TorqueSim, RealSimGear, and X-Aviation are pleased to announce the release of the Take Command! SR22 G1000 Series and Take Command! SR20 G1000 1.2.0 updates. These updates consist of a wide variety of improvements which we have integrated to improve the aircraft. Many of these improvements have stemmed from our recently released Take Command! SR20/SR22 equipped with the Entegra Avionics.
To Update: Download your installer here and re-install!
TorqueSim, RealSimGear, and X-Aviation are pleased to announce the release of the Take Command! SR22 Entegra Series and Take Command! SR20 Entegra 1.0.2 update. These updates consists of a wide variety of bug fixes which we have integrated to improve the aircraft.
To Update: Download your installer here and re-install!
TorqueSim, RealSimGear, and X-Aviation are pleased to announce the release of the Take Command! SR22 Entegra Series and Take Command! SR20 Entegra 1.0.1 update. These updates consists of a wide variety of bug fixes which we have integrated to improve the aircraft.
To Update: Download your installer here and re-install!
TorqueSim, RealSimGear, and X-Aviation are thrilled to have the released both the Take Command! SR20 Entegra Edition and Take Command! SR22 Series Entegra Edition! The SR22 Series includes both the normally-aspirated and turbo-normalized variants.
For existing SR20 customers, the SR20 Entegra Edition is available at a nominal upgrade price of $24.95. For existing SR22 Series Customers, the SR22 Series Entegra Edition will be available at $29.95. The coupon(s) have been emailed to customers.
These aircraft are our most complex simulations to-date. Brand-new custom avionics, the TorqueSim physics engine, our maintenance and wear system, all paired with a gorgeous 3D model and a phenomenal sound pack. And that is just the beginning!
Be prepared to have a new favorite plane in your X-Plane hangar!
As we detailed in the announcement post last week, as can be seen here, these aircraft are feature packed! The custom Avidyne Entegra R8 avionics provide a unique immersive flying experience unparalleled in flight simulation.
TorqueSim, RealSimGear, and X-Aviation are thrilled to announce the release of both the Take Command! SR20 Entegra Edition and Take Command! SR22 Series Entegra Edition. They will be released next week on Friday March 26th. The SR22 Series will include both the normally-aspirated and turbo-normalized variants.
For existing SR20 customers, the SR20 Entegra Edition will be available at a nominal upgrade price. For existing SR22 Series Customers, the SR22 Series Entegra Edition will be available at a nominal upgrade price. A coupon will be emailed to customers prior to release.
These aircraft are our most complex simulations to-date. Brand-new custom avionics, the TorqueSim physics engine, our maintenance and wear system, all paired with a gorgeous 3D model and a phenomenal sound pack. And that is just the beginning!
Be prepared to have a new favorite plane in your X-Plane hangar!
The Entegra Avionics
The TorqueSim/RealSimGear Entegra simulation is setting the bar for X-Plane GA Avionics. The custom developed avionics suite accurately replicates the Entegra avionics, both with PFD and MFD functions. This project has been a massive undertaking in developing our first fully-custom avionics package. Simulating the Entegra R8 flight deck will provide the ultimate platform for flying and learning. Also, new to the aircraft, a popup Angle of Attack indicator!
The Entegra PFD features a proper boot sequence, simulated avionics modules, and more. The altimeter of course can be switched between InHg and Mb units. The CDI can show (and drive the autopilot) from either GPS 1, GPS 2, NAV 1, or NAV 2!
The Entegra MFD has many different distinct modes in which it operates. The main mode, “MAP” features a gorgeous terrain rendering system. This is based on a short-term caching tiling system to optimize performance. Tiles are regenerated on-the-fly throughout flight, on a separate thread from the simulator. Airports, runways, VORs, NDBs, FIXs, traffic, airways, airspace, US interstate highways, obstacles, and the flight plan are all overlaid on top of a terrain base map. Engine indications, as well as a brief flight plan overview are also shown.
The next mode, “TAWS” shows the Terrain Awareness and Warning System. It depicts the terrain relative to the current altitude, indicating areas of terrain conflicts on a graduating scale. This helpful mode removes all irrelevant info and lets the pilot focus on safely navigating their aircraft around terrain. The following modes, “TRIP” and “NRST” are very handy for knowing your flight plan and surroundings. The TRIP page shows your waypoints from the GPS and provides helpful details including the distance, ETA, and estimated fuel at each waypoint. The NRST page shows the nearest Airports, VORs, NDBs, and FIXs. There is also a detailed airport view that shows the runway layout, frequencies, and elevation!
