One of the biggest buzz words around at the moment is A.I. or Artificial Intellegence, I was always going to do a BtheS article on A.I. because it is important to the world of Simulation and the impact it will have on our activities and it's involvement with Simulators. Obviously it will have far reaching effects, but I also think it is not going to go as deep as they expect it to, or with the current over dramatic hype of in what areas this new technology can actually do.

We have been here before, the Dot.Com boom, and remember when the marketeers produced "Green" packaging to products that were not really very good for the environment. It was, still is a load of hype, again in over promoting A.I. as the saviour or even the destruction of all humankind. But as the current employee layoffs show from reacting tech companies, then "Fools tread were angels fear to tread", the crazy thing of replacing humans with machines that have no conscious, feelings, emotions or more important the ability not to have any "Gut Instincts", of course the boffins say that "don't worry A.I. will reach sentient soon", which means basically "Terminator Day" or Judgment Day to July 24, 2004, now probably 2028 and a few days.

Can A.I. go and wash your car, no, clean the toilet, no, make you breakfast, then no, but hey a $20,000 dollar robot probably will soon, and become the eyes and ears of the machine, I still have the funny notion of getting the robot off the couch and stop doom scrolling the television while I do all the manual work...

Have I already been replaced? are you now reading and comprehending reviews that are created by A.I., is this very piece is being written by the machine mimicking my style and has absorbed nearly thirteen years of reviews and edited images to recreate it's own little fiefdom and now has complete control of this site... have I already been discarded to the dustbin of life, left behind by the future and technology... No I am still here, yes writing this article on a fifteen year old Apple Keyboard, at my slow 100 words per minute.

The big question is do I use A.I.? I would be lying if I said no. Because yes I do, so to me it is still only a tool and not an overbearing sentient master, as I would be a bigger fool if I didn't use A.I. The greatest advice I ever read was that "Successful people adjust to change", and believe me it is very easy to ignore A.I. and pretend it is not going to change your way doing your work and resist it, doing that will only quickly consign you to history. But my main point is that when using any new tool, then you need to know it's limitations. The one thing that A.I. has already shown is how really clever Humans really are, adaptable as well, and that is an area that no machine learning tool can change. Unless A.I. is different from earlier technologies, but the worry there is the doom scenario.

So to the CEO's of Tech companies that are laying off thousands of workers, in that you are walking into a disaster of your own making, as for firing the very humans who can correct the machines is a recipe for annihilation. Amazon have already had this event, in the machine deleting thousands of active orders to the waste bin, and Amazon then had to rehire the same sacked people to fix the problem of putting all those thousands of orders back together again, and this is just the start, as one day a machine will do a colossal mistake and there will be no one there to either fix it or put it all back together again, costing the company millions (and probably millions and millions more) or costing us millions in the process.

The one thing I have learnt over the short time of using A.I. is that it makes serious mistakes, worse it just builds on those mistakes and it is usually from a starting point of a very small error. You will laugh at that and say, "Oh no the machine will learn and soon correct it's own mistakes" but seriously the old computer adage of "garbage in, garbage out” (often shortened to GIGO) is still very relevant. And do you really trust that software to still run your operating systems efficiently and with machine like precision, can you really leave that machine alone to solve it's own problems, and actually how many "Blue Screens of death" have you had lately. Deep down A.I. is still a computer program, one that just hoards a lot of information, it just looks intelligent, but in reality it is still a dumb machine. I have been using computers since the VIC 20, then the Commodore 64, and in that 45 Years it has taught me that Computers are fickle and prone to make mistakes, why? because people are fickle and make mistakes, not the machines, so will A.I. be any better in hoarding (or hovering) in all that badly designed data?

Most of the time I spend with A.I. is actually arguing with it? telling the chatbox it is wrong or the information is wrong and oddly correcting it's mistakes, then it's algorithm "lightbulb" goes on and it say's "oh yes, that is right, it is..." but it hasn't got any better at giving me the correct information when I need it.

Reviews deal with a lot of facts and history, and don't get me wrong with A.I., as it is really great in finding facts and figures (but you would still need to double-check the facts) The time savings here are enormous, were as it would usually take me 20 min or even sometimes an hour to find and filter through web sites for certain facts or details, can be done in a minute or so. That is a tool worth having, and the bonus is that I can present more detail and facts into the reviews than before, facts are facts.

Copyright states that if you are stating facts, then you are not breaking copyright, because facts are real, hard wired, and you are basically stating the obvious, so you are not infringing any copyrights... for instance:

"The General Electric GE80 (often referred to as the GE80/GE90 family) is a series of high-bypass turbofan engines developed by GE Aerospace for large long-haul aircraft, most notably the Boeing 777. Introduced in the 1990s, it became known for its exceptional thrust and efficiency, with variants ranging from around 74,000 lbf in early models (GE90-76/85/90) up to over 115,000 lbf in the later GE90-110B and GE90-115B—the latter being one of the most powerful commercial jet engines ever built. The engine family features very large fan diameters (up to about 128 inches / 3.25 m), composite fan blades, and advanced materials to improve fuel burn and durability, making it a benchmark for high-capacity, long-range twin-engine operations."

This paragraph is all facts, the GE80 is real engine on a Boeing 777, it would take me ages to put that paragraph together, but A.I. does a pretty good job quickly.

Now if I introduce this sort of content into the dialogs then I have to adjust my own writing (input) to match, to a point that is why there has been a change in the style of writing the reviews and NEWS! items. So since the start of 2026 and to reflect this change of style I have adjusted the look and feel of the XPR Reviews, also you are keeping up with the current style and not making the site look out of date and old fashioned. It doesn't mean everything is now just A.I. but I have adjusted to the A.I. look and feel to be relevant.

This is the effects of A.I. in my own world, but the effects on Simulation will be quite spectacular. We are already familiar already with A.I. ATC, it's not perfect, but it will totally change the way we interact and fly aircraft on a computer. Sadly it will not be good news for say VATSIM, IVAO and PilotEdge, as the A.I. ATC will be more cost efficient and even more accessible to Simulation users. Even career-driven experiences in interacting with A.I. will become very realistic, and even for real world training. And as Simulation replicates the same situations as the real world. I have never used say VATSIM, but would certainly look at the possibility of using a A.I. ATC, as long as it didn't cost too much and was good enough, it is another tool and even brings another experience dimension to using Simulation.

After years of declining sales resulting in less and less Scenery Development, suddenly new developers are springing up and bringing product on line. It's the cost aspect that is the key here. Now a good scenery can take maybe six months to develop, even if you are very, very good at it. But what if you could deliver that same scenery in a month, or a few months? that is three sceneries as products for the price of one. Obviously you can't develop quicker, but if can automate a lot of the scenery building (A.I.) then that changes the whole aspect of your business plan, and hopefully also deliver more quality for less money. If the same A.I. tools to make aircraft can be applied then that would change the whole business of Payware products, and reducing the two to three year development cycle to simply months. The benefits here are of course far, far more quality scenery and even aircraft that would not usually qualify for Payware investment, say the Vickers VC10 and Trident, Boeing 727, Lockheed Constellation and so on... it's a big game changer. But there is also the problem of too many of the same, same products competing against each other like what happens in MSFS.

Clever plugins are also and be more interactive with A.I. power behind them, we don't know what sort of scenarios plugins can yet do, but the above ATC is a good example.

The biggest changes will be be within the Simulator itself, the problem with World Building it that the real world is a very big place with a zillion different aspects to it, so trying to recreate that environment on a Computer it is quite a monumental task. To a point X-Plane does a good job, but MSFS does a better job because of the huge infrastructure available to Microsoft, but considering the massive Microsoft investment, then X-Plane is quite competitive with far, far fewer resources.

So could A.I. be the game leveller, creating 3d worlds and replicating the planet in a far more convincing and realistic way for Simulation. We don't need every absolute item to be replicated, but realistic Towns and Cities would be a great starting point. A.I. could create very hard items that we have never used, say Oil Refineries and Ports, Stadiums, Bridges and all the items we need for realistic VFR flying rules. Because of the scale, then only an automated process could create our on-line world to a higher dimension, and A.I. would be very good at that, and without the Microsoft sized investment and machinery.

For Aircraft Flight Models I am not so sure, areas where feel and dynamics come into play may need the human feel and touch to get the right balance in the way aircraft behaves in the air and on the ground. Certainly A.I. can provide the real world data to see what you can do, but I don't think the machine will adjust to the data the same way as a skilled human could, and so it would probably come out feeling a bit automated, not the total realism we are looking for.

The tentacles of A.I. will probably seep into everything and change the complete look and shape of Simulation, as it is the next step on the Simulation (and Gaming) evolution. Like we never dreamed of the current X-Plane 12 visual and interaction changes from X-Plane 9 or over the past decade ago, and in what we have at our disposal today. And thankfully at not a really more far more bigger expense (unless you buy one of those really expensive Graphic Cards) than say a decade ago, as it is so all very relative to the look forward into the future of say X-Plane 15. Only difference in context will be the immense speed and implementation of the changes than in the past. As it will not be the humans doing the heavy lifting this time, but the machines!

"Now Figure 05 get off that couch and go clean my car!"

See you all next month and a very Happy Easter.

Stephen Dutton

1st April 2026

Copyright©2026 X-Plane Reviews

With X-Plane 12.4.0 now completed, it rounded up a sensational year for X-Plane updates. Again 12.4.0 gave us another massive Multi-threading change. Who would have thought even 12 months ago that your processing usage would change so much, gain so much framerate and workable space. To a lot of simmers this change won't mean much, these users run in the framerate hundred, they always had headroom to burn, they gained as well, but to them it would be just more headroom on top of the loads of the space they already had. But for the rest of us on planet earth, the changes are really significant. For me it was maybe a few more years out of my current 12 gb Graphics card. I was last year looking at the silly prices, shaking my head, with the next true generation (RTX 60-series) now expected around late 2027 or even 2028 creating problems of my dwindling resources. My trick is that when a new generation of cards come out I will buy the last years model (hopefully at a reduced price). But that trick doesn't work anymore, with prices still staying high from the limited stock and A.I. demand.

Laminar Research had promised this new nirvana for years, but when it happened you actually really didn't expect these sort of gains, as with life everything usually goes up, even with a saving, then you usually lose that saving with the bloated advances going forward. To have a real significant change is to be applauded as it doesn't really come along very often in life or with a Simulator to support. X-Plane as an application is always growing and diversifying beyond it's basic needs. The change over the last twelve months are far more greater than anytime in it's history, significant in a mid-run between update versions. these changes came thick and fast in 2025, if we get the same in 2026 would oddly be a bit of change of theatre, and so I am not really expecting that continuation in this coming year.

Laminar Research has also changed over the last few years. Yes competition from the revived Microsoft Simulator shook them out of their clubhouse mentality. Everything is very formal today, business like in details and presentations, on one side you could say that not a bad thing. Gone are the days of pressing Ben Supnik around the bar for details, today he is very guarded, even mentioned at last year's Expo that "he couldn't say anything (about the development) as P.R. would not be very happy", and Austin is not at all to be seen. Notable now are the short limited roadmaps and keeping the future now under wraps, and gone are the days in that Austin Meyer would tell you that "Yes on how really great it is all going to be" and be all Trumpian and then giving you a roadmap you could take to bed with you to read. I'm even expecting them soon to turn up for work in suits and carrying briefcases!

Now you get one line... "next stop is noted as 12.4.1, which will be a minor update. Further details are TBD". Doesn't exactly get you gnawing at the leash now does it? and talk about holding your cards close to the chest.

Laminar may have their reasons, in don't promise something you can't deliver, Laminar always delivered. But the timeline of the Vulkan/Metal API and Multi-Threading changes dragged on for years, buggy as hell and created a long nightmare period just when Microsoft decided to revive MSFS 2020/24. Once past that barrier, then X-Plane in 2025 just exploded with the changes. But like everything, changing everything from the bottom up with limited resources was always going to be a big task, even with as a talented group of developers inside Laminar. So the change had to happen.

Significantly X-Plane has been buzzy, the effects of the 2025 is attracting users to the Simulator, it is the core of being experimental in Simulation that makes it attractive, being the biggest doesn't mean you are better, and a lot of core simmers are finding a home here. Development is also very strong, loads of projects are coming along nicely, and significantly even if you have less product, the level of quality of that product is very high, you get the best not the most and that is important.

But you have the feeling something big is coming? not immediately, maybe, but still this year... X-Plane 13? well that is a big step, but a required one. Yes that would mean X-Plane 12 would only have had a short 4 year lifespan (XP11 was a long 5 years), but in that 4 years it has packed in more than several older versions put together. For me X-Plane 10 was a significant changing point, and to be honest X-Plane 12 isn't, but you couldn't have XP13 without the foundation of XP12.

X-Plane 12 was necessary from the start, it's original goal was to clean up all the profusion of separate (even difficult) elements not receiving attention over XP10/XP11, periods and a few big ones, like overhauling the weather/lighting system and in making the simulator much more efficient, tick, tick. Another goal was the layering on top of the Vulkan/Metal API now installed in efficiency, and It was actually a very big list to fix, but for once Laminar had to go backwards to go forwards... without doubt X-Plane 12 will have a significant place in X-Plane's history, because it was, or is a road of changes that was required, the X-Plane 12 journey is not over yet, but the general feeling is that the XP12 bucket list is nearly done.

But the release of 12.4.0 is also significant as it is the basic foundation of X-Plane 13, as new core rendering subsystem that replaced the older, largely single-threaded system responsible for gathering (“collecting”) all visible scenery, aircraft, lights, and other objects before they are sent to the GPU for drawing. In previous versions, this collection process was a major CPU bottleneck because it ran mostly on a single core and was not designed for modern multi-core processors, limiting performance in complex environments such as detailed airports and large cities. The Modern Collector introduced here reorganizes this process with a more efficient structure that reduces CPU overhead, improves how objects are grouped and prepared for Vulkan rendering, and is specifically designed to support parallel processing across multiple CPU cores. Although these immediate performance improvements may be moderate, its primary purpose is to provide the foundation for future updates that will significantly increase multi-threading, reduce stutters, improve frame rates, and allow X-Plane to handle more detailed scenery and aircraft systems more efficiently.

Even without major new GPU hardware launches, graphics performance will continue to improve through driver optimisations, AI-based rendering technologies, and software enhancements. GPU manufacturers regularly release updated drivers that increase efficiency, reduce CPU overhead, and improve performance in Vulkan and DirectX applications such as in flight simulators. Technologies like DLSS 4, FSR, and AI frame generation can significantly increase frame rates by generating additional frames or upscaling lower-resolution images with minimal quality loss. Improvements in ray tracing efficiency, memory management, and shader compilation also reduce stuttering and improve smoothness. In addition, simulator developers such as Laminar continue refining their graphics engines to better utilise multi-core CPUs and modern GPUs, so this all means users often see noticeable performance gains over time even on the same hardware.

Again that foundation of a better platform, but how far X-Plane 12 can now go? before it requires the major change. As noted the current impact of the Collector is still moderate, but when you add on the next (heavy) layer of a new scenery system called NEXT GEN for Next Generation, then the key internal component is the Modern Collector which is now already installed.

So yes you will still get loads of new assets, more and more of them, also more fine tuning and that Store (which is still a bad idea in the way that X-Plane is structured) otherwise the notebook is closed and a new notebook with a new list that is now being worked through. So X-Plane's forward development is now narrowing down to a major change. NEXT GEN is that major change as it delivers a framework that is intended to provide more realistic global coverage, better performance, and a foundation for future upgrades such as richer cities, improved airport environments, and a more detailed terrain worldwide. Yes I go on about NEXT GEN a lot, and for a lot of Simmers it is at the bottom of the basket compared to say aircraft dynamics (realism). But that is missing the point and why X-Plane 10 was such a big deal at the time.

Do I think my current Graphics Card will handle all that? to be honest no, as I will need a card that can process more modern tools like AI frame generation capability, Ray tracing performance and better Vulkan performance (windows). Oddly Framerate performance isn't a consideration anymore were as even a few years ago it was the number one reason to upgrade, if you have 80 frames or more, it doesn't count like it did when you had only 30 frames to contend with, as the headroom is now quite significant, mostly X-Plane runs in a 20 frame window (Unless you have abnormal addons and scenery objects). The main consideration is now the tools and items like DLSS 4 (NVIDIA) which can nearly double performance as it combines several AI features. Older DLSS 3 GPU renders 1 frame and then AI generates 1 extra frame, DLSS 4 GPU renders 1 frame and the AI can generate 2–3 additional frames. So capability is becoming more important than outright power. So the focus for developers is changing their products to absorb these new features.

Obviously A.I. is being thrown around a lot, the miracle worker that will change our very foundation. It will be able to do a lot, but not everything, as still a modern system will also be required to have the hardware to process the new technology. AI is especially important for flight simulators because they must render huge scenery areas, detailed aircraft cockpits, complex weather, and long viewing distances, which place heavy demands on both the CPU and the GPU. Meanwhile allowing the GPU to render fewer real frames and use neural networks to upscale images and create additional frames, significantly improving smoothness and frame rate without reducing visual quality. This will be particularly valuable in simulators like X-Plane, where performance is often limited by scenery loading and CPU processing rather than raw GPU power, so AI helps maintain that fluid motion, clearer displays, and higher resolution even in dense airports or complex weather conditions.

This will be required for the NEXT GEN layer, as currently we don't really know how really dense the new scenery will be. NEXT GEN dynamically generates and streams terrain, objects, and textures in real time based on the aircraft’s position, instead of currently loading large pre-built scenery tiles all at once. So as the aircraft moves, the simulator continuously loads higher-detail terrain, buildings, vegetation, and airport objects near the aircraft while reducing detail farther away, using a system called level-of-detail (LOD) and background streaming. This allows extremely large areas to be displayed efficiently while maintaining high performance and visual quality. So the processing aspect of GPU-friendly rendering, and multi-threading become even more important, but the offset is the shear amount of data to be processed as there will be far more complex visual panoramas to deal with.

So the really complex question is what generation of Graphic Cards can deal with NEXT GEN, and which cards will be left behind. Like any generational shift, you need the modern tools to handle the modern features. Or who is going to be left behind or simply left out. Laminar Research will try to cover these low-end Cards, but the reality is that physically they will be left behind quite quickly because of the dated elements inside them (mine included), my gut says even I may have to upgrade to meet the conditions required of NEXT GEN or suffer the constraints my current card delivers, maybe not at first, but to get the full effects of NEXT GEN then I won't have much choice. In saying that the technology is also moving so fast particularly with the A.I. aspect, that even waiting a short while maybe could be more of a benefit than trying to cover your and future needs or choose now. You can see Laminar's dilemma, X-Plane has always wanted to be a broad stroke of including everyone, from the casual user to the full Professional. But in trying to do this would also hamper the use of these modern tools, the current user spectrum is vast, but limiting the Simulators capabilities for a few could stop the advancement forward for the majority. We won't know until Laminar Research publish the performance specifications of X-Plane 13, like with the upgrade to X-Plane 12, this aspect will be significant, and create the haves and have nots, the dreaded "Vulkan loss errors" won't be there next time around, but major constraints will be. This will be a decision required within Laminar, a very hard one, probably one made already to move forward with the NEXT GEN development.

In the mean time we wait, the future is extremely exciting, but like everything that you wait for the benefits will be huge and the NEXT GEN of Simulation... it's the waiting that is the hard part (Simulation users are not known for their patience). But currently the effects of the last year also give us a glance at this future, and the rewards that can come with the current development, it's exciting, and hopefully coming this year.

See you all next month...

Stephen Dutton

28th February 2026

Copyright©2026 X-Plane Reviews

Before we leave 2025 behind there is a small apology. I had two weeks of reviews planned before wrapping up at the end of the year, then I got the Flu and it was a nasty one, and I went down for the count. I recovered enough to wrap the year with our X-PlaneReview of the year 2025, but the rest was left on the shelf. Not the way I wanted to end of what was overall a very successful year for the X-Plane Simulator.

In the break after Christmas I also found a small window to fly. You would be surprised with the amount of content to be reviewed, in that our personal time flying though-out the year is actually very sparse, so there are only a few periods of the year when you can actually fly just for the hell of it... the choice for these precious windows of opportunity is now massive for various reasons with the choice presented in the year, but I thought that the winner of the best of the year aircraft in the Felis Boeing 747-200F was the best choice. Plus to do a (long) route from the United Kingdom to Alaska that was simply not possible (timewise) during the year. It was shame to waste my thoughts, so when Felis did a large update early in 2026 I thought you should share the insights and a few great images, this was posted in the NEWS! - Aircraft Update - Felis Planes Boeing 747-200 Classic Freighter and Passenger to v1.0.2/v1.2.10

The Felis Boeing 747-200 is a brilliant Simulation, and my only regret is that I won't able to fly it again for a few months (probably Easter), as time is again limited for these very long haul routes. But deliver it did, even if I buggered up the Fuel Management, but that also highlights that there is always something else to learn, get your head around. The arrival of these 70's aircraft shows you it was a very different era back in the day in the way you flew and mostly had to manually managed the systems. Here not only Fuel Management, but Engine Management in thrust derating. This has been a bit of a theme over the last year or so in X-Plane, and mostly in making sure you don't over power the engines to the period's reliability issues like with the early Pratt & Whitney JT9D with Compressor stalls and surging, Turbine blade fatigue (rubbing on the cowling) and Oil leaks from seals and bearing chambers that created High oil consumption. You don't believe the high standard of quality we have today in engine reliability, withstanding the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan (GTF) issues on the PW1000G. But that is the exception not the Normal in standards of current engine development.

Slowly these features are appearing in simulation, and maintenance is becoming more and more of a part of flying the aircraft. Obviously the FlightFactor Boeing 777 Ultimate is leading the pack here with wear and tear being simulated over an extended period. This is an interesting aspect of Simulation?

In the past when you purchased an aircraft to fly, it was basically (barring a few updates) the exact same aircraft many years later. But with the FlightFactor B777U, it is that the more you fly your Simulations then the more the aircraft will wear, just like a real aircraft does in service. We have faults of course, but they are mostly controlled by the conditions we set, more than actual age of the Simulated aircraft, so is Simulation going organic? in other words changing it's systems via age and use?

This obviously becomes more interesting if you are only flying certain aircraft. But it also does loop you in for more extended Simulation over longer periods of time on that one Developer's aircraft. Because it is the only way, in those long periods of time (flying hours) that you will get the best out of this feature. The FlightFactor's B777U system here is quite comprehensive, but it is still also a first generation of realistic maintenance Simulation.

Reality Expansion Packs REP do the same thing, it is very clever, but the REP's can also go too far and also start to interfere in the actual Simulation. I have spent lots of time in frustration of trying to start (or giving up and restarting from desktop) a REP aircraft, and have mostly resulted in making me leave it in the hangar... never to pull it out again. For everything that is a line crossed as certain developers can and do highlight the feature too much, in then crossing an invisible line of making an aircraft that is basically pushing you away, more than immersing you deeper in the Simulation, that is very opposite of what you want to do.

But I am interested in the idea of wear and tear, if and when they add it into the Simulation. Say an A-Check or Light Maintenance (400-800 hours), B-Check (which isn't performed so much today) or every 6-8 months, C-Check about every 18-24 months (6,000 to 8,000 hours) where the aircraft is partially stripped. Then there is the D-Check (Heavy Maintenance Visit / HMV) every 6–10 years and the aircraft almost fully dismantled and it can ground the aircraft for 2+ months? can you imagine having an X-Plane aircraft not available for two or three months even for the sake of realism... it is a thought.

But back to those 70's era aircraft. If such X-Plane aircraft were supposed to be realistic, then what would a 70's era aircraft be like to live with Simulation wise, with that realistic aged wear and tear built in. On the one hand I find it extreme interesting, but the events of my times with the REP shows me also that it can be also a Simulation going too far to drive me absolutely mad, but that said I am also on the clock to complete a review, and not to spend hours trying to fix an issue (or start a REP aircraft). The frustration comes from that aspect, not because of the feature itself... but I do wonder as the Felis Boeing 747-200 is a handful already in just learning all of it's the analog systems, add in realistic (even maybe A.I. driven faults) then I am really not sure if that would then delve to deeply into my flying pleasure, or I would simply take up golf!

On another subject there has been numerous complaints coming out of wide world of Microsoft and it's store in FlightSim. The idea of a built in store for the MSFS Simulator looked like a brilliant feature in the 2020 release. Buy your aircraft or addon and it is an internal system. But the early FlightSim Wild West has slowly raised it's nasty head again in the reimagined or restarted 20/24 version. Currently it is in two nasty forms.

First are very nasty cheap knockoffs, say an Airbus A380. On the promotion the A380 looks completely brilliant, well worth the money. Once paid and downloaded the reality is very different, terrible modeling, awful flight characteristics, nothing works in buttons or systems and in this case the four engine systems are actually based on a two engine A320? Of course the fake author is long gone with your money, and there is nothing to do about it, and your stuck with what is basically junk, and because this scam is very profitable it is mutating like Rabbits at Easter. The second one is even more of a problem... outright theft.

There has always been in the history of Simulation, including a few in X-Plane of scammers taking a quality product and slightly changing it and reselling the same aircraft. The bait is of course say a PMDG aircraft at a vastly lower price. DRM (Digital Rights Management) should stop them, but somehow they have hacked that as well.

The problem has got so bad, these hackers are putting out reverse developed aircraft in only hours after the initial release at lower cheaper prices and decimating the returns of the original developers that had spent years building their aircraft, sending them broke or worse leaving Simulation altogether. Yes these products are not on the formal channels obviously, and you can easily get these products quite easily if you want them. PMDG hid an "Easter Egg" to try to find out the origin and location of the hackers, but again with such a lucrative scam is not easy to stop. Success actually breeds problems when there is a lot of money to be made.

Unauthorized copying of aircraft in X-Plane has appeared periodically throughout our simulator’s history, especially as the platform grew in popularity during the X-Plane 9 to early11 era. Some individuals back then had extracted 3D models, textures, or flight dynamics from payware and freeware aircraft, then re-released them with minor edits or converted them from other simulators without proper permission, so we are not immune to this sort of scavenging. But our tight X-Plane community and higher ethics was also our protecting (or in a lot cases simply hunted down the rogue developer and flushing them out, and a few actually ended up in court) also leading to stronger protections such as file encryption, licensing agreements, and stricter store policies, particularly on platforms like the X-Plane.org Store.

X-Plane may not have the massive broad range of aircraft like MSFS, but you can guarantee that what you pay for is what you get 98% of the time. But you get a lot for free as well as a sort of compensation. While over in Microsoftland it is all about making a buck, even if it is crap product, so basically X-Plane is quality over quantity. It is fortress we have to defend.

As Microsoft is finding, if the legitimate developers, even some major brand houses are losing so much money, then they will in time simply walk away. One area that thrives or ruins a Simulator are the third-party developers. They are the soul of a Simulation Platform and to be honest they are there to make a living out of it. If destroyed, then the whole system breaks down, that is why in the past whenever a scammer ripped of an legitimate developer we went after them with intent, to protect our own.

In this current world scamming and hacking has become a major issue, and X-Plane will not be immune... cretins just want the money, no matter how much damage they do. Yes we can produce poor quality product, but basically we are very good at filtering that sort of developer out. You may say, "Oh I can get you a ToLiss aircraft for $10", maybe you can, but the reality is you shouldn't buy it, for one there will be no upgrades or areas you can get the aircraft to run for the period of the X-Plane version, basically your on your own as it is is not a legitimate product, worse it is that of what you actually did, not only to the developer, but to the Simulator as a whole and ToLiss's work is being highjacked or worse embezzled. There will always be a few yes, but when it breeds into a monster as MSFS is finding out, then the damage is far more deeper.

In the release of X-Plane 12.4.0 Beta 5, something happened that has never happened before... Laminar Research actually "Blacklisted" a 3rd Party plugin. There has been the times that Laminar has put out a warning or put attention on a certain aspect, but never actually Blacklisted a Plugin. The one in Question is the SAM (Scenery Animation Manager) that was created by Stairport Sceneries. But Stairport abandoned not only the plugin, but X-Plane back in 2021.

Now when Stairport originally released the SAM plugin it was a very small but neat system to control your Airbridges, very simple to use and small in scale. But it grew (too quickly) into a bloated mess of trying to be a swiss-army knife of everything but doing nothing but conflicting with everything. This is where the issues started, worse was that Stairport abandoned it and not refined it. At the time I suggested to spin off the original plugin from the bloated scenery elements to make it A more simple, and B better to use... this of course didn't happen. Available is openSAM which is an open-source replacement plugin (available on Git-Hub) for the original SAM (Scenery Animation Manager) and the (non) official replacement for the abandonware SAM Plugin.

I pulled SAM years ago, even before openSAM, so to a point I am surprised that Laminar took so long in Blacklisting the plugin, my thoughts are that it won't be the last either to be shown the door, there are a few monsters out there, which ones I don't don't know as I keep my Plugins folder small and clean. Obviously I don't have any of the issues most have by seeing these monsters for what they are, but these same users are ones always complaining that X-Plane is always crashing, but not actually finding the cause and expecting Laminar to fix it, this time they did, interesting.

See you all next month

Stephen Dutton

1st February 2026

Copyright©2026 X-Plane Reviews

At what point do you get change? In the X-Plane Simulator that aspect would usually be noted at the point when X-Plane moves on from, in say every four to five years to a new version, in the current case for X-Plane 12 it was an event on the 5th September 2022, with a full release on the 17th December 2022.

Yes X-Plane was different with the X-Plane 12 release, but all the new features included were in just that in being "New", and in fact a lot of the early elements came with issues and problems, in fact X-Plane was also quite disjointed at this point as the major internal projects were not even close in being finished... So when did X-Plane 12 REALLY change, well that was in the Year 2025!

As noted in "Behind the Screen: Year in Review 2024" the former year was a reset year for Laminar Research, the entity that develops the X-Plane Simulator. This was because the Microsoft Flight Simulator was expanding at a ginormous rate and X-Plane was languishing in API hell. But Laminar had a plan... thankfully it was a very good one.

Laminar Research

The 2025 year was dominated by two event releases, X-Plane12.2.0 and X-Plane12.3.0, both were highly significant to the massive shift under the X-Plane hood, but a lot of the other releases also created a lot filler and mostly a load of new assets for the Global Airport developers.

When 2025 started the v12.1.3 "ATC Update" had been already running since November 15, 2024, and was in it's last throes of updates, and even then the release went final very early in the New Year on 2nd January 2025. On the same day Laminar Research celebrated 30 Years of X-Plane.

Beta 12.1.4 came out on January 25th 2025, called "Flight Lessons". The aim was to provide professional flight lessons in four areas for basic flying, and three more lessons in Advanced Flying. Obviously aimed at beginner and users new to Flight Simulation. This release was a reaction to the MSFS features that provided more than the basic Simulation aspects in trying to be engaging to attract new users. LOWS-Salzburg had a huge makeover to accommodate the lessons changes and was included in the release, and also added was Barra Airport (Port-adhair Bharraigh),

X-Plane had a step change to v12.2.0 (Beta) on April 4th 2025, there was no title on the release but it is universally known as a "Graphics" Update. This particular release was a game changer and the is pun intended. In fact it was the biggest factor on the Weather/Cloud/lighting" aspect of the Simulator introduced with X-Plane12. In reality 12.2.0 reset the boundries for X-Plane, modernised it and rectified all the issues with trying to make the troublesome Weather aspect actually work realistically. But this also changed the tone of X-Plane in the lighting and it's effects. The release also fixed the dreaded Dark Cockpits, and also introduced Multi-threading which allowed the GPU to allocate lighting tasks between threads in manageable chunks, a first baby step, but a significant one, but was also in the rectifying of the X-Plane12 persistent release issues. Because of its complexity v12.2.0 was a long beta process of 81 days, that is 11 weeks, 4 days that dominated the 2nd Qtr of 2025

As Microsoft/Asobo had dominated the 2024 Expo in Vegas, then we were all expecting a bit of rivalry at Rhode Island (27th to 29th June). But that aspect didn't happen, as MIcrosoft/Asobo were not at all present at this years Exposition. Laminar had two stands, their main one with a very nice A330 logo and a large side workshop area, and they also threw in a "Rave" party! The formal announcement on the Friday (28th) was a very short at 15 min and only covered the coming already announced "Gateway Asset Update" and the v12.3.0 "Weather Update", nothing else was forth coming?

