I'm kinda getting back into FSX after a long lay-off because my old computer couldn't handle FSX with addons. Got a new computer with Win7; I fly primarily GA aircraft, but now am getting into commerical jets. I'n trying to get a handle on N1 settings, what do I need to do to configure the plane when the set-up says something like, on take-off configure to 50% of N1. What are the protocals and/or what do I need to look for? I noticed there's a N1 button on the stock FSX 737, but I really didn't touch it and still managed to take-off.Tony

N1 is the turbine speed (as a percentage of max design rpm) of the first stage or low pressure compressor. There's some basic information about turbine engines (and many other aeronautical things) here (Chapter 6). The N1 button on the glareshield of the default 737 tells the autopilot (actually, the autothrottle) to set the engines to maintain a target power setting, as opposed to a target speed. If I remember correctly, the target N1 can be set by a little knob near the EICAS (middle CRT) display. I haven't used the default jets in quite a while, so I might be remember things incorrectly.

Most of the current transport aircraft use turbofan engines. I think most if not all use multi-turbine systems connected by the airflow through the engine. GE and CFM have used the speed of the turbine that powers the fan (N1, measured as a % of N1 max) as the main thrust control parameter. P&W and Trent (and I'm not sure but guessing) and IAE instead use the pressure ratio between the turbines (called EPR) as the main thrust control parameter, with N1 used as a backup. (Note that the Trent actually has three turbines, so they have N1, N2, and N3 speed indicators. scott s..

but I really didn't touch it and still managed to take-off.

If you care for any realism - get yourself some good 3-rd party add-on commercial aircraft, they usually come with excellent documentation and tutorials that will guide you step by step. What you get in stock aircraft are highly dumbed down systems.

What you get in stock aircraft are highly dumbed-down systems.

And there's a reason for that: performance.Default FSX aircraft remove seldom-used aircraft systems (air-conditioning systems, for example) so that your performance flying these aircraft aren't bogged down by the sim having to think about those rarely used systems. Also lowers the bar for average users who are more interested to fly ... and not worry so much about the "systems management" side of being a pilot.Of course, you may prefer realism and be willing to sacrifice some performance to get every system modeled. Such aircraft are out there to be had, because Microsoft has created the infrastructure to support such highly advanced aircraft simulations in FSX, but just be aware that total systems modeling has some performance implications.Cheers,

Default FSX aircraft remove seldom-used aircraft systems (air-conditioning systems, for example)

If stock aircraft were only lacking extra systems I would wholeheartedly recommend them to novice fliers. Unfortunately they fall far too short in some key areas: flight modeling and basic avionics, my God their instrumentation doesn't even look real. Some aircraft are in fact so bad I would strongly advise anyone against touching them if private pilot license was a distant possibility for that person. If however one has no desire to ever fly for real - go ahead, no harm done. This is just a 'game' - it is up to an individual user to make the experience less or more real.

Out of curiosity, what would you warn against to someone thinking about a real world certification?