The B737 Classic Project

[Ben Russell]

As demonstrated already it's years beyond anything else available for X-Plane.

[Tom Knudsen]

Hell, make that for FS and P3D too

[kingpieman]

I couldn't say at this time.  We will be discussing it however in the next few weeks.  Certainly we want our 737 to be fully representative of the real aircraft.  Nearing 4.5 years of development though, we are about ready to concede a few things for our initial release, especially less frequently used features.  Now that being said, we do not plan to rest on any laurels should we receive any after the release.  There is a "line" that we have set for ourselves prior to release.  We'll just have to wait and see. 

 

TomK

I do hope that it is going to be released before June as this is when my holidays start and i want to nerd the 737 out until my  eyes start to hurt from not sleeping               

 

But seriously I'm happy for it to take 2 more years to complete as long as we get a professional level aircraft, that we can enjoy. Keep up the great work.   

[meshboy]

I really hope the Ixeg team will take good money for this aircraft, and also charge good money for the updates. I will be disappointed if this bird goes for under 150$.

 

Thats how good this is!!!

[kingpieman]

I really hope the Ixeg team will take good money for this aircraft, and also charge good money for the updates. I will be disappointed if this bird goes for under 150$.

 

Thats how good this is!!!

That's not really considerate now is it. This may end being a amazing aircraft but priced at $150 not many people would be able to afford it and quite frankly people may not buy it if it's over $70, I know that I won't even if it's amazing, also charging for updates probably wouldn't be viable as you couldn't have the first version of the aircraft with many bugs and have to pay $30 to update it to fix the bugs. Hopefully IXEG will consider everyones financial circumstances, so we can all fly in the sky . 

[mtaxp]

Something that I recently thought about... is the clouds display in the weather radar is tested with SkyMaxxPro also?

[Tom Knudsen]

 

I couldn't say at this time.  We will be discussing it however in the next few weeks.  Certainly we want our 737 to be fully representative of the real aircraft.  Nearing 4.5 years of development though, we are about ready to concede a few things for our initial release, especially less frequently used features.  Now that being said, we do not plan to rest on any laurels should we receive any after the release.  There is a "line" that we have set for ourselves prior to release.  We'll just have to wait and see.

 

Tom, in any way you see it there will be major bugs reported after public release. Not even a beta test can reveal everything.

But thats why god created service packs

 

Good luck, even if you enter another year of developments (or is 5 year an even number he he)

 

 

is the clouds display in the weather radar is tested with SkyMaxxPro also?

 

Don't think Sky Maxx Pro is a weather engine, for all I know it just modifies the default clouds, x-plane renders the weather.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Tom Knudsen

[mtaxp]

Tom, in any way you see it there will be major bugs reported after public release. Not even a beta test can reveal everything.

But thats why god created service packs

 

Good luck, even if you enter another year of developments (or is 5 year an even number he he)

 

 

Don't think Sky Maxx Pro is a weather engine, for all I know it just modifies the default clouds, x-plane renders the weather.

I know what SMP is... however as I know it can't place clouds in an accurate position and far to the horizon , so I wonder how the IXEG's weather radar will perform using SMP + default weather engine/EFASS UltraWX or any any other engine..

[kingpieman]

I know what SMP is... however as I know it can't place clouds in an accurate position and far to the horizon , so I wonder how the IXEG's weather radar will perform using SMP + default weather engine/EFASS UltraWX or any any other engine..

Well just have to see for our selves       I mean on initial release there will be bugs with different setups etc, But as Tom mentioned we have Service packs for that . 

[Litjan]

Hi guys,

 

just wanted to share the changelog for the new internal beta that we put out to our small test-team just recently:

 

Here's what's changed in Beta 2.1:

Fixes:

• Incompatibilities with Carenado aircraft
• Calibrated several sounds
• Several problems with cabin control in auto/standby mode
• APU CTD bug
• Light logic for fuel low-pressure lights
• Several miscellaneous bugs related to auto-flight system
• Flight model tweaks to improve handling in ground effect
• Improved effects for rain/snow on windscreen
• Takeoff config warning behavior
• Yaw damper engagement/warning logic
• Several fixes/improvements related to GUI
• Engine start sequence (speed, egt, etc.)
• Rudder deflection angles with trim
• Dozens of small micro fixes
• Range of weather radar
• Speed-brake servo behavior for RTO and auto-deploy/auto-stow

What's New:

