Love at First Flight — The Cessna 337 and 02

Where is it going? Is it Cessna or is it Boeing? 

I suppose that it took about a year into my flight simulation adventure to discover not just my favourite plane available on Flightgear, but my obsessional plane to date. I started with the struggle to master the Cessna 172 — the default aircraft of all simulation platforms and the default aircraft of all simulation hardware. Then I flew a Boeing 757 from Birmingham International to Dublin every day, mostly without success in ever landing the damned thing cleanly.

Everyone wants to create a spare room 172, it seems! And when they have, next it's gonna be a garage Boeing...

I wanted neither. 

One thing led to another. 

I tried out the Flightgear Cessna 337 and well, I fell in love at first flight... 

I flew this plane, stop by stop, each and every day, and by degree I eventually flew it around the entire coastline of the UK and Ireland and back to base without serious mishap. 

I then discovered the '02' military version of the civilian '337' and the deal was sealed... 

Just look at that panel! Its ridiculous complexity of controls and instrumentation, with everything possible to need crammed into a space no wider than my outstretched arms.  How and why was this possible and even necessary? 

I didn't quite know but intended to find out. 

Now, I wanted a Cessna alright, but what is to my mind the most interesting Cessna of all time... 

The 'Oscar Deuce'.