CLS Bae 146 Part 2 : hot test

FSX. From CLS forum yesterday, we have learnt that the team cannot work on more than one project at the same time. You can easily understand why this Bae146 is important for them. Okay this one is not for hardcore simmers. But for whom ?

CLS Bae 146 / HOT TEST

Version tested : V.1.0 base package, without FMC.
Distribution : Just Flight, Simmarket, Feelthere..

File : 365 MB.

Installation : Very easy.
Manuals : Yes. Main manual 60 pages in english plus a second one to explain how to implement the Weather radar.

Handling : You will need approximately 30 minutes to a few hours to fly it.

Framerate : Around 20/25 fps while landing at LiveinFSX Aerosoft Corfu X.

The bad :

* Was it a good idea to sell an optional package for the FMC ? The total price for those packages is 36 euros. That's not very competitive against Quality Wings own Bae146. And Q.W. is offering FS9 and FSX versions.

* Some low definition textures (pilots in cockpit, details above the main panel.. ).

The good :

* The number of liveries, of views and 2D panels.

* The choice of the aircraft. Back to the old times when pilots needed to be constantly busy in the cockpit. You will have to make a lot of adjustments, trims etc.. And the aircraft archictecture is really looking like the Hawker Harrier Siddeley (it was primarily developed by British Aerospace too).

* Configuration tool to adjust the external windows. The possibility to implement a third-part weather radar.

A page of the manual explaining two features of the aircraft, the Auto start, to auto config correctly the aircraft and the fonction GP in the Panel selector to open doors, cargo doors and ladders.

Graphics

CLS usually makes a good deal of graphics and external views since they focus a large audience of simmers. But there, they miss it. Main aircrafts editors are no longer designing a cockpit with just two low definition photos. The external model of the Bae146 but that's defnitely not what we want to see in a cockpit.

In the opposite, you will appreciate the quality of displays, gauges in the virtual cockpit.

All the texts and markings are readable.

On the peedestal, traces of wear on the engine levers.

Pretty nice reflections of clouds above the aircraft.

Panels

I don't really understand why CLS is displaying 2D panels like that. Here, when pushing SHIFT+2, you just see the empty 2D main board but you need to push SHIFT+3 in order to get the complete displays with gauges. There is a Panel selector, vert important short cuts menu but you can only access it via SHIFT+3, not from the virtual cockpit. 

In the virtual cockpit, gauges are perfectly readable.

But here, above the main gauges, these details are of low definition.

To display the overhead panel, there is a view from cockpit views but you can not move it like in some other aircrafts. Otherwise, the alternate way to see the panel is via the SHIFT+7 short key but the panel is barely readable.

Views

The cabin is really basic. No special details. You don't see passengers from inside.

From the aircraft views, you have an interesting cargo view and air stair view. Interesting if you wan to use GSX. FS Dreamteam utility shall work on this aircraft. You can use GSX aircraft configuration editor.

Systems

 

The altitude selector is nicely done. You can tune x1000 feets or x100 feets either.

Navigation systemsare working. You will need some times to learn this system. We are far from Boeing or Airbus philosophy. By the way, in order to run the autopilot, check the avionics buttons in the overhead. The AP button works from the pedestal.

Very difficult to access these buttons (lights, strobe etc). A 2D panel would have been better.

 Buttons (course, heading..) are working great but cannot turn visually.

* * * * *

Landing runway 35 at Corfu (Live in FSX)

Conclusion

I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of the details of the systems ; navigation, engines, specially. In the overhead for instance, 80-90% of buttons are clickable. There are also different ways to start your flight : auto start, cold and dark etc.. The external model (except the pilots), the number of views and livery is a plus.
Howver, i am puzzled when it's about judging the flight dynamics. I was barely able to land the aircraft after 2 hours of different flights and lateraly, the aircraft is moving quite slowly. But this is just a personal note. I am eager to compare with Q.W model.

More screenshots of CLS Bae146
http://airdailyx.blogspot.fr/2012/08/cls-bae146-avro-part-12-our-screenshots.html

Thanks !

Dom Mason