The PMDG MD11: First Look

[Guest Enders]

Gabriel,believe me when there new pixs or what so ever, I think we are the first to know.Till then we can only wait.Regards from Holland,Wouter Enders

[Guest Toby-SRMD11]

>If you want pictures from a MD-11 cockpit go to Airliners.net>and do a search you will have plenty of them to have an idea>and dream of the coming PMDG's MD-11 cockpit and plane!The question is not how the real MD-11 flight deck looks like, the question is how the PMDG MD-11 cockpit looks, compared to the real MD-11 flight deck. What I can see on the screen shots on the PMDG website, is that the PMDG cockpit looks very close to the original, but I consider it to be incomplete and it also seems to have some cheats which seem to be on purpose, but the cheats are a little bit hidden.Regards, Toby

[Guest mfelicio]

WHERE ARE THE OFICIAL POSITION OF THE PMDG? IT

[Guest Toby-SRMD11]

These are the differences I can see between the screenshots of the PMDG MD-11 flight deck on the PMDG website and the real MD-11 cockpit:>> I consider it to be incomplete - The MD-11 has 4 general types of displays, noramally displayed on 4 DU's (Display Units = CRT's). PFD, SD, EAD and SD. The screen shots on the PMDG show only an incomplete part of the essential cockpit with only 3 of 4 DU's. On the screen shots I don't see DU4, gear handle, throttles ...>> it also seems to have some cheats which seem to be on purpose, but the cheats are a little bit hiddenI think, the showing of only 3 of 4 DU's is on purpose, to improve the display quality. But this requires some tricks which I called cheats. It seems that PMDG did this very ingenious.- Since there are only 3 of 4 DU's, the SD which is normally displayed on the DU4 is displayed on DU2. This is correct if one DU fails, but not in the normal case.- On the screen shots one can always see one one half of the FCP. It seems that the user has to switch manually between the 2 different halfs of the FCP.I am sure that the PMDG team exactly knows the MD-11 and that they exactly know what they do. So I don't consider the differences between the PMDG screenshots and the real MD-11 errors. I consider the differences a wanted compromise to fit the real MD-11 cockpit into the PMDG cockpit philosophy, and they did it really clever.As I already mentioned, I refer to the screen shots on the PMDG website. I don't know how the current PMDG MD-11 cockpit looks like.Regards, Toby

[Chaos81 110]

And your point is?

[Guest Toby-SRMD11]

That my post was not a joke, as somebody asked.Toby

[Chaos81 110]

Yes, but he was referring to PMDG staff, which I don't belive you are. ;)

[Antonio Lapa Gomes 0]

Please be polite!Politeness is another rewarded virtue!Don't shoutAvoid using capital letters.greet'sALG

[Guest vsnlweb]

Actually I think that you are wrong, PMDG is correct with the three screens. Go Airliners.net look up MD11 Cocpit and you would see that they have only 3 screens on either side

[Guest Toby-SRMD11]

>Actually I think that you are wrong, PMDG is correct with the>three screens. Go Airliners.net look up MD11 Cocpit and you>would see that they have only 3 screens on either sideThe MD-11 has 6 screens. From left to right:Captain's PFDCaptain's NDEAD (for both pilots)SD (for both pilots)F/O's NDF/O's PFDEach pilot has his own PFD and ND. Both the displays in the middle, EAD and SD, are only once and for both pilots together.You can see it by yourself on airliners.net that there are really for displays:Regards, Toby

[Guest Toledano]

Should be interesting that the PMDG team give us some position... At least till where I know, the MD's have 6 DU's. 3 for captain, and 3 for FO...Toledano

[mburkhard 23]

Gentlemen, what was the issue again?There's no way you can ever have four DUs as big as the ones from the MD-11 on a single screen with a 2D panel in MSFS. Well yes you can but then it won't be a good perspective...to Toby;Bill already told you that the main panel will look different compared to the old screenshots on the website. There will always be compromises on a 2D panel compared to the real cockpit. If you want true-to-life placement of everything... fly the 3D panel / VC.Regards,Markus

[mfrantz 45]

Guys, There is no reason for worries here. You know should already know that with any PMDG product you will get nothing less than the real thing. Yes all 6 DUs are modeled, with Captain's and F/Os side PFDs and NDs operating independently. What is displayed on each of the 6 DUs is normally as Toby described, but in case of any DU failure (or turned off by pilot, or loss of power of the specific bus that powers the DU) the rest DUs will be automatically reconfigured to display the most essential information (priority is PFD, then EAD, then SD/ND shared by a single DU whose display can be toggled). There are 64 differenct reconfiguration combinations, all modelled according to the manuals. You'll also get side specific MCDUs (different pages can be viewed on each). As I told you, expect nothing less than the real thing. On the Virtual Cockpit you can see all 6 DUs and 3 MCDUs at the same time. On the 2D panel what you get is the Captain's seat perspective (there will also be a F/Os seat view). As Markus said you can't fit 4 or 6 DUs in this view. Not only because of lack of space but mainly because it would result in a totaly wrong and unrealistic perspective. Of course you can bring up the 4th DU (SD) any time you want in a pop-up window (same way as with lower EICAS in the 747). Some new screenshots will be available soon. Michael Frantzeskakis

[Chaos81 110]

>There are 64>differenct reconfiguration combinations, all modelled>according to the manuals.WOW! I never realized you could do so much with it.Thanks for posting Michael and Markus, maybe now some people will understand what they are getting.Michael, nice name btw. ;)

[Guest Toby-SRMD11]

>Guys, >>There is no reason for worries here. >You know should already know that with any PMDG product you>will get nothing less than the real thing. >>Yes all 6 DUs are modeled, with Captain's and F/Os side PFDs>and NDs operating independently. What is displayed on each of>the 6 DUs is normally as Toby described, but in case of any DU>failure (or turned off by pilot, or loss of power of the>specific bus that powers the DU) the rest DUs will be>automatically reconfigured to display the most essential>information (priority is PFD, then EAD, then SD/ND shared by a>single DU whose display can be toggled). There are 64>differenct reconfiguration combinations, all modelled>according to the manuals. You'll also get side specific MCDUs>(different pages can be viewed on each). >As I told you, expect nothing less than the real thing. >>On the Virtual Cockpit you can see all 6 DUs and 3 MCDUs at>the same time. >>On the 2D panel what you get is the Captain's seat perspective>(there will also be a F/Os seat view). As Markus said you>can't fit 4 or 6 DUs in this view. Not only because of lack of>space but mainly because it would result in a totaly wrong and>unrealistic perspective. Of course you can bring up the 4th DU>(SD) any time you want in a pop-up window (same way as with>lower EICAS in the 747). >>Some new screenshots will be available soon. >>Michael Frantzeskakis> Thank you very much for the information! This is really great news!Regards, Toby