Stephen

Thanks for your comment... the reply can be split into two areas. Over the last year plugins and plugin conflicts are becoming an issue, certainly with FlightFactor's A320 U, ToLiSS A319, AirfoilLabs B350 or any other plugin based complex system aircraft. No matter how good the developer then in areas there will always be overlaps... Even I have to now choose what plugin is to be inserted to fly that aircraft, if not it has to come out and be stored, annoying yes... but that is the state of the situation and it is going to get worse. My feelings is that Laminar will need to address this complex issue, but even switching off the plugin within the simulator doesn't work either, it has to physically come out of the plugin folder. As I have always constantly chanted "keep your plugins folder as light as possible" only tested and refined plugins are to go in there, so in that vein I have had no issues with the JAR A330. I flew it a few weeks ago and it is fine to me. Other point is that this design is now quite to very old in X-Plane years (2012 old), but updated, this review is XP10 and 2015, there was only an update a few months back to v3 so the aircraft is current, but another update in v3.2 for A330 is also coming soon... purchase? Well first there is no other decent A330 at this level in X-Plane, so if you want the aircraft then there is no other option, JARDesigns are a bit quirky, but overall they are a great simulation, certainly not in the current XP11 standard, but certainly well within the confines of having a great simulation, and I like the JARDesign A330 a lot, for a purchase then yes if you can get a deal... SD

Plugin Update : xEnviro v1.10 DarkSpace has released an updated new version of their environmental engine xEnviro to v1.10. Yes it's finally here... sort of. The ping pong story of xEnviro is going to be one for the grandkids, but we are holding in there and the release of v1.10 is at least a step forward. I will put my hand up and say I am a big fan of xEnviro, in reality it is absolutely everything I am against in buggy software, but I still use it... well v1.07 anyway which is currently over two and a half years old... v1.08... nah crap, v1.09 even more crap with seriously bad shadows on the aircraft (greyed out)... so we waited, and waited and well waited. So here is v1.10, and it is well... still extremely buggy but at least finally workable. A note in that because xEnviro is only available with real world weather (no history or save weather conditions) then this quick overview look at the new release is bound by the weather conditions I can find, as more different conditions come up I will add them in as they become available... but we can start here. The developers also have made a very long statements about the condition of the release and in that they are still wrestling with certain conditions (as we shall see) but think that at least we should at least (after waiting years) to get a working weather engine. As noted xEnviro is not even close to being an acceptable product, but even in this situation it is absolutely brilliantly good, as it is in the exceptional feel and look that it delivers to the simulator, that xEnviro delivers almost perfect visual realism feedback... it is always the total feel and look factor that really delivers here. First Look xEnviro have wanted to move to volumetric clouds and away from the slideshow image base, the cloud image way was actually not bad, because it was extremely efficient, the problem with volumetric clouds is that they are very processor hungry, note to Laminar's famous cloud "puffs"... and we all know how they at first all pulled down your framerate. The issues with the "puffs" was they were quite large, and of course the smaller you can scale them, then the better detail that you can get, the problem here is mathematics, the smaller you go the higher in the square goes the number required, so even if the lower initial resolution is minute the sheer volume of the order of magnitude then can simply overwhelm the processor again... in other words you are back to square one. So what is required is the volumetric clouds at an smaller efficient level, or at the same efficiency you currently have... so more for the same. So the first look at xEnviro v1.10 is really a look at the current situation of the progress and in reality this is still in the experimental stage. In reality currently (and DarkSpace) acknowledge this is the fact that to get the smaller resolution and also the magnitude required for the quality, it is not going to happen in our current systems. In yes they can make it work, but only at a severe framerate cost... Users note they are getting low single digit framerate drops with installing v1.10... but the fact is that the framerate drop is only 2-3 frames and in fact I am not really seeing a major impact of the v1.10 application on my normal simulation flying (there is however a tendency to rotate around frame rates, say 34, 33, 28 and back to 34...) this is usually present in any new software that is not yet refined... we are always aware that heavier weather will use more framerate so that aspect has to be also taken into consideration. So for those with their framerate issues with v1.10 then you have the usual plugin conflicts or your just overloaded in too many different (and sometimes too many artificial changes) of the basic X-Plane simulator software. I don't or will never change the basic X-Plane software no matter what enhancements that will give me... so funny enough I never have issues with new plugins or applications when updating or upgrading or mostly single digit framerates... funny that? First view of xEnviro v1.10 (above) is that it looked extremely good, it ran well as well (note the framerate number upper left of the screen at 41 fr) at my standard normal X-Plane settings. One noticeable area was the cloud shadow ground reflections (the dark bits), they are good, but overall always too dark, so the shadows are consistent and not variable between the lighter cloud formations and the darker more dense ones, so it comes across as blotchy, it looks okay, but different darker shades of grey could give it more realism as all shadows are not created equally. Worse is the reflected clouds are set out in blocks.... so you see the nasty outlines of the cloud reflection block zones as clouds can currently create formations at high levels or squared sectors of clouds... xEnviro note this is a bug and it is on the list. ... but either fix it or remove the cloud shadows, as they are noticeably distracting. You also immediately see the artifact issue, and it is not pretty, In reality this is not good enough for a pro application, but I will note that those images were taken not adjusted and sometimes the whole window has the artifact effect... There is a "Blur Level" slider that can minimize the worst, or soften up the clouds a little but you can't really get around the core of the visual artifacts until they are addressed. With every new xEnviro version then the setting menu usually is vastly different... again this is the case. With v1.10 a lot of the original settings that have been taken away compared to v1.07. Removed from V1.10 has been: Resolution slider has been removed. Complexity slider has been removed. Reflections range slider has been removed. Detailed range slider has been removed. Maximum drawing distance slider removed. Post processing checkbox removed. Remove scenery shadows under overcast checkbox removed. Billboard clouds have been completely removed. Crepuscular rays temporary removed. Draw crepuscular rays checkbox has been removed. Camera shift slider removed. Somehow you feel too much adjustment has been taken away like the removal of the "Shadow Range". Crepuscular rays have also been temporary deleted. Not much is left in the menu really is there, but two new ones added are really interesting... Top new slider under Effects Settings is the "Maximum Ozone %" that adjusts the Ozone layers density % percentage... Below is the "Camera Blue Filter". this adds a blue tinge to the feel. Another new slider is the special feature.... Snow! xEnviro have work on the idea to create a blanket snow, in not changing the internal textures, which is a slow cumbersome and very time consuming business to simply change seasons, all we really wanted is an easy change of seasons, and snow is the most visual... they have done that effect here and the results are magnificent... the bottom slider is adjustable from 0% to 100% snow coverage. Percentages set here are 25% - 50% - 75% - 100% Around 65% it is about the best seasonal setting I have yet seen in X-Plane... totally brilliant. Landing at EGCC - Manchester of where I have some winter textures, it is very good, far better than my winter custom made ones. The effects will partly cover the runways as well, it worked some times, but not others and like the snow percentage slider itself (If we could always have the manual control of the slider, that would be a great bonus)... so that is all another WIP. How they achieve this with just software I don't know, but it covers any custom scenery, houses and traffic.... Any mountain range that requires the mountain snow effect works as well... ... currently however one downside to the snow is the snow effects on the screen and the aircraft... you get these little snowflake objects that don't look yet realistic? called "precipitation which follows the camera" (in other words static) and It looks still like another WIP, personally I think it should be dropped in the release version until perfected or fixed as it one of the biggest visual intruders... The cloud effects around mountain areas have had a lot of work done, overall it is now quite perfect, but in some instances there is a slight horizon line around the mountain shapes and on the actual horizon, but certainly not as intrusive as that nasty horizon line in v1.07... Visual effects are spectacular in the right regions, here is Innsbruck... we will compare the default X-Plane11 weather ( left) with xEnviro v1.10 (right)... The feel and mood in the valley is excellent.... twilight is sensational. One of the major things that made me dump v1.09 besides the grey out, was the airport lighting disappeared as you approached the runways, this was fixed in an update, but I didn't bother as I couldn't use v1.09 anyway... but here it is thankfully definitely fixed.... The sheer versatility of xEnviro is in situations like this, here we have a heavy summer shower, but the bright sunlight is just behind you, so you are flying into the rainstorm, but the bright side sunlight light is in there also... ... for realism in these conditions it is very, very good. Overcast cumulus that spreads from horizon to horizon is spectacular, and it comes with not a big penalty hit on your framerate as well, I lost two frames for all this magnificence so it was worth the damn two frames... New: I saw these excellent "Lens Flare" scenes so I had to add them in. Yes Lens Flare can be switched off in the settings menu, as it can be very bright in many conditions, but I love it... Note this brilliant lighting scene here (below left) at Page Field. Fl. The three sequence of images above shows the excellent lighting effects of the Lens Flare from full exposure, to partial exposure behind an object, then a full blockage of the lighting via an object.... in the very first image a partial blockage is created by the fun park wheel of just metal spokes, shows the fine tuning of the lighting detail. If you don't look to close you can't doubt the amazing vistas... No more above cloud grey-outs... yeah! and the cockpit windows now also blend in or are translucent, which was very noticable in v1.07. As noted earlier, I can only show what I can see or use currently, if any new vistas are visited and are worthy of a viewing then I will add it into this update review, so please check back for any changes. More notes... to get the best current settings with xEnviro v1.10 you need your Antialiasing set only at 4xSSAA+FXAA... if you go to 8xSSAA+FXAA you get a blank vista, lower and the clouds get far more artifacts... for Settings then the "Wet Aerodrome" selection tickbox NEEDS to be off to clear a matrix effect (Precipitation follows camera), and if you are using the Librain plugin, then the "Windshield Effects" has to be off as well. Summary To sum up there is one big notable thing to say... I'm still using v1.10, and that in itself is a huge step forward. Older issues have been (finally) addressed, but the change to volumetric clouds is still very much a work in progress. Main issues are (very) visual artifacts, poor cloud shadows (now non-adjustable), matrix screen and noticeable snow effects on the aircraft... if you can accept all that, then the benefits of this application are excellent with great atmospheric conditions and highly realistic cloud formations.... when you get the right conditions then xEnviro will blow your mind with the results... New features include the global snow effects and they are simply brilliant, Ozone and Blue filters are in there as well. It is not like the past where you sort of stepped backwards, and stepped forwards at the same time, this a step forward... but by how much is debatable. Problem is still the old problem, the developer in not fixing the basics and always going for the global scale, so we may be stuck with v1.10 for a fair while with no intermediate bug fix updates. It will be also interesting and this why I think v1.10 suddenly appeared at this point, that the Coming FlightSimExpo in Orlando at the weekend 7/8/9 June is that I think the developers here are wanting or hoping the Vulkan/Metal API improvements will be included or announced... certainly a tie-in between the power of the new API's and xEnviro may be critically important, the developer noted this in his notes, that far more processing power is required to achieve the required results. No doubt the supreme result is there, you can see it and almost feel it, but xEnviro still feels of too much an early demonstrator of the technology than the completed form. I will keep using v1,10 and see where it goes... v1.07/8/9 is free to all current xEnviro registered users, just go to the xEnviro site to update : xEnviro.net ______________________________________________________________________  Yes! the xEnviro Environment Engine v1.10 by Dark Space FZE is Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : xEnviro Price is US$69.90 Sorry this plugin is Windows only at this point, But Mac is coming eventually! xEnviro Features: Load real-time meteorological data with download interval from 5 up to 60 minutes taking into account following factors: Wind direction and speed on ground and aloft, temperature, turbulence areas, icing areas and dangerous phenomena (thunderstorm& windshear) Simulate visual effects of different types of precipitations and phenomena: rain showers, snow, fog; Simulate visual raindrops effects on windshields both in 2D and 3D cockpits (if it's loaded in aircraft model); Simulate in-cloud visual effects; Simulate visual effects of shades and aircraft lightning in clouds (Strobe lights, beacon lights, navigation lights, landing lights) Simulate landing lights screen� effect during in-cloud and foggy flight; Volumetric lights effect; Simulate lightning on clouds surface from cities lights; High-detailed cloud shades; Custom cloud density and range; Simulate realistic breaking action effect; Display saturation, color gamma and cloud density, depending on weather conditions and time of day with real-time changing (automatically) or manually. Requirements Minimum X-Plane 11+ Stable Internet Connection with data Speed no less than 512Kps Windows 7/Vista/ 8/8.1/ 10 - Not Mac compatible at this time 2Gb VRAM Recommended X-Plane 11+ Stable Internet Connection with data Speed no less than 51 Mbps Windows 7/Vista/ 8/8.1/ 10 - Not Mac compatible at this time 4Gb+ VRAM Current and review version: 1.10 (last updated June 2nd 2019) _____________________________________________________________________________________ Plugin Update by Stephen Dutton  5th June 2019 Copyright©2019: X-PlaneReviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

lower left centre console.... mostly on the ERJ is is automatic, you just set your altitude.

