Steam Gauge Overhaul - Analog Caravan MSFS

Black Square’s Analog Caravan brings you a completely new interior and panel for the default MSFS Grand Caravan, featuring analog instrumentation (steam gauges), swappable radio configurations and an overhauled electrical system with every circuit breaker, bus, meter, switch, and knob functioning. Users will find increased detail on the instrument panel and electrical panels when compared to default aircraft, and a similar level of detail in the cabin.

The panel of the aircraft contains only fully 3D gauges, modelled and coded to meticulously match their real world counterparts, with reference to real-world maintenance and installation manuals. No piece of equipment appears in a Black Square aircraft without a real-world unit as reference.

Radio and navigation systems are available from several eras of the Caravan’s history, so users can fly without GPS via an original Bendix KNS-80 RNAV system, or with the convenience of a Garmin GTN 750 (PMS50 or TDS optional add-ons, the PMS50 version is available as freeware). Other swappable radio equipment in this aircraft includes KX-155 NAV/COM radios, GNS 530, GNS 430, KR 87 ADF, KDI 572 DME, GTX 327 Transponder, KAP 140 Autopilot, and a Bendix RDR1150XL Colour Weather Radar.

A 70-page manual provides instruction on all installed equipment, and 30 in-game checklists with control/instrument highlighting are included for normal and emergency procedures.

Primarily analog instrumentation augmented with modern radio navigation equipment is still the most common aircraft panel configuration in the world. Challenge your piloting skills by flying IFR to minimums with a fully analog panel and no GPS. You’ll be amazed at the level of skill and proficiency you can achieve to conquer such adversity, and how it will translate to all your other flying. You also may find the analog instrumentation much easier to read with the limited number of pixels available on a computer monitor, and even more so in VR.

Note: This product is an INTERIOR AND SYSTEMS OVERHAUL ONLY that makes use of the default MSFS Caravan exterior visual model. Improvements have been made to almost all aspects of the aircraft, except the visual appearance of the exterior. All default Caravan liveries are compatible with this product.

For more information on this product’s capabilities and a list of all included avionics and equipment, see the Detailed Description below and the extensive PDF operating manual.

FEATURES OVERVIEW

Model

• Accurately modelled 208B Grand Caravan interior ONLY (uses default exterior model), created from hundreds of reference photos, panoramas and technical documentation
• 100% MSFS native animation code for the smoothest animations and cockpit interactions using either legacy or new cockpit interaction modes
• 4096x4096 (4K) textures are used to produce the highest possible texture clarity
• PBR (Physically Based Rendering) materials with real-time environment reflections for superb quality and realism
• Detailed normal mapping for leather, fabric, plastic, stitches, scratches, carpet and tooling marks, resulting in a texture resolution of 10,000 pixels per square inch (90.0kB)
• Extensive use of the new MSFS decal system for nearly vector-graphic quality of labels, arrows and exterior detail features

Cockpit

• Greatly enhanced instrument panel detail compared to default aircraft, with every label and marking in its place. If it appears in the real aircraft, you can interact with it!
• Custom-coded steam gauges with low-pass filtering, needle bounce, and physics provide ultra-realistic and silky smooth animations like you’ve never seen before
• Carefully modelled components match the depth and character of the real instrumentation, based on reference photos, schematics and real world measurements. Unlike other expensive Flight Sim aircraft, every piece of equipment that appears in a Black Square aircraft is modelled after a real piece of aircraft equipment, and will behave the same way in its primary functionality.
• Every knob, switch and button is interactable and implemented, along with its respective electrical circuitry. Turn systems on and off or pull circuit breakers to see the impact it has on your generators and battery via the analog meters. Automatic load shedding and standby generators are also simulated. Many pieces of equipment respond correctly to electrical configurations with warning messages and diagnostic codes.
• Fully 3D cockpit lighting technology for every gauge and panel, with ambient bounce lighting for a more immersive night-time experience that won’t leave you fumbling around in unrealistically dark spots
• 4096x4096 (4K) PBR textures on cockpit and panel for crisp instrumentation. Even see the fingerprints on instrument glass!
• Hideable yokes, adjustable sun visors and other cockpit aesthetics
• All placards and warning labels from the real aircraft represented

