Sibwings Saab Safir

Quite simply this is the add-on package I have been waiting for. It would combine everything I want in a simulation plane these days including 3D gauges, aerobatic ability and a lot of character – let’s see if it lives up to my hype.

SibWings Laboratory are a new development team based in Sweden dedicated to deliver their first product with Swedish precision and quality. Suitably they chose a very Swedish Saab Plane that first flew in 1945 to suit a new civilian owner now the war was coming to an end. Made with common sense the aircraft was constructed mainly from aluminium and in a safer, easier retractable tri-gear configuration but also with a lifted nose for belly landings to protect the propeller (though this didn’t work later with a larger prop). The first customers of the Saab Safir were the military fitting test wings and would eventually become the Nordic trainer of choice. 80 of these aircraft exist now in flyable condition so SibWings decided to model 4 in detail choosing a B, C and two D variants each with their own engines, fuel, avionic and interior configurations

Installation + Documentation

Install is simple with a new (to me) anti piracy measure. Having downloaded and noted your key it is entered to have another code given back to be used on the website to gain an activation code. It sounds harder on paper than it actually is, but 8 seconds with the ctrl + c and ctrl + v will see your 130mb package installed complete with the four models/paints, a sound set and a big manual.

The documentation is very definitely a good read with pages of history and photographs detailing design, uses, users and information about each featured in the package. Very detailed specifications and diagrams will please the hardcore while the heavily numbered and listed cockpit images will please everyone. As each plane is quite different each has it’s own picture for main panel, electrics and radios. Also included here to print are checklists, a safe flying guide and aerobatic tips.

Exterior

I think the word may be ‘perfect’. I can’t see a detail missing, dodgy polygon or lumpy surface. There is a great attention to detail with handles, hinges, lights, aerials, door catches and every other part accounted for. The exterior model is ‘great’.

With the engines off and parking break set chocks slip under the wheels and you can even open up the front to take a peek at the engine. Shift+E 1, 2, 3 open each canopy and don’t forget to pre-set the engine cowls depending on the conditions (only HD-DBL has a cowl lever in the cockpit). It’s also nice to see prop pitch fully animated. Engines on and a detailed fully animated pilot appears.

My 2nd favourite part of this package are the textures. Though mostly not photo real the men behind them must be regarded as artists and highly detailed, clear textures adorn everything. Rivets, weathering and a sense of depth combine to create a very realistic look almost without exception. The exception being HD-DBL as it looks a little flat in its spanking new exterior paint. There are no stretched textures to cover edges or one part that doesn’t look fantastic. Simply take a look at the pictures and let them do the talking.

Virtual Cockpit

The main selling point of this aircraft is the virtual cockpit. You may have noticed I have not mentioned anything about a 2D panel - there is one as a seperate download but for me that would defeat the point in buying. First of note in the VC are the ’smooth gauges’ - instruments built into the model rather than flat code pasted on top. I have written about smooth gauges several times and they really are fantastic and once you have tried them you might not buy another add-on without them.

Basic instruments in a modern layout are easy to use, but only the D models have an ADF setup and HD-DBL is complete with NAV equipment for some IFR navigation if need be. As for the others you’re stuck with good old VFR, and why not when you are surrounded by such nice reflective glass - cleverly with pre-rendered textures rather than dynamic reflection saving valuable resources. All knobs, switches and buttons are in full 3D and can be adjusted using left/right clicks for up/down - a handy feature actually as it resolves the issue of a few pixel difference between up and down.

Everything in the cockpit including brake pedals, the flight controls and probably everything else that looks like it should move: windows, vents, canopies, plungers, the overhead light…yes everything; even the cables swing around convincingly and at the right time. I think this is the only cockpit I’ve ever been in that actually felt ‘real’ because I could interact with everything and the frame rates were so smooth.

Sound

Very bassy, smooth, windows, internal light, locking instruments, stalling, wind… all bases covered.

Flight

So many people on the SibWings forums have proclaimed this simulation as being the most realistic experience and a great piece of programming. Although I cannot endorse this claim, I can say it is good fun. Though the plane is fairly small and easy to handle it has some distinctive traits in all stages of flight. Taxiing is strange as the real thing uses differential brakes and a castor nose wheel. SibWings have simulated this by using a ‘loose’ effect on rudder input rather than the defaults braking. So although this bird taxis strangely in comparison to other tricycle GA’s it is much more controllable than the differential braking method and something to get used to.

With 4 variants and four different engines it would be unfair to bore you with detailed example flights for each. Suffice to say they are similar, but need slightly different reference numbers. The 3-bladed HD-DBL will out climb them all, whereas the B will stall and flip, tossing your head around (the aircraft will shake complete with sound…) over the self-recovering C.

The manual gives details on aircraft manoeuvres listing precise degrees of pitch and bank for pendulum style swings and rolls – these real-life numbers are spot on and the aircraft provides a good, solid platform from which to learn basic aerobatics. The website will also mention the old air force trick of tracking down the runway then performing a Cuban 8 (half loop, roll round to face opposite direction) at the threshold while simultaneously lowering the gear, flaps and throttle to then come in to a perfect landing. This trick requires much flailing around the keyboard and careful eye on the slip, but is ultimately rewarding and fun to perform!

Most small single props of this age will perform around the same numbers, so while the Safir may have a stable roll rate and 125knot cruise it is actually a whole new beast come landing. 3 levels of flaps (up, take-off and land) provide a lot of lift and drag in equal amounts so trial and error (or reading the manual) is needed to really know descent, climb and stall speeds. Landing can sometimes be twitchy, and as with all aircraft with such long rears - don’t flare too much! I find coming in slightly nose high is best as nose down and late pull back will produce a very long float. This isn’t an easy aircraft to bring down; it needs patience and technique with close attention to vertical speed.

Although the Safir is not fitted with any kind of autopilot, you can be safe in the knowledge a little trim and flipping right to left fuel tank will keep you steady.

Overall

Such an amazing virtual cockpit and individual handling demands your attention. The promise of free scenery and more updates (including another full model of D-EBED, Lufthansa trainer) means this package is stunning value for money. To expect four very individual variations is great generosity on behalf of the developer. 18 months work went into this with a perfectionist attitude and if all planes came out with such quality, detail and testing the flight sim world would be an even more satisfying place. Hats off to them. This is a classic.

My top tip is to get onto Swedflight and download their free sceneries. Flightsim.se/no will also account for any mesh, road, land class, water data or dynamic scenery (boats, cars…) required for flying around Scandanavia. Enjoy your many days touring! Finland has some of the best freeware scenery availible for MSFS so check out FISD for that.

Summary

2D Panel: 2/5

Virtual Cockpit: 5/5

Exterior: 5/5

Dynamics: 5/5

Sound: 4/5

Performance: 5/5

Value for Money: 5/5

Price: £13

Website: www.sibwings.com