Aircraft Update : Mudry CAP 10C v1.2 VR by Avia71   Laurent from Avia 71 has updated the excellent aerobatic Mudry 10C to version v1.2. It is a small update with the focus totally on VR - Virtual Realty. Obviously virtual reality and aerobatic aircraft go hand in hand, as this is really what VR is all about, in being in a confined space but being aware of the open environment around you, I personally don't have a VR Headset, but has tried a virtual headset experience, and so I understand how well and how good this aircraft would be in that total 3d environment...       The Mudry 10C is a pure aerobatic aircraft and that is reflected in it's reference point aerobatic sight on the left wing, and the very distinct set of instruments...     ...  and there is no Artificial Horizon instrument? which makes flying into cloud a bit of a nervous proposition, even dangerous and god knows what it is like in the VR environment? but it is highly realistic. For a full review of the instruments and features then check out the release review: Aircraft Review : Mudry CAP 10C by Avia71   Avia 71 recommends the FOV (field of view) is set at 83º for VR, I usually use 73º and find 83º a bit of a long arm stretch (below left), but this is to compensate for the VR field of view which is a slightly different perspective.     Overall view in the lovely bubble canopy (note the great reflections on the glass) and to the rear is excellent. Although not noted in the update the canopy feels like a far darker tint, I think it is different in checking out the older review, and I like the effect.   In the VR environment you can't access 2d panels, so the original side menu won't work? So there is a new menu panel to access VR, via VR dedicated tools. I can't access this menu, but here is the provided one.     The VR manipulator will bring up the menu into your left seat pilot viewpoint, and is pretty well the same as the 23d version, but it is in VR laid out more horizontal layout as other than the tag menu on the side of your screen. The tag menu is still there for non-VR users. The checklists are also available through the same VR dedicated tool.   Four new liveries have also been added in to the update on top of the original five designs.       Summary I noted at the end of the original release review that VR or Virtual Reality for this excellent little Cap 10C would be "mindblowing". Well here is that feature now on the aircraft in v1.2, and my guess it that it would absolutely live up to the experience you would expect from the 3d environment.   So this update is totally focused on the VR aspect, including new menus to be accessed within the cockpit via VR tools. Four new liveries add in to the five we already had, and that gives you more choice there as well. Although not noted, I feel there has been a few nice touchups as well, obviously the canopy is far more heavily tinted. The Skunkcraft's internal updater has also been added.   This is an aircraft for the here for the professionals as a there has been lot of professional input and testing to know that you are getting the very best in that aerobatic delivery as well in realism, that said the Mudry is an easy aircraft to fly. But experience is certainly a factor here to get the very best out of the Cap 10C's very capable aerobatic abilities. The stick and rudder "seat of your pant's" fliers will absolutely love it, as this is an aircraft that has been developed just for them...  and really just for them alone.   ______________________________________________________________________     Yes! the Mudry CAP 10C v1.2 by Avia71 is NOW available from the new X-Plane.Org Store here :   Mudry CAP 10C   Price is US$24.95   A free update via the skunkcraft's updater or direct X-Plane.OrgStore download is available now to all previous purchasers of the Avia 71 Cap 10C   Features New: VR Ready Switch between aerobatics and utility mode (no reload needed) Exclusive electronic G meter/recorder/audio warning Choose at any time your favorite instrumentation (no reload needed) Retractable document holder on panel Load your own aerobatics diagram Sounds volume adjustments on panel Switch windshield and instruments reflection on panel Interactive checklist Weight and balance interface with calculator Internal failure system Complete circuit breakers management Flaps & trim locker for aerobatics Mixture fine adjustment Aerobatics manual by Thomas in English and French and a bunch of tips and tricks Other features Hgh-fidelity flight model Accurate 3D modeling Extremely detailed 4K textures Physical Based Rendering Ambient occlusion FMOD sounds recorded on the real model 9 liveries fps friendly History of the CAP 10 included Paintkit included Comes with a GPS and a tiny autopilot (customers request)   Requirements X-Plane 11.20+ (not compatible with XP10) Windows, Linux or Mac 2Gb VRAM Video Card Minimum - 4GB+ VRAM Recommended Current version: 1.20 (last updated October 11th 2018)   ______________________________________________________________    Update Review by Stephen Dutton 15th October 2018 Copyright©2018: X-PlaneReviews   (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) VR image is courtesy of Avia 71.    

OK, so finally, Oct 13th, the bird is in the nest

News! - Version Release : WebFMC Pro 1.06 by Green Arc Studios   Green Arc Studios have released their latest up date for the pluging WebFMC Pro with version v1.06. The major highlight of the update is the inclusion of Rotate's  Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 (version MD80 v1.42+ is required). X-PlaneReviews did a full update review here that includes the latest update WebFMC plugin:
Aircraft Update : Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 v1.42 by Rotate     Highly recommended for inputting FMC data from another computer (via a browser) or tablet...       Complete changelog for WebFMC Pro 1.0.6 is as follows:   Support for Rotate MD-80 (requires MD80 v1.42+) Improvements to scaling, mostly affecting mobile version of the Safari (WebKit) browsers Minor visual improvements, such as outline around N, E, W, S buttons, to mimic real FMCs Internal optimizations - go into "idle" mode if there are no web clients connected.   The complete list of supported aircraft with version 1.0.6 is: Rotate MD-80 NEW! FlightFactor A320 Ultimate Toliss 319 JarDesign 320 IXEG 737-300 EADT x737 (with x737FMC only) Zibo Mod 737-800 737-900 Ultimate   Full review of the WebFMC Plugin is here: Plugin Review : WebFMC Pro by Green Arc Studios and the later v1.04 update review is here: Plugin Update : WebFMC Pro v1.04 by Green Arc Studios   _____________________________________     Yes! WebFMC Pro v1.06 by Green Arc Studios is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :
WebFMC Pro   Price is US$19.99   The v1.06 update is free to previous purchasers of the plugin, go to your X-Plane.OrgStore account for the new version.   Quick and easy access to the FMC Get easy access to the FMC: quickly edit the flightplan, monitor flight progress, set up your approach and do all the typical work of the pilot without having to move around in the cockpit, even if the plane doesn’t support FMC as a popup natively - on the same PC, or different monitor, tablet or phone - in fact you can use multiple displays at the same time!   Make pilot tasks easy and comfortable Enjoy external views during cruise while monitoring flight progress on separate screen or take a quick look at your phone to verify calculated landing speed with just a glimpse of an eye during busy time on approach. Make flying complex SIDs / STARs easy as you can focus on the important flight parameters while having overview of the constraints all the time. Take your mobile to the kitchen as you cook a dinner during a long haul and never miss T/D again!   Convenient to use Use physical keyboards on PC with extra keys such as Prev/Next page mapped to keyboard keys for easy access. WebFMC scales dynamically to fit any display or window size and can look as native app on mobiles by using browser's "Add to home screen" feature.   Aircraft support WebFMC Pro supports growing number of 3rd party aircraft starting now with:   Rotate MD-80 NEW! FlightFactor A320 Ultimate ToLiss 319 JarDesign 320 IXEG 737-300 EADT x737 (x737FMC required)  Zibo Mod 737-800 (free version) 737-900 Ultimate (free version)   Requirements: Plugin The WebFMC plugin requires X-Plane 11 running on a 64-bit Windows 7 operating system or newer. The plugin doesn't require any extra CPU/memory on the system.   Web Client The CDU can be displayed on any modern and up-to-date web browser with JavaScript support.
