Could anyone please suggest where I can find correctly configured aircraft.cfg (as to Empty weight, Fuel, Payload, MTOW, etc.) for Boeing 737-300 in FS2004? Thank you.

LOT,If you mean a B737-300 that approximates empty weight, MTOW, and other values to a typical real B737-300, there are a couple of choices. Eric Cantu crafted one a while back that can be found in the major flight sim sites. A newer commercial choice is available here: http://www.flight1.com/products.asp?product=50N737. I don't own it, so I can't tell you how good it is or how close it is to real-life values, but wait for a review. I'm sure others will jump in with more advice.Dave Vega

Well. I have done over 20 repaints of the FFX/SGA 737-300 and 500 as well as the project Kittyhawk 700The problem is that not one of these aircraft has decent flight dynamics.The 700 is grossly overweight and has some balance problems (The CG is too far forward).The 300 and 500 are tremendously overpowered and attempts to modify the aircraft.cfg static thrust and thrust scalar values for my own use have resulted in it being underpowered during climb at altitude.The 300 uses CFM56-3B1 engines rated at 20,000 lbs each and the 500 uses CFM56-3C1 engines rated at between 18,500 and 20,000 lbs each.The thrust scalar is 1 in the default 300 and 500 aircraft.cfg files. changeing this to 0.85 or 0.9 yields better results on climbout but during climb at about 30,000 feet the indicated airspeed starts dropping to the point where one needs to extend flaps to maintain lift. This is just plain wrong.So it comes to this. Is compromising climb thrust worth not taking off like a rocket, damageing your flaps and landing gear, and generally ticking off ATC when flying on a network like VATSIM? Its frustrating to have invested so much in a base package with so many problems.I have asked for input from some of the guys at my VA and the most frequent response is that rather than bother with the freeware stuff out here I should concentrate on the PMDG 700 and the Fifty North 300 and 500. It seems like a lot of them have just given up on the Project Kittyhawk and FFX stuff.I have resisted this because there are too many prospective pilots out there who do not have the rescources to spend $120.00 of addon software just so they can fly for the VA. my repaints are almost exclusively based on the prototype for this group and I include a plug for it in each of them in hopes of recruiting new members. Maybe I am egalitarian.Now I do own the PMDG 600/700 and 800/900 packages, and they are top of the line in terms of quality, but I beleive there should be viable freeware alternatives out there as well. Visually the FFX and Project Kittyhawk aircraft are good and they are nice to repaint but I wish that Eric Cantu and the Project Kittyhawk team would go the extra mile and produce both a classic and NG 737 that fly like they should.I would contact them directly if I knew how but if they have a website I sure can't find it and I don't have a current address for anyone on the development team. Frankly I wonder if they even care sometimes.Frankly I have tried to fix the problems with the flight dynamics several times and get to the point where I just get sick of trying, let alone making apologies for haveing done so many repaints for the base packages.Sam Kimpton

I've been enjoying the feelThere 737-300 model and the fuel, payload and MTOW are all in there. Empty weights are not set in stone and very greatly depending on what airlines have done to them.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

>The 300 uses CFM56-3B1 engines rated at 20,000 lbs each and>the 500 uses CFM56-3C1 engines rated at between 18,500 and>20,000 lbs each.The 300 can also have the CFM56-3B2 installed which has 22,000lbs of thrust.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

"The 300 can also have the CFM56-3B2 installed which has 22,000lbs of thrust."Absolutely, Call it tunnel vision on my part. To my knowledge the prototype for the VA I fly for does not use this engine so I was not focusing on it but you are entirely correct.The problem remains, not-with-standing, that the default FD for the aircraft in question need attention or a decent freeware alternative is needed.Sam

I know you are looking for a 737-300 but might I suggest the default 737-400 as an alternative. Now guy's, don't go sending me to the gallows just yet and no I'm not ready for the looney-bin either. I have tried all manner of repaints and mods and as Sam quite correctly points out some are way to overpowered or nose heavy etc.( I currently do not own any of the PMDG or LD addons) The default 737 was tossed aside in favour of other renderingss but had to revert to it, and after some tweaking of the various files got a stable responsive airplane ( if you are into the look of the thing I will agree that there are way better looking ones out there but I will take better flying than looking any day). I use my own panel con-####-shion - not realistic but extreamly functional and yes frame rate friendly. Paint job is my own. If you want to try the model (737-s400, airfile, aircraft.cfg and mdl) give me a shout. Douglas B-707 Ret.:-bigangel http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/139523.jpg

