The TB-10 Tobago and TB-20 Trinidad are two aircraft in the extensive range of aircraft in the TB series built by DAHER-SOCATA (now a subsidiary of Airbus Group) since 1975. They are used by many flight schools around the world for instrument training, and also as a touring aircraft.
Just Flight has recently released their rendition of these two aircraft, and in this review, I will be going through what the package has to offer, from functionality to flight modelling.

• 1 Pilot and 3 passengers
  
• Length: 25 ft 0.5" (7.63m)
  
• Wingspan: 32 ft 0.25" (9.76m)
  
• Height: 10 ft 6" (3.20m)
  
• Empty Weight: 1477 lbs (670 kg)
  
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: 2530 lbs (1150 kg)
  
• Powerplant: Lycoming O-360-A1AD

*Note - The TB-10 has static landing gear, the TB-20 has retractable landing gear.

• Maximum Speed: 133 kt (247 km/h, 153 mph)
  
• Cruise Speed: 127 kt (235 km/h 146 mph)
  
• Stall Speed: 52 kt (97 km/h, 60 mph)
  
• Range: 752 miles (653 nm, 1210 km)
  
• Service Ceiling: 10,000 ft (3048 m)
  
• Rate of Climb: 790 ft/min (4 m/s)

When purchasing from the FSPilotShop you are provided with a ZIP file and an activation key. Within the ZIP file, there lies a single item, the installer. Input the key provided, select your chosen simulator and the package will install.

Within the FSX directory and the newly created 'Just Flight' folder, is a subfolder named 'TB-10 Tobago and TB-20 Trinidad'. This folder includes a manual for the aircraft along with tutorial flights and a paint kit. The manual is 143-pages long and extremely detailed and comprehensive.

The only major difference between the TB-10 and TB-20 in real life are the power outputs, plus the fact that the TB-20 has retractable landing gear whilst the TB-10 does not. Just Flight went into a lot of detail with the exterior model of these aircraft and it shows. Whilst many developers use textures to show panel gaps and other small features on the aircraft, Just Flight went to town with their 3D model, including bump maps. Each panel is defined with some of the bolts (mainly on the tail) being raised; even the undercarriage has its shaping. Another nice touch is the exhaust vent at the front of the aircraft which is animated. When the engine is running, there is a slight vibration which really adds to the realism. When the aircraft is 'cold and dark', static elements adorn the aircraft.


The doors on the aircraft are 'gull-wing' meaning they open upwards instead of sideways. As well as these, there is also a rear cargo hatch which opens. As well as the usual control surfaces, other animations include the landing gear and working shock absorbers.

Both the TB-10 and TB-20 come with six liveries each, making for ten general aviation liveries in total and a white, blank livery for both. These are all based on real aircraft and include their relevant tail numbers. Each texture has been created in 4K resolution and fits the 3D model extremely well. Just Flight also included a paint kit in the FSX/Just Flight/TB-10&TB-20 directory, which allows the user to make their own liveries. All that is required is a suitable graphics editor that can open a .psd file (Gimp, Photoshop, etc.).

The amount of detail contained within the interior of the aircraft is quite exceptional. Both the 3D modelling and textures are incredibly realistic; so much so in fact, a screen shot could probably pass as a photograph! The gauges are all modelled in 3D and mimic their real life counterparts very well.


To get an idea of how far Just Flight have gone in terms of modelling, the screws that hold the panels in place are modelled to include the head on the top it as opposed to a flat texture that is generally used! If that's not enough, fingerprints and other marks on the panels are also quite a nice little touch (literally!).

As many users will know from experience, Carenado are the masters when it comes to creating high-quality light aircraft packages, but I'd have to say that in this case, Just Flight's model tops even their usual high quality! The amount of detail is quite staggering.

Another feature I enjoyed was the checklist texture placed on the roof of the cockpit (just above the pilots). This was clearly laid out and easy to read. Had it been a lower quality texture, it would have been stretched, blurry and rather useless (developers take note).

There is no 2D cockpit included which is rather surprising when you consider that all of the other panels, such as the radar, trim, radio etc. have their own mini 2D panels.

