Milviz DHC-3 Otter released

[dvj]

No Screenshots from users?

 

[henrystreet]

No Screenshots from users?

From flight yesterday, Beni Mellal to Errichidia over the Atlas Mountains

 

[Dimus]

Official video is out:

About the FDE, there was a long process of trial and error during testing to get not only the numbers right but also some very specific behaviors like the pronounced nose down attitude with idling engine and full flaps. Tom Falley, being a real one driver did a great job again, like he did in the Beaver.

 

[Skyhawk18]

I have a few liveries in progress. Here's a RAAF livery (soon to be uploaded)

 

[BendyFlyer]

Can anyone comment on how she wheel lands?

Sterarman do you mean a landing on main wheels only? or a three pointer? Does both just fine but wheel landings were generally a technique for a tail dragger where you had the space to let the tail come down slowly and then hit the brakes, short field, it is a three pointer.

 

[BendyFlyer]

.............About the FDE, there was a long process of trial and error during testing to get not only the numbers right but also some very specific behaviors like the pronounced nose down attitude with idling engine and full flaps. Tom Falley, being a real one driver did a great job again, like he did in the Beaver.

Correct, nice to know!

 

[stearmandriver]

Sterarman do you mean a landing on main wheels only? or a three pointer? Does both just fine but wheel landings were generally a technique for a tail dragger where you had the space to let the tail come down slowly and then hit the brakes, short field, it is a three pointer.

Yep I mean a landing on main gear, setting the tail down as you slow. While it's theoretically true that a 3 point landing should result in the shortest ground roll, there are many reasons to use wheel landings in the bush. More control in wind, better vis over the nose, and maybe most importantly when landing on a rough surface - tundra tires and main gear are built to absorb the impact of rocks and bumps at landing speed, while tailwheels and empennages generally are not. Youtube up some gravel bar landings in the bush and you'll see what I mean; not saying you won't find any 3 pointers as it can be done in some circumstances, but you'll find most pilots prefer wheelies there.

So you're saying the MV Otter can make a well-behaved wheel landing without the hopping and tail-banging that plagues its sibling? It will just roll onto the mains and stay there with some forward yoke, tail easing down as it slows? This would be welcome news, thanks...

 

[BendyFlyer]

I have a few liveries in progress. Here's a RAAF livery (soon to be uploaded)

Great look forward to this one, while I come to grips with a new paint program and do the JanKees tutorials to see if I can finally get this paint business right.

 

[AussieMan]

Already have the Virtualcol Otter and also the JF Otter and cannot see any justification spending money for another Otter. Both the ones I have fly well for me.

 

[sp762]

Yes, Pat. You otter quit while you're ahead. I wonder if somebody will do a side by side review of the three?

 

[BendyFlyer]

Yep I mean a landing on main gear, setting the tail down as you slow. While it's theoretically true that a 3 point landing should result in the shortest ground roll, there are many reasons to use wheel landings in the bush. More control in wind, better vis over the nose, and maybe most importantly when landing on a rough surface - tundra tires and main gear are built to absorb the impact of rocks and bumps at landing speed, while tailwheels and empennages generally are not. Youtube up some gravel bar landings in the bush and you'll see what I mean; not saying you won't find any 3 pointers as it can be done in some circumstances, but you'll find most pilots prefer wheelies there.

So you're saying the MV Otter can make a well-behaved wheel landing without the hopping and tail-banging that plagues its sibling? It will just roll onto the mains and stay there with some forward yoke, tail easing down as it slows? This would be welcome news, thanks...

Stearman, correct and agree re flying taildraggers. My only comment on tail-draggers is that some are a bugger if they have a narrow wheelbase in wheels only mode and can and could swing badly if one was not on top of it. The Beaver and Otter have a good wheelbase and therefore had reasonably good ground handling. Got one wing up though hitting the differential brakes too hard. Any tail dragger can still bite you hard if you get careless.