• Engine 3D fans/spinner and new sounds
• Preference checkbox for "vintage" engine steam gauges
• Preference option for winglets
• Fly-out menus along left side. Move mouse cursor to left edge for main menu fly-out. Move mouse to lower left corner for views menu fly-out
• Several areas in the cockpit improved
• Emergency cockpit lighting
• Extensive work on FMS route LEGS page entering/editing
  • Auto-disco added between takeoff and landing procedures
  • LEGS page point deletion/disco
  • LEGS page shortcutting added
  • LEGS page direct TO added  (WIP, in flight routing not calibrated)
  • LEGS page manual waypoint entry for navAids
  • VNAV for climb phase added (perf numbers not fully calibrated)
  • LEGS page manual override for ALT/SPEEDS (WIP, not calibrated)
  • Independent DUAL CDU entry on several pages (WIP)
• APU inlet door animation
• Visual nicks, scratches and reflections on windscreen
• Mini EHSI preview window whenever EHSI controls are manipulated
• Quick Ref Card. Click the little slot above the MCP to take out and put back
   

Thanks for participating in our beta program to help create a better product!

 

Cheers, Jan

[Jakob Ludwig]

Ohhhh... Seems you guys come along nicely with the Bobby. Thanks for keeping us updated Jan.

[Tom Knudsen]

Excellent news, love it.. Just keep in mind that the more you fill the glass with water the harder it is to carry

[kingpieman]

Hi guys,

 

just wanted to share the changelog for the new internal beta that we put out to our small test-team just recently:

 

Here's what's changed in Beta 2.1:

Fixes:

• Incompatibilities with Carenado aircraft
• Calibrated several sounds
• Several problems with cabin control in auto/standby mode
• APU CTD bug
• Light logic for fuel low-pressure lights
• Several miscellaneous bugs related to auto-flight system
• Flight model tweaks to improve handling in ground effect
• Improved effects for rain/snow on windscreen
• Takeoff config warning behavior
• Yaw damper engagement/warning logic
• Several fixes/improvements related to GUI
• Engine start sequence (speed, egt, etc.)
• Rudder deflection angles with trim
• Dozens of small micro fixes
• Range of weather radar
• Speed-brake servo behavior for RTO and auto-deploy/auto-stow

What's New:

• Engine 3D fans/spinner and new sounds
• Preference checkbox for "vintage" engine steam gauges
• Preference option for winglets
• Fly-out menus along left side. Move mouse cursor to left edge for main menu fly-out. Move mouse to lower left corner for views menu fly-out
• Several areas in the cockpit improved
• Emergency cockpit lighting
• Extensive work on FMS route LEGS page entering/editing
  • Auto-disco added between takeoff and landing procedures
  • LEGS page point deletion/disco
  • LEGS page shortcutting added
  • LEGS page direct TO added  (WIP, in flight routing not calibrated)
  • LEGS page manual waypoint entry for navAids
  • VNAV for climb phase added (perf numbers not fully calibrated)
  • LEGS page manual override for ALT/SPEEDS (WIP, not calibrated)
  • Independent DUAL CDU entry on several pages (WIP)
• APU inlet door animation
• Visual nicks, scratches and reflections on windscreen
• Mini EHSI preview window whenever EHSI controls are manipulated
• Quick Ref Card. Click the little slot above the MCP to take out and put back

   

Thanks for participating in our beta program to help create a better product!

 

Cheers, Jan

Nice keep up the good work but I don't get what you mean by 

• Incompatibilities with Carenado aircraft??????????

[AngeloM]

Same thing I asked on the .org but no answer until now.

[Cameron]

Same thing I asked on the .org but no answer until now.

Um, yes it was answered. Basically 3 hours after you asked!

 

 

 

Incompatibilities with Carenado aircraft??????????

 

See above...that said, I guess it doesn't really matter if the issue has been solved, does it?

[AngeloM]

Um, yes it was answered. Basically 3 hours after you asked!

 

I missed it, probably because I was waiting for Jan.

Thank you to point me at it.

 

 

that said, I guess it doesn't really matter if the issue has been solved, does it?

 

Sure, but I think that you can very well understand how strange is a fix like that, very unusual to see.

[Cameron]

Sure, but I think that you can very well understand how strange is a fix like that, very unusual to see.

 

I actually don't understand how strange it is, especially considering none of us have the product. The fact they even fixed something to do with it and showed is all I care about. Considering it's listed as a "fix" I just don't care. But, that's neither here nor there. Your question was answered unlike you thought, and that's all that matters at this point.

[AngeloM]

It seems that my actual knowledge of the language doesn't make me able to explain my point of view in a understandable way, no problem.

