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Editorial on Aviodev and the C-101


Charly_Owl

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Hi folks,

 

The Tomcat craze is going full swing and I think it’s wonderful to see this level of activity in the community. However, today I would like to talk about something that receives much less attention but is still (IMHO) important. Last January, Aviodev finally brought us the C-101CC and the EFM (external flight model) update for both versions of the plane. I have been an Aviodev critic since the initial release of the plane in January 2015. The SFM was just too limiting in so many ways; ground handling felt like flying a hovercraft, basic flight manoeuvers felt sort of scripted… I felt like I had been given a dull, uninteresting product and forgot about it for four years.

 

Now that the aircraft has been given a proper EFM, I have gone through the process of rediscovering something I had written off as a failed module. To my surprise, the C-101 has evolved to the point where I can say that the Aviojet is what the Hawk should have been. It’s been known that trainers are the unloved step child of DCS, and now that I’ve completed a guide for it I can say that the C-101 is one of the few aircraft that actually accomplishes the real functions of a trainer. The rattle of the rudder shaker is a great way to learn how to train how to recognize a proper stall and avoid it, while the AoA indexer introduces you to the concept of « On Speed AoA » that is so crucial to carrier operations. Furthermore, the Aviojet is the perfect platform to learn the basics of IFR flying with navigation aids like VORs, TACAN and NDBs; the cockpit instruments are just so well laid out and visible that it makes the process of learning to fly with your instruments instinctive and straightforward. I have never performed so many successful ILS and VOR radial intercepts in any other DCS jet and much of what I learned I have put to good use in other more glamorous jets like the F-14 and the F-18. Believe it or not, it actually helped me for Case III recoveries in the Tomcat!

 

The C-101’s flight director is a great teaching tool to help you understand the concept of maintaining altitude and airspeed during a flight, which are essential concepts to understand when doing IFR flights. That flight director is a powerful, powerful tool when you know how to use it. I know it’s a controversial view, but I believe trainers do have a place within DCS. The benefits of this trainer aren’t limited to navigation though; the Aviojet teaches you how to perform dive bombing that require a depression angle, a dive angle and an airspeed. If you respect the parameters in the depression tables, you should be bang on target. Modern jets with CCIP bombing don’t really punish you for being sloppy; old school trainers with old school bombing techniques drill into your head the importance of flying by the numbers, of being precise. Another thing I liked about the Aviojet is the fact that the systems logic didn’t seem dumbed down. As an example, pulling the engine anti-ice circuit breaker will not trigger a caution on the caution warning system panel. The caution will only appear once there is an anti-ice demand. It’s small details like that that make the aircraft that much more enjoyable to a guy like me.

 

Now where, am I going with this? « Gee... Doesn’t this look like an infomercial, Chuck? » Yes and no. The whole point of this post is to raise awareness that Aviodev made a considerable effort to complete their C-101 and I appreciate their dedication to finish their product before starting to work on other (more profitable) projects. Many of you won’t care (and it’s totally fine), but I think it’s important to give credit where credit is due. The C-101 could have fallen into obscurity (cough, Hawk, cough) but I believe it has now reached a state where it belongs in the DCS World, securing Aviodev’s credibility as a serious third-party developer. Like I said, the C-101 is what the Hawk should have been; an accurate aircraft that has training value to flight simulator enthusiasts. Aviodev developers like Vibora spent hours of their time providing me support for my guide, so I think it's safe to say that these guys really care about their module and about their userbase. Initially, I wasn’t that thrilled when I learned that Aviodev was working on a Mirage F1, but their « show don’t tell » approach to development has restored my faith in their ability to bring us a great aircraft to life. Therefore, I just wanted to thank the Dev team for their perseverance in completing their project.

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Hi,

 

 

I fully agree with everything you said, the C-101 is actually a really good simulation ... I enjoyed it even with the initial SFM, but after the EFM was released it got so much better, plus I got to do weapons training with the armed CC version.

 

 

I wish the developers the best of luch and hope that they will continue with the Mirage F-1 .. I really look forward to it.

 

 

Cheers.

 

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Agreed. I bought it recently, and to my discredit, wasn’t expecting much.

In practice, it’s lovely to fly and a great module.

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Nice write-up. When I bought the 101 way back in 2015, I knew it was in a very unfinished state and, maybe paradoxically, that's why I bought it. I wanted to enjoy watching the module grow and mature. It's been a little bumpier road than I expected but I'm really happy with the near-final product we have today and looking forward to its finished state.

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Thanks Chuck,

 

I may have to pick it up now.

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Thank you very much Chuck. You really deserve a medal from us for your writing in recognition of our module. You have made a very deep study of the module which took you to discover many of the details and features of DCS C-101. Hats off to you.

Roberto "Vibora" Seoane

Alas Rojas

 

[sIGPIC][/sIGPIC]

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Thanks Chuck for a wonderful guide (again), and endorsement.

 

I haven't touched the C101 since 2015, but based on this post, I will give it another go. I will definitely benefit from learning better habits based on what you mentioned in your post.

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Hi folks,

 

It’s been known that trainers are the unloved step child of DCS, and now that I’ve completed a guide for it I can say that the C-101 is one of the few aircraft that actually accomplishes the real functions of a trainer. The rattle of the rudder shaker is a great way to learn how to train how to recognize a proper stall and avoid it, while the AoA indexer introduces you to the concept of « On Speed AoA » that is so crucial to carrier operations. Furthermore, the Aviojet is the perfect platform to learn the basics of IFR flying with navigation aids like VORs, TACAN and NDBs; the cockpit instruments are just so well laid out and visible that it makes the process of learning to fly with your instruments instinctive and straightforward. I have never performed so many successful ILS and VOR radial intercepts in any other DCS jet and much of what I learned I have put to good use in other more glamorous jets like the F-14 and the F-18. Believe it or not, it actually helped me for Case III recoveries in the Tomcat!

 

The C-101’s flight director is a great teaching tool to help you understand the concept of maintaining altitude and airspeed during a flight, which are essential concepts to understand when doing IFR flights. That flight director is a powerful, powerful tool when you know how to use it. I know it’s a controversial view, but I believe trainers do have a place within DCS. The benefits of this trainer aren’t limited to navigation though; the Aviojet teaches you how to perform dive bombing that require a depression angle, a dive angle and an airspeed. If you respect the parameters in the depression tables, you should be bang on target. Modern jets with CCIP bombing don’t really punish you for being sloppy; old school trainers with old school bombing techniques drill into your head the importance of flying by the numbers, of being precise. Another thing I liked about the Aviojet is the fact that the systems logic didn’t seem dumbed down. As an example, pulling the engine anti-ice circuit breaker will not trigger a caution on the caution warning system panel. The caution will only appear once there is an anti-ice demand. It’s small details like that that make the aircraft that much more enjoyable to a guy like me.

 

 

Spot on. I myself purchased this module a couple of months ago when I had read reviews of it at MudSpike.com and watched videos of it with the new flight model and features now implemented.

 

I pretty much fly it 2-3 times a week teaching myself the very things Chuck talks about above and then use that knowledge flying the newer more modern aircraft I have in DCS and it has made a world of difference in my online flying. It is a beautifully done module and I'm glad I put money down on it.

 

The manual that comes with the module also is extremely well done. Between the Aviojet manual and Chucks guide, I'm picking this aircraft apart and enjoying every second of discovery.

 

If you haven't taken the plunge, do so. You wont' regret it.

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