn flight the control authority is quite nice, very much like anytrusty high-wing Cessna. It's very stable and docile, making itrelatively easy to fly. Since the engine is the non-turbo IO-520, the207 will run out of steam at high altitude, especially at high grossweight. With this mind, it may be best to keep your flights low andenjoy the surroundings. You might as well, because the speed is quitesimilar to other high-wing Cessnas. A little right rudder trim willcenter the slip-ball. I'm not sure whether this is a realistic 207characteristic, or the Alabeo model having just a bit too much yaw; inany case though, it's not much of a problem. Points of attention: like the real deal, the fuel tank selectordoes not have a "both" option, so keep switching tanks regularly toavoid a large imbalance, or in extreme cases, a surprise engine outevent when one wing is empty. Another thing is, you have to be on top of the engine settings suchas mixture and cowl-flaps so as to keep the temperatures etc. withinlimits. I doubt it does any damage in the sim when you're out oflimits, but properly operating an aircraft is more satisfying than"winging it", isn't it? It reduces fuel burn quite a bit as well; thisbeing particularly helpful when using plugins like FSEconomy. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_39x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_3x.jpg SoundThe sound emanating from this Cessna 207 is very nice! As with theCarenado models, the engine sounds alive. It's a rather big and oldflat six, so it should sound rather angry and spitting at low RPM, andsweet and loud at higher power settings. It's neat to do the startand run-up with windows open, if only to enjoy the sound of a 300horse Continental. Listening from the outside is also very nice, asyou get to hear the sharp prop sounds at higher RPMs. The sound effectstarts a little abruptly, but overall it sounds great. The 3D aspectadds life to the aircraft, making it sound different from everyangle. ConclusionThe Alabeo Cessna 207 Skywagon is a very well-made aircraft. It's asimple classic Cessna with decent passenger capacity. The 300 HPContinental IO-520 is a big engine, but on this aircraft it's slightlyanemic, especially at higher altitudes. The tundra tires and V-Bracemake it look like a proper bush pounder, and yes, it will take somepounding and can therefore be definitely used on the longer unimprovedstrips. However, I would not consider this aircraft fully bushcapable because of the power, the long empennage (tailstrikesensitive) and high nose wheel. It definitely stands its ground and isa lot of fun in the backcountry and in populated areas with neatairports. It has balanced and stable flight characteristics, likealmost any legacy high-wing Cessna. /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_29x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_2x.jpgThe textures and sound are of high quality, as one can expect fromthe Alabeo and Carenado products, and the user interface is simple butvery effective. If you're looking for a simple aircraft with decent cargo orpassenger capacity, this Alabeo 207 is a very good choice. Documents IncludedRecommended Settings Normal ProceduresEmergency ProceduresPerformance TablesReference (Performance specs)CreditsCopyrights /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_30x.jpg /images/reviews/alab207x/t/C207_Skywagon_31x.jpgOther FeaturesGNS530, Bendix/King Autopilot5 Liveries (1 Canadian, 3 American, 1 Japanese) (plus white paint kit, and nice reflections)3D Sound (FMOD)SASL 3.0 (no idea what it does for the aircraft, it just works)Optional "Bush" kit with tundra tires and v-brace, or small wheel fairings /images/notams/notams18/alab0608/alab0608.jpgNils Lips Purchase Alabeo - C207 Skywagon For X-Plane 11

/images/notams/notams18/alab0608/alab0608.jpgFeaturesCustom sounds (FMOD)Full X-Plane 11 compatibleRealityXP GTN750 compatibleGoodWay CompatibleSuperb material shines and reflections (full PBR)High quality 3D model and texturesBlank texture for creating your own designsAccurately reproduced flight characteristics64-bitEnd-user configurability (via Manifest.json file)FPS-optimized model /images/notams/notams18/alab0608/c207-skywagon-1.jpgIncludes5 HD liveries1 Blank textureNormal Procedures PDFEmergency Procedures PDFPerformance Tables PDFQuick Reference PDFRecommended Settings PDFPurchase Alabeo - C207 Skywagon for X-Plane 11 /images/notams/notams18/alab0608/c207-skywagon-2.jpg

Cessna 207 SkywagonPublisher: AlabeoReview Author: Nigel PorterSuggested Price: $29.95/images/fsc/wbicons/pilot-shop-buy.pngWhen I first sat in a Cessna 207 andpulled back on the control column, I realised straight away that thiswas much more than an overgrown 172, it was a full two handed heave,and despite being over 6 feet tall, I could not see the ground ortaxiway in front of me over the glare shield, gulp! What have I gotmyself involved in now I thought? /images/reviews/alabc207/t/1.jpgHistoryThe Cessna 207 is a seven seat version of the 206, achieved bystretching the design further by 45 inches (114 cm) to allow space formore seats. The nose section was extended 18 inches (46 cm) by addinga useful nose baggage compartment between the passenger compartmentand the engine firewall; the aft section was extended by 27 inches. The 207 was