FlightFactor F350 - cockpit orientation

[Tom Knudsen]

Holy cracker, I am truly in love, what an amazing work by Flight Factor

 

 

[HarryCYUL]

it's out, $49.95....released 2day.

[Cameron]

it's out, $49.95....released 2day.

Great price! I hope people jump on it and support the development of big simulations like this! Definitely a step in the right direction for X-Plane.

[Yidahoo]

I picked it up yesterday and this is one amazing plane. Significantly the fps are very good as well, despite all the screens of information in the cockpit. She flies beautifully and the the interface for the touchscreen is very good. You can interact directly with the cockpit screens or use a pop up screen. 

 

The exterior modeling is also very nice. Few things missing at the moment but they have been up front and honest about them. No SIDS STARS in the CDU or TOD calculations but these I believe will all be added in the Pro version. 

 

Certainly for a real intriguing plane to fly

[Gianluca]

Hi,

 

I bought this beautiful aircraft and they're doing a great work!
Does anyone knows how do I import SID/STAR?

 

Thanks

[Mario Donick]

Does anyone knows how do I import SID/STAR?

 

The aircraft does not support SID/STAR yet. This is planned for the "Pro" version of the aircraft (which will be a free update for current customers).

 

Currently, you can only create .fms files in the default X-Plane format. These files should contain just the waypoints of one specific SID or STAR. You can then select these files in the FMC.

 

So, the following steps are needed:

 

1. Plan your flight.

 

2. Create .fms files for the SID and STAR of your flight. You can either do this in an external program or in the FMC.

 

3. Enter your flight plan in the FMC.

 

4. Select the previously created SID and STAR .fms files in the FMC.

 

 

As this a bit tedious, it's maybe faster to simply enter the SID/STAR waypoints directly when entering the flight plan.

 

The core of the FMC, by the way, is just X-Plane's default FMC. It also does not calculate V1, VR, V2 or T/C & T/D. Yet.

[HarryCYUL]

 

 

The core of the FMC, by the way, is just X-Plane's default FMC. It also does not calculate V1, VR, V2 or T/C & T/D. Yet.

will wait for PRO Version, $50 and NO SID/STARS and other FMC options is a waste of money.

[Mario Donick]

will wait for PRO Version, $50 and NO SID/STARS and other FMC options is a waste of money.

 

This has never been a secret, though

[Tom Knudsen]

Just bought the plane my self so I have not been able to check it out yet. But I guess it works like any other advanced plane, you

import navdata via navigraph or aerosoft

 

EDIT

 

Noticed the Advanced vs pro info now, so disregard

Edited December 8, 2014 by Tom Knudsen

[Mario Donick]

Correct, Tom, "advanced" means less complex than the 777 or 757 (which are "pro") by the same developers, esp. in terms of the FMC.

 

It's still a nice aircraft, though.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Mario Donick

[Yidahoo]

You can also use XFMC to insert SID/STARs to the flight plan. Works fine, you can then just use the A350 FMC for the rest. Not heard from anyone yet that has been disappointed with this plane after buying it. It is a work of art and when it gets upgraded to the Pro version I think it will be regarded as one of the X-Plane classics. 

[Mario Donick]

You can also use XFMC to insert SID/STARs to the flight plan. Works fine, you can then just use the A350 FMC for the rest.

 

That's true... although having X-FMC in a cockpit that LOOKS so shiny and modern feels very out-of-place...

[Yidahoo]

True but you only need it to add the SIDS/STARS, you can then switch it off and use the main MCDU

Edited December 8, 2014 by Yidahoo

[Mario Donick]

True but you only need it to add the SIDS/STARS, you can then switch it off and use the mind MCDU

 

It would still constantly remind me of what is missing. At first, I thought "well, we've flown aircraft without proper FMC in X-Plane for years", and not so many months ago I was still thinking "well, who needs a FMC anyway?"

 

But then I used an aircraft which has a good FMC and it was a joy to use it and to observe the aircraft flying nearly perfectly the flight plan.

 

So now I do miss it.

 

The A350's FMC is so shiny and nice visually -- but totally lacks basic functionality (I would've never thought that I'd say something like this one day...). If I used X-FMC, I'd probably use it for all the other missing things, too (well... given someone created a good config file). I know the A350 will be upgraded at some day -- but until then, it's just a nice aircraft, with a lot of potential, but missing things and unpolished edges (such as many liveries which are not as good as they could have been with a bit more time).

Edited December 8, 2014 by Mario Donick

[sizziano]

Well if the update to the pro will be free for current customers and they raise the price then it might be worth to buy it now at 50.

[Mario Donick]

It also does not calculate V1, VR, V2

I have to take back this part of my criticsm. One of the devs quoted a part of the Airbus' FCOM for the A380, stating that an Airbus FMC does NOT calculate V speeds, but pilots use other devices to calculate these and enter the results by hand in the FMC. First, I could not believe this, but I asked a real (retired) Airbus pilot and he confirmed that.

[Tom Knudsen]

Talked to a EasyJet captain today, he said they use pads for different programs, used to use laptops but they are in most cases replaced by company pads Airbus performance software is called FlySmart, and some uses Lufthansa's Lido Maps and Vistair DocuNet for manuals

 

It is correct that FMGC (as it is called in airbus) cannot calculate V-Speeds, they need then to use the Takeoff Performance part of FlySmart where they set runway, weather, weight etc.. Then they get their V-Speeds.