July 4th 2025 delivered the v12.2.1 Beta "Gateway Asset" release. This was basically an art release, with a special mention for the newest recruit of the indomitable Justin Kissling or "Misterx6" from ShortFinal Design. There was 700 art assets in all released. But the biggest surprise of the 12.2.1 rollout is a new option in the settings to disable the mouse zoom separately for internal and external views. The Zermatt Heliport (LSEZ) was a new quality scenery, and there was New Hardware Support, it was completed by July 19th.

X-Plane 12.3.0 was the next big step up and the "beta" was released 4th September 2025. It is noted as a "Weather Update". But the moniker is a bit deceiving, as there is nothing in cloud or real weather related in the release, it is more the aircraft (weather) systems. But here again X-Plane took the lead on having very realistic features in Simulation, or back to the old days feel. Included was another default scenery, this time DXB Dubai, another departure for Laminar is a mega sized airport, and some serious quality is involved. Again the big surprise included was the excellent next step performance of 12.3.0 with a new multicore rendering architecture, leveraging a job system that distributes tasks like AI traffic, texture paging, and network synchronization across multiple CPU cores (Multithreading). Internal testing indicates up to 30% performance gains at graphically demanding airports and you actually felt the difference, the changes for a change, instead of a step backwards. Finally the new API applications were doing wonders. "Synthetic Vision" also was included on the G1000 was also included. And the headlining default aircraft Airbus A330 also had a massive update. This second mega release wrapped on 6th November

Laminar Research then released a supplemental change in X-Plane 12.3.1 on the 26th November, noted as a "Minor Release", it is a focused update that addresses several key fixes to improve stability and integration with third-party tools and aircraft, it was final in two days (28th Nov), but then added v12.3.2 for only another two days before going final on the 2nd December. A Demo so users can now purchase X-Plane 12 directly through an integrated upgrade screen and lays the groundworks for future X-Plane store functionality, but there was for normal users nothing there to see or use. Then another "HOTFIX" v12.3.3 was released on December 10th and again subsequently went final in a day, to fix an issue when using NVIDIA Graphics Driver version 591.44

This Laminar Research segment is a long one, because of all the significant changes it created, but Laminar were also far more engaging in 2025 and including even user polls, until they weren't? As from onwards from the Expo (and even at the Expo) Laminar were very tightly lipped and reserved compared to their usual over the top exuberance, the MSFS factor or something else?

In the background for both 2024 and 2025, Head chef Ben Supnik (Laminar head developer) has been working away in a closed kitchen in mostly working on the NEXT GEN (Next Generation Scenery) that is currently in development. NEXT GEN goes from the current Vector-based DSF, facades, autogen (Algorithmic Scenery Generation) based system to a Raster-tile base mesh (elevation, landclass, etc.) NGS system. Several times you have had information in the year, but this aspect of again the X-Plane Flight Simulator is not to be ignored, but on how it will be served? Straight or as X-Plane 13. A final announcement on the 8th December details a short roadmap (again hints of a larger announcement), more A330 features, GNS 430/530 improvements, another mega default scenery, Flight Model improvements and finally Motion Vectors (for better Anti-Aliasing) were all announced. Another set of loose lips noted that because of the success of the A330, another significant aircraft is coming.

The Laminar 2025 year was capped off with a big surprise! another version releases in X-Plane12.4.0, and it was another significant update. Noted as the "C-Check", this was a Christmas present to end all users Christmases. It introduced more multi-core scenery processing for better CPU efficiency, native Tobii head-tracking support, and significant upgrades to default aircraft—most notably a deeply reworked Airbus A330-300 with far more realistic electrical, navigation, and startup systems. Avionics received broad improvements across the X430/530 and X1000, ATC behavior is more realistic on long flights, and VR usability and performance were enhanced. The update also adds new scenery assets, a new default custom airport (Bilbao), AI ground behavior improvements, graphics clarity tweaks, and SDK enhancements, making 12.4.0 a stability- and realism-focused “C-check” style release. Released in beta, 12.4.0 again drove efficiency to higher new levels, possibly the biggest enhancement of 2025.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2022/2024

What ever you think of the re-emergence of Microsoft's Flight Simulator, but you can't ignore the success of MSFS 2020, it has changed the Simulation landscape from the original FS simulation dominance a decade ago to reclaim the crown. Like X-Plane, Microsoft released a new step version in 2024, but to an utter but probably quite foreseen disaster via the "Overreach" of MSFS 2024. The effects were three fold, some just gritted their way though the mess, a few came back to the revived X-Plane 12, and actually liked what had been done, and the rest or majority just stayed in MSFS 2020. It took time or half the year to sort it all out, as Asbro did with the release of Sim Update 2 in May, there was another Sim Update 3 Mid-Year and a final one in Dec with Sim Update 4. Unlike the world building 2024, just one World Update: Japan (2025) was added this year with updated scenery for 23 areas of interest in Japan, plus 5 new airports, but with MSFS 2024, the developers now opted to handle much of the world data via cloud streaming rather than forcing users to manually download every world update package.

The big focus was on MSFS 2024 being launched on the PlayStation 5 / PS5 Pro 8th December 2025, and the first time the Flight Simulator series is coming to a Sony console. The PS5 version will support DualSense features (adaptive triggers, gyro controls, controller speaker for ATC comms) to enhance immersion, and VR support (PSVR 2) is planned for 2026 as a free update, meaning a big step forward for immersive sim-flying or Gamer interaction. MSFS is very different in respects than Flight Simulator as a Simulator, as it always had the Gaming aspect as it's core focus, unlike the original FS Simulation focus. But the overall question will be of core Simulation users, and the question of MSFS 2024's role in the future, so are you a gamer or a Simulation user?

Trends of the year

The main trend of the year 2025 was the maturing of the Simulator. The Laminar Research effects of getting X-Plane into a more efficient and capable Simulator, as the changes of 12.2.0, 12.3.0 and 12.4.0 were all simply ground breaking. But this current XP12 version is now three years old, and you are suddenly looking forwards and not backwards. A lot of developers noted they were now dropping X-Plane 11 support or updates, as X-Plane 11 recedes into the past, but many users are holding on, mostly because of hardware upgrades. The conversions from XP11 also dropped to a trickle, so the X-Plane 11 era is officially now over.

There were certainly more MSFS ideas flowing over, mostly third-party fictional airlines (always popular) and Career mode tools, what was once flowing from X-Plane to MSFS, is now reversing as the same tools and ideas are now forming in X-Plane, expanding out the user base.

It was a busy, busy X-Plane year, a bit like the old days again, the Simulator hummed with activity from 12.2.0 onwards, not only from the 3rd parties, but user content as well, and the changes created a "buzz" and a feeling of X-Plane moving forward... and that can only be a good thing, the slow slide into oblivion that had persisted over the last few years seemed to disappear, and the air was again filled with fun and excitement, no more doomsday calling, everything seemed and is so far much better at the end than the start of 2025.

Aircraft

Oddly for a year of no really significant aircraft releases, it was an excellent year. Most of the significant releases were mostly expansions of current aircraft, except for the release of Flight Procedures Simulation Embraer E-175 in April. FPS also did a significant overhaul of their Boeing 747-800 now called the PRIME EDITION in November, but also announced that a Boeing 747-400 is in the works. X-Crafts released a variant of their Embraer E-Jet Series v2 with the Lineage 1000E, again it was an extension to the E-Jet Series more than a new release, it did however create the best Biz-jet in X-Plane, again the coming X-Crafts ERJ Series had a lot of promotion throughout the year but no release, but expect the ERJ series very, very early 2026.

One of the biggest surprises of the year was the reversal of a release of the British Aerospace 146 Professional XP12 by Just Flight (via Thranda), after years of denial that the project was dead and buried, suddenly there it was in May, and a great if very authentic 70's (meaning complex) simulation the Bae 146 is, a favorite of the year.

FlightFactor gave their Boeing 757/767 Professional series a big X-Plane 12 set of updates including a later 12.3.0 weather update, and it totally revived the aircraft that was feeling old and out of date, and allowing the Simulation to fly on for a few years yet. FlightFactor's focus though in 2025 was totally on their mega Boeing 777 Ultimate, with two engine extensions with the Pratt & Whitney PW4090 in February and the Rolls Royce Trent 892 in early August. The B777 Ultimate (finally) came out of beta in September and another extension was added in the Freighter variant in November, a simply mega Simulation that adds in another major element to this... if not the best Aircraft currently in Simulation per se.

Colimata did three major updates to the Concorde FXB all year including the addition of the XP12.3.0 Radar, now another sensational (if complex) Simulation. The FlyJSim Q4XP (Q400) had three updates over 2025, keeping the aircraft relevant and a nice ongoing Simulation.

A nice surprise was another extension for the ToLiss Airbus A320neo, for the ceo (current engine option). This created the original A320 design and the engines to match with now overall four engine options IAE 2527-A5, CFM56-5B4 (ceo) PW1127G-JM and CFM-LEAP 1A26 (neo) on the aircraft, overall there was no new ToLiss releases for 2025 or announcements.

To note that every developer in some form or another have updated their aircraft to the XP12.3.0 Weather Radar feature, like ToLiss with their whole Airbus fleet is now 12.3.0 active from the A320ceo release.

We expected the Felis Freighter variant of the Boeing 747-200 from early in 2025, but it was not until Mid-November that Felis released the B747-200F, but it was well worth the wait. Remember this is a Simulation that has had four years of development with the Passenger variant, so the Freighter was already very highly developed on release, again it was only an extension, but in reality they are very different aircraft like the Rotate MD-11 Freighter and Passenger of 2024. We don't overall have a lot of aircraft in X-Plane compared to like they have in MSFS, but the ones X-Plane have available are extremely good.

AirFoilLabs have been very active in promoting their coming Boeing 737 MAX, X-Crafts ERJ and the Nimbus Boeing 707 are all marked for 2026, FlyJSim notes the Boeing 732 is still in development, but the B727 is a dead project and not coming to X-Plane 12. Finally the FF Dreamliner, A350 v2 are still in development. SkyCatsLabs have also previewed the work on the ATR 72-600, but could X-Plane fall into a off then on release year cycle, as developments dictate the releases?

General Aviation

In X-Plane days gone by the biggest category was always General Aviation. But since the move to X-Plane 12 the GA category has shrank considerably to a small niche market that it is now a shadow of it's former self. The feeling is that the old training aspect of having an aircraft to replicate your learner aircraft seems to have totally faded, most now want the "big boys toys" of Airliners than single or dual prop aircraft. So a lot of the old familiar names have now faded away in this category, leaving only Thanda/Just Flight (basically one and the same) releasing original GA aircraft. Aerobask are still here of course and their DA20 SV started off the year, but since then nothing. VSkyLabs had mostly updates rather than new releases like with the EuroFOX in April. AirfoilLabs also did a big update to the KingAir 350 in November.

Other 2025 updates include the vFlyteAir Cherokee 140, Piper Aerostar 700P X-Hangar, Rand Robinson KR-2S NH Adrian, Diamond DA20 by SimSolutions and Van's RV-8 /8A Duo by AOA in November.

The Tecnam P2002 JF Sierra XP12 by Dmax3D was a lovely little trainer, but overall it was Just Flight upgrading to X-Plane 12 with the Archer lll and Warrior ll if you wanted a pure GA or any of the PA28 variants. The Bonanza name hit twice for releases in 2025, first was the PAE Bonanza G36 in May, and really the only new GA release of the year by Thranda Design with the Bonanza F33A XP12. Quirky NH-Adrian struck again with the excellent and fun eVTOL Jetson One.

Business Aircraft

There were two significant releases for Biz-Jets this year, the already mentioned brilliant Lineage 1000 by X-Crafts, and a new category for vSkyLabs and their VLJ (Very Light Jet) based on a Citation 510 in November. AKD did numerous updates to the Gulfstream 550, but also the bigger 650/650ER, and in now making them a mature Simulation. Airsim 3D released a Citation C-560XL with intergration for the the TDS Software GTN 750Xi.

Classic Aircraft

X-Hangar did again several updates to the DHC-5 Buffalo, early and late in the year, the DHC4 C-7A Caribou had the same changes again later in the year. NH Adrian struck again with the really old WW1 Fighter and a Sopworth Camel, and having NO BRAKES made it a (really) scary landing, but there was no doubt of the quality of the Simulation including WW1 scenery. The C-47 Skytrain/DC-3 Airliner NXG Project by vSkyLabs had another massive overhaul in June, but still no sign of the Tri-Turbo-Three?

The surprise of the year was the Yakovlev Yak-55M by Pepelatz Studios, a very polished and quality detailed Russian Aerobatics aircraft, that showed off the Quality of X-Plane 12, it was simply outstanding. Also there was the Boeing 314 Clipper by Pegasus Aeroworks for a return to the glory seaplanes of 1930's.

Helicopters

Again it was either a hot or cold year for Helicopters in 2025, and this was basically a hot one. First off was the 902X-NTR No Tail Rotor by vSkyLabs or No Tail-Rotor, this was an extensive X-Plane 12 update for the aircraft. In September X-Trident updated the AugustaWestland AW-109 SP, our "Best of the year 2024" (helicopters) and it still packs a massive punch, the quality is outstanding on this... the best helicopter currently in X-Plane. Then you got three helicopter releases in a row at the backend of the year. The MD902 Explorer for X-Plane12 is another NTR aircraft, but this was an excellent version of the NOTAR system from JRX Design. Philip Ubben and Khamsin Studio also updated the excellent SA 315B Lama in July as did vSkyLabs with the Hungarocopter HC-02 and the Nimbus UH-1 "Huey" had a major update early in the year, with the "Civilian" following later in the year..

XP12 Alpine Studios a new developer house (part Heli Simi France) was very active, first with an update to last year's Eurocopter EC130 B4, then releasing the excellent Eurocopter AS350 in BA/B1/B2 variant form, which was a very nice (meaning easy) aircraft to fly. Notable is that Dreamfoil is developing a Bell 206 Jetranger and to expect a 2026 release.

Military

Like 2024 X-Hangar again updated their C-130 Hercules to X-Plane 12 in November. One of the most outstanding releases of last year for the military was the excellent Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 AJT by Deltawing Simulations, and in 2025 it had a nice fresh mid-life update. vSkyLabs SR-71 Blackbird had a nice texture and more realism overhaul, and which leaves the DeltaWing Simulations Saab Viggen SF-37 as the only significant military release of the year, thankfully DeltaWing delivers outstanding detail and quality, if for a niche aircraft. Finally AOA (Angle of Attack) updated the F-35B Lightning II to XP12 with a big changelist.

Scenery

The rush to AutoOrtho (Ortho4XP) or streaming ortho imagery sorta died off in 2025, because from the start it was only a stop gap measure, but still these Orthos with SIM HEAVENS X-World scenery Series was still the way to go in 2025, it will be interesting when the NEXT GEN scenery arrives with this experiment as many users swear by it, but it is an inefficient and clunky way for creating scenery, but if you have the computer power and mega storage space you can make it work.

The promise of NEXT GEN (Generation) new scenery system is that it mixes raster/orthophoto-style terrain with improved procedural scenery for more realistic landscapes and cities. Ground textures was always X-Plane's biggest drawback, now worse in being 20 years old compared to the competition, and for years users have tried to find realistic workaround solutions. It doesn't help with 3rd party scenery either, as developers are not willing to commit to big projects and so quality add-ons are slow to be released compared to MSFS. That said there are some real gems if you are willing to invest in them... but the overall consensus is just that everyone is simply waiting for Laminar Research to release the new NEXT GEN format.

Like 2024 X-Plane the scenery developers had a very tough year, income was almost next to nothing and few more dropped out, that said, the scenery releases were again very good to even excellent, and did we get a lot of cross-platform conversions from FS to XP? not really, but a few crossed over in that certain developers had a foot in each camp. One new developer had a Simulation within a Simulator. AIRTaxi by LagoFlightLabs in creating a lot of fictional scenery to create an AIR Taxi network, a clever idea, but this is not creating real life scenery for Simulation realism, which is not the general aim of Simulation in recreating the real world on a computer.

As usual TaiModels were very busy in 2025, starting off with KSFB - Orlando Sanford Intl Airport, USA in January, this is a great scenery, but the usual TaiModel foibles were on show here. WSSS Singapore International was a big scenery that was released in June, and CYQB - Québec City Jean Lesage Int'l Airport followed only weeks after. later in the year TaiModels released an unusual destination in South Asia which is India, and this was the setting for Kempegowda International Airport (VOBL) in October.

2024 Aerosoft poked their head up a few times, and started of in 2025 by releasing Melilla Airport in Spain, a small scenery by their standards. JustSim had three releases in 2025 and the quality here has been upped a few notches. First was the excellent Hamburg Airport (EDDH) in May, then the absolute sublime Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (LFMN) in August and also Madeira (LPMA) in October... every one a must have.

Another gem mid-year was DarkBlue's sensational RJTT - Haneda Tokyo International, a sprawling mega airport that delivered a punch after the average Kansai International Airport (RJBB) in 2024. a worthy destination addition to the collection and routing.

LZTT – Poprad-Tatry Airport, Slovakia by Chudoba Designs and Flying Partners was a quirky ride to eastern Europe, but a fun destination. FSX3D was very active again early in the year with the French focused LFNJ - Aspres-sur-Buech, LFKJ - Ajaccio-Napoléon-Bonaparte, LFKF -Figari, Corsica (both XP12/XP11) and LFKC -CALVI, Corsica XP12.

Prolific NorthernSky Studios focused only on Hawaii in 2025 and not Alaska like last year, with PHLI - Lihue Airport, Hawaii, PHDH - Dillingham Airfield, Hawaii, PHMU- Waimea-Kohala airport, with also Hawaii and Molokai and Kalaupapa Airports which were all their usual quality sceneries at a great value price.

FlyDesign were active with EPKK - John Paul II Airport Krakow, EPGD - Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport, EPSY - Olsztyn-Mazury, and one French scenery in LFMD - Cannes Mandelieu Airport. Drzewiecki Design from Poland has moved to MSFS, but haven't forgot X-Plane with only a single release this year with KMDW - Chicago Midway XP12 in March.

Over the last few years there has been a few new scenery developers on the X-Plane scene, here are several with Fly2High... first was KASE - Aspen /Pitkin County Airport, KBRO - Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport and also KTUL - Tulsa International Airport, and a fine effort from them. RealWorld is another developer in this vein, with KGJT - Grand Junction Colorado, PAHO - Homer, Alaska and PAFA - Fairbanks International Airport Alaska. KCAK - Akron-Canton, Ohio came from Tearware Designs and ACA released KMCI Kansas City International. After a big releases year in 2024, Skytitude only released a small New Jersey scenery with KLDJ - Linden Airport in 2025, so expect more in 2026. Another new face is GeoBuilds with UGTB - Tbilisi, EDJA - Memmingen Allgau and LTFJ - Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Xometry is a MSFS developer putting out their first X-Plane 12 scenery with KCRW - Charleston West Virginia Intl. Airport, will we see more in 2026?

Vola Studio released SADM - Aeropuerto de Morón, Presidente Rivadavia in Argentina, DDT (DominicDesignTeam) released KAMA - Amarillo. Azrsim released three Middle East Airports, OERK-Riyadh, ORBI-Bagdad and ORMM Basra, then later in the year UBBB — Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku, Azerbaijan), all fresh faces which is nice to see.

X-Codr updated his Mega KDEN - Denver International Airport HD to v2.2 in April, but basically otherwise just focused of small regional airports, like... A30 - Scott Valley, KBLU - Blue Canyon Nyack and KEVV - Evansville Regional Airport UHD v2. The maturing Living Scenery Technology plugin has also been a focus in 2025. Justin Kissling or "Misterx6" from ShortFinal Design did one last update to KLAX - Los Angeles International HD 2.0 in January before disappearing into Laminar. On the scenery scene he will be seriously missed as one of the "Big ones", but his talents will well serve Laminar Research and X-Plane as whole... and it will be an interesting outcome to see what he delivers in the future.

Cami De Bellis is still producing excellent scenery, with NSFA - Faleolo Intl. Airport in Samoa as a benchmark, she also updated VQPR Paro Intl Airport, Bhutan to X-Plane 12. Globallart was back with two sceneries, with a new one in KBNA - Nashville International Airport, and a major update to CYVR - Vancouver International Airport XP12. Airwil (Phillippines) released RPLC - Clark International, a big Manila scenery. Nimbus released their KORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport v4 for X-Plane 12 right before Christmas, another is significant upgrade for an Iconic destination.

An odd scenery of the year was LGSK - Skiathos, Greece by Mango Studios, yes an audio developer doing scenery? It also felt partly developed? but LGSK has potential as the approaches and a sloped runway were well worth the effort. Another release from Mango was LEMI - Murcia, Spain.

In scenery MAPS2X-Plane updated two, in Svalbard XP to XP12 and a major update to Seychelles XP in September, and both under the Aerosoft banner.

For a minority in X-Plane, you have to admit that Scenery is still producing a lot of quality releases, the list in 2025 is quite substantial, so the market is there and still working hard.

Sound Packs

All the big names in Mango Studios, BSS and newcomer SoundBox all did great sound package releases. The biggest focus was for the TolIss A320A321neo/ceo sounds and other Airbus aircraft like the A319 and A330neo from Mango, Soundbox (a big newcomer in 2025) and even another newcomer in the KOSP PROJECT. All kept them coming all year. Mango also thought out of the box with the clever PT-6 Aircraft Soundpack, FPS E195/190 Package and DeltaWing CRJ Sound Pack, at the endo of the year Mango put out a PA System Plugin for X-Plane in FSExperience, this plugin lets you simulate realistic cabin announcements just like a real-world flight crew.

Plugins

As usually noted, Plugins are not a big forte for X-PlaneReviews, mostly as I keep my X-Plane application as close to vanilla and use only tried and tested plugins. The CIVA v2, X-Keypad and xAmbience (HST) all got updates at the start of 2025 (CIVAv2 again in March). And WebFMC Pro had several updates thoughout the year and finally adding in the FlightFactot B777v2 Ultimate. There was a GA version of WebFMC called WebGA, for streaming Garmin displays to a tablet or browser, and one to watch in 2026.

There was a handy little gadget from DPS called a Point-of-View Optimiser. And the WalkAround Plugin got an extensive update in May. The popular xOrganiser went to Version 3.5.0 in June. Both noted Living Scenery Technology (LST) got far more mature and had extra features added during 2025, it is now a very good plugin with far fewer bugs, and the Mango Studios FSEXperience. The biggest new idea which is again very much MSFS based is Just Flight’s Fly the Line – Short Haul Edition which is a standalone career-driven companion app for flight simulators that adds structured progression and purpose to your flying. It lets you step into the shoes of a short-haul airline pilot, starting as a Junior First Officer and working your way up to Fleet Captain, by flying realistic route schedules, managing tight turnarounds, handling diversions, and earning cash, XP and skill points that affect performance and lifestyle.

Hardware

In hardware there was an explosion of products with new force-feedback yokes and pedals, such as the MOZA MFY yoke and FliteSim CLS-60/CLS-120 force-feedback yokes and rudder pedals, which were added in the X-Plane 12.3.0 update, making these advanced input devices work more smoothly with the sim out of the box.  Additionally, while not X-Plane-specific hardware, Honeycomb Aeronautical’s Echo Aviation Controller. Honeycomb added the Echo Aviation Controller, Foxtrot Aviation stick (yes even I bought ONE!), and Alpha Lite Flight Controls. RealSimGear GTN750 was brilliant but expensive. WinWing flight simulation hardware products were everywhere WinWing is known for affordable, replica aircraft panels and controls and in reality made it accessible for anyone to build a basic home cockpit. For me in 2025 it was the addition of the Honeycomb Bravo Throttle system that changed my world, and yes I am addicted to collecting the various aircraft package components to turn my flying from a Boeing to an Airbus.

ATC

In 2025, X-Plane 12 received a major overhaul of its built-in ATC system, starting with a foundational rewrite that introduced more realistic radio procedures, proper clearances, improved VFR and IFR handling, and support for SIDs, STARs, diversions, and runway changes. Subsequent updates refined startup and pre-flight flows, improved pattern work and flight following, and enhanced ATIS, METAR, and data-link style messaging. Later in the year in 12.4.0, further quality-of-life improvements added realistic transmitter ranges, wind-corrected vectors, clearer altitude callouts, and optional automatic check-ins, resulting in a significantly more realistic, usable, and procedurally accurate ATC experience compared to the earlier X-Plane versions. In other words ATC came of age. An interesting sidenote was from 1 January 2026, VATSIM is raising the minimum age for new members to 16 years old (existing members aged 13–15 are grandfathered in).

X-PlaneReviews

X-PlaneReviews passed Twelve years of providing quality and detailed reviews for the X-Plane Simulator. And in this year 2025 we have delivered even more consistent reviews and NEWS! than any year before. We sort of also broadened the church a little with a focus on Laminar releases and General X-Plane reports.

To the team...  besides the dynamic Dominic Smith who also contributes immensely to the X-Plane.Org Weekly Roundups and Developer Interviews, is a major contributor in X-PlaneReviews as well, plus the extra talented reviewers of DrishalMac2, Colin Parker, Alan Ashforth, Michael Hayward, and Nick Garlick, all genuine talented and contributors to not only X-PlaneReviews, but to X-Plane in general. A big notice is in the passing of Dennis Powell who made contributions to X-PlaneReviews even in the last weeks, thank you Dennis for your contributions not only for X-PlaneReviews but for X-Plane in general, a real devotee.

Always a thank you to the exciting work by the tireless developers that give us all this incredible product to fly and use, as they and X-Plane has come a long way and created leaps in quality and complexity in the last few years, certainly with the jump to X-Plane 12, and to a point I was always very proud of the work they produce, it is world class if not the very best in simulation product ever produced, and this year was even better than ever in systems and quality detail, and they are all top notch and very clever. To the X-Plane.OrgStore who supports this site with review products, service and updates, a really big thanks to Nicolas Taureau, as this site just also would not function without that outstanding support.

I noted in the Last year's Year Review "My outlook optimism for 2025 is at an all time high, my gut says X-Plane as a Simulator has turned a corner, and it can only get better from here, but X-Plane as a Simulator also has to now grow as well, expand vigorously in 2025." That aspect was more than achieved, as their is no doubt that Laminar Research came to the table and seriously delivered in 2025... it was a slow start, but once you received X-Plane 12.2.0 the Simulator jumped up into a very different dimension, Laminar didn't rest on their laurels either with big changes coming right up to Christmas 2025.

Still, and certainly the central community is very active and very collaborative in creating dynamics that is expanding the Simulator, and the stage is now set for growth in 2026, once the NEXT GEN scenery is installed, then there will be no excuses on delivering one of the best Simulators for users, we all had a great if brilliant year in X-Plane's 30th Anniversary Year, and 2026 is going to be another landmark year... it's an exciting future, so be part of it.

_________________________

We will finish off with the X-PlaneReviews famous best of the year awards…   So I will now list my Best of the Year 2025🏅

(note the awards are given to only products I have seen and tested and so the only ones I can vouch for)

Overall Best of the Year : A hard decision as in realty there were no outstanding releases in 2025, some really good releases, but not one that was overall above everything else🏅🏅🏅

Best Aircraft : Felis Boeing 747-200F and FlightFactor B777Fv2.🏅🏅
You can't put a piece of paper between them, both are now very highly developed Simulations, I flew the B777v2 consistently this year, but for an all round magic experience the Felis Freighter is a class act, four years of development makes this a supreme winner.
Honorable Mention : Just Flight BAe 146 Professional XP12, it lives and magnificently so

Best General Aviation Aircraft : Beechcraft F33A by Thranda Design

Thranda Design do well in what they do, in this case they brought back one of the Classic aircraft of X-Plane, the Bonanza!

Best Classic Aircraft : Yakovlev Yak-55M by Pepelatz Studios

A masterpiece of classic design, from someone who had never don't it before, extremely well developed and fun to fly.

Honorable Mention : The Sopworth Camel by Nh-Adrian was magnificently done, tricky to fly and land but it was an outstanding effort.

Best Business Aircraft : Lineage 1000 by X-Crafts

X-Crafts Lineage 1000 came with the same quality of the best Aircraft winner of 2022, superb internal detail and the X-Crafts ERJ Series coming in 2026.

Best Military : Saab Viggen SF-37 by Deltawing Simulations 🏅

Deltawing wins again in 2025, the master just keeps bringing them out, and with this time a Swedish Flavour

Honorable Mention : AoA delivered a very nice big update to the F-35B Lightning II and now for X-Plane 12

Best Helicopter : MD902 Explorer by JRX Design. 🏅🏅🏅

There were two NOTAR MD902's this year, but JRX delivered far, far more, in features, options and MD902 is great to fly as well.

Honorable Mentions : Alpine Studios and the Eurocopter AS350, a surprise on how good it really was in three variants, easy to fly, loads of options.

Best Landscape Scenery : Seychelles XP 12 by Maps2XP (Aerosoft)

Yes a revision to X-Plane 12, but really well done and very comprehensive of the area

Best Airport Scenery : Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (LFMN) by JustSim 🏅🏅
A level of detail here at Nice is to blow you away, JustSim went to another level of quality this year, any JustSim airport is brilliant, but LFMN is an absolute gem.

Honorable Mention : Biggest surprise of the year was Dark Blue's sensational RJTT - Haneda Tokyo International, a sprawling mega airport that delivered a punch.

Best Plugin(s) : Living Scenery Technology (LST) by X-Codr 🏅

A plugin that came of age and it is very clever, it also turns bland scenery into dynamic places, more to come here in 2026.

Special Mention(s) : Just Flight’s Fly the Line – Short Haul Edition, the start of a new Career trend.

Person(s) of the Year : Chris Serio and Sidney Just

Basically they did the impossible at Laminar Research and fixed the Weather and got Multi-core working, the new lighting created a transformed Simulation, the look, feel and even more efficiency is all down to these two geniuses.

Best Moment of the year 2025 : Starting X-Plane 12.2.0, those clouds and lighting, glorious.

Worst Moment(s) of the Year 2025 : Transferring the X-PlaneReviews site to Invision was a mess, leaving a very disjointed site. Loss of a primary NVMe SSD (PCIe) at the worst time cost four days to fix, not a happy bunny in either period.

Biggest distraction of 2025 : ...  The dark cloud of the X-Plane Store, again in 2025 and will it ever arrive?

Biggest overall feeling of 2025 : A slow start, but then rolling revolution of changes that created a totally different simulator by the year's end, a landmark year.

Personal Favorites of 2025 : The FlightFactor Boeing 777v2 Ultimate dominated my flying in 2025, add in the excellent Honeycomb Bravo Throttle and it is Simulation Heaven

Routes...   Barcelona, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf,  Roma, Cairo, Helsinki, Oslo, Munich, London Heathrow and Dulles, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

A lot more Asia routes this year with Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, and the use of Nice because it is such a great scenery.

