Joe Rowe has released a Bell 206 JetRanger as freeware for X-Plane 11. Currently the model is still in beta testing, but the helicopter is already available for free download on X-Plane.org. The Bell 206 JetRanger comes in a flight simulator with a fully functional cockpit including vibrations, FMOD sounds and particle effects. In addition, the rotorcraft should also be capable of virtual reality and equipped with an autopilot. Joe Rowe has even integrated the popular Avitab directly into the cockpit.



A screenshot of the cockpit of Joe Rowe’s Bell 206 JetRanger for X-Plane 11.

But the Bell 206 JetRanger is not finished yet. The Governor, for example, does not work automatically and the idle release function is currently not implemented. In the future Joe Rowe would like to remove these restrictions and improve the model graphically. In addition, the helicopter is currently not capable of Force Trim, which makes longer manual flights a little tiring. Here FlyAgi has a suitable solution ready.

With over 7,300 units built, the single-engine Bell 206 is by far the most successful civil helicopter. Equipped with the Bell-typical two-blade rotor, it is used by TV stations and police authorities, among others – but mainly in the United States. In Germany, the JetRanger is more likely to be used for sightseeing flights. Partly it is also used for pilot training in flight schools.

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