aerosoft PMDG Beech 1900 C and D

There are a lot of "firsts" in life, especially with a hobby that never seems to take a rest! Flight Simming is no exception. New products are coming out faster than one can keep up with all of them! Since I began writing reviews of sim products, I "Felt like a virgin! Flying for the very first time"! Ouch, that was a bad pun! Sorry 'bout that Madonna!

The PMDG (Precision Manuals Design Group) product line is one of those "first's" for me. Once again, I walked away with a smile! Aerosoft has released the PMDG Express 1900C & D in a boxed version, and I'm surprised they were able to get this product in such a small box! Literally, of course! The reason I say this is that you get quite the bang for your buck in this package! With 36 liveries that are very artfully done, split between the two models,

panel variations between the two models, C and D, and complex looking avionics made extremely easy to operate, you can see why I walked away with a smile! PMDG specializes in making "user friendly" aircraft, without compromising essential details. This works great if you're having frame rate problems, as you might with the more complex aircraft. I was able to leave some of my settings remarkably high on my system, and still have fairly smooth operation.

I can't really tell you about the Beech Model 1900 without first starting with the Beech Model 99 Airliner. Back in the 60's, Beech didn't want to miss out on the rapidly growing commuter air market, so they began development on what was, at that time, their largest production aircraft, named the Beech Model 99 Airliner. The 99 had the same basic configuration as that of the Beech Queen Air from the late 50's, but the 99 had a lengthened fuselage to accommodate a crew of two and up to 15 passengers.

As everyone knows, aircraft models are being updated and reconfigured constantly, so along came the Commuter C99, which was outfitted with new powerplants. At the time the Commuter C99 development was announced, Beech, also put out a few details of an upcoming pressurized version of the C99, designated Commuter 1900. Initial development of the 1900 was put on hold for a while while certification of the C99 was being completed. The first Commuter 1900 prototype took to the skies in September of 1982. The Beechcraft 1900 is a twin-engine civilian airplane manufactured by Raytheon. It is typically used in regional airline, corporate and freight operations. In typical airline configuration, the Beechcraft 1900 seats 19 passengers in the cabin, with a two-pilot crew in the cockpit. Four variants of the 1900 came to pass, with the latest being the 1900C and the 1900D Models. The 1900D had

added winglets and the 1900C were outfitted with a redesigned cockpit that included and Electronic Flight Information System, or EFIS. The 1900D was also unique for a passenger aircraft of its size, as folks were able to stand upright in the center aisle. This higher cabin configuration is what gives the 1900D its distinctive "forehead". The 1900's are powered by two Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6 A-67D turboprop engines, with the power plants of the "D" Model slightly larger. These engines were chosen for their reliability and fuel economy as compared to a jet engine. The 1900 cruises at 260 knots (about 300 mph), and is certified up to 35,000 feet. The speeds of the 1900 during take-off, approach and landing are right in the same ball park as jets of comparable size. There is of course the trade off for the props, and that's a bit more noise and vibration, but most regional airlines choose the 1900 for its economy of operations on trips of no more than 300 miles or so. To keep the operating expenses down even further, the limit of 19 passengers is the cutoff point for the requirement of not having to have a flight attendant present. So you'll have to get your own drinks and peanuts!

The introduction of a modified tail with tailets and stabilons on the lower rear fuselage was also added to the 1900C. During the course of 1900C production a wet wing was introduced increasing fuel capacity by 927 liters (204Imp gal/245US gal), while military transport, maritime patrol and electronic surveillance versions were also offered. Beech announced the improved 1900D at the US Regional

The exterior modeling of these aircraft are very detailed. The paint jobs these folks have done are very pleasing to the eye and great in a screenshot! Wear and tear shows on some of the models, with exhaust stains that look very real. Lots of work went into these liveries, and it shows. Between the two models, you get a total of 36 different liveries, representing airlines from around the world. Many more liveries are available for free download at www.precisionmanuals.com. Once again it is worth mentioning the very talented livery artists that are out there making there works available for us to enjoy. Many thanks! Your efforts and contributions to the hobby are well appreciated!
The exterior extras include the main and cargo doors opening, with great detail on the function of the main exit, showing the lanyards that are used, folding up