Behind The Screen : May 2019 At the end of Behind the Screen in March we left you with the Military Visualizations Kickstarter donation of to create the ATR 72-600 and he wanted $27,000 CAD dollars before putting mouse to CAD software. The results are in and as expected they are not in or our favour, but that was always expected. The KIckstarter campaign achieved only 15.2% of its final target of CAD $27,000. And final donations came in at CAD $4,111.29 (approx. GBP £2,417, US $3,057, €2,742). Milviz, has obviously confirmed that development of the ATR for X-Plane has now been terminated.... surprise, surprise. I personally actually don't think it was the campaign that actually killed the project anyway, as the anniversary release of Carenado's FSX/P3D ATR 72-400 would mean very tough competition for your money as Carenado is giving hints that their ATR 72-400 will be X-Plane flyable before 2020, yes it is a different variant in the -400 to the -600, but an ATR is still an ATR and if it is anywhere close to Carenado's stupendous Saab 340 then it will be... well again stupendous! But there was always a lot of scepticism anyway from day one on this deal. The first and the most obvious was the figure required of CAD $27.000? It looked more like a insurance policy in case no one bought the aircraft when released, or a "Win - Win" scenerio for the developer. But CAD $27.000 to develop an aircraft? and by a single developer, maybe a team, then yes, but for one person who has been in simulation even for a few decades then I don't think so. If the developer had put the development costs of say around CAD $8500, then I think they would have had a very good chance of meeting their realistic target, he did achieve almost half of that, but I still think that number would have gotten MilViz over the line. And here is the point... overall this a great idea for a developer to get some development costs into the bank to deliver the projects we require, more so it keeps them on track to deliver and not do the usual... start hard then flake away as the project slowly progresses out to vaporware. But I think there is also something more deeper going on here than just developing for X-Plane, as personally now I don't think that developers that have been brought up in the FlightSim culture can actually develop well for X-Plane, and only a very, very few can do the crossover... but most actually don't as the differences in the development approach and the design are just too wide and different to be crossed, and the history of the story actually supports that aspect. Yes there are many great FSX based products in X-Plane with Carenado and JustFlight as notable, but both of those are converted by Thranda, which is a X-Plane developer... As Dan Klaue noted, "we have to totally gut the FSX version and then rebuild them again totally from the ground up" In reality there is not much to mirror between the two aircraft that look exactly the same. Then there are the biggies.... PMDG, Flight1 and Majestic, even Aerosoft are all not present in X-Plane and yes both PMDG (DC-6) and Aerosoft (ATR) have done aircraft in X-Plane but to only a) totally fail, or b) and walk away with only one average release each. Both PMDG and Aerosoft had the X-Plane golden eggs and bountiful profit returns in their pockets. PMDG with the Boeing 737 Series, B747 and B777 had the opportunity to make a killing, even Aerosoft had their Airbus A320 series to clean up the European flyers, but those opportunities are now simply long gone, with the ZiboMod B737 U/738/739 U cleaning up the PMDG version, the FlightFactor B777 is yes old but finally on the road to a XP11 upgrade, so that will counter out that, and the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate, is now just that in being miles ahead of the Aerosoft product with the ToLiss A319 also now a registered Airbus product, then it shows now of how high the quality and depth of the in house development of X-Plane aircraft have come to. The point is that the gate is now closed and the aircraft has departed for PMDG or any other FSX developer to get any significant ground swell of patrons in the Laminar Simulator, the point is we don't need them now either, we certainly did three to four years ago with the introduction of X-Plane11, but they all dilly-dallied around and ummed and ahhed us to death without really delivering anything, The above MilViz releases his Cessna 310 to... well nothing because it was very dated and so FSX in design (hence the forward cost of doing any business with us again). To a point it was MilViz's Cessna release that finally put the point out there that FSX developers just can't do X-Plane... period. So what got me thinking about all this? Well most of the year in my personal flying (my up time, as down time sounds odd in a flying simulator) has been with the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate, sometime around early February this year it all started to click together, add in the excellent BSS Sound pack (recently again updated) and it is now a glorious if hard in depth simulation... you now work in this aircraft, the details and checklists are huge and have to be covered, a 25 minute turnaround is very, very realistic as is every portion of the flight, nirvana... maybe and yes there will always be something in the need to be updated, but as a simulation it is now one of the very, very best... more so as the cabin is now being updated as well. For the Boeing bluffs to take their minds off the Boeing company's 737 MAX debacle, yes it is their fault and yes they deserve everything that is certainly coming to them (more below)... is the Zibo Boeing 737-800/700/900 series. Again once the ZiboMod hit it's stride I loved it, but it is a complicated bugger... But the announced and hyped release of the -900 Ultimate was for me a bit of if a huge disappointment (don't hit on your keys just yet!), so I left it in the hangar after only a flight or two... With the WebFMC Pro v1.4.0 release the newer ZiboMod -700 was added on to the list of aircraft that could use the plugin. I did expect it to be a bit like the -900 version, but was extremely surprised on how good the ZiboMods are now (hence the above bye bye notes to PMDG). Yes I loved it and shows how far again we have come lately in X-Plane, personally I see the ZiboMod as really a payware aircraft (howls of protest!), but in the same league of quality and depth. Colimata Concorde So where is the Colimata Concorde review, well its coming, but certainly not in the near future. One look and yes this is a decent development of one of the most iconic aircraft every to fly, but a lot of work on the aircraft certainly is still not completed, or refined. Concorde is a strange aircraft in that it is like no other aircraft out there, except for some military machines. Most users will light up and burn out those powerful RR Olympics to their full reheat thrust and head upwards towards flight level 400 and m2.2. Great but you won't get halfway across the Atlantic if you fly this bird like that and even with full tanks. This aircraft has to be very balanced and flight procedures have to be followed to the letter to get the maximum performance and range, so from a reviewing point of view there is a lot of detailed work to get through to get that all right, but overall it was the unsightly unfinished work that still had to be done that put me off, again just a few months more work and it would have been a perfectly acceptable aircraft to release... so overall I was disappointed. I certainly was not disappointed with X-Crafts excellent family series of the Embraer ERJ. Again like most current X-Plane developers then X-Crafts have gone up a few gears or higher levels, yes there are a few quirks, but overall it is an excellent regional jet and it comes with five variants as well... X-Crafts came into X-Plane very raw, great in the design department, but average pretty well everywhere else. But they were willing to learn, to update regularly and now after a few years you can see all of that hard graft finally paying off. There are no short cuts to being a quality developer, the only road is simply sheer hard work and persistence... and yes these products are priced to the depth of their development costs. And that is why I hate people that rip off projects (yes you Bit-Torrent) and put them out for free or steal off the work, they are the real losers in life. We are lucky that developers are willing to use their talents for our enjoyment, we can currently fly very authentic aircraft... live the dream so to speak because of their work and time, and the repayment for all that is the old simply way, in just repaying their costs and allow them to meet their real world demands. B737 MAX On the real world Boeing company's 737 MAX debacle I will say some comments. They as a company deserve everything they get in this case, but mostly for cowardice. This was the same company that took the barrel section of the Boeing Boeing 367-80, known simply as the Dash 80 and the forerunner of the B707 series and made a whole family of successful aircraft out of it. One of those aircraft is the same Boeing 737 that is now the centre of the MAX debate. What built Boeing is now going to bring then back down again. The design is nearly 60 years old, older than the Moon Landing, older than most of us on this planet... and what do Boeing do, they try to fit big engines situated forward under the low wings to make it efficient or mostly just to stop any sales going to Airbus with their more modern Airbus A320 in NEO guise, the point is even the A320 is now getting a bit long in the tooth, but the B737 is simply ancient, worse was the fact that this unbalanced aircraft now uses software to allow the machine to fly and fly around even the basic principles of flight... and worse the FAA certified the aircraft, or did they? or did they allow Boeing to certify their own unstable aircraft? In reality every one of those MAX's out there are clunkers. I was horrified that Boeing took this cowards route. Boeing had just refined whole new process of building airliners with the B787 Dreamliner? So shouldn't they have like in the past with the New B737 mid jet be a composite design of that future design proof development... but no and so they went and put engines under a 60 year old aircraft just for sales? The point is the new composite B737 would have sold far, far more than the MAX, and yes airlines would have waited if the new design delivered the same efficiency gains and modern systems to their fleets as has the B787, poor Joe Sutter must be rolling in his grave for what the company has become... but overall we lose in the chance to fly a modern efficient composite middle range airliner for years, instead of in the early 2020's (2024 was the original launch window). Now it will be late or very late 2030 before Boeing (if they survive this) will put the correct replacement for the MAX on the ramps, I bet Airbus is now two years ahead in now with their A320 replacement (cancelling the A380 was a big marker there), so who will get there first... certainly now not Boeing. It is a mess, the biggest in aviation, more so than the Comet or even Concorde.... but they deserve everything that is coming to them. FlightSimExpo The FlightSimExpo is now only next week in Orlando, Florida on the 7th/8th/9th June (Yeah!) and Laminar Research have been very, very quiet lately, which is usually a great sign that there will be a lot of nice goodies in there, obviously the Vulkan and Metal updates will take centre stage, and yes I will be very disappointed if there is not a demo, but we should get a timeline for the release and its effects.X-PlaneReviews will of course do a full analyse of the event... In a side fight the original FlightSimCon is shall we say "annoyed" at losing the title of representing the FS community in the States, they have declared the Expo "FS Greed and Piracy" as to lose the mantle... they are doing an online show here on the same dates... it will be seen on how all this plays out? Till next month Stephen Dutton 2nd June 2019 Copyright©2019: X-Plane Reviews

Not yet no... Airfoil did do a custom version of the default FMS, so it may be seen if it is added in, but currently... no.

Application Upgrade : Navigraph Charts v7.0 Starting out in X-Plane in v9, it usually took me two and a half hours to create a route, mostly for long haul of say London to Singapore, you had to input every three letter VOR ICAO code and every five letter WAYPOINT ICAO code into the X-Plane FMS, this is in the not the FMC we have now, but the earlier original version, no AIRWAYS, no deletes, no SID or STAR (you had to create every SID or STAR section yourself via charts), and a LON - SIN segment usually had a 50+ waypoints in the route (Including the SID and STAR segments)... at least you could save all your hard work. Route programs were hard to find or use. Goodway was the best, but it was also still very basic and buggy, but at least it had LOW and HIGH routes and was scaleable, the odd point was trying build cross Pacific routes as they never joined up? or getting the correct Atlantic cross routes working and In reality good route creation programs were very few even up to about four years ago until Google Map based editors started to appear, but they were also very slow as well and depending on your internet connection and came with the high cost in data as Google Maps are huge data munchers. If you follow the reviews here you will note that I now use SimBrief... this is an extraordinary professional route briefing software tool that is absolutely free, so please donate... as you simply don't want to lose this tool. Simbrief will build a route for you and then give you not only the notes on the route but the actual route to download (In a lot cases you still have to add in the specific SID or STAR procedure). Lately I have been also using Navigraph Charts to do those SID and STAR segments. Like most I used Navigraph originally only three to four times a year to update the AIRAC data Cycles... why? Cost. You subscribe to Navigraph on a monthly or yearly basis or EUR 8.30 / mo or EUR 74.90 / year, so you could do a month update the AIRAC cycle and then drop out again. But lately I have been leaving my monthly subscription active all the time. Now if you did do the in - out update program, you will now need to think again on that subscription... Navigraph Charts v7.0 Now Navigraph have released v7.0 (current v7.0.1) and a lot of what is in the new version was in there in earlier versions, but it is in the disintictive way the program have been intergrated together now in that brings all the elements together into one complete seemless application... a very good application. At first glace you are taken straight back to your Goodway years, as the layout feels and looks the same, and the global routes are the same in scaleable. But the ease of use is obviously years better in grabbing and moving the maps to your will, I only found the MAP in being slower in loading... .... but looking at the excellent relief detail then you don't mind a few extra seconds in waiting. LOW, HIGH (routes) and MAP are the three selections, and scale in and the sheer detail available to you is now obvious. I am here going to focus on EGKK - Gatwick in the southern part of the United Kingdom. You can select directly an Airport (EGKK) and get the details of that airport, or use the top left "Search" to do the same job. You can select "Airspace" and the details are displayed of what the area is or does... Here we have Gatwick Ground and Terminal areas. Restricted Zones are also noted, as are larger Airspace zones... FIR - Flight Information Regions are noted as well but are hard to select or in heavy route areas even to see... I would like the idea of restricted zones and FIR Airspace to be more better defined, say with different colours.... .... one feature you don't have is for filtering global items, so it is currently all or nothing, so some can overlap others in highly detailed areas. Other direct selections include NDBs and VOR/DME Nav-Aids... .... and the one area that is never used in these mapping applications is now also available here... Holding Pattern areas, This is (MAY) MAYFIELD. You can use the search function and even filter the search in: WAYPOINTS, NAV-AIDS, AIRPORTS (default), AIRSPACES and HOLDING PATTERNS to find certain required items. Charts Select the Chart logo and you will get the usual Navigraph Chart layout for Chart selection... .... I will note the charts do now load in far faster than the usual past loading and waiting time. But here is now a great new feature! You can now overlay or insert the chart directly into the main global layout, yes it is brillant and great at the same time, the only chart you can't insert is the AIRPORT ground chart, and my guess is that the scale won't go down far enough for it to do so... Insertion is via the toggle "Show Visual Overview" (arrowed above left) and on the new CHART menu selection. Route Creation You can easily create a route in Navigraph Charts. Select the "Flights" Icon to bring up a selection window (selection is also available on the selected airport via selecting the airport, then pressing "Add to New Flight" far bottom right) ... Add in your Departure (EGKK) and your Arrival (EGPH - Edinbourgh) airports and an alternate Airport in either Chart mode of "Standard IFR" or "Airline CAO". To create the flight you have a choice of inserting in your own waypoints, or by using the "Auto" function via the "Auto Generate My Route" tickbox. In building up your own route you can of course select each airport, SID, Waypoint, Nav-Aid, STAR and insert it directly into your custom route, easy... brilliantly easy as everything is very interactive. Select your runway and then your SID from the drop down lists... not sure which SID to use? then press the "Show Visual Overview" switch and you get all the SID's in glorious colour and their departure routes... brilliant! I mean how many hours have spent gong through charts to find the best direction departure route, for me it has been hours and hours... Adding in route segments is easy... select the WAYPOINT/VOR and then just add it in, it will ask you how you want to insert the waypoint, in say Before or After with an already set waypont. You can check any AIRWAY, here I am in the LOW airway selection, but there is the HIGH airway as well... I want AIRWAY N601 to (POL) Poll Hill... .... note the route construction in tabs, but you can also go to the actual route code via the TT Type Route selection... I have inserted POL, but it is noted as DCT - DIRECT, but to insert an AIRWAY you replace or edit the DCT between BPK and POL with the AIRWAY No. N601. This will however thankfully insert the whole N601 AIRWAY between BPK and POL... as noted via the arrows, and all the N601 waypoints are now noted in the route sequence. You can of course use the "Auto" function for Navigraph to assemble the route for you and then just adjust your SID Departure and STAR Arrival procedures... Use your "Show Visual Overview" to see the STARs into EGPH and RWY 06, I selected the EDN1D via PER - Perth, yes it is the long way around but you can do this if you want to... So the whole route building and editing in the application is excellent in either setting routes manually or automatically and everything is highly responsive and doesn't crash either... But the only way now to get the route into your FMS, is to copy or insert the code? As there is no download feature? All the mapping can be used in the "Day" (default) or "Night" modes. SimBrief There already was a connection between Navigraph and SimBrief. Navigraph which allowed SimBrief to be updated (as long as you have an account) to the latest AIRAC Cycle... This kept SimBrief current to all the latest navigation data changes. As noted you can create a detailed route in Navigraph v.7.0 but you can't (yet) export it, but now you can actually import a created route the other way around and into Navigraph from SimBrief.... other formats allowed for import is the PLN format. Here I am importing a created SimBrief route EGNX (East-Midlands) to CYUL (Montreal).... ... and as an cross reference it is excellent, so you can now have access to both worlds, the Flightplan and route download from SimBrief, with the charts and mapping detail from Navigraph. SimLink Another feature from Navigraph is "SimLink". this will create a pointer of the current position of the aircraft on the Map or Chart... ... you put the downloaded SimLink plugin into the X-Plane Resources/Plugins folder, it is odd because the file does not look like a plugin folder "Navigraph Simlink_64.xpl" and I think that is why most users have had issues getting SimLink to work correctly... but mine worked straight away. The design of the plugin is clever because it does not require you Wi-Fi or link directly to another computer or tablet to the plugin for it to work. It sends the data coordinates from X-Plane directly to the Navigraph server that is then downloaded back to you when you use the application, it is seemless here and far better than older Google based aircraft positioning tools, which could be a nightmare to set up or activate. When activated by the pointer arrow top right of the Navigraph app, the aircraft is shown via it's position on the chart or map. For the chart application it makes it very easy to find your way around an airport via taxiways and which stand to use. The pointer will follow your position and you get a good scale on the Airport layout map... ... the amount of route data available now is outrageous. Combine the SimBrief detail with the Navigraph mapping and it is a geeks nivana. as all the Segment and AIRWAY detail is all fully in there Press the center button lower left corner and the map will centre on the aircraft, but also you now move with the map on your coordination position. MAP mode is excellent for relief and area details. FIR (Boundaries) and MAP zones are also noted, as is the full latitude and longitude grids, waypoints and Atlantic and Pacific Tracks are also easy to follow or use. Mid-Atlantic and I am cruising at FL320 and now need to switch from "Shannon Oceanic FIR" to "Gander Oceanic FIR" and it is all noted on the Navigraph map... Summary The navigation tools available today for simulators are wide and varied, maps and charts were always available if you knew where to look or with Google search, but how many times were those charts very out of date, or even hard to find. Inputting route data (coordinates) was also a very tiresome job, and certainly if you did long hauls. Navigraph and Aerosoft (NavDataPro) with their data management created for simulators the same AIRAC - Aeronautical Information Regulation And Control data that ICAO delivers for real world aviation. The AIRAC cycles (updated every month) keeps track of all the current Navigational Aids and airport SID and STAR navigation data. Navigraph expanded out their product to cover airport charts and then into airway mapping, this is the v7.0 of that tool and excellent it now is. The main aspect of this new mapping tool is that it brings together other varied tools to be under one application. Charts and Mapping now live together and rather than side by side, in SID and STAR charts they can also be directly inserted into the mapping tool. SID and STAR Departures and Arrivals procedures can also now be seen in a coloured routing for easy choice and routes themselves can be built up directly by point and choose directly in the mapping tool including LOW and HIGH AIRWAYS with fully detailed route information. Routes can easily be built and adjusted with full access to the route code for adjustment or editing. There is no provision for saved routes to be exported, but you can now connect to SimBrief or use PLN data to build a route with the Navigraph application, and then have access to SimBrief's route data download feature. Navigraph's SimLink is also now integrated between X-Plane and the application to show you your current aircraft's position with moving mapping to cover the routes or relief maps. Highly versatile, fast and agile, with Navigraph's Chart application you get a very powerful tool for simulation use with the latest chart data and route mapping, and is available only on subscription on a monthly or yearly basis or EUR 8.30 / mo or EUR 74.90 / year, it is yes an outgoing cost, but it is now also a very valuable tool as well, and like noted very powerful.... If your serious about your simulation flying and want to get access to current real world aviation chart and navigation data then it is starting to look like a highly valued investment. _____________________________________ Yes! Navigraph v7.0 is now Available Navigraph Subscription only on a monthly or yearly basis or EUR 8.30 / mo or EUR 74.90 / year Download Download applications are available for both Windows and Mac. SimLink is also available for download and in inserted into your X-Plane Plugins folder.... Internet connection is required for this application. SimBrief is now also intergrated into the Navigraph application, get it here: SimBrief Navigraph Charts Review version v7.0.2 ______________________________________________________________________ Application Upgrade Review by Stephen Dutton  1st June 2019 Copyright©2019 : X-Plane Reviews  (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) Review System Specifications: Computer System: Windows - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.33 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini : SimBrief (Free) : Navigraph Charts (Subscription) Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro v1.07 US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : JarDesign Ground Handling Deluxe - US$14.95 Scenery or Aircraft - Boeing 747-8 Series by Supercritical Simulations Group (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$55.00 

All Carenado and Alabeo aircraft are Thranda's, but as an aircraft new to X-Plane11 then yes I think so...