Systems

Black Square’s overhauled cockpits with analog instrumentation go far beyond a visual upgrade. Included, you will find a complete redesign of all aircraft systems to more closely match the real aircraft, with a focus on electrical systems. Also included are more accurate weight and balance, lighting systems, flight dynamics and ground handling. Enjoy features such as:

• Completely interactable electrical system with 12 buses and 90 circuits
• Improved turbine dynamics (ITT, TRQ, Ng, Fuel Flow, Inertial Separator), battery charging circuitry and load shedding
• Selective state saving for radio selection, radio frequency memory, cabin aesthetics etc.
• Engine limit excursions that decrease engine health and will eventually lead to failure
• 90+ system failures, set via in-cockpit interface. These are either random,based on settable MTBF, or schedulable, with optional time acceleration
• Cabin environmental control system for heating, air conditioning, ventilation and ram air cooling. Cool things off by opening a window or watch the aircraft heat up in the sun.
• Crew/Passenger oxygen system that depletes according to pressure altitude, passenger occupancy and the biological demand of each passenger based on weight
• Standby flap motor circuitry, logic and switches, and working propeller governor test
• Dimmable annunciators and backlighting controlled via their respective electrical circuits and individual radio power settings
• Automatically dimming screens via photocell match real-world equipment
• Remote compass control with automatic gyro slaving simulated with electrical systems

Checklists

Over 350 checklist items are provided for 30+ Normal, Abnormal and Emergency procedures in textual form in the manual, and in-game, using the MSFS native checklist system with control and instrument highlighting. If it’s in the checklist, it’s settable in the aircraft!

Sounds

Black Square’s Analog Caravan features the default MSFS-native (Wwise) 3D Grand Caravan sound package, with new custom sounds added for aural warnings, environmental control systems, electronics and more. Default sounds are assigned to all interactable elements for an authentic 3D spatial experience.

• Rich audio for every switch, button, lever and electrical system
• Detailed physics-based effects on engine and wind noise
• Accurately positioned 3D sound sources (best enjoyed in VR!)

Flight dynamics

The Analog Caravan features a slightly improved flight model compared to the default Grand Caravan, with tweaks based on operator feedback online.

INSTRUMENTATION/EQUIPMENT LIST

Main Panel

• Annunciator Panel
• Quartz Analog Chronometer
• True Airspeed Indicator
• Bendix/King KI 256 Vacuum Artificial Horizon
• Bendix/King KEA 130A Altimeter
• Bendix/King KI 229 Radio Magnetic Indicator (RMI)
• Bendix/King KI 525A Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI)
• Vertical Speed Indicator
• Bendix/King KI 206 Localizer
• Mid-Continent Turn Coordinator
• Bendix/King KRA-10A Radar Altimeter
• Engine Instrumentation
• Duplicate Co-pilot Instrumentation

Avionics

• Garmin GMA 340 Audio Panel
• Garmin GTN 750 (COM 1) (PMS50 or TDS optional add-ons)
• Garmin GNS 530W (COM 1)
• Garmin GNS 430W (COM 2)
• Bendix/King KX-155B (COM 1 / NAV 1)
• Bendix/King KX-155B (COM 2 / NAV 2)
• Bendix/King KNS-80 RNAV Navigation System (incl. NAV 3)
• Bendix/King KR 87 (ADF)
• Bendix/King KDI 572 (DME)
• Bendix/King KAP 140 Autopilot
• Bendix RDR1150XL Colour Weather Radar
• Garmin GTX 327 Transponder

Electrical/Miscellaneous

• 100+ Circuit Breakers
• Multi-Function Volt/Amp Meter
• Bendix/King KA 51B Remote Compass Synchroscope
• Propeller Amps Indicator
• Vacuum Indicator
• Oxygen Pressure Gauge
• Hobbs Timer