I dont't know if I'm the only one, but isn't the FBW A32N somehow lacking the immersion factor a bit? It's a great aircraft and it's totally and appreciate the creators very much. Still can't precisely what is it, though it does not seem to give the same feeling as even the ini A310. I apsilutly love the PMDG 738, it's such a nice flying and reliable plane, never let me down. I've taken it to the weirdest places with the most bizarre approaches. I like the 777 too but that's a different story. 🙂 So i'm thinking if i get the full A319-20-21 package for Fenix is it going to be more like it? Or perhaps i'm just a boeing person? 🤔

Edited September 18, 20241 yr by SimianFlu

I used the FBW from the very first beginning and watched it evolving over time. Had great times with it! I also got some hardware and after that wanting some more. This year I moved to Fenix and despite the FBW is a great aircraft, Fenix is another level... Full cabins, seated pax with GSX, extended EFB, CFM/IAE differences, different cockpit instruments, sunshades...

Also sharklets are coming as a free update to Fenix...

And don't forget some random failures. Pretty cool!

I agree.  Fenix is my favorite addon plane in MSFS.  They keep updating it, so it is getting better and better.  

I moved from FBW to Fenix a long time ago and it's a different plane. FPS improvement was 6-8fps which was a major surprise, and then the additional systems depth and feel of the different flight model was noticeable. Still, the FBW was really good too.

But it could very well be that you are just a Boeing person! Modern Airbuses have been made very automated and easy to fly. Compared to 737 or even the older A310, there is a noticeable difference in your workload operating the plane, and e.g. what kind of control inputs the pilot is expected to do. 

Yes, that is indeed something to consider! 

I love PMDG products and have generally never had an issue. I find them very immersive and if they release a plane I want it’s a day one purchase. 
 

The modelling and texture of the Fenix A320 series is to me mind blowing. They have reached an incredible level of detail in their modelling, texturing and sound. That’s before you start on system depth. 
 

For the price of the 3 aircraft (bearing in mind both engine variants for both and soon free sharklets) it is an absolute no brainer if you want to fly the A320 series. 

The Fenix is also my favorite airliner aircraft in the sim. As others have said it is very well modeled in all aspects and its EFB is well designed and the GSX integration helps a great deal with immersion. I have not flown the 73s for months and months. They are also well done and immersive but the things I mention as a strength of the Feinx are weaknesses for PMDG birds and I find for me these make a big difference to my enjoyment of the product. Once PMDG update the tablet and the LNAV and hopefully the texturing (maybe they will even model the windows to open) I will go back and fly the 73s again. I found their 777 to be much better implemented - LNAV, texturing, the tablet, etc. - it flies convincingly and I spent a good month and a half flying it after release, but it shines as a long-haul aircraft I and it is not so easy to make time to really appreciate those in the sim. It unfortunately lacks GSX integration which after flying the Fenix for the past month I really miss when it is not there. 

PMDG needs Fenix's level of immersion (GSX, sounds, etc).

I'm still waiting for FSLabs in MSFS...

But I did like the FBW and the Fenix 320...

Edited September 18, 20241 yr by jcomm

51 minutes ago, Cognita said:

...It unfortunately lacks GSX integration

I'm curious what that is?  How is GSX working differently with Fenix than FBW for example?  I for one could not care less about having parkinsonian zombies seat themselves in the 738 so I've disabled that performance-sapping stuff it just doesn't have a place in my use of MSFS.  I don't use GSX' arrival marshal it does not compare favorably with MSFS ground crew which look much more plausible.

3 minutes ago, Noel said:

I'm curious what that is?

Could not agree more about the zombies, and not only that but they are cloned zombies because the same women in a plaid coat appears on every flight anywhere in the world. I much prefer my imagination for passengers.

I only meant that the Fenix has an option to let GSX handle the boarding process and if you select that it will automatically call for the fuel truck and set the proper fuel according to the Simbrief flight plan, it will then call for catering, and then boarding, and procedurally board the correct number of passengers and cargo, again according to the Simbrief plan. No interaction with the menu is needed. When you put the beacon light on it will disconnect the GPU and you are ready to commence push back. Once I experimented with the timings to get the progression to "feel" realistic, I found it contributed a lot to immersion, because I do not have to go up to a menu and select these things, they just happen in the background while I am programming and setting up the flight.

Wow, I guess its worth to give it a try then 🙂 thanks for all the elaborate input

I found the FBW acted for me as a gateway to getting the Fenix, at the time I tried it, it's MCDU's were linked (that's a pet hate of mine) and no performance calculations in the tablet. Not tried it since.

As @Cognita said the GSX integration in the Fenix is absolutely superb, but I do love the fact you can still choose Instant / Fast loading and then turn the beacon on for GSX to do pushback.

Have to say the whole implementation of the EFB is by far the best in any aircraft I have seen, from start of flight to finish.

G

In my opinion the FBW is a great free addon, it's not perfect but it works! The Fenix is my first choice, but after the last updates they changed the logic regarding the roll input, now it's much more sensitive than before, but the pitch and the yaw are almost the same as before. Also, it's difficult to keep the airplane straight at takeoff, it's moving like a C172, but this is an old never solved completely problem. And you can't solve these roll/steer problems changing the input rate of your joystick, it's not the same thing.