57 minutes ago, lwt1971 said:

Extra points for the double entendre 🙂 

Hehe....I was thinking the same thing...love that phrase and mad I didn't think to use it here in a prefect example before you did. 🙂

The 777 and 737 Max are the planes I am waiting on. 

55 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

I just don't understand the hype over getting the Max in the sim, since we already have such nice NGs.

I agree. 737's and A320's are over done.

55 minutes ago, UrgentSiesta said:

I just don't understand the hype over getting the Max in the sim, since we already have such nice NGs.

I mean, given how airlines operate & train (i.e., to as much uniformity & conformity as possible), is it going to bring a significantly different experience than the present PMDGs...?

I'd much rather see new types of aircraft in the sim, like the pending 777, or the old school Boeings, or even the non-Boeings PMDG has previously brought to market.

Personally, I'm really looking forward to their rendition of the 747.

I mean, they've been working on the MAX now for years, and it's so common to the 737NG, I can't imagine we're losing much time on the 777. 

Personally, I would love to see the MAX. The P3D iFly version came far too late for me, and I fly on MAX 9's probably every other week (well not recently lol). It's a different airplane with different capabilities that we've never had a satisfactory version of. 

There are also lots of missions the MAX can do that the NG can't, like DEN to Hawaii, MIA to BSB, etc.

1 hour ago, UrgentSiesta said:

I just don't understand the hype over getting the Max in the sim, since we already have such nice NGs.

I mean, given how airlines operate & train (i.e., to as much uniformity & conformity as possible), is it going to bring a significantly different experience than the present PMDGs...?

I'd much rather see new types of aircraft in the sim, like the pending 777, or the old school Boeings, or even the non-Boeings PMDG has previously brought to market.

Personally, I'm really looking forward to their rendition of the 747.

Typically airlines are using the MAX for longer distance flights instead of the NG. If people want to be realistic about it. 

I don't know that I'd read into this that it's coming "soon".  Robert saying that "a significant portion of the Max is already completed" doesn't tell us much.  A "significant portion" of the Max is literally just a 737NG, and we already knew that's completed.  They could honestly say that without having even started Max development at all.

I would think that the BBJ version of the NG could easily fly any distance that the MAX can.

2 hours ago, mspencer said:

There are also lots of missions the MAX can do that the NG can't, like DEN to Hawaii, MIA to BSB, etc.

 

1 hour ago, carlanthony24 said:

Typically airlines are using the MAX for longer distance flights instead of the NG. If people want to be realistic about it. 

I solve all that by flying the BBJ 😎

1 hour ago, Stearmandriver said:

I don't know that I'd read into this that it's coming "soon".  Robert saying that "a significant portion of the Max is already completed" doesn't tell us much.  A "significant portion" of the Max is literally just a 737NG, and we already knew that's completed.  They could honestly say that without having even started Max development at all.

I think for PMDG is trying to say they implemented significant portion of door  bolts plugs for max. Still there at some work to be done on two holes  before release it ! lol 

Hopefully this leads to a 787.

52 minutes ago, Christopher Low said:

I would think that the BBJ version of the NG could easily fly any distance that the MAX can.

By that logic, I don't know why anyone would want an A330, as the A321neo can fly half or more of the missions it does today, and you're "still flying an Airbus."

Enough Airbuses! Stop production and delete all your work!

1 hour ago, Stearmandriver said:

I don't know that I'd read into this that it's coming "soon".  Robert saying that "a significant portion of the Max is already completed" doesn't tell us much.  A "significant portion" of the Max is literally just a 737NG, and we already knew that's completed.  They could honestly say that without having even started Max development at all.

I’m pretty sure PMDG has done some work on the Max already. Randazzo is a pretty smart business guy (except when he loses his cool in his forum, which he did recently), so I think he knows the money he would lose out on if iFly release their 737 Max before PMDG does. Randazzo wants to win the race against iFly and because PMDG released the 737 NG already, I assume they are also ahead on the Max race.

However, I don’t think PMDG can go slow on the Max forever and not worry about iFly catching up. In theory, iFly has a faster route to convert their 737 Max to MSFS compared to PMDG back in 2020 to 2022, because many of the stumbling blocks to create a high fidelity level airliner in the MSFS API were cleared by the first group of high fidelity airliner release back in the spring of 2022. That is, the PMDG 737, Just Flight BAe 146, Leonardo Maddog, and Fenix A320, were the guinea pigs that forced Asobo to enhance the MSFS API to unblock the features that the first batch of study level airliners required (I believe Aerosoft’s CRJ also forced Asobo to enhance their API, although the CRJ is probably not as high fidelity as the others mentioned).

Those first batch of high fidelity airliners released in the spring of 2022 were like a mine sweeper ship, clearing the sea lane of mines so the Asobo API could support high fidelity airliners. Now that the mines have been cleared, iFly theoretically, can convert their 737 Max to MSFS faster. It’s possible that iFly could finish converting their 737 Max to MSFS by 2025, especially if they started working on it last year, or even back in 2022.

