Sink or Swim? | PILOT's Boeing 314 "Clipper" | Full Flight Review | Microsoft Flight Simulator
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 มี.ค. 2023
- Become a Channel Member: / @intothebluesimulations
Become a Patron: / intothebluesim
Donate Via Paypal: paypal.me/IntotheBlueSim?loca...
"Buy me a coffee" www.buymeacoffee.com/IntotheBlue
Channel Discord: / discord
In this video, we take a look at the PILOT's Boeing B314 "Clipper", within Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS).
We'll be taking the aircraft from Gibraltar (LXGB), homewards bound towards Southampton.
Please note this video and all its contents / materials, is for entertainment / simulation purposes only.
PC Specs
ASUS Z790
Intel Core i9 13900K 5.8GHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
64GB DDR4 2666MHz
Hardware
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Saitek Pro Flight rudder pedals
HP Reverb WMR headset
TrackIR5
Earthquake Shell Shoxx transducer
Enjoy the flight! - เกม
Hello ladies and gents. I have seen quite a bit of back and forth on a couple of forums, regarding the PILOT’s Boeing 314 and indeed the veracity of this review. It seems the developer feels I went into this review unprepared, more specifically that I didn’t read through the documentation as thoroughly as I should have before undertaking this review. Since I don’t have a presence / account on the aforementioned forums, I thought it was only fair if I clarify one or two points here. Specifically, some points have been brought up regarding my comments on the water rudder and my use of flaps (or lack thereof) during the takeoff. Quoting directly from the manual:
1) “Although the water rudder engagement lever and wheel are operational, there is no water rudder control in either simulator. This is simply because the water rudder available in the simulators is connected to the tail rudder”.
(To be fair, I may have misconstrued this information at the time: I was unsure whether the Clipper’s lack of manoeuvrability on the water, which may well be true to life, was caused by me neglecting to actuate a specific control, or whether that is simply how the aircraft handles. From that passage in the manual, it seems as though rudder input alone should have been sufficient).
2) “Takeoffs may be made with or without the use of flaps as desired”.
(That one seems to back up my statement fairly clearly)
Both of those references tie in with the points I made during the review (or at any rate, I think one can sympathise with why I drew those conclusions).
To elaborate slightly further: Did I read the manuals? Yes I did (they were actually one the product’s highlights, as I pointed out towards the end of the review). Did I read every page in exacting detail? No I did not, nor did I feel that was necessary in order to accurately review the product in its current state (as and when the systems depth is “study level” then sure, there would be plenty of merit in doing so).
PILOT’s unfortunately seems to have taken this review as an attack on the product. That was not my intention and I feel I was fair and honest throughout (I don’t think that any of the negative points I made regarding the Clipper, were not backed up with examples during the video and if there were any omissions, I would be happy to record further footage, as frankly I don’t think I made any statements that wouldn’t be demonstrable).
Undoubtedly I will have made a number of procedural mistakes throughout the review (I think it’s fair to say that most of us are not as well acquainted with these sorts of flying machines), but I am always keen to point this possibility out during the video and frankly, any such procedural errors had very little bearing on the criticisms I levelled at the B314.
Ultimately, I want the B314 to succeed - I think we all do! I do however feel that there is still a lot of work to be done. If my intention had been to irrationally denigrate the Clipper, it would have been nonsensical for me to take the time with editing in custom views, music, sound fx, locations etc.
I hope that clears a couple of things up on my end. Thanks for reading!
You have been defended on the forums as well. People respect your reviews. Unfortunately this is one of the most obnoxious and fact-twisting developers I have come across. You have done nothing wrong.
I've been following the B314 thread on Avsim, and it's not been pretty. Your review seemed fair to me, but other people may have been excessively critical. That said, the developer in the thread hasn't done himself any favours with his overly-defensive reactions to every perceived slight against the model. Right now it's a bit of a PR disaster for PILOTS but, as with everything, it will blow over. Some further development work will take place no doubt, but other flaws will probably persist and never be resolved. Meanwhile, the MSFS community will have moved on, and the Clipper will be broadly forgotten. The usual story, isn't it. Keep up the good work and reviews!
This PILOT'S developer. Jerome, even claimed on AVSIM to be a moderator (he is *not!* ) and threatened to remove posts that he did not like. That thread has now been closed, by a real moderator.
I think he lost more potential buyers by his attitude than by any "bad" review. I will never buy anything from PILOT'S. That's for sure.
I had to find that drama thread on AVSIM and oh boy, what a sh*tshow.....The dev should really work on his soft skills. I could just say I'll work hard on improving my product, but no....I'll be attacking reviewers, customers and what not. That will boost my reputation and interest not only for this product, but for all future planes I'll develop. Best thing is that the dev is actually AVSIM mod and threatened that he will delete any negative comment he doesn't like from the thread. I just trying to imagine what kind of posts he already deleted. Thread is now locked and the dev has been put back in place by AVSIM admin. I would have not made up better story :-)
Pointing again and again to two facts (flaps and water rudder), which you already explained while releasing mediocre looking aircraft with radial engines where you can put max Throttle indefinitely without any repercussions take some balls (or stupidity).
But this is kind of situation, what honest review can bring. We are (or most of us) are happy that you bring genuine reviews without any positive or negative toxicity common in this community. Cheers
SO classy, now thats how you respond to criticism!
I remember being in love with this plane ever since I was young and it was all because of a book that had a cutaway of all the luxury things it had inside. My 8 year old brain was blown away by the small rooms and cocktail lounge in the tail. Wish I could have flown this thing in 1938 from Cali to Honolulu
If you are ever in Ireland there is a full size mock up of the aircraft in the Foynes (Aviation museum) where the 314 once operated from. It is a shame all the originals are gone but this is the next best thing.
Haha, I can totally appreciate where you’re coming from John; many of my fascinations with particular aircraft, stem from books I read / owned as a kid. I actually saw a similar cutaway pic of the Clipper just recently and thought to myself “what a shame that we can’t experience that in MSFS”.
Hopefully PILOT’s will continue to work on the aircraft and one day we’ll have an addon more befitting of this iconic piece of aviation history.
