XP11 does not model wind currents over the terrain, and those effects on the flight model. It is an extremely basic system based on weather report metars. This is a common knowledge.

18 minutes ago, Greazer said:

XP11 does not model wind currents over the terrain, and those effects on the flight model. It is an extremely basic system based on weather report metars. This is a common knowledge.

Hmmm, are we talking about X-Plane 11 ?

Of course X-Plane, as I wrote above, models by default, since XP10, orographic effects on the wind currents - what you call "wind currents over the terrain"...

Does it model katabatic or anabatic winds ? slope thermals, differently from other convective currents, rotor clouds,  lee waves ? Convergence ? Nope - nor does whatever you have as a reference for this posts, I believe - far from that !  BTW, for a closer modelling of some of these effects you have Condorsoaring, and even Flight Gear.

Then, introducing a feature in a flightsim is something that must be done carefully, and again I do believe Austin is building an even more complex / complete model of weather for XP12.

In case you're interested in learning more about how X-Plane models these and other features, give a read at:

https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/84465-controlling-the-wind-in-x-plane/

Edited October 4, 20214 yr by jcomm

X-Plane models thermals and ridge lift.  

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 20214 yr by GoranM

@jcomm I've never noticed X-Plane reacting to the terrain like MFS does, e.g. Turbulence seems completely random and very exaggerated even on the lowest possible setting and I feel no different flying over mountains etc, so I didn't think any of this is was modelled, but honestly I don't actually know (not something I've researched much but happy to be educated). In MFS, as you fly over a mountain, buildings, forest etc you'll feel the aircraft bumping and acting a little more like one would expect.

 

11 minutes ago, tonywob said:

@jcomm I've never noticed X-Plane reacting to the terrain like MFS does, e.g. Turbulence seems completely random and very exaggerated even on the lowest possible setting and I feel no different flying over mountains etc, so I don't think any of this is modelled, but honestly I'd don't actually know (not something I've researched much). In MFS, as you fly over a mountain, buildings, forest etc you'll feel the aircraft bumping and acting a little more like one would expect.

 

Yes, this is true - turbulence being random ... But up / down drafts caused by orography have long been modelled.

13 minutes ago, jcomm said:

Yes, this is true - turbulence being random ... But up / down drafts caused by orography have long been modelled.

Tried flying into Lukla in the Caravan?? XP flight is so smooth. But MSFS has updrafts and more turbulence. Much better lift bursts affecting the flight. You really feel it! It feels much more real IMO. 

28 minutes ago, tonywob said:

and very exaggerated even on the lowest possible setting

For a nice feeling of "just a bit of slight movement" set the turbulence manually - but notice that even the first "notch" is pretty substantial, but you can seamlessly set even a fraction of that. If you move that "round slider" just a tiny bit off of the leftmost position, you get a nice, gently swaying "feeling alive" sort of motion.

 

Greazer, I agree that the random shaking we get in MFS makes us feel closer to RL flying, although it feels most of the time a bit overdone.

IRL, mountain flying, and my experience IRL includes wave soaring and the lower unwanted encounters with rotor cloud turbulence, but aloft and on mountain ridge, unless is a really convective day we don't necessarily get all that bumpiness I sometimes see / "feel" in MFS...

In the past some external applications tried to bring that to MS FS / P3D, with results that IMO aren't up to what MFS offers presently.

But, I still look fwd into the improvements in weather for XP12.

My flights on both sims are usually short hops from LPPR and LPFR, or at most LEVX to LPPT, and I tend to prefer flying when the weather is nastier 🙂

I enjoy what I still get from XP11 when it comes to low visibility as reported by METAR, I enjoy what I get from MFS when it comes to that "random" shaking or the variable winds algorithm.

Each has it's pros, they also both have their limitations, both are under development and I am sure both will get better with time, allowing me, so I hope, to use them as much as I can find the time too.

Soaring is the only thing I do for real in aviation, and it's, for me, a BIG thing. I have long been dreaming of finding a simulator that can bring to the desktop as close to real as possible soaring weather !  Both XP12 and MFS can improve, and their developers have stated they intend to work on that, so, we have surely good reasons to enjoy even more what we have in the future, even if, in my case, it's always very difficult to keep more than one simulator for the same type of flight simulation : /  but that's to blame on me only...

I started this thread with one person in mind - Austin Meyer - and I always believe in what he promisses, so, from his recent talks I do believe I have good reasons to wait for a better experience with weather in X-Plane 12 !

Edited October 4, 20214 yr by jcomm

Xplane certainly does have ridge lift just fly a 172 over a hill

 

38 minutes ago, jcomm said:

I started this thread with one person in mind - Austin Meyer - and I always believe in what he promisses, so, from his recent talks I do believe I have good reasons to wait for a better experience with weather with X-Plane 12 !

As for him, yes he's a funny and interesting guy.  Love those "professor" vids he puts onto youtube to go over where they're up to.

wind deflection near mountains is modeled that much i can tell ya.  Not sure about other terrain effects.

1 hour ago, Humpty said:

wind deflection near mountains is modeled that much i can tell ya.  Not sure about other terrain effects.

Well, when it comes to bumpiness, there's an exception though ! I didn't think about it, and ASOBO hasn't yet been confronted with it, but if Zulfi ever starts using helicopters in MFS, then the whole airspace around him will notice...

Austin tried to model it, but requires high level differential equations that only some can try to barely understand.... He eventually gave up....

It's called "Humpty Waves", a phenomenon that no desktop flight simulator can model with precision, because it's a mix between flying an helicopter and riding a powerful bike along the streets of Mumbai 🙃

Edited October 4, 20214 yr by jcomm

13 minutes ago, jcomm said:

Well, when it comes to bumpiness, there's an exception though ! I didn't think about it, and ASOBO hasn't yet been confronted with it, but if Zulfi ever starts using helicopters in MFS, then the whole airspace around him will notice...

Austin tried to model it, but requires high level differential equations that only some can try to barely understand.... He eventually gave up....

It's called "Humpty Waves", a phenomenon that no desktop flight simulator can model with precision, because it's a mix between flying an helicopter and riding a powerful bike along the streets of Mumbai 🙃

LOL