Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Aircraft and simulator background
BETA's ALIA family uses electric propulsion and is presented in vertical- and conventional-takeoff configurations. The VTOL arrangement combines one H500A propulsion motor with four V600A lift motors; the conventional aircraft uses the propulsion motor without those lift units.
BETA ALIA 250
BETA Technologies · Read more ↗Lift and forward propulsion
BETA lists one H500A electric propulsion motor and four V600A lift motors for the VTOL aircraft. Its five-bladed fixed-pitch propulsion propeller is separate from the four two-bladed lift propellers. The conventional-takeoff version omits the dedicated lift-motor arrangement.
BETA ALIA 250
BETA Technologies · Read more ↗The X-Plane battery display
Laminar's 13 August 2024 X-Plane 12.1.2 release notes record the ALIA 250 gaining gauges for all four batteries on its display.
BETA ALIA 250
Laminar Research · Read more ↗Meet BETA ALIA 250
BETA's ALIA family uses electric propulsion and is presented in vertical- and conventional-takeoff configurations. The VTOL arrangement combines one H500A propulsion motor with four V600A lift motors; the conventional aircraft uses the propulsion motor without those lift units.
Laminar's ALIA 250 is a simulator rendition of the VTOL aircraft. X-Plane 12.1.2 added gauges for all four batteries to its display.
BETA ALIA 250
Aircraft type designators
No type designator selected for this reference.
History & design
Testing the electric aircraft
BETA's timeline follows ALIA through conventional land-back flights at Plattsburgh and then full traffic-pattern flying. Subsequent airport-to-airport flights and customer evaluations extended the programme beyond the initial runway tests. The timeline distinguishes these development events from later production milestones.
BETA Technologies · BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) — product and aircraft reference ↗Timeline — CTOL land-backs, traffic-pattern, airport-to-airport and customer-evaluation milestones
Systems & details
Lift and forward propulsion
BETA lists one H500A electric propulsion motor and four V600A lift motors for the VTOL aircraft. Its five-bladed fixed-pitch propulsion propeller is separate from the four two-bladed lift propellers. The conventional-takeoff version omits the dedicated lift-motor arrangement.
The X-Plane battery display
Laminar's 13 August 2024 X-Plane 12.1.2 release notes record the ALIA 250 gaining gauges for all four batteries on its display.
Two aircraft configurations
BETA presents separate conventional-takeoff and vertical-takeoff ALIA configurations. Both are described with a 50-foot span, space for five passengers and a 200-cubic-foot cargo volume; the VTOL design adds four dedicated lift motors. The manufacturer’s 336-nautical-mile maximum demonstrated range belongs to the CTOL presentation, rather than a blanket range claim for the VTOL aircraft. These manufacturer figures describe particular configurations and demonstrations, rather than the endurance of every simulated flight.
In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
X-Plane 12Laminar Research BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point)
Laminar Research · Released
Laminar Research BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point)
Laminar Research · Released
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Manufacturer documentation
BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) — product and aircraft referenceBETA ALIA 250
ALIA VTOL / CTOL configuration and propulsion tables
BETA Technologies · Read the source ↗Manufacturer history
BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) — product and aircraft referenceBETA ALIA 250
Timeline — CTOL land-backs, traffic-pattern, airport-to-airport and customer-evaluation milestones
BETA Technologies · Read the source ↗Simulator release notes
BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) — product and aircraft referenceBETA ALIA 250
13 August 2024 release article; Fixes and Enhancements → Aircraft → Beta ALIA VTOL
Laminar Research · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manufacturer documentation
BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) — product and aircraft referenceBETA Technologies · ALIA VTOL / CTOL configuration and propulsion tablesManufacturer history
BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) — product and aircraft referenceBETA Technologies · Timeline — CTOL land-backs, traffic-pattern, airport-to-airport and customer-evaluation milestonesSimulator release notes
BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) — product and aircraft referenceLaminar Research · 13 August 2024 release article; Fixes and Enhancements → Aircraft → Beta ALIA VTOLBuilt-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261011-v3 · 1 profile choice
Laminar Research BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point)
Laminar Research · Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Review pending
X-Plane 12
An all-electric aircraft family offered with vertical or conventional takeoff configurations.
Laminar Research BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point)
An all-electric aircraft family offered with vertical or conventional takeoff configurations.
Aircraft and simulator scope
- BETA ALIA 250 · Laminar Research · X-Plane 12 · Add-on starting point
The simulator model and controls
Laminar Research BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) is the selected Laminar Research configuration.
How this profile feels
The spring stays independent of airspeed. Directed aerodynamic loading is omitted.
Pitch-trim relief is off. Autopilot following is off.
