RealAir Marchetti SF-260"Ad alta per artes"...................................I am not affiliated with RealAir Simulations but I have been a fan of the Marchetti SF-260 even before it was released in its first version in 2002. I can remember the first time I saw the screenshots in the former Avsim commercial preview forum. I can also remember how I fell in love of the cockpit and gauges graphics. At that time it was difficult to foresee its life expectancy and imagine that it would come in a new incarnation in 2005. To my knowledge this add-on is the longest surviving general aircraft together with the FSD Pilatus Porter PC-6 in FS history and today I am more than happy to share this mini-review after a few hours flying with the update....................................The secret of longevity ?...................................That question immediately comes to mind. Simple and quick anwser : because it is a success. Without success RealAir would have certainly not invested efforts in making an update for what will be no doubt their new spearhead. Success to what extent ? In the real world there are more than 1 000 SF-260 used by Air Forces as trainers and by private pilots for cross country flying . In FS I can only guess that several thousands simmers own the RealAir gem. That's pretty high and enough to create a virtual club of the SF-260 owners which I have always dream of for sharing screen captures, flying tips and so on. Something tasting like the Emma Flying Club or the Misty Moorings beautiful website for scenery add-ons. We are only missing talented guys with spare time available....................................First revolution...................................In its original version, the SF-260 was advertised as the first spinning aircraft ever made for FS, a feature that took more than a year in R&D. Back in 2002 it was a mere revolution. Of course other developers tried to make spinning aircrafts but no one really achieved to make a smarter code than the one invented by RealAir and that was enhanced through the first update for FS9 (december 2003). If you have never experienced a spin I can guarantee you that in the RealAir SF-260 it is very realistic as well as impressive both from the virtual cockpit and spot views. It is so good that in the beginning I can remember doing some fantasy flying approaching the runway 5 000 feet high, loosing altitude with a spin and then landing on the fly. And now you can even thrill more with the new pre-stall audible and visible buffeting effects. Faint hearted : caution ! But spinning is only one of the numerous interests of the SF-260....................................A multi-purpose aircraft...................................For sure we do not spend all our time doing spins, loops or hammerheads for which the SF-260 excels. When you are in the mood for VFR flying the plane is exquisite thanks to its bulb canopy providing an exceptional field of vision more or less like in a F-16 ;o) But unlike Cessnas it is a low wing aircraft. The plane is also fitted with all the necessary equipment (two VOR frequencies, one HSI and one RMI) for IFR. And the cruise speed, 160 KIAS, is a good appeal for cross country flying. Are you a new simmer ? Veterans pilots say that instead of flying hundreds of aircrafts it is best to concentrate on one and learn it in depth ! With that in mind the SF-260 is certainly is a good choice. Yes, it is not an easy plane due to a higher approach speed compared to the default C172, without speaking of its critical wing meaning that it stalls rather violently. But as you are progressing on the learning curve it is a very rewarding experience. If you are skilled enough with side slipping technique - another refinement in the flight model - and use the flaps thoroughly it is possible to land on short bush fields !...................................3D model...................................It is a high fidelity one and the update brings three new gorgeous liveries as well as a pilot whose head is slaved to the direction of flight, scannning the sky, keeping an eye out for traffic...................................Stereo sound...................................Do not forget : by profession Rob Young is a musician ! ;o)...................................A delight to fly...................................What you feel when you fly this plane is a kind of unique flight experience in Flight Simulator that is - moving freely in a 3D space and not being aboard a machine guided by aerial rails. That feeling well known to X-Plane pilots can be explained by the subtle combination of several factors : the maneuverability of the aircraft, the flight controls harmony and the vision inertia produced by the RealView utility. Another quality of the SF-260 is its stability in cruise, the difficulty residing in making an aerobatics aeroplane without spoiling the other flight characteristics, a challenge that fame Rob Young elegantly overcome....................................Second revolution...................................First seen on the Spitfire, the new gauge design technique is the focal point of this upgrade. The result is simply awesome : the virtual cockpit AND the gauges motion is totally fluid and crystal clear on a mid-range computer. Better see it in action. As of today, no other cockpit can reach such a level of fluidity. And you can zoom and zoom again, the gauges graphics will stay sharp. It seems that every pixel is optimized by Sean Moloney, a wizard of the digital paintbrush, to give the illusion of the curves. It is also in this attention to micrometric details that lies the secret to fluidity. The hand-drawn graphics might not be to your liking especially if you are a photo-based cockpit fan but it looks so realistic and personnally I love Sean's unique style. Nowadays, how many designers do quality hand-custom gauges ? Not many...In addition the instruments including the radios have been improved since the last update, they are clearer and show more "depth". There was a thread/poll recently on Avsim about the user preferences for analogue gauges vs glass cockpits. Well, the SF-260 is THE plane that would definitely make you go for analogue display and handflying !A small detail that I appreciated is the red fuel lever (forgotten in the original FS2002 version but no one's perfect) is now there and fully functional while the "dirt" effect on the cockpit is not too much in my personal taste.To finish, RealAir belongs to the category of companies who do listen to their customers. For instance did you notice that there is now a trim indicator within the VC ? Although it does not exist on the real aircraft, some users claimed it in the past for convenience. RealAir also studied the customer feed-back when they made the decision to offer through the automatic installer an option to keep the 2D panel while the SF-260 is clearly optimized for flying from the VC. In addition this developer shows a are responsiveness and quality in its support, which you may have witnessed in various forums and that deserves to be stressed.In its new incarnation, the SF-260 is probably the best (and perfect?) General Aircraft ever made for FS in all respects. It keeps going higher and higher (Ad alta) thanks to the devotion and talent of its parent artists (per artes). I will not be suprised and if it still live on by the next version of FS.

