XPlane first tests

The first challenge is to find good liners for XPlane. For good liners I mean liners complex enough to be close (or, better, that I believe are close) to the real plane, with a good FMC for flying online and a good flight model.

After some browsing on the net, it seems that there are basically only 2 good liners: a 737 and A320. Unfortunately both of them come with no FMC even if it is possible to add but both of them are for free.

I have tested the 737 that seems quite interesting even if it is not comparable to FSX version of 737. But it is 100% free and as far as I recall there are no such good products available for FSX for free.

The flight model for this plane seems quite good. It was initially very nervous but after setting up my joystick it responds quite well.

The biggest problem is the lack of an FMC. It is possible to buy an FMC from the same site that delivers the plane but until now I tested only a freely available FMC: X-FMC.

X-FMC is generic in the sense that it is customizable for a lot of planes like the 737 or the FMC. It is quite complete with initialization pages, performances pages, routes, SIDs and STARs.

However the route is quite unrealistic, not smoothed at all and the plane does not follow it 100%. In the 737 this FMC is not well integrated in the sense that it works by setting the HDG and the appropriate vertical mode instead of VNAV and LNAV. This is enough for me to say that it is not acceptable as it is quite far from a good simulation of the systems.

But I kindly suggest this FMC as a chep solution and for flying offline.

Next step will to buy and test the x737FMC that claims to be 100% integrated in the x737. With the incoming version of X-Plane, I prefer to wait before buying.

XPlane 9 arrived

I bought XPlane 9.xx from the Laminar Reserach web site and arrived a few days ago.

I was surprised to receive the software in a so short time.

I was expecting a box but it was an envelope with the DVDs inside. I have to say that one of the DVD, the number 4, was missing. I contacted the support and they provide for sending me the DVD (not yet arrived).

The installation procedure is quite easy on windows. What I liked is that it is clean in the sense that does not write tons of things in the registry: it creates only a folder with all the software, libraries and so on inside.

I could not install all the sceneries for Europe as they are right in the 4th DVD. :-(

There are a lot of planes ready to fly. The Piaggio P180 seems to be one of the best but it is very nervous and difficult to fly. i have to say that a new version of this plane has been published a few days ago.

Looking for a serious plane to fly I downloaded a B737 and an A320. They comes with a lot of liveries.

The plane did not work and I discovered that the my XP was quite old, something like v9.22 instead of the last one (9.60 at this moment). It was quite surprising but after installing the planes worked and I liked it considering that they are freely available, especially the 737.

I am looking for a plane to fly on IVAO and to use for my home cockpit too.

Return date postponed again

It seems that my temporary transfer in Chile lasts longer then expected: at the present the return date has been postponed to may 2011.
I have no chance to bring the simulator and the cockpit in Chile because there is no point in organizing a removal for a few months only.

In the mean time I am thinking about the future of the simulation because Microsoft flight simulator seems stuck since long time and there are no rumours of any future development.
I am planning to buy and test X-Plane that seems the only valid alternative. Since september 2009, CPFlight supports X-Plane and there are libraries to interface SIOC to this simulator too.
I will report after the testing.

Temporary stop

Due to a temporary transfer in Chile, my home cockpit is not progressing.

I will resume the work as soon as I come back in Germany (forseen date is May the 1st).