That is X-PlaneReviews for 2025, and we will be back after a very much needed recovery and the review site returns again early into the New Year on the 6th January 2026.

So Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2026

Stephen Dutton

23rd December 2025

Copyright:X-PlaneReviews 2025

(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)

It used to be easy... In the old days (say even five years ago) it was quite simple to just download a new aircraft, then unwrap it, add it to your Aircraft folder and then check it out with a quick flight and a look at the features, then you are ready to make an assessment in a review of what that new product is all about, in reality you could cover a new release in about two to three days... simple.

Not so today. I am now finding I am prepping an aircraft now for a review weeks ahead. Obviously that is not a new release, but an update or mostly a new version of a current aircraft, and there has been three in a matter of weeks, the Felis Boeing 747-200F, the FPS Boeing 748 and the FlightFactor Boeing 777F, throw in a Helicopter with the Alpine Eurocopter AS350 and you are looking at ton's of work to get through. We will start actually with the AS350, I made my thoughts clear in the review of what it is like flying a Squirrel, in this case it was nice and easy, unlike the very trippy Dreamfoil AS350 B4+ which was an absolute real handful. That aside the review was not the anxious mess I thought it would be, but there were still three variants in the BA, B1 and B2 versions to organise, and then the long list of features and options to work though.

Helicopters are the worse for long, long lists of features and options, only Dan Klaue (Thranda) can do more and usually does. It can take a full day, even two days just to work through the lists. So why do you say do you cover all that as we only want a review of the aircraft? My reply is mostly selfish, in that if I was looking to buy this Helicopter, then "hey" what do I get for my hard earned. And that means you need to describe all the excellent features to show you your money's worth, that is not just the options, but maybe a new system or two, flight capability or a new system feature. But any release today in Simualtion just does not now have say one nice new feature, Oh no, no... there is usually six or seven new important features to describe and illustrate, sometimes you have to explain not only how to load it in, but also on how it all works, for the layman.

This point is important, I mean I could go all Guru on you and throw out a lot of Tech Speak and data. But I still have my thoughts on when I first came into X-Plane as a novice, as a lot back then went simply over my head, and I thought at the time, then that is not fair to the rookies. Yes to a lot of old timers this intimate detail is not required, this annoying basics stuff, "well we are well past that mate" so move on, but there is the means that we all have to start somewhere. Another point is just that as well... as systems get deeper, then an acronym may sound very professional, but most times you have to explain in what it means and actually what it actually is! X-Plane is a very steep learning curve, as there are two elements to learn, not only Aviation per se, but the use of the Simulator as well, both are extremely complex into getting the whole shebang working collectively.

So you need time for Helicopter reviews, as there is a lot to get through. Then even though you have spent time on an aircraft in the past doesn't mean it is easy to just do a quick review on the changes, it sounds that simple, but in practice it doesn't work out that way.

The Felis Boeing 747-200 Freighter is a great example of the reasons why. On the surface it looks like a very simple review, in just to note the new Freighter variant and it's features. But the Felis B747-200F is not your usual Simulation. Released four years ago in the passenger version, the 747 has had FOUR years of consistent updates, notably as many as three to four update releases a year, and this is not a just a set of small bugs and fixes, the changes(logs) could sometimes be twenty items long, well before adding in features and even then the changes to the original aircraft. Then there are the systems, and these 70's aircraft were very mechanical in their use and layouts, it is not simply like moving from say a A320 to a A330, or a Boeing 737 to a 767, no these are a completely different era of systems and in the way you fly these aircraft. To a point they are the pinnacle of simulation, not only for the developers to develop these extremely different and complex systems, but for you to use to learn and fly them in a Simulator, they are the learning curves of learning curves, but exciting to access in that they can take your skills to a level well beyond the basics of say a General Aviation Aircraft, or a trainer, to the high levels of immersion you never dreamed of a decade ago.

So I did this time a little prep work on the Felis Passenger 747 version in preparation ready for the Freighter variant, in first to acclimatise myself back into the cockpit, check out the myriad of changes, but mostly in the procedures of simply flying a 747. A side note was also to configure the Honeycomb Bravo throttle system and it's four throttles and the switchgear to set up, that alone is an hour's work, and then to get it all working correctly (it actually didn't work until I found the better profile) with the Simulator.

But the Felis also has another area in a system I didn't quite completely get my head around in the first place, in the EPRL Mode (Engine Pressure Ratio Limit) panel. I worked through that aspect on the Felis 747-200 release review (sorta got it?), but it wasn't not until I faced with the same sort of system on the JustFlight BAe 146 that I then started to fully work it out. The system is an Engine de-rate and protection limits (N1) for these era engines, today it is all hidden behind a FADAC or Full Authority Digital–Analog Control (sometimes also referred to as Full Authority Digital/Analog-augmented Control), and like most things of this nature there was that light-bulb moment were you suddenly got it, but once learnt, I could now relate it to the Felis 747. And this is the thing, you have to work it all out? study it and understand what the system is doing to operate the aircraft successfully, that is what you need to do in creating review correctly, you NEED to actually learn it, no cheating!

You can't cheat as there are thousands of eyes just waiting to catch you out, and then to tell you that you have got it wrong (it makes them feel superior to you and gloat). Yes I have made mistakes, even some glaringly obvious ones, but most where done at 2am to 3am in the morning after eight hours in front of computers and totally brain dead, so your eyes just give up at some point and your brain simply disconnects from the screen with blurry rubbish replacing text and reasoning. (I usually edit fresh the next day)

On cheating, then why not just copy what streamers are broadcasting? In most cases the streamers are very good, and you can learn a lot by following their actions, certainly in learning complex systems, again the Felis 747-200F had brought in another feature, as for when I last flew the B747 it had the standard Laminar FMC and the CIVA v1 INS Navigation tools.. . not only has CIVA been updated to v2 (three CDUs) but there was a completely new Navigation INS unit in the Litton LTN-92. There is a great (You Tube) tutorial that showed me how to use it (the 34m short version, not the 2h24m long tutorial), and that is brilliant in that this was an aspect that ten years ago you just didn't have, in context however the systems back then were also much simpler to understand unlike the authentic versions we have to learn today. But those streamers are doing it on the fly, doing it live, working it out, flipping from page to page trying to making it work, they get confused or lost, but what of the viewer? my approach is to work it out first and then put it down on the page, in order and in context. Yes I admire what they are trying to do (mostly to get You Tube browny points or money by streaming early), but that still won't help with these complex aircraft as they are extremely hard to do on the fly (pun intended).

You can't just do a quick flight either to reacquaint yourself with the aircraft, the complexity of the Felis 747 meant I didn't fly it as much as I wanted to, twice maybe three times for update reviews over the years, so to a point you are back again at the start point. So you need usually a refresher flight to do a reset on your skills. The first flight is usually quite average, but the miracle is the brain's remarkable retention abilities, your are a mess, even awkward at the start, but by the end of the flight you are right back in there again, knowing, and acting with the controls like four years have just vanished into the night. Usually by the second (review) flight you are fully back and on top of the aircraft like a Pro, it is totally remarkable how you can do that.

Many aircraft like the A320 Series I can fly instantly, as I fly the Airbus quite frequently. And the time spent this year on the Boeing 777 v2 Ultimate again paid off as when I came to to do the 777 Freighter Extension. I flew the passenger B777 from LON to DXB (Dubai) then to SIN... I was then going on to SYD, but got diverted to HND (Haneda,Toyko) for a review, then finally onto SYD, back to SIN and then onto LON, so in six flights and I was very comfortable with the complexity of the Aircraft. But loading and unloading the new FlightFactor Freighter version is totally brilliant, but it is also a lot to work out on how it all actually works, then throw in a week of very high storm activity (Australian Storm season) and you can't fly correctly if your monitors are flickering from all the banshee going on outside, and it makes it all very hard work.

But don't get me wrong here... flying the Felis Boeing 747-200F was the most immersive and rewarding Simulations I have ever done, a "shaking of the head" moment of what you are achieving here with a computer and a Simulation application, certainly now achieving this level of confidence on the aircraft means that it's not going back into a hangar soon, it's all so very addictive as well, in finding that right Simulation and it is highly addictive, you just want more and more of the same, in most cases I have to usually move on to the next review, but both the Felis B747F and FlightFactor B777F made it extremely hard to do so, so brilliant they both are, and a credit to their developers.

That was my month in November 2025, a peek "Behind the Screen" of what it is to review for the X-Plane Simulator... but I love it like never before. Now here soon will be Christmas, and to note that there will be no "Behind the Screen" in December 2025, as we will be doing the usual X-PlaneReviews "Year in Review 2025" with our awards of the best (and second best) of the year 2025, the Review will be released just before I close down on the 19th December for two weeks until 2026.

See you all soon...

Stephen Dutton

1st December 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

The latest X-Plane12.3.0 release was a significant change to the X-Plane Simulator. The built in extensive Weather Radar was a really big upward step for better immersion in flying in Simulation. Now the 3rd party developers are already churning out these crucial updates to cater for the change. And the insertion of the feature is now turning up everywhere. The clever aspect of this radar feature is that Laminar Research made the system very broad. They could of just focused on say Airliners (A330) and that would have been good, but to have the feature in the G1000 and even activating the Benedix RDR2000 was a real masterstoke. This allows the Radar feature to be used, or even the basic components of the Weather system to be custom fitted into virtually any aircraft with a radar installation, Heavy, GA or anything in-between.

This aspect was always Laminar Research's strength, they never did just copy an an idea, but did a above and beyond development of the idea, then in making X-Plane always a front runner against a massive opposition. And then to a point that is why X-Plane can compete on the Simulation stage and attract the right people to simulation. Masterstroke is the word here. But to a point over the last few years that aspect was missing from X-Plane releases, as the distraction of the Vulkan/Metal API overhaul took away significant resources from the main focus. But this year that focus has returned and the benefits of X-Plane 12.2.0 and X-Plane 12.3.0 are hard to ignore. Not to ignore is the better processor management and Multithreading. Basically these changes have allowed me not to do an expensive Graphic Card upgrade, which is a very good thing in these (extremely) expensive times, and there is more to come here in the refining of how computers process in a modern capacity.

Yes some users will lose out, but there is always the point in time you can't help that the penny drops over the side with progress, even Windows 10 is being retired, and another one bites the dust. I know my time will come as well and a hardware update can't be ignored if I want to use even the basic of modern features, but I now have a 50frame running gap, knowing I have a little more time to sort out the issue. That said the biggest significant aspect of that framerate bonus is that the 50Fr is steady. Not something I have experienced for a fair while.

X-Plane a year ago sort of ran in a strange framerate pattern. A full number of say 32fr, then a flicker to 29fr, then a drop to 24fr, then cycle around and around. So where was the true running frame rate, the 34fr or the 24fr? yes a lot of you will message me on the mechanics of processing, but I always had to be aware of that lower number, and in using heavy workloads, then 24fr became 20fr or 19fr... then the 18fr stutter line was imminent. But those problems and cycle numbers have now been replaced by a steady platform and you can safely say the nasty cycling (thankfully and for now) belongs to the past. There are still bugs in there (just mention the jaggies or Anti-aliasing to get users frothing at the mouth), but that steady frame is one of the bigger hidden features and the benefit of the year. For me it means a usual 32fr is now a base of 45fr, topping out at 55fr per simulation. For my system set up it is a very good result, and with only a tweaking of the Graphics Setting to get those impressive results. Tell me 12 months ago I would be running those numbers, I wouldn't have believed you, in fact the usual course is a consistent downward spiral of negative numbers until you are forced into a expensive hardware update.

Do I still get those framerate cycles, well yes, but they are finer and now closer together because that is how X-Plane works, but because my base line is far higher the system can easily absorb the fluctuations, but even then they are far smaller now.

How good have the processing improvements been, I needed to physically test that aspect? If you want to test your system to the limit, then there was only one place to fly into and that is FlyTampa's EHAM - Schiphol in Amsterdam, as that is the very one that causes the most strife (oddly Nimbus's KIAD Washington Dulles is another absolute processor destroyer). For years EHAM was off any routing because you couldn't simply get into there without a poor framerate slideshow. I actually don't think it is the actual FlyTampa custom scenery, but the very heavy surrounding Autogen. (yes you can dial it down), but even before the FlyTampa released Schiphol it was a nightmare to get into cleanly. JFK is another one, not just the Airport but the heavy New York cityscape set behind as well, I'll even throw London's Heathrow in there if you approach from the west (towards the City).

So a shortish flight from Václav Havel Airport Prague LKPR into Rwy27 was the deal. I will admit to some trepidation on the Arrival procedure, as by this time once you pass the 100 kilometer (tile) line and the Netherlands scenery starts to load, you would usually hear the computer groan, but not this time?

You are going to lose some framerate as that is a given here at AMS, but on final approach there was no shuddering, Schiphol was there in the cockpit windows and the approach was normal, the framerate was a steady 32fr, very, very impressive as the processing absorbed the huge number count. Landing, taxiing and berthing to the gate all done and I was still in a very good framerate territory, very impressive... at Schiphol at that, the impossible of the impossible. Honestly I haven't had the time to check Dulles. Dulles was interesting because as you flew down the Eastern Seaboard of the America, you fly over New York, then Washington itself. I found X-Plane loaded in the huge New York set of sceneries, then added in Washington, then the Nimbus Dulles Airport in stacking them all together, the result was the usual slideshow, a bad one at 10fr, and mega stuttering. I tried it twice to test the theory with the same results, and it wasn't both times a happy landing, because it was so simply unrealistic.

There is nothing like having the headroom of framerate (which is why we go on about all the time), space to use the Simulator with no boundaries. Once you have experienced this aspect, it is very hard to struggle with the constraints, you love the freedom it gives you, the worry becomes less and you can do better flying as there are no artificial distractions.

But since around August 2025, and with a lot of fiddling (yes it went worse before it got better) these earlier restrictions fell away. Laminar notes there is even more to come, as this opens up more Multi-threading options. X-Plane was known as a one but big pipe for running data from processors to the Simulator. Already now in X-Plane 12 draw calls and texture uploads are spread across CPU threads.and the Weather & networking are already run on separate threads to reduce stutters. "The future of X-Plane is about parallelism. The next big thing after Vulkan isn’t a new graphics API... it’s making the entire simulator multithreaded.”, that quote came from Ben Supnik, so you get better scaling with 8–16-core CPUs (currently 1-3 cores), higher minimum FPS (less micro-stutter) and possibly a reworked plugin API to support the threaded data access safely.

The trick always comes back to Vulkan as it allows better synchronization between CPU and GPU queues, so the developerss are working to push more CPU prep work off to background threads while the GPU renders the current frame. We know that the NEXT BIG THING is the NEXTGEN (Next Generation) scenery. But like with the Weather feature aspect that relied the correct cloud formations and real weather information to use the Radar, it had to wait until that aspect (X-Plane12.2.0) was formalised before releasing the Weather Update in X-Plane12.3.0.

A Parallelised World is the same in to make the making the entire scenery engine run concurrently. In other words, multiple background worker threads constantly stream, prepare, and compile scenery elements. The main thread will never in the future have to wait for scenery (to load), it simply swaps in pre-built data that’s ready to go, and this will allow continuous stutter-free flight across continents. The current process is also highly minimised in taking out a lot the steps and then duplicating them in parallel, no current 1234 or one after the other approach, but using loads of multithreads and the independent processes all working together.

Future X-Plane versions will let each tile load and decompress in a dedicated thread, well before the aircraft reaches it. and the sim will maintain a “bubble” of loaded tiles around the aircraft, possibly with 3×3 or 5×5 tile regions. So disk reads and mesh preparation will run entirely in these background threads. The other in Autogen generation (roads, houses, trees) will also no longer happen on the main thread. And each region’s object batch will be built in parallel in one thread for each tile or urban cluster. This aspect alone can save several milliseconds per frame in dense areas (data).

This system also allows to support on-demand streaming in the future (possibly for future orthophoto or next-gen scenery packages). And this approach would use background download and decompression threads, similar to how MSFS streams Bing data, but in still having the offline-friendly X-Plane’s custom scenery system we all currently love and use. This means X-Plane will finally exploit the modern CPUs in Ryzen, Core, and Apple M-series to their full multicore potential.

As noted we are already seeing the benefits of this process, but until the NEXTGEN scenery arrives will we see the FULL complete picture of using a Parallelised World in reality, again like the Weather Features we now have in 12.3.0.

Getting out the crystal ball, Ben Supnik and Austin Meyer have both confirmed that parallelising the world is a post-12.4 goal, It may arrive in late XP12.x builds, but I think it will be part of or be the foundation of X-Plane 13, depending on development stability.

Like the transition from X-Plane 9 to X-Plane 12, your X-Plane world will change significantly, not only visually, but under the hood as well. One thing I am sure about is that scenery stutters will be confined to the past, and EHAM Schiphol will be accessible to anyone with a decent multithreaded system, and you won't be needing the gigantic powerful Graphic Cards with their exorbitant costs to process it all, but still remember a modern CPU/GPU system will still be required to access the new features. Overall it is a very exciting future...

See you all next month

Stephen Dutton

1st November 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

Two reviews in September 2025 sent me on a nostalgia ride. I have always felt that you need to look back, to see how far you have come forward, and these two aircraft were a massive part of my journey over the decade in the X-Plane Simulator. Not only did they bring back so many memories, but more importantly on how very far the X-Plane Simulator has come in that period of time, but also in my own acquired skills and on how much I have learnt over the same period through these certain aircraft. Simulation is a personal journey, and a segment of your life, and it is far better than walking around a golf course in the rain.

You usually come into Simulation with only wanting basic needs, myself it was in wanting to fly Boeing 747 Jumbos halfway round the world. What I didn't expect was the sheer fun of learning other aircraft. No way did I consider an General Aviation aircraft, I mean if I wanted my 4 epaulets then there was no way I was going to force myself into one of these bouncy micro machines... no this was going to be the real deal, HEAVIES, 38,000ft and all that.

But in December 2011 Carenado released the Beechcraft F33A Bonanza for X-Plane 10. First at the time I went to an airshow (not really a flying display, but mostly a museum open day) and two aircraft caught my eye, one was a (pretty worn out) Cessna 337 Skymaster, interesting, the other sitting on the airport flight line was a lovely little F33A... humm. A pilot and some passengers got into the F33A and started up the aircraft, then taxied out and took off, disappearing to the north of the airfield, honestly I was hooked, and all I wanted to do was fly this Carenado F33A (Carenado also released a 337 a bit later in 2013).

Carenado came into the X-Plane Simulator with a huge reputation in Microsoft's Flight Simulator, the Aircraft design was done by Carenado of Chile and X-Plane dynamics and conversion by Dan Klaue. Carenado's first release (X-Plane) was the Cessna 172N Skyhawk ll in late 2010, followed by the Cessna 152, then the F33A Bonanza. But I had picked right as the F33A was even for it's time was a little gem, as noted the X-Plane conversion was done by Dan Klaue, but the quality from Carenado was off the planet, it was simply leagues better than anything released at the time. This quality lasted the aircraft for over a decade on to show how far and how good it was at the release, it also showed me (back then) on what could be achieved in Simulation in replicating the real world, and on how exciting the future of Simulation could be.

The attraction is that it was a very versatile for an aircraft as well, as it had a massive range of 920nm, but usually you got around 800nm-850nm in a flight, it was mid-range in speed at around 170knts to cover the distance, so it wasn't just an airfield circuit trainer like the 152/172. So with this massive versatility the F33A easily became my GA go to.

I had become adept at landing 747's with the use of the ILS, but what of just the basic avionic stuff (I sorta did it the wrong way around?). So the F33A came into it's own in learning circuits, and in doing REAL hands on landings, learning throttle control, speeds and just plain old eyeing up the runway and the height correctly for a slight nose up (flare) landing, then did it about 50 times to get it perfectly right. This aspect stood me in good stead for the future, then later would have expanded on the knowledge by doing VOR to VOR navigation, first in cross State flights (Florida), then cross-country in hopping from airfield to airfield from the south (Florida) to the west coast of California, still doing VOR to VOR Navigation, and now reading real flight charts. So the little Bonanza was used for many, many flight hours of practice, then also used for evaluation between X-Plane version updates as I knew the little critter so very well, and if something was off (X-Plane release) then the F33A would show the reason or you would feel the differences through the performance of the aircraft.

As we know is that Carenado dropped out of the X-Plane to go back to FlightSim market, and when X-Plane 12 came around the Carenado aircraft were not updated (42 at last count?) which was a problem in itself, you could add a REP pack onto the Bonanza, but honestly it wasn't the same, and yes even I had to accept the critter was now too old for realistic flying, and I reluctantly hangared it with reservations, but seriously acknowledge the contribution it made to not only my flying skills and hence impacting reviews, I owe that little critter a lot, but a full decade of service again showed on how advanced the aircraft was at that time in 2010.

Second was a very interesting Project also started back in 2010. The QPAC team (QualityPark AviationCenter), a group of Airbus pilots and programmers who built a very advanced Airbus FBW (Fly-By-Wire) simulation for X-Plane. The QPAC FBW wasn’t built as a commercial product as it was an experiment to bring real Airbus flight control fidelity into the simulator for training and for enthusiast use, they wanted to replicate Airbus’ unique flight control laws in X-Plane which was something default sims at the time couldn’t do.

The goal was to show that an add-on aircraft could truly behave like an Airbus in normal law (protections, auto-trim, sidestick response), instead of just “feeling like” one, and I loved the idea and the project at the time. The developer that linked between QPAC and in using X-Plane as the foundation was "Gliding Kiwi" also known as Torsten Liesk, a German/Canadian from Montreal.

The first release of the QPAC A320-232 was looking back extremely basic, it still only had a 2d panel, systems wise the A322 improved through to v2.0 (Plus), and you could now see far more of the Airbus in the systems, oddly at this point the CMDU actually converted a .fms flightplan to an airbus standard flightplan, but SID/STAR could be used. The Premium version was released in 2015 and by then also had a 3d cockpit and cabin by Wombatboy, then the Airbus really came into it's own as we know it today. Both JARDesign and Peter Hagar also did versions of the A320 Series aircraft for X-Plane, but didn't have the background systems, flight modeling and dynamics of the QPAC version, which was based on the real data and code, but they did both have a fair go at it. The Premium release was US$70, for the time an expensive outlay, but it laid out the groundwork for the quality high-end system Simulations we take for granted today.

This Premium release was the peak of the QPAC involvement, with the team officially then transitioning to ToLiss, carrying forward the FBW codebase and Airbus development philosophy. The first ToLiss product the A319-112 was officially the next upward step in the evolution of the QPAC series, but the progress forward was another major step forward, the question at the time was "why not continue with the A320 Series" to a point a question never answered.

For me it was a long detailed learning curve, and one that really never ended, in reality the program that started back in 2010 just carried on with other Airbus type series in the said mentioned A319, A321, A340, A330neo and back finally to the A320 in first the neo (new engine option), then now the ceo (current engine option) and to a point this aircraft brings you a full circle since that first A320-232 release in 2010, or the QPAC dream now totally realised.

The "If it an't Boeing, I'm not going" crowd missed the point of these Airbus systems, I can understand the national feelings, but these aircraft were extremely more forward progressing than the Boeings until the ZIBO MOD happened, certainly the Flightfactor B777v2 Ultimate delivers on that scale now, but the QPAC/ToLiss journey is a unique one, and a great learning curve and we were extremely lucky it happened in the X-Plane Simulator.

Both the main architects of these journeys in Daniel Klaue and Torsten Liesk are today renowned for what they deliver in Aircraft for the X-Plane Simulator, but their intelligence and skill was right there at the start, it is their journey as well, in what they both created for our expansive Simulator use today.

So sitting in the new X-Plane 12 Thranda Beechcraft F33A Bonanza over the central area (Orlando) Florida, my mind went back to this journey, yes I was flying over the same area of all that time ago, but the differences not only in the sheer quality of the the Thranda, but also the world around me that had been transformed with the evolution's of the Simulator itself, I was very happy with what I had back in 2010, but in reality it has no comparison to the same in 2025, it is 15 Years by the way, fifteen years of forward progress, so yes it should be better. The same could be said of a week later in recreating the Gold Coast - Sydney service in the latest ToLiss A320 ceo. But the detail and system depth now confronting me is simply astounding, more astounding is that I know on how and why of operating the aircraft to it's near perfect service operation, totally replicating a real world flight in a home Simulator, now that is real progress.

That is looking back, now a few thoughts on the future...

At the end of the Yearly "State of the Union" summary, I touched upon the "what is next" or a future so called Roadmap. In the Summary we noted that announced is the NEXTGEN scenery and the Store, but otherwise beyond that Laminar Research have been oddly and eerily very quiet? it is very unlike Laminar or Austin to not be spouting features and his ideas to the world, and the situation was highlighted to stay well muted at the 2025 Expo was very out of character for both Austin and Supnik. The work on refinement in balancing cores and graphic chip processing is already well underway as is the Multi-threading which was started in X-Plane 12.2.0, so they are also not now a future, but an already in progress set of developments... So what is next?

At first I discounted a new X-Plane version, if in the current numbering system would be called X-Plane 13 (X-Plane X is usually always thrown around?) then X-Plane 13 compared to X-Plane 12 in a present timeline would be at least two years away? but is it?

So let us look at the time gaps between X-Plane version releases... I do note that I take a release from each Beta (Early Access) to the same public access on each version, and not the actual version release date.

• XP9 → XP10: ~4 years

• XP10 → XP11: ~5 years

• XP11 → XP12: ~5 years 10 months

• XP12 → Current: ~3 years and 26 days

As noted each version basically gets longer between each release, but X-Plane 12 was abnormal in the fact that it was in the middle of the extensive Vulkan/Metal API conversion, XP12 was also full of small (but annoying) fix features that users had griped about for years, and finally a complete rewrite of the weather engine was another massive time killer.

X-Plane 12 to a point is now nearly already wrapped up, at just over 3 years? with no future announcements noted either as to date.

We already know that the next big X-Plane feature is a complete overhaul of the scenery system, called NEXTGEN (Generation), and it has been in the works now for over a long year and a half, add on another 6 months on that timelime and that will be 2 years in Development, so here is the call...

X-Plane 13 will be announced and released as a Beta (Early Access) in the Fall (September) 2026, and the NEXTGEN will be the big (selling) feature. Laminar has to get that new generation scenery out to counter the MSFlightSim advantage, it is also a chance to make (a lot of) money on selling a complete new X-Plane version to the punters (meaning us), and throw in a few more new shiny features at the Simulator, please note, this is NOT an official announcement but only a theory, but one that makes a lot of sense. Between the dates it will be exactly 4 years since X-Plane 12 was released (Early Access) and back within the same timeline as MDFS 2020/2024.

Personally I will hear you groan, all those aircraft to again needed be converted to a new X-Plane version? But that actually won't be the case this time as summarising that the changes will be mostly external, not aircraft focused this release around, very X-Plane 10, yes small updates, but nothing seriously daunting, what flies in XP12 will fly fine in XP13, as the focus this time is elsewhere...

"With minds as intelligent as ours but colder, calculating, and without compassion, they studied Earth with growing envy. As their own planet aged and resources diminished, they turned their attention outward. And so, they planned their conquest of our world." H.G Wells "War of the Worlds"

See you all next month

Stephen Dutton

1st October 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

There has been a common theme over the Northern Summer, first by Scenery Developers and also by Navigraph. That first is that developers are now not going forward in creating or even updating X-Plane 11 sceneries, and the most currently available X-Plane 11 sceneries will be the last version available. Navigraph also noted that for this year's 2025 survey then the user numbers would not be separated and that X-Plane as a user base would only be noted from this year with X-Plane as a whole, again in dropping X-Plane 11 from their survey. And the signs are noticeable everywhere. So to the Professional Simulator community, X-Plane 11 is now dead... gone and forgotten.

On the 6th September it is going on 3 years from the initial X-Plane Beta release, and two and a half years since it went to the Full X-Plane 12 version, is that enough time for a transition period? or is this the right time to move on?

With the fast movement of current X-Plane Development, then the gulf is now widening between both versions of XP11 and XP12, to a point is X-Plane 11 even now still actually relevant, if it was still available. Many will cry out "I love X-Plane 11", just as a few years ago far too many users were still lauding X-Plane 9, yes X-Plane 9 an X-Plane version that was replaced 14 years ago?

So certainly current X-Plane 11 users are not going to go quietly into the night, they will still state their reasons to keep flying in this now "obsolete" and relegated Simulator.

Let us be very honest... the main reason for not upgrading to a new X-Plane version is really quite simple, money, or in upgrading your hardware specifications to allow you to run X-Plane 12 comfortably. If you did a survey on those users still using X-Plane 9 (yes we know you are out there) then you can guarantee that the computer is either Pentium Powered or a Core 2 computer and running Windows 7/XP, very successful in it's time, but that is "In it's time". But yes they will hang on to this facade because they can't or won't upgrade their hardware.

There is another reason, and a quite reasonable one. As you move from one X-Plane version to another there is a huge tract of aircraft that will be left behind. Updated through X-Plane 10 to XP11, a lot was culled this time around didn't get to move over to X-Plane 12, and you can count the high numbers of Carenado aircraft that went in the "Obsolete" bin, or to a backup hard drive that sits on your shelf or in a cupboard with the change to X-Plane 12. Yes they hurt in being missing, as they were all so very much loved and had seen so many hours of flying enjoyment. And yes there has been so many I have missed, the King Air B200, PA-31 Navajo (a really nice one was that), Beechcraft 1900D, Bonanza V35B, I'd be crying more if I continued... but they are now gone. So I can see why you would keep X-Plane 11 alive just for these reasons alone, that does make prefect sense, but overall it is still X-Plane 11 and not Twelve, and if you go back there then everything is well so... old and dated.

The culling was especially large this time between XP11 and XP12, not just Carenado but for all of the many other Developers that have departed as well. To a point X-Plane 12 is a new higher level that required a lot of changes to aircraft, graphics and dynamics, yes certainly far for the better, and if you do fly those XP11 aircraft now, then they do really all feel quite dated. In fact most are from the older X-Plane 10 era, as a lot were easily translated to X-Plane 11, so we are now looking at a decade old set of aircraft here (sceneries in most parts as well), so they are actually from another different era.

You did get a lot of aircraft translated to X-Plane 12, but they all seem to be the cone at the top of the mountain, in reality only the best of the best survived, again another reason to stay with X-Plane 11, if you want all those aircraft and older sceneries to become available.

So X-Plane 12 was a big house in clearing it all out, but as with the aircraft you are now left with is only the best of the very best, that is not a bad thing in most cases, but the types and aircraft available now is certainly not the variety or the choice you had only three years ago, as noted, what IS available are very high fidelity and when done well the quality is off the scale, but there is no doubt we have replaced quantity with quality, so does that make X-Plane a better Simulator? personally I really think it does, but the only problem is that Microsoft's FlightSim is soaking up the developers that could increase the numbers and projects required. It does also create a market as well, all the above Carenado aircraft do not have a similar copy in X-Plane 12, so that leaves open a market to fill that need, Thranda are working through the list, the next one is biggie from the post Carenado lost stock. So X-Plane 12 was a significant change, and in fact currently becoming one of the biggest transitions for the Simulator in it's overall history.

Developers have also mostly finished their transition of X-Plane 11 aircraft to X-Plane 12, not many more are coming, as the bin is now empty of worthy candidates and developers are (thankfully) now returning to new projects instead of just repairing the older ones. That aspect is certainly now very evident and the "Transitions" have dropped to a dribble of only a few releases, even vSkyLabs is done, and their back catalogue is massive. But there are a few sceneries still to be converted, but again most developers would prefer to do a totally new version than spruce the old one, mainly as development and quality has moved along quite significantly to match the output of MSFS.

