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  1. NEWS! - Poster Released : FlightFactor Boeing 777 Cockpit Poster Modern aircraft systems are now much more very organised into System groups and workflow, an Integrated systems model mostly to eliminate the Flight Engineer, and to create the two-man cockpit. But before such cockpit changes the panel layouts were complex, and as a budding pilot, or to be reassigned to another aircraft type. You had to learn the cockpit, button, switch layouts. This was called the system schematics. The solution was a system poster, a diagram printed sheet of the aircraft's panels, showing all the positions of the buttons, switches and work flows of the instrument panels. Geeks loved them as well, and for every budding pilot, they were the best way to study the aircraft and it's systems, without actually being in the cockpit. The Boeing 777, was really the first, but also the crossover aircraft that was on the other side of the analog to glass cockpit transition. It was a long haul machine, but it only had a two-man crew setup. Systems were newly intergrated heavily into workflow arrangements, unique at the time in the early 90's, but still the jump to modern cockpit standards. FlightFactor introduced the first quality Boeing 777 Twin-Jet for the X-Plane Simulator back in 2012. In 2024 they are due to release the Version Two (V2) of the same aircraft noted as the "Ultimate", but it's vastly updated over the the original release. This V2 will have the full aircraft simulation (yes a full study level). And to help in learning the aircraft, FlightFactor have released a full system schematics poster to study. Features include Resolution: 13380 x 22850 Includes system schematics Made for and by FlightFactor Demo Displays Highly detailed, the poster covers all the system schematics of the aircraft, making study easier and switch/button location accessible. This poster is now available from the X-Plane.OrgStore for only US10 Produced by Flight Factor - More about the upcoming 777 v2 Ultimate Images are courtesy of FlightFactor _______________________________ The FlightFactor 777 Cockpit Poster is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here: FlightFactor 777 Cockpit Poster Price is US$10.00 Requirements None Current version : 1.0 (Feb 23rd 2024) ___________________________ News! by Stephen Dutton 8th March 2024 Copyright©2024: 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) All Rights Reserved
  2. NEWS! Aircraft Updated : Flightfactor A320-214 Ultimate v1.6.1 X-PlaneReviews only did an overview coverage of the FlightFactor A320-214 to v1.5.6 just over a month ago... Aircraft Update : Flightfactor A320-214 Ultimate v1.5.6 gets a serious update! Yet here we are with another one to v1.6.1. Obviously it is not a huge update, could even be considered as a touch up to the significant earlier v1.5.6 release. Myself, I wish FlightFactor had focused more on the immediate problems with the aircraft? The manipulator zones are all over the place, and not focused on the knobs and switches there are supposed to represent, the lighting has had the cabin floor lighting installed, but the cabin lighting framerate plummet is of a frightful kind that has had no attention. Worse is that you now can't see out of the cabin windows, because many of the shades are lowered? So I'm not exactly thrilled with it at the moment... Changelog 1.6.1 Improvements: * cabin visual improvements: shadows and geometry Fixes: * dimmed cabin floor light stripe * VSW stuck and not moving * overspeed protection too aggressive * missed doors in xp11 version * missed internal lights in cockpit and cabin in xp11 version Changes in the v1.5.6 update in the doors and cabin, have now been updated or fixed for X-Plane 11, other v1.6.1 changes include: VSW Stuck and Not Moving: Issue addressed in this update is the VSW stuck and not moving. The VSW (Vertical Speed Wheel) is an essential component of the aircraft, and when it gets stuck, it can cause problems for the pilot. The update fixes this issue and ensures that the VSW operates correctly. ‍ Overspeed Protection Too Aggressive: The overspeed protection in the A320 was too aggressive, which meant that the aircraft would automatically reduce its speed even when it was not necessary. This update fixes this issue and ensures that the overspeed protection operates as intended. Updates are now available via the X-Plane.OrgStore, or by using the X-Updater Application (note to have the "beta" option ticked on) Notable is that 320 Ultimate (XP11) customers can get this X-Plane 12 upgrade for only US$20.00 Please look for the coupon code in your original A320 Ultimate Invoice _______________ The A320 Ultimate XP12 Extended beta is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here: A320 Ultimate XP12 Extended beta Price at time of writing US$89.95 Requirements X-Plane 11 or X-Plane 12 OS: Windows (64 bit) or Mac 10.14 (or higher) Processor (x86-64 Intel or AMD): 4-cores Intel Core I5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2500X, Apple M1 and M2 not supported Video Card: GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 580 with 4 GB VRAM (8 GB recomended) RAM: 8 GB (16 GB highly recommended) Disk Space: 3 GB Last version: 1.6.1 (22.02.2023) Upgrade NOTE! This is upgrade must be installed as a new product - from "scratch", independently of the old version for XP11. You can migrate your settings from the old version. For details, please refer to product manual. If you are using x-updater, select a folder different from the previous version or select 'fresh' install. ___________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 27th January 2023 Copyright©2023: 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) All Rights Reserved
  3. Aircraft Update : Flightfactor A320-214 Ultimate v1.5.6 gets a serious update! As developers progress, you can get ton's of updates, some even silly, in them mostly just being a tweak or only a change here and there. Problem is with so many coming out that are not really absolutely essential, you can easily miss the big important ones... dream for the days of quarterly or six monthly updates. That is not to say frequent updates are not good, any update is a nice to have, but packaging them together better saves you a lot of work on your behalf. It is noted that the XP11 model here has been updated more than 200 times... overkill. Which brings us to the Flightfactor A320 Ultimate. It is an aircraft that divides users. Personally I'm very much on the "very like" side of the argument, mainly because I like the Airbus Philosophy, and the Flightfactor A320U has the prominence of being the only CEO or "Current Engine Option" aircraft available to X-Plane 12 users, a NEO or "New Engine Option A320 is coming soon from ToLiSS, but not the older engine versions. Over the years the progress on changes (despite) the constant upgrades, never really fixed the things users wanted from the aircraft, then an almost lost or ignored update comes along and it is full of the things we have asked for, for years... just don't shout about it. In the Flightfactor philosophy of making things complex, this is the "FF A320 XP12 Extended Upgrade beta". Or a US$20 addon (Upgrade?) to use the X-Plane 11 Airbus A320 Ultimate in X-Plane 12, note the "Beta" moniker, as this v1.5.6 update is only available in the "Beta" settings. Since X-Plane 12's release there has also been some significant changes to the aircraft starting with v1.5.0 or Extended Upgrade, including... * A package with two acfs one for xp11 and one for xp12, so you can run it both in XP11 and in XP12 * full support and updates at least for the duration of xp12 run * new cockpit and reworked exterior * abnormals (list will follow) to the standard of pilot training. For v1.5.0 you got a new 3D-cockpit model, Alternate Law implementation, updated Normal Law elevator controls, added inoperative systems according to FCOM when failure occurs, added drag effects from opened gear doors, autopilot yaw damper for single engine failure and an added tab for instant failure activation. So here is now the new beta v1.5.6 X-Plane 12 can do wonderous things to aircraft. But some are affected better than others in the transition. The FF A320U is one of the really better ones, certainly in it's Silver coated JQ (Jetstar) livery. A hard one to get right, as most painters do it in a flat light grey, not the shiny metal look. But here the aircraft stands out, highly real, even stunning in the late light. However there is a slight problem with the default livery on the FF A320U. Since v1.5.0 (X-Plane 12) Flightfactor have used their own new house livery, very nice and spirally it all is... but it is also set as the default livery, that problem comes to light in if any livery uses the default engines as a base, like the JQ Airbus does? No, I don't think that matches very well, it is even quite ugly... so you have to change the default livery (eng320t.png) to a more benign generic engine design in the "objects" folder to fix it. Sharklets First gripe that Flightfactor have finally fixed is a sore one with users... the hint is in the images above? Winglets or Sharklets in Airbus terminology, so they don't get sued again by Aviation Partners (it is a long drawn out story). The FF A320U has to date only the smaller arrow style winglets... ... but now you have the towering sharklets. Detail and design here are both excellent, the sharklet curve and shape is beautiful to behold. Sharklet selection is via the EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) in the "Settings" tab. Annoyingly the same default livery problem strikes again? I had to paint the JQ sharklets myself to make them realistic (or match). So if you want a generic design, again you have to swap a paint file (Sharklets.png or .dds) to the "objects" folder. It is well worth the effort. In both instances (engines and sharklets) the American livery is a good source. Cabin Upgrade Second major gripe was the cabin. The original cabin felt it was never really finished, a sort of half-hearted affair, and FlightFactor have promised for years to fix it, also it was not really a reflection of an aircraft of this price category. But now you have a new cabin fitout... there are two classes in, Business (four across), and Economy (six across) in a blue cloth material. It is not overly adventurous in design, but light years better than the original layout. Business gets seatback monitors, and Economy get those magazine pockets we are all very familiar with. It will be interesting to see some airline brand interiors in here. Side cabin panels and window surrounds are also remodeled, again far better than the originals, but still not as good as the JARDesign cabin with double windows and those air-holes, ditto the roof panels, basic, but far better... and that pretty well sums it up. The cabin lighting is changed as well. Control of the lighting is via the EFB, on the FAP tab (note the FAP only works if the power is on). Oddly FlightFactor haven't installed the same panel on the forward left entrance bulkhead, where it is also installed on the real aircraft? The lighting is based on the latest liTeMood® system, it looks the part, but not exactly the way it is done in the new cabins, but using here only spot colour... You also have three brightness settings; BRT, DIM 1 & DIM 2... Problem is? you can't actually use it... switching the lighting on, just completely absolutely destroys your framerate, or a 50fr drop to a border line 18fr, 18fr, seriously? Simbrief Intergration Last year ToLiSS introduced a great time saving feature. This was to load directly into the Multi-function Control Display Unit (MCDU) a generated "Simbrief" route profile. Here now in the A320U FlightFactor MCDU, you can do the same... First you have to tell the EFB your Simbrief account. This is done on the SimBrief Account Settings/Simbrief Data page. Your looking for your Pilot ID... Second row down. Then type in your Pilot ID number into the EFB/SETTINGS "INIT REQUEST" Section, then press "Apply". Annoyingly it will throw up a "Warning!", "Without an installed user and password, external connections will not be available", it looks like it is related to the Simbrief account, but it isn't, but the "Server Settings" above for external user use. Skip Procedures setting is really a non-setting, as is the AUTOCOMPLETE ROUTE settings. Unlike the ToLiSS input from Simbrief, here it only imports certain data, route, weights and fuel... Procedures (Departure and Arrival Data), and a few more areas are not implemented, so you have to still set those still manually via the EFB (as noted below). Create your route (Flight), and generate the (SimBrief) Flightplan. Then you import it by pressing the RK2 Button "INIT REQUEST"... ... and there there the Simbrief data is now in the MCDU. As noted the "Procedures" are not filled in, neither correctly is the Flight Number? You also still have to "SET" or activate, FUEL, PAX (Passengers) and CARGO on the EFB... also the PERF DATA! Doing these settings will then fill in the fuel, weight and payloads onto the aircraft. All the Simbrief data here ARE imported for you, basically you are just Okaying or Setting the imported parameters. When the EFB settings are completed, the INIT FUEL PREDICTION will now be filled in... ... but you still have to fill in the TAKE OFF Performance page with the important Flaps/Trim settings from the PERF DATA tab on the EFB. Fill in your Departure and Arrival Procedures... and your done. So the Simbrief import is not an import and forget tool, there is a lot more still to cover and work through (Procedures, Performance, Payloads etc) as well, but the numbers are done, and so overall it is a Semi-loading rather than a full import setting, that said it saves you a lot of time in setting up the aircraft for flight, and you should be able to cover the setting up in minutes rather than the usual twenty, and you do get the same data that has been generated by SimBrief. Obviously you need a SimBrief account, and if possible it is worth investing in with the full Navigraph account to keep the aircraft's nav data up to date.. FlightFactor note that with the above new feature, there has been a "significant improvement of Flightplan calculation performance". Other notes for v1.5.6 include; Icing effects and working Anti-ice system, basically all the X-Plane 12 effects are now on the aircraft. Dual input and sidestick priority logic are also implemented. Fixed also in the v1.5.6 update is mostly again MCDU input issues, like incorrect prebuilt holdings patterns, Go-Around procedure issues, Overspeed protection, incorrect prebuilt hold entries, go-around procedure activation and duplicate markers on the flight path when close to the MAP. In other words a fine tuning of MCDU settings and routines. YBCG (Gold Coast) to YMML (Melbourne) In most cases, you have to put the instrument lighting UP, but in here, you have to tune the instrument lighting DOWN. An odd affair, because if you don't the wording or the text is all very blobby and hard to read? Overall the internal cockpit is quite dark and needs another X-Plane 12 revision. Here is the instrument lighting before adjustment... .... and after. Departure to Melbourne is via RWY 32 (SID APAGI5) STIMP, MICKS... Although I have flown this route (what feels like a million times) in simulation and in the real cabin. This is still a first time flight with X-Plane 12... on the climb, the JQ A320U looks very impressive... X-Plane 12 Impressive! The new sharklets look quite brilliant as well, from the cabin or externally. The office, very Airbus and the FlightFactor A320U has a lot of depth in systems and... toys. Again like ToLiSS there is a very good "Save" system , or "States". It will save a perfect representation of the aircraft, and recover that representation exactly like the save. Not easy to do, as there is usually something not put back as it was before. But I have tested a few Saves and they do all work (or worked) perfectly, a restore also works fine as well if you have a crash or freeze. Melbourne (YMML), and final approach RWY 16 (STAR ARBEY 6A/APP ILS Y 16)... ... note you do get Duel Flight Directors (CAT 3) AP1&AP2, nice to have, even for an Airbus. Autoland makes life easy. Cabin views are excellent, with great internal wing detail... On landing and activating the thrust reversers throws up a lot of runway dirt, maybe they should clean the runways more often, but highly realistic externally or from the cockpit. A gripe complained about on-line is the current Manipulator active zones are not where they should be, you have to hunt around to activate knobs or buttons, the Chrono (select) or Master Main and Warnings zone are miles away (arrowed above) from the buttons, switching some switches will activate others? A fix is coming. Turnaround and I am already loading my Simbrief route back to OOL (Glod Coast), quick and easy! _______________ Summary Joshua Moore did an overview review of the FlightFactor A320-214 Ultimate when it was released as an "Extended Beta in September 2022, including it's upgrade (US$20) to X-Plane 12. This is a followup review because in this update there are a load of new features (That in reality should have been part of the earlier upgrade)... but they are important ones. They are important because they are features users have wanted (or complained about) for years, and very good they are. First are Sharklets (Boeing Winglets), here tall and tapered. Second is a completely newly designed cabin and third is SImBrief MCDU intergration. X-Plane 12 Icing effects and a working Anti-ice system, and Dual input and sidestick priority logic is also now implemented. Quality of the Sharkets are excellent, the cabin is very good as well, but not absolutely top notch required in this price range, but a major step up from the half-completed original. Cabin lighting uses the liTeMood® system, but currently has a very heavy framerate drain on using it, makes it still a dark cabin. SimBrief intergration is very good and easy to use, but does not cover every data aspect required for flight, as data inputs from the EFB and Departure and Arrival Procedures are still required, and the Take Off data also needs to be filled in. Yes there a few quirks outstanding in the FlightFactor A320U, but it is also a very comprehensive simulation of the most popular Airbus in the world. If you like to use the Airbus philosophy (Law logic), then this aircraft is for you. The FlightFactor A320-214 Ulitmate comes very highly recommended, and both X-Plane 11 and X-Plane 12 versions are included in the package. _______________ The A320 Ultimate XP12 Extended beta is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here: A320 Ultimate XP12 Extended beta Price at time of writing US$89.95 Requirements X-Plane 11 or X-Plane 12 OS: Windows (64 bit) or Mac 10.14 (or higher) Processor (x86-64 Intel or AMD): 4-cores Intel Core I5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2500X, Apple M1 and M2 not supported Video Card: GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 580 with 4 GB VRAM (8 GB recomended) RAM: 8 GB (16 GB highly recommended) Disk Space: 2 GB Last version: 1.5.6beta (18.05.2022) Download via X-Updater only. Review System Specifications Windows - 12th Gen IS1700 Core i7 12700K 12 Core 3.60 GHz CPU - 64bit -32 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - PNY GeForce RTX 3080 10GB XLR8 - Samsung 970 EVO+ 2TB SSD __________________________________ Update Review by Stephen Dutton 25th January 2023 Copyright©2023: 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.
  4. NEWS! - FlightFactor update Boeing 757/767 twins v1.6.3 to X-Plane 12 Beta 8 FlightFactor have updated both their Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 Professional Series to X-Plane Beta 8. The v1.6.3 update is available via the X-Updater application and the "Beta" box needs to be ticked. Notable that this update comes with a big sticker "Beta" warning, as the beta program is in flux then so are the aircraft, but at least you can enjoy and currently them in X-Plane 12, Beta period or not. In this v1.6.3 (v2.6.3 Boeing 757) update there is an almost total focus on X-Plane 12 for the FlightFactor Boeing Twins v1.6.3 Boeing 767 Pro - note: please ignore possible sim warning about the deprecated dataref (cgz_ref_to_default) - fixed avionics issue for xp12 beta 8 - fixed some lamps in cockpit that were broken - fixed wingflex (xp12) - fixed standby altimeter (xp12) - fixed some visual bugs in the cockpit - fixed captains chair (xp12) - fixed landing and taxi lamps (xp12) - fixed door lighting at night (xp12) - fixed the ALTN lights on some FPDS buttons - fixed engine start sound looping on outside view bug - fixed 764 compact engine display option - fixed some tutorial issues for 764 - fixed wing light position for 764 (xp11) - changed apu lamp behaviour Boeing 767 Professional Series v2.6.3 Boeing 757 Pro - note: please ignore possible sim warning about the deprecated dataref (cgz_ref_to_default) - fixed avionics issue for xp12 beta 8 - fixed cockpit floor issue in 757RF (xp12) - fixed some lamps in cockpit that were broken (xp12) - fixed wingflex (xp12) - fixed standby altimeter (xp12) - fixed some visual bugs in the cockpit - fixed captains chair (xp12) - fixed landing and taxi lamps (xp12) - fixed door lighting at night (xp12) - fixed the ALTN lights on some FPDS buttons - fixed engine start sound looping on outside view bug - fixed 757 RF empty weight (xp12) - changed apu lamp behaviour Boeing 757 Professional Series The updates are available now to use with the current standing Series Boeing fleet of 767 and 757 aircraft. This update is free to the current owners of the 757 V2 Professional and 767 ER Professional aircraft via the X-Updater Application Extensive packages on both aircraft does create a bit of a complex buyers choice... ___________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757-200ER - Boeing 767-300ER Professional & Extended versions and the EPDS extension by FlightFactor Aero/SteptoSky... is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : One (which I will call the Avionics upgrade) is the Standard Single aircraft PRO that can be upgraded with this FPDS package to Modern Avionics Two (Extended and Global) you can also update to first from the Standard Single Aircraft to the "Extended" version that includes three versions of the B757/767 in the -200, -300 and the Freighter, and then update again to the GLOBAL version of everything in the Extended and plus the FPDS package. B767 Global Plus+ is everything in the B767 Pro Series. Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 (C-32 addon not available) Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics Price is US$72.00 + US$20 (C-32 addon not available) Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Upgrade Price is US$92.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 757-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.50+, A BETA version is available for X-Plane 12 Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 3Gb VRAM Minimum 16-24Gb+ RAM / 6Gb+ VRAM Recommended Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics (EPDS) Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 Boeing 767 Global Plus Price is US$145.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 767-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.50+, A BETA version is available for X-Plane 12 Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible, 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 3Gb VRAM Minimum, 16-24Gb+ RAM / 6Gb+ VRAM Recommended Last version: 2.5.4 (29.10.2021) ________________ News by Stephen Dutton 22nd October 2022 Copyright©2022: 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) All Right Reserved.
  5. NEWS! - FlightFactor update Boeing 757/767 twins to X-Plane 12 Beta FlightFactor have updated both their Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 Professional Series to X-Plane Beta. The update is available via the X-Updater application and the "Beta" box needs to be ticked. Notable that this update comes with a big sticker "Beta" warning, as the beta program is in flux then so are the aircraft, but at least you can enjoy and currently them in X-Plane 12, Beta period or not. The Pro Avionics FPDS and Boeing 767-400 addon features also are included in the B767 package and the 757 (C32) is part of the B757 package if you have those addons. Boeing 767-400 is shown below. Boeing 767 Professional Series Update notes are extensive... and cover different versions from v1.6.0 to v1.6.2 for the Boeing 767 Pro Series; 1.6.2 - added glow effect to the FPDS displays (xp12) - fixed 3d reflections in displays (xp12) - fixed various issues with lamps (xp12) - fixed tiller animation (xp12) - fixed possible steering issue (xp12) - fixed dome light issue in cold&dark - improved AT SPD mode behaviour (xp12) - updated billboard effect for external lights (xp12) - made chart light knob as override knob (400) 1.6.1 - fixed some 3d issues, holes and etc in xp12 - fixed particles issues in xp12 - fixed some external lights issues in xp12 - fixed some rain issues in xp12 - fixed missed inner_glass.obj - fixed possible cabin pressurization issue in xp12 - fixed some displays reflection issues 1.6.0 - Now it is compatible with X-Plane 12! Use separate *_xp12.acf files for X-Plane 12 - added thumbnails for xp12 for livery packages, redownload them from the store - fixed possible going to manual nav1 during fmc autotuning - fixed air brake manipulator (400) - fixed trim indicators LIT (400) - fixed parking brake LIT (400) - fixed ckpt flood light color (ALL) Boeing 757 Professional Series Same for the Boeing 757 Pro Series but even more extensive updates; v2.6.0 to v2.6.2 2.6.2 - added glow effect to the FPDS displays (xp12) - fixed camera position for 753 (xp12) - fixed 3d reflections in displays (xp12) - fixed various issues with lamps (xp12) - fixed hovering gear (xp12) - fixed possible steering issue (xp12) - improved AT SPD mode behaviour (xp12) - updated billboard effect for external lights (xp12) 2.6.1 - fixed some 3d issues, holes and etc in xp12 - fixed particles issues in xp12 - fixed some external lights issues in xp12 - fixed possible cabin pressurization issue in xp12 - fixed landing light animation issue in xp12 2.6.0 - Now it is compatible with X-Plane 12! Use separate *_xp12.acf files for X-Plane 12 - added thumbnails for xp12 for livery packages, redownload them from the store - added glow/glare effects for FPDS display units and tune effects for other avionics variants - added a few optimizations related to displays drawing - added a little optimization related to graphics memory usage - added transition level input to descent page - fixed possible weird fuel calculation if you refuel airplane with engines running via in-sim menu - fixed possible traffic flickering on nd, at least in several conditions - fixed some interaction inconveniences in the tablet gui elements - fixed some tooltips not appearing in the tablet - fixed possible unexpected MOD header for inactive route - fixed some bugs in route activation logic, before, it can get it messed up when cancel activation of another route - fixed the issue when you cannot do direct-to via first line when an holding pattern is the active leg - fixed possible wrong TOD time displaying - fixed an issue when takeoff rwy is reset on rte page after inserting SID/RWY from departure page - fixed when clb and des restriction and transition speeds were shared in between - more correct map data sorting and cutting with map range - fixed blank charts with aircraft pos displaying enabled when aircraft is out of chart boundaries - fixed possible incorrect registering of right mouse click events under some conditions - fixed anti-aliasing slider appearance in effects configuration page for differents plane variants - fixed possible crash on startup related to specific audio capture devices configuration - fixed possible case when positions of 2D windows are not correctly restored after plane startup - fixed inverted RB color channels in Charts - fixed taxi lights fix - fixed ckpt flood light color - fixed beacon position (300) - fixed the situation when you cannot go out of direct-to sub mode on legs page - fixed possible wrong APU OIL Temp indication - fixed possible negative wind indication - fixed possible going to manual nav1 during fmc autotuning - improved usability of navigraph charts function: - made not scaled with the chart the airplane symbol - added highlighting of current chart in the list and current of pinned tabs - as a temporary solution for long-haul pilots, to help them: added cruise wind input prompt to the PERF INIT page which will be taken into account for all legs in the cruise segment - tuned min and min maneuver speeds The updates are available now to use with the current standing Series Boeing fleet of 767 and 757 aircraft. This update is free to the current owners of the 757 V2 Professional and 767 ER Professional aircraft. Extensive packages on both aircraft does create a bit of a complex buyers choice... ___________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757-200ER - Boeing 767-300ER Professional & Extended versions and the EPDS extension by FlightFactor Aero/SteptoSky... ... is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : One (which I will call the Avionics upgrade) is the Standard Single aircraft PRO that can be upgraded with this FPDS package to Modern Avionics Two (Extended and Global) you can also update to first from the Standard Single Aircraft to the "Extended" version that includes three versions of the B757/767 in the -200, -300 and the Freighter, and then update again to the GLOBAL version of everything in the Extended and plus the FPDS package. B767 Global Plus+ is everything in the B767 Pro Series. Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 (C-32 addon not available) Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics Price is US$72.00 + US$20 (C-32 addon not available) Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Upgrade Price is US$92.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 757-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.50+, A BETA version is available for X-Plane 12 Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 3Gb VRAM Minimum 16-24Gb+ RAM / 6Gb+ VRAM Recommended Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics (EPDS) Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 Boeing 767 Global Plus Price is US$145.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 767-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.50+, A BETA version is available for X-Plane 12 Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible, 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 3Gb VRAM Minimum, 16-24Gb+ RAM / 6Gb+ VRAM Recommended Last version: 2.5.4 (29.10.2021) ________________ News by Stephen Dutton 20th September 2022 Copyright©2022: 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) All Right Reserved.
  6. News! - Updated : Airbus A320 Ultimate v1.3.5 by FlightFactor Now noted at being the most updated aircraft (200 updates and counting) in X-Plane simulator's history. Here is another incremental change to version v1.3.5. Although only a small update, there are a few items here that are important. 1.3.5 Improvements: * DIR TO/ABEAM function * rudder trim bindings for hardware Fixes: * restored BROWSER tab for cockpit EFB * fixed GND CTRL ON light behavior * fixed ILS not capturing on some airports Notable is the restored browser functionality, that was lost in the v1.2.9 update, and the annoying non-capturing of the ILS beams at certain airports, both are very welcome fixes. The aircraft can be updated via the X-Updater application, or downloaded from the X-Plane.OrgStore. Notable is that a clean new install is a good idea every once in a while. Another point is the the X-Updater App will wipe out your installed files for the excellent optional BBS-BlueSkyStar ultimate sound package, so they have to be all reloaded in again to work. The A320 Ultimate is also on sale at the X-Plane.OrgStore at the moment with $10.00(11%) saving to US$79.95. If you want a A320, then this is certainly the best Airbus A320 out there, but add in that BSS sound package to make it incredible. _________________________________ Yes! the Airbus A320-214 Ultimate by FlightFactor Aero is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Airbus A320-214 Ultimate Price is US$$89.95 now US$79.95 Custom Flight model Flight developed by professional to mimic the real aircraft Precise aerodynamic model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logic and behavior Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays High-Definition Model Hi-quality and realistic interior and exterior visual model Hi-quality and realistic sound pack with hundreds of sounds from the real aircraft Hi-quality display graphics (4K panel) Unique rain effects VR Compatible Fast access popup panel system Precise aerodynamical model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logic and behavior Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays. Realistic simulation of transition effects, self-tests and other real aircraft undocumented features Physically based implementation of electric, hydraulic, fuel and pneumatic systems with realistic responses and state transitions Precise flight management system with full profile predictions and modes of operation Autopilot, indistinguishable from real aircraft, with all modes, transition effects and undocumented features X-Updater The model come with the X-Updater for easy update of your aircraft. The X-Updater will easily update your aircraft to the latest version without having to re-download the entire file. ____________ NEWS! by Stephen Dutton 20th August 2022 Copyright©2022: 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) All rights reserved.
  7. Aircraft Review : Boeing 767-400ER by FlightFactor Aero/SteptoSky Here is another variant and upgrade package from FlightFactor for their Boeing 767 product line. FlightFactor produce both 767/757 Twins in a load of variants and avionics packages, here the focus this time is on the Boeing 767, which is currently available in -200ER and -300ER/F variants. This significant new variant is a very minor series version in the Boeing 767-400ER (Extended Range), as only 37 767-400ERs were delivered to the variant's only two airline customers, Continental Airlines (now merged with United Airlines) and Delta Air Lines. The -400 type features a 21.1-foot (6.43-metre) stretch over the 767-300, for a total length of 201.25 feet (61.3 m). The wingspan is also increased by 14.3 feet (4.36 m) through with the the addition of raked wingtips. The 767-400ER has a range of 5,625 nautical miles (10,418 km), just slightly less than previous extended-range 767s at 5,980 nmi (11,070 km), because of restraints of the fuel capacity. The exit configuration uses six main cabin doors and two smaller exit doors behind the wings, similar to certain 767-300ERs. Other differences include an updated cockpit, redesigned landing gear, and 777-style Signature Interior. Power is provided by the uprated General Electric CF6 engines. Most in service use the FAA granted approval to operate 180-minute ETOPS flights and even used for transatlantic services, for which the aircraft is ideal. The size difference of the -300 to the larger -400 is highly noticeable, it feels a far more bulky aircraft As we can see the aircraft is a bit of a "Frankenstein" in design, and not a major part of current airline fleets. The benefit of course is the far higher payload for the same operating range, but the biggest attraction is in the cockpit... First is what we currently have. FlightFactor in the 767 Series have created two cockpit EFIS variations, the "Standard"... basically the original B767 cockpit layout. Second variation is the "FPDS" or "Flat Panel Display System" or commonly known as a glass cockpit conversion. This FPDS was a conversion of the avionics to the IS&S - Innovative Solutions & Support’s display units, this layout is very similar to the ProLine 21 system and in the Boeing 737-800 but with four displays covering both pilots PFD and MAP/NAV. A full review of the FPDS system can be read here: Aircraft Upgrade : Boeing 767 Pro Avionics FPDS by FlightFactor/SteptoSky The Boeing 767-400ER is however far more unique because the aircraft has the modern avionics of the Boeing 777. In other words the cockpit is a retro fitted layout of the Boeing 777 in a Boeing 767. And very, very nice it is. Although it feels like a Boeing 767 cockpit FlightFactor style, there still the look and feel of a more modern textures and the more updated modeling, so it feels fresher and looks to the future of FlightFactor design, notable was that FlightFactor were always a little heavy-handed in their designs and modeling. So it will be interesting to see the fresher new designs of the coming Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 in this aspect. There is no doubt the 777 avionics brings a far more modern feel, and the feeling of space and less clutter to the instrument panel. It is a six panel display. PFD (Primary Flight Displays) each end, MAP/NAV displays inner, Engine and Crew Alert Displays (upper) and MFD (Multifunctional Display) (lower). All screens have adjustable glow and dirt effects, like on the other FlightFactor B767s. You can switch easily from a B777 to this B767 hybrid, but notable is that a lot of the functions available on the B777 facia are blanked out here, mostly on the upper/lower central monitoring displays, in fact on the lower MFD there are only five selections; ENG, STAT, GEAR, FCTL and NAV. And displays are switchable. Through the EFB (Electronic Flight Bag), you now also access Navigraph charts. Access is via selecting Charts, then the OPTIONS (lower left pop-out box) then filling out your Navigraph login and password details, then a confirmation from Navigraph, will allow you to access your account and use the charts... very nice. Cabin in textures and design are exactly the same as the -300, now only longer to match the new layout of 40 Seats. 28 Seats. 178 Seats for each class, there are no suites here. It is actually a very, very nice cabin, and the lighting (adjustable) has been thankfully toned down. But still the EXIT lights don't work? Externally the Boeing 767-400 the modeling and textures has been revised, it looks certainly far better, but not that much different in retrospect as it still has that Boeing 767 feel. On the -400, Boeing had to upgrade the undercarriage to carry and take the extra forces of the extra weight and payload. So the gear is significantly different, and here also FlightFactor have redesigned it from scratch, and they have done an excellent job. Note the fine nosewheel tyre detail. Detail, Wear and Tear as shown here is impeccable. All the gear components are highly visible and expertly modeled, impressed... The aircraft comes with only the uprated General Electric CF6-80C2B7F1 with an output of 62,100lb (276.2kN). The design and fit of the GE CF6s on the airframe is excellent, they are well and beautifully modeled and look simply brilliant. The raked winglets are unusual as well, they include creating additional wing span, so you get better and increased takeoff weight capability. They work by increasing the effective wing aspect ratio and diminish wingtip vortices, decreasing lift-induced drag. In testing by Boeing and NASA, they reduce drag by as much as 5.5%, compared to 3.5% to 4.5% for conventional winglets. The new 777X has the same theory. Liveries There are seven -400 liveries as part of the standalone and upgrade packages. In; Air Canada, China Eastern, China Southern,Delta, FlightFactor House, Turkish Airlines and United. In the air You basically have the best of two worlds. One is the Study aspect of a fully system aircraft directly from the Boeing specifications (the aircraft is officially licensed by the Boeing © Corporation). Two it is actually quite easy to fly when you know the aircraft and it's systems. The beauty is you can swap 767 versions and variants and feel right at home in everyone of them. The slightly different 777 layout was also very easy to adopt to. A quick flight from KATL (Atlanta) to KIAD (Washington DC), and I was right at home from the moment of throttles up. Instantly long routes beckoned, and the routing over the Atlantic suddenly became a "Must do". "ER" stands for "Extended Range", so why not, as you feel very comfortable in this environment, and the aircraft performs well. The -400 is a very interesting size, should the aircraft have been far more successful that it is? it is a big question as it fills in an important niche in the market, my guess is that 2nd hand -400 aircraft will be very popular. Sounds are again a professional sound pack by BSS Studios, with several hundred custom sounds, including In flight cabin announcements. and Interactive communication with the cabin crew. Landing at Dulles is trouble free and easy, should it be like that, yes when everything comes together and works this well. To note that this B767-400ER release is a "Public Beta", so you are buying an aircraft that is in development and so bugs are in there, and also you will get aircraft changes as the beta progresses. FlightFactor do have a complicated packages system, but basically it works like this, a Standard package of the aircraft, and then the addon Avionics or Variant versions, and there is also the choice to buy an all in one "Global" package. This order will now separate the 767-family into two base packages with the 767-300ER and 767-400ER respectively, which can be upgraded into a joined "pair", or to any combination of 3 possible upgrades. Like with the FPDS upgrade, the 767-400ER, will be offered not only as a standalone package, but also as an upgrade to any previously bought 767 package. The 767-400ER standalone package which is on sale at US$69.00 for the period until XP12 is released (then it goes up to US$79.00). And the "400" upgrade package will be available for US$30.00 as an addition to any previously bought package of the 767-family. If you want all three, ORIGINAL, FPDS and 400ER then that is called the "global PLUS". ________________ Summary Here is another FlightFactor extension package for the FlightFactor 767 Series. Already there is the Boeing -200ER, -300ER and F-Freighter variants, and this new aircraft is the larger 767-400ER variant. It comes with a larger payload, a 21.1-foot (6.43-metre) stretch, but with the same range. Besides the longer length, there is also the unique fitting of a Boeing 777 style six panel EFIS into the -400 aircraft, so it has the more modern avionics than the other 767s. Also a remodeled landing gear, raked winglets and remodeled CF6-80C2B7F1 engines. FlightFactor have also redone the fuselage modeling, and updated the texture quality. Navigraph charts are available on the EFB, systems and features are also as high a quality as before. Notably this release is a "Public Beta", so there are still a few bugs and issues to be covered, but FlightFactor are reacting quickly and v1.5.1 is now released and the minimum version you should use. All updates and downloads of the 767 aircraft is via the X-Updater application. Personally I would like, a Global "Save" option, complicated aircraft require better saving features. Your choice of a quality Boeing approved 767 has just got larger, well a lot larger with the -400 variant, and the rest of the quality from FlightFactor is still all here, and even improved. I like the FlightFactor 767s, and yes this one is their best yet, and went straight to the top of my fleet usage list, it fills in a great category, and it is nice big aircraft, but a quality twin as well, and I love big heavy aircraft. It is really not hard to like and I totally recommend the aircraft, as a standalone, or as an $30 addon to your existing FlightFactor 767 fleet... nice one FlightFactor! ___________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 767-400ER Professional by FlightFactor/StepToSky is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 767-400 ER Professional Price is US$69.00 (will increase to US$79.00 on the release of X-Plane12) Boeing 767-400 UPGRADE Existing 767 customers will automatically get the US$30 upgrade at checkout. Boeing 767 Global Plus+ Price is US$145.00 The Global Plus Package Includes: 767-200ER (PW+GE) 767-300ER (PW+RR+GE) 767-300F (PW+GE+RR) 767-200SF (Cargo) 767 FPDS Variant 767-400ER Free Updates to X-Plane 12 (when available). This means you get 2 versions: XP11 version now and XP12 version later. More B767 version details are available here; Aircraft Update : Boeing 767 Professional/Extended v1.2.7 by FlightFactor/StepToSky/VMax Requirements X-Plane 11, Will be compatible with X-Plane 12 for free. Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible, 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 3Gb VRAM Minimum, 16-24Gb+ RAM / 6Gb+ VRAM Recommended Current version: 1.5.1 (14/06/2022) _________________________________ Review by Stephen Dutton 14th July 2022 Copyright©2022: 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) Review System Specifications:  Computer System: Windows -S1700 Core i7 12700K 12 Core 3.60 GHz CPU / 64bit -32 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8Gb - Samsung Evo M2 2TB SSD - Sound : Yamaha Speakers YST-M200SP Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.55 Plugins: Global SFD plugin US$30.00 : RK Apps XPRealistic v2 - US$34.99 : Environment Engine by xEnviro US$69.90 Scenery or Aircraft - KATL - Atlanta International UHD v2 by Nimbus (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$28.95 - KIAD - Washington Dulles International Airport by Nimbus (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$29.95 (Scenery Review : KIAD - Washington Dulles) (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) All Rights Reserved
  8. NEWS! - Plugin Updated : Mango Studios FF A350 sound pack v2 Manga Studios have updated their addon sound package for FlightFactor's A350 XWB to version v2. This is a significant update and adds in a whole new dimension to the soundscape of the aircraft. The FlightFactor Airbus A350 XWB has been an odd release from the FlightFactor developers. Notably there has been a profusion of updates from FlightFactor, but nothing that changed the odd core of the aircraft to a more well rounded design, the one sided flying position and the average cabin are now quite dated in this approach. Worse was the sounds... the original A350 XWB sounds were quite atrocious, awful beyond comprehension for a developer studio of this calibre. Droning and washing machine repetitive in flight soundscapes put me off flying the aircraft on a regular basis... it is still not on my usual rotation of aircraft in asking for my personal flying attention. Sadly to date BSS (Blue Star Sky) haven't done a sound pack either, like they have for the FlightFactor A320Ultimate (excellent), the FF B757, B767 and even the FF B777... So A350 XWB always seemed to miss out on everything from each developer. Mango Studio's however did do a sound pack for the FF A350 XWB in October 2020. It did make a huge difference, but still in reality it not also live up to the specialist requirements in sounds that is expected today from users. It felt basically rushed and did not have the aural depth required for the aircraft of this stature, so v1 was a step up, but not to high expected expectations required of an addon product. And the users were very unforgiving and vocal about that aspect. To a point they have a right to have a decent Airbus A350 XWB aircraft in the simulator. So here is version v2, and this is the new feature list to build on the original sound package. Exterior: Custom sounds for tires on touchdown effects Custom sounds for hydraulic pump effect Custom sounds for fuel pump effects Custom exterior rain effects Custom fuel truck, and GPU effects New, custom sounds for APU start/shutdown New, complete, and custom exterior sounds for the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines, which include: -New custom, exterior start-up/shut-down sound effects -New custom, exterior spool-up/spool down sound effects -New custom, exterior backblast, surround sound, and flyby sound effectsInterior: New custom EICAS button, switch, knob, rotary, and handle sound effects New custom FCU button, switch, and rotary sound effects New custom OVERHEAD button, button cover, knob, rotary, and switch sound effect New custom PEDESTAL button, button cover, handle, rotary, switch and throttle sound effect New custom cockpit system sound effects include: -Autopilot disengages and engages sound effects -Complete Cockpit electrical systems, blowers, batteries, and buses. -Ultra-realistic cockpit wiper system -Complete EGPWS warnings, including retard callouts, callouts from 2500ft to 10ft, and all those in between. -Complete Cockpit warnings, which include Autopilot disconnect warnings, triple-click sound effects after autopilot disconnection, seatbelt chimes, no-smoking chimes, and flight attendant chimes. New Custom, Complete, and ultra-realistic cockpit environment effects which include: -Cockpit landing gear effects such as gear extension, retraction, touchdown, rolling, and drag sound effects -Other effects, such as Cockpit Rumble, Cockpit Rain, Cockpit Rotation, Cockpit Wind, Flap Drag, Spoiler Drag, sound effects New Cabin Effects include: -New Air conditioning effect -New Cabin wind effect -Reworked Fuel pump system effect -Reworked Hydraulic pump system effect -New Flap sounds, from start to finish taking off a real A350- 2 individual sounds which vary in pitch for each wing. New, complete, and custom interior sounds for the Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines, which include: -New custom, interior startup/shutdown sound effects -New custom, interior spool-up/spool-down sound effects -New custom, interior backblast, surround sound, and flyby sound effects So how will these new Mango sounds go to the hoards. Certainly they are far better than the original sound package, as the new list covers far more indepth details, but I still think the main RR Trent engine sounds could be a bit more of a higher quality, but then again I haven't spent a lot of hours on the airframe either to give a full warranted appraisal. Certainly these sounds are worlds away from the provided FlightFactor sound packs, for that aspect alone and for the popularity of the FF A350 XWB which is very high, it will be more than enough for the hoards to want this specialist sound pack in their A350 XWB. I am sure they will let all of us know in any real time soon. There is also an included optional folder, to get rid of the sometimes annoying stock FF A350 cabin sounds and a User-Friendly UI that helps you bring some more customization to your sound pack! For current purchasers the Mango Studios FF A350 sound pack, then v2 is now available to download for free from the X-Plane.OrgStore. Just go to your account and download the FF350 XWB v2. _________________________________ Yes! the Mango Studios FF A350 sound pack v2 is available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Mango Studios FF A350 sound pack v2 Price is US$15.99 Requirements This is a Sound pack only. The Flight Factor A350 is required for this sound pack Download Size: 89MB Current version 2.0 (April 19th 2022) ________________ News by Stephen Dutton 22nd April 2022 Copyright©2022: 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) All Right Reserved.
  9. NEWS! - Aircraft in development : UPDATED FlightFactor Boeing 777 Pro v2 A decade ago we were all in thrall of an in-development of a Boeing 777. A new generation of mature modeling and extremely high quality textures were to bring to X-Plane the world beating Boeing 777 Twin-Engined airliner. But it was not by who you think it was, it was by XP-Jets a team that had broken away from XPFP (X-Plane Freeware Project). The project promised at the time the ultimate and the next level of computer simulation of flying aircraft. But there was one problem, the development was glacial slow, years slow to be exact. Out of the blue came an aircraft release to trump everything, it was by a brand new outfit called FlightFactor Aero, and supported by VMAX, and that aircraft was the Boeing 777 Worldliner... overnight, the expansive XP-Jet development was now dead and buried, gone within weeks. That was back in February 2013. The newly formed FlightFactor broke a lot of barriers with their release of the Boeing 777 Worldliner, an astounding model for it's time, and even a fully working FMS system... even behind the scenes it was different, breaking away from the rule of mostly a single or double amateur developer(s), this aircraft was created by a team, and they came with a 3rd party investment. In many ways they broke all the rules, and set out the future of aircraft development for the X-Plane Simulator in being a business model, and not just in being a hobbyist sharing their skills and creations. That was then, and this is now... Flightfactor went on to create the Boeing 757/767 twins, a very advanced chrome based Airbus A320 Ultimate, a basic but clever Airbus A350, and have already announced the development of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner... but what of that original Boeing 777? There was a Boeing 777 Worldliner Pro-Extended Pack, that added in the -200LR, -200ER and -300 variants, and a lovely -200F cargo option. Different engine configurations were also installed with the GE90-115B and the PW4090 coming later... in May 2014, but since then really nothing? The FlightFactor B757/767 twins have had a lot of updates, mostly twice a year, and that is were most of the team's focus has gone, but any new aircraft or even updates to the B777 have been... really not a lot except for the X-Plane version changes, and even then they were quite thin on the ground, the hole in the instrument panel is still there as are the stiff bendy wings, oh and the really annoying fuel switches are still the wrong (manipulator) way around, and still a pain to use and really still only one side of the aircraft is actually flyable, and that is all after 8 Years of X-Plane development... So there was those "in the long tooth" moments last year when the Boeing 777 looked like being not updated at all, with the focused move to the announcement of the coming B787 Dreamliner... the venerable FlightFactor Boeing 777, looked like it was never going to get the expected v2 overhaul it deserved at all... but today that changed! Today FlightFactor announced that the Boeing 777 was in a v2 Professional development, and showed you images to prove that, yes, now, after all these years the aircraft will be totally revitialised for X-Plane. Prior to the the original post... Flightfactor have again posted images of the external development of the Boeing 777 v2... unlike the earlier images they do show a more complete aircraft... Ramzzess (FlightFactor) has lately got a type rating on the Triple-Seven, and has noted that being a real world pilot on the type, will transfer to the new v2 Triple-Seven development in being the most comprehensive version of the aircraft, in not only for the X-Plane Simulator, but for any deskbound simulator platform... ... ultimately though this new Boeing 777 v2 Pro comes at a time of another X-Plane revolution. The quality of newly released aircraft is almost extreme in their quality and system details, and this is very unlike the era that FlightFactor arrived in ten years ago to develop aircraft for the X-Plane Simulator. My point being that any new products from FlightFactor will have to go up or notch or two now to compete in that esteemed high end category they once called their own domain. Once any FlightFactor aircraft was a highly regarded release, but the situation has moved on a long way on since FlightFactor released their last aircraft in the A320 Ultimate, and to be honest, in areas it is still wanting with an half finished cabin. I am not saying that the coming Boeing 787-900 and now this ultimate version of the Boeing 777 Worldliner, won't be good, as FlightFactor has always been that... but the competition has not only caught up, but passed FlightFactor in many significant areas.... overall it will be interesting to see what they can do when they deliver their "Next Generation" of aircraft. Don't expect the aircraft soon on the above new external images... the work is not so much on the visual, but on systems, release is slated not for 2021, but for 2022, and no date or price of Quarter has yet been signaled. No matter whatever you think... with this new v2 Boeing 777 Worldliner Professional, it will certainly keep the punters very happy, including myself, whom has have spent many hours circling the globe in it's cockpit... but it also now has to deliver big time in other aspects than what the original did on it's release now over 8 years ago... it will be interesting and exciting at the same time. ___________________________ Updated News! - Profile by Stephen Dutton 23rd August 2021 Copyright©2021: 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) All Rights Reserved
  10. News! - Development : FlightFactor release more Boeing 787 Professional images FlightFactor are certainly keeping you in the loop with the development of their next new aircraft in the Boeing 787-900 Pro to be released Q4 this year 2021 . The cockpit renders are now done and the aircraft is seen for the first time in the X-Plane Simulator, tweet note "787 3d in the sim - WIP". The B787 has noted to be the most study grade and detailed aircraft not only from FlightFactor but for the X-Plane Simulator, and that is a big statement by any means, but if anyone can live up to that claim it is FlightFactor. There are only three images from FlightFactor, but good they are. It is too early for release dates and pricing, but even speculation that this B789, will be a US$100+ aircraft, but it will be worth the money. Images are courtesy of FlightFactor FlightFactor Twitter feed is here _________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 8th March 2021 Copyright©2021 : 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) All rights reserved.
  11. News! - Aircraft Update : Airbus A350 v1.6.16 by FlightFactor There has been a really interesting updated by FlightFactor with their Airbus A350. Neglected for many years, lately the FF A350 has had a flurry of updates and all have been quite significant. The main restart update was the v1.6 update in July 2020, But there has been a few updates since then, and now another one. One thing to note is that the update is a particularly large at 1026Mb, and 1100 files, and far too many file changes for the noted changed items in the changelog? This update is focused on the PFD (Primary Flight Display) and ND (Navigation Display), which delivers better graphics and information via these vital screens. This is done by a new adaptation to the new high-fps ToLiss routines for better and quicker drawing. It may not sound or look much to the eye, but the significant update will make the aircraft respond better. Another important change is the Improvements to the drag model, engine climb performance and fuel burn. Now I had issues with my fuel burn numbers that I believed they were not correct at the time of the v1.6 release. As the aircraft's fuel burn was far higher than the numbers created by SimBrief for the route selected, to the point I had to land several times early in being out of fuel... I contested the numbers at that time but was told they were correct? I believed and still do, that they were not, however now the drag model, engine climb performance and fuel burn has been revised? I will be certainly testing that change. Another point was that I also had mysterious crashes (to desktop CTD). Landing at Malpensa (LIMC) if I took the taxiway E the aircraft would simply freeze and the framerate would go to zero, another change noted is Removed async objects loading in an attempt to fix some rare mysterious crashes , I will check that one out as well. There have also been Improvements to the management of DIRECT TO RADIAL IN and RADIAL OUT functions as well, so that will also be interesting. The full changelog is below... Changelog v1.6.16 Adaptation to the new high-fps ToLiss routines for PFD and ND drawing Addition of the SOFT GA mode when retarding thrust levers to MCT immediately after initiating GA Improvements to the management of DIRECT TO RADIAL IN and RADIAL OUT functions Improvements to the drag model, engine climb performance and fuel burn. Removed async objects loading in an attempt to fix some rare mysterious crashes Fixed a few NML textures - Fixed the TCA park brake command Fixed an issue that allowed entering a BARO and RADIO minimum simultaneously in the MFD Not noted is the change to custom liveries? The folders are now all empty? but to note that during the update the wing files were changed? Checking I found no differences with the older livery textures? You can use the built in X-Updater to update to v1.1.16... now. _____________________________________________ The Airbus A350-900 XWB Advanced v1.6.16 from FlightFactor is Available from the X-Plane.Org Store: Airbus A350 XWB Advanced Price is currently US$ 64.95 Requirements: X-Plane 11 Windows, Mac or Linux 4 GB VRAM Minimum - 8 GB+ VRAM Recommended Download Size: 850 MB Current : 1.6.16 (March 5th 2021 - Available via the updater) ____________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 6th March 2021 Copyright©2021 : 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) All rights reserved.
  12. News! - Announcement : Boeing 787-9 coming from FlightFactor FlightFactor announced last month that a completely new aircraft to add into the line up of a B777, B767/B757 twins, A350 and the Airbus A320 Ultimate is coming from the development house. This aircraft is the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and details are noted that the B787 will reach new heights in complexity, usability and have a variety of features. We are also taking our 3D and texturing to the next level with ever more detail in and out of the cockpit. The first cockpit renders have been produced... It is the first all new aircraft from FlightFactor since the A320 Ultimate, but FlightFactor note the B787 will be closer to the B757/B767 in design than use the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) than on the same A320U aircraft... either way there will be a lot of expectations and a quality delivery expected on this aircraft as the CEF development was a long and testing one, but also the coming B787 at a study grade level will be a big shot in the arm for X-Plane with the MSFS onslaught. FlightFactor also noted "v2 plans for other models are simultaneously on the way, we just don't want to reveal it all at once! " that will be the v2 Boeing 777 and the v2 A350. I would expect the v2 B777 even before the end of 2020, but not the v2 A350 as the v1 just went with a serious upgrade with version Advanced v1.6 just being released, so that aircraft will certainly be a mid or late next year release, but an upgraded Boeing 777 (the current version is now seriously old) will keep the punters more than happy until the Dreamliner arrives. Overall FlightFactor has noted that with this aircraft it wants to take simulation to the next level.... exciting times. Images courtesy of FlightFactor ______________________________________________________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 15th September 2020 Copyright©2020: 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)
  13. Aircraft Update : Airbus A350-900 XWB Advanced v1.6 by FlightFactor/SteptoSky Since the earliest days you mostly saw FlightFactor Aero as a Boeing developer, there was the Boeing 777, then the Boeing 757 and then the Boeing 767... then out of the blue came an Airbus in the Airbus A350-900 XWB. But right from the first version of this aircraft it never felt... well very Airbus? Where as all the Boeings felt and flew like Boeings. Since the A350 FlightFactor went on to do another Airbus in the A320 Ultimate, which DOES feel like an Airbus and is still the best Airbus in X-Plane. But the FlightFactor A350XWB was a really odd aircraft from the start? Excellent on the external, the A350 always looked very nice in X-Plane. The clever six display layout with X input system is also really clever and is well done (early versions were however extremely buggy) and the airbus system depth is very good. So overall it should have been perfect for me as I like to fly Airbuses more than Boeings... but I never ever really fell in love with FlightFactor's A350XWB? Which is really odd because Long-Haul is still my favorite form of flying and also the A350 XWB is the latest of the New-Gen aircraft and X-Plane is very short of Long-Haul airlines and certainly of the New-Gen class. The FlightFactor A350 should of very easily ticked off every box for me, but in all honestly it left me cold and I rarely flew the aircraft, even the last time departing Barcelona I even stopped mid-flight (I very rarely abandon flights) because I was really not liking it at all? Why? well that is a good question... the first one in the most obvious. The FF A350 didn't have SID/STARs and the FMS was in reality the default FMS undercover. And this missing aspect really was the biggest complaint, but to be fair the A350XWB FMS (Flight Management Systems) is quite complicated and very different in input from either a Boeing and even another Airbus as only the bigger A380 has the same input and navigation system. Poor Sounds didn't help either and they were really awful, and the cockpit textures were weird in a non-Airbus way, and the aircraft always felt buggy, it never seemed to come together as a whole or as a linear simulation, it was an aircraft you simply couldn't love. The news of a v2.0 of the FlightFactor A350 was very welcome, but it became confusing in the light that the next update in v1.6.0 would be next and also include the infamous missing SID/STAR intergration, my guessing (wrongly) would that the SID/STAR intergration would only happen with the full new version of v2.0 (In selling the new version of the aircraft)... The surprise is that the SID/STAR is in this update v1.6.0 version, so that will be a free update, the better news is that the FMS is now really, really good... far better than I expected and to the point even brilliant. Nothing wrong with the way the A350 XWB looks, but this is still the v1.0 aircraft and in a few areas the v1.0 has a few niggles, the wings do have flex, but in a weird stiff flexy way, so the wing flex still looks old and outdated, and the cabin is still also old and very dated as well. A worthwhile download is the new Lufthansa A350 livery by fscabral as the cabin textures have been redone and the results seriously lift the cabin from the really drab to the really nice... and yes this cabin layout should be the default. Note in that the cabin lighting is controlled from the EFB (OIS/AIRPLANE/CABIN settings), lighting and sound settings settings are currently off at default. Ground support still has those cold war Russian vehicles, and you shake your head why as all the FlightFactor Boeings now have the updated western styled vehicles. But thankfully where it counts in the air the A350 XWB still looks very nice. Airbus 350 XWB v1.6 We will come to the big event in a moment, but first unlike other areas of the A350 the cockpit has had a very nice spruce up of the textures. The original cockpit textures were a darker Airbus blue with some wear around the edges, but somehow it didn't feel right in context as the A350 is the most modern of the Airbus fleet? These textures are now in a far lighter blue/grey Airbussy feel and are far better to the current state of a A350 XWB. The panels are still very left side pilot focused, with the right position more fixed with no display cycle active, the far right display is also fixed to a users guide page. The range and baro adjustments however do work, so it is not impossible to fly from the right seat as you can flip the FMS screen to the right middle display setting, but with no access to the menu sections unless again you move the menu selection to the middle screen. Glareshield textures are lovely, modern and very nice. Gone are the wheat coloured seats to be replaced by a very not corporate look of "stars"? A very unusual choice, but they do look better than the wheat seats with far more cloth and ripple detail.. FMS - Flight Management System The most important and the most welcome aspect of this v1.6 update is the intergration of SID/STARS into the FMS navigation, not only is SID/STAR routing now available, but it is also in how well the system has actually been done here is the biggest factor. Pilot left station is very good with most items and displays active and interactive. FlightFactor recreated the X pointer system for use on A350 displays and although very buggy in the early days (the X pointer would stray badly out of the display limits) it is now a very robust system that works well. There are two drop down menus tight together top left of the MFD (Multi-Functional Display). Top one selects your FMS route (Sorry there is still only one FMS1 route available) and below to start a new route then select INIT from the lower menu. If you are used to the usual FMS via a left or right button input key, then you will have to adjust to this different pointer system. There are a few rules to know... one is that everything is via an input and menu selection, so you select the box with the X pointer (arrowed below left)... ... put the X pointer over the box you want to input into and you get a green dash line and a flashing cursor, the display then also becomes "KEYBOARD FOCUSED" for direct key input... Type in your data, in this case Nairobi Airport "HKJK", but most IMPORTANT is to re-click to lock the data in! This is usually placed over the very first letter in the box with the pointer, if the "Keyboard Focus" line goes out and the input text sets a little to the right... then it is correctly inputted (locked in). Add in your INIT details... Flight Number, From (HKJK) to (EGLL) Alternative (EGCC) and Cruise FL (Flight Level) and Cruise (CRZ) Temp ºC. DEP and ARR locations set it is now time to do the flightplan, you access the flightplan via the "ACTIVE" menu and select F-PLN. Now comes the new SID (Standard Instrument Departures) selection... Press the departure airport (HKJK) and up comes a menu, select on the menu "DEPARTURE". Drop down menus give selection for RWY (Runway), SID and TRANS.... ... in my case it is RWY 24, SID "IBRA3D" and TRANS "KAMAS", all selections are then shown in the above Selected Departure box. Go back to the F-PLN and the SID departure route (waypoints) are now completed. Next waypoint (WPT) or AIRWAY is inserted in a similar way. Just select the last waypoint and select via thew menu either "INSERT NEXT WPT" or "AIRWAYS". For to "Insert Next Wpt" you select the selection box and insert the waypoint name (TUFTE) and make sure you click to insert, and you don't use the AIRWAY selection to add in the next WPT. For Airways then select AIRWAYS and add in the AIRWAY and the TO selections and like all FMS systems you can add in as many airways as you require. In every flightplan you get "DISCONTINUITY" breaks... to remove you just select the Discontinuity selection and then select "DELETE" from the menu. STAR (Standard Terminal ARrival) is the same procedure as the SID selection, select the arrival airport, then ARRIVAL from the menu and then use the menus to fill in the arrival data... ... the drop down menus select RWY, APPR (Approach), VIA, STAR (shown) and TRANS. All selections are shown in the upper box like with the SID selections. All changes and selections are only TEMPY or Temporary in yellow and insert via INSERT TEMPY, or backstep by ERASE TEMPY... .... and at any time while constructing the route you can make it active (Green) to see your progress on the PFD... The final full Flightplan is shown with diversions of which you can scroll up or down.... brilliant! It takes a little while to adjust to this pointer system, but it is quite easy to do once you are used to it. Overall the FMS is very versatile in creating route flightplans and I found it very refined and not buggy at all, which is very good thing with long route insertion flightplans like from Nairobi to London. Other FMS details are important as well... OIS (Onboard Information System ) Aircraft AIRPLANE/PASSENGERS gives you the A350 weights, and the AIRPLANE/PERF CALCULATOR gives you TO Performance and vSpeeds. ... and the calculated data is then transferred to the PERF (performance) page and the very important FUEL & LOAD page in the FMS... You can save your flightplan via the INIT page under "RTE SAVE", but the interesting aspect is that you have three choices of save, 1. the FULL complete flightplan, 2. SID or 3. STAR, so this makes it a very versatile system... .... the route is confusingly saved in your standard X-Plane FMS folder but not in the alphabetical order, but under a (*) moniker at the very bottom, which means a lot of scrolling. Quicker access is to use the "Filter" box lower right which reduces the flightplans to the chosen ICAO label. Wind pages have been added and it noted is that Alterative Flightplans are also now available, but I couldn't find a second flightplan? All in all it is a very extensive and detailed upgrade to the FMS in the A350XWB, I absolutely love it, yes there is more you want like a second FMS for the First Officer, but overall it is a fantastic working system... not perfect but far better than we had before. _______________________ There are no notes that the sounds have had attention in v1.6, but they certainly sound far better to me? Cockpit hum and wind noise is very good for a long haul flight and the exterior sounds far better as well, more distant in the background now is that really annoying "tring, ring" from the engines, it is still there but now highly subdued... thank god, the annoying Purser to Captain "Dings" are still as bad as ever, finding the issue is made hard by the language spoken in a gobble... usually it is the cabin that is TOO hot or TOO cold "but mister if the damn engines are switched off I can't heat or cool the cabin can I?... so go away", or the cabin lights are down, but it is really, really annoying... If any aircraft requires a specialist addon sound pack it is the A350 XWB. Contrails and and particles have now been added as well, the APU hums and breathes out exhaust air, and in the air the aircraft looks great. Another new menu page on the OIS is the "JOYSTICK ACTIONS" menu and noted to make the aircraft compatible with the new Thrustmaster TCA Airbus Throttle Quadrant. The new hardware offering from Thrustmaster, part of its new TCA Range is due to release in late September this year. This covers your joystick "Deadband" area (centre), throttle detent location and "MCT Detent" (Maximum Continuous Thrust) location. All the settings of course are for fine tuning your hardware joystick and throttle systems, but one selection is quite important... "REV ON SAME AXIS" will set your throttles with a "Beta' reverse detent. fine in some cases but horrible with my Saitek X56 Rhino setup as it set the idle position to reverse thrust, you can turn the action OFF here (arrowed below left). Radios are now 8.33 (as X-Plane11 went to this earlier). The 8.33 kHz channel spacing adds two additional channels for every 25 kHz channel. This is to overcome the frequency congestion in the medium to long term by providing more channels. Navigation ILS, VOR and ADF frequencies are under the "NAV" button, but you still have the default FMS at the rear of the pedestal and it's radio channels if you want a easier way to access any of the frequency settings or route information. _______________________ Summary Although noted as a "Advanced" version of the Airbus A350XWB, the Flightfactor version never really hit the mark in delivering a totally realistic simulation, and so in that aspect I was never yearned for the aircraft and rarely flew it, which is a shame because we need really good long haul and next generation aircraft in the X-Plane simulator. But now with this new v1.6 version of the A350XWB we have a game changer. The missing SID/STAR intergration that was missing is now part of this extensive Flight Management System. A difficult system to replicate because of it's unusual pointer and menu based input applications. But this intergration has been a huge success here in creating a master simulation of this unique Airbus FMS. Most FMS areas are now covered, but you will never ever cover everything as it is simply too complex, but the aircraft in reality should lose it's "Advanced" moniker and be now named a "Professional" aircraft because of the depth of the systems here... the only area missing is the right hand seat interaction to the OIS (Onboard Information System). A few areas have also been cleaned up including the cockpit textures which are more Airbus grey and lighter in tone and new seat (star) coverings. Over the updates the A350XWB has had a lot of behind the scenes work done and not actually noted officially, but you certainly feel in this version a far more co-ordinated and less buggy aircraft to fly, the FMS especially is really well coded and quite bug free in being versatile for corrections and data changes, a far cry from the original interface and flying conditions. So now it works, in almost every area and if not absolutely perfect the A350XWB starts to live up to it's quality standing as a very good if now excellent simulation. Over many hard flights (most Long Haul) it is an excellent aircraft to enjoy, the v1.6 update maybe on reflection small, but the aircraft has become something else than just a pretty aircraft to look at, it now a very realistic flying simulation as well. Once the outcast, the Airbus A350-900XWB can now be seen in the same context as the other aircraft from FlightFactor. A brilliant update that in the long wait users deserved... Not perfect but a free update with these enhancements will bring a lot of smiles to a lot of users faces, if you don't have the A350XWB from FlightFactor, but love long distance flying, maybe it is now time to take the plunge and enjoy this amazing aircraft. _____________________________________________ The Airbus A350-900 XWB Advanced v1.6 from FlightFactor is Available from the X-Plane.Org Store: Airbus A350 XWB Advanced Price is currently US$ 64.95 Livery packs at US$10 for ten liveries are available here: A350 Liveries Include: North America, Oceania, Africa & Middle East, Asia, Atlantic, Europe 1, Europe 2 and Pacific. If you already have purchased the A350 XWB from FlightFactor then go to your account at the X-PlaneStore and update to v1.6 Requirements: X-Plane 11 Windows - Mac - Linux - 64bit Operating System Required 4Gb+ VRAM Minimum, 8Gb+ VRAM Minimum. Release Review : Aircraft Review : Airbus A350 XWB Advanced by FlightFactor Support forum : FlightFactor A350 XWB _____________________________________________________________________________________ Update and Tutorial by Stephen Dutton 18th July 2020 Copyright©2020: X-PlaneReviews
  14. Aircraft Comparison : Boeing 777 vs Airbus A350 As you can see by the title, today we are going to compare the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A350 for X-plane 11, both Boeing and Airbus biggest twin-engine aircraft. The Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner is the long range variant from the 777 family, with a maximum range of 8,555 nm (15,843 km). This variant has increased MTOW, three optional auxiliary fuel tanks and wingtips. Equipped with GE90 engines it produces up to 230,000 pounds of thrust combined. Exactly 60 have already been delivered and its main operators are Delta Air Lines and Emirates, with each one operating 10 aircraft. The A350 XWB is Airbus newest aircraft. The A350-900 has a maximum range of 8,100 (15,000 km) and a MTOW of 280 tons. The -900 was designed to compete with the B777-200ER/LR and 787-10, and eventually giving airlines the option to replace their older A340-300/500 with a newer and more fuel-efficient aircraft. It is equipped with two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines each producing up to 84,200 pounds of thrust. The A350 family is considered to a success, with 930 orders and more than 360 already delivered, being its main operators Singapore Airlines (48) and Etihad Airways (54). FlightFactor Aero is well known for their study level aircraft, with system depth being their main focus, and the A320 Ultimate and 767 Professional being a good proof of that. With that in mind you would expect a high-quality add-on from FlightFactor with great systems, so in today's comparison we are going to discover if that is true when we talk about the B777 and A350. Now we are going to decide which long-haul aircraft is the best for you Exterior modeling Both aircraft will be using custom Delta liveries that can be found in Xplane.Org Boeing 777 Worldliner Professional At a first look the exterior model is quite nice even though it needs some improvements. The fuselage may look strange with that lines, however you won't notice them most of the time. The windows are transparent, showing the 3d cabin inside. Probably the best part of the exterior modeling are the GE90 engines, they look awesome. The fan blades have a very nice glossy touch. The engine running animation is very good too. The landing gear and wings are nicely modeled. In general, the exterior is good, even though some improvements are welcome, especially in the fuselage and empennage. However, you won't find many problems if you don't search for them. Airbus A350 XWB Advanced You will notice that in many cases the A350 is the opposite from the B777, and exterior modeling is one of them. Usually the first thing you notice when looking at the outside of a plane is the fuselage, and the A350 fuselage is well done, it has a glossy and reflective surface (due to the livery I am using, the fuselage doesn't appear to be glossy), transparent windows and very nice wingtips. Instead of having very good modeled engines like the 777, the A350 engine modeling isn't that great, in fact it is not good or bad, it is the minimum you would expect from a 50 dollars plane. The animations are very nice and realistic, but the engine modeling, especially when it isn't running, is far away from perfection. The wings are nicely modeled and they look very good from the outside, however, they look a bit strange from the inside. The landing gear is great and doesn't appear to have any modeling problem. As you can see, the exterior modeling is good, even though it has its pros and cons, and you won't be disappointed. Like the 777, the A350 also needs some improvements. Extra features In this section we are going to talk about other extra features like doors, ground services and many other things. Starting with ground service. Both aircraft have this functionality, with one being better than the other. You can use the 777 ground service by clicking the menu icon in the top right corner. There you will find the ground services vehicles and objects as the doors open/close buttons and many more. Note that the ground service is very simple and only the doors indicated by an arrow can be opened. The ground service feature is more extensive in the A350, even though it is a bit simple, and can be accessed through the Cpt Outer OIS. It is important to note that all doors can be opened, a great advantage over the 777 which increases the realism. The plane at gate option sets a stair at the 4L door. There is one thing that looks strange in both planes, the wing flex. In the 777 is a little bit weird in some situations, like deploying the speed brakes after landing, resulting in some strange wing moves. The A350 wing flex problem is different and you will notice it while taxing and applying brakes. Another problem from the a350 is the wheels animations, which appear to be too slow. The 777 has a kind of engine shake, which is very nice to see from the cabin. Cabin Both aircraft have a 3d modeled cabin, divided in economy, business and first-class. Usually a 777 economy class is configured in a 3-4-3 configuration, which isn't the case FlightFactor 777, equipped with a 3-3-3 configuration. The business class seems very old, and the first-class has a nice bar. The A350 cabin is more modern than the 777 one. The economy is also equipped with a 3-3-3 configuration, with every seat been equipped with IFE screens. Configured in a 2-2-2 configuration the business class has wider and more comfortable seats. The first-class in the A350 is also equipped with a bar, providing great luxury to the passengers. There is a very nice detail in both aircraft, which is the crew resting compartment. This is a place that pilots and flight attendants rest when it's the other crew members shift. The first photo is from the 777 and the second from the A350, respectively located in the front and back of the aircraft. As you can see, the cabins are pretty well modeled and look nice, but in the end, the A350 cabin looks a bit better. Cockpit Probably the most important section in this comparison, it's in the cockpit that everything happens. While reading this part of the comparison, you will notice that most of the similarities and opposites are here, starting with the cockpit door, only the 777 has a close/open animation. Boeing 777 Worldliner Professional Possibly your first thought about the 777 cockpit will be: It seems very outdated. Yes the textures and some of the 3d modeling aren't great, you can't deny that, but when you start flying the plane they don't seem that bad. The overhead panel is very nice, as well as the aisle stand panel, where the 3d modeling is good and textures aren't bad. The night lighting is very beautiful and distinctive in 777, making it a very nice aircraft to fly at night. Its green color isn't common between other planes. It has many light knobs, this way you can try many lighting configurations before finding the best one for you. Airbus A350 XWB Advanced At first glance, the A350 cockpit may look better than the B777, especially using textures replacement mods, which will be linked at the end of the comparison, however, there are many better-modeled cockpits out there. Everybody knows that the A350 is a very modern plane and all its 6 big screens will attract your attention while flying it. It has the Airbus style overhead panel, but its pedestal is different from any type of aircraft, having some similarities with the A380. The autopilot panel is almost identical to the A380. The night is very well done, and gives the plane a modern touch, more than it already is. Systems FlightFactor says that what sets their models apart is the system depth, so we can expect good systems, we can't compare the A350 ou 777 with the A320 due to the price difference, so good systems is the least we should expect. Boeing 777 Worldliner Professional Starting with the FMC. It is fully functional, you can plan your route, insert SIDS and STARS and make performance calculations. The FMC is well done and you shouldn't have problems with it. The only thing that could be improved is individual screens, so you could leave one FMC in the LEGS page and the other at the VNAV page. As you can imagine, all knobs and switches at the overhead panel work. All the essential switches are working in the aisle stand panel. Last but not least, autopilot, it has some small issues like not turning off the disconnect alarm, but it still manages to take your plane from A to B. Another improvement that needs to be done is adding individual NAV screens, with this feature you would be able to set one screen with map and the other with app, using different ranges. With that in mind we can conclude that the 777 systems aren't perfect, but still in a high standard just like expected. Yes, they need some improvements, but still manage to have the hard work done. Airbus A350 XWB Advanced Probably the most known issue in the A350 systems is the FMC, where you can't insert SIDS and STARs. This is the main problem involving the A350 but there is a tool that solves this problem. It is named SimpleFMC and when used in conjunction with Simbrief flight planning tool, will give you the ability to completely program your route. As you can see, the A350 has some issues involving route programming, even though it can be simply solved and FlightFactor announced an update to fix that (will talk more about this update later). However, performance calculations and weight configuration is very complete in the A350. The best way to do that is by using the Cpt Outer OIS screen. Almost all switches and knobs work, both in overhead panel and pedestal. The autopilot works perfectly and you shouldn't expect any problem related to it. It is important to note that the taxi camera isn't working. We can conclude that none of the aircraft systems is perfect. At the moment, the 777 systems are slightly ahead, which gives you the feeling of a more complete aircraft. However, the A350 is a newer plane, leaving many opportunities to improve and add many new features, and if this happens, the A350 systems may get better and more advanced than the 777 systems. Sounds Each aircraft has its particularities. Generally we can assume that the 777 are better than the A350 sounds, especially when you talk about the engines. Starting with cockpits sounds. Both aircraft have nice sounds here, probably the A350 ones are a bit better, even though none of them is bad. However, when we start talking about the cabin sounds, you may get disappointed. They are the same all the time, it doesn't matter if you are in the front or back of the plane, they won't change. The flaps and landing gear operation sounds are nice, just what you would expect. The engine sounds are the ones you will most notice while flying a plane, and they are the reason for the 777 have better sounds than the A350. While you are in the cockpit or cabin, both planes have good sounds, even though they could be way better. But when you change for the outside view you will instantly notice the difference. While both engines are idle you already can tell a difference, you may think that this is obvious because they are different engines, but the difference is already there. However, things start to get better when you accelerate them, both sound nice, maybe a little better in the 777, but when the engines are at full power you will notice that the A350 isn't very nice, emitting a low and kinda soft noise. The 777 is the complete opposite, at full power the engines are screaming and give you the feeling that you flying the real aircraft. Blue Sky Star, most known as BSS, provides a sound pack for the 777 at the price of 20 dollars, increasing your immersion with the aircraft. Will be linked at the end. Other features Here I will list things I didn't mention yet. Checklist: Both aircraft have a checklist that tells you exactly what you should do. Cabin Announcements: You will find this feature in both aircraft. There are more than 20 default announcements. Pushback: This feature is implemented in both planes, however, I recommend using the Better Pushback plugin. Conclusion As I said earlier, we would find the best long-haul aircraft for you. After reading my comparison you may have already decided the best one for you, but if you still can't choose one I will help by listing the main features. Boeing 777 Worldliner Professional -Very well modeled engines -Fuselage is good, but needs improvements -Has 3d cabin -Cockpit a little bit dated -Good systems -Better sounds (BSS package available) -Price: $59,95 Airbus A350 XWB Advanced -Better modeled fuselage -Beautiful 3d cabin -Better cockpit textures (using texture replaceament mod) -Ok systems -Good cockpit sounds, engines could be better -Price: $49,95 Note that FlightFactor said that would release an update for A350 this month and it would include the implementation of SIDS and STARS as well as a huge graphical improvement. This update would make the A350 way better. It would be nice to see BSS making a sound package for the A350, it would take the aircraft to a pretty high standard. If after all this you can't decide yet, you should take my advice. Both aircraft are equaly good, each one has pros and cons, and the best thing you could do is: buy the one you like more in real life, it is simple. Notice that you won't be disappointed with these two great aircraft by Flight Factor. I won't tell my personal choice because that may induct you. Greetings Thank you for reading this comparison! Feel free to leave your comment. This is my first review for this incredible site that has been making the best reviews for X-plane for a long time. I want to thank Stephen for giving me this incredible opportunity and providing everything I needed to make the comparison. ______________________________________________________________________ Both aircraft are available in X-Plane.Org Store here: Boeing 777 Worldliner Professional Price is US$59,95 Features: Officially licensed By the Boeing © Corporation Accurate dimensions based on 2D and 3D drawings supplied by Boeing © Professional systems - Fly the 777 like a pro Systems designed to work like the thing - Accurate flight model tuned by pilots - Comprehensive Manuals Fully Functional FMS - Plan your routes like a real pilot Custom designed Flight Management Computer, integrated with other plane systems Custom programmed LNAV logic for terminal procedures Custom designed Navigation Display Tterminal procedure database with RNAV approaches and transitions VNAV managed climbs and descends Takeoff and approach speed calculation Custom autopilot modes for autoland Optimum cruise performance and step climb calculation True-to-life radio navigation with procedural-, route-, and navigation support auto-tuning Custom programmed FMC navigation using GPS-, radio- or inertial navigation with individual position errors and management of actual and required navigation performance Magnetic, true and polar grid course reference Alternate airports, diversion and arrival management Ground proximity warning system using real sounds FMC can be used on external touchscreen or tablet, optimized for the new iPad Incredible 3D modeling - the best eye-candy Amazing virtual cockpit with crisp details - Dynamic reflections Custom 3D sounds and Announcements Add-ons: Push-back truck, Fuel Truck, Passenger bus and Emergency slides ... On-Screen Menus: Configuration and loading menu, Quick Zoom Superb night lighting in cockpit. Requirements X-Plane 11 or X-Plane 10.50+ - 64 bit required Windows, Vista, 7 / 8/ 10 (64 bits) or MAC OS 10.10 (or higher - OSX 10.9 will not work), Linux Ubuntu 14.04LTS or compatible (older versions are not supported) 2GB VRAM - (4GB VRAM Recommended)- 1Gb available hard disk space Current version : 1.9.12 (last updated Jan 30th 2018) ___________________________ Airbus A350 XWB Advanced Price is US$49,95 Features: Superb 3D Modeling Complete Virtual cockpit in high-resolution Fully animated in and out -High-Resolution Textures Ground equipment support including stairs, loaders, passenger buses, GPUs etc. 3D people inside and outside the plane - Nicely modeled cabin Scroll wheel support for switch manipulation Advanced Systems Fully customized aircraft systems: electric, hydraulic, air conditioning, ADIRU Fully customized ECAM monitoring system with all screens and functions included Fully functional airbus style alert system with multiple status and procedural lists Fully functional interactive airbus electronic checklist system Airbus A350/A380 unique interfaces with dozens of screens and hundreds of function Fully customized and unique MFD (multifunctional display) system with most of flight planning pages implemented in a new graphical interface, as well as FCU and radio backups just like on the real plane Full OIS screen system with options, ground equipment control, passenger and cargo loading, and even a full user's manual inside the plane. Old style MCDU and fully functional aux instruments as backup Custom failures Advanced Fly-by-Wire and Flight systems Full FBW with Highly realistic implementation of the Airbus normal laws by QPAC -the most realistic fly-by-wire implementation for desktop flight simulation. Basic SID/STAR implementation using X-plane fms-files that you can create yourself and share with the community. "What you see is what you fly" flight path indication on the ND (i.e. curved trajectories with the turn radius properly computed based on speed and angular turn distance.) Implementation of all Airbus AP modes, except some non-precision approach modes (Selected and managed modes, speed constraints respected, "at or below" constraints in phase climb, "at or above" constraints in phase descent.) Full PFD and ND displays with fully independent display and different data sources for the captain and copilot displays. Independent autopilots Custom 3D Sounds Custom 3D stereo engine sound system Hundreds of system and in-cockpit sounds Interactive flight attendant helper Seven Liveries included in the package Airbus Carbon, Air France, Airbus House colors, Qatar, Lufthansa, United Airlines Requirements X-Plane 11 (latest version) Windows - Mac - Linux - 64bit Operating System Required 1Gb+ VRAM Minimum, 2Gb+ VRAM Minimum. 