One Gauge to Rule Them All-The magnetic compass envisioned by Accusim, created by A2A, and placed in the middle of the instrument panel of the Piper Cub is a marvel. It is perhaps the single most realistic bit of airplane I have ever seen in the simulator. Not only does the gauge do all the classic things we think of that ‘realistic’ gauges do, such as spin in turns or with power changes and whatnot, but it actually senses the bank of the aircraft and adjusts itself accordingly. This in itself is not that unique, but the incredible thing is that you can use this gauge to make a coordinated turn. After all, there is no turn coordinator in a Cub, and since you can’t feel how the Cub is flying in the seat of your pants through your gaming chair, this is pretty important.
When in a turn, the magnetic compass will be off of level in relation to the turn. However, when rudder is applied correctly, the compass will actually level out, letting you know you’re in a coordinated turn. I, for one, was impressed with the work that went into this one gauge. It stands as a good indicator for the quality that A2A works towards everywhere, not just in compasses.
Propellor Physics -Obviously, the propellor and the engine are intimately linked. In the Piper Cub, there is no electric starter. So, you need to get someone to get out there and spin that prop around so you can set the magnetos and be in the thing when it starts. In this way, the propellor is a big way in which the pilot and the environment interact with the engine. For instance, the prop won’t reach it’s fullest possible RPM at speeds like 50 miles per hour. It’s not until it gets to around 90 MPH that it’ll redline because, at this speed, the air is moving faster around the Cub and therefore the prop can cut into it easier. This translates back to your engine in that you can put it at full throttle all day and so long as you don’t get up to higher speeds, you don’t have to worry about maxing out the power.
Incidentally, A2A has done the most with the propellor than any company since the spinning appearance of a propellor disk was first introduced in FS98 (I can’t remember exactly... I seem to recall it was a twin Piper that first had this). Since then, A2A has introduced the 3D propellor, which appears to be 3D when in motion, and now this Piper Cub’s little wooden prop. The biggest change is that now you can lean out of the cockpit via TrackIR, the Cub’s preset views, or the FSX key commands and drag the prop around to start it. I’ll go over this procedure later, but for now just remember that you can actually click on the prop and drag it to prime the carburetor (these are called compression strokes) and then finally, with one wild swing of the mouse, have the engine come kicking to life.
Additionally, you probably already know that the propellor was intended primarily for air. Ergo, dirt is very bad for it. So, on a botched landing if you happen to tilt a bit too far forward, you’ll find that the prop strikes the ground and breaks, usually damaging the engine as well. You’ll probably have to reload the plane to fix this one, but it’s not much of an inconvenience when you consider that you’d have to fork over a chunk of cash to get it fixed in real life.
Sounds -As usual, A2A relies heavily on custom sounds recorded directly from the real aircraft to immerse the user in a realistic experience. Just about everything in the Cub makes sounds; the primer makes a lovely squishing sound, brakes squeak and control cables give a bit of a groan, the magneto switch has lovely clunky noises which are slightly different for each position, the cockpit window and door both have custom sounds, etc.
One of the less noticeable ones is the effect of air moving in and around the aircraft during flight. The Cub doesn’t have a sealed cockpit so there are quite a few leaks in the first place, and that’s why you won’t notice a huge difference in sound with the window or door open. However, one rather cool, if terribly subtle and difficult to notice effect (at least for me) is that the sound changes slightly in intensity when you look at the door or window if open.
The engine noise is also pretty nicely done. It doesn’t have the magnificence of a massive piston engine like the R-2800, but for the Cub it’s nicely done. It’s sort of an interesting sounding engine - not a lot of bass, mostly a treble whispering. Vaguely familiar to severely over-endowed lawnmower.
Flight and Procedures -Ah, flight. The Cub has been lauded through history for its lovely, laid-back flying, forgiving stalls, and the supposed ability of being able to turn in its own length I won’t repeat the same tired phrases about the Cub. These can be found in a much more reliable and I daresay more entertaining source from the manual, which is available from their website without purchase.
In such a small, somewhat underpowered aircraft, drag and weight are significant factors. A2A’s included models with different landing gear (or watering or snowing gear as the case may be) all have subtly different flying characteristics. What’s more, these all come with different sound sets which make going over whatever surface they’re intended for even more interesting.
The regular tires are naturally the least draggy, but they can be a limit to where the Cub can get into.
I did most of my flying in the Tundra versions. To me, the additional drag and weight was worth it for being able to land wherever I wanted to. This is important to me because I rarely have long periods of time to sim, so I can just put her down in a field and take her back up when I have time. Truth be told, I love flying this way.
