The NGX Experience

[Tabs 2,790]

I realize the NGX (the sime version) wasn't build for this, but I'm hearing about all this uber realistic stuff. Is it possible to get in a go without worrying about the cabin temp? When I say get in and go I don't mean C172 firewall the throttles... I realize I need to program the FMS, etc.

Actual failures that can affect safety of flight come disabled by default. Stuff like this duct warning will still happen though - they aren't failures, they're just the result of what the sensor is reporting. We modeled these systems exactly like the real thing - there actually is a virtual air duct in code with virtual air flowing through it, virtual valves and crossbleeds and virtual sensors that pick up stuff like this temperature issue. This is the difference between us and most other addons - we're literally modelling the individual parts of these dynamic systems - pneumatics, fuel, electrics etc. It was all programmed off the real life engineering schematics from Boeing.These are the little quirks we've talked about that give the plane its character in the real world. In most normal operation you're not going to see any of this stuff - but if it's 120 degrees out and you get a duct overheat, you just think to yourself "Oh, that's because it's 120 degrees outside." It's not going to cause the plane to crash or anything - it'll clear as you get up higher and the air cools even if you don't follow the QRH procedure for dealing with that warning.

[mcbellette 145]

The duct overheat happens all the time in the summer at places like PHX or LAS - ask any SWA pilot about it!

This reminds of stories from Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilots who flew the GAF Canberra bombers during the war in Vietnam. Obviously it was an oppressively hot environment and unfortunately the Canberra doesn't have a roof over its cockpit like most bombers did in that era. Look at the modern B2 with tinted windscreen and a roof covering the pilots. Due to the cockpit design, the inside of the aircraft because an absolute oven when sitting on the tarmac waiting to be flown in the middle of the long summer days. The RAAF came up with a fairly simple solution - a kind of canopy was built to sit above the cockpit glass bubble to keep the sun out prior to takeoff. It wasn't perfect and was kinda like trying to put out a bushfire with a garden hose, but I believe it provided some relief! I tried to find a picture of this, but couldn't so instead here is a pic of a still flying RAAF Canberra bomber in just about mint condition.

[andysim 0]

great stuff. The more complex an addon is the happier I am. Its good to know that while the actual aircraft is quite manageble to a long time simmer, theres all this stuff going on in the code that will make it all feel more "alive". Its one of the reasons I dearly love A2A accusim, it just add more than the sum of its parts to your flying.

[Chairman 8]

I realize the NGX (the sime version) wasn't build for this, but I'm hearing about all this uber realistic stuff. Is it possible to get in a go without worrying about the cabin temp? When I say get in and go I don't mean C172 firewall the throttles... I realize I need to program the FMS, etc.

Ryan also said in another thread that one of the tutorials he is working on will get us up and away on any flight in about 5 minutes provided we load the plane on the runway with engines running.

[Tristan Marchent 3]

The duct overheat happens all the time in the summer at places like PHX or LAS - ask any SWA pilot about it!

Ryan, one thing to ask...Will this also happen if the plane is connected to an air bridge, for example, with AES? As surely inside to airbridge it is air conditioned, in real life, but will it still regard it as the door opened 'outside'...?Thanks!

[mcbellette 145]

I don't think there is a way to simulate air-conditioned air flowing from an airbridge into the cabin. Interesting thought, however.

[jbassue 181]

Ryan, one thing to ask...Will this also happen if the plane is connected to an air bridge, for example, with AES? As surely inside to airbridge it is air conditioned, in real life, but will it still regard it as the door opened 'outside'...?Thanks!

As long as it flies my friend, as long as it flies.

[theshack440 22]

Great story, it really gives us a sense of the extreme realism of this airplane. Just can someone further explain the "Service Based Failures." I understand from above how it works, just how does your "virtual ground team" fix these problems if they arise (like low hydraulic fluids)?

[VIPERGTSR01 22]

Ryan, one thing to ask...Will this also happen if the plane is connected to an air bridge, for example, with AES? As surely inside to airbridge it is air conditioned, in real life, but will it still regard it as the door opened 'outside'...?Thanks!

Yeah? On hot days I find the Air bridge/Jetway hotter (and colder in cold locations) than the interior of the aircraft, all the jetways I have walked through were not climate controlled from my knowledge.

[Jen 0]

Actual failures that can affect safety of flight come disabled by default. Stuff like this duct warning will still happen though - they aren't failures, they're just the result of what the sensor is reporting. We modeled these systems exactly like the real thing - there actually is a virtual air duct in code with virtual air flowing through it, virtual valves and crossbleeds and virtual sensors that pick up stuff like this temperature issue. This is the difference between us and most other addons - we're literally modelling the individual parts of these dynamic systems - pneumatics, fuel, electrics etc. It was all programmed off the real life engineering schematics from Boeing.These are the little quirks we've talked about that give the plane its character in the real world. In most normal operation you're not going to see any of this stuff - but if it's 120 degrees out and you get a duct overheat, you just think to yourself "Oh, that's because it's 120 degrees outside." It's not going to cause the plane to crash or anything - it'll clear as you get up higher and the air cools even if you don't follow the QRH procedure for dealing with that warning.