Thanks for the review -- that was helpful. One question before I buy: what is RealAir's refund policy? The plane itself sounds great -- what I'm concerned about is will I get decent framerates with my pitiful Radeon 9100 video card?* In my experience, it's hard to predict what will and will not be usable without actually trying it.* Yes, I know that card's a dog, but I'm stuck with PCI and that limits your options a lot.

Simicro,Thanks very much for the in depth review and fine words on behalf of the whole team involved. We all worked very hard on improving and upgrading the SF260 and your comments are most appreciated. CheersTimhttp://members.chello.nl/t.westnutt/realair.gif

David,I believe RealAir has a refund policy but personnally I've never seen anyone claiming a refund on the forums.I have a very modest PC (2.5 Ghz, 512 RAM, Radeon 9200 128 Mb) but well optimized for FS. With the graphics set to 3/4, clear sky, no traffic, I get a steady 25 fps with minimum stutters in the SF260 virtual cockpit.Tony

HelloI think you will be fine with that card, what processor do you have?.I find all of Realairs aircraft to be very smooth on the fps and thisupdated sf260 runs really smooth on my system.You wont be wanting a refund once you fly this addon, trust me

I'll use your thread to give a HUGE THUMBS UP :-jumpy for this aircraft. It is by far the best I have purchased, and I own many many many. I was not really interested in the Spit (not my kind of plane) but I was wondering what all the fuss was on the "smooth VC" Well now I know. I owned the previous SF-260 so I jumped when I read of the release. All I can say is it is IN-Freakin-Credible!!! VC gauges are perfectly smooth. Better than most 2D panels. This is the standard for others to achive. If you are one of the non-VC folks, because of the refresh rates, then you no longer have an excuse. Great Job Guys!!!!Dave-------------------------------System Specs:Athlon64 3500+ ClawHammerECS NForce4 A-939 Mobo (1g FSB @ 2.3mhz)1.5G of OCZ Performance PC3200 RamATI Radeon X800Pro PCI-E (Catalyst 5.5 @ 520/540)SoundBlaster Live 24bitSaitek Cyborg EvoWinXP SP1

Fantastic upgrade. Anyone who has the older version and is having second thoughts about buying the upgrade, don't hesitate. It really is like an all new aircraft. The flight dynamics etc where great when it was first released as everyone already knows. The 2005 version has raised the bar again. If you don't have the older version, buy the new one. It's worth every penny. Thanks Rob and company. Great job!!!