The checklists for the aircraft are also fully integrated into the MFD. The proper procedures for normal flight, emergencies, and system malfunctions can all be viewed and followed. Of course, the Entegra Engine page is also intricately modeled. It features custom gauges, Lean-assist functionality, and the ability to set the onboard fuel via the fuel-totalizer.
Each aircraft has two autopilot selections available, the DFC90 or STEC-55X. Also equipped in the aircraft is the GTX330 transponder.
The Entegra pairs perfectly with multiple GPS options. The GPS stack options are:
2x Default/RealityXP GNS 430
1x RealityXP GTN 750 + RealityXP GTN 650
2x RealityXP GTN 650
(RealityXP Avionics sold separately) Note: The default GNS 430 avionics do not expose approach waypoint information. SIDs, STARs, and enroute flight plans will show up on the Entegra MFD, but approaches will not, due to this Laminar Research limitation. If this changes, we will integrate full waypoint drawing. This does not affect the HSI and flying approaches, just the depiction on the MFD. RealityXP avionics show waypoints from all phases of flight without issue.
The Entegra Avionics also are designed for RealSimGear’s new Entegra Desktop Console which features backlit buttons and knobs and 10.4″ IPS displays. More details can be found at RealSimGear’s website.
The SR20 and SR22 have been meticulously detailed to provide for the most in-depth visual model as possible. The aircraft makes full use of 4K PBR textures, ensuring the highest level of visual fidelity. All the different materials are accurately represented from samples from the actual aircraft! The many differences between the Entegra and G1000 versions of the SRs have been integrated, clearly separating the aircraft from each other.
The SR20 and SR22 are equipped with the TorqueSim custom physics – the most accurate simulation of a piston engine for X-Plane! The simulation models the mass flows of air and fuel through every part of the engine in real time. Air enters the engine through the air filter, flows through ducts, passes obstacles like the throttle plate, burns the fuel and leaves the engine as exhaust gas. Pressures and temperatures are calculated in every section independently, all contributing to the different segments of the simulation. All engine parameters are tuned against a huge database of real engine log data to ensure maximum possible accuracy in all phases of flight. The entire engine simulation runs on a separate thread from the main simulator. This allows for the timing necessary for proper simulation, independent of sim frame-rate, but also ensures that the model has a near-zero performance impact on the simulator!
The electrical systems have also been intricately detailed, ensuring every last breaker and switch is modeled. The dual-batteries are simulated with a custom lead-acid battery simulation. The dual-alternator setup and Master Control Unit have been intricately tuned to interface with the rest of the simulation. All electrical busses and circuit breakers are individually simulated to provide for the most in-depth of simulation. All the intricacies of the SR electrical system including alternator drop at low RPM are modeled.
The fuel system has all been custom simulated, providing for unparalleled accuracy in-flight. It models all the details down to the fuel lines and injector nozzles! Fuel temperature is calculated and vapor is formed in the lines under the right environmental circumstances. This also allows for the recreation of all engine starting characteristics usually found on an aviation piston engine like normal, cold, hot, flooded and false starts. So be sure to understand the importance of your boost pump both on ground and in flight! The complex behavior of the engine driven and electric fuel pumps as well as the fuel manifold and metering unit are simulated. Changing bank and attitude of the aircraft affect sloshing in the tank, thus causing the indicated fuel quantity to differ.
The SRs also feature an engaging and beneficial maintenance, wear, and failure model. This aspect of the simulation makes sure that the plane is flown safely and without damage. Excessive wear will be affecting airframe performance and safety, addressed through a realistic concept of runtime-based and annual inspections. The entire wear and failures logic is built on top of the physics model for engine, airframe, and fuel systems. This also includes truly unique features like cylinder detonation driven by the physics engine. Tires flatten, brakes fade when hot, the propeller experiences FOD on unprepared surfaces and much more to discover. Probability distributions tuned with real-world data are used to reflect the increasing likelihood of failures with component runtime.
The tail number can be dynamically changed on the aircraft! There are many configuration options to make the plane yours – from changing the tail number color, placement, outlines, drop shadows, all the way to painting it on the wings!
All the systems are programmed in C/C++ using the X-Plane SDK. No compromises were made for simplicity. The plugins make significant use of multithreading to have the absolute minimum processes running on the main simulator thread, thus helping keep X-Plane performance at its maximum! The Entegra simulation is also very performance cautious. The avionics engine runs on threads separate from the main simulator and caches data as appropriate. Through our testing, performance exceeds that of the G1000 variants of the same aircraft.
