A whole new way of 'looking' at X-Plane and the flight-sim experience, with 180-degree field of view!  Now you can experience a much more 'realistic' or RW view from your cockpit - and see immediate results in terms of your landings.  X-Plane 10.25b3 never looked like THIS!

 

Flight Model - SimAvionics X-Plane x737

 

Displays:  HP 2711x  (3)

 

PCs

1. X-Plane 10 MAIN- i7 2600k OC 4.73ghz, 16gb EVGA GTX690 dual-GPU adapter Corsair HX850 Power Noctua DH-14 Air Cooler CoolerMaster HAF-X case Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit
2. Wing LEFT ® Dell XPS 8500 i5 3.3 ghz w/ MSi GTX 660 stock power supply (req 6-pin supplemental power dongle) Stock cooling, 8GB ram, Win 8 64-bits
3. Wing RIGHT ® Dell XPS 8500 i5 3.3 ghz w/ MSi GTX 660 stock power supply (req 6-pin supplemental power dongle) stock cooling, 8GB ram, Win 8 64-bits
4. Glass Cockpit Dell XPS 9000 i7 2.6 ghz w/ MSi GTX 660 stock power supply (req 6-pin supplemental power dongle) stock cooling, 12GB ram, Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Glass Cockpit Software (includes optional Weather Radar and Terrain Modules)

Single-seat license - Sim Avionics 1.3x Beta - Vendor:  FlightDeckSolutions

 

Hardware

VRinsight MCP Combo II (Boeing) MCP/EFIS/COMMS - under development

Thrustmaster Hotas Warthog   Joystick/Throttle pair with Hall Effect Sensors

Saitek Combat Rudder Pedals

 

You be the judge.  This setup has taken me to a whole 'nother level of realism.  The 180 degrees view is STUNNING and makes visual circle-to-land procedures a LOT more comfortable.  WITHOUT TrackIR.

 

WATCH IT in HD (1080p) for max impact, full-screen, from YouTube.  Look carefully, you can see the Sim-Avionics glass cockpit on a 4th 27" monitor  (HP 2711ix).

 

My glass cockpit (running through Sim-Avionics software) presently includes

 

1. MCP (pending offset setup for VRi Hardware MCP Combo II (Boeing) unit to replace virtual MCP.
2. custom PFD/ND display with EICAS included 
3. Captain side CDU  (pending arrival of FDS Pro-Max CDU hardware)

 

The rendering is gorgeous.  Each video card has 2GB DDR-5 VRAM -per GPU-, all 3 monitors are running close to 2GB on EACH set of VRAM.  Look closely, you can see the glass cockpit monitor display reflecting off the main monitors!

 

Closest thing ever to RW graphics, X-Plane 10 shines!

It's only a hobby ...  :lol:

 

Congrats on a great setup! 

It's only a hobby ...  :lol:

 

Congrats on a great setup! 

 

I got destroyed when I recently met a kind soul who has a full-blown 737 Nosecone with all the electronics in his garage... and yes, EVERYTHING works.

 

Once I flew that, I was forever ruined for anything less.  However, it is more than a hobby.  It's a way of life!

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

I have to say having been back and forth between X-Plane and FSX:  Each of them has their strong points.  The triple monitors with 180 degree FOV is a game changer though, no question.  You really have the sensation of flying a WIDE BODY jet, not a little Cessna.  Incredible.

A good thread Robert. I found it quite interesting. It's the sensations and WOW moments that make it worth it.

Yes.  I have recently made a serious investment to go up to a new level in X-Plane 10.  The key element is Sim-Avionics software, which is glass cockpit stuff, plus it has it's own flight model.  You use the XP 737 (64-bit) but remove the plug-in for it, and use Sim-Avionics to draw your instruments.  XPlane can be used to split views over a network (as in my video).  Sim-Avionics sends all your displays to other monitors, laptops, or even ultra-books (Surface Pro2, Lenovo Yoga 2, etc) that run Windows  8. (or Windows 7).  Designed for Cockpit builders, Sim-Avionics gives you (even on a desktop) another degree of realism.  Then if you add a CDU (suggested:  FlightDeckSystems Pro-CDU), Sim-Avionics can drive that device as well (requires VGA connection to a PC and available USB port as well).  All of a sudden you're having those "wow" moments.  

Even in my primitive video clip, you get a flavor of the plane rocking on the approach, the lights off the SASL approach lamps glimmering as you approach the numbers at KSFO... it's really mind-boggling.  The beauty of X-Plane is simply an irresistible force to me.  Just when I thought I was out (and back firmly with both feet in FSX-land), it pulled me back in!

 

FlightDeckSolutions is a great resource for those who are considering higher immersive levels.  If money is not an object, they can set you up with a full-scale sim, including a full-scale TQ and Overhead, MCP, Glare Shield, MIPS panel, and so on.  Their stuff is drop-dead beautiful.  If you are wanting quality, it's worth a look-see.  Their JetMax is designed to offer an affordable move from flying a desk to a mini-cockpit.

 

Even still, flying my desk has proven to be extremely satisfying.  The CDU they make is dead-on with the real Boeing CDU, backlit- and scale.  Works like a dream.  Sim-Avionics has a LOT of cool configuration and setup stuff built into their support for the FDS CDU.  You can gas the plane, talk to other planes via ACARS (planes that also are running Sim-Avionics) across the Internet, get real time METAR directly from the CDU, and much more.

