Joshua Cowan and his team (they are a team now, yes), has been hard at work updating their helicopters and the 500E is now in version 2.0.
It’s hard to point out just a single or even a couple of features that make this update important or interesting. Cowan Simulation has included a lot on this update. Apart from the fixes – heads up: the throttle is now fixed – I love the fact that weight and balance, as well as options configuration is now saved from session to session, for example. And despite being more of a fan of the gauge cockpit, I have to be excited about the fact that there is a G3X glass panel.
Check out the full changelog below and, if you haven’t already, you can purchase the Cowan Simulation 500E for Microsoft Flight Simulator here.
Official Cowan Simulation 500E v2.0 changelog
- A new manual was included, and the online version can be found at https://cowansim.com/manuals-checklists/. Please read it! 90% of questions can be answered and that saves us time. If something does not work right now, there is a reason it doesn’t work. It’s either FPS related or simply not possible right now.
- All hardware bindings are fixed, and several were added. See the manual to learn how to map them all.
- Some important ones added:
- Throttle (see manual)
- Idle stop (see manual)
- Search light (see manual)
- Increased the range of motion for the search light. Left/Right/Up/Down
- Enhanced the search light beam intensity, cone, and range.
- The G3X glass panel was added as an option.
- The PMS GTN 650 & 750 and TDS GTNXi 650 & 750 were added as options. These are two different freeware and payware 3rd party products that must be installed separately. Once installed they will show up and work.
- Persistence code was added to save your weight and balance, and options configuration after shutting down. So when you load your next flight all of your settings will be the same as your last flight.
- Trim was fixed and a trim release button was added. (see manual)
- Added an option to remove the front and rear doors independently.
- Added click spots to remove doors in addition to the weight and balance settings.
- Fixed/added cyclic handling for VR users.
- Electrical systems were enhanced.
- Camera views were added and fixed.
- Interior lighting was enhanced.
- Vibrations were added to the cyclic, compass and keys.
- Sounds were added and some were redone.
- Some animations added and fixed.
- Some fixes to textures and modeling.
- TOT gauge code was added to make start and shutdown a little more realistic.
- Very minor flight model improvements.
- Recalibrated assistance options. (assisted tail rotor and cyclic)
