Fenix block 2 delayed [31 October 2023]

[threexgreen 3,156]

 

8 hours ago, Orlaam said:

I really don't get how anyone could say the Airbus is boring compared to a Boeing.  Sure, it's more automated, but aside from entering the frequencies, LOC course, fiddling with the heading enroute, and "dialing" in minimums, it's nearly the same.  You select flaps on both Airbus and Boeing.  You must program the FMC/CDU on both aircraft.  You must enter minimums on both Airbus and Boeing.  You must operate the lights, landing gear, APU, LOC and APP buttons, you must operate and arm the spoiler, tune radios, set altimeter - all on BOTH aircraft!  Airbus literally saves you from bugging up and entering in ILS frequencies...that's really it.  Even the 747-400 populates the ILS for you.

Aircraft that tend to be a handful are older jets or turboprops (727, DC9/MD-80, DC-10, L-1011, ATR, Dash-8, et cetera). 

I can't speak for what exactly he meant when saying "boring", but the difference here is manual vs. automated flight. Flying with all automation on is always going to be somewhat 'boring', even in a 737 as you're just monitoring for the most part.

Flying manually is a whole different matter though and that's where the difference is between the two. Even in manual flight in an Airbus you'll typically have autothrust on. You have autotrim which takes trimming away from you entirely. The Airbus' FBW even automatically compensates for slight deviations in attitude in turbulence in manual flight, so unless it's very gusty you won't have to fight the turbulence much if at all. You're also not moving the surfaces directly but command a roll rate for example as a command to the computer which may adjust or even ignore the input made to the aileron. Then there's all the envelope protections. Basically, you can fly the Airbus with just your pinky and thumb.

On the 737, you obviously have to trim. Thrust-pitch-coupling, config changes, large speed changes, bank angle changes. The most-spread policy is also to disconnect autothrottle when flying manually and you have to adjust your Vapp for wind too. You're right with regard to automated flight, but manual flight is a whole different ballpark. On newer FBW Boeings, there is of course more automation than on the 737, but manual flight is still far less automated/assisted than in an Airbus, which even in manual flight is kind of 50% on autopilot.

Edited November 28, 2023 by threegreen

[B777ER 2,492]

8 hours ago, Vitold69 said:

Every flight must be boring and uneventful. We are sled dogs. Should be happy arriving at gate in time.

Perhaps flightsim is not your style and Call of Duty on Xbox is what you’re after. 

[cavaricooper 2,615]

….. and now back to the topic. Bob is a constant flow of dogmatic absolutes, and whilst I do enjoy reading about his swapping swings of affection, I’d love for this topic to stay focused on Fifi, please.

Ta- C

Edited November 28, 2023 by cavaricooper

[fsiscool 252]

11 hours ago, Orlaam said:

I really don't get how anyone could say the Airbus is boring compared to a Boeing.

I wondered about that too. Maybe it would be interesting counting how many buttons need to be pressed for a flight? I am pretty sure, the 737 the button press count will more or less match the button press count on the A320!

[Bobsk8 12,853]

1 hour ago, cavaricooper said:

….. and now back to the topic. Bob is a constant flow of dogmatic absolutes, and whilst I do enjoy reading about his swapping swings of affection, I’d love for this topic to stay focused on Fifi, please.

Ta- C

The fact that I said the Airbus for me is boring, that is a "dogmatic absolute"?  Weird,,,,,,,

[Bobsk8 12,853]

28 minutes ago, fsiscool said:

I wondered about that too. Maybe it would be interesting counting how many buttons need to be pressed for a flight? I am pretty sure, the 737 the button press count will more or less match the button press count on the A320!

The post from Three Green above pretty much nailed how I feel about piloting the Fenix and PMDG. 

[chapstick 2,762]

8 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

The fact that I said the Airbus for me is boring, that is a "dogmatic absolute"?  Weird,,,,,,,

 

5 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

The post from Three Green above pretty much nailed how I feel about piloting the Fenix and PMDG. 

Irrelevant to the discussion in this thread. If you aren't using the Fenix A320 and find it boring, feel free to stop posting about it. Thank you for your valuable input. 

