which is the best freeware/payware (if any) 747-400/200 panel in your opinion?I use Massimo Grassi's creations for both 744 and 742,i think it's currently the most realistic.Does anyone know if there is a good freeware panel for the jumbo?

Hi, best payware panel for the 747-200 will be eady for Pushback from Ralph Tofflemire. The Jumbo

Um...he asked for FREEWARE PANEL. You gave him PAYWARE.Personally, for the 100-200 and SP, I like http://mitchspanelshop.com/ I think they are reasonably near to what the real ones look like, but unlike some other freeware 742 panels, this one does in fact have a decent forward view to see the runway.http://mitchspanelshop.fsgateway.com/Asset...s/742/742_1.jpgAs for 744 freeware alternative panels, I've not really tested too many of them to have an opinion.

:-hmmm I read (and still read) "freeware/payware" in the request for the best panel...

Yea, I see that he asked for freeware/payware in the first sentence, but in the last sentence asked for freeware...so I guess we both helped him!Sorry for jumping the gun...

Thank you gentlemen,in fact you both helped me,i asked for both freeware or payware.In the meantime i just want to focus the attention on this freeware panel i found at flightsim.com (schhhht......!):-wink2 .Search for "kment747.zip" on taht site...beyond the other goodies the panel included in the file seems good to me.Some screens i'd like to share with you,tell me what you think:http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/108546.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/108547.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/108548.jpgActually there are six cool different lighting conditions,the two displayed here are just a sample

If all the buttons work it's a good one. If not it's no match for the RFP :)

Everything works fine,not a single fake button.You can even turn off the yoke to see the HSI display better.i gave it a chance,and i'm pretty satisfied with it :)

Looks nice, but the view-point seems too far back and too centered! Almost as if flying jump-seat! Too much overhead and not enough view out of the main window...could make life difficult when taxiing and landing.....

I tried Kmentt's panel and abandoned it after just a few flights as it has a serious design flaw - while it is very realistic in all its gauges, the gauges and switches are much too small to be of any practical use (i.e. easily readable). In trying to fit the whole panel into one screen, he kind of forgot that we do not have professional flight simulators but PC screens and in a PC screen, the ONLY way to design a properly and USEFUL panel is to have clickable POP-UPS for the various sections and subpanels, not to fit everything into one screen, essentially making it unusable...unless of course you want to fly using a magnifying glass!It's too bad as the panel is an excellent one in terms of functional switches/gauges. But when I e-mailed Mr. Kmentt he responded by saying that it is a different way of designing panels which is still a matter of discussion - I think he must have a 30 inch computer screen for there is no discussion at all concerning this as far as I'm concerned for the gauges are much too small and are truly impossible to figure out and become extremely tiresome to "squint" all the time when trying to make quick manipulations to switches and taking a quick glance at gauges (while landing for example). In any case, if only he re-designed the same panel in sections with clickable icons to have pop-ups for the various sections (e.g. radio, throttle quadrant, overhead) - it will be an excellent freeware panel.As for Ready For Pushback 747-200, it is by far the best payware panel out there....But wait for the new PMDG 747-400 payware about to come out for I get the feeling it may actually exceed RFP but we'll see.John

Forgot to mention the best freeware 747-400 panel I've discovered so far: it is GERARY LAFAYE's panel but available only from FLIGHTSIM - see filename GLP74747 or do a search for LAFAYE as he has previous versions of the panel which may need to be installed first before installing above file. The panel is well-designed, with a lot of functional switches and works well with POSKY aircraft.John

edit: sorry, I had an edit for Ken Mitchel's panel, not the Kment panel.

Have to say my fav's are the Grassi panel or the old PSS 747 merge. Luv 'em both.

Reasonably decent freeware panels are Ken Mitchell's 747-200 and 747SP variants and the panel by Massimo Grassi for the 747-200 (very nice atmosphere). Not all gauges work or work right on Mitchell's, but they are simple and easy on frames. Tried RFP, but it depends what you want. If you're OK with lots of "homework" and serious printing of manuals, etc., get Ready for Pushback. Can't be beat. For myself, I like to jump in and just fly the -200, so I don't use RFP for now. Might do so again one day.Ken Mitchell also made a fairly decent freeware panel for the 747-400.By the way, the very best sounds I found for the 747-200 are by Mike Marse; the file is b747-200_pw.zip. It's 38MB. I flew in the real 747-200 for many years (Pan Am -- loved 'em dearly, miss 'em sorely!)and Mike's sounds are absolutely the way I remember the -200.

The Kment panel looks superlative. Does it kill frames? Does it all really work? Good catch!JS