We recommend the latest versions of Google Chrome on PC or Android and Safari on iOS but it worked fine on Firefox 60.0.2 as well No internet connection required, remote device needs to be on the same local network as X-Plane PC. Current version: 1.6 (October 14th 2018)   ______________________________________________________________________   News by Stephen Dutton 14th October 2018 Copyright©2018 : X-Plane Reviews    (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)    

Scenery Preview - LGRP - Rhodes International Airport by JustSim   When JustSim released their excellent LCLK - Laranca only six months ago, it felt like it was the far end of the world, or Europe at least, as it was a lonely outpost on Cypress on the far eastern end of the Mediterranean. But that far away point is now not so isolated in flying terms. A flurry of excellent sceneries have now filled in the void, including LTAI - Antalya International Airport again by JustSim, Chios Island National Airport by Descent2View and of course Corfu with FlyCorfu XP by FlyTampa...  you can also add in a few freeware sceneries for more routing out here, but going or crossing these areas of Greece has now become a busy pastime... now JustSim have added in another very desirable destination with LGRP - Rhodes or as it is known locally as Diagoras International Airport.   Obviously you had to connect JustSim's LCLK - Laranca to their newer LGRP Rhodes as it is only a 300 nm hop from one airport to the other...     ...  basically it is only an hour's flying time, but who would not miss that perfect flying day and in that Cobalt blue sky (pun intended), the ToLiSS319 also helped things along enormously. Approach is into RWY25 from the East and there is something about this area in X-Plane11 that brings out the best in the scenery, the light and the soft mist on the mountains. This approach path takes you over the port of Rhodes itself and the harbour.     There is a mix here of (German) autogen and custom local buildings, and they all well meld into each other well (more on this later)     LGRP - Rhodes (Diagoras) International Airport   Rhodes International Airport "Diagoras"
Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Ρόδος "Διαγόρας" IATA: RHO - ICAO: LGRP
07/25 - 3,305m (10,844ft) Asphalt
Elevation AMSL6 m/19 ft     Rhodes (Diagoras) International Airport is situated on the north side of the island of Rhodes in Greece. The facility is located just north of the village Paradeisi (really the airport is in or part of Paradeisi), and about 14 km southwest of the capital city, Rodos. Interestingly is that the airport is open to the sea to the north and hemmed in by a hillside to the south.     First impressions are impressive, this is a JustSim scenery after all as you know what to expect in good modelling detail and excellent blending in with the custom to default mesh and textures. The blending in is even better here as the hillside is very lush with vegetation, fauna, custom trees and bushes.   As noted there are custom buildings to compliment the autogen as JustSim usually do provide a little local flavor to their sceneries and don't restrict the scenery just to the airport, in this case it covers the village of Paradeisi, which basically surrounds the whole airport to the east and west.     JustSim have been smart in not making their custom buildings completely Greek, in say white, white. but a sort of mid-way but still custom. This does blend in well with the German autogen although you can still tell the difference in the different areas, but it not as bad a it really could have been. In other words it all works very well as a complete scenario from the air on both approach paths.     The german autogen however is more noticeable in the Rodos city itself and the lack of local colour and port facilties. Where as Rhodes should be Greek Classic white, it looks more of an Italian port than Greek. This is where FlyTampa gave the Corfu scenery a boost in covering this city area as well as the airport itself in the same feel and architectural design, it also highlights the limitations of Laminar Research's current situation with regional autogen, as white Greek/Turkish Mediterranean default autogen should be now a no brainer and available for X-Plane these days.   Another small oddity is the none development by JustSim of the airport LGRD - Martisa which is positioned (arrowed) only just behind the same hill that covers LGRP...     ...   It is highly visible, but it only required a few buildings and a few bits and pieces to make it a great GA viable alternative to LGRP? Instead it is a wasted blank area in the middle of the scenery?   LRGP - Diagoras The airport layout is one large apron and remote stands, and no airbridges. Stands cover 1 to 7 in front of the terminal with semi-circle parking and stands 8 to 14 are set in a line farther out. Stand 10 covers the entrance to Taxiway B, so don't depart the runway there! and stand 14 is a large stand that is noted to cater for a wide-body ICAO category E and F (65m (213.3') - 80m (262.5'); 14m (45.9') - 16m (52.5') or Boeing 747 size.         Terminal The single terminal is impressive, if an odd colour that does not translate well. The terminal construction and materials/textures are excellent with the well done lighting ramp towers.     Airside detail is excellent with walk-on ramps from the terminal down to the apron, clutter ramp detailing is also top notch. There is a huge amount of animated vehicles that are mostly baggage carts and maybe to many, and to the point you have to be careful taxiing around the ramp and not squashing one or two of them, but there is a huge amount of activity to be had.     Landside is as good and if not better than Airside.  Loads of people, taxi's, buses and god knows what else creates a dynamic environment.     Only odd thing is the colour of the roads and carparks, which are more green and grass like than the required asphalt grey/dark roadway, it tends not to blend in more than it should?   High view down on Diagoras is complimented by the high positioned (PARADISI - 108.6 PAR) DME navigation aid, not to be confused with the close by (RODOS 115.8 RDS) Nav-Aid for LGRD - Martisa. Note the great view over the Aegean Sea and the coastline is Turkey.     Control Tower The tower is on the west side of the terminal and connected to the terminal.     Detail and the all important tower glass is excellent, it is a nice great reconstruction... The tower view of the approaches by Just Sim is not set (Again!).   Ground clutter is excellent and fully detailed, I particularly love the jet blast screens, they look great.     The Terminal approach roads have associated businesses...     ...  garages, car rental... usual stuff but well done. Most areas however are not set to the OSM (Open Street Map) settings, so buildings, trees and signage cover roads and are set out in areas that they really shouldn't be in, it makes the scenery quite messy and not authentic in areas, a bit more time in laying out these items would have made it far better, it feels rushed?     Ground textures Runway and taxiway surface textures are excellent, and highly realistic with tar, cracks and general repair work visible, Apron square concrete textures are very authentic...     ....  grass is 3d and excellent, although in parts the navigation signs are covered with grass, but then this is Greece!  Water is also blended in well to the ground textures for that nice shallow water feel. Runway textures are reflective in the right wet conditions, and looks excellent if you land late in the day.     Lighting JustSim's LGRP has great lighting...     ...  