Mathijs Kok (Aerosoft), on 01 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:Not because it will not 'fly itself' but because it for sure gets closer to an arcade game if very serious features (and easy to implement) features are left out.Your simplifications do not really help the discussion. These people have bought an add-on and I think they got the right to expect a feature like radios or autopilot to functions. This is not about the free sim but about a paid add-on that would be totally unsellable if it was an FSX add-on.

I agree. I was also disappointed when I found out Aerosoft's Katana 4x, a 'high end' GA, had no AP either... :P So that plane was unsellable too, I suppose...? (Just kidding, of course...)

Edited March 2, 201214 yr by J van E

-------------------------Mathijs Kok (Aerosoft), on 01 March 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:Not because it will not 'fly itself' but because it for sure gets closer to an arcade game if very serious features (and easy to implement) features are left out.Your simplifications do not really help the discussion. These people have bought an add-on and I think they got the right to expect a feature like radios or autopilot to functions. This is not about the free sim but about a paid add-on that would be totally unsellable if it was an FSX add-on.-------------------------------Ok I do not know the Maule and I have always failry flown jets with my autopilot even if I do not know the tricks but this does not help releasing a Maule without a feature like the A/P present in the reality as the Aerosoft CEO stated in my quoted sentence. I can also fly my PMDG 737 manually and land it manually as I usually do but this doesn't count towards the Maule missing feature.Have you ever seen a car game without the gear selector ?Ok you can play it but that's not the same thing also considering you pay for it.

Your analogy does not make sense.It would be more true to say 'have you ever seen a car without cruise control'?The answer would be 'yes' because like cruise control in a car, an autopilot in an aeroplane is not a necessity. Certainly not in small GA type aircraft.

Flight devs have clearly focused on back-to-basics ga flight. If you like flying stick and rudder, Flight is cool. The aircraft chosen are simple GA.This does not make it 'arcade' any more than the a2a cub is 'arcade'. That's what the Flight experience reminds me of.Yes, auopilot would be nice, but far from essential. Almost all the other switches are functional, or are at least clickable. Would love some more key bindings, though. I've now got the lights mapped to my goflight switch panel (and the canopy and a few other functions), but would be great to be able to set it up fully.

Well see that experience is just totally opposite mine... and makes no sense to me... having gone thru Purdue University's Flight & Maintenance programs, worked for them in the Maint Hangar... (not a small program here in the U.S. e.g. Amelia Earhart once part of the Purdue Staff... her Lockheed purchased w/ Purdue Research funds... etc...). We just plain did not have autopilots in anything "small" (although the Duchess may have had one... of course the King Airs and Mitsubishi Diamond had). Hand flying in all situations thru Commercial/Instrument tickets was the de rigueur mode of operation. But don't get me wrong... I'd use one in a heartbeat.I must say, becoming proficient with an autopilot is insignificant when compared with the power of being able to hand-fly an aircraft thruout all phases and conditions of flight (sounding a little like Darth Vader here... it's getting very late). In other (not so whack) words... it's easy to learn and use the autopilot... not so with hand flying.Btw I hope you know (seems you did) I was totally joking with the Aussie / autopilot wise-crack. Standing by for the return ribbing.

Ha Ha, a few wise cracks can never hurt anybody! I guess USA and AUS are fairly different places, we drive on the other side of the road, we use the metric system etc etc.. I guess (in my experience in the industry) we just like to use a/p, (and don't get me wrong, i've done plenty of hours hand flying, but when you fly that often, especially after a big night drinking, its one less thing you have to focus on when flying.. But I suppose the point of this topic is to discuss the Maule's A/P, and i guess if they are going to model the A/P into the virtual cockpit, it should at least be functional..-Nicko

No, they should have slapped a sticker on it labled INOP...

No, they should have slapped a sticker on it labled INOP...

yeah, either that or don't model it at all!

yeah, either that or don't model it at all!

