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Research aircraft and systems

Find aircraft background, systems descriptions and manuals for the aircraft you are researching. Each note keeps its source and version context close by.

Simulator manuals describe the developer’s implementation. Aircraft background is research-based; pilot accounts describe an individual’s experience. Coverage here is limited to the selected notes and linked resources, not the full contents of every manual.
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Cessna Citation Longitude ↗Simulator documentation

Citation Longitude · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2024

Three axes, different control paths

The Longitude guide describes mechanical pitch and roll controls, hydraulically operated roll spoilers and an electronically controlled rudder. Its simulated hydraulic failures can affect rudder, yaw-damper and spoiler authority. The guide also marks locks, disconnects and secondary trim as unmodelled in the documented version. Engine FADEC, the APU and fuel transfer have their own detailed sections.

Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.39,104,117; simulation notes

SOURCECessna Model 700 Operator’s Guide ↗Microsoft / aircraft developers
Cessna Citation Longitude ↗Simulator documentation

Cessna Citation Longitude · Microsoft Flight Simulator · MSFS 2020

Three axes, different control paths

The Longitude guide describes mechanical pitch and roll controls, hydraulically operated roll spoilers and an electronically controlled rudder. Its simulated hydraulic failures can affect rudder, yaw-damper and spoiler authority. The guide also marks locks, disconnects and secondary trim as unmodelled in the documented version. Engine FADEC, the APU and fuel transfer have their own detailed sections.

Archived simulator manual; installed package revision not observed · PDF pp.39,104,117; simulation notes

SOURCECessna Model 700 Operator’s Guide ↗Microsoft / aircraft developers
Cessna Citation Longitude ↗Research-based aircraft background

Cessna Citation Longitude

The Longitude is Cessna's Model 700. It first flew in 2016 and received certification in 2019. The design uses the Latitude's fuselage cross-section with a longer cabin, paired with a new swept wing and Honeywell turbofan engines.

Its modern appearance does not imply that every primary control is fly-by-wire. The simulator operator's guide distinguishes mechanical pitch and roll controls, hydraulic roll spoilers and the electronically controlled rudder. Those differences make the Longitude a particularly useful aircraft for systems-minded readers.

Aircraft / family

SOURCECessna Citation Longitude ↗Wikipedia contributors
Cessna Citation X ↗Research-based aircraft background

Cessna Citation X

The Citation X is Cessna's Model 750, first flown in 1993. Its strongly swept wing and large rear-mounted engine nacelles set it apart from earlier Citations. The later X+ stretched the cabin and introduced further changes.

The type is an interesting contrast with the smaller CJ family and the newer Longitude. In X-Plane, its flight deck and powered control systems have their own documentation; the Citation name alone is not a guide to the controls or avionics installed in a particular model.

Aircraft / family

SOURCECessna Citation X ↗Wikipedia contributors
Cirrus SR22 ↗Research-based aircraft background

Cirrus SR22

The SR22 entered production in 2001 as a more powerful development of Cirrus's SR20. A low wing, fixed tricycle gear and side-yoke controls define the basic layout. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System is a prominent part of the aircraft's design.

The SR22 family spans normally aspirated and turbocharged versions as well as different panel generations. Its side controls are mechanically connected rather than evidence of airliner-style fly-by-wire. Simulator implementations range from bundled aircraft to detailed add-ons with their own engine, maintenance and avionics models.

Aircraft / family

SOURCECirrus SR22 ↗Wikipedia contributors
Cirrus Vision SF50 ↗Research-based aircraft background

Cirrus Vision SF50

The Vision Jet applies Cirrus's personal-aircraft approach to a small jet. Its single turbofan is mounted above the fuselage, between the surfaces of the V-tail. The cabin and flight deck are arranged for an owner-pilot market, and the aircraft includes a whole-aircraft parachute system.