The problem facing X-Plane was to evolve, as you had to change the very basic fundamental parts of the X-Plane Simulator, or the Vulkan/metal API to move forwards and stay relevant (in the game so to speak). Changes like this can be very defining, but you also have to accept you are going to lose things as well as gaining them. This aspect was highlighted in that the very moment X-Plane did this major translation, the dormant Microsoft Simulator roared back into life with a completely overhauled Simulator and a huge amount of money and support behind it. To a point X-Plane was caught in nowheresville, couldn't move forward and had a massively complicated system to evolve and refine. To a point now that period has now receded, and the changes really are bearing a lot of fruit. But we have to be realistic as well, there was a lot of 3rd party damage done as well. New developers are still few and far between, and the Simulator is not attracting them as we need to. That said the environment is also very healthy, and aircraft and sceneries currently being produced are of a very high standard, and now even the equivalent as MSFS, and in many areas, certainly in the dynamics, X-Plane is still a leader of quality Simulation.

But again to note that Hardware gap that makes it so hard to move on to the next version of Simulation or X-Plane 12. The biggest problem is simply Graphic Cards, as overall Processor prices have been relatively stable. An Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (Arrow Lake) is around Aus $1,000, and the last processor upgrade I did was to an Intel 12th Gen IS1700 Core i7 12700K 12 Core 3.60 GHz at around Aus $890, so that is only an increase of Aus $110 over the last four years. So a processor upgrade is easy price wise.

But coming to a Graphic Card then you hit the money wall. my PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 card is one that desperately needs an upgrade, at the time (three years ago) it cost me Aus $1200, now I can't find anything? as for a RTX 4090 your looking in the Aud $5000 - $6000 range! a 50 Series (agggh), but even an average Card will cost me Aud $2000 in a sale to $2500 if I can get one? Recommended prices are also Aud $2000, but high demand means they can ask a premium or pretty well what the market will bear, and will auction off the the available stock to the highest bidder. So yes even I feel for those with no budget, I am one of them, as to do a full hardware upgrade, then your in the Aud $3500 to $4000 range to get yourself some headroom.

So what if X-Plane 13 requires another major step up in the Hardware requirement? personally I doubt it will, as the details required will be very different as will the content. In fact X-Plane 13 will go the other way... as Laminar Research are currently focused heavily on efficiency and Multi-threading, this is to spread the load between the many cores and use the dormant processor to do more of the load than always relying on a bigger and bigger Graphic Card, that said if you are still hardware bound in X-Plane 11, then these changes won't get you out of trouble, but if you can get into the X-Plane 12 club with a bit of headroom, you should be fine for X-Plane 13 and even well beyond.

But I personally haven't used X-Plane 11 for years, in fact I can count my left hand fingers on the few times I have started it up... It's still there, if required, but I am not a backwards looking personality, I only move forwards and X-Plane 12 is the movement in development. And to be honest I feel the differences between X-Plane 11 and Twelve, it could still be X-Plane 10 for all you see and feel, the gap up to X-Plane 12 is so very wide, so to stay there even with Hardware constraints is really missing out on a much more dynamic environment, and once the new NextGen (Next Generation) scenery is running, then that gap that started in X-Plane 10 will be a chasm, and the X-Plane experience will also be very different. That makes it all very exciting as well...

See you all next month

Stephen Dutton

1st September 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

I was on what Formula 1 call Gardening Leave having left misfiring review site Aerosoft ASN, so I tended my plants for a few months. Then I got an email from Nicolas Taureau of the X-Plane.Org asking if I wanted to set up a Review site within the X-Plane.Org, it was all mine and I could do it my way and have full control and art. Out of that email came X-PlaneReviews.

On 1st August 2025, that first post was then now 12 years ago in 2013, and the smiling logo greeted users to a new review site dedicated to the X-Plane Simulator.

It was all very Apple Macintosh when I look back on it now, but the idea was correct, and so was the initial set agenda.

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Comments and Columns from myself and many other commentators and X-Plane users.

In July 2013 X-Plane had 250.000 users, now in the Forum membership there is over 1.2 million registered users with a 15.3% growth over June 2025. So that is a lot of change in the over decade attraction and expansion of the Simulator. You tend to forget how much change that actually is. But this is also a hard membership to get into? For one you will need expensive hardware to enter and yes X-Plane does have a minority X-Plane Mobile option and Microsoft's FlightSim is more focused on X-Box via the Game Pass which gives you an automated pass.

Yes X-Plane does have a low entrance compared to MSFS as it will work on many platforms in Windows, Mac and Linux. So you can use it with the lower default settings of which I did in the early years on an Apple Mac Mini and X-Plane 9. But if you want the full impact of the Simulator, then power is required, although on balance the hardware spread is still out very wide. So unlike gaming, if you are a serious "Simmer" then you need serious hardware, and it costs, certainly in this day and age of expensive GPU's (Graphic Processing Unit) usually known as a "Graphic Card". To be fair again, Laminar Research the creators of the X-Plane Simulator have worked hard in the last few years to spread the load more between the onboard Processor and the GPU, which at one point back when was carrying all the load, the current development of Multi-Processing will take that theory further, but again you would still need the massive processing power to create the very realistic images that currently drives Simulation.

So a journey of twelve years is many things, learning mostly, but also making sure the hardware can cover the volume of Reviewing, being able not only in running the Simulator, but also being able to cover the changes that was required, where and when. Early days were on the Mac, but for a review site then a Windows Machine is required, not only to adjust for hardware changes (mostly expensive) but also to run many of the addon plugins that are only windows based.

As noted I came into the X-Plane Simulator around the middle run of X-Plane 9, even looking at it today there are areas in which it was advanced as certainly in the dynamics, and in general most of the modeling was very good, even if you diverted your eyes from the disconnected leading edges. But this era was still totally based in the Laminar Planemaker application and a hobbyist based involvement. That agenda could have sent X-Plane in another direction, not breaking out but staying in that cosy clubby world, sadly it would not have survived either, as it would now be dated and had it not reached outwards towards a bigger subscriber base.

X-PlaneReviews was launched a year and a half after the release of X-Plane 10. Looking back at that time, you realise the XP10 was a groundbreaking release, with it's new plausible world terrain engine (procedural scenery), the just released 64-bit support, Improved ATC and most importantly a HDR lighting and new rendering engine.

I didn't plan it, but the site was launched perfectly at the right time in 2013. As the above features were now becoming refined at v10.21 with the introduction of 64-bit support, but more so with the release of 3D cockpits (plugin driven), the first 3D was a 757 in XPJets B757 (2008) but that was not plugin developed.

But it was the X‑Plane 10’s rendering engine that allowed cockpit object (.obj) files with manipulators and lighting logic that broke through the barrier. The FlightFactor Boeing 777 v1 capitalised on the technology, as did releases from Carenado in the Beechcraft B1900D HD and newly placed Aerobask with their Diamond DA‑42 Twin Star. QPAC had just released the Airbus A320-232 in March 2013, with a name involved of Torsten Liesk in creating the first logic Airbus laws for the X-Plane Simulator. All four releases are significant to X-Plane Third party development, FlightFactor with Roman Berezin, Carenado's X-Plane output was hosted by Daniel Klaue that morphed into Thranda Design, Stephane Buon joined with Lionel Zamouth to expand Aerobask and Torsten Leisk morphed into ToLiss. All big players in current development for X-Plane.

With the X-Plane 10 technology, then the Simulator quickly expanding, growing very substantially over the next few years, I was right in the middle of all this expansion. Next came the development of Flight Management Systems. To that point FMS in aircraft was very, very basic, with mostly being a default line based Co-Ordinate route system. This full FMS was from Javier JRollon (Javier Rollón) with the Bombardier CRJ‑200 co-developed with Philipp Münzel (who in 2018 changed his name to Philipp Ringler), whom is now head of Avionics for Laminar Research. If you look at the CRJ-200 FMS it is now quite basic, but at the time it was a really big deal in detail, and it was the breakthrough moment in avionics for X-Plane.

Reviewing looks like a placid duck swimming casually through the calm water, but under the surface you are paddling furiously. The change to FMS (Flight Management System) was the one thing that caught me out at the time. My mind was expecting the order and the use of the Co-Ordinate line based system, but sorta expanded. Remember there was not the information available that you have today (even basic videos), and even when I read the documents a thousand times, I just couldn't laughably programme this damn newly fangled system? I just couldn't get it and veered away in reviews with such systems? it drove me absolutely nuts!

My problem was this was a very important aspect of future Avionics, I HAD to work it out to review them. So I banged away and swore for week and was falling badly behind with the current review. Yes it is laughable now, but deadly serious back then, but I just could not add in or change a waypoint line? head in hands, thumping the desk... swearing, getting some fresh air, then swearing again, nothing in my past reviewing history drove me as mad. It was simple of course, just like everything is, but it was just the way you had to approached the system in a different dimension... then I inputted a line, then was able to delete a waypoint, and then it all came together in a moment.... and I had broken through the barrier.

But over the years those FMS systems have been the hardest work to get through. Different developers created them in different ways of inputting data, and the data itself is quite complex and mostly acronyms, and so you never ever stopped learning, like currently the different derating of takeoff power, it is not just you know that the engine is being set at a lower maximum takeoff speed, but how it does the derating and how to use it, and where to use such derated power (thank you BAe 146)... then taking that information and using it in an Airbus or Boeing. It is fascinating stuff as you learn so much, and the reason you just keep learning in Simulation.

Another early area I spent a lot of time learning was trims, mostly on General Aviation aircraft, how to set the trim, and how to balance the aircraft correctly, then setting the trim for landing. This last one always used to catch me out, certainly when having used the Autopilot... in that the trim was now usually set wrong for landing. Once I had conquered the smaller GA, I went on to use the skill on larger aircraft. Go and load in a real world landing video and watch the (flying) pilot's left thumb on the yoke trim switch, always adjusting, always refining the balance, watch also the extreme movements of the yoke in motion, and the older the aircraft (say a DC-9/MD-80) then the more violent the adjustments on approach. You would think that pilots would make the best reviewers, but that is not the case. Certainly it helps to have all that real world knowledge, but you also need an all round knowledge of the Simulator as well to get past it's idiosyncratic nature, only a few past that test, but overall Reviewers have to gain experience by simply doing, exploring and a lot of learning, not only from documents, but actual practise, loads of practise... I'll give you one early example.

Dr Gary Hunter created a Boeing 747-200F for early X-Plane 10, 3d cockpit and all. Now the range of a 747-200F is around 5,100 nm at Gross Weight, and I was doing Long-Haul, in that I wanted to fly from Milan Malpassa (LIMC) to Singapore (WSSS) (6,400 nm), but it will fly the distance marginally with a medium payload with the right winds, if anything I was willing to stop over in India for a refuel. So the 747 was tanked to brim, and I calculated the payload for the distance. Problem was getting the 747 off the ground and flying... I did (and I counted the number) 47 tries to takeoff! with most runs ended up in the ground just past the end of 17L. The trick was flap, or finding the least drag to lift, and I usually left the ground only meters away from the end of a very long takeoff run, even then the 747 climbed at a slow 200 ft per minute, and it took 45 min to reach the FL320, coaxing it up (a very heavy aircraft) is a skill I learnt and never forgot. I actually made it to Singapore, with just drips left in the tanks, I didn't even have enough fuel to taxi in, I got it down... just, but it was a very fine line. I don't think the authorities would allow such behaviour, but this is a Simulator, a "What if" anyway.

So the point of the above, is that once you learn something well, it then becomes an important part of reviewing, the barrier maybe high in the challenge, but once you work it out the skill it can be used over and over again, and yes like in the real world as you gain that specific experience and knowledge, then learn enough you get a masters degree in the subject, get better and you reach "Guru" status, I not sure if I can say I'm a Guru, as there are areas in X-Plane that I don't understand, in mainly not having access to it, but you get what I mean.

I always ask the question, what would I have thought of X-Plane in 2025? to a point a lot is still quite familiar, as the feel of X-Plane and the basic layout is still the same, but a lot has changed dramatically as well. I think the biggest changes besides the weather and immense quality detail, are the helpers, like SimBrief (you had to program every way point in back then, that is 31 waypoints from London to Singapore and it took hours), also Charts, iPads and a far more realistic ATC. There is a poll there I suppose on what you think has been the biggest change in X-Plane in the last decade. The feel however in detail and the visual quality has been immense, but also the sheer depth of aircraft systems, developers like ToLiss are always pushing the limits on system details. Taking 20 min to program an aircraft for flight is very demanding on your time, so flying a General Aviation aircraft for a few hours can bring you back to the basics of flying in a Simulator.

Cost is also debatable. It is getting worse in some areas, but better in others. Computers are expensive to adapt to the constant changes. The Processor cost is still reasonable considering the power now available, but Graphic Cards are a nightmare in cost and availability. This is becoming the biggest barrier to Flight Simming, yes you can buy or afford a two year old card, but you will find it is already becoming out of date for performance, so you will get say only two years out of the card before having to update again. You can see why Laminar are focused on getting performance and efficiency in a more better way than using "Grunt" cards to do all the work, X-Plane's survival actually depends on it it to attract new users that can't blow tons of money on a big expensive set up. On the other side, third-party products like WinWin Avionic tools are bringing down the cost to affordable levels, but with no doubt the best add on in the decade has been the Honeycomb Alpha/Beta Series, certainly the Throttle System, as it's very clever, beautifully made (and yes I know there is a lot of angst towards Honeycomb), but the product is excellent and a boon for the home based Simmer.

So the biggest difference between the hobby style X-Plane that I can into, to the current situation, is just that... The Simulator has grown into a Pro Style Simulator, and yes there are still the low entry points of just using default scenery and your finger (mouse) to fly very nice aircraft, so that entrance to Simulation can still be very low. But if you want the "Full Monty", in brilliant third-party aircraft, quality Scenery and Addon Tools, they are available as well, so the spectrum is now very much wider than the choices I had when I came into X-Plane 9. In reality the Simulator now caters for a more wider audience, and there is more to come yet, like the NEXT GEN scenery, but overall the X-Plane Simulator is still a extremely very good investment if you really love aviation, but still in not forgetting it's roots for users that like to tinker and innovate, that is the core of the X-Plane world I have explored for 12 years, and so it just keeps on delivering a very good Simulation product and consistently, and that is the lasting legacy.

See you all Next Month

Stephen Dutton

1st August 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

Halfway through the 2025 year already, life goes fast when you are having fun, but it has been a significant six months of change, not only for the X-PlaneReviews site, but for X-Plane itself, but both to the good. That is what change is, hopefully in being better than what was taken as the standard before. In this world the change is rushing at you, a lot good and a lot bad, changes for change sake is not actually good, but we don't really know the effects of the A.I. revolution that is coming, maybe A.I. is even here and I was dispensed with six months ago, and a bot has been doing all the reviews and art of the site and you really didn't notice!

I really don't think that ChapGPT would put in so many ! in the NEWS! and Reviews! so you can pretty well guess I'm still here for now, but the changes are escalating and the lines are becoming very blurred between fact and fiction. The internet thingy is also becoming very blurred at what is real and what is not, standards are disappearing and I think that is a very bad thing. Before you could pretty well say, see or read items that was the truth, but that aspect as noted is getting blurred, and that is not a good thing. Because we are also losing ourselves in the mess, that blurring is taking away our right to absorb content and make decisions that affect our lives, important decisions, and they are also stealing not only our money, but pretty well anything they can. Did the hippies that created the internet expected it to go all so wrong? there is good and bad out there, but you are feeling like the bad is now always winning.

You can't trust reviews anymore either because they don't make sense? I looked up a local restaurant and the reviews were strange, "Terrible food, awful service, would never come here again!" next below was, "Lovely place with Excellent food and staff catered to our every need".... next one "Avoid at all costs". Now don't get me wrong but any restaurant can't be truly awful and extremely good at the same time? Now I know the restaurant, and it's not "Truly Awful", and it has been around for decades, and the service is very good (it's Greek). But as you look through a lot of these review lists it is just that a lot of people are being just damn petty, complaining about miniscule items and not the overall experience, you can do the full service, but miss filling up a glass of water and it will get you one star rating, it's really petty stuff.

I am going to talk cruising for a while, yes in a Flight Simulator blog. I replied to a review of a ship, one cruise I had been on at the same time, same experience and the same service. This person had posted a video of saying the cruise company's services was terrible and was not up to the standard as advertised, and it is well known of it's trademark service. But the same company also has a two-tier service, a sort of economy and first class in price grading standards. So this person rabbited on that she was getting nothing like the service she was entitled to in the cabin, the dining room options and service. But the point was (she) had booked the cheapest cabin on the ship (inside lower deck) at the cheapest price you could pay to get on this floating palace. But expected the same cabin and service as the people at the top, and these people had payed a premium (over $10,000) for the same cruise. But she was not having a bit of it and felt she was being shortchanged (yes she may have been looking for a free cruise or a refund), but as mentioned I was on the same cruise in the middle grade and mostly had the same experiences and service that she had, I felt I had more than my money's worth from the deal, with no areas to complain... but the point was, she was broadcasting untruths on the real experience and noting every thing she was certainly ENTITLED to, of which she wasn't entitled to any of that in her price grade... it that fair, no company can fight back against such untruths?

This brings us to the commotion currently raging between Cruise industry bloggers or video reviewers, content creators (take your pick). A couple of well known and very respected video bloggers did a review of a Carnival Cruise Line ship, normal stuff to them, but the ship was old, (1990's era) and it showed on the video. In the review the reviewers were very good in explaining both the negatives and the positives of the ship, they were extremely balanced in their report, but with a dirty cabin when boarding, and decor that makes you seasick before even leaving port. But they still found areas that were a positive to the ship (food, entertainment) and for the money even value. It was a balanced review.

The only problem was, they got banned by Carnival for FIVE years, for an honest balanced review!

The issue has sent the lucrative Cruise Blogging Industry into a meltdown, as if you can't do a honest balanced review, and then even get banned for it, then their income has just gone out of the window, not to mention those freewheeling carefree days at sea. The irony is that that Ms untruth above will probably get rewarded for basically lying, and yet dedicated reviewers for telling the truth will lose their income, and is that really fair.

It is a line all reviewers fear, but as the bloggers noted, you can't say things great about something that is not true or even lies. Glide over the negatives and gloss the positives, then that is not a balanced review and it then also falls into propaganda. The worse outcome (certainly for Carnival) is that when those paying passengers get on that ship, then the reality will strike home, the truths will come out and Carnival will have a Public Relations nightmare on their hands. Worse it that the message will get around that Carnival can't be trusted, as a cruise line or as a business. To a point it is the reviews(ers) that keep them honest and point out the areas that need attention or even fixing.

It is not that much different doing a Simulation review. Since X-PlaneReviews inception we set down rules. The aim from the start was to point out both the negatives and positives, but not to damage the reputation of a developer. But to mainly point out the areas were the product can be improved or changed, then creating value for both sides, for the developer in creating very good products, and for the purchaser in getting a quality value product for their money, that is a fair deal for both camps, it also lifts the overall quality of the Simulator and even Simulation as a whole and creates a safe area for others to join and participate in.

The benefits are all there to see. And honestly over the years it is rare to see something truly awful, and anyway X-PlaneReviews will only promote quality products, as we see our job of filtering out the crap from the value products we review. If it's bad it won't usually get any attention in this site, but we will be kinder (slightly) to new developers, with sky high dreams and not much ability. Certainly if it is a first development we usually go back to the developer and note the shortcomings, but also state up front that it is also a new product from an untested developer, we will accept a lower level of experience, but also expect the same developer not to make the same mistakes again, and in most cases they don't, but a few don't learn either, and again in most cases they don't usually stay around for very long. Then there are those that outright steal, again that is mostly in the Microsoft Universe, but we have a couple that have tried it on in X-Plane as well.

So you can see we don't want the same issues that is the confronting most internet comments and reviewing, because that creates backward steps in every area, it spreads untruths, lies and wastes your money. As they say "Truth is the first casualty of War" but the internet is creating a black hole of misinformation, the same truth is already lost to the keyboard warriors.

The FlightSim Expo at Rhode Island (27th - 29th June) has come and gone for another year. It was another good show, probably not as massive as the Las Vegas 24 show, as the location was a bit remote in the US Northeast. But the strength of the show in popularity was very strong in a good way for Simulation.

The biggest non-show at RI was Microsoft or Asobo Studio. This was after the gluttonous Vegas show and the train-wreck of the launch of MS 2024, I found or felt it that Microsoft had over-reached in promising too much in Vegas and delivering too little at the roll-out. In comparison Laminar Research did do a comprehensive but in a more neutral set of roll-out of updates, beautifully presented and delivered throughout the year. Okay X-Plane is not perfect, but the differences between Expos 2024 and 2025 should have Laminar doing high-fives in the corridors. Laminar was also well represented at RI, with a professional stand and workshops, so there was a lot to like.

Most users were very nonplussed about the announcements at RI, but there is a lot of depth there if you were willing to look and see the detail. Obviously the new Weather Radar was the highlight, but it was the depth that is coming of the Weather systems that has to be admired. It is going a little bit back to the old Laminar, in that if we are going to do something, then do it well. Again that aspect is on show, done well and very through by Philipp Ringlar. The odd side was that Laminar were also very cagey on future developments. They mumbled about the NEXT-GEN scenery and even the coming Multi-threading, even noted the store (again), but otherwise it was all very guarded in secrets, unlike the expansive roadmaps of the past years, that aspect was very unusual.

So that missing something was really that we already knew of the announcements at RI, as Laminar had released the details the week before, so in reality after the 12.3.0 release there is not much going on down the road, and these releases will be soon completed by the Northern Autumn or the American fall. So what is next? well nothing really, just more fiddling with the API to get a working balance between your GPU and CPU, and Multi-threading the whole bejesus out of your machines.

Austin (Meyer) may do one of his podcast interviews over the Summer and spread more love on the matter, as he was doing so much of a few years ago. But remember, the focus will now be turning to X-Plane 13, yes due in only a few years and the next step of X-Plane content. So the problem with Rhode Island was not what was said, but what wasn't.

Vale Frederick W. Smith, who was the founder of Federal Express Cargo Services, who died June 21, 2025, and may a million Simulation flights be made in his honour.

See you all Next Month

Stephen Dutton

2 July 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

It is not the first time, and it will happen again. But for a developer to abandon a scenery project it still comes with a surprise. I am talking about FlightSim's 20/24 here, but the same scenery could have been also ported to X-Plane as the developer has product on both platforms, so the loss is still relevant.

We are talking about VerticalSim in canceling Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport scenery for MSFS 2020/2024. There are a few KFLL's around but are mostly now starting to date from early XP11. The take is that before embarking on any new project, the developer will do a fair amount of study and review the market before starting, certainly they will make sure it has all the main basic elements available before proceeding, the exit notes include...

"The ever-rising expectations for Microsoft Flight Simulator sceneries, their lack of reference material for the airport, and shifting market demands have made the project non-viable and impractical to continue"

Was this the real reason for the cancellation of the project? so we need to break this down. First FLL is in the middle of a commenced construction on Terminal 5, with a new two-level pedestrian bridge that will connect Terminal 5 to Terminal 4, Terminal 3 is due as well for an upgrade as well. But the developer would have been aware of these plans well before commencing the project. Also developers like ShortFinal Design do a mid-term upgrade, position a rough construction site on the area being developed, then producing the full completed upgrade when the design is finalised and the full details are available. Purchasers are aware of this when the scenery is released, usually you then get a free update to the full completed scenery.

So yes VerticalSim can say they have a lack of reference with the current airport's development, but it doesn't wash, as per the reasons above. However VerticalSim could say that FS 20/24 EXPECT the full product including the changes from the release date, so that aspect can be attributed to the market, X-Plane users see development as a rolling evolution than the more fanatical FS brotherhood.

The note of "ever-rising expectations" is more to the core of the reason. Probably users in wanting more and more at a lower and lower cost, you can note here a very, very crowded market all fighting for the same dollar value. But a lot of those early 2020 prices were very unreasonable (a lot was priced well under the US10 marker), that were subsidised by Microsoft to build the platform. To a point this marketing strategy damaged the commerce everywhere including in X-Plane, as scenery was devalued below cost and it even drove a lot of developers out of the market, but early FS 2020 developers took the money then, and that has come back to haunt then now in wanting post Covid inflationary prices.

When prices on all platforms went back to cost, then users were now addicted to unrealistic prices, but the market was now overloaded already, and you are going to lose money no matter what you did. Yes the market is big in FS land, but you still are facing a lot of volume available on the market, even I couldn't support or pay out for an increasingly over saturated market. So how will they make money out of this.

As noted this also decimated the X-Plane scenery market as cross-platform users expected the same prices. In that vein we wondered how cross-platform projects would fair. In context there has not been as many cross-platform scenery sharing that we (I) expected, there are some, but not at the volume that it really could be.

Mostly I am going to attribute that to the Laminar Research. With the limitations of X-Plane's poor and dated ground textures, cross-over quality scenery struggles to be intergrated or can't be easily adopted to the dated system. So in reality developers can't still share scenery costs over multiple platforms, which means X-Plane is usually the platform to miss out. But give X-Plane scenery developers credit here, they hung on and delivered exceptional work, and work that deserves to be rewarded.

Over the last year quality X-Plane scenery has been far better than I expected, and a lot more volume delivered than that I had wished for, so the platform considering all the massive thrashing has survived the onslaught, we are a minority Simulator platform, but we are a good solid minority Sim platform that is stable.

Which brings us to the FlightSimExpo 2025, 27–29 June at the Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence, USA, four weeks away. X-Plane version releases are usually the biggest events in our world. But the FlightSimExpo is a yearly barometer of Simulation. Last years Las Vegas was an excellent show, so I'm expecting a bonanza event soon from RI June 25.

After the shocking arrival of MSFS 2024 there are currently no announcements of Microsoft/Asobo Studios at the Expo, but they will be there in force, but the atmosphere will also be an interesting one, as yes the platform now has been stabilised, but have the punters been pacified or willing enough to change from 2020 to 2024.

But I doubt we will be having the overhyped announcements of the past years Expos burning our ears, they over committed and under delivered with 2024, with Laminar you have at least consistent development, yes they drop the spanner a few times, but their record is pretty solid in promising what they announce.

Laminar Research are only doing an announcement this year, no seminars, usually around 20 minutes.... Laminar will have two stands with Workshops (including Austin Meyer) and a X-Rave X-Plane Party! (be there or be square).

But that 20 Minutes or so will be interesting late Friday 27th. We are expecting the announcement of the Laminar Store and the changes that aspect will deliver to the Simulator. But otherwise Laminar have been very successful in their coverage of the last years road map to date as they have delivered pretty well everything they announced last year and more, and on a very tight timetable. For that, then expect a lot of American "High Fives", but Laminar really have a lot to be happy about and the confidence should be flowing this year.

But what of a newer future roadmap. We are aware that the "Next Gen" of scenery was the next major development for the X-Plane Simulator, and the question is that will it come later this year? or will it be the cornerstone of X-Plane 13. This is already the third year of X-Plane 12, and Laminar will have to soon start the development of XP13, time goes quickly as those two development years will go quickly. But if the announcement of the NEXT GEN scenery is coming sooner to XP12, then the feature list for XP13 will be more open and interesting... hopefully a few details might slip out. Yes it is early days, but Laminar will still want to project a future with FlightSim 2024 in mind.

X-Plane 12 was a golden reset for X-Plane, it fixed a lot of decade old issues and rebuilt Simulation's biggest asset, the weather system. This one feature is about as complex as you can imagine, even now it is still under development, but the results are there, with great lighting conditions and realistic cloud formations already on your desktop, still work to do obviously, but Laminar also still have time to get it right.

So this Expo is the crossroads moment, the past mostly completed, and now to roll out what it is in the future. Laminar may hold all their cards close to their chest, but they can't leave an empty void either. Closing the gap to FS 2024 is important right now, as that scenery announcement above notes as the NEXT GEN scenery can radically change the Simulator's perspective towards FS 2024, X-Plane could never challenge FS24 visuals, but in areas it could be far more realistic and making X-Plane more acceptable to the bigger audience.

And cross-platform products can make Simulation more profitable, no more "Them and Us", but developers can share the developments. The biggest challenge for X-Plane is dropping the "hobby" factor, and in the need for growth to move forward and to increase it's marketshare dramatically, as 13.1% of the Simulation world is currently too low. X-Plane should be more accessible for realistic Simulation, widen the scope.

The 2025 Expo needs to be the reset that X-Plane Simulator needs, as we are in a far different place than only 12 months ago, and other Simulator users need to be aware of the changes, be shown the differences, enjoy the show.

X-PlaneReviews will bring you a full analysis of the Expo 25

A small note, the release of the Just Flight/Thranda BAe 146 Pro for X-Plane 12 was more of a relief than expected. The aircraft was actually a surprise given that the line between continuing the development or cancelling the project was extremely fine. This also was the fine line on if other similar projects would be also transitioned to the X-Plane platform, if the 146 was cancelled, then other projects would have been cancelled as well. We fought for it and Thranda delivered, and thankfully it will become a regular favorite, but it shows the fine line over a lot of projects, just ask VerticalSim.

See you all next month, happy flying!

Stephen Dutton

31st May 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

When flying the other day, the thoughts came of why do we use Simulation? (you have plenty of time to think like this at 33,000ft). It's an odd business really if you think about it, sitting in front of a computer watching a computer screen with an aircraft powering through the sky for hours on end. There is nothing to do but to watch the time go by, or to just take notes to pass the time and again sitting watching the Nautical Miles tick by. I'm talking about Long Haul here, but most flights still means at least a few hours basically doing nothing but watching time pass by?

I have done this for 13 Years now, still messing about with planes on a computer screen, as said, it's an odd business. But I am now more immersed in this Simulation caper more than ever.

I write about this "Doing nothing" as well, enough to fill up most days of mostly months, for months and years on end. But I love it...

It is not easy either? X-Plane is a massive amount of very different elements all having to work perfectly together to make that Simulation Flight work, in most cases you spend more time just updating and resetting the Simulator and just to get it to all work correctly, in fact the downtime sometimes exceeds by a huge amount of the Uptime of the actual flying. So yes I do reviews, and that does add in a fair amount of extra work that the average Simulator punter does not do.

You can of course just load up the Cessna 172SP, pick a runway and off you go. These are very simple flights, just plotting a route as you go along and then finding somewhere to land, no pressure and just enjoying the ride. Obviously there are those Simmers that will blast their way around the sky in a military jet or a fancy fast plane, even some weird aircraft, that is okay as well. But if you get to the commercial recreation stage, then it gets more serious.

Programming a real life service route can take a fair bit of time before you can actually head for a runway, reflecting again the real world operations of Briefing, Fueling, adding Cargo and Passengers, the whole carbuncle in recreating real world operations.

This is not a jump in and fly scenario (unless your using ToLiss's great save (a past setup flight) feature). As most commercial aircraft now require a lot of pre-flight settings, get it wrong and its like snakes and ladders (mostly snakes), in that you have to reprogramme in the whole lot in again from go. Get a buggy or beta aircraft and that can not only get very time-consuming, but frustrating as well in reprogramming the same thing over and over ad nauseam.

The core of X-Plane or Simulation is basically training. Either for your PPL (Private Pilots Licence) or practising if you have already to earnt your wings. This aspect is the central part of Simulation, as even in the real world were they bungle off pilots to do a refresher course, line checks or do recurrent training every 6–12 months, again done in a simulator.

