Carenado Piper PA-44 Seminole Review | Full Flight | Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 лис 2020
- Become a Channel Member: / @intothebluesimulations
Become a Patron: / intothebluesim
Donate Via Paypal: paypal.me/IntotheBlueSim?loca...
"Buy me a coffee" www.buymeacoffee.com/IntotheBlue
Channel Discord: / discord
In this video we test out the Carenado PA-44 Seminole in Microsoft Flight Simulator.
We take a short IFR trip from Oxford Kidlington airport (EGTK) to East Midlands airport (EGNX) via the Daventry VOR. Throughout the flight I give my initial impressions of the aircraft.
Please note this video and all its contents / materials, is for entertainment / simulation purposes only.
PC Specs
ASUS B150M-A
Intel Core i7 6700K 4GHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
32GB DDR4 2133MHz
Hardware
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Saitek Pro Flight rudder pedals
HP Reverb WMR headset
TrackIR5
Earthquake Shell Shoxx transducer
Enjoy the flight! - Ігри
This was interesting to see. I have a couple hundred hours in seminoles, used to teach commercial multi in these. Modeling seems fairly accurate, although that runup wasn't quite right lol. If you did that to the real plane with the prop levers, you'd destroy the engine.
The first check at 1500rpm is the feather check. You very quickly put it past the feather detent and back again, twice per engine. First one, you're checking for a drop in rpm and rise in manifold pressure, second you're looking for a slight drop in oil pressure. Repeat on the other side.
The second check at 2000rpm is the governor check. You set 2000rpm with the throttles, and then pull the props back to 1800rpm. Then increase throttle by 1" of manifold pressure, make sure the props remain at 1800rpm. Most seminoles, the props will creep up slightly. They're supposed to hold. Then you advance the prop levers back to full forward and continue with the magneto and carb heat checks.
Never feather a running engine. For the same reason you don't want MP to be higher than prop rpm. It puts a huge stress on the engine, and feathering it while it's running could stall the engine. Inflight engine shutdown is done by first killing the engine by cutting the mixture and then stopping the prop by feathering it.
Yes, thanks very much for the great info!
A few people have pointed this one out. I misread the checklist (which is rather ambiguous in my defence - simply said “max 500RPM”). I did wonder whether I was misreading it, due to engine stress issues etc, but at the time I couldn’t understand how else it was meant to be interpreted. . .
It’s been quite some time since I’ve flown a twin-piston, and honestly, I can’t even remember specifically doing a feathering check (though I’m sure I would have).
Thanks for the info though, I’ll know now for any future vids. At least I only buggered up 2 virtual engines haha : )
Carenado truly makes beautyful planes. I bought the Seneca yesterday and it´s my new favorite twin prop :) the Seminole here looks very good... but the cockpit is not as special as the Seneca but rather plain somehow, hard to explain. But it is how this plane was made and designed, and the Seminole is also a wonderful contribution to the virtual hangar.
They do indeed Julia. Carenado gets a lot of flack from the community - a lot of it rightly deserved in the past to be fair. With the exception of the Arrow III (which I think was rushed out to complete with Just Flight), I’ve enjoyed all of their MSFS output though (and I feel like they’ve really upped their game). They make some very pretty aircraft and whilst they aren’t study level, they are mostly good fun to fly, have a reasonable amount of depth and are fairly priced.
The Seneca is good fun. The Seminole isn’t as flash, but I quite like its “honest” design. As I say, I really rather enjoy all of my MSFS Carenado fleet - not that I can ever find the time to fly all of them haha.
Happy flying! : )
Absolutely beautiful flight, so 4K that I could feel the cool air and the metal skin. Very nice, so fast climbing. Your professional narration was impressive!👍🤘☕️🔥🚁 New subscriber !
Thanks very much Steve! Yes, every now and then it does almost feel like that in MSFS! Glad you enjoyed the video and decided to subscribe. Welcome aboard! : )
Great review - I am a fan of steam gauges too so this fits the bill nicely - impressed by your videos - you're obviously an experienced pilot worth subscribing to - looking forward to going through your videos
Thanks Colin, really glad you’re enjoying the content! Hope you find something of interest in the back catalogue, if there’s anything you’d like to see covered that hasn’t been, feel free to let me know. I’m happy to consider requests.
Welcome aboard! : )
Great video. Love the amount of support for VFR aircraft in the sim. Hopefully the airliners will also start getting some love soon:)
Yes, it’s nice to see a bit more variety coming into the sim! I expect the high fidelity airlines are still quite a long way off, but it would be nice if we got even a few more basic airliners, that are well done and actually work (Quality wings fidelity levels for example). I had another go in the 320 (video due out this weekend), I can’t even tell you how many problems I encountered ha!
Hope all is well with you mate : )
Once again, an excellent review. Very informative as usual. Thank you very much.
Thanks very much once again Chris! Glad you found it useful : )
Great review and tutorial! I should have picked this one up when it was on sale recently!
Thanks Splasher!
Yes, at sale price, both the Mooney and the Seminole were a great buy (in my opinion). I’m sure another sale will come around at some point though : )
Thank you for the review, nice job! Subscribed.
Thanks very much! Welcome aboard : )
Really good, in-depth review mate - here’s some comparisons to the PA-44 I flew in multi engine training to the Carenado version.
The Seminole generally has very heavy controls in real life , especially after takeoff - remember having to hold down the trim switches nose down for upwards of 5 secs to ease the nose up pitch moment after takeoff. Even more pronounced reducing the power on descent as the nose just wanted to drop - definitely an a/c that requires constant\quite significant changes in forward and aft trim. In terms of performance, generally found at a pitch attitude of around 7.5 degrees nose up at 25” 2500 (cruise climb power - and taking into account the reduction of MAP with altitude - generally around 21-22” MCP at 7000 feet), the aircraft would climb at 105 KIAS. In the cruise at 65% power (assuming configured with cowl flaps up - below approx 400 CHT), usually had a TAS of around 145 (my school closed the cowl flaps upon reaching TOC). In terms of descent performance, the Seminole has far more drag than what’s represented in the sim (particularly with the gear down and first stage of flaps). When flying an ILS, to maintain approx 100 knots upon glide slope interception and to maintain profile, 17-18” (even upwards of 20”) was required to maintain profile -
Wow, thanks Jack, great info!
Yeah, asymmetrics will be interesting for sure, haven’t had a chance to try it yet. As with most sim aircraft, sounds like it would have limited value in terms of flying practice, but could be useful for practicing procedures etc.
Yeah, the autopilot sounds like everything else I’ve flown. The only reason I was a bit perplexed by the PA44 in the vid, was it was showing GS before capture. Most of what I’ve flown, differentiates between a mode being armed vs being captured. That’s what threw me off, as I though we’d captured.
Thanks once again! : )
Great looking plane. Nice to see new models coming to MSFS.
Yeah, she’s quite pretty! Definitely agree, nice to see something of a variety that we don’t already have in the sim : )
Watch this video a few times as the PA44 is now my chariot of choice for the remainder of my Around the World flight. For anyone who is interested in flying the Seminole, this has got to be your go to video. Would love to see more instructional videos, particularly IFR navigation in this bird with its steam gauges. My sum total of 25 hrs as PIC has been in light singles and as I won’t get the opportunity to progress my flying due to age and finances, this is a perfect way to satisfy my passion for flying. Thanks again for your brilliant videos.
Thanks as always Chris! : )
Hope the around the world trip is going well (how far have you gotten to date?)! I completed one myself last year, annoyingly just before MSFS came along haha. I had ortho scenery though, so it was still a very interesting experience, albeit quite an undertaking!
I do have another “Flight School” series in the works actually, although it’s taking some time to bring together. It will be single engine IFR in this series and then multi-engine stuff in “series 3”. I would love to do it in the Carenado props, but decided against it, as I want everyone to be able to follow along. So the next series will be in the Bonanza and then most likely the DA62 thereafter. Hopefully you’ll still get something out of it though. I’m afraid I can’t really give a date on when the first episode might be out, but hopefully within a month or so.
Thanks again Chris, happy flying! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations due to the magic of the internet I can answer while I’m cruising at 15,000’ between two very nasty cloud layers about 50 miles off the coast at Wilmington North Carolina, heading for Charleston Executive KJZI. icing is a problem and the PA44 does not seem to cope with that too well. It’s a long way from summer in Western Australia where I’d love to be flying right now. Cheers and looking forward to your next series of tutorials. All the very best.
Haha, a bit of a change of climate indeed! I managed to chase summer around the planet (more or less accidentally) on my tour. Did come pretty close to getting scuppered by a storm system in Southeast Asia though (arriving with minimal fuel and struggling to find the runway on a VOR approach. Also got sucked up to about 20,000ft in an embedded thunderstorm going over Africa (Active Sky really caught me out there)! Was all good fun.
