The first thing that I wanted to know when I got the chance to check out GotFriends DoubleEnder for Microsoft Flight Simulator was… is this a real airplane? Turns out, it very much is a real airplane and they’ve built it for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Is it the ultimate bushplane for the sim? It’s in contention!

So… its really a real airplane? Yeah!

Designed and created by designer Alec Wild with the help of Doug Keller and Eric Lewis, design work in 2007 lead to a prototype being created in 2010 and various flight tests went on from there.

Powered by two Rotax 914 piston aircraft engines, rated at 130hp each, the aircraft is configured in a push-pull setup. Through the prototype stage, the airplane was adjusted multiple times with various wings, control surfaces, tails, and more. The unconventional design provides for far better forward visibility than typical bushplanes so the view forward and down is nearly unobstructed letting the pilot spot obstacles and giving an incredible forward view.

The history of the project is a bit murky with the aircraft last having had a confirmed flight in 2015. Another project by the same team, called the Ascender, appears to have been built off of the same concept. Their website provides some information about what they are doing. It’s a rare airplane but in the sim you can fly it whenever and wherever you want.

Visuals and sounds

I’ve reviewed a few GotFriends products now (their Wilga and F4F Wildcat) and I have come away impressed every time. Their attention to visual detail has always been impressive with crisp clear texture work and that is no different here. Absolutely solid work all around the airplane up close and from a distance.

Visual work includes a dynamic dirt system that they say packs in 128 layers of dirt and mud onto tires and various surfaces. In practice I saw this show up a little bit while doing some bushflying although you’d have to be dedicated to the airplane to really see it take hold over a longer period of time.

There are 16 liveries included with a bunch of both restrained and wild options. Perfectly well suited to any bushtrip adventure you could think of.

The aircraft also features some nice bonuses like a pitchable tent and optional cargo pod.

The sounds are also generally well done. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking here, just clear, competent, well done soundwork.

Features

GotFriends have typically done a great job with their other products on features. Initially I had assumed that this aircraft, with a slightly lower price than some of the others, had fewer features but the reality is that this is on part with their other offerings.

Realism features include engine failures, wear & tear, and a repair workshop. If you abuse the Double

Ender, you’ll definitely feel it over time. Of course, these are optional features and you can choose to turn them on or off. I can confirm that if you run the engine and maximum power it will eventually fail in your flight. So be gentle!

Avionics support include a stacked MVP-50P system which is quite unique and not at all like the traditional setup. You also have optional PMS50 and TDS support for their plugin avionics systems so you can make use of them too.

Part of the suite includes a menu with adjustable options. I’m not 100% sure I like the setup as you need to use the rotary knob to control it and it’s a little harder to interact with than a traditional EFB from other companies. It is immersive but I think I’d like to have been able to click with my mouse instead of use the rotary knob to control.

What’s it like to fly?

Readers of Stormbirds know that I love the idea of bush flying in MSFS and the sim has really brought it to life. I’ve take the airplane to various parts of the Midwest United States, Canada, Australia, New Zaland and the Alps. I documented one of my adventures flying through some scenic parts of New Zealand right here.

The DoubleEnder is a true joy to fly in all of these locations. It has the power and maneuverability to manage most situations and the visibility lets you soak up the beauty that is Microsoft Flight Simulator. It’s not the kind of airplane that I would suggest for my past New Guinea high altitude mountain adventure as that is where the Kodiak 100 is better suited, but flying up a river valley, landing on the nearby sandbars, exploring the back country and the valleys of mountainous regions are all great places to take the DoubleEnder. It’s a fun airplane! You’ll read me say that a few more times before this review is done.

Takeoff can be a bit interesting as torque doesn’t seem to be cancelled out on throttle up but rather comes together after power has set in. That means that you need to be fancy on the rudders until you’ve got it steady. Usually by that point the airplane is also leaping into the air with its incredibly short takeoff. Landings are just as short or even shorter so you can land almost anywhere – unless you run into a tree or a shrub you’ll generally be fine!

I’ve tried to stall this airplane and it does indeed stall but extremely gently as most of these STOL designed aircraft do. They drop the nose but almost lackadaisically as if it could probably keep on flying this way but decided to gently nose down. It doesn’t feel out of character either as this is just that kind of airplane.

Thinking about dipping the wheels in and skimming the water of a local lake? Yep, it’ll do that too with its own specific visual and sound effect.

The Double Ender as configured does come with an autopilot. Its a basic one that maintains level flight or can be dialed in to degrees of climb, dive, or bank angle. That’s enough to do some cross country flying with it if you so wish.

Final thoughts

This is a pretty easy recommendation for me. Strong visuals, good sounds, optional engine reliability settings, configurable avionics, and a super fun airplane that can take you and then let you land and takeoff almost anywhere is a solid product in my mind. If bush plane flying is for you and you don’t mind a unique and somewhat unconventional airplane, Got Friends and their DoubleEnder is definitely for you.

This is a quality product, with a quality presentation, and a mission to provide a ton of fun. It all comes together beautifully in this aircraft. At $19.99 USD its almost as cheap as some of the more budget minded Microsoft offerings while baking in some really great features.

You can grab GotFriend’s DoubleEnder here on their website!

Screenshots