This is an interesting idea.PROVIDED that the default 400 FD can be made to reflect something close to it's real world counterpart, then the aircraft.cfg and *.air file from it can be used in conjunction with the *.mdl and texture files for any 737 you want. This would result in corect flight dynamics and a visual model for something other than the 400.That is PROVIDED that the 400 FD can be made reasonably accurate.What modifications did you make to the *.air or aircraft.cfg files for the 400 to pull this off. I would like to test them.BTW. The PMDG addon is excellent and is the prefered 737 addon amongst the real life 737 drivers who fly flight sim. Its not for the sim user who just wants to get in an aircraft press ctrl+E and fly however as it requires some understanding of the aircraft systems.I am also looking at the Fifty North 300/400/500 payware package. I have no experience with it but my VA flies 300's 500's and 700's. Betcha can't guess which one it is. LOLAlternate the MOACH 737-700 warrents a close look for the FD.Sam

I haven't found any problems with the FD on the FT 737PIC series. Ofcourse I haven't flown the 500 yet. Eveything's come out real close to the numbers I've been expecting and the hand-flyings been great. Atleast on my system. Some are having troubles with it I know.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

Interesting to point out that Real Air's Rob Young published a free .cfg and .air files for FS2002's 737-400. This may be dated now, but wondering if he ever did the same for the FS-COF's 737. Dave Vega

I've been through this hundreds of times and the answer is still simple. Use the correct power settings and you'll be fine. In a real CFM 737, if you are not using derated engines, you are not using anything near full power - we are talking RPM values in the 80% range as takeoff derate through the FMS can be anywhere between 10 and 20%.I find it odd that the only people who don't complain about the power available are people who actually work with 737s, who have this odd tendency to compliment them. Strange!

For the 737 fleet, the VA I'm in flies the 200ADV, 300 (3B1 and 3B2 configurations), 400 (all 3B2), 700, and 800. The FT's 300/400/500 package runs fine on my computer, and for those that have been having issues with it, they've been just about completely ironned out. Don't know if price is a concern for you though as the 50 North package is cheaper. My only real gripe with it is the scant manual. Fortunately I've had a good enough background with PMDG's planes (all the way back in Fly! with thier 757 and 777) that I knew what I was doing.So I've got good payware aircraft with advanced systems modelling for the 300/400 and 700/800. Now I just wish I could find a good 737-200ADV offering. I have Probst panel, but he never did complete it as far as I'm aware. Major sections in the overhead are blank on the one I have anyway.----------------------------------------------------------------John MorganReal World: KGEG, UND Aerospace Spokane Satillite, Private ASEL 141.2 hrs, 314 landings, 46 inst. apprs.Virtual: MSFS 2004"There is a feeling about an airport that no other piece of ground can have. No matter what the name of the country on whose land it lies, an airport is a place you can see and touch that leads to a reality that can only be thought and felt." - The Bridge Across Forever: A Love Story by Richard Bach

Sam,Here are some specs incorporated into the default 737-400 based on the setup or layout of this 737-400. Different airlines will custom order their fleets for their route/passenger/fuel needs so there will be differences to other 737's but this is the one I used.http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/139638.html

Thanks, I appreciate the information.What I am trying to do is modify the aircraft.cfg as used in conjunction with an different (other than FFX or Kittyhawk studios) *.air file to replicate the performance of both a 737-3H4 and a 737-5H4 for my own use. I have some of the performance data for reference.My problem is that all of the resulting configurations have resulted in a loss of power at altitude. For example at vertical speed of 1800 feet per minute the default 400 slowed to the point of stalling at about 31,000 feet with the N-1 turbine speeds at roughly 98 or 99 per cent. The modifications using the default FFX file result in a loss of airspeed at about 28,000 feet.Certainly the aircraft should not be stalling. Moreover, indicated airspeed will decrease with a decrease in atmospheric pressure at altitude but I have my questions concerning performance.Sam

I'm sure someone will correct this if I'm wrong, but I believe the 50N 737 uses the default flight model.Dreamfleet Project ManagerGreatest Airliners - DC-8Greatest Airliners - 727 Whisperjethttp://www.dreamfleet2000.com/gfx/images/F...BANNER_PAUL.jpg