Fidelity is king. $90 is a lot of money for the casual simmer, but this isn't for the casual simmer. If all you want is a fast plane that uses AIRAC data, there are plenty of other cheaper options out there. If you want faithful system re-creation and the challenge of mastering a heavy airliner, then this is the best there is.

 

By the way, my needs (short, medium and long range) are now met with the Majestic Q400, the NGX and the PMDG 777. All that's missing now is Hardy Heinlin's PSX, which I hope to have sometime next year. There are cheaper fleets out there, for sure. The only thing you have to decide is how serious you are.

 

Great summary Trevor.  I have the same aircraft in my hanger and other than adding Concorde to the list it is very satisfying to have these quality addons to fly.

It's probably blasphemy but I fly the NGX like a lite product. I start with hot and bright and program the FMS and go on my way. I like to have a nice looking sim I can use

Why is it worth $90? Because it is currently and by-far the best plane out for FSX... nothing comes close except maybe the NGX and the LSH Maddog.

You really ought to read the Trim/FBW thread, that is currently quite active.  Depending on your wishes to handfly and how much you care about fundamental flight control issues, it might be of interest to you.  They'll fix that of course, but it is something that affects the plane now.

 

It's of interest to me because I spend most of my tube time flying around in a rather local environment, typically low alt, practicing technique and hand-flying finesse, like circling approaches and stuff, much more often than I do the 'line flight', from point a to b with autopilot on for most of the flight.

I will be flying approaches and doing patterns. I rarely terminate a point a to b flight in a full stop. Eventually I stop though haha.

I think in your case in may not be worth it.  I have it and the NGX and I think you will find it a bit boring vs the NGX, it is very automated and really not that much to do to get it flying.  If you are not into airliners that much then are you really going to like a 4 to 14 hour flight length?  You seem to be more focused on the speed but really at 35000ft whether you are flying at 0.84 or 0.89 its not going to make that much difference to the experience.  Having said all of this I do like the T7, I think it will actually be helped by the addition of FS2Crew.

 

This doesn't make sense. What makes the 777 more automated? Because you don't have to enter the landing elevation on the overhead panel or something? The startup procedures are almost exactly the same between all Boeings as well, so the argument that it doesn't take much to get it flying when comparing to the ngx is strange.

(...) The startup procedures are almost exactly the same between all Boeings as well, so the argument that it doesn't take much to get it flying when comparing to the ngx is strange.

 

The B777 has engine autostart. The NGX ... nope. Plus a myriad of other differences.

 

You really ought to read the Trim/FBW thread, that is currently quite active.  Depending on your wishes to handfly and how much you care about fundamental flight control issues, it might be of interest to you.  They'll fix that of course, but it is something that affects the plane now.

 

(...)

 

 

I actually like Airbus!!!   :lol:

 

 

• "Worthiness is pretty much anybody's guess" :ph34r:
• and "Why do flightsimmers pull each others' legs so often" :p0805:

 

 

I actually like Airbus!!! :lol:

 

 

"There's no accounting for taste"

 

The B777 has engine autostart. The NGX ... nope. Plus a myriad of other differences.

 

 

 

I actually like Airbus!!!   :lol:

 

Are you serious? You still have to switch on the fuel pumps after enabling the starter. The steps are exactly the same. Starter on, fuel pump run. Same procedure as the NGX. A myriad of others? Name 2

Are you serious? You still have to switch on the fuel pumps after enabling the starter. The steps are exactly the same. Starter on, fuel pump run. Same procedure as the NGX. A myriad of others? Name 2

 

 

Yes I am. It's not fuel pumps, it's fuel control switches. And these can be set to 'run' even before the engine start procedure begins - automatic engine start.

 

Two more 'automatics', as requested:

 

1. anti-ice in flight
2. A/C packs on/after takeoff

Remember The Great Robert's Famous Seven Words: "This is not your NGX on steroids!"