So I think PMDG is on a clock if they want to beat iFly. What is interesting is that Randazzo probably feels confident enough that he can beat iFly, and also give the information on how much complete the 737 Max is. I would think that it’s in Randazzo’s best Interest to say nothing about the progress of the 737 Max. Or maybe he slipped up by saying it? 

I also wonder if Randazzo has some type of inside information on iFly’s progress. For sure, if iFly were much closer to releasing the 737 Max in MSFS, I think he would have prioritised the Max over the 777. By releasing the 777 first, it tells me Randazzo didn’t think that iFly could release the Max by Q1 of 2024.

Edited February 5, 20242 yr by abrams_tank

Well said @abrams_tank - I def agree with your statement and believe PMDG has definitely been working, some, on the MAX but has all their attention on getting the 777 out the door soon. Sure hope we're talking a month or so (777).

37 minutes ago, mspencer said:

By that logic, I don't know why anyone would want an A330, as the A321neo can fly half or more of the missions it does today, and you're "still flying an Airbus."

Enough Airbuses! Stop production and delete all your work!

Literally was typing this as well; cracks me up how the non-Boeing people just don't get it. What's the big hype with A320 vs A321? Literally almost the same plane, but longer. The point still stands, it handles differently and it can go further, etc. People are funny.

I for one don't want a 727 or anything older than 30 years ago... but that's just me.

1 hour ago, abrams_tank said:

I’m pretty sure PMDG has done some work on the Max already. Randazzo is a pretty smart business guy (except when he loses his cool in his forum, which he did recently), so I think he knows the money he would lose out on if iFly release their 737 Max before PMDG does. Randazzo wants to win the race against iFly and because PMDG released the 737 NG already, I assume they are also ahead on the Max race.

However, I don’t think PMDG can go slow on the Max forever and not worry about iFly catching up. In theory, iFly has a faster route to convert their 737 Max to MSFS compared to PMDG back in 2020 to 2022, because many of the stumbling blocks to create a high fidelity level airliner in the MSFS API were cleared by the first group of high fidelity airliner release back in the spring of 2022. That is, the PMDG 737, Just Flight BAe 146, Leonardo Maddog, and Fenix A320, were the guinea pigs that forced Asobo to enhance the MSFS API to unblock the features that the first batch of study level airliners required (I believe Aerosoft’s CRJ also forced Asobo to enhance their API, although the CRJ is probably not as high fidelity as the others mentioned).

Those first batch of high fidelity airliners released in the spring of 2022 were like a mine sweeper ship, clearing the sea lane of mines so the Asobo API could support high fidelity airliners. Now that the mines have been cleared, iFly theoretically, can convert their 737 Max to MSFS faster. It’s possible that iFly could finish converting their 737 Max to MSFS by 2025, especially if they started working on it last year, or even back in 2022.

So I think PMDG is on a clock if they want to beat iFly. What is interesting is that Randazzo probably feels confident enough that he can beat iFly, and also give the information on how much complete the 737 Max is. I would think that it’s in Randazzo’s best Interest to say nothing about the progress of the 737 Max. Or maybe he slipped up by saying it? 

I also wonder if Randazzo has some type of inside information on iFly’s progress. For sure, if iFly were much closer to releasing the 737 Max in MSFS, I think he would have prioritised the Max over the 777. By releasing the 777 first, it tells me Randazzo didn’t think that iFly could release the Max by Q1 of 2024.

LOL, I think you're reading way too much into it.

This is usually how it works:  In this order: (so long as their intended product isn't already out, or other plans already well known)

1.  Developers do what they can get access to (source material). In this case they obviously have had Boeings for some time now.
2.  What interests them.
3.  ALL other factors:  marketplace, dev time, etc., are secondary so long as they are viable.  In the sim world, most things are viable and will sell.  Even with 2 of the same product.
4.  Was, rinse, repeat the above.

As you say above, their MAX has been in development for quite some time now.  I think since P3D days?  Like....a really long time ago.  It's actually more important than the NGs, IMO, since it is the newest variant and is rapidly replacing the NGs as well.  Also, RSR really wants the MAX out and to move on from the 37s.  He really wants all his stuff out...lol.  They just have a tone of catch up to do.

I doubt iFly's MAX has that much influence on them.  I certainly would not think it's putting any significant kind of pressure on them.  They already have more than enough pressure on themselves trying to get out their existing catalogue and making it halfway decent for MSFS (sim capabilities for graphical and technical improvements, RNP and the like), along with Xbox and the marketplace.  

In general, as much as we (me very much so 😀), like to troll RSR for his lengthy no-update--update posts, you can tell he's proud of his team and his products.  I honestly think he Just gets excited to see his teams' progress and loves to share it.  I know that feeling.  It's hard to not want to share with anyone who will listen. 

 

 

Edited February 6, 20242 yr by Jeff Nielsen