Have you considered that it was planned to be operational, but simply wasn't high enough on the rather long list of "things to do" to make the v1.0 RTW?That's the most elegant part of this new delivery system, as they can silently update anything that's needed, any time they feel that it's ready. A lot of effort went into this seamless, silent updating facility.When the Hawaiian Adventure Pack was installing, I was able to continue my current flight, completely uninterrupted. No closing of Flight was required, no reboot of the computer. By the time I reached Hilo, the airport was there waiting for me to land!How freaking cool is that!

Have you considered that it was planned to be operational, but simply wasn't high enough on the rather long list of "things to do" to make the v1.0 RTW?That's the most elegant part of this new delivery system, as they can silently update anything that's needed, any time they feel that it's ready. A lot of effort went into this seamless, silent updating facility.When the Hawaiian Adventure Pack was installing, I was able to continue my current flight, completely uninterrupted. No closing of Flight was required, no reboot of the computer. By the time I reached Hilo, the airport was there waiting for me to land!How freaking cool is that!

Now that is pretty dang cool I must say!

Have you considered that it was planned to be operational, but simply wasn't high enough on the rather long list of "things to do" to make the v1.0 RTW?That's the most elegant part of this new delivery system, as they can silently update anything that's needed, any time they feel that it's ready. A lot of effort went into this seamless, silent updating facility.When the Hawaiian Adventure Pack was installing, I was able to continue my current flight, completely uninterrupted. No closing of Flight was required, no reboot of the computer. By the time I reached Hilo, the airport was there waiting for me to land!How freaking cool is that!

never thought of it that way! thank you mate, maybe there is hope after all

Have you considered that it was planned to be operational, but simply wasn't high enough on the rather long list of "things to do" to make the v1.0 RTW?That's the most elegant part of this new delivery system, as they can silently update anything that's needed, any time they feel that it's ready. A lot of effort went into this seamless, silent updating facility.When the Hawaiian Adventure Pack was installing, I was able to continue my current flight, completely uninterrupted. No closing of Flight was required, no reboot of the computer. By the time I reached Hilo, the airport was there waiting for me to land!How freaking cool is that!

Yeah, that's cool indeed! I love it that I won't have to wait or look or search for updates etc. Things will simple be there when they are released. Love it. No more hundreds of ways of installing addons with various methods, keys, passwords, keyfiles, links, usernames, activationprocedures, serials, logins, parts of creditcardnumbers and whatnot. No, one login for GFWL and that's it. I LOVE IT!

I'm sure the AP will come along soon, as a feature that will come with a new DLC plane.... and maybe it will then also 'activate' the AP in the Maule. ...... hope so. :)

So you have to buy another plane to activate autopilot on plane you already bought?"How freaking cool is that!"

Edited March 3, 201214 yr by g_precentralis

So you have to buy another plane to activate autopilot on plane you already bought?"How freaking cool is that!"

Of course not. When they fix the AP your Maule will be fixed for free, I am sure.

We don't know if AP will ever be added to Flight (but I personally believe it will be).And, if it is added, we do not know how it will be implemented.But this is the "cool" part . . . ALL the aircraft in Flight can be updated just as easy as the free Flight core.

We don't know if AP will ever be added to Flight (but I personally believe it will be).And, if it is added, we do not know how it will be implemented.But this is the "cool" part . . . ALL the aircraft in Flight can be updated just as easy as the free Flight core.

Yeah but let's assume we have a 55% possibility that the autopilot will be added...even if I consider it at 5% because I see no reason for having left it out intentionally otherwise.Assuming it will be added for the sake of Maule fidelity, it will come within lot of months and it will be also part of an add-on pack priced something around 15-20 $.IMO they have left it out intentionally because they want to push people to fly planes manually like MS is advertising here and there and the Maule will never have an autopilot. Maybe in 2013 when new planes will be released we will see the A/P but definitely not on the Maule.-

Edited March 3, 201214 yr by Mark II