approach lighting is very good from both directions, but it is slightly better from the east. All taxiway lighting have no centreline (green) markings as per most airports in Greece, so you will need the aircraft side turn lighting to find your way to or from the terminal area.   Apron lighting is very good, but only on the terminal side, as if you get to park on the outer stands then you are sitting in the darkness.     Debatable is the reflective blue terminal glass, as many people won't like it, but I really liked it a lot, and for me it works very well with the contrasting control tower base lighting. All landside lighting is very good as well, as all areas are covered including carparks, terminal approach lighting, and general areas.     Apron lighting stands 1 to 7 and 14 are great and well lit working areas and any arrival here after dark is very impressive.     Exceptional is the custom building lighting, windows at night are not those ugly grey rectangles, but ar eas good as the quality autogen lighting, so they all blend in well together. I have wondered ( and complained) why it is so hard not to do good custom building lighting? If you get it right as it is here it make a huge difference to the approaches and also to the quality of the night environment. Overall the lighting is excellent.     Preview Notes: JustSim again really deliver, as LGRP is great scenery at an unbelievable price, and like all JustSim sceneries which are not ultra high detailed scenery, but you do always get the latest in X-Plane dynamic features (like reflective glass), great lighting, lots of animated items like ground traffic and wet surfaces and the modeling is usually of a very high quality...   and they just deliver. The experience is full, from the approach (at night it is brilliant) to the quality aprons and with surrounding clutter and detail and the X-Plane11 dynamics, LGRP - Rhodes well worth the investment and a worthwhile companion to LCLK - Laranca and JustSim's other local airport in LTAI - Antalya...  highly recommended.   Features noted are: Detailed airport objects and vehicles Custom textured taxiways, runways and apron Custom surroundings  Custom airport lights Compatible with X-Plane 11 features Animated ground vehicles (X-Plane 11 only) Shading and occlusion (texture baking) effects on terminal and other airport buildings High resolution ground textures / Custom runway textures High resolution building textures Excellent night effects Realistic reflections on glass World Traffic compatible X-Life traffic compatible Optimized for excellent performance   WT3: WorldTraffic GroundRoutes are provided ready to be included with the scenery. Overall the airport functions perfectly fine in giving you that full running airport and full traffic activity. And the aircraft will also loop to the correct stand parking position. A few private jets take up stands that they shouldn't do, but otherwise it is full marks.   Positives: Mostly everything, lighting is excellent, texture and building design is first rate and all with excellent clutter and traffic animations. Excellent value. Negatives: Rodos City and Port would have been a nice addition, even for a higher purchase price. Tower View is not really usable (again), buildings and trees are not aligned to OSM layouts, so roads are full of trees and part buildings. Landside terminal roads and carparks are the wrong colour (very light green?)....  and why wasn't close by LGRD - Martisa airport added into to the scenery?   ____________________________________________________________________     Yes!...  LGRP - Rhodes International Airport by JustSim is Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here :   LGRP - Rhodes International Airport   Price is US$17.20   Requirements : X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4Gb VRAM Minimum - 8Gb+ VRAM Recommended Current and Review version: 1.0 (September 26th 2018)   Extras and Documents: - Optional ORTHO4XP Custom DEM - RAW files - WorldTraffic3 Ground Routes and /Parking Def's - Install pdf ______________________________________________________________________   Preview by Stephen Dutton 12th October 2018 Copyright©2018 : X-Plane Reviews   (Disclaimer. All images and text in this preview are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)   Review System Specifications: Computer System: Windows  - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD  Software:   - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.25 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose  Soundlink Mini Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free Scenery or Aircraft - ToLiSS319 (A319) by ToLiSS (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$69.00    

News! - Announcement! : EDDM - Munich coming by ShortFinal Design (aka misterX6)   You would think after completing a mega sized airport project like KLAX that you would try something a little less taxing...  say a small GA airport or medium sized regional airport? There was a hint from ShortFinal that they wanted to try something away from North America (the sobbing can be heard over here), but the choice is...   da, da dah! EDDM - Munich!   Not exactly a backwater airport, if not the largest airport in all of Southern Germany, and god really some people are a glutton for punishment, anyway's ShortFinal's pain is our gain. And a brilliant gain it will be if EDDM is up to the usual ShortFinal quality and outstanding features, and there is no reason why it shouldn't be.   Images are breathtaking...     Features are also pretty good and totally on current spec:   3D interiors for all terminals and large hangars, animated 3D people Custom highly detailed jetways with AutoGate support Custom animated airport vehicles, cars, and trains (using GroundTraffic) High resolution orthoimagery for the entire airport area (30cm/px) High resolution ground textures with PBR materials Complete taxi routes and airport flows, World Traffic 3 compatible Randomly spawned static aircraft with accurate gate assigments Custom Mesh and fully modeled taxiway briges, optional Ortho4XP patch file   To put this project in to perspective, then KLAX was finished only in Mid-July this year, the above EDDM has been completed since that date, incredible work done in just three months...  just think about that in all this in only 3 Months! The Terminator was less persistent!   No release date yet, but certainly before Christmas, no price either, but KLAX was US$26.95, so that would be a good guide...   Images are courtesy of ShortFinal Design   ________________________________________   News by Stephen Dutton 11th October 2018 Copyright©2018: X-Plane Reviews    

