PMDG has announced that the MAX will be released “between 777 versions”. The long awaited NG with nice TV screens will finally be arriving!
Thnx! Was there a comment on their forum?
The 737 MAX timeframe was briefly mentioned in the 777 Q&A yesterday: https://www.youtube.com/live/j05bwYWhe_k?si=Rq620R-pgJfm63Ir
Unfortunately I don’t have a timestamp for you. But the rough recap is that all 777 variants should not take more than a year to fully release once the first one is out. So if the first 737 MAX is coming out between variants, we have a very rough timeframe of no more than a year or so (I believe the first 777 was mentioned as 2 weeks - 2 months away, depending on how things go with testing).
To further the MAX discussion, Robert said that internally at one point the MAX and 777 were basically at the same level of development and it was unsure which they would focus on completing and delivering first. The decide was that the team was basically getting tired of working on 737 variants. So the T7 comes first, and the MAX will come during the 777 release cycle at some point.
(He also declined to detail the PMDG “secret project” although he smiled like a cat looking at a canary when people mentioned the 787 and when someone asked if they’d ever consider an Airbus - if they choose an Airbus I have zero interest unless it’s an A350).
I highly doubt that. PMDG has a long history of direct contact with Boeing. In the beta team we’re all Boeing pilots for every type they’ve ever developed. It would be crazy to imagine them developing an airplane nobody in the team knows anything about.
You’re not wrong, but I’m just relating what Robert said. You can interpret that however you like.
Fenix has the A320 locked down. PMDG couldn’t get close. They are welcome to try the A330/A340 but (IMO) those airframes are of zero interest. The A350 is a different story. Truly beautiful jet…
Flew the 737 last night for the first time in weeks (been loving the newly purchased Fenix 'Bus), noted that ATC now requires me to acknowledge all their instructions manually. No more auto replies. Is this something with my system? A glitch with the PMDG 737? It’s quite annoying.
Check your assistance settings. The Fenix will disable them all (as many will interfere with its operation), so if you switched from the Fenix back to the 737 perhaps the copilot ATC responses were still disabled.
Yes, I doubt it too. Inibuilds will launch their A350 soon (in the next few months as they announced), but the 787 has no competence for now (speaking of studio level aircraft, I know we have good freeware 787s available, but limited in system depth). I think PMDG is smart enough to develop a product without competence instead of another already-launched aircraft with similar level of complexity.
I take it you all got the stability improvement update pushed out yesterday. I think it’s to do with the occasional cockpit freezes that people were reporting.
The important point is that Boeing specifies the conditions in which they recommend autobrake use; they do not say “every landing”.
Definitely true that people brake asymmetrically especially in x wind; that’s why autobrakes are recommended in a x wind. That, and manual brake actuation in general is often delayed in a x wind because the pilot is holding some rudder pressure at touchdown, and it’s difficult to immediately slide your feet up onto the brakes when you’re already needing to hold rudder pressure for directional control.
The autobrakes philosophy at my operator is that we don’t want people to form a habit pattern that relies on the automation for every landing; we want the habit pattern of prompt manual braking to remain intact. We emphasize not relying on automation “just because”, but consciously choosing to use it when appropriate, as long as you know why you’re using it. This goes for flