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  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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)
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. News! - Aircraft Update : Boeing 767-300ER 1.1.12 by FlightFactor/Steptosky FlightFactor_aero and SteptoSky have released an update for the Boeing 767. This v1.1.12 is mostly a bug and refine update, but there is a few special new features. The main new features are: *new click system, with lots of new options for cockpit interaction many FMS and AP improvements new cockpit tooltip system a lot of additions to the many new glow effects updater (still in beta) First new feature is the "tooltip" On the iPad menu under Cockpit Interactions (General/Cokpt Interaction) there is a new selection called "tooltips". You can select right, left or hover mouse clicks (or off) to show what the item you have selected is and what it does... handy. Second feature is the lovely new glow effects. The highlight here is the FMC panel to show off the effects to their full advantage. Developers have spent years trying to make text and lettering clearer in the cockpit and now they want to make them blurry again... but with a reason. It is to show the depth of the glass in the instrument and the internal text reflection on that depth of glass. It is a amazingly lifelike and another step forward in realism in the cockpit... In the darker cockpit environment the new glow effects are simply amazing, beautiful. The glow effects are also used on the instrument lighting reflections. Most notable is the artificial horizon reflection that changes and glows with the instrument's activity. Full 1.1.12 changelog is: - added kg/lb option - fixed some CTDs during STAR/APP setup - fixed some drawing artifacts on Intel HD Graphics - fixed CTD when you enter awy/wpt on the rte pages without entered dep/dest - added logic for checking airac cycle of the co-routes - reworked AT&AP - AP: reworked AT&AP modes switching/engaging/disconnection logic(for example: you can engage CMD without engaged FD), closer to real life - AP: reworked AT&AP modes internal logic( for example: ALT_HOLD modes now correct reacts to changing baro setting), closer to real life - AP: added new AT sub modes: SPD_LIM, SPD_FLAPS, ALPHA - AP: added new AP sub mode: ALT_CAP - AP: added several configurable AP options - AP: and other changes - improved the fast&slow indication for old style eadi. - reworked the click system, implemented new modes of cockpit inteaction with many options - added in-cockpit clickzone tips from the manual - added the ability to manipulate objects in several ways with options - fixed RTO disarm bugs - added a menu page for detail volume options for each group of sounds - added a menu page with cockpit inteaction options - added a page with detailed lighting effects options - added a new glow special effect - improved flightmodel with more precice CG bahaviour - fixed a bug with mach on MCP - fixed a bug with tail light - added an autosave option to the menu - fixed the throttle block RTO issue - fixed an issue with idle throttle blocking - added GA and disconnect switches to the throttle and the yokes - change the behavour of the plane when flying with open doors - change the APU logic to depend on main bat as per manual - added covers to the engines - added an option for more red (old type) digital displays - fixed cargo door text issue - some fixes for RESET MCP ALT message logic. - fixed wrong track indication on the ND during moving back (pushback for example). - added missing RTE COPY function to the PIP variant of the FMC. - fixed co-route loading bug with duplicates of waypoints. - fixed displaying the assumed temp in wrong conditions. - fixed staby instruments' electical dependencies - added support for unnamed oceanic points even if the nav database doesn't include those points. - made it so the menu autosave option includes all the airplane specific data as well as the defaults Check out X-PlaneReviews full comprehensive release review of the Flightfactor_aero/SteptoSky Boeing 767: Aircraft Review : Boeing 767-300ER Professional by VMAX and Flight Factor ______________________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 767-300ER Professional by VMAX and FlightFactor is NOW! Available from the new X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 767-300ER Professional Price is US$64.95 If you have already purchased any of the above Boeing 767-300ER Professional aircraft then go to your X-Plane.OrgStore account, log in, and download ver 1.1.12, check under the "Requirements" tab if the aircraft is the updated version and it should be noted like this "Current Version: 1.1.12 (last updated August 24th 2016)"... Requirements: X-Plane 10.40+ (any edition) running in 64bit mode. Windows 7+, Mac OS 10.9+ or Linux 14.04 LTS or compatible. 64bit mode 1Gb VRAM Video Card Minimum. 2Gb+ VRAM Recommended. 3Gb+ VRAM Preferred FlightFactor Developer Support : FlightFactor 767 Professional ______________________________________________________________________ Stephen Dutton 25th August 2016 Copyright©X-Plane Reviews: X-PlaneReviews 2016
  8. Aircraft Update : Airbus A350 XWB Advanced v1.3 by FlightFactor This is a blink and you will miss it moment, in that FlightFactor has upgraded the A350 XWB to version 1.3. Officially the upgrade only includes new external reflections or a glossy exterior to the aircraft. The reflections change is small but highly significant as it completely changes to look of the aircraft as the original had a slightly flat look about it. But now the A350 looks brilliant and is highly reflective were it needs to be and note on say the wings. The gloss also helps the other areas in more realistic chrome as highlighted by the Trent XWB engine inlet surrounds and leading edge spoilers. In the air the aircraft does look far better and more far realistic in its lofty surroundings. The A350 XWB is an odd one in FlightFactor's fleet. Early versions were a little not too refined enough, but good and even great in concept. The missing Thales FMC/MCDU or Flight Management & Guidance System (FMGS) is the obvious missing item from the flightdeck, but the FMC is to date still coming in the promised "Pro" version but when is still a lottery, and with this FMC becoming available then certainly will there come more Airbuses from this mostly Boeing sourced developer. So the A350 XWB has flown a little under everyone's radar, but I do fly it far more than than I note in these reviews. The big surprise in this v1.3 update is now how very complete now (except for the obvious) the aircraft is. No doubt it has had a lot of quiet attention from the developer, but it has matured quite nicely. There is not a lot of noted items in the changelogs, but there is no doubt been of a lot of refinement done in the aircraft and although not mentioned, the sounds are certainly far better than for that I remember them only a few months ago, then they were whiney-droney, but now feel far more layered and deeper in context, start up and shutdown feels far better, but in flight you are moving away from that whiney sound you had before, it is still there, but not as mono as it felt before. A quick flight and and landing showed me how nice the aircraft really is now and the early oddness is falling away. The only blight which is mostly on all FlightFactor aircraft is the constantly annoying cabin attendant on the overhead panel. I know you have to fix the issues he notes, but when you are in a heavy workload period like taking off or landing and the stupid bugger should be strapped in his seat and not constantly annoying you with comments of adjusting the cabin temperature and whatnots... You start swearing at the aircraft for him to just go away. No doubt the aircraft is now ready for the "Pro" version and FMC and all, until then it is now quite a nice aircraft to put into service and hopefully down the track a A350-900ULR variant or "hub smasher" of this aircraft would really give X-Planers a reason to cover some serious point to point long distance flying in the near future. Changelog is: v1.3.0 - added external reflections _____________________________________________________________________________________ The Airbus A350-900 XWB Advanced from FlightFactor is Available from the X-Plane.Org Store. Price is currently US$ 49.95 : Get the - Airbus A350 XWB Advanced - Here 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. Requirements: X-Plane 10.40+ in 64 bit mode Windows - Mac - Linux - 64bit Operating System required 1Gb+ VRAM Minimum, 2Gb+ VRAM Minimum. 8Gb RAM Version : 1.3 (last updated July 22, 2016) Release Review : Aircraft Review : Airbus A350 XWB Advanced by FlightFactor Support forum : FlightFactor A350 XWB _____________________________________________________________________________________ Updated by Stephen Dutton 27th July 2016 Copyright©2016: X-PlaneReviews
  9. Aircraft Review : FlightFactor Boeing 757RR-200 Route : BIKF (Keflavik) to EGCC (Manchester UK) In August 2012. FlightFactor with VMAX released their first X-Plane aircraft in the Boeing 777-200ER Worldliner and later the add-on variants (Extended) of the Longer -300 and Cargo version. The response was overwhelming in the simulation world of the standard that the aircraft represented in the way of quality, but more so in the depth of the systems and the excellent FMC (Flight Management Computer). The release created another upward step in the evolution of simulation standards towards realism and replication of real world aircraft operations. The announcement of the Boeing 757 series as the next release aircraft would certainly create a ready made market for the aircraft. However the B777 Worldliner was a very high standard to reach. The question is that "could the Boeing 757-Series be as good or even better than the acclaimed Boeing 777-Series"? I'll let you relax early and note that it is, and in many areas better. But it is also a very different aircraft than the B777 Worldliner in the fact it is a generation older than its bigger Boeing brother. It is a more manual hands-on aircraft and its systems are in that magnificent tween period of the transition from the standard dial and gauge cockpit to the all glass (display) cockpits of the modern era. This is one of the great attractions of the Boeing 757 as it can keep both the older and more modern pilots happy and fulfilled... The B757 also creates a bigger workload in the cockpit - so you have been warned. Boeing 757 After the success of the original Boeing series of aircraft in the 707/727/737/747. It came to the point in time where Boeing was faced with replacing its most successful aircraft (at that time) - The Boeing 727 that operated on the most important short and medium routes. Boeing knew that most airlines wanted a larger twin-aisle aircraft, but there was also significant demand for a single-aisle version as well. The result was two airframes that covered both markets in the B757/B767 Series as both had the commonality of cockpit layouts and the exchange of many parts and systems on both aircraft. The Boeing 767 became the twin-aisle version and the Boeing 757 was the single-aisle aircraft. It was a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine aircraft that can carry 200 to 289 passengers for a maximum of 3,150 to 4,100 nautical miles (5,830 to 7,600 km), depending on variant. And it was Boeing's the manufacturer largest single-aisle passenger aircraft and was produced from 1981 to 2004. Production of the 757 ended on October 28, 2004, after 1,050 had been built for 54 customers. The 757-200 was by far the most popular model, with 913 built. The prototype 757 was rolled out of the Renton factory on January 13, 1982. The aircraft, equipped with RB211-535C engines and completed its maiden flight one week ahead of schedule on February 19th,1982. The maiden flight however was not without complications, as the RB211 was affected by an engine stall, following indications of low oil pressure. After checking system diagnostics, Boeing company test pilot John Armstrong and co-pilot Lew Wallick were able to restart the affected engine, and the flight proceeded normally to landing. Eastern Air Lines operated the first commercial 757 flight on January 1st,1983, on the Atlanta-to-Tampa route. and on February 9th,1983, British Airways began using the aircraft for London-to-Belfast shuttle services as the first overseas airline to use the aircraft of where it replaced the retiring Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B trijets. The first 757 with PW2037 engines rolled out about one year later, and was delivered to Delta Air Lines on November 5, 1984. The 757 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit featuring a single fin and rudder. Each wing features a supercritical cross-section and is equipped with five-panel leading edge slats, single- and double-slotted flaps, an outboard aileron, and six spoilers. The wings are largely identical across all 757 variants, swept at 25 degrees, and optimized for a cruising speed of Mach 0.8 (533 mph or 858 km/h). The reduced wing sweep eliminates the need for inboard ailerons, yet incurs little drag penalty on short and medium length routes, during which most of the flight is spent climbing or descending. The airframe further incorporates carbon-fiber reinforced plastic wing surfaces, Kevlar fairings and access panels, plus improved aluminum alloys, which together reduce overall weight by 2,100 pounds (950 kg). Details noted here are noted for the -200 version. Cruise Speed : Mach 0.80 (530 mph, 458 knots, 850 km/h at cruise altitude of 35,000 ft or 10.66 km) Range : 3,900 nmi (7,222 km) (4,100 nmi (7,600 km) with winglets) Service Ceiling : 42,000 ft (12,800 m) FlightFactor The developer house behind the Boeing 777 and the Boeing 757 is FlightFactor. FlightFactor was formed by Roman Berezin (Ramzzess Aviation Design) and Philipp Münzel Avionics and are the main developer behind both series of aircraft and it is produced by VMAX, Roman is more on the modeling and general programming side while Philipp is centered more on the systems and avionics. But it take a lot people behind the scenes today to create these complex machines. Other highly regarded developers have also been involved who include: Andrey Germayer – in aeronautical engineering, Jack Skieczius – aeronautical engineering, Hartmut Krüger – paintkit and graphics, Bruno Gregorie – cockpit texturing, Marius Hoppmann – sound engineer, Pierre Lavaux – sound engineer. It takes a lot of talent to produce these aircraft and the days of the single developer are slow vanishing into the past. First Impressions The Boeing 757 is quite odd to look at compared to most modern airliners in the fact it is tall and skinny. The tall is that the undercarriage is higher (taller) than most aircraft, because Boeing wanted to have room under the aircraft for different variants and larger engines, Skinny is because it is a single-aisle aircraft based on a twin-aisle concept. Both these features however worked in the aircraft's favor because of its lighter weight, slender fuselage, huge power-to-weight ratio and big engines - It goes and climbs like ...... and is known as "the pocket rocket". FlightFactor's detailing is extraordinary good. And considering the detail it is very light on your frame-rate. Here the textures are set in "very high", but "high" is fine with only a slight buzzyness around some graphics at a very close range, most of the images here are set only in "high" and you would be pressed to notice the difference. The Icelandair livery is astoundingly good, It will be part of the add-on livery collections - but well worth the investment. You have the option of having Aviation Partners Incorporated winglets on or off. I like them on and they give you a longer range as well. They are well crafted into the wings with the lighting set perfectly into the leading edge. Flap construction and animation is first rate, the detailing is excellent. Not just for show but also the mechanism and detailing within the wing. The single and double-slotted flaps, outboard aileron and all six spoilers are represented. When the hydraulics are off the ailerons droop in realism. Tyres and undercarriage assemblies are again first rate, full detailing of links and hydraulic systems are almost perfect. I like the texturing of the supports and general worn dirtyness with out overdoing the effect. Perfect realism. Menu System The Boeing 757 menu system is different from FlightFactor's B777 menu... That one sits on the side of your computer screen like a blue blob, I don't care for menus that I can see, although as handy as they are. I find them distracting. Here the 757 menu is part of the X-Plane top menu under "Plugins". It means a double-click to access the menu, but it is a far more neater solution. (just be careful not to disable it) Here we require only the first two "General" and "Ground" menu pages. These pages are for setting up the aircraft and using features of the aircraft on the ground. General The "General" Menu allows you to set certain conditions on the aircraft. First is "High Challenge", "Real Limits" and "Real Time" all are effective depending on your level of skill, to start I recommend to keep them off until you are familiar with the aircraft, then introduce them to feel the effects. "Real Time" does not have as a major effect on the aircraft as the other two. You can select "F/O" First Officer to be in control to fly from the right side of the cockpit. You can plug-in a radio, select your winglet choice and load your last flight including fuel loads. "Charts" can be on/off and we will see them in the cockpit. Volume adjustment and you can save all the above as defaults. The lower section is your 6 main doors and 4 overwing (escape) doors operation (open/Close), No cargo doors though which is a shame? Ground The "Ground" Menu allows you to set up items on the ground around the aircraft. You have a large selection of vehicles and ground equipment to choose from. First you have two GPU's to use, One a general power supply, and the second a start supply that sits by the left engine. A passenger bus, Stairs on the right first door? great for servicing but you miss the door on the first left side for passenger plane/deplane... It feels odd and you miss it, a choice or better still both choices would be nice. A fuel truck that will load in your fuel load, a De-Ice Truck that is great but only De-Ices the right wing?. And chocks on the wheels. There is a "Gate" configuration button that turns off the Bus and Stairs which is fairly useless. The mid-section is for setting up the aircraft configuration for flight. This includes No.Pass, Cargo Weight, APU (fuel) time, Taxi (fuel) time, contingency (fuel), alternate (fuel) and trip fuel, total fuel and weight is shown and you can save and load in the configurations. Finally on the "Ground" menu there is a very good (Steer and power by throttle) pushback truck that is the same on the B777. very good it is as well. Cockpit First impressions of the cockpit are of the complexity and quality of the design. Looking into the cockpit, It does feel quite more darker than a B757 cockpit would look like, it helps with the detail but it does need to be a little more lighter to be more authentic. Detailing is astounding. almost every knob and switch is active and perfect in design. As noted this 757 is a generation of aircraft that transcended the era between the dials and glass cockpits. Sitting behind the beautifully rendered throttles (reverse thrust) levers is the main attraction. The FMS. It is almost the same design as the one on the FlightFactors Boeing 777, but it is the best FMC in X-Plane right now. Fully programmable with flight data (performance, Depart, Cruise, Arrival) routes x 2, Legs, SIDS & STARS, DEP/ARR airports, it is fully functional and both the FMS's of the pilot and the Co-Pilot's pop-outs and are completely and separately programmable, you can start setting up the data on the pilots side and finish on the Co-Pilots FMC or do both at the same time and can input on different modes (you still have to follow the basic input rules).... Just simply brilliant. If you look closely you will find a mode missing? Radio was not on the FMC at this stage (unlike the B777) and so you have to input your frequencies manually. One Item worth noting is that you can save a route (yah!). But to retrieve the route from file you have to input the exact letters and numbers into the FMC. You can check in the Plugin/757Avionics/Routes folder if you forget or simply write them down. The systems on the 757 aircraft are highly complex with full Electrical, hydraulic, De-Ice, Fuel (pumps and tank transfer) most of which is situated on the overhead panel (OHP). There is a multistage custom failure system with in-browser instructor’s console and you have the ability to fix failure by following the proper procedures. And between flights any failures and maintenance will carry over to the next flight that gives you the realism of a not so perfect aircraft. (you can turn this all off via the menu). Starting the engines is as complex as you would expect from a cold start-up, it requires long procedures of button pushing and systems activation. On power up the engine power comes in gradually and then they get noisy outside, they are dirty as well as the black plumes of carbon fill the air behind the engine exhausts. As it is very complex machine, you do have thankfully an excellent checklist and tutorial built into the menu. A full checklist for every portion of the flight is available. First there is a "Normal" checklist that just lists the procedures, This includes the standard aircraft walkaround. "Procedures" takes the situations a level higher. First with a highly detailed instruction of each procedure and then as a very clever tutorial that goes through all the procedures. As you click each procedure it will show you in what order and where each item is to be activated. As you click the items off the checklist it goes onto the next item. For new and even experienced users like me, it makes the systems more easily absorbed and you learn quite fast. Many times you know what to press but can't find the right function on the panel... or do the sequence in the wrong order. Here a few runs through and you are pretty well ready just to use the standard checklists. There is the "Operational" Checklists that is also highly detailed and every one of these checklists can be used in Auto mode when the aircraft will do it for you. The final item "RE-SET" on the menu will reset any of the Checklists in the lists. It looks daunting at first but the checklist menus are simply so good you will soon understand the aircraft. Interior The interior cabin is just as detailed as every other item on the aircraft, Opening the locked cabin door will find you with a "I can't do that look on your face", You can, as the (FLT DK Door) button is on the OHP and that shows the amount of detail you have. Inside the seats are beautifully rippled, and the cabin fittings, Lavatories, working galleys and all the interior lighting lighting is excellent. Flying the Boeing 757 Once the aircraft is configured with fuel (menu), FMS flight route (data) and engine start you are ready for pushback. Flaps were set at 10º. and brakes away. Taxiing is easy as the throttle response is excellent, you feel the weight and it takes a push for thrust to get the 757 moving, then you settle it back to a 10knt taxi speed. You can do cabin announcements via a great announcement menu page. There is a full list of excellent standard announcements that will bring a smile to your face, There is also the option for charts on the yoke, these are pdf's that are stored in the "CHARTS" folder in the main file folder. They have to be listed (.png's) and configured for use, but it is worthwhile for their usability and as an excellent feature. Push throttles forward and the engines spool up to full power in their own time, this takes a moment and then the push comes in. Totally realistic in the moment is that the power is just there on other aircraft, but it is simply not here on the 757 until it comes in with a growing gradient of power. The feeling is fabulous in its effect of reality... amazing programming must be required to get this just right. At rotate you just let it climb without pulling back to hard, Gear up is a two stage click upwards on the lever, It climbs like you expect, very quickly. And on the turn back towards the coast over BIRK I was already at 8000ft and climbing easily at 2000ftpm. Turn to the sun and the active shades feature will cover the windows, turn away and they go up again. Both Pilot and Co-Pilot NAV/MAP displays are independent, Usually placed on the glareshield, here they are on the pedestal. it makes adjustment tricky - but they are very authentic in operation. Glareshield Autopilot is excellent, It has full separate functions for the the Pilot and Co-Pilot, VOR 2 frequency settings are at both sides, which can be set to Manual or Automatic. Pilots side instruments shows the duel mixture of dials and glass screens with digital readouts from that era. Setting the ILS Frequency (VOR1) is a slightly more nerve racking affair if you don't know how? or where it is? It is situated at the rear of the pedestal, but the first the actual frequencies don't show unless you adjust the lighting - it is just dark or blank. When it does show it only displays dotted lines? A casual look around the cockpit became a frantic search for the badly needed ILS setting. The trick is to touch the knob on the frequency selector and the frequencies finally show a selectable freq number. Another feature is the oxygen mask, press the compartment to the pilots left hand and activate the mask, it moves as you wear it and not just where you look, but also on how you breath! Enroute and you have a lot of tools at your disposal. The FMC gives you your route while the Co-Pilot does the flying with the standard MAP mode. Engine performance and power is shown on the displays. At arrival you can easily set the correct distance to your turn fix for the correct height. Cabin and glass reflections are first class. the windows all give great reflections and they are worse at night with the lighting from the instruments.. Flying today is in good weather, But if it turns wet or stormy then the aircraft has a good weather radar (adjustible!) and great rain effects on the windows, now in X-Plane in aircraft of this category rain is mostly de-rigueur, but FlightFactor do it very well. Arrival is down to 5000ft and m62. But watch the aircraft as it will fall quite quickly if you don't control the descent, on finals as you turn but you have to watch the drag from those long drooping flaps, in fact your speed has to be quite slow at around 140knts on approach, because if you don't control the speed and you are not slow enough in the flare you will get a bang of a landing. (or a reset!) That last few feet from the ILS cutoff is going to test your skill to the limit. But get it right and you will smile for days after. The reverse thrust is very effective and blows out a lot of black dirt in front of the engines. Then don't forget to let the passengers know they have arrived... Sounds The Boeing 757 has over 200 Mb of custom sounds, in 3d of course. The cockpit has many of these and can be heard while pressing various functions. In flight the "Ding-Dong" goes off all the time as passengers call the attendants.... very realistic. There are also 3D stereo sound for the engines and they sound great with from some angle a real burring turbine sound that is excellent. Liveries There are four liveries with the aircraft package: Boeing House, British Airways (retro), Air France and Lufthansa. And eight livery packs available for US$10 per pack - Includes: Asia Pacific Livery Pack for 757 - Europe Livery Pack #1 for 757 - Europe Livery Pack #2 for 757 - Europe Livery Pack #3 for 757- Middle East/ Africa Pack for 757 North American Livery Pack#1 for 757 - North American Livery Pack#2 for 757 - Russian Livery Pack for 757 Conclusions The Boeing-200 from FlightFactor is a huge aircraft full of brilliant features. The modeling and design are first rate if not the best in X-Plane at this current period. It is a large investment, but you are getting the very best as well. If you have acquired the Boeing 777Series then you know why the Boeing 757 is also going to be great value. It has the same quality and design as the B777. But still the B757 is very different in its own way. The main feature is again the programmable FMC as it is simply the best in X-Plane, but the shear systems depth is also another real attraction. For a large file it is amazingly light on your frame-rate and the texture quality does not suffer either. The 3d sounds are another aspect as they are very good as well. The only items that I would have liked is cargo doors and the option of the stairs on the left (front) door, but both are for my own service requirements. For a novice flyer the B757 is a complex and daunting machine, the brilliant checklist system helps, but it will take time to fully understand the aircraft not only in operation but also in the air. No review could cover all the systems on this aircraft, as they are to large and complex but with this investment you will get in return of many and even hundreds of hours of simulation at the highest level. for value there can be no other greater reward. _____________________________________________________________ Yes! the Boeing 757 Professional is now Available from the X-Plane.OrgShop : Designed by FlightFactor (Philipp and Ramzzess) and produced by VMAX Price is US$59.95 : Boeing 757 Professional Developer Site: facebook Dev Thread : X-Plane.org Review By Stephen Dutton 7th November 2013 Technical Requirements: 64bit X-Plane 10 and OS are required to run the 757. Windows Vista/7/8 64bit or Mac OSX 10.7/10.8/10.9 or Linux Ubuntu 12.04LTS or compatible (older versions are not supported) X-Plane 10 fully updated. 64 bit mode. (X-Plane 9 not supported. x-plane 10 32 bit not supported) 8GB RAM/1GBVRAM (2GB VRAM Recommended)- 512b available hard disk space (download size:375Mb - Custom Folder size (expanded) is 577.50mb) Current version : 1.01 (last updated November 7th, 2013) Review System Specifications: Computer System: - 2.66 Ghz Intel Core i5 iMac 27” - 6 Gb 1067 Mhz DDR3 - ATI Radeon HD 4850 512mb Software: - Mac OS Mavericks 10.9 - X-Plane 10 Global ver 10.22 (final) Addons - Saitek x52 Pro system Joystick and Throttle Scenery - BIKF (Keflavik) - Aerosoft (X-Plane.OrgShop US$19.95) - EGCC (Manchester UK) - Captain Dij (X-Plane.Org)
  10. News! - New images of FlightFactors Boeing 767 Flightfactor have released some great new cockpit images of their coming Boeing 767.... It is noted as going into beta very soon. Images are courtesy of FlightFactor _____________________________________________________________________________________ Stephen Dutton 2nd November 2015 Copyright©2015: X-PlaneReviews
  11. Updated 22nd August 2015 FlightFactor has cleared the A350XWB for all platforms as the SASL issue on the Mac has now be fixed, Ramzzess notes: "We are glad to announce that A350 Advanced for mac users has been fixed and should be considered a fully supported version. First of all we would like to that all the people who bought the MAC version in beta and helped with testing. Thank you for you trust, support and patience. For those more technically minded, here is a small explanation. Our planes run on a system called SASL which allows us to script code in a language called lua and run it in the sim. In order to run lua efficiently we do this inside a virtual machine called luaJit which is a 3rd party system. When we saw the gremlin code we started investigating our plugins, our scripts then SASL itself and when our way up to more global things. As it turned out, it was luaJit itself which had an issue with memory which led to completely random crashes without a good trace. We only understood that the bug must be there, or even higher up in XP itself, a few weeks ago. Apparently, the luaJit provider already found this bug and fixed it two months ago. All is well that ends well. Update to v1.2 on the store and enjoy the product." X-PlaneReviews Review here: Aircraft Review : Airbus A350 XWB Advanced by FlightFactor X-Plane.OrgStore here: Airbus A350 XWB Advanced _______________________________________________________ News! - FlightFactor releases patch for A350XWB MAC version Ramzzess from FlightFactor has released a patch 1.1.4 for the Airbus A350XWB that is a fix for the MAC crashes that have cause issues with the aircraft... Link is for patch 1.1.4 is here: http://forums.x-plan...showtopic=88287 Download and insert the "SASL folder" in the plugin folder and replace the "Custom Avionics" folder in the aircraft. Feedback is important because FlightFactor want to know that this nasty has been quashed (hopefully for good) support thread is below. FlightFactor: A350XWB Support Thread Stephen Dutton 17th August 2015 Copyright©2015: X-PlaneReviews
  12. News! - FlightFactor announces next project Boeing 767-300ER Ramzzess has assembled a dream team to produce this aircraft with the addition of new graphic designers and programmers (some of them with pro sim background). Based on the experienced acquired in developing the 777 and the 757, the 767-300ER aims to be the most comprehensive airliner available on a desktop flight simulator. More details will be released by Roman and his team in the weeks to come. The aircraft is already in final stages of development. ETA is Fall 2015 Some features: Ultra-High Resolution model with use of 4K textures, normal maps and dynamic reflections. Comprehensive on-screen menus with load manager, dynamic CG, support vehicles, etc .. Comprehensive systems with the PIP FMC (support for sid/stars), professional sound system, terrain map, etc ... The 767 will set a new standard for airliners in X-Plane 10 (Nicolas X-Plane.Org) X-Plane Reviews will add to this as more information comes to light... Stephen Dutton X-Plane Reviews© 31st July 2015