Aircraft Review : Republic P-47N Thunderbolt by Flyingiron Simulations   It was worth the try... everyone who loves cars has tried it, in shoehorning in an engine that the original vehicle didn't come with? In my case it was an ex Ford Galaxie 390 6.4L V8, and it was inserted or really panel beaten into a Ford Cortina. Now the point is this absurdly done installation didn't take into account that the dynamics of the donor Ford Cortina was certainly not up to the task of the extremely high power output of the 390 V8 2V 265 bhp (197.6 kW). No doubt the Cortina went almost into orbit in a straight line, but the suspension and braking dynamics, sort of let the whole project down, and I certainly used up at least seven of my nine lives driving it, I survived and strangely enough so did the Cortina.   So the point of the story, and it is in many ways the same insane thinking behind the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, in bolting on to the front of an airframe the biggest baddest engine ever produced at that time. This was a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp two-row 18-cylinder radial engine producing 2,000 hp (1,500 kW). It makes the frontal area of the P-47 as ugly as sin, but who really cared as the aircraft could fly at an insane 433 mph at 29,000 ft (697 km/h at 8,839 m). This was the sort of aircraft that Howard Hughes would love to try to kill himself with...  it was a monster of a machine.   The P-47 Thunderbolt gained a nickname the "Jug" (because it's profile was similar to that of a common milk jug of the time). Two Fighter Groups where already stationed in England and began introducing the Jugs in January 1943: the Spitfire-flying 4th Fighter Group, which was a unit built around a core group of experienced American pilots who had flown in the RAF Eagle Squadrons prior to the US entry in the war. By mid-1943, the Jug was also in service with the 12th Air Force in Italy and against the Japanese in the Pacific, with the 348th Fighter Group flying missions out of Port Moresby, New Guinea. By 1944, the Thunderbolt was in combat with the USAAF in all its operational theaters except for Alaska.   But it's main role was with it's stupendous speed and the increases in fuel capacity that the type was refined, and the range of escort missions over Europe steadily increased until the P-47 was able to accompany bombers for fighter escort in raids all the way into Germany. On the way back from the raids, pilots could shoot up ground targets of opportunity, and also used belly shackles to carry bombs on short-range missions, which led to the realization that the P-47 could perform a dual-function on escort missions as a fighter-bomber. Even with its complicated turbosupercharger system, its sturdy airframe and tough radial engine the P-47 could absorb a lot of damage and still return home. Initial response to the P-47 praised its dive speed and high-altitude performance while criticizing its turning performance and rate of climb (particularly at low-to-medium altitudes). The turbosupercharger in the P-47 gave the powerplant its maximum power at 27,000 ft (8,230 m), and in the thin air above 30,000 ft (9,144 m), the Thunderbolt remained comparatively fast, competitive and nimble relative to other aircraft thoughout the Second World War.   The version here is the P-47N-1-RE long-range variant which was designed for service in the Pacific Theater with the R-2800-57 engine; larger wings with squared-off tips; increased fuel capacity for a significantly increased flight range; automation of some engine controls and a General Electric Autopilot System.     This X-Plane11 version of the Thunderbolt comes from a new developer called "FlyingIron", of which is no doubt focused on flying heavy metal aircraft. As this is a very first project we will always express a few liberties in the review and expect a few minor ailments with the aircraft, but overall this is a very well accomplished first aircraft. Detail wise externally it is excellent, with nice panel work (good 3d modeling) and correctly placed rivets.   That humungous mouth of the engine inlet is really well done with a replicated version of the R-2800 Double Wasp which is inset behind...     ...  the engine is well detailed, but a bit clean rather than the oily, burnt and aged realism you need. Spinner is very nice and well detailed.     The quality of the modelling is shown on the lower fuselage with the engine air extractor, overall the exterior is very well done with authentic aerial posts and cables all in place.   As this is the "N" version it has the later RAF inspired clean bubble canopy...     ...  glass is perfect (not easy to do) with excellent reflections. The animated pilot is well done as well, but he can sometimes jerk into his head position when changing viewing angles?   Cockpit With past veteran aircraft, then detail and authenticity is the key to a good simulation. In that area then FlyingIron have done an excellent job, no doubt an enthusiast would find pickings, but would still give praise for the detail and research that has been done in here.     It can be hard to replicate old technology in X-Plane, so a sort of hybrid is usually a creative way around the differences. Here the original AN/ARA 8  Homing Adapter or audio based homing navigation system which has been converted to ADF, and it works fine. The basic X-Plane fuel system has been used to create the more realistic P-47N fuel systems and it's behaviour. The N/APS-13 Tail Warning Radar is also replicated, and as for armament there is the K-14 Gunsight with functional Guns of 8x .50 Cal Browning Machine Guns. This "N" version also has an Autopilot in the General Electric Type G-1 Installation, but we will look at that in a moment.   The P-47 was known for it's almost spacious lounge chair flying position, and well done it is with an authentic bucket seat with perfect cloth textures...     ...  visibility is excellent, except directly forward, but rearwards is exceptional to keep a lookout for those pesky Focke Wulf 190s.   Instrument Panel The replication of the P-47's instrument panel is excellent...  very mid 40's war period in design.     The instrument layout is quite unique and interesting. Top left is the Airspeed indicator (MPH), then the Directional Gyro (heading) and Artificial Horizon central. Clock left and Carburettor Air Temperature fills out the top of the instrument panel.   Six instruments lower center (left to right) cover; Altimeter, Bank and Turn Indicator, Vertical Speed (middle; compass), Manifold Pressure gauge, RPM (x100) and Fuel and Oil Pressure gauges with the Oil Temperature gauge top. Far right are gauges for the Lubrication Oil quantity and Left and Right Internal Fuel tanks.   Lower panel instruments (left to right) are; Accelerometer (G-Force), Suction, Water Pressure, Cylinder Head Temperature, Auxiliary and Main Fuel tank gauges. The Hydraulic Pressure gauge hangs low to the right.   The complex fuel switching system is on the left lower side...  switching can be for the external or internal tankage in sequence - Left: Ext Tanks, Forward: Main Tank, Right: Aux Tank, Down/Aft: Off. When set to Ext Tanks, the secondary selector is then used to cycle between Off/L Wing Tank/R Wing Tank/Belly Tank.      Fuel amounts are 270 GAL main, Internal Aux 100 GAL, Wing tanks per tank 90 GAL and external wing 165 GAL and center belly tank 110 GAL for a total of 990 GALs. You can select if you require the external tanks by pressing the "C' button on the right forward console, but you can only have all on or all off, and not a selection of say just the belly tank showing on the aircraft.     Another button "D" on the same console will bring up the X-Plane default G430 GPS panel, COMM 1 and VOR 1 settings are done through this panel.     The AN/ARA 8  Homing Adapter unit is far right... there is no visual screen as it is all done via aural sounds or morse code, in: D ( - ..) is Turn Left and U (..-) is Turn Right. If you have a Steady Hum then the heading is aligned with destination homing beacon.   GE G-1 Autopliot The General Electric Type G-1 autopilot is very antique compared to the usual setup, and is gyro and not GPS based. To use you have to first align the gyros. This is done via the left side panel that you switch to "Bleed". It takes about 60 sec for the gyros to warm-up and stabilise. Then you level the aircraft and make sure the main indicators (There are three, in one above the Directional Gyro and one each above the Artificial Horizon) are all centered.     