Being a relatively small aircraft with no advanced systems, Just Flight did a great job and made (almost) every single switch in the cockpit clickable. The only buttons that do not work are the trim buttons on the yoke; otherwise, the rest of the systems are fully functional.

An extra that Just Flight have included is a panel selector. On the top-left of the screen, there is a little grey arrow. Once clicked it reveals a menu full of 2D panels to toggle, along with some extras Just Flight have included. These are:

Power Switch - Toggles the aircraft from a cold and dark state to engine on and ready to go and vice versa. Since this aircraft is not an F-Lite, this would be equivalent to using [Ctrl] + [E], but does fail if pressed too quickly. This leads to the battery not properly being turned on.
Checklist - A GUI pops up with all of the checklists that you will need to fly the aircraft.
Flight Computer - Stats and facts about the temperature, speed, range and more, in a nicely laid out panel.
Logbook - Just Flight has a system built in that allows the user to write their own flight logs and then save them. Sometimes it's a struggle to get this working as you have to click on a box and hold tab, but it does look great once filled in!
Towbar - Allows the user to move the aircraft on the ground! A very fancy pushback system that is surprisingly easy to use.


There is also a flight analysis program in both aircraft which gives the user information about their fuel, speed, and location. This data is plotted in graphs and is extremely useful.

This is one area in which I actually have mixed feelings about the aircraft. Yes, they are high-quality recordings, but the sampled engine sounds for the TB-10 and TB-20 both sound pretty much identical. It would have been nice to have a bit of variation here, especially as so much care was taken with the modelling. Another area I found to be disappointing, was in regards to the sound loops; they were way too short! The most annoying is the battery, which loops every 3 seconds and makes a very audible change in pitch when repeated.

Other than that, there are different sounds for each of the propellers spooling stages, plus other aircraft events such as door movements, flaps (interior and exterior), stall alarm and wind effects.

Note: All sounds are provided by a 3rd party source and are credited to 'Turbine Sound Studios' which is run by Christoffer Petersen. Christoffer takes sound recordings of aircraft from local airports and airshows, and then converts them into sound packages for use in FSX aircraft.

Just Flight's aircraft as a whole feel suitably authentic. Flight characteristics, both on the ground and in the air, feel natural and presented no surprises (yet). The SOCATA TB family of aircraft are not the most nimble in the world and can sometimes feel a little slow once airborne. In saying that though, there is definitely fun to had once you're aware of the aircraft's limitations.

One thing I did notice on my numerous test flights, was that the aircraft does not like to pitch down! When flying at high speeds, I found that (on my setup at least) the aircraft refused to point the nose down, which could become problematic on a fast descent. Just Flight are renowned for taking time to perfect their flight models and dynamics, so I can only assume this a characteristic true-to-life of the of the real aircraft. When pulling back on the yoke, the aircraft responds, but it needs a great deal of force. Trim has little to no effect on the aircraft's control surfaces which is surprising! Are there any real life pilots of these aircraft who can confirm this? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts regarding this matter.

The 3D modelling on Just Flight's TB-10 Tobago and TB-20 Trinidad package is absolutely fantastic and probably its standout feature. Both the interior and exterior elements of the aircraft look almost photorealistic at times; helped greatly by the included 4K textures!


The flight dynamics too are of a high quality and feel both realistic and authentic. Yes, the aircraft may not be very nimble in the air, but that is probably a mirror of how the real aircraft performs and only adds to the authenticity.

The sound however is a big let down, especially when the rest of the model is so exceptional. The recordings may be of high quality, but the loops are too short and (with some of the samples) there is a very clear jump once the audio is repeated. With any luck the developers at Just Flight will address this issue in future updates.

To sum up, I thoroughly enjoyed this package (even with its ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥). If you're looking for a high quality aircraft suitable for VFR flying, then in my opinion, Just Flight's TB-10 Tobago and TB-20 Trinidad is a worthy addition to your hangar and worth every penny!

Note: There is also a demo on Just Flight's web site which gives you 10 minutes of flying at 1500 feet, meaning that if you want to try the aircraft without giving away any of your hard earned cash, you can.