  13. Flightfactor has updated the Boeing 777 series to 1.5.1.1, Note the extra .1 and not 1.5.1, although only a small change in the "corrected engine limits for auto throttle". It is however important to make sure you have the correct version. The B777 some had some niggles. Nothing that would really spoil the simulation, but niggles they were. My main niggle was the park brake staying on when you set the auto brake (that was fixed in update 1.5.0) and it drove me senseless in the fact I did a complete perfect flight to be then dragging my squealing bogies of tyres down the runway trying to free them from their pain, It is now fixed and so is the issue on the rudder toe pedals as well. Most of the fixes are around the throttle settings and really the rest are mostly final fine tuning. One item that was noted and made the biggest noise on the forums was the fan blade animation, I joined in the chorus as it just didn't look right... and here is the fix. Power on up and the changes in the fan speed are significant. The childish glee turned to outright delight as I powered up those huge GE90-115's to full power and back down again, turn up your sound volume and fill the room with engine power and screeching brakes as the Worldliner drags itself down the runway! Power up and then down and you will certainly love this animation of changing speeds and the way the central core runs the opposite way and then starts to move in the correct rotational direction of the huge fan blades. The animation has moved from being one of only an average visual distraction, to one of the best in X-Plane. A new set of liveries for the -300 version has also been released. The Liveries : US Airways - SAS - JetBlue - Turkish Airlines -TAP - Air Berlin Qantas - Alitalia - Avianca - Iberia In Roman Berezin's I asked him on the status of the B777 Series, My feeling with this upgrade the series has reached nearly a year on from its release a point of maturity, Roman agrees with me there. There will always be somewhere to fine tune or fix as the list is never ending, but at this point the B777 series is at a point that it is now one of the best and mature simulations we have in X-Plane10. Update details: 1.5.1.1 change log (all XP10 models only) -corrected engine limits for auto throttle 1.5.1 changelog (all XP10 64bit only) -new gear model and animation for a more realistic appearance on the ground -new fanblade animation that looks nicer and is fps-independent -corrected reference point of the -300ER, correcting elevator effectiveness at slow speeds -fixed a bug in "Real Limits" option that could cause the wrong crash detection to trigger -corrected animation of the pushback truck -callouts added: V1, approaching minimums (thanks to Pierre Lavaux) -corrected callout logic for Baro decision altitude -added MCP altitude alert sounds -enhanced the thrust reverser sound -corrected some problems with playing PA sounds -corrected engine idle/engine out drag -enhanced autobrake behavior with pedals -enhanced remote CDU graphics and touch responsiveness (thanks to Bradley Fisherman) -stab trim indication on FCTL page fixed -decreased throttle limit for TO/GA selection on the ground -fixed a buffer overflow on the FMC FIX page that could lead to crashes on Windows -corrected thrust settings for flight idle descent -correct pagination for SIDs with more than 4 airway transitions -fixed some typos The Boeing Worldliner - (extended) Cargo (extended), - 300 version and all liveries are all available from the X-Plane .Org Store. Boeing Worldliner US$59.95 : Boeing Worldliner Professinal For the Extended (Cargo) and the -300 version you have to have the main "Professinal" package installed. The add-ons are then: - US$10 Extended (Cargo) - US$10 -300 Version All Livery Packs are US$10 per 10 liveries ($1 per livery) 4th Aug 2013
  14. Airliner Update Review: Boeing 757 Professional "Extended" Series v1.2 by VMAX FlightFactor/VMAX have released and updated their Boeing 757 Professional Series to version 1.2. And with this update the Boeing 757 series changes into the same packaging as the FF/VMAX Boeing 777 Series in having the basic "Professional" pack of the B757-200 series, and the new "Extended" package of all three types packaged together which includes three aircraft in the -200, -200SF (cargo) which come with both engine choices of Rolls Royce Engines - RB211-535E4 or the Pratt and Whitney Engines - PW2037 and also now included is the new long stretch version of the Boeing 757-300 which is RR powered. The "Expansion" pack of the -200SF cargo version has now been deleted and is only available in the "Extended" package. If you already own the standard package you can simply get an upgrade code (send an email to [email protected] here) of US$20 for the three variants, just like with the B777 "Extended" Pack. If already have both the Pro and the SP cargo packs then the upgrade code is only US$10 to the full "Extended" package. (Extended Package) The highlight of this release is certainly the 757-300... So is this the best Boeing 757 variant yet? To find out I flew the -300 variant from KATL (Atlanta) to KLAX (Los Angeles) in a 5h 20min flight of Delta service. First view of the -300 version is how looooong it really is? The aircraft is a full 23.4-foot (7.13 m) stretch of the standard 757-200 and at 178.7 feet (54.5 m) the type is the longest single-aisle twinjet ever built. It has a higher MTOW of 272,500 pounds (124,000 kg) is specified and the fuel capacity remains unchanged; as a result the -300 stretched variant offers a maximum range of 3,395 nautical miles (6,290 km). If you select an old -200 livery you can see the plugs in the airframe. Boeing thought it was on to a good thing in stretching an already popular -200 version, but Boeing had targeted the 757-300 as a potential 767-200 replacement for two of its largest customers, American Airlines and United Airlines, but neither were in a financial position to commit to new aircraft. So only 55 aircraft were ever built. The first 757-300 was rolled out on May 31, 1998, and completed its maiden flight on August 2, 1998. Following the regulatory certification in January 1999, the type entered service with Condor on March 19, 1999. The 757-300 has been operated by mainline carriers Continental Airlines (now part of United Airlines), Northwest Airlines (now part of Delta Air Lines), and Icelandair; other operators have included American Trans Air (the first North American operator), Arkia Israel Airlines, along with charter carriers Condor and Thomas Cook Airlines. All the original production aircraft are still in service in as of July 2014. I personally like the look of this long and thin version. The Boeing 757 has always been a slightly odd looking aircraft anyway, in being tall but thin against its mortal twin the Boeing 767 twin aisle version. The -300 version make the Boeing 757 more of a statement and say "hey brother, I can play your big games as well" The aircraft is become very hard to replace as well, as until the recent release of the Airbus 321LR (Long Range) NEO option it has been unrivaled in many single-aisle markets and very popular on the North Atlantic routes. FlightFactor/VMAX Boeing B757 version 1.2 This update as noted includes the new variant the -300. The update log (listed at the bottom of the post) is actually quite small? just really a nip and tuck here and there. Any highlighted changes I will note in the update review as we head to KLAX. Two things to note, in that the aircraft after loading takes a fair while to orient itself and get all the functions of the systems up to running order, so you have to be patient and wait for it to finish what it is doing. Another note is that it doesn't like to be moved via the location map or airport gate position. you find the plugin will mis-behave if you do, a clean runway start and a long and boring taxi ride to the gate you want to use is more favourable than the issues that keep cropping up if you move the B757 around quickly. The "office" is still warm as the aircraft has just arrived from San Francisco, and we are the new crew heading back to LAX, so we don't have to completely restart the aircraft from cold. Looking into the cockpit, you can't go past the detailing of this B757 Series from FF/VMAX. It is simply jawdropping in complexity and design, this notes that these high standard aircraft do require either (a) a few hours in X-Plane on heavy aircraft and the need to know at least the basics on how these complex machines fly, a novice would get through, but be aware these aircraft are a very deep immersion simulations, and this B757 Series is very deep indeed. (b ) they need patience and even a bit of homework in the manuals to get the very best out of the simulation, and you have to prepare this aircraft in charts and tables and routing to fly it. Which means an hour on ground before you actually fly if you are not prepared. The CDU (Control and Display Unit) pops out for ease of use for programming, but if you have an iPad (which i do) then this is supported as well, and this is one of the best features on the aircraft and for ease of use in setting out those SID/STAR bookends with the route. The dual and completely separate for the captain and first officer positions CDU's are positioned high on the pedestal, but can be sometimes hard to read in strong daylight. To highlight this is the FMC (Flight Management Computer) in that it is a complete reproduction of the real 757 FMC? no default X-Plane flightplans can be used in here. You have to program the system yourself (you can thankfully "save" the completed flightplan), but still you have to program in your departure and arrival preferences, weights, fuel and GPS position. In v1.2 the 757 will now also load the navdata from the Custom Data/GNS430/navdata/ folder of X-Plane. So by installing usual the navdata update for X-Plane, you automatically now have the latest data available in the 757 FMC. The menu's under the X-Plane/Plugin menus are highly extensive (and have been covered in the original B757 review) But here we will highlight the loading of the aircraft with fuel and passengers, note you need the "fuel truck' and "bus" ticked to allow the loading menu to work but you can now change the external fuel before actual engine start which you couldn't do before. It takes time as well to go about its business (this process has been refined even more), and cleverly also up dates the FMC with the correct fuel load and aircraft weight parameters. The cabin announcements are a menu highlight as well, you can enjoy the ramblings going on the background and even through there are already lists of announcements you want even more to press, it is a bit of a lot of mouse movement to get them every-time from the X-Plane menu... you want a slightly simpler way of just clicking the next one? The cabin requests still keep on donging all the time on the overhead, you either like or hate this feature. But like me you should listen to the requests and comply and they will soon go away. There is a new feature in being able to use the "scroll" wheel function in v1.2 with three options in... mouse wheel, - click and + click, if you don't have a wheel mouse like me you can turn it off on the menu. Another 1.2 feature is a "Throttle block" which is request for users that have large complex surround multi-screen cockpits and added throttle protection for "autothrottle disengagment". Around the aircraft the menu supplies a lot of ground equipment and support for getting the aircraft ready for flight, all the doors open but the lower cargo ones are fixed shut. Which is shame as it is the only negative in the ground turnaround system. Aircraft