Hi,
I just joined the forum to say that I really like this Cessna 152 II project, because this is the airplane that I am flying right now in real life! The model looks really great, and most of the switches and features function flawlessly.
I just have a few critiques and requests below that are probably known by the developers, but I thought I would mention them in case you have a wish list:
I think the model is a bit over powered. It climbs pretty fast compared to real life, and with the power off, the model drops like a rock. I think the real life 152 is 8:1 or 9:1 glide ratio.
The elevator trim is a bit sensitive, and a 'take off trim' notch/marking would be awesome.
I think there might be a ton of elevator authority at slow speeds near the ground compared to the real 152.
I didn't see a compass. Maybe it is in a different place and I missed it.
No RPM/horsepower drop when using a single magneto or when carb heat is turned on
the turn coordinator ball is to the right when on the ground.
no fuel primer yet. Maybe this is better, I always forget to prime the 172 and 150 in flight gear.
A hobbs meter would be awesome, so I know how much time I spend flying the 152 II
Just some info that might help on the flight model:
Game: Cruise Speed 75% power at 8500 ft MSL is 90 knots
Real: Cruise Speed 75% power at 8500 ft MSL is 107 knots
Game: Rate of Climb ~1400 feet per minute at 67 knots at sea level
Real: Rate of climb 765 feet per minute at 67 knots at sea level
I haven't tested the glide distance for numbers yet, but it feels like a brick with the power off. I know that in real life, I can glide into a base leg and short final with the engine off from downwind abeam the numbers at 1000 AGL.
I've never worked on a game flight model before, but my intuition would guess that reducing available engine horsepower and reducing drag would put this better in line with the real plane.
I also wonder about the turn coordinator ball. This seems to malfunction in all of the airplanes that I have flown in flightgear, Maybe there is no way to fix it in each particular model. When applying right rudder to counteract engine torque and P-factor (especially during takeoff climb), the ball goes way to the side. In real life, applying right rudder should center the ball rather than push it outward.
Just in summary:
I really like this 152 model!!! keep up the awesome work!