Flight1 Meridian, the GA plane to have!

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

This is simply the most sophisticated GA aircraft you can get...Absolutely beautiful and with new gauge technology that is not only "as real as it gets", but smooth as silk as well.If you really like to fly GA aircraft, especially IFR, this is it!This sets a new standard, with a fully integrated Garmin 530 GPS, using the actual GPS gauge simulator, provided by Garmin.The fact that you get the gauge user manual from the Garmin site, says it all.

[Guest flightpro08]

Sounds great, but how does it preform? I was just about to get my credit card ready, but then I started to hear a lot of frame rate "horror stories." Now, I'm going to wait a couple of weeks and see how things play out. :-)Ryan-Flightpro08 :-cool VATSIM Pilot/ControllerZLA ARTCC Senior Controller (C-3)ASRC (Advanced Simulated Radar Client) Beta Tester-----------------------------My "Home Made" System Specs:Intel Pentium 4 2.2GHz ProcessorTurbo Gamer ATX Mid-Tower with 420W Power SupplyEPoX 4G4A Motherboard with Intel 845G ChipsetVisiontek XTASY GeForce4 128MB Ti4600 (Det 30.82 Drivers)512MB PC2100 DDR RAM40GB Matrox 7200RPM Hard DriveWindows XP Home Edition SP1*No CPU or GPU Overclocking*3dMark2001SE Score: 11298-----------------------------Click Here to Download my American Eagle POSKY CRJ-200!

[Guest]

How can you lose? If you

[crvm 0]

Well that might be true Jim and this aircraft does look incredible But let's not compare GA aircraft with Jet aircraft {not that you have} which by the way PIC sets the standard still even with out dated technology. But for what its worth, The Meridian might just be the New GA stardard for all others to follow. Awesome job on this bird.Best Wishes,Randy J. Smithcrvm@iwon.com" A little learning is a dangerous thing"AMD XP2100 |MUNCHKIN512 DDR RAM |ECS[/b ]K7S5A MB |[b]GF364 MEG |WIN XP PRO

[Guest]

Hi,There is a slight hit to framerates and stuttering but I believe that will work out in time with some patches. I have completely redone the panel configuration to squeeze out a flyable simulation of this breathtaking aircraft.I do believe its worth it, just got to do some tweaking.Sean

[CraigC 0]

Its not that impressive that you get a GPS manual from Garmin. You can download any manual you want for nothing. What I would find impressive, however, is the accuracy of the FS version of the GNS 530 in relation to its real-world counterpart. Which leads me to another question for Flight1, I did see that FSNav provided GPS waypoints (at least in my home base area)....can these waypoints be programmed into a GPS system for FS so that a user can fly a GPS approach? I was dying to fly a GPS approach on my sim at home during my instrument training, but was never able to. The PROC key adds a whole new dimension to a GPS.Craig

[michal 44]

>Well that might be true Jim and this aircraft does look >incredible But let's not compare GA aircraft with Jet >aircraft {not that you have} which by the way PIC sets the >standard still even with out dated technology. You can not compare a GA to a 767 but you can certainly compare technologies employed - for example I wish I had the same smooth gauges on the PIC - I don't. Smooth gauges have nothing to do whether it is twin engine, single, piston or a jet. I understand that both products were developed 3 years apart but this is exactly what we are talking about here - new technology. Nothing more nothing less. We have been through this before.Michael J.

[Guest JeanLuc_]

Craig,you raise a good point for which there would always be a tradeoff with an add-on for FS2002, especially when if considered too expensive an add-on implies lowering the prices, and limits the investment to make it "more as real as it gets". In that respect, the Meridian do offer value for the money for some users, not to others, with a price which is below some airliners (and some are less featured), and above some GA aircrafts (which also provide good value for the money but less "furnished").As for the GPS, there is the Flight Line Avionics (Apollo) which allows you to add up to 200,000 user waypoints to the already "complete" FS2002 Jepp data set.Hope this helps!