8Gb RAM Version : 1.5.2 (last updated Apr 24th, 2019) ________________________________________ Aircraft Comparison by Bernardo Casa 21st April 2020 Copyright©2020: X-PlaneReviews Review System Specifications: Computer System: Intel Core I5-9600K 4,30GHz / 2x8 Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 3200MHz - Gigabyte RTX 2070 - Z390 Aorus Master - Kingston A1000M.2 SSD 240GB Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.41 Addons: Logitech Pro Flight Yoke/Pedals/Throttle Quadrant - Logitech Extreme 3d Pro Joystick - Sound: Samsung Home Theater System J5500WK Plugins: Environment Engine v1.13 by xEnviro US$69,90 -Scenery Review : Seattle City XP by Drzewiecki Design - Scenery Review : Seattle Airports XP by Drzewiecki Design -KLAX - Los Angeles International 1.01 by MisterX6 (X-Plane.Org) Freeware -SBGL - by AxScenery (AxScenery) Freeware -A350 cockpit textures replacement (X-Plane.Org) Freeware -Better Pushback (GitHub) Freeware (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)
  15. Aircraft updates : Boeing 767 and 757 (C32) by FlightFactor FlightFactor have updated both their Boeing 757 Professional (v2.4.3) and their Boeing 767 Professional (v2.3.7) series aircraft. 90% of the version changes here are related to both the aircraft versions, but the Boeing 757 Professional has an extra at no cost in the Extended and Global packages. This extra is the C-32 Variant that is otherwise known as Air Force Two, or the American Vice-President's personal aircraft. As the update changes are nearly exactly the same between both the aircraft we will focus on the B757 Professional version. C-32 Variant There are actually four C-32 aircraft in this Air Force Two configuration and they are all operated by the 1st Airlift Squadron of the 89th Airlift Wing. They are available for use by the vice-president (using call sign Air Force Two), the first lady and members of the cabinet and congress. They are also used by the President (using call sign Air Force One) if the destination is too small to take the larger VC-25. I'm not going to deny, but the Boeing 757 looks great in the Presidential colours, although the aircraft was built in 1998, it still has that impact statement you need as a head of government. The Air Force Two livery is however not new to the FlightFactor B757, we have had it now since the first release, but somehow it looks far better here with the new PBR enhancements. Even if the external livery is really the same, the difference with this release update is the new internal layout, gone is the all the mass seating 757 arrangements... and incoming is the custom Presidential aircraft layout. Forward to the rear and the first forward cabin section has six wide executive seats for White house aids and staff. There is nothing behind the curtain, but my guess it is for carry on luggage. A compartment within the cabin creates the flying official office... it is terribly messy in here as well, so there must be something big going on... a worldwide pandemic that could kill millions of people maybe? nah, that scenario is simply just too far fetched! I love the couch though, and what a way to fly... centre cabin has two sets of club seating and tables, great for talking to the health officials. Middle cabin has six more executive chairs, as does the rear cabin, plus an extra three rows of nine tourist seating which is probably for the press pack. Full rear is a significant galley.... lighting is okay, average and even dull in the daylight, but has some quite nice illumination in the dark. Externally the lighting is excellent, the cabin looks amazing as does the tail lighting. Notes here are now relevant to both the B767 and B757. Both EICAS now have the option of a blue hue screens... ... selection is via the OPTIONS/AVIONICS menu under "Blue EICAS" (arrowed), the difference is startling and goes with another favorite I like with the 757 Red Displays. All displays now are pop-out and windows (for home systems), before the EICAS displays were not actually pop-outs. You can also now adjust the amount of AntiAliasing (AA) via a slider on the tablet EFFECTS page this adjustment affects the EADI, EHSI and the route part for FPDS displays, effectively it makes the lines and text more finer and sharper. 2D Window displays have now been added to the state saving. Also added are: TO STEP CLIMB and TO E/D lines to progress page (will now appear when it should) and the TO T/D line to CRZ page (will now also appear when it should), better shutdown IRS cycle logic and ATT align IRS cycle logic. The MAP flag for FPDS displays will now also appear. Mechanical items include new scavenger pump logic and engine vibration logic and failures. A quick flight from KDAB (Daytona) to KRSW (Florida SouthWest) confirmed the changes are another level in creating a very mature simulation now for either of the FlightFactor Boeing 757 and the Boeing 767. The B757 in it's Air Force Two disguise makes the aircraft very spectacular... ... not to forget the option of the avionics upgrade available for the FPDS or "Flat Panel Display System" or commonly known as a glass cockpit conversion. (again the B757 version is shown) more details in depth of the FPDS is here: Boeing 757 Pro Avionics FPDS by FlightFactor/SteptoSky The FPDS is very good and modernises the flightdeck to current standards, here in this update though I have kept the original older CRT/Clockwork dial layout as I don't think the Presidential fleet has been upgraded to the FPDS. The VP (Vice President) arrival in South Florida is a very big occasion, and in an election year as well... So what is a good simulation? well when nothing goes wrong and with the complexity of this study grade aircraft, then that is an achievement. The VP is here! Taxi in real... slow to get the right arrival atmosphere. ... then keep the door closed for a fair while, and then open it, all that is missing now is a waving Vice President! ___________________________________ Summary A clever developer can deliver something or add to an existing product to keep the aircraft front and centre in your interest. Updates are also important, but after a period of time and a lot of refining then there is only so much fixing and tuning you can do. The twin series of FlightFactor/SteptoSky's Boeing 767 and Boeing 757 are very much now at a high point of their development lives. Both are very good and very refined to the point I call them "Mature". The last update for both of these aircraft focused on the avionics with a FPDS or "Flat Panel Display System", however this time around the new feature is just for the Boeing 757 Extended and Global packages which is the addition of the C-32 or Air Force Two American Presidential aircraft (four actually). And a great addition it is with not only an improved exterior livery, but also a complete internal Air Force Two layout. Other update changes include (for both the B757/767), are Blue style EICAS displays, AntiAliasing (AA) slider, 2D Screen saving, better pop-out/windows and a multitude of FMC fixes and additions. There is a lot, if not a huge amount of choice now with both the FlightFactor B757/B757 twins, both are also very good and highly refined aircraft, that deliver extremely high-grade study simulations, and if you do want an executive transport aircraft, then you can go simply no higher than the Air Force Two transport and ride in "West Wing" Style. ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757-200ER - Boeing 767-300ER Professional & Extended versions and the EPDS extension by FlightFactor Aero/SteptoSky... ... is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : One (which I will call the Avionics upgrade) is the Standard Single aircraft PRO that can be upgraded with this FPDS package to Modern Avionics Two (Extended and Global) you can also update to first from the Standard Single Aircraft to the "Extended" version that includes three versions of the B757/767 in the -200, -300 and the Freighter, and then update again to the GLOBAL version of everything in the Extended and plus the FPDS package. Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 (C-32 addon not available) Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics Price is US$72.00 + US$20 (C-32 addon not available) Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Upgrade Price is US$92.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 757-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics (EPDS) Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 767-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.40 (X-Plane 10 is NOT supported!) Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible, 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 3Gb VRAM Minimum, 16-24Gb+ RAM / 6Gb+ VRAM Recommended Current and review Version: 2.4.3 (B757) : v2.4.3 (B767), Free auto-updates for the entire XP11 life-cycle Changelogs 2.4.3 (B757) : v2.4.3 (B767 changelog 757.txtchangelog 767.txt _____________________________________________________________________________________ Upgrade Review by Stephen Dutton 18th March 2020 Copyright©2020: 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) 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 v1.11 US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : JARDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin Scenery or Aircraft - KRSW - Southwest Florida International Airport by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$24.95
  16. Aircraft Upgrade : Boeing 767 Pro Avionics FPDS by FlightFactor/SteptoSky The Boeing 767 is the one aircraft that Boeing can't close down the production line, and with their current situation it maybe a line they won't be able to close for a while either. Notably the current production is for the F or Freighter version of this 767 Series aircraft, but the B767's niche in capacity and size means it is a hard aircraft to replace. The Dreamliner B787 is a size too big, the ill-fated Boeing MAX 10 is too small and only single isle, while the New Midsize Airplane (NMA) is still on the CAD system, so the Boeing 767 is really the only aircraft to fit directly into this category. Used B767's are now being snapped up because they just fit that airlines schedules so well, but the aircraft that are the most wanted are not the older versions but the newer re-engined versions and mainly with the FPDS avionics. So what is FPDS. 767's like the Boeing 757 have usually have a conversion of the avionics to the IS&S - Innovative Solutions & Support’s display units, this layout is very similar to the ProLine 21 system and the Boeing 737-800 but with four displays covering both pilots PFD and MAP/NAV, and this conversion is called the "FPDS" or "Flat Panel Display System" or commonly known as a glass cockpit conversion. FlightFactor originally released the Boeing 767 Professional as an analog avionics suite, or the clockwork layout. In fact it was a semi-glass layout with the CRT/Analog panel two-display glass unit. The FPDS option that is selected on the iPad or electronic flight bag (EFB) , which is situated to your right, then select from the menu the "OPTIONS" then "AVIONICS", in the EFIS selection it is to the left to have the FPDS avionics display. IS&S Avionics The PFD is in reality not that much different than the twin unit it replaces, it is in the addition of the large NAV/MAP screen that gives the system it's more substantial and easier workflow. The one thing that really stands out is the sheer details and features we now have in these avionic displays, certainly gone now in X-Plane are the days of showing a sort of a moderated version or simplistic layout. Twin Display EADI and EHSI The primary flight display is highly detailed. Obviously the main items are represented in the upper EADI (Electronic Attitude Direction Indicator) like the Artificial Horizon, Rate of Turn and Pitch guides, Speed and Altitude tapes are also represented... The Flight Director (FD) is also of course represented, but not shown, were as the CMD is, but it is highly detailed display here, and this a point to make, as you are not just getting the basics, but the very highly detailed version with all the finer details as well. It is the lower EDSI (Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator) section (really the older NAV/MAP) that is the most interesting of the system. The detail is excellent and there is a lot to take in. You can switch from the VOR/APP/MAP in the display which is between the ROSE (APP) and ARC (MAP) modes, but there are a few limitations in that the large secondary NAV/MAP can't be switched to the ROSE mode (I don't think the real version can either) it stays only in the ARC mode unless you use the PLAN mode, so to a point both the displays are not completely independent. Both VOR 1 and ADF 1 frequencies and VOR 2 and ADF 2 Frequencies are shown in both displays, I love the stack version in the PFD, but the frequency layout in the NAV/MAP can also be mixed in with the lower part of the NAV/MAP details, and they can be then very hard to read. I checked that the frequency position is correct, but on the real display there is no layout overlap? PFD also shows the VOR 2 data (next waypoint) and in the NAV/MAP version on the top right. Left lower PFD is the Rate of Climb dial, again really well done. Both show GS (Ground Speed) and TAS (True Air Speed)/WindSpeed and Direction, TRK (Heading) Radio height and Baro. The Vrefs are however worth looking closely at. Even if you set the aircraft's Vrefs speeds in the "Takeoff" preferences in the FMC (Flight Management Computer) they don't select the same in the EHSI So you still have to set the Vref Speeds yourself. The SPD REF knob is top centre on the EFIS Control Panel, slightly tricky to use at first but you soon get use to the insert system of adding in the Vref Speeds, if it is grey it can be set... .... select the speed via the top part of the knob and lock it in with the "SET" button, it will turn green when set, all four settings can be set in V1/VR/V2/REF, You can switch between TO (Takeoff) and APP (Approach) Vspeeds when set the No VSPD notice disappears. I like this action a lot. VAV/MAP display details cover WXR (Weather), NAV AID, APRT (Airport), RTE DATA (Route Data) and WPT (Waypoint), set them all and you will get a very cluttered screen, certainly with the WPT range set long, personally I never use WPT unless in RNAV mode as they usually clog up to much of the screen. RTE DATA is however very good in fine detail in showing all the complex data of your route. WRX - Weather can be selected and tested and you can adjust the brightness of the weather on the display. TERR - Terrain is also available and the FlightFactor B767 was one of the first in X-Plane and it is still the best with this TERR feature. If you think you have seen this all before? it is you have... as the Boeing 757 FPDS Avionics suite is exactly the same. The Boeing 767 Professional The FlightFactor Boeing 767 has been around now for a few years, it is a very complex simulation and not for the lighthearted or being a new user to the genre... you need to know what you are doing in this aircraft as the set up is long and even complicated, if you have that depth of skill, then you will simply revel in the detail, if not you may struggle. But the high price reflects what you get here. There are three packages with the Base Boeing 767 Professional, Boeing 767-200 ER, Extended (-300ER/F) and Global (full details are below). Options on top of options, now you have the different avionics packages, you can also still choose your different engine packages as well... Overall there are three engine packages to choose from, but they are not available on every aircraft. Both the -300 Extended Range/Freighter (ER/F) have three engine choices (L to R) Pratt & Whitney PW4000, Rolls-Royce RB211 and General Electric CF6 engines and all with power ranges from 48,000 to 60,600 lbf. The -200ER (middle) has only two engine options with the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 and the General Electric CF6. Boeing 767-300ER Boeing 767-200ER 767-300F (Freighter) Boeing 767-200ER There are two new variants in the "Extended" package and the first one we will look at is the Boeing 767-200ER. Proportionably the -200 looks quite odd. The fuselage is 21.1 ft (6.4m) shorter than the -300 at 180 ft 3in/54.94m in length, but the wingspan is the same width 156 ft.1in/47.57m. Then add on those optional Aviation Partners winglets at 11 feet (3.35 m) in height and the proportions look even stranger, to a point the -200 looks more like the original babybus 737 than a 767. Personally I think the -200ER looks better without the winglets. Like with the B757 v2.2.5 updated cabin then this updated 767 version has also has had a nice new modern cabin fit-out, but at a first glance it looked quite stark, and to the point at first I wondered if the textures were actually missing? Black leather in Business class and a grey/black pattern in the rear in Economy is all very well done in detail, but a bit dour in colour... the B757's v2.2.5 purple shades look more modern and well... nice and colourful, and thankfully the earlier horrible blues with eastern block hints are finally gone. No seat back video gives the cabin a bit of empty feel though, at this point in the development I expected this item to have been address by now, The -300 cabin (below) is in the same dark style, but it is so looooong, as it goes on forever in length, but it is a great place to stretch your legs in flight. I am quite sure the painters will quickly brighten up the cabin materials. But overall it is a very nice and classy cabin. You can separately adjust the cabin lighting, from dark to extremely bright.... .... and it looks excellent. But there are no smoking and seatbelt illuminations as they don't work and neither does the "Exit" signs, at this price they both should. Entrance and galley areas are also excellent, beautifully done and one of the best now in X-Plane (however FJS B737-200 is still a class ahead). 767-300F (Freighter) A mid-sized Freighter is always welcome, and the new -300F is simply sensational. The freighter adds in a whole new dimension to flying the Boeing 767, as also most 767's are now being converted to these freighter operations, and even Boeing is still producing the freighter version for the ongoing demand. All cargo doors open, and so does also the left cabin door... .... but frustrating is the fact you can't access the cargo deck because FlightFactor are very insistent on very heavy boundaries! annoying. JarDesign's Ground Handling Deluxe (GHD) plugin is a must have, as there is a specialised .set available here: GHD Full Service Set Boeing767-Freight X Plane 11 Great detail allows for a different cockpit layout on the freighter than on the passenger version. _______________________________ A quick flight from EDDL - Düsseldorf to ENGM - Oslo was to see how the new avionics package stacked up... it has to be better if the real world pilot's want the system on the aircraft, you certainly have far, far more functionality than with the older CRT/Analog panel version, but overall they are the same in layout. I have spent a fair few hours in the FlightFactor B767, so it is all very familiar, but slightly odd in that I have got used to the FPDS in FlightFactor's Boeing 757, now here it is the same set up in the Boeing 767? But you soon adjust, flying these heavies is really all the same, the differences are the tools at your disposal, and this extensive FPDS option gives you a lot of more options than before. The big display panels also give you more visual space, and you can have your cake and eat it too, with both a Rose (with built in course) and Map forward navigation. I actually prefer the B767 over the B757, the sounds and power of the Boeing 757 are excellent, but somehow the Boeing 767 feels more natural than the pocket rocket... except for the 757 sounds, they are not now much different from behind the controls with the same FPDS layout. For all of it's complexity, the Boeing 767 Pro is a very nice aircraft to fly... .... Boeing cockpits always have this dullish darker feel, but it is all very authentic to the feel of the aircraft. The FPDS panels pop-out for custom builders in both pop-out mode and window mode. Oslo's Gardermoen and Runway 01L... I love the ease of the displays including the V/S Vertical Speed pointer and the Course (adjustment)/VOR pointer to keep me on track in the Norwegian murk.... Note the Runway ILS Frequency (110.30) adjustment is still like on the Boeing 757, and placed on the rear of the pedestal, so is the pointer course adjustment knob. So you have a lot of information available to you to fly the aircraft more professionally (yes you were good before) but as noted then the more tools you can access then the better you will fly the aircraft and that is the real bonus here with this FPDS glass panel option. A last note that the FlightFactor Series in the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 are both very high study grade machines, so they need a fair amount of devotion and time to learn all of their complex systems and flying habits. Pricing: with all the different and diverse packages available for both the FlightFactor Boeing 757 and this 767 it needs a little explaining... One (which I will call the Avionics upgrade) is the Standard Single aircraft PRO that can be upgraded with this FPDS package to Modern Avionics Two (Extended and Global) you can also update to first from the Standard Single Aircraft to the "Extended" version that includes three versions of the B757 in the -200, -300 and the Freighter, and then update again to the GLOBAL version of everything in the Extended and includes the FPDS package. Pricing is best shown like this base B757 US$72.00, Upgrade to Extended US$20.00, Upgrade to Modern Avionics US$20 So all four upgrades can also be purchased as packages.. Single basic B767 Pro Pack - US$72,00 Modern Avionics Pack - US$ 92.00 (+$20) Extended Pack - US$92.00 (+$20) Global Pack - US$112,00 (+$20 Extended, +$20 Avionics) Summary The Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 are sisters of the same principle. The 757 is the slim single aisle version and the wider 767 is the twin aisle version, they maybe the same in most categories, but as aircraft they feel and fly very differently, as is the same cockpit and instrumentation layouts. Again the idea was that pilot's that flew one aircraft could switch easily to the other, so the B757/767 are almost identical in their instrumentation. Earlier this year the FlightFactor/SteptoSky Boeing 757 had the new option of IS&S - Innovative Solutions & Support’s display units called the "FPDS" or "Flat Panel Display System". This new avionic option is now available on the Boeing 767 Series as well, and yes it is identical to to the B757 installation, so like in the real world in flying one avionic set up, then fly both just as easily, but of the two aircraft I still prefer the Boeing 767. The FlightFactor Boeing 757/767 are a huge and deep simulation and that is reflected in the pricing, and I would only recommend the aircraft only for the experienced simulator users, but that does not mean to say you could never fly these complex machines, because that is your goal to achieve, and a very exciting goal that is as well, as both the aircraft are very highly capable of an immense rewards... Highly recommended! ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 767-200ER Professional & Extended versions and the EPDS extension by FlightFactor Aero/SteptoSky... is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics (EPDS) Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 767-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 767-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.40 (X-Plane 10 is NOT supported!) Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible, 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 3Gb VRAM Minimum, 16-24Gb+ RAM / 6Gb+ VRAM Recommended Current and Review Version: 1.3.1 - Free auto-updates for the entire XP11 life-cycle _____________________________________________________________________________________ Upgrade Review by Stephen Dutton 21st December 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) 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 11.40 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro v1.13 US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : JARDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin Scenery or Aircraft - EDDL -Düsseldorf International v2 by JustSim (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$19.90 (review of EDDL v2 is here : Scenery Upgrade : EDDL - Düsseldorf International v2 by JustSim - ENGM - Airport Oslo XP by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$24.99