In Development : Eagle 315 Twin Prototype by Eagle Flight Labs Most reviews that come across our simulator are usually based on real world aircraft, a reproduction of a real life machine to practise on, train on or use in a highly realistic way of flying. So you usually look for the reproduction of the real to the simulator, and the way you interact with the machine to mirror the same in the aviation world. But X-Plane per-se, if you go back to it's basic origins was not created for that reason, replicating the real world machines (but that was the ultimate achieved goal) but the very soul name X-Plane gives it's meaning to it's basic reason to be a simulator. X-Plane is based on the X - Experimental line of aircraft for the "National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics" (NACA) or later NASA and expereimental designs were fielded out to the different manufacturers that got the job of building them (Bell for the X-1, X-1A,B,C,D,E and X2 and Northern American for the X-15) in other words the odd and the weird, but all were created to do a specific job in aviation or space and the full list is here. Anyway it easily beats the Flight Sim foundation that Bill Gates just liked aircraft. So although X-Plane is now immersed in the constant replication of real world machines, then at it's heart it was actually created for all the tinkerers out there. From the start X-Plane had PlaneMaker (still does) and built in airfoils, with the idea that anyone can create and test fly their own Experimental aircraft with real world dynamics (the famous aerodynamic model called blade element theory), mostly these aircraft are the really weird and wonderful, but mostly all are sadly and usually consigned to the freeware backpages of history. But the innovation and ideas around these projects should not be forgotten or lost. It is important to note that aircraft created out of fantasy is more based on the X-Plane mantra than folklore, the point of these projects are for the developers to understand how aviation and the dynamics all work, plus the fact they can gain skills in recreating aircraft in the highly developed market that we have today... in other words we all have to start somewhere, the Daniel Klaues, Aerobasks, X-Crafts the FJS Jack Skieczius and all our highly talented developers all started messing around with ideas in the PlaneMaker application, it is our starting school or university of the developer, lose that aspect and then you lose X-Plane in context. So here is a just an aircraft in the Eagle - 315 Twin Prototype by Eagle Flight Labs. In soul it is a pure X-Plane aircraft, but uses real world specifications, but it is created in a innovative context, yes it looks odd, even weird, but the basic fundamentals of the aerodynamics are also correct and if a real world machine was built it would certainly fly as per this simulation. The Eagle is a cross of classic (Pre-WW2) and current dynamics, odd but from an aerodynamic aspect absolutely correct, so this gives you the experience to take something based on classic design and update it, then test the ideas to see if they will conform to the real world specifications, the biggest mistake most early developers do is to create the too much "Flight of Fantasy" sort of ideas, very futuristic in looks but also highly compromised in design and flight aerodynamics, and yes X-Plane does allow you to do that... but the trick taken here is to, yes be very experimental, but to still keep your specifications in the real world. The Eagle is a tandem - two seater, one person behind the other in a fighter jet configuration, interesting because it gives the aircraft a very low frontal area and a fine aspect to the airflow... Power is via two 160 HP (119 kW) engines to an adjustable three blade propeller, gear is three point that is retractable.... .... Cockpit and instrument panel is what I would describe as H.G.Wells in design, white large instruments with a left protruding pod of Throttle/Propeller/Mixture lever, pushpull knob set of controls... odd yes, but it is surprising how quickly you adapt to the layout. Huge trim knob is easy accessible on the end. Instruments are top row: Airspeed, Artificial Horizon (Bubble style), Altitude, NAV 1 VOR CDI for lateral course track, but it also has a built in glideslope indicator. Second row: Turn Coordinator, Horizontal Situation Indicator, Vertical Speed, 2nd VOR CDI. Lower two rows cover the engine instruments: Manifold Pressure, RPM, Fuel Quantity (47 GAL - Per Left & Right tank), fuel flow 7 -11 GPH per engine (55% - 75%), Battery Charge, Oil Temp, Oil Pressure, Fuel Pressure, EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) and Vacuum. A clock and compass are far right. All the instruments are custom designed, of course it would have been just as easy to have used the X-Plane PlaneMaker default instruments, as they are all there for this application, but custom designs means it not to be an PlaneMaker design. Right console has top... Power, External Lighting and Instrument lighting switches. Lower two Bendix/King KX 155 radio units with one for COMM 1/VOR/NAV 1 and the other for COMM 2/NAV/VOR 2 Lower is a Bendix/King KT76A Transponder and a custom S-Tec Autopilot. On the sidewall there is a 24 working active set of circuit breakers (the list is noted on the right side) and they all work as noted. The system is two buses with each one powered by its own battery and engine driven generator. Bus 1 (left) and bus 2 (right) are both independent. Fuel tank switching is on the left, and note the nice canopy latches... rudder pedals are custom as well. There is a 3D VR pop-out clipboard that rotates 180º, but it has poor resolution and is hard to read? 180º rotation? I think for the coming custom load/center of gravity settings. Seats are excellent and look very, very comfortable, and so is now the cockpit detailing, as earlier cockpit versions were a bit.... ahem poor, but it looks really well done in here now with all the teak wood grain and detailed sidewall textures. Turn off the electrics and magnetos and the aircraft goes into ground mode... the canopy can opened up the full 100% and chocks go on the wheels and a stored ladder is hung out on the fuselage, the pilots then move external with a baggage cart, and pose like in an aviation advert. Both pilots look undernourished and are heading to a business meeting more than flying an experimental aircraft, but they are well done Gear looks aluminium, but it is still a WIP as they all look factory fresh, but detail is very good, and an unusual way to connect the wheels to the strut (no hub). Adjust the aircraft's weight above 2950 lb and an underbody cargo container (per Cessna Caravan) is then attached, it smooths out the aircraft's shape, but it also comes with 6 knt additional drag factor. Flying the Eagle! Turn the starter keys and the engines roar into life... sounds are all FMOD and are actually very good and 180º variable.... .... the view out is quite remarkable, more helicopter/glider bubble than a GA. Aircraft weight is 1900 LB with a max take off weight of 3800 lb. Taxi control is very nice and any throttle positions will be felt if required, in other words if one engine is below par of the other you can even them up with the throttle. Power up and rotate is 80 knts +10 the Vref speeds are noted on the Airspeed dial... Unusual is the gear arrangement, the front strut is notably very forward, and rotates up into it's own semi-housing pod, the two main wheels retract inwards into the wings... undercarriage detail is very good and the movement/animations are excellent.... The Eagle maybe an odd looking critter, but it is simply fantastic to fly... It is very easy to trim out and then the aircraft is very nicely balanced in your hands. The unusual Horizontal Situation Indicator is really like a flat compass, so you adjust the heading to the compass degree (arrowed) and then follow the needle ... like everything you get used to it easily. In the air the Eagle doesn't feel like an experimental aircraft, but highly realistic.... so this isn't a cheaply made up PlaneMaker freeware machine, as this is something altogether different. You have to sort of experience the aircraft to love it, but the flying and control is excellent and it all feels very real world. Average cruise speed is 180 kt TAS,, and MAX cruise is around 195 kt TAS, 13,500 ft is the ceiling (non-pressurised) and the range is around 900 Nm. S-Tec autopilot is very easy to use and versatile, built in FD (Flight Director) and YD (Yaw Damper) are bonuses, Transponder though is hard to see/use with the canopy boundries. Powering along the coast you could easily sit up here all day, even with the autopilot off and everything nicely trimmed you just drift along.... ... low speed control is also excellent, once under 100 kts then flaps 2 is around 85 kts with speed bugs that do change for the best performance.... ... full flap (3) is 75 kts... (note flaps are four settings and not three or 0 - 1 -2 - 3 with 0 being retracted and 3 Full, when the flaps are extended they sit out and away from the wings which looks great. All flap and weight speeds are noted in the manual. Reduce the power gradually to 68 kts and lift the nose slightly higher and the Eagle will land nicer than Neil Armstrong did on the moon 50 Years ago, perfect control with lift and fall just a throttle adjustment away.... stall is noted at around 56 knts. You do have to be still aware of those long spindly legs though of the gear, as you do sit high and not close to the ground. Lighting The white dials glow in the dark with full adjustment, it looks nice and is also easy on the eyes and weirdly it looks authentic... .... a single overhead red spot will light up the switch panel. Externally it is pretty basic, with navigation and strobe lights, there are no taxi lights, but just landing lights at each tip of the wing. Liveries There are two liveries the default "Eagle" and another one called "Fire Particles!" Summary This is a project that is a WIP, and a sort of VSkyLabs involvement.... but the Eagle also goes very much into the core of what X-Plane as a simulator is all about. This aspect allows you to create and test an experimental aircraft to see if such a design would fly and correctly operate in real world conditions. The trick here is not to do a "Flight of Fantasy" but to use real world data to create a real working design... Yes it looks unorthodox and even a bit weird, and bit of Pre-WW2 or single-engined twin post war trainer, but overall the aircraft flies extremely well, even my first reactions were very positive and the flying doesn't leave you quickly in that you enjoy the experience... and that is the whole point of the Eagle. Projects like this need positive encouragement, as developers with far less talent have gone on to do extraordinary things in X-Plane, it is in the details and the ideas in the Eagle that makes it interesting, but also the sheer learning curve that is required to turn out quality aircraft now in X-Plane, we all have to start somewhere... but talent is talent and it is in aircraft like the Eagle that you can see that talent emerging... I saw a very early rendition of the Eagle, the fundamentals were correct but it needed a lot more design work in many areas, here you can see all those elements that are now coming together, and yes the Eagle is only a stepping stone, but an interesting one... but overall with the Eagle you can go back to real foundation of what X-Plane as a simulator stands for i experimental and for what its true core is all about. You can support the Eagle project by purchasing the aircraft via the Eagle Flight site it is priced currently at US$12.50... if demand is acceptable it may be also released on the X-Plane.OrgStore... ____________________________________________________________ Eagle twin 315 HP prototype Priced at US$12.50 Features : Full featured model and 3D cockpit Custom S-Tec avionics Custom systems Fuse and failure panel with 24 items Cargo bay under the fuselage (custom load/center of gravity will be managed by plugin in late development updates) Custom 3D sound environment Requirements X-Plane11 Basic PlaneMaker design is very light on requirements, so even a very light GPU can run this aircraft. Current version and Review Version 1.0 (May 30th 2019) Installation and documents: Download for the Eagle is 388.90 Mb and the unzipped file is deposited in the aircraft "General Aircraft" X-Plane folder at 370.90 mb. Documentation: Basic manual but with performance details required and Checklist. Check_List - EN Manual - EN ______________________________________________________________________  Aircraft Review by Stephen Dutton  30th May 2019 Copyright©2019 : X-Plane Reviews   (Disclaimer. All images and text in this preview are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) Review System Specifications:  Computer System: Windows - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.31 (v11.30 is required for this aircraft) Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 Scenery or Aircraft - KRSW - Southwest Florida International Airport by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$24.99 

Scenery Upgrade : ELLX Luxembourg V2 by Just Sim Two sceneries have made a tectonic shift in my routes and service network over the last year, and they are actually within cooee of each other in central western Europe and both sceneries were by JustSim. One was the excellent EBBR - Brussels and the other was ELLX - Luxembourg, and both sceneries have been used extensively in reviews over the last year and certainly with ELLX. Good highly realistic accessible scenery is what you are looking for with that exceptional realism while flying in or out or doing the work on the ground. ELLX had a lot of this and more... great realistic approach and departures with excellent autogen, elevation scenery, lovely terminal and walkon stands (very important) and to top it all out then ELLX is also a major cargo hub (CargoLux's main base) to keep the haulers very happy... it works and works well and you can't ask for more than that and all this is at great value as well. The initial release was just only over two years ago, but here we have V2 of the scenery, this is not an update but a new upgrade, which means you have to repurchase the scenery all over again, but there is a discount US$6.00 coupon to take a bit of the pain out of the upgrade. ELLX Luxembourg V2 Oddly at first glance then this V2 looks not much different at all from the V1 release.... And outwardly in the buildings and infrastructure it is in reality a look and feel that nothing has really changed here either... but it has, at the real ELLX. The Luxembourgers have wanted a bit more space to park more aircraft at ELLX, as they wanted a few more stands for the passenger services and a lot more apron space for the Cargolux facility. In stands on Apron P1 they have added in A12 and A14 right next to the terminal.... On the main cargo apron P7 then the original apron has been doubled in capacity by the new P10 Apron which was Apron P7 extended outwards... This covers stands Z5 to Z11 and Z12 which is an A,B and C stand. All the ATC routes have been adjusted to match the apron areas, and few of the ground routes have had some refining as well. If using WorldTraffic3 then a regeneration is required (after saving your older ground routes and parking preferences). The regen is very good, and a nice filler to the areas not covered in the first WT3 ground route generation.... so this is a nice update for activity in ELLX as well. The full base mesh has been replace for V2, and it really doesn't look that much different, if slightly lighter in tone? The N1 approach road to the terminal is still actually a building site, so part of scenery is correct, but the Campanile LUXEMBOURG - Airport hotel is missing which would have made it more authentic and filled part of the flat blank spot? The hotel is supposed to be in the foreground (below right). Grass and trees have had a makeover, it is now more spring with flowers than the just grass before... trees are new, and more fuller in context. Ground clutter and airport vehicles have all had attention, there is a lot more clutter and of a higher quality, ELLX feels now far more fuller and busy. The autogates have been totally upgraded, but they are still the older marginal version than the newer more versatile SAM plugin, for some reason JustSim doesn't embrace the SAM concept to their derision? The airbridges have lost their excellent 3C Payment advertising as well, but the new glass does now nicely match the excellent terminal's The Terminals internal lighting has now also been improved, I was highly critical of the dark black earlier version terminal... it looks thankfully far better here, but a few notches still higher in brightness and would have been perfect. Street and carpark lighting has also been refined and changed, it does look again far better but the lighting is still quite blotchy in areas, but overall the lighting is now very good. Taxiway lighting has also had some attention, with brighter lighting and filled in taxi centreline marking that was missing before, all the new aprons have the new lighting in ground and overhead as well... all the ground markings had been redone and relabeled to the current ELLX chart layouts. All the base mesh and textures have been replaced, and the dynamics of the PBR effects are certainly more evident. In wet conditions then ELLX looks even more realistic and shines with realism... beautiful. The X-Plane10 version has been dropped, but that is rational as with the more extensive X-Plane11 dynamics at work here won't work in any new XP10 upgrade anyway. A note on the autogen here... it is huge and very realistic with the Germanic feel of the housing and urban infrastructure. But it does need a bit of power to run it all as it is quite extensive, but to be able to run the autogen at the MAX settings and you will be very happy with the results. I recommend to read the original X-PlaneReviews Flyin review of the JustSim ELLX - Luxembourg scenery to understand the changes in this upgrade. ___________________________________ Summary This is a very nice update to ELLX - Luxembourg from JustSim, but this is not an update but a payable upgrade. You do however get a US$6.00 discount if you have purchased the earlier version, but only two years into the X-Plane11 run and more payment is however debatable for what is really just an update? So would I invest and update. Well yes because the scenery for me is very usable and I have used it frequently for personal flying, reviews and it has always delivered a fully credible and realistic simulation... so yes it is still an excellent investment. New features in V2 is more ground space in new aprons, and current to the latest airport charts, more and better clutter, better lighting, new grass and trees, better linage and taxiway lighting, redone ATC routes (more WT3 compatiblity), base mesh and better PBR textures all help in redefining the airport to a higher standard. The autogates by Marginal have also been completely redone to a higher and better standard with match glass to the terminal, but you also lose the lovely 3C Payment advertising and the sheer versatility of the SAM plugin (opening CargoLux hangar doors would have been brilliant). Overall this is an excellent scenery, and a must have for any Cargo Hauler with the Cargolux hub based here, as noted I use ELLX a lot, so a lot of use to me is also a lot of value and what the scenery represents to my simulation flying. If JustSim will now just update and see the scenery out of the full X-Plane11 run, I think in the long run you will easily accept the full investment of this scenery... Highly Recommended _____________________________________________________________________________________ The ELLX - Luxembourg Findel V2 Airport by JustSim is NOW available! from the X-Plane.Org Store here : There is now only one version of this scenery for Plane11... the X-Plane10 version has now been dropped. ELLX - Luxembourg Findel Airport v2 For previous purchaser there is a US$6.00 discount on this upgrade, so look under your original order at the .OrgStore to find your coupon code. Your Price: US$19.80 Features Custom taxiways and airport lights Shading and occlusion (texture baking) effects on terminal and other airport buildings High resolution photo scenery near airport and city High resolution ground textures / Custom runway textures High resolution building textures Runway reflection effect Volumetric ground effect textures Compatible with X-Plane 11 features Animated gates (AutoGate plugin by Marginal) Animated ground vehicles World Traffic compatible X-Life traffic compatible Optimized for excellent performance New in v2.0 - new P10 apron and stands added - stands on P1 changed - new base mesh for the airport area - new PBR materials for ground and buildigs - new markings for the whole airport - new ortho imagery - improved some textures - taxiway lights reworked - new grass and trees - streetlights reworked - changed some models - new autogates models - new models for ground equipment - routes changed for AI and WT3/X-life Requirements : X-Plane 11 (Fully updated) Windows, Mac or Linux 4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Framerate is excellent for the density of the scenery, but still subject to computer system standards Current and upgrade version: 2.0 (May 21st 2019) Installation and documents: Download for the ELLX - Luxembourg Findel Airport is 861.53mb and the two unzipped files are deposited in "Custom Scenery" Folder ELLX_JustSim_v2.0 (1.93.gb) ELLX_JustSim_v2.0 Mesh (20.24mb) Files must be set in this order or cut and paste the correct order in your scenery_pack.ini text file (In the Custom Scenery folder) You will need to have the checkbox ticked for the X-Plane item "runways follow terrain contours" (General Menu). This NEEDS to be ON. Documents: Installation notes, no manual or WT3 ground routes (regeneration will work fine) No charts are provided but these are good : JeppView _______________________________________________ Upgrade Review by Stephen Dutton 27th May 2019 Copyright©2019: X-PlaneReviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) 

