Hey All,So did I read somewhere that PMDG were able to simulate ground effect to some extent? It would make total sense since my first in a series of touch and go's to test the plane was no touch and all go :). I floated half way down the runway before swallowing my pride and pushing the levers forward from idle and starting my next circuit. My second attempt ended with a much more controlled flare and a nice positive "Boeing" landing. Even in the short time I've flown the NGX, I'm simply amazed. Easily the most remarkable commercial airliner sim for FS EVER. Adam

Beyond compare for sure :)

But is there any sort of ground effect modelled by PMDG or is this just how she flies? I thought I'd read that somewhere....Thanks,Adam

FSX does not have ground effect as such... Its physics engine does not support this. But it has another feature that we took advantage of and improvised to obtain/mimick desired behaviour.

Even when fully configured the PMDG NGX is really slick. I also noticed that the coders added a bit of throttle when the aircraft is aloft even though the hardware throttles are fully chopped. Not sure if they did this to counter excessive drag caused by FSX. Try this... sit on the ramp and run up the engines, then drop your throttle to cutoff. Note the throttles in the VC they will be fully aft, note N1, N2 and FF. Then take the bird up and start a descent and chop the throttles. Note the throttles in the VC, you should see them a notch or so off the back stops. Now move your throttle foreward and then back again to the stops, you will see the throttles in the VC will go back to the stops, then come up off them adding a hair of throttle. Then also check N1, N2 and FF, they should back up the idea that the NGX code is adding a hair of throttle when aloft. The amount of throttle it adds seems to be linked to airspeed. Maybe they are simulating engine spool based off of airflow into the fans, who knows... Or maybe it's just me and my system :) Anyway, the plane is very slick so your gonna need to get on the back side of the Drag/Power curve to get it to slow down without the use of Spoilers. JB

Even when fully configured the PMDG NGX is really slick. I also noticed that the coders added a bit of throttle when the aircraft is aloft even though the hardware throttles are fully chopped. Not sure if they did this to counter excessive drag caused by FSX. Try this... sit on the ramp and run up the engines, then drop your throttle to cutoff. Note the throttles in the VC they will be fully aft, note N1, N2 and FF. Then take the bird up and start a descent and chop the throttles. Note the throttles in the VC, you should see them a notch or so off the back stops. Now move your throttle foreward and then back again to the stops, you will see the throttles in the VC will go back to the stops, then come up off them adding a hair of throttle. Then also check N1, N2 and FF, they should back up the idea that the NGX code is adding a hair of throttle when aloft. The amount of throttle it adds seems to be linked to airspeed. Maybe they are simulating engine spool based off of airflow into the fans, who knows... Or maybe it's just me and my system :) Anyway, the plane is very slick so your gonna need to get on the back side of the Drag/Power curve to get it to slow down without the use of Spoilers. JB

Yeah, I thought this was just the difference in the way the actual aircraft handles ground idle vs. flight idle. Maybe so...point is, the plane flies fantastically and is an absolute joy to hand fly. I after a few touch/go's at KLEX I got to where I was hand flying the whole circuit with stick, rudder, and trim (no A/P). Very nice indeed!Adam

Good deal, yeah it's fun to fly. I especially like the way they modeled engine spool. Can't wait for the smaller models. There are a few companies up in the north that fly the 400's and 500's and 600's converted to cargo as bush planes into remote unimploved strips... JB

I thought FSX did have a psuedo ground effect option built in. I've seen many a aircraft.cfg with a GroundEffect=x scalar in there.