Hello fellow captains:

I recently got back to the 777 in P3D V3.4 after being away. When I was taxiing, I noticed that the airplane, at zero payload and short range fuel setting, will stop rather quickly at idle thrust. When I was away, I asked a real life 777 first officer on breakaway thrust. He said that the aircraft, even at heavy weight, will start moving forward at idle. This is obviously not the case with the 777 here in P3D. I recall reading something about the rolling friction model and how PMDG intentionally made it so that the aircraft won't move without adding thrust. But shouldn't the aircraft keep rolling at lightweight with the throttle at idle if the frictional model is implemented properly? Is there something I'm missing, or is this legitimately an existing limitation that can't be worked around?

So, when PMDG implemented the new friction model in the 747 it was indeed intentional that it did not breakaway on its own due to PMDG not wanting to make the new system too complicated as it was their first attempt at something like this. I've found that idle thrust will keep the 777 moving at a reasonable speed, but it does need the occasional thrust increase here and there. I don't think it's a limitation, just the entire system is a work in progress that will be refined and added to as they get more and more comfortable with it. Hope this helps.

Oh OK, that makes so much more sense. So the current "problem" is basically PMDG trying a new, more dynamic, and more realistic system? If so, definitely looking forward to a new system where it completely bypasses the frankly terrible friction system in P3D V3.4 and below.

Also John, do you have a friction modification or just the default Sim1.dll? What I'm finding is I need to keep the thrust at 23% on zero payload and low fuel preset to stop the plane from decelerating. According the real 777 F/O, this is the complete opposite of real life where you need to occasional brake to stop the plane from accelerating. You can my original findings in a FSUIPC dynamicfriction thread.