The NGX can be flown the "lite" way - with autothrottle, LNAV, VNAV and autoland it can be a walk in the park.

 

Those turbprops don't have those features plus you're challenged by the engine management - prop, mixture and the like.

 

In learning navigation, for example, a plane with a navigation display like the B737NGX will be a good deal more intuitive.

Love flying the J41, the airline that runs at the local airport here use to operate the smaller J31's until about a month ago when they brought 5 J41s.. Lucky for me i got to fly on one not long after they got it.. Fantastic plane to fly on

 

Love flying the J41, the airline that runs at the local airport here use to operate the smaller J31's until about a month ago when they brought 5 J41s.. Lucky for me i got to fly on one not long after they got it.. Fantastic plane to fly on

 

What country are you in?  I checked the US and there only seems to be one operating...in Tennessee.

What country are you in?  I checked the US and there only seems to be one operating...in Tennessee.

 

down under, I believe Brindabella airlines owns them

 

down under, I believe Brindabella airlines owns them

 

Aha.

Both NGX and JS41 are great planes. JS41 is more hands-on but requires slightly less programming of FMS before flight (but it's engines are not automated! and if you mishandle the engines you may end up with an engine fire.)

 

The NGX requires more procedure to start up and things done before you move, but it has an Automatic throttle, and can autoland.

If you have the 737's FMS Set up perfectly (this takes quite some study and practice though) then the aircraft can go onto autopilot VNAV/LNAV at gear up/flap up and remain in those modes till on final approach at which stage selecting flap and gear down at the appropriate speeds and arming the autobreak and speedbreak at the appropriate times mean that you can fly from 1000ft on climb to after touchdown without touching the throttle or yoke with your hands.

 

The JS41 can't do that, but that's a good thing in some ways too (keeps your hands and brain more active).

 

Both are great fun.

 

 

 

I have to admit the J41 was quite a learning curve for me. Ive been simming for more than 10 years and own the 744X, MD-11 and NGX and the key jetstream was a tough one to get my head around. Systematically, boeing planes are nearly identical in layout and you can transition between them with ease, I love the J41 but you really need to read up before you get into it.

 

I have to admit the J41 was quite a learning curve for me. Ive been simming for more than 10 years and own the 744X, MD-11 and NGX and the key jetstream was a tough one to get my head around. Systematically, boeing planes are nearly identical in layout and you can transition between them with ease, I love the J41 but you really need to read up before you get into it.

 

Heh...I had the same learning curve with exactly the opposite experience.  I hadn't been simming in about 10 years and almost exclusively flew GA.  The J41 was my first commuter.  It took me a little over a week to get used to it...figuring out how to get the FMS programmed in a timely manner and get it to the taxi point.  Still, while I could manage the systems, flying the aircraft was a hands-full experience.  I didn't have a handle on turbines and my IFR left a lot to be desired.  So, while I really enjoyed the airplane, I knew that nobody in their right mind would want a pilot like that in control of that airplane.  I decided to back off and get a GA plane to learn turbines and learn the complexities of instument flying.  I've been stuck there ever since.  Getting there...about 80% there on turbines and about 70% there on instruments.  For some folks, I think it's easy.  With my ADHD head, it's a challenge.

It's a great plane. Would recommend to anyone who wants a short haul plane with just enough automation, but still leaves you having to fly the plane.

 

I had the good fortune to go the other way... I started with the J41 before the MD and NG. So I thought the FMC in that was normal and this whole scratch pad thing was a complete mystery when I got to it... I set the engines on fire a few times to start with. But my logbook has about twice as many hours in that compared to second place - the MD.

 

Mike

Having become reasonably proficient on the iFly 737NG, and having a couple of thousand RW hours on turboprops (all Pratt and Witney powered), I was expecting PMDG's J41 to be a pretty straightforward transition, but was taken by surprise by the complexity of the systems. I had no idea of how carefully the engines had to be managed, and how relatively sophisticated the systems are for a short haul turboprop aircraft. In fact I've still not got round to learning it properly, but this thread has made me decide to get back into the tutorials and get to grips with it.

I'd say Carenado/Realair turboprops would be a good transition towards the J41, or for simmers wanting a good performing twin without too much reading.

Eugene

The elephant in this room is the huge difference between the Honeywell/Garret TPE engines and the P&W PT6 engines. 

 

The J41 is actually quite simple when taken at face value.  Someone stepping up to it will have several new systems thrown at them unless they are used to something like the Aeroworx KA200.  The FMC is not terribly complex either and doesn't require nearly as much input to function as something found on a larger jet.  The biggest hurdle, and it was already mentioned, is that most simmers that have used complex addons before have to unlearn a lot of habits before they can get their head around the J41.  It is just different in a lot of ways but not necessarily harder.

 

The engines will be the biggest challenge to most first stepping into the J41 because they are just so different from the default FS turboprop engine model and subsequently 95% of every other FS turboprop out there.  Much has been written about the differences between the two engines and if you are into the tech side of it, it's quite good stuff to read.

 

What it all boils down to though, is that no matter what complex aircraft you get, there will be a learning curve.  It gets easier after you have learned a few aircraft because you are basically learning that aircraft's approach to managing systems but that the systems are fundamentally the same on all aircraft.  If you are willing to put the time into learning and familiarizing yourself, then there is no reason why you should shy away from any aircraft.

I'd say Carenado/Realair turboprops would be a good transition towards the J41, or for simmers wanting a good performing twin without too much reading.

Eugene

 

Have you tried Carenado's B200?  I've been on the fence on that one since it came out. 

Yep, a big fan of Carenado aircraft, and love the BE200. Doesn't provide a PMDG level of detail, and purest sometimes complain that certain aspects aren't modelled correctly, but it looks great, and I can start it from cold/dark in a more or less realistic manner, I find it reasonably frame rate friendly, and has some nice touches, click on the artificial horizon and a pop up artificial horizon plus HSI comes up, that can be re-sized and moved around as required, afterwards it will always appear where you left it, and can be brought up or removed with one click. Useful for phases of flight like following an ILS when it larger gauge is useful. Click on the HSI and the autopilot panel will pop up in  a similar manner.

I've got a lot of Carenado, their BE58 is one of my favourites, BE90 also good, but really just a 90 or 200 is worth having I think, they're very similar aircraft.

Sometimes I go for the "full monty" flight on the Ifly 737, sid/stars/routes/FMC/, everything by the book, other times just do island hoping in the Flight1 BN2 or 5 airfeilds 10 miles apart in the Carenado Cessna Caravan, shorter the runway the better...

Also a lot of fun, but not for the purest, is the Capt Sim 727, it's just a big Cessna 172, fly it like in the olden days, just VOR'S and NDB's, I don't do cold/dark in it, just fire it up running and do a 40 min route with a self vectored ILS to finish.

Another great jet that suits all levels is the Coolsky DC9, if you chose the "Cleared for take-off" option from the menu, everything is configured to go, like the 727, it's basic VOR/NDB stuff or use a GPS if you have one, but it can also replicate all the complexity you want by choosing the cold/dark option, so something for everyone...

Eugene

PS Skyvector.com is a great chart website for route planning, especially for just VOR/NDB flying.

To be frank, I get a smug sense of superiority from flying it, knowing that most sim pilots can't fly it!

 

Thrust me, when I can fly this plane, anyone can (But I can't do it without FS2Crew's virtual copilot)

I find the J41 to be a pleasure to hand fly. Hardly ever utilize the ILS for approaches anymore. Maybe I should give the Carenado aircraft a try.