loaded and clearance given, it is time to start the engines. You can use the on board APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) that makes great sounds when running or in my case use both the GPU (Ground Power Unit) and Starter Unit. Also on the menu is a really good pushback truck that you not only control the speed (forward in pull and pushback) but also can manoeuvre and steer the aircraft directly to where you want it... perfect. There was a bug with the tow-tractor that created a double version, but that has been fixed in v1.2. The immersion of the simulation with the Boeing 757 is total in most aspects. You are really in there in every aspect of getting the aircraft ready and then delivering it to the runway. The FF/VMAX Boeing 757 Series has had many accolades and you can't deny it with its place as one of the very best simulations in X-Plane. The level of immersion now is totally overwhelming, and select the right scenery to go with the aircraft and you can't deny yourself this experience if you love flying aircraft or dreamed about wanting to be the pilot in the front of the aircraft... its here if you want it and are willing to involve yourself in the complexity of the simulation. The -300 version feels different, certainly with nearly a full passenger load and tanked up fuel tanks. It is quite heavy (256,000lbs) and you need a fair bit of power to get the aircraft moving, it is long as well. You have to be very aware of how well far back from you that tail and central bogie gear really is, and to make the large allowances when turning around the taxiways, if you treat the -300 like the -200 version you will "come a right cropper". Departure is via RNAV SID "JOGOR FOUR", And as I am departing by KATL runway 9L I take the southern route towards "GRITZ", then via HYZMN, ZALLE to JOGOR, If you depart via the northern 8L and 8R you have to take the northern departure route to JOGOR and the SID ends at "GUNDE", departure is strictly 10,000ft and 250knts. Rotate is at v2 +15 and a positive climb of 10º is soon slightly a more lower pitch 7º when I switch on the AP (Autopilot). The FMC requires you use 15º flap for takeoff, which is fine but comes with a lot of drag once in the air, so you need to retract you flaps and gain speed as soon as you can. The power of this aircraft is there and it will climb easily at 3000fpm, but keep the B757 a more shallower ptich. A small warning is again that on -300 long tail... at rotation we don't want a long nasty scratch along the underside of the rear fuselage which is very easy to do, if you are a little heavy on the pull-back on the yoke. I really like the target vertical speed marker, it allows you to set your altitude to the correct point in the flightplan (just before a bank or waypoint) it is great for the correct positioning the aircraft during the climb. In most cases the FMC is doing all the work, but you are still quite busy adjusting the correct vertical speed to adjust the overall speed of the aircraft. You get a better perspective of the aircraft in the air. You would think it would look too long and too thin like the DC-8 Super 60 series, but actually it looks very nice, to me even better than the -200 version. The B757 is known for its super powerful lifting speed and powerful it feel. You ned to use that power as if you keep the speed too low and not get up there towards the max cruising speed the aircraft will fly at 5º pitch which is quite an uncomfortable angle, with a .80 mach you can reduce that to about 2º. And I was never really comfortable with that cruising profile. With the sharper light at being at altitude you had to admire the quality of the cockpit design, it is entirely realistic. There was a few noticeable 3D holes in the cockpit? but they have been addressed in v1.2. Internal detailing is superb, you can almost see every flock if wool on the sheepskin seat covers, and in the back the cabin is long and you can see why airlines simply love this human cargo filling aircraft... The -300 is well used for charter flights and the "pack'em in" carriers as there is plenty of seating to go around for everyone. Views out of the windows are tinted, and those pesky window blinds can spoil your view... A trick I found gets around the X-Plane key views that only work in the cockpit. If you unlock the cockpit door (on the overhead panel) and just move your view outside the cockpit area it will then work if you press your (quicklook) set key to the window view you want... In an aircraft this long it is scrolling lifesaver. Quality of the FF/VMAX Boeing 757 is outstanding in X-Plane10. Tracking takes us over the lower states if the U.S.A with Texas sliding by under. You can follow your progress by using the excellent "Prog" page on the FMC, full details on the next waypoints and distance remaining to KLAX. I have tuned both left and right VOR's to KLAX (LAX - 113.60) and OCEANSIDE (OCN - 115.30) to see our distance and position. STAR arrival is by "Ocean Two" with the entrance point at VOR-JULIAN (JLI - 114.00), This is the southern approach into Los Angeles that brings you down to the Californian coast just north of San Diego. It is a more of a smoother descent approach which goes around the lower part of the series mountain chains that surround Los Angeles. You track over the Salton Sea, before descending to JULIAN. entrance height is 7000ft, but I had permission to go directly to "OCEANSIDE" at 6000ft. The track is 272º, but you feel you are going right out to sea. However you are not but just hugging the coastline, and soon Long Beach is off to your starboard side. At SHILY waypoint you do a hard left turn to put your position more out to sea for the approach, so you go left, right at DOYLE and right again at EXERT to the direct heading of Runway 07L at LAX. As the flaps go down to "Full" and once in the ILS beam I could set the landing speed at 175Knts. You can set the Airbrakes to "auto" by touching the top of the lever, but the B757 has a built in auto wing brake system anyway. Gear down and you get that wonderful rushing of air in the cockpit like you do on FF/VMAX's excellent Boeing 777 Series. KLAX's runways look a little confusing on approach, until a certain point I thought I was going land on a taxiway? But then 07L became more clearer. Over the fence and the touchdown was a good light touch, and once the front tyres touched it full reverse thrust. I have my REV thrust set out with a trigger on my joystick to open the engine doors, and then full throttle up for the thrust. Closing up is slightly harder? You have to make completely sure the throttle is completely back in the idle detent before re-triggering the doors to close... and this can take a few moments as the engine displays turn yellow before noting the green closed doors position. You have to get your low speed right because if you too close to your exit taxiway, you may put up the throttle too early and trigger another REV function, or slow to a complete stop because the slow closing REV thrust door process is not complete. There has been added now in the upgrade a throttle protection for autothrottle disengagement, but either way you have time it just right to get the re-applied power right to keep the process of the aircraft moving to the right speed you require on the side taxiway... FlightFactor/VMAX have done a bit of fine-tuning in the tire grip in cross wind taxi/takeoff/landing situations in v1.2, this also applies with improved course guidance in "autoland" with cross winds (before in certain conditions strange things happened in the final landing sequence), and in both cases here the aircraft seems more stable under the ILS and better for taxiing around the airports, you feel the weight just a little bit better when manoeuvring around airports, but note significant difference between a light aircraft and a very on the limit Gross Weight machine. The -300 version is quite more heavier than the -200 at high weights, and you feel that and it is significant in the taxi mode. After the intensity of the landing you can now relax and enjoy a few more cabin announcements? go on you know you really want to press that announcement again... Unlike Atlanta, LAX feels much more tighter with the longer -300, you feel like you are in a big heavy situation (A340, B747, B777) but you have to actually access areas that are set out for the smaller single-aisle aircraft (A320, B737) and the gates are certainly tighter. You taxi/turning skills have to be absolutely exact to get the right point to swing the aircraft around into the gate position, those rear bogies are a long way behind you and it is not very easy to get it right, but with a little practise it can be done... Okay you really need a lot of practise as it is very tight.. The default aircraft packages come with the standard four liveries per aircraft, and the -300 has the Boeing House, British Airways, Lufthansa and Air France. You can also for the -300 purchase sets of ten liveries in packages for US$10 per-package and they include... North American Livery Packs#1 and #2 - Europe Livery Packs#1, #2 and #3 - Middle East/Africa Pack - Russian Livery Pack. Obviously you can't show all the liveries here, but here is a good selection of what is available... Livery quality is excellent, standouts are the Delta I used for the upgrade review, Dutchbird, Icelandair, NWA-Northwest Airlines, Mexicana. There is a very nice new American Airlines livery but not the older version. If you have collected all of the liveries for all of the variants, then your livery folder will be bulging with just under 200 (192) liveries to choose from... that is a lot of choice. Summary The basics of the v1.2 upgrade is just a fine-tuning of the already well refined Boeing 757 package from FF/VMAX, just really a nip and tuck here. But the differences count where you need them. The FMC is already one of the very best in X-Plane, and a few small refinements have been done here as well in fixing the oscillating FMS-commanded speed in step climb, TFC indication to ND, enter PBD/PBPB waypoints on the RTE page, CTD fixes for blanks in "waypoint on legs" and "direct-to function" on legs pages. All small stuff but the FMC is the complete package, quality is evident in that when a "route" is completed and saved, it can be recalled as perfectly after it was saved as it was when you completed it the first time. The satisfaction of knowing that you can start up the aircraft and load in a flightplan perfectly, and just only then to set your "prefs" and you are ready to go is a huge timesaver and gives you back maximum enjoyment of the aircraft, Too many FMC's out there are still far to messy after reloading a fightplan and need as much time resetting them, that it is actually easier to just do the whole flightplan again from scratch... you don't get that here, you load, you set and you go! The Boeing 757-300 variant now included in the package is another highlight, and I love it far more than the -200 version. It makes the B757 a more exciting aircraft not only to look at but also to fly. This v1.2 upgrade also refines all the variants of the aircraft to the current X-Plane 10.30+ requirements. Any novice reading this update review could think they are totally out of their depth with this aircraft. There is no doubting the depth of systems and the skills required to fly this machine to its full capabilities. But any aircraft basics make them able to fly and that is still the case here, and their are