On one of his "Adventures" Austin describes something I have long forwarded to him in an email and asked to be incorporated in future versions of X-Plane - the variation of pressure with altitude not being uniform.

 

 

http://www.x-plane.com/adventures/59_altimeter.html

 

 

I gave him the example of the well known rule - from high to low ... - applying to both flying from a high pressure area into a low pressure one, but also when flying from a hotter region into a colder one.

 

In the later case above we may well depart and arrive at aerodromoed more or less at the same altitude, and with the same pressure, but in altitude the air is "compressed" near the lower temp zone, thus bringing down the 3d surfaces of equal pressure...

 

It would be great if he brought this into x-plane, because appart from the upcoming Aerowinx PSX, it would be the first to model such an aspect of the atmosphere that is more than known to any pilot, particularly to those flying in mountainous regions in summer and winter...

I second that, not even MSFS models that aspect (maybe FlightGear? I don't know).

 

Actually it would not be hard to implement, just a simple change in a single equation governing the relationship between density, temperature and pressure in the atmospheric model.

 

I inquired Austin about that in the past, he said he didn't want to mess with the atmospheric model at that time. As it always been, the more people asking for a feature, the more the possibilities it will be implemented. If you can find an NTSB report of some accident related to the issue, that would be a good incentive for him, I believe. :)

 

Marco

Well ELITE Jet has long modelled that too when we're able to set the tropopause limit... Lowering the tropopause somehow affects how the 3d pressure areas are "compressed"/"distended" bellow :-)

 

FlightGear dosn't model it...