Alabeo aircraft? Thoughts from owners?

[Felixthreeone]

Ok so I decided to take the plunge on the Waco, and have been very impressed. Alabeo have my interest now....and I am wondering whether or not the Pitts, extra, sukhoi, and agtruck are of equal pedigree? I am not looking for 100% by-the-book perfection, but more for fun and overall enjoyment factor. Input??

[ryanbatc]

I have their Pitts - won't do acro.... but maybe Bernt did a revised fde I never downloaded...

Gorgeous model though...

[Felixthreeone]

Ryan, when you say 'won't do acro', what level of aerobatics CAN it do? If at all? I don't need the flat spins and such but rolls and loops and reasonable performance in the vertical would be fun

[griphos]

I have the Ag Truck. Fun plane, but the Waco is in a league of its own, as far as I'm concerned. They got that one right across the board, with the one exception of the high res skins' effect on MP.

[gecko65]

I have both the Truck and the Waco. Alabeo is one the top five developers in my book. The detailing of the models is ridiculous, and by ridiculous I mean outstanding. I'm not too picky about flight models, as long as it will trim out well. The Waco feels heavy in flight/acrobatics - it ain't a Pitts for sure. But what really forced me to buy the Waco was the modern cockpit setup. It's one of my favorite planes.

[heywooood]

I have both the Truck and the Waco. Alabeo is one the top five developers in my book. The detailing of the models is ridiculous, and by ridiculous I mean outstanding. I'm not too picky about flight models, as long as it will trim out well. The Waco feels heavy in flight/acrobatics - it ain't a Pitts for sure. But what really forced me to buy the Waco was the modern cockpit setup. It's one of my favorite planes.

I have the Sukoi, the C188, the Pitts and the Waco

the Sukoi is a great aerobatic flier with power and flight dynamics that are suited to its design
the Waco is not an aerobatic plane - too heavy among other things...but it is not supposed to be thrown around the sky..its a luxury cruiser with a smoke canister
the Pitts is a solid aerobatic model...it behaves properly for its size and relative power - you have to empty the tanks (around 25-30%) and not try to blast around with a full tank
the C188 is so much fun and I just love the cockpit, especially the lighting - flying at dusk/ dawn in the Cessna Aggie is the best

ALL of the Alabeo models are of the highest quality in appearance, and flight model fidelity
I recommend buying Alabeo every time...cant' go wrong

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/heywooood/2012-9-3_18-26-46-646_zpsf00209e2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v250/heywooood/2012-9-21_18-54-4-635_zps389e53ae.jpg

[dvj]

Ok so I decided to take the plunge on the Waco, and have been very impressed. Alabeo have my interest now....and I am wondering whether or not the Pitts, extra, sukhoi, and agtruck are of equal pedigree? I am not looking for 100% by-the-book perfection, but more for fun and overall enjoyment factor. Input??

I have the Pitts and Sukhoi, both superb models and do not disapoint.

[Barnes]

If they produced a flying flea i would buy it as their work superb on all products. I have given up expecting any product to handle presisely like the real thing from any producer.

[Peter SWE]

I have the Pitts and the agtruck, both are superbly modelled och really nice textured. They both have exelent FPS.

The agtruck is amazing! Bernt Stolle did the fde for it, it flyes really close to the real deal. I did a thread about it a while ago; http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?70625-Hat-s-off-to-Alabeo-and-Bstolle


For me the Pitts is a disapointment to fly, it looks GREAT but i think the fde is far from realistic, you can do aileron rolls and loops but that's about it. It won't knifeedge, sideslip, spinn, snapproll or do anything that means stalling the wings in any way. It will do a halv decent hammerhead but no tailslide.
Please note thou that i have never flown a real pitts, i base my oppinion on how i expect an aerobatic aircraft to behave.

[peter12213]

I consider Alabeo to be a great company, I fly the Su26 a lot but also have all the other except the Waco, which is next on my list!

[modelr]

I have the Waco and love it. It flies extremely well, and is beautiful. Best model in my stable, right now.

[olderndirt]

And let's not forget the bottom line. At $19.95. the Waco is a lot more 'bang for your buck' than a lot of others out there.

[Felixthreeone]

A lot of good input....I guess I will give the Pitts and maybe the Sukhoi a run. But, I am eyeing up the Extra 300 as well; maybe I will spring for all 3? The Agtruck looks cool, but crop dusting isn't really my cup 'o tea...

[racartron]

A lot of good input....I guess I will give the Pitts and maybe the Sukhoi a run. But, I am eyeing up the Extra 300 as well; maybe I will spring for all 3? The Agtruck looks cool, but crop dusting isn't really my cup 'o tea...