Cheers and all the best! : )
I got this in P3D as well as MSFS. It's sad to see that PILOTS don't seem to have learnt that they shouldn't release an unfinished product. This is what happened in P3D and it took around two years of updates for the aircraft to finally be what it should be as stated on paper. I hope it doesn't take that same amount of time for MSFS. Great review video, confirms what I hear others reporting and what I have found so far with the product. keep em coming 👍
and it took Microsoft more than two years to give us a reasonably working MSFS ,haha
Hi Peter,
I’ll never really understand why devs make such a move (releasing an unfinished product). I know funding comes into it, but the cash tends to be traded for reputation. I gather the P3D version of the B314 is pretty good, so I expect that PILOT’s will eventually manage to achieve the same level of fidelity within MSFS - it sounds like we might be in for a long wait though haha. I hope the Clipper gets there eventually and I’m looking forward to taking another look as / when it does.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Cheers once again and all the best : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations They just published version 1.15c today! So, it seems that you might soon have to come back to take another look 🙂
I saw that Juergen. Great to see! I do however plan on waiting until the Clipper is more or less complete, before I review it again ; )
Cheers!
I used to have a weakness for automatically buying just about every new craft, even a boat or two, as soon as released. Finally learned to wait until some reviews came out. Yours are extremely good, this one no exception. One can get a true feel for the product before jumping in. I too was excited to see this one pictured, too bad about the PlaySkool interior, inop doors, simplistic controls. I'll wait for a better iteration. A big classic like this one deserves a real effort.
Haha, well funnily enough Gary, it sounds like we’ve traded positions; I used to be verrry picky about which addons I actually purchased (not least of all because in my younger years, my budget was quite limited) and only picked up a handful of addons a year (if that). These days (mostly for the purposes of review) I’m picking up addons left, right and centre haha. I’m happy to do so though, as I love learning new aircraft, even some do subsequently turn out to be a bit of a “miss”.
Either way, I’m really glad you’re finding the content useful! I certainly try and offer up an objective look at the addon, just based on the sorts of criteria I generally look at myself when purchasing.
The B314 certainly deserves to be done justice and clearly the addon isn’t there just yet. Hopefully PILOT’s will continue to work on the aircraft (given their previous track record, it looks as though they will) and it will get there eventually. As and when that is the case, I will probably take another look at the Clipper.
Thanks very much and all the best! : )
Yes you are absolutely right it is a shame to see this gem of a plane not properly raised to the place it deserves in a modern simulator like MSFS...there is this idea going on that with all the "new pilots" no one will ask for more...poor effort all round and its just sad!
Holy moly, the chairs in that cabin are so small I'd be surprised if a toddler could fit in them!
Fantastic piece of aviation history, sad to know that this aircraft no longer flies, it would be majestic!
Once again, great and fair review. Nice work!
Cheers Rafael, I’m really glad you enjoyed the review and felt it was broadly fair!
The Clipper is indeed an iconic piece of aviation history and it’s a real shame that none were kept for posterity (let alone kept in flying condition). It’s always nice to be able to experience these sorts of machines in the sim, but clearly there is still work to be done on the B314. I’m looking forward to seeing what PILOT’s can achieve with the aircraft further down the line. . .
Thanks very much and all the best! : )
That passenger cabin looks a bit out of scale compared to the chairs and tables! I've been looking forward to this aircraft, but will wait to see what further development is done before buying it. I hope they do work on it, because there are a lot of historic routes to fly.
Indeed Paul, quite a few others have made the same observation (one person even offering up that perhaps the Clipper is some sort of TARDIS hehe). There’s certainly still a lot of work that needs doing on the B314; I hope it gets done, as I know many of us would like to enjoy this legendary aircraft. As and when the aircraft is in a more complete state, I will most likely look to review it again.
Cheers, all the best!
Definitely, those cabin windows are out of proportion, I hope they fix this disproportion because really is like flying a different plane.
Thanks for this review , very detailed
You’re most welcome Nathan, I’m really glad you found the video useful!
Cheers and all the best : )
always good to see any radial coming in just a shame there wasnt more details, lets hope with some updates for the future.
Agreed on both counts, Simon. I believe / hope that PILOT’s will continue to work on the B314, though it will probably be some time before the aircraft is in a “finished” state (I gather this took around 2 years with the P3D version). I will most likely take another look at the product, as and when it’s feeling more complete.
Cheers, all the best!
Another great video. Thanks. I love these planes & have done since I was a kid. I remember visiting a static exhibition of a Sunderland Flying Boat with my parents & it was such a magical experience. I wish I'd had the opportunity to fly in one. The closest I got was a trip from Victoria Harbour down to Seattle & back, with Kenmore Air. A lost romantic age of flying. Thanks for all your hard work, skill & honesty in putting these videos together.
My pleasure AS!
I’ve never been all that clued up on my flying boats, but I certainly like the idea of them; seems kind of magical to make your way over the Atlantic in absolute luxury, sleeping, eating and drinking as you go - rather like the Orient Express of the skies haha. Those days are long gone though sadly, now it’s cattle class and a “free” meal if you’re lucky XD
Thank you for the kind words. It really is a joy making these videos (for the most part haha). I’m really glad you enjoy watching them! Cheers : )
Fair, balanced, honest and thorough. Just what I have come to expect from ITB whose opinions I value far more than the developers hysterical rantings!
Well thank you very much John, that’s certainly what I aim for. Obviously PILOT’s didn’t agree haha, but as I mentioned elsewhere, I don’t think I said anything during the video that wasn’t demonstrably true.
I see PILOT’s have been pretty quick to put out a couple of significant updates for the 314; that’s great, but they would have done well to conduct themselves in a different fashion initially - I’m sure they’ve alienated more than a couple of potential customers. Ironically, the points I touched on during my review (which apparently didn’t hold much weight), seem to have been the areas of focus for the first couple of updates haha.
Thanks for your support and thanks also for taking the time post my rebuttal over on AVSIM.
All the best sir! : )
The passenger compartment seemed odd. Like the passenger spaces are wider and taller than the aircraft. Kind of like a TARDIS :)
Haha, a few people have commented on the sizing / scaling of the B314. The general consensus seems to be that the furniture is too small in terms of its proportions, but the Clipper being a TARDIS, is another option of course XD
Cheers Andrew, all the best! : )
Awesome review mate
Thanks very much Matt, great that you enjoyed it! Cheers and all the best : )
Thank you once again! As a hardcore FSX simmer for almost 10 years, (before finally changing my O/S from Windows 7 to Windows 10), I recall occasionally buying rather low-grade versions of various aircraft from a developer named "Virtavia".
