X-Plane 11 My Verdict

[Charlie Bravo]

I've just hit buy on the IXEG 737 Classic. Will report back later.

[Nigel H-J]

You could do what John Venema does Nigel. Get a USB external hard drive and put all your scenery on that.

Wow, now that is a thought. many thanks Chris.

I've just hit buy on the IXEG 737 Classic. Will report back later.

Hmm, bit of a price tag on that but will have to wait for your verdict.

Need a win on the Lotto, not a lot but enough to have a high end computer and immerse myself in VR plus a few other goodies to keep the wife happy!!

Regards
Nigel.

[Nigel H-J]

I never thought it would happen but it has..................After spending a lot of time re-installing FSX just to fly my favourite aircraft the VC10 and the Dove, I sat there flying along looking straight ahead then to each side viewing the Orbx Scenery of the UK and my finger wondered across to the Esc key and firmly pressed down on it!! No, it wasn't Orbx Scenery that was the cause but FSX itself, even though I have paid out a lot of money on Orbx Sceneries and aircraft I just do not like flying in FSX anymore due to having made the jump into X plane. The way FSX handles scenery is awful, when low level bits of trees and buildings suddenly sprout up ahead as though someone had waved a magic wand and said 'Let there be trees and buildings'!!

Yes I know FSX is very old and the engine is practically near historical but I have come very close to taking it off my hard drive completely, the only thing that prevents me from doing so is because of the aircraft that I have and love to fly. The enjoyment of actually flying them in the FSX platform has gone. Maybe to continue flying them I will eventually have to consider P3D but only for that reason or will P3D just turn out to be an extended version of FSX (which it really is but more improved) but not in the way I would have hoped. The sloping runways along with the heat haze from the jet engines, navigation lights that actually rotate and train spotting from the air not to mention the freeware Head-Shake that makes X Plane aircraft such fun to fly.

If P3D follow X Planes' route then I would very much have it as a second platform but for now, I think I may very well hit the Uninstall Button for FSX.

Regards
Nigel.

[Airspeed]

Interesting to hear that summary, Nige.
I think that I'm going to be a slow mover on this.
Like you, I have spent heaps on tweaking FSX, and though that business of scenery popping out of nowhere IS annoying, I'd be concerned about the cost of recreating the whole show on another platform. Maybe when there are more aircraft available, especially freeware?
I'm still of the mindset that if only I can get fast enough processing power, everything will improve.

[Nigel H-J]

I think that I'm going to be a slow mover on this.
Like you, I have spent heaps on tweaking FSX, and though that business of scenery popping out of nowhere IS annoying, I'd be concerned about the cost of recreating the whole show on another platform. Maybe when there are more aircraft available, especially freeware?
I'm still of the mindset that if only I can get fast enough processing power, everything will improve.

Hi Mike You have mirrored my sentiments exactly, but I made the decision to move on, of course I am concerned of the costs that are going to materialise in things such as scenery and payware aircraft but, did we not do that moving from FS9 to FSX? Probably not on such a broad scale as some could be ported across which is not going to happen when opting for something like X Plane but.......As far as scenery goes this can be greatly enhanced from the default scenery to Photo Scenery at no cost, Chris wrote:

I'm currently busy covering much of Europe in photoscenery at 1.2m. So far I've completed England and Wales, France, Belgium, bits of Spain, most of Switzerland, almost all of Italy and almost all of Greece as well as Cyprus, Malta and Crete. Takes up quite a bit of space - including the standard full set of X-Plane scenery I have 1.1Tb used up so far across three different drives. I'll have to stop very soon as I'm getting very low on space.

I'm very impressed with X-Plane's handling of photoscenery - no blurries and smooth presentation of 3d objects.

Whilst it takes up a great deal of space not to mention time, it is an alternative and a very good one without the need to purchase payware products.

This is definitely a route that I will take and will use Ortho4XP when I have a bit more time on my hands but presently just flying with the Default Scenery as well as Mr X Scenery Stateside. I do not yet have any payware aircraft, the default ones' are very good and I also have a freeware 737 that is of payware quality.

Basically it is down to personal choice but this is one move that I do not regret and looking forward especially to the release of Orbx True Earth England which will be followed by Scotland and Wales, as for the rest of Europe and the States, it will definately be Ortho4XP which is free.

Regards
Nigel.

[Charlie Bravo]

Blimey, I didn't see that coming! To be honest, I'm quite pleased. The more people move to XP, the sooner we'll get more add-ons as developers see the customer base grow.

As for the IXEG 737 - great! I've always been lazy when it comes to learning software and have avoided more complex aircraft as a result. I jumped into the 737, flew and then wondered what on earth was going wrong. I wasn't overly happy having just parted with £55 so accepted that I'd have to RTFM

Having RTFM (parts at least), I had a relatively successful flight all the way from East Midlands to Stansted although the FMC is going to take some getting used to. The sounds are pleasing as well, and as I work at STN, I'm certainly used to hearing a CFM56 or two.

On a side note, I also tried Better Pushback for the first time (after landing at STN), which is excellent
Forgive the grey box at the bottom - it's from 124th ATC.



You can change gauges - new or old.









Note the Swissport tug pulling up ready for the pushback.

[Nigel H-J]

Great screenshots Chris and the 737 looks extremely good though at £55 it is a bit out of my budget at the moment, but maybe one day. I too have been thinking about having to learn how to use the FMC though to be honest I much prefer to fly VOR to VOR without the need to programme into the FMC but even light aircraft now have Garmin Navigation installed so guess that is the first one to learn.

Tried for the first time to fly the MD80 from East Midlands to Glasgow from cold and dark. Took me sometime to get the engines running but got there in the end. Climbed up to FL200 and was happily flying the next leg to POL when my screen started to blacken, first thought was it had developed a fault so went to outside view (don't ask why but I did) everything was normal, back into the cockpit and the screen was OK but then went black again.

Then the penny dropped, had they actually programmed in loss of oxygen on the pilot? It appears so, going to have to read the manual for the MD80 so next time I fly is to make sure the oxygen is switched on or at least the pressurisation is set.

Glad your happy with the 737 Chris.

Regards
Nigel.

[Charlie Bravo]

Hehe, I had that happen in the default 737. I didn't know how to rectify it so descended... quickly

[Airspeed]

Well, that sounds "as real as it gets"!
If it's reading the Tb of scenery smoothly, it sounds great.
Not especially familiar with details of the 737, and too lazy to check it out, so do you feel that the shape of those engine fronts is correct? I refer to the flattish bottoms on the intakes.

[Charlie Bravo]

Well, that sounds "as real as it gets"!
If it's reading the Tb of scenery smoothly, it sounds great.
Not especially familiar with details of the 737, and too lazy to check it out, so do you feel that the shape of those engine fronts is correct? I refer to the flattish bottoms on the intakes.

It's perhaps a little too flat on the top lip of the intake. Does that match your thoughts?