Airbus Wilco

[Robert W 3]

While we cannot put "pressure" on a vendor. I have asked my contact from Wilco/FeelThere to respond to the forum reader's concerns about their forum status with reagrds to the Airbus series.

[Guest roystondh]

>Franco,>At least they have>now posted a list of things changed by Vol 1 SP3b on the>Airbus Volume 1 "support" page.>>KevinAnd have been very vague about what they have fixed using statements such as "Managed descent greatly improved" - thus avoiding the more useful issue of what they regard as remaining bugs and if we are likely to see another service pack resolving them.Roy Hinds

[Guest singletracker]

>Self Correction>>Apparently the ILS is not auto-tuned if you fail to meet the>DECEL point or it is changed in the MCDU - it needs to be set>manually.>>If that's a reflection of how a real Airbus work's then great,>otherwise it would be nice to have.It doesn't work like that in the real aircraft. If you select another ILS approach in the FMGEC via the MCDU it will autotune the corresponding ILS in the RADNAV page. You will have the correct ILS displayed on the PFD/ND. There are lots of other inaccuracies in the way the FMGEC and FCU function. some examples that come to mind:* If you select an altitude on the FCU above your INIT CRZ level the FMA should announce ALT (Blue) the a couple of seconds later ALT CRZ (blue). In the MCDU scratch pad it will display NEW CRZ ALT - 39000 (etc.), * When you select your INIT CRZ level in the FCU during climb the FMA should change from ALT (blue) to ALT CRZ (blue) then on reaching ALT CRZ* (green) the ALT CRZ (green). Not ALT (Blue) the ALT CRZ* (green)* On takeoff when you select CLIMB Thrust at LVR CLIMB the FMA should annunciate THR CLIMB and CLIMB not SPEED and CLIMB.* If you enter a selected speed in the FMGEC CLB page, when you select CLIMB Thrust at LVR CLIMB the speed bug should turn BLUE and drive to the entered speed. The FCU speed window should then open and display the same speed. If you the press the speed knob (managed speed) it would revert to the FMGEC CLB managed speed. I cant really work out what it is trying to do in the sim? Maybe managed until clean up complete then changing to the FMGEC entered (selected) speed?These are just a few examples.To be fair to the developers of this package. The Airbus flight modes and FMGEC is a lot more complex than the Boeing systems in the way they interact and they have done a pretty good job (IMHO)replicating the FMGEC/FCU/FMA interaction. The Auto thrust on final dose a better job than the real thing!The only really annoying thing to date, The thrust required to taxi is way out! a 330-300 at say 170-180T needs IDLE to start moving or maybe a tweak of thrust then idle. at 233T you need about 38%N1 to get moving then idle and then a bit of thrust coming out of 90 degree corners or up hill.Good Review btw :-)

[kevinh 409]

I have a minor issue with their replication of the FCU. The FCU altitude window always starts on ground power up at 100 feet showing, not 1000 as in the Wilco version. The minimum you can select is 100 ft, but on the Wilco version it is zero. If you select 1000 ft increment it rounds up the altitude selection to the next thousand on the first click.The Wilco version keeps the odd 100 ft in the same situation.As I said it is annoying, but easily fixed and would improve realism if they did so (I mentioned this on the forum when they had one, feelthere said they would implement it on the next update but never did).Your observations on the FMGC/FMGEC are good, and most of those things could easily be incorporated to make the Airbus a genuine "PIC" sim. Especially annoying is the way the A/T goes into SPEED mode after CLB thrust reduction. Another important issue you have not mentioned is that after an altitude constraint, Managed CLB does not continue automatically, as it should. The sim remains in ALT HOLD.Kevin

[kevinh 409]

>While we cannot put "pressure" on a vendor. I have asked my>contact from Wilco/FeelThere to respond to the forum reader's>concerns about their forum status with reagrds to the Airbus>series.Any response from your contact at Wilco/Feelthere yet?Kevin

[Petraeus 147]

>>While we cannot put "pressure" on a vendor. I have asked my>>contact from Wilco/FeelThere to respond to the forum>reader's>>concerns about their forum status with reagrds to the Airbus>>series.>>Any response from your contact at Wilco/Feelthere yet?>>KevinYes, I'm interested in their response.Petraeus

[Robert W 3]

Wilco responded and said to check the FeelThere website as it's their product.