Aircraft Overview : Embraer ERJ Family by X-Crafts X-Crafts announced their ERJ 195 LR in May 2013, and released the aircraft August 2014. In the review it was in a design and quality sense brilliant in those Pre-PBR less effect X-Plane10 days, and I recognised the huge talent straight away. But single form developers can be brilliant at one area, in this case the modeling and design, but weak in other areas and that showed with this entry work back then. Early updates came thick and fast, but it was not until Steve Wilson came aboard and redesigned the FMS and systems did the ERJ 195 LR really then become an all round nice aircraft. Difficult as well was that SSG (Supercritical Simulations Group) had their own versions of the E-Jet 170 and 190 LR. It created a development race between the two camps, that really none won except the punters with ever growing features and details, both aircraft now from X-Crafts or SSG are certainly worthy investments. As both E-Jet designs reached their high level then we expected both camps again to go head to head with their next projects. But they didn't... SSG went to the CRJ 700, but X-Crafts kept faithful to Embraer with their ERJ aircraft. Rumors stated a variant, as the most wanted was the E140, many others stated the smaller E135, and more the larger E145... the announcement covered them all with the stated E135, E140 and the E145, wow a full family of ERJ's excellent! and that is what you get here the ERJ family... but wait! there is is more. What you do actually get in the series package is the Embraer ERJ Family of ALL ERJ's in the E135, E140, E145 and the E145XR and.... also the ERJ private jet version of the Legacy 650! That is altogether five aircraft... let us look at the five variants. ERJ135 3/37 Seats, 26.33 m (86 ft 5 in) length, Engines - Roll Royce AE 3007A - 7,580–9,440 lbf (33.7–42.0 kN) - Range ER: 1,300 nmi (2,400 km) ERJ140 3/44 Seats, 28.45 m (93 ft 4 in) length, Engines - Roll Royce AE 3007-A - 7,580–9,440 lbf (33.7–42.0 kN) - Range ER: 1,300 nmi (2,400 km) - The ERJ135 is a shortened version of the ERJ140 ERJ145 3/50 Seats, 29.87 m (98 ft 0 in) length, Engines - Roll Royce AE 3007A1 - 7,580–9,440 lbf (33.7–42.0 kN) - Range LR: 1,650 nmi (3,060 km) ERJ145XR 3/50 Seats, 29.87 m (98 ft 0 in) length, Engines - Roll Royce AE 3007A1E - 8917 lbf (39.67 kN) - Range XR: 2,000 nmi (3,700 km) Legacy 650 2/13-14 Seats, 26.33 m / 86 ft 5 in length, Engines - Roll Royce AE 3007A2 - 9,020 lbf (40.1 kN) - Range 3,900 nmi / 7,223 km - Aircraft is based on the ERJ135 another version, the Legacy Shuttle can seat 19 to 37 in airline-style seats but without the range. For the details I am going to show the ERJ145 as it is in the middle of the family... Modeling is exceptional with perfect detailing.... note any glass with perfect rainbow or dirty reflections... Roll Royce AE 3007 pods and cowling is also perfect and the chrome is very good as well... Fan blades are also well proportioned and realistic. Engine outlet looks actually realistic, lovely tail structure has the lovely APU outlet is in great detail and modeling... ... windows are perfectly formed, and again you would amazed of how many and even the best developers do poor window surronds, but the creme-de creme is the excellent cabin window wear and tear detail. Undercarriage detail is excellent, all the assembly, struts, pipping and supports are perfect, you have to love the dirty/oily bad weather feel to all the gear... .... the highlight here is the flap screwjack, lower the flaps and the screwjack is animated and turns out to the extension... .... all screwjacks work with three on each wing, and yes they are all animated, wing and lighting assemblies are perfect. Finer detail is excellent... all text is readable and the tiny points of screws, latches and panels are all well defined... note again those lovely windows, yes I love them. _____________________________________ Menu The ERJ Family uses the standard X-Crafts menu tabs lower right of your screen, there are four tabs: Menu, FAQ, FMS and Checklist. MENU : is the standard pop-out panel that covers the ground menu... included are opening doors Passenger and rear Baggage, GPU (Ground Power Unit), "Remove Before Flight" Tags, Pitot covers, Cones, front wheel chocks and some lovely engine inlet covers. Both doors are exceptional, with built in stairs for the main left hand door and the excellent right hand service door.... I think a ground service stair would be a great addition here. FAQ, FMS and Checklist: FAQ puts up a shortcut help sheet, but it is quite basic here, I expect this to be expanded. FMS is the pop-up for the FMS panel, and checklist is the very nice spiral bound checklist binder. Cabin Geeeeze it's really tight in here.... Cabin detail is very good, but the game has lifted by a fair margin in the back this year, so what was exceptional last year is now just very good... The cabin certainly passes the grade, but there isn't the functionality in here that is now moving into this area, like the rear toilet... it feels a little dull lighting wise as well. Seat shape feels a little basic, but the important windows and surrounds are excellent. The cabin is the same really throughout each of the different variant lengths, but with just more or less seats. The Legacy however has the executive lounge layout... forward club seating and a side sofa is real rock and roll, Kardashian territory... .... teak wood grain and leather abounds, and yes it is all very executive and rich, lighting panel doesn't yet work, but it is coming say's X-Crafts, non of the blinds work either so the functionality is still to improved here, but finally X-Plane does have a global executive jet... a big cheer for that one! Cockpit The level of detail required now at this level can be overwhelming, and somehow developers have to meet that expectation. Certainly this ERJ Series does that... ... X-Crafts have lifted their quality a few bars higher and it shows, and certainly in the area of display resolution. Centre console is very well done, lovely detail with those pearl throttle levers and gust lock... OverHead Panel (OHP) is also well sorted and easy to use, oddly the aircraft can use the button illumination both ways, like pressing the Avionics 1/2 to on, actually turns them off... packs are on, but shouldn't it be a blank panel for everything on... slightly confusing? There are some easter eggs set out around the aircraft, read the OHP and you get the X-Crafts credits? and on the cockpit door you channel Flying High and Star Wars? Another feature is the pilots side windows open.... but not very wide? the ERJ cockpit windows are like this. Five display instrument panel is very good.... Honeywell Primus Elite Avionics suite is really well done. PFD (Primary Flight Display), MAP/NAV Display and central MFD (Multifunctioal Display) are well detailed, and the three left side PFD, NAV, MFD displays pop-out, but in a 3D suspension aspect than a 2D move the panel around the screen situation. PFD has the usual top primary instrument functions and lower the rose navigation screen with V/S vertical speed indicator. The NAV display is split for the MAP top and the a menu driven information display below, the altitude VSD (Vertical Speed Display) is a selection... .... The menu driven switching is very easy and covers T/O (General), ECS, FUEL, HYD, ELEC selections (Fuel and Electrical are shown). Map selections are also selectable. Dr Glucks Terrain plugin is also available and it is intergrated into the MAP display very well, but make sure it is the latest version. MFD shows Engine Performance, Pressures, ECS, trim, Landing Gear and System Indicators/alerts. Below are two radio panels that are switchable with the magenta highlights showing the COM1/NAV1/ADF1 and green showing the COM2/NAV2/ADF2 frequencies. FMS - Flight Management Systems You have a choice here? You can use the default X-Plane Laminar Research FMS or the Steve Wilson Tekton FMS system... again updated. The Tekton still does the same flightplan layout with the three separate elements, and those are: SID (Standard Instrument Departure) - Route - STAR (Standard Terminal Arrival Route) You can save a route but only the center "Route" portion to a standard .fms file. When you reload it you have then rebuild the departure SID and approach STAR waypoints from scratch, so you don't reload the entire route and just fly. It is tricky at first if you are not used to the system, but the more you use the FMC the easier it gets to use. I found the Tekton programming far easier than on X-Crafts E-Jet, and now with AIRWAYS... the bigger bonus is that you can use the default FMS to check the route via the PLAN and the STEP button, you couldn't do that before... that is a huge step forward for me. In the air overview An important note; the ERJ series has a very different climb function... in most cases you select the aircraft's speed and then the V/S vertical speed you want to attain, but in the ERJ Series the function it is used together here as one. You select your altitude, your V/S and usually around 2300fpm as the 2560 fpm is the noted climb rate and officially it is 200 knts to about 3,500 feet then FLC 250/270/.56M the whole way up to your flightlevel, all this of course depends on your weight, but this is a typical route weight... but the overspeed alarm goes off above the 250 knt speed point. You control the climb rate with the throttles and the speed... it takes a little getting used too, but easy once you understand how it works.... ERJ145 ERJ135 Liveries Liveries cover all variants E135/140/145/145XR. There is blank, Alitalia Express, American Airlines Eagle modern, American Eagle Traditional, X-Jet and United Express. But this aircraft will get the painters working with gutso... already there is a nice BMI ready to released... Legacy 650 The Legacy 650 looks amazing in the air, and lighter to fly because your load factor is very small... only one livery here with the "Dream Chaser", but the other liveries work on the tail and winglets... so you can sort of use the private jet as a company aircraft, some look quite good. Wrapup This is not a review but an overview of the ERJ Family package from X-Crafts and what is included. So there are no comments or details in this aircraft release to be noted here. The aircraft is being sold as both a full package "Embraer ERJ Family" at US89.95 (all five aircraft are included), or separately at US$49.95 each. All packs and the full package is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore.... _______________________________ The Embraer ERJ Family by X-Crafts is NOW available at the X-Plane.Org Store: Embraer ERJ Family - Package Includes ERJ 135/ERJ 140/ERJ 145/ERJ 145XR/Legacy 650 Priced at US$89.95 Embraer ERJ 135 - Includes: ERJ 135 Priced at US$49.95 Embraer ERJ 140 - Includes: ERJ 140 Priced at US$49.95 Embraer ERJ 145/ERJ 145XR - Includes: ERJ 145/ERJ 145XR Priced at US$49.95 Embraer ERJ Legacy 650 - Includes: Legacy 650 Priced at US$49.95 Features : UPDATER - You can easily check for new updates right inside of X-Plane and you will automatically get the latest version. It literally takes 3 clicks of a button! On-screen CHECKLIST plugin On-screen HELP SHEET with FAQ and useful info which will get you going real quick and will solve 90% of issues that users usually ask on the forums. On-Screen Control menu for door control, ground objects, GPU and engine covers. Pre-configured systems like on the real plane Realistic Avionics Startup Realistic flight dynamics based on real pilot input and feedback FMS There are two FMS units installed on the pedestal: Custom TEKTON FMS© by Steve Wilson (More details below) and the X-Plane FMS by Philipp J. Münzel Please note that these are not replicas of the FMS units usually installed on the jets. 3D MODELING AND TEXTURING I'm a VFX artist in real life, so I'm used to creating photo-real assets. Although I am limited by the XP rendering capabilities and your hardware, I tried to make it look and perform as good as I could EXTERIOR 4K High resolution textures (more important is the resolution of the actual fuselage which is 75000pixels per on meter squared) Highly detailed landing gears, Flaps, lights, gauges, antennas... everything Realistic wingflex animation Pilots in external view All doors are animated and controllable from the plugin menu. Main and service doors can also be opened by clicking on the levers. INTERIOR: You'll find that there is an amazing level of detail, for example dust particles on the screens visible when light shines on them, finger prints on buttons, and if you zoom in really close to the screens you will even see individual pixels on the actual screens. I tried to make sure that the cockpit looks realistically worn out and used as it would based on how much these jets are used! High resolution PFD, MFD, EICAS displays All text around the cockpit is crisp and clear with any rendering options Intuitive cockpit manipulation - I have always taken great care to make the cockpit as easy to use as possible. This means all clickable areas in the cockpit are very big so that you can easily click on any button, knob or lever in the cockpit Each switch, lever, knob, and handle is animated All cockpit lights are controllable exactly as on the real jets, even the screens shine light on their surroundings Includes baggage bay door light POP UP INSTRUMENTS 3D (not movable, ideal for VR) pop-up panels of the FMS, Radio panel and Thrust Rating Panel. The FMS also has a 2D pop up window mode that stays on the screen and you can move it around, so you can simply choose which one you want to be using based on your preference. Pop Up screens of the PFD MFD and EICAS OTHER FEATURES Realistic Exterior Lighting: NAV, Strobe, Beacon, Left/Nose/Right landing lights, Nose taxi lights, Inspection lights, Logo lights, Courtesy lights, Baggage door light. They all cast light on the surroundings. Audible Alert System Awesome 3D sounds, many of which have been recorded on the real jets! FULLY VR COMPATIBLE These jets have been made, fine-tuned and tested for a flawless VR experience! LIVERIES There are 5 liveries included compatible with the ERJs (White, American Airlines, American Airlines Old, United Express, ExpressJet,and 3 for the Legacy. There are dozens of other liveries available on the forums. TEKTON FMS© Features Custom MCDU Interface Initialization page on system startup Easy to navigate paging system SID, ROUTE and STAR waypoint lists are treated as separate editable items Color keyed data presentation Scratchpad data entry Interactive feedback messages MCDU PopUps Both 2D and 3D popups are available for easy access. Direct Keyboard Entry (DKE) Departure and Arrival Procedures SID and STAR procedures from X-Plane stock or third party custom data Zipped “Custom Data” folder provided Altitude and airspeed constraints for procedures Automatic procedure altitude calculation Flexible STAR element selection and re-selection and editing Default visual departure and approach waypoints Ability to easily edit SIDs, Routes, STARS and the loaded FLT PLAN AIRWAYS Selection Progress Monitoring Performance Flight Planning: PERF 1 page providing preflight and takeoff data PERF 2 page allowing route fuel planning PERF 3 page for approach data Additional Features: Thrust Rating Select page (TRS) accessed from PERF 1 FMS reset function Simplified manual waypoint altitude entry Company route load and save functions FLT PLAN page now automatically advances with destination waypoint 8.33mhz tunable radios Comprehensive Status Page The stock X-Plane MCDU is also provided as an alternative for users that prefer it. FMOD An amazing 3D sound package comes with the jets. Everything from different knob sounds, door sounds to realistic engine sounds. Many of the sounds have been recorder on the real jets which makes the experience extra immersive! Requirements X-Plane 11.30+ only Windows, MAC or Linux - 4GB VRAM Minimum. 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Current release version: 1.0 (last updated May 24th 2019) ______________________________________________________________________  Aircraft Overview by Stephen Dutton  24th May 2019 Copyright©2019 : X-Plane Reviews   (Disclaimer. All images and text in this preview are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) 

