Most other mods don’t require replacing the stock layout.json, why Longitude has this special place?
I am the one who discovered this fix with the layout.json and shared it with DakFly. The reason this has to be done is because the virtual file system will prioritize the encrypted configuration files over anything that is put in the Community folder. So even if you put a mod for the Longitude in the Community folder, because there are encrypted files referenced in the official layout.json, the file system will ignore your mod.
Therefore, we modify the official layout.json so that it doesn’t reference the encrypted config file. As a result, the file system now looks for the file in the Community folder, which is what we want.
If you do not replace the official layout.json, then you will only be flying the default Longitude. Whether or not you have the mod installed in the Community folder.
Theoretically this could be done for the 787, but you would need to re-create the correct config files with all of the needed parameters and values and that’s a lot of work.
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I’ll take a look tonight. I’ve run into several ways planes disappear. I may not find it, but it’s worth a shot.
So as I understand other mods that don’t require overwriting the layout file are not encrypted, is this correct?
Correct. The existing 787 mod(s) are only making changes to the FMC (html) files which are not encrypted, for example.
It depends on what is being changed. His statement is not globally true. I’ve got mods I’ve created for premium planes where the files replacing encrypted files, the panel.xml file for example, were not ignored. But, Asobo does some crazy things, so I’m not saying he’s wrong.
One thing I have found, however, is that, depending on the file, you can’t include all the files in one mod. For instance, I wanted to include a cameras.cfg file in a livery. But it only worked if I created a separate mod for the cameras.cfg.
Now, I don’t know why it worked that way. I tried all sorts of combinations of including it in the same mod, changing dependencies and other things, but it only worked as two mods.
I am speculating on how the virtual file system works. But this is the way that we got the Longitude mod to work
But why they encrypted this plane but not others? Longitude has its own merits by itself, not that Asobo made it outstanding that it deserved a premium status in the MSFS hangar… Sounds odd to me…
Because the Longitude is only available if you pay the extra $$. If the files were not encrypted, then people who had it could copy those files and give them to users who did not pay the $$.
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For example, when it first came out the 787 did not have the correct range because some of the parameters regarding the fuel system were wrong. If it weren’t encrypted, a modder could have corrected this. As it was, we had to wait until Asobo fixed the issue. (I think it’s fixed now…)
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I see, so Asobo picked this plane arbitrarily for premium status, they could’ve picked TBM for being premium and encrypted it…
In my opinion TBM is a better modeled plane than Longitude…
I agree, it certainly feels like the standard planes have been given more attention than the premium planes. I’m not sure which makes more economic sense. I suppose getting the standard planes more accurate first makes more sense since they are selling more of them.
Agreed, but even the TBM needed a mod to make it more realistic.
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I’m trying out the TBM mod version 0.5.9, it’s amazing to have opening doors, and some other improvements But there’s a major drawback: it’s so hard to bleed off speed when descending, too much thrust at idle. It can even taxi at idle! The stock doesn’t do this, I guess something is messed up in the mod…
No, the stock aircraft has the wrong flight characteristics. The TBM is a fast aircraft, very slippery. You have to fly it correctly. It has a very powerful engine and DOES taxi at idle in the real world.
You have to slow down before you descend, usually. I’ve been able to fly it fine once you get used to it.
Also, you shouldn’t always jump to the conclusion that the mod is broken. No offense but the vast majority of problems I see posed about in the forums are due to pilot error.
If that’s the case, my sincere apologies …
And happy to have this aircraft!
I once watched a YouTube video made by a real world TBM pilot, there’s comment in the YouTube in which he says the TBM can slow down fast because the blades are like speed brakes, I was not sure how exactly the blades could slow down the plane… I’ll try to find the link again…
Too much sidetracked. Let’s get back to Longitude 
Prop drag is not modelled in MSFS for any aircraft yet. So that’s just not possible until that is fixed.
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Turbo prop plane can brake really fast irl. And often can activate reverse in flight.
Turboprop logic are wrong right now
Good to know I can engage reverse thrust to slow down while still airborne. Thanks.