Airfoil Labs King Air 350 (Discussion thread)

I picked up this stunning and outrageously detailed plane yesterday and have to say the work they put into it is mind-boggling. I can see why it took AirFoilLabs years. After a few rounds of polish aka bug squashes, this fledgling will be champions league material.

I love that it’s not easy to learn. My landings are simply appalling… and I can’t find any tutorials on how to do anything - other than on the real thing… which is even cooler :grimacing:

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For those that want the glass cockpit functionality…it looks like Ither has finished modding for a dual GTN 750 panel (RXP GTN required obviously):

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/files/file/51982-airfoillabs-king-air-350-rxp-gtn-750-dual-hd/

“I have completed the dual RXP GTN 750 GPS unit integration into the Airfoillabs King Air 350. Both units having working knobs and buttons on the 3d model, as well as a night lit version. I also completely removed the FMS from the center console. I truly hope you enjoy this as it was very labor intensive to make work. I am pretty excited for your feedback when you start using it. Please read everything on this page before you install it.”

Holy something-something-or-other. This module is a beast!

I realized that I had the AirFoilLabs Cessna 172 in my X-Plane inventory, and over the past few days I have been finding a few hours to tinker with it. I am going to write up some impressions in the next few days but, TLDR, I was so impressed with it I had to bit the bullet and take a look at the B350.

Wow.

The level of detail is insane and … for this virtual pilot … humbling. I have no real-world pilot experience and have not flown anything in X-Plane larger than the V-Twin in the Christmas 2019 Flight (other than a brief, very brief, stint in an older CRJ-ish module that I realized I flew for about half of the Olympics flight a few years ago). This module is gargantuan! I spent two hours going through the checklist to preflight the aircraft and get the engines on and was swamped.

I said ‘humbled’ earlier and that’s so true. It is relatively easy to get overwhelmed with the systems in a combat jet modeled in DCS, especially if you have to respond fast to a combat situation when you are deep in the mix-up, but I always thought it was manageable. In the B350 … I was overwhelmed in the pre-flight. At one point I put the checklist on auto and just sat back trying to keep up with what was going on. And I am sitting here writing this, wondering if I need to go to flight college to get this bird out of Winnipeg and on its way to finishing that Christmas 2019 flight. :slight_smile:

At this rate one of two (or three) things might happen: 1) I figure it out and make it before January; 2) the weather changes to spring and I can ignore my icing concerns and get back in the V-Twin or that very special AirFoilLabs Cessna 172.

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It really is a wonderfully deep module. As a person completely “at home” in that cockpit…it warms my heart to see some of the little touches they included. It really is a stand-out module for X-Plane. As for the systems and complexity…remember…the overriding rule in complex aircraft with lots of stuff going on in the cockpit: “Never Touch a Dusty Button”

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How does one:

  1. Taxi: What are your ‘lever’ and beta settings for taxi? I am using low idle power on the condition levers, which I think is incorrect.

  2. Cruise: My understanding it 1600 RPM on the prop and high on the condition levers (?) but what are you setting the throttle/torque at? I was ‘puttering’ along just below max speed by accident last night (before Ultra Weather XP interfered and crashed X-Plane) and I am pretty sure that was ‘too fast’.

  3. Descent: How do you manage the descent airspeed? I watched one youtube video where he went to fine on the prop to slow down (as it was putting more of a ‘disc’ into the wind). I ended up putting the flaps out too early for the disembodied co-pilot voice and he instructed me to put 'em back up :slight_smile:

Chris is of course far more current on the King Air than I am, but from memory…

Condition levers to low idle is fine for taxi. Power levers generally at or close to idle or in beta depending on what you need. I didn’t need to use the brakes much for normal taxiing. Consider opening the ice vanes too if the surface is contaminated in any way (Ice, slush, loose stones and gravel etc).

Cruise at 1600 rpm’s seems reasonable. As for for throttles/power levers at cruise, I would set it based on matched fuel flow and keep an eye on torque and ITT to make sure everything stays within limits. I seem to remember something like a fuel flow of 300 lbs per side worked well in the B200. Probably a little higher in the 350 though.

At idle with the props fully forward, the King Air can drop like a rock. Your props are very effective speed brakes. Normally though, just start your descent far enough out and airspeed won’t be a problem…

Ha, I see Chris is typing… I’ll hand it all over to him!..

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In real life - you would usually be in the ground fine area of the quadrant and not reverse. Every so often you might want to come into reverse to slow a taxi…but mostly just ground fine. Low idle on the condition levers is fine…we typically run ours at the mid point because at low idle there is not enough power to power the air conditioner compressor on the right engine (you’ll get an N1 low annunciator on the panel)…

Condition lever position will not change anything in normal flight except for the speed at flight idle. So once you are above the high idle speed of the engine by using the throttles, the condition lever no longer does anything. Having the condition levers at high does provide a higher engine RPM at flight idle (throttles) so when you go into reverse on landing, there is less spool up time. So short landings - condition lever high, props full forward, throttles idle until touchdown, then max reverse until 40 knots.

Torque is usually full (2230 in our planes) until you reach the ITT limit (we use 740) at higher altitudes. 1700 RPM in the B200, but probably 1600 in the B1900 and King Air 300/350…

Descent airspeed is managed only with the throttles. At idle, the prop drag is enormous. If you are really, really in a pinch, you could run the props forward and throttles to idle, but I’d hazard to say you’d probably be looking at 5-6000 FPM in that state. Very, very uncomfortable for passengers. Once the props are at cruise, I never touch them again until about 2 mile final when I start easing them up to 2000 RPM once the final flaps go in. Some guys like to leave them at 1700 (1600) until touchdown then advance the props forward for reversing. It does keep the airplane quieter throughout the final approach and landing. I’ve always liked mine forward prior to touchdown though to give me one less thing to do on a go-around…

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Awesome! Thanks for the info! I am really loving the module and hoping that AirFoilLabs keeps releasing more :slight_smile:

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I’ve been shoe shopping…$35, how could I say no?

So I’ll be joining @fridge in asking @paulrix and @BeachAV8R all the dumb questions…I’ll preemptively apologise.

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It’s a great module, no doubt about it. It’s been a long time since I flew a real King Air, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. Chris is the man you really want to talk to.:sunglasses:

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No, I am not reading this! … you wrote 35 !? :smile:

X-plane store right now :wink::facepunch:

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Here is the link: King Air 350-airfoillabs-KA350

:slight_smile:

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NEED. RESIST! :see_no_evil: :hear_no_evil: :upside_down_face:

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Few months ago had a chance to do few hops in real King Air sim

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So jealous!!! That looks incredible!! I really really want this module. I’ve even downloaded the manual to plough through. I’m hoping for a bit of Christmas funding from the wife lol

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Trip report for the Mudspike Christmas 2019 Event with a ‘review’ of the King Air 350: link

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