Plugin Update : WebFMC Pro v1.4.0 by Green Arc Studios This is an update review that is the Green Arc Studios WebFMC v1.3.0 review, but adjusted to v1.4.0 because for one the v1.3.0 review did not include the SSG Boeing 747-8 Series (the plugin was updated, but the v1.9.2 of the aircraft had not been released) and the v1.4.0 is in quick succession to the earlier update just a few weeks ago, in other words both or all the update details have been brought together in one place. So yes a lot is familiar here, but with some new details added in as well. More, more and even more additions are now available to the Green Arc Studios excellent WebFMC, that allows you use the pop-out FMC in any computer, tablet or gadget that runs an internet browser. This is version v1.4.0 and the additions this time are the trio of SSG (Supercritical Simulations Group) E-Jets Evolution Series (E-170/E-195) and their Boeing 747-8 Series, FlightFactor A350 XWB Advanced (old style MCDU) and the addition of the ZiboMod Boeing 737-700 of which it is active on both the WebFMC Pro and the WebFMC demo plugin versions. The complete Pro list available is now: ● A320 Ultimate by FlightFactor ● A350 XWB Advanced by FlightFactor ● B757v2 by FlightFactor (all variants; requires 757 v2.2.13+) ● B767 by FlightFactor (all variants; requires 767 v1.2.6+) ● 737-300 by IXEG ● A319 by ToLiss ● MD-80 by Rotate (requires MD-80 v1.42+) ● A320 by Jar Design ● A330 by Jar Design (requires JD330 v3.1r2+) ● Embraer E170 by SSG ● Embraer E195 by SSG ● Boeing 747-8 by SSG (VMAX) - all variants ● EADT x737 (all variants), requires x737UFMC. ● 737-800 Zibo Mod ● 737-900U Ultimate ● 737-700U Ultimate Noted Zibo Mod 737-800 and the 737-900ER/700 Ultimate are also available on the free demo version of the plugin available here on the X-Plane.Org: WebFMC 1.4.0 Full details on how the WebFMC plugin is installed and how it works is set out in the original review: Plugin Review : WebFMC Pro by Green Arc Studios Supercritical Simulations Group E-Jet Evolution Series E-170/E-195 v1.3 by Supercritical Simulations Group is a great addition to the WebFMC portfolio. These FMS units are from Javier Cortes (FJCC) and not directly from SSG, Javier's FMS units have been around for years and notably in the x737 installation... Note the layout is exactly the same in either aircraft. The latest E-Jet Series version 1.3 is required to use WebFMC Pro. The computer based WebFMC is shown on the right and the internal FMS is shown on the left, the Chrome browser is the recommended browser for WebFMC Pro. Again the facia FMS plate is a replica of the original Honeywell unit, although with a shorter facia on the WebFMC version, it is also the correct facia plate on the E-Jet aircraft, and it can be set in "Dirty" or "Clean" modes. I personally use the WebFMC to set out the route and input the performance data. So I use SimBrief (Route Creation) and Navigraph (Charts) to build up the routes. By using the WebFMC as you can see I can have all the route information and chart information ready at hand for input and direct keyboard access for inputting data and route info. Yes you can do the same within the cockpit with the popup... but you will also be turning your head consistently to gather the info on another (computer) screen, I find this system far quicker in creating the flight data. The Boeing 748i Series The update v1.9.2 is required to use the WebFMC Pro in the SSG Boeing 747-8 Series, This version release is the last for this early design until it will be replaced by v2.0 later in the year, but the transition to the new v2 version, should not affect the plug-in or the installation, in other words it is future proof on this aircraft, because I doubt this FMS system and installation will be changed for the v2, if at all... The internal cockpit facia of the SSG B747-8 FMS is a bit squished to fit, but the new plate facia on the WebFMC is full size. It looks very good and can be set in "Dirty" or "Clean" modes. The Javier Cortes version of the FMS in the B747-8 Series is now far more better since last year's v1.9.1 version update, and again this was re-enforced by the easy programming in v1.9.2 of the route... DEP RWY/SID and ARR RWY/STAR and route waypoints (AIRWAYS) was excellent... .... then the ultimate test is in the editing the route. I wanted to reedit the arrival pattern as with the selected IRBI4A STAR into EDDM's RWY 26L as it is very tight, and fine for say a B737 or A320, but too tight an entry for a large heavy like the B748F, so I used the RNAV approach BETOS 26 to reset the approach waypoints... With SimBrief and Navigraph charts and the external WebFMC Pro it is very good for doing FMC editing and route programming.... .... more importantly the FMS reedited the approach data perfectly and it is in these areas that I look for the standard of quality in these Flight Management Systems, if it works correctly it is first realistic, but also saves you time (and frustration) in setting out the routing, and yes I was impressed. I was looking forward to the SSG Boeing 747-8 installation on WebFMC because if you fly long haul.... I mean long, long hours in the air then interaction with the FMC is a nice way to pass the time, okay you could call it fiddling around, but the movement of the aircraft across the globe and the return data to be cross referenced via SimBrief and Navigraph route maps is very professional in the way you manage the flight, fuel loads and weight... in other words it is a very authentic simulation. And now it is here and I found that the WebFMC really shines with this installation just like I expected. FlightFactor A350 XWB Advanced The installation in the FlightFactor A350 XWB is a bit different to the usual in the aircraft facia to WebFMC facia installation. FlightFactor's Version v1.5.1 is again required to use WebFMC Pro. The facia layout in the FlightFactor A350 is not the front MFD (Multi-Functional Display) FMS, but the rear pedestal unit and pop-up panel.... as WebFMC Pro uses the ToLiSS A319 facia panel (and pop-out) for the input of route data and performance details. A lot of the data is reflected in the MFD version, but a lot is not. To the diehards then such a difference in authenticity may grind a little, but there are currently several reasons for this. One the current MFD A350 FMS is not the full monty anyway, as it is hybrid FMS system that combines several different elements to replicate the actual A350 FMS and MCDU. As we shall see in that using the A319 layout you can input more data and more easier than the hybrid version. Secondly the rumors are swarming around that the next A350 XWB XP11 will have a full and complete "Study" system of the A350 FMS? Green Arc Studios have noted that if such a system is created then the WebFMC version will follow the study grade pathway... in other words this A 319 panel version is just a temporary solution to the several problematic areas of the A350 FMS. If you know your way around the A319 FMS then this will come as breeze to to do but the systems are not perfectly in alignment. The MFD A350 version was always a bit complex in what areas (boxes) to fill in or not or which were the active segments? This version is still also problematic compared with the A319 as well as you can't use SID/STARs either when building up a flightplan? Annoying well yes, certainly for a commercial service airliner of this category. There are two ways to get around this, one is to use a Python A350 SID/STAR Script to create the SID/STAR's but it is messy with the extra use the "SimpleFMC"... too messy for me. There is another way and it uses SimBrief... create your flightplan in the Briefing tool and then download the .FMS file, and the trick is in using the XP10 version and not the XP11 .FMS version (you would actually think it would be the other way around? but the FF A350 uses the older GNS340 as it's data source) and load in that .FMS file and that will give you the selected SID and STAR waypoints. It is still slightly messy because you are locked into a certain SID or STAR and can't change any SID or STAR before or in mid-flight... .... at least you do get access to the SID and STAR routing, for which here at LEBL (Barcelona) the departure RWY 02 SID to MOPAS (MOPA1A) is quite complex... note to add in the DEP runway and ARR runway directly into the WebFMC Pro as it is required and not included in the .FMS flightplan noted here is the DEP runway of 02. Loading in or laying out the flightplan is far easier with the WebFMC Pro, but there is the point to be made in that unlike usually in using the WebFMC in that it not always mirrors the changes on the internal aircraft FMS, With the A350 setup you have to select the same page to see the information installed. Notable notes though in that to see (or scroll) through the flightplan in the MAP display you can only do that with the MFD flightplan cursors... ... or inputting or building the route then WebFMC works fine and is actually an advantage. But for other settings like PERF (Performance) T/O - CLB (Climb) - CRZ (Cruise) - DES (Descent) and APPR (Approach) then some areas co-ordinate but a lot of areas don't, so you have to fill in both WebFMC and the onboard FMS... This is not really a WebFMC issue as the FlightFactor's own A350 XWB system is not only confusing, but differential in the fact of what you input in on the OIS - On-Board Information System then is generally not reflected or accepted on the FMS either? Inputting SimBrief route and weight data is not also comparative either like with passenger load and fuel loads are either over estimates or not exact in numbers to do a comparative flight to the SimBrief flight plan.... it is all very messy. It is obviously annoying to have to fill in both the ToLiSS (WebFMC) FMS and the MFD versions separately? But it helps to match them up correctly... In flight the system works well... Following the flight plan and SID charts can be done with the WebFMC, while the ToLiSS pop-up mirror can be used in the cockpit, all flightplan date is also reflected on the MFD flightplan and data (arrowed left). Enroute I like all the route data handy and WebFMC is very good here in following the route data via SimBrief and Navigraph Charts. In simulation today you have a huge amount of data available to you (admittedly at a cost of subscriptions), but the detail helps and makes even the FlightFactor A350 as compromised it is in it's current form still a worthy simulation. ZiboMod Boeing 737-700 Ultimate From the start of the WebFMC release the plugin has supported for free the ZiboMod Boeing 737 Series as a sort of demo for the Pro version. Support that was free originally was for the B737-800 (the original ZiboMod B737), but added since is the Ultimate versions in the B737-900 U and now with this WebFMC 1.4.0 update the Boeing 737-700 U version. First reaction would be that the ZiboMod FMS system would be just a variation of Laminar Research FMS, as originally this is what the ZiboMod actually is in taking the default Boeing 737 -800 that come free and with X-Plane11 and MODifiying the aircraft. But like the ZiboMod itself the FMS in these series of aircraft are very far removed from the default B738 aircraft.... so with this depth of route and performance data to go into the FMC then the WebFMC is a big asset in programming the aircraft correctly... The facia plate is excellent, dirty and worn (again the clean version is available). The WebFMC is a big bonus here as the FMC panel in the ZiboMod 737's don't yet pop-out? (correct me if I am wrong, but I can't get the panel to pop-out?). Programming the route is extremely impressive with the WebFMC, as again is the use of SimBrief and Navigraph charts which are very immersive into helping out in the process... .... tricky here was the arrival in KDFW (Dallas Fort-Worth). The STAR BEREE 1 into Dallas 36L which is a bit messy with just some (or mostly) vectors, so I again readjusted the arrival route with the RNAV RWY 36L approach charts which worked well. VECTORS are ATC directions, but in FMC's they tend to cause route issues because in reality they are blanks, so I usually replace them with waypoints. Certainly VECTORS will work well if you do online ATC. Enroute the WebFMC was highly impressive to use and follow the DL1890 Flightplan... The bonus here is that the WebFMC version for the Boeing 737-700 ultimate is free, so you can try it out to it's full capacity as there are no restrictions with using the plugin to it's full capacity... obviously the Pro version is more highly versatile, but you will get the full aspect of on how good the tool is. You can download all three Zibo/Ultimate Boeing 737-700/800/900 versions here at Threshold The free WebFMC plugin link is listed below. WebFMC Pro v1.4.0 other update notes are: Updated all 3rd party libraries to their latest stable versions (client UI, plugin). Fixed a bug where AI aircraft could trigger internal re-initialization of WebFMC. Other minor bugfixes. Summary This is another update to the excellent WebFMC Pro, this is a plugin that can be used in a browser on another computer or a tablet. It is a remote tool, but a very beneficial and even a powerful one in programming in route and performance data and following the set aircraft route in flight in mirroring the aircraft's built in FMS (Flight Management System). This update adds in more aircraft FMS's to cover the Supercritical Simulations Group (SSG) E-Jets Evolution Series (E-170/E-195) and their Boeing 748 Series (v1.9.2), the FlightFactor A350 XWB Advanced (old style MCDU) and the added ZiboMod/Ultimate Boeing 737-700 The WebFMC Pro FMS list available is now listed as an impressive 16 aircraft, but three in the list of the Zibo Mod 737-800 and the 737-900ER/700 Ultimate are also available in the Free Demo version. All WebFMC Pro facias work very well and are mostly authentic to the real aircraft's facia plates, but the FlightFactor's A350 XWB layout is slightly more complicated and not as study grade as most of the other units here, so currently it uses the ToLiSS FMS system to do the work, that FMS panel is a situated on the aircraft's rear pedestal. The WebFMC Pro is an excellent tool all round and one plugin I use consistently during FMS setup and route flying and now covers a broad list of available aircraft and their various FMS - Flight Management Systems, It is an invaluable tool for my simulation flying... Highly Recommended _____________________________________ Yes! WebFMC Pro v1.4.0 by Green Arc Studios is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : WebFMC Pro Price is US$19.99 The v1.4.0 update is free to previous purchasers of the plugin, go to your X-Plane.OrgStore account for the new version. Quick and easy access to the FMC Get easy access to the FMC: quickly edit the flightplan, monitor flight progress, set up your approach and do all the typical work of the pilot without having to move around in the cockpit, even if the plane doesn’t support FMC as a popup natively - on the same PC, or different monitor, tablet or phone - in fact you can use multiple displays at the same time! Make pilot tasks easy and comfortable Enjoy external views during cruise while monitoring flight progress on separate screen or take a quick look at your phone to verify calculated landing speed with just a glimpse of an eye during busy time on approach. Make flying complex SIDs / STARs easy as you can focus on the important flight parameters while having overview of the constraints all the time. Take your mobile to the kitchen as you cook a dinner during a long haul and never miss T/D again! Convenient to use Use physical keyboards on PC with extra keys such as Prev/Next page mapped to keyboard keys for easy access. WebFMC scales dynamically to fit any display or window size and can look as native app on mobiles by using browser's "Add to home screen" feature. Aircraft support WebFMC Pro supports growing number of 3rd party aircraft starting with ● A320 Ultimate by FlightFactor ● A350 XWB Advanced by FlightFactor ● B757v2 by FlightFactor (all variants; requires 757 v2.2.13+) ● B767 by FlightFactor (all variants; requires 767 v1.2.6+) ● 737-300 by IXEG ● A319 by ToLiss ● MD-80 by Rotate (requires MD-80 v1.42+) ● A320 by Jar Design ● A330 by Jar Design (requires JD330 v3.1r2+) ● Embraer E170 by SSG ● Embraer E195 by SSG ● Boeing 747-8 by SSG (VMAX) - all variants ● EADT x737 (all variants), requires x737UFMC. ● 737-800 Zibo Mod* ● 737-900U Ultimate* ● 737-700U Ultimate* * Available on the free demo WebFMC plugin Requirements: The WebFMC plugin requires X-Plane 11 running 64-bit Windows 7 operating system or newer Mac OS 10.14.x (Mojave) Ubuntu Linux 16.04 LTS or 18.04 LTS (64-bit) Web Client The CDU can be displayed on any modern and up-to-date web browser with JavaScript support. We recommend the latest versions of Google Chrome on PC or Android and Safari on iOS. No internet connection required, remote device needs to be on the same local network as X-Plane PC. Support for WebSockets RFC 6455 standard is required which implies at least iOS version 6. Current and Review version: 1.4.0 (May 21st 2019) Current SSG E-Jet Evolution Series E170/E195 v1.3, Boeing 747-8 Series v1.9.2 and FlightFactor A350 XWB v1.5.1 are required for the use of this plugin ______________________________________________________________________ Plugin Update Review by Stephen Dutton 15th May 2019 Copyright©2019 : X-Plane Reviews  (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) Review System Specifications: Computer System: Windows - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.33 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini : SimBrief (Free) : Navigraph Charts (Subscription) Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro v1.07 US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : JarDesign Ground Handling Deluxe - US$14.95 Scenery or Aircraft - E-Jet Evolution Series (E170/E195) by Supercritical Simulations Group (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$54.95 - Boeing 747-8 Series by Supercritical Simulations Group (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$55.00 - Airbus A350 XWB Advanced by FlightFactor (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$49.95 - ZiboMod/Ultimate Boeing 737-700 (Threshold) - Free 

Aircraft Announcement : PA31T Cheyenne II by Carenado Now almost a fortnightly announcement is the rollout of Carenado aircraft, The B58 Baron XP11, Premier 1A Private jet and now this PA31T Cheyenne II... which as an aircraft it is an turboprop development of the earlier PA-31P Pressurised Navajo. The Carenado Navajo is however one of my seriously favorite big-twins : Aircraft Review : PA-31 Navajo XP11 HD Series by Carenado. Here are some supplied nice images of the PA31T Cheyenne... This version is the Improved version, and an renamed version of the original PA-31T and is powered by two 620-shp (462-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprop engines. No doubt it will be very welcome in our hangars. Carenado originally announced the Cheyenne II a week ago, and so the release is going to be before the American Memorial Day holiday, price? The Navajo is US32.95 so I expect the same or a little if slightly higher price at US$35.00. Images are courtesy of Carenado Announcement via Carenado's Facebook page ________________________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 21st May 2019 Copyright©2019: X-Plane Reviews

The whole Carendo ProLine 21 system is a new development, and not to a point fine not yet tuned for X-Plane, but I expect the development to be quick and sorted quickly, that was made clear in the review, there is still the basic issue of Laminar not allowing very high resolution displays, to a point this area is well behind development that should also be addressed... but don't turn off your investment just yet, it will get better and quickly.