[Ben Russell]

The fix item should be labelled more like this:

 

- Fixes issues where the the previously loaded aircraft may leave things like rheostats and light switches in the off position.

 

 

The previous aircraft can affect the current aircraft via values left in the global x-plane datarefs. Nothing more.

 

These datarefs may be tweaked by SASL, Python, C, or simply via cockpit buttons knobs and switches.

 

The mention of the word "Carenado" was an unfortunate coincidence. 

 

 

 

 

Does that help explain it some more?

[kingpieman]

Um, yes it was answered. Basically 3 hours after you asked!

 

 

 

 

See above...that said, I guess it doesn't really matter if the issue has been solved, does it?

Fair enough  

[DanielMan]

The fix item should be labelled more like this:

 

- Fixes issues where the the previously loaded aircraft may leave things like rheostats and light switches in the off position.

 

 

The previous aircraft can affect the current aircraft via values left in the global x-plane datarefs. Nothing more.

 

These datarefs may be tweaked by SASL, Python, C, or simply via cockpit buttons knobs and switches.

 

The mention of the word "Carenado" was an unfortunate coincidence. 

 

 

 

 

Does that help explain it some more?

That sounds political correct .....

 

Thank you for the information, I had never searched a problem related to the previous loaded plane!

[Litjan]

Hi everyone,

 

two new videos are up on our youtube channel.

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcuYmGFREqwGyHhsYlDPtMA

 

Enjoy!

 

Jan

[captainamerican]

I can feel this coming. Can't wait to buy..

[Litjan]

Hi everyone,

 

this thread has been quiet all too long, and it is mostly our fault for not providing more frequent updates.

 

This time we don´t have a new video for you, but things keep progressing nonetheless. We are still targeting a release in 2015 - again this is not a promise, but our very urgent desire. So where are we at?

 

As you all know, the airplane is almost complete, save for some minor 3D items, like the outboard landing lights, movable cabin doors, a moving ouflowvalve vane, and a few more. The bulk of the documentation is also there, but it needs to be formatted into a nice document.

 

The biggest chunk is still the FMS. We have the PERFormance part working, maintaining weights, takeoff page, approach page, etc. The RTE page and entry of a lateral route already works (as you could see in the latest videos). We are still missing the VNAV calculation, and the PROGgress calculation (estimating times, fuel usage).

 

Two weeks ago, Tom Kyler, our lead FMS programmer, spent a week at my place in Germany, so we could crunch down on the VNAV part. We had done a similiar session a few months ago, where we worked on the VNAV climb part, now it was time to do the VNAV PTH and SPD descent. So what is VNAV? In a nutshell, VNAV is the vertical path that the plane takes along the lateral route. The climb, cruise, descent and missed approach phases. VNAV is pretty complicated, as the computations try to predict the vertical profile (a non-linear climb), and the descent (mostly an idle-power descent), provides altitude and speed predictions for the waypoints (therefore changing the lateral route again, due to changing turn radii) and heeding several different types of restrictions.

 

The climb is "fairly" straightforward: The aircraft will climb with maximum climb power to the cruise altitude. It will, however, change airspeed at least three times, and possibly come up against altitude restrictions that delay the climb. All of this can be changed and modified by the pilot, so we need to take that into account as well.

 

The descent is almost a climb in reverse, but the goal is now to target a three-dimensional spot in space, again changing speeds and descent regimes, ducking under and levelling off for altitude restrictions, taking into account all sorts of influencing factors (wind, weight, etc.).

 

We also have to provide steering cues for the autopilot to do the right thing - climb while in the climb phase, level off for altitude restrictions and the cruise altitude, follow a three-dimensional path during the VNAV PTH descent, hitting deceleration segments, etc.

 

It is absolutely mind-boggling - but we are on a good way to get it right! Tom has actually written the code to identify the E/D (end of descent) point correctly and reliably. It is "the last point before the end of route or route discontinuity with an AT altitude restriction". Try to put that into code. Phew.

 

We hope to have VNAV in testing by early October. The CRZ page and PROG page are mere matters of coding crunch, adding up mileage, divide by groundspeed, multiply with fuel-flow... that kind of thing. Not trivial, but a piece of cake compared to the LNAV and VNAV computations.

 

I really hope that many of you will exert the effort to understand and use the VNAV functionality of this aircraft - unlike most real-life pilots, who consider the VNAV button a "magic button" where you "never quite know what the airplane will do".   

 

That´s it for now - you can expect to see more frequent updates here from now on until we relase.

 

Cheers, Jan

[Push_IT_Up]

Thanks for this update Jan, keep up the great work on this classic beauty.