  17. Aircraft Upgrade : Boeing 757 Pro Avionics FPDS by FlightFactor/SteptoSky Although nice in retrospect, the Boeing 757 by FlightFactor/SteptoSky has the older CRT/Clockwork dial cockpit, it does look excellent and it is also certainly a very authentic way to fly the original B757. But in reality most of the surviving Boeing 757's flying out out there on the cargo or passenger route airways have left this older analog world now far behind years ago. Any late built Boeing 757 have usually now however a conversion of the avionics to the IS&S - Innovative Solutions & Support’s display units, this layout is very similar to the ProLine 21 system and the Boeing 737-800 but with four displays covering both pilots PFD and MAP/NAV, and this conversion is called the "FPDS" or "Flat Panel Display System" or commonly known as a glass cockpit conversion. So X-Plane users have been asking, well okay begging FlightFactor for this glass cockpit FPDS for a long time.... and now it is here, for another added on extra price. We will go into the (complex) pricing structure later, but for now this is a great addition to the Boeing 757 cockpit. At this point it is just the B757 Pro and the Extended version and currently not for FlightFactor's other significant aircraft the Boeing 767, but the avionics system in the B767 is almost exactly the same as this IS&S system, and so that conversion should be along not far behind. So here is the original CRT/Analog panel, and below the new FPDS. In reality the original was also a semi-glass instrument system if part CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), but the latter two-display glass unit is far more cleaner and larger with more features. Both the PFD (Primary Flight Display) and the NAV/MAP (Navigation/Map) displays pop-out for ease of use and also for the cockpit builders, the pop-outs can also be scaled and moved around your screen. To switch over the CRT/Analog to the FPDS you go to the iPad menu and select "OPTIONS" then "AVIONICS", the EFIS selection is to the left. A few users have had issues with the new EFIS Option not appearing in the iPad. The trick is to start the aircraft in Cold&Dark Mode and then the new avionics can be selected. Save the CONFIG file. Thereafter it should work when loading aircraft with engines running. This is for only users that are updating and not doing a complete new aircraft download. Not only do the main display panels change on the FPDS selection, but also does the EFIS Control Panel on the pedestal.. IS&S Avionics The PFD is in reality not that much different than the twin unit it replaces, it is in the addition of the large NAV/MAP screen that gives the system it's more substantial and easier workflow. The one thing that really stands out is the sheer details and features we now have in these avionic displays, certainly gone now in X-Plane are the days of showing a sort of a moderated version or simplistic layout. Twin Display EADI and EHSI The primary flight display is highly detailed. Obviously the main items are represented in the upper EADI (Electronic Attitude Direction Indicator) like the Artificial Horizon, Rate of Turn and Pitch guides, Speed and Altitude tapes are also represented... The Flight Director (FD) is also of course represented but it is highly detailed here, and this a point to make, as you are not just getting the basics, but the very highly detailed version with all the finer details as well. It is the lower EDSI (Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator) section (really the older NAV/MAP) that is the most interesting of the system. The detail is excellent and there is a lot to take in. You can switch from the VOR/APP/MAP in the display which is between the ROSE (APP) and ARC (MAP) modes, but there are a few limitations in that the large secondary NAV/MAP can't be switched to the ROSE mode (I don't think the real version can either) it stays only in the ARC mode unless you use the PLAN mode, so to a point both the displays are not completely independent. Both VOR 1 and ADF 1 frequencies and VOR 2 and ADF 2 Frequencies are shown in both displays, I love the stack version in the PFD, but the frequency layout in the NAV/MAP can also be mixed in with the lower part of the NAV/MAP details, and they can be then very hard to read. I checked that the frequency position is correct, but on the real display there is no layout overlap? PFD also shows the VOR 2 data (next waypoint) and in the NAV/MAP version on the top right. Left lower PFD is the Rate of Climb dial, again really well done Both show GS (Ground Speed) and TAS (True Air Speed)/WindSpeed and Direction, TRK (Heading) Radio height and Baro. The Vrefs are worth looking at. Even if you set the aircraft's Vrefs speeds in the "Takeoff" preferences in the FMC (Flight Management Computer) they don't select the same in the EHSI So you still have to set the Vref Speeds yourself. The SPD REF knob is top centre on the EFIS Control Panel, slightly tricky to use at first but you soon get use to the insert system of adding in the Vref Speeds, if it is grey it can be set (note the yellow "No VSPD" notice)... .... select the speed via the top part of the knob and lock it in with the "SET" button, it will turn green when set, all four settings can be set in V1/VR/V2/REF, You can switch between TO (Takeoff) and APP (Approach) Vspeeds, when set the No VSPD notice disappears. I like this action a lot. VAV/MAP display details cover WXR (Weather), NAV AID, APRT (Airport), RTE DATA (Route Data) and WPT (Waypoint), set them all and you will get a very cluttered screen, certainly with the WPT range set long, personally I never use WPT unless in RNAV mode as they usually clog up to much of the screen. RTE DATA is however very good in fine detail in showing all the complex data of your route. WRX - Weather can be selected and you can adjust the brightness of the weather on the display. TERR - Terrain is also available and FlightFactor was one of the first and it is still the best of this TERR feature. _______________________________ Flying with the FPDS What started out as a nice day in Barcelona, Spain quickly deteriorated later in the day towards departure to Porto - LPPR, Portugal. FlightFactors/VMax Boeing 757 is still a magnificent aircraft, and as we have noted over a few update reviews it now comes with a much more nicer cabin and dynamic details, but you do notice the missing engines behind the blades and the cabin still has some work to be done on the overhead panels. You have to find the right WRX setting, if not it will overwhelm the display, or when it does refresh it can take a moment before resuming. Vref Speeds are excellent and spot on if you have done your homework 159 knts + 10 is perfect at 15º flap... .... no denying that the FF B757 is a great aircraft to fly, but with this level of study flight, one you have to know your stuff and two have to fly the aircraft a lot in sequences over a lot of routes to get the full depth of simulation, get it right and the returns are impressive. I am a big fan of "Range to Selected Altitude" markers, setting climb and descent targets can make or break a good flight, and in here they are excellent on both displays. I find the PBR a bit to bright in certain lighting conditions and light in the B757 cockpit it is, and that shows on the displays as well... but you can't doubt the excellent detail and data you get from this avionics system... Select APP Vref and then fill in the "REF" (you can get this from the FMC/APPROACH REF) and the system will fill in the blank speeds, just okay to green or change them to your own preference. Arriving at the EGI2T STAR into Porto the information provided is really good... and in many ways far better than the older CRT layout. But be aware that there are no backup analog instruments with this FPDS, as all instrumentaion is now all just in the glass displays. Then down the chute into LPPR RWY 17. Note the ILS alignment diamonds, and yes you still set the ILS Freq on the rear of the console and not on the forward EFIS Control Panel, note the excellent VNAV Path Exceedance marker next to the Vertical Speed. ... manual thrust control to the runway, and you have to really like this bird.... it is amazing to fly when you get into the groove. 131 knts on final, and you just let the power off to the flare, the B757 is quite hard to pitch with the nose, but a little nose high is perfect anyway.. ... a very sweet touch down, I am pretty happy with that one, now the reverse thrusters and airbrakes and your quickly down to taxi speed.... .... so the flying experience with the more contemporary IS&S avionics is a certainly a great advance if you are wanting the Boeing 757 to be a current simulation and rather than a nostalgic one. These B757 are mostly now running cargo freight, but many a unreplaceable -200 or -300 versions are still doing great work out there until the newer Airbus A321XLR starts to send them all out to Victorville, for you that is a great omen to keep flying this brilliant aircraft. A last note that the FlightFactor Series in the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 are both very high study grade machines, so they need a fair amount of devotion and time to learn all of their complex systems and flying habits, and like this B757 FPDS then the Boeing 767 version shouldn't be to far behind. Pricing: FlightFactor have produced a 9.14 min video to explain their pricing structure, which really says it all in that it is getting complex. But basically you can upgrade two ways. One (which I will call the Avionics upgrade) is the Standard Single aircraft PRO that can be upgraded with this FPDS package to Modern Avionics Two (Extended and Global) you can also update to first from the Standard Single Aircraft to the "Extended" version that includes three versions of the B757 in the -200, -300 and the Freighter, and then update again to the GLOBAL version of everything in the Extended and plus the FPDS package. Pricing is best shown like this base B757 US$72.00, Upgrade to Extended US$20.00, Upgrade to Modern Avionics US$20 So all four upgrades can also be purchased as a pack.. Single basic B757 Pro Pack - US$72,00 Modern Avionics Pack - US$ 92.00 Extended Pack - US$92.00 Global Pack - US$112,00 Summary Here is another extension to the FlightFactor/SteptoSky Boeing 757 Pro with the first being the " Extended" version with the optional variants of the -200, -300 and the Freighter. This is the "Avionics" upgrade to the IS&S - Innovative Solutions & Support’s display units called FPDS or Flat Panel Display System. This brings the Boeing 757 into a more contemporary later aircraft currently still flying around the world, as the older version carried the nostalgic CRT semi-glass/analog systems. As a reproduction of the IS&S FPDS it is about the best as you are going to get, but it is however a bit pricey for just an avionics upgrade, and the NAV/MAP display can also interfere with the VOR Frequencies in the lower part of the display, otherwise it is excellent with all the features you will ever need including great Takeoff and Landing Vref interaction. In reality it turns the B757 into the same PFD and NAV/MAP system as on the Boeing 737. Obviously yes this Avionics upgrade is a brilliant addition to the aircraft and expect it to appear soon in the similar Boeing 767, personally I really like this avionic option on the FlightFactor's Boeing 757 Pro Series, and yes it was well worth the wait. ______________________ Other small version and fix updates of this aircraft include: v2.2.13 - added showing plane position on navigraph charts that support such functional - added some docking points for better compatibility with ground services - fixed navigraph charts in VR - fixed resetting navigraph charts page on switching efb mode (horizontal/vertical) - fixed broken sound on some Linux distributions - fixed the case when pop-up screens weren't visible in different multi-monitor setups - returned an ability to toggle keyboard input mode for cdu, now by clicking on cdu screen on pop-up window ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757-200ER Professional & Extended versions and the EPDS extension by FlightFactor Aero/SteptoSky... ... is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$72.00 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Modern Avionics Price is US$72.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Upgrade Price is US$92.00 + US$20 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Global Price is US$112.00 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 757-200 v2 version for any upgrades (Extended/Avionics) to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.36 (X-Plane 10 is NOT supported!) Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible, 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 2Gb VRAM Minimum, 16Gb+ RAM / 4Gb+ VRAM Recommended Current and Review Version: 2.3.6 Free auto-updates for the entire XP11 life-cycle _____________________________________________________________________________________ Upgrade Review by Stephen Dutton 10th September 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) 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 v1.11 US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : JARDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin Scenery or Aircraft - LEBL - Barcelona XP11 by JustSim (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$21.00 (review of LEBL is here : Scenery Upgrade : LEBL - Barcelona XP11 by JustSim - LPPR - Porto Airport UHD, Portugal by Area 77 (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$23.50 (review of LPPR is here : Scenery Review : LPPR - Porto Airport Portugal by Area77 Simulations
  18. Aircraft Update : Boeing 767 Professional/Extended v1.2.7 by FlightFactor/StepToSky//VMax Was it? Was it really? Was the FlightFactor Boeing 767 already an Extended version of the aircraft... it actually seemed so, but it wasn't. The FlightFactor fleet of Boeings in the B777 and B757 are of course all "Extended" three aircraft packages, so you just simply assumed then so was the B767. So here in this release is the "Extended" version of the Boeing 767, and the deal is the same as all the other Extended packages. The full price (US$72.00) of the original 767-300ER and the Extended version that will cost you US$20 extra that includes two more aircraft variants with the 767-200ER and the 767-300F (Freighter) or you can purchase the full Pro/Extended package for US$93.00. Not cheap, but then again you also get a lot of aircraft for your money. So all the FlightFactor Boeings are now "Extended" versions of the aircraft and each 767 variant also comes with different engine types... Boeing 767-300ER Boeing 767-200ER 767-300F (Freighter) Both the -300 (ER/F) have three engine choices (L to R) Pratt & Whitney PW4000, Rolls-Royce RB211 and General Electric CF6 engines and all with power ranges from 48,000 to 60,600 lbf. The -200ER has only two engine options with the Pratt & Whitney PW4000 and the General Electric CF6. This update review focuses on the update changes, so to get a full overview of the B767-300ER then go to this review: Boeing 767-300ER Professional by VMAX and FlightFactor Boeing 767-200ER There are two new variants in the "Extended" package and the first one we will look at is the Boeing 767-200ER. Proportionably the -200 looks quite odd. The fuselage is 21.1 ft (6.4m) shorter than the -300 at 180 ft 3in/54.94m in length, but the wingspan is the same width 156 ft.1in/47.57m. Then add on those optional Aviation Partners winglets at 11 feet (3.35 m) in height and the proportions look even stranger, to a point the -200 looks more like the original babybus 737 than a 767. Personally I think the -200ER looks better without the winglets. Like with the B757 v2.2.5 updated cabin then this updated 767 version has also has had a nice new modern cabin fit-out, but at a first glance it looked quite stark, and to the point at first I wondered if the textures were actually missing? Black leather in Business class and a grey/black pattern in the rear in Economy is all very well done in detail, but a bit dour in colour... the B757's v2.2.5 purple shades look more modern and well... nice and colourful, and thankfully the earlier horrible blues with eastern block hints are finally gone. No seat back video gives the cabin a bit of empty feel though. The -300 cabin (below) is in the same dark style, but it is so looooong, as it goes on forever in length, but it is a great place to stretch your legs in flight. I am quite sure the painters will quickly brighten up the cabin materials. But overall it is a very nice and classy cabin. You can separately adjust the cabin lighting, from dark to extremely bright.... .... and it looks excellent. But there are no smoking and seatbelt illuminations as they don't work and neither does the "Exit" signs, at this price they both should. Entrance and galley areas are also excellent, beautifully done and one of the best now in X-Plane (however FJS B737-200 is still a class ahead). 767-300F (Freighter) A mid-sized Freighter is always welcome, and the new -300F is simply sensational. The freighter adds in a whole new dimension to flying the Boeing 767, as also most 767's are now being converted to these freighter operations, and even Boeing is still producing the freighter version for the ongoing demand. All cargo doors open, and so does also the left cabin door... .... but frustrating is the fact you can't access the cargo deck because FlightFactor are very insistent on very heavy boundaries! annoying. JarDesign's Ground Handling Deluxe (GHD) plugin is a must have, as there is a specialised .set available here: GHD Full Service Set Boeing767-Freight X Plane 11 Great detail allows for a different cockpit layout than the passenger version. Update 1.2.7 This update covers both updates 1.2.6 and 1.2.7... In reality it combines both updates to bring the aircraft in line to the same position as the Boeing 757 v2.2.5 as it currently stands. It does not cover changes for the beta 11.30 or v11.30. It does however include the use of VR (Virtual Reality) with custom menus and full comparability with HTC VIVE and with the added appropriate test page data. The v1.2.7 of the Boeing 767 does fly very well in the 11.30 beta (Currently 11.30b6)... but FlightFactor do present a warning that the aircraft is "not yet supported". External updates include new fans and rear exhaust cone, and the blades (front and rear (arrowed below)) are also now animated on the ground (windmilling). The flaps and, tracks and inner detailing have all been significantly redone. All the control flying surfaces have been recalibrated (below left). The spoiler shacking effect is now dependent on SHAKE ON TURB checkbox being checked, but it is very realistic to leave switched on, and there is now a shaking and sound effect on spoiler extension. Like with the updated B757, the ground vehicles have also been updated and are now far more modern... Included are: APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), High Pressure Unit, Passenger Bus, Stairs, Fuel Truck, De-Ice Truck, Aircraft Cooling Unit (ACU), Two Baggage Loaders (LSU), Waste unit and rear (Cargo) loader.... There is a C-Loader but it is only available with the passenger version, and then positioned in the wrong place (rear left door?). Which is an odd thing as the C-Loader is really required on the Freighter... right? Internal updates: You can check on the aircraft's current version (arrowed) via the pop-up iPad (Menu). Electronic Flight Bag as many of these iPaddies are called and you can select the iPad by the smaller version in a pocket on the left of the Captain's position, and it pops up on the top right of your screen. The X-Plane menu and key access (recommended) can also be used. The iPad can be moved around the screen, but be careful as it can also disconnect you from the cockpit controls unless you re-click on the cockpit area in the background if you want the iPad on screen but want to also move around the cockpit..  The iPad/Menu has had a lot of attention for this update. For one now you can now rotate the pad vertically, and also still scale it and move it around the screen, It can also be popped out as a separate window. The iPad can also be accessed by the X-Plane menu, which is sometimes easier and quicker than using the "down left then look selection", so I tend to use the drop-down menu more often. The menu layout has been cleaned up, but the actual settings are the same. The checklists have also been moved on to the iPad from the overhead menu. And the checklists looks far better in this new layout, but the iPad is quite large in scale, and you can of course resize (scale) it, but with limits, because as it gets smaller, then the text gets a little harder to read, so you have find the overall best compromise. The Failure menu has been completely redone (or reorganised). It is now much easier to use and more flexible, with scenarios. You can set the "scenario" to happen Immediately, or in time or at a certain speed or altitude. It can be random, or with a certain instrument, and you can change the scenario, even when to set (activate) or delete. If you have a Navigraph account, you can now also access the "Charts" feature, and all Navigraph charts and information are now right there at your fingertips, and the charts also can show you your aircraft's position on the charts. And yes, I am totally in love with the idea... it is brilliant! Cockpit and Panel The Freighter cockpit is ballroom sized compared to most aircraft cockpit zones, as there is so much space... .... but it can get a little dull in here sometimes? This is X-Plane v11.25, so the adjusted 11.30 maybe a little better. The cockpit textures have again been redone as with new lighting technology and new text fonts on the panels, and it isn't as overwhelmingly dark in the feel as before. But in areas it all seems like a slight set back as well... as the flight instrument dials feel more darker when set to maximum, and the screen glow on the FMC and middle EICAS screens look not as blurry when using the effects? They feel overall either incomplete or a missed job on the list? They were far better in the earlier version. Dual-FMS with two independently working CDUs are the highlight of the aircraft, beautifully done and one of the best Boeing CDUs in X-Plane11. Both CDUs pop-out for ease of use, but you also have the remote FMS version that you can use in an internet browser on any computer, that is the default version (below left)... The right FMS is the latest version of the WebFMC Pro that will from version v1.07 have also this FlightFactor Boeing 767 and Boeing 757 CDU with access now added to the list, Screen Glow and Screen Fading is also a feature on the new WebFMC 767 version... ... the WebFMC version is actually now far superior to the default FMC. It looks better, has direct keyboard access and has more features, so it comes highly recommended if you have one or both of the FlightFactor Boeings. Direct keyboard access can be done on the pop-up CDU (not on the remote version). Move your cursor over the left top of your CDU glass panel until a K appears, then position the cursor over the CDU screen to keep it active, and now you can input in the route data directly. Overall the FMS has had not much attention (In reality it didn't need any) but several points covered are, direct-to via the first line in legs in non original variants, fmc CTD in some complex situations during using dep/arr CDU pages and the CDU now supports loading of co-routes in ICAO format. Flying the Boeing 767-200 v1.2.5 Changes in the cockpit from the last update is pretty well minimal, not that it need it in the first place as this Boeing 767 was very well sorted and quite complete from the start of it's introduction. So the FMS and instruments and systems are pretty well exactly the same and you shouldn't really notice any real differences. Is this a "Study" grade aircraft? personally I think so as the set up for flight is pretty comprehensive, you have to know your way around the instrument panel and the FMS data input to get it all right, if you are new to the aircraft then make sure the "Failures" are switched off until you are far more knowledgable about all those complex systems, as otherwise it can be a frustrating experience. Pushback has had a fair bit of attention... the default pushback has been refined with a few bugs having issues, and even causing a crash to desktop. However I don't use the default (and it is one of the best), but the BetterPushBack option, which again has had attention and has also been refined for use on the aircraft (a Clash?)... now it works perfectly. Ready for engine start! The tiller now works (arrowed)... I bet you didn't know that before. and the whole steering time has been retuned, it does feel far better, but now more like the usual slightly delayed airbus feel? There has always been a slight problem with the thrust on FlightFactor's B767, ever since the change over to X-Plane11, and most issues have been gradually refined out... but the B767 will still quite easily taxi with the throttle levers set in the idle position, and you need to keep on touching the brakes to keep the forward speed in check? And you could note me a slightly heavy here at 118482 kgs... so I feel the thrust factor it still needs more attention. I have never been a big fan of FlightFactor's cabin windows either? As they all have this tint shade, that darkens the view out, and worse the tint does not even fit the window correctly? The cabin itself is very, very nice but a little flat with no seatbelt signs or with the exit signs activated, the seatback blank screens don't help either.... and don't get me started on the flapping window shades? and at least you can turn the action off. I have had to learn to not give the B767 full throttle on takeoff, but to set a takeoff speed position, if not the aircraft can runway with the speed once you gain flight and over-ride the flap limits, get it right and the aircraft comes nicely to you... v2 or rotate is at 163 + 10 knts at flap 05. The 767 is not a brutal as the B757, in performance or in the sheer noise it makes, it is a more considerate aircraft, certainly not benign, and it is excellent to fly. Note that the undercarriage gear sequencing has been redone here for a more realistic operation, the same as was done on the B757. The B767 is not an easy, easy aircraft to fly because it is quite complex, and so you have to know your stuff in here, and it takes time to really get totally proficient on the airframe...definitely an aircraft you need to spend a considerable time in flying, you have to know it through and through to feel totally in control of all the aspects of flying the machine, so spending a week or more in the same 767 zone does payoff in it's return rewards. The FlightFactor B767 sounds were on release a major significant step forward in the range and quality of the sound package, it was realism 101... and only a dedicated addon BSS sound pack was or is only better. In the basic sound pack it is still the same, but there is significant differences in the selection of engine that you choose, as they are all quite different in their sound ranges... overall for the best it is certainly the RB211 Rolls Royce, as it certainly has the most dynamic sound.... so excellent sound quality in all areas is a given. The only note is that if move around the aircraft fast, the sounds dynamics then sort of not keeps up with you, because it is try to go to through far too many different ranges in a short time, so you get of a strange wail at certain engine angles. The FMS is fully featured, and fully adaptable (there is nothing worse than an FMS that won't do what you want it to). 8.33Khz radio is also now supported. New Navigraph charts feature is excellent, easy to use and very useful in operation, here I am setting the ILS approach frequency. The cockpit lighting is excellent at night, but as noted it does feel the instrument lighting is far duller than before, it can be hard to set as well as some knobs on the OHP (Over Head Panel) are set in the opposite direction that does not feel right, so you keep adjusting the panel illumination the wrong way. The FlightFactor B767 came with as a major feature both a WRX radar (weather) and Terrain warning system (TERR), here I am checking the terrain radar as the approach to MKJS - Montego Bay which is quite hilly. Next images shows the Terr Radar in operation, You need a fair bit of skill to land the B767, but (a lot) of practise does help. Tricky is that you can't use the autoland (Autopilot) all the way down, the last few feet has to be pure manual control, and in the dark you really can have your skills tested... ... but you are a Pro.... Right! and again it is all very rewarding if you get it right. Liveries B767-300ER For the B767-300ER you get (noted as "Free") liveries, including: American Airlines, Air France, Garuda Indonesia, British Airways, Star Alliance Lufthansa and Canadian Westjet as part of the package. There are also nine livery packs available at $US10.00 per pack, noted are: Asia 1 & Asia 2, Europe 1, Europe 2 & Europe 3, Middle East, North American, Oceania and South America, and that is altogether over 100 + liveries for the aircraft... B767-200ER The B762 shares the same free liveries as the -300ER plus two extra with the Boeing House and X-Airways ... but there are no extra addon packs... B767-300F You get two cargo liveries as part of the package with: UPS Freight and X-Airways There is also an extra addon cargo pack available for US$10. This package includes: Amerijet Inter, Canadair CargoJet, DHL, FedEx, JAL Cargo, LATAM Cargo, Prime Air (Amazon), Silkway Cargo and Tampa Air. _________________________________ Summary This is a dual release of one being an update pack of aircraft changes, new features and a lot of bug/issue fixing. The second is the introduction of the "Extended" version of the FlightFactor/StepToSky/VMax Boeing 767 Pro. The "Extended" pack is US$20 more than the original -300ER aircraft cost, of which you need to add in the extension. The "Extended" version included the shorter 767-200ER and the 767-300F (Freighter) and both aircraft are certainly we worth the extra outlay in the sheer variety it gives you in access to the Iconic 767 aircraft. All variants come with excellent engine options with P&W/RR/GE on the -300 versions and P&W/GE on the -200ER variant. The FightFactor Boeing 767 Pro was on it's release another step forward in X-Plane aircraft development in quality, performance, system depth, advanced sounds and the sheer study detail that came with flying the aircraft. And most if not all of those highlights are still very much in vogue here. The aircraft does require some skill to operate and fly, but deep simulation with detail is what this sort of simulation is all about, and that is also what you pay for. Highlights in this version include the highly revised iPad/EFB with now Chart intergation and a better failures layout, and there is now access to the Navigraph charts (with your subscription required), New cabin fit-outs that are stylish and modern with excellent galley areas. Complete VR (Virtual Reality) intergration with virtual menus and comparability with HTC VIVE. WebFMC Pro intergration and BetterPushBack intergration. Lots of areas around the aircraft and certainly the airbrakes/flaps and engines have had significant attention and remodeling. There are no real negatives here with this new extended pro version of the B767. But a few areas seems to have been missed either because of the limited time-frame or just overlooked. The cockpit has had a significant overhaul of new lighting technology and font text, and it does look better, but some of the panel back lighting is far darker and the glow/fading effect is now not working on the CDU's. The excellent new cabin layouts are let down a little via the non working no smoking/seatbelt/exit sign illumination, blank rear seat monitors and poor heavy window tints that don't fit correctly (why have them at all?) and a drab colour seating scheme. Heavy boundaries restrict access, and a C-Loader that wants to load the wrong aircraft in the wrong position? Hopefully all will corrected ready for the X-Plane11.30 introduction including the idle smoke issue. Many reviews are preaching to the converted, as this Boeing 767 Pro series is already an iconic aircraft in X-Plane. The added in "Extended" version just now gives you more of more of now three variants of the Boeing 767 to choose from, as both the new -200ER and for me certainly the -300Freighter will get a lot of operational use from this reviewer and I already know the high rewards for the investment are for significant returns. Overall it brings the full FlightFactor Boeing lineup into the same three aircraft "Extended" category together, so that is a huge amount of choice if you are a FlightFactor Pro collector... of the three choices the B676 is now certainly at the top of the list.... Highly Recommended. ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 767 Professional/Extended v1.2.7 by FlightFactor/StepToSky//VMax is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 767-300 ER Professional Price is US$72.00 Boeing 767-200ER/-300F Professional Extended Price is US$92.00 Boeing 767-200ER/-300F Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$72.00 + US$20 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 767-300ER Pro version to be eligible for the US$20 update to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11+ (X-Plane 10 is NOT supported!) Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible, 64 bit mode 8Gb RAM / 2Gb VRAM Minimum, 24Gb+ RAM / 8Gb+ VRAM Recommended Current Version: 1.2.7 (last updated November 14, 2018) Free auto-updates for the entire XP11 life-cycle ________________________________________________________________ Update Review by Stephen Dutton 23rd November 2018 Copyright©2018: X-PlaneReviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) 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 v1.09 US$69.90 : XPRealistic Pro v1.0.9 effects US$19.95 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : : JARDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin Scenery or Aircraft - KRSW - Southwest Florida International Airport by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$24.95 - MKJS - Montego Bay Jamaica by Skyline Simulations (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$19.95
