Hi all,Could anyone advise me on what they think of the PMDG 737NG? Is it easy to download and install? Is it a good quality sim? And is it FS2004 compatible?Thanks in advance,Chris

Search the forums here or the PMDG support forum - you'll find plenty of opinions re this bird.In a nutshell - state of the art. V1.3 designed for fs2k4, I believe, but certainly compatible. Be prepared for a high learning curve - this is no "push the autopilot buttons and fly" kind of bird - we're talking authentic systems modelling from start up to shut down including fully functional flight management system. Flight model excellent, visual quality also excellent.Performance could be an issue:2D only cockpit for low-middle end systems - I can easily fly this version (my specs in sig).2D + fully clickable virtual cockpit for middle end-high end systems - I have some frame rate issues with full AI using the VC. If I kick back AI, the VC makes you feel like you're sitting in the real bird.2D + VC + Cabin for high end systems - nice effect if you've got active camera installed.Second to none in my opinion.Best jet addon I've ever had for FS. No question.sg

It is excellent. Also the 2d cockpit only option is great to improve performance. I have a good system, but I still turn the VC off anyway. I don't really care about virtual cockpits in commercial planes anyway (I wish more developers would go this route). As mentioned, there is a steep lerning curve. It depends on how much experience you have. I know I had a lot of time in the Dreamfleet 737 in fs2002, so the transition was not too difficult.

just buy it! Honest! Is that good...Bear in mind that this is an highly realistic simulator of a 737NG. It's nothing like the default ones, If you are new to "professional like" comercial jets you will have A LOT of studying to do... You will have a complete FMC full system costume autopilot, fully funcional overhead panel.... etc. SO I'ts a lot of work and again you better know whats comming ;) If you RTFM you will know all there is to it, and have a big smile on your face once you manage all the this, it's very enjoyable, but until you manage it , could be sometimes frustrating, just don't guive up, part of the enjoyment is learning! You can fly it like the default ones, but it's not the way its meant to be. It's VERY easy to dowload and install, no fuss.Is VERY HIGH quality sim.You bet is FS2004 compatible.Jos

I totally agree with everything said before. This is a wonderful addon, a great balance between complex simulation, usability and eye candy :) Besides the really good manuals there are several tutorials available for download at AVSIM's file library.VOlker :]

Chris: I almost completely agree with all who posted here. I especially agree with the person who said: 'just buy it; it's that good.' That is my comment in a nutshell. However, if you're ok stepping in to a bird with no GPS panel, the learning curve is not bad. Yes, it's a complex aircraft...very realistic startup procedures (they seem that way; I'm not a pilot!). There are two tutorials available from avsim that will have you completing your first flight within 2 hours of download. Step by step. Please don't tell anyone, but I am now able, due to these tutorials, to fly from any airport to any other airport within the 737NG's range and safely autoland and I have NEVER cracked the manuals that came with it. The tutorials are that good. Download and installation is indeed a snap. It's a great help if you have broadband access (http://www.precisionmanuals.com). Your flight planning experience may be different than what you're used to; I don't know how you like to fly. Also, hopefully you've got a decent (doesn't need to be Alienware, though!). There are lots of hints on PMDG's website to help you with any performance issues. Also, additional liveries are free. This 737NG is, without any doubt, imnsho, the best add-on of any kind available for FS2004. Support is a 9.98 out of 10.sjKEWR

Adding to the chorus...It's the best airline-class addon I've purchased for Flight Simulator since the 767 - Pilot-In-Command (767PIC) addon way back when. Hands down it's the best airline addon for FS2004.Granted I do have a computer with some horsepower, but it runs smoothly. The glass cockpit rendition is something to behold. Systems modelling is great. And the company support is wonderful. Above all else, it's the first airplane in a long while to DELIVER on it's expectations. -Greg

Well I may be a bit biased ;) but I think the NG is pretty much the best airliner out for FS at this point. 767PIC still has a few small things that the NG doesn't (not for long though, the 800/900 addon package will take care of that), but the NG has eclipsed it in many areas including the display screen quality and the FMC, which are the most important parts of the panel. The flight model is the most accurate ever done for an FS airliner - you can fly it right by the numbers in the AOM. The visual model is the best I've ever seen - there's a few screenshots people have taken are indistinguishable from a real photo...

