What kind of NAV equipment do you use with the freeware

[Guest]

I really want to fly the 737NG, 737-200, DC-10 etc, but as there are no payware panels which simulates the nav equipment on these planes, I've not been able to fly them online with VATSIM yet. Of course I can fly VOR/NDB NAV, but that's a bit slow when flying SIDs/STARs and intersections. Specially when you get a DCT to a fix/intersection. Therefore I would like to get some recommendations on what NAV systems I should add to many of the great freewarepanels? I don't like stuff like FSNavigator as it's very unrealistic. I'm looking for something like the aeral nav on the DC-9s etc. I really hope some realistic hardcore simmer has the answer ;-) I tested some flights with the ACS-GPS, but it was a bit unaccurate (specially on turns during SID/STAR) and I couldn't find a fix database for the whole world. The one for Scandinavia was excellent though! I really miss the INS which Staffan used on his DC-10 panel for FS2000. But I don't miss FS2000!Ah..that was a lot of words.. Hope some kind person can help me.Thanks in advance,Christian

[Rottenlungs 0]

I would have thought that the old 737-200`s didn`t have FMC/INS. For me the pleasure of flying the older jets is the absence of automation. The ffx 732 and the Iron Knuckles dc-9 are two jets which are stable enough for me to fly IFR just using radio nav and no autopilot.However, what you can do with a bit of PANEL.CFG editing is add a GPS (or any other panel) out of another plane. For instance, I have equipped my AFG NAMC YS-11 with the Garmin GPS out of the Cessna 421 as well as a trim wheel panel. It goes in the face of my non-automation principle I mentioned above but does allow me to "haul virtual Salmon" around Alaska without getting lost quite so often! Incidentally, the C421 is payware but the theory of using another panel`s GPS/FMC still applies.If you can think of an freeware combination of panels let me know on this thread and perhaps I can assist with the Panel.cfg file edit for you..regardsRottenlungs

[Guest cw1011]

The 737 models you mentioned do not have FMCS or INS systems. Two vor radios and one or two NBDs which are modeled by MSFS. This is also true of the 727 models delivered to virtually every commercial fleet in north america. The DC-10 has an INS system - but it is balky and its memory is very limited. Only eight waypoints which had to be plugged in manually using latitude and longitude.If you want to fly VATSIM in these older planes, investing in a program like FS Navigator can be a wise spending choice. FS Navigator will build for you a flight plan from nav aid to nav aid, and also give you intercepts for intersections located between VORs and NBDs. You can also print out maps of your departures and approaches so you can look them over, write on them etc. You can also invest in high altitude en-route charts from Jeppeson - though this is a lot more expensive than FS Navigator. I heartilly encourage you to try this. It is a lot of fun to do the flight planning, and really satisfying to fly the route well. And I agree with the above poster. The IK DC-9 is a terrific airplane for hand flying. Colin

[Guest]

Alright, thanks a lot for the help.I've tried FS Navigator a bit and it's pretty OK, but is it possible to have it explain the STARs/SIDs like on the real maps? Then you often get which radial and what distance a fix/intersection is located on from a VOR... And what about a leg between two or more interections/fixes? In real life you fly lots of abeams from NDBs VORs when passing intersections, but I've never seen a flight planner for FS that gets you abeams etc.Thanks,Christian