No 2D panel for the J41? :( I think it may be a deal breaker for me... Such a shame, i was REALLY looking forward to that. I find it too hard to control the 3D VC's. My computer can handle it just fine, but the 3D gauges are too hard to see accurately without panning, zooming in and out every 2 seconds. With a 2D panel, all you need is right there in front of you.PMDG, is there a way to make a 2D panel addon for this? Please? Pretty please? With a cherry on top? Go on, you know you want to.

Adrian-No- this is a VC only airplane. Ask around to the folks here- I think you will find it will make a believer out of you.This product never had 2D panels, and never will.... we included a few popups simply for convenience- but that is all.

Adrian,You're doing yourself a disservice if you judge the JS41 on your previous experience with VC's. PMDG have done a truly fantastic job with this VC.I know of at least two beta testers who were die-hard 2D panel guys before the JS41 beta 1 release, and it took them all of about two days to fall in love with this VC.

You will get used to the panning/zooming; specially if you have a Hat switch on your joystick/yoke etc. For the little while I have been flying this plane, I don't miss the 2D flight deck at all. It's really a joy to fly this plane in VC, makes it much more realistic.

PMDG have done a truly fantastic job with this VC.

Very true!

rsrandazzo - Can you please let me know what popups you have included? And how they work?You know what, this plane might just help me move into the 3D VC world...Will you be releasing a CD version?EMB120 - Yeah, i guess you are right... Iv always been into 2D - but with what rsrandazzo is saying about popups, i think i will give 3D another try! Lets see how they work first tho.

Adrian,The primary popup is for the FMS, but includes the AP panel located on the pedestal that can be hard to see while flying.

Adrian,The primary popup is for the FMS, but includes the AP panel located on the pedestal that can be hard to see while flying.

Ah, ok... Thinking about it, the 747 in VC mode you could click the ND and that would show in 2D. Is this the case with this plane?

Since discovering the FSX Mouselook functionality and using the brilliant software X-Mouse it has become so easy to use the VC. With X-Mouse you can assign the FSX Mouselook on/off to the middle mouse button - now you can view, move and click buttons and switches totally with your right hand while you fly the aircraft with the left hand .... even though I have exclusively flown 2D in the past, with these tools using the VC has become a pleasure!

Armen,I just downloaded the X-Mouse program. Can you explain how you assign the FSX Mouselook command to the middle mouse button?Thanks!

These are the posts that amaze me. It was known since day one that it would be 3D and FSX only, yet some people still ask for an after-market mod with a 2D panel. As if a 2D panel is like fixing a navdata bug.Let's add the 2D panel and FS9 compatibility at the expense of time spent on the NG and the Airbus.Paul

Armen,I just downloaded the X-Mouse program. Can you explain how you assign the FSX Mouselook command to the middle mouse button?Thanks!

Sure! - In X-Mouse first select FSX.exe so the setting only applies to FSX. Then assign the middle mouse button to point to the "ENTER" key from the dropdown list. Finally in FSX Keyboard assignments, assign the "ENTER" key to control Mouselook. All done! Now only in FSX the middle mouse button will turn on / off the mouselook view mode.

wow awesome! Thanks much for the help!

Sure! - In X-Mouse first select FSX.exe so the setting only applies to FSX. Then assign the middle mouse button to point to the "ENTER" key from the dropdown list. Finally in FSX Keyboard assignments, assign the "ENTER" key to control Mouselook. All done! Now only in FSX the middle mouse button will turn on / off the mouselook view mode.

That'll do me - Im gonna buy this plane when i get home! Thanks guys! My only worry was using the VC, but looks like this will help a lot!