It might only be virtual, but it’s still quite an undertaking and a big achievement when you complete it. You end up having quite a few memorable experiences along the way as well!
Good luck with the rest of it! : )
I understand and thank you for keeping me advised. I look forward to many of your future videos, if you could please show me more of the King Air which is my favorite aircraft, It won't be appreciated. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Malcolm!
The King Air is one of my favourites in the sim currently, so I would be more than happy to do another flight in it when I get the chance! : )
I held off until your review, think this will do nicely for my Canada tour. 👍
Hopefully they don’t brick it with the next MSFS update (due on Tuesday I believe). But yeah, it’s a nice long-distance cruiser, would be ideal for a tour of that nature. Have fun! : )
hi careful up there This plane has NO DE_ICE capability's
Great job mate! Digging your channel.
Thanks Lance, very much appreciated! Glad you’re enjoying the channel so far : )
Thank you for demonstration! Great vid!
Thanks very much, my pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it : )
nice and enjoyable as always. watching more of your videos I want to learn more. :D now - try to be not too demanding - about the prop and mixture controls (how and why to use them - instead of throttle control as I’ve observed here) and instrumental flight planning how-to, like you did on VFR. but as I said, great job, keep it up, I stay tuned!
Thanks as always Péter! All of that and more is definitely planned for a future “Flight School” series. It’s just a case of finding the time to get it planned / recorded : )
And BTW thank you for tutorials it helped me a lot.
Sorry, this comment didn't show up in my notifications, only just seen it. Glad the tutorials were helpful! : )
I'm hoping to continue the series again soon, when I can find the time.
Great video, can't wait to get my hands on this
Thanks Sebastian! Yeah, overall it’s a great addition to the sim : )
Just FYI, as Asobo update the sim, it keeps creating issues / bugs with other addons. The Carenado Mooney has had some long standing bugs at this point, ultimately I guess the same could happen to the Seminole. Personally I wouldn’t say it’s really Carenados fault (from what I’ve read), but it’s obviously a far from ideal situation. The Seminole is a good addon, but just thought I’d let you know.
Great looking plane. A little clean and those engines start way to easy.
Yeah, I always prefer a weathered look on my aircraft, this one is a bit on the clean side as you say, but not toooo bad.
Pretty typical for most FS addons isn’t it unfortunately. A2A are one of the few companies that gets it about right with the engine starting (in my experience). Can’t wait for them to bring something to the sim : )
A superb job with this video, very succinct as well as thorough. A little disappointed in the EGT gauge not working, but like you said, its not an A2A aircraft. But thanks again!
John
Austin, Texas
Thanks very much Jon! Glad you enjoyed it : )
Yes, the addon is far from perfect. Apparently though, the EGT gauges do work, but you’ve got to bring the mixtures riiiiight back (and I was scared to cut the engines in the video). Not completely accurate either way though.
Indeed, it’s not A2A, but for what it is and for what it costs (especially during the Christmas sale) it’s not half bad. I think Carenado have really upped their game since coming to MSFS (so far).
All the best
Looks like Carenado has finally managed to impress me! Granted, it's neither perfect nor an AccuSim model. But then they never made such a claim either. But it will certainly bridge the gap between the default aircraft and A2A. So this one is on my shopping list!
Haha, great! I do feel they’ve upped their game since moving into MSFS : )
As you say, it certainly isn’t perfect, but they don’t try to sell it as something it isn’t.
Just a word of caution, the Carenado Mooney has been quite heavily hit with bugs through various sim updates. Personally, I don’t really hold this against Carenado (as long as they fix the bugs), but you can probably expect this to happen to the Seminole as well.
Another detailed vid. Many thanks
You’re most welcome as always Andy! Glad you enjoyed it : )
Thanks for info on Rudder much appreciated
You’re welcome! Hope it helped a bit : )
Beautiful plane, and Nice flight 👌
She is indeed! Thanks very much : )
You know what I like about this guy? He sounds like a pilot on the coms and j like planes *subscribes bcz he's cool*
Well thanks very much! ; )
OK
All understood and fair enough on your points.
Actually Charlie, a little bit off topic for this conversation (re the Widgeon), but regarding the Waco:
I know you’ve been having issues with it. I flew the most recent version recently (hadn’t flown it for a while) and found it to be quite pleasant now. Have you tried it of late? One thing I did have to do was make sure I adjust the CofG in the load menu *before* hitting fly now (it would be nice if Carenado just gave it the correct CofG, but in fairness they aren’t the only developers that seem to have an issue with this, so I guess there’s a flaw in the sim also). For takeoff, I kept the stick all the way back until 40mph (that helps keep you straight on the runway and prevent any swing) and then eased forward, I was able to control with rudder. For landing I had little to issue (with either tailwheel locked or unlocked).
It may that you’ve had enough of it and given up with it, but I thought you mind find those pointers useful : )
All the best!
I bought it this morning. Love it . I fly the type for my ME/IR. great plane
So did i :) loved the 44. Very easy to fly.
Great, glad you’re enjoying it! : ) How does it generally compare with the real thing?
I’m jealous! The Seminole is a beauty. I got stuck on the dog-ugly DA42 for my ME/IR : / ha
@@IntotheBlueSimulations pitch an power values are more or less correct. AP is not working like the real one and u will never achieve the real feeling of the control forces.when flying slow the real Airplane needs a lot of Control Input which makes it foregiving for overreacting flight students.in msfs its super touchy and u need minimal input at any speed which is not realistic.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations i would love to try the Diamond.looks super slick to me
Hi Kevin. Looks close to the real airplane? I’m about to start my Multi IFR on this model and I would like to make sure it will be good for this purpose!
Brings back some memories, did my ME-IR @ Kidlington, flew that route a couple of times
Don’t you mean “London” Oxford Airport ha? : P
Yeah, never actually flown out of Kidlington myself, but I remember seeing a vid of the Seneca doing a run up to East Mids from there. I live somewhat close to Kidlington and always enjoyed it in then sim, so figured it’d make a good route for the vid. Guess you were with OAA were you? : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I was indeed, but it was called Oxford Aviation Training back then. They also didn't have the cheek to call it London Oxford either :-)
Ah right, sure. Yes OAT, OAA etc has been through quite a lot of name changes at this point! Albeit, none of them as egregious as “London Oxford” ha. I used to live quite close to Kidlington, guess that officially makes me Londoner now then. . .
Well, if you’re still flying, hope the current situation isn’t treating you too badly.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations actually never been busier, although now my 777 is full of rubber dog 💩 rather than pax.
Hope everything is good your end as well
Haha cheers. Yeah, much the same here!
9:02 so what you’re supposed to do is drop the rpm and then push it back up again quickly. It’s a bit confusing but you aren’t checking for the rpm drop, more for the mp oil pressure and temp and anything leaking out of the engine. The reason it says 500 rpm is that is the max it should go if you quickly push it down and back up, if it’s longer than you need to do it quicker.
Yes, thanks very much!
A few people have pointed this one out. I misread the checklist (which is rather ambiguous in my defence). It’s been quite some time since I’ve flown a twin-piston, and honestly, I can’t even remember specifically doing a feathering check (though I’m sure I would have). . .
Thanks for the info though : )
Looks like a great airplane. In IRL when you do the run up and do the feathering check you don’t won’t the rpm to drop below 800rpm or else the prop will feather on the ground and it will require a mechanic to unfeather the prop on the ground. Inflight it’s not an issue as you have aerodynamic forces acting on the aircraft that aren’t in play when doing a run up.
Hi David,
Yes, overall it’s a very nice effort from Carenado. Quite a lot of improvements since release as well.
Thanks very much for the info. A few other people have pointed it out also. I haven’t done a feather check in years and couldn’t remember the procedure. The checklist just said “feather - MAX 200RPM”. A bit vague and I misunderstood it. In hindsight fully feathering the prop on the ground would not be the way to go, but I got a bit mislead by the checklist at the time, thought maybe the Seminole had some sort of limiter or something.
Thanks again, all the best! : )
Spot on the centerline.. Not often i see that 👌
Well, one tries ones best! Thanks : )
Excellent analysis!
Thanks Karl, much appreciated! : )
So nice to have experienced pilots flying and doing reviews. What sensitivity do you have yoke axes set to? I'm using Honeywell at -35. Also I've had bad experiences with Ovation ctd's when adjusting knobs so a bit slow to purchase this which I'd like to. Once flew a Geronomo (similar type). Many thanks for the video.
