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FMS and Autopilot


tkyler

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If IXEG has to consider making a new aircraft, it should be an A320, the only realistic A320 that will come is  the FSLABS one but it will never make into Xplane...

 

Making an NG variant will tought for IXEG ( sales wise) as PMDG would be releasing their B777 / 737 NG in the incoming years so if IXEG releases an NG variant in 2020, I think it will be too late.... But that's just assumptions.

 

Anyway, lets just wait for the -300, then we'll see :)

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If IXEG has to consider making a new aircraft, it should be an A320, the only realistic A320 that will come is  the FSLABS one but it will never make into Xplane...

 

Making an NG variant will tought for IXEG ( sales wise) as PMDG would be releasing their B777 / 737 NG in the incoming years so if IXEG releases an NG variant in 2020, I think it will be too late.... But that's just assumptions.

 

Anyway, lets just wait for the -300, then we'll see :)

 

With all my personal dislike for Airbus aside, making one is fairly unattractive for study-sim developers. The logic in the systems is so complicated that often even Airbus has to do some serious research into why the airplanes do what they do in certain unusual situations. To code that is a nightmare, and with our level of determination to make things work realistically we would only set ourselves up for frustration and disappointment.

 

The Airbus family is attractive to make from a sales perspective, it´s a very succesful aircraft that is present in many flightsim users minds. And certainly a viable product, if you are not hellbent on pushing realistic system simulation into the high 90s, percentage-wise.

 

As a disclaimer, I have never flown any of the Airbus-offerings for X-Plane or FSX, and I have heard some great things about those products. I DO wonder how they would hold up to the scrutiny and true and honest review of a type-rated and experienced Airbus pilot.

 

Cheers, Jan

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With all my personal dislike for Airbus aside, making one is fairly unattractive for study-sim developers. The logic in the systems is so complicated that often even Airbus has to do some serious research into why the airplanes do what they do in certain unusual situations. To code that is a nightmare, and with our level of determination to make things work realistically we would only set ourselves up for frustration and disappointment.

 

The Airbus family is attractive to make from a sales perspective, it´s a very succesful aircraft that is present in many flightsim users minds. And certainly a viable product, if you are not hellbent on pushing realistic system simulation into the high 90s, percentage-wise.

 

As a disclaimer, I have never flown any of the Airbus-offerings for X-Plane or FSX, and I have heard some great things about those products. I DO wonder how they would hold up to the scrutiny and true and honest review of a type-rated and experienced Airbus pilot.

 

Cheers, Jan

 

 

What you say is very true.  Flightsim Labs set out to build an Airbus simulation that would set a new standard after making an awesome Concorde.

When they started out they would be amused when anyone would suggest that they would be working on this Airbus for quite a few years.  It was like "When we set out to do something, we'll get it done."....Well, it's been quite a few years and they are still working on it.  I believe they started working on it before PMDG released the NGX. Someone correct me, if I'm wrong.

I know when they finally do release it, it will no doubt set the standard, but it may be a few more years before we see it and I'll bet they will have patches of hair permanently missing from their heads. 

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What you say is very true.  Flightsim Labs set out to build an Airbus simulation that would set a new standard after making an awesome Concorde.

When they started out they would be amused when anyone would suggest that they would be working on this Airbus for quite a few years.  It was like "When we set out to do something, we'll get it done."....Well, it's been quite a few years and they are still working on it.  I believe they started working on it before PMDG released the NGX. Someone correct me, if I'm wrong.

I know when they finally do release it, it will no doubt set the standard, but it may be a few more years before we see it and I'll bet they will have patches of hair permanently missing from their heads. 

 

It's in beta now, so I think that "a few more years" might be an over-estimate. I can't speculate on the state of the development team's hair...

 

PMDG's 737NGX was released in early August 2011 after three years in development; the FSL Airbus was announced in May 2010.

 

PS: I'm really looking forward to the 737 Classic!

Edited by RudiJG1
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It's in beta now, so I think that "a few more years" might be an over-estimate. I can't speculate on the state of the development team's hair...

 

PMDG's 737NGX was released in early August 2011 after three years in development; the FSL Airbus was announced in May 2010.

 

PS: I'm really looking forward to the 737 Classic!

Awesome... I would love a study sim quality Airbus in X-Plane...certainly we do not have that now despite some very good offerings that are almost there.  The IXEG 737 Classic is the hands down best candidate to be the first study level modern airliner sim in X-Plane, IMHO.  And trust me...I own all of the other contenders that have already been released.  Much of the FBW and flight characteristics you would expect to take over near the edge of the flight envelope just aren't there in many of these sims... of course FBW is not really applicable to the Boeing 733, but otherwise from the blog posts and videos thusfar, I am fairly confident that my hope and dream of the first plane that is simulated throughout the entirety of the flight envelope may finally be here.

 

This product (the 737 classic) can't be released soon enough for me :]  And the FMS looks incredible!  It's modern automation with all the joy that comes with controlling the plane directly...a great, well-considered entry.  I am so glad they never gave up over these 5 years; the community will support this product and the developers' mindset regardless.