  19. Aircraft Update : Boeing 757 Professional v2.2.5 by FlightFactor/VMax It is getting to be an almost expected event every year around October in that FlightFactor/VMax brings out a new version or an update to one or both of their Boeing 757/767 twins. And here is October 2018's Boeing 757 update in v2.2.5. The last update in v2.1.13 was a major upgrade, and in fact it was a sensational one in keeping the aircraft right up to date and relevant. So what can we expect this time around to match that release. Well first there was the open ended question of VR (Virtual Reality) that was noted as coming, but not implemented on that major upgrade? but it is now available on this new release version. In reality FlightFactor has become lately more reactionary than progressive, in more the "wait and see" and now "proven" until implementing the features, and so it is here with VR, They have been in waiting for it to mature and settle down in X-Plane than just being first one in and getting all the brick-backs and buggy issues. But now VR is here for the "Rocket" Boeing, so it should be a great dimensional experience. Added is VR (oculus and vive) compatibility with two modes in native and custom. And added also is a VR test page to test VR controller configurations. There are two packages available for the FlightFactor B757 Series. One is the B757-200 single Professional pack. Second is the Extended Professional package with three aircraft included; B757-200 (below left), B757-300 (below right) and the B757-200 F (Freighter, above). And all the aircraft come with two engine choices of the Rolls Royce RB211-535E4 and the Pratt & Whitney PW2037. You can upgrade from the single B757-200 to the full (well worth it) Extended Professional package for US$20. Ground Vehicles and Static elements Notable change is the ground service vehicles. All have undergone a major overhaul and even regional shift. Gone (finally) are the Soviet era tonka style and incoming is a more modern westernised style of vehicle. Included are: APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), High Pressure Unit, Passenger Bus, Stairs, Fuel Truck, De-Ice Truck, Aircraft Cooling Unit (ACU), Two Baggage Loaders (LSU), Waste unit and rear (Cargo) loader. The set is certainly very good now, but not quite as good as using the JARDesign GHD (Ground Handling Delue) plugin. For one there is only one set of stairs, and you even lose that if you set the gate configuration? There is no food service truck, and they are not animated like GHD either... but overall it is a big advance than the outdated vehicles before. Lighting The cockpit and cabin textures had a huge overall upgrade in v2.1.13. The feel in the cockpit was thankfully lighter than the dark drama feel of the early FF Boeing 757's. This time around it is the lighting that gets the attention... ... although it is all still quite dramatic, there is a more mature and realistic feel about the cockpit now. The lighting was always quite good in here, but it now has been completely revised with new lighting technology. The lighting changes at first feel subtle, but they are now really good (note the featured red instrument selection, as you can have white or red or a mix of the two colours). The panel lighting can still look quite too heavy at the full settings... ... but it is very clear and gives great shading. But get creative and find the right adjustment tone and the instrument panel looks amazing. Note the instrument effects called blick strength, and glow. These are custom effects that sort of wash the lighting out a little... certainly a personal choice as the effects can slightly blur out the instruments, but I absolutely love it. It does come with a little setting issue in that the custom settings are quite widely spaced, so half setting is not enough blick, and the next setting is full blick? you feel you are really missing a setting in the middle for perfection. Storm and overhead cockpit lighting is also very good and quite bright. It makes aircraft setup in the cockpit great and easy at night. Settings are OHP "OVRHD" full (Storm), or the same side panel adjustment in "FLOOD", it can be slightly confusing because there is another lighting knob "OVRD", but it adjusts the instrument back lighting? The are two map lights over each pilot, again both are brightness adjustable and excellent. If your follow X-PlaneReviews you will know that I am very particular about cockpit lighting on approach. A nice correctly set lighting setting can be the difference between total realism and or that average feel in the cockpit on the approach phase, in other words if the cockpit is dark and instrument lighting is set accordingly... here it is certainly very good, but it comes with a few quirks. In the freighter version there is no cockpit door, and as the door is set here further back as you enter the freight deck. (nightmares of the FedEx employee with a hammer!). The cabin/rest area lighting is separated and adjustable from the cockpit lighting (very nice!) but it can also reflect light badly back into the cockpit unless it is toned down for landing, which is highly realistic... ... however when toned down and all the overhead lighting turned down as well I still got some rear reflective lighting? Then a few minutes later I didn't? as the reflection lighting disappeared? and then it was perfectly dark in the cockpit. My guess it is the PBR effectes not adjusting to the settings more than the actual lighting set on the aircraft, so it is correct and it does work... and when it is set in this condition the cockpit dark mode feel is certainly excellent and perfect for the approach and landing phase. Undercarriage sequencing A lot of time and work went into getting the undercarriage extraction and retraction speed and more realistic sequencing of the movement of the gear, it is noted now as perfect. Tiller can now be operated manually from the pilot's seat... but it can get confused if you use an addon yaw joystick, but if you want pure and authentic control it does work well. Weather and Terrain Radar (VAR/WX+T) is still the best in the business. Notes include ADI (Attitude Director Indicator) and horizontal situation indicator (HSI) options now available on the flight instruments, the CDU FIX page has been improved, now you can enter both: brg and dist at the same time to draw both things on the ND, with the circle and radial at the same time. The tilt indication on EHSI (Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator) has also been fixed. The spoiler shacking effect is now dependent on SHAKE ON TURB checkbox, but I found with the "SHAKE ON" set, the turbulence effect was overwhelming with flappy wings, so I turned it off, I will note I fly with xEnviro active, so my guess is the METAR date is out with high winds. There is also a new failure scenario system, the new version allows one to build large scale scenarios with failures events, or multiple failures that relate to each other, very good for realism, but bad for your everyday flying as the maintenance woes stack up. There are now more in-cockpit sounds (more now in 3d) to add in to the already comprehensive sound set, it is very good with the many options for advanced sound and adjustments. Fixed or items that have had attention to are: fixed nav light (always out on FlightFactor Boeing Twins?), cabin door (now works), nose wheel steering with BetterPushback fixes... text lighting on MCP (Mode Control Panel) and also fixed are more realistic tiller and pedal algorithms. An excuse for some nice images Early evening departure from KORD (Chicago) to KSEA (Seattle) was wet and nasty, and I am full to the brim at a 219,000lbs of aircraft, fuel and cargo weight. Personally I like flying with the heavy weight, as you have to be more flexible on speed and in the vertical pitch to get the right balance of getting the aircraft up to cruise altitude (FL300). Once above the weather you get the dying sun in your eyes as you head west... The reflection of course is on how far this Boeing 757 from FlightFactor has come in the last twelve months. As this Boeing 757 originally comes from another age and long way further back from November 2013. Strange about the age as for one thing this Boeing 757 doesn't feel is old, in fact it is a long, long way past that age, even to those that are highly familiar with the aircraft. Summary The April 2018 update of v2.1.13 for FlightFactor's/VMax Boeing 757 Professional Series was outstanding then, and in reality you didn't expect another update for the rest of this year. But no the updates keep on coming, as here is another major step with v2.2.5. Major reason for the update was VR (Virtual Reality) compatibility, but a few other nice things have had attention as well, with lighting and mostly in the cockpit with new lighting technology. The ground service vehicles have also been (finally) overhauled and and now are made more of western designs than the older Soviet outdated trucks, and there are a few more vehicles as well. The rest of the update is still an extensive list of fixes and bugs that just adds in more functionality and more details to get the B757 as near to perfection as you could get in any study grade simulation. So for the majority this is another nice tick upwards, but for those fliers that haven't yet flown the Boeing 757 Series from FlightFactor, then you are missing out on something special, and if you like medium sized airlines or like to haul freight nationally with the expanded version, then you can't go past this series... highly recommended. ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757-200ER Professional & Extended versions by VMAX and FlightFactor Aero is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$64.95 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$84.95 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$64.95 + US$20 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 757-200 v2 version for any updates to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11+ (XP10 is not supported!) Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04+ LTS or compatible. running in 64bit mode 2Gb VRAM Video Card Minimum. 4Gb+ VRAM Recommended. 8Gb+ VRAM Preferred. Current Version : 2.2.5 (Last updated September 29, 2018) Free auto-updates for the entire XP11 life-cycle ________________________________________________________________ Update Review by Stephen Dutton 3rd October 2018 Copyright©2018: X-PlaneReviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) 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 v1.09 US$69.90 : XPRealistic Pro v1.0.9 effects US$19.95 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : : JARDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin Scenery or Aircraft - KORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport by Nimbus Simulations (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$27.95 Changelog v2.2.5: - added VR (oculus and vive) compatibility with two mode, native and custom. Please see manual! - added a VR test page to test VR controllers configuration - added new vehicles - added an ability to control nose wheel from the cockpit lever - added plane loading and unloading on command - added support of loading co-routes in ICAO format, see the manual for details - added custom gear sequencing, now fully custom and close to reality - implemented new lighting technology in the cockpit - implemented a new failure scenario system - allows one to build large scale scenarios with failures events - implemented missed ADI&HSI options - made several visual and texture fixes - made it so the spoiler shacking effect is now dependent on SHAKE ON TURB checkbox - made available direct-to via the first line in legs in non original variants - made changes to 3d lighting in the cockpit - made some minor graphical changes to the exterior - made some changes to the in-cockpit sounds (more 3d) - The CDU FIX page has been improved, now you can enter both: brg and dist at the same time to draw both things on the ND, circle and radial at the same time - tunned the autothrottle to bring it closer to reality - improved pos update logic (dead reckoning) - improved vnav profile calculation stability - graphical fixes in the cockpit - fixed elevator animation - fixed nav light - fixed cabin door - fixed nose wheel steering - fixed text lighting on MCP - fixed some issues with pushback - fixed the issues with tiller and pedal algorithms - fixed tilt indication on EHSI - Remote CDU: Fixed double-entering symbols by one touch on Android devices - Remote CDU: Fixed rendering the square symbol as emoji on mobile devices   1 Anthony96 reacted to this
  20. News! - SoundPack Released : A320 Ultimate by BlueSkyStar Simulations We all knew it was being developed and now it has been released! This is the "Sound Expansion" package for the FlightFactor Airbus A320 Ultimate by BlueSkyStar Simulations (BSS). This is the fifth sound pack for the A320 Series from BSS with two versions for FS/P3D with the Aerosoft A320 and the FS Labs Airbus aircraft. X-Plane is catered for with the JARDesign A320neo that has two sound packs for both engines including the IAE 2500 and the PW G1000. This new FlightFactor A320U sound pack here covers the CFM56-5B4 engine which are the same sounds as the FS/P3D FSLabs A320 CFM engine installation. Currently there are no detailed notes on the sound features or what sounds are actually covered in this release, but BSS do note the sound package is not yet completely complete either. For one, X-Plane11 is still in beta (11.20) and two more adjustments are required by Flightfactor. On installation you will need to run the A320U updater to update to the current release version which is 0.8. 71-2034, and to note the BSS sound pack does not work with any lower version releases. First Impressions? very good and I should know as in the last month I have flown on three Jetstar A320's, but on the ground the FlightFactor GPU does drown out a lot of the BSS sounds. In the air it sounds really good with 380º sounds in the cabin and the cockpit, the sounds do certainly feel realistic and don't give me a headache over a two hour flight and that is a great start. Externally they are good as well, but quite loud. This brings up the point of which would we like more control over the sounds? personally yes I would, certainly not all of them, but at least the main items like internal and external areas, APU and minor system noises and sounds. Overall I still feel there is still a few more areas to be adjusted, but I loved my flight and the feeling the sounds gave back to me... a video is available! The FlightFactor Airbus A320 Ultimate BSS Sound Package is available now from the X-Plane.OrgStore... ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Blue Sky Star Simulation Sound Packages is now available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : BSS Flight Factor A320 Ultimate Sound Pack Price is US$19.98 (Yes! you do need the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate aircraft and it is Required for the use of this sound pack US$89.95) ______________________________________________________________________ Blue Sky Star Developer Site : Blue Sky Star Simulations News by Stephen Dutton 22nd April 2018 Copyright©2018: X-Plane Reviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions)
  21. Aircraft Update : Boeing 757 Professional v2.1.13 by FlightFactor/VMax X-Plane is a movement, always morphing, changing and always moving forward. We wouldn't want that aspect any other way, as it means that the simulator grows, becomes better and more involving. In fact if you sit back and think it though the changes in and around the X-Plane simulator over the last, say... three years have been phenomenal, and it feels sometimes even an eon ago, but you have to even go a long way further back to November 2013 for time the Boeing 757 from FlightFactor/VMax first emerged, yes five years ago, that feels now like the Jurassic period in X-Plane terms, okay if only stone/bronze age. In sales terms it is one of the biggest sellers of payware aircraft in X-Plane and it lead the simulator for the very best of in depth quality and you would even note the aircraft as the first "Study" aircraft as well with its in depth systems and flying capabilities, but that is still a big five years ago since it's first release... So you think that with all the extreme changes in the X-Plane simulator the aircraft or the design would now be hopelessly out of date, but in reality the aircraft is very far from that point, as there has not only been a lot of updates through the years including the major version two release in 2016. Added also into the this Boeing 757 package is the "Extended" option of not only the original -200 version but also the added choice of a - 300 version and a -200SF Freighter and the option of two engine choices of the RR RB211-535E4 and the Pratt & Whitney PW2037. The introduction of X-Plane11 was very significant for FlightFactor's B757/B767 series aircraft. On the one hand the PBR (Physically Based Rendering) effects gave them a new lease of life in a dynamic sense, bringing them alive, and giving them more realism. But the X-Plane11 more detailed flight and engine dynamics didn't translate as good, patches came to keep the B757/B767 birds flying, but with their complex system algorithms it was not an easy fix, especially more so as Laminar Research changed their refinements as often as their minds. And so the updates keep coming, but that is good thing and not a negative, refinement is written all over this aircraft and here we cover not one but two updates as they are only a few months apart with v2.1.11 and v2.1.13 Boeing 757 Professional v2.1.13 The updates cover again mostly system fixes, but as the v2.1.10 update was the most significant one that addressed most of the X-Plane11 refinements, I still found that aircraft still quite buggy in the way it flew. The X-Plane11 versions of the "Extended" options with the -300 and 200SF were now also X-Plane11 rated was a huge addition and bonus to the B757 Series. Here I am going to concentrate on the basic aircraft the B757-200. With a few nips and tucks over the years the B757 still looks as good as the day it was released. But the dynamic lighting really brings the aircraft to life, like with the B767 the optional blended winglets from Aviation Partners Incorporated that look very good on this aircraft, but also extended its service life. The tall 757 stance when standing on its gear is as famous as its long tube body gave the aircraft some interesting nicknames like... Stick Insect, AtariFerrari, Slippery Snake, Flying Pencil and Long Tall Sally. But the B757 is a very but highly successful but niche aircraft and that has made it very hard to replace in the commercial world and that is why so many are still flying in what is essentially an early 80's aircraft. The new Airbus A321 LR neo is now a possible replacement, but Boeing are wanting their new design in the B797 to cover the B757 requirements as well. The B757-300 version is as spectacular. The aircraft shown here has the optional Roll Royce RB211-535E4 engines. You can check your current FF B757 version by the version number on the top right of the pop-up iPad menu system. Update 2.1.12 was not a large amount of changes and mostly small issue fixes, the sound volume was jumping to zero and the engines behaved a bit strange on an engine change. The boarding door co-ordinates were wrong but fixed for the -300 version, but the -200 version was missed but it is now done in v2.1.13... Who doesn't love BetterPushBack... The BetterPushBack Truck is now adjusted to work well with the FF B757, as before it had rocking issues? The B757 does already come with a really good pushback truck that is controlled by your joystick, but who could do without that "Have a great Day!" from the betterpushback driver. Freighter SF version is also very good, and there is a GHD (Ground Handling) .set available for the aircraft (for the -200 and -300 versions as well). Note there is a bug if you use the GHD in that it conflicts with the FF A757 GPU and power to the aircraft, to get around the issue you have to use the APU. Boeing 757 cockpit still delivers in quality and detail... But the B757 and the B767 have a tendency to switch between light and dark lighting conditions, sometimes perfect, but then you get a snap and the cockpit (or panel) feels darker and then it snaps back to normal again, it doesn't help in that the cockpit is also quite a dark design. There has been few tries by FlightFactor to rein in this lighting condition in changes in both 2.0.25 and 2.1.10 but the PBR just highlights it more. Over the years there has been a lot of work done on the B757/B767 FMS. It is highly detailed and was for years one of the best in flight management systems and like noted almost "Study" deep in what you can set up and input into the aircraft's systems. The arrival this year of FlightFactor's A320 Ultimate and the ToLiSS319 has raised the bar in this flight management area, but this system is still one of the best to use and programme, all areas are covered with SID/STAR DEP and ARR, fix and airway inputs, ECON (Economy) CLB, CRZ and DES settings, DIR-INTC (Direct-To) and the PROG (Progress) has two pages of information with Wind and Fuel info on page 2. The aircraft's weather and terrain radar is also still one of the best in X-Plane. Notable is the option of having both white and red instruments. There is a choice between mixed (white and red) or full in that certain digital instruments are red on the main instrument panel and on the OHP (OverHead Panel). The red looks very nice at night. In v2.1.13 few cockpit mis-spellings have also been rectified and corrected, with the ELC and EEC buttons now on (useable) if the fuel pumps (switches) are off. The original X-Plane11 throttle hunting issue has been mostly tuned out (the B767 was the worst), the throttles still intermittently moves and reduce power, then increases the power again for no absolute reason, but it is not even close as the constant (annoying) movement you had before... climbing to altitude was the worse. Cabin Fitout You can see the changes to the FlightFactor B757 over the years by the different cabins installed in the aircraft... Starting with the 2013 version. This original version had a very Russian feel to the design, even down to the odd "Gazprom" logos? Thankfully another cabin change came with the v2 upgrade... and the cabin went more modern and an early 2000's in design. But very quickly (twelve months) we already have another latest B757 cabin version that is now bang up to date... with a very smart looking business class... .... and an even better designed main economy class. It is now all very modern in the back cabin as the economy seats are exceptional in design and they come with these lovely seating textures. Even the crew stations are very different from the past FlightFactor layouts (finally the cheap bottles of wine have gone) and all also are very modern and efficient looking. Same goes for the cabin wall panels, they are now separate styled panels with those nasty openings (gaps) from around the window frames are now also gone. Cabin lighting (adjustable) was good before, but now excellent with great down lighting. Look back to the original earlier cabins and you can see the total transformation of the same aircraft, the -300 version also has had the same changes done to the cabin layouts, and how long is it before the Boeing 767 get the same fitout makeover as well? The above cabin changes are far more significant than they appear, as they are very unFlightFactor in design and appearance, this is most likely the new direction of internal design, including cockpit textures from the developers and a move away from the original more Slavic feel to a more western approach, my guess is that in time all the FlightFactor fleet in the B777, B767 and even their A350 will adopt these more western layouts and all to the better and the proof is right here in this cabin, and it is amazing how changes like this can bring an older design to a much more up to date feel and experience. Virtual Reality FlightFactor has also noted that the Boeing 757 will soon be available for VR (Virtual Reality), and FF note "We have developed our unique cockpit interaction in VR just like we did with the 3d cockpit, and if I may say so, it is very intuitive." That announcement sounds exciting, but my comment would be what would VR be like in using the current B757 cockpit textures, as they are quite dark in design and the noted points in that (both) cockpits of the B757/B767 have that tendency to switch under X-Plane11 from light to dark lighting conditions? My gut feeling is that with a VR headset on then it would highlight that aspect, and to the dark, more than the light? Summary The motto of this review tale is that the reality is the FlightFactor/Vmax Boeing 757 Series is now five years old. But the truth is that with constant and clever updates, it could have been released only late last year. I am not going to hide the fact that in a very few areas it does show its original age, but there is no doubt that in it's current form that the aircraft will certainly stay there at the top of the list as one of the best simulations in X-Plane and that is with the newer Airbuses also now available. The trip down memory lane of the three different cabin layouts describes the whole situation very clearly, as the earlier cabin version was to say the least quite average (but good for the time), as the curent latest cabin layout is now quite sensational and like the real aircraft will keep it in service well past its used by date. If you opt for the recommended extended version with not only the -200 version, but with the very long -300 and that nice freighter version as well, then you are getting overall a very nice aircraft package and as the B757 has been around for a fair then all the niceties like the GHD (Ground Handling) and BetterPushBack plugins all work very well as well. In flying, then most of the X-Plane11 issues have been dealt with or refined, but updates are also constant to cover any other changes that Laminar Research might throw our way. I will admit the B757 requires a bit of skill and dedication to fly really well, you have to go to the aircraft, and not that the aircraft comes to you, but when both skills and flying ability merge then it is very good and deep simulation of this aircraft.... certainly highly recommended. ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757-200ER Professional & Extended versions by VMAX and FlightFactor Aero is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$64.95 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$84.95 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$64.95 + US$20 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 757-200 v2 version for any updates to the aircraft Requirements X-Plane 11.05 or latter (also X-Plane 10 compatible) Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.10+ or Linux 14.04+ LTS or compatible. running in 64bit mode 1Gb VRAM Video Card Minimum. 2Gb+ VRAM Recommended. 3Gb+ VRAM Preferred. Current Version : 2.1.13 Free auto-updates for the entire XP11 lifecycle _____________________________________________________________________________________ Update Review by Stephen Dutton 18th April 2018 Copyright©2018: X-PlaneReviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) 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 v1.09 US$69.90 : XPRealistic Pro v1.0.9 effects US$19.95 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 : BetterPushBack - Free : : JARDesign Ground Handling Deluxe plugin Scenery or Aircraft - KABQ - Albuquerque International Sunport by ShortFinal Design (X-Plane.OrgStore) US$19.95 (review of KABQ is here : Scenery Review : KABQ - Albuquerque International Sunport by ShortFinal Design Changelog: 2.1.13 - boarding door fix - exhaust gas colour fix - fixed a small bug with cargo version weight - fixed the 753 beacon - fixed a bug with disappearing ELC and EEC buttons on fuel pump off - trimmer mouse wheel control fix - power back is now possible again - made the start sound quieter - to match the engine idle - EGT limiter on high OAT GA fixed - fixed x-plane hanging when you use the fix page during your fpl has DISCOs - corrected brakes for xp11.10 - improved flch ap mode logic and reengaging at logic - made some things for better integration with the VoiceCommander profiles by sloboda. 2.1.11 - fixed the issue with volume jumping to zero - fixed an issue with engine controller behaving incorrectly after an engine change - fixed an issue with BetterPushback rocking back and forth - fixed an issue with inversed stab animation - fixed the 300 door location (extended only) - add 300 and cargo to the livery packs - fixed misspelling in the cockpit - added higher realism level requirement for hung start