[cavaricooper 2,615]

3 hours ago, Bobsk8 said:

The fact that I said the Airbus for me is boring, that is a "dogmatic absolute"?  Weird,,,,,,,

I was just trying to gently steer the conversation back to FIFI. I am always educated and entertained by your intense affection for, and then sudden distaste with the airframe you are flying at the moment. It’s was not meant as a derogatory statement…

Best- C

 

 

[JetCat 111]

Flight simming surely can be boring when: one-click loading another 7 hour long flight with Simbrief, using the casual blue-sky weather with no winds at all, all failures switched off, staring at a 12 o´clock position on parts of the ND display and over the glareshield but without actually seeing anything because of the 2-4° upwards angle a plane has on it´s ceiling altitude, while cursing that time-compression is not functional or buggy again 😄

Or it can be extremely interesting:

Try to plan some exotic interesting locations on Google Maps and Little Navmap, input all the data manually in the MCDU, enjoy how awesome and cozy the cockpit looks while the rain is dropping on the windshield and the simulated heater is on, don´t plan flights longer than ~ 300nm (which means less than an hour, because flight planning and programing the aircraft will take time too), set heavy rain deep dark clouds and Cat IIIB situations as weather preset, set failures to high, and look around in the gorgeous photoreal looking cockpit what the engine gauges do what the circuit breakers do and if the oil pressure is allright and what your turbines do vibrations etc (because you know all failures are on and set to high.... expecially in the Black Square airplanes the failures absolute guarantee an exciting flight!).

You will notice how much more exciting flight simming will be. 😉

 

The discussion about Airbus being "boring planes" and Boeings being "exciting planes" is fascinating from a psychological point of view. I think this roots in Airbusses being absolute high-tech and therefore kinda sterile and uniform looking, with all important control switches and knobs bundled together in compact small and clearly defined areas and everything seems static throttles sidesticks nothing moves while autopilot on. While Boeings look like a crazy old engineer having randomly hammered a bunch of switches and gauges together, which is creating an optical sensoric overload with interesting stuff, switches, knobs, gauges randomly placed all over the cockpit going on. Plus the constant robotic-moving autothrottle and yokes and the lamb-fur seats create the illusion of a more "interesting" and "funky crazy dirty industrial looking" cockpit that feels more alive because of so much moving and random stuff going on inside there. Hm that might be an rather good psychological explaination why so many people say "meh... Airbus... boring! Boeing = good!"

 

[Claudius_ 326]

The word "boring" related to the A320 is not right in my opinion because this airplane is easier than a B737 to drive, but it has very complicated systems on the background to take care. I think that the FBW A320 is less "boring" than the Fenix A320 because the different developping process: the first produces a lot of weekly updates and you can appreciate and participate to the work in progress, the second one is a private company that produces just a lot less updates because the developping process is not open and this makes their airplane just "boring" because you have to wait for months or years to see the bugs solved and new features and systems improvement. PMDG is mitigating this problem through their small almost insignificant monthly updates while they are working on a bigger and most profitable projects like the B777. The small updates are not profitable, and on the other hand you can see how the free dev projects have much more care on this aspect. At this moment I fly much more my FBW A320 and the Fenix A320 is left on the blocks because it's "boring", and this is a paradox for a paid "product".

[Vitold69 47]

On 10/31/2023 at 1:41 PM, btacon said:

21 posts to your name. Do you only come out to Troll?  Not an auspicious start my friend, just sayin’.

-B

Merry Christmas!

[btacon 1,848]

6 hours ago, Vitold69 said:

Merry Christmas!

And the same to you my good friend. A Very, Merry Christmas and may God Bless and Keep you and yours.

-B

[cavaricooper 2,615]

@Aamir 

Happy New Year to all. Could we please prevail on you for an end of year update- just a morsel to tide us over the festivities.... ta!

C

[carlanthony24 578]

7 hours ago, cavaricooper said:

@Aamir 

Happy New Year to all. Could we please prevail on you for an end of year update- just a morsel to tide us over the festivities.... ta!

C

Check the announcement in Discord

[Zangoose 1,633]

Lots of images and text so it is definitely worth popping on discord and reading it. Looks like it will be a great update.