A2A Comanche (for P3D Academic)

The unique conjoining of many superlative aeronautic and aesthetic qualities marks this very special aeroplane. It has been said that if an aeroplane looks right, it will fly right. In this it is supposed that the eye’s natural ability to sense the pleasing proportion and intrinsic efficiency of a design is a reliable predictor of similarly excellent aeronautic performance. The Comanche 250 proves that this adage may be relied upon and bears validity. The Piper Comanche takes its well-deserved place on an illustrious list of aeroplanes which are both so very pleasing to the eyes and which are equally capable of superior performance.

No airplane personifies the epithet “Dynamic Elegance” more aptly than does the Piper Comanche 250.

The unique conjoining of many superlative aeronautic and aesthetic qualities marks this very special aeroplane. It has been said that if an aeroplane looks right, it will fly right. In this it is supposed that the eye’s natural ability to sense the pleasing proportion and intrinsic efficiency of a design is a reliable predictor of similarly excellent aeronautic performance. The Comanche 250 proves that this adage may be relied upon and bears validity. The Piper Comanche takes its well-deserved place on an illustrious list of aeroplanes which are both so very pleasing to the eyes and which are equally capable of superior performance.

There are many including this writer the most beautiful of all General Aviation (GA) aircraft, if not the most beautiful. From any angle the Comanche treats the eyes. This is what provides its elegance. Its superlative performance is a matter of record and this provides its dynamism. These two great and rare qualities, beauty and performance would be enough in and of themselves to place the Comanche at the pinnacle of GA aircraft, but the Comanche possesses an additional quality, one which, after all, may be its most endearing. Of all of the high performance GA aircraft the Comanche is arguably the least demanding of the relatively low- time pilot. That this is so is not an accident or a fortuitous circumstance – William Piper specifically intended that it should be so. The Comanche’s forgiving flight characteristics and its refusal to turn and bite an unwary pilot without plenty of warning, its relatively gentle stall, easy handling at low airspeeds and its overall delightful handling at all airspeeds are confidence boosters for its fortunate pilots.

The Comanche is also particularly exceptional in that it does not achieve its excellent aerodynamic performance at the expense of interior room and comfort; it is among the roomiest and most comfortable of “high performance” aeroplanes. Neither does the Comanche sacrifice useful load nor its generous weight and balance envelope at the altar of high airspeed. It is a highly capable heavy load hauler and its capacious useful load as well as its ability to safely carry baggage and substantial rear seat passengers without straining its aft load limits is far better than its closest competitors of equal horsepower – including and specifically the V-tail Beechcraft Bonanza. Perhaps most importantly, the Comanche does not achieve its performance by the intrinsic design features which compromise stable flying characteristics. Its light airframe weight and its generous, high aspect-ratio, laminar flow wing provides the Comanche with high efficiency as well as a low wing loading.

Accordingly, Comanche pilots and owners are particularly loyal and satisfied, and for good reason; the Comanche delivers extraordinarily dynamic performance while embodying the highest degree of aeronautic elegance.

So, how is it that all of these superlative qualities came together in this aeroplane? Well, therein lays the Comanche’s tale, one redolent of aeronautic expertise, prescience, confidence and also of a fierce competitive spirit. As it happens, it all began a little more than ten years before the first Comanche ever flew.

Once upon a time…

Features

• Aircraft DNA technology re-creates actual engine and airframe vibrations.
• A true propeller simulation.
• Experience one of the world’s finest high performance general aviation airplanes ever created
• Hand towing.
• Immersive pre-flight inspection system designed by pilots while operating the actual Comanche 250.
• Electric starter with accurate cranking power.
• Dynamic ground physics including both hard pavement and soft grass modeling.
• Primer-only starts are now possible. Accu-Sim monitors the amount of fuel injected and it’s effectiveness to start and run the engine.
• Persistent airplane where systems, corrosion, and temperatures are simulated even when the computer is off.
• Immersive in-cockpit, physics-driven sound environment from A2A engineered recordings.
• Complete maintenance hangar internal systems and detailed engine tests including compression checks.
• Piston combustion engine modeling. Air comes in, it mixes with fuel and ignites, parts move, heat up, and all work in harmony to produce the wonderful sound of a Lycoming 540 engine. Now the gauges look beneath the skin of your aircraft and show you what Accu-Sim is all about.
• Actual avionics used in the real A2A Comanche 250 including Narco radios and STEC-30 autopilot.
• Three in-sim avionics configurations including no GPS, GPS 295, or the GNS 400. Built-in, automatic support for 3rd party avionics.
• As with every A2A aircraft, it is gorgeously constructed, inside and out, down to the last rivet.
• Designed and built to be flown “By The Book.”
• Visual Real-Time Load Manager, with the ability to load fuel, people, and baggage in real-time.
• Four naturally animated passengers that can sit in any seat including the pilot’s.
• 3D Lights ‘M’ (built directly into the model).
• Pure3D Instrumentation now with natural 3D appearance with exceptional performance.
• A total audible cockpit and sound engineered by A2A sound professionals.
• In cockpit pilot’s map for handy in-flight navigation.
• Authentic fuel delivery includes priming and proper mixture behavior. Mixture can be tuned by the book using the EGT or by ear. It’s your choice.
• All models include A2A specialized materials with authentic metals, plastics, and rubber.
• Airflow, density and its temperature not only affect the way your aircraft flies, but how the internal systems operate.
• Real-world conditions affect system conditions, including engine temperatures.
• Spark plugs can clog and eventually foul if the engine is allowed to idle too low for too long. Throttling up an engine with oil-soaked spark plugs can help clear them out.
• Overheating can cause scoring of cylinder head walls which could ultimately lead to failure if warnings are ignored and overly abused
• Engine, airframe, cockpit panel and individual gauges tremble from the combustion engine.
• Authentic drag from the airframe and flaps
• System failures, including flaps that can independently jam or break based on the actual forces put upon them. If you deploy your flaps at too high a speed, you could find yourself in a very dangerous situation.
• Authentic battery. The battery capacity is based on temperature. The major draw comes from engine starting.
• Oil pressure system is affected by oil viscosity (oil thickness). Oil viscosity is affected by oil temperature. Now when you start the engine, you need to be careful to give the engine time to warm
• Eight commercial aviation sponsors have supported the project including Phillips 66 Aviation, Champion Aerospace, and Knots2u speed modifications.