Read the instructions in the manual... your missing the "Aircraft Static and Animated" scenery pack, it is a separate download. SD

Scenery Review : Eiger Park 3D by Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini It was only a few months ago that X-PlaneReviews was soaring over Patagonia in South America and admiring the excellent Cerro Torre 3D "Los Glaciares" by Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini. But here we are suddenly with another extreme landscape from these talented landscape artists. To a point we are back on familiar territory or the European Alps, after the Everest and the Patagonia scenerios. This is their third Alp scenery after Matterhorn Park 3D and Dolomiti 3D and the scenery covers the northern Bernese mountain Alps chain and the... The Eiger. The Eiger is a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps, overlooking Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland, and just north of the main watershed and border with Valais. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m (13,642 ft). The Eiger is not the largest of the biggest mountain in the Alps, as it is listed as low as 33 in height, but the most notable feature of the Eiger is its 1,800-metre-high (5,900 ft) north face of rock and ice, named Eiger-Nordwand, Eigerwand or just Nordwand, which is the biggest north face in the Alps and hence it's attraction to climbers. The name is German as Eiger is the standard German word for ogre. This scenery is in a way a mirror of the earlier Matterhorn Park 3D scenery, that in the earlier rendition effectively covered the southern area of Valais, were as this Eiger scenery is on the northern chain of the Bernese Alps that is centered around Interlaken. Two main valleys are used for access into the area from Interlaken and these are the Lauterbrunnen valley and Grindelwald valley, but there is a back door way in as well. Helicopters are all the go around here.... even then it can be tight flying through some of the areas. However Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini have also added in a few fictional grass strips if you want to give them a try, a ride on say the default Aerolite 103 is highly recommended. But I needed to cover more distance and the higher extreme altitudes, so I need power and speed, so the newly updated AB412 from X-Trident was the best option... I started from LSZH Zurich, which is yes a fair way away from the scenery, but I wanted to get a feel for the AB412 before hand as you know it will be needed as these sceneries always come with some tricky pad landings. My first section flying was to Meiringen LSMM for a refuel, the town is situated up the valley from Brienzersee the eastern of the two lakes surrounding Interlaken... (this route was covered in the AB412 update review) The approach was via Lungernersee where you can slip through a tight valley (you do that a lot here) and then drop down sharply into the Brünig Pass. Before we go in too deep, then the area around Meiringen LSMM has issues? this is not the custom Eiger 3D scenery issue, but an X-Plane default mesh issue.... worse it cuts directly through the Eiger's north rock face.... it is important to know what you're actually looking at and if you have the Eiger 3D scenery correctly installed? (There is an .INI scenery order that is provided) If you don't, then what you will get is a very messy mesh, with both Brienzersee and Thunersee lakes filled in as there is a line of the edge of the mesh set across the lake (magenta arrows shows line above right). On this default mesh however you do get a very nice global airport scenery of LSMM (above left). If you get both the lakes of Brienzersee and Thunersee (above) then your scenery is correctly installed, however it kills the nice Global Airport LSMM scenery as it does also at LSMI - Interlaken WED airports? but a fix has fixed the autogen... to note again this is an underlying mesh issue, not a custom scenery issue. We tried simHeaven's X-EUROPE2 but that didn't work as it just brought back in that nasty default mesh, so anything or everything always brought you back that nasty mesh when you put in any of the areas normal dsf co-ordinates..... painful. The Lauterbrunnen valley directly in front of Interlaken is the most obvious way into the Eiger 3D scenery... but there is another gap into the Grindelwald valley if you fly east from Meiringen. Already you notice the very highly detailed scenery quality, as it is now far better in high extreme def detail than the older default textures... These older default textures were extremely poor anyway with bad stretch marks and weird textures. The gap I was looking for is the Reichenbach Falls, and I flew straight on past the pass, as it is extremely easy to miss... ... so I did a complete 360º turn and this time made the AB412 point correctly this time go up the pass... and it is that tight, but still easily flyable and a scenic way into the scenery as the route goes into and takes you straight into the Grindelwald valley. But first to get into the valley you have to climb and climb to over 7500ft to clear a ridge directly in front of you.... ... but it is worth the effort, because once over the ridge then Grindelwald one of the main resorts in the area is then set directly below... .... and directly to your left is the Eiger and that famous north face! We will get closer to the mountain later... Grindelwald First impressions of the mountain range is excellent as the detail is of very high minute quality, this is always what you get with Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini's sceneries, extreme mountain detailing and your not disappointed here. Other points are the custom tree lines are a bit sharp, and not very natural and the lower valley floor grass is a bit plain... I do accept that in Alpine areas that you get these human cleared areas around the sides of mountain ranges, but the long valley lines are usually more blended in as the tree lines filter out as you go higher... There is also a fictional grass runway airport Grindelwald (LSGW) with a single H helipad and it works in here very well... .... views of the Alps are magnificent from here, with all the 4,000m peaks that surround you. Grindelwald The township of Grindelwald is very well done, note the extreme elevations that are required to place the custom objects, it is hard to do so many and get them correct.... Town centre detail is excellent, you do however need your "Texture" quality set as high as you can go. I am using "Maximum" here and just get away with the detail, anything less though does suffer blurring. The authentic "Swiss" feel is here, and although all the sceneries textures not extremely detailed in object or ground textures, you can definitely get that totally realistic visual ground aspect of the town and the views of the mountains... in other words "It works". Railway (Tram) station is the visual highlight. Grindelwald valley Grindelwald is the largest township in the scenery, so any departure has a lot of interesting points, the town centre and bus park station are standouts... Once past the township you head straight down the tight valley... lets look at where we are going. Basically it a wishbone layout, with Interlaken at the top, the Grindelwald Valley the right bone and the Lauterbrunnen Valley the left bone and the Eiger is centre south. The Grindelwald Valley villages of Burglauenen, Lütschental and Gündlischwand are all represented... .... mountain texture detail is excellent, again I will note I am set on the "Max" texture quality and not the "No Compression" setting, but it is still very good detail... I do find the valley floor a bit just a matt texture and not photographic and it does seem slightly odd against the high quality mountain textures, its okay, but it is noticeable as well, even the default X-Plane textures have a more sporadic mottling effect than this plain feel and look you have here. You are finding that you are rolling the aircraft side to side down the passage with no straight line flying, but it is exhilarating flying as well. At Gündlischwand it is the corner point of the wishbone and the mountain face and the scale of Männlichen is excellent... ... Interlaken is to your right. Now you are in the Lauterbrunnen valley of which you could say is the main street in the scenery. To note that in reality the scenery here is classed as higher and lower, as Villages and Townships are not all positioned on the Valley floor, so if you come in low and down in the Lauterbrunnen valley you can actually fly right past all the settlements set up high on top of the ridges and plateaus above you. Lauterbrunnen Flying into Lauterbrunnen and the extreme Staubbachfall Wasserfall (waterfall) is to your right and modelled in the scenery (there are several famous waterfalls in here). Like at Grindelwald there is another (identical) fictional grass runway airport Lauterbrunnen (LSLB)... .... and sitting low here on the valley floor at Lauterbrunnen the views are amazing. There is one H pad by the tennis court but it is not registered, and there is also a company Heli pad station called "Air Glaciares" (LSXL) that is positioned more closer to the township... and there are two H pads set here, but only the one in LSXL that is registered and noted, but the outer other H pad is more accessible for approaches. In reality Lauterbrunnen is a servicing town for the area and the higher up resorts, so the main highlight is the rail station and huge servicing carpark. Wengen, Murren and Gimmelwald Higher second tier towns are positioned above Lauterbrunnen, and directly above and slightly to the east is Wengen... Wengen's beautiful township is very well done, lovely rack rail station is very authentic...both churches in the unorthodox Wengen church and the famous British St Bernards are also represented.... The helipad (HEWE) is very hard to find as it is set behind the cable car station and surrounded by hotels, hard too approach into as well... so you will earn your salary flying into Wengen. oh.. and watch out for those cable car wires from the cable station as they are lethal? The other end of those cable car wires go high up to the station at Männlichen... there is a H helipad up here as well (HEMN) and a great view of the Eiger. Directly but further down and across the Lauterbrunnen valley is Murren, which is a very tricky one. For one I flew past Murren three times as couldn't find it? It is there but higher still and directly up above Lauterbrunnen... so you fly almost and straight up a cliff wall for 5, 600 ft to the elevation. The landing pad (HEMR) is right and almost on the cliff edge... great! well not so great. Coming over the edge the wind gusts were horrible, full left rudder was required and that was just to stop myself twirling into oblivion, the AB412 shook with the strain, the gusts came ,then went, came again and you are seriously fighting the machine... the wind sock was simply twirling uselessly on it's base! ... and you will find this a lot up here, as seemingly easy pad approaches are suddenly turned into a survival fights to survive or to not mangle yourself into either the ground or the side of the mountain. I gave myself a lap around the village for that precise landing... okay my living room, but it was a very well earned "yahoo". It is very easy to get Murren mixed up with Gimmelwald which a bit further down the valley but set far lower than Murren... I eyeballed Gimmelwald several times, but there is no landing pad. There is another H pad (HESC) on the Valley floor at Stechelberg, before the Lauterbrunnen valley starts to run out... Stechelberg is just really a cable car site with a coach park. Kander Neve Following up the inner reaches of the Lauterbrunnen valley it is a visual wonderland... but it is also a sort of a dead end, unless you climb up and over to... ... the Kander Neve Glacier, and it is an excellent visual and well done reproduction of the glacier. You can also seriously get lost up here as there are loads of nooks and crannys that will attract your attention, and before you know it it, it is very easy to get lost, in fact any exploring of these excellent valleys and peaks requires careful navigation so you know where you are and more importantly how to get back, and more so important is that if you don't run out of fuel... But to alight and take it all in is well worth the effort... What I think that is outstanding is that you have these excellent Hi-Def textures of the custom scenery, but they still fit in very well with the standard surrounding mesh, so there are no nasty boundaries or standout blocks of either separate areas.... Schilthorn and Brig If you were born of a certain inclination and saw the Moon Landing live, in my case I was 13 years old, then something else significant happened in 1969... You went and saw a new James Bond movie.... in this case it was the excellent (still my all time favorite even without Mr Connery) that was "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Remember I am 13 years old, and the film had a Aston Martin's DBS (the original), that bobsled action, nice title music, lots of gorgeous women doing lovely things and killing the masses at the same time for the evil Blofield, a love scene, baddies, more baddies, and Diana Rigg.... did I mention Diana Rigg!. Of the other main action pieces was of a helicopter attack on the evil Blofield's liar up on a mountain side somewhere in the Alps? That mountain was the Schilthorn 2970m and the lair was situated at Piz Gloria.... Now I was going there. Murren is a good staging point to Piz Gloria, as it is just west and just above Gimmelwald and Murren at 9,700 ft... look to the right and slightly up and there is the 007 liar, the baddies liar! It is a real restaurant, it was before the film, but certainly more famous now for the exposure of fame, the bathrooms here are 007 themed and are supposed to be the best bathrooms in the world, shaken and not stirred... The modeling certainly lives up the expectations, obviously there is already a Piz Gloria model in X-Plane, but not with the Hi-Def surrounding textures for better authenticity... There is a heli H pad (HERG) and it can again be very gusty up here. At least there is no one shooting at me... so Blofield and cat must be away! Brig is a staging post for the chairlifts to the peak of Brig and for the next stage up to Piz Gloria. You have to careful on the landing pad H (HEBG) as you are close to the building with the blades... Klein-Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch The highlight of the scenery is the important mountain pass settlement of Klein-Scheidegg (Little Scheidegg) 2,061 m (6,762 ft). In reality Klein-Scheidegg is a transfer station for both cable car and twin rack railways including the Wengernalp Railway that meet here at the elaborate railway station. The Iconic historic Hotel Bellevue des Alpes that dates back to 1840 is also positioned here.... It is the most celebrated mountain passe in the Swiss Alps because of its position just north of the point where the Bernese Alps makes a salient angle, whose apex is the Eiger, and the climax of the Eiger and Mönch, the Jungfrau mountain chain that forms a massive wall called the Jungfrau Region. All the mountains in the region are represented in the scenery with in line the Wetterhorn (Mittelhorn) 3704m, Schreckhorn 4,078 m, Eiger 3,967m, Mönch 4107m and Junfrau 4158m.... The Breithorn, Tschingelhorn and Gspaltenhorn are also represented. Klein-Scheidegg is directly above and to the right of Grindelwald, but you can also come up and over from the Lauterbrunnen valley.... It is an incredible alpine setting and extremely well done here. The rack railway station is lovely and authentic, but again you need the full texture setting to get the very most out of the excellent detail. In the earn your paypacket theory then Klein-Scheidegg is another really tricky one. So again you will usually eyeball the best approach in, because the H Pad is buried in and besides the railway station... in reality there is only one way in and that is from the east, as the elevations ruin any other approach... It looks actually easy, but again the high winds create chaos, get close to the edge and your wobbling and fighting the rudder pedals, my aim was a straight in nose approach, what I could only achieve was a sideways blustery approach, but it worked.... .... then dropping closer to the ground you have to be highly aware of the rail station on your left.... ... and you then needed a white stick to see the pad itself as you can't really manoeuvre into another approach angle. But you make it work.... and let out that held in too long breath, yes I am breathing again. Part of the trick is to using the station as your visual guide in, the microwave antenna tower is also a good angle visual point. The view however is worth the effort as you get the classic images of the Eiger from the Hotel Bellevue des Alpes. The hotel is a movie star as well with the Clint Eastward "Eiger Sanction" (1975) and the highly recommended 2008 film "North Face", about Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser's 1936 attempt to climb the Eiger's north face... and so also look for the two climbers on the Eiger's north face.... yes it is the intrepid developers of Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini climbing their own creation (they are real life climbers as well). Jungfraujoch Set up on the ridge or as it's called a "Saddle" between the peaks of the Mönch and Junfrau is an amazing location... it is the Jungfraujoch or the "Top of Europe".... this time you have to climb (almost straight up) a whopping 11,800ft (offically 3,454 metres (11,332 ft)) to get an eye level of the structure... There are several panoramic restaurants and a post office. Several tunnels lead outside, where secured hiking trails on the crevassed glacier can be followed, in particular to the Mönchsjoch Hut. Also part of the complex is the The Sphinx Observatory, which is one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world, provides an additional viewing platform at a height of 3,572 metres (11,719 ft). The Jungfraujoch radio relay station, which is not accessible to the public, is installed just west of the Jungfraujoch on the Jungfrau ridge. It is Europe's highest radio relay station. Jungfraujoch is accessible to tourists by the rack rail Jungfrau line, a railway from Interlaken and Kleine Scheidegg and it took 16 years to build it. And yes you guessed right, landing here on the H Pad (HEJF) is again not easy, but the views of the Aletsch glacier is certainly worth the effort. The Eiger mountain itself is highly impressive in detail... DEM data is used, and further corrected with 3D graphics programs. Subsequently the textures were applied, even in part in 4K, that were taken from high definition photos. The positioning on the modified meshes is extremely accurate, respecting the dimensions and the main morphological characteristics of the terrain. The only aspect is that the mountain is of course north faced, so it it hard to get the sunlight directly on the face, it gives the Eiger character but also a lot of shadow.... but the full Jungfrau Region is certainly spectacular in it's overall complete design here. Time to move away from the central core of the Eiger 3D scenery... hopping off the Jungfraujoch H pad is damn dangerous as the blustery winds can catch you and throw you easily into the mountain side..... .... there is a trick in going into the wind's direction and not fighting it, and then loop around to your wanted course. You can then actually freeball directly down to Interlaken, but if you don't control the 10,000ft fall you will simply fly right over the township and bucket the elevation on the other side... ... this is harder to to than it looks and requires great helicopter control, but the elevator car ride is worth it.... once down to 3000 ft you loop backwards and head back up the Lauterbrunnen valley. Note the missing default scenery of Interlaken Airport (ICAO: LSMI) which was a former military airbase... .... X-Plane's Global airports does have a very nice LSMI (as it does the noted Meiringen LSMM), but you can't insert it without the WED airport messing up the custom mesh... that is a shame because it looks excellent (can anyone fix this - hint!)... You are now going back up the Lauterbrunnen valley to a "Swiss Helicopters" Heliport located in Gsteigwiler H (ICAO: LSXG) that is located just inside the valley's entrance (arrowed below right)... ... although quite a large heilcopter facility it can be easily missed, and it is tricky to approach with the high trees set out out around it, the best approach is from the west... There are four H pads here with only one registered (LSXG) but the other three are highly usable and accessable. This helibase is certainly a very nice and highly authentic Swiss style base to work directly the all mountains pads and the passenger services from. This is the last of the Eiger 3D scenery's custom H Pads... but what a way to end the selections. Nightlighting If you already use anyone of Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini's sceneries you will know what you are going to feel at night.... most sceneries are villages with village lighting, and as most flying is not done at night, and certainly not here in the Bernese Alps, as the canyon valleys will always get you. So mostly then this lighting is just for looking at than actually using and it is very nice... Grindelwald In Grindelwald you have the most lighting because it is the largest town. Custom buildings window lighting is very good and nicely varied... don't expect a huge amount of lighting detail however, but overall it works fine in reflecting a Swiss town or village at night... .... the town squares are lovely and it all feels very authentic. Klein-Scheidegg At Klein-Scheidegg it was always going to be the focus point of the scenery at night, and it does not disappoint... .... the railway station is lovely and nicely authentic, and a nice place to be at night with the looming Eiger out there in the dark. Wengen Over at Wengen it is very similar to Klein-Scheidegg and it has that lovely aged Swiss feel and rail station... Lauterbrunnen The Staubbachfall Wasserfall at Lauterbrunnen is visible at night, but the effect is actually wrong because the whole cliff face and waterfall are illuminated (look's spectacular) and not just the waters streaming, so the effect here does not work and it looks just eeie or plain weird. Center terminus and carpark are well lit as is the Air Glaciares Heli base. Gsteigwiler The larger "Swiss Helicopters" Heliport at Gsteigwiler is excellent, and it is a nice place to work down on the well lit pad apron after a hard day in the mountains or a dawn readiness for the coming days work. Overall the lighting very good, but you come here or any of these sceneries in the series for the views, dawn or twilight visuals of the mountains when X-Plane turns on the light show it can be stupendous.... nothing can match a few moments just watching the light rise or fade over the mountain scapes.... Interlaken and Thun Because there is custom mesh and as noted at the head of this review it kills the default autogen. Fabio Bellini has re-engineered the autogen to work on the custom mesh... and to be honest it is exactly the same as the built in autogen, but you certainly see the reason it had to be returned to fill in the scenery and create a seemless join between the custom and standard X-Plane mesh.... Because of copyright issues you have to download and install the autogen data separately (link below), it is very easy with just a cut and paste in the Eiger_Mesh Earth Nav Data, but essential for the scenery to work correctly. Now Interlaken is a full (again) a visual feast (I saw it without the autogen and it looked awful or blank), head away up the Thunersee and Spiez is on your right and finally Thun is situated at the end of the lake.... Guess where the autogen join is... there isn't one, and as you pull away from the Eiger 3D scenery the panorama of the Bernese Alps are still highly visible in the distance and a brilliant visual addition to X-Plane... of course you can reverse this route and see this Bernese Alps vista going in as well. And a big note here to the excellent Agusta Bell AB512 from X-Trident, this was a tough review and the machine was a worthy tool in doing some really difficult flying.... Summary This is the fifth panoramic scenery from the Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini duo of specialist iconic mountain vistas, it is all about the scenery here as an addition to your X-Plane experience, but it is also has to be considered as a highly defined detailed quality to be believed and explore. Is this their best scenery yet? In most cases yes, in scale no, as Everest 3D was a larger and more huge expanse of detail, but in internal detail and the sheer number of interactions you can have with this scenery it is a far more immersive simulation and certainly when twinned with the mirror Matterhorn 3D scenery you can now also cover a large expanse of the Swiss alpine region. It is in the immersive factor for that you can get so much out of this scenery, as there are over there are 11 selectable H Pads and many added none registered H Pads as well and two fictional airports at Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Obviously this all a helicopters pilot's dream simulation, but the two grass strips also allow some very light aircraft flying as well, extreme pads at Piz Gloria (Bond 007) and Jungfraujoch just add into the superlative flying you can do in this area... but be warned it can get quite hairy with very windy conditions and in needing a lot of skill to land or takeoff at the many different locations. All the mountains in the famous Jungfrau (Top of Europe) Range including the famous "North Face" of the Eiger are all very highly crafted here, so are the surrounding exceptional glaciers. All towns and villages in the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys are also fully created with custom objects and all the items create a very Swiss feel, the elevated iconic towns of Wengen, Murren, Gimmelwald and the focus terminus of Klein-Scheidegg are all well represented and well done. Considering the sheer amount of experience and the detail of the mountain mesh and textures, it felt odd the valley floor textures were just simple green matts, fine close up but a bit false and conflicting with the high detail surrounding in textures, the custom tree lines are also too blocky and you can see where they have been applied, yes Swiss land areas do have clean cleared blocks of land and trees, but in areas the boundary lines here are just too obvious... no notes in if or when winter textures would be added. These 3D scenery packs or parks are an excellent addition to your X-Plane experience, but this Eiger 3D is certainly the best package yet from Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini, because it is the most accessible and more immersive, yes helicopter flying is a requirement here to get the best total return from the scenery, but it also brings out the very best in what simulation flying can bring to your total experience and at great value as well, overall it is a majestic area to fly around and savour, seriously challenging flying as well and for any well invested X-Plane pilot, you can't ask for any more than that.... Highly Recommended. ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! Eiger Park 3D by Frank Dainese & Fabio Bellini is now Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Eiger Park 3D Price Is US$24.95 Features: about 500 square kilometers of territory covered in this package Airports and Heliports Two virtual airports are included with a grass runway: in Grindelwald (about 800 meters long) and Lauterbrunnen (700 meters) 10 heliports located in areas of naturalistic and tourist interest. All the villages in the area have been reconstructed in 3D with about 70 types of buildings typical of area, as well as many buildings reproduced from real (hotels, stations, churches ...) All the ski lifts have also been rebuilt (16). The railway stations in the area are very detailed (Kleine-Scheidegg, grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen) The Eiger reproduced in 3D with 4K texture of the North Face. For the Monch and the Jungfrau, polygons / textures have been positioned that reproduce the real color (summer season). The whole area is covered by polygons / HD textures for a very sharp and accurate view. The whole residential area has night textures. Scenery summer season WT3: Your joking of course! no, you are on your own here, but it works out at Zurich LSZH. Requirements X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 395Mb Release and Review version 1.0 (17th May 2019) Installation Download scenery file size is download 390.50mb and with the full installation installed in your custom scenery folder as there are seven install folders in order below (INI File included):  SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/3D_Eiger/ (26.90mb) SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/CablewayEiger/ (12.10mb) SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/Grindelwald/ (297.00mb) SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/K_Scheidegg/ (256.20mb) SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/Lauterbrunnen_Wengen/ (377.50mb) SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/Mesh_Eiger/ (130.10mb) SCENERY_PACK Custom Scenery/trees_lib/ (34.20mb) Total scenery installation : 1.13gb The developers note you need to adjust the X-Plane "scenery_packs.INI" so the loading order is correct and the Mesh_Eiger must be above the Global Airport folder. Autogen has to be inserted manually... you download the .dsf file here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Av9rxLyBi20agRRXHhZqI12nYt7S You replace the "Mesh_Eiger" Earth Nav Data with the above download... instructions are included. If you already have the Matterhorn Prk 3D scenery then you will also require a patch to run these two sceneries together to avoid conflict, that patch is available here: https://1drv.ms/u/s!Av9rxLyBi20agRUuFAuV7Qu44d8k Documents One manual with notes ______________________________________________________________________   Review by Stephen Dutton 17th May 2019 Copyright©2019 : X-Plane Reviews  (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) Review System Specifications: Computer System: Windows - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.31 Addons: Saitek x52 Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini  Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro US$69.90 : US$19.95 Scenery or Aircraft - Agusta Bell AB512 by X-Trident (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$35.95 - LSZH - Airport Zürich v2 by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$27.99