Secondary knob is on the panel below the Artificial Horizon, and this now has to set to the Gyros/AP Mode - SYNC. Then back to the original side panel switch to set the AP Power to ON...  then finally the Gyos/AP Mode to AUTO. It is all tricky to do while keeping the aircraft absolutely level, but you finally feel the aircraft is suddenly more solid and rock steady.   Adjustments are via the knobs below the indicators. Mostly you only use the right side turn and pitch modes above the Artificial Horizon, and it works very well and with an aircraft with as a long range as this is, then the system is a very welcome addition. A note though in making sure the aircraft's AP is completely turned off before retaking manual control? as there is no over-ride and so the system will fight you for control, and it will win every time.     Engine power management is critical with built in limitations... in you can never exceed a Manifold Pressure of 100”!, Don't not exceed 55” without water injection, and avoid going over 72” even with water injection (and regulator off) and keep a close eye on your Carb Temps at higher Manifold Pressures. This management adds in to the failures of the Operational Limits (55” Mil Power - 15 minutes, 72” WEP - 5 minutes), Temperature Limits, Water Injection Failures ( Carburettor flooding) like when activated below 30” MPR, Supercharger (Exceeding Max MPR with regulator off), Prop Overspeed and Starter failures including Dilution Failures (Clogged Nozzle/Hung Starter), Priming and Energizing.   The Water injection feature will allow you to reach much higher manifold pressures without causing engine detonation. You will be able to reach a maximum Manifold Pressure of around 72”, as opposed to the standard 55” Max power, and although you have approximately 9 minutes of Water Injection available to use (30 gallon supply), the above engine operating limits will still apply.   Lighting The instrument panel lighting is good and adjustable, but doesn't have that aged decades old feel, in it is just bright and clear?     There is a map light right side of the pilot that is adjustable, and the lower armament panel is nicely lit.     Externally the aircraft does have good lighting, but it is not adjusted, so all the lights just look like blobs and the tail light is part set on the rudder?   There are selectable four colour recognition lights on the right wing, but they go through the wing and don't look right?     Tail light, lights up the full tail structure, and there is a landing light under the far left wing, and an antenna navigation light is also visible.   Sound is dynamic FMOD and overall excellent. Engine startup sequence and shutdown sounds are the highlights. Overall there are 40+ Custom Sounds and full Spatial Audio & Distance Attenuation. Small note is in if you open the canopy in flight in that yes the sound and wind noise does get higher, but not to the noisy buffeting you would expect?   Ground Viewpoint The Thunderbolt has that classic fighter wide spaced aggressive stance when sitting on the ground...     ...  it does however look the part, but the thought is that, is this aircraft an aircraft set in war mode or an airshow mode feel? in the closer view it feels more like the latter.   The P-47 had a 12' 2"diameter Curtiss Electric C542S-A6 propeller. The Curtiss has two modes here in Fixed or Constant, you can leave it in CONSTANT mode for Normal Flight and use Fixed for Emergencies. In constant mode the Prop & Engine RPM are adjusted via the Prop Control Lever on the Throttle Quadrant or Fixed Pitch which sets the prop solid at the last active pitch. Fixed pitch is used mostly for emergencies, or when insufficient power is available to operate constant mode properly (such as a generator or electrical failure).   The propeller detailing is excellent and right down to the correct markings, great detail. Note the small distance from the tip of the prop to the ground.     Undercarriage detail is again excellent, but very airshowy and pristine, there are no chocks or static elements (if so they are are not noted) and the gear animations are also very well done, in that slightly jerky manner that is required with hand pumped gear.     Rear tailwheel retracts into the fuselage, and overall the complete detail is very authentic, note the nice reflections off the cockpit glass.     One note in that the pilot can be placed externally, but I couldn't find how to do it. The manual is very good, but not in the small details like this, so you are asking questions like, are there menus (I guess not) or static elements? The aircraft is set up for VR in Virtual Reality, but it is noted to be a bit fiddly with the VR Manipulators.     Flying the P-47 Thunderbolt Usually I try to give a comprehensive review of the aircraft's flying abilities, but I feel I am a bit compromised here?   Taxiing a taildragger is a deathly experience anyway...  But here you have only two options with an open flexible tailwheel, or a locked one...  there is no option to taxi with the tailwheel locked to the rudder movement. So it can be almost impossible to taxi, and especially if you are a novice.     A trick was to use the X-Plane nosewheel steer toggle to lock the tailwheel in the direction that you want to go, then release it to do a slight turn, lock then repeat...  it sorta works, but it could be far easier with the right setting done?   Obviously this same scheme helps when taking off, point and lock, then you get control once the tail lifts and the air gets to the aerodynamic surfaces, but first you have to counter that immense power of the P-47 as it tries to simply throws you off the runway with all that massive asymmetric thrust and huge yaw...  and as noted you also have to watch the prop clearance, one mistake there and you will simply barrel roll forward into the runway?     Rotation is around 140 mph depending on the aircraft's configuration and fuel load, and once in the air the Thunderbolt is a very nice pussy cat, but with that huge bite of a Tigerful big pussycat sheer power.       Note the "N" version is built more for outright speed than manoeuvrability, and this shows in any tight turns... keep the P-47 level it will drop in height in the turn if you don't add in more thrust to counter it, and you soon learn the right balance of the thrust required to the roll of the turn...     But overall it is the speed that is so evident, 350 mph feels like normal and even 400 mph is easy to achieve, and it takes nothing in time and space to get there, and then slowing it all down again can take time as the ground you are covering is going by very fast, so you have to plan ahead...  way ahead...     ...   and low level fast flying becomes a bit of an dangerous addiction!   Landing however was not the usual precision I usually expected from myself!  as my first try was nasty....   Second go with another livery to show you that I was on a different approach idea, was....  again just as bad.   Full flap and note the airspeed, as it is just over 150 mph and yes on approach?  Put the speed lower any more than this speed threshold and the aircraft just simply falls out of the air?     Stall speed is noted at 48 kn; 89 km/h (55 mph) and that 150 mph cannot be correct as I can not go lower, so you approach the field at 100 mph too fast...   ... the results, are not pretty, and I desperately tried again and again with this and different approach plans to try and calm the speed down to around 65 mph and as many as five times?     All came with the same result?  Drop the speed below 150 mph and there is a slight descending, below 100 mph and you simply stall and go straight down flat and failing into the ground?     Well I tried.   Liveries There are five liveries, with the metal K 4S yellow as default...  