Here is a screen shot of how to setup X-mouse with the default FSX keys, so there is no need to change the keys in FSX which can break other things.That's {Shift} + O (not zero)

I have always been one to use the 2D panel. I debated hard on purchasing the J41 due to it's lack. After 2 days of using the airplane, the ONLY "flaw" I can find with the plane, is the lack of a 2D panel.The VC looks great - I've no doubt it's the best one to be made yet. However, for me, the loss of information while flying is a killer. I use a 22" wide screen monitor with a 1680x1050 resolution (native). In Takeoff and Climb I feel blind flying this plane. I have to choose between:#1 - Default Cockpit View that PMDG provides = great view out the front windscreen...and that's it. Your flying by "feel". No access to any instruments, or information.#2 - Default Cockpit View panned down so that you can see a bit out of the windscreen, and most of the EADI. Limited view, limited info.#3 - Default Cockpit View panned down, and zoomed out. This gives a limited view out of the windscreen, but if positioned just right, you can get in the EADI, EHSI, and most of the left half of the vital engine gauges (Torque, EGT, RPM) - but left engine only. All fonts on instruments are either impossible, or very difficult to read in this setup due to being zoomed out.I primarily use option #3. I don't know how anyone can feel like they are realistically flying a plane, while doing it three quarters blind. Personally, I MUST have the EHSI, Torque, and EGT on screen at a minimum to takeoff and climb. #3 is the only option I can do that with, however, it severely limits your view outside the aircraft, and due to the zoom level, I find it very difficult to read the instruments. I must take a break after climb out due to eyestrain each flight. Perhaps those with better eyesight than my own do not have this difficulty, but there is no getting around the lack of visibility out the windscreen if you want access to the primary instruments that are vital to correctly fly the plane.The folks above who mention the 2D pop-ups - well they don't solve the problem at all. There are only two PMDG pop-ups. The first is to manage ground scenery and open doors. The second is a FMS, Autopilot combo box. The FMS/AP is useful for not having to pan around to use them, but they are not needed / useful for takeoff and climb out (not to mention you have no screen space to fit it anyways during these flight phases).Everyone has their own techniques, likes and dislikes, when it comes to flying these planes. I can respect that. But several times now I've seen someone like the OP here ask about the lack of a 2D panel. To respond that there are 2D pop-ups as some have done here comes across as very misleading to me (but not malfeasance), as these pop-ups do not address the compromises needed to use the VC.I've seen several folks state their previous devotion to the 2D panel, but now love the VC. I do not doubt their sincerity, but am left wondering how they are doing it. I have seen folks post up screen shots of the views they are using (all have fallen into the three categories I've listed). I spent several hours adjusting the aircraft config file optimizing the default camera settings but have come to the conclusion there is no way around it. You have to compromise outside view or crucial instrumentation.Maybe some are using extra large monitors and using lower (non-native) resolutions so they can be zoomed out, and still read the fonts. But dumbing down the resolution makes things a bit fuzzy to start with doesn't it? Perhaps others are able to fly the plane with one hand while able to maneuver the view zoom and pan with the other hand to go back in forth in flight - I cannot. I find trying that to be distracting at best, catastrophic at worst. Then there are those using the Triple-Head-2Go and Track-IR and such. No way the wife allows me to get away with these more exotic (read: expensive) options, and each of those has drawbacks as well.Bottom line is, when it comes to using the VC exclusively, FOR ME, it really takes away from the experience; looks pretty but takes to many compromises to be worthwhile. Eye-candy never trumps functionality in my book.All that said - this plane is an absolute joy to hand fly. The modeling is fantastic... hehe, this is simply an awesome plane but for the one issue of which this post is about. If this plane had a 2D cockpit I'd rank it the very best sim plane ever made. The MD-11 is great as well, but I prefer short haul to long. I hope this kinda lengthy post is informative, without coming across as a bash on the plane. It's a real love/frustrated relationship with the PMDG J41 for me. I bought many planes from PMDG - I'm not bashing on them, or the plane per se, I just strongly disagree with the design decision to not include a 2D panel. PMDG fills a small niche with their fantastic, but complicated and expensive planes. With the exclusion of the 2D panel, the J41 is a niche plane even inside the PMDG community.Steven Letcher