 

Highly recommend Sim-Avionics (available from FDS) and your choice of 737 or 777 CDU.

 

I run the PFD and ND displays on a 27" monitor, sadly it's not below the main screens.  I'm thinking of an ultra-book (such as Lenovo Yoga 2) which would fit nicely in tent-mode below my surround monitors and put the glass cockpit in front of the pilot, instead of way off to the right.

 

Cheers.

Those graphics just blew my mind!!  Water effects, lights and runways, scenery everything! enjoyed it.

Looking really nice, very happy for you, it's great when you get something that really ups the ante and makes it more enjoyable.   Sounds like you nailed it there.

Not a hobby, a way of life - I like that!

 

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9100 mit Tapatalk 2

 

 

Those graphics just blew my mind!!  Water effects, lights and runways, scenery everything! enjoyed it.

 

I felt the exact same way.  The triple displays - each powered by its own PC made a huge difference, in terms of unloading the 'work' from the main XP computer.  A 4th PC runs the glass cockpit, which in turn controls all the cockpit readouts (CDU, PFD, ND, MCP, etc).  X-Plane has stolen my heart yet again.

 

Looking really nice, very happy for you, it's great when you get something that really ups the ante and makes it more enjoyable.   Sounds like you nailed it there.

 

Thanks for the kind words.  At my age, it's really quite a thrill to build something that renders like this does.  I'm sure in 10 years this will look like "PONG", but for today, it's pretty cool.

 

Not a hobby, a way of life - I like that!

 

Gesendet von meinem GT-I9100 mit Tapatalk 2

 

Heh.  Feel free to use it!

 

Have you tried using Th2go or the multiple display options built into nvidia 6xx+ card?

 

I can't afford 3 computers so I am driving prosim737 all on one computer.

 

 

I have a friend who went with the Triple Head 2 Go.  It works "OK" for him, but he has to lower his resolution and his image quality settings significantly - or his frames suffer too much.  I certainly admit one triple head unit is far less expensive than 2 extra pcs and 2 extra monitors and 2 extra higher-end graphics cards!

 

The prosim737 glass cockpit solution can work for some, the Sim-Avionics is a deeper and more complex solution aimed at cockpit builders, and also directly supports FlightDeckSolutions hardware.

Have you tried using Th2go or the multiple display options built into nvidia 6xx+ card?

 

I can't afford 3 computers so I am driving prosim737 all on one computer.

 

 

Xplane doesnt have very good display options doing it on one computer with a single graphics card.

 

    Other than the frame rate which is an issue for any triple head display running on a single gpu then main issue is the distortion that comes about as a consequence of how the graphics engine renders the extremely wide aspect ratio.

 

   The way Robert is doing it gives him three views with no distortion.   It's certainly the way I would do it but the main drawback is the 3d cockpit that you miss out on

Xplane doesnt have very good display options doing it on one computer with a single graphics card.

 

    Other than the frame rate which is an issue for any triple head display running on a single gpu then main issue is the distortion that comes about as a consequence of how the graphics engine renders the extremely wide aspect ratio.

 

   The way Robert is doing it gives him three views with no distortion.   It's certainly the way I would do it but the main drawback is the 3d cockpit that you miss out on

 

Well, unless you actually build a 'real' cockpit.  Then you're not missing out

 

I haven't gone there (yet), but I'm quite tempted.  FlightDeckSolutions has the "happy meal" (JetMax) approach all the way up to full-scale 737 and 777 cockpits for 150 to 200k.  At some point, you have to decide what level you want to fly at...simulation-wise.  From there it's just one hop, skip and telephone call to your new best friend John Travolta, and you're flying in his 737 BBJ.

 

Ah, to sleep, perchance to dream...

Yes, if you can buy one then buying one is the way to go!

 

    I have all the machines, lasers, cnc machines, electronics, everything I need to build so I do.   One thing is clear - You can build or you can fly.   The time spent using the sim is not a lot if you go down the pit building route.

Yes, if you can buy one then buying one is the way to go!

 

    I have all the machines, lasers, cnc machines, electronics, everything I need to build so I do.   One thing is clear - You can build or you can fly.   The time spent using the sim is not a lot if you go down the pit building route.

 

As I said, I have a friend who 'went all the way'.  18 years later, his 'real world' Boeing Nose Cone with all the goodies, including the real stuff from real Boeing airplanes, right down to the gauges, overhead, TQ, and all is working!  The real Boeing yokes, which are connected to each other below the flight deck, move simultaneously during flight ops.  

 

When that thing fired up and pushed back from the gate, it felt EXACTLY like it was really happening!

 

Not for the faint-of-heart, or light-of-wallet.  The seats he got were $4,000 for the pair.  The real Boeing seats, right down to the sheared lambs wool seat covers!

 

Amazing!  My hat is off to the real cockpit builders - a true labor of love.  Your post is accurate though, only now is my friend finally able to FLY more and BUILD less!

 

Still, when you see all those gauges moving and changing during flight- it's a mind-altering experience, for sure!

 

When the black & white trim wheels spin as you trim the aircraft - and make the real sound (because they are in fact, the real TQ gear) as they spin at high speeds forward and aft- you just drop your jaw, gasp for air, then smile the broadest smile you ever imagined.  Breathtaking.  Or, to rip off Microsoft FSX slogan:

 

AS REAL AS IT GETS!