Is today's desktop Simulation as good as the official licenced systems? looking back to earlier X-Plane (ten years) the answer is a resounding no, even laughable, but we were then still starting out on the journey. Now that same question is actually debatable, and pilots of commercial aircraft use home based Simulators to cover checks and run procedures. We like to say we can fly the real thing, certainly the gung-ho types that will never take no for an answer, but I did sort of test this theory.

A few years ago you could buy Simulator time, or there was a business that had an old Simulator that you could go for rides in, takeoff and land in an hour's flight, more amusement park than official, but still it was a fully fledged Boeing 737-800 Simulator, obviously I wanted to give it a go.

I told the operator that I wanted at the start at a turn-around and not a full cold & dark situation, from then on it was to be just me, unless I asked a question. I am paying the money after all and at AUS$200 per hour (two hours), he shook his head then said okay, at least I wasn't one of those on a joyride and then screams when an alarm went off.

First instance was that I didn't have my comfort zone. No computer screen in front of me with my own set controls set up at the desk, this was a proper Boeing 737-800 cockpit, your in a pilot's seat with real controls, so at first it took a few minutes to orientate myself, twiddle knobs, throttle, yoke twisting and feeling out the rudder pedals... even setting the seat correctly to the bemusement of the operator.

The secondary point of this exercise was to translate the Simulator experience back to the desktop environment (or reverse engineer the situation) to make my daily Simulation as close as the real world version. If your not always flying fighter jets, then a good yoke/joystick, but the Honeycomb Bravo throttle is the way to go. As we all don't have the space and money for a full Simulation kit out, but I will say the trend in the last few years for 3rd party addons in instrumentation has reduced costs enormously and has now created a far, far bigger range past just the standard joystick/throttle/rudder pedal earlier products, and yes I am looking forward to the 2025 Expo to see what they bring out this year, as last year the products in Vegas were simply amazing, but back to the B737 Simulator.

He sat in the Co-Pilots seat, just waiting, then I started, asking him route and aircraft performance details. I was restricted to the joyride routes, but that was okay as it was an hour's flight from Brisbane (BNE) were the Simulator was based to Sydney (SYD). But once started it was actually quite easy to do all the setup procedures, using the guy as my First Officer, oddly after a few minutes he fell into the role play and the setup went extremely well. But he did note a few things out that were not on the X-Plane Simulation that were in the real life Boeing FMC (Flight Management Computer) and what they did, to which I took notes. But these were very small items in larger scheme of things. I was lucky to a point because they used a dummy Briefing for the flight, in most cases the operator noted he usually waved in front of the guest and said what it was, but I actually understood the details of the Briefing (thanks SimBrief) and he was very impressed by that, odd details like CI (Cost Index) and Takeoff Preferences came from a laptop. But there was a lot more emphasis on the weather, and we talked a lot about that aspect, and had to use the real weather details of the day (a learning curve). Again thanks to Navigraph there is now more weather details than what was available on that day, but I now understand and studied this aspect more now as for it was part of this Simulator experience... we were ready to go.

The controls were far, far heavier than I expected, but the feel aspect was an amazing experience, it harder to see out as well, but you adjust. We did the engine startup procedures, and in most cases they never did a checklist with kids or teenagers, but he thankfully did the whole procedure with me. ATC was pretty basic, in fact it was just a background noise effect as again for most joyriders in that they didn't understand it. The operator was kind in that he noted each ATC command and what to do, as if I didn't know my way around Brisbane's Airport Chart, of which I did.

So there I was taxiing a fully Simulated Boeing 737-800 down taxiway A towards Rwy 01R with a huge grin on my face, it was serious fun and I had a real tiller to control, to a point that the moment was a culmination of years of home based Simulation flying, now translated to a real Simulator, clock on, and throttles up (heavier than I thought) you really have to push them forward and at v2 I rotated a Boeing into the air.

This is the moment you dream of, leaving the ground, flying in a real moving Sim and not just being deskbound, and it can be disorienting at first, but you can now see and feel what the real deal is.

Like with all current computer Simulation that translates the real world operations, the workload you realise is very high. In the (my) early X-Plane days you mostly just concentrated on the physical flying aspect, but today that aspect is very, very different.

I watch a lot of You Tube videos of real world operations, note the details of how and when the real guys to what and when, then duplicate those procedures into the Computer Simulation, and it's hardwork, you can now understand why pilots are restricted to certain operational flying hours, flying drains your brain like nothing else with the immense concentration load you have to do. Your simply buggered most times when you have landed and shutdown, the FlightFactor Boeing 777 v2 is incredibly immersive in this context, Concorde is another level again.

My first approach in a real ground based Simulator was a daunting moment, but you just let the experience and skill kick in. I didn't totally hand fly the Boeing into YSSY 16L, but used the ILS to help with the guidance and altitude of the Simulator. I knew I needed practise to cover that aspect, and told the operator so and why, first time in and I was not going to cover myself into an undignified failure by bouncing myself down 16L and straight into Botany Bay. I played it safe and did a reasonable landing and decent roll-out. The operator was impressed for a first time try. We spent the next hour outside talking about the experience, Paul was an ex-Airline pilot, and yes they get aviation fans wanting to have a go all the time.

He did note that he didn't particularly like Simmers, as they could be hard work in the Simulator, but he noted he did find me interesting, even easy as I was prepared and knew what to do, so he actually found the experience quite acceptable, certainly my reasons and approach.

So your memory is a great tool, and like mentioned a huge amount of experience gained that day was reverse engineered back in to my usual layout, honestly it added even more work than ever to replicate a real service flight, and would I do that day again? well certainly, but I would like to try an Airbus next time.

So we keep working and living the ultimate dream to fly aircraft, and I think that cost wise (although a lot of users will scoff at this) for what you get in return, it is pretty good value today in recreating the complete experience on a desktop, you wonder how much better it can get, but it does, and as that day resolved in me realising how much the real and artificial are closing in together. It's not just the physical controls, but the deep "Study" Simulations that are now available to you. Like mentioned, I never thought that it would get this clever and complex, it is in reality a dream realised, for those that could never fly.

X-PlaneReviews are still working on the site, and yes you may still see changes and new ideas coming still. We finally fixed our animated header, and are still looking at different concepts to get the best new look that we can, but it is coming along, thanks for your patience, I hope you like it.

See you all next month

Stephen Dutton

5th May 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

A few years ago a developer tried to change the basic rules of the purchase of a Simulation aircraft. The idea was to let the users in on a deal, that for a payment, you could gain "Early Access" to a developing product, it was a clever way to get around the standard testing regime of a few assigned testers that had access to early Alpha and Beta models. Then by using the crowd method to focus on and find faults, bugs whatever in the early design stages. This aspect can be a very good one as seen in being used by FlightFactor with their Boeing 777v2, even I participated within the rules of this system to report faults and issues with the Boeing.

Those early users also got a discount (a small one) for this same early access program. That is fine when it works correctly, although I do think the Alpha and Beta stages of development went on too long with this non-expert testing. Unlike dedicated testers who were very good at homing in on issues and reporting them quicker, so shorting the development process to months and not years. The problem with... although a lot of the crowd users are very good, even many very professional in their abilities, a lot were not, and in usually bringing up the same or non-existent issues that wasted developers time, so you get the benefits and detriments at the same time with this system.

Another developer that does "Early Access" is vSkyLabs, noting that every purchase is "an ongoing development". But you don't get an Alpha or even a Beta in the early release, as most of vSkyLabs aircraft are already fairly all rounded in their performance, bugs and issues. In reality the Early Access here is more about the on-going refinement than new development issues, so they are usually very solid aircraft with very few issues, the bonus here is that there are very few upgrade costs either, as most are always updated free of charge, "Early Access" here is really the wrong label in the context of the quality of the released aircraft.

A large percentage of developers will put the aircraft out early, saying up front when there are bugs and refinements needed for the wider community involvement. ToLiss, X-Crafts and Rotate all fall into this category, but fixes and refinements come very quickly over the next few weeks or months. It is again not what you would call "Early Access".

Paying early for access to a development has now become the normal, more than in the past of tested release products. Apple Computer started this wide public testing caper, the original idea was to find the faults quicker and fix them, but they now have more returned to the more focused Beta testing before releasing a product or updating the software, why, again like with FlightFactor, there was just too many imbecile comments to wade through and waste time fixing. One good beta tester is worth a hundred others, as they know the product and understand where to look and identify problems.

Overall "Early Access" development is a good idea, for one it has an outside benefit of creating early funds to help with on going costs, and pretty well the main reason most developers do it this way. Instead of waiting two or three years for any remuneration, you will get with a limited release working money when you release the project early to be tested, or still deep into development. The problem is when it goes wrong?

One project was on to this "Early Access" caper very early in the development process. Initially asking US$25, then $40 odd dollars, and now to the current full price US$55.95 (which is always on sale in one form and another). The core of the project was a PlaneMaker design, so X-Plane basic, at that time it was a Freeware Project. They went Pro, so to speak, and brought in an Early Access cost ($25) to redo the product commercially. Luckily the product was one that every one wanted, so that gathered interest and money for the developer.

To a point, being part of something like a big project is exciting, you are giving feedback and help to create something exciting to use. From that aspect, certainly with a low entrance fee, your enthusiasm is going to be a pretty high one.

I will note that the project has delivered a fair amount of features and certainly the (revisionary) quality of the original aircraft, it does look good. So if you looked at the price, usually around the $45 mark (with the usual discount), your expectation of a return of a quality US$75 aircraft, then that would make your initial investment a very good deal.

The problem was, and I had odd feelings from the start on the whole situation in taking so much money upfront and saying "Welcome to the ride". Yes the updates came, sometimes four or five a year, then they dropped to twice a year, then an odd one now and again, seven years now and yes I do acknowledge that they still did release another update fairly recently. So the project is still active and delivering.

But the problem is that after all this time, you still don't actually have a decent aircraft to fly, certainly not an aircraft to the value of $75. The core of the issue is not all the fancy new features, but that basically the dynamics are poor, to a point the problems are still very attached to their PlaneMaker roots, the promised custom FMS (Flight Management System) has also been promised for years, and there is still no sign of that either. So when an update is released with more fanfare, 90% of the comments are "yes very nice, but I can't actually fly it" and certainly not in a "Study" aspect.

Other developers are also guilty of this reverse engineering. Throwing in more and more features to keep the money coming in, but in not actually addressing the basic requirements and polishing the dynamics to be realistic. It should be the other way around? make the project fly right, then add in the nice stuff later. The reality of the so called marketing approach is a diminishing reward for your hard work, Pro users will overlook in wanting to fly these sort of aircraft, and chose other aircraft that delivers flight dynamic realism. That is because I do, and my Simulation friends do also. Because basically that is what Simulation is all about, not having a new nice fancy wine cabinet in the cabin.

Developing aircraft for Simulation is a very difficult objective, there are so many different elements to get right to make it all work, creating that "feeling" of all the gears working together as one. So get one area not refined or working correctly, and you instantly know. So the learning curve is vertical if you are new to developing. We are never going to criticise a first development, but sure point out the weakness, as it is an ongoing learning process. But when a developer consistently keeps missing or not in fixing the basics, then you have a problem. To a point that shouldn't happen today...

A decade ago 90% of aircraft came out of PlaneMaker, and the talented ones pushed the boundaries of that tool. PlaneMaker is still the hidden join that makes every aircraft fly in X-Plane, it is the unseen transpiler to the Simulator's core code, but still only on a basic level of the transition.

Most dynamic problems come from developers that were taught on PlaneMaker, created PlaneMaker aircraft. But that aspect was also already in transition that same decade ago to plug-in dynamics. So naturally after mastering PlaneMaker, you want to create much more dynamic aircraft, or realistic modeling. This wave of innovation swept away a whole generation of developers, initially seriously talented in PlaneMaker, but the transition to plug-in dynamics was a sea they couldn't cross, certainly not when you had developers coding plug-ins from the off. The sad aspect for users is all that lost aircraft, great wonderful designs. We have far fewer today than the heady days of yore, not a bad thing as today's Simulations are masterpieces of coding, as much as I deeply love them, I don't want to go back there. But the developers that have struggled the most are ones that try to use PlaneMaker dynamics or have converted PM dynamics in the current arena. As a Reviewer I know instantly when that is the case, the feel is very distinctive, it also marks the product down a few notches immediately, because in reality, and in the long run that new product will never fly (pun intended).

I know a bunch guys in that together we compare notes. "what about this one?" the reply is usually "nah, flies terrible mate" (usually an Australian), again over the year I will ask again "did you try that update on so, so's aircraft" the reply, "Nah still don't like it mate". So you won't get past them, once that aircraft gets a reputation, it is very hard to win that confidence back again.

The smart developers will quickly notice the weakness. They don't yet have the skills to master this very difficult dynamic area. But there are skilled masters out there that will come (for a fee) and fine tune your product, make it fly so to speak. People like X-Aerodynamics can tune your aircraft and make it fly realistically, so there is no point in doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, but some developers for some reason just don't fix the basics.

The Moral of this editorial is that the hidden Flight Dynamics are your biggest selling point, so they should be your No. 1 feature, yes they are hidden, yes to a point not very exciting to market to the punter. But believe me, those few moments when I start a review, and that aircraft delivers the feedback required, "It's a pass", and I will personally fly it for my own pleasure over and over again, in any textbook that sells product. Those who ignore the basics and don't fix them will not be successful in the long term, but you will be very surprised on how many just don't get this aspect of Simulation.

To do the FlightFactor v2 Engine Mod review, I stepped again back into the "Triple Seven" after six months. To a point I was a little intimidated by the aircraft. The learning curve for FlightFactor's masterpiece is massive, it goes up and up and keeps on going up. Doing the original review took three weeks, yes "3 weeks!", so much to learn and so much detail to cover. That said, you have to compress your learning into a tight time frame, and yes that aspect gets stressful. As I don't have the time to spend lazy days "Studying" the aircraft, so are extreme high limits of modern Simulation flying.

I can fly complex aircraft, Rotate's amazing MD-11 Series, Felis Boeing 747-200... even Concorde, but the FlightFactor 777 is an apex aircraft. Oddly it was actually a smooth transition back into the left seat, better is that I had my Honeycomb Bravo throttle (and flap kit) with custom commands this time around, I also didn't just do the Engine Expansion Mod Review, (the reason for going back into the 777 cockpit) but then carried on flying more and more sectors, and then ended up in Japan!

The Triple Seven v2 has been extremely reliable, no nasty CTD crashes, although I did retry a second go in relanding at Dubai, and the saved Situation was hard to put the aircraft back in sky, in always restarting on the ground... experience says I know how to reset the saved flight to the correct altitude/heading, but it's a bug... a reported bug, but not a reported fixed bug? Another (really) annoying bug is the "Insufficient Fuel" warning in the Flight Management System. Yes reported, but ignored? But why does drive you so mad, when you did the right thing and did set the correct fuel load before setting up the flightplan in the first place? and those window shades? yes you have to turn the auto setting off, then go to the cabin, then turn on the Auto setting again so you can see your wings from the cabin. bugs, small annoyances...

As an Simulation the FlightFactor v2 is extraordinary achievement, now settled and I do reinforce the process of practising, repeating the experience, as with every flight the B777v2 is coming closer to me, becoming easier (except the ground operations, which are hopelessly complicated). Now relaxed on the flight deck I can ask for a coffee, even a meal... that is a lot of fun for an experienced long-hauler. But it is the shear interaction and the ultra realism of the aircraft Simulation that you have to admire, so much is coming at you.

Landing in Dubai was beyond a simulation, I have been doing this Simulation caper for a awhile now, but I was working very hard in that cockpit on that day, it was like watching a real cockpit video, only it was me in the seat, me twiddling the (Honeycomb Bravo) knobs, setting the speed, altitude, vertical speeds, yes all very common, but it was another level again of on how high now we do our simulation. Of course once done I wanted the same experience again, then again, and I know I am addicted to that thrill of even thinking of doing it again... I have never done that before. So have we moved into another higher plane (no pun intended), the dream now realised.

Have a Happy Easter and we will be back at the end of next month.

Stephen Dutton

1st April 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

X-PlaneReviews has had a makeover, yes it's different, and yes more modern in format, more in with today's style on the internet. In any broadcasting medium you need a refresh, a rebrand or even a new look to be consistently relevant. Over the last decade that X-PlaneReviews have been publishing reviews, we have done this refresh about 3 times, the last now about four years ago. Hotels notably refresh every six years, so do cruise liners... but media changes even more abruptly and more often. Even though the internet is only 30 years old, it feels like it has been around for a lot longer it is now so embed into our daily lives, and the changes visually and interactively are now quite significant from those early Netscape Browsers.

X-PlaneReviews have been thinking that we needed a new face and a change for a while now, being all already in the middle of the 2020's, oddly it is harder than you think to come up with a new design, yes there are thousands of different themes to use and pick from, but every viewpoint is different, and in most cases you need something that fits your own style and layout. I think the old column listing worked well, so we were not willing to change to far from that approach.

X-PlaneReviews uses the Invision Community system, a good system with plenty of backup. But was also quite restricting in the way you could layout pages and columns and add in features, you could even call it basic in it's approach compared to other systems like Wordpress. So basically we were restricted creatively in the past on what we could do.

Invision has been busy as well, maybe they also saw the same restrictive design of their system. So they have created and released v5. In truth it is a very different system and from the layouts of v4 and the earlier versions, the problem with that a leap to a completely new style and design, you lose somethings that are great, but also gain other new elements that can benefit your site, the balance is that one side has to totally outweigh the other to make the change.

Another aspect was security. If you are aware of the current world, you would know that online security is basically a daily war between your security and the bad actors wanting to gain control of your data, on your own it was getting more and more difficult to secure your servers, overall the .Org has been exceptionally good on these data attacks, but never say never, so you need more protection and security to safeguard your data. 2025 is not the early 2000's any more, back then it was a more freewheeling world with trust as a big part of the world view. But now data is freemoney, something to be stolen and traded, even used to blackmail you for your own product (hard work) and user access and their details.

Speed is another reason, downloading large images takes time, and the new system is faster in downloading, uploading files and images, so we can be a bit more liberal in what we want to display.

So this was a change on the site for many reasons. A new style and format that allowed you more flexibility and better options with the v5 tools. By moving the site from a local server to the cloud, we also get better security, but more safeguards on the data (called backups). Yes we always covered our data in case of accidents or 3rd world actions, and even weather events. But today you certainly need more security and data recovery than in the past.

Invision are also now more involved in site updates (earlier done by the .Org tech Mark). So updates will happen as soon as they are published, keeping the site more up to date with the latest features and update changes. So there was a lot of reasons to change.

With change comes... well it changes. Overall we now have a much more modern site and layout, but everything is still currently a "work in progress". As with any project there were problems that mostly have been already addressed, but we are also not where we want to be yet either. There are formatting issues that still need to be addressed, odd areas that have to be also sorted to before the site is where we want it to be... we thank you of course as a lot of the reviews are currently disjointed, but fixes are coming all the time, and honestly there were more issues to cover than we expected, but Reviews and NEWS! items are going out and we are finding that the site is now more on an even keel.

But there are huge benefits as well... the new style is far more easier on the eye with post icons, put your cursor over a review and it will pop-out to give you an immediate view of the post, easy for a quick overview of the contents... videos will now centre to the page and adjust to the page size, an annoyance that drove me mad, and also restricted a lot of video content on the site. But there is a lot more coming... currently we have only the three threads running, but v5 does give you a huge amount of new features and choices. I was never happy (with the old restrictions) on the lower part of the page, basically in the past we just filled it with images, but now there will be a more better compromise as v5 will allow that aspect, those new items will come over the next few months, and in making X-PlaneReviews a more rounded site.

So it's all change, and at the moment a change for the better in many ways. Again we thank you for your support, and hope you love the new ideas and format in X-PlaneReviews.

Stephen Dutton

1st March 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : January 2025

I wrote in Behind the Screen January 2024, on how of the start of a New Year, I rebuild my X-Plane Application to a clean new version or install a new "vanilla". A major house clean out you could say ready for the new season. I have done this for about six years now, and at the end of 2024, the "2024" version was getting a bit sluggish and throwing up small errors.

So the day after New Years Day, I started the annual process, downloaded a second copy and started the rebuild of X-Plane from the ground up. It didn't take long after the Laminar download had finished, as in about two hours later I was done, mostly resetting connections to the new "2025" version in the third party applications and filing away the non running aircraft and backing it all up, ran X-Plane to check then walked away happy.

It was pretty busy over the Christmas and New Year season this year in X-Plane releases and quite a few updates, no one really took anytime off, so there was a lot to catch up on early in the new year. I had expected to restart on the 6th, but was already posting on the 3rd.

But running X-Plane (2025) it didn't feel right, in fact it was a sluggish mess, barely running in the low 20's of framerate, it was slowing down my work output, and frustrating me no end. I could not understand or see why it was not running better, the idea of a refresh IS to make the application cleaner and more efficient to use, but this version was the opposite of most of the previous years new installations. Was it me, not yet in the groove?

When you step out for a short while (I had an extra week off to visit relatives), then you need to get back into your groove, so was I just a little rusty, I don't think so, but into the first week of January 2025, I was being very distracted by a coughing, stuttering Simulator...  It drove me nuts.

Secondly was my Saitek X-56 throttle was also driving me nuts as well (I was groaning about it even back in Jan 24), it was already only working on one (sticking) lever which I have now suffered for several years, ghosting was another issue, and flickering lights. "Enough" I cried and reached for my credit card, and outlaid a ridiculous sum of money (even with a sales discount) on a Honeycomb Bravo Throttle system, but more about that later.

There is nothing more distracting than something that is not working correctly, so I pulled out my earlier X-Plane 2024 version and re-rebuilt that to get it working again, so I could work. It did run, and far better than the 2025 installation, now I say, that shouldn't happen, they are supposed to be identical X-Plane installations, but both versions were quite different in the way they loaded the Simulator, and different when using it...  head scratching time?

What to do next? well it was to throw away another complete day and do another X-Plane copy download, reset the applications and try again. This "2025 v2" was another reset, and thankfully it worked fine, framerate lifted and the efficiency came back, I was back in business!

But what was the cause? I got a clue a week later, because I was faced with another dilemma. Setting up a flight, all my TrafficGlobal (Just Flight) aircraft just disappeared? no reason "poof" gone! and there was suddenly no activity on the App's schedules. So here you were again downloading and installing the application, three times, and it was still as dead as a New Zealand dodo. Went to the JustFlight forums (very nice there) but after two days Simon and myself were still completely baffled on why the application absolutely refused to work? God give me a break...

When trying fixes, the first thing you do is pull out plugins, which I did, but most of my plugins are well tested over the years, but I did it anyway...  nope not that. Next is you pull out your old preferences, and so I rebuilt my preferences from scratch, and suddenly as mysteriously as they went away, my TrafficGlobal schedules started working again and the airports became populated with aircraft, TG was back in business, but preferences? even Simon couldn't work that one out?

There was another preference bug. This one is associated with the weather, or "Real Weather". X-Plane was not reading the GRIP files correctly (again), and that was creating a stutter, or cycling of the framerate, again making the Simulator hard to use and feeling it was dragging itself through the mud, if "real" weather was heavy, then the Simulator was reacting to that, it was created a download preference that always gave you heavy thick weather that chewed up your framerate, even if you resorted back to a manual setting? the earlier setting still sat there and just ruined your efficiency in the background, and my guess was the cause of the poor performance of "2025 v1". You will be be very happy to know that the issue (GRIB) has been fixed in X-Plane 12.1.4. release. But how long has has that nasty bug been sitting there, ruining your flying hours, sending you mental with frustration.

But you gut feeling is what you go on. You know instinctively that the Simulator is not performing as it should, the poor framerate is part of the clue, but the "Real" weather has been one of the consistent headaches since the start of X-Plane 12, a hidden changeable variable from one Simulation to the next. Hopefully X-Plane 12.1.4 has refined "Real" weather, It feels certainly more stable, and flights are now more within the proper numbers, a test is FlyTampa's EHAM - Schiphol with it's usual heavy weather, and currently it has passed the test with flying colours. 

Only with the X-Plane 12.1.4 beta update, my X-Plane Application is now working as normal, three weeks into the month. the Simulator is a complex living thing, and saved preferences can help you, or it will totally ruin your Simulation life. It is alive this code!

As noted I bought the Honeycomb Bravo Throttle Unit, to replace my Saitek X-56 Throttle. I have been loyal to Saitek or Logitech as it is now known, but I will be honest, both systems in the X52 and X56 are not what I would call reliable, a worn wire in the X52 joystick head ruining that tool, as you couldn't repair it, then the trials and tribulations of the X56. I always found the throttles too draggy (yes the friction adjustment was set low), but the lever movement was unreliable and poor when trying to fly fine movements, as I used the throttle as a Helicopter collective (set to reverse), and for the fine adjustment for throttle control on landings, then one lever gave up working, unless you pulled the USB out and reinserted it, and yes tried everything to fix it, higher voltage USB ports, even a separate USB power board, to try to give it the excessive power it consumed to keep it active. In the end I just gave up and used the single (left) lever as my overall throttle, but even then it was troublesome, flickering, unreliable data to the Simulator, drove me nuts! As a statement the X56 spring joystick is annoying as well, I use as much fine grease as I can to make it deliver smooth inputs, it's draggy on the centre column, making smooth turns and takeoff pitches jittery, and in making your skilled flying look like a 1st rate amateur. I can't replace both (Joystick and Throttle) at this point, so this over greased up tool will have to soldier on for a while.

The Honeycomb Bravo is a nice bit of kit, but it is a complex system. If you set it up for just one type of equipment, say a twin-engine aircraft, then it is not bad to quickly use. But there are the various choices even for a "Twin", an Airbus A320 setup, doesn't quite fit a B737 setup, then a A350, and the biggie, the FlightFactor B777v2.

All close but not exactly the same layout, then the Dash 8 (FlyJSim) has twin throttles and twin mixtures, then it gets complicated with the gate for reverse and cutoff positions. Single engine aircraft can all be set up in various ways, like the excellent Thranda PC12, this machine has a mixture and throttle combined, and a separate PROP lever, then a Cessna can have two knobs or three, then the standard layout, Throttle, PROP and Mixture,then moving up you can have three throttles for the Rotate MD-11P and MD11F (brilliant BTW), and then the big four engine layouts, ToLiss A340 and Felis B742, again slightly different configurations are required to make it work correctly. I haven't yet sorted a Helicopter layout, with throttle and collective, or even say a V-22, with moving rotors.

The problem is that basically most aircraft require their own personal profile, yes a lot do overlap, but X-Plane has a very wide range of aircraft to absorb and configure. It takes time, and the physical adjustment to the various different layouts is quite different in use. Very good mind you.

But this was the easy part as you are familiar with the X-Plane settings. You also have to use something called a "HB Configurator Tool" (Config Tool). Were as the hardware throttle connects to your X-Plane settings, the Config Tool does the opposite in allowing X-Plane to talk to the throttle, in annunciators and using the Autopilot switches and knobs. Thankfully when you start the HB Config Tool, it has a load of defaults that cover the basic default settings (Thank God), but if you want to do a custom set up, then the App is quite complicated to understand and use. I have all the basics working that I need, but you need a university degree in coding to use it?

The upshot of all this...  is time. And just setting up basic throttle and lever layouts, for at the moment I have done about twelve aircraft which is slow work, plus every aircraft that I want to use, requires now it's own setup profile, talk about time consuming. Then flying that aircraft to see if the profile is working correctly. Adjustment to the protruding throttles is also a very different scenario than what I am used to, but make no mistake, the HB Throttle system is brilliant to use, but also very, very different than the HOTAS arrangement I am used to.

In most cases a budding pilot will use the HB Throttle in a usually a single setup to the aircraft of their choice, for me, I'm a reviewer, and cover a very wide range of aircraft and systems... I will be doing an "Unboxing Review" of the Honeycomb Bravo Throttle soon, well as soon as I work out a few of the custom HB Config settings...

So is January becoming a reset month and creating annual issues to be solved in resetting the X-Plane Simulator and all it's problems, now with trying to sort out new hardware. it's made for an interesting month, if with a lot of frustration and working through the issues, you have gotta love the simplicity of Simulation.

As you can see on the header, I did an interview with Dominic Smith. I am not one to exult my myself, and more so would just like to work in the background. But showing and revealing the people behind the scenes of the X-Plane.Org and X-PlaneReviews is very revealing of how much the X-Plane.Org is important to Simulation, and people behind the scenes that make it all tick, of which I think is overdue. It was revealing to myself as well, my life and in the way I have a habit of always working too much!

Welcome to 2025, see you all next month.

Stephen Dutton

1st February 2025

Copyright©2025 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : November 2024

To most Simulator users it is the flying dynamics and the reproduction of iconic aircraft that is their general focus. To relive, train or learn on how to fly a broad spectrum of aviation's greatest developments. From airliners past and present, General Aviation aircraft, Military, Helicopters and even the weird and wonderful contraptions that can fly through the air. But the environment that you fly in is important as well, and yes "I'm Talking about scenery again".

"Oh god I really wish this guy would move on from this", I can hear the groans from here, the foreheads banging on the desktops.

But it is important as X-Plane is in a critical stage of it's development, it is the biggest issue right now, and an important one to get right. There are other areas that need development in X-Plane, certainly Multi-player functionality and Multi-Threading are major priorities, but even Laminar Research are focusing very heavily on what they call "New Generation Scenery", and over the last few months, trickles of what NGS is now coming out.

And it is an interesting debate, and one that could make X-Plane a prime simulator. There is no doubt that the environment is the Microsoft Flight Simulator's 2020, and now 2024 is a main focus, you can't really call it a flying simulator, it just has planes and helicopters in it, but this is a gaming platform, full of experiences...  even now a career if you want one. That is fine, but the biggest attraction and one of which Microsoft promotes is this significant aspect of the environment...  and this is where it does get interesting.

If you want X-Plane to grow as a Simulator, then you have to embrace the fact that the environment around your aircraft is a major attraction to people who want to use a Simulator. But this aspect always has been X-Plane's biggest imperfection. Since the start of my Simulation involvement, the default scenery has been, well mostly....  crap.

I'm not talking about some of the excellent add-on scenery produced for the X-Plane Simulator, I'm talking about the basics here, and why X-Plane does not have a bigger audience, and some, if most will say, "Well we like it that way", fine, but that way will mean the decrease of investment, not only by user participation, but by the essential developers moving on to better conditions. I'm not going to go all depressed on you again, because actually X-Plane in development has had a very successful year, but the simulator has also lost a lot of talented talent that we couldn't afford to lose, worse it's not attracting talent either, whether you like it or not X-Plane has reached a milestone, that could flip it simply one way or the other. From one perspective it looks absolutely fine if you keep to the basics and use default Global Airports, and yes things at this point are far better than it was 12 months ago. But that crucial line is now more in important than ever, if X-Plane does not grow, and quite significantly over the next few years it will become only a marginal player in Simulation.

And we have to be realistic, in that the default Global scenery has always been a hindrance, limiting the expansion of the simulator. The change from X-Plane 9 to X-Plane 10 was a significant step forward, but except for the new excellent trees in X-Plane 12 there has been no progress for over a decade, were as every other component of the Simulator has had significant upgrades, all the way throughout X-Plane 11 and to XP12. Basically we still have the same two tier autogen and tile mapping, and although the mountainous frameworks are very good, at a ground level the basic low-res ground textures are basically the same as they have been for years. Add in the poor insertion of custom scenery, and those horrible wide green spaces between the default and custom elements on the mesh, and I still cringe every time I land at Tampa, Florida, with those wide green spaces were buildings should be, so I never ever really liked it for realism.