Thanks, glad you’re enjoying the content! : )
I haven’t touched the sensitivity settings when it comes to roll and pitch (I did set a -50 curve on my rudder input). I notice however that the sim has now given me a -50 curve on both pitch and roll. I presume this was introduced in one of the updates. Seems to work quite nicely. . . I’m currently using a Warthog HOTAS, so with a smallish range of movement, -50 seems is decent enough, I’d imagine if you’re using a yoke (with a larger range of movement), -35 is perhaps about right. I’m no expert on controller sets though I’m afraid. . .
Yes, unfortunately Asobo and Carenado don’t seem to able to decide between them who is responsible for patching aircraft during sim updates. Sounds like the new patch hasn’t done the Ovation any favours either. Shame, as it’s a great aircraft when it’s all working well! From what I hear, Carenado do have a new patch on the way. I fear the same may start to happen with the Seminole though yeah.
Not heard of the Geronomo, I’ll have to go google it! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Hi. It's me again. Well I took the plunge today thanks to your review and made a purchase. I did a few circuits around my home airfield EICK where I last flew a twin 35 years ago, and was quite impressed. Despite all the present AP problems with Asobo the craft performed remarkably well. I'm using a Honeycomb yoke and set up a separate profile for the PA44 to suit the yoke. However I forgot to adjust the sensitivities which I shall do tomorrow. Much too twitchy in pitch. Again thanks for excellent review. I watched your video again just to note a few settings. Cheers David.
(Incidentally Geronomo should be spelt Geronimo)!
Thanks David, really glad to hear you’re enjoying it thus far! I think it’s a fun plane to fly, a bit sensitive as you say. . . Hopefully it won’t suffer too many bugs as the sim gets updated.
I keep meaning to do a flight somewhere in Ireland actually. Any suggestions for some particularly scenic areas? : )
Ps you’ve just reminded that I was going to google the Geronimo wasn’t I!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I would suggest from you EICK as a base and from there head for the Lakes of Killarney and on to EIKY. You could put EICI into your flight plan to pass over. I actually own that grass strip and am amazed it got in the sim! Only fit for tail draggers though. They have also place a tree on the Easter approach which I have to fly through when operating from that direction!! Cheers David . Oh is there any anti ice on the PA44? I assume not.
Thanks very much for the route suggestion, I’ll definitely look into it. I must say I’m rather envious that you have your own strip, how amazing that must be! : )
No de-icing on the Seminole I’m afraid no.
I too have recently purchased this aeroplane and enjoy it very much. I like Carenado's new feature of the iPad on the yoke which provided checklists and other control options. You mentioned the aggressive response of the autopilot's vertical speed and I have noted that on all aircraft with autopilots. I wonder if that might be the simulator rather than the aeroplane manufacturer? It's almost as thought the autopilot "sensitivity" needs to be turned down just as the other controls (yoke & pedals) do. Thanks for your review and the flying tips I gained by watching you fly. :)
Thanks Squirel, glad you enjoyed it! : )
That’s interesting, didn’t actually know you could use the iPad for checklists. Great idea from Carenado, I’ll check it out.
Yes, I suspect you’re correct regarding the autopilot. Almost all aircraft in the sim seem to have aggressive autopilots, especially in pitch. Difficult to know sometimes what is a sim bug vs an aircraft bug. Glad you’re enjoying the Seminole anyway!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations If you click the lower front of the yoke, the iPad will appear/disappear. It appears to have different features depending on the plane
Yes, I knew of the iPad, just didn’t know you could use it for checklists : )
Just so you know, when you feather it, you don’t leave it in the feathered condition, you pull it back to feather and immediately push it back up and you should see no more than a 500rpm drop then. It’s not an inaccuracy on the model as leaving it in the feathered condition would put extreme stress on the engine and you would expect more than a 500 RPM drop if you left it there
Yes, thanks man! The checklist just said “Feather - Max 500rpm”. A little bit vague, but I misinterpreted it. . . Hadn’t done a feather check in years, so I’d forgotten the procedure, but of course what you’re saying makes sense.
All the best : )
The PA44 is a bit of a bruiser when it comes to control inputs and trim forces required for that flying tail. She's also pretty heavy in the touchdown on landing.. definitely makes you work for those "silky smooth" landings.
Thanks for the info Jacob! Always great to get little bits of info like this.
The Carenado Seminole is well wide of the mark in that respect then. Very light on the controls and easy to land.
Still, helps makes me look more competent ; )
Great video is there a glass cockpit? I just subscribed!
Hi Kyle, great! Welcome aboard : )
No glass cockpit in the Seminole I’m afraid no. . .
My big complaint about Carenado, are the engine sounds. Much improved! Not that horrible high screech synthasis, we hear in other aircraft. I hope the Cessna 210 Centurion is next for release!
Yes, so far, I have to say, Carenado have really upped their game with MSFS. As long as they can keep on top of bugs (which remains to be seen), I’m definitely starting to see them in a new light!
Yeah, there are quite a few aircraft from their library that I wouldn’t mind seeing in MSFS : )
-50 was advice from in to the blue simulations and it works fine for me.
Indeed. Thanks Charlie : )
Did my MEIR in the Seminole. Going into YSCB at night was always interesting with LSALTs in the +7000s. OEI would be very interesting.
Yeah, that would have been . . . interesting I’m sure!
I remember doing single engine night IFR stuff and thinking the whole idea didn’t seem like a great one ha.
Seminole looks like she would have been nice to train in though?
@@IntotheBlueSimulations as they say at night with single engine forced landing. "If you turn the landing lights on and don't like what you see, turn them off" lol.
I loved the Seminole as it was my introduction into multi flying, however it's quite a menace really. Twice the fuel burn as a Archer but you only get a extra 30 knots. The ones I flew were pretty nose heavy with the avionics so I ended up having to put in a tonne of ballast every time I flew. Good trainer.... not really good for anything else.
Haha, hadn’t heard that one before. . . Probably sound advice ha!
Yeah a few other guys have mentioned the Seminole is a bit nose heavy and a bit keen to stop flying when you pull the power off by the sounds of it. . . It looks nice though and that’s obviously the most important thing ; )
Sounds like the opposite of my ME training. Did mine in the DA42. A great aircraft for a number of things, but training isn’t one of them ha!
Very nice review!!, By the way any suggestions on how to avoid over icing of the plane? Got the heat on full blast, does not seem to be enough???
Thanks Anders, much appreciated! : )
Not really much to be done I’m afraid. The sim is definitely over the top generally when it comes to icing.
All you can really do is avoid icing conditions as best you can. Keep out of visible moisture where possible and if you do ice up, either descend down to warmer temperatures, or if unable, climb out of the icing and wait for the airframe to slowly clear up.
As we say in England; “prevention is better than cure” and that applies to all aircraft types really.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations yes, hoping that FS2020, will deal with the icing issues in the sim!!
It should minimum have the suction gauge (they put a clock instead?) and the EGT working, that is the least for $30. Fuel pressure when pump is ON is way exaggerated, going all the way passed the red line is obviously inaccurate, we should show increased pressure but needle still in the green...etc etc.. Probably Carenado will update their Seminole for MSFS and bring more functionality to it. Thanks for showing, nice video.
Thanks, you’re welcome! : )
Yeah, that’s fairly typically Carenado I’m afraid. Always quite crude when it comes to systems modelling. I feel like they have been making some progress though and their MSFS show some significant improvements overall. As you say, hopefully they will continue to improve the product.
Great video. I also like steam gauges. How do you get titles on instruments you are about to adjust. Thanks.
Thanks Peter! : )
It’s just one of the options you can turn on or off in the settings menu, usually it’s on by default I believe. I think it’s called “cockpit tooltips” or something similar.
I’m not at my computer right now, but if you can’t find it, let me know, and I’ll have a look when I get the chance.
Buyers be aware: since the last patch the Seminole has suffered some of its features crashing the simulator into desktop, for example opening of the storm window, or clicking the door handle to open cabin door will result in MSFS2020 terminating. This is similar to what earlier Carenado product, the M20R Mooney has been experiencing for quite some time, even if the state of the Mooney is admittedly much worse at the time of writing (some cockpit features like autopilot altitude or heading adjustment knobs crash the game immediately). There's been also over a month since the Mooney was broken by the a game patch, and so far there hasn't been any fixes, so it is reasonable to expect the fixes for the Seminole to take at least the same amount of time. Carenado has communicated that they've sent the patch to Microsoft, but unfortunately some of these bugs (for the Mooney) were introduced in latest patch that came out this week (the US expansion).
Thanks for the info Breeze, much appreciated!
Carenado / Asobo really need to sort this out amongst themselves and collaborate more effectively. It’s not fair on the customers to have the products constantly in a state of disrepair like this. Especially when the products are being purchased directly from the MSFS marketplace. . .
That S-TEC55X is behaving correctly. They "snap" a bit toward the heading bug and set altitude a bit at first, but it looks worse than it really feels. Older generation autopilots were much worse about that, with some manuals requiring the user to set the heading bug on the HSI before engaging it lest the yoke would inflict many bruises on exposed hands and knees.