Aircraft and configuration
BETA's ALIA family uses electric propulsion and is presented in vertical- and conventional-takeoff configurations. The VTOL arrangement combines one H500A propulsion motor with four V600A lift motors; the conventional aircraft uses the propulsion motor without those lift units.
Lift and forward propulsion
BETA lists one H500A electric propulsion motor and four V600A lift motors for the VTOL aircraft. Its five-bladed fixed-pitch propulsion propeller is separate from the four two-bladed lift propellers. The conventional-takeoff version omits the dedicated lift-motor arrangement.
The X-Plane battery display
Laminar's 13 August 2024 X-Plane 12.1.2 release notes record the ALIA 250 gaining gauges for all four batteries on its display.
About the values
Strengths are normalized hardware-feel settings. They set the effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its limits. The IAS reference is a tuning value.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
Not yet reviewedLaminar Research BETA ALIA 250 (Manual Starting Point) is the selected Laminar Research configuration.
Flight controls
Not yet reviewedAn all-electric aircraft family offered with vertical or conventional takeoff configurations.
Trim
Not yet reviewedThe profile uses the trim behaviour configured below. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0.
Autopilot and stability
Not yet reviewedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
Not yet reviewedBETA's ALIA family uses electric propulsion and is presented in vertical- and conventional-takeoff configurations. The VTOL arrangement combines one H500A propulsion motor with four V600A lift motors; the conventional aircraft uses the propulsion motor without those lift units.
Speeds and limits
Not yet reviewedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
Not yet reviewedThe profile targets xplane12. Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
Not yet reviewedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyBETA lists one H500A electric propulsion motor and four V600A lift motors for the VTOL aircraft. The baseline spring is 0.55. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe stored 0 aerodynamic-load gain is inactive under the fixed-centre control law. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value100 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value65 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 1 and 1, respectively. These stored weights do not create directed aerodynamic loading while that term is inactive. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 49 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyBETA lists one H500A electric propulsion motor and four V600A lift motors for the VTOL aircraft. The baseline spring is 0.55. Low-speed spring blending is off. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.04 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Starting centering force | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe centre preload is 0. No added preload builds a breakout cue; baseline centering and travel curves remain separate. |
| Center Starting Force Transition | Starting value0.05 | What it controls and whySets the travel used to ramp in centre preload. Wider intervals make its onset more gradual. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe stored 0 aerodynamic-load gain is inactive under the fixed-centre control law. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value8 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value65 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value100 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyAdds permitted spring resistance above the full-blend speed. Zero removes this high-speed increase. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 1 and 1, respectively. These stored weights do not create directed aerodynamic loading while that term is inactive. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Travel Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyApplies the configured pitch and roll spring travel curves. |
| Output | Starting value1 | What it controls and whySets response at the second pitch-curve point; it is an endpoint only if its input position is full travel. |
| Output | Starting value1 | What it controls and whySets response at the second roll-curve point; its input position and other points determine the travel law. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyThe profile uses the trim behaviour configured below. Pitch relief is off, with stored authority 0; roll authority is 0. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.05 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value4 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- Installed Laminar ALIA-250.acf has title ALIA 250 / ICAO ALIA and author AustinMeyer/TomKyler/BETA. Manual selection only; canonical AirframeDB identity and installed acceptance remain pending.
- The installed ACF marks VTOL and drone_FBW stabilization, with Airbus_FBW=0. This starting point uses a bounded symmetric constant artificial spring. Airbus-specific pitch/roll laws and helicopter force heuristics for lift propellers are not applied.
- The ACF lists electric pitch trim equipment but no calibrated neutral/gradient or transition relation. Trim-driven device movement, trim relief, local force trim and hydraulic trim centering are disabled.
- No qualified ALIA AP engagement/servo demand in the inspected sources. AP follow and neutral hold disabled.
- Installed VTOL configuration is distinguished from current BETA CTOL/CX300 product. Four lift motors and pusher motor are aircraft owned; no lift-prop RPM rumble, governor or surface-follower force.
- 100 KIAS is an inactive engineering reference because Q/aerodynamic force gain and airspeed spring stiffening are zero. The installed ACF 200 kt VNE and current real-product 153 kt maximum describe different scopes; neither is a hardware force stop.
- Manual selection only, with native read-only aircraft input/telemetry assumptions. No custom dataref, mode-change law or simulator writes are added. Hover, transition, AP and trim behavior remain unverified for automatic selection pending installed documentary and owner acceptance.
- Engineering estimate: spring 0.55, deadband 0.04, symmetric pitch/roll scale 1, master 0.85, cap 0.55. Every optional cue, trim, AP and force-input mode is disabled. These are not measured pilot hand forces; no physical test was performed.
- No installed ALIA manual found in this aircraft folder or current official manual index. Acquired sources do not establish a measured control-feel law.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
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