You won't go wrong with these beauties. But reconsider your decision on the Agtruck. It is a real hoot to fly and it also comes with a non spray version if ya don't like all that extra plumbing hanging off the wings.:cowboy:

[heywooood]

You won't go wrong with these beauties. But reconsider your decision on the Agtruck. It is a real hoot to fly and it also comes with a non spray version if ya don't like all that extra plumbing hanging off the wings.:cowboy:

I agree - I dont do any dusting either...just flying the C188 is great fun - the dusting effect it has is unique and makes for good screenshots - but straight flying this plane is cool
I usually just fly it from one industrial ag field to the other...CEN4 from ORBX is a terrific base for the C188 but there are many other suitable fields to hangar it

[gtirob01]

Ive got both the Waco and the Sukhoi

Theres not much more I can say about the Waco that has not already been said, its a thing of beauty! A member of another forum Im on actually works with Waco.... and the main guys there were ecstatic about the Alabeo model. Endorsement from the real deal.... doesnt get much better than that!

The Sukhoi is a completely different animal, but again superbly made. I'm not aerobatic flyer, but I have lots of fun in this plane and am constantly trying new things. Its fun to see just what kind of crazy thing you can do with this plane.

All in all, I am extremely happy with both models, and will be looking for more from them!

[Felixthreeone]

Thanks for the info! I will pick up them all...maybe one per week or so. I think I will start with the Sukhoi or Pitts...but the Extra wont be far behind!

[Ferry_vO]

If you buy from PC Aviator on Tuesdays you'll get a 10% discount.. Makes them even better value for your money! I have the C188 and the SU-26 and both are great aircraft! :applause:

[Felixthreeone]

Ahhh that is true...PC Aviator does have that Tuesday thing...and I am off from work tomorrow!

[peter12213]

I didn't like the Pitts, I don't like the way it fly's but this is the aircraft and not Alabeo's model or FDE, so I'd leave that one until last personally!:wavey:

[Txmmy83]

I am owner of both Su26 & Pitts

I am wondering that there are no 3rd party repaints out?!

[jankees]

I am owner of both Su26 & Pitts

I am wondering that there are no 3rd party repaints out?!

because I only bought the waco?:icon_lol:
oh no, I have the agtruck too, and love both!
But apparently no painter bought either aircraft.

[bushpilot]

I agree - I dont do any dusting either...just flying the C188 is great fun - the dusting effect it has is unique and makes for good screenshots - but straight flying this plane is cool
I usually just fly it from one industrial ag field to the other...CEN4 from ORBX is a terrific base for the C188 but there are many other suitable fields to hangar it


I'd recommend C188 and also doing the dusting. It's really fun and aerobatic plane to fly, so dusting fields, dodging powerlines, jumping treelines and doing hammerheads is a blast. There's also fun mission for everyone owning NZ North Island and Alabeo C188:

http://aussiex.org/forum/index.php?/files/file/3006-ozx-mission-crop-dusting-1/ (http://aussiex.org/forum/index.php?/files/file/3006-ozx-mission-crop-dusting-1/)

[Felixthreeone]

Well I purchased the Extra 300 and the AGtruck. I will be installing and flying them sometime today or tomorrow and will post my own (personal) opinion of each. Hopefully there will be more Alabeo purchases to come! I love the Waco, and it was the reason I started this little journey lol

[Felixthreeone]

WOw. SO, after purchasing the Waco...and then the Extra 300 and AGTruck...and now the Sukhoi and Pitts...

...I have become a monster!! Haha this aerobatic stuff is too much fun!! Well, in so much as the dynamics of the Sukhoi and EXtra almost make me puke when combined with my trusty 'ol Track IR and EZ Dok....they are 'lively'...to say the least. The Sukhoi seems to want to stall (a lot) and the Extra just seems to fight me on the centerline (on the ground as well as airborne). The Agtruck...well, it flies like a squashed buttock. ANd the Pitts....not sure who said it can't do aero/acro, but mine sure does. Maybe my controls are a bit more fussed-over, since I am a RWP. Who knows. I am having a blast with these planes and I can't wait to get my hands on some more FUN stuff for FSX!! Who knew this flight-sim thing was for FUN??? Not me!!! This is great!!! I think I will toss the real-world flying in the bin...and just rip around in the Extra for a few months 'til I can actually fly it in some way that looks like 'controlled' flight hahaaa:jump::applause::wiggle:

[Geoff5]

Hey guys,
I too purchased the Agtruck, love the detail, i have one problem i have no sound whilst inside the cockpit?
Get out and look around the aircraft and you get realistic engine sound, but nothing inside.
Any ideas would be greatly accepted.
regards
Geoff

[jetstreamsky]

Do you hear anything inside the cockpit if you turn your head to one side?

if you do it's likely your speaker setup using a centre channel which presumably you don't have.