The ski version is also somewhat heavier than the regular tires, but nothing drastic. It’s interesting to go over the snow in these and hear the slithering sound with A2A’s custom soundset.
The float version is perhaps the most interesting. A2A really went all-out with this one; not only is there the ambient sound of water, but they also included a little paddle on the float. You can click this, and then click and drag the water and you will move like you’re paddling This is really a neat feature, and you can even hear the paddle going through the water with a lovely ‘swish’.
When you first enter the cockpit, there are only two switches which you really have to position to start the engine, and those are the mags and the fuel. The magneto switch is located on the left side of the cockpit right about level with your head. It is a four-position, lovely, clunky old switch which is labeled: off, right, left, both. The fuel switch is also on the left side between the front seat and the cockpit wall.
Firstly, open the fuel switch; then, you’ll have to lean out of the cockpit door to prime the prop and eventually start the engine. Stock J-3’s didn’t have an electric starter, so a fitter would have to swing around the prop to actually get the engine running. A2A has modeled a similar procedure, and as it states in the manual this is intended for simulation use only and you may well get a few digits lopped off in real life.
So, using either the stock key commands, TrackIR, or by switching to the predefined view outside of the aircraft, make your way ‘outside’ to where you can see the prop and be able to click on it (yes, click on it) but still be able to see both the mag switch and the right side of the front panel. This is important, because in cold weather you’ll need the primer and it’s located here. Give it a shot for chilly weather, and more if things are really nippy.
Place the mouse on the prop, click, and drag. Rotate the prop about twelve times; you’ll have to drag it down until the other side of the prop is in sight, and then click and drag that one, etc. When the engine is primed, put the mag switch to ‘both’, make sure the fuel is on again, position the prop blade to about 45 degrees off of straight (top dead center, to be correct). Then, making sure your mouse is positioned on the upper part of the mouse pad, click the prop and swing your mouse wildly back.
The reliable little Continental in the Cub is easy to start and rarely gives you any trouble in all weather, unless you’ve really damaged the engine earlier. Even then it’s rarely a matter of more than a couple tries. Once she’s ticking, let her warm up; of the few ways to really strangle your engine, revving it when the oil temperature is cold is one of the easiest.
So, when everything’s warmed up and ready, it’s time to taxi to the runway. As far as visibility goes, the Cub isn’t as bad as some. I remember trying to see in the P-47’s cockpit around that huge honker of an engine; the Cub, with its dirty windows and whirring wooden prop, is quite a bit easier to handle. Naturally, you’ll probably have to do some S-turns to get to the runway safely, and once there you can use peripheral vision and gauge the tarmac outside of your left and right windows to keep centered.
One rather fun trick on the ground is simple in concept, but it really shows off one of A2A’s best innovations in the Cub. This is simply that the control surfaces on the tail will react realistically to the flow of air from the prop. So, in addition to the help that this can give you as far as turning goes by applying quick blasts of throttle, you can also do a neat trick where you apply the breaks, give her some throttle, and apply downward elevator. This will allow you balance the aircraft on two wheels at a standstill. The trick itself is neat enough, but as I said it’s the best window into A2A’s breakthrough in dynamics of airflow from the engine across the control surfaces.
So, once you’ve tried this out (and doubtlessly smashed the prop into the ground a couple of times just to practice) it’s time for takeoff. In the Piper Cub, takeoff is a very straightforward matter. Apply throttle, downward elevator to get the tail up and improve visibility, and once you don’t need to hold the stick forward anymore to keep the tail up you can be off into the blue. However, if you have the runway then you might as well keep her on the ground to build up a bit more speed. Note that some users have experienced the wings uncharacteristically tilting left during the takeoff role, so if you’re getting this please visit the A2A forums.
Once you’ve experienced the long, somewhat comically slow climbs of the Cub, you’ll do anything you can to expedite them. However, truth be told, if you’re impatient with how slow the climbs are you probably picked the wrong product. I would not call a Cub slow so much as venerable in all the senses that the word implies.
Keeping in mind that the Cub is really an off-road (or runway, as the case may be) sort of vehicle, if you fly like me you’ll find yourself taking off from something other than a runway 90% of the time. So, the Cub’s inherent, if unintentional, STOL abilities will come in very handy. There are some incredible short takeoff and landing videos on the internet, and most of them are well worth a gander for a Cub enthusiast. There’s not a whole lot of special things you do with a Cub for a shorter takeoff as a J-3 will usually climb into the air before you really need or want it to. However, the basics such as holding the brakes until the throttle is a full power, getting the tail up ASAP, and pulling up ASAP will usually see you safely departed from the ground before any obstacles are within a worrying distance. With the Cub’s slow climbs, tall trees are more of an obstacle than a short runway.