Worse is if you are flying over empty spaces, say the American Kansas west, plains or worse African Sahara, or in my case over Australia, the repetitive patterns (landclass) were all there to see, for hours on end, and those Saharan landscapes are horrible and actually won't fit into any custom scenery, yes there are always options, but this default aspect is not at all good.

I did a demonstration flight in a helicopter hardware simulator with a particularly large audience, it all looked totally brilliant until I landed on those washed out lo-res chunks of textures, I was actually embarrassed of the scene, this was supposed to be a professional simulator, here broadcasting to a crowd that were interested in buying pro hardware, but I could see the reality of X-Plane's weaknesses, and maybe at that moment it has been my overwhelming focus of being on a sort of crusade to fix the "Scenery Problem".

Ben Supnik joined Laminar Research to do the very original scenery for X-Plane 6 with the introduction of DSF (Direct Scenery Format) in XP8, and which also introduced global terrain data. Then Supnik created what you could call the 2nd Gen Scenery for X-Plane 10, this version introduced two other clever elements in using both Autogen to place buildings to the modeling of global terrain data and the OpenStreetMap (OSM) data to provide immersive and realistic landscapes. Remember this was 2011, and at that time is was an extremely big step forward. But OSM had limitations, as you were restricted to it's coverage, so in areas like Africa, South America, and certainly in non-western zones like China, suddenly the lights went out and all the buildings disappeared. Yes Laminar added in more autogen, taller buildings and small industrial areas, but overall it stayed very limited for over a decade, with only a few icons added in extra. alpilotx did do a more Hi-Res version of the original XP10 texture tiles, but he left X-Plane in 2016, since then there has been nothing.

These two areas are currently expanded in X-Plane by replacing the default autogen by using 3d buildings like in SimHeaven's X-World series, again the limitation is that it relies on the same OSM data as the default scenery. Secondly is the addon to use photorealistic terrain using satellite imagery, known as "Ortho" and the Ortho4XP tool. Believers standby these two tools to replace what X-Plane does not provide, but they do take a huge amount of your processing power and storage, overall they are not a perfect solution to the worldwide scenery issues.

Now Supnik is faced with his biggest challenge yet, to recreate the scenery system for a modern Simulator, and that aspect is harder than what you think. It's the "World" and not just the small play area that is recreated in Games of say around 30nm. In that small game area, it is quite easy to recreate sensational scenery for the characters, but when you have the massive expansive world to recreate, then this huge scale has so many different aspects to recreate. Okay I may be over hard on X-Plane scenery for what it currently does, as to a point it does recreate the world quite well, but a decade on the game has now shifted (no pun intended).

Although lauded, Microsoft's approach to scenery has it's limitations as well. For landclass it is very good, shapeshifting the world in all it's elements, but it has one massive deficiency, it is when you get close to the ground. The major issue is ground distortion, plus any buildings, but mostly bridges that have space below that are sheared in physically into the ground. If you are flying at a 1,000ft it is not a very realistic scenario, and this is an important aspect of VFR flying, yes the correct buildings are there, but basically they are all generated shapes.

X-Plane's approach in this case for VFR is actually better, but not expanded out to cover major detailed areas. So how do you fix this. The Ortho believers think their approach is the best, but Ortho is not great either, as in many areas the buildings are only burnt in, leaving flat photographic images. But at the same 1,000ft point of view the Ortho works best, as it looks photographically realistic, the problem here though is when you get close to the ground, because the flat photo plate and the island looking 3d buildings, again doesn't look realistic.

Like myself Ben Supnik does not like Ortho, his argument like mine is the burn effects, trees, buildings will always have shadows, cars are burnt into the roads and so on, so with the daily time scale of moving light it doesn't work. His work is to try to find a compromise between the Ortho detail, but with not the absolute photo effects errors, so like with our current ground textures it is the best compromise in realism.

So what new scenery aspects are coming? well better ground textures means new "Terrain Rendering". Laminar wants to cram in more and more stuff on a tile, make it more dense with data. So overall it looks like what Laminar are working on is a completely new and different approach in creating better ground detail, as at the moment the current DSF is not scalable, but NGS or also known as "Direct Scene Snapshot" (DSS) is highly scalable, also highly streamable, plus has better and faster loading properties.

But DSS will at first only be an alternative to DSF, as if it replaced DSF, it would render most of the current Custom Scenery library obsolete. One other feature of DSS is that it will allow for Ortho images to be streamed directly into the Simulator if users still want to use that point of view, The interesting aspect of this "Tile Streaming", is the "streaming" is currently a reference in how the data gets into the sim engine. But will that "Streaming" be local (in the computer), or externally like Microsoft does?

Well a bit of both. X-Plane Mobile is actually already a streaming Simulator, so X-Plane desktop is probably going to go the same way with cloud streaming (Amazon's AWS), but with the cache to download the areas that you want to fly in off-line. Instead of downloading the current large DSF tiles with data, the streaming DSS files will be far smaller, but broken up into immediate high data quality visuals, but lower res (data) for far distance visuals.

The trick is that Laminar are trying to do is have the best of both worlds, the photo aspect of Orthos, but without the problems of the format (flat and burn ins), so the idea is with these smaller DSS tiles is that they will also be non-repeating, or have no Landclass category, meaning that a single image will be in the future just not repeated over and over to represent the area (my pet hate), but to represent the photo aspects without the photograph, so you will get the best of both worlds, great ground detailing, without the shadows and minute that affects Ortho images, plus the tiles will perfectly reflect the area they represent. Is this the mythical solution?

The biggest challenge however is filling the world in. X-Plane will still use the autogen model, but probably expanded. The biggest success over the decade was SFD's (ShortFinal Designs) excellent SFD Global, that took the current duel (USA/European) autogen modeling and added in more regions to it around the world, so yes you can currently see Middle-eastern housing in Dubai, and Japanese housing in Japan, and Australia housing in Australia. 

Justin Kissling (mister-x, SFD) was already working on an expanded v2 of SFD Global, but has since been recruited by Laminar Research, this certainly means that SFD Global v2 will now be the default in X-Plane, plus in a far more expanded form, but what of those towns and cities?

This is still the biggest challenge facing X-Plane as a realistic VFR Simulator. I always like the autogen spread, with central custom city objects as a great way of doing this in a realistic scenario. In payware efforts were cities have been reproduced; New York, Washington, Seattle, London, Paris, even the excellent Orbx Brisbane and Detroit are excellent examples, the idea works well, the trick is to expand it worldwide to cover most if not if all major population centers. The problem is with custom city scenery is that it is very time-consuming to recreate, building by unique building, and annoyingly these city packages don't repay well for the developer's time consuming task. This is an area that could be redefined, could the new tools of A.I. build our custom cities for us? takeaway the overwhelming task of creating custom scenery... ten years ago this aspect was not possible, but it now may be realistic.

Ben Supnik notes that the new NGS scenery will be released is stages, and not completely all at once, so access will be available sooner than later, then the development will stretch out over time like with the Vulkan/Metal roadmap, so this a long term project more than the next X-Plane version journey, but certainly the NGS is coming more sooner than later, hopefully in 2025.

If done right, the above NGS development has the potential to revolutionise X-Plane as a Prime Simulator, it's an interesting take in that it is using all the best elements, and is discarding the negative ones, it will also make the Simulator even more efficient, but also in delivering an excess of a more visual detailing and a realistic environment for us to fly in. If you understand the concept, you will find it very exciting on what it can achieve... it is a vision of the future of realism in Simulation.

As usual there will be no December "Behind the Screen" 2024 issue, but our full yearly round up of the year 2024 review is to be published on 13th December 2024, so watch out for that.

 Behind the Screen : Year in Review 2024

Rereading back through my Behind the Screen edition in November 2023, I was obviously not a happy bunny. Frustrated after a long development year, that had gone backwards AND forwards, and at even one point the simulator hadn't even worked at all...  I was a bit of all over it. Someone suggested I go on holiday, so I did, for two weeks around the Pacific on a very nice cruise ship in February. It summed up the year I wanted to forget.

Laminar Research had also reached the same conclusion in 2023, with the Vulkan/Metal API transition also causing their own long term frustration, it coincided with the climbing high pressure outside from the MSFS 2020 juggernaut, the powers that be in South Carolina knew that something had to change and quickly, the price of X-Plane changed first, then later came a complete reset.

Laminar Research

The first X-Plane release came very, very early in 2024, 4th January in fact, with the release v12.09. This was a small global scenery update. In that the scenery had been re-rendered with slight improvements, but for the users it was a 86Gb download. Although Laminar had already announced that there would be a new X-Plane release numbering system for 2024. Then there was also the major shock at the X-Plane Simulator Developer's conference in Montreal 4th of February 2024, that the Simulator was getting built in Store like with Microsoft's Flight Simulator 2020/24.

The sudden announcement did not at all unite the developers to the Laminar cause, in fact it totally divided the conference, and in itself created a rolling discontent amongst the attendees, certainly when the news hit the forums, then all sorts of comments came out. The problem stems from the fact that the X-Plane.OrgStore provides the support for the X-Plane.Org, this X-PlaneReviews site depends on the .OrgStore for review product as well, so moving the monetary support from the .Org to Laminar's store would seriously upset the current delicate balance in the Simulator. Obviously a reaction to MSFS, but could the change do more damage to X-Plane than do actual good? like they say, "don't takeaway the hands that feeds you". To date the Laminar Store has currently still not gone live, and is still in development, so that aspect will have a big bearing on 2025.

The X-Plane's reset came with the release of the new numbering system release of v12.1.0 in mid-May. It also came with a fancy introduction page of new features, including a focus on Graphics with; Cloud shadows on water, Bloom lighting effects and finally RCAS (Robust Contrast Adaptive Sharpening), more changes included Multi-Sample Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) Improvements for the badly needed anti-aliasing improvements, and the MSAA resolution is now photometrically correct. The results were sensational, and it was the reset that X-Plane had badly needed.

The June 21-23, FlightExpo 2024 in Las Vegas was only a few weeks later...  there was a spring in the Laminar Research step, but the seminar was only 14 min long, not the usual hour or so. But they did produce a worthy presentation with both Austin and Ben (Supnik) both in attendance this year. Although MSFS had already announced FS2024 a year before, they again paraded out a long list of features that started to feel implausible, a lot again stolen from X-Plane. But the conference was a great success for Laminar, and in fact over 80% of the attendees were running X-Plane from boxes, as Microsoft couldn't stream well from the conference center.

Websockets was installed, and also announced as coming is "Synthetic Vision" for the G1000, with features of Terrain/Water, Obstacles, Navigation Aids and better performance. It all looks very comprehensive, plus weather radar is also coming. But the default G1000 was the main avionic focus for upgrades this year in avionics.

The next X-Plane update released 18th July was a minor one in v12.1.1. Basically it was a revision of the Graphics Core Engine to improve stability, this was then followed by v12.1.2 or the "Caribbean Update"...  which almost a direct ripoff of MSFS "World Updates", which showed us again of where now the mindset of Laminar Research is going, and to what market the X-Plane Simulator is in wanting to in being pitched to. But it was again a very successful update with heavy ships, five leisure watercraft, including Austin Meyer being chased by sharks...  to highlight the Caribbean release, three airports and destinations were also included; Princess Juliana International Airport at Sint Maarten, Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport on the island of Saba and the famous short sloping runway at Gustaf II Airport on the island of Saint Barthélemy, or St. Barth’s. At this point you really felt the X-Plane 12 v2.0 reset feeling, X-Plane was very smooth and reliable, with great features and refinements being added consistently.

November 15, 2024 saw the release of v12.1.3, currently the last for the year with a massive update for the ATC (Air Traffic Control), Sounds, more weather improvements, A.I. Aircraft, MAP changes and the introduction of an X-Plane Identity (relating to the store). On the Oct 31, 2024, Ben Supnik (X-Plane head developer) gave an excellent idea of the future X-Plane roadmap, mostly set around the NGS (New Generation Scenery) that is currently in development, and it is the most important factor if Laminar want to compete with Microsoft in Flight Simulation. The results should be excellent, but a release date is still not announced, but it really did end the year of a major high for Laminar Research after the disastrous 2023, it was a truly excellent return to form, and a solid and reliable Simulator to boot...   they really did good this 2024 year, but that Store announcement looms over the Simulator like a black cloud?

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2022/2024

First is "Why is this here in an X-Plane site?". Because it is a reference between the Simulators, and the gap between them still grew immensely wide over the year 2024. As the barrage continued, and the anticipation grew over the release of MSFS 2024, it started to get all a bit frantic, in hype and expectations.

Obviously there were gazillions of weekly and monthly Development Updates from Asobo Studios, and aircraft and scenery releases were piling on to the platform everyday...  is it sustainable? MSFS 2020 started the year with World Update XVI of the Caribbean (Surely not!), followed by Southwest Germany in April, City Update VII European Cities II came in late May. On June 9th Microsoft announced the "Take to the Skies" on November 19th 2024 as the release date of MSFS2024, that was reinforced by a 95 minutes talkathon and Q&A comment period at the Las Vegas Expo late June, again a lot of more expanded features were announced for the MSFS 2024 release, would all this actually work? To coincide with the Vegas Expo, Asobo released City update Vlll Las Vegas (Laminar put their name on the Las Vegas strip!).

City Update lX Northeastern United States came late July, also in July came the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, so another World Update XVII for the United Kingdom and Ireland regions to coincide was released. World update XVIII came in the middle of August for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. There was an Aircraft and Avionics Update 3 released 1st October...  but from then on the focus for Microsoft/Asobo was on the release of MSFS 2024.

Default Aircraft released for FS2020 in 2024, were the Bell 47J Ranger, Dornier Do 31, C.7 Skyvan, Douglas C-47D Skytrain & Waco CG-4A, Curtiss C-46 Commando, Westland Scout & Wasp, Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor and the Boeing 707-320C.

The release on November 19th 2024 of the new wonderkind Microsoft version 2024, was probably one of the worst releases of any Simulator platform, and that even includes X-Plane. To say it was a huge is debacle is an understatement. Millions tried to log on and stream, mostly for everyone it didn't work, then the servers crashed. After a few days you could get access, but users were then finding then that most areas were not either loading or working at all to their satisfaction, plus the huge restrictions on actually getting access. FS 2024 is now working, but MSFS 2024 will take well into the New Year to be anything if a reliable Simulator, I noted the MSFS year as an "Overreach" and called that statement out mid-year.

Trends of the year

The X-Plane 11 to 12 transitions petered out about mid-year. These aircraft are a blessing and curse. A blessing is in that you get your favorite aircraft upgraded for X-Plane 12. But also a curse in that they take developers away from new projects, so there isn't really a lot of new aircraft coming to market (2023 was horrible for new releases). At this point most if all of the transitions are now done, including the huge vSkyLabs catalogue. The scenery transitions still have a longer way to go, but Aerosoft have been finally busy also in getting through the long list. Nice has been the introduction of lately new developers in both aircraft and scenery to the scene.

The other trend of converting old X-Plane 11 aircraft (mostly Carenado) to X-Plane 12 has been vibrant as well, so a lot of loved Simulations should survive to X-Plane 12, as was the Ortho4XP crowd. As noted above, Laminar Research reset their year in a more modern Flight Sim feel and look, and overall that experience has delivered great benefits, also quicker and faster updates saw changes to the X-Plane face, these aspects were long overdue.

Aircraft

We knew coming into 2024 that FlightFactor Aero would dominate the year with their colossal Boeing 777-200 V2 Ultimate, and deep and massive it was. But the release was slightly dulled by the launch process. First with long and an invitation only Alpha access, then and still currently the B777V2 it is still in a public release Beta access. It is a standard bearer machine for the X-Plane Simulator, even for Simulation itself. But dense it is, actually not in the flying aspect, which is sensational, but in the long list of features and the biggest EFB Tablet you could struggle to manage. So it is study aircraft of deep immersion...  I am expecting the B777F Freighter to be the next variant from FlightFactor.

Flight Procedures Simulation released the Embraer E-190 as a follow on from the excellent E-195 of 2023, again a great price to feature ratio.

In July Peters Aircraft upgraded the Airbus A380-842 to X-Plane12, a hybrid of old planemaker and a new fuselage. it was nice to have the A380 back, but it's age factor is still built in there, restricting the Airbus for what it could be. Later in the year the other A380 engine versions were released for free as part of the same package.

The sensational E-Jet Family was updated to v1.1.0 by X-Crafts (the older E-Jets are now available for free). v1.1.0 was an excellent update with a focus on the VNAV aspects, with a clever "Autotune" system that detects and automates the systems for a ILS landing. So the Auto Speeds and Altitude (VNAV) are now all fully functional. Still one of the very best X-Plane 12 releases. But the X-Crafts ERJ Series didn't arrive in 2024, but X-Crafts did note recently the Lineage 1000 was coming very, very soon.

We thought the Rotate Passenger version of the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F Freighter would be just another added variant, how wrong could you be? It was (still is) one of the most sensational releases of the year, and highlighted the huge amount of changes done to both the MD-11F and the newer MD-11P over the years since the X-Plane 11 MD-11 release, certainly a highlight of the year, and actually my favorite release 2024!

Concorde FXP by Colimata went to v3.50, with an upgraded CIVA V2, created especially for the aircraft, there was some nice updates as well, including the dynamics to X-Plane 12. FlyJSim were very quiet during the year with just one small update for the DashQ, and still no sign of the Boeing 732 Twinjet or B727 Series for X-Plane 12?

I was actually disappointed that ToLiss chose the A330neo as their next project, but the results was a sensational aircraft with a huge amount of features. Once you got in there, it was very hard to move on, as you wanted more and more of this exceptionally high standard Simulation. Late in the year (Dec) ToLiss did a very nice set of updates for the A319, A320neo, A321 and A340-600 of a few features in the A330neo.

At the end of the year it was a solid one for airliners, and the outlook for 2025 is already exciting, There is a Boeing 707 coming from Nimbus, A Boeing 737 MAX from AirfoilLabs, and a cargo aircraft from Felis with the B747-200F, and Flight Procedures made a note of a new B748 (V3) and even (maybe) a B747-400, ERJ Series, and Flightfactor could even deliver a Dreamliner, so there is a big year coming up. 

General Aviation

Once the thriving heat of X-Plane, the General Aviation sector is still feeling the loss of Carenado. A few of the usual suspects were notably absent this year like vFlyAir with only one small update. Most releases were still basically transition aircraft from X-Plane 11, in so again slowing down any new releases as well.

The Beechcraft Duchess Model 76 by JustFlight/Thranda brought the aircraft back to X-Plane 12, as usual a thoroughly nice upgrade, the PA28R Piper Arrow III followed in July, and the Cessna 152 came out later in the year as did the PA-28R Turbo Arrow III / IV all from the JustFlight stable. The Beechcraft Bonanza G36, the G1000 variant, was released after Easter by PAE Addons, again a new developer for the X-Plane Simulator.

In early April vSkyLabs released a most unusual machine, the Junkers A50 Junior S-LSA, a 1920's inspired modern take on this iconic aircraft, it was far more fun that it had any right to be. Another revision to X-Plane 12 was the Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter from Thranda Design in May, it came with a new menu and large 8K textures. vFlyAir's only contribution to the year was the transition Cherokee 140, their original design updated for X-Plane 12.

A new developer entrant was with a PA24-250 Comanche by InDepthSimulations. It was basic, but has loads of potential for future designs. SimSolutions did an updates to their Diamond DA-40NG updated to v1.2.2 in April, with X-Hangar updating the Diamond Katana DA20 C1 and Cessna 404 Titan.

vSkyLabs were moving their way through their very large collection and updating the aircraft to X-Plane 12, there were loads of updates from mid-year, first the boat like Polaris AM-FIB, the Aeros-2 Ultralight Trike, then the sensational CT/4E Airtrainer from New Zealand, the Phoenix Air U15 S-LSA , ICON - A5, Tensor 60 and the Tecnam P2006T v9.1 a twin-engined Italian machine and finally the Aeroprakt A22-LS in October.

PA44-180 Piper Seminole for X-Plane 12 by AeroSphere came out in August, and later in the year Ted Cook released the Stinson 108 Package for XP12. STMA also upgraded their Sherpa K650T Turbine Bush Plane to X-Plane 12.

The GA year wrapped up with Thranda Design releasing their best yet, and a totally new aircraft in the Pilatus PC-12, a highlight of the year and Aerobask released their DA-20NG.

Business Aircraft

AKD Studios had done a nice up date to the GulfStream 550 very early in the year, but then released the bigger G650/650ER GulfStream in early November, both aircraft are now parallel in design and features. X-Hangar updated their G550 in November as well. AirSim3D did two updates for the Citation C-560XL in July and October, but is now moving on to a new project.

Classic Aircraft

X-Hangar did several updates to the DHC-5 Buffalo, early and late in the year, the DHC4 C-7A Caribou had the same, two updates early and late, and both aircraft benefited from the attention. In February we had one of the most unusual releases with another new developer entrant for the Aircruiser 66-75 by Hangar 23, a shed of an aircraft, it quickly had the Float version added only weeks after, a strange machine that was impossible not to dislike, you were captivated by the design and on how you flew it. The North American T-6G Texan by Khamsin & Philip Ubben was another gem, if hard to land, but X-Plane 12 shined through. vSkylabs did X-Plane 12 an update to the SR-71 "Thunderbird" to version v2.0, it is a bullet of an aircraft, and the weird He-162 Project also had an update to v3.0.5.

Helicopters

Overall after the previous years, Helicopters were basically quiet in 2024, but in there were two exceptional releases. The first early in February was the JRX Design Bell 407 v1.30 now with CINEFLEX, a quality machine. The second was even more exceptional from X-Trident, in the AgustaWestland AW109SP in May, overwhelmingly brilliant the AW109SP set a higher standard for any new designs in X-Plane 12. vSkylabs updated four aircraft in 2024, the Guimbal Cabri G2, Robinson R66 Turbine and the Revolution Mini-500 and even a “Gyroplane”. The HSF Eurocopter EC130 B4 v1.4 had only one small update, as did the K-1200 K-MAX XP12 by STMA. Dreamfoil Creations were very quiet all year?

Military

X-Hangar updated their C-130 Hercules to X-Plane 12, but it is still a bit too basic for me, the "Herk" deserves better. One of the most outstanding releases of the year for the military was the excellent Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 AJT by Deltawing Simulations, this aircraft just ooozed X-Plane 12 in all of it's glory, a review that is still not forgotten.

AoA (Angle of Attack) had a very busy year, the T-7A Red Hawk, T-6A Texan II and the F-22A Raptor all had big updates, but the highlight from AoA was the amazing V-22 Osprey Tilitrotor, now a very mature Simulation, and a very versatile machine.

Scenery

2024 in scenery followed on from 2023, the biggest scenery story of the year was still AutoOrtho (Ortho4XP) or streaming ortho imagery. Some bright spark wanted to recreate the Microsoft ortho steaming system in X-Plane. To a point it is still very successful, but a fast internet connection and a powerful computer is required. The trick is downloading the tiles as you need them, not storing the tiles on your computer, but I'm not a fan of flat photo images, or certainly not jerky simulations. To add on top, another success this year still has been SIM HEAVENS X-World scenery Series. It will be interesting on how the coming NGS from Laminar will change this factor, not much I think as most are welded tightly into this very inefficient way of doing visual textures. Notable is that NGS will use DSS "Direct Scene Snapshot", to replace DSF, but both will run in parallel for a while, as DSS scenery won't work with DSF.

Again MSFS 2020, delivered a gazillion of scenery that nobody wants, but they did a very clever idea of Vertical Obstacles, that X-Plane in some form should adopt, the idea is to fill in real world obstacles in the landscapes. Obviously MSFS 2024 takes the scenery idea to almost insanity, the only issue is you can't stream it all through a tight internet straw.

For X-Plane the scenery developers had a very tough year, income was almost next to nothing and few dropped out, that said, the scenery releases were very good, to excellent considering the conditions, did we get a lot of cross-platform conversions from FS to XP? not really, but a few crossed over.

Aerosoft kicked off the year with Airport Zürich XP12 on the 4th Jan, as with barely no updates since X-Plane 12 was released 14 months earlier, most Aerosoft stock was looking old in X-Plane 12, but as the we moved through the year they finally got into gear... Dortmund XP,  Society Islands XPTahiti & Windward Islands was next to compliment the earlier Leeward Island package, and that was just the thing for a South Pacific cruise. Next was Airport Newcastle XP, then a double update in June with Airport Stuttgart XP and Airport Istanbul XP, then Helgoland, XP Kassel XP in August, and Vitoria-Foronda XP and Greater Moncton International XP in November, so it was a big year of updates, missing still though is Norway's Bergen XP, a badly needed new scenery from Aerosoft?

VerticalSim had a busy year updating as well, first was KONT Ontario, then KMYR Myrtle Beach, KBOI Boise Air Terminal and finally KSRQ  Sarasota Bradenton International. FS Designs kicked off the year with KJAX Jacksonville, KPNS Pensacola, and KPAO Palo Alto Intl

Skytitude delivered a lot of scenery this year with KGNV Gainesville, Everglades Airpark, KTLH Tallahassee and an excellent RSW Southwest Florida International Airport to replace the dated Aerosoft version.

LICD- Lampedusa Airport and Linosa Island, Italy by Cami de Bellis was released in January, and a couple of updates followed. LIMJ - Ligurian COAST Totally Insane", was an amalgamated package of LIMJ - Genova COMPLETE 5 - The Revolution" from BCSceneries, same scenery, but updated to X-Plane 12.

Nimbus Studios released a very, very impressive New York JFK, then followed that up with another impressive KCLT Charlotte Douglas in June with another update for KCLT later in the year. FunnerFlight also released an updated XP12 JFK, plus another massive update to the KSAN - San Diego - Naval scenery, huge is not an underestimation of this scenery.

By Taimodels standards they had a quiet year in only two releases, first was a lukewarm EGCC- Manchester International, but the second scenery was a big missing element finally in X-Plane...  HECA Cairo International, Egypt XP12! and yes I love it. Fly Tampa pop-in to X-Plane every once a while, but when they do, they blow you totally away, this time it was FlyTampa Sydney, just brilliant. Another Australian scenery came from Orbx, with another long wanted scenery for X-Plane in YSSY Melbourne.

X-Codr Design was not really visible in X-Plane in 2024 except for a small update to KDEN (v2.1), instead he was now doing MSFS sceneries, one we have lost to the other? Another big X-Plane Scenery developer MIA is Short Final Designs, he delivered with only KSJC San Jose International Airport as a release for the year, he has now gone to Laminar Research, so it will be interesting for 2025 in what the maestro will deliver there.

Chudoba Designs released Bratislava International Airport for X-Plane 12, an interesting Chudoba scenery is RKPC Jeju International Airport in Korea, a review I couldn't get around to, maybe 2025? ESGG Göteborg Landvetter Airport was released in April, and last but not least was LKTB Brno-Turany Airport in the Czech Republic, all solid sceneries at great prices.

Drzewiecki Design have upgraded their renamed "Washington DC" scenery to "KDCA Washington Airport & City XP12", but otherwise they were another that have moved on to MSFS for scenery, and a lot of old DD scenery is feeling their age. An odd scenery was vSkyLabs Airbases: Base-8, a testing ground for your flying abilities.

New developers to the X-Plane scenery mostly focused on small airport sceneries, like crossover FX3D with a load of French sceneries, including LFKF Figari, LFKC Calvi, LFKT Corte, LFMQ Castellet, LFMR Barcelonnette, LFNS GAP-Tallard, LFNC Mont-Dauphin Saint-Crépin Airport and LFNS Sisteron, an impressive list...  KXNA Northwest Arkansas National Airport by TearWear Designs was another new face. There was a neat three Venezuelan Airports package for X-Plane 12 by Positive Climb Design. DarkBlue Scenery released RJGG Chubu, and RJBB, both in Japan.

NorthernSky were also a little slower this year, but still delivered outstanding scenery at a budget price, including; PAPG Petersburg - Alaska, PHOG  Kahului Airport and PHHN Hana, PHNY Lanai, PHJH Kapalua all in Hawaii, and last the sensational PASI Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport, Alaska.

There were no landscape sceneries released in 2024, except maybe for St. Vincent and the Grenadines by 3DReal...  Maps2XP and Frank Dainese and Fabio Bellini didn't release any landscapes in 2024.

In context, although a fair few of the above sceneries were transitions from X-Plane 11, overall for scenery releases it was a very good year, actually unexpected in the volume delivered.

Sound Packs

A mention...  BSS BlueStarSky released the BSS A321 Reloaded CFM pack, but that was about it, but Mango Studios had a great year, there was a lot to choose from, not only the great sound packages for; ToLiss A319 Sound Pack, IXEG 737 Sound Pack, GLF 550/650 Sound Pack, Toliss A330 sound pack, but the neat little engine mod conversions as well; PW2000 Engine - FF 757, PW4000 Engine - FF B767, ToLiss A340 Trent 556 Engine Mod, but my favorite was the excellent MD80 Series IAE V2500 Engine mod, with later added the P&W JT8D-200 + IAE V2500 engine sound package. There were a few new REP "Reality Expansion packages", including the Thranda DH2 Beaver, PT-6 Porter and the PA28 Arrow lll.

Plugins

I will state upfront that I am not a huge plugin connoisseur, so I only run what I call essential plugins in my simulator, running the VRAM profiler (Menu/Developer) can give you the horrors of on how much these little monstrous tools can gobble up your framerate and their overall efficiency, I take out as many of these laggards as possible.

The Skunkcrafts Standalone Updater Client v3.0. became the standalone tool for updating X-Plane aircraft in 2023, efficient, clever and fast, and it still rules big in 2024 as every developer bar FlightFactor now uses it. openSAM replaced the nasty SAM 3, it is a basic tool, but gets around the issue. There was a few organiser tools released, one just for X-Plane's scenery, and xOrganizer that covered the whole simulator.

WebFMC had a few updates through the year to cater for new releases, but really not many other changes, BetterPushBack had the same, but overall needs a revision (adjustable volume anyone). Traffic Global had a few updates (0199 and 0217), but not much new was really done except to make it reliable, the clever tool was the "Regent Traffic" updates, complicated to install, but it brought a huge amount of new airlines and services to TG, it is well worth checking out.

Stick and Rudder updated both X-Camera and X-Keypad, but the maturing X-ATC Chatter v1.7.2 became my cockpit friend this year.

Navigraph was again the king of the tools, now highly intergrated with SimBrief, they are now simply essential tools for the Simulator, SimBrief became the defacto (auto) flightplanning tool inside the cockpit. Navigraph added in Annotations, ATC Sectors and Expanded Airport Data to Charts 8 in 2024.

X-PlaneReviews

X-PlaneReviews passed eleven years of providing quality and detailed reviews for the X-Plane Simulator. And in this year 2024 we have delivered even more consistent reviews and NEWS! than any year before.

The team has grown as well...  besides the dynamic Dominic Smith and his lovely wife Felicity, who also contributes immensely to the X-Plane.Org Weekly Roundups and Developer Interviews, is a major contributor in X-PlaneReviews as well, plus the extra talented reviewers of Alan Ashforth (alpeggio), Peter Allnutt, Dennis Powell, Nick Garlick, Stéphane Tolédo-Paul (Tieman68), David York (datadave), Stuart McGregor (Scottish Wings), DrishalMAC2, Michael Hayward, Jack Thompson and Joshua Moore, all genuine talented and contributors to not only X-PlaneReviews, but to X-Plane in general. I am personally signing off a little earlier this year to have a family Christmas in another Australian State, but Dominic will do some more reviews right up to the festive season, and a big new Christmas release review is still yet to be released from me.

