744 MCP, EFIS and EICAS Control Units

[cavaricooper 2,613]

Hi all:I am discussing the potential market for a 747 MCP and EFIS and EICAS Control Units with the folks over at Go-Flight.It would involve some costs for them as they would have to change switch locations, functions and color from the current 737 MCP Pro line up they produce.I have told them I feel there is a market for this product line. The MCP Pro for the 737 is priced at $499 and I would think the 747 MCP would be similarly priced. The two other units are less.Since the close of Aerosoft Australia's MCP production, there has not been a hardware manufacturer willing to take on the 744 series. Each used Aerosoft MCP is quickly snatched up on eBay or elsewhere for amounts far exceeding the costs listed.So- if you are a devotee of this platform, who would be willing (and able) to purchase a USB MCP Pro for the 744, with the identical form and functionality of the 747-400F MCP modeled by PMDG and in service with Boeing, please add to this posting with your affirmation.I would like to be able to point this post out to the folks at Go-Flight, as a tangible indicator of their potential ROI.These units would work with BOTH the FS9 and FSX versions (after Lefteris gets his working sample) ;). Driver costs as always are a separate item!Best-Carl F. Avari-Cooper BAW0225http://online.vatsimindicators.net/980091/523.png

[michelmvd 0]

I certainly will be on board for such a system, certain if it would have all the functions as the real one (inclusief dimensions). (just as the software of PMDG is doing.B. RgdsMichel

[Guest Just747-400]

Hi Michel,Congratulations on your project, nice setup. Regarding the747 throttle quadrant, I was wondering if is a USB unit and from where did you purchase it. I am looking to get one for a long time without any success, is any place that you can recommend?

[Headley 26]

You may count me in for this project !

[veldthui 0]

Not me I am afraid. I have the MCP Pro from them and when I got it, it would simply lock up totally or lock the display up. E-mailed them and they said I needed to send it in for a firmware upgrade and a hardware mod. They would give not guarantee that it would be fixed. Sent it off and they got it 4 days later. Nearly two months later and after a couple of e-mails it finally arrived back and it is not better than before. Out of the first 5 flights with it, it locked up or froze 4 times. Only once did it work fully through the 2 hours flight. There is no way to reset it during flight and have it come back up even though it is suppose to plug and play.I have e-mailed back further the issues I am having and get no replies at all now.John Veldthuishttp://www.virtualpilots.org/signatures/vpa475.png

[Guest Jambo]

The Go-flight modules have often be given some bad press due to various lock ups, and other issues, take a look at the leveld forums and elsewhere to see evidence of this, the CPflight, opencockpits etc are all better, and more configurable and also easier to expand as your home cockpit might grow.The issue is however which ever company or user produces a product is it then working with the only 747 actually worth buying and thats the PMDG one, and unfortunalty at present they dont want to openely allow users to use this type of hardware with their software, hence why the 737 MCP's etc presently sell better, as they are fairly easy to convert and be setup to be used with other software, I presently own the Opencockpits 737MCP and use it fully with the LevelD 767, all the MCP functions of the 767 can be controlled from the 737 MCP, as the 737 as some extra buttons that can be used to model the other functions that the 767 contains. The new CPflight pro 737 looks totally amazing, with back lighting etc...but again PMDG dont support it. So any venture into any company making a hardware for the 747 are going to limit their sales until PMDG allow users access to an SDK or the ofsets. or produce cost effective drivers for the hardware.James Carr(EGBB ATCO)

[lefteris 70]

James-please use extra caution when giving blanket statements such as "again PMDG dont support it". We would seriously examine providing a driver for it once CPFlight would send us the requisite test units as well as the means to talk to them. So far, all our suggestions that they do so have fallen on deaf ears though.