Bare Metal version has a red nose and tail band. "Two Big Too Heavy" and "Tarheel Hal" are both airshow circuit favorites and the last livery is the only warpaint in the "Olive"     Summary This is the very first aircraft project from FlyingIron Simulations and to give credit where it is due it is a brilliant debut, with just only a few i's not dotted and t's not crossed, but there is nothing here that is substantially a negative or could not be easily wrapped up with an update or two, as there is always that learning curve for the very first timers.   We will note the slight negatives first. Many areas are covered in silver like the guns, undercarriage and engine, that is fine if the aircraft is straight out of the factory or on the airshow flightline, if that is what the developers were aiming for then they hit it spot on, but do we want a more gritty fighting aircraft than a showroom condition example, or at least be given the choice?  These aircraft are complex machines, and a good manual is required in not only noting the various items and features on the aircraft, but the X-Plane noted features as well, as is there a menu, static elements or how do you use the features and at least a start to prop stop flying tutorial, yes the manual covers a lot, but you need far more and better details with aircraft like this. ditto more options like external fuel tank choice. Lighting is odd externally and not correctly set or adjusted, it spoils the flying at night. No tailwheel control is a pain, it may not be authentic, but sometimes you just need control? Although the aircraft was checked and flown by expert P-47 pilot's and no doubt in the air it is very authentic, I question that 150 mph approach speed and the 55 mph stall speed?   Positives, well a lot. The modelling and overwhelming detail is simply excellent. Externally and internally FlyingIron have done an excellent job, and tried to bring in many authentic era avionics with the usual X-Plane limitations, with the General Electric Type G-1 autopilot and aural AN/ARA 8 Homing Adapter as standouts. Aircraft systems and failures are also well featured and realistic engine start can be thrilling or frustrating depending on how you do the start up procedure, ditto the excellent sounds in these phases and also in the flight modes.   Feature list for the aircraft is very good, and could be still better, it is VR - Virtual Reality ready, but with a few slight fiddly manipulators.   Overall the P-47N is brilliant, as if you like these supreme warbirds, then you will simply love this one, and it is a very nice partner for the P51D Mustang we reviewed only a few weeks ago. So for the purists out there then, they will absolutely love it, but currently it may be a bit of a handful for the novices, but I loved it, it just needs a few nips and tucks to make it absolutely perfect, but I do highly recommend it.   _______________________________     The Republic P-47N Thunderbolt by Flyingiron Simulations is NOW available! from the X-Plane.Org Store here :   P-47N Thunderbolt   Priced at US$34.95   HD, Professional Quality 3D Modelling & Artwork Detailed 4K PBR Textures Faithful 3D Model, Markings & Decals - down to the last rivet! 4 Included Liveries - USAF Olive Standard, The Historical ‘Dottie Mae’, Tarheel Mal & ‘2 Big 2 Heavy’, along with a Professional Quality Paint Kit for custom liveries Accurate & Detailed Animations of all moving parts inside & outside the cockpit Complete Interior, Exterior & Recognition Lighting Professional, Accurate FMOD Sound Design 40+ Custom Sounds to bring the P-47 to Life Full FMOD Integration for a dynamic & reactive Audio Soundscape Realistic 3D Spatial Audio & Distance Attenuation Faithful recreation of the P&W R-2800 Double Wasp Radial Engine Realistic, Complex Engine & FlightModel Simulation Code-based simulation of the Double-Wasp Engine to capture the nuances and behaviour of the real engine Complete Engine Modelling, including realistic Supercharger & Water Injection systems Complete Engine Operational Limits modelling with custom failures & realistic damage behaviour Flight Model Performance tested & tuned using real-life test data for a truly authentic flight Realistic, Code-Driven Engine Start Simulation that is dynamically affected by factors such as Weather & Temperature to capture the quirks & difficulties of starting the massive 2800 HP Radial Engine. Complete Systems Modelling General Electric Type G-1 Installation Automatic Pilot - custom coded to truly capture the unique quirks of the P-47N Autopilot System AN/ARA 8  Homing Adapter (ADF) - Unique audio based homing navigation system, accurately modelled Realistic Fuel systems & Behaviour - including 3 Optional External Tanks and accurate fuel transfer behaviour VHF Radio - Manual Tuning Capability Functional K-14 Gunsight Functional Guns - 8x .50 Cal Browning Machine Guns (Wing-Mounted) AN/APS-13 Tail Warning Radar Additional Features 3D External Pilot Model Optional Pop-out Garmin 430 GPS VR Optimized Manipulators  Requirements: X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4Gb VRAM Minimum - 8Gb+ VRAM Recommended (Current and review version v1.0)   Installation and documents: Download for the P-47N Thunderbolt is 1.06gb and the unzipped file deposited in the "Fighters" X-Plane folder at 1.11gb.   Documentation: MANUAL is provided (pdf), but a more detailed (and pro version) would be better.   ______________________________________________________________________   Aircraft review by Stephen Dutton 9th October 2018 Copyright©2018 : X-Plane Reviews   (Disclaimer. All images and text in this preview are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)   Review System Specifications: Computer System: Windows  - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD  Software:   - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.25r2 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose  Soundlink Mini Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 Scenery or Aircraft - KLAL - Lakeland Linder Regional Airport 1.0 by Nicolas/NAPS (X-Plane.org) - Free    

News! - Coming! - Citation S550 from Carenado   Carenado have announced their next release in the S550 Citation personal jet. In the personal jet category then X-Plane11 is seriously unfulfilled. Yes there is the lovely Challenger 300, and the now outdated Hawker 4000, but most jets released are in that VLJ (Very Light Jet) category and not in the larger medium sized aircraft.   Carenado did release the Phenom 100, but I was very underwhelmed by the aircraft, as it was insipidly slow and had a few really annoying bugs that were never attended to, it looks nice though as all Carenado's do.   It was also a big surprise for a leading edge simulator in that X-Plane had no Cessna Citations either as they are bountiful in the real world, but that hole maybe now be filled...       Careando quality is to the usual high quality and the avionics package looks very good, with a semi-glass instrument panel, which is about correct for this generation and age of aircraft.     Interior luxury is guaranteed to keep the one percenters happy as they are comforted and flashed to their next expensive deal making meeting         No specifications or price is available yet from Carenado, but the Phenom 100 was US$37.95, and the price should be around that for the Citation, if slightly higher to the US$40 mark.   Release date is also not noted, but expect soon, or in a week or two.   Images and text are courtesy of Carenado ________________________________________   News by Stephen Dutton 8th October 2018 Copyright©2018: X-Plane Reviews    

Thanks, Stephen. It's still the 1.41r3 apparently, I'll retry a bit later...