introduced in 1969 featuring a Continental IO-520-Fengine of 300 hp (220 kW). A turbocharged version was equipped with aTSIO-520-G of the same output. At the beginning of production the model was called a Cessna"Skywagon", but some years later was changed to "Stationair 7". Ineffect it was the equivalent of a 206 estate plane that could take sixpeople and freight at the rear. The 207 added a seat in 1980 and was then known as the "Stationair8", however the long range fuel tanks had to be sacrificed. A totalof 626 Cessna 207s were manufactured. The Cessna Model 207 has been popular with air taxi companies, andsmall freight operators, especially in third world countries, and wasused by many parachuting centers before the Caravan or Pilatus Portercame along. /images/reviews/alabc207/t/7.jpg /images/reviews/alabc207/t/8.jpgInstallationAs with all Alabeo products, once you have gone through the onlinepayment procedure, you are sent a confirmation of payment by email, aproduct key, and a link to the download page, where you can downloadthe zipped file. The installer asks for which simulator you want toinstall it to, and it all works very well and quickly, including P3DV4. Alabeo supplies you with two types of Cessna 207, the standard C207 (with wheel spats/fairings), complete with five color schemechoices, and the bush model (no wheel spats/fairings and larger tires)also with the same five color schemes. ExteriorAlabeo have a reputation of making great looking aircraft, and thisis another superb example of what they are capable of. They havespent considerable time getting the aircraft to look realistic, fromthe aerial positioning, rivets, door hinges, window reflections, andundercarriage detail, to the cowl flaps. The detailing of thecorrosion and scratches around the fuel tank caps is very true tolife. Even the way it sits tail low is correct. Personally I wouldhave liked to have had the ability to remove the rear freight doors sothat the aircraft could be flown in a parachuting mode, and also theability to open the forward baggage compartment, but Alabeo have notenabled this. However all the doors can be opened/closed using theShift E (1,2,3) command or the "O" menu, and the door handles all movecorrectly. /images/reviews/alabc207/t/5.jpg /images/reviews/alabc207/t/6.jpgThe possibility of having larger "tundra" tires for the bushversion is a nice addition and this is the most popular variant inreal life. The models created by Alabeo have a small "fence" on the inside ofthe ailerons that I had not come across before. Having checked up onthe internet I came across photos of a few aircraft with the samemodification, but it was never fitted when the aircraft left thefactory. InteriorThe interior, much like the exterior, has been faithfullyreproduced and gives an idea of how long the aircraft is with four rowsof seats. It would have been nice to also have had an empty cabinoption for freight flights though. The ceiling material has a mouldedshape and texture that is very nicely done, as are the seat covers andthe side panels. The glare shield on the Cessna 207 is very high,forcing smaller pilots to use cushions so as to see over it, and thisis reasonably modelled, especially if you increase the amount ofpassengers to maximum using the menu in the simulator. The interiorlights work but offer very poor lighting in the rear cabin, even inP3D V4. If one sits in one of the rear seats, all you get is a viewof the person ahead of you, so you have to look out of the windows tosee anything. /images/reviews/alabc207/t/11.jpg /images/reviews/alabc207/t/12.jpgInstrument PanelThe instrument panel is modelled on one of the earlier (1969)variants and displays a nicely used patina, even down to the strip offake wood along the bottom. Here you will find the Alabeo GPS 530,which can be replaced by the RealityXP GNS 530 (if it is alreadyinstalled in your computer). The instrument setup is common with manyaircraft of the same era, and is both clear and easy to read - thenumerous switches all make a realistic sound. Instrument reflectionscan be turned off/on in one of the two sub menus. The instrument panelconsists of a Garmin GMA 340 audio panel, a Garmin GNS 530 GPS unit,complete with pop-out panel, a KR 87T50 Bendix/King ADF, the olderGarmin GTX 320 transponder, and finally, the good old KFC225 BendixKing autopilot. This piece of equipment comes with HDG, ALT, ARM,NAV and APP modes. Night lighting is pretty poor as you only have a couple of redlights in the ceiling, and a dim instrument display, but it's the samein the real aircraft. Many pilots fly with a torch in their hand (oron his/her forehead), to aid with map reading. MenusThere are two menus available on the left side of the screen, withC for views and O for options. /images/reviews/alabc207/t/9.jpg /images/reviews/alabc207/t/10.jpgFlight DynamicsTraditionally flight dynamics (in the opinion of this reviewer) hasbeen Alabeo's and Carenado's weakness, and the C207 in some respectsis no exception. Whilst I accept that they are limited somewhat bywhat is possible in FSX/P3D, it would be very easy to make some basicchanges in propeller torque, etc. which would result in a morerealistic flight envelope. I initially thought the stall speed to be highly unrealistic,however, after configuring the weight and balance from