quick start modes to get the aircraft ready to fly built in to get you around the complexity. Any negatives? very few, but I found the aircraft always a little too pitch up for me, It was hard to dial out that 4-5 degree pitch up out of the flying, lots of speed and being close to high mach numbers helps but it still was always there. And no opening cargo doors leaves you just one step away from perfect at the gate. Accolades are thrown about a lot of the FlightFactor/VMAX Boeing 757 Series as being the very best simulation in X-Plane it is also officially licensed by the Boeing © Corporation, and no doubt it is in the very top tier of quality and standards that come with these aircraft. Different aircraft can mean different things to many different users, so a complete outright winner is never going to happen in simulation. But now with the added bonus of the stretched -300 variant as part of the line up, it is now as formidable a package as ever and now so refined and complete, No doubt the Boeing 757 Series is excellent and even now the best in this category. The Boeing 757 Professional "Extended" Series v1.2 by VMAX package is now available from the New X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 757 Professional Extended and is priced at only US$79.95 Includes: Boeing 757-200 Boeing 757-200F Cargo version 757-200/200F with Rolls Royce Engines - RB211-535E4 757-200/200F with Pratt and Whitney Engines - PW2037 Boeing 757-300 757-300 with Rolls Royce Engines - RB211-535E4 The Boeing 757 Professional Series v1.2 by VMAX is available from the New X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 757 Professional and is priced at only US$59.95 (you can upgrade to the above "extended" package at any time for $20) Includes: Boeing 757-200 757-200/200F with Rolls Royce Engines - RB211-535E4 757-200/200F with Pratt and Whitney Engines - PW2037 For more information of this aircraft: The original release X-Plane Review's review of the For more information on the variant release FlightFactor/VMAX 757-200SF - Freighter: See here X-Plane Review's review of the Boeing 757 livery packages are available here: Boeing 757-200 and Boeing 757-300 and are priced at US$10 per package. Installation : Download for the "Extended" package is 560.20mb that is unzipped to 856.90mb to your X-Plane "Aircraft" Folder (full package with all liveries is a whopping 3.23gb!) A serial key activation is required for installation (I recommend a full desktop restart to reset the SASL plugin after key activation!) Note Important! it was found that window PC users require the Microsoft C++ Redistributable 2013 64bit update to be download and installed before activation. Developer Site: facebook Dev Thread : X-Plane.org Requirements: Important: Microsoft C++ Redistributable 2013 64bit is required! 64bit X-Plane 10 and OS are required. Windows Vista/7/8 64bit or Mac OSX 10.7/10.8/10.9 or Linux Ubuntu 14.04LTS or compatible (older versions are not supported) X-Plane 10 fully updated. 64 bit mode. (X-Plane 9 not supported. x). 1GB VRAM (2GB VRAM Recommended). Current version : 1.2 (last updated March 14th, 2015) Features Include: Fully Functional Professional FMS and EFIS System Custom designed Flight Management Computer, integrated with other plane systems Custom programmed LNAV logic for terminal procedures from updatable database VNAV-managed climbs and descends Optimum cruise performance and step climb calculation 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 Three independent nav/ils receivers Realistic inertial and radio position updating - this plane has no GPS ,so you can see the individual inaccuracies of those systems Triple-channel autopilot with realistic dependencies Fail operational and fail passive auto land with mode degradations based on system failures Load company routes generated by Professional FlightPlanner X (or other compatible programs) directly into the FMC FMC can be used on external touchscreen or tablet, optimized for the Retina iPad Advanced 3D modeling and features On-screen Menus Accurate dimensions based on drawings provided by Boeing Very detailed exterior modelling with extensive use of normal maps Super high resolution 3D cockpit with every switch functional Multilayer dynamic reflections on all glass objects Spatial rain simulation with lots of details Very detailed passenger cabin graphics, including galleys and lavatories Real working oxygen masks both in cockpit and cabin, dynamic window shaders Custom programmed particle system to visualize failures: generates smoke, fire and sparks Detailed and deep simulation of almost every system in the real aircraft Custom air and pressure system Electrical system with all AC and DC busses modelled Multistage custom failure system - over 150 more failures than X-Plane Ability to fix failure by following proper procedure 200 Mb of custom sounds - In-cockpit custom sounds -3D stereo engine sounds Review by Stephen Dutton 16th March 2015 Copyright©2015: X-Plane Reviews Review System Specifications: Computer System: - 2.66 Ghz Intel Core i5 iMac 27” - 6 Gb 1067 Mhz DDR3 - ATI Radeon HD 6970M 2048 mb - Seagate 256gb SSD Software: - Mac OS Yosemite 10.10.1 - X-Plane 10 Global ver 10.35 (final) Addons - Saitek x52 Pro system Joystick and Throttle - Bose - Soundlink Mini Scenery - KATL - Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta Intl Airport by Butnaru (X-Plane.OrgStore) $23.95 - KLAX - Los Angeles International 1.01 by MisterX6 (X-Plane.org) Free v1.2 Change log: -added the 757-300RR model (available only in extended package) -optimized the 3D model for 10.30 and above -fixed a bug with real/AT throttle competition while in EPR mode (full control is given to AT) -added mouse wheel control for knobs with 3 options. -fixed incorrect eng anti-ice EICAS messages -fixed a bug with tug double use -fixed some 3D holes in the cockpit -added throttle protection for autothrottle disengagement -added TFC indication to ND -fixed a bug with inability maintain to FMS-commanded cruise speed lower than 310 bellow 10000 feet -fixed a bug oscillating FMS-commanded speed in step climb -fixed CTD when using direct-to without active leg -corrected ref speed dependence on flap settings -fixed the mysterious ILS excursions on some autolands -removed the need to use "external radio" option (works automatically) -external fuel change is possible before engine start (e.g. FSA refuel compatible) -implemented the ability to enter PBD/PBPB waypoints on the RTE page -fixed CTD during entering waypoint on legs page when it is "blank" -fixed CTD during use of direct-to function on legs page when it is "blank" -the 757 will now load the navdata from the Custom Data/GNS430/navdata/ folder of X-Plane. So by installing the navdata update for X-Plane, you automatically have the latest data in the 757 also -fixed CTD when pushing an empty LLSK with empty scratchpad on legs page
  15. Variant Release : Boeing 757-200SF - Freighter by Flightfactor/VMAX Flightfactor/VMAX has released another variant for their excellent Boeing 757-200 series aircraft. In March 2014 Flightfactor/VMAX released the Pratt & Whitney PW2037 variant besides the original Rolls Royce Engines - RB211-535E4 and in this release is the "Cargo" variant for both engine choices. To install this cargo extension version you must already have purchased the Boeing 757 Professional series. Installation : On a 72.2mb download you get an expansion "Cargo Pack". Inside the pack you have items that you have to merge with your original Boeing 757-200 Professional series aircraft folders. This pack includes as shown two more aircraft (acf) files and one each for the different engine variants in the Rolls Royce (757RR-RF) and the Pratt & Whitney (757PW-RF), so now you should have in X-Plane four different B757 aircraft variants to choose from. You merge all the files as the ones seen in the main aircraft folder and the items located in the separate folders in the different folders of the same names. There are no files to take out but just a total merger of both. Many users actually create different aircraft files for each varient or two aircraft say the B757-200 passenger and two B757-200 Cargo aircraft so you don't get them all mixed up. That does create a lot of storage space of course, but if you have that spare space then that is certainly a better way to go. There are no notes with the download on how to install the files? When installed you have both the B757 - RB-211 engine version... And the B757 - PW2037 engine version... Both engine options are excellent, but I prefer the Pratt & Whitney for no particular reason than I think it looks better and sounds just as good. Towards the end of 2014 was very good for cargo haulers. SSG (Supercritical Simulations Group) released their very good And now we have a really good medium range freighter as well in this B757-200SF which has a main deck cargo capacity of 14 pallets which is which is one pallet less than the 757-200PF. Max weight is 255,000lb (115,680 kg) with a range of 3,150 nmi (5,834 km). How does the on the ground actions stack up... Very good thank you. On the "General" page of the menu you can open the large forward cargo door. Both the other front doors can be opened as well (unlike on the B777). There are no cargo objects that can be loaded on to the deck? and no K-loader there either to make it more fun. But there is still excellent ground equipment in stairs, vehicles (including fuel and buses), chocks, GPU's and engine starters are all held over from the passenger versions. With the basic package you get three liveries... Boeing House, Air France and FedEx. You can also purchase for US$9.00 a "Cargo Pack" of another eight liveries that includes... Air China Cargo, British Airways Cargo - Cargolux - Cathay Pacific Cargo - DHL - EVAair Cargo - Lufthansa Cargo - UPS All liveries are very good, but some (Air China) if you combine all the variants together do show a few of the passenger windows in blank on the right side? You still have all the excellent other menu options that comes with the standard B757 passenger versions including the very good push-back with throttle control. Taxi and takeoff is still a rewarding event and you have that overwhelming FMC (Flight Management Computer) to program and tune with SID/STARS to your perfect route. In flying the Boeing 757SF you don't really know if you have either passengers or cheap wine in the back... In the cockpit it looks the same in every version. The cockpit is of course one on the very best in X-Plane and the most accessible with almost every system on the aircraft at your disposal... and their failures. As I flew from EIDW (Dublin) to EGHI (Southampton) and the aircraft looked brilliant in the fading light. In fact it had been a whole day of flying in starting from EGHI with a sector to EGCC (Manchester) then to EIDW (Dublin) and this was the home run. No doubt the FlightFactor Boeing 757 Series is very rewarding. It does however require a certain skill set as the manual alone is 793 pages long, and you would need time to become as the series is named a "Professional" flyer in knowing all the various aspects to make the aircraft to perform and to a high standard, but then again that is role of simulator flying. Summary : No doubt these Cargo variants add on a lot more to the Boeing 757 Series, not only in the versatility of carrying cargo but with two types of engine choices as well in the Pratt & Whitney or Rolls Royce engines. The quality is also way up there and so is the high depth of systems and aircraft interaction. Did I miss something? Well I do like to load and unload the cargo or select the weight and type of cargo I want on the deck. SSG did that option very well with their Boeing 747-8F - Freighter, and I wished for the same options here. But FlightFactor don't give you those option on either here or on their Boeing 777F Series and you notice that with both aircraft. But that is really just a niggle. Here you have an excellent add-on and well worth the few extra dollars to give you an even bigger broadstroke of flying. Cargo Haulers are a special breed of aviators, its a fun one as well with great and various destinations that require skill and good flying to deliver the the motto "The World On Time". Full X-Plane Reviews review of the FlightFactor/VMAX Boeing 757 Series is here : Full update for the PW Engine option is here : The Boeing 757 Series is now available from the New X-Plane.Org Store here : Boeing 757 Professional and priced at $59.95 Designed by FlightFactor (Philipp and Ramzzess) and produced by VMAX And the 757 Cargo "Expansion" Pack is priced at US$9.95 and is now Available here: 757 Cargo Expansion Pack Note: You must have the "Boeing 757 Professional" package to purchase the 757 "Expansion" Pack. Requirements: 64bit X-Plane 10 and OS are required. Windows Vista/7/8 64bit or Mac OSX 10.7/10.8/10.9 or Linux Ubuntu 14.04LTS or compatible (older versions are not supported) X-Plane 10 fully updated. 