Ah ok, thanks very much for the info! That’s useful to know. I have no experience with the S-TEC personally.
Haha, now that you mention it, I do remember flying an aircraft that would basically kneecap you if you didn’t have the heading set before turning it on! Never really used it though, as it was more of a liability than anything else. . .
Thanks again for the info, much appreciated! : )
Just to make you aware when you feather the propellers you read the checklist wrong. You allow it to drop by 500rpm max before returning the lever instead of holding it in feather and looking for a ‘max drop of 500rpm’ cheers
Yes, thanks very much Nathan!
A few people have pointed this one out. I misread the checklist (which is rather ambiguous in my defence). It’s been quite some time since I’ve flown a twin-piston, and honestly, I can’t even remember specifically doing a feathering check (though I’m sure I would have). . .
Thanks for the info though : )
Thank you very informative good work out in the various flt modes, may I ask what settings you programmed for sensitivity please.appeared to handle well.
Thanks Charlie : )
The only setting I changed myself was the rudder sensitivity, using a curve of -50. That helps a lot with the rudder response. I just noticed though, that both my roll and pitch axis also now have a curve of -50. I didn’t set those, so presumably they were changed during on of the sim updates. Either way, I find with my current setting, most aircraft respond reasonably.
I got the airplane but is it unstable, it rolls by itself, almost uncontrollable.
Could you please share a picture of the settings u got for this one.
Hi Alessandro,
As Charlie mentioned; I use default control sensitivities, with the exception of the rudder, where I use a curve of -50. Sounds to me though, like maybe your problem is caused by the sims flight model settings. Are you using “Legacy” instead of “Modern” under your flight model setting by any chance (that tends to cause a lot of similar behaviours to the ones you describe)?
All the best : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations man... you saved me, i cant really thank you enough, i've really searched everything, and you solved my problem, love ya
Perfect! Thought that might be it ; )
Glad to be of help. Happy flying!
Currently on sale in the 'Marketplace' for £14.99
Thanks very much for the heads up!
Great info, which I’ve passed on to a few others : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations No problem. Really enjoying it!
Great! Glad to hear it : )
:p nice @ Pitoheat ... hehe we turn it on its quite cold today?! :) PITO HEAT IS ALWAYS ON! there is no exception... :)
On a personal note, I generally agree with your rhetoric. I pretty much always turn it on when I’m flying. From a technical point of view though, I’m afraid I would have to respectfully disagree.
The Seminole checklist I was using here states “as required” for pitot heat, which would imply that sometimes it is not. Some aircraft POHs even state when it should be used; for example
Started the engine without turning the strobe lights on .. brilliant!!! Lol
I’ve never flown an aircraft where it’s strobes ON for engine start. Usually the BCN sure, but the Carenado Seminole wasn’t fitted with a BCN light.
I’m guessing from your comment, maybe some more modern aircraft have you turn the strobes on instead, if no BCN is fitted (as I know BCN lights are becoming somewhat less prevalent on modern aircraft)?
works very well in VR
Thanks Dave! Haven’t had the chance to try the Seminole yet in VR, but that’s good to know : )
In flight school we set clb pwr 25/2500 when passing 400ft agl :)
Yes, I was way too slow there I know! We used to set it at 500ft when I was learning to fly. Climb power is 1,500ft generally at work though, so my brain isn’t really used to doing it so quickly any more ha.
Thanks for the reminder though, I’ll try and get back into good habits! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations i know the pain ;D i always get kinda sloppy when flying in the sim.shame on me
Hehe. I try not to be! But as I say, my brain usually doesn’t kick in till well past 1,000ft on that one, especially when commentating etc. I’ll try and get it next time ; )
Great Video
Thanks once again : )
Feather check's fine, just meant to be 0.5 - 1 sec down with the prop lever for a max drop of 500rpm. Looks great though!
Yeah, thanks Andrew. A bit of a misunderstanding between myself and a vague checklist haha. I hadn’t done a feather check in years. . . Got it now though : )
Yeah, overall it’s a nice little twin (my favourite in the sim). Unfortunately some users are reporting that the most recent sim update has broken it (again) though.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations That's all good man, I got chewed out by my instructor for doing the same thing so just wanted to point it out haha
Shame about the broken update, hope they can patch it sometime soon though :'(
Haha
I’m not even sure my instructor taught me correctly on this. I feel like an RPM drop limit was never mentioned; but again I only have vague memories of it now. . . I definitely didn’t get a stern talking to though haha.
Nah, I appreciate it! A few people pointed it out, now I’ll know for future vids. When they update the darn plane yeah : /
I blame Asobo more than Carenado, it’s crazy how much keeps getting borked in the sim. Especially when Asobo and Carenado seemingly have a close working relationship, they should have an aircraft patch ready to go with each update. Imagine how it’s going to be for the complex airliners? Sigh. . .
Cheers man, all the best! : )
Nice presentation, had to sub. I wonder if Carenado ever has a real pilot go through the checklist...I would have liked to see stall behavior, single engine ops...otherwise nice video.
Thanks David, welcome aboard! : )
Glad you enjoyed the vid! I do totally get where you’re coming from. I know the review could have been more comprehensive, but for me, I enjoy simply carrying out normal flights when I’m simming and I think it would break up the flow of the video as well to be carrying out stalls and shutting engines down etc. Just my own personal style I guess.
I believe Carenado do generally claim their models have been “tested by real-world (insert aircraft type here) pilots”, so it’s quite possible they did. The checklist they provide is actually a real-world one anyway. I do wonder sometimes when developers state this though, just how much input the real-world pilots actually had, sometimes it seemingly can’t have been much. . I’m certainly no Seminole expert myself to be fair, been quite a while now since I flew a twin-engine piston.
Again though, although it has it’s faults for sure, I think the Seminole is not a bad effort from Carenado overall.
I’ve never been happy with the ability to use the EGT gauges for leaning engine in MSFS.
Agreed Paul, it doesn’t seem to be something that is modelled very well currently. In fact a lot of the engine modelling in various aircraft seems a bit backwards at the moment unfortunately.
Yes thank
You have n the take to ff I always put 75kgs most rear ward stowage, I also keep Max elevator down to keep tail wheel in contact with runway to be fair control n take off my s manageable for me it’s the landing roll out violent yaw once contact made even with anti elation and rudder input still a nightmare. Re tail wheel locked / unlocked I have tried either option I had to assign a key as there’s no obvious tail wheel Locke indication. I have no
Notification of an update available in the menu found in content manager. Thanks for your help much appreciated Cheers
Hmm that’s very strange. No such behaviour / swing on my end. Tracking straight and true in the flare and on touchdown / rollout.
I’m just wondering if it’s worth an uninstall / reinstall? My version actually has a tailwheel lock control in the cockpit (just behind the trim wheel). Does yours? (I don’t remember the tailwheel lock being there previously, so I assume it came from an update).
All the best!
Picking this up it's a frequent flyer in my local flight collage.
It’s a solid addon. Not perfect by any means, but it’s fun to fly and quite immersive : )
Just for your information though, it may pick up bugs as Asobo update the sim. Seems to have been a bit of an issue with 3rd party addons so far. They have been fixed ultimately, but it can take a while. . .
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Well the sim is almost 4 months old i heard good ol' FSX had similar bugs on it's release date.
For sure. Not really bashing the sim, just thought you might like to know if you are considering purchasing : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Bugs wont stop me.
Haha, okay, great! Enjoy! : )
Nice job
Thanks Steven, much appreciated! : )
With the feather check, you aren't looking for a max of 500 RPM you're making sure *you* don't let it drop more than 500 RPM because you can damage the engine (i.e. do it quickly and just make sure it's moving into feather). Also, Caranado's aircraft use mostly the stock flight models, autopilot, etc. and I know that issue with the APR mode for the ILS is the same in the stock aircraft too.
Ah, thanks very much, that’s great info. The checklist simply says “max 500RPM drop” which is somewhat ambiguous in hindsight. Never had to do a feather check on a real aircraft, so it’s great to get that clarified. It does make sense now, as I was thinking it seemed unlikely you would only get a 500RPM drop in the feathered position. Well, those engines are probably buggered now then : / haha
Re the APPR. As I say, it was at least partly my fault, as I never quite intercepted the GS. I thought I had and assumed we had captured, since GS was showing on the mode annunciator panel. I don’t know whether that’s a bug, or accurate for that particular avionics suite. . .
Thanks again for the info, much appreciated! : )
Oil pressure should rise along with the manifold pressure too.
I found if you pull the mixtures way back the EGT works. Also whats up with the amp meters, there not right either.
