One thing I have noticed is that the Level D 767 has the most clear and crisp VC EFIS instruments among all the addons I have (LDS, PMDG, PSS). I think the writing on the panel is a little more clear too. For example I can easilly read the flap placard speed in the 767 where they are difficult to read on the 747. Also in the 747 I can't use the scroll wheel to set the MCP where I can in the 767. True you can't use the FMC in the 767 VC but they have included a buttons on the panel to bring up the FMC and radio stack. There are click spots to bring up all the 2D panels in the 767 VC. I have the 2D FMC mapped to a button on my joystick on all my planes and use that almost exclusively. The VC FMC text is a little small on the 747 but it is fully functional. Contrary to what was said you can tune the radios in VC in the 767. The only things I have found in the 767 VC that I can't do is set the transponder numbers and there is a click spot in the 2D panel to set the speed bugs to the FMC that is not in the VC.One big issue for me is looking at the overhead panel. I use TrackIR and when I look at the 767 overhead I can see everything pretty easilly. In the 747 my head position is further forward so I can't quite see the top of the panel by just looking up. It exceeds the limits of the TrackIR. I have to look sideways across the panel to get a view of everything. The bottom line is that the Level D 767 and PMDG 747 have the best VCs I have seen and having used both and being an exclusive VC guy I would chose the 767. I believe they are both so good that it will have to come down to nit pikcy things and you would, in reality, be quite happy with either one.

You forgot Dreamfleet's 727. It has a pretty good VC, the only drawback is that the gauge refresh is a bit slow.David Maltby's freeware BAC 1-11 (and also his freeware HS.121 Trident Two and Three) is a total work of art in the VC if you're into old-school short-haul airliners. Just amazing.Lewis "Moose" GregoryRichmond, Virginia

Oh oh I forgot some things. The PMDG 747 does have a very interacive cockpit. You can move the seats, extend the window shades. and even open the cockpit door. I thought that stuff was imaginative and kind of neat. I am fighing the urge to get the Flight 1/Dreamfleet 727 but I do hear that had a really good VC. I can't decide which plane to fly as it is so one more won't help that any.

Best big jet VC (day/night) for TIR? PMDG744.AMD A64 4000+ @ 2.6GHz, Zalman7700Cu cooler, Corsair XMS 1GB DDR, LTK6800GT-OC, Asus A8V MoBo, WDRaptor10KrpmHDD, TrackIR4, CH FSYoke + TQ, XP-hsp2

yep PJ the way to go adds so much FOV and realism !

Well, talking about visual quality,#1 is: http://www.captainsim.com/products/b757/200/block_b.html#2: http://www.captainsim.com/products/c130/virtual_cockpit.htmlAll other VCs i've seen so far are a light year behind of these two.

>One thing I have noticed is that the Level D 767 has the most>clear and crisp VC EFIS instruments among all the addons I>have (LDS, PMDG, PSS). I think the writing on the panel is a>little more clear too. For example I can easilly read the flap>placard speed in the 767 where they are difficult to read on>the 747. Also in the 747 I can't use the scroll wheel to set>the MCP where I can in the 767. >>True you can't use the FMC in the 767 VC but they have>included a buttons on the panel to bring up the FMC and radio>stack. There are click spots to bring up all the 2D panels in>the 767 VC. I have the 2D FMC mapped to a button on my>joystick on all my planes and use that almost exclusively. The>VC FMC text is a little small on the 747 but it is fully>functional. Contrary to what was said you can tune the radios>in VC in the 767. The only things I have found in the 767 VC>that I can't do is set the transponder numbers and there is a>click spot in the 2D panel to set the speed bugs to the FMC>that is not in the VC.>>One big issue for me is looking at the overhead panel. I use>TrackIR and when I look at the 767 overhead I can see>everything pretty easilly. In the 747 my head position is>further forward so I can't quite see the top of the panel by>just looking up. It exceeds the limits of the TrackIR. I have>to look sideways across the panel to get a view of everything.>>>The bottom line is that the Level D 767 and PMDG 747 have the>best VCs I have seen and having used both and being an>exclusive VC guy I would chose the 767. I believe they are>both so good that it will have to come down to nit pikcy>things and you would, in reality, be quite happy with either>one.Tom, I figured out how to get around the Transponder issue in the VC... in the configuration manager, de-select Use High Resolution Textures. The 'normal' textures are just as good ( honestly, can't see much difference ) and MUCH better performance. The model of the high / low apparently aren't 100% the same, as the VC work is done at the model level. Took me forever to find out why I couldn't change my transponder from the VC but others claimed they could... through many many hours of searching and trying various things, I tried this and it was the cause.To the OP -- Level-D has the best overall VC for any airliner IMHO. PMDG is good, but Level-D runs a bit smoother. Both have awesome functionality and look great. Captain Sim is all eye candy with very little functionality. Their gauge refresh rates are HORRID ( slide show ).