Always a thank you to the exciting work by the tireless developers that give us all this incredible product to fly and use, as they and X-Plane has come a long way and created leaps in quality and complexity in the last few years, certainly with the jump to X-Plane 12, and to a point I was always very proud of the work they have produced, it is world class if not the very best in simulation product ever produced, and this year better than ever in systems and quality detail, and they are all top notch and very clever. To the X-Plane.OrgStore who supports this site with review products, service and updates, a really big thanks to Nicolas Taureau, as this site just also would not function without that outstanding support.

This aspect shows that X-Plane as a Simulator is alive and well after a fair few years of disruptive development, X-Plane 12 is now (thankfully) maturing towards the central part of its evolution cycle, and as well noted throughout this "End of the Year" edition it has had a transformation (or would you call it a reset?) this year in 2024. My outlook optimism for 2025 is at an all time high, my gut says X-Plane as a Simulator has turned a corner, and it can only get better from here, but X-Plane as a Simulator also has to now grow as well, expand vigorously in 2025.

Certainly the central community is very active and very collaborative in creating dynamics that is expanding the Simulator, but growing in all the different areas is just as important, not just the core, numbers must grow in 2025, new additions in not only the software and hardware, but developers and active users, it is people, the time to grow... and move forward.

_________________________

We will finish off with the X-PlaneReviews famous best of the year awards…   So I will now list my Best of the Year 2024🏅

(note the awards are given to only products I have seen and tested and so the only ones I can vouch for)

Overall Best of the Year : A very hard choice this year, as there are four outstanding entrants, FlightFactor Boeing 777v2, X-Tridents AW109SP, Rotate's MD-11 Passenger and the TolIss A330neo , all deserving 🏅 🏅🏅

Best Aircraft : FlightFactor B777v2.🏅🏅
A look into the future of X-Plane 12 quality and design, it delivers on a huge scale.
Honorable Mention : Rotate's MD-11 Passenger is just brilliant, as is the ToLiss A330neo

Best General Aviation Aircraft : Pilatus PC-12 by Thranda Design

Thranda Design are behind a lot of X-Plane aircraft besides their own creations, but the PC-12 brings back to the X-Plane Simulator a brilliant aircraft done well.
Honorable Mentions : vSkyLabs, for their huge and unique catalogue of aircraft and machines, they just keep on coming.

Best Classic Aircraft : North American T-6G Texan by Khamsin & Philip Ubben

This is what happens when you put two extremely talented developers together, Khamsin & Philip Ubben create history, or at least a part of it in the T-6G Texan.

Honorable Mention : What can you say about flying a shed, the Aircruiser 66-75 by Hangar 23 was certainly unique, fun as well.

Best Business Aircraft : AKD Studios G650/650ER GulfStream

Not perfect, but development this whole year has been very steady and consistent from this talented Polish developer, next year 2025 this category will be tighter with the promised X-Crafts Lineage 1000 and maybe even the Aerobask Falcon 6X anyone, now years late.

Best Military : Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 AJT by Deltawing Simulations 🏅

With some releases you see the future, the amazing M-346 AJT showed off the wonders of X-Plane 12, nice aircraft to fly as well.

Honorable Mention : AoA again with another huge improvement over the original, the V-22 Osprey was great to fly, also a very versatile dynamic Simulation as well, I loved it.

Best Helicopter : AgustaWestland AW109SP by X-Trident 🏅🏅🏅

A no brainer on choice for the best helicopter of the year, again a projection into the future of Simulation, brilliant avionics are well worth mastering.

Honorable Mentions : JRX Designs Bell 407 was very good as well, the best of the bunch currently, except for the above AW.

Best Landscape Scenery : Society Islands XPTahiti & Windward Islands by Maps2XP (Aerosoft)

Does this broad scenery count as a Landscape scenery? It sort's of covers a large area of the South Pacific, well detailed as well, so yes.

Best Airport Scenery : YSSY Sydney Fly Tampa  🏅🏅 
A study on how to do perfect scenery, Fly Tampa always deliver, but more so here, a giant.

Honorable Mention : Taimodels on delivering HECA Cairo, and Nimbus had a great year with JFK and Charlotte.

Best Plugin(s) : Skunkcrafts Standalone Updater Client 🏅

A plugin... it was, but also still the biggest standout tool of the year, now for the second year in a row and grown, it's so fast!

Special Mention(s) : Navigraph for their excellent navigation tools, and seriously clever new additions, and for openSAM, fixing a major problem.

Person(s) of the Year : Marko Mamula

The developer that just seemed to be everywhere in 2024, but in delivering the X-Plane 12 future we deserve, talented, and tons more to come in 2025.

Best Moment of the year 2024 : Leaving Schiphol (EHAM) in a heavy morning weather to arrive at a sandstorm dusk in Cairo (HECA), Simulation at it's very, very best.

Worst Moment(s) of the Year 2024 : Laminar Research is doing their own store, the ramifications are dangerous, and will it cost jobs in X-Plane, you could even lose  the X-Plane.Org...   forever!

Biggest distraction of 2024 : ...  The dark cloud of the X-Plane Store.

Biggest overall feeling of 2024 : Another tough hard year, but the outlook at the end of this brutal year was a revolution of a new and better X-Plane Simulator, shame the Laminar store will ruin all the good work.

Personal Favorites of 2024 : Any ToLiSS (the save system allows ultimate flexibility) again, but my standout aircraft of the year is the amazing Rotate MD-11 Passenger, unbelievable Simulation, seriously addictive was that wide-body aircraft...  I just loved it.

Routes...   Barcelona, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Dublin, Dusseldorf,  Roma, Cairo, Helsinki, Oslo, Munich, Tel Aviv, London Heathrow and Dulles, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Notable is that with the newer scenery, Cairo, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore finally came on-line in 2024.

That is X-PlaneReviews for 2024, and we will be back after a very much needed recovery and the review site returns again early into the New Year on the 7th January 2025.

So Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2025

Stephen Dutton

14th December 2024

Copyright:X-PlaneReviews 2024

Behind the Screen : October 2024

Go back a few years and X-Plane users were very rarely part of the aircraft development process, there was the very rare access to a final beta, but overall it was an exclusive club.

Most developers used a very tight group of testers, very experienced, but mostly very good at identifying and resolving issues. They were capable of doing exactly the same thing over and mind-numbingly over and making notes on the various changes and options required. These notes were passed on to the developer to rectify, then when done these testers then ran the same tests again to see if the issues had been resolved. The only problem was, was that these very specialist personalities were and are still quite a rare species. So the developers groups were very loyal in the context of each other requiring the others specialist services.

But as aircraft became much more seriously complex, and with the huge diversity of platforms and the different types of users. When releasing the aircraft, there was usually a huge inundation of issues and problems to fix. It created "Nightmare Fortnight", as it became, for there were loads of needed quick fixes, and the many instant updates required to cover and repair the outstanding issues. 

So developers and even Laminar Research with X-Plane itself, opened up the process a little earlier to resolve the majority of these issues before the final release, mostly from the start of the "beta" phase. In context the idea is a good one. As basically the significant user base was now involved in resolving the issues as part of the development program, but it was still mostly constrained to the "beta" process.

But in this last year, a few developers have now opened up the earlier "Alpha" development cycle, mostly with FlightFactor's Boeing 777-200ER v2 Ultimate. Granted it was still an exclusive (and paid) invitation to get into this very private domain. FlightFactor ran a development site (again exclusive) for these restricted few privileged assignees. Only a 1,000 ballots at every release were allowed in, but in context the idea worked well in that this very extremely complex aircraft was then able to have the wide range of aspects to cover the massive amount of issues that needed attention. You were under a very strict NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) in not releasing any images or videos, or even publicly announcing any of the aircraft's features and highlights, unless it came from the official sources.

Let us be very specific. "Alpha" aircraft are very, very raw, a lot of the development is still missing, details are not only missing, but sometimes not even finished. In reality they are at this stage a very unfinished product. They are not great to use or to even fly as most or even the very crucial areas like VNAV are not either included, or even working correctly, honestly they are horrible...  and so you don't want to go there.

They are a nightmare to review? even later "Beta" aircraft are hard to review, because basically they are incomplete. The general idea is to review any aircraft after the release, to summarise it's features and to highlight the best parts of the aircraft, then give a verdict on what has been presented, to to finally note the price and value context of the product. All to help you in making a fair investment that suits your Simulation needs.

But the requirements to present a review on the release day can muddle the picture. There is that limited time from release to a point the next "big shiny thing" that will take the purchasers focus away, everyone will usually buy on release, as the "I want it NOW" with FOMO also kicks in, so any review even a week late is just too late? but it's also impossible to present the correct product on release, as changes can go right up to the day of release, sometimes huge changes. That happened with the ToLiss A330neo, as on the very last day all the cockpit textures were completely refined and updated. In this case it meant a night's work (3am) to redo all the review images to mirror the release product. Then there is still the fix up period a few weeks after release that can create even more changes to the original review.

The best reviews are done about a month or so after the release and fix window has finished, as you can then assess the product fully and in it's mostly completed state. But in a market driven world we don't get that luxury. To a point the wise purchaser will wait, and get a better assessment of the product, sometimes also at a lower price, as many developers will go within weeks to a "Sale" mode to get extra sales.

I am not a fan of this culture, as it first, devalues the product, and secondly it creates a mindset of "if I wait" I will get a "cheaper" product.  Good for you of course, but developers can spend a year to two years to create the aircraft from scratch, it deserves to hold it's value price for longer, sales should be or only come after a period of time, and after the product has created a return for the developers time and expertise.

This would be to the horror of the culture, obviously, "I want it cheaper, and less I have to pay, then the better it is for me". But the problem is it devalues the work and returns that lower return that usually ends up with the developer saying "I'm not making anything out of this anymore?" then disappears off the scene taking their expert skills and taking any future products with them. Now they have a bigger excuse in going to MSFS2020/2024 to make some return for their work and skills, so X-Plane loses all round. It is a race to the bottom, and X-Plane has seen the dire effects of such machinations this year.

But is opening up these early "Alpha" and "Beta" releases to all recipients a good idea? as noted it is a double-edged sword, specialist testers can't cover all the bases, that the swarm of different users can. Many users are actually very good at this early testing caper, it is gratifying to see on how very well they did these testing protocols, and to give great returns with great intelligence and covering the details, which are given back to the developer. But there is a danger side to this aspect as well. As not everyone is created equally.

Streaming is free, and anyone can do it and create online streams, Streamers, Vlogs, Vloggers, they all basically do the same thing in streaming live content. Obviously Simulation is incredibly popular, certainly when a new and exciting product is being released. This creates a bun-fight to get out the first video of the new product, not only for the "likes", but mostly for the money it generates.

Disclaimer here, I am not jealous of this because I don't stream reviews, oddly I am a professional video editor that worked in the film industry, but I feel that content should be created with care and detail and doing a lot of research. Now there are some very good Streamers out there, Drishal is one, Q8Pilot is another quality reviewer, and a few real world pilots make good videos on aircraft comparisons, again oddly they can also be the worse reviewers of Simulation aircraft. If you want to learn aircraft systems and procedures then watch real world cockpit videos, not the online wannabes.

And here we get down to the problem. The earlier you get the new product, and then get it out there, the more money you make. Then you now have developers letting these streamers in at a very early level of development, it is a culture that is going to clash and end badly.

The moment FightFactor lifted it's NDA, it all went shit-faced, with an "Alpha" aircraft at that, but got it worse with the release of the ToLiss A330neo.

Let us be clear, I'm not a fan of the sort of streaming that tries to land a Boeing 747 on an aircraft carrier, or in trying to fly a Cessna 172 to 50,000ft, to a point I have a serious personality. And I know that the comments will come, "Oh just lighten up a little", "It's just a bit of fun Stephen". But my take is that in the real world cockpit there is no room for these antics, I want to mirror the professionals, run a clockwork cockpit. My take is that X-Plane or any really good Simulator is an education tool, but also a training tool, for both real world and online pilots.

Our job is to teach as well as do reviews, we do all the hard work so you don't have to, there are explanations and tips to shortcut you, and to get you flying quicker. But Streamers don't adhere to those standards, "They are the "Quick Buck guys", worse are their flying standards and in not following the correct procedures, as teachers they are dismally awful, not all as I have mentioned, and obviously it makes great entertainment, but not much else.

But to note that "Alpha" aircraft, and "beta" aircraft are not finished, and pointing out the missing aspects of development is a new low, it hurts everyone, the developers and any future sales, and don't get me started on the wails of the missing VNAV (B777v2) and the bad cockpit textures (ToLiss A339), both were either included or fixed before the official release. It is the loss of the basic understanding of the development process, and it shows in how immature they are, but hey, they only want the available money. Yes bad streamers have been around for years, so it's nothing new to Simulation, but don't feed the monster by giving them what they want, cheap easy money.

See you all next month

Stephen Dutton

5th November 2024

Copyright©2024 X-Plane Reviews

The great thing about the X-Plane Simulator it is all things to different people. In reality there is no one X-Plane installation, unless you just install the clean "DEMO" version and only fly with that. Very quickly you can metamorphose your own personality and needs by adding in almost everything. Instantly that individual stamp on your computer screen is then reflected back at you, your own unique characteristics all there and available. X-Plane users all fly differently as well, again our individual journeys are reflected in our flightlogs.

In this very wide spectrum, there is a sort of central look and feel to the Simulator. As the years go by your tastes and interaction with the simulator change, and that is besides the overall version revisions you get along the way. Another area is that X-Plane covers a huge diversity of hardware, and even operating systems, as X-Plane can cover all OS systems in Windows, Apple and Linux, even VR Support with SteamVR or Oculus PC. Again a huge spread of diverse requirements.

But it all works doesn't it, somehow all these very different complex elements can allow you to fly aircraft around the world, and right down to the complex systems that make these aircraft virtually fly. I think deep down that is the core attraction of X-Plane, but also the ability to also create, adjust or mod (modify) not only the aircraft, the environment it flies in, "Tinkerers" we call them, that ability to shape everything to your our own personal perspective.

Again that is great, but it also creates complexity on top of complexity. That aspect can create breakthoughs in ideas that can benefit all, it also can send you down a rabbit hole of pain and to the endless chases of problems. 

You can spend even a huge amount of your time just managing it all, "Housekeeping" I call it, just updating and refining the Simulator to keep it running smoothly within those particular constraints. Actually the flying part is only 25% of the running the Simulator, the rest is just plain keeping up and fixing all the consistent changes and settings, it can be a lot of work sometimes. Yes I am a reviewer, and my wings are spread a lot wider than the home casual Simmer user, but there is still a huge amount of change to absorb week after week, you welcome it all, as that is why you love it all so much, as it goes deeper than just being a hobby, it is a consistent force in your life and your day to day activities.

But it is very easy to go down that rabbit hole and very quickly, one area in say crook hardware or a bad bit of software, and the fixes and pain can be overwhelming in trying to not only find the cause ("is it hardware or software?"), very time consuming as well, worse when it is only you in having the problem, while everyone else to gliding merrily along, your in serious pain in trying to find a fix, time consuming, frustrating, and usually always expensive to fix.

But you can make it harder on yourself than it really needs to be. The one main aspect that I have learnt, is that sometimes a simple approach is the better approach, it won't fix everything, but it can make your Simulation life a bit easier. That does not say you have to lose the quality in your Simulation, in fact quite the opposite in using the right elements to deliver the right Simulation. This is something I have learned over the decade, the more I simplified my set up, the better it became, but also in not losing the essence of what X-Plane delivers.

I want total X-Plane Simulation in quality, and the reviews reflect a richness of not only scenery, but detailed aircraft as well. If you browse through the forums, you can usually find everyday a cry for help, it is usually like this "My computer keeps crashing!!!", and so you ask them to put up the log.txt. You would be horrified to read these logs, fifty or more plugins, 4TB of  different formats of scenery, modifications on absolutely everything, errors, errors and errors fouling the data, it is a nightmare to decipher, never mind to rectify the problem. It is a miracle the juggernaut even ran in the first place, it's messy, complicated, and impossible to fix.

I started to do this in my cadet years, actually I got banned on the X-Plane.Org on the second day for downloading WAY too much, as I was like a kid in a candystore grabbing everything I could shove into those folders, it so all very easy to get carried away, even then over the next few years I downloaded almost everything that set my eyes alight. So yes I am guilty of mass X-Plane consumption as the best of them, it's free obviously, so why not have it.

But if you look at my current set up, it is very, very far removed from my gluttonous beginnings, and I am quite proud of that achievement. It means I learnt (from my mistakes), but more so made my Simulation life far, far easier. I won't fix every problem that comes up, but I can resolve it without it getting bizarrely out of hand, certainly with settings.

Here are a few rules: Rule No.1 - keep it simple, Rule No 2, see rule No 1. Here is the point, you are only flying one aircraft usually between two points on the globe, so you only need those basic elements in place to do that route. Simple isn't it...

I have a saying, "Value is found in something you use". Meaning you can spend $400,000 on a Lamborghini, but how often do you actually drive it? Your $5000 Toyota is however used everyday for running your life, so which car is actually more valuable, point also, take the Lambo to local shopping centre, then be terrified of parking it there, it won't carry the groceries home either, and don't even think of the insurance cost of living with it. Yes I admit of that one Lambo day is incredible! but in reality it is a total waste of money, that $400.000 dollars can be spent in a better way. Same with everything in your life, right down to most cheapest and simplest item, if you use it, it has value, nice to have is all very nice, but if you don't need it or use it in your life it is a waste of money.

The same perspective can be found in X-Plane, just have what you need, or what you use. I'm not saying to indulge or even to try out something new, because that is also part of the X-Plane spirit of finding new adventures and knowledge, as you can't take that aspect away from the Simulator, but keep it lean.

I have only 23 aircraft I fly...  yes other aircraft rotate in and out, or are updated or deleted if too old or not able to be used in the new version. Plugins, 11 (I counted them), yes only 11 plugins, and tested, and even then I will pull out none needed plugins if those aircraft are not being flown, say JET, CEF or Gizmo. lua I have to have installed (OpenSAM), but I totally don't like it, I understand that a lot of users love it to death, but it is core aircraft code and it can seriously drive you mad if it starts interfering your aircraft lua codes, which I have found it does on numerous occasions.

Scenery will always be a big folder, but the reason this month's dialog is here on BtheS is that I realised that how small my Scenery folder now actually is. It is a quarter of the size of X-Plane 11, and X-Plane 11 was half of X-Plane 10. That is not because of the roll over of upgraded scenery, as most scenery will work without the effects in X-Plane 12. So I thought about that?

I'm not missing anything even with this condensed Scenery Folder. What I have done is created (over the decade) a tight network of scenery that works, so basically I'm flying from one quality X-Plane scenery to another quality X-Plane scenery. I have a few times had to install a freeware scenery because that destination was not available as payware, and I totally hated it, in fact I scrubbed the whole review because it looked terrible in the images, and started over again at a more quality destination. Users are quite adamant that because the scenery is free, and yes the X-Plane Global Scenery has come along really well, but it is still mostly cardboard unrealistic scenarios. Yes you have the right to totally disagree with me on the statement, wax lyrically on how good it is in X-Plane 12, but I never use Global Airport scenery for the reason as noted above. But more and more users are relying more on the Global for their flying. In my mind they are missing something by doing this.

"Can't afford payware scenery", neither can I, but I do still fill up my quality portfolio, sales can be very handy in getting what you want, but saying that I also believe the developer should be rewarded for creating something you use, contributing allows them to do more. The above mantra is strong here. "Buy only what you use". So actually my custom quality scenery folder is actually not that big, but I use consistently almost all of those quality sceneries within it, no point of having 2Tb of scenery as there is no way you can benefit from it, in fact the odds are you will get a poorer experience because most of the downloads in there are just junk. Volume does not translate to Quality, even if you think that a massive Custom Folder will deliver that, chances are you are getting a much more inferior simulation, not to mention the amount of scenery errors you are creating.

It's curating something special, yes even your own personal perspective of the way you perceive the world through the X-Plane lens. I got got a lot of brickbats last month on the scenery debate, most couldn't understand my perspective of collecting quality scenery to fill my needs. That is okay, everyone has their dues, but that is the X-Plane world I want to fly in.

Oddly if read last month's BtheS, I ranted over there in being no YMML Melbourne in X-Plane. Almost a week later Orbx releases...  you guessed it a quality YMML - Melbourne, it was a roll your eyes moment, or even a thanksgiving from the gods on high... if a bit late.

We all have unique perspectives on what we want from our Simulator experiences, but the over reaching point is on how far the Simulator has developed. Yes we complain that we want more, but we are also getting a lot for our buck...  bang as well.

The Rotate MD-11 Passenger showed the amount of change we are getting. For me doing the review it was a few days, I thought, "Hey, it is the MD-11F with a cabin", that would be quick and easy. But it was eight days later that I finally completed the review. The biggest reason were the changes in the two years since the original MD-11 Freighter to the MD-11 Passenger, the same aircraft really, but the work in there that I had to list was quite comprehensive, added features and refinements, and the flying was glorious from the dark wet northern Europe to the bright desert of Eygpt, I seriously would love to extend the time to do it all again...  but I had to move on, X-Plane waits for nobody... ever changing, ever developing...  it is a life force.

See you all next month

Stephen Dutton

4th October 2024

Copyright©2024 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : August 2024

The arrival of HECA - Cairo International from TaiModels ended a wanting of a destination of over a decade, yes nearly eleven years in wanting a certain scenery to fly into. I actually think that is outrageous to have to wait for a large commercial scenery for so long, but also one so important to the Simulator. It is an area that shows that X-Plane will never be a class leader if it ignores such important classic sceneries. Even the gateway version was inept, not worth the flying time to go there.

Like I mentioned in the Cairo review. I had a list, a big list ten years ago, that has thankfully in many areas has been filled in, but it still causes me concern that there are quite a few still on that list and that is a cause to concern. 

Yes everyone wants their local airport to fly into in the Simulator, mine is YBCG - or Gold Coast International, there is a good scenery for it, but currently also outdated with the new development being done there over the last few years. And so even that is not perfect. So yes I understand you want your local airport, no matter how small or realistic. In that case I also understand totally that scenery developers can't cover everyone or every airport, but I would say MSFS is giving it a good go, as most of the scenery releases are so from the backwoods they are mostly non-existent, it is certainly not a business model to get rich from.

And money is usually the issue, or a return on the investment for the time and work required in the scenery. If an airport is not popular, then obviously it is going to be passed over for one that is. To a point I understand that business case. But oddly many developers will do their own version of the same airport over and over and expect to make a killing. One such mess is Dubai DXB. There has been four different versions released by developers of Dubai DXB, but not one, is really a definitive version of the area. Some are great here, others there, but not one of them is the best, outstanding or the perfect one. Well there is one, created by FlyTampa Dubai, a fabulous version in fact with the perfect Dubai skyline thrown in, but it is not for the X-Plane Simulator.

There is finally after many cheap incarnations a decent Singapore WSSS, via Orbx, but only a freeware VHHH Hong Kong, but both were even a long if eventual wait of years and years for those significant destinations to arrive, but if you want a next door WMKK - Kuala Lumpur International and you will still be left wanting. And this is the issue, for long haul fliers, there actually is not a lot of quality scenery to choose from.

Yes I tend to be worldly in my requirements, so it is annoying that mostly the scenery releases are usually in the European and American centric, and that is okay as I understand that reasoning, it is again where the money is, but it has created a sort of two worlds imbalance. Inside the Euro/US centric there is a huge amount of choice, outside of it there is very little. But still some being left out of the equation like Cairo still didn't make any sense, as it was a desired scenery for many, if you also a wanted scenery by so many, then that has to worth the developers investment.

Let us take Australia as an example...  even a few years ago there was only two decent airport sceneries you could use in X-Plane, and it is an extremely long way to fly for so little. But over the last few years that aspect has thankfully improved.

A decent YSSY Sydney International now has two options, one again from TaiModels, but a really brilliant 5 star version with Port Botany details from FlyTampa. Brisbane YBBN is well serviced by Orbx, with the new runway and even a cityscape to make it a great arrival and departure. Taimodels (bless them) did a great Cairns YBCN, and there are a Broome YBRM, Gold Coast YBCG and Perth YPPH from Axonos all from Orbx.

Which brings us to the biggest aperture in X-Plane...  YMML Melbourne. FSX has had a decent YMML since 2008, X-Plane did also have a freeware YMML Melbourne from ISDG, but have you looked at it lately? It is so bad I don't bother flying there anymore, ISDG did an Adelaide YPAD, same out of date result.

"The fiercely competitive – and highly lucrative – Melbourne to Sydney flight corridor has retained its status as the fifth-busiest route in the world, with more than 9.3 million travellers making the journey in 2023."

That is a quote, but you can't fly the 5th busiest flight corridor in the WORLD in the X-Plane Simulator...  so how bad is that aspect, not to mention Darwin YPDN, Hobart YMHB (state capital) and even the Australian National capital in Canberra YSCB which doesn't also have a decent airport scenery in X-Plane?

Yes they are all on THAT list, still there after years and years of expectation, a decade of waiting, and you may have your own list, your own wanted scenario, and I'll guess you are still waiting for them as well. We are only talking about Airports here, if you want Cityscapes, the churches and cathedrals that dot the world? well they are not in your vision either, then your flying in the wrong Simulator.

You can see why flying the X-Plane Simulator can get quite frustrating. I don't expect everything, but I do expect after a decade or so a better outcome in long haul flying if the X-Plane Simulator is to be competitive.

If we can't do routes we want to fly then you have a problem? One for me is Australia to the UK, via Bahrain, a trip I did in the 1980's. I flew a QF Qantas Boeing 747-200 from Brisbane to Singapore, then Bahrain, then onto London (after a major engine fix on the ramp at Bahrain surrounded by armed soldiers, but that is another exciting story). I actually have the aircraft to recreate the route, the excellent Felis B747-200, but a hole in the desert in a Middle-Eastern country means the B742 is sitting on the ground currently and indefinitely while the already well planned route and experience is also on hold, and it doesn't look I will be going anywhere soon with a non-viable Bahrain, so my memories will have to keep on waiting a lot longer.

Although everyone will note that X-Plane is basically focused on the aircraft, and again to a point I accept that aspect. But world building is exciting and you develop a closer relationship to the simulator while exploring the world on all the continents, it broadens the mind, from the views of the ice of Greenland, the mountains of Afghanistan, the sands of Oman, the forests of Africa and the Mountains of South America.

I have flown them all, looked down from the cockpit with awe...  In my mind yes we can add on still a lot great addons, aircraft, tools and clever plugins. But X-Plane needs to focus a bit more on the world stage it flies inside, if coming from Laminar Research or any 3rd party developers, X-Plane needs to get serious about scenery and in making it a far more credible world to travel in. If there is one lesson that Microsoft has shown us is that a credible world is one we want fly in and explore, it may cost you more in the hip pocket, but that is also part of the investment of world building, also we need to be more adventurous than sticking to samey same all the time...  Its a big world out there, it is time to explore it.

Stephen Dutton

3rd September 2024

Copyright©2024 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : July 2024

Someone noted in the forums that Laminar Research had cancelled X-Plane 10 or created an abandonware on the Simulator version? It's not true of course, X-Plane 10 can actually be purchased for a Digital Download of $29.99, in fact you can go back as far as X-Plane 8 if you have the disks or purchase them. Which is interesting, why would you?

There are several reasons, the guy above is obviously running old hardware (networked to 5 computers), an interesting concept, but he has also created his own age-fence, having to run old software on old hardware. Yes it costs a lot of money (I know) to keep up to date with hardware to run the latest version with the consistent "Vulkan Errors" hanging over your head if your Graphic Card is not powerful enough.

X-Plane has never had an vintage or obsolete list like Apple, if your old disks work, then you could fly any X-Plane version, obviously this does come with with limitations and hardware, I personally don't know if there are emulators out there to run vintage software on modern machines? myself it has been an interesting journey though computer hardware and software eras.

I have had Apple computers since the original Macintosh era of a 512 mb machine, and the various types through the 80' and 90's. But during my editing career created by the formation of the G3 Machintosh and Final Cut Pro (1999) or Digital Non-Linear Editing (NLE). To get a combo like that cost all of AUS$5000, as other systems were in the AUS$50,000 dollar range, it was however still highly restricted by 12 Gb hard drives, restricting you to only about 30 min of editing time, before taking another 10 hours to render, you didn't do mistakes, as a mistake cost you another 10 hours to re-render the footage...  the good ole days.

But my point is that during the time you built up a collection of tools (in this case related to film editing), and the actual FCP versions themselves. Personally I would still rather edit on the original timeline version of FCP than the iMovie based current FCP. So if I wanted to use all those excellent tools you had to keep the same hardware to match them, or run them. I moved up to the Power Macintosh G5, and fortunately all the G3 software ran on the G5 with upgrades to OSX 10. But after that you slipped down the order in losing precious software tools with every new Mac release, starting with "Tiger 10.4", but then all became totally obsolete with "Leopard 10.5". If I wanted my perfect hardware system with all my tools, then the G5 soldiered on, and and on for over a decade and a half. Luckily you could later add on (tons) extra storage space, but the performance (rendering) was stuck in a timewarp (but the G5 was far faster than the G3), but if you were only editing a 60min video, it was always acceptable. My 24" 2009 aluminum enclosure iMac ran both FCP and my first X-Plane (XP9), and was only reluctantly retired to go Windows.

X-Plane demands a lot of processing power was the reason, but updating Mac's is not done at all either. But one story was interesting. In the early release of SSD's (Solid State Drive) I put one in my 2009 iMac, transforming the machine to survive another four years with the expanded speed, but graphic cards were off the table unlike the fortunes and the wide open options of Windows. I'm looking at that 2009 iMac now, doing another job of storing music and being a broadcast hub, yes FCP still works (just), but all the support video equipment is now either broken or gone. 

We all have our computer stories. But the rule is you are trapped with a duel upgrade timeline. The hardware OS has to exactly match the software version you are running, if either are out of sync then you are struggling with a lopsided or even non-working system. That aspect can be expensive, or you are stuck like the guy above in a timewarp, with nowhere to go but to your wallet.

The X-Plane I am flying now is nothing like the version I built up in the early days, and I worked extremely hard on building up all those various elements to create a realistic on-line world, but in reality (even though a lot of the old (XP10) scenery does actually work). What I fly and use in this current simulator is world's away from the flying a decade ago, however I did get a taste of the old days twice recently.

Doing the excellent South Pacific Tahiti scenery, I found there was no ATR 72-500, the aircraft run by Air Tahiti to use in part of the review. The aircraft is the ATR72-500 v1.2 Riviere 1.2.0 updated by henkfix, and this was the replacement for the review.

The shock was how dated the ATR72 was. It is a standard PlaneMaker version, and it came with all the foibles and flaws of PlaneMaker. It was certainly a jump back in time. And the dawning realisation of the issues and problems I had encountered a decade ago, was not actually me or the way I flew...   I then realised, that the way that PlaneMaker interprets the X-Plane dynamics, honestly is actually not that good. I found very quickly the ATR was hard to start, even in this crude simplistic environment, then the old issue of the Autopilot not locking into the route in the FMC (FMS)... it all came back, and the horror of it all. Like I said, I thought it was (at the time) my own inexperience that was why I couldn't intergrate or fly the ATR well. But it's not, it's the original PlaneMaker design, notable to me was the fact that the underlying system has not actually changed at all.