[kevinh 409]

Robert,That's typical of Wilco. There's nothing to check at the FeelThere site. The Airbus support forum is locked with a message saying all support is conducted through Wilco.Wilco and FeelThere jointly decided to close the forum.Can you get a proper answer please, I'm fed up with Wilco fobbing us off, and FeelThere developers are uncontactable.Kevin

[scoob 18]

>There's nothing to check at the FeelThere site. the above is FALSE information. support forum for questions about any feelThere designed aircraft -http://www.iemit.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=27--

[kevinh 409]

>>There's nothing to check at the FeelThere site. >>the above is FALSE information. support forum for questions>about any feelThere designed aircraft ->>http://www.iemit.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=27>>>--Unless I'm misreading it this is for non-technical discussion. You can discuss things and get operational advice, but technical support is forbidden.Kevin

[Guest roystondh]

Scoobflight,When I and other's have asked on your forums about on-going development to sort out the various issues which still plague the volume 1 & 2 Airbus Series, you do not seem willing to commit to any further development effort on this product.On comment from Victor recently was"As usuall we never promise or deny any development. As you can see many believed we've abandoned the support of the Airbus Vol.1 and we just released an SP recently. We learned very early in the hard way to never promise anything. We are doing our best to provide a reasonable service for a reasonable price and this is still our goal."I read into this that you seem to "feel" that enough effort has gone into this product and it stands as is.Please Clarify If feelthere are going to release any further Service packs for this product, even if you are unwilling to commit to any timescales.At the moment the Wilco site makes FALSE claims about the aircraft's capabilities because certain functionality such as the VNAV leaves a lot to be desired.You have a potentially good set of products, but they are still not finished to the advertised standards.Roy Hinds

[heightsmite 5]

>>There's nothing to check at the FeelThere site. >>the above is FALSE information. support forum for questions>about any feelThere designed aircraft ->>http://www.iemit.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=27>>>--Right. And when the questions get too specific on that forum, the reader is reminded that he is in an unofficial forum, and problems should be posted to Wilco using their form, which commits the question to etherland.So, Scoob, once more the question of no real user forum loops around to the same useless answer.Uninitiated readers, avoid this software.Dave

[wrenchca 0]

I always advise anyone getting into flight simulation to do their homework before parting with cash for add ons.Don't just check out the shiny screenshots on the sales page or how flashy or well done their website is.Check out the company.How do they handle their support? Is there an Official forum that the people who actually helped create the product frequent? If there is, how do they respond to posters requests for help? Do they express an interest in their problems? Do they work with the poster to help resolve the issue? Do they have a return policy or trial period?What issues are seen on the forum that you might expect?As far as I am concerned, a software designer's responsibility does not end right after your credit card has been billed. If they have no solid support basis available...step away from the computer and put your credit card away.Can you guess the I do not own ANY feelThere/Wilco products? And unless they change their support structure, I never will.My two cents...

[ahuimanu 50]

It is certainly not entirely Vista compatible.

[Guest iksound]

I read the reviews in PC Pilot on the airbus and bought the Vol 2, I've been simming for a couple of years and have various addons from different people.I've got to agree with the general disappointment in the Airbus Vol 2, it just doesn't work properly for me. the speed brake does nothing! at all. the VC has a number of bugs, as well as the outside lighting. there's more un realism about them than realism and that defeats the point of the sim. the wing streams that are created by wing tips at high altitude, kick in around 400ft. basically when I get into the cockpit of a wilco product, I'm glad the don't really make planes, I just don't trust them.I've been put through the rediculous support loop and am sick of it. I've been given the link, told to register, I register, but never get the activation email. #####. I have the 737PIC and that's ok but its seems endemic of the products of this company for the user to have to "Box" with them to make them work. the airbus is the worst of the ones I own, but I personally won't be buying any other products from them. I'm waiting for the Airsimmer Airbus to arrive. I have to say also that the in the avsim review, the statement "worth your money" is highly dubious, as it should really say doesn't deliver what it promises. it looks like an airbus, but its not an airbus.if they said, this is a truly basic approximation of an airbus aimed at people who aren't too bothered about realism, and just want to have something different in their hanger, then fine, I'd respect that and wouldn't feel as though I'd been robbed, but it's all the realistic this, and tested by active pilots that and fully functional systems etc etc. that's what gets my goat, I feel I've been mislead. My honest opinion.Ian