This is really awesome. Just out of curiousity I picked up my QRH and looked up 'Duct Overheat' and sure enough, it was on page 2.8 with instructions as to what to do to rectify the incident...Outstanding!! :( Regards,jen noulet

[avhpilot 156]

Im sure you can. Not only does pmdg make extremely realistic aircraft simulations, they realize that some people want to have a little trimmed off tbe edges. That being said, i would wager to say that pmdg will have an option to where failures wont ever happen.

Let me say this:I want to experience hours or days of frustration not being able to move the thing, not even for an inch even though i consider myself an experienced simmer.i want to know for sure that whenever something isn't working the way i think it should it's because of my own mistakes, not because of a bug.you can spare the engines from the j41 by following a sequence of actions without understanding why ... i hope the NGX won't let you get away with that sort of behavior. i certainly hope you will have to know why you are doing what you are supposed to be doing.

[3-2-1-Now 126]

Any aircraft can be flown by-the-numbers, or doing things in a specific order without knowing why.Airbus philosophy is to only tell the pilots what they need to know. Checklists call for things, but they never tell you why (and there are some strange things, to the point it can have you wondering if it is an error!).

i certainly hope you will have to know why you are doing what you are supposed to be doing.

Unless the aircraft asks a series of multiple choice questions before performing an action in order to check your knowledge, I expect it to be like any other aircraft.It is a 737 NG, based on its predecessor, the 300/400/500 series. If you can remotely fly the earlier models, you should be able to make this one work, even if the systems are different underneath. It can't be that different though, as it has common type rating with its predecessors (e.g. if you can fly the 600/700/800/900 you can also fly the 300/400/500 with "differences training"!).If you really want to be annoyed for hours, get the DCS:BS, don't read the manual, use the Russian cockpit, and try and start it! :( All this is fairly academic though. Even within the same family, you get differences (for example, the 737-300 and -400 has two bleed air configurations. This difference was a major factor in the infamous Kegworth disaster. http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/4-1990%20G-OBME.pdf).Best regards,Robin.

[ryanbatc 12,863]

Actual failures that can affect safety of flight come disabled by default. Stuff like this duct warning will still happen though - they aren't failures, they're just the result of what the sensor is reporting. We modeled these systems exactly like the real thing - there actually is a virtual air duct in code with virtual air flowing through it, virtual valves and crossbleeds and virtual sensors that pick up stuff like this temperature issue. This is the difference between us and most other addons - we're literally modelling the individual parts of these dynamic systems - pneumatics, fuel, electrics etc. It was all programmed off the real life engineering schematics from Boeing.These are the little quirks we've talked about that give the plane its character in the real world. In most normal operation you're not going to see any of this stuff - but if it's 120 degrees out and you get a duct overheat, you just think to yourself "Oh, that's because it's 120 degrees outside." It's not going to cause the plane to crash or anything - it'll clear as you get up higher and the air cools even if you don't follow the QRH procedure for dealing with that warning.

Thanks for the explanation. Maybe I'm just scared lol! This will be my first complex complex (did I mention complex?) airliner. I have the LvlD, Super 80 - but they aren't too bad. I normally can just get in and go with about 5 min of FMS programming. I also use Eaglesoft C750... same thing - about 4 min of fms stuff and I'm good to go.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Ryan, one thing to ask...Will this also happen if the plane is connected to an air bridge, for example, with AES? As surely inside to airbridge it is air conditioned, in real life, but will it still regard it as the door opened 'outside'...?Thanks!

With most jetbridges you'll see, they aren't very well conditioned, if at all. The thing they have going for them is that most slope down, so they get the AC spilling out of the building when the door is open. From there, they're shaded, so naturally cooler than the outside environment. They'll still get oppressively hot in the summer, though.Generally, the aircraft, at a larger hub airport, will be connected to low pressure ventilation air to keep the cabin warm/cool when the packs are off. In any case, the cabin door being fully open will allow this air to escape. The jetbridge has little to do with cooling at all.

Yeah? On hot days I find the Air bridge/Jetway hotter (and colder in cold locations) than the interior of the aircraft, all the jetways I have walked through were not climate controlled from my knowledge.

I've seen some that were conditioned, but not many. Why waste money conditioning an un-insulated tube that people spend only a minute or two walking through? That's the general take, anyway.

[Murawski 21]

Do you think that there enough of these "incidents" that happen to justify getting the QRH? I'm thinking of picking it up, but I feel that it may not be money well spent if a warning light of some sort only pops on every 20 flights or so. (eg. 120* day in vegas sitting on ramp too long) Dont get me wrong... Love the realism. In the learning phases of flying the NGX do you think there will be a lot of these warnings that surprise up?