64 bit mode. (X-Plane 9 not supported. x-plane 10 32 bit not supported). 1GBVRAM (2GB VRAM Recommended). Current version : 1.13 (last updated June 23rd, 2014) #Store Updated Developer Site: facebook Dev Thread : X-Plane.org Release notes by Stephen Dutton 19th January 2015 Copyright©2015: X-Plane Reviews
  16. Aircraft Announcement : Airbus A350 from FlightFactor/Vmax As everyone piled in their preferences for the next aircraft from the FlightFactor/Vmax universe, the focus was on all the Boeing's not yet available in X-Plane. But when the announcement came yesterday that the next project was to be the American Company's arch rival nemesis in the Airbus A350 and in that context well... that is a shock. That announcement came from the left corner with a smash to the jaw, so why not play it safe with the Boeing 787 series FlightFactor? Reel back a year and a few months and I was watching the first flight of the A350 and my thoughts were, "It is going to be years in X-Plane before I get that machine in my grubby little hands", but the announcement will now mean that when the A350 starts up its entry into service (EIS) later this year I will be right there in my own perfect world, and with the highly detailed systems of the FlightFactor version as well... Life can't be that good now could can it, well yes it can. And it is almost enough for you to change religions. In reality these announcements are like a big chess game for X-Plane. You need to own your square for that product. In years past with doubtable 2d aircraft it didn't really matter if one came out over the over as they were free and cheap anyway. But payware now is business, big business and to own a certain square as X-Plane goes forward can be worth money to you. So what would you do if you wanted to invest in the best 777, Certainly you would buy the FF Boeing 777, job done, If you wanted a CRJ-200... why the JRollon version is certainly going to be your only choice and on it goes. The A350 is going to be with us for a very long time, so let us tie up that market. In time these squares are going to get fewer and fewer as the biggies are going to be sold off. A DC-9/MD-80 series?... how much is that square worth? a lot, a hell of a lot and it does not mean the first aircraft that gets released will win the square, the best will win over time but can the spoils be divided up. The FlightFactor Boeing 777 was a turning point in the X-Plane market, because it showed you that with the right product can win the business if you get it right. As for years we waited and dreamed of the XPJets version of the B777 in that it became unbearably painful to keep tuning in to their dog slow web site to see the next minutely detailed 3d object for that month, and so it dragged on for years, XPJets had that square totally tied up and the money was already in the bank. Not just a little cash but a huge amount of sales.... and it all went south in a moment, and the FlighFactor/Vmax version was started years after the XPJets version was first announced. The failure was simply that XPJets had not realised that X-Plane was now a business, not a weekend hobby, and they kept on treating the B777 as some glorified hobby and to a point the users of X-Plane as well. If you start a project today then you need a business plan, and you certainly need to win that coveted square, because today someone is coming up quickly behind you who wants that same piece of cash ground and then hold it. The winners are certainly the users, us and also X-Plane as a simulator itself. But now the A350 has upped the stakes as a developer has now switched codes, and can a developer that thrives on Boeing grit can then produce the clinical Airbus clean to create something truly remarkable. Personally I think FlightFactor can, and that is why this Christmas and 2015 is going to be a huge rewarding time for X-Plane. FlightFactor has released shots and now more information of their A350... look on and wonder on how good this is really going to be. General systems of FlightFactor a350 advanced: Fully custom aircraft systems (elec, hyd, air cond, ADIRU, etc.) Fully custom 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 “touch screen” interfaces with dozens of screens and hundreds of functions Fully custom 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. Full FBW with Highly realistic implementation of the Airbus “normal law” by QPAC – the most realistic fly-by-wire implementation for desktop flight simulation. In v1.0 an advanced flight planning interface (based on XP native data) 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" contraints 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 Many new options like scroll wheel support for switch manipulation As usual a very advanced 3D model with HD textures and complete and animated mechanics. The images: Images are courtesy of FlightFactor/Vmax Stephen Dutton 24th August 2014 - (updated 8th September 2014) Copyright@2014: X-Plane Reviews
  17. Flight Factor's upcoming Boeing 757 Series has had some more new special effects unveiled : Rain and active Window Shades. Rain isn't a new effect for X-Plane as it was introduced on Javier Rollon's CRJ-200, but it is in the application here that makes this effect outstanding. Roman Berezin has already experimented with this effect in his Boeing 777 Series. The rain is highly effective, And I can vouch for that, My approach to BIKF - in Keflavik, Iceland was from clear skies to poor light, low cloud and heavy rain, My work load was increased and the simulation was highly effective peering through the wet glass looking for the runway and safety. The newer rain effects now give you dropping water streaking down the window and the clearing of the water on windows as the speed builds, It is all very realistic... The Window Shade effect is clever as well. Turn the aircraft into the sun and the passengers close their shades on the light coming at the windows... Roman calls them "Active Blinds"... The Flightfactor Boeing 757 Series is coming to X-Plane soon, but the release date has not yet been set. Developer Site: Facebook / Flight Factor 9th August 2013
  18. Ramzzess Aircraft and Phillipp Munzel have announced the imminent release of the Boeing 757-Series. Their Boeing 777-Series was the aircraft of the year in 2012/2013, So will the Boeing 757-Series be the same for 2013 and 2014? There is no doubt that the B757 is one of the most anticipated aircraft in X-Plane at the moment. If you already have the Boeing 777, then you would already know what to expect in detail and depth of systems... Officially licensed By the Boeing © Corporation Accurate dimensions based on 2D and 3D drawings supplied by Boeing © For X-Plane 10 64bit- Mac, Windows and Linux The Cockpit is comprehensive and highly detailed in systems and functionality. With a fully integrated FMC that is separated for use on the Pilot or Co-Pliot stations. The menu and Checklist system is also comprehensive and excellent in detail. Highlights are - Easy settings for aircraft functions - Full compliment of ground vehicles including Pushback Truck) - Custom failures - Brilliant cabin announcements (PA) - Opening Cabin Doors - virtual cockpit with crisp details - Dynamic reflections - Custom 3D sounds. The comprehensive checklist has the feature of leading you through the correct procedure of switches... Is just brilliant. Detailing (below) is also highly visible and outstanding in quality. Special Effects include - Aircraft Fire and Rain (Window) effects - Active window blinds and a fully detailed cabin. Price will be US$59.95 for the standard RB211-535E4 Release Version. Liveries will be US$1 per livery in packs of 10. Four liveries with the release version are British Airways (classic), Air France, Lufthansa and the Boeing House. There is no doubt this is an outstanding aircraft and once released X-Plane Reviews will give you a thorough detailed review of the aircraft and its systems. Some features: Detailed and functional FMS - Works like the real 757 FMS Advanced auto-pilot Super high resolution 3D cockpit with every switch functional Multilayer dynamic reflections on all glass objects Spatial rain simulation with high detail Very detailed passenger cabin graphics (kitchen and toilets) Inn-cockpit custom sounds 3D stereo sound system for the engines In flight announcements Interactive communication with the crew (fault reporting) Ground vehicles and push back track – all operational Very detailed exterior modeling with extensive use of normal maps Blue-out and other visual and auditory reactions to the situation Additional eye-candy features: real working oxygen masks both in cockpit and cabin, dynamic window shatters that react to sunlight etc.. Use of particles to generate smoke, fire, sparks…. Detailed and deep simulation of almost every system in the real aircraft A multistage custom failure system with in-browser instructor’s console Ability to fix failure by following proper procedure Interflight failure and maintenance system – something will spill over to the next flight Custom menus for loading/unloading fuel and passengers, calling for pushback… Ability to customize the plane with winglets and set other options to be saved or default A fully interactive electronic checklist with all procedures programmed in Auto mode for the checklist where the AI automatically preforms the procedures and the pilot only watches and checks Tutorial mode where the pilot follows the AI’s instructions and visual aids Stephen Dutton 2nd November 2013
  19. Roman Bezezin from FlightFactor has posted an introduction video on The Boeing 757 Series, with the focus on the Menu system with a built in Checklist. As the release date draws closer, the aircraft is still in a beta test stage. But as Roman notes "The 757 is progressing very well". Developer Site : FlightFactor Facebook Stephen Dutton 7th October 2013 On a side Note : A happy addition to the Bezezin Family in baby Kyrill. congratulations to Roman and Mrs Bezezin.