Who cares whether they can be set before start? The point is you still have to actually move the switch. So it's the same procedure as the NGX. Starter on and fuel to run. See? You have to do the same exact thing yourself whether in the ngx or 777. And why are you playing semantics with words about what you think a fuel switch should be called?

 

You realize you can set the anti ice switches yourself right? You can set them to OFF and then to ON if you choose to be "less automated"

 

Well it's a good thing no NGX airline actually sets their packs off for takeoff unless they're operating at high altitudes or high temps. But again, you can actually turn the packs off yourself if you want to to make everything less automated. See how your flight is almost identical to the ngx and you didn't even know it?

Who cares whether they can be set before start? The point is you still have to actually move the switch. So it's the same procedure as the NGX. Starter on and fuel to run. See? You have to do the same exact thing yourself whether in the ngx or 777.

 

Not correct: In the NGX you need a certain rotation speed on startup before you can set the switches to 'run'. Not needed in a more automated A/C.

 

And why are you playing semantics with words about what you think a fuel switch should be called?

 

It's not semantics; it's two different kinds of switches: The pump switches on the OV; the control switches on the pedestral. Each kind of switches has to be operated according to procedures. So these two kinds of switches are operated in different ways, as they perform different functions.

 

You realize you can set the anti ice switches yourself right? You can set them to OFF and then to ON if you choose to be "less automated"

 

By the pilots reducing the level of automation in an otherwise automated A/C, this very A/C hasn't been automated in the first place?!? The point is that a more automated A/C like the T7 offers higher levels of automation than the NGX does.

 

Well it's a good thing no NGX airline actually sets their packs off for takeoff unless they're operating at high altitudes or high temps. But again, you can actually turn the packs off yourself if you want to to make everything less automated. See how your flight is almost identical to the ngx and you didn't even know it?

See my sentence above in this post: A more automated plane may offer the opportunity to reduce automation. A less automated plane like the NGX doesn't allow for increasing automation up to the level of the T7.

 

Glad I could help!    

Hi Ryan,

 

Interesting post. Why is the 777 worth $90 well I guess you have to repay all the hard work that went into making the model, and there are only a small number of folks going to buy it I guess.

 

The 777 is really an amazing  aircraft, flies beautifully either by hand or autopilot/fmc controlled. The detail is just amazing and it's  great to fly long haul using the time compression feature. London to San Francisco in about 4 hours is amazing. Not sure if that's allowed on Vatsim though as I don't fly online! It really is very immersive.

 

However if your looking to learn about flying tubeliners then there is a learning curve to get the most out of it, though you don't need to learn it all to do a decent job of a flight, just some of the basics will do. 

 

If you worried about the cost but are looking for something PMDG quality for medium/long haul but not costing $90 have you considered the PMDG MD11. It's a bit different to all the Boeing's out there, actually flies slightly faster than an Airbus or Boeing, has all the features and automation that the 777 has, although not such deep failure simulation. Ok it's an older model, so the VC isn't quite as HD as the 777 but it's easy on the FPS and is in my opinion as much fun to fly as the 777.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Regards.

See my sentence above in this post: A more automated plane may offer the opportunity to reduce automation. A less automated plane like the NGX doesn't allow for increasing automation up to the level of the T7.

 

Glad I could help!    

 

And as I said the amount of automation is slim and you can actually do almost the same steps in the 777 as the 737ng. This whole debate is pointless. If your argument is "less automation" then you shouldn't be a fan of the ngx, you should be a fan of the DC-9 or similar.

And as I said the amount of automation is slim and you can actually do almost the same steps in the 777 as the 737ng. This whole debate is pointless. If your argument is "less automation" then you shouldn't be a fan of the ngx, you should be a fan of the DC-9 or similar.

 

You brought that question up yourself, David: "What makes the 777 more automated?", in your reply to Mark here:

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/430043-why-is-the-pmdg-b772-worth-the-price/?p=2888753

 

Well, the T7 is more automated; I'm sorry to see that the difference in automation isn't big enough for you, personally, to call it a difference.

 

/feeding stopped/