Cruise is something the Cub can and cannot do; if you would like to set the trim, sit back, and fly for long hours if not long distance, you can. However, my ‘cruise’ was usually a period after climb which consisted of me diving down to check out scenery, then climbing back up, diving, climbing, etc. It’ll get you where you need to go, albeit only just slightly below the speed of a car on the highway in Carter’s administration. Generally you’ll find yourself cruising at around 45 MPH, depending on various factors, all of which affect the Cub quite a bit more than a more usual aircraft due to the J-3’s size and weight.
Landing can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. Three-point landings, where the main and tail gear touch down at the same time, are recommended, but they can be tricky and it’s often safer to go with a regular two-point touch down on the main wheels. However, the concept behind performing a 3-point landing is simple. Make your approach and position yourself above the runway centerline. Reduce throttle and begin a small sort of flare at about 2 feet above the ground or less. With practice, this will allow you to gently sink into the runway while distributing the weight on all three gears and avoiding the prospect of a nose strike. It takes some practice and it’s tough to gauge in the simulator. Those real-life pilots have it easy.
Miscellaneous Accusim Features -I feel rather bad calling these features miscellaneous, but they don’t fit terribly well into my other categories.
For one thing, if you open the door in flight you will notice that it reacts to how the aircraft is flying. For instance, in a right bank the bottom flap of the door, which is loose, will lean out with the turn. Also, a rather neat sort of stall indicator is that, shortly before a stall, the door will mysteriously drift upwards.
As I mentioned, the float version has a paddle so that you can move around the docks. All the other variants have a similar feature in one of the pop-up menus where you can click one of four arrows and turn or move the Cub accordingly. This comes in handy if you’re parked in a hangar or whatnot.
A few thoughts on the airplane...When I’m reviewing, the aircraft and scenery that I’m working on at the same time are intimately linked. Since I haven’t had as much time to fly recently, I usually just boot up in what I’m reviewing and nothing else. So, this means that for the past few months I’ve flown the A2A Cub throughout Orbx’s Australia packages to the near exclusion of anything else. Because of the very nature of the Cub, this has allowed me to get very familiar with the small details of the scenery, and because the Orbx packages cover such vast tracts of lands, I’ve had ample time just to sit and observe the Cub while flying those distances.
The combination of these things has made for a unique experience. Although the Cub moves so slowly I haven’t yet covered as much of Australia as I probably have ought to, I feel that I’ve been able to get a glimpse into what the scenery really is. When you’re cruising at 3000 feet and you’re only moving 45 MPH, there’s time just to look. And when you see something interesting, you can just swoop down and have a peek, or even land next to it more often than not. Then, you can just spend the next hour slowly climbing back up. Not really a climb, but more of an upward drift. These have been my experiences in the last four months. And I’ve enjoyed them, too.
Final Word-
The A2A Cub is the first aircraft for the simulator that has captured as much of the essence of the real plane as it could. This is so much more difficult than replicating the cold, robotic procedures of an airliner, and it ventures much more into something that I would call art. The breakthroughs are just as big as what we saw with the B-377 and the wonderful Jug, but in a totally different way. I’m struggling to adequately sum up my feelings about this aircraft, but perhaps this will work: I feel that A2A has done right by, not only the Cub itself, but also the thousands of aviators who first learned to fly in the Cub these last seventy years.
VFR Reviews - Blue AwardVFR Reviews is very pleased to announce that the A2A Piper J3 Cub with Accusim has won our Blue award. This has only been presented to a product once before in VFR Reviews’ history. This was for the product REX 2.0, and a large reason that it was presented was because REX greatly enhanced the natural aspect of the flight simulator. A2A’s Cub has done much the same thing in the aspect of flying and how the aircraft interacts with its environment. In addition to this, it has scoured 98 out of a possible 100 on our rubric, so we feel that its consummate excellence well merits the Blue award.
Rubric for Aircraft-
Documentation- 10/10 points
Interior Appearance- 20/20 points
Exterior Appearance- 19/20 points
Systems- 19/20 points
Extras (unique features, etc.) 10/10 points
Pricing- 10/10 points
Performance -10/10 points
Total - 98/100
Aircraft Points-Programming- The aircraft’s programming is innovative and nearly 100% errorless.
Appearance- The aircraft is modeled accurately and with great skill. It is my own opinion that, on the whole, the stock paints are too clean.
Flight Dynamics- Although I have never flown a J3, the experienced pilots who frequent the forums and praise the Cub’s flight dynamics prove to me that the flight dynamics are indeed accurate.
Features- The aircraft is brimming with innovative, entertaining, and realistic features.
