The only virtual cockpit worth using (IMHO)is the SIAI Marchetti from Real Air Simulations. It is the clearest and most crisp (with hardly ANY sharp edges) VC on the commercial market. If I could get the gauges to function in high detail mode without stutters, I would use the VC (in this a/c only)100% of my simming time.Jason

You tell 'em Cris! 2D IS HISTORY. My 2. The darn thing is a vc is just crying for a vr helmet which are still future talk. :-( WHY???? :-madNew handycam's have crisp little displays which could be used for vr.1 for each eye means 3d as a bonus! BTW; I adjust most instruments via the keyboard in vc mode. (even airspeed that m$ forgot to add.) And there are some real beauties (vc's) out there! I fly posky's crj vc only. And the exterior isn't too bad either!

>Developers still cant let go of the 2d position even when >designing the 3d VC's, I have actually seen VC's that have >the yoke move toward the center console to more closely >match the 2d screen - freakish indeed. I've taken a different approach to VC and 2d panel design. I build the VC first, and then use a 'snapshot' of that to serve as the basis for the 2d design. This way, there should be such a glaring difference between the two when switching back and forth... :)

You can always create your own "snap in" panels to add the extra controls, I originally did one for the Falcon using "Notepad" shown below, no need for the 2d cockpit at all with that now !! I had originally constructed them for everything I fly although I managed to lose them when I wiped my machine....

I used to fly a charter 310 that had a similar panel. While realistic, that single-bar attitude indicator has to go! The one I flew also had a barrel-type GC (like the old wet compasses). Not only were they difficult to read, but their age resulted in a huge amount of precession and resulted in their replacement after we came out of the clouds once in a bank when the AI showed wings level! I hope Lou is planning on allowing users the choice of alternate instrumentation for his new 310! I do applaud him for "as real as it gets!"

> I hope Lou is planning >on allowing users the choice of alternate instrumentation >for his new 310! I do applaud him for "as real as it gets!" I know Lou has alternates for radio's............. as I refuse to use any radio without the newer digital displays and "flip flops"! It's just the way I am with any real life "rental" aircraft.The 310 is just in the designing stage, but we can sure make your statement known,..... as I agree! Even the 1944 P51-D Mustang I went up in, had a much newer attitude indicator.. :)L.Adamson

>The main purpose of virtual cockpits is to remind us how >good 2d panels are I totally agree Jaap. :-)

The purpose of a VC in my views is this:In Flight Simulaotr 2002, You have a 2D Panel, which most of the times in VFR weather your eyes are stuck on all the guages anyway, thats what a 2D panel does to you, instructors tell if you play MSFS by this in real life.I remeber when I took my introductory flight, my insturcotr said "You play Flight Simulator a lot, right?" . I asked him how he knew that, and he replied "Your eyes are stuck on the gauges, scan them every few seconds, and the rest of the time look outside for traffic, and enjoy the view."In real life, you scan the gauges every few seconds and have, while looking foward, a full view of entire panel, left and right corner views, and partial left and right window views. With a virtual cockpit, thats basically what you do. 2D panels do not let you do that. Have a great day!

I second that Splash... 2D panels are very restrictive which is very unrealistic in real life. The VC allows you to scan the sky and not the gauges for 90% of your flight. We are just at the beginning of this new feature which I think is great.