The developer often released many of their aircraft for free, (or ported them over from FS9 to FSX and then gave them away). Many were 'port-overs' from FS 9 and as I said, they were mostly low-res, limited versions and 65%+ unlike the real-world version.
However, if they did charge money for an aircraft, it rarely exceeded $10 USD. This version of the B314 Clipper reminds much of the Virtavia freeware line from back then. Frankly, even Virtavia would have made some features operable at minimum, (such as doors, windows, wipers, etc.).
The fact is, if Virtavia would have developed and released a B314 like this, they would have attached a disclaimer stressing the limitation of their version and certainly not have priced the B314 anything near what Pilot's has charged. In fact, in a version like this one, Virtavia would have placed it in their large list of freeware aircraft.
There's nothing wrong with releasing an aircraft with a minimum of operating features. But the developer needs to keep in mind that if they choose to price the aircraft in the range where many products have much more to offer, it won't be long before prospective buyers will equate the developer's name with an over-priced, arcade-like product line.
In other words, they'd be doing themselves a favor to admit the product to be no more than a shell of the actual plane and price it some place between $6 and $9 USD. Virtavia did have several very nicely modeled releases back in the 'FSX days', which were priced about 3 times higher than their usual releases.
Often, Virtavia underpriced those few higher-end products, and in so-doing, kept their integrity and that approach made Virtavia quite successful back then. I suggest that Pilot's reconsider their pricing of products that are comparable in quality to their B314.
Thanks again for the great review, (but a bit too long IMO).
Rich
I very much agree with all of that Rich. I have no issues with more simplified products, or indeed “early-access” releases, but it’s only fair that the product is then priced accordingly. PILOT’s claim that the Clipper is currently being sold at a discounted price vs the final version of the addon, but $30 is quite a lot of money for an MSFS product and the Clipper certainly doesn’t do much to command that sort of price, vs the competition.
Cheers for your thoughts and all the best! : )
PS Virtavia actually just made their MSFS debut haha - the Shorts Stirling. It’s quite a pricey product as compared with their old offerings, but the quality does look to be a significant step up also. I haven’t had a chance to check out the addon myself. . .
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Really!! I'll have to get some time to see what Virtavia has brought in to MSFS. Thanks for the heads up!
You’re most welcome! : )
yeah Baby! This bird has been criminally neglected so far, so cool to see it come to the sim!
Haha, well it’s great to see some positivity surrounding the Clipper, Ram!
A lot of people love the B314 of course, but I think many were a little bit disappointed with the state of the addon upon release.
I do hope you’re enjoying the Clipper then! Happy flying and all the best : )
I'm actually from Faial island, a portuguese island located in the middle of the Atlantic, between the US east coast and Portugal. The first transatlantic Passenger operations, between the US and Europe, operated by Panam with the "Boeing Clipper", stopped here in Horta Bay. Must've been something else flying these machines. Also the first American Consul was stationed in Horta in the 1800s. Thank you for the amazing content!
That’s very interesting Calvino, thanks for sharing! I must confess, that Faial is not an island I have heard of before, though I do know of Lajes (owing to Air Transat 236), which I see is nearby. I shall have to check the area out at some point. It must have made for an interesting stopover back in the day, with all sorts of different people passing through etc. . .
My absolute pleasure on the video, I’m really glad you enjoyed it! Cheers and all the best : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Absolutely! Thank you so much for the kind reply! A great flight to do is Lisbon-Horta! Azores Airlines does it 2 times a day in summer time!
My pleasure Calvino! I will look into the flight. Cheers once again : )
Just found the thread on Avsim and have to say I am astounded by their reaction. I have always found your reviews to be totally fair, balanced and informed and to try and rubbish you whilst defended their half baked product saddens and baffles me quite frankly in equal measures. They have scored a pretty major own goal in my opinion and I hope they do improve their product and becomes something better than it is just now but judging from what I have read they will charge extra for any more fidelity and given that it is too expensive in its current entry level status I don't really see a good future for this but I hope I am wrong. Keep writing the fair impartial reviews and know that you have a loyal audience and try and ignore the naysayers
Thanks very much for the kind words Mark! I’m glad you find my reviews to be fair, I certainly try my utmost to ensure that they are.
The reaction of PILOT’s was unfortunately well wide of the mark, in terms of what might have been reasonable - a real “own goal”, as you say. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have gotten involved (beyond my review), but given the way they were responding to criticism / customer feedback, I thought it only fair to clarify a couple of the points they were repeatedly throwing out to discredit the review.
I really hope the Clipper turns out to be a gem, but clearly things didn’t get off to a promising start. The product has a long way to go and if the devs can’t see that, it doesn’t bode well for the future of the aircraft.
Anyway, PILOT’s have put out a few updates for the product at this point and hopefully they will keep plugging away!
Thank you very much once again! All the best : )
Love it - haha, I have a tattoo with a 314 on my arm oddly enough
Haha. Well, I assume you must be quite the fan of the 314 then, Hooniverse!
Cheers, all the best : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Fan of the plane for sure, but it's more an overall homage to that famous Pan Am poster saying Fly to the South Seas
As a longtime subscriber to the channel I was intrigued by the statement by ITB re the review so did some digging.
As a result I’ll never buy a PILOTS product ever.
Keep up the great work and the great reviews, they’re always welcomed and very much appreciated
Hi Nick,
Well thanks very much for your prolonged support of the channel!
My intent was not to put people off the Clipper, or indeed any Pilot’s products, simply to “set the record straight”, since I kept reading the same accusation over and over again and it was starting to annoy me haha. I certainly don’t think that PILOT’s conducted themselves in a very reasonable fashion (it was a complete own-goal actually) and the way they spoke to some of their customers was pretty appalling, but none of us are perfect and *if* they can bring us a good B314, I’m happy to let bygones be bygones. All that being said, I don’t like to see that sort of behaviour in the hobby and can completely understand why you, or anyone else might take that as a red flag where PILOT’s products are concerned.
Thank you very much for the kind words regarding the content - I shall try my best to keep the videos coming! Cheers and all the best : )
MSFS isn't a "simulation" of actual flight dynamics but Google earth with a joystick. I have one hell of a imagination and it really gets stretched every time I try and treat the planes like a real one or even a decent/accurate representation.