TorqueSim, RealSimGear, and X-Aviation are excited to finally announce our next products coming to X-Plane, the Take Command! SR20 and Take Command! SR22 Series, Entegra Edition. The SR22 Series will include both the normally-aspirated and Turbo-Normalized variants.
These aircraft are our most complex simulations to-date. Brand-new custom avionics, the TorqueSim physics engine, our maintenance and wear system, all paired with a gorgeous 3D model and a phenomenal sound pack. And that is just the beginning!
We are entering the testing phase of this aircraft now. No release date has been set, but it is coming soon! These aircraft will be sold separately from the SR20 and SR22 G1000 editions, upgrade pricing will be offered to existing customers.
Be prepared to have a new favorite plane in your X-Plane hangar!
The Entegra Avionics also are designed for RealSimGear’s new Entegra Desktop Console which features backlit buttons and knobs and 10.4″ IPS displays. More details can be found at RealSimGear’s website.
Features:
Advanced Custom Avionics
The TorqueSim/RealSimGear Entegra simulation is setting the bar for X-Plane GA Avionics. The custom developed avionics suite accurately replicates the Entegra avionics, both with PFD and MFD functions. This project has been a massive undertaking in developing our first fully-custom avionics package. Simulating the Entegra R8 flight deck will provide the ultimate platform for flying and learning. Also, new to the aircraft, a popup Angle of Attack indicator!
The Entegra PFD features a proper boot sequence, simulated avionics modules, and more. The altimeter of course can be switched between InHg and Mb units. The CDI can show (and drive the autopilot) from either GPS 1, GPS 2, NAV 1, or NAV 2!
The Entegra PFD
The Entegra MFD has many different distinct modes in which it operates.
The main mode, “MAP” features a gorgeous terrain rendering system. This is based on a short-term caching tiling system to optimize performance. Tiles are regenerated on-the-fly throughout flight, on a separate thread from the simulator. Airports, runways, VORs, NDBs, FIXs, traffic, and the flight plan are all overlaid on top of the terrain base map. Engine indications, as well as a brief flight plan overview are also shown.
Entegra MAP page
The next mode, “TAWS” shows the Terrain Awareness and Warning System. It depicts the terrain relative to the current altitude, indicating areas of terrain conflicts on a graduating scale. This helpful mode removes all irrelevant info and lets the pilot focus on safely navigating their aircraft around terrain.
Entegra TAWS page
The following modes, “TRIP” and “NRST” are very handy for knowing your flight plan and surroundings. The TRIP page shows your waypoints from the GPS and provides helpful details including the distance, ETA, and estimated fuel at each waypoint. The NRST page shows the nearest Airports, VORs, NDBs, and FIXs. There is also a detailed airport view that shows the runway layout, frequencies, and elevation!
Entegra TRIP, NRST, and Airport Detail pages
The checklists for the aircraft are also fully integrated into the MFD. The proper procedures for normal flight, emergencies, and system malfunctions can all be viewed and followed.
Entegra Checklist page
Of course, the Entegra Engine page is also intricately modeled. It features custom gauges, Lean-assist functionality, and the ability to set the onboard fuel via the fuel-totalizer.
Entegra Engine page
The Entegra pairs perfectly with multiple GPS options. The GPS stack options are:
Note: The default GNS 430 avionics do not expose approach waypoint information. SIDs, STARs, and enroute flight plans will show up on the Entegra MFD, but approaches will not, due to this Laminar Research limitation. If this changes, we will integrate full waypoint drawing. This does not affect the HSI and flying approaches, just the depiction on the MFD. RealityXP avionics show waypoints from all phases of flight without issue.
Also simulated, the GTX 330 transponder and STEC-55X Autopilot!
3D Model and Sounds
The SR20 and SR22 have been meticulously detailed to provide for the most in-depth visual model as possible. The aircraft makes full use of 4K PBR textures, ensuring the highest level of visual fidelity. All the different materials are accurately represented from samples from the actual aircraft! The many differences between the Entegra and G1000 versions of the SRs have been integrated, clearly separating the aircraft from each other.
The FMOD sound pack has been the result of hundreds of hours of source audio, carefully recorded from the real aircraft. Recordings of the engine on the ground, and in-flight have provided for a highly-accurate and immersive sound pack replicating the real aircraft. Every switch, knob, lever, and button have been modeled in the sound-pack.