Ah ok. Thanks : )
I didn’t want to pull the mixtures back any further and risk shutting down both engine mid-video ha! Yeah, amp meters seem to be an issue in the sim currently, some aircraft showing a discharge when they should be showing a charge etc. That’s the trouble at the moment, trying to distinguish what is an aircraft bug vs a sim bug. . .
I currently don't have MSFS 2020, my computer needs to be replaced and I don't have the money for it, but the model looks really nice.
The Manifold Pressure gauge is way of, though. At idle, it should be a lot higher than what it is.
Also, I didn't watch the full video, but the vacuum gauge should be in the upper right hand corner of the panel.
Yeah, it’s still got that Carenado theme of the model being stellar, the systems not so much. I do feel they have come a long way though. Yeah, couldn’t find a vacuum gauge, seems it was omitted. . .
Thanks for the info though! : )
Nice video
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it! : )
Great review, but two questions.... i learned to set the alternators after the start, not before (can you explain why you do this before start? The prop cycle, doesn’t the checklist mean pull back until Max. 500 RPM drop for the cycle (when you pull back the prop lever it sure will reduce RPM more than that).
Hi Ben,
Good points. Re the alternators, it seems to be very aircraft specific. Ive seen some where you turn them on before start, others where your turn them on after. Most aircraft I’ve flown, you turn the alternator on at the same time as the battery. In this particular video, I was following a real world PA44 checklist and it called for the alternators on before start.
You’re correct re the prop cycle. That was my mistake. I haven’t done one in years and didn’t remember the procedure at all. The checklist said “RPM - Cycle (Max 200RPM)”, a little bit vague, but I completely misunderstood it. In hindsight it was rather obviously not the right thing to do though haha. Still, lesson (re)learnt, now I’ll know for the future ha.
Cheers for raising the points. Thanks and all the best! : )
I suggest everyone to go fly from SVPQ Airport. Your gonna love it...
Ok, thank Joao, I’ll check it out! : )
You know a challenging landing? Try Ilha dos porcos, in Rio de Janeiro. It's a small dirt airstrip in a tiny island, near Angra dos Reis. The view is great too
Thanks, I’ll have a look! : )
Thx for the very interesting videos. Which plane would you prefer, the PA-44 or the Moony. I like both from watching the videos
Thanks Jürgen! : )
If I had to choose between the two, for me it would be the Mooney. Really fun to fly and there’s just something very immersive about it.
Be warned though, I think it’s suffering from quite a few bugs currently. Each time the sim gets updated, it breaks a lot of the addon aircraft, then we have to wait for developers to fix them. Ultimately, this could become an issue with the Seminole as well. . .
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Thx for your reply. I am missing a good plane with analog instruments and a twin motor. The Robin 400 has analog, but no autopilot, and way to slow. I only have the standard edition, now i know it was a mistake, i would like to fly the standard 172 and the G-38. I think i better wait and see what will happen.
Yes, steam gauges are woeful underrepresented in the sim unfortunately. I guess it’s much quicker to create a G1000 cockpit.
You aren’t missing too much honestly. I bought the Premium Deluxe version. Expecting to enjoy a number of the aircraft that came with it. But actually, most of them I don’t bother with. The only really good one is the steam gauge C172 (which is actually one of my fav default aircraft to be fair). I still have no idea why they don’t have a base game and then allow you to purchase individual aircraft, would make much more sense, might even make them more money. . .
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Yes, i am thinking the same. I would buy the upgrade to the deluxe, wgich had the g-38 and, when i remember right, the 172, but not for this price, mor than i sold for the standard edition. I think, when they make the upgrade the difference between the different editions, many people would upgrade, and they would make a lot of money. Thanx, and stay healthy.
Exactly, the upgrade cost should simply be paying the additional cost (or maybe a fraction more if they want to play it that way). The fact that it’s essentially a whole new purchase is crazy (and I really can’t see why MS think this is the way to go). Still, in the long run, the default aircraft will probably become somewhat irrelevant anyway. . .
Thanks Jürgen. Yeah, stay safe!
I would have liked a turbo version seem a bit slow for a twin. Also with an option for glass and steam gauges
Depends what you use it for I suppose. Seemed fast enough for me, but the climb performance was starting to tail of quite quickly there, so a turbo would have been good in that respect.
Personally I’m not a fan of glass cockpits, especially as they are currently in MSFS. I agree it would have been nice (and presumably not that much work) to have the option though.
What about the C182T? Or were you wanting a twin? I’m sure we’ll get something turbo / glass in the not too distant future : )
For your feather check before takeoff, this behaves correctly. Max 500RPM drop is the limit not to allow the propeller to feather, "do not allow an RPM drop of more than 500 rpm" meaning the pilot should not allow the RPM drop more than 500, and that's what you did in the video, you let the prop continue towards feather position, so no inaccuracy there... it will continue drop until you move propeller back to the top. No inaccuracy there. Usually we let the RPM drop about 300RPM, that a good indication that oil pressure mechanism is working by dumping all oil pressure, then prop control back to top (full low pitch).
Thanks for your input airifr! A couple of other guys have mentioned this as well. The checklist I was referencing simply said “max 500RPM”, obviously I misinterpreted this. Honestly it’s been so long since I’ve flown a twin prop, I don’t have any memory of even doing a feather check at all. . .
Appreciate the correction / info though, I’ll know for the future when making vids now ; )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations No problem, yeah the checklist "Max 500rpm drop" is indeed confusing, some twins checklists have it phrased like I mentioned "do not allow rpm drop more than...etc", which is more proper. ;)
Yeah, that would have been more helpful on the checklist. Still, you live and (re)learn!
Luckily I only buggered up a couple of virtual engines! : P
Excellent tutorial, I would like to know if is possible to go back to this way of displaying the switches status or the percentage of the sliders, that have been changed after Update 5 or 6. Anyway thanks for the video that can be taken as flying lesson !
Thanks very much once again Ezio!
I’m glad you found the video a useful guide to operating the aircraft - I try my best to include more than “just” a review in my content.
Unfortunately there’s no way (that I am aware of) to fully restore the old system, there are a few options that still exist for instrument tooltips etc though.
If you go to “General Options” and then “Accessibility”, you will find the options under “Used Interface”. Turning “Instrument Name Tooltips” on will provide descriptions of each gauge. In “Legacy” mode (Cockpit Interaction System) it will only give the instrument name, you will have to change to “Lock” if you want to see control percentages etc (the downside of “Lock” though, is that it then highlights your selected control in blue and therefore doesn’t look very realistic).
I hope that helps a bit.
Cheers! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I already tryied the lock way but is too "invasive" so I just put everything off, that, at the end of the day, is more realistic because you have to rely an instrument reading only. In the real world you don't have banners lol
Haha, I agree and I do exactly the same. Having blue controls all over the cockpit, rather kills the experience ; )
Cheers!
What’s up. Thanks for the video! At roughly 9:10 Checklist or process is wrong . During run up and prop check , you’re supposed to not let the rpms drop 500 rpm while manually moving the prop lever down -not check to see if it didn’t drop 500rpms by leaving the prop feathered -but to check for decrease in rpm (not to let it drop more than 500rpm-by manually moving the prop lever back up quickly)/a rise in manifold pressure should also occur, then quickly feathered again to check for oil pressure decrease during and equalization after moving lever back up. Cheers .snide note , there is definitely still inaccuracies in the model as u described.
Hey, thanks very much for the great info! : )
A few people have pointed this one out. I misread the checklist (which is rather ambiguous in my defence - simply said “max 500RPM”). I did wonder whether I was misreading it, due to engine stress issues etc, but at the time I couldn’t understand how else it was meant to be interpreted. . .
It’s been quite some time since I’ve flown a twin-piston, and honestly, I can’t even remember specifically doing a feathering check (though I’m sure I would have).
Thanks for the info though, I’ll know now for any future vids!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I figured as much , since typically those checklists are rough outlines of what the aircraft POH checklist says,, details like that typically go overlooked on a lot of checklists and it’s common to not know where/what to look for, w/out those details! Thanks for reply . Subbed . Keep it up man
Yes, for sure. I certainly try and keep things realistic on the channel, but sadly I just don’t have the time to read the POH for each and every aircraft. Obviously I could just focus on a couple of aircraft, but I like keeping the variety up with the content. I try and fill in the gaps as best I can, based on knowledge / past experience, but obviously didn’t quite pull that off on this occasion haha.
Well thanks again for the advice and thanks for the sub! Welcome aboard : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations right on . You wouldn’t have even been able to do those checks (failed checks) anyways since the MP gauge was pinned at 0 LMAO 😂 not your fault
Haha. Let’s just blame Carenado and pretend like nothing ever happened then : P
I thought you were supposed to taxi only as fast as you can walk, so I'm guessing you're an Olympic speed walker 😉
Hahaha, how did you know?!