Modern X-Plane 12 aircraft use Plugins (mostly SASL) to get around and hide these now very crude backend systems, but do you ever remember an update specifically relating to PlaneMaker, a little touch here and changes there obviously to accept the newer X-Plane version, but not much else is going on back here. 

The second aircraft was Peter's A380-800. Again an aircraft that originally was created back in the same X-Plane 10 era. Notably Peter Hagar had updated areas to meet the X-Plane 12 era...  but the core elements were still there, one was banks (rolls). When the A380 came to a waypoint, the aircraft would do a hard sharp 45º turn to the next heading, very PlaneMaker and not at all very realistic, so it dated the design. Plus all the sky holes in the modeling, this is again a limitation of PlaneMaker not the developer, yes even modern X-Plane aircraft can get sky holes, but here it was extremely noticeable as they were everywhere, and you even had the sky showing on (through) the OHP. The old style liveries with separate .png daytime and .lit night layers that were so hard to edit and created fusions of both files on the aircraft in the intermediate point as they clashed at dusk, editing them (fixing) sent me again back to a time now forgotten, but I had spent many an hour doing the same photoshop fixes back then, it was a very big memory trip back in time to that earlier era, thankfully the skills of the time past remained effective.

Ten years ago this was the X-Plane norm, so you just excepted it as part of the Simulator and flying in X-Plane. It was the surprise now on how all very crude it was, and is. The ATR was a pain to fly, I worked it and actually did complete the flight from Bora Bora to Papeete, a small bonus on the other side of the PlaneMaker coin is that a decade old aircraft would still fly in it's basic form, but you saw the yawning gap. Most would say, well what do you expect after a decade or so of Simulation advancement? and I accept that argument.   

So the combination of advancement ran though my flying over the last few months. The split between the old and to be discarded, and the new. Again the revolution of file processed in that in between time. I have hard drives full of past aircraft and scenery, now dated and basically unwanted. And actually my X-Plane aircraft fleet, even the scenery folder is far smaller than those earlier times.

The difference is the quality of the aircraft and scenery, in numbers it is far fewer than then, but they wholly deliver a far more intimate and quality experience...  you then in the past experimented everything, but are now far more discerning on what you use and fly in the Simulator.

Yes certainly the change between X-Plane versions can create a lot of obsolete (abandonware) aircraft, even scenery, and god bless Carenado, but you rebuild it all in a different way and in a different environment.

So there are a lot of things you like to hold on to that worked so well for you in the past, like my FCP system, but in time it did become that word "Vintage", as did the computers that ran the software, and now it is all just "Obsolete". And yet I don't like the Apple turnover of perfectly good tools being discarded just to add in more functions after only a few years, or to maybe only sell you a new iPhone for only profits. If the iPhone still works then why should you have to throw it away, even if Apple says no, or not usable anymore, it's all a bit of a tech waste, but 3G anybody.

But overall there is not much difference between the two platforms, X-Plane and Apple...  Windows users however can probably run Microsoft FlightSim ver 2.0, and quite happily...  See you all next month.

Stephen Dutton

5th August 2024

Copyright©2024 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : June 2024

Can you believe it is already half way through another year? Yes the months do seem to be passing quicker, and the years too. It was only two years ago we were waiting for the X-Plane 12 (beta) release, TWO YEARS, man it's gone quickly, and here we are nearly half way through the XP12 run, yes halfway already to X-Plane 13, Laminar Research will be soon dragging out the white board again to list the next set of exciting features!

But that is for another day.

Those two years were also very disquieting in the process as well...  don't worry I'm not going down THAT road this month. So this created a bit of nervousness as the Fight Simulator Expo in Las Vegas approached this year. Laminar Research only sent two people last year to Texas, one the PR (Public Relations) guy and Phillipp Ringlar, so basically there was really no visibility from X-Plane, except for a stand and a few demonstrations...   were as Microsoft basically took over the Expo with the Flight Simulator 2024 announcement.

Your always looking for a base line, and the situation of knowing where you stand. To be honest that has been hard with X-Plane 12. It had all the excellent ingredients, and in the many times the power of X-Plane 12 sort of shone through, but somehow it didn't all come together for one reason or another. Last month in BtheS I noted the level of excellence now being shown via X-Plane 12 aircraft, most notably the X-Crafts E-Jet Series, X-Trident AW-109SP, and now we can add in the FlightFactor Boeing 777v2. Levels above in about what we expect with quality Simulation. But what of the X-Plane Simulator itself?

But the 2024 Expo sort of gave us a better understanding of the current Simulation situation. For one there is a lot of competition out there, but overall it still comes down to FlightSim and X-Plane. After last year and the announcement of FS 2024 (coming in Nov 2024), I was expecting this year's 24 Expo to be "nail in the coffin" sort of scenario coming from Seattle. Oddly it didn't happen, but it did sort of showed were and where the situation is going.

I will be honest, and I think I mentioned this at the time last year. I thought the new features for FS 2024 were quite disappointing, no seriously. Except for the continuing focus on the 3d landscaping, it didn't really deliver anything new except for presenting "Experiences", scoff you might...  but even this year's 24 Expo was really a rerun of the same as last year, adding in only the Boeing MAX as an aircraft release. The only highlights were the "Vertical Obstacles", in creating thousands of infrastructure in pylons, weather towers, power stations and the clever world shipping. I do admit that over the course of the FS 2020, Microsoft did a brilliant job in filling in the world with their consistent "World Updates", 16 in all and the last World Update XVI, focused on the Caribbean region.

The huge mass of 3rd party developers did the rest, releasing tons of aircraft, and far too many sceneries that were so nondescript, that I had google a lot to find out where they actually were. New developers were coming out of the woodwork by the hour, and if you could even think of buying even fraction of all these releases, then certainly my bank balance says absolutely not?

Which comes to my favorite word "Momentum", that word gets things done and builds huge audiences, 15 Million users in this case, but to be honest I don't totally subscribe to that number. X-Plane has just over a million, but the core number of users is probably only around 200,000...  So what is the true number for FlightSim, say 4, maybe 5 million, still a big, big number compared to X-Plane.

X-Plane 12 has a huge amount of new features, including; Photometric Rendering, Enhanced Weather System, Seasonal Effects, Dynamic Water, Improved Flight Models, ATC Improvements and a new User Interface. You could say that most are in relation to the release of FS 2020, there is some truth in that but not all of it. These features were groundbreaking, but issues in getting them refined took far too long, and some took development of nearly two years on from release, you could call it behind the "8 Ball". But the release of the Newly numbered version 12.1.0, you finally had all the components working together in harmony, and the results are really quite amazing. But in the same time as noted FS 2020 had gained a lot of users and a far bigger audience.

But putting them side by side as Simulators the differences are more even handed. Again you may scoff...  but I was very surprised that FlightSim, didn't even have a replay function? but are added it into 2024 via a 3rd party, and a cheap fix at that?

So two major things came out of Expo 2024. The first is the obvious neglect of the scenery. First I will note that scenery requires a huge amount of processing power, and something we didn't have a decade ago. Also Microsoft processes their scenery off your processor and delivers it to you in packages, a clever way of doing it, but that aspect also puts you at the mercy of your internet connection and speeds. And the hoards over there are always complaining of the problem.

For X-Plane and for processing the scenery on your own machine, means that the size or detail of the scenery is restricted to what you can personally process, that aspect also restricts on what Laminar Research can also deliver in detail. But to be honest, even with all the issues around the scenery, Laminar still missed the ball completely in leaving the changes for so long at over a decade. The release in November 2011 of X-Plane 10, is now nearly 13 years (12 years and 222 days), although great at the time, that length of time in lying dormant in a simulator is simply backward thinking. I know I go on about this aspect, year after year, but the fact remains it has caused the biggest divide between the FlightSim and X-Plane, and the way that the users have preferred one Simulator over the other, great aircraft withstanding.

Laminar in not being more vigilant on this aspect in every scenery area, has put the Simulator into a precarious position, that even lesser known, mostly battlefield Simulators, leave X-Plane and Laminar in the dust in quality background scenery. It is the "glaringly obvious" of the differences between the FS and X-Plane Simulators, and also why developers are trending and are attracted to the boards in FlightSim and not X-Plane. Give Microsoft their due, they looked at X-Plane's biggest weakness and totally exploited it. Then FS pushed the knives in deeper with their excellent World Updates, on how could you still keep on missing the vital messages coming at you, but Laminar did.

Somehow the mantra of, we only do aircraft, not a whole simulator was even obvious when the old school FlightSim was around, users were wanting to pay huge sums to collect scenery and city vistas, they were already world building, aircraft were diabolical and unrealistic to fly, but it still made FlightSim a huge money earner in add-ons, plus it added numbers back then that X-Plane could only dream of. 

The problem of processing these huge sceneries is still the biggest barrier to creating a real world X-Plane. Notably at the 2024 Expo, Laminar finally revealed that they were now looking at the scenery in question, they even said they would fix the green spaces around custom scenery...  But just thickening up some tiles with more density is not the option either. X-Plane needs to become a "World" Simulator in detail, it is obvious the 3rd parties are not going to come to the party unless you are going to give them something unique or clever to want to develop for X-Plane...  If you are of a certain age when X-Plane 9 rolled into X-Plane 10, you would remember the incredible transformation of the release, sadly Laminar didn't follow that aspect up.

The point here is that the visual and effects in X-Plane are very, very good, but the main character of the Simulator is critically missing. If Laminar Research can and do fix this scenery aspect, then X-Plane will have better or even chance of being a premier Simulator, even then also attract back developers and scenery creators to get some momentum back into the Simulator. Going for once where the user wants them to go, and throw away the clubby atmosphere that has restrained the Simulator, what was once X-Plane's biggest strength has become it's biggest liability, in wanting a cheap Simulator (meaning free) is disintegrating it from the inside out...  15 Million users if you believe that number or not is proof of what Simulation wants out of Simulators, game quality visuals are now required to create "Experiences", not just very, very complicated aircraft.

The second point that where X-Plane has also done badly is in selling itself. Again that small clubby little world didn't want anything to upset their view or take on Simulation. Microsoft sold Simulation big time, to anyone who wanted to try it...  X-Plane over the last decade did absolutely nothing, not even an advert in PC Pilot. I tell everyone within earshot how great it is, and have created fellow users in the process, many having seen my set up and wanted one for themselves, but I was a small voice in the wilderness...  If they don't know what you are using or selling, then how are you going to grow? X-Plane did have momentum, but at only a snails pace, Microsoft showed what Simulation was all about with the huge expansion of FlightSim 2020 and took the users with them...  the money as well.

Till next month, see you then

Stephen Dutton

1st July 2024

Copyright©2024 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : May 2024

I've got to admit I am enjoying X-Plane at the moment, in that the X-Plane 12 experience is now cutting and creating a higher level of immersion you could never believe could ever have existed before. Certainly the long awaited X-Plane v12.1.0 update pushes the Simulator further down the road with a very realistic experience, missing however is still a more naturalistic scenery, its now eleven years old and more, so it's showing it's age.

You always had to have a very vivid imagination when flying the X-Plane Simulator, as when I came in it was in the middle of the X-Plane 9 run, you had to have a VERY vivid imagination back then. But that gap has now become very small.

The v12.1.0 update does however do something in closing the illusionary line between imaginary and realism. It could be a lot of things, but overall I think it is the lighting effects, the shadows and everything in between. But it has taken a long time to get here...  the refinement process of X-Plane 12 has been too long and even a bit painful. And that may be the point, as before it wasn't noticeable, but it is now in the age of photorealistic gaming.

But as I have several times over that long decade or so, I saw a jump, a movement forward in April. This aspect started actually last year with the release of X-Craft's excellent E-Jet Series. The realism factor and depth of the Simulation was a credit to the developer. But it was the X-Trident AW-109SP that really changed the goal posts. In doing so it also brings up a few questions on with which way Simulation is going?

Over the years in Simulation Reviewing I have had a technological journey as much as a simulated one. In that time through learning I was able to keep pace with the changes and the new features presented. But mostly at the very sharp pointy end of Simulation, in the need, even in the wanting for aircraft to be as close to being the same as a real aircraft in it's functions and systems. The level of detail is now getting down to a profusion of characteristic levels that can start to be overwhelming. Notably anything can be learnt or studied, but in doing so it takes longer and more to absorb, as the hidden depth and detail is revealed. Time, is against you in this aspect.

As a reviewer, the time from a release to having the review visible is paramount, in days, if possible. A few years ago, you could post a review three to four days after receiving the product, mostly a day for looking into and first flying the aircraft, a day to do the details, and a day to do the flying segment...   that aspect has significantly grown over the last few years, in most cases now it takes a week to cover the review, but a few and more and more newer simulations are now stretching you even further.

Your researching more, testing more, working your way through the complicated 500 or so page manuals...  getting down into the nitty gritty of the core of the simulation before you.

In the same is acronym hell. This is where the AW-109SP comes in. It was a marvel of developer detail in recreating the Genesys Aerosystems IDU-450 EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System). The realism and use of that feature was simply (out-of-this-world) stuff, brilliant. And Simulation beyond the realm of the usual believability. But learning it, then trying to explain the complicated systems was reviewer hell. There was so many different aspects and arms coming out of the system, that it took days to work out and understand, then transferring those insights into a review was a daunting job. Don't get me wrong, I loved single every second of it all, and in reality would have loved to have kept on doing the review for another week or so. I was in there and soaking it all up, the incredible experience that I was immersed in every day. But that aspect of a ticking clock, to wrap the review and get it out there was also a very daunting experience.

So here is the problem? As these Simulations now go so humungous even for an experienced reviewer, then think of the humble simulator user? 

The complexity and acronym hell could thwart, even create a boundary between the user and the simulation. I thought about this aspect a lot when reviewing the AW-109SP. And was even worried that the review would create a systematic line that many couldn't cross. Thankfully the review was very well received, and that showed the highlighted awareness of X-Plane user in being able to absorb complexity of this scale.

Well folks, you "haven't seen anything yet". FlightFactor's coming Boeing 777 v2 will expand that concept beyond anything you could imagine, but thankfully the developers have provided a quick setup and quick flight options, making it accessible to most, it is even beyond a "Study" simulation, as I call it an "Airline Study" simulation. As the aircraft is so deep into the real world experience with clever interaction at the core of the aircraft, it also comes with loads of 500 page manuals to study and adsorb. But all credit to the developers in what they have created in a very deep and very detailed simulation.

It will be interesting on how the B777 will be received, as it is a new era in simulation. We are used to "Study" aircraft were as the simulation is in the need of mirroring the real Manuals and Crew Operations of the aircraft. That every item that is noted in the manual has also the same action in the simulation, and that is ultimately the aim of Simulation, in replicating that complex environment on a computer. 

But I grew with the decade or so of the changes in the detail and these new features as they were implemented along that long journey. Every new idea and feature could be absorbed, dissected and learnt on the same journey, as simulation grew, then so did myself.

So the question I am asking here is a what if. What if I was just starting my Simulation journey and was being faced with the current complexity of the developers deep designs. We know that starting out in Simulation, you do go for the more simple aircraft, but what of me, as right back then at the start of my Simulation journey and the reason I wanted to do Simulation, was to fly the Boeing 747. This was a time of 2d panels and basic controls, there is no way to compare the B777v2 to this earlier minimal simulation. I learnt and could say I'm now a bit of an 747 expert, so has been my journey. But could I have flown a B747 today of the B777v2's complexity? Deep dive there.

To be fair Flightfactor do provide a simplified setup, so the aircraft can be flown from a novice's point of view, but when alerts keep popping up and have to be dealt with on the flightdeck, then this still is not as a simple Simulation as it was back then. I do know that new users are very adaptable and have the skills to adapt to these very complex simulations, as they do astound me with their knowledge. The point is that, if I am head down, with the occasional help from A.I. in working out the myriad of acronyms and how they work, then what of someone new to all this new level of complexity?

It's good, so don't get me wrong on the level of detail and complexity we now have in Simulation. We can all learn to understand how it works and better our flying skills. It is the absolute goal in Simulation to achieve this level being presented to us. So we certainly can't to be seen complaining about that aspect.

It is just will that continuing drive for deeper, more complex systems and features, then start to create different levels of the way you use and access simulators, the trick is not like the real world, you only have to learn the aircraft and fly it. But in Simulation there is another dimension as well, the knowledge and use of the computer and Simulation software as well. That is just as complex and bug ridden as you could ever imagine... obviously that is in time the ultimate challenge, not only to learn and fly the aircraft, but to house-keep and keep in order the simulator correctly to do so, this is to bring both the experiences together.

Like said at the head of this BtheS. I'm deeper into Simulation now more than ever, and yes also totally enjoying the onward journey. The tools provided in this day and age, not only in the power of the computing, but also with the 3 party addons. gives you an almost unlimited experience that you never thought of existing in the past...  however we must not also lose the sight of why we fly in the mist of all this technology, flying is still at the core of what we do, and at the end of the day, there is nothing more soul satisfying than just cruising along at a flight level and wondering on how you got here, with all this.

Notable in June 21-23, 2024 is the FlightExpo 2024 in Las Vegas. After the last few years Laminar Research will be there in force this year, with X-Plane 12.1.0 under their arms, and the FlightFactor Boeing 777ER v2 in their arsenal. It is a considerable combination, plus all the other X-Plane developers wanting to claim ground back from MSFS. This is after MSFS dominating the last two Expos, it will be interesting to see how this year's event eventuates. Time to strike back against the Empire! We will soon find out.

See you all next Month

Stephen Dutton

6th June 2024

Copyright©2024 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : April 2024

By of Easters past... it was a very quiet month this April 2024. X-Plane again played the game of each other waiting for the other. The worst was the extended X-Plane 12 development period, until the beta release in September 2022. Then things moved forward, if in only dribs and drabs. In fact X-Plane 12 wasn't actually of what you would call completely "usable" until v12.0.8 (rc-3).

Here we are again... in waiting. This time it is the newly numbered or categorised v12.1.0. This version was publicly given a performance at the FS Weekend in Lelystad, the Netherlands, then a week ago another windowshop was done at the "Fun and Sun Aerospace Expo" in Florida. All very nice. Of course the current simulator is usable, you can still fly your beloved dream machine anytime you want to, so what is the problem you ask?

The problem is that this latest v12.1.0 version is the most important since the release of X-Plane 12. In some ways more important in that it will finally bring all the threads together, and FINALLY fix problems that have gone on too long. Remember X-Plane 12 was 16 months late, v12.1.0 will be to date over five months late...   and yes I am going on about this again.

Easter is the big release month of the year. You would think Christmas was the biggie, but it's not from a sales perspective, not counting Black Friday (does X-Plane count as cyber Monday?). But the problem for Christmas is that if you have some saved cash to spend in this holiday period, it is not going selfishly to you now is it? You may get away with a great sale purchase on Black Friday, but honestly that spare cash is going to have to go towards lavishing presents on your loved ones and covering the costs of a thanksgiving turkey, or Christmas dinner. Worse is that any available free time is also in being wanted to be with your loved ones, extended family loved ones or stuck at the airport in waiting for the snow to clear.

Christmas is like that, as you simply have no time and absolutely no money for yourself.

Now Easter is perfect...  You have already worked your guts out hard for over three months, so are wanting a little reward for all your hard earned efforts. There is usually a nice sale on at the Store, but more importantly is that after Easter there are two perfectly clear weeks with no commitments, plus besides opening an Easter egg, you can selfishly hide away and fly to your heart's content, no commitments, pure unabated freedom...  two whole weeks of flying, and no guilt!

Although you will find something nice on the Store for this unconfined period, the really nice, nice thing to have is something new, even better is something really special to learn and fly. You can then spend all that time delving through manuals and learning those complex cockpit tasks to your heart's content, the most committed will even do a really long haul, a 12 hour crusade from one part of the world to the other...

So where is the problem?

Snazzy developers know this. So they are in wanting to put their bright shiny (usually expensive) new project right there on the Store for you to absorb, usually make it wanting in those precious few weeks leading up to the Easter holiday period. The only annoying thing is you are faced with is usually which of the biggest of the glittering projects are you going to purchase for those available spacious two weeks.

So what could go wrong? Top level developers usually get an advanced Alpha copy of the latest X-Plane version from Laminar Research. This is a two way talkfest to find mostly the hidden bugs and if the newly inserted simulator features will work correctly on the current aircraft. Here is a hint in the rain feature on aircraft windows. Originally it was Librain, then the rain was internally converted into the actual X-Plane Simulator. Laminar should do more of these outsourcing of ideas, for two reasons, it speeds up development and a lot of these third-party gizmos are very clever. To their credit Laminar have finally absorbed a few of the better ones with X-Plane 12.

So in the Alpha, you can see or test if the new feature works as required, the bonus is that the developer can then also incorporate the same feature on their incoming latest release. v12.1.0 has a lot of lighting changes, so it is a lot of work to refine all those lights to match the newer requirements of the coming version release.

But from the developers point of view, you can't release the new project with all the latest wizz-bang features built in, if the Version release is not released to the general user public.

You have a choice, put out the current model, then update later with the official release when finally out there. But that is releasing two different projects within weeks of each other, plus you can't take advantage in your marketing of those new features that will all be bright and sparkle on your aircraft (even scenery has a load of lighting effects)...  second choice is hold off for the v12.1.0 release, then put the project up for sale.

The ongoing delayed release then creates another problem? If every developer holds off for the imminent release, then they are all piling up together behind the V12.1.0 intergration...  so once that is implemented, then you get a rush too the store.

For most users you only have a set allowance of disposable funds, yes you might buy one top level aircraft ($70-$90) range, maybe even a lighter release ($30-$40) range, but if you have four or five big releases coming at you at the same time, your not going to, or be able to purchase them all.

In most cases releases are staggered, usually two to three weeks apart so the market can absorb these disposable income funds. So the release date for a developer is extremely important to get right, for a maximum return on their work.

Even if Laminar Research release v12.1.0 in the next few weeks, then the developers have spread out their wares as well. We saw this with the over long X-Plane 12 release itself, and it took ages to sort out, mostly six months... but that was a different time and story.

So there is a queue building out there, but it does give developers a little more time to fine tune their project, make them better, and when they do arrive they will also have the latest X-Plane 12 v12.1.0 features available as well. And they are certainly worth waiting for.

But that queue is a problem, go with the others put up the product on the store and compete hard for your disposable dollar, but in this aspect you will lose, certainly if FlightFactor releases the Boeing 777v2, everyone will want that. Your other choice is to wait, spread out the release date, and it is a better deal for you...  in the end. So at this point you have nothing, then you will be faced with everything all at once?

In looking at the now X-Plane 12 defined aircraft. You do get this highlighted quality that is head and shoulders above the last X-Plane versions, users have had some excellent and quality releases over the years, but nothing can even come close to what X-Plane 12 can really deliver to Simulation...  both the maturing of the X-Plane 12 Simulator, and the ever advancing quality from developers is colliding together to create amazing experiences, and many of those incredible experiences will be released in the next few months and over the Northern Summer.

It is a very exciting time to be in Simulation, but everything also depends totally on Laminar Research delivering the next step in v12.1.0, and soon? To drag on the release slowly again will cause a lot of headaches, even a few getting out of the simulation business, and you can't blame them at all. So as Astronaut Alan Shepard remarked... “I'm cooler than you are,” he barked. “Why don't you fix your little problem and light this candle?”.

See you all next Month

Stephen Dutton

3rd May 2024

Copyright©2024 X-Plane Reviews

Behind the Screen : March 2024

On the 4th of February 2024, there was a Developer's conference in Montreal for X-Plane Simulator platform. Here the best and most prominent developers joined together to work out not only the future of the X-Plane Simulator, but also to share their friendship in meeting their fellow workers in arms.

Laminar Research was at the same conference as well. That should have been a huge advantage in working with the very people that do the core workings of the X-Plane Simulator, the setting was ripe for setting a future roadmap and an agenda for X-Plane from both sides of the Simulator...  but the conference didn't end to that satisfaction.

At the height of the conference, Laminar Research announced that they were going to create a product store within the X-Plane Simulator, a reflection of the same arrangement that is part of the MSFS 2020 (Microsoft Simulator) platform.

This sudden announcement did not unite the developers to the Laminar cause, in fact it divided the conference, and in itself created a rolling discontent among the the attendees, certainly when the news hit the forums, all sorts of comments came out.

Initially most users were very supportive of the internal store idea, yes another store, and one built directly into the Simulator, this aspect is a major plus....  but X-Plane is not at all structured like Microsoft's Simulator, it is not a large single central entity, but a Universe with many different revolving planets, and set at it's centre are two massive Jupiter sized planets called Laminar Research and the X-Plane.Org.

Initially Laminar Research never dealt with the user side of the Simulator, it was (still is) the founder and on going developer of the Simulator. The X-Plane.Org grew out of the need for users to interact, create and support the X-Plane Simulator. In the early day's it was a sort of clubby meeting place to share and communicate all things X-Plane. I'm not saying that MSFS also has this same network of user sites and forums set around it and in giving support and communication to the platform, in fact every platform has it's own network. But the central core of development and selling product at MSFS is embedded directly into the system, it is even hosted and run as an online game.

But X-Plane's in it's arrangement was more focused and generalised than the others. Someone noted that the X-Plane.Org is not the centre of the X-Plane universe, as other sites contribute to the platform, and yes I agree with that aspect in file sharing and product sales, like the Fly Away Simulation sites, but most are only sales sites (Orbx, Just Flight & SimMarket). But the X-Plane.Org is different in that it supports the Developers directly or even indirectly in the support of creating the products to use in the Simulator.

Early days of X-Plane were mostly based around the PlaneMaker tool provided with the Simulator, mostly aircraft were then generic, but clever in a customised way. So the clubby .Org supported these products as they were mostly freeware based. But even in these early years, the X-Plane.Org struggled for support.

Sites and platforms cost money to host and maintain. Free is all very nice, but it doesn't buy you servers and software to run it all, and very quickly the site required money to support the ever expanding user base. Donations was an early trial, but failed as they were not very consistent and worse in not really giving enough financial support to the .Org site. The solution came with Nicolas Taureau, and he set up a store to sell the now more quality based "Payware" products, but the funds also supported the .Org in succession and allowed it to thrive and grow into the big utility it is today. Most of this important support is not aggrandised or visually translated, as is Taureau's personality, understated is more to the point, but important is the support of the .Org system to the X-Plane platform, of which X-PlaneReviews is also a benefactor.

So now you have the X-Plane Universe, with Laminar Research and the X-Plane.Org running in parallel or in orbits around each other, Laminar in not wanting the commercial side of the Simulator, bar of selling a few cups and T-Shirts. And the X-Plane.Org system supporting the developer and user base. So what happens if you move the financial base of developers and sales of the X-Plane Simulator directly to the new store? in reality, you are blowing the X-Plane universe apart, and I really don't think that a lot of users realised that the amount of the support funding of the X-Plane.Org, developer support and loads of other auxiliary items that was generated by the X-Plane.OrgStore...   and neither did Austin Meyer's, head honcho of Laminar Research. All he saw was a store in MSFS and the money he could generate if he installed inside X-Plane the same system as Microsoft, a good idea financially, but structurally unsound for his own creation.

We have to understand, and oddly the original mission of X-Plane was for it to be a platform of experimentation of all things aviation. That is the core of PlaneMaker as well, although that aspect was left behind more than a decade ago. In wanting far better functionality and higher quality Simulation, it had move on pass the basic origins of PlaneMaker to plugin based custom products. This now is really the contention of the issue and where the money goes to. Obviously Laminar Research want to expand beyond being just the gatekeeper of X-Plane.

So there are currently a lot of issues created by the announcement of 4th February 2024. Certainly it has the promise to unstable a very balanced current system, and the ramifications are enormous if Laminar Research get this idea wrong, and creates questions...  but what of a store with very few products to sell?  Would they in the future also financially support the user base...  they made a very big message over the decades of not getting or even involved at all in this aspect, but they would be either the demise of it, or even damaging it beyond repair... if that scenerio was possible, could it also damage the X-Plane model as a simulator entirely? Kill the very goose that lays the golden eggs... I'm doomsaying again, but this time not without reason. 

So we are at a threshold, not a runway one were X-Plane gets to land safely beyond the fence and onto the hard solid runway. Since the 4th of February announcement, there has been no forth coming new announcements or details from Laminar Research, except for a few flashy images on the X-Plane website and social media. Obviously the next announcement will be the launch of the store, and it's insertion into the X-Plane Simulator. It will be very good, as Laminar are very good at these sort of things. But there is far more required than opening a store, but of the quality of the stock inside of it.

Loyalty to Nicolas Taureau is also extremely strong, and why not. He has supported and cultivated the core product of the Simulator for more than over a decade, and make no mistake here in not doing it selfishly for just for the product to sell, but to give talented developers the resources and support they needed to acquire the skills we take for granted, and with the excellent products we all use.

How this current store scenario plays out will be important to the future of the Simulator, hopefully we will have an answer by Q3 as announced for the opening of the LR Store in the 3rd quarter of the year...   one thing is very sure, the X-Plane Simulator we used only last year, will be a very different to the one we will be using at the end of 2024.

There was no edition of BtheS in February 2024, as I went of a well earned holiday, break..  or a cruise around the South Pacific. Obviously the 4th February announcement traveled with me, but I did get a well deserved change of scenery and a big sea refresh. But my demur was already more brighter before the departure, in fact since late 2023, when X-Plane through version 12.0.9, and behaved itself. A second South Pacific X-Plane related revisit to Tahiti in the same region was simply sheer coincidence, but translated the same to the X-Plane Simulator in how it mirrors the real world.

Now we are looking forward to X-Plane 12 v12.1.0...   the v12.1.0 update is expected to be a landmark release outside of a formal version change. Most of the focus is on graphics, including the nasty Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) Improvements, Water improvements, RCAS (Robust Contrast Adaptive Sharpening), Bloom effects and better particle effects. Systems include a better G1000 functionality, Stormscope, Traffic Map and Airport METAR flags... a new STEC ST-360 Autopilot is also included, new tools include better screenshot effects, which suits us really well... it is quite a list. With everything, then this post Easter holiday will be one of the most interesting yet, and the version v12.1.0 was highlighted with great reception at the FS Weekend in the Netherlands. Expect a beta release within weeks.

Importantly those on-going v12.1.0 is more better system refinements, in shifting the heavy workload from your Graphics card over to the Processor. We expected this aspect for the release of X-Plane 12, but it will come now about mid-term in the X-Plane 12 version run. The changes will not magically fix your framerate, as heavier graphics will equalise out the benefits of less load on the Graphic Card, but it will overall make the X-Plane Simulator more efficient. I was a little annoyed about this aspect as I invested heavily in the processor side in my last system upgrade with the earlier announcement, then finding that Laminar was leaning even more heavily than ever onto the Graphic card side, so more expense was required to beef up that hardware side, now they are going back to the original focus, it is annoying and expensive as well to cater for these changing whims.

Another change over the month was the upgrading of scenery for X-Plane 12. Finally the slow dribble has started to be a better flow from scenery developers, Aerosoft particularly was very active in releasing replacements and improvements to scenery that have been a long time dormant, and obviously we need more to come, a lot more. Although noted as an ever constant developing Simulator, X-Plane 12 will hopefully reach a mature point with the release of v12.1.0. Then that aspect bringing in even more resources for users to experience.

So Q2 has a lot of potential to be one of the best period of 2024 for some big quality releases, even if it dribbles into the Northern Summer. But developers need a better more mature Simulator to bring quality releases to the Users, that aspect was something quite lacking over the last few years...  it is time for X-Plane 12 to turn the corner...  and that is said on April Fools day!

See you all next month.

Stephen Dutton

1st April 2024

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