I saw a change list somewhere for an upcoming update (that fixed a few things including throttle lock out). Any ideas when the update was estimated? (It did say it would go to beta testers first).
That’s only really relevant to Marketplace content. Since this product requires an external app to function, it will likely never be on the Marketplace.
Are the takeoff calculations in the EFB fully realistic? Because it is complaining too much for my taste.
Once it refused to calculate takeoff speeds because 25kts of wind were apparently too much. So I went with 20kts instead to make it work. On several other occasions it didn’t give me calculations because the plane was too heavy? I still managed to takeoff while barely using 50% of the runway.
I never experienced this with any other plane (PMDG 737, Fenix A320 etc).
Is the calculator of the iFly too sensitive or is that actually supposed to be that way?
I’m unable to get it to calculate departures from EGGD (Bristol, England) no matter what combination I use. Anyone able to get that working?
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On a today’s flight I compared the ifly 737M EFB performance with VPT (Virtual Performance Tools). The latter is a ref tool for the calculation of performance. On the EFB it was not possible to select a DO-2 setting. DO-1 was usable with flaps 5. On thaw other hand VPT calculated a D0-2 with flaps 5. Never observe this with the pmdg 737. IMO there is still some fine tuning required on this item.
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Yes, the performance calculator needs some more work. I also miss optimal de-rates and flaps (though I don’t recall if PMDG calculator ever suggested any other flaps setting than 5 degrees).
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I get the same, It won’t calculate until i change derate, flaps or weight, a bit annoying, but maybe true to life? I do wish it would calculate optimal flaps and de-rate setings, like most other good add-ons, but it’s still a great plane
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I don’t remember any flaps suggestion other than 5 on the PMDG either.
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I’ve gotten Flaps 1 suggested a few times for me with the PMDG.
The iFly EFB performance calculator definitely has some bugs. It refused to let me take off from Keflavik’s runway 19 (which is like 10,000’ long!) on a calm, cold drizzly day with a heavy (but not maximum) MAX flight to Nashville last Sunday. It was wet and 6C, so I selected Engine Anti-Ice On. No dice. I tried every possible flaps setting, every combo of engine AI and packs on and off, etc. Nothing.
However, for those who may not know, Simbrief now has a free performance calculator. I fired that one up and it gave me a perfectly, 100% reasonable takeoff distance calculator, for a flaps 5 takeoff with engine AI ON and packs on, and I had zero issues using those numbers.
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Naturally, unless an engine fails at V1, you’ll never really know if the performance calcs you used were correct. On any takeoff where an engine doesn’t fail, you’ve got more than twice the performance available to you that the calculator was assuming. (50 percent thrust loss plus the added drag penalty of flight control deflections to maintain close to coordinated flight.). It’s not only about runway length either; it can be entirely necessary to use more runway at a lower flap setting to then clear a second segment obstacle etc.
Basically, I really doubt any of these performance calculators really “work”, not the same way you can count on data from a real world source. I would guess they’re all just approximations.
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For anyone using EFB take-off performance calculator - Ensure that wind section is not displaying meters per second (M/S) but instead the usual knots (you’ll have to change it in the EFB application settings - by default it is in m/s don’t know why devs have went that route). Putting incorrect winds will result in incorrect performance figures.
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I’ve been reading this topic and the one on AVSIM and it seems many people experience problems with autothrottle and the physical positions on your connected throttles. I have the Honeycomb Bravo and this issue is preventing me from buying the plane now.
Is there anything I can do about this? Are they actively working on a fix? Is it at all flyable with a Bravo? Thanks!
The workaround people have been using until we get a patch is to put a a small extremity deadzone into your throttle axis sensitivity settings, then once activating AT during climb/cruise, push your physical throttle lever(s) to the stops, into that extremity deadzone. That will prevent any spurious noise or stray reading from impacting the autothrottle. Once you reach TOD and begin descending, pull your physical throttle back to the idle stop (again in the extremity deadzone). You have to be quick and a bit mindful after disabling AT during landing when using your physical throttle again, but it’s not a big deal once you’re aware of it.
Hopefully the patch comes out soon with a fix/correction for this issue.
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I will say that my Boeing Thrustmaster throttle quadrant has had zero issues with “noise”, so I would hope that a similar-quality Honeycomb Bravo would be the same.
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Also not having any problems with my Thrustmaster Airbus Officer Pack here. No need for deadzones.
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Thanks! Those are reassuring tips, not that hard to implement.
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When downloading liveries, I’m noticing file sizes significantly smaller than those for the Fenix and PMDG 738 — are they all native 4K, rather than (unnecessary) 8K?
Not really managed to do too much systems testing (I’m not really clued up on all its systems, to be honest) but I have noticed that, in VS mode, it seems to maintain 100-200fpm under or over the assigned value.
One difference I see between the PMDG 737NG and the MAX is that in the former, in the FMS Descent Forecast page, there is a field to enter the Baro setting at the destination airport. This is presumably used for descent VNAV calcs, as the green ToD marker moves when you change the setting. However, in the MAX, there is no such field. Is this by design, or omission, or am I missing some obscure FMS screen?
I guess it’s by design. It’s missing in the 777 too, which is a newer FMC software.
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I also notice that, where the PMDG 737 will quickly dive when you change from STD to a higher pressure (i.e. 29.92 to 30.22), but the iFly has no “transition”, and it just keeps the same descent rate. Must be some other calc that it uses?