Actually it was a combination of wanting to keep the taxiing time down for you guys + the ETA on my dinner! : P
mostly student pilots follow that rule
i mean. who really does that in reality. lmao
How do you lean both engines at the same time with the mouse, or were you using a key stroke?
Yes, just bound to a key (or in this case a button on my HOTAS : )
Hey buddy, I have a question. What about the fps, do you think this aircraft has similar performance like the stock ones? I noticed the steam gauges ones (like 152 and Robin) have a better fps rate in my computer.
Hey mate. From my findings, the Seminole is pretty similar yeah.
I tested it vs one of the default aircraft (can’t remember which one I’m afraid), the Seminole gave me about 5FPS more than the default aircraft : )
The G1000 aircraft are definitely a bit of an FPS drain yeah.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations thank you. I think I'm gonna purchase it.
I miss more steam gauges aircrafts.
Nice review, by the way
Thanks and you’re welcome : )
Yeah, it’s not perfect, but I think it’s a decent option. Nice to have a steam gauge twin, flies fairly nicely, is good fun and quite immersive.
If you do get it, hope you enjoy it!
well spent all my money on a something called a Comanche lol but this does seem like a reasonable product just the same. I would only buy a carenado when they are on sale
Haha. Well, you’re much better off with the Comanche anyway, Mike ; )
The Seminole isn’t bad; the addon was actually pretty good for its time, but the aircraft is looking a bit dated by modern Carenado standards. Worth picking up in a sale for sure but otherwise, there are better products out there : )
Cheers!
What about FPS performance? With default aircrafts, I get about 34fps. When I switch to the Seminole, I get about 28fps. In external view it drops even further to 22.
That’s strange, for me I was getting about +5 FPS more with the Seminole, than I was in the default aircraft (both inside and out). Different setups, different results I suppose. . .
With this aircraft I might fly FS2020 a little more. It will be difficult to leave X-Plane for a little while though.
I’ve been coming to appreciate X-Plane more and more of late. It’s a solid platform. I just wish the weather engine and depiction would receive an upgrade. Unfortunately, whilst all the major sims have their strengths, none of them get everything quite right currently.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations
We shouldn't really compare the two Sims because for a start, Xplane is very mature and is now on version 11 whereas MSFS is barely a few months old. All flight Sims have their strengths and weaknesses as you have observed. The thing is, to just fly and enjoy ourselves and not worry about this or that too much. Life's too short.
Couldn’t agree more! We have many different options available, all of which have their strengths. The only important factor in a sim ultimately (if used for entertainment), is whether you enjoy it or not! : )
Sorry for the potentially noob question, but do they supply a complete operating handbook with checklists with these pay to fly planes?
Hi Stephen. Very valid question! I’m afraid I’m not at my computer right now, so I can’t give you a completely guaranteed answer for this aircraft specifically, but Carenado aircraft generally do yes (certainly on previous aircraft I’ve purchased from them they have tended to provide a full Pilots Operating Handbook etc). Certainly this aircraft comes with some documentation, including a checklist.
It varies from developer to developer though. Some do, some don’t.
I know that’s a slightly vague answer, but I hope it helps a bit : )
i have this aircraft, love it and only like proper Steam gauge aircraft that you have to fly.
one thing i don't figure out is the frosting, i have tried all different settings of the blower, defrost switch, cowl flaps and still it frosts up, can't figure why i can't defrost the cockpit windshield and door glass etc.
something i learned from your video is about fuel boost pumps, i turned them off once the engines running, but it makes sense to leave them on during take off and landing.
do you find the volt meter gauge is wrong? it goes to zero.
great video.
Thanks swimnclimb : )
Yeah, it’s a great aircraft. Like you, I prefer aircraft that you actually have to fly.
Regarding icing; I can’t remember specifically regarding the Seminole, but most smaller GA aircraft are not certified for icing conditions and even if they are, they may have very limited de-icing capabilities. It may be possible in the real aircraft to defrost the windshield using the blower (again, without looking at the POH I’m afraid I’m not sure), but it may be that the blower is meant more to deal with internal moisture, fogging up, icing etc (a bit like a car). I would be very surprised if there is any de-icing capability on the side windows etc. Same goes for the engines, I don’t believe the Seminole has any de icing capabilities there. The cowl flaps are there to help control engine temps as opposed to icing build up. Your best bet is to avoid icing conditions altogether. Unfortunately however, icing is quite (unrealistically) prevalent in the sim at the moment.
Yes, the voltmeter, ammeter etc is bugged in a lot of aircraft currently. I believe this is generally a sim issue as opposed to an aircraft issue. The bug came about in one of the early patches.
I will have a look at the aircraft manual when I get the chance and get back to you with more specifics. Hope that helps a little for now : )
Thanks for the feedback, after searching for an official PA-44 operators manual i found one (i think its for flight sim) i have now figured out the defrosting of the windscreen on this beautiful twin, its all about understand how the system works, it has its own heater unit that uses fuel from the fuel tanks (AV GAS) and so what you need to do is push the "Cabin heat fan" switch to the upright position. (this apparently starts the igniter in the heater unit, then you need the air flow level on (to the far right) also the heat selector lever (to the far right) and also the most important the defrost lever (to the far right). i tried it and it works now. started it up on the runway. before i was messing with all different settings thinking if the outside air lever was switched on it would allow cold air into the cockpit, but as this is true it goes through the heater matrix unit and as long as the cabin heat switch is on (in upright position) it then controls the hemps of the cabin air automatically by how much the other lever positions are in, i think the defrost lever directs even more warm air to the windows.
hope this helps. all i need now is for Microsoft to implement all the VOR to VOR frequencies into the Nav log. (Like FSX used to)
looks like i will have to find a 3rd party software to do VOR to VOR Nav planning.
Ok, awesome! Thanks very much for the info and great to hear it’s all modelled correctly in the sim then : )
Yeah, there are a few major things missing from MSFS currently, like not being able to see navaid data in-flight. Skyvector is a good option for that sort of thing (if you haven’t come across it already).
Good Morning IBS( apologies can you advise your name) IBS a bit generic?
Fancy doing a short presentation on the fly sim ware Widgion?
Hello Charlie,
Sorry for the slow reply. Haha, generic is fine by me. Not wishing to be rude, but I'm afraid I'd rather keep personal details off UA-cam. Trying to keep real life and social media separate where possible.
I did look into the Widgeon, but I'm afraid I decided not to cover it. To me it just looks very pricey for what it is. An interesting little aircraft for sure (and I previously enjoyed some of Flysimwares other products), but the texturing and modelling looks to be very much FSX (freeware) standards and 30 EUR for that seems a bit steep. It doesn't look hugely better than the freeware Goose and of course. . . that's free!
I usually try and focus my reviews around products I think it might be worth owning and at its current price, I can't say that this would be one of them (from what I've seen).
It's a shame, as I'm sure it could be great fun in MSFS.
Sorry not to be of more help on that one. All the best!
This is the same plane I got my Multi engine commercial license in.
Nice : ) She’s certainly a very elegant aircraft! Sounds like she’s a little heavy in pitch? but I’d love to have flown something along these lines for my ME rating. I did mine in the DA42, wasn’t a huge fan generally speaking. . .
Are you still flying now?
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Yes I am. I'm currently flying the Cirrus Sr20 at the moment though. The PA-44 was basically like flying a old stick and rudder plane but with two engines. This model they did looks spot on but some things are a bit odd about it. For example the cowl flaps in the real plane are either open or closed. Also the sensitivity of the throttle could be tweaked, at least in the older PA-44-180 I flew the throttles had a "Null Zone" around 70% to 100%. So when cruising I will pull those jokers pretty far back to get at 22 to 23 Inches of manifold.
Yeah the PA-44 was like flying a brick. You pull power out when rotating on landings and it loves to fall out the sky lol. All in all the plane is a great trainer and fun to fly. It will keep you engauged due to the complexity of the machine.
Also our plane had the same setup as this sim version except we had a Aspen E5 glass unit for the Attitude and HSI and the older Garmin 430.
Ah right. Never flown the Cirrus, but always wanted to! I got the version of MSFS with it in, but wasn’t that impressed with sim version (the default G1000 just does nothing for me). She looks like she’d be lovely to fly in real life though.
Yeah, haha, that pretty much mirrors what everyone else has told me about the Seminole, that it’s pretty heavy in pitch and happy to stop flying when you pull the power off.
Thanks very much for the info, always nice to learn a little more about various types! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations No problem. Always nice to fly them and to talk about them. Thanks!
For an older system, your settings are running smooth! Care to share?
Haha, my poor computer, that’s the first time it’s been referred to as “old”! : P
(It is getting that way though for sure - I would like to upgrade. . .).