The CS757 has the biggest framerate hog VC right now. Considering this package is still a 'lite' model, there's no excuse I see for this (especially compared to PMDG's 744). I wouldn't put CS's 757 in the running until we see the final completed model.My vote here would be PMDG's 744 PAX version (Cargo version still has framerate problems)...

level d runs smoother than PMDGs queen? Are you sure? even when adjusting the gauge refresh rates in the pmdg options menu? And no, leveld does not have awesome functionality. Almost every button switch and knob is clickable in the PMDG airplane, what is awesome is being able to move the windowshades, seats, etc among other things. You cant even program the FMC from the VC with the LDS airplane or touch most of the radio stack.Anyway, the LDS is a great airplane, one of my favorite, but you cannot compare VC functionality. Its just not possible

>level d runs smoother than PMDGs queen? Are you sure? even>when adjusting the gauge refresh rates in the pmdg options>menu? And no, leveld does not have awesome functionality.>Almost every button switch and knob is clickable in the PMDG>airplane, what is awesome is being able to move the>windowshades, seats, etc among other things. You cant even>program the FMC from the VC with the LDS airplane or touch>most of the radio stack.>>Anyway, the LDS is a great airplane, one of my favorite, but>you cannot compare VC functionality. Its just not possibleYou can, indeed, use the radio stack from the VC. What can't you use? If you're talking about the volume of the announcements, then sure, you need the 2-D for that, but I don't use that stuff when I fly. I don't need to hear someone say 'We've begun our descent' etc...The only thing you CANNOT do is use the actual FMC from the VC ( brings up the 2D window ). I really get irritated by this as well, but overall it runs smoother than the queen on my machine. It's been argued back and forth on which runs better. Some people run Level-D better, some people run the queen better. The queen runs okay on my machine, but the Level-D is smoother. And yes the Level-D's gauge refresh rates are superior to me ;)Pretty much to each their own.... oh and btw I don't care about moving seats around in the VC. It's not like I have to move it up / back to use anything in there, it's just a novelty. Speaking of novelty, the PMDG doesn't even check pneumatics on engine startup. You can have full packs running and start all 4 engines at once. :( ... but I digress.Agree to disagree :(

I have no problem with framerates with either the CS 757 or C 130. It's a function of what kind of PC setup you have. Just because you have framerate problems with the 757 you can't assume that everyone does. You may be correct saying it's a framerate hog....on your machine. CE

> the PMDG doesn't even check>pneumatics on engine startup. You can have full packs running>and start all 4 engines at once. Nope, not true. I don't know when they changed it but if you have the latest -F upgrade it ain't true.Michael J.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/for...argo_hauler.gifhttp://sales.hifisim.com/pub-download/asv6-banner-beta.jpg

On the passenger version, once you're to the point where you push the start up button, I can just go down the line and click all four in succession to get the engines to all start up at once.

>>> I have no problem with framerates with either the CS 757 or C>130.>> It's a function of what kind of PC setup you have. >> Just because you have framerate problems with the 757 you>can't assume>> that everyone does.>> You may be correct saying it's a framerate hog....on your>machine.>> CE Really? Would you like to back that up with a screenshot?...............Randy J. Smith................A PROUD MEMBER OF THE PMDG BETA TEAM[h4]Evolution is a process that results in heritable changes in a population spread over many generations[/h4]