Hi, I was thinking of buying the 747-400X -8i/F add-on. Any opinions on the add-on?Thanks,Greg

Hello Greg,Quite simply outstanding!

Greg;I agree with Mick, the 748i/F are beautiful. Be advised that it uses the same panel/FDE as the 744 so you're not getting more range/payload :) The liveries on the PMDG site for it are outstanding...

Love it! Not only does it look great, I actually believe it introduces some internal tweaks that make both the 400 and -8 run smoother and more reliably on my rig.Heck, just the Boeing livery in that looongg fuselage of the -8 Freighter makes this add-on worthwhile!Cheers!Pat

I also get better FPS with them.

Go for it, i'm getting 5fps more with the PMDG 747-8 compared to the original 747 in the VC. It's just a external overhaul but the framerates are very good. I find the Taxiing is a little bit harder due to the larger size.

Greg, you'll love it!

I am a little disappointed there wasn't a new version of the configuration manager. The -8 is capable of weighing an additional 100,000 pounds but the -400 configuration manager can't handle that. PMDG warns this is not an upgrade to the airframe, but I am puzzled as to why the produced this update but didn't follow up with routine items.

Your post described exactly why it didn't do that... Because it's a visual model ONLY.

No added systems, complexity, functionality etc. etc.

By the time PMDG released the -8 extension, pretty much no official data for it was available, so a visual model was all they reasonably could do.

If you want the added systems, functionality and all that... Wait for v2.

Basically $25 for a livery! PMDG owes me the 777-300 as I see it - warned or not!

How do you figure that? What you got is what you paid for, nothing more and nothing less.

As far as I can remember, the product page clearly states that you will receive a visual model only.

Failing to read those clear, unambiguous, remarks, is, quite frankly, your fault, not theirs.

I'm sure the quality is the usual high standard, but it's a partial expansion for an obsolescent product. So it's a bit pricey for my taste. The 747 base package is discounted by 31% but the expansion packs remains full price. If they applied a similar discount to the -8i/F expansion I might be interested. Otherwise I'm happy to wait for the new version. It doesn't make sense to spend more money on an older product which is being replaced.

To be honest, if you don't have it yet, I don't really see much sense in investing in the 747-400X at all.

It will still be a while before the 747v2 comes out, but why not spend a little more, get the 777, use it as a substitute, and buy the 747v2 when it comes out?

Both add ons are, and will, be very much worth it.

I'm happy to wait for the new version.

 

Make yourself comfortable. 

Make yourself comfortable. 

 

True. It's basically coming out in 2016 and i'm not joking.