[Felixthreeone]

Hey guys,
I too purchased the Agtruck, love the detail, i have one problem i have no sound whilst inside the cockpit?
Get out and look around the aircraft and you get realistic engine sound, but nothing inside.
Any ideas would be greatly accepted.
regards
Geoff


...Geoff, I have no idea why that would be the case; I actually had to turn down my speakers with the AGtruck because the noise inside as well as outside is louder than a number of my other addon aircraft...

[ryanbatc]

WOw. SO, after purchasing the Waco...and then the Extra 300 and AGTruck...and now the Sukhoi and Pitts...

...I have become a monster!! Haha this aerobatic stuff is too much fun!! Well, in so much as the dynamics of the Sukhoi and EXtra almost make me puke when combined with my trusty 'ol Track IR and EZ Dok....they are 'lively'...to say the least. The Sukhoi seems to want to stall (a lot) and the Extra just seems to fight me on the centerline (on the ground as well as airborne). The Agtruck...well, it flies like a squashed buttock. ANd the Pitts....not sure who said it can't do aero/acro, but mine sure does.

I said it can't.... I'd love to know what you're doing. I wasn't able to do hammerheads, spins, heck I couldn't even forward slip the thing.

[Peter SWE]

I said it can't.... I'd love to know what you're doing. I wasn't able to do hammerheads, spins, heck I couldn't even forward slip the thing.

Same for me, i'd love to be able to do acro with it. I can't either do sideslips, stallturns, tailslides, spins, snaprolls or a lot of other acrofigures.

I bought the Alabeo Extra today, :jump:. It's a beast! I've been trying to learn fsx areobatics in the realair decathlon for some time now. That one is stable and friendly and great to learn in but the extra is something else...I'm having a blast with it!

[Felixthreeone]

...Maybe it is my rudder pedals? I don't know... I haven't been able to spin it, but knife edge, side-slips, a (messy) snap roll (that almost always gets away from me) and the hammerhead turns I have had SOME degree of success with. I just put my sensitivities all the way up and man-handle the thing. Oh...and a bit of R/W aerobatic training certainly helps a smidge...


...And yes...the Extra is a BEAST!!! I have been flying the living heck out of it just trying to tame it a little....but it is FUN FUN FUN!!!!:applause:

[bstolle]

Same for me, i'd love to be able to do acro with it. I can't either do sideslips, stallturns, tailslides, spins, snaprolls or a lot of other acrofigures


I said it can't.... I'd love to know what you're doing. I wasn't able to do hammerheads, spins, heck I couldn't even forward slip the thing.

Which plane? Extra ? Pitts ? Sukhoi ? Realism sliders fully right ? Autorudder disabled ?

[bstolle]

...Maybe it is my rudder pedals? I don't know... I haven't been able to spin it, but knife edge, side-slips, a (messy) snap roll (that almost always gets away from me) and the hammerhead turns I have had SOME degree of success with.

If you can perform a snap roll (and a snap roll is nothing more than a spin in the horizontal plane) you should be able to spin the Extra, but like with the real one, a clean spin entry is a difficult to achieve and needs practise.

[Felixthreeone]

Well Bernt..

Autorudder disabled, realism and all other sensitivities to the right; My snap roll (as I alluded to earlier) was a bit...'disorganized'...

...And I have tried all of them. None seem to want to spin. Lomcevak-style snappies seem to be the norm for the 300, and the sukhoi..well, lets just say I am glad it stays airborne. It is a lot of fun just seeing what I can do with them..And I absolutely recommend anyone who likes having 'FUN' flightsimming give them a go

[bstolle]

Both the Pitts and the Sukhoi have a really bad FDE out of the box. I made a new FDE for the Sukhoi which should be available from Alabeo since quite some time.
(Couldn't find it in the update section so I guess you can only see it when logged into your account)
Timing is crucial e.g. for a nice snap and spin entry.

[Felixthreeone]

Off to find it now....the Sukhoi is kickin my butt...

..Just went over and logged in; No updated FDE for the Sukhoi, just an update for the Pitts and Aggie

[gtirob01]

bstolle, I purchased the Sukhoi through fspilotshop, and have yet to see any fde update. Even though Im having fun with the box-stock Sukhoi, I'd love to see what the re-worked fde can do. Anywhere else I can find it?

[Felixthreeone]

+1...This plane is great but needs a Bernt Stolle tweak or two...

[bstolle]

I'll send Alabeo an e-mail ASAP. The problem is that the FDE needed a mdl update as well due to the opposite rotating prop so it's only Alabeo who can offer this.

[Felixthreeone]

I'll send Alabeo an e-mail ASAP. The problem is that the FDE needed a mdl update as well due to the opposite rotating prop so it's only Alabeo who can offer this.