Engine Model
The SR20 and SR22 are equipped with the TorqueSim custom physics – the most accurate simulation of a piston engine for X-Plane! The simulation models the mass flows of air and fuel through every part of the engine in real time. Air enters the engine through the air filter, flows through ducts, passes obstacles like the throttle plate, burns the fuel and leaves the engine as exhaust gas. Pressures and temperatures are calculated in every section independently, all contributing to the different segments of the simulation. All engine parameters are tuned against a huge database of real engine log data to ensure maximum possible accuracy in all phases of flight. The entire engine simulation runs on a separate thread from the main simulator. This allows for the timing necessary for proper simulation, independent of sim frame-rate, but also ensures that the model has a near-zero performance impact on the simulator!
Mass flows of air and fuel, pressures and temperatures calculated in every section of the engine independently
Torque generation algorithm based on air-fuel ratio closely reflects engine performance graphs and enables highly accurate leaning behavior
All engine parameters are tuned against a huge database of real engine log data to ensure maximum possible accuracy in all phases of flight
Normal, cold, hot, flooded and false starts simulated employing the custom fuel system
Engine temperatures calculated per cylinder depending on numerous internal and environmental factors, all components take their real times to cool down
Custom Percent Power algorithm based on sensed engine parameters and not actual engine power output
Custom oil system with oil cooler, filter, degradation and consumption
Custom prop governor with propeller control linked to throttle
Real engine set screw for maximum fuel flow can be turned
Cylinder detonation (engine knock), low engine temperatures increase friction and wear, spark plug fouling, improper magneto grounding and numerous other custom failures
Tornado Alley Turbonormalizing System (SR22TN)
Every component of the real system modeled based on real turbocharger maps and linked into the physics-based airflow model
Absolute pressure controller depending on oil pressure with overboost on cold oil
Turbocharger sounds depending on their speeds
Complex component interaction: Manifold pressure controller senses upper deck pressure increase, bypasses exhaust gas flow through the wastegate, decreasing turbine power and slowing down the turbo to reduce compressor output pressure
Electrical System
The electrical systems have also been intricately detailed, ensuring every last breaker and switch is modeled. The dual-batteries are simulated with a custom lead-acid battery simulation. The dual-alternator setup and Master Control Unit have been intricately tuned to interface with the rest of the simulation. All electrical busses and circuit breakers are individually simulated to provide for the most in-depth of simulation. All the intricacies of the SR electrical system including alternator drop at low RPM are modeled.
Fuel System
The fuel system has all been custom simulated, providing for unparalleled accuracy in-flight. It models all the details down to the fuel lines and injector nozzles! Fuel temperature is calculated and vapor is formed in the lines under the right environmental circumstances. This also allows for the recreation of all engine starting characteristics usually found on an aviation piston engine like normal, cold, hot, flooded and false starts. So be sure to understand the importance of your boost pump both on ground and in flight! The complex behavior of the engine driven and electric fuel pumps as well as the fuel manifold and metering unit are simulated. Changing bank and attitude of the aircraft affect sloshing in the tank, thus causing the indicated fuel quantity to differ.
Main and Collector Tanks
Collector tanks prevent fuel starvation during uncoordinated maneuvers
Fuel sloshes depending on sideslip angle, affecting float-sensed quantity and strainer coverage
Every component in the fuel delivery path simulated and contributing to overall system behavior
Boost and engine-driven fuel pumps and pressures
Fuel metering unit and spring-loaded fuel manifold
Vapor Lock
Fuel vaporizes after shutdown depending on engine temperatures and requires special startup procedures
Hot fuel can cause vapor formation and power fluctuations at high altitude in flight, suppressed by use of the boost pump
Maintenance and Failure Model
The SRs also feature an engaging and beneficial maintenance, wear, and failure model. This aspect of the simulation makes sure that the plane is flown safely and without damage. Excessive wear will be affecting airframe performance and safety, addressed through a realistic concept of runtime-based and annual inspections. The entire wear and failures logic is built on top of the physics model for engine, airframe, and fuel systems. This also includes truly unique features like cylinder detonation driven by the physics engine. Tires flatten, brakes fade when hot, the propeller experiences FOD on unprepared surfaces and much more to discover. Probability distributions tuned with real-world data are used to reflect the increasing likelihood of failures with component runtime.
High-Fidelity Flight Model
The flight model is designed with unparalleled accuracy. The tuning of the aerodynamic profile required hundreds of hours of careful tuning to accurately match the real-world characteristics. The model matches the aerodynamic quirks of the real aircraft to the limit of the simulator!
Custom airfoils and highly accurate fuselage shape
Stall strips and cuffed wing design with unique stalling characteristics
Accurate control surface areas and deflections for realistic turn rates
Tail Number Livery Customizer
The tail number can be dynamically changed on the aircraft! There are many configuration options to make the plane yours – from changing the tail number color, placement, outlines, drop shadows, all the way to painting it on the wings!