Thanks for the video. I would like some water effects on the windshield when taking off and landing in the water for immersion. Taking off and landing in water here just looks like you're on water textured ground
That would be a great addition actually AN! It hadn’t really occurred to me, but such an effect would increase the immersion on water dramatically. It ouldn’t even be that hard to implement presumably, just have the “rain” effect kick in at a certain speed when taking off / landing on the water.
My pleasure on the video! Many thanks once again : )
Show 👏 👏
Thank you once again sir! : )
I think you hit the nail on the head with your excellent review. It seems to be something of a missed opportunity. Looks like the Big Radials Goose is still the gold standard of flying boats.
I think the armchairs are modelled rather small, making the cabin look huge. It doesn't tie up with the pictures I've seen.
Cheers Roland, I’m glad you felt I broadly hit the mark (the devs didn’t haha).
I would say that the Clipper has been a missed opportunity thus far, hopefully PILOT’s will turn that around given time. Stick with the Goose for now, yes (even the Spruce Goose offers more at the moment I would say) ; )
Quite a few people made mention of the cabin, the proportions do indeed look off. PILOT’s claim that there is inadequate resource material to fully model the cabin, which may well be true, but I’d like to have seen a more convincing / immersive effort nevertheless.
Give it another couple of years and hopefully I can come back with a more compete Clipper video! : )
All the best sir!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I'd happily be PILOTs "armchair" consultant ;)
Honestly, it took me
Ah Gibraltar, what an airport. In the beginning I thought this might be a "Control E" plane and have a go but for $30EUR, I think I will pass. I do like the video though! !! !!!
Quite a spectacular airport, indeed Mark! MSFS is the first sim that’s really done it justice as well (at least by default).
I think the B314 can indeed be started using CTRL-E, but sadly I don’t think the experience is worth the price currently. PILOT’s have put out a couple of updates though, so hopefully the aircraft will be worth another look in the future.
Really glad you enjoyed the video once again! Thanks for watching, hope you had a great weekend : )
I don't necessarily expect study level from every single aircraft, but I expect the very basic functionality like working mixture and fuel cutoff levers that every default aircraft has. Not even managing to provide that is a no buy at this point. The garishly colored FSX level cockpit texturing and the lackluster sound don't even matter anymore at that point. I will wait and see if and how this aircraft will be improved in the future and reconsider. But for now, no thanks. I hope they will improve it (a lot!), because B314 deserves a worthy rendition in MSFS.
Yep, I think that’s all very fair criticism Jigsaw. On release, the B314 didn’t get a lot of the basics right, which is a real shame because as you say, the Clipper deserves better. PILOT’s have subsequently put out a couple of significant updates which is great, but there is still a lot of work to be done on the aircraft. . .
All the best! : )
Great review thanks. One more bug you didn't catch (or perhaps just didn't have time to show) is that if your mooring ropes are connected with the engines idling, you get colossal, mountain-shaped "waves" double the height of the aircraft itself forming on top of it, per Jonathan Beckett's brief preview video. (Even though the manual apparently says that it should be possible to start engines with the mooring lines connected.)
Pilot's have certainly turned out some good stuff in the past -- I purchased and was a big fan of their FS Global Ultimate mesh for FSX back in the day -- but this looks to be a bit of a weak offering given it's almost exactly the same price as much, much more detailed and well-modeled aircraft like the PMDG 737-600.
I ended up pulling the video - it caused too many arguments in the comments (the age old debate about aircraft being released for sale in unfinished/unpolished states).
Hi Tiledracer,
I did spot the mooring rope issue, but I just put that down to quirky MSFS water physics. Whilst far from ideal, those sorts of ancillary issues are not a deal-breaker for me (whereas missing sounds, incorrect systems logic, “peculiar” flight model behaviours etc are). Of course it would be nice if the mooring ropes worked as intended though.
Huh, I owned FS Global Ultimate mesh also, but never put two and two together, realising it was the same “PILOT’s”. I gather their P3D Clipper ended up in a pretty good state, so hopefully the same will be true of their MSFS version of the aircraft - there’s still a lot of work that needs doing though. As you say, the pricing is also rather skewed, given what else one can buy within MSFS, for that sort of money these days.
Cheers, all the best! : )
Gosh, I can only imagine Jonathan; given the state of the Avsim forums at the time, I’m sure your comments section must have been quite entertaining also! XD
For what it’s worth, I thought your assessment was fair enough. One doesn’t need to spend hours with a product, to work out whether it’s a hit or a miss.
Happy flying, all the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations the developer did themselves no favours - in the same way that other well known developers have reacted in the past :/ (I'm mentioning no names lol)
I certainly agree with you there Jonathan and the fact that you don’t need to name names, speaks volumes in and of itself XD
Thanks for the warning.
Haha, you’re welcome sir! ; )
You did a great review. I noticed a couple things you didn't just from watching. The fuel rich meter (I think?) for engine 4 doesn't go up when you moved the lever, tho the other 3 did. The fuel flow meter has indicators anchored in the wrong spot etc.. There seems to be a few issues yet. I want to buy it... but... I'm skeptical how often it'll get patches since it was ~2 yrs since we last heard.
Thanks very much JJ, I’m glad you enjoyed the review!
I did notice the fuel flow didn’t change on the number 4 engine, but chose not to comment on it, as I wasn’t sure whether that might be some systems peculiarity of the B314 (perhaps the number 4 has a different fuel pump design for redundancy etc). I suspect it was simply a bug though. I didn’t spot the needles being anchored in the wrong place.
PILOT’s have already put out 2 significant updates for the aircraft, which is great to see. I feel like there’s probably *at least* another 6 months work though, to really get the aircraft up to standard.
Cheers and all the best! : )
I do not recall a B-314 with a British Flag on it, I do know that all of Pan Americans B-314's where called into U.S. Military service at the beginning of WW2
Hello Jim,
I am by no means an expert, but it seems that there were indeed Clippers flying around with the Union Flag on them: twitter.com/FoynesMuseum/status/1350810716861820933 : )
All the best!
Today, it's on a sale price at ORBX.... (until July 1, I think).
I lost my mind a year and a half or so ago when they first announced they'd be bringing the 314 to MSFS. Then they went total radio silence on social media about it. Even when I would make the odd comment I'd get no response from Pilot's. Then out of the blue they release it and I couldn't agree more with your assessment.