[Guest flightpro08]

Diffenitly Jim. I wasn't trying to "degrade" the Meridian in anyway, as I agree with your statement that "The emersion factor of the Meridian is way above average." More than likely, I'll be purchasing it here within a few days. :-)Ryan-Flightpro08 :-cool VATSIM Pilot/ControllerZLA ARTCC Senior Controller (C-3)ASRC (Advanced Simulated Radar Client) Beta Tester-----------------------------My "Home Made" System Specs:Intel Pentium 4 2.2GHz ProcessorTurbo Gamer ATX Mid-Tower with 420W Power SupplyEPoX 4G4A Motherboard with Intel 845G ChipsetVisiontek XTASY GeForce4 128MB Ti4600 (Det 30.82 Drivers)512MB PC2100 DDR RAM40GB Matrox 7200RPM Hard DriveWindows XP Home Edition SP1*No CPU or GPU Overclocking*3dMark2001SE Score: 11298-----------------------------Click Here to Download my American Eagle POSKY CRJ-200!

[Guest]

Understood Flightpro.Let me know if I can do anything to assit you.Best Regards,Jim Rhoads

[Guest rogue1]

I flew a GPS approach into Edinburgh the other day, lined me up prefectly for the runway. The only thing that would make the GNS530 better would be user added waypoints. Jim

[crvm 0]

Sure it has smooth gauges, almost life-like cockpit etc. I to long for better technology for the flight simming comunity Michael and the Meridian is one that really shines in this regard. Will I buy it? You bet. Would I tell others about it? You bet. As to my beloved PIC, I fly PIC 767 for what it gives me, that is a simulated 767 par excellence. Now, are the gauges perfect, well not even close. Does it get the job done, sure and does it well. Yes Michael "we have been through this before", but not because we dislike the Meridian or want to play "My aircraft is better than yours" but only to point out the truth in both sims. I will respond when some people say certain things that imply the "ours is better than their's mentality" and do it as respectfully as I can. So, lets take to the skys enjoying some incredible new techonolgy and some tierd but proven ones too. Happy simming my friendsBest Wishes,Randy J. Smithcrvm@iwon.com" A little learning is a dangerous thing"AMD XP2100 |MUNCHKIN512 DDR RAM |ECS[/b ]K7S5A MB |[b]GF364 MEG |WIN XP PRO

[Guest UweR]

Hi, I thought one can already add user waipoints to the GNS530?Does anyone need a tutorial?Regards, Uwe

[RichardS 0]

Yes, you can add user waypoints to the 530. I have added 15 to my FSAvionics Version. I use them to cross boundres(Americas/Internatl). If it exists in one and not the other I make a user version for the other so that when I am flying across the ocean I can change databases on the fly. As a matter of fact, if you have both versions of the 530 like I do (FSAvionics and 530XP), they use the same trainer and all the waypoints made in one will be available in the other. The same goes for any flightplans that you add.maxsdadhttp://jdtllc.com/images/RCsupporter.jpg

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

Ryan, I've got a similar system to yours, a P4-2.4 on an Asus P4PE boardwith a GF4-4200 video card."Out of the box" the Meridian runs smoothly.. fps sitting at Meigs in the 20-22 range. This is true for both the regular and virtual cockpits.These framerates are stable and go to 22-23 (24 fps lock) when at altitude.I've also tested the Meridian on a Celeron 1000 with same video card..quite flyable, but with lower framerates.What really sets the aircraft apart IMHO, is the lifelike glass cockpit!The gauges are very detailed and totally fluid... unlike anything I have seen in FS2k2.The second breakthrough is the Garmin 530 moving map GPS which has the complete functionality of the original (no subset.. like the Golden Eagle for example).Once you try the tutorial flight from Vero Beach to Miami, including the 530 programming and GPS approach.. you will be hooked! Getting messages from the GPS, telling you what to do next, and watching the moving map with its multiple screen views is something else..