What they all said. With this 260 upgrade and the Spit, RealAir continues to set the bar higher for all aircraft add-ons.This is just an awesome machine. Shortly into my first flight, I noticed an actually "floating" whiskey compass. VERY cool to watch in bob around as ITRW...although it does not exhibit the North/South turning error...I assume that is not possible within the context of MSFS code. Still, it is a vast improvement over the unrealistically stable mag compasses in most other aircraft.Way to go RealAir! You guys ROCK!Regards,Jim

Thanks for the review, it has rekindled an interest in getting this aircraft. I feel like I am probably the only simmer that doesn't have it yet, LOL. I have most GA payware and totally support Realair, it's just this aircraft design doesn't do anything for me. It reminds me of an old military trainer.I could care less about acrobatics, spins and such, so that isn't a selling point for me.There was a great freeware version for FS2002 and I installed that to try and get a feel for it so I could get the realair version, but that never happened. I try to sim as realistically as possible and tend to use aircraft that I would have a chance to fly in real life (hence no commercial airliners). I have spent a bit of time at airshows and airports and have never seen one of these in real life, are they more popular in Europe or other countries?Guess I should go do some research to see what I can find out.Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://www.calvirair.com/mcpics/mcdcvabanner.jpgCalVirAir International

Is anyone else having trouble purchasing? I pressed the submit order button then it just sat there loading for 10 minutes, so I stopped it and tried again. It then said it was a duplicate order and asked if I wanted to submit it again, saying that my first order is awaiting "manual authorization". How long is manual authorization going to take?

Hi Alex,The Swreg system is usually (almost) instant, but there may be a queue for other products (not just ours) on a busy Saturday night. It is tempting to click twice if you wait awhile, and I know that in these circumstances a minute seems like an hour!If you get a duplicate order message then in fact Swreg is trying to protect you from making a double order - which I hope most customers see as a benefit. But in ay case we always refund duplicates. If you would kindly e-mail me I am sure we'll sort it out....if needed.Kind Regards,Rob Young

Hello Michaelyou simply must try the SF260 it is out on its own as far as pure flyingpleasure is concerned.the acrobatics, spins and such are great but it is really just a great aircraft to fly either VFR or IFR, you can't go wrong with this addon.The only other payware aircraft that compares to this is the RealAir Spitfire.

HI Michael,I can uderstand your reluctance, with many posts about the aerobatic capabilities of the SF260, but in fact it is also a VERY stable cruiser and even has an IFR 2d panel, if you should want that.The SF260 looks a bit dumpy o the ground but once the wheels are up it looks very handsome and I think you'll like the panoramic view of the VC.Kind Regards,Rob Young www.realairsimulations.com

>Thanks for the review, it has rekindled an interest in>getting this aircraft. I feel like I am probably the only>simmer that doesn't have it yet, LOL. I have most GA payware>and totally support Realair, it's just this aircraft design>doesn't do anything for me. It reminds me of an old military>trainer.I could care less about acrobatics, spins and such, so>that isn't a selling point for me.At least we don't ALL think the same! :D This type of low wing design & sliding canopy has always been a favorite of mine. I flew the (real) Marchetti SF260 in simulated combat with Air Combat USA, and have built a Van's RV6A kitplane which is also all aluminum, side by side and military type sliding canopy. But then those "old military" P-51's have always been my favorite airplanes ever. I wouldn't trade these type of airplanes for a Cessna type.......ever! But that's my point of view! As to the fun of simulating landings, these clear canopy VC's can't be beat for the view and hightened sense of realism thanks to a bit of extra peripheral vision to the sides. IMO, it's as close to being there, without really being there, if you know what I mean!!!L.Adamson

To all who may have had trouble. Rest assured that if you have any problems Real Air and Rob will go out of their way to make things right. I speak from experience with them. Fine aircraft and a First Class operation. Craig Evans N1949E