Definitely underwhelming. And one thing with the modeling that really grinds my gears these days is 2D prop animations. There's no excuse for that in 2023. Completely immersion breaking. I really hope they plan on updating the product over time.
Ah well I’m sorry to hear that an addon you were so much looking forward to, ended up being a bit of a damp squib TSC. Hopefully PILOT’s will continue working on the Clipper (I gather their P3D version is a pretty detailed / competent effort), but I think it’s going to be a fairly long while before the aircraft is up to the sort of standards we all now generally expect. I do plan on revisiting the B314, as and when it’s in a more finished state.
Cheers for your thoughts, all the best! : )
Well im looking forward to the Dash7...
Haha! I was quite excited for the Dash 7 also Joni. I’m somewhat more sceptical now, but still going to give the addon a shot when the time comes. Fingers crossed! XD
I find that The British / English Reviewers are the Absolute Best when it comes to reviews Thank You . Perhaps someone will make a PYB would go nicely with the Goose
There is a PBY Catalina if that's what you mean? I have flown it and enjoyed it. One or two skins have the big blister windows as well.
@@AvGas oh there is one ok then :)
Haha, well thank you very much sir! I don’t know whether it’s just a function of the channels I choose to watch, but it does feel as though if one watches a flight simulation TH-cam channel, the host will more often than not be British, English even XD
I’d love to see a full fidelity Catalina! I seem to recall that Aerosoft offered one in previous sims. I’ll have to check out the freeware version myself also. . .
Many thanks once again! Have a great weekend : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations anytime
Do you know a good way to keep the aircraft on track? She always drifts mid air for me, on transpacific crossings I’ve found myself up to 200 miles off track
Hi Tyler,
I’m afraid I don’t really have any suggestions for you there; I’ve put the B314 to one side for now, until the aircraft is more complete. Do you mean to say that the gyropilot drifts off your selected heading, or are you having a different issue?
All the best : )
Pilots’ response on another TH-camr’s review is enough to put me off, never mind the nonsensical decision to release a plane where the engines can run without fuel systems on or mixture set. That’s not related to their aspiration of moving towards study level. It’s pure laziness or they need the cash to finish it. Their website doesn’t mention any of those failings, but perhaps I’ve missed it.
They’ve also claimed elsewhere that it’s well priced. 30 euros is $32. At least at the moment. PMDG’s 737 600 is $35…
But it’s their response to the other review I find most off-putting.
I think that’s certainly a valid point of criticism Mark. I was quite disappointed by PILOT’s response in general, seemingly in denial when it comes to any of the products shortfalls and frankly being quite rude / unacceptable in terms of their behaviour regarding any feedback. We all know there are one or two devs out there that behave in such a way, but it’s the first time I’ve really come across it myself. Of course it’s not nice receiving negative comments about a product that no doubt still required a reasonable amount of work from the team, but it’s pretty self-defeating, to turn those comments around and try to tell your customers that their opinions are invalid. $35 for a “study level” 737, or similar money to support the likes of FlyingIron, Got Friends etc (devs that go out of their way to improve the hobby / support the community) - it’s easy to see where one’s money is better placed.
PILOT’s did themselves no favours, either with the Clipper, or their behaviour thereafter. I still hope that they can make a success of the B314 (the aircraft deserves it) and I’ll probably take another look at the aircraft as and when it’s finished.
Cheers for your thoughts! All the best : )
A fair review, thank you. I really enjoy classic aircraft, but I want an authentic experience with good aircraft detail. So, unfortunately, not for me.
Thanks very much once again Peter! I’m glad you felt the review was fair; I’m not sure the dev would agree with you haha, but I don’t feel I made any criticisms, that I wasn’t able to demonstrate during the video.
Much like you, I enjoy these classic / iconic aircraft, but it’s hard to derive much enjoyment from them, when the detail is somewhat lacking. Hopefully the B314 will get a few much needed updates and then maybe I’ll take another look at the aircraft in the future.
I hope you’re having a great weekend. All the best : )
The Spruce Goose is part of the sim…..
How do you take the mooring anchors off?
Hi PointerPride,
There’s a switch located on the flight engineers panel (to the left of the engine gauge panel), that will allow you to toggle the mooring lines on and off.
I hope that helps. All the best! : )
Which water parking spot did you spawn in cold and dark at LGBX?
In Gibraltar LXGB there is no water runway, unless you use some addon to put one there (I do, but forgot the name of that addon, sorry) ;-)
Hi Steve,
I actually spawned in on a hard stand and then slewed the aircraft over to the water haha (even then, the engines will be running initially, but most of the aircraft systems should at least be in a cold and dark state).
I hope that helps. All the best! : )
they need to add the Howard Hughes Spruce Goose.??
Hello Mark,
The Spruce Goose is already included with the sim by default : )
All the best!
Yup, you don't want Snr Franco arresting you. Gads! just looked at the P3D model at $100!
Haha, precisely sir! It would be exactly like that episode of Only Fools and Horses, where Grandad gets arrested XD
I know, when I came across the P3D version and saw they were trying to sell it for $100, I was slightly aghast. I recall that more than one dev took advantage of the fact that P3D “wasn’t a game” and therefore marketed their software accordingly (ie at ridiculous prices). I can’t say that I miss those days / attitudes. . .
Cheers : )
I know It's been a while since this came out, but I just wanted to ask if the autopilot is somewhat easy to operate?
Hi GB,
The autopilot / gyropilot is relatively simple in its design and therefore relatively easy to operate (once understood). That being said, I seem to recall that at the time of recording, the gyropilot on the B314 was somewhat buggy and therefore not very useable - I don’t know whether PILOT’s has fixed said issues since I last flew the aircraft (there have been a number of updates for the addon).
I hope that helps a little. All the best!
Thank you very much! I also want to thank you for ho helpful you've been to not only me, but to your entire fanbase! You are an incredible content creator and I hope you can continue doing what you love for as long as you want!
Loving your content!
Many thanks, GB! That’s very kind of you to say and thoroughly gratifying to hear - much appreciated : )
Textures as drawn, not photorealistic. Strange materials. The overall color scheme and lighting is like a cartoon.
This plane in fs9 was a favorite of mine. But here in msfs2020 I hoped for a much much more refined version. In its current state, I dont think it is worth more than say $10 bucks? Or is that too much?