...Thank you, Bernt!! Much appreciated! I would like to tame this somewhat troublesome beastie....:mix-smi:

[Peter SWE]

Which plane? Extra ? Pitts ? Sukhoi ? Realism sliders fully right ? Autorudder disabled ?

Pitts, Sliders fully right, flying with pedals.

The extra is superb! It's the pitts that i haven't been able to fly like i hoped it would fly.

[ryanbatc]

Both the Pitts and the Sukhoi have a really bad FDE out of the box..

That makes sense because I have the Pitts.

[Geoff5]

Do you hear anything inside the cockpit if you turn your head to one side?

if you do it's likely your speaker setup using a centre channel which presumably you don't have.

Thanks jetstreamsky & Matt, reconfigured the speakers and works like a charm.:applause:
Many thanks for your advice

Geoff

[ThinkingManNeil]

A couple of thoughts on the Alabeo WACO YMF-5 and the Cessna C188 AgTruck. I bought both through FSPilotShop last week and have been enjoying them immensely ever since. I had openly mused on one of the forums here awhile back that I'd be more than willing to pay good money for a payware WACO YMF-5 if someone did real justice to it. Well, Alabeo has more than come through on this absolute gem. The level of external detail makes everything pure eye candy and the rear pit is a delight (if I ever win the lottery, this is how I'd want my YMF configured). The only oddity I found is that you can see the strobes flashing THROUGH the upper wingtips and my framerate is hiccuping somewhat, but other than that I am really, really happy with the Alabeo YMF-5. As much as I liked Bill Lyon's version in FS9, this bird takes things to a much more accurate level, and considering the great price for it it's much more than a bargain. I'm definitely going to have to put out a request for a custom New Zealand repaint for this baby.

The Cessna AgTruck's a hoot. I've not tried the dusting or spraying features yet as I've been flying it sans spray gear. I've always like the look of this aircraft and often thought that it would make a superb personal aircraft if you removed all the agricultural accoutrements; very fighter-like in some regards.

Seeing that Alabeo has a penchant for airplanes slightly off the beaten path, I'm going to ask them if they'd consider doing either a Cessna A152 Aerobat with a taildragger conversion, Horton STOL kit, and Sparrowhawk engine mod or a PZL-104 Wilga 2000MA with the 300hp Lycoming IO-540 flat six and winglet mods. Knowing Alabeo's work now, I'm sure they'd be masterpieces!

N.

[bstolle]

...Thank you, Bernt!! Much appreciated! I would like to tame this somewhat troublesome beastie....:mix-smi:

They misplaced the SP1 for the Sukhoi!!! It's now available from the Alabeo update section....have fun...

Note concerning the Extra. After finishing the FDE I was a bit surprised to find out that she's not too impressive when performing aerobatics in the low to mid speed range.
The faster she's flown the better and more crisp she performs.
Turns out after browsing through all my docs and books that this exactly the same with the real Extra.

[Felixthreeone]

Many thanks for getting that taken care of, Bernt!

[gtirob01]

Hmmm interesting, I bought the Sukhoi well after June 8th.... so I already have the updated fde? Perhaps thats why I can spin it, and do many fun things with this bird!

[bstolle]

Hmmm interesting, I bought the Sukhoi well after June 8th.... so I already have the updated fde? Perhaps thats why I can spin it, and do many fun things with this bird!

Quote from the Alabeo website:

You don´t need it if you bought the aircraft after June 8th, 2012 at 20.00 GMT.

[Landman]

In reference to the Waco YMF-5 there is a lever in the cockpit labelled "Alt. Air" next to the mixture lever. Does anyone know what it is for? I don't see any effect of setting it one way or another other than the engine runs slightly slower with it open. It it the same as carb heat maybe?

[olderndirt]

In reference to the Waco YMF-5 there is a lever in the cockpit labelled "Alt. Air" next to the mixture lever. Does anyone know what it is for? I don't see any effect of setting it one way or another other than the engine runs slightly slower with it open. It it the same as carb heat maybe?Alt air is used when your primary pitot/static source fails.

[Landman]

Aha. I see.

It doesn't come with a manual but then again it doesn't need one. No complex systems here.

[MarkH]

Alt air is used when your primary pitot/static source fails.

I think the carb heat one is right, although it's not strictly 'carb heat' as the YMF is fuel-injected. The RPM drop would confirm this.

[Tube and Rag]

In reference to the Waco YMF-5 there is a lever in the cockpit labelled "Alt. Air" next to the mixture lever. Does anyone know what it is for? I don't see any effect of setting it one way or another other than the engine runs slightly slower with it open. It it the same as carb heat maybe?

The alternate air is a secondary source for the engine induction. You would open it if the air filter were to get blocked. Maybe a slight loss of power using the alternate.