Persistent and Performance Tuned
The countless systems are all designed with persistence in mind – when you shut down the aircraft, you will return to it in the state in which it was left, the engine components will take their real times to cool. This encourages the proper care and handling of the aircraft, and shows the consequences of reckless flying. These systems are also designed to run on computers of many different specs.
All the systems are programmed in C/C++ using the X-Plane SDK. No compromises were made for simplicity. The plugins make significant use of multithreading to have the absolute minimum processes running on the main simulator thread, thus helping keep X-Plane performance at its maximum! The Entegra simulation is also very performance cautious. The avionics engine runs on threads separate from the main simulator and caches data as appropriate. Through our testing, performance exceeds that of the G1000 variants of the same aircraft.
We have released the version 1.1.1 update for the SR22 Series and the version 1.0.1 update for the SR20. All customers who have purchased either aircraft up till now have been sent an e-mail by X-Aviation with complete instructions on how to obtain your update(s). We have made this a very simple process! For those that purchase either aircraft from today forward, your purchased download will already be updated version.
We have released the version 1.1 update for the SR22 Series. All customers who have purchased the SR22 Series up till now have been sent an e-mail by X-Aviation with complete instructions on how to obtain your update. We have made this a very simple process! For those that purchase the SR22 Series from today forward, your purchased download will already be updated to version 1.1 for you.
Since the release of the Take Command! SR22 Series, we have been hard at work adding features, fixing bugs, and making general improvements throughout! We are preparing to enter a Public Beta in the coming days (if you are interested in being a part of the Public Beta, you can sign up for a spot here – Note: spots are limited), followed by a general release to everyone once it is ready!
Here are some of the key features we have implemented:
G1000 Terrain Profile Indicator
We have integrated a custom terrain profile indicator on the MFD. This will help for situational awareness, especially in mountainous terrain, and help prevent CFIT incidents. The custom system is entirely multi-threaded to prevent any performance penalty.
Visual Icing Effects
We have been hard at work adding custom visual icing effects to the aircraft! This will help with situational awareness surrounding the use of TKS during icing conditions, as the simulated ice can now be seen on the wing, inlets, windshield, spinner, and other relevant surfaces!
Engine and System Model Improvements
There have been many improvements made to the engine model and system model. Here are a few highlighted findings from our debugging and fixing:
SR22TN Power Fluctuations
There was an issue leading to potentially severe fluctuations of engine power during takeoff and climb at high ambient temperatures and altitudes, on the SR22TN only. The cause of this issue has been eliminated. However, there may still be minor residual fluctuations on takeoff and initial climb under such conditions, largely attributed to mixture being slightly too rich for such higher density altitude takeoffs. It can be further amplified by too quick movements of the power lever. To get rid of any remaining fluctuations altogether, embrace the following steps when setting takeoff power at high temperatures and/or density altitudes:
Advance power slowly until the point where RPM rises above 2500 RPM (around 80% lever travel) and wait for manifold pressure to stabilize. This will take a few moments at altitude and is particularly important up there.
Start your takeoff roll and simultaneously advance power slowly to maximum.
Procedures allow you to lean the mixture to 34GPH for takeoff on hot days. It is suggested to follow this step at OATs in excess of 30-35°C to eliminate any residual power fluctuations.
Advance the mixture to full rich after obstacles are cleared. Also keep in mind that it is normal for the turbo-normalized engine to slightly fluctuate for a few moments after power changes before all parameters stabilize. Thus it is generally recommended to make power changes slowly on such engines, so even during go-arounds better take 2-3 seconds to advance to full power.
Random engine cutout during taxi
There was an issue leading to seemingly random engine quits during taxi. A fix is in place that has proven to work in internal tests.
Engine starting
The fuel-injected IO-550 engine can be challenging to start at times, so video tutorials to prepare you for all kinds of cold, hot and flooded starts you may face. We have also seen the most typical cause relates to mispositioning the power lever for engine starting (some even at maximum), keep in mind to set the lever to about 1/4” (i.e. at or slightly above the letter R in POWER). We have determined that there is no issue with the custom engine model.
Engine cutout after landing
When landing at higher density altitudes with the power lever at idle on rollout, it is to be expected that the engine may not be able to hold its idle RPM due to an excessively rich mixture. Lean the mixture to the appropriate X-T letters in MIXTURE immediately after landing and try to keep the power slightly higher than low idle to prevent the engine from quitting in such situations. We have determined that there is no issue with the custom engine model.