Edited by wiloghby
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Just a little headsup from the development front: This is a copy+paste from our internal Skype-chat, written by me this morning:

 

[09:30:47] Jan Vogel: ok everyone - I am just testing the latest revision, Tom has implemented a change of DEST "on the fly". I am flying over Los Angeles, changing my mind ALL THE TIME - entering new destinations (Van Nuys, LAX, Burbank, Santa Monica, etc...). The FMS is holding up beautifully - this is the way the FMS is supposed to help the pilot, being flexible, easy to use, no "kinks" to avoid...
[09:31:01] Jan Vogel: (^)  big one for Tom!
[09:31:20] Jan Vogel: I am still finding some odd bugs, totally expected, I am really doing some stupid stuff :-)

 

Just so you know we are not sitting on our thumbs, watching you squirm for a release date ;) .

 

Cheers, Jan

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Nice! So is the FMC the last thing to be finished for the initial release, or are there still some bugs in other systems, the flight model or the graphics which you are aware off and that need to be adressed?

 

My understanding is that the FMS is the last "big" thing to be finished. Anyways I feel that the 733 on release will be better than the current versions of many other XP aircraft anyways :)

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Yes, the FMS is the last "big block" that needs to be finished for our initial release version tentatively dubbed V1.0.

 

There will be many versions following up on that one, including many things that we would like to have on the airplane, but won´t have on the initial release due to time constraints.

One example is animated cabin doors. We have the gui in place to operate them, but it takes a lot of time to model the animation correctly, and this won´t happen for the initial release, most likely. So if you plan to buy this plane that took 5 years to make to mostly sit and watch the doors open and close - hold off on your initial purchase :P .

 

Jan

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Who cares about doors... I cant even see them from inside the cockpit, where I belong ^^ .... my crew has to handle this stuff, as far as you modeled the bulletproof cockpit door the angry mob cant get me, if they cant get off the plane...?

 

"Initial purchase initiated" ^^ 

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Nice! So is the FMC the last thing to be finished for the initial release, or are there still some bugs in other systems, the flight model or the graphics which you are aware off and that need to be adressed?

 

To reiterate here again, since I was just thinking about this very thing this morning....we will probably issue some kind of press statement as we get closer as to what we do and don't have.  

 

We want it all of course, but have to draw the line.   The FMC is definitely the last major system to get in place, specifically the VNAV performance / calculations.  We are well into them and will be entering a calibration phase shortly.  We believe it is one of the more full-features FMS systems available, though it won't be 100%.  What has been left out are rarely used features....we do want to put them in just the same asap.  Jan has guided the feature set based on his experiences so what we have left out are not deal killers.  We are focusing on flexibility and reliability for normal operations for the initial release.  

 

We are leaving out the more detailed "eye candy" and bells and whistles for the initial release, mostly with regards to animations and small detail 3D.  For example, no cargo hold, a basic cabin, no animating doors, no voice-over flight attendants, no passenger sound-pack, no flight attendant panel, etc.   We have put all our efforts into what goes on forward of the cockpit door.   The rest of that stuff is easy, but takes back-burner status to the systems and operation from the perspective of the left seat.  After the initial release, we will continue to refine the product and get all that cool stuff in not long afterwards.

 

-tkyler

Edited by tkyler
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To reiterate here again, since I was just thinking about this very thing this morning....we will probably issue some kind of press statement as we get closer as to what we do and don't have.

We want it all of course, but have to draw the line. The FMC is definitely the last major system to get in place, specifically the VNAV performance / calculations. We are well into them and will be entering a calibration phase shortly. We believe it is one of the more full-features FMS systems available, though it won't be 100%. What has been left out are rarely used features....we do want to put them in just the same asap. Jan has guided the feature set based on his experiences so what we have left out are not deal killers. We are focusing on flexibility and reliability for normal operations for the initial release.

We are leaving out the more detailed "eye candy" and bells and whistles for the initial release, mostly with regards to animations and small detail 3D. For example, no cargo hold, a basic cabin, no animating doors, no voice-over flight attendants, no passenger sound-pack, no flight attendant panel, etc. We have put all our efforts into what goes on forward of the cockpit door. The rest of that stuff is easy, but takes back-burner status to the systems and operation from the perspective of the left seat. After the initial release, we will continue to refine the product and get all that cool stuff in not long afterwards.

-tkyler

I appreciate the minimalistic approach towards 1.0. It is likely I still won't be able to start the APU anyway by the time 1.1 rolls around with "nice to have's".:lol::lol:

Sent from somewhere over the rainbow...

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Yes, the FMS is the last "big block" that needs to be finished for our initial release version tentatively dubbed V1.0.

 

There will be many versions following up on that one, including many things that we would like to have on the airplane, but won´t have on the initial release due to time constraints.

One example is animated cabin doors. We have the gui in place to operate them, but it takes a lot of time to model the animation correctly, and this won´t happen for the initial release, most likely. So if you plan to buy this plane that took 5 years to make to mostly sit and watch the doors open and close - hold off on your initial purchase :P .

 

Jan

Not that it really matters but does this also apply for the cockpit windows?

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