My settings are pretty straightforward. Everything on “High-End”, AI Traffic OFF and resolution at 1080p.
I do seem to get pretty smooth performance, I would guess the resolution is mostly responsible for that. My monitor is only 1080p, so no benefit to pushing things any higher.
Hope that’s of use : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations thanks. What do you use to navigate cockpit by moving around various directions?
It’s a device called TrackIR. It’s basically a head tracking device that inputs your head movements into the game. It’s quite pricey, but there are freeware alternatives available : )
Thank you for a great video, sure helped me make flying this plane better, I have one question, I can not get the degrees to move by one degree, you seem to have no issues with that, I tried the mouse route and I tried with the Bravo Throttle, only can change be 10 degrees at the time, Any Ideas? Thank you for your time.
Hi Andrew, thanks! Glad you found it useful : )
That sounds very much like an issue that was occurring with the Honeycomb yoke. Are you using one? The yoke used to cause this bug for some reason. Are you running the most up to date version of the Seminole? I believe Carenado patched and fixed this issue. . .
Let me know, hope it helps!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Yes, I am using the Honeycomb Yoke and I updated the latest version of the Seminole. This was done before I watched your video and it still moves 10 degrees at the time, do you know if there is a fix for this? It does the same on all the GA aircrafts. Thank you for your time.
Hmm, I thought this had been fixed by either Carenado or Asobo, perhaps not then. . .
I had a little look online. It’s far from an ideal solution, but it seems if you unbind all of your switches that are not actually on the yoke itself (but rather, are on the body of the unit - eg toggle switches, mag switches etc) then that may fix the issue (I’m seeing mixed results from different users).
Also just wondering, do you have the most up to date drivers for your yoke? Honeycomb might have patched the hardware itself?
From what I’ve seen online though, it seems like the issue is still ongoing for many, so it may be that you’ll just have to wait I’m afraid.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Thank you for looking into this. I was not aware that there where updates for the Honeycomb yoke, I have never seen anyone talk about it.
You’re welcome Andrew : )
I’m not sure if Honeycomb have released any patch or not. I think I maybe read it somewhere, but I may have misread something etc. Worth a look anyway I guess.
I wondered why it was showing No "0" ALT amp. charge on both gauges the entire flight ?
that bit is pretty accurate, the real plane will also read very low on the ammeter. not much electrical load, especially when the two alternators are sharing load.
Hi Joesph : )
Interesting point mentioned by the other poster. Also, electrical systems are fairly broken in the sim currently. Often aircraft will show a discharge when they should be showing a charge etc So any anomalies related to the electrical system may well be Asobos fault, rather than Carenados.
I'm writing this comment about 9 minutes in, and it looked like you were expecting the RPM to only drop 500 during your feather check? If so, that's not what you should be expecting, or doing. For reference in case you aren't aware, a feather check is designed to make sure the engine system is properly working to feather the prop above the pitch stops (950 RPM) in case of an engine failure, but you don't actually want to feather the prop on the ground as that would put a sizable load on the engine components, causing possible damage, so you pull the prop lever all the way back and restore it to full forward BEFORE you witness a drop of more than 500 RPM. But in any case, when operating a real Seminole, you wouldn't leave the prop lever down in the feather position for that long while on the ground - at 1500 RPM and the dry nitrogen charge/spring working properly, the prop will feather on the ground. So Carenado got that right.
Thanks very much for the great feedback! Yes, someone else pointed out the same. It did seem a bit odd to me at the time (that you would only get a 500RPM drop fully-feathered + not stress the engine etc), but the checklist simply said “Max 500RPM”, I misinterpreted that obviously. The only twin piston I’ve ever flown, you couldn’t actually feather the props, so not something I’m familiar with. I’ll definitely be a bit more clued up in future now then. Glad Carenado got it right anyway.
Thanks again for the info, very useful to know : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations OK, good. I was wondering if someone pointed that out, but I didn't see anything in the comments so I figured I'd chime in.
I'm assuming you're referring to another twin simulator program that didn't feather, yeah, I had the same frustration with an earlier version of this Seminole program using FSX, and with other models...until someone pointed out that if you configure either a key or a button with the command, "decrease RPM incrementally," it will then feather any spinning prop if you fail the engine with the mixture or fuel shutoff, or program an engine to fail mechanically within the sim. So I have an extra detent on my throttle levers that I can use for this function applying to the propellers - pull it all the way back into the detent and it feathers under those conditions. Not sure if MS2020 has that setting akin to FSX, but I'm assuming so.
But great video nonetheless!
Thanks Adjua, much appreciated!
I was actually referring to the real-world aircraft I did my multi-engine stuff on. For some reason, I have absolutely no memory whatsoever of doing a feather check on it, but I just had a look back through the manual and sure enough, it’s in the checklist ha. I guess it’s just my memory letting me down a bit there. I didn’t fly it for very long . . .
Yeah, I remember feathering in FSX being very hit and miss, so a good tip for sure : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Oooh, OK. Yeah, a real twin prop would be too dangerous to fly without feathering capabilities. If an engine failed you’d eventually end up in an unrecoverable VMC roll and crash unless you were quick to shut down the other engine and glide. Reduce that adverse yaw significantly and it dramatically reduces that fatal stall speed and makes flying safely more manageable.
Indeed, I’m sure the props were feather-able for the reasons you mentioned, I just really don’t remember doing a feather check during my training haha. But again, I’m sure we did and I suspect it’s just my memory letting me down. It’s been about 10 yrs since I’ve flown a twin prop. . .
Anyway, thanks once again : )
oh, plus every thousand feet you need to add an 1" of man
I have read some comments that the updated version 1.5 has cockpit engine sounds that are not good compared to the original version. I was thinking of buying this aircraft, but if the engine sounds are not good, that would stop me from getting it. Can anyone comment on this issue?
Hi Bob,
It's been a long while since I've flown the Seminole and I'm not sure I've had the chance to try it with the updated sounds. I'm also very bad at hearing the difference between such things haha.
I was at my computer, so I've created a very short clip showing the Seminole sounds, with the aircraft in its current state. Hopefully that should give you a better idea.
ua-cam.com/video/7WZZsy0Ch88/v-deo.html
All the best! : )
Generally, this model seems to want to run very lean.
Seems that way yes. I will do a bit more testing, but didn’t dare lean it any more in the video and risk shutting down both the engines ha!
I bought the aricraft, worked fine for a while - now it is missing. :(
Content manager says it is installed (though strangely if i cklick on it has no version number and the delete button for it says "DELETE (0B)".
That’s strange, sorry to hear that GuWie. Have you tried perhaps deleting it altogether from your MSFS installation folder and then re-downloading?
@@IntotheBlueSimulations thx, that worked.
Great, glad to hear it! : )
hi good vid m8, just bought it, first prob is the seat belt is covering the red switch, on pilots side yet yours showed it clear.?? how do i sorte that, 2nd it looks like i need rudder pedals, it very hard to steer.. thx
Hi Dodger, thanks! : )
I’m guessing you are referring to the fuel selectors (red switches)? I imagine I may have adjusted my view slightly, hence why you could see them in the vid. You might have to do the same when selecting them. The seatbelt is a bit in the way otherwise yes.
I haven’t tried it with anything other than rudder pedals I’m afraid, but I had no problems steering it with them. I can’t see why it would be any more difficult with any other type of control input though - although I believe Asobo changed the rudder input when using a game controller recently (seen quite a few complaints about that), could that be causing your issue?
@@IntotheBlueSimulations the plane flys real smooth, just landed 3hrs from LFBD to LEMH (Bordeaux to menorca ) had a scare half way over Pyrenees at 10000 left in auto pilot while i went for tea, the shock heading straight for mountain top, ICED up wheres the de-ice switch, i flew manually pito tube iced NO speed indicators..lol cleared top put her into slight dive 600FPM cleared mountains down to 5.000 good night time landing, lol how do you clear ICE, rudder peddals on the way...thx for speedy reply.
Haha, sounds eventful!! Good job you caught it just in time. That route sounds like a great one, might consider that myself one of these days : )
The Seminole doesn’t have much in terms of icing protection. The pitot heat should give you back your speed and you should be able to de-ice your windshield, but that’s about it I’m afraid. In reality, in something like a Seminole, you want to do your best to avoid icing conditions altogether. Unfortunately in MSFS icing is rather overdone currently. Ice can accumulate extremely quickly, even from relatively benign conditions. In the sim, I think all you can do to clear ice (on aircraft without icing protection) is either descend into warmer air and wait for it to disperse, or get clear of icing conditions and it will gradually disperse as you continue flying.