  20. Roman Berezin is one part with Phillipp Munzel that make up Flightfactor, the Designer house that has developed for X-Plane the Boeing 777 Worldliner series and the soon to be released Boeing 757 series. Roman joins us today to give X-Plane Reviews some insights into Flightfactor and his life in X-Plane. Hi Roman... XPR: First off I will note that congratulations are in order as you have just become a doctorate (Dr) of Mathematics. What is your story behind that and how that affects your future and ambitions? Yes, a long and tedious period is over. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed being in the university but 10 years are quite enough. For a few years I was teaching but decided I don’t want to continue with a post doc or teaching. So, I am now a Doctor of Mathematics, specializing in probability, I published two papers but will not be making that my career. XPR: It would have needed a lot of focus to do the doctorate and decide to build the Boeing projects in the B777, B757 and all at the same time? Yes, the last year was quite hectic with finishing the PhD and doing the 777 but it the end it all worked out. XPR: Was the B777 considered the number one project from the start or was it put to the front of the pack for other reasons than the big gap in the marketplace for the aircraft? Actually Nicolas has been bugging me to do the 777 for a long time, ever since the SSJ v5. But I wasn’t sure I could pull it off, finally when I decided to do it I met Philipp, we just clicked and that made the perfect team for the 777 and many future projects, we hope. XPR: The B777 has without doubt been one of the big releases for X-Plane in the last twelve months, how do you see the release now almost twelve months on and how it has evolved? Well, trying to be as modest as I can, I think we did a very good job on the model and now its almost perfect. There are a couple more things which I would like to add to the model, but I think it is generally very good now in terms of modeling, the flight model and the systems. Of course, the model will continue to evolve – we will try to keep it at the very best edge of Xp add-on technology. XPR: I found the just released 1.5.1.1 version of the Boeing 777 and what I would now call the aircraft now "mature", certainly the aircraft will still be developed but has it reached that mature stage from your point of view? Yes, as I said, I think that the plane is mature now and can certainly rival the best of them, not only for XP too. XPR: Although most developers have solid business plans, yours was a very interesting one in asking payment for liveries and other versions in the Cargo and -300 variants, I actually like the foundation of the idea as it gave payment to other people who contributed to the project and allows them and the team to share in the business... Do you see this sort business model being adopted more in the future? I think that out model is very good for several reasons. As for the different version of the models, its quite common in other sims and even in XP to have a small and an extended version. For the 757 we will actually have 6 planes available, 757-200/300/F and all with both RR and PW engine types. Of course we won’t ask the customer to pay for each but we will probably in the end have 2 or even 3 variants for the plane. As for the liveries its very simple really. For another models the producers are able to make 5-10 liveries. Here we wanted to give the customer the ability to get up to 100 liveries. Of course, for this we had to get 3rd party help. The price for the liveries is really symbolic of 1$ per livery. For the 757 we already have more than 100 liveries ready which will be sold for 1$ as with the 777. Also, the 757 livery packs are made for both 200 and 300 models. Our goal now is to bring the models as close to reality as possible. For that we get helped by several real life pilots, engineers and have a license from Boeing. XPR: The B757 is due soon as the next release, You then put off the release so you can work more on the different engine variants and so how is that going? Well, the original release date was in June, but we have decided to postpone because we could get the engines to work exactly like in reality. The 57s engines are EPR controlled, which, as far as I know, has never been truly realized in XP before. So we set ourselves to really simulate the internal workings of the engine and thus the delay. XPR: You have added a few special effects to this aircraft, haven't you? Yes, some effects which have already been tested on the 777 and the SSJ have now been significantly improved. Real reflections which employ several techniques at the same time, a sophisticated 3D sounds system is there as well as different lighting effects using the improved v10 lighting. Also, the rain simulation has been improved. The newest addition of course is the particle system. As you may already know, the 757 will have more than 250 custom failures, and now many of them are accompanied by special effects, like wheel well fires, APU overheat with smoke, brake overheat, and others. We also use the new particle system for moister effects in the engine nacelles and wing trails. XPR: How much more complex can we go in aircraft systems, and is it a moving point in the fact that is it worth spending a lot of programming time to simulate a minor function for the return? or is it best to enhance the programming we have now? Well, this is really a question of what we want to have in the end. I guess if the general goal is to have a training sim of the level which can be used by real pilots, then we have to keep on and improve the systems to the point of real simulators. On the other hand, many users prefer a simpler sim, here we can improve on the quality of 3D, graphics and effects. So there is quite a long way to go in either way. XPR: The main central feature in all of Flightfactor's aircraft is Philipp's FMS systems, It is a work of art, how did you both get together and produce this. Generally Philipp’s FMS system combined with the ever improving visual effects make up the unique quality of our products. As for me and Philipp, we “met” when I was working on the 777 and decided to cooperate on that project. As it turned out, we are very good together in terms of timing and common mind. Thus, we have quite a lot of plans for XP and hope that Flightfactors becomes the major player in XP add-on market. XPR: Can Philipp ski as good as you? Actually both me and Philipp ski quite well. The fact that I fell down on the last day of our skiing trip is accidental. The best skier of all is of course Nicolas, who fell down and hurt himself quite badly on the first day of the trip. XPR: Is putting the right team together as important as other goals in projects like these? Apparently so. Now when we have more than one project at the same time, finding the right people is important. Our core team is me and Philipp, but we have almost 10 people helping us on and off, with the flight model dynamics, liveries, graphics etc. XPR: Ultimately though the heavy workload to deliver a great product still falls down to you? In the end, it’s the team effort that gets the job done. Flightfactor doesn’t have CEOs or CTOs, we are all working together for a common goal, I merely act as a coordinator to help bring the projects together. XPR: What was the attraction to X-Plane as a simulator? Actually, as most, I started as a user flying on line in IVAO Ukrainian division and started getting interested in making models in 2009 after watching the first Dan Klaue’s tutorials. I think I never used any other sim, maybe MSFS in 1995. XPR: How do you feel of the current situation of the X-Plane10 simulator?... and for its future? I think that the sim is progressing nicely, finally v10 has become fully usable and its benefits over XP9 are pronounced. Of course I have some wishes for the path XP should take, but I will not mention this, as the designers will probably not listen to me anyway. XPR: How important do you think is the X-Plane community in part of developing your products and feedback? Oh very much. I always prefer to ask the community what they want before starting a new project as well as monitoring feedback to see what we have done wrong and what should be improved. This is the big benefit of a small community, the ability to actually talk to users. As you know, my skype is available online and people are welcome to share their thoughts directly. XPR: How do you feel in comparison of X-Plane Add-Ons are now in relative to say PMDG and other large development houses in the FSX/P3D market and is that a market to plan for in the future? (would you market in the FSX platform) I don’t want to compare ourselves to anyone, let users do that. I don’t think we will develop for FSX, but the thought of doing things for airlines is appealing. XPR: 64Bit was a big change to the X-Plane platform, and it affected Add-On developers like yourself more than in any other area, how did it overall affect your plans and releases? We did spend many hours cursing XP while the move to 64bit was made, but generally the schedule of XP releases was available and people like Ben Supnik were very helpful, so our planes didn’t change much. XPR: From a developers point of view is there anything that you would like from X-Plane that you feel would be either a step forward or greatly enhance your products? Oh yes, and Laminar is aware of my wishes J XPR: You use the .OrgStore to distribute and promote your products, why do you use the .orgstore and what are the benefits to developers in doing so? We did and indeed still use some other stores for product distribution, but generally I like the communal feel of the X-Plane .org and it is the biggest place for XP out there. Of course Nicolas is much fun skiing with. Next year we try skydiving, see what he does there. (laughs) XPR: Thank You Roman, and good luck with the latest release. Developer Website: Flightfactor/Facebook Interview 26th July 2013
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