Boeing B-314 "The Clipper" released!

[YoYo]

What a surprise!

https://www.pilots.shop/Cms/Ui/Pages...PoytBih8LAGa6c

[YoYo]

I'm waiting for the first opinions, I have something to fly now, some extras came out recently, the MiG-15bis in the hangar is not even open yet and here's something that I HAVE TO HAVE again! Just WOW.

I'm asking for feedback because I heard that someone other than P3Dv5 was responsible for porting of this model to MSFS. Supposedly.

[SH427]

I'm finishing up some 3D modeling work (It's a submarine, shouldn't take long!) and then I'll take it out for some wet pattern work

[Javis]

Magnificent screenshot for one thing !

[DennyA]

I am so close to biting on this -- I had the FSX version way back when -- but I'm going to hold out for impressions because the description says some cockpit features are still under construction. And apparently this is from a different dev than the P3D release. (Not that that's necessarily a negative, it's just an unknown.)

[EDIT: I am weak. Downloading now.]

[cavaricooper]

Andy (Stearmandriver) and I have been waiting for this for a LOOOONNNNNNGGGGG time. The VC is underwhelming and I spend most of my time there. Will wait for reviews (and hopefully some texture upgrades)... fingers x'ed! On the site it says "over time will be developed to study level"....

C

[DennyA]

Ugh. The installer is classic FSX payware level bad UI. First time I've ever thought "wish I'd bought this from the MSFS Marketplace instead."

It looks like it will be coming to Marketplace, as the manual includes this about the scenery:

We built the following ones for you. These are either already included in the product (when purchased NOT at MSFS Marketplace) or you can download them for free after registering your product at https://www.b314clipper.com (when purchased at MSFS Marketplace).

[SH427]

Okay, flew it for like 30 minutes, first impressions of the 314 (haven't tried the A model yet):
-Not sure why but trying to rotate from the water can lead to some weird "tailstrike" behaviour where it slaps the nose back down a few times, this was at 106% MTOW with full tanks so I'll try again with less gas and see what happens
-RPM Gauges on the front cluster are connected to the left two engines, though 99% of the time you're synched up anyway, just an annoyance.
-The aircraft feels a little too responsive compared to the P3D version, I kind of got used to leading turns with aileron and using the rudders to change heading. This one is pretty snappy comparatively.
-Propeller hubs with engines running appear to split in half, it looks like Pilot's doesn't have the prop disc technology yet, still 2D.
-probably pretty close to the real thing, water rudder is trash and doesn't really work, easier to use differential thrust.

All that said, it flies alright, it looks good, it's missing some of the more mundane parts of the P3D version, example given, the water gauge on the back wall is INOP, no way to drain the water. You can't set the alternators yourself and the cold start has both fuel pumps wide open. There's other things but in all I like it a lot, and MSFS is a great platform for it. Honestly, I'd say its not quite worth the 30 bucks, but pretty close right now, and it should only get better from here.

As a PS to cavaricooper, I'm not sure what part of the VC you take issue with, it looks alright to me?

[YoYo]

As a PS to cavaricooper, I'm not sure what part of the VC you take issue with, it looks alright to me?

Maybe this? I noticed it at the very beginning but maybe final version is ok, or its a play of lights?

https://i.imgur.com/8HF82bQ.jpg

[DennyA]

My issue with the VC is that hideous green carpet everywhere and the green walls. The shot I found of a Pan Am Clipper circa 1939 had a nice tasteful tan cockpit wall and blue carpeting.

SH247, the problem rotating is due to the fuel mixture being set at lean at takeoff. Had the same problem, particularly with the 314A. Lift your left armrest, and move the fuel mixture lever to rich. Now I can get the 314A into the air with a 70% fuel load. I haven't flown the old version since FSX days, but the flight model feels good to me once you get the engines set up right.

I posted a bunch of screenshots and some impressions to the official forum. Sorry, I'd replicate here, but vBulletin's screenshot linking is just painful to use. Check out the posts if you want to see the full batch:

Post 1 with impressions
Post 2 with some cabin shots and a comparison of the ugly green to a real 314 cockpit color scheme

A few shots:

[dvj]

My issue with the VC is that hideous green carpet everywhere and the green walls. The shot I found of a Pan Am Clipper circa 1939 had a nice tasteful tan cockpit wall and blue carpeting. SH247, the problem rotating is due to the fuel mixture being set at lean at takeoff. Had the same problem, particularly with the 314A. Lift your left armrest, and move the fuel mixture lever to rich. Now I can get the 314A into the air with a 70% fuel load. I haven't flown the old version since FSX days, but the flight model feels good to me once you get the engines set up right.I posted a bunch of screenshots and some impressions to the official forum. Sorry, I'd replicate here, but vBulletin's screenshot linking is just painful to use. Check out the posts if you want to see the full batch: Post 1 with impressionsPost 2 with some cabin shots and a comparison of the ugly green to a real 314 cockpit color scheme