Aircraft Update : Boeing 747-8 Series V1.9.2. by Supercritical Simulations Group It is very hard to believe with the passing of time and the legendary status that that been compiled around the Boeing 747 series for now 50 years. But back in the aircraft's early days it was quite simply a mess of an aircraft, or even under developed as it went into service (In that fact nothing has really changed for Boeing). The company bet big on the revolutionary "Jumbo Jet" but in reality the engineering had not kept up with the promise... the original Pratt & Whitney JT9D engine which was the first high bypass ratio jet engine to power a wide-body airliner was in essence a turkey, and it's 43,500 lbf (193.50 kN) was grossly under powered for the job it had to do. It also broke down with alarming regularity in service and the issue was caused by ovalization, in which stresses during takeoff (max power) caused the engine casing to deform into an oval shape and cause the high-pressure turbine blades to grind against the sides. So the engine could never be used at any thrust maximums unless you wanted a dead engine on your aircraft, so in most cases in early service the B747-100's were basically flying on three engines per service. This was solved by strengthening the engine casing and adding yoke-shaped thrust links, and so would such a situation happen today, no in reality the aircraft like the current B737 MAX it would have and should have been grounded. It was only until the release of the -200 and the upgraded JT9D-7 47,900 lbf (213.07 kN) in 1972 that the legend would finally find her wings. The B747 story in a way mirrors the one for SSG - Supercritical Simulations Group. The newly formed development studio went large with their very first and extremely ambitious aircraft with the Boeing 747-8i in passenger and freighter versions and to test out their philosophy as it was first originally released as a basic freeware aircraft... in this mode the aircraft had a load of promise with advanced graphic designs for the time, but like for myself it was the huge framerate suction that beat (or beatened) for the time my computer's specifications. This was an interesting point because what the computer struggled with was not the frameweight of the B748, but it's sheer size in the numbers (polygons) of the aircraft it had to compute, because complexity and quality comes at a cost. That was five years ago. The aircraft evolutioned immensely, but never really overcame it's basic issues, and in times it was quite a mess of a simulation. On (early) release it was a muddle and even years later a tryout of flying from the UK to Montreal to deliver a load of Grand Prix equipment has always stuck in my mind as a very poor flight for the amount of issues that went wrong (mostly associated with the FMS), but overall it was not a great 7 hours of my life. But at least SSG kept on developing and having faith in the aircraft. It is also full of advanced ideas and details, but again this is an area the required a lot of skills to do... as "Advanced" can be noted several ways, in that yes it has all those excellent features and details, but that were simply too far ahead of the developers time and skill set, and in essence that sums up the core issues. Version release v1.9.1 was finally when the aircraft saw some daylight in finally a cohesive simulation and the FMS also behaved itself, The aircraft was at long last finally worthy of its position in X-Plane, and also very welcomed as good large long haulers are now rare in X-Plane and so that is a good thing as well... but personally I always thought that the development of a B747 should have gone to the more receptive Boeing 747-400 than the B747-8 from a sales and user point of view, but in many ways that also sorts of fit's in to the story of this aircraft. Update v1.9.2. So here is update v1.9.2 for the SSG B747-8, and like the venerable real world Boeing 747 this version is the last of the line, as soon this version is going to be retired. But the B747-8 is not going completely out of our flying lives, but it is too be soon replaced by a completely new ground up rebuild and design of the B747-8 v2. But that is not to say this final update is not worthy, and although it is not a huge update this original version is at least going out of commission with a little style and dignity. It also helps with this upgrade in that like a lot of aircraft in the X-Plane simulator the SSG B747-8i package didn't go through the upgrade process, in other words any original X-Plane10 version can be upgraded to the X-Plane11 standard free of charge, and with no repurchase cost involved, so that really helps with the original purchase investment so this"final" version can still be used for a significant period of time if you don't want to change your original investment (or at least till X-Plane11 is replaced by X-Plane12)... Although the aircraft does come with some great ground features like a really nice fuel truck and GPU (Ground Power Unit), however it really comes into it's own with the JarDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin with those huge complex scissor C-Loaders. For the freighter version the GHD plugin is essential. This is very handy in my route today from LEBL (Barcelona) to EDDM (Munich) to return some cargo from the recent Spanish Grand Prix. In reality the long haul B748F is wasted on such a short route, but Mercedes need the huge capacity of the B748F. First big feature addition to v1.9.2 is actually external, with WebFMC Pro. Note you need WebFMC Pro plugin version v1.3.0 for it to work with the SSG Boeing 747-8... The computer based WebFMC is shown on the right and the internal FMS is shown on the left, the Chrome browser is the recommended browser for WebFMC Pro. The internal cockpit facia of the FMS is a bit squished to fit, but the new plate facia on the WebFMC is full size. It looks very good and can be set in "Dirty" or "Clean" modes. Note the new X-Plane11 pop-out window layout is now used to display the pop-out FMS panel (F8 Win/Linux - fn/F8 Mac). The Javier Cortes version of the FMS in the B747-8 Series is now far more better since last year's v1.9.1 version update, and again this was re-enforced by the easy programming in v1.9.2 of the route... DEP RWY/SID and ARR RWY/STAR and route waypoints (AIRWAYS) was excellent... .... then the ultimate test is in the editing the route. I wanted to reedit the arrival pattern as with the selected IRBI4A STAR into EDDM's RWY 26L as it is very tight, and fine for say a B737 or A320, but too tight an entry for a large heavy like the B748F, so I used the RNAV approach BETOS 26 to reset the approach waypoints... With SimBrief and Navigraph charts and the external WebFMC Pro it is very good for doing FMC editing and route programming.... .... more importantly the FMS reedited the approach data perfectly and it is in these areas that I look for the standard of quality in these Flight Management Systems, if it works correctly it is first realistic, but also saves you time (and frustration) in setting out the routing, and yes I was impressed. Set fuel and cargo weights can be set in the left side iPad styled built in panel, but the settings can also transferred directly into the FMC via the upper LK1 (Left Key 1)... You can do the manual input as well. The odd one on the data is the "Cost Index" SSG note 9999 and myself 5666, but usually cost indexes are around 35 to 55, so 9999 looks a bit too odd, but then again Cost Indexes are a complex formula. Overall the FMS is very good and detailed with a lot of input and data pages... PERF (Peformance) TakeOff references is excellent. You can certainly see on how far this built in FMS has progressed here, the system is now as good as most of the others out there. The APU power has been adjusted for v1.9.2. It is now correct on the centre lower display.... .... one thing that hasn't changed is the extremely dark cockpit interior. It has had constant overhauls over the five years, and a few outside user packages as well on trying to make it more brighter in here. My feeling it is the PBR effects, but even well back in X-Plane10 it was not the best place to work, the under panel lighting is lovely, but overall it feels just too over dark... no doubt SSG kept to the original panel colouring and feel, and it is very authentic, but overall you just don't like the feel in here.... we hope the v2 cockpit is better than the "dungeon". Engine start is now very good with the X-Plane11 particle effects now set out on the aircraft, the power of the huge General Electric GEnx--2B67B engines rated at 66,500 lbf (296 kN) compare to the 43,500 lbf (193.50 kN) of the -100 version can be now seen... more effects later. The Boeing 747-8i/F is a huge aircraft as you have a length of 250 ft 2 in / 76.3 m and a wingspan of 224 ft 7 in / 68.4 m, you are longer than an A380, but your wingspan is shorter... .... 166 knts + 10 and you rotate... you feel the power, you see all the power of the combined thrust of the GEnx--2B67Bs... You work hard in here, the B747-8 demands skill and precision, certainly when heavy, but the rewards are very high as well... ... v1.9.2. has had a lot of performance tuning for all engines and tuned flight dynamics. In other words the aircraft is now tuned into the X-Plane11 dynamics and it certainly does feel better and flies closer to the set performance. Using the WebFMC you can follow (in this case the DEP) route in detail. Like SSG's E-Jet Evolution Series v1.3 update that we reviewed early April 2019, The wingtip vortices are not as again adjusted and sit trailing below the wingtips? here they are as out as they are on the same on the SSG E-Jets? Shame because they look sensational... There are still a few crawling ants over the engines, but they are not as bad as I remembered them last year as they were then more noticeable... ... thankfully the adjusted engine effects look great as well. There is still nothing like being perched high in the B747's seven four cockpit... ... you do start to feel the age of the design, yes the B747-8 is actually new or newer, but the concept is early sixties, but it's a seven four! In the rear you do have the freight deck (with loadable cargo set via the weight), but the passenger version has never had a cabin, that will change with the coming v2 version... Certainly in this cargo role the the "Queen of the Skies" will still rule for a while, as that huge uplift of cargo and distance killing range will see to that. SSG have added MAP Range commands, but I found the well done altitude monitor (above left) in range did not match the Navigation range? Target altitude markers are very handy in targeting your STAR arrival point, in the B747-8 it is very good. Now in the BETOS 26 arrival pattern, I like the low speed performance, it is easy to get the correct pitch to the low speeds. The Seven Four is a dramatic aircraft, that is why we love it so much, and the machine always gives out a full performance on any arrival, just watch the gear lowering to get the idea.... cue the opera music! Final approach to EDDM's RWY 26L, I found 200knts on approach and final at around 168knts at full flap, but that does depend on your weight. All sixteen wheels hit the ground, but you are so far forward and so high, you will have to bang the aircraft down to actually feel the gear contact. Sounds are very good, but due to be updated in v2... it will be interesting to hear them. At the Munich Lufthansa cargo terminal, then as soon as the engines are stopped and the chocks are in place then out comes the cargo... ... as a simulation v1.9.2 in X-Plane11 the Boeing is now extremely good... I admit this review is quite large for a six line changelog, but that is not the point here, it a farewell to an aircraft that has had quite a difficult ride in over five years and two X-Plane versions, and In most cases they are usually ready to be discarded, abandoned... but considering the history like the real Boeing 747, this SSG B747-8 goes out in a few months with a bit of dignity, obviously the SSG B747-8 series is not perfect, but it did survive, got above it's struggles... so for anyone wanting a very good Boeing 747 this is still a very worthy option, certainly if the aircraft goes on out on a sale and in that case you wouldn't be disappointed (the price is already lowered US$10 in all packages). SSG did personally note this to the aircraft and project: "This 747-8 project started as freeware in 2010 and eventually led to the formation of SSG a year later in order to bring a detailed payware version of the iconic 747 to the X-Plane community. This permitted the official Boeing licensing of the project, which led to the incorporation of more detail and accuracy into the add-on. At the same time, SSG chose to provide free updates, paint kits and hundreds of high-quality liveries to provide good value to our customers and to thank them for their support over the years. During this time we have seen X-Plane grow and evolve over 3 versions, and incorporated their new capabilities and technology into our products wherever possible. As a group we have taken this experience to create an all-new SSG 747-8 Version 2. We are also listening to our customers and your requests on what is important to you for an X-Plane add-on. In addition to the 747-8 and E-Jets, SSG will be adding the CRJ, with other unannounced projects in various stages of development. So, as development of Version 1 of the SSG 747-8 is winding down and we focus on Version 2, we want to thank all of those who made it possible for SSG to be where we are now and we are excited to show you what we have in store." Summary The final update for Supercritical Simulations Group's original Boeing 747-8 Series with both a Passenger and freighter version in a package (Series) or the individual variants of the Inter Advanced (Passenger Version) or Freighter (Cargo Version). A small update to bring the aircraft up to the current X-Plane11.33 standards with performance, particle effects and tuned flight dynamics, it certainly feels and flies far better than before the update... bonus is that the excellent WebFMC Pro plugin v1.3.0 can now also be used with the aircraft. In reality this five year old bird goes out on a high, with the new v2 of the Supercritical Simulations Group Boeing 747-8 Series due later into 2019, and so it will still cruise the routes for a few months yet... long live the Seventy Four. ______________________________________________________________________  Yes! the Boeing 747-8i/8F Adv v1.9.2 By Supercritical Simulations Group is available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 747-8 Series (Both Passenger and Freighter) : Price is US$55.00 Boeing 747-8 Inter Advanced (Passenger Version) Price is US$45.00 Boeing 747-8 Freighter (Cargo Version) Price is US$45.00  Features: Officially licensed by the Boeing Corporation. Completely rebuilt from scratch, building on SSG's experience with its popular freeware 747-8 releases. Accurate 3D external model based on 2D and 3D drawings supplied by Boeing, complete with animations and hi-res textures Aircraft meets most of the real aircraft's performance data for consumption, AOA, speeds, flight dynamics, etc. in consultation with real world 747 pilots. Manufacturer's performance data embedded as tables in the fully functional FMC. Realistic 3D cockpit with high resolution, in all render settings. Realistic displays (PFD, ND, EICAS, and MFD with system synoptics) Many systems are implemented with realistic logic, such as electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, engine fire extinguishing, fuel (with dumping capability), wing and engine anti-ice (including automatic mode), communications, and TCAS. Electronic checklist system that can automatically detect certain aircraft configuration changes Complete autopilot functioning in modes similar to the real aircraft External lights and strobes operate realistically. Display management similar to that in the real aircraft (information can be switched between displays). First Officer's ND display is independent from the Captain's, and ND has a pop-up option EICAS messages based on the real aircraft's with lists for multiple pages and recall capability. Autobrakes with anti-skid system that works in all conditions and includes a realistic rejected takeoff mode. Realistic wing flex and other animations. Window rain effects and animated wipers (viewable from the cockpit). Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) with payload management, fueling and pushback menus. Ground vehicles include a tow truck, fuel truck, and GPU 3D sounds with Dream Engine plugin. TSS (Turbine Sound Studio) real recorded sounds. Custom built-in FMC and Navigation FMC made by FJCC especially for the 747-8i with more than 100 interactions with the flight model, including SIDs, STARs, transitions, approaches, flare and rollout modes. FMC is compatible with AeroSoft's NavDataPro and Navigraph navigation databases. Option to use either a 2D pop-up (resizable) FMC or one within the 3D cockpit. Custom radio communication and audio consoles with digital keypad optimized for on-line virtual ATC operations. FMC performance information based on real aircraft data, including calculated V-speeds. FMC includes capability for autotuning navaid frequencies. Vertical Situation Display (VSD) on the ND (a first for X-Plane) Airport diagrams displayed on the ND (a first for X-Plane) Terrain display mode on the ND, which is a part of the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) on the real aircraft. Compatible with the AirFMC app to permit the use of an iPad as an external FMC Ability to switch the displays between magnetic and true heading presentations. Comprehensive Flight Crew Operation Manual (FCOM) and a Quick Start Guide.   Requirements: X-Plane 11+ Windows 7,8,10; MAC OS 10.7+; Linux.  2Gb MB VRAM Minimum- 4GB+ VRAM Highly Recommended Current version : 1.9.2 - last updated May 11th 2019 Framerate is pretty good, and a refined version is part of the v1.9.2. package, but I would recommend a power machine as standard.  JarDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin is highly recommended with this aircraft.   Installation : Download is 750mb which is unzipped and is inserted in your Heavy Aircraft folder as:   SSG B748-Inter - 708.60mb file  B748-8F Freighter - 627.20mb file   Key authorisation is required.   Documentation : includes  B748-ChangeLog.txt SSG 747-8 FCOM.pdf SSG 747-8 Quick start Guide.pdf SSGCUSTOMLIST.TXT   Changelog v1.9.2 - WebFMC Pro compatiblity - Fixed APU GEN switch engagement for electrical system. - FMC load 1.9.1 - Tuned performance for all engines. - Tuned flight dynamics. - Added map range commands. - Added APU heat blur with particle effects ______________________________________________________________________  Plugin Review by Stephen Dutton  14th May 2019  Copyright©2019: X-Plane Reviews   (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)   Review System Specifications:  Computer System: Windows - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.20 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini  Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro v1.07 US$69.90 : XPRealistic Pro v1.0.9 effects US$19.95 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free Scenery or Aircraft - LEBL - Barcelona Airport by JustSim (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$21.00 on sale for US$16.90 - EDDM - Munich Airport by ShortFinal Designs (X-Plane,OrgStore) - US$26.95   

