MD-11 released by competitor

[Guest Callmecapt]

Actually, I have just read some of the reviews that were posted since I last visited simmarket. Very mixed.Goran

[Guest Robin.B]

It looks like a vastly simplified version of the real thing. I read that the FMC is actually more like the FS GPS, and works using the built-in FS Navdata. While the model looks good, I don't think it was released with the intention of matching the PMDG version :)http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/7766/signature7tz.jpgBest Regards,Robin Bilgil

[mburkhard 23]

Goran,I'd like to be very careful here as someone might say "yeah you have to say this anyway!"... But since you asked how it compares to the PMDG MD-11, and you didn't see that one yet, let me give you an example of how different those products are.Their advertisements promise you "perfectly recreated HYD, AIR, ELEC and FUEL systems". They do indeed say "perfectly recreated". But let me tell you that for example the hydraulic system is not really that perfect at all... Why else would their number 3 hydraulic reservoir be full to the top when gear is extended? This is not real as with gear retraction a part of the hyd. fluid goes back into the reservoir so you'll see an increase in quantity when gear is up. But now that the reservoir is already full.... I'm sure you get my point. Also their engine hydraulic pumps only produce 2500psi pressure which again is not real, they should get you 3000psi when functioning correctly.So much for "perfectly recreated".... Now with ours you can do so much more. You can fail almost anything. Any pump you like, have a leak on different systems, pressure loss, even the automatic shutoff valve is simulated, and there's the ADG to give you emergency hyd pressure should you need it. Or fail an AC or DC bus and suddenly one of the HYD quantity or pressure indicators fails and displays an amber X instead. Followed by an alert message saying that hyd pressure reading is unreliable.This is just ONE example of a system comparison. I'd like to point out that I'm not bashing the other product, it might be a good one for beginners with it's simplistic system simulation. I just wished their advertising would stick more to the facts and not only tell "perfectly recreated...", "fully operational" or "perfectly simulated PFD" when it is clearly not true. Too bad... So if you like to get this one, just be aware that in terms of systems you just won't get the real MD-11.Regards,Markus

[Guest D17S]

Funny you should mention that full reservoir condition on the ground. In many ways, that MD11 is just the great grandson to its little daddy, the old DC8. I have these boys side by side on the ramp all day long. There are so many similarities, I can't count. And one is that reservoir condition. The old DC8 crews would not start engines until their hydraulic reservoir was tip-topped full. Cockpit needle buried in the "F" and sight gage fully pink'd-out. Well, as you guessed, after the flight landed the next outbound crew would do their walkaround . . . and would not leave until maintenance FIXED that obviously fresh hydraulic leak that was smeared all along the belly of the airplane. As further evidence of the leak, the crew would point out that the reservoir was not topped off anymore either! "Well, there you have it," they would crow. "Fix that darn leak. And don't forget to fill that reservoir back up." As you suggested, the overfilled reservoir just, ahh, how shall I say . . . pressure relieved? . . . all over the belly of the airplane. For years, the bellys of DC8s were a gooey sticky mess. I used to clean off a square patch and graffiti it "Leak Check Patch" just for entertainment. This went on for years until the old PFEs (non-pilot, Professional Flight Engineers) finally retired . . . and not a moment too soon, BTW! We have finally been able to convince the new guys that the reservoir needs to be down an inch or two. Actually, our success is more because this new crop are 'just' FEs. They are pilots (not A&P, wanttabe mechs) and their main interest is in getting to that right seat. As long as all 4 start, they're ready to go. So check out these new guy's model. It there's a big hydraulic smear back of the main wheel wells down the belly . . . . and the reservoir is down a bit after a flight . . . well maybe there's hope.

[Guest Callmecapt]

Has anyone seen the MD-11 for FSX released by Sky simulations? If anyone on the PMDG team have seen it or tried it, how well will it compare to the PMDG version. It looks pretty good. However, I won't be buying without some kind of comparison to what PMDG will be bringing out. Understandably, PMDG version is not finished so it may be hard to compare but it is just a curiosity thing.RegardsGoran

[Guest Callmecapt]

In that case, I'll be more than happy to wait. Panels on the Sky version look pretty sexy, but I don't want a simple panel that isn't modelled realistically. Thanks for the heads up Markus.Goran