the stock 'twopilot configuration' to one with seven people, things became much morerealistic, with the stall warning squawking its heart out when thespeed got near the bottom end of the white band. With this in mind, Iplayed around and practised some slow flights and soon discovered thatif sufficiently abused, the 207 would drop a left wing big time, justlike the real plane. If you look at the book figures, the stall speedis just 1 knot under the legal limit of 65 knots for a single engineaircraft, and this is exactly what we get with the Alabeo version. I was also pleased with not only the way the aircraft acceleratedwhen pitched forward and heavy, but also by how slowly the speederoded when holding it straight and level after a descent. /images/reviews/alabc207/t/17.jpg /images/reviews/alabc207/t/4.jpgCruising speeds and fuel burn for various engine/prop settings havealso been reasonably reproduced, with the bush plane correctly beingabout 10-15 knots slower than the version with faired wheels. However,a major oversight is the rudder trim requirement on takeoff. Inreality, if you do not have the rudder trim at least 3/4 of the way tofully right, plus half a boot full of right rudder, the 207 will doits level best to do a 180 degree turn as you open the throttle. Itis nearly impossible to keep it on the runway with full rudderalone. This could easily have been be recreated, and is a hugeoversight in my opinion, especially as this is one of the more notabletraits of the 207. This omission is indicative I think, of the factthat no real 207 pilots were involved in the making of this aircraft. Another aspect Alabeo have chosen not to reproduce, is the hugerate of descent you can experience if your approach is too slow (canbe rectified by applying full throttle). However, failure to applyfull throttle, and rapidly, generally results in a smoking hole in theground! These are some of the 207 characteristics that make it muchmore than a big 172, and have sadly not been simulated. A Few Hints On How To Fly The Cessna 207I have been lucky enough to fly several variants of the C207: astandard model, a turbocharged version (fitted with a Robinson STOLkit), and a Soloy turbine powered aircraft, and although they all flewdifferently, the basics for each were mostly similar. /images/reviews/alabc207/t/13.jpg /images/reviews/alabc207/t/14.jpgThe Cessna 207, like all large piston engines, should be leanedwhen taxiing so as to avoid plug fouling. When you reach the run uparea and the engine is up to temperature, open the cowl flaps, andwhen taxiing push the control column forward. I mention this techniquebecause it compresses the nose leg, allowing you to see where you aregoing. Trim the rudder to 1/2 to 3/4 of the way to the right andproceed to the hold. When rolling for takeoff, it is necessary to give the 207 apositive tug at around 75 - 80 mph so as to make it fly, otherwise itwill happily trundle along the runway at 140 mph! Climb out at around110 - 120 mph, and once trimmed up at one's cruising altitude, the cowlflaps can be closed. At around the same time, the engine can beleaned to 25 to 50 degrees on the lean side of peak EGT. One of the handy things about the 207 is its ability to put thefirst 10 degrees of flap out at 160 mph. This is important becauseonce you point the nose downwards it can build up speed rapidly,especially if you are heavy! The approach should be flown at around110 - 120 mph, reducing to 80 - 90 mph over the fence. The amount of ground effect created by the large flaps means thatthey must be retracted the instant the wheels touch the tarmac;failure to do so will result in lovely flat spots on the tires if oneapplies the brakes. Another aspect that is probably more difficult toreproduce in FSX/P3D, is the fact that the Cessna 207 needs to belanded like a tail dragger, i.e. the control column should hit thefully aft stop just as the wheels kiss the ground. If you do not dothis, you will bounce the 207 so high you could pass a bus underneathit, and then take half the runway trying to control the resultingporpoising. The high glare shield and long nose (under which you canhide a whole county) do not help matters, so slow the aircraft downuntil the nose gets high enough to block out the runway as you flare,and feel your way down the last 10 feet... /images/reviews/alabc207/t/15.jpg /images/reviews/alabc207/t/16.jpgSummaryIf you are looking for a great looking aircraft where the flightdynamics are not overly important, then the Alabeo Cessna 207 will bea great addition to anyone's hangar. It looks and sounds fantastic,but do not expect it to be a "study level" aircraft. While many other developers make strides in an effort to make theirsimulated aircraft perform like its real-world counterpart, Alabeo andtheir partner Carenado, seem to adopt a different approach. Whiletheir aircraft (for the most part) are not overly expensive, it wouldbe nice to have the choice of having a well detailed aircraft combinedwith very realistic flight dynamics, even if it meant having to pay abit more. However when all is said and done, I enjoyed renewing anacquaintance of an old friend. The Alabeo is good value for money andI would recommend it, despite its few faults. /images/notams/notams14/alab1101.jpgNigel Porter Purchase Alabeo C207 Skywagon for FSX/P3D