I have just finished about and hour and a half of circuits into a short dirt strip used to be a twin otter only strip near Newcastle NSW (Aeropelican) etc in the Otter and it does a wheels landing fine. The only issue I have is me and probably my PC (I do have a low end system and this one is pushing the boundaries for memory usage occaisonally, so I am getting used to shutting everything down except sim programs when I use it, I do get a little lag in response [millisecs probably] but there has been no misbehaviour either wheeling it on or a 3 pointer. The difficult thing with this one is the very low speeds for all phases of flight and big engine which means for a takeoff by the time it accelerates to liftoff speed it wants to fly basically straight away and I do find the trim a little slow for my liking to take effect to re-trim in most phases of flight. Same issue with landings it wheels on but as soon as that speed drops it will settle back on you on to all three but in either phase of flight no bouncing or tail banging that I have experienced so far. Got a bit of work to do to get used to the ground handling and the powered tail wheel arrangement which is awkward to get to in the VC from the left hand seat.

 

[Javis]

Jan um well I cannot say every Otter ever made for flight sim, though there was as FS9 version that I ported across into FSX but it was hopeless.....

Thanks for your elaborate sum up about STOL and the Otter in particular,FB !

I can only agree with everything you say, apart from the real stuff of course because i've never even seen a real DHC-3. I suppose they were only sporadicly used in these parts of the wood because i can't even remember having seen one in a museum. It is purely thanks to MSFS that, in a strange way, i became attracted to it. Next to the DC-3 it became my favourite ride after stumbling over Fred Banting's and Steven Grant's wonderful freeware renditions from FS95 onwards. Most probabely because the Otter IS like a truck, isn't it, and i do like trucks. ( take only the way the pilot enters the cockpit i.e. very truck-like ;-)


Personally i have sorely missed a good rendition of the DHC-3 Otter in FSX, that's why, in the end, after all these years, i finally had enough of waiting and started my own Otter project. I think about two months into development, like lightning out of a blue sky, here come even TWO of the most well known and respected FS developers announcing *their* Otter projects..... As we say here in Holland "Nou breekt mijn klomp!! " ( 'there goes my wooden shoe' ... ;-) I intend to create a repaint for either the JF or Milviz Otter with an image of a broken wooden shoe on the nose with this exact expression underneath it.


Btw, talking about repaints, if you're looking for inspiration, i just stumbled over this here wonderful 'DHC-3 Otter archive' : https://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_77.html ( thank you Matthew Kane ! )


Nontheless the wasted time i spend on my own creation i am particularly over the moon with the Milviz Otter. Of course i loved the AH rendition as well, even if only for the fact that, finally, after waiting all these years, we could welcome back a full blown all singing and dancing representation of the venerable DHC-3 Otter in our beloved virtual flying world. ( when i first glanced upon the 'broken' exhaust pipes of the Virtual Col attempt i knew that didn't bode well for the completion of my hope to have a good Otter back in the sim again..)


But that's all hot air through the exhaust pipes now ! ( nice to read about this particular destinctive feature of the Otter in the Milviz manual, like everything else, a very well done manual ! )

( pity Milviz ain't no fan of steam gauges glass protection. VC's are all amazing but after each flight i have to go down on my knees looking for broken off gauge needles on the floor... ) ( would also have loved to 'uncurtain' the curtain and step inside the cabin.. )


In between work i'm going to fly the pants off the seat of these Otter creations. A flightsim dream come true if ever there was !

Well I am now a very happy camper, the MILVIZ Beaver and Otter, Milton Schupes Dash 7 and the Aerosoft Twin Otter, my cup runneth over with STOL aeroplanes built by de Havilland Canada.

Don't forget the amazing Sibwings AN-2, FB. Talk about a truck, éh ? Not sure yet but i believe it ain't doing much in P3Dv4, does it ?...

Anyhow for those around if you want to really go bush flying with a model that performs like a STOL aeroplane should but looks great, has an appropriate vintage and modern VC and amazing sound package, then this is it, FULL STOP.

Fully agreed !

