P3D and topcat

[Driver170 42]

I don't usually use PFPX as the weather can change during preflight

[joolsd 10]

I don't usually use PFPX as the weather can change during preflight

 

You don't have to buy any of these programmes.You could use a pen and a calculator, and online resources.  Although it would take a long time. The programmes are there to help compress the flight sim experience. Make things a bit quicker..but still realistic...where possible.

 

PFPX is just a flight breifing tool...whether it happen like that when you step in the plane is another story. Down to the skill of the user.

 

PFPX gives you the flight plan (which you can export into the CDU of the 737), it can export to VATSIMS flight plan page.  Gives weather info, TO Landing performance, Spying on other VATSIM pilots.  It is really useful.

[pcubine 143]

I don't usually use PFPX as the weather can change during preflight

What do you use? You indicated a couple of posts back that you used it for takeoff calculations.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

I don't usually use PFPX as the weather can change during preflight

 

So the role of a dispatcher and flight planning is superfluous then?

[pcubine 143]

What do you use? You indicated a couple of posts back that you used it for takeoff calculations.

I think I got TOPCAT and PFPX confused since this topic title was P3D and TOPCAT. Forget the prior post you made about TOPCAT. Vernon, what do you use to replace PFPX? How do you get your fuel amount?

[Driver170 42]

Guys hold on a second, i said i don't use the TOPCAT feature in PFPX. Instead when the loadsheet arrives +6 i then use the TOPCAT software and run it from that.

 

However i now use a real world source i got from an NG pilot when they used paper but now its electronic devices they use.

[pcubine 143]

the loadsheet arrives +6 i then use the TOPCAT software and run it from that.

Vernon

What does +6 mean in this context?

[Driver170 42]

6 minutes!

[jrw4 624]

You could try Simbrief. I find it quite useful and priced just right (it's free). TOPCAT only gets used to support take-off performance calculations. Rather than fuss with getting all of these tools to yield precisely the same ZFW, I just top up the cargo with whatever I need to get the PMDG model ZFW to equal that estimated by Simbrief. It all works very smoothly.

 

I can't say I have ever calibrated Simbrief fuel flows against the PMDG model. The author of Simbrief claims to have created his dispatch briefings using manufacturer data, but all I can say is that I have never had to dip into reserves and the fuel remaining at the destination is pretty close to that predicted. There is provision to tweak Simbrief's flows, but I have never felt sufficiently motivated to do that.

 

John

[Fabo 213]

This is what happens when you meet a stranger in the Alps, Kyle.

 

 

Let's define three separate quantities here:

 

-a simulator (FSX, P3D) with a PMDG 737 running in it

-TOPCAT

-PFPX

 

 

PFPX has an interface to TOPCAT. Original question asks about TOPCAT and subsequent posts indicate that we are probably not talking about PFPX interface, so I'll try not to include it here.

 

TOPCAT has two principal functions:

 

 

-weight and balance calculator

--this function is NOT usable with PMDG 737 (or 777 for that matter) with regards to flightsim connection, regardless of platform.
--this function is however usable in all other regards, and I use it with Manual ZFW (or alternatively, I input load in TOPCAT and load accordingly via MCDU in FSX) and fuel plan input from elsewhere (in my case SimBrief) or with estimate if I am not feeling like doing a proper planning excercise.

 

-performance calculator

--this function is usable with or without any flightsim at all. It will compute landing performence given input parameters. Works like a charm, within single digit percentages of whatever real tool I checked against.

--one function that is there with regards to connection to sim, is a "Get" button for mass. That works - it gets the current mass at any given moment.