  22. Overview Review : Airbus A320-214 Ultimate by FlightFactor Aero This Airbus aircraft from FlightFactor Aero is pretty unique. It's whole purpose is too deliver a completely new and extremely high quality simulation to flying Airbus aircraft in a simulator. It is unusual in another area as well, in the fact it is designed and built to be not part of any actual simulator platform. It is released in X-Plane and flies in X-Plane but it's basic underlying systems can also allow it to fly in any computer based system and no doubt in the future it's main purpose is for it to be a standalone simulator for Airbus A320 certified aircraft training. To acquire such a certification for real world based training then this aircraft would have to replicate almost every system and instrument that is found in a real A320 aircraft or simulator, and that is a more complex thing to do than you think it is. So it goes without saying that this aircraft in X-Plane is complex... not only in it's systems but also the aircraft's very complicated flying characteristics as this aircraft's nickname is the original "Electric Jet". When you really think about that aspect you can see how big a challenge it really is to bring such complex modeling and aircraft behaviour to a deskbound style simulator. Your first instincts are to understand that this aircraft is not really an X-Plane aircraft and in using the X-Plane based theory and dynamics, in fact the only area that this aircraft interacts with X-Plane is with the default XP ground physics and in time that will phased out as well. So this does create a very different environment in that any of the usual X-Plane interaction tools will not work with this aircraft, including manipulators and even X-Planes unique aerodynamic modeling in "blade element theory" of element forces at work on the aircraft. The FF A320U uses its own aerodynamic modeling that is quite close to Laminar's structures and theories, but is more much more controllable and flexible and has more options and parameters, and is engineered for a broader aerodynamic model and to make system logic consistent and more integral. The A320 series aircraft was very unique in its definition of control laws, protections, reconfigurations, and functions. Aircraft with fly-by-wire flight controls require computer-controlled flight control modes that are capable of determining the operational mode (computational law) of the aircraft. The fly by wire aircraft is controlled by three primary control computers (captain's, first officer's, and standby) and two secondary control computers (captain's and first officer's). In addition there are two flight control data computers (FCDC) that read information from the sensors, such as air data (airspeed, altitude). This is fed along with GPS data, into three redundant processing units known as air data inertial reference units (ADIRUs) that act both as an air data reference and inertial reference. ADIRUs are part of the air data inertial reference system, which, on the Airbus is linked to eight air data modules: three are linked to pitot tubes and five are linked to static sources. Information from the ADIRU is fed into one of several flight control computers (primary and secondary flight control). The computers also receive information from the control surfaces of the aircraft and from the pilots aircraft control devices and autopilot. Information from these computers is sent both to the pilot's primary flight display and also to the control surfaces. These modes are called Normal law (the aircraft will fly with normal human input), Alternate law, Direct law and Mechanical law. I could write a manual on how all these modes work, but it brought into aviation a whole new perspective and to a point a very automated flying environment, the so called "seat of the pants" and "stick and rudder" styles of flying was replaced by a more office or procedure based input style of aviation that the smart machine did most of the work and even protected you from putting the aircraft into a situation beyond the aircraft's built in capabilities and flying envelopes. Aircraft systems were also very highly more automated in four base systems which are implemented as an independent physical simulations: electrical, hydraulics, fuel, and pneumatic + conditioning. All the systems are built up from hundreds of elementary objects, like wires, relays, circuit brakes, pipes, valves, pumps, etc, and then whole systems states are resolved each frame using physical laws. For the electrical system, for example, this is the full Ohm's law. For other systems, these are its equivalents. Systems interact with each other, generating signals from sensors and switches, control signals, and reacting to them. Computers continuously acquire, monitor and generate these control signals as well. If you are following all this you can see how very complex the A320 as an aircraft is, and to replicate that into a simulation is a very big task. And your position is to understand all this as well and operate (or fly) the aircraft to it's full potential. So this A320 Ultimate is not for the one with a newly acquired simulation pilot's licence. This is a pro aircraft or the "Ultimate" in simulation flying to replicate the real world style of modern jet aircraft flying. In X-Plane it is JARDesign's A320neo that is the current standard for the Airbus aircraft. The A320neo is very good, certainly with it's added in extensive sound pack form. But it does have a not so perfect flight model (mostly in the takeoff and performance areas) but you can't really compare that A320 with this one from FlighFactor, to a point if you want a good A320 the JAR's A320 is the better purchase, as this A320 from FF is a much more comprehensive aircraft and in that factor a lot more is required in real time study and practise to understand all the flying profiles and systems. There is not doubt that any pilot that has used the JAR A320 extensively (and there is a lot of you out there) then the transition to this Ultimate version is far easier to do, but don't expect the same experience or to transition easily, but the basics will come in handy if you know your way around the JAR A320 cockpit and setting up the MCDU. This review is noted as an "Overview". The FlightFactor A320 Ultimate is just too complex and far to detailed in systems and procedures to cover every aspect of the aircraft, so here in the overview it gives you a perspective of what is included with this aircraft and what it is basically about. Airbus A320-214 Ultimate by FlightFactor Aero The design aspect is in reality a secondary area to the aircraft's systems and and procedures. But the overall design is part of the package and the excellent detail is what you look for as well. Richard Culver and Artem Gality are the main modellers of the A320. Mr FlightFactor himself in Roman Berezin is still a major contributor to the production and we know by the earlier FlightFactor aircraft designs in the B757/767 aircraft that the work is of the highest standard. External And so it is here as well. The 3d work and modelling is excellent, but an very extensive detailed design is not like a smaller general aviation aircraft but a far more bigger canvas to fill and larger sizes can bring with them issues of too heavy an aircraft in framerate size to make it efficient in your simulator. Close inspection does reveal a very high attention to detail, the modeling is perfect. Close detail is that not what you can just outwardly see but the hidden details as well as you get with the forward wing leading edge slats, look behind and the inner construction is just as good as the outer curves. The rear main flaps are also beyond good, with highly detailed flap jacks and links all installed and animated. End of flap track runners are also highly detailed and look like they have just come off the factory floor. Undercarriage is always the first place you look for aircraft detailing. The A320U does not disappoint in this area of design and the gear sections are as detailed and good as you could get, bit clean though with not a lot of wear and tear... ... but every nut and component is visible as is the hydraulics and this is a long, long way from those days of stick undercarriages with wheels attached. ... and note the cast wheel hubs and great rubber feel on the tyres, the huge detail on the front landing gear is excellent. Engines are perfectly modeled as well with the CFM International CFM56-5B4 - 27,000 lbf (120 kN) installed and maybe the coming later option of the IAE V2500 in the future. Internal cowling detail is factory fresh and those beautiful rotating large fan blades are excellent, the CFM sounds nice as well. Internal Detailing Every year we get another level of detail in the internal areas of aircraft, here the cockpit is astounding in it's sheer detail that is simply eye popping. Everywhere you want to focus on you are totally breathless in what is now available in the quality of the aircraft. Yes you are paying for this extensive detail at this level, but you are certainly getting your return's worth as well... So how to do absorb it all, to understand the finite detail in the cockpit... as usual you focus on the small things. The pilot's chair in it's base is perfect, I mean totally perfect and the armrests move with fluid animation. Note the detailed fire extinguisher set into the wall. The pedestal is supremely crafted with every switch you require (strange though the door switch doesn't work?) but you get the idea. A highlight is the side forward windows open! Pull the catch and the heavyweighted full mechanism pulls back, again beautifully crafted and very realistic... sheer detail in motion. Cabin You can deliver more than one cabin livery if a third party wants to. I found two in the default Lufthansa, but a there is great a Delta available as well... More liveries are expected to come and detailed interiors only deliver more to the all round cause. The windows are small (A320 windows are) but they not as nicely detailed as JAR's lovely two glass reflective filled perfect ones... ... Roman Berezin has this thing of heavy boundries, so you can't move around much inside the aircraft, the cockpit feels cramped and smaller areas like galleys are hard to get into... ditto moving outside the aircraft with the internal view, as an invisible force field stops you going through any door. Menus The menus are built in and are displayed on the iPad on both sides for both the pilot and first officer. Lower right button turns it on. There are six page menu selections in : Service - Perf Data - Checklists - Browser - Settings - Map. The screen layout works very well and looks professional. Like a lot of areas on the A320U, when you use the iPad it disconnects from the aircraft for keyboard inputs, so you can't move the screen or anything aircraft related until you press the background to reconnect with the X-Plane environment. Note! : So when you use the iPad you get a blue ring around the active area of the screen. This can be the a sort of death zone, if you are not careful! If you use like I do keys to scroll the view (i.e. Rotate View : pan right fast) if you press the key while within this blue active area it will cause X-Plane to continuously "pan-right-fast" or scroll quickly in that direction or activate the action of that key, get in there and it is extremely hard to get back out again... the trick is to get another key input within in the blue death zone to stop the scrolling, but that can be hard as it zooms past, sometimes the only way to stop it is to close X-Plane. So you do tend to tread very carefully around the iPad and make sure before you leave it, you are back in the X-Plane active area and not have the input area active on the iPad. Service The service menu covers setting up the aircraft and static elements. There are four tabs (pages) to chose from : Supply - Fuel - PAX - Cargo Supply: is the ground element and power with main selections of a GPU (Ground Power Unit), An AirStarter (Ground starting) and Wheel Chocks. Fuel: This menu will allow you to fuel the aircraft and all tanks are available unlike the X-Plane default version and they include inner and outer tanks and the centre tank. The Fuel truck has to be attached before you can do the refueling and a big ugly thing it is as well? You can attach the JAR Ground Services fuel truck but it won't work in actually refueling the aircraft. PAX : The passenger load factors are under the PAX tab. Here you can easily adjust the aircraft loads and by classes in Business, Economy B (Premium Economy), Economy C (tight seats in the rear) and the number of passengers you want on the aircraft. There is the quick loading options of empty - 1/3 - 2/3 - Full and I usually use 2/3. You have to have the doors open to load or unload the aircraft, and there is (thankfully) a choice on each door on of "Gate" or "Stairs". Gate just opens the doors and Stairs will put a set of stairs at that door for you. Cargo : loading in cargo is very similar to passengers, but you don't get the quick loading options. Again you have cargo loaders to load on the freight from zones cargo 1 to 5. Note in that Cargo loader forward only loads cargo into the front hold, and the rear cargo loader the rest of the holds in the rear and the required loader has to be activated to load the cargo. Many users will say they would miss the JAR ground services including myself with this A320. Well fear not as it does work quite well with the FlightFactor A320U version... Ben/Air has done one here: Flight Factor A320 Ground Handling Deluxe Set and it works very well. As noted the fuel truck doesn't work (in connecting to the menu), and the cargo doors won't open without the provided cargo loaders, but everything else works fine including those lovely catering trucks. PERF Data (Performance Data) Once you have loaded the aircraft with passengers and cargo, this tab allows you to see the current set up of the aircraft including all weights and CoG (Centre of Gravity) balance. And you will need this information to feed into the aircraft's FMS (Flight Management System). Checklists Checklists is very and you move left or right through the lists via the blue triangles on each side. Helpful is the "Orange" titles show you what area you need to do the action, the white in what the check is. The checklist won't however do the action for you or start up the aircraft to taxi roll, in this case it is a little basic from other FF aircraft, but it is very good and very clear to use. Browser This one is interesting and very handy... If your computer is connected to the internet you can access the internet via this browser! However it will load pdf's but it is basic and I found some pdf''s worked fine but others struggled in loading or zoom. Settings You can set items like the Panel Quality, Reflections on/off, and Rain Effects, IRS Alignment speed from 1x 2x 5x and 10x, And you can also save the aircraft and its systems to reload a situation in the future, again it is like the X-Plane situations feature. But one item is really interesting... and it is under your server settings. You can apply for a Google API key and insert it here, this is now ready for the next tab... Map If the API key is activated you then get the "Google Map" tool directly into the iPad, excellent it is, but you can't declutter the screen so it is a one layout for all. But for checking out high terrain and the aircraft's position it is invaluable. Flying the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate You can't just drop into the pilot's seat of a real A320 and fly it straight to another destination, it quite doesn't work like that and you have to keep with in the same strategy when flying this FF A320U, certainly as expected from a cold start, but also from a hot engine running start as well. The standard native X-Plane manipulators don't work here, so you have mostly hands and pointers, but the main interaction is via a - & + and arrow up and an arrow down arrangement, and the arrows also represent the Airbus push in (up) and pull up (down) actions. Turning the knobs via the - + actions is one click at a time, so with speed and heading changes the movements are very slooow. If you do have a scroll wheel then that is a great big advantage in moving the knobs far more quickly and it is highly recommended. The manipulators otherwise can be a bit clunky, but you get used to it. Powering up from cold is a procedure process, but you know immediately that this is a very different machine than other Airbuses in X-Plane. Switch the batteries on and you don't get actions but tests... ... then faults... lots of them. And you are already feeling the depth of the systems here and the professional way you have to interact with the aircraft. This is just not the case of the ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor ) in E/WD upper screen and SD lower screen on screen data and they are not their just for the visual show. So this is a more deeper system than that in the systems you are usually interacting with as they are simulated as real and so acts as real in this very alive aircraft. FMS (Flight Management System) The heart of the A320 is the FMS or Flight Management system. This is accessed through the MCDU (Flight Management & Guidance System) and I am not going to sugar coat it in that as this is based on a real system to the very letter, it is complicated and requires a bit of homework to understand the full procedures and inputs required, in other words you will have to put your pilot's hat on and do the deal. The reward is that this is about the most perfect FMS system in X-Plane, it would take a very long review to cover all the aspects and the best way to sum it up, is that if the system is in the Airbus POH then it is replicated here in full. The FMS pops out for ease of use and like the side iPad it works in two levels in that it allows direct keyboard input when you see the Blue band around the FMS or press the background to get back your normal view and aircraft control. If you press the boundary of the FMS then it turns Red and you can now move it around the screen. The system uses the Thales FM rev1 and not the rev2 which is the most popular and the current system on the A320 series. But there is plans to update to the rev2 version later. Some buttons on the MCDU are quite faded and hard to see as you can't zoom up larger the popup to make it easier to read, so there is a lot of squinting and even guessing the keys and each side MCDU for either pilot is a separate unit for inputs like on the FlightFactor's Boeing 767. Input however in the (blue band) active position is simply excellent, I have never been a big fan of disconnecting popup panels but this one works extremely well and all inputs are clean and sharp, and with no input lag which can bug a lot of FMS planning. Better still is that you can get yourself sorted out if you make a mistake, the system is very forgiving and allows changes which again in that many FMS's usually just freeze or get lost in their own coding and only a total restart will then fix the issue. There is a lot of data required. Were as the JAR helped you with some of the calculations, here you are on your own. There is a lot of information to help you, but the tricky one is the Fuel Predictions and the Centre of Gravity trim. There are a few pointers on the as mentioned iPad performance data but you will need to do some numbers once the fuel is in and the aircraft is loaded. Funny enough these numbers come from the ground dispatcher for the pilots to input, but we as users don't have that luxury then you are going to have to calculate the loading yourself. No doubt there will be a lot of discussion and help on the forums. Once the data is all in and correct the rest then just falls into place and then the aircraft takes over its own mission from the data. The ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor) in the E/WD upper screen and SD lower screen details are standard airbus and every page required is covered, but there is that "wait and here it comes" when changing from one page to the other, and any electrical changes on the aircraft will slightly show on the displays as well for realism, as noted they are not only for just show but for real interpretation of your aircraft's systems. Again you will need to study the manual to understand how the systems interact and work... this A320 is not only the ultimate in aircraft, but in study and homework as well. The Airbus A320-214 feel factor It is a strange and a very slightly different feeling when operating this A320 than with your usual feedback from the X-Plane experience. It is far more smoother, in actions and movement... you don't feel disconnected but the best way to describe it is in the the way the A320 feels more professional. Sounds are extremely good and maybe the same sets from Blue Sky Star Simulations as they used with the Boeing 767, but they don't have that sheer minute directions and spot sounds like you hear on the JAR, so this package maybe a slight watered down version, but overall they are still excellent. Time on the aircraft may give us more aural input here. Taxiing and turning is very much like with QPAC's A320 if you flew that A320 version. The nosewheel is very smooth but turns in a slower smooth moving arc as well... you get use to it quickly, but again that smoothness come through the controls. Flying this A320-214 is the same. You feel the weight better, and inputs are heavier and it doesn't take long before you are getting the feedback that this aircraft is quite different in its actions... no sudden changes, no sudden movements, it is all molasses and not light liquids and that is a great thing in that there is a lot of the real world feel to the aircraft than a simulation experience... you make up you mind very quickly that this aircraft is going to be a very big part of your flying career over many years, once you master it's complexity.... because it is as real as it gets. All your earlier work pays off as the aircraft flies itself on the data, it is not called the "Electric Jet" for nothing. The routing is excellent and diversions with the "DIR" direct function is fast and efficient, again that smoothness of changes to the FMS is again a real world feeling. Note the great "Terrain" coverage on the Navigation and map display, in the airbus block way of course... .... so checklists and notes will become a part of your flying, just like the real A320 office. I have watched a lot of real cockpit aviation video's and you are getting more of that view than a simulated view, and the difference here is that it is you actually interacting with the aircraft and not a pilot on a video. I have found lower speeds and the approach feel in X-Plane sometimes quite average, in that speed to flap setting always feels a little out or wrong in that the aircraft pitches up too high when the speed and flaps are correct, here you don't have that. I found the aircraft is excellent in that zone in reducing speed and being a more stable platform with more control when lining up your approach. Certainly there is a lot more approaches and even a huge amount of flying yet to flown in this A320 Ultimate to be in the situation of mastering the performance and procedures that is the requirement of the professional aviator. Liveries There are one blank and five airline liveries provided with the package... Air Berlin, Airbus House, American Airlines, Korean Air and Ryanair. But you are also certainly spoilt for choice as there is now an industry of A320U Liveries being cranked out at an enormous rate... some of the best include: British Airways, Delta, Lufthansa (New), Air New Zealand, Finnair (very nice!) and my beloved Jetstar. Check out the X-Plane.Org Summary You are not going to get even close to the huge expanse of detail in this aircraft, so this small overview is hopefully a great introduction on what the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate is about and to note a few of its features. The potential of this aircraft is staggering, it is certainly a huge jump in almost every area of simulation, and even on its release you are having to be expected to find that the fine tuning will still be ongoing as FlightFactor constantly hone their creation into some perfection.... even real world aircraft are extensively tested before being delivered to airlines and that same process applies here as well. There is nothing wrong with this A320U, but it is very complex machine in its creation. Systems in the A320U are very complex and certainly fit within that "Study" grade of aircraft. In fact study is the word as the aircraft flies better the more you tune the FMS system inputs than with the usual case of upgrading you flying skills, you can go block to block and rarely fly the aircraft manually if you use all the automated features of the FMS in Takeoff, Climb, Cruise and landing preferences, and this aircraft does take up a lot of time to set up correctly, and you will need to do your homework to do so. This aircraft is only for the experienced, and even then they will have to learn the machines intricate details. But the rewards are staggering in that what you will receive is an almost real world simulation of this excellent aircraft. The Airbus A320 turns 30 years old this year, hard to believe that the "Electric Bus" has been around us that long. I have had many, many flights on A320's as so have most of you, so in a way this A320-214 from FlightFactor is a celebration of that aircraft and what it represents for aviation, it with the Boeing 737 is one of the most successful aircraft ever built and still the order books are full and the production is stretched far into the future. For us we can now explore and enjoy this very significant aircraft for ourselves with this Ultimate version of the Airbus A320 ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Airbus A320-214 Ultimate by FlightFactor Aero is NOW available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Airbus A320-214 Ultimate Price is US$$89.95 Custom Flight model Flight developed by professional to mimic the real aircraft Precise aerodynamic model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logic and behavior Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays High-Definition Model Hi-quality and realistic interior and exterior visual model Hi-quality and realistic sound pack with hundreds of sounds from the real aircraft Hi-quality display graphics (4K panel) Unique rain effects Fast access popup panel system Precise aerodynamical model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logic and behavior Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays. Realistic simulation of transition effects, self-tests and other real aircraft undocumented features Physically based implementation of electric, hydraulic, fuel and pneumatic systems with realistic responses and state transitions Precise flight management system with full profile predictions and modes of operation Autopilot, indistinguishable from real aircraft, with all modes, transition effects and undocumented features X-Updater The model come with the X-Updater for easy update of your aircraft. The X-Updater will easily update your aircraft to the latest version without having to re-download the entire file. Requirements X-Plane 11 or X-Plane 10 Windows or Mac (Linux not supported at this time) 2GB VRAM Minimum - 4GB+ VRAM recommended 920Mb Download size Current Version : 0.8.1 (last updated Feb 16th 2018) That 4gb VRAM is required and nothing under, you may have even reduce some render settings even with the 4gb loading. Anything less in VRAM will not run in any normal speed. Installation Download of the Airbus A320 Ultimate is a huge 743.50mb and it is installed in your Heavy Aircraft Folder as a 1.71gb folder. A X-Updater is provided for direct future aircraft updates. Authorisation key is required and a complete desktop restart is highly recommended. Internent connection is required for some features as is a Google API key for the built in Google map feature. Documents Documentation is currently one manual. You are required to use Airbus certified manuals with this aircraft, but this one is very good and recommended by FlightFactor: A320/321 Flight Crew Training Manual - 737NG.co.uk _____________________________________________________________________________________ Review by Stephen Dutton 17th February 2018 Copyright©2018: X-PlaneReviews (Disclaimer. All images and text in this review are the work and property of X-PlaneReviews, no sharing or copy of the content is allowed without consent from the author as per copyright conditions) Review System Specifications: Computer System: Windows - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - GeForce GTX 980/SSE2 - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.05 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro v1.07 US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 Scenery or Aircraft - KRSW - Southwest Florida International Airport by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$24.95
  23. News! - Now Released! : Boeing 757 v2.0 Pro Extended by FlightFactor Aero FlightFactor/Vmax/SteptoSky have released the Professional Extended version of the Boeing 757. An already highly configured aircraft with a study grade systems, here is another step up with more X-Plane11 compatibility (X-Plane11 is highly recommended as this aircraft does use all of X-Plane11 features). The Professional Extended version now comes with three versions of the B757... The original -200 version (above). And the new -300 and the -200SF Cargo versions. (below) And each version is available with two different engine configurations (P&W and RR). Almost everything has been upgraded including the menu system to the iPad touch (yes it was there before on v2, but it is interactive). Including this full list of features with the FMS/EFIS... Fully Functional Professional FMS and EFIS System Custom designed Flight Management Computer, integrated with other plane systems. Terminal procedures from updatable database. Two independent analogue instrument sets for captain and first officer. Two independently simulated EFIS (EADI/EHSI configuration) for captain and first officer. Dual-FMS with two independently working CDUs. Working instrument comparators. Triple IRS and triple symbol generator systems with realistic instrument source switching. Dual air-data computers with custom failure modes and source switching. Independent 2 nav and an ils receivers. Realistic inertial and radio position updating, you can see the individual inaccuracies of those systems. Triple-channel autopilot with realistic dependencies. Fail operational and fail passive autoland with mode degradations based on system failures. Load company routes generated by Professional Flight Planner X (or other compatible programs) directly into the FMC. FMC can be used on external touchscreen or tablet, optimized for the Retina iPad. The -200 and -300 cabin has been upgraded as well, with a completely new interior.. The Professional Extended version is $20 more than the standard $64.95 Boeing -200 version for the new -300 and the -200SF. But if you already own the current -200 standard version you can upgrade for the $20 by going to your original 757 v2 invoice to get your discount code or email [email protected] to get the $20 upgrade price. ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757-200ER Professional & Extended versions by VMAX and FlightFactor Aero is NOW! Available from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Price is US$64.95 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Price is US$84.95 Boeing 757-200ER v2 Professional Extended Upgrade Price is US$64.95 + US$20 You must already have purchased and own the current Boeing 757-200 v2 version and the aircraft is required to get the upgrade deal! Images are courtesy of FlightFactor Aero _____________________________________________________________________________________ News by Stephen Dutton 15th November 2017 Copyright©2017: X-PlaneReviews