I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.The very, very good:1. Flight model. The plane is an absolute joy to fly by hand. So many of the problems with FS flight models are avoided like twitchy pitch, high roll rates etc. It feels stable like you would expect a plane that size to feel.2. Exterior visual model: Excellent. Beautiful. I rarely see it though, because I don't fly outside the airplane much. So this is not an important feature for me.3. The flight displays are excellent quality and the ability to refresh them faster than the sim is a nice touch. 4. Support is excellent - the team is made up of aviation enthusiasts and you never get the arrogant attitudes that some publishers that speak with a british accent are notorious for. 5. The tutorial flights are a great introduction to the FMC and nav system - which is a tad more complicated than the default jetliners, but much more powerful and useful. 6. Free liveries - see snyde remark about british publisher above. 7. Fully functioning FMC - works just like the real one. No Garmin 530 in this bird, as it should be. 8. High fidelity systems modelling. Again, not really interesting to me. I want like flying, not pushing buttons. The very good:1. The VC is really great giving a very good sense of the cockpit - it just sucks the frames though, on my rig about 25% from the 2d panels. It also increases frame variability. However, you can get a true pilot's perspective in the VC. Just start saving your pennies for a super computer. I have a 2.6 p4 533, 764 megs of RAM and a Radeon 9700. The not so good:1. I am in a distinct minority here, but I don't like the 2d cockpit at all - and this keeps me from flying the plane much. I find myself going back to the DF C310, the Eaglesoft biz jets (despite the low quality of the main panel bitmap) that I've updated with Reality XP gauges and Briefing Time - because the cockpit perspectives feels much more realistic. The main view in the baby boeing has the primary flight instruments way over to the left and really looks cartoony and fake to me. I really don't like this trend in FS design to put your but in the jump seat instead of the pilot's seat. It's fine if you want to do nothing but push the autopilot buttons, but I really enjoy flying the planes. In the jump seat I never know which way the bloody plane is flying, I find it very difficult to follow the FD way over on the left - pretty much ruinging the sense of immersion for me. I also don't like the way the panel looks flat on top all the way across my screen. The real plane just doesn't look like that.2. The alternate captain's view is a good start, but the window post is so overpowering that it realy is claustrophic. It also destroys any sense of peripheral vision. For a true captain's view, see the old DF 734 main view. So, to summarize, it is the best airliner out right now with an FMC, true glass cockpit and systems fidelity. It is also the only one with all three right now. It is good, and in some ways excellent. It still could be better.

Hi Chris,I also want to echo what others have said here about the PMDG 737. It's gotta be one of the best aircraft made for FS2004, especially if your talking jetliners. The panels, exterior model, flight dynamics, sound, ect. are all top notch work. And, to get the most out of everything the developers included in this plane, yes, you will need to download and go through the tutorials (which are great!), maybe read the manual, and perhaps ask a few questions on the PMDG support forum. I also recommend having a high end computer for using this plane. For the tutorials search the avsim library at http://library.avsim.net/extsearch.php for the filenames:pmdg_flight_tutorial_v2.zip (by Fred Clausen)737tngadvtut.zip (by Timothy M. Metzinger)But, if you want to just fly the plane you can just load it up, unset the parking brake, drop some flaps, and then take off and fly. And it hand flys beautifully. I almost always do this with all planes I buy to 'get a look' at I just bought! Then I read stuff later.Cheers,Jim

The new benchmark for FS developement the best around the virtualblock....:-)Andr

Chris,To put my two cents in with the others, this has to be one of the best plane/panels ever put together for MSFS. The quality of the plane externals is just super, the 2D panel is super, sorry Colin I have to disagree with you on that single point. I am not a VC fan on any plane yet. The perspective with the 2D panel although not far enough to the left is not from the jump seat INMHO.What is without question superior with this panel is the systems simulation. It is about as good as I have seen on anything, just superior. I am a big fan of the PIC767, since I was a beta tester for it, but this PMDG panel has even more than the PIC767 when it comes to total systems.Well I have to go fly it right now (grin), could spend a lot more time going system, by system, but this plane is without equal, and as others have said, the flight model is outstanding.CheersBob Johnson

Hello, just chiming in ... I'm completely addicted to this plane. If you want realism, this plane will not let you down.

While PIC 767 introduced me to a high level of realism, PMDG has taken me to the next level, things currently being modelled now simply blow me away, you can do no wrong if you desire a realistic fs counter-part for the beautiful Boeing 737 NG...[h4]Best Wishes,Randy J. Smithhttp://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/betaimg.jpg

I'll join the addict club, I too am totally addicted to it, it's the only thing I fly. If it's not the PMDG 737 I'm not flying. :-) Andrew