Review: Taog's Hangar Dauphin & Dolphin twin-pack

The sleek, automated, twin‑engined Dauphin (and Dolphin!) helicopter is out now, exclusively in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Marketplace for USD 49.99 or your local equivalent.

Taog’s Hangar has delivered a systems rich, beautifully modelled add‑on that rewards patience. Here’s what stood out to me, what to expect, and how you might plan to fly it.

The pack makes a strong entrance. You’re greeted with nine variants and fifty‑five liveries, covering VIP transport, search and rescue, Coast Guard operations, offshore passenger work, naval operators, air ambulances and even a few fictional designs. It feels generous and thoughtfully curated.

I do wish there were more North American civilian liveries. They exist, but they’re rare compared to the European and Coast Guard options.

Even so, the overall presentation is excellent. The variety of liveries and variants encourages you to explore the world in MSFS 2024 in all sorts of roles and environments.

Stepping outside, the exterior details immediately impress. Rivets, panel dimpling and the Fenestron tail rotor all look convincing. Light plays across the fuselage in a way that gives the helicopter real depth. Some very close‑up textures are a little simpler, but that may be a deliberate choice to keep performance smooth.

The animated details add a lot of charm. Engine hatches open with satisfying sounds. Steps deploy from the fuselage. Snow skids appear with a single click and look ready for alpine adventures. There’s even an external power cart, although in the release version it sinks slightly into the ground.

The fully animated swash plate reacts to cyclic and collective inputs, and the composite blades flex in a way that adds to the realism. These touches make the helicopter feel alive before you even start the engines.

The Dauphin’s VIP cabin has plush seating and luxury cabinetry that create a warm, cosy atmosphere. I do wonder if the shiny upholstery textures might benefit from a little refinement, but the overall feel is inviting.

The cockpit leans into Taog’s Hangar’s signature lived‑in aesthetic. The late‑1980s instrument panel has scratches and wear that make it feel authentic. The overhead panel glows with a soft green backlight that suits the era perfectly.

The cockpit’s custom tPad has options for controls, exterior kit, GPS selection, and weight and balance. The pad also handles fuel management but be careful because the fuel level persists between flights!

This is where the pack really shines. The Dauphin and Dolphin are known for their automation, and Taog’s Hangar has embraced every mode. The autopilot and AFCS offer attitude hold, indicated airspeed, vertical speed, and, in the Dolphin, collective coupling for auto-hover. Once configured correctly, the helicopter becomes stable and predictable in a way that makes long missions genuinely enjoyable.

At time of launch, the helicopter feels powerful but its torque limits, engine behaviour and one‑engine‑inoperative performance are modelled believably.

In the Dolphin, auto‑hover performance is good, although I did experience oscillation in certain conditions. This has already been improved in a substantial update two weeks after release, and I expect further refinement over time.

Overall, the systems depth is impressive. This is not a casual helicopter. It rewards simmers who enjoy learning and mastering a workflow.

This pack demands extensive setup time. Key bindings, hardware profiles and tPad options all need attention. And it’s not optional. The custom binding for Trim Release is central to how these machines fly.

Some simmers have told me they’re disappointed about having to create new controller configs to support the custom functionality, even to the point of remapping landing gear controls. I think this reaction is completely understandable, and it’s why I’ve made several YouTube tutorials to help people come to grips with the complexity.

No matter what controllers you use, you’ll want to follow the manual’s recommended tPad settings to avoid problems in flight.

The checklists could use some clarifications and improvements. Since Taog’s Hangar’s first update, the Dolphin and Dauphin now show up as two separate aircraft. I hope this might pave the way for unique checklists for each type.

Once everything is configured, the helicopter reaches its full potential. If you have enough buttons, I recommend mapping the hoist, ‘beep trim’ and, for precise hover control, the ‘collective beep trim’, and ‘FD slew’.

The Dolphin’s cockpit is a challenging ergonomic environment for a solo simmer so taking the time to develop useful controller bindings will help to keep your head up and will make the helicopter feel more natural to fly.

Performance is solid. The developer has clearly aimed to balance visual fidelity with frame rate considerations. I tried turning graphics up to High with my 5080 GPU, but at an airport with dense custom scenery I maxed out my VRAM.

Dialling back the graphics solved the issue. Once tuned, the helicopter flies smoothly, with believable momentum and stability. It isn’t twitchy or overly sensitive, which makes it a great candidate for mission style flying.

When you have trim and attitude hold set up, it feels like an entirely new realm of stable helicopter flying.

I enjoyed this helicopter pack because it asks for attention and then rewards it. If you like systems depth, automation and mission capability, you’ll get a lot out of the Dauphin and Dolphin. If you prefer instant, casual flying, the initial setup might feel like a barrier. For me, the payoff was absolutely worth it. Once configured, the helicopter felt stable, capable and genuinely fun to fly.

The asking price is at the premium end of helicopter add-ons and, if that feels like a barrier for you, I invite you to check out my video review which I’ve made to help you assess whether the pack offers you value.

Here are the main points I think simmers should know:

What a huge fortnight it has been! Since the Dauphin and Dolphin release, I’ve put together multiple tutorials, hosted livestreams and published the detailed video review. It has been a busy but rewarding couple of weeks.

Behind the scenes, I’ve also been continuing my testing of the Moza AB6. I’m looking forward to bringing you a full review soon. I’m now a Moza affiliate, so if you’re planning a purchase and want to support the work I do with our helicopter simulation community, please consider using my LetsFly code or my Let’s Fly link when buying Moza products.

Miravia Softworks’ Emergency Dispatcher Pro is now released, and it’s a fantastic companion to Taog’s Coast Guard Dolphin. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my livestream with Matt from Miravia.

DHM has also been busy. They’ve released a new sound pack for the Cowan Simulations H125, available in the MSFS Marketplace.

On top of that, DHM booked several hours of real‑world flight time in an R22 to support development of their Pilot Experience Pack for the Cowan Simulations R22, promising enhanced, true‑to‑life performance. This is also available now in the MSFS Marketplace. I hope to test both of these DHM products on a livestream soon.

If you’re looking to elevate your flight simulation experience, please consider my affiliate links and codes. If you use them and then make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. It costs you nothing extra and helps support the work I do with our helicopter simulation community. So: thanks!

Follow these links for the latest, best deals from Pimax. My LETSFLY code gives you a 2% discount.

If you’re upgrading from any VR headset, you can show proof of purchase and apply for a larger discount on Crystal Light and Crystal Super QLED.

Moza’s flagship AB9 and the smaller but very capable AB6 have been extremely popular with helicopter simulation enthusiasts. Their throttle and pedal controllers are also well worth a look.