Captains,

 

A short note to let you know that tonight we have officially moved the PMDG 747-400 Queen of the Skies II base package for FSX and FSX-SE past an important milestone. 

 

She is now being flown and tested by our team of Technical Advisors.

 

For those who haven't been with us through this cycle in the past, or those who didn't really notice it taking place last time, we operate with two independent testing teams:

 

Team 1: Technical Advisory Team is made up of industry experts to include engineers, technicians, operators, flight crew and others with intimate experience in the operation of the airplane.  These individuals conduct the first wave of testing on any new product because they have a tremendous reservoir of operational experience from which they can provide us with feedback on nearly all aspects of the airplane being modeled.

 

Team 2: Beta Test Team is made predominantly of simmers who have worked with us as testers for many years, along with a mixed bag of Tech Advisors from other products such as the 777 and the NGX.

 

There is no specific timeline for how long each of these teams will have with the product before it reaches release readiness.  Such decisions are made largely by feel and through our experience having created a number of products during the past twenty years.  The only thing that determines when the product moves from Tech to Beta and Beta to Release is the product itself.

 

When it is ready- then it is ready!

 

We have asked our Tech Advisors not to share any images of the product just yet- but I suspect we will remove that gag order pretty quickly.

 

Okay- I must get a few hours of sleep before the testing starts to fill my days with schematics, logic charts and reference materials...

 

 

Yippie

Thanks Robert!

 

Is the P3D version released later than the FSX/FSX:SE versions? (Since you only mention the FSX/FSX:SE in you post) ...

Sounds good!
All the more closer to painting it! :wink:

I just put my 77W in the air carrying only 320 passengers and a paltry 314,000 lbs of fuel. My take-off weight was a measly 773,000 lbs. I need something big to fly. My credit card waits with bated breath!

Splendid news Robert really looking forward to this. Marvellous that PMDG can source a team of aircraft experts to hone the thing, too.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much guys!

Looking forward to fly this bird!

Great news. Good to hear it's in the home straight.

I am a bit concerned that Robert only mentions FSX... I thought that P3D can now reasonably be considered as the "main" simulator, since it outdoes FSX and leaves it behind in many aspects... I hope the P3D version will be just a few days behind...

Most people still use FSX most surely. P3D is naturally the way to go, but not everyone can cope with the incredible amount of cash required for the upgrades.

 

Truth be told most sceneries are just direct conversions not even compiled with the new SDK, but that's not the case for most aircraft addons, so a price must be paid. I disagree, but that's how things are, keeping many with FSX for years to come.

Guys,

 

Don't hyperfocus on one sim versus the other...

 

Without understanding how things work behind the scenes, you're only going to get yourselves spun up over nothing.

Roughly how many months after release into Beta for FSX or P3D can we expect to see it in Beta stage for X-Plane 10? X-Plane is desperately lacking a complex simulation of a heavy aircraft and it would be great to see you guys set that milestone in X-Plane. 

Guys,

 

Don't hyperfocus on one sim versus the other...

 

Without understanding how things work behind the scenes, you're only going to get yourselves spun up over nothing.

 

Exactly the words we needed to hear. Thank you.

Good news ....... Thanks you Robert and PMDG