How close to level D?

[CLett737 14]

Hi all.New forum member here. From Auckland New Zealand. Love fsx. Going to buy a flight deck solutions 737ng next year for my home simulator. Will have 3 projector/curved screen setup with dedicated server for fsx/graphics addons etc and a couple pc's to run the cockpit/visual bits. Cant wait. Im hoping I can get the new ngx from pmdg for it. :) I was wondering how close the ngx will be to a LEVEL D simulator cockpit? Im relatively new to the whole in home cockpit/simulator market so Im not sure what exactly I can achieve when it comes to realism with an FDS cockpit. Im not getting a motion setup(dont have the room) so I know it wont be level d, but I want it as close as possible. Does the simulator aircraft itself have anything to do with level d ratings? Are the default 737's level d sufficient? Im a little confused because a company makes a level d 767 aircraft for fsx....which makes me wonder what the difference is or is it just for those who dont have the full home cockpit setup? I hear of airline aircraft training cockpits cost in the millions of dollars which Im not prepared to pay for a hobby. What are the main differences?Sorry for the ?'s. Most of them are probably pretty silly. But your help is very much appreciated!Kind RegardsCameron

[Samwise 1]

Hi Cameron.Let me point out a Level-D simulator is not something that you would be able to produce at home. They have extremely tight regulations and criteria for Level D Class simulators. The basic criteria (as taken from wikipedia) are:

FAA FFS Level D - The highest level of FFS qualification currently available. Requirements are for Level C with additions. The motion platform must have all six degrees of freedom, and the visual system must have an outside-world horizontal field of view of at least 150 degrees, with a Collimated (distant focus) display. Realistic sounds in the cockpit are required, also a number of special motion and visual effects.

Because of these criteria, it would be impossible to compare the NGX simulation to a Full Flight Simulator. In terms of functionality however, the NGX should be as good as the real thing.As for Level-D Simulations who produce the 767-300ER for Flight Simulator, I am not sure if there is a connection with real-life full flight simulators, maybe its just to do with the realism of the products they produce!There are lot's of home cockpit builders out there who will be able to pass on their wealth of knowledge to help you with your mission. Check out the home cockpit builders section of the forums here: http://forum.avsim.n...ckpit-builders/ and also a dedicated forum about motion systems for home build cockpits: http://forum.avsim.n...-support-forum/I hope this has been some help to you!

[CLett737 14]

Hi Sam,Thanks for the reply. Haha I realize it would be impossible to create a level d simulator at home. That is not my aim. I was just confused as to what made up a level d simulator. Was it based on the software or the hardware etc or a combination of both. Its confusing when people say level d simulators 767 model which is why I got confused as to what really was a level d simulator. Im looking for the most realistic experience possible. Ive heard that fsx flying conditions arent as realistic as x planes. However I read somewhere that fsx and x planes were approved by the FAA as simulation software! Which seems a little hard to believe when there is apparently a difference in the realism between the software. Im hoping that the FDS 737ng will provide me with the most realistic flying experience possible....at home. :)

[cjones 0]

In order for a simulator to be certified to a level D simulator you need to meet or exceed certain requirements.- Six degrees of freedom motion system.- Minimum 150 degree visual system that can simulate any time of day and accurate weather conditions.- All controls/instruments etc must be the exact same as the real aircraft.- Continuous testing. This is probably the most important aspect, there are dozens of test that need to be preformed at regular intervals and the results much be within a certain tolerance of the real aircraft. There's more then just this, and each requirement has a lot more details. You should be able to find this information in the FAA simulator regulations.So to summarize, it's probably impossible to get close to level D simulation. There is a separate category called flight training devices (FTDs) and that would be something that you could probably do at home.Cam Jones