Hi William,
Yes, from what I have heard, previous versions of the PILOT’s Clipper were pretty competent / detailed products. I certainly hope that PILOT’s get their B314 to at least the same standards in MSFS, but currently it seems as though the dev has rather missed the mark in terms of pricing / quality (indeed, I think we were all expecting a lot more from an MSFS aircraft).
Cheers for your thoughts. All the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Hi there. I did not think that I got heard. Thanks for your reply. I just want to say that this is the same version that I flew in FS9. The same livery and everything. How could that equal 30.00 or even 5.00 They need to do a heck of a lot more work into this to get any creds. This and captain sims work are way below par. Thanks for your reply.
My pleasure on the reply William! Everyone gets heard (I read every comment posted), but sometimes (due to the number of comments) it can take me a while to reply haha ; )
The Clipper does feel that way honestly; dated and as though the product is relying too much on its heritage. The devs would state otherwise, but it doesn’t really matter what they claim, it’s the end result that matters (which is a product that currently looks like it’s from a legacy sim). Still, I gather PILOT’s are known for continuing to put in the work as the years roll on, so hopefully the MSFS B314 will get there eventually. . .
Cheers! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations So, I might have to wait for maybe a year or so, before I can enjoy a proper updated version. Okay. Thank you for your videos. I can depend on them to give me all the info that I need to start up and fly any new aircraft that I buy. Very good info!
Haha, that’s basically my assessment of the situation, William - a year at the very least.
I’m really glad you’re enjoying the content and finding it to be of use! My pleasure and cheers once again : )
I find that the furniture in the saloon are about two thirds the size they should be. I am totally cool with the exterior of the plane but the interior seems to have been done by a different modeler, or at least the texturing. It doesn't seem to take advantage of the amazing msfs render engine.
I think that’s all very fair criticism, Norm. I gather the modelling was done my SimWorks Studios, who are are actually very talented at what they do, but as it was contract work, I believe they’re are paid for a set number of hours and accomplish what they can within that timeframe (from what I have read). I think your point hits the crux of the issue - ultimately the Clipper just doesn’t make the most of what MSFS has to offer (ie at the very least, one expects the visual model to be stunning).
Cheers and all the best! : )
@Into the Blue Simulations ... 😊 I know because I too used to model planes for addon suppliers. One model I did for them was exactly the same as this clipper, I put all my heart into texturing a photo realistic exterior for a Ford Tri-motor and the company owner insisted he would do the inside which turned out to look very cartoonish. Didn't go with the outside at all, but he is the one who pays, so what could I do...
Another company I worked for got a hold of some low-cost ready-made models which they just wanted me to put some finishing touches on. Turned out I spent more time correcting blatant mistakes on the model than if I would have started the exterior myself and from scratch. So I can say from experience that PILOT'S are not unusual in the way they process their models and neither should they condemn those who point out the obvious. Thanks again for your great review 👊😎
Gosh, sounds like the whole process must get rather frustrating at times haha. I can completely appreciate how annoying it would be, to invest your heart and soul into a piece of work, only to then have someone else come along a stuff if up (especially if they are “the boss” ha). I think it’s all the more frustrating when those sorts of things happen with vintage aircraft, as oftentimes the virtual version is all we have left - as with the Clipper.
Many thanks again Norm! Cheers : )
Have you tried maneuvering this thing on the water? She turns like a jet-ski on steroids.
Haha, the flight model has obviously been “tweaked” since I recorded this then. When I was trying to manoeuvre the aircraft during this video, it basically wouldn’t respond until you had about 30kts of airspeed going over the rudder (hence my comment about the perceived lack of water rudder - which the developer apparently didn’t like ha).
Definitely still a lot of work to be done with the Clipper, although to be fair, PILOT’s have been putting out a lot of updates since release.
All the best!
I really want to love this aircraft but it just doesn't hold up with the Latécoère 631 IMO and the fact you can buy that plane for half the price of this really crazy. For twice the price I expect twice the features. Even a version of the 631s clipboard would be a start
how did u get into the cabin?
Hi Grim,
I had to switch to the external view and then use the “Fixed” camera presets (if memory serves me correctly). As mentioned in the video, you won’t be able to move around etc unfortunately - the internal cameras are fixed in position.
I hope that helps. All the best! : )
the water needs work, my float plane literally sits above the water while the waves move underneath it.
well known Asobo problem, I am afraid... :-(
@@juergenvollmer254 You cannot blame Asobo for everything. Are you Jerome, maybe?
@@Steven-ff4wl I fail to understand, sorry
That cabin looks like it's furnished for hobbits. The scale of the seats and tables compared to the entry door is way off. Imagine a person walking into the cabin through that door and compare it to the furniture. I don't believe the door and the internal height of the cabin was so big.
Haha, a few people have pointed out the same thing Gábor (one person even offering up that perhaps the Clipper is some sort of TARDIS hehe). Having seen some posts on the forums, PILOT’s have argued that they were unable to find adequate reference materials to accurately model the interior cabin; that may well be true, but I certainly feel that a more convincing / immersive job could have been done with it.
Cheers, all the best!
Right? I was astonished that so much open space would be wasted like that. Now I want to find images of the *actual* interiors.
Not the flying boat I think of as "iconic", but I get where you were there. It is a bit of a disappointment, it's the Connie all over again ( albeit even worse ), and I 100% agree about the texturing. The outside doesn't hold up quite so well with the bare metal version either, it looks like.
Not promising for the Dash 7 at all :S that's something I'd spend quite a lot on to get a really good one.
Ah well you can’t just leave it there RD haha, which flying boat do you think of as iconic (I’d take a punt on the Sunderland)? ; )
Yes, a rather disappointing opening salvo unfortunately. Even the Connie had a lot more to show at its release (albeit, it was a pricier product). I gather the P3D version of the Clipper is actually pretty detailed, so hopefully PILOT’s will ultimately achieve the same result in MSFS, but I think they seriously need to reconsider their “excellent” visual modelling / texturing.
I was really looking forward to the Dash 7 also and still plan to take a look, but of course one does now wonder what sort of a state that will be released in.