The SF50 is therefore a different proposition from a scaled-down twin-engine business jet. Equipment has evolved between generations, so avionics and automation features should be attached to the represented version rather than assumed from the Vision Jet name alone.

Aircraft / family

SOURCECirrus Vision SF50 ↗Wikipedia contributors
Curtiss C-46 Commando ↗Research-based aircraft background

Curtiss C-46 Commando

The C-46 grew from Curtiss's CW-20 airliner design into a military transport. Its broad fuselage gave it substantial cargo capacity, while two large radial engines supplied the power. It worked alongside the C-47 but was a larger aircraft with a different airframe and systems.

The Commando continued into civilian freight operations after the war. Its period flight deck includes systems that predate modern route-following automation; the simulator manual's Sperry Gyropilot is best understood in that historical context.

Aircraft / family

SOURCECurtiss C-46 Commando ↗Wikipedia contributors
Daher TBM family ↗Simulator documentation

TBM 900 · Hot Start · X-Plane 11

Multiple persistent airframes and a maintenance manager

Hot Start's TBM 900 retains switch, fuel and aircraft-condition state between flights. The published model includes component wear, a maintenance manager and separately tracked airframes. Its G1000-based cockpit adds synthetic vision, engine and system pages, while the PT6, electrical and environmental systems have custom models. The reviewed product page still specifies X-Plane 11; its advertised future X-Plane 12 update is a separate statement.

Hot Start TBM 900 · X-Plane 11 · Product description; persistence, maintenance and highlighted features; checked 2026-09-12

SOURCETBM 900 product ↗Hot Start / X-Aviation
Daher TBM family ↗Research-based aircraft background

Daher TBM family

The TBM programme began as a collaboration between SOCATA and Mooney and continued under Daher. The low-wing airframe carries one nose-mounted turboprop and a pressurised cabin. Successive versions developed the engines, aerodynamics, avionics and pilot interface.

The analogue-panel TBM 850, glass-cockpit TBM 900 and TBM 930 occupy different points in that progression. They are especially useful to compare in simulation because developers model different panel generations and levels of persistent system behaviour. A manual for one should remain attached to that version.

Aircraft / family

SOURCESOCATA TBM ↗Wikipedia contributors
De Havilland Canada CL-415 ↗Research-based aircraft background

De Havilland Canada CL-415

The CL-415 developed from Canadair's piston-engined CL-215. Turboprops and updated equipment retained the flying-boat layout: a boat hull, high wing and retractable landing gear. It was designed for aerial firefighting, with other utility and rescue roles also possible.

Water collection and release equipment are fundamental parts of the aircraft rather than optional scenery. In the simulator, the aircraft's systems and firefighting mission tools should be read together. Later DHC-515 developments are related, but should not be treated as the same model as the CL-415.

Aircraft / family

SOURCECanadair CL-415 ↗Wikipedia contributors
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver ↗Research-based aircraft background

De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver

The Beaver was developed around carrying practical loads into places with limited infrastructure. Its high wing and substantial doors suit passenger and cargo work, while wheels, skis and floats allow different operating environments. The familiar DHC-2 uses a nose-mounted radial engine.

Its reputation grew from working service rather than a single specialised mission. A floatplane, a wheeled Beaver and a turbine conversion still need separate descriptions. The simulator developer's documentation identifies the configuration and any modern navigation or assistance equipment fitted.

Aircraft / family

SOURCEDe Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver ↗Wikipedia contributors
De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou ↗Research-based aircraft background

De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

The Caribou first flew in 1958. It was built to move personnel and cargo using relatively short airfields, pairing a high wing with a large loading ramp and rugged landing gear. Military operators formed a major part of its service history.

It is larger and more specialised than the Beaver, yet belongs to the same Canadian utility-aircraft tradition. The combination of piston engines, transport systems and a practical cargo cabin gives it a distinct place between light bush aircraft and later turboprop tactical transports.

Aircraft / family

SOURCEDe Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou ↗Wikipedia contributors
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