  24. Overview Review : Airbus A320-214 Ultimate by FlightFactor Aero This Airbus aircraft from FlightFactor Aero is pretty unique. It's whole purpose is too deliver a completely new and extremely high quality simulation to flying Airbus aircraft in a simulator. It is unusual in another area as well, in the fact it is designed and built to be not part of any actual simulator platform. It is released in X-Plane and flies in X-Plane but it's basic underlying systems can also allow it to fly in any computer based system and no doubt in the future it's main purpose is for it to be a standalone simulator for Airbus A320 certified aircraft training. To acquire such a certification for real world based training then this aircraft would have to replicate almost every system and instrument that is found in a real A320 aircraft or simulator, and that is a more complex thing to do than you think it is. So it goes without saying that this aircraft in X-Plane is complex... not only in it's systems but also the aircraft's very complicated flying characteristics as this aircraft's nickname is the original "Electric Jet". When you really think about that aspect you can see how big a challenge it really is to bring such complex modeling and aircraft behaviour to a deskbound style simulator. Your first instincts are to understand that this aircraft is not really an X-Plane aircraft and in using the X-Plane based theory and dynamics, in fact the only area that this aircraft interacts with X-Plane is with the default XP ground physics and in time that will phased out as well. So this does create a very different environment in that any of the usual X-Plane interaction tools will not work with this aircraft, including manipulators and even X-Planes unique aerodynamic modeling in "blade element theory" of element forces at work on the aircraft. The FF A320U uses its own aerodynamic modeling that is quite close to Laminar's structures and theories, but is more much more controllable and flexible and has more options and parameters, and is engineered for a broader aerodynamic model and to make system logic consistent and more integral. The A320 series aircraft was very unique in its definition of control laws, protections, reconfigurations, and functions. Aircraft with fly-by-wire flight controls require computer-controlled flight control modes that are capable of determining the operational mode (computational law) of the aircraft. The fly by wire aircraft is controlled by three primary control computers (captain's, first officer's, and standby) and two secondary control computers (captain's and first officer's). In addition there are two flight control data computers (FCDC) that read information from the sensors, such as air data (airspeed, altitude). This is fed along with GPS data, into three redundant processing units known as air data inertial reference units (ADIRUs) that act both as an air data reference and inertial reference. ADIRUs are part of the air data inertial reference system, which, on the Airbus is linked to eight air data modules: three are linked to pitot tubes and five are linked to static sources. Information from the ADIRU is fed into one of several flight control computers (primary and secondary flight control). The computers also receive information from the control surfaces of the aircraft and from the pilots aircraft control devices and autopilot. Information from these computers is sent both to the pilot's primary flight display and also to the control surfaces. These modes are called Normal law (the aircraft will fly with normal human input), Alternate law, Direct law and Mechanical law. I could write a manual on how all these modes work, but it brought into aviation a whole new perspective and to a point a very automated flying environment, the so called "seat of the pants" and "stick and rudder" styles of flying was replaced by a more office or procedure based input style of aviation that the smart machine did most of the work and even protected you from putting the aircraft into a situation beyond the aircraft's built in capabilities and flying envelopes. Aircraft systems were also very highly more automated in four base systems which are implemented as an independent physical simulations: electrical, hydraulics, fuel, and pneumatic + conditioning. All the systems are built up from hundreds of elementary objects, like wires, relays, circuit brakes, pipes, valves, pumps, etc, and then whole systems states are resolved each frame using physical laws. For the electrical system, for example, this is the full Ohm's law. For other systems, these are its equivalents. Systems interact with each other, generating signals from sensors and switches, control signals, and reacting to them. Computers continuously acquire, monitor and generate these control signals as well. If you are following all this you can see how very complex the A320 as an aircraft is, and to replicate that into a simulation is a very big task. And your position is to understand all this as well and operate (or fly) the aircraft to it's full potential. So this A320 Ultimate is not for the one with a newly acquired simulation pilot's licence. This is a pro aircraft or the "Ultimate" in simulation flying to replicate the real world style of modern jet aircraft flying. In X-Plane it is JARDesign's A320neo that is the current standard for the Airbus aircraft. The A320neo is very good, certainly with it's added in extensive sound pack form. But it does have a not so perfect flight model (mostly in the takeoff and performance areas) but you can't really compare that A320 with this one from FlighFactor, to a point if you want a good A320 the JAR's A320 is the better purchase, as this A320 from FF is a much more comprehensive aircraft and in that factor a lot more is required in real time study and practise to understand all the flying profiles and systems. There is not doubt that any pilot that has used the JAR A320 extensively (and there is a lot of you out there) then the transition to this Ultimate version is far easier to do, but don't expect the same experience or to transition easily, but the basics will come in handy if you know your way around the JAR A320 cockpit and setting up the MCDU. This review is noted as an "Overview". The FlightFactor A320 Ultimate is just too complex and far to detailed in systems and procedures to cover every aspect of the aircraft, so here in the overview it gives you a perspective of what is included with this aircraft and what it is basically about. Airbus A320-214 Ultimate by FlightFactor Aero The design aspect is in reality a secondary area to the aircraft's systems and and procedures. But the overall design is part of the package and the excellent detail is what you look for as well. Richard Culver and Artem Gality are the main modellers of the A320. Mr FlightFactor himself in Roman Berezin is still a major contributor to the production and we know by the earlier FlightFactor aircraft designs in the B757/767 aircraft that the work is of the highest standard. And so it is here as well. The 3d work and modelling is excellent, but an very extensive detailed design is not like a smaller general aviation aircraft but a far more bigger canvas to fill and larger sizes can bring with them issues of too heavy an aircraft in framerate size to make it efficient in your simulator. Close inspection does reveal a very high attention to detail, the modeling is perfect. Close detail is that not what you can just outwardly see but the hidden details as well as you get with the forward wing leading edge slats, look behind and the inner construction is just as good as the outer curves. The rear main flaps are also beyond good, with highly detailed flap jacks and links all installed and animated. End of flap track runners are also highly detailed and look like they have just come off the factory floor. Undercarriage is always the first place you look for aircraft detailing. The A320U does not disappoint in this area of design and the gear sections are as detailed and good as you could get, bit clean though with not a lot of wear and tear... ... but every nut and component is visible as is the hydraulics and this is a long, long way from those days of stick undercarriages with wheels attached. ... and note the cast wheel hubs and great rubber feel on the tyres, the huge detail on the front landing gear is excellent. Engines are perfectly modeled as well with the CFM International CFM56-5B4 installed and maybe the coming later option of the IAE V2500 in the future. Internal cowling detail is factory fresh and those beautiful rotating large fan blades are excellent, the CFM sounds nice as well. Internal Detailing Every year we get another level of detail in the internal areas of aircraft, here the cockpit is astounding in it's sheer detail that is simply eye popping. Everywhere you want to focus on you are totally breathless in what is now available in the quality of the aircraft. Yes you are paying for this extensive detail at this level, but you are certainly getting your return's worth as well... So how to do absorb it all, to understand the finite detail in the cockpit... as usual you focus on the small things. The pilot's chair in it's base is perfect, I mean totally perfect and the armrests move with fluid animation. Note the detailed fire extinguisher set into the wall. The pedestal is supremely crafted with every switch you require (strange though the door switch doesn't work?) but you get the idea. A highlight is the side forward windows open! Pull the catch and the heavyweighted full mechanism pulls back, again beautifully crafted and very realistic... sheer detail in motion. Cabin You can deliver more than one cabin livery if a third party wants to. I found two in the default Lufthansa, but a there is great a Delta available as well... More liveries are expected to come and detailed interiors only deliver more to the all round cause. The windows are small (A320 windows are) but they not as nicely detailed as JAR's lovely two glass reflective filled perfect ones... ... Roman Berezin has this thing of heavy boundries, so you can't move around much inside the aircraft, the cockpit feels cramped and smaller areas like galleys are hard to get into... ditto moving outside the aircraft with the internal view, as an invisible force field stops you going through any door. Menus The menus are built in and are displayed on the iPad on both sides for both the pilot and first officer. Lower right button turns it on. There are six page menu selections in : Service - Perf Data - Checklists - Browser - Settings - Map. The screen layout works very well and looks professional. Like a lot of areas on the A320U, when you use the iPad it disconnects from the aircraft for keyboard inputs, so you can't move the screen or anything aircraft related until you press the background to reconnect with the X-Plane environment. Service The service menu covers setting up the aircraft and static elements. There are four tabs (pages) to chose from : Supply - Fuel - PAX - Cargo Supply: is the ground element and power with main selections of a GPU (Ground Power Unit), An AirStarter (Ground starting) and Wheel Chocks. Fuel: This menu will allow you to fuel the aircraft and all tanks are available unlike the X-Plane default version and they include inner and outer tanks and the centre tank. The Fuel truck has to be attached before you can do the refueling and a big ugly thing it is as well? You can attach the JAR Ground Services fuel truck but it won't work in actually refueling the aircraft. PAX : The passenger load factors are under the PAX tab. Here you can easily adjust the aircraft loads and by classes in Business, Economy B (Premium Economy), Economy C (tight seats in the rear) and the number of passengers you want on the aircraft. There is the quick loading options of empty - 1/3 - 2/3 - Full and I usually use 2/3. You have to have the doors open to load or unload the aircraft, and there is (thankfully) a choice on each door on of "Gate" or "Stairs". Gate just opens the doors and Stairs will put a set of stairs at that door for you. Cargo : loading in cargo is very similar to passengers, but you don't get the quick loading options. Again you have cargo loaders to load on the freight from zones cargo 1 to 5. Note in that Cargo loader forward only loads cargo into the front hold, and the rear cargo loader the rest of the holds in the rear and the required loader has to be activated to load the cargo. Many users will say they would miss the JAR ground services including myself with this A320. Well fear not as it does work quite well with the FlightFactor A320U version... Ben/Air has done one here: Flight Factor A320 Ground Handling Deluxe Set and it works very well. As noted the fuel truck doesn't work (in connecting to the menu), and the cargo doors won't open without the provided cargo loaders, but everything else works fine including those lovely catering trucks. PERF Data (Performance Data) Once you have loaded the aircraft with passengers and cargo, this tab allows you to see the current set up of the aircraft including all weights and CoG (Centre of Gravity) balance. And you will need this information to feed into the aircraft's FMS (Flight Management System). Checklists Checklists is very and you move left or right through the lists via the blue triangles on each side. Helpful is the "Orange" titles show you what area you need to do the action, the white in what the check is. The checklist won't however do the action for you or start up the aircraft to taxi roll, in this case it is a little basic from other FF aircraft, but it is very good and very clear to use. Browser This one is interesting and very handy... If your computer is connected to the internet you can access the internet via this browser! However it will load pdf's but it is basic and I found some pdf''s worked fine but others struggled in loading or zoom. Settings You can set items like the Panel Quality, Reflections on/off, and Rain Effects, IRS Alignment speed from 1x 2x 5x and 10x, And you can also save the aircraft and its systems to reload a situation in the future, again it is like the X-Plane situations feature. But one item is really interesting... and it is under your server settings. You can apply for a Google API key and insert it here, this is now ready for the next tab... Map If the API key is activated you then get the "Google Map" tool directly into the iPad, excellent it is, but you can't declutter the screen so it is a one layout for all. But for checking out high terrain and the aircraft's position it is invaluable. Flying the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate You can't just drop into the pilot's seat of a real A320 and fly it straight to another destination, it quite doesn't work like that and you have to keep with in the same strategy when flying this FF A320U, certainly as expected from a cold start, but also from a hot engine running start as well. The standard native X-Plane manipulators don't work here, so you have mostly hands and pointers, but the main interaction is via a - & + and arrow up and an arrow down arrangement, and the arrows also represent the Airbus push in (up) and pull up (down) actions. Turning the knobs via the - + actions is one click at a time, so with speed and heading changes the movements are very slooow. If you do have a scroll wheel then that is a great big advantage in moving the knobs far more quickly and it is highly recommended. The manipulators otherwise can be a bit clunky, but you get used to it. Powering up from cold is a procedure process, but you know immediately that this is a very different machine than other Airbuses in X-Plane. Switch the batteries on and you don't get actions but tests... ... then faults... lots of them. And you are already feeling the depth of the systems here and the professional way you have to interact with the aircraft. This is just not the case of the ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor ) in E/WD upper screen and SD lower screen on screen data and they are not their just for the visual show. So this is a more deeper system than that in the systems you are usually interacting with as they are simulated as real and so acts as real in this very alive aircraft. FMS (Flight Management System) The heart of the A320 is the FMS or Flight Management system. This is accessed through the MCDU (Flight Management & Guidance System) and I am not going to sugar coat it in that as this is based on a real system to the very letter, it is complicated and requires a bit of homework to understand the full procedures and inputs required, in other words you will have to put your pilot's hat on and do the deal. The reward is that this is about the most perfect FMS system in X-Plane, it would take a very long review to cover all the aspects and the best way to sum it up, is that if the system is in the Airbus POH then it is replicated here in full. The FMS pops out for ease of use and like the side iPad it works in two levels in that it allows direct keyboard input when you see the blue band around the FMS or press the background to get back your normal view and aircraft control. The system uses the Thales FM rev1 and not the rev2 which is the most popular and the current system on the A320 series. But there is plans to update to the rev2 version later. Some buttons on the MCDU are quite faded and hard to see as you can't zoom up larger the popup to make it easier to read, so there is a lot of squinting and even guessing the keys and each side MCDU for either pilot is a separate unit for inputs like on the FlightFactor's Boeing 767. Input however in the (blue band) active position is simply excellent, I have never been a big fan of disconnecting popup panels but this one works extremely well and all inputs are clean and sharp, and with no input lag which can bug a lot of FMS planning. Better still is that you can get yourself sorted out if you make a mistake, the system is very forgiving and allows changes which again in that many FMS's usually just freeze or get lost in their own coding and only a total restart will then fix the issue. There is a lot of data required. Were as the JAR helped you with some of the calculations, here you are on your own. There is a lot of information to help you, but the tricky one is the Fuel Predictions and the Centre of Gravity trim. There are a few pointers on the as mentioned iPad performance data but you will need to do some numbers once the fuel is in and the aircraft is loaded. Funny enough these numbers come from the ground dispatcher for the pilots to input, but we as users don't have that luxury then you are going to have to calculate the loading yourself. No doubt there will be a lot of discussion and help on the forums. Once the data is all in and correct the rest then just falls into place and then the aircraft takes over its own mission from the data. The ECAM (Electronic Centralised Aircraft Monitor) in the E/WD upper screen and SD lower screen details are standard airbus and every page required is covered, but there is that "wait and here it comes" when changing from one page to the other, and any electrical changes on the aircraft will slightly show on the displays as well for realism, as noted they are not only for just show but for real interpretation of your aircraft's systems. Again you will need to study the manual to understand how the systems interact and work... this A320 is not only the ultimate in aircraft, but in study and homework as well. The Airbus A320-214 feel factor It is a strange and slightly different feeling when operating this A320 than with your usual feedback from the X-Plane experience. It is far smoother, in actions and movement... you don't feel disconnected but the best way to describe it is in the the way the A320 feels more professional. Sounds are extremely good and maybe the same sets from Blue Sky Star Simulations as they used with the Boeing 767, but they don't have that sheer minute directions and spot sounds like you hear on the JAR, so this package maybe a slight watered down version, but overall they are still excellent. Time on the aircraft may give us more aural input here. taxiing and turning is very much like with QPAC's A320 if you flew that A320 version. The nosewheel is very smooth but turns in a smooth slower arc as well... you get use to it quickly, but again that smoothness come through the controls. Flying this A320-214 is the same. You feel the weight better, and inputs are heavier and it doesn't take long before you are getting the feedback that this aircraft is quite different in its actions... no sudden changes, no sudden movements, it is all molasses and not light liquids and that is a great thing in that there is a lot of the real world feel to the aircraft than a simulation experience... you make up you mind very quickly that this aircraft is going to be a very big part of your flying career over many years, once you master it's complexity.... because it is as real as it gets. All your earlier work pays off as the aircraft flies itself on the data, it is not called the "Electric Jet" for nothing. The routing is excellent and diversions with the "DIR" direct function is fast and efficient, again that smoothness of changes to the FMS is again a real world feeling. Note the great "Terrain" coverage on the Navigation and map display, in the airbus block way of course... .... so checklists and notes will become a part of your flying, just like the real A320 office. I have watched a lot of real cockpit aviation video's and you are getting more of that view than a simulated view, and the difference here is that it is you that is interacting with the aircraft and not a pilot on a video. I have found lower speeds and the approach feel in X-Plane sometimes quite average, in that speed to flap setting always feels a little out or wrong in that the aircraft pitches up too high when the speed and flaps are correct, here you don't have that. I found the aircraft is excellent in that zone in reducing speed and being a more stable platform with more control when lining up your approach. Certainly there is a lot more approaches and even a huge amount of flying yet to flown in this A320 Ultimate to be in the situation of mastering the performance and procedures that is the requirement of the professional aviator. Summary You are not going to get even close to the huge expanse of detail in this aircraft, so this small overview is hopefully a great introduction on what the FlightFactor A320 Ultimate is about and to note a few of its features. The potential of this aircraft is staggering, it is certainly a huge jump in almost every area of simulation, but currently that huge step comes with a bit of a dilemma in that there is a lot of fine tuning and bug testing to get this heavily complex simulation as perfect as it is going to be in the future. Currently the beta testing is on going, and even on its release you are having to be expected to find that fine tuning still ongoing as FlightFactor constantly hone their creation into some perfection.... even real world aircraft are extensively tested before being delivered to airlines and that same process applies here as well. There is nothing wrong with this A320, but it is complex in its creation. This aircraft is only for the experienced, and even then they will have to learn the machines intricate details. But the rewards are staggering in that what you will receive is an almost real world simulation of this excellent aircraft. The Airbus A320 turns 30 years old this year, hard to believe that the "Electric Bus" has been around us that long. I have had many, many flights on A320's as so have most of you, so in a way this A320-214 from FlightFactor is a celebration of that aircraft and what it represents for aviation, it with the Boeing 737 is one of the most successful aircraft ever built and still the order books are full and the production is stretched far into the future. For us we can now explore and enjoy this very significant aircraft for ourselves with this Ultimate version of the A320 ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Airbus A320-214 Ultimate by FlightFactor Aero is currently in BETA, but will be available soon from the X-Plane.Org Store here : Airbus A320-214 Ultimate Price is US$$89.95 Features Custom Flight model Flight developed by professional to mimic the real aircraft Precise aerodynamic model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logic and behavior Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays High-Definition Model Hi-quality and realistic interior and exterior visual model Hi-quality and realistic sound pack with hundreds of sounds from the real aircraft Hi-quality display graphics (4K panel) Unique rain effects Fast access popup panel system Precise aerodynamical model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics Realistic simulation of transition effects, self-tests and other real aircraft undocumented features Physically based implementation of electric, hydraulic, fuel and pneumatic systems with realistic responses and state transitions Precise flight management system with full profile predictions and modes of operation Autopilot, indistinguishable from real aircraft, with all modes, transition effects and undocumented features Requirements X-Plane 11 Windows only at this time - Mac and Linux version will come later 4GB VRAM Minimum 770Mb Download size That 4gb VRAM is required and nothing under, you may have even reduce some render settings even with the 4gb loading. Anything less in VRAM will not run in any normal speed. Installation Download of the Airbus A320 Ultimate is a huge 743.50mb and it is installed in your Heavy Aircraft Folder as a 1.47gb folder. A X-Updater is provided for direct future aircraft updates. Authorisation key is required and a complete desktop restart is highly recommended. Internent connection is required for some features as is a Google API key for the built in Google map feature. Documents Documentation is currently one manual. You are required to use Airbus certified manuals with this aircraft, but this one is very good and recommended by FlightFactor: A320/321 Flight Crew Training Manual - 737NG.co.uk _____________________________________________________________________________________ Review by Stephen Dutton 1st November 2017 Copyright©2017: 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) Review System Specifications: Computer System: Windows - Intel Core i7 6700K CPU 4.00GHz / 64bit - 16 Gb single 1067 Mhz DDR4 2133 - GeForce GTX 980/SSE2 - Samsung Evo 512gb SSD Software: - Windows 10 - X-Plane 11.05 Addons: Saitek x56 Rhino Pro system Joystick and Throttle : Sound - Bose Soundlink Mini Plugins: Environment Engine by xEnviro v1.07 US$69.90 : WorldTraffic 3.0 Plugin - US$29.95 Scenery or Aircraft - KRSW - Southwest Florida International Airport by Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgStore) - US$24.95
  25. News! - Aircraft Announcement : Ultimate A320 from FlightFactor FlightFactor has announced the coming of a Ultimate Airbus A320 of a real world training compatible aircraft for X-Plane. If you go right back a few years this was part of the original QPAC (QualityPark Group) initiative to bring a fully working A320 simulation to X-Plane. It was a bold experiment and the outcome was mostly all the current X-Plane A320/A380 aircraft (except JARDesign) use the flight control systems created from that original initiative to cover flight areas of Fly-by-wire, Alpha Floor, Flight Control Laws to give simulation a realist feel when flying Airbus aircraft and that initial investment has gone a long way over the years in the X-Plane simulator. This A320 aircraft from FlightFactor is the realisation of that original concept although I don't think QPAC is involved any more, but it is also a very different concept in the fact it does not use the X-Plane code or flight basics for the flying of the aircraft in the X-Plane Simulator. This means the aircraft is totally plugin active and in reality is not connected at all to the laws and rules that is the basis of Laminar Research's X-Plane Simulator, so even a simple point of noting that if the aircraft is in the air or on the ground is not feasible and neither is any other connection to the aspects of simulator. This provides both points of interest, in one the developers can do almost anything to replicate the A320 aircraft and it's systems, that is in the positive. But also is the fact the developers can also not use the set laws and ease of use of the built in X-Plane system that is provided (inbuilt) either. So even any provided simple area has to replicated and you don't have the X-Plane famous "Blade-element theory" to use either and in that is seeing the size and complexity of the project. In reality the A320 is then disconnected from its X-Plane base, and the project may be a future way of adding in more features or in either finding its limitations or the sheer complexity in trying to fly on your screen alone. FlightFactor note these features... · Hi quality and realistic interior and exterior visual model. · Hi quality and realistic sound pack with hundreds of sounds from the real aircraft. · Hi quality display graphics (4K panel). · Unique rain effects. · Fast access popup panel system. · Precise aerodynamical model with unique features like transonic effects, hi speed stall etc. · Specific engine model with realistic performance and dynamics. · More than 10,000 simulated objects like computers, sensors, units, data buses, busbars, relays, etc. with its own logics and behavior. · Simulation of data exchange in ARINC data protocol between aircraft computers with precision loss and delays. · Realistic simulation of transition effects, self-tests and other real aircraft undocumented features. · Physically based implementation of electric, hydraulic, fuel and pneumatic systems with realistic responses and state transitions. · Precise flight management system with full profile predictions and modes of operation. · Autopilot, indistinguishable from real aircraft, with all modes, transition effects and undocumented features. A point made by FlightFactor is that this A320 is a heavy based systems simulation, and so it is not aimed at users that are new to simulation or don't understand complex aircraft systems and the flying aspects of these aircraft. One interesting aspect from this project is that it may trickle down to FlightFactor's A350 aircraft also, as the developer has noted it will get the "Ultimate" title as well. So this is going to be one very interesting release, and FlightFactor also notes... "Price point: Due to the complexity and the accuracy of the systems - unheard of in x-plane - expect to pay more than with our current models. Since we will first release it in 'beta' form, first customers will get a discount (and we expect initial customers to take this sim very seriously)." In other words it won't be cheap.... Release date is near but not yet finalised, so watch this space and I would read up on Airbus operating and system manuals in the meantime. Images are courtesy of FlightFactor Developer A320 Forum : A320 Ultimate ______________________________________________________________________ Stephen Dutton 13th May 2017 Copyright©X-Plane Reviews: X-PlaneReviews
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