Are Flight Replicas any good? DC-4 / C-54 in development...

[orchestra_nl 935]

2 minutes ago, bobcat999 said:

Well, you could say that about the PMDG 737-600, 700, 800, and 900 etc., but they sell! 

For me, I would rather have a DC-4, and it would be different enough from the 6.
The PMDG DC-6 is obviously great, but not for me, as I don't need deep systems level. 

There are all types of simmers, and as long as it is modelled well, with good sounds, and as long as I can get it into the air with about 90% systems depth, I would love to see it. 

On most aircraft, it is the last 10% of systems depth to get right which is complex and adds to the cost if done 100% accurately, but I think a lot of simmers in MSFS aren't always after that.  Like you say, they take so long to learn.

That last 10% not only is costly but is often just a little too much for most. As opposed to real world pilots we can't spend 8 hours a day learning aircraft systems. Besides, most aircraft are flown by 2 pilots, apart from groundcrew that help prepare the aircraft, which means its perfectly acceptable to assume some systems are managed by your co-pilot.

I would be happy to pay for that last 10% but also to have a virtual co-pilot that does some of the tasks. Sometimes I want to flick switches, other times I want to read the checklist or fly/taxi the aircraft but without co-pilot we have to do everything at once which is not realistic and sometimes looks too much like work😀

[Reader 2,028]

7 minutes ago, orchestra_nl said:

I would be happy to pay for that last 10% but also to have a virtual co-pilot that does some of the tasks. Sometimes I want to flick switches, other times I want to read the checklist or fly/taxi the aircraft but without co-pilot we have to do everything at once which is not realistic and sometimes looks too much like work😀

I'm not sure if you have it or not but the PMDG DC6 has a virtual flight engineer who will do most things for you,
or not, if you prefer to do them yourself.
It is one of the very best aircraft models available to FSX and P3D users as well as MSFS.
If you want, you can load it on a runway, unlock the controls, open the throttles and it will fly.
At the other extreme, if you want to painstakingly go through every step of the checklist and start it yourself, you can do that too. 

Whether you like to look up to expert virtual pilots, or look down your nose at "gamers", there is something for us all.

Edited February 23, 2023 by Reader

[orchestra_nl 935]

3 hours ago, Reader said:

I'm not sure if you have it or not but the PMDG DC6 has a virtual flight engineer who will do most things for you,

Yeah, I've got it. That's a bit what I mean, the system depth is still there but you don't have to manage everything. The Constellation also has virtual engineer and there it's even more necessary because managing those engines is almost a full time job.

Hopefully A2A will also bring the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser to MSFS. It was quite a handfull to fly though IIRC.

For modern airliners one should come a long way with the "evaluation" and "autocomplete" options for the checklist but still a virtual copilot to taxi the aircraft while you work the checklists would be nice.