Cheers,
Jan

 

[Javis]

Btw, i wanted to edit out the spaces in my post above but there's just no way i can get the post into the editor.... Happens every now and then. No matter what i try. The edit window remains blanc... I can copy and paste the post into the editor and make the changes but when i try to save the edit all i get is "this page doesn't exists".

This post actually edits fine... ( this is an edit... ;-) so maybe it has to do with the lenght of a post ??....

 

[Alan_A]

Don't forget the amazing Sibwings AN-2, FB. Talk about a truck, éh ? Not sure yet but i believe it ain't doing much in P3Dv4, does it ?...

No... but Aerosoft is pretty far along with the new OctopusG version, complete with Alexander's flight model. Looks like it'll be a worthy (and P3D4-ready) successor. Details in this thread.

Sorry for the OT, but Annushka news is worth spreading...

 

[Javis]

No... but Aerosoft is pretty far along with the new OctopusG version, complete with Alexander's flight model. Looks like it'll be a worthy (and P3D4-ready) successor. Details in this thread.

Sorry for the OT, but Annushka news is worth spreading...

Sure is ! Thanks, Alan ! Mathijs says it's going to even overtake the Sibwings An-2.... Seeing is believing! Can't wait!

 

[BendyFlyer]

Some folks would like some screenshots . This is the amphibian version on a run from Port Morseby to Esa'sala an Island north of Milne Bay. REX, FSXWX, ORBX Global+Vector.

 

[Timmy74]

Hello Chaps,

After some great correspondence with CJ at Milviz -thank you mate- I have got my frame rate issues sorted.

I had "Mipmap VC Panels" ticked in my option settings. After unpicking this option she is now back up to 30 FPS. I never really understood what that option was all about and it never effected any other aircraft of mine.....!?

Anyhow, I just thought that i would pass it on so others do not get put off from this outstanding package.

So now I can clear the prop and kick the chocks!

Cheers,
Tim.

 

[BendyFlyer]

Hello Chaps,

After some great correspondence with CJ at Milviz -thank you mate- I have got my frame rate issues sorted.

I had "Mipmap VC Panels" ticked in my option settings. After unpicking this option she is now back up to 30 FPS. I never really understood what that option was all about and it never effected any other aircraft of mine.....!?

Anyhow, I just thought that i would pass it on so others do not get put off from this outstanding package.

So now I can clear the prop and kick the chocks!

Cheers,
Tim.

Tim, I have never seen or heard of this one in FSX. Could you provide some more details.

 

[Timmy74]

Tim, I have never seen or heard of this one in FSX. Could you provide some more details.

My bad..... It is to do with P3D.

Sorry.

 

[stearmandriver]

Stearman, correct and agree re flying taildraggers. My only comment on tail-draggers is that some are a bugger if they have a narrow wheelbase in wheels only mode and can and could swing badly if one was not on top of it. The Beaver and Otter have a good wheelbase and therefore had reasonably good ground handling. Got one wing up though hitting the differential brakes too hard. Any tail dragger can still bite you hard if you get careless.

I have just finished about and hour and a half of circuits into a short dirt strip used to be a twin otter only strip near Newcastle NSW (Aeropelican) etc in the Otter and it does a wheels landing fine. The only issue I have is me and probably my PC (I do have a low end system and this one is pushing the boundaries for memory usage occaisonally, so I am getting used to shutting everything down except sim programs when I use it, I do get a little lag in response [millisecs probably] but there has been no misbehaviour either wheeling it on or a 3 pointer. The difficult thing with this one is the very low speeds for all phases of flight and big engine which means for a takeoff by the time it accelerates to liftoff speed it wants to fly basically straight away and I do find the trim a little slow for my liking to take effect to re-trim in most phases of flight. Same issue with landings it wheels on but as soon as that speed drops it will settle back on you on to all three but in either phase of flight no bouncing or tail banging that I have experienced so far. Got a bit of work to do to get used to the ground handling and the powered tail wheel arrangement which is awkward to get to in the VC from the left hand seat.

Good deal; thanks for the assessment!