Hey everyone, I’m looking to buy either the Fokker F28 ($70) or MD80 ($90). I don’t really care about the price difference but if you have flown either of these I’d like to know! Hopefully someone can help me decide.
The MD80 is great fun to fly though difficult to handle compared to other planes.
If you care for (random) failures and those that develop from not treating the plane within it’s limits, then also the 80 is the way to go.
I do not have the f28, but the bae 146 from justflight. Also a really well done plane. Plenty of reviews out there. Usually, the md80 knocks it out of the park in these…
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This is a lot of money to spend for a addon, when ms2024 is just around the corner. Also consider what your local airlines are flying currently before taking the plunge, as you will soon lose interest when you find no airlines are flying those! you will be the only one flying an empty f28/md80 on your own. 
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Both are great, but here’s a few points to consider:
Why the MD80?
- Relatively modern airliner experience, you get access to things like full fms navigation with lateral and vertical profile management, autothrottle, glass efis displays etc.
- But that also means having to manage and look out for a lot of things before, during and after the flight.
- Arguably the best system simulation in the sim, I’d argue it’s on par with or better than fenix and PMDG.
- Very good simulation of failures and wear and tear. It uses the external app for that.
- Flight model seems good to me, feels like a heavy aircraft like it should.
- It has been updated regularly and things like multiple fms type have been added.
- Simulates working acars
- Other goodies like custom boarding music and full gsx integration (gsx will set the weight and balance, passenger count, bags etc of the plane)
- THE BEST AND COMPLETE DOCUMENTATION of any addon in MSFS, PERIOD.
- Very good sim performance despite all that simulation.
What’s not so good?
- Modeling, textures and lighting are not top notch, not on par with modern MSFS visuals.
- It’s generally accepted that it sucks in sound department, although I don’t mind it. And there are 3rd party soundpacks from FTSim which many like.
- EFB is a bit clunky to use, although functionalilty is pretty great.
- Livery management is a mystry to some and this causes issues from time to time unless the livery is packaged correctly.
Why the F28:
- Old school fokker with all analogue gauges.
- Flight model is good but feels a bit light, now not having flown any of them irl or even in other simulators, cannot comment of accuracy of flightmodel.
- All systems seems to be modelled, albeit not as accurate as the MD80 possibly.
- EFB is very good and easy to use.
- Visually it’s much better than the MD80.
- Sounds much better than MD80.
- Performance is good here as well.
- Comparatively much less daunting than the MD80.
- 4 variants as part of the package.
- Other goodies like very good cabin and possibly custom boarding music as well.
What’s not so good compared to the MD82:
- No failure modeling.
- Basic optional FMS (GNS 530), UNS1 is planned for a future update (Edit: Included in March 2025).
- Autopilot and flight directors are bit wierd to use (this is actually a positive for me since this is a quirk of the real aircraft)
- No autothrottle
If you have a budget for one only, if you like planning a flight in advance, take your time to set it up properly and follow proper procedures for every step of flight, then go with the MD82. If you prefer comparatively simple setup and fine with shorter VOR to VOR flights, go with the F28. (Edit: March 2025, UNS1 FMS is now integrated, so not limited to radio based nav only anymore). The gns can be used for proper rnav flights, but come on, it won’t give you the same experience as full fms of MD80. To me, the fokker feels a bit GAish which I like very much.
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I don’t get this mentality, then who would fly the fokker in this day, I am not aware of any that is in active service. And there won’t have any demand for planes like DC3, 707, 727 etc. although they are highly sought after.
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Real one is light by airliner standards - this one is light by any standards, unfortunately - even small airliners need to accelerats mass. The AP itself goes wonky too & won’t stay on course/alt, it’s not just subjectively wierd. Those are my only real complaints about the F28, unfortunately big ones.
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If you consider 6 or 7 months minimum to be “just around the corner.” But it’ll work with 2024 anyway in all probability. MS has said “virtually all” dlc would work and most decent devs are saying purchases now will also work with 2024.
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I have both. I flew the F28 a lot when it came out, very nicely done aircraft. I then bought the MD82 and have found it hard not to want to fly all the time (I ration myself), and there is the difference.
@AbhishekDey1594 's done an excellent comparison. For me the MD80 has been about finding extended enjoyment and depth of learning if you want to. (I’m just off to fly it again this morning, it’s like an addiction 
). Apart from a clunky oldish style external app and a strange way of doing livery installs all from a strange location (your My Documents folder in windows) it’s an experience I keep coming back to. You don’t have to run with failures, they are optional. Just about everything is customizable per air frame too if you want to go that deep. All in all an amazing experience that keeps evolving. Add maintenance and failures in after you get familiarity and it expands interest too.
I flew the F28 again recently (just once) to remind myself how to fly it, but that was it. The draw for me is with the maddog. and that includes against other airliners too eg A320NX, PMDG737 etc. which can I find get a bit boring (they are so automated) after a while.
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Is it also planned for F28? I know it’s planned for the 146 because there were airplanes equipped with that IRL but it makes no sense for the F28. And I haven’t seen it officially announced for F28 by Just Flight (or maybe I missed something, that’s possible).
They’re both great aircraft. And personally I find it hard to recommend one over the other. Get both 
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It’s requested by community a lot in their forums, realistic or not. I guess to hold it over till fokker 70/100 arrives.
Personally I am not that interested, if that means they accelerate development for the F70/100. They have a long cue of projects I am waiting on.
But was it confirmed? That was my question. Not what the community wishes. Personally I don’t need it in the F28. It makes sense in the 146 as it already has FMS.
So the F28 has no nav capability, only vor/adf? I thought I saw a GPS in the pictures in store.
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It has a GNS530 GPS.
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Yes, it has GNS530 integrated. I use PMS GTN750 unit instead, there’s a mod for it on flightsim.to. And there’s even a cool autothrottle mod available, if you plan to cruise it unattended.
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As stated in my post:
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Check this post and you can check the whole thread. Plus I have seen some other affirmation regarding this in other threads. Don’t remember exactly where and when.
Apparently some f28s had uns 1 custom fitted.
Yes, I found it a couple of mins ago, visited the JF forums. You were right, the UNS-1 is planned for F28 too.
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Where is it though? It hasn’t arrived on the 146 yet despite statements of its imminent arrival last summer was it?
I’ve seen a post from someone from JF (I guess it was Martyn) a couple of weeks back that the works on the UNS-1 were interrupted last year because of other projects but that they’ve moved their focus back on it. So my guess is it’s not so far away and it will be 146 UNS-1 → Avro RJ → F70/100. And also F28 UNS-1 in the process anytime.
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