Detailed engine nacelles, landing gear and landing gear housings, cargo and night lighting on the exterior are all detailed extremely well. Once again, it's obvious that quite a bit of effort went into this product. With the amount of detail, I was again pleasantly surprised at how smooth the aircraft operated in my sim. My system was able to handle the graphics smoothly with most of the display settings

pumped up fairly high. Not meaning to sound like a broken record, but once again, let me remind you that you have to play around with your own particular settings for the best performance for this and any other add on. You certainly don't need a "high-end" computer to enjoy this particular add on! The bigger the "byte" of your graphics card though, always helps performance! The sounds of this aircraft, engines control surfaces, etc., are great, and not "mind-numbing"!

or down as the exit door opens and closes (See the shots below). A very realistic touch that employed hundreds of animated frames to accomplish. One may ask why the need for these extras? As it doesn't add to the flight dynamics or capabilities of the aircraft, what's the need? Immersion! PMDG wants to give you the most realistically working aircraft, both inside and out. While providing realistic aircraft performance and avionics, PMDG is also keeping the aircraft model user friendly. This model is great for the beginner as well as the virtual pilot who may have some hours wracked up on the sim. PMDG has done a great job at balancing detail, realism, good frame rates, and a "pilot friendly" environment (all-in-all not an easy task I would imagine!), and after the juggling act, what they got was an exceptional model of the Beech 1900C & D!

When we jump into the Captains seat, we see a very professionally rendered panel that's both easy to read, and although it may look complicated, it is very easy to understand. A nice little extra for us folks with eyes not as good as they used to be, is the addition of the option to display the primary instruments a bit bigger on the panel. This is done in such a way as to fit in nicely with the rest of the panel, and not look like a pop-up sub panel. Very nice touch! You'll also find that there are different panel configurations for the 1900C model and the 1900D model. Nothing confusing or drastic though. Autopilot and radio stack avionics differed the most, but were still quite easy to figure out and utilize. An excellent job was done on both panels, and it's a plus that they didn't just use the same panel for both models, but went for the

authenticity of each of the 1900 panel configurations. The "no cockpit view" instruments even have an authentic look to them, as can be seen in the image to the left. I especially liked the night lighting used for the panels, which were colorfully lit and also easy to read! You also have the option of running the aircraft with or without the virtual cockpit, which would help folks with slower graphics cards. Yes, you are missing out on some great VC detail, but the 2D is extremely detailed, with just a bit of eye candy.

Here are a few shots of the cockpit interiors of each of the models:

With the cargo versions, you'll be able to check out your load visually by opening the cargo hatches, which are located in the belly and on the left rear of the aircraft. Passenger versions are decked out in detail, with some very nice upholstery work done on the seats. They do look rather comfortable! I think I could fall asleep in one of those! Detail in both of these areas is very visible and realistic.

PMDG has done a great job with this aircraft, keeping with their ideal of making the model realistic in avionics, flight dynamics, and looks, but at the same time creating an aircraft model that both the beginning and the experienced simmer can enjoy for hours on end! When they say that you won't have to study a manual that's an inch thick to get the aircraft into the air, they mean it! The manual is written in both German and English, and provides the necessary details for the proper operation of the 1900 C & D. The manual contains specifications for each of the models, respectively, performance data, and operational info, which is written in a "short and sweet" manner. Compliments to you for including an easily understood manual with the product! Support for the product can be obtained by going to the avsim.com forums, where you'll find a topic dedicated to PMDG.

Aerosoft are the folks that have teamed up with PMDG to bring you this wonderful add on. You can get more information on this and other great products at www.aerosoft.com. This has been, and will continue to be a very fun and enjoyable aircraft and has found a permanent "parking space" in my hanger (It's getting a bit crowded in there!).
For $29.99 USD I really don't think you can go wrong with this one!

PMDG Beech 1900D & 1900C features:
Highly detailed GMax exterior model
Virtual Cockpit and 2D Panel with optional 2D Cockpit Views
Accurate Flight Model
Custom Sound Set recorded from real airplane
Over 120 parts animated
Virtual Cabin
Model uses LODS to maximize frame rates
Dozens of free Add-On Liveries available
Extensive printed manual

View a video of the 1900 in action: Click Here the video is 20Mb in size FYI.