Fokker F28 released

[jankees]

Just flight Fokker F28 has been released: https://www.justflight.com/product/f28-professional

And I'm on holiday..

[Twice43]

I've started to read the Op. Manual & am trying to figure out the GPS/AP functionality.
It doesn't appear to have NAV button/capability, but does refer to following a GPS track.
Any early adopters able to enlighten me?
T43

[StormILM]

They hit a home run with this model. T43, make sure you have no controller mappings to A/P functions that are constantly on or that will interfere with A/P pitch and roll functions and commands. I have got it running nice and smooth now BUT I feel the pitch is a bit aggressive at the top of the descent. I just cut the A/P pitch channel and descend by pitch trim and throttle. Works perfect in that config while leaving the heading/beam channel on to maintain vectors.

[ColoKent]

They hit a home run with this model. T43, make sure you have no controller mappings to A/P functions that are constantly on or that will interfere with A/P pitch and roll functions and commands. I have got it running nice and smooth now BUT I feel the pitch is a bit aggressive at the top of the descent. I just cut the A/P pitch channel and descend by pitch trim and throttle. Works perfect in that config while leaving the heading/beam channel on to maintain vectors.

Completely agree w/Bryant (but I always seem to!). Love this little gem....now if they would ONLY do a Friendship (F27), I'd be in Fokker heaven!

Kent

**EDIT** Sorry, but I am just ENAMORED with this airplane...I just LOVE this little jet. Having a blast putting it through it's paces.

[zetar]

VERY too expansive for this old plane !

[ColoKent]

VERY too expansive for this old plane !

If one equates cost with "newness" of the aircraft type, I suppose...But I don't. It's really well done, and I'm enjoying it. I believe JF's 2+ years of effort on this airplane warrant the price.

Kent

[blanston12]

VERY too expansive for this old plane !

I agree it does seam very expensive. When ever an add-on cost as much or more than the sim itself it ways makes me pause. From looking at the preview videos of it they have spent a lot of time making study level features and animations thought the aircraft that obviously took them a lot of time to implement (labor costs) and they should expect to get it back in sales (total sales * price - cost to produce = PROFIT). However for me those study level features and fancy animations are not of much interest, So for now I am on the fence.

[William Njurmi]

Trying not offend anyone, but is this Justflight itself and I hope not Aeroplane heaven?

[jmig]

Trying not offend anyone, but is this Justflight itself and I hope not Aeroplane heaven?

I am not sure what your question is? Just Flight has always been a bit pricier than many other developers. However, in my opinion by and large they put out good stuff and are worth the extra money. To my knowledge Airplane Heaven has never worked with Just Flight.

I am on the fence with this one. It is not the money, but at the same time, it is the money. The days of Alphasim pumping out aircraft at $5.00 each are long gone. The days of hitting CRTL-E are mostly gone too. Heck, these days I can’t even count on the basic THROTTLE axis working. It seems like every airplane uses a different setting for the Throttle(s) and Mixture(s) controls. Before I can fly a new one, I have to set them correctly.

More and more, I also have to read the manual (except for Carenado who doesn’t provide one) and go through the proper start up procedures just to fly. This is not a major obstacle if it was only one or two aircraft that I must learn. What it does do is make me think before dropping hobby money on a new aircraft. Is the effort to learn to fly the addon airplane worth the effort. And is the time it takes going to provide me with an enjoyment that is worth the money and effort. Why pay money for something I will never fly, especially if it is $35-$100.

I have been hesitant to buy addons over $20-$25 that I probably won’t use. The Fokker F28 falls in that category. I spent the time learning how the start the BKSQ Baron 58P and enjoying flying it while waiting for SWS to release their PC-12. (I have been told that the release will be before I die. Still waiting Alex and I am not getting any younger.) Another factor against the F28 is that I am not an airliner guy. Even though it is a legacy analog airliner, it is still an airliner with fighting, complaining passengers in the back. So, I am on the fence.

[DennyA]

jmig nailed it.

As an aviation nut, I love the opportunity to experience new planes, especially historic aircraft. But these deep study planes require a time and learning investment I might or might not end up putting in.

The cost of the 146 and F28 are absolutely in-line with value for the folks who have the time and interest to really dive in and learn the operations in detail. But for those of us more casually interested, that's just too much money for "familiarization flights" or a plane that might end up in the aircraft backlog because I don't have time to fully learn its systems.

The detail justifies the price, certainly. At the same time, I wonder if their sales would be so much higher at $30-35 than at $70 that they'd make more money in the end by bringing in folks like jmig and me. I buy $15-30 planes like an idiot. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Virtavia A-4 and Zippy Sport!) But the only $50+ plane I own is the PMDG 737.

This is where time-limited demos, like DCS has, would be a huge benefit. I'd be more likely to consider a premium plane if I could experience it first.

[Paul K]

Trying not offend anyone, but is this Justflight itself and I hope not Aeroplane heaven?

It is by Just Flight themselves. No connection with A.H.

[keithb77]

time-limited demos, like DCS has, would be a huge benefit.

JF do exactly that on other platforms, just not MSFS - either not possible or too easy to subvert maybe.

Had there been a demo I'd probably have tried it and moved on ... the instruments were just too small for use in VR using the Oculus software.
Was about to request a refund (with not much hope) but tried the OpenXR toolkit over SteamVR and it's a good bit better, though still not as good as the 146 in VR.

Flies very nicely and a great change from the jet-on-each-wing tubes
The 146 is on offer at 40 GBP right now, wait 6 months and the F28 will also be occasionally on offer...

[William Njurmi]

It is by Just Flight themselves. No connection with A.H.

Thanks, matter of taste perhaps. But this goes definitely to shopping list now.

[sp762]

The testing process alone has taken over 12 months. There’s been a lot of effort expended to get things right. I think it’s worth the money.

[StormILM]

I will say this, having serviced the real jet way back in the day (Piedmont Airlines), they have got the shapes and sounds nailed. The F28 was a brutally loud jet. It had a very comfortable and nice interior. Pilots I knew who flew them said it was a pilot's airplane. So far, I have been easily able to operate this model with the various cockpit flows. It is quite easy to get the hang of but plenty sophisticated. To me it is the most joyful of the tubeliner jets so far.

[jmig]

I will say this, having serviced the real jet way back in the day (Piedmont Airlines), they have got the shapes and sounds nailed. The F28 was a brutally loud jet. It had a very comfortable and nice interior. Pilots I knew who flew them said it was a pilot's airplane. So far, I have been easily able to operate this model with the various cockpit flows. It is quite easy to get the hang of but plenty sophisticated. To me it is the most joyful of the tubeliner jets so far.

Dang it! You are making it hard for me to turn my back and walk away on this jet.

[Daube]

I don't really enjoy JustFlight doing P3D-style pricings in MSFS.
I'm sure the plane is excellent, of course, but I'll probably wait for some serious sales offers to buy it.