Hi Into the Blue Simulations, great video! Quick question from a PC SIM newbie, I did my MEIR in a G430 seminole and am looking for something to practice in for renewals. Can you program in a SID, tune the VOR/ILS/ADF etc, select and run an RNAV approach sequence? Would need all the NAVAIDs to work for my area; YPPH VOR, ILS etc. these are the things that would be really valuable to practice at home? choosing between this and the X-plane equivalent PA44. Any advice would be great!
Hi Ben, thanks! : )
I’m afraid I can’t comment on the SID / STAR / RNAV side of things too much, as I haven’t had a chance to try them yet. The aircraft uses the default MSFS GPS. I did manage to enter a rudimentary flight plan into it, and it seems the sim does have most SID / STARS in its database, so I think this would be doable (same for an RNAV). I’ve been hearing people of people having issues with GPS approaches in the sim though.
As for navaids, yep, you can tune VOR, ADF, ILS etc. I tried them all, all seem to work ok. From what other have said, the Carenado Seminole is quite a bit more sensitive than the real thing, but for procedural stuff, should be good enough. If you want to do some training, I think the X-Plane version might be a better bet (as it’s a more solid sim platform generally at the moment), but I haven’t personally tried the PA44 in X-Plane.
Sorry I can’t really offer more detail. If / when I get the chance, I’ll investigate SIDs etc and let you know the results. Hope that helps in the mean time. . .
Ps, as far as avionics go, I did set / tune them all up, I just did it before the vid to save some time. No issues encountered there as I say.
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Hi,how are you? I got some questions also,I was tried to fly nav on the FSM2020 in this Seminole,it seems like I can’t use OBS button on the G530 on this one,and also the direct to button is bit different compared to what I’m currently flying..
Hi, I'm very well thanks, hope you are too!
It's a bit of a tricky time to be figuring out issues such as these unfortunately, with sim update 5 having just arrived and breaking a lot of addons in the process. What I would highly recommend though (if you haven't already), is trying out the GNS530 mod. It's free, adds a tonne of functionality and brings the unit more in-line with it's real world counterpart. I believe the mod has now been updated to be compatible with sim update 5. Give it a go and if you're still having issues, let me know! : )
github.com/pimarc/pms50-gns530
All the best!
I thought it was because I’m high I saw the taxiway moving so fast.
Haha, well, quite possibly it was a little of both? : P
How i disable the end screen after shutdown the engines or turn off batteries?
Hi Leandro,
As far as I know you can’t I’m afraid (I wish you could, it realllly annoys me!). I just edit that screen out as best I can from my videos.
I just tried a flight this aircraft in FS2020. Not good for me, it would not hold a heading or altitude. I have this aircraft in Prepar3 4 and X-plane and It flies good. Not sure if it's FS2020 with more bugs showing up for me.
Sorry to hear that Ron. Do you mean with regards to the autopilot or when flying manually?
I didn’t have any issues in either department really. There does seem to be a huge amount of inconsistency from one persons setup to another with this sim currently though. Bugs affecting some people but not others etc. . .
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Yes I agree about inconsistency. I was flying about a four hour flight with the A/P and when it started wallow from left to right and porpoising up and down, I disconnected the A/P and couldn't regain control. I stopped the sim and went back to X-Plane. I don't spend much time with 2020 and try to figure out why it failed. I want to spend my time flying. I have a very late model high performance computer that I bought to run 2020 so the other sims run really well. Thanks for the nice video. I do have the Seminole in PrePar and X-Plane 11 and it is a very fine airplane.
@@WR5RR
You didn't say how far into your four hour flight you were, and what region you were flying, real weather e.t.c. This aircraft for MSFS has a five star rating and there are a ton of videos of people flying this aircraft without issues. Something went awry with your system set-up most probably. You need to fly the same route, same altitude e.t.c more than once to see if your issue its intermittent or not.
@@Stringbean421 I don't recall how far I was in the flight. I was flying in the NE USA with the default live weather. I don't fault the aircraft as I have it in three other sims (FSX,PrePar and X-Plane 11).
Hmm, very strange result. Not unheard of though. I’ve heard of many cases where the autopilot results in a loss of control (often unrecoverable). I have experienced one instance of this myself, in the A320 (had almost no control in pitch, had to take Flaps 1 to regain control).
For sure, X-Plane or P3D is a better bet currently, if you want a stable simming experience. Sorry that the Seminole didn’t work out for you in a MSFS though. . .
Glad you enjoyed the video anyway : )
Almost like a video!? So different to X Plane
Yes, when it comes to the graphics at least, MSFS definitely has no equal! : )
Great review. What are your rudder sensitivity settings? I've fiddled with mine but I can't find the sweet spot where I'm not darting all over the taxiway lol..
Thanks Jordan : )
I’m using a curve of -50 for the rudder. Haha, yeah. Rudder response is still pretty “off” in a lot of aircraft in the sim, but I find this setting helps a bit.
Thank you so much for this one it was very informative But please include ATC it would help me understand and don't rush it. And please spend more time explaining the navigation it was a little confusing at times Thank you for all that you do.
Whilst he is at it he might as well do a one to one private session with you yea.
Thanks very much Malcolm, glad you enjoyed the video!
I do understand your comments, but as this video was an aircraft review, I wouldn’t have wanted to blur the lines and make it into a tutorial as well. I generally use ATC for VFR flights in MSFS, but currently avoid using it when flying IFR, as it simply doesn’t work very well.
Rest assured though, there will be more tutorials coming in the future. Another “Flight School” series for IFR flight and probably some multi-engine stuff as well now : )
5:00 Are shadows always flickering like that in the cockpit, very distracting!
Yeah, they do tend to do that a bit. I only have my game set to “High-end” though, as opposed to “Ultra”. Not sure how much of a difference it makes. . . I expect you’d still get some flickering. Doesn’t really bother me personally. In fact didn’t even notice it at the time. I’m sure I won’t be able to un-see it now though haha!
Nice review and it looks like a really nice twin. However, before I buy it, I was wondering if anyone has seen that the problems with the Mooney M20R have been fixed after Microsoft messed it up with their update and then REFUSED to give me a refund, with Microsoft blaming Carenado and vice versa? I'd hate to waste another £24-99 as my Mooney is still unable to fly!
Hi Dave, thanks! : )
It is nice indeed, but I’m afraid you’re probably better off holding off on purchasing in that case. As I understand it, the Mooney still has issues. I believe the next sim update is due out on Tuesday, it’s certainly possible this could cause issues with the Seminole as well.
Sorry to hear that. That’s really poor from both Microsoft and Carenado, especially Carenado. They know they’re developing a production for a constantly changing platform. They should be prepared to support the product throughout its lifespan. It’s doubly silly, as they’ve gone a long way towards updating their image in my opinion (with 3 solid products). Stupid decisions like this is quickly going to alienate their customer base!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Thanks for you quick response. The video shows most of it good with a couple of exceptions that you noted which don't seem that serious. After all, if it works for you, it should work for me and it does seem a very interesting aircraft. I think I shall risk it. It's just a shame that between them, if they do mess things up after the 14-day return window, with an update or something they really have you be the "short and curlies", lol!
I have the Coronado Mooney m20r the sim freezes and crashes when switching the VS altitude mode. This has gotten worse since I updated to windows version 2004.
You’re welcome Dave! Hope it’s working well for you then and that you’re enjoying it : )
Yeah, between them they need to decide who’s responsibility it is and update accordingly. It certainly shouldn’t be the customer that suffers! From what I’ve read, sounds like another update is on the way for the Ovation though, so it seems like Carenado is doing the right thing (so far).
I haven’t had the chance to fly the Mooney for a while, I’m sure it’d be the same for me then. That’s frustrating. I hear there is another patch in the works from Carenado, so hopefully that will sort things out (at least until Asobo patch the sim again ha).
For the life of me can't figure out how to switch the nav source from GPS. Any thoughts?
“From GPS” or “to GPS”? For me it was in NAV by default. I must admit, I’m not sure where the button is (or if it exists) and I’m not at my computer right now, so I can’t check.
If you don’t find a button though, you could maybe try setting a key-binding on your controls instead. That would probably work. Not ideal I know, but would at least allow you to switch accordingly : )
May I please ask how you opened the door on the aircraft?
Hi Matthew.
If you click on the front of the yoke you’ll bring up an iPad. That will give you various aircraft options, including opening / closing the doors : )
What is the real difference between this and the Seneca 5?
Hi Quantum,
In terms of quality, the aircraft are pretty much the same. The main difference between the two, really comes down to performance. You can fly higher and quite a bit faster in the Seneca. The Seneca also has slightly more capable avionics (there’s not a tonne of difference between the two though). If you already own the Seneca, I wouldn’t say there’s a huge amount of benefit to picking up the Seminole, unless you really want it for some specific reason.
I hope that answers your question? All the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Thank You very much. Yes thats all I wanted to know and I keep flying my Seneca V.
Perfect! Glad to be of help.
Happy flying : )