First flight: the good and the bad:

[rhodges 6]

Just completed my first flight from KLWB-KSFO with the final release.Mixed emotions!!!!!Frankly, just about the only thing I waa really disappointed in with the pre-release were the problems related to the radar (CTD). The porpoise problem smoothed out for me, don't know whether it was flight tuneing or something PSS did with the preliminary patch. The only place this was a problem for me was at low altitudes. At cruise levels above FSL300 everything smoothed out immediately. Frame rates with a frame setting (whatever it is called in the setup) @ 6 smoothed the frame rate problem and flights were reasonably smooth.Now I have mixed emotions with the final release.The weather radar problem seems to be cured thank goodness.The porpoise problem is back under autopilot control in spades. It did smooth out at climbout, cruise altitude, and descent after undesirable cycling for a while, but at lower altitudes (again) and on an ILS approach she was impossible! I had 10% fuel load with the default payload, full flaps. Tried approach speeds at 10 knot intervals from 135 to 200. The only way to stop the cycle was to go on to maual control from start to finishFrame rates from KLWB through cruise were not great, but were useable primarily in the teens to low 20's. At KSFO (Fly Tampa), frame rates went to pot @ single digits, LOW single digits! I did not have this problem at all with the pre-release.I started everything over from scratch and slewed to the same approach under the following conditions:Frame setting (Setup - forgotten exactly what it is called) reduced from 6 to 2Clear skysNo AI trafficScenery density full leftNo VC selection for the aircraft (777-300ER Factory Livery)Approach was again a slide show in single digit FPS's. The reduced settings did not seem to make any difference at all. After landing I stopped the bird on the runway with a 2.5 frame rate, selected the Eaglesoft Citation X and immediately went to the mid to high 20's on framerates. (Have a setting of 30).Everything seems to work now, but there are a few things that need attention IMHO.I have not tried flight tuning to the aircraft.cfg file yet which might or might not help the porpoise bit. Something must be done as this problem backtracks to earlier generation birds long since cured of this problem (PSS 747-400 for one). It reduces a beautiful contribution to something far less than it should be and is the major issue to me.The framerate issue may get some help with a bit of tweaking but deserves a bit of examination by PSS also IMHO. If one has to, high density airports could be avoided I guess, but this would be a shame.A great plane, but I think it still needs a mod or two. The attitude, effort, and service by PSS has been outstanding in this release, and I feel that everything can ultimately be worked out. Thank you kindly PSS.Best luck to all and I hope it was just me and will go away:RTHAdder: For what it is worth, the following is the system I was running which I don't think should be the problem:P4C800 Deluxe MotherboardPentium 4, 3.2G CPU1G PC3200/400 MemoryWinXP ProDirectX9.0cATI Radeon 9800Pro 128MBSecondary Graphics Diamond Stealth III S540 PCI 21

[rhodges 6]

well Ummmmmm Not quite so bad, but I think it still could stand some attention.I shut everything down and took another crack at KSFO.My prior flight was with autostart. I did not use it with this retry but simply started up FS9 in the normal fashion.I started with all FS9 default settings (No changes to weather or anything of that nature)Sitting on runway 1 my frame rates were now in the low to middle teens. Not great but useable. I adjusted sliders and it seemed to make absolutely no difference.Took off with an empty payload and 10% fuel. In spite of low teen frame rates the takeoff was very smooth. Soon after departure, frame rates went up to 29+ (set @ 30) and I really got my hopes up that it was something I had done in my prior flight that caused the problems.The porpoise bit was there, but to a lesser degree, just a bit of a nusience, nothing out of control. My impression is that as long as nothing drastic is encountered (turbulence, drastic movement out of cruise, etc.) it may be controllable, but it does need attention. Again, flight tuning may be a help which I will try later.As my glideslope approach reached about 6 miles DME, frame rates suddenly dropped to about 6 or 7. To my surprise it still was not as choppy as it was before. The porpoise cycle increased as well as a sloppy cycle on the roll axis in addition to the pitch bit which makes for a sloppy approach as the plane tends to wallow all the way down. Autoland worked (along with a bounce or two) and she rolled to a stop near the end of the runway. I did try increasing speed from 135K to 160K on final but that did not seem to make any difference to the wallowing dynamics.One step at a time, and hopefully this will all straighten out. Yea, and now to seriously get into the manuals. The secret may be hiding in there.Happy flying:RTHSee there is a tutorial now out. I will try to follow that to the letter next and see how that works out. Thanks Phoeinx!

[rhodges 6]

Well I'm snowed!Maybe these birds just need to sleep (or I do).After seeing a number of posts which isolate between the different models, I thought maybe that was my problem. I have the 772LRF and the 773ER. I do not have the 777-200ER model.Being that my final tries last night were with the -300, I decided to try the freighter this morning. At a normal simulation rate, everything went well this morning. However, there definitely is a difference in the 777-200LRF and 777-300ER stability. Going to a simulation rate multiplier displays the porpoise problem difference. The freighter does cycle some but nowhere near as much as the -300 which very quickly goes out of control. I fear that turbulence or any semi-abrupt move may induce a problem with this issue. I have tried a flight tuning tweak or two but thus far only my imagination confirms that it helps at all.Now the success story for which I have no explaination:At KSFO with no wind conditions I flew the pattern for runway 19, ILS approach with the freighter. 10% fuel load, no payload, pattern speed 240K, 3000' pattern altitude. PERFECT! (well almost perfect anyway.) There still is a slight porpoise cycle after glideslope is intercepted and the nose goes down, but nothing drastic. My approach speed was 135K so a little faster approach might or might not improve the porpoise bit. Autoland was as smooth as silk, hands off to a complete stop.Now the kicker: I then tried the same thing with the 777-300ER, and got the exact same results. With the exception of the slight porpoise cycle, everything went perfectly. I was as near as I can tell exactly duplicating what gave so much trouble less than 24 hours ago.The part that really puzzles me is that my frame rate problem also went away. Obviously, the problems are related. Mid to high 20's throughout this morning. (Again, limit set @ 30)I then tried both planes with full default payloads and got the same results: Success!One word to the rude slamming of those who are having problems by those who are not (and probably some that are to those who are not). I take no issue with the statements that it may be something we are doing wrong, or an error in our systems in some way. In no way have I in any way implied that this is the fault of Pheonix or anybody else for that matter. The fact remains that there is a problem, even if it is me. All we want is to know what we are doing wrong in such a case and to my knowledge PSS has not been offended in any way by requesting help for such a scanerio. PSS as most of the other credible suppliers have been extremely helpful in their support whether the problem was in the product, or a short between this users ears. Lets all continue to work together to see if we can find solutions, not blame.Happy flying and thank you PSS (and everybody else offering positive input).Respectfully:RTH1585368CFI