Cheers! : )
@Into the Blue Simulations Well, very nearly - the Shorts C-class ( which is more or less "all our four engined 1930s flying boats no matter what design" :p ) is the first thing I think of, probably a childhood diet of historical newsreels. There were 42 of them & 12 314s, so it's a valid thought.
It is a valid though and as it’s British, I shan’t disagree : P
I’m glad you said “Shorts” haha. After the “Shorts” Stirling came out, everyone was saying “Short” and I thought I was going balmy XD
It seems either / or is actually correct, but I’ve always gone with Shorts. . .
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Shorts is short for Short Bros. , but I guess Short is probably "correct" - but unless you're doing the paperwork who cares :P
Cough cough. . . do I not come across as a massive avgeek or something?? XD
I was aware of the Short Brothers, yet somehow I’d never heard it pronounced “Short” until just the other day haha. Indeed, “Short” seems to be technically more accurate and more commonly used, but “Shorts” seems to be acceptable also and as I say, is what I was familiar with; I’ve come across a few 360 pilots and they all call it the Shorts 360, so that’s good enough for me haha! Speaking of which, where is that Black Box Short(s) 360. . .
Cheers ; )
I purchased this plane as it looked like a decently made flying boat! But while I think they have a good plane, it has a few bugs still, the atc is wonky, but then I have had atc issues since the last sim update. Also, the gyropilot is a bit weird as well, or maybe I just don't know how to use it properly. Downloading it and install seemed over complicated for a plane. Possibly over priced considering the fact that it is still getting frequent updates, like a beta model.
Hi Dustbowl,
Yes, definitely still a few bugs that need ironing out currently, the gyropilot being one of them (I seem to recall PILOT’s even stated that the gyropilot needs further work). Personally, I do think the aircraft is somewhat overpriced (and will become even more expensive at a later date, apparently!). The aircraft is very much in a beta state at the moment, though it’s great to see PILOT’s putting out regular updates at least.
Cheers, all the best : )
Looks like FSX... no go. They are in forums defending the heck out of this product, but now I have seen it myself... not up to par!
Unfortunately the B314 does look rather dated, yes. I’ve seen the forums as well and the customer feedback has been pretty clear on that, it seems PILOT’s are reticent to take such feedback onboard though (I’ve no idea why; if your customer says there’s an issue, surely you’d want to consider their point, rather than telling them they’re wrong).
Clearly the Clipper still has a long way to go, but hopefully PILOT’s will continue to work on the aircraft.
Cheers Jeremy, all the best! : )
Does anyone know how to access the Manual that comes with it?
Hi Jorge,
If I recall correctly, the manual is included as part of the product download (I purchased directly from the PILOT’s website). If you purchased through the in-sim Marketplace, I would hazard a guess that the manual will be located somewhere in your sim’s community / aircraft folder.
I hope that helps a little. All the best! : )
Great and brutally honest review as always. I spend 90% of my sim time in classics. I was happy that this was a 'lite' version, less chance of bugs right? I actually like (don't mind) the textures, sounds are ok and the flight model good. All l expected was to be able to fly the vast distances it used to fly, with somewhat correct speed and fuel burn, and some kind of engine management required, so l can recreate the flight from Pan Am and BOAC timetables... but sadly at the suggested cruise power she barely maintains 80kts, and the fuel flow? You didn't check out the FF guages on the engineer panel, they read the max unless you are at idle or almost cut off, and the main panel and engineer panel engine guages don't correspond, so which set, if any, are correct?? Shame, no chance to do the 17 hours from SFO to HNL with any kind of realism. I don't regret my purchase, l'm just left wondering what was their goal with the release in this state?
Thanks very much TOD, I’m glad you felt that my feedback came across as honest, the video certainly wasn’t intended to be an attack on the product.
I can very much understand where you’re coming from; I’ve made the point on a number of occasions, that a product can still be of high quality, without being complex (the DHC-4 Caribou for example), or can be excellent without immaculate texturing (the C22J) and so on. Whilst I was hoping for a highly complex and detailed rendition of the Clipper, I would have been happy if the aircraft hit one strength really well (a beautiful visual recreation of the aircraft for example). Unfortunately the product doesn’t really stand out in any area currently though. The flight model feels decent, but if the numbers are completely off and one can’t recreate historical flights, then what’s the point.
I guess the product was released in its current state, in order to bring in some money, but I feel this was still a real misstep on the part of PILOT’s, since the Clipper simply isn’t ready for the prime time. I don’t regret my purchase either, so long as the devs continue to work on the product.
Sorry to hear that you aren’t able to enjoy the Clipper as you would like currently, hopefully that changes going forwards! All the best : )
Clime rate is always wrong within Full Flight Simulations. Most all inertial Values need upgrade along with other much needed nuance's within the modelling & detailing. Still from the Outside Looks Nice - Medioca, but still Nice
Can't wait until the Spruce Goose!
That was released, should already be in your sim if you updated.
The Spruce Goose is already available within MSFS Wanderer, it was included as part of Sim Update 11 : )
Having never flown a flying boat where would I land it?
Hello Phil,
There aren’t really many / any options available in the default scenery. The package does come with some “seaports” but, from memory, these are simply starting locations on the map, with no additional scenery included etc. I seem to recall that there are some freeware seaplane bases available over on Flightsim.to also.
I hope that helps a little. All the best!
Thanks@@IntotheBlueSimulations
You’re most welcome! : )
Much thanks, a very fair review. I'll give it a miss, the interior is disappointing.
You’re most welcome CP, I’m glad you found the video useful and fair. Unfortunately, the product is rather disappointing as it stands; I plan on taking another look at the Clipper, as and when the aircraft is in a more finished state.
Cheers sir! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations thank you, the flight simulator experience is getting better on the Xbox, Milviz Pilatus porter with analogue is excellent, as is the c310. 737 and DC 6 in the coming weeks I believe.
Oh well, this is a shame as I have a real soft spot for radial engine aircraft. Seems like freeware or FSX quality.
Nah, the A2A Captain of the Ship series was light years ahead of this in both texturing, modeling and flight dynamics, and it was for FSX.
It is a shame HMR - I was excited for the Clipper also. Give it a year or two and hopefully PILOT’s will have more accurately done the B314 the justice she deserves. I’ll most likely take a look at the aircraft again, as and when I feel the product is deserving of a re-evaluation.
