atrdriver

I received my Fulcrum yoke last week. All I can say is WOW! I’m blown away! I’ve owned the Saitek Pro yoke and the GoFlight 737 yoke. The Fulcrum is definitely a better product! So far I’ve tested it in MSFS2020, P3Dv4.5 (with the PMDG 737NG) and IL-2 Sturmovic (with the P-38). I was looking for a yoke with extra buttons for use in combat with the P-38, as well as a better performing yoke in the civilian simulators. THIS IS THE YOKE THAT FIT THE BILL! As a RL 737 pilot, I was also looking for a yoke with a more realistic feel than other yokes. While the GoFlight 737 yoke felt perfect in the roll axis, the pitch axis did not have the long travel necessary for that realistic feel. It was also unusable with the P-38 in combat due to the lack of buttons, not to mention the high pivot point that was a total mismatch with the yoke movement in the sim. Because I only use the PMDG 737 software for training prep every nine months, my GoFlight 737 yoke was a $700 dust collector most of the time. Since Chris designed the Fulcrum with an interchangeable yoke, I am looking forward to his planned 737 unit. I can’t say enough good about the Fulcrum yoke! As a RL pilot and sim enthusiast for nearly three decades, I highly recommend it! Great job Chris!

It was the flight model that was the issue. When I changed crash detection, it dropped me into legacy. Thanks!

I just found in another thread that the issue may actually be in Flight Model selection. I did lower crash detection to 2%. Will check to see if that’s the problem.

Since the update, there seems to be (at least for me) a new low level turbulence that’s making flight below approx 2000ft AGL almost impossible. I experience constantly rolling left and right up to 110 degrees. I’ve checked all my controls for hardware issues, even trying two different sticks. No problems with hardware. I’ve checked all weather settings, trying custom and preset weather conditions. Nothing seems to stop the problem. The issue becomes less pronounced as I climb and mostly disappears above approx 2000ft AGL. If you have a fix, I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks for the update Chris. I only just saw this update as it wasn’t reflected on the news link of your website or your Facebook page. At any rate, that hole cut in my custom instrument panel (and now cockpit) is eagerly awaiting your yoke! Thanks again for the update and sincerely hoping the family issues you mentioned are being resolved! Sincerely, Terry Swindle Boynton Beach FL, USA

Dear Sirs, I purchased the 747-8 expansion pack for P3D and see this purchase in my order history. I uninstalled the old 747-400 as instructed and installed the updated 747-400. However, I see no download link for the newly purchased 747-8 in my order history, only that I purchased it. Just wondering if the expansion pack has to be downloaded or if it is delivered via the Ops Center. Thanks.

I figured they knew about it. They don't miss much! I do wish they would get us a FANS MCDU. That's what we have installed in the fleet at my company. It's akin to the B777 CDU, which I believe IS a FANS MCDU.

The theme of this thread is the fact that the AT, if engaged while landing, regardless of autopilot or flight director engagement, should close below 27ft RA during landing as in the real jet. They do not in the PMDG 737.

That was WITH the AT disengaged at 100ft? I do basically what you described above. I don't use the "show thrust lever position" indication but instead simply place the thrust levers approximately where I know they should be, disengage the AT and quickly adjust to match. You can hear a change in N1 if not matched. I'd still like to see that AT close automatically on landing as in the real jet.

There are several things that bug me about the PMDG 737-800. This AT issue is among my biggest peeves. Also chief among them is the fact the LNAV will not automatically arm for go-arounds. This feature is a PMDG feature and has nothing to do with the real jet. I understand why it's available but I do not use it due to the lack of realism.

The ALWAYS option in no way applies to landing. Here's an example of how having it unchecked affected me. Prior to checking the option, used to push my hardware throttles to the max forward position after engaging TOGA and leave them there. During descent when the AT would reduce thrust to idle and go into ARM mode, the software would look at the position of the hardware throttles and advance the sim throttles to max to match the hardware throttle position. For reasons I never fully understood or researched, I would not have control over the sim throttles. After checking the ALWAYS option, I pull my hardware throttles back to idle after engaging TOGA on takeoff. This way, when the AT reduce thrust to idle during descent and enter ARM Mode, they stay at idle and also allow me to manually control thrust if needed as described in my previous post. I have never been able to discover why the AT don't retard to idle during the flare in landing. Incidentally, the Airbus crash you mentioned above did not occur on the first flight. That flight was conducted at an airshow and had nearly 100 journalist and various VIPs on board. Most survived. I believe 2 lives were lost.

In the real jet, they disengage at touchdown. They retard in the flare. I don't recall exactly what triggers the retard movement (although I believe it's radio altitude). In the PMDG jet, I always have to manually disengage the AT prior to the flare because I too had the issue where the AT would advance in the flare, just as you mentioned. I don't know if the system was attempting to maintain VRef or exactly what it was doing. The option you mentioned above regarding manual overriding of the AT has to do with a mode that the AT go into during descent called ARM. When the AT come back to idle during a descent, the AT Mode will go into ARM, which allows you to manually position the throttles as needed to maintain speed because the speed range deviation that can vary without automation kicking in is +15knots and -10kts. Hard to believe but the real jet is just that sloppy! If speed is exceeded by 15kts (Vmo/Mmo notwithstanding), you will get a DRAG REQUIRED message on your CDU. If the speed is less than 10kts slow and the AT is in ARM mode, you can manually move the throttles without the AT intervention. More than 10kts slow and the AT will intervene and increase thrust. This is my understanding of the system. The ALWAYS option in the PMDG Sim menu allows you to replicate this feature. I do not understand why the AT will not retard in the flare like the real jet does.

I fly the 737-800 for a living. I never disengage the auto-throttles under normal conditions. They retard on every landing, regardless of the Flight Director mode that is selected OR whether or not the the autopilot is engaged. They automatically disengage at touchdown. Incidentally, I always disengage the autopilot prior to 1000ft AFL on visual approaches and by minimums on an instrument approach in IMC conditions.

I fly the 737-800 for a living. Never use CWS and have never seen anyone else use it!

I just wanted to say that 3mta3 is "spot on" in his narrative above. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we fly the NG for the same company! It is my company's POLICY to use the landing gear for drag when necessary, namely in the terminal area where most folks normally use spoilers or flaps for drag. The spoilers really aren't all that effective in the real jet. I recently had a controller give me a vector to a base leg much sooner than I expected while descending through 5000ft. As the pilot flying, my response for the captain was "gear down." Captain's response to me? "Attaboy!" Putting the gear down at 5000ft on a visual approach just doesn't feel right, but that's the way the company wants you to fly THEIR jet! Without that gear hanging out very early on, I never would have gotten configured and stabilized by 1000ft on this approach. The NGX doesn't accurately simulate just how slippery the real jet is during descent! I'm still fairly new to the type with only 240 hours in it, but I'm getting much more comfortable with getting her down in a timely fashion!