Fighters in X-Plane are a strange group. As there are only a few developers doing them, Collimate for one and X-Trident as another, then the quality is not at this level as it is for the more popular heavy or GA aircraft, so this fine area has not had a lot of updates for X-Plane11 as have all the other aircraft. I can't compare the JustFlight Hawk against the FlightSim versions, but for X-Plane the Hawk is certainly a big step forward from the others as it comes from a FlightSim developer with a professional top-rate X-Plane conversion... In fact your thoughts on the aircraft as you can compare with the DCS versions would actually be more apt... Stephen.

Aircraft Update : Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 v1.42 by Rotate   The Mcdonnell Douglas MD-88 has had another upgrade. It is a slightly different change this time around because both the main new features rely on 3rd party plugins, and so except for a few tweaks and bug fixes from Rotate the MD-88 is now just as good as ever, and even better.     The new features are both plugins. One is WebFMC by Green Arc Studios and the second is TerrainRadar by DrGluck. Both are excellent plugins, but as we shall see in that the MD-88 certainly benefits even more so from their inclusion. We will start with the WebFMC plugin first.   WebFMC by Green Arc Studios FlightFactor pioneered the tool of allowing a standard web browser to used as a platform to access the FMC (Flight Management Computer) for easier input of flight data. The use in this respect made the FMC or FMS as some call it a module on a tablet (iPad/Samsung Tablet) and the ease of being able to input numbers and text via your fingers instead of a using mouse or keyboard, there is also the functionality of being able to move the tablet away from the flying computer via WiFi that made it even more flexible. Mostly all FlightFactor aircraft come with this feature which was developed by Philipp Ringler. But what if wanted the same functionality in another aircraft other than a FlightFactor then that feature was not available...  welcome to WebFMC.   X-PlaneReviews did a full review of the plugin here: Plugin Review : WebFMC Pro by Green Arc Studios and an update here; WebFMC Pro v1.04   WebFMC is free for several aircraft including the default Boeing 737-800, but sort of look at this plugin version as a demo. The WebFMC Pro is the pay version and it is this version that is required for use in this Rotate MD-88..  and the cost is US$19.95.    In reality it was for aircraft like Rotate's MD-88 that the WebFMC plugin comes into it's own. In most earlier aircraft on the plugin list, they did have mostly all pop-up FMC units, but the Rotate MD-88 does not...  so the really awkward full front console position and the wanting to also see the panel map display made it hard to set out a route in the aircraft on the built in FMC unit.     The WebFMC is connected to X-Plane via the browser and a WiFi connection...  the address used is http://10.0.0.2:9090/. In an instant the WebFMC will appear and with the correct MD facia FMC face plate (Supplied by Rotate) for authenticity. I use it on an iPad below, but also for convenience also on my main Mac screen.     Here I am using SimBrief on the left and the WebFMC Pro is shown on the right. I also have it set up on the computer, but WebFMC Pro can as noted be used on any browser with WiFi, although Google Chrome is recommended.     The route today is KSLC (Salt Lake City) to KORD (Chicago).     The ease of use is not to be underestimated...  You are now free to set up the map display in "PLN" (Plan) mode to see your route, but you can also look at the panel display in an front on angle and not the odd angle required before with the fixed FMC.     Route data input is simply far easier. If using a tablet then direct finger input, if on a computer screen then either a mouse or direct keyboard input is also available... the time saved just to be able to type in the route is invaluable.       Performance data input can be used with the remote pop-up panel browser display...     ...  because the WebFMC panel is that much larger and as it is easier to work with and it is easier get the data correct, as with sitting the WebFMC on a tablet or another computer also allows you that more freedom to now to set up the takeoff computer settings that much easier as well.
    Having the WebFMC open on the "Aircraft Management page" means it is always ready for instant use, so it is just a point/touch to hide the APU, and close the doors ready for departure, and so no pulling down menus or moving the view over to the cockpit FMC screen to do the job, this is excellent if you are closing up the aircraft from the external view as everything is just a click away.       WebFMC is a tool, but a very good one for ease of use, more importantly it gives you a lot more functionality in setting up and getting the aircraft ready for departure. We will see a few more uses of the WebFMC Pro in flight.   You can use "BetterPushBack" with the Rotate MD-88, which another great addon feature... and it has been refined for use by Rotate for the aircraft.       TerrainRadar by DrGluck The second plugin feature is DrGluck's excellent TerrainRadar plugin. This plugin is free from the X-Plane.Org: Terrain radar + Vertical Situation Display 1.14   There is nothing I don't like more than a weak or blank display in the cockpit. And so it is with the weather display that relies on weather information of any sort of activity, and even then it is pretty useless. In the MD-88 it felt like it was an item that wasn't working, as there should have been a tape across it with a "Not Operational" sign. But with DrGluck's plugin inserted you get a far more realistic display and now a working weather radar function, it looks excellent. Only comment is that is far more grainy than in other aircraft, and maybe that is the type of display it is using...      ...   You can test it, or select either the WX/TCAS or MAP function for a representation of the terrain around the aircraft, and vital if departing airports like KSLC - Salt Lake, with the high mountainous elevations around you.     More than anything it looks great in operation when flying, no more blank boring panel, but now you have one with a use.     Water and high ranges are shown and you can adjust the radar distance for advance areas.     Four main menu selections cover; Color Scheme (Solid Colors - Grain Colors (Boeing style) - Regular Tiles (Airbus Style), Lines or Dot), Scanning Speed, Brightness and Options (Show Water - Peaks Mode - EGPWS Alerts - Range Arcs Options), and the radar install looks terrific set between the two outer FMC panels.   A full X-PlaneReviews review of DrGluck's plugin is here: Plugin Review : TerrainRadar by DrGluck       In flight the WebFMC for the MD-88 is very handy. Certainly for following the flight's "Progress", as it gives you very a quick visual glance...     Approach references are easier to see as well when flying the aircraft on the final approach, as there is no need to adjust your zoom or to move your forward view away to look at the remote panel FMC position with the angled data, instead just look over and glance at the other screen, or tablet.     