Cheers, all the best : )
Too bad the developer of the product is on the defensive with every comment. Too bad I bought it before seeing this review. Confirms everything I feel about the purchase. Probably not possible to improve the VC or passenger cabin without starting from scratch.
Indeed John, the product is one thing, but the developers attitude has been quite another. Clearly the Clipper still needs a lot of work in most areas and the developer going on the defensive, is not going to help the B314 move forward. That being said, I see that PILOT’s have now put out a couple of updates for the product and I gather that the FSX / P3D version of their aircraft was actually fairly comprehensive, so hopefully we’ll ultimately get a detailed version of the Clipper, even if it will most likely never be a very pretty one (as you say, the modelling / texturing would require a radical overhaul).
Sorry to hear that you weren’t very happy with your purchase. Hopefully in time the product will improve.
All the best! : )
Give a flying boat landing gear and 0 aviation catastrophies
Haha, if only it were that simple, Changerification! : P
Cheers, all the best : )
How disappointing, was looking forward to this having had the original FSX (or was it FS 2004?) version. Seems like a half-baked effort here, looks real basic modelling and they're charging £30 for it already?....get your money back mate, come back when it's finished.
Hi Reedi,
Yes, sadly I was a bit underwhelmed by the whole thing overall (and I went in excited, looking forward to flying this legendary machine). I expect / hope that PILOT’s will drastically improve the Clipper in the long run, given their experience with the aircraft previously, but I gather from their efforts in P3D, that this could be a fairly lengthy process and they’re taking about bumping the price up once the product is complete - the 314 has a long way to go before it’s worth anything more than £30.
I’m happy to hold onto my purchase for now, if only so as to avoid kicking up *more* controversy (although I think JB’s move, if that’s what you were referring to, was perfectly fair) XD
I’ll gladly take another look at the Clipper, but I think it will need another year so in the oven before I do that.
All the best! : )
So, Pilots went and did a Captain Sim, eh? Shame.
I hate to say it Jacob, but the whole debacle with the Clipper’s release, did rather come across that way. I do think there is a difference between the likes of Captainsim and PILOT’s, in that I believe PILOT’s do intend to ultimately release a more complete product (I gather their FSX / P3D versions of the Clipper were actually quite complex / comprehensive products), but there’s certainly still a lot of work to be done on the aircraft. . .
It is a shame, but hopefully we’ll see improvements going forward (at which point I may revisit the B314 once more).
All the best! : )
What a shame. I was looking forward to this product, but I certainly won't be buying it at its current price and in this unfinished state. When I look at some of the aircraft available for a third of the price, it has to be said that this offering is quite unsatisfactory. There seems to be a trend recently of unfinished product being released onto the market (presumably to raise developer funds) and although I am not a fan of this method, I will watch and see if this aeroplane receives some serious finishing work.
It is a shame Squirel. The Clipper wasn’t really on my radar initially, but when I saw it was released, I got quite excited by the idea of one haha. Clearly the PILOT’s B314 is far from finished though and I think the devs have misjudged the price vs quality aspect of the product. As you say, thanks to the popularity of MSFS, these days we aren’t short of quality addons that cost far less than this product. I can understand smaller devs needing to bring in some cash flow, but as I’ve said before in previous videos, you can’t reasonably then go and ask “full price” for the addon (PILOT’s claim that the current price is discounted but again, I think that only goes to suggest that they’ve misjudged the current market - gone are the days of charging $100 for this sort of thing, as they were doing in P3D).
I hope that the Clipper will receive further improvements and will most likely revisit the aircraft once it is in a more finished state.
Cheers for your thoughts. All the best! : )
dont encourage addon like this, reminds me of fs2004 days , looks like something from Abacus.
Hi Jaskan,
I don’t know whether you’re referring to the video specifically, or whether you’re referring to simmers in general, but I don’t feel as though I did encourage the addon; I tried my best to give an honest account of the product and people can make their own decisions based on that (personally I think the aircraft still needs a lot more work).
Cheers, all the best! : )
they should really had finished that lot more work before putting it on sale, folks that buy crap like this only invite more crap.
i have not seen an addon a/c this bad since fs2004, looks like something produced in Microsoft paint.
These videos will force a change in developer behavior. It's well deserved criticism. Hard pass.
Hi Phoenix,
Well, my main aim is always to give the viewer a decent idea of what they’re spending their money on, but it would certainly be a nice side-effect, if that also sharpens up the quality of what devs are delivering. With the advent of MSFS, we’ve obviously seen a significant shift in addon quality vs price and we’re well beyond the days of customers having to accept overcharging / underdelivering. I’m glad you felt the criticism was fair. Best to skip the B314 for now. . .
Cheers and all the best! : )
Whut
Still P3D quality textures. I'll pass.
it looks like an FSX import, its horrible.....
It does rather have that look to it, Simtime. Apparently the Clipper makes use of an all new model / textures, but somehow both look rather dated. I gather PILOT’s already visually updated the cockpit to some degree, but certainly there is still a long way to go with the 314. Fingers crossed we see big improvements going forward!
Cheers, all the best! : )
I must say, the interior puke green and dysentary brown color scheme is godawful! If this is historically accurate, all I can say is that people in the 1930s really needed to take a course in color theory. If it's not historically accurate, then whoever designed the interiors needs a stiff talking to. I guess it may be accurate for the time period, as Just Flight's Grumman Widgeon has a similarly horrible color palette.
Haha! I very much agree on both counts Prometheus! I’ve seen similar colour schemes on other aircraft also, so it may well be historically accurate, but my gosh, what an awful environment to work in XD
Looking at pictures, it seems as though other B314 interior colour options were available and I would suggest that choosing one of those might have been a better idea hehe.
Cheers, all the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I just found a color photo of a Clipper passenger lounge. It's a very nice light gray with blue-gray seats. It actually looks quite pleasant. I sent the image to Stefan at Pilot's: hopefully they will give us an alternative interior color scheme, 'cos I tend to get get airsick, and that green color doesn't help.
Ah, very nice! I’ll bet it looks far more pleasant than what’s provided with the PILOT’s Clipper currently, nobody would want to aboard the aircraft, living under that rather unpleasant shade of green haha. It’s great that you sent the pic over to PILOT’s; I would love to see a more comprehensive cabin model, having seen a cutaway pic of the B314, it looks like it would be a fascinating aircraft to explore, if done correctly.
Cheers! : )
cockpit windows are too big