Questions before a potential purchase

[cmbaviator]

Hello,

i fly currently on msfs and XPlane 12.

i'm interested in the PSX 744 however i have some questions.

1) Is it easy to launch PSX 747 on msfs & Xplane 12 ?

2) Is it possible to fly on Vatsim ? (Radio and TCAS symbology on the ND)

3) how is the airac updated ( Via navigraph ) ?

4) The systems seems to be very accurate even more than PMDG but what about the Flight mode ? breaking distance ? and ground effect ?

5) Does it have an external model ?

6) Does the weather radar work on MSFS  / XP12 ?

7) Does it have a virtual cockpit ?

thanks in advance

[Jamie]

1) Define easy: once setup, just a few clicks with WidePSX.

2) Yes

3) Navigraph

4) I think (I have 100s of hours Level-D experience, but not the 747) this is by far the best sim you can buy for this money. MSFS will only be used as viewport. Flight dynamics come from PSX.

5) No, it's all 2D you get. BUT you can connect with MSFS, flaps and gear works, even beacon lights etc. Only problem I have (had?) is that there is (was?) no good 744 model for MSFS. I use the 748 for now.

6) You use the WX radar from PSX, which reflects real-time WX. You don't use the cockpit from MSFS at all.

7) No it's a 2D sim. You connect MSFS purely for visuals, which I think works great.

CONS:
Steep learning curve as you will be flying the real thing :-)
MSFS viewport in combination with the 2D PSX panels: be prepared for comments.
Volanta reports wrong landing rates, but I don't give... well I don't care about that :-D
The initial setup can be tricky: be sure to keep your system stable, if you use MSFS for other things, that could be a challange :-)

PRO:
Uses 1-5% CPU on my system.
Prepare yourself for 0 CTDs.
Connect multiple PCs for more instrument screens
iPad app available for FMC input/output.
Fly like a pro.
Join the PSX family

p.s. I would suggest to use MSFS. Had better results in flying from A->B than in X-Plane. Smoother flying, less position errors. I had more position errors in X-Plane, your results may vary.
I'm for example currently flying around the world, my goal is to visit every country which can be challanging. I haven't found any position errors yet with PSX <-> MSFS. Sometimes the altitude is a bit off, hence the 2000ft/min landings in Volanta.

My display currently:

[cmbaviator]

1) Define easy: once setup, just a few clicks with WidePSX.

2) Yes

3) Navigraph

4) I think (I have 100s of hours Level-D experience, but not the 747) this is by far the best sim you can buy for this money. MSFS will only be used as viewport. Flight dynamics come from PSX.

5) No, it's all 2D you get. BUT you can connect with MSFS, flaps and gear works, even beacon lights etc. Only problem I have (had?) is that there is (was?) no good 744 model for MSFS. I use the 748 for now.

6) You use the WX radar from PSX, which reflects real-time WX. You don't use the cockpit from MSFS at all.

7) No it's a 2D sim. You connect MSFS purely for visuals, which I think works great.

CONS:
Steep learning curve as you will be flying the real thing :-)
MSFS viewport in combination with the 2D PSX panels: be prepared for comments.
Volanta reports wrong landing rates, but I don't give... well I don't care about that :-D
The initial setup can be tricky: be sure to keep your system stable, if you use MSFS for other things, that could be a challange :-)

PRO:
Uses 1-5% CPU on my system.
Connect multiple PCs for more instrument screens
iPad app available for FMC input/output.
Fly like a pro.
Join the PSX family

My display currently:

thanks for your reply.

when you say that it uses real time wrx but not msfs, doers that means that it could display thunderstorm even though there is no cloud in msfs ? Anyway i always fly with real time weather so i guess the difference would be marginal. besides, where does it gets its weather data from ?

So in msfs, i have to select the default 747, select the gate at the airport and then launch PSX, but i wonder how to position the view ?

Does it have sounds from the avioinics, engines, ventilation....?

[Jamie]

Does it have sounds from the avioinics, engines, ventilation....?

Yes

WX? I really don't know :-D Maybe someone else can tell. MSFS doesn't represent weather very well (understatement, it's horrible). It kinda works. PSX wx radar works great.

[cmbaviator]

Yes

WX? I really don't know :-D Maybe someone else can tell. MSFS doesn't represent weather very well (understatement, it's horrible). It kinda works. PSX wx radar works great.

yeah but how does it know that there is wet weather and were does it get its weather data

[Hardy Heinlin]

The thunderstorms in PSX come from real-world METARs that can be automatically downloaded every half an hour. The exact thunderstorm cell positions are randomized within the related airport's METAR zone. There's always a cluster of up to 7 METAR zones in front of and around the aircraft. The smaller the distance between local airports, the finer the cell position resolution.

If the optional NG FMC license is installed, there's the bonus to generate real-world SIGMET weather (with CBs etc.) in addition to the METAR data.

Ground effect included? Sure, yes.

Breaking distance? Varies with brake pressure and runway condition -- dry, wet (light, medium, severe), ice.

PSX models a lot of 747 specific aerodynamic effects, ground contact effects, and air-ground transition effects.

Nav databases are provided by Navigraph and Aerosoft.


Thank you for your interest,

|-|ardy

[cmbaviator]

The thunderstorms in PSX come from real-world METARs that can be automatically downloaded every half an hour. The exact thunderstorm cell positions are randomized within the related airport's METAR zone. There's always a cluster of up to 7 METAR zones in front of and around the aircraft. The smaller the distance between local airports, the finer the cell position resolution.

If the optional NG FMC license is installed, there's the bonus to generate real-world SIGMET weather (with CBs etc.) in addition to the METAR data.

Ground effect included? Sure, yes.

Breaking distance? Varies with brake pressure and runway condition -- dry, wet (light, medium, severe), ice.

PSX models a lot of 747 specific aerodynamic effects, ground contact effects, and air-ground transition effects.

Nav databases are provided by Navigraph and Aerosoft.


Thank you for your interest,

|-|ardy

thank you for your input. So if i understand correclty it does not take the weather data from MSFS or xplane, even for winds ?

[Hardy Heinlin]

I can only speak for PSX stand-alone. I'm not the author of those optional add-ons that may write/read data to/from PSX. Those are questions for the related add-on experts ...

I think when you use real-time weather, all sims -- MSFS, X-Plane, P3D -- will use downloaded real-world METARs. PSX also uses downloaded real-world METARs (when in real-weather mode). So they all get the same data from the Internet.

[Jamie]

thank you for your input. So if i understand correclty it does not take the weather data from MSFS or xplane, even for winds ?

You use MSFS ONLY for the visuals. It becomes a viewport for PSX.
MSFS gets it's own weather from it's own source.
PSX as Hardy says. You can inject Aloft WX (Jet Streams, Upper-Level Highs and Lows, Tropopause etc) into PSX with ActiveSky.

MSFS follows your PSX moves.

Here is another example: ILS approach into ELLX N-1. Left = MSFS (2nd screen), Right = PSX, connected via WidePSX. It runs very smooth.

Winds, turbulences, all simulated in PSX derived from real weather.

IF you have ActiveSky (XP or P3D) you can start it stand-alone and inject the Wind Alofts into PSX, via WideFS. I use the X-Plane ActiveSky for that. These upper winds load into the 744 PSX FMC as well. Very fancy stuff.