News! - Pre-Release : Concorde FXP by Colimata It's Concorde! Yes the fastest passenger bird ever is here. Colimata has released his in-depth version of this supremely iconic airliner for X-Plane11, This is however a Pre-Release aircraft, or in other words it's not yet completely finished, but in the deal you do also get US$10 off the full purchase price. First look says the Concorde is very impressive, but a long way from being finished... only for the brave as the systems are very complex and you need skill to fly the Concorde to it's maximum performance.... Again I will note that all the features noted are not included in the Pre-Release version... Features 3D COCKPIT Super detailed 3D cockpit Front panel, center panel, roof panel, side consoles, Engineering 4k cockpit textures including 100’s of texts and markings Incredible level of interactivity More than 1000 click regions (switches, quick access areas etc) 700+ custom lights for: Warning lamps Gorgeous, dimmable night lighting (Instruments, panels, consoles, floods, etc.) EXTERNAL MODEL Detailed 3D model of the aircraft Opening passenger and cargo doors plus service panels Very detailed engines Including moving ramps, intake/spill doors Animated primary and secondary nozzles Engine cowl doors can be opened Mounted engines External 3D model of Olympus 583 engine Detailed landing gear Many utility vehicles included (tankers, conveyors, catering, etc) Full use of PBR Beautiful 4k textures including normal maps FLIGHTMODEL Refined flight model Subsonic and supersonic speed ranges Mach 2 capable (twice the speed of sound) Takeoff and Landing with Concorde's unique attitude Plugin driven custom engine parameters Plugin simulated vortex lift forces and ground effect forces Very impressive are the huge amount of menu options, with fuel situation and CoG (Centre of Gravity) details, and engine performance is also very good. SOUND fmod 3D sound Dozens and dozens of sound effects Audio advice from Copilot, Engineer and Pilot A dozen different sound spaces IN ADDITION Basic Autopilot (more is in development) 3D passenger cabin Extensive Graphical User Interface (scaleable in size), with features like: Flight Preparation Aircraft management: Virtual flight engineer Custom content 2 liveries included Many more in the livery download section UPDATES Regular software updates (download in the forum or on colimata.com) MANUALS ‘10 essentials’ manual included (55 pages) Quickstart manual (coming in summer) Full manual (coming in summer) Requirements: X-Plane 11 (Fully updated) Windows, Mac (Linux not supported at this time) 4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Current version: 1.0 (May 10th 2019) Concorde FXP is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore, priced at US$49.95 Windows and Mac only currently available with Linux to follow. Images are courtesy of Colimata ________________________________________ The Pre-Release Concorde FXP by Colimata is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore! for X-Plane11... Here: Concorde FXP Price is a discounted US$49.95 (Full price is 59.95) Requirements are: X-Plane 11+ Windows, Mac or Linux 4GB VRAM Video Card Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM recommended Download Size: 2.1 Gb Current version: 1.0 (May 7th 2019) ________________________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 11th May 2019 Copyright©2019: X-Plane Reviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this preview are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

No your computer is far better and more powerful than mine? it should eat it.... try a new download, or check your log, tried pulling out all your plugins (except the basic required) because that is not correct? and check AviTab? Stephen

Aircraft Update : Agusta Bell AB412 v3.0 by X-Trident Helicopters, if there was a genre that has been neglected in X-Plane11 lately it has to be our vertical capable machinery. There has been a few or two such new Helio's but not any with any considerable depth or size, there is a new one coming (finally) a CH47F Chinook from X-Trident, but X-Trident are also keeping the Heli front moving with an update to their very first helicopter release with the Agusta Bell AB412. This aircraft has had a very nice series of upgrades of which this update brings the machine up to v3.0 status. The actual update is not particularly a large one, but it is a very good one from many perspectives. The last update for the AB412 was Dec 9th 2017 with an Update for X-Plane 11.10+, but this was just a minor adjustment for the helicopter to fly in X-Plane11, and nothing really deep... One of the first things you notice in v3.0 is that the AB412 has now a more nose up attitude... ... in the neutral position, a lot of Helio pilots noted this and asked for it, and with good reason as the AB412 has suddenly become much more stable in the liftoff and landing phases of the flight, mainly because the aircraft's balance is now correct. But I think the changes have gone through the whole airframe as a whole, as I found the Bell far more easier to fly in all the phases of the flight... ... as just sitting in the hover was some sort of revelation on how much easier it was, and your controllability is now far better. Another change was that the skids in their various forms (and there are a few with Standard, SAR and Float) will now all correctly sit on the ground and not sink themselves into the tarmac. We can now throw in the v11.33 particle effects, downward thrust produces great clouds of spray, and the AB412's twin PT6T-3DF Twin-Pac turboshaft engines, that produce 1,250 shp (932 kW), 900 shp (671 kW) for each power section is now more plainly noticeable with the particle effects. The GeForce plugin is now back in after being lost for a version.... and yes it makes a big difference. Cyclic and collective are now also available in VR (Virtual Reality), I have flown the AB412 in VR and it was very enjoyable, however I would love to go back now and feel this far better and updated version. The Co-Pilot's VOR/OBS dial wasn't working, but that issue has now been addressed, and it is now far better for flying in the left seat. There is however one area I am still not happy with on the AB412... the SAS (Stability Augmentation System) or autopilot. No issues in using the SAS in holding the altitude, changing the altitude with the V/S, holding the IAS speed or the HDG (Heading), as it all works perfectly... But turn the SAS off and regain manual control and it won't let you? everything is turned off auto wise, but there is no way the aircraft will descend, it will just go on holding the set altitude, even if the collective is right down in the low position... so you are stuck up there at a set altitude, with the only way to reduce height is to reduce the thrust (very dangerous)... So I never or rarely use the SAS, because I simply don't want to get stuck (up there) in this mode? The reversed slip indicator is now also fixed as there are some new commands... these commands cover a lot of ground for remote (movement) FLIR and external spotlight use, hoist and cargo can be controlled from your joystick or keyboard as well with now also SAR/LOAD support for 3rd party plugins... all are for great interactivity. Flying helicopters can always be put into the "too hard" basket, and yes even I would a acknowledge they are a learned skill, but the rewards are extremely high if you can master them, a throttle system replicating a collective is a major advantage in controllability as is a joystick or rudder pedals to control the yaw, but if you have them and with some practise and you will be bitten for life in flying in this very different vertical world. With these v3.0 improvements, then the AB412 is a great place to start. Summary The X-Trident Agusta Bell AB412 has been around now for a few years (2014) and was an X-Plane10 stalwart... the original full detailed review is here : Aircraft Review : Agusta Bell AB412 by X-Trident. But that doesn't mean to say that the AB412 is anything but old or out of date, in fact the total opposite is true. Constant updates like with this v3.0 update for XP11 has kept the aircraft extremely current and contemporary, the Bell feels even better now in X-Plane11 than it ever did. A good investment then as now, absolutely. This is a small update here with v3.0 in details, but it has had a huge difference on the machine, certainly in the handling, as the B412 feels very fresh and more controllable than ever before. Added particle effects and XP11 PBR effects bring out even more realism to the aircraft. And few issues and bugs have been cleaned up and the GeForce plugin has been returned. Helicopters are scarce in X-Plane11, but really updated good ones are even now even more rare, so savour one of the best currently available, it is highly featured and versatile as well adding into the experience, if new to helicopters then this AB412 is a great entry point, yes they do require practice and skill, but the awards are also as astounding... Highly recommended. ___________________________________________________ Yes! the Agusta Bell AB412 v3.0 from X-Trident is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Agusta Bell 412 Price is US$35.95 Features: Highly detailed 3d model and 3d cockpit. Most switches operable Detailed rotor kinematic modeling Detailed lights Close to real fuel, hydraulic and electrical systems; start-up sequence follows the real checklist almost line by line Custom failures Working custom auxiliary tank and water drop system Working dolly pad for precision landing Custom warning panel Custom governor Custom artificial stability Custom 4 channels autopilot with over 10 modes Flight model approved and tweaked by real pilots Hyper detailed rotor with all its levers moving ud and down, Custom GPU Custom Remove Before Flight with dangling flags (with FOD) ADF with bank error Working doors with changing sound volume effect Many liveries plus a paint kit; smart configuration of optional objects attached to each livery Plugin for Windows, Mac and Linux - detailed custom menu Includes a licensed version of Dreamfoil's Geforce plugin Working NIGHTSUN Spotlight Working FLIR Camera Custom Winch and SAR operations Requirements: X-Plane 11.30+ Mac, Windows, Linux 4GB VRAM Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM Recommended Current version: 3.0 (May 3rd 2019) Support Thread : Bell 412 by X-Trident v3.0 update log txt AB412 v3.0 log.txt ___________________________________________________ Aircraft Update Review by Stephen Dutton 8th May 2019 Copyright©2019 : X-Plane Reviews  (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

News! - Released : Princess of the Caribbean Pt 2 by Airworthy Designs Airworthy Designs AWD in their new addition of the Princess of the Caribbean scenery Pt 2 has now been released for X-Plane 11. This is the second part of the surrounding area of St. Barths and Saba, to coexist with the earlier TNCM - Princess of the Caribbean - Part 1 see review here: TNCM - Princess of the Caribbean - Part 1. The original scenery covered a huge if immense area of not only the islands of Anguilla and the highlight of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) in Sint Maarten, so now added are the associated islands of St Barths (TFFJ) and Saba (TNCS). The Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport on Anguilla is however still not covered? Thankfully here the download size is not the gigantic 13.5gb of the Pt1 but a more healthy download size of 2.1Gb, but remember they still have to run both sceneries side by side or together for the maximum effect of the sheer size of the scenery's scope, so you are now pushing 15.6gb... gulp! Some nice provided images.... In the scenery you get THAT runway or Saint Barthélemy islands RWY28 or the horror over the hill RWY10 with its 150ft drop and 17º slope... yes it is famous for all the right or wrong reasons... Review to come! Images are courtesy of Airworthy Designs TFFJ - Princess of the Caribbean - Part 2- Saba & St. Barts is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore! TFFJ - Princess of the Caribbean - Part 2 Price is US$26.95 Requirements are: X-Plane 11+ Windows, Mac or Linux 4GB VRAM Video Card Minimum - 8GB+ VRAM recommended Download Size: 2.1 Gb Current version: 1.0 (May 7th 2019) ________________________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 8th May 2019 Copyright©2019: X-Plane Reviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this preview are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)

It's not the Epic E1000... I checked and my framerate is fine and on par with conditions? I'm pulling 37 frames, which is normal? I would check you are not over your graphic card limits, if so pull the textures back a notch. my number is 3338mb textures set at high, so that would still be below a 4K card? If not I would try a complete redownload and a new install... SD

xEnviro are doing the same carpet layering of snow... looks interesting.

Well I gave the C-17 a twirl, and the big bird flew fine for me! The C-17 is extremely old, so no mistake there, but everything worked in v11.33, noticeable is the engine performance but if you are not picky, picky then you can still fly the C-17 in X-Plane.

No I don't think it has? It shows the adf pointer in BGD 2, but it doesn't seem to work, even if you put the frequency in directly from the local map...

aaarrrh nope, because seasons would be part of any texture overall, and not a new feature. Next.