As you can gather I am a big fan of WebFMC Pro, not just because it is handy and versatile, but it seriously helps in the speed to input data in getting the aircraft ready for flight.   v1.42 Notes Other areas that have had attention is mostly corrections, tuning and a few bug fixes. The FMC now has Improved trajectory calculation with/without PERF data being entered, there was a bug in estimated speed that was seen in some waypoints and a bug in the ARRIVALS page.   Systems covered are with the Stabilizer Motion alert times, that was a constant annoyance in the alarm going off has been thankfully now adjusted and feels far more realistic, another annoying bug was in Autothrottle switch logic, that is fixed as well. The LAND annunciator logic and TCAS electrical dependency have also had attention.   There has been a few nips and tucks around the aircraft 3d modeling wise, but otherwise it is the nice old MD-88 we all know and love.   Arrival at KORD was all very wet and showery, and why is it so wet in Chicago lately? its been like this for ages?     The Rotate MD-88 is certainly one of my absolute favorite aircraft, and it is at a very mature situation now, my only note is the in flight wind noise? I pull the sound .wav file out because I find it a bit too annoying, it hurts my ears after a period of time as well. But that is the only comment.     Summary You are noticing on how small the update list each time around is getting now, and so unless Laminar Research makes a global X-Plane change, then there is not much wrong with the aircraft. Of course there will always be updates, but you can safely say the MD-88 is at a very mature stage now.   This update is focused on two new features, and both are external from Rotate and the developer themselves. The two additional features cover the plugin options of WebFMC Pro and Dr Gluck's TerrainRadar, and both plugin developers note the extensive work that Rotate has done with both of them to make sure both installations are perfect, and it certainly shows when they are both operating. The install of the WebFMC Pro is an even more useful tool as the FMC setup in the MD-88 cockpit does not have any pop-up panels, I would rate this situation and the plugin's use in this capacity as for the worth of just buying the Pro version of the WebFMC plugin alone. And Dr Gluck's Radar fills in a really blank space on the instrument panel, and in so making it more active and realistic.   A great and functional update, even better if you have the required plugins already. Note if the updated plugins are not yet available on the release of this this update review, then they will be very soon.   _____________________________________________________________________________________     Yes! the v1.42 McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Pro by Rotate is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store   here : McDonnell Douglas MD-88 Pro   Price is US$59.95 If you already have purchased the McDonnell Douglas MD-88 by Rotate, then go to your X-Plane.OrgStore account and download the free v1.42 update.   Green Arc Studios WebFMC Pro plugin (US$19.95) is available here : WebFMC Pro v1.04 Dr Gluck's TerrainRadar Plugin (Free) is available here: Terrain radar + Vertical Situation Display 1.14   Developer Rotate - Rotate.Com Developer Support - MD80 - X-Plane.Org _____________________________________________________________________________________   Features: Custom Flight Management System (FMS) and Automatic Flight Route, departures and arrivals procedures (SIDs and STARs). Custom LNAV and VNAV. Climb, cruise and descend management with altitude and speed restrictions. ARINC424 instructions support. Save and load route to/from text file. Performance management, with complete VNAV profile calculation, including T/C, T/D, and time, fuel and altitude predictions. Takeoff and approach speed management. Custom Navigation Display with curved transitions and MAG/TRU operation. DFGC, Thrust Rating management (EPR modes) and Flight Mode Annunciator. Aerosoft NavDataPro (2016) included (for updated database third party subscription is needed). DIRECT TO page. LEGS page with RTE DATA extension page. CLIMB page with CLB DIR function. DESCENT page with SPEED/PATH, DES NOW and DES DIR modes. Complete HOLD functionality with entry pattern calculation and Present POS. PROGRESS pages with pilot selectable waypoint. More accurate time and fuel predictions. PERF page with BURN SCHED, WIND/TEMP corrections and calculated remaining fuel. FIX page. Detailed simulation of systems WX/TCAS with TA/RA advisories. Power plant: accurate PW-JT8D-219 model, Fuel Distribution, Heat and Quantity Indication, Automatic Reserve Thrust. Electrical: Power Generating and Distribution, APU, Battery Charger, Emergency Power Supply. Hydraulics: Rudder and Elevator HYD/MAN operation, GPS, Reversers and Brakes accumulators. Air: Pneumatics, Air Conditioning and Distribution, Pressurization. Slat/Flap controls with Dial-a-Flap control. Takeoff Condition Computer. Complete Engine Fire Detection and Extinguishing simulation. Simulated Tests: DFGC, Altitude, Engine Fire, APU Fire, GPWS, Windshear, Flight Recorder, Voice Recorder, TCAS, Brake Temp, Stall, Anti-Skid, LED/Annunciators. Pop-up Menu Ground operations page, with GPU/GPS request, doors management, and fuel/cargo/passengers load functions. Fuel & Load page, with load stations according to Weight & Balance manual. Weight & Balance section, with accurate custom CG computing, and Weight/CG predictions for Takeoff and Landing.   Hyper-realistic visuals Highly detailed 3D cockpit, passenger cabin and exterior model. Normal and specular maps for enhanced detail. Thorough HD day and night textures. Accurate animations, including wing flex animation. All external and internal lights. Liveries: A set of ten ultra-high resolution liveries, including a paintkit. Custom sounds 3D sound engine with stereo and doppler effects. High quality multi-layered engine sounds. Wind and control surfaces sounds. Cockpit ambient and custom alerts. _____________________________________________________________________________________   Requirements X-Plane 11 Windows Vista/7/8/10, OSX 10.9+ , Linux Ubuntu 14.04 (or compatible) and up - 64 bit operating system Processor: Multi-core Processor 3.3GHz - 8 GB RAM -Hard Disk: 3.3 GB Graphics: 2GB VRAM (4GB+ VRAM or more for best performance) Current version: 1.42r1 (last updated Oct 5th 2018) File Download is a huge 960.40mb   _____________________________________________________________________________________   Update Review by Stephen Dutton 12th October 2018 Copyright©2018: X-PlaneReviews   (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)    

Thanks for a thorough review of what looks like a nice new jet for X-Plane. But I've purchased a few that you mention in the past, (an F16 which was worthless, and an F18 which is much better but still only mediocre), and have been very disappointed with them.  For fighters I have an F5, A10 and F18 in DCS which are outstanding models albeit with limited geographic areas. What I'd love is a jet of that quality level in X-Plane. It would be nice to know how this compares with those which I feel set the new standards in sim military aircraft. Thanks.