That green seems to be taken from color cutaway drawings of the 314. As it matches the 60s shag carpet in my house, I quite like it. -d

[Tom Clayton]

Is there any kind of autopilot? Also, how deep are systems simulated? Does it take an hour of prep to get the engines running and taxi, or is there a more straight-forward sequence?

[YoYo]

Is there any kind of autopilot? Also, how deep are systems simulated? Does it take an hour of prep to get the engines running and taxi, or is there a more straight-forward sequence?

As I remember it has stabilizer, kind of Sperry.

[DennyA]

Yep, it has a flight stabilizer-style autopilot. Nothing more sophisticated because 1939.

The systems look pretty detailed, but I had less than an hour to mess around and do some takeoffs and landings and grab some screens yesterday, and probably won't have time to fly again for a couple of days. There's a full engineer panel, and nav and radio stations though I only messed with the controls at the flight engineer panel.

You can download the documentation here if you want to check it out.

[dvj]

Forum comment from the developer indicated 4 weeks before it hits the Marketplace. So I went ahead and purchased through the Pilots site. Had a bit of trouble with the install as my anti-virus software kept deleting the install file. The aircraft looks good, but a bit FSX/P3D on the interior graphics. Just dropped it in the water so grabbed a quick screenie. To early to say anything else about it. It is the only B-314 for MSFS which is a good thing for those who like these planes.

[Priller]

I like the way she "sits" in the water. Seems very realistic!

Priller

[YoYo]

Nice shot dvj!

[Tom Clayton]

Thanks for the links Denny! I'll try to get some time to read over the details to see if it's something I want to dive into. I purposefully avoid the modern heavies in this sim due to the time it takes to get ready to even taxi. And it's not even the start procedures - I don't mind having to fire up an APU to get bleed air for the mains. It's the danged FMS that has to be programmed.

Edit - looks like that manual package is for previous versions. The MSFS download page only has the paper model.

[SH427]

Simple sperry gyropilot, holds a rough course and pitch, if you can trim the bird to fly mostly hands off, you can flip it on (with 2 levers!) and after some minute adjustments, the plane will mostly take care of itself. If the weather is not good, you might not be able to use it to its fullest extent, but I'll take that level of realism.

Some of the more study-level aspects are missing, like the Pyrometer-Potentiometer to measure CHT precisely, the prop synchronizer, adjusting the voltages on the alternator boxes. It's mostly stuff a regular MSFS user wouldn't really notice and it doesn't detract from the experience.

My biggest gripe I think is how easily these large flying boats (the H4 and the italian one whose name fails me at the moment) weathercock in the winds. And even though the mooring line works to hold the plane in place in the fore and aft department, once you get all 4 engines running all of a sudden the water starts freaking out in front of you. Kinda odd.

The only other gripe I have right now is that there's no friggin' parking spots for any floatplanes at the sea bases, so it's always hot started.
And the aircraft state .flt files are weird because if you set them so that the aircraft is shut down, cold and dark (copying and renaming hangar.flt to runway.flt and runwaywater.flt) the aircraft spawns with one engine running and there's no way to shut it off (mag switch and mix lever stay in the on position and reset if you try to move them.) Starting at a genuine parking spot like the one next to the old terminal at Laguardia doesn't have this problem.

[paiken]

That is a gorgeous plane! I'm on the fence about this one. I love the old-time flying boats, but I think I'll wait a couple more months to see what fixes and upgrades come down the pike. Having a lot of fun with the Caribou right now.

[Tom Clayton]

There's a set of water airports for Kodiak Island that, if I remember correctly, has wet parking spots. But they're a bit on the small side for something of this scale. If we're ever going to get anything close to getting a proper CL-415 or even a ShinMaywa S-2, then someone's going to need to step up and get some wet dock spots. VRMM in the Maldives is especially in need of wet spots, since there are Twotter floatplanes operating from that location to ferry vacationers to the various small islands that aren't big enough for a regular airstrip.

[dvj]

[dvj]

Spray and wake effects are very good.

[jankees]

Spray and wake effects are very good.

that's a gorgeous shot!

[Paul K]

Two more great compositions, DVJ. You certainly have a knack for it.