My little review

[NGXfanatic 85]

What can I say that has not already been said about the T7?   It's simply the best.   Having flown in a British Airways -200ER just a few weeks ago from Bangalore India to Heathrow, I have fresh memories of the sights and sounds of sitting at the window seat both behind the wing in coach (inbound to Bangalore) and right against the engine cowling and slats in "premium" economy on the outbound flight.   I just flew a short circuit at EGLL with a hold at the Lambourne VOR, and the sounds are spectacular!   With only a quick scan of the intro document, I loaded up the British Airways liveried -200LR at Terminal 5 at Heathrow with the long panel state and decided to try my luck starting her up using only my vast experience with the PMDG 747,NGX, and the Level D 767 as my guide.  Turns out type commonality really is an asset for Boeing, as I made very few mistakes and successfully managed to get her to FL310 over the English Channel in no time flat!  

 

The flaps sounds are not too loud, not too soft, just right!  I'm in love!  Now if it was only possible to have vortexes generated off the engine rakes like I saw at VOBL, that would be beyond belief.   Also, I have also noticed that when I load a saved flight, the flight picks up where it left off without the frantic loss in pitch exhibited when the NGX resumed a saved situation.  I don't know how you did it PMDG, but I am very impressed!   Also, I can't thank you enough for thinking of adding the functionality into the FMC to read wind reports from external weather programs.  This will be a huge time saver for long haul ops, I just hope the addon developers pay heed to your call for this very innovative feature!

 

All in all so far, I can find no major faults during my short experience with her.   But I do feel I need to say something about two things that I don't agree with.  I never use the heading knob to change heading, as I have assigned my PMDG keyboard shortcuts (CTRL G and CTRL H for decrement/increment) to the right hand rocker panel button on my CH Products Yoke via FSUIPC.  I find the speed of the heading change via my yoke button in the 777 is a lot slower than in the NGX.  Not sure why, but it is and I find it a little bothersome.  I can get a faster response by adjusting the knob on the MCP with my mouse, but it's not easy to do that when I have my hands full during departure or intercepting the localizer.

 

Also, I don't understand the logic behind removing the mouse scroll button function for the BARO/MINS knob.  It was already very difficult to adjust for high altitude airfields with the NGX, it is now 100x worse without the speed offered by the scroll wheel.   Using the left/right buttons to adjust is tedious, to say the least. 

 

Anyways, I'm not letting those two observations detract from the rest of the experience.  The T7 is going to keep me busy for the next few months, and I thank you for your uncompromising attention to detail, and the perseverance to defy FSX limitations and push the boundaries of addon aircraft development.  I look forward to the -200 and -300 ER expansions to do the British Airways routes with the proper equipment.

 

 

 

[Fabo 213]

A very nice post.

 

 

 

Also, I don't understand the logic behind removing the mouse scroll button function for the BARO/MINS knob.  It was already very difficult to adjust for high altitude airfields with the NGX, it is now 100x worse without the speed offered by the scroll wheel.   Using the left/right buttons to adjust is tedious, to say the least. 

 

Click the mouse button and grab away from the knob without letting go. The speed becomes great!

This is also faithful to the real airplane and was a bug in the NGX (those knobs are not rolling knobs, rather "spring loaded" to the middle and the deflection dictates change). Hopefully a thing for SP2.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Also, I don't understand the logic behind removing the mouse scroll button function for the BARO/MINS knob.  It was already very difficult to adjust for high altitude airfields with the NGX, it is now 100x worse without the speed offered by the scroll wheel.   Using the left/right buttons to adjust is tedious, to say the least. 

 

It's actually a lot faster once you get used to it.  There's an explanation in the intro manual that explains how to get it to move a lot faster, and how to make it more precise.

 

Humans are resistant to change.  That much is natural.  Don't let nature get in the way of progress, though.  We have enough of that in aviation...

[Don t moderate me this way 882]

But not each and every change is progress.  

 

BTW, the T7 "knobology" and "switchology" works fine for me.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

But not each and every change is progress.  

 

True, but in this case, it's actually:

1 - more true to the real plane

2 - actually faster once you get rid of the old crutch...particularly when it comes to setting high BARO mins...

[hopskip 253]

True, but in this case, it's actually:

1 - more true to the real plane

2 - actually faster once you get rid of the old crutch...particularly when it comes to setting high BARO mins...

 

I used to hate scrolling that ol baro up in the NGX, and I'm only talking about 3350ft for the YSCB VOR Rwy 17 approach

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/dap/SCBVO01-135.pdf

 

Even the Radio alt 1476 is a bit much

[NGXfanatic 85]

Thanks for the followup folks, my bad.  RTFM, amirite!?!

 

I basically skipped over the section describing the new trick in the intro document because I was already well versed in the PMDG method of VC cursor usage from my experence with the MD-11 and NGX, so that is why I didn't pick up on this new mouse shortcut.   To be honest, when I was in the VC I was thinking that there must be a some kind of trick that I don't know about, PMDG is too smart to have made the BARO knob harder to use, especially with all the outcry from folks complaining about it being a PITA at high altitude destinations.   I remember holding the mouse button, hoping it the digits would accelerate, some other things as well thinking there must be a new trick, but I was astonished to learn from your replies that the intro document had the solution all along. 

 

Anyhow, I have thoroughly read the intro doc and feel confident that I am best prepared for my new adventures in the T7.   PMDG has gone way above and beyond when it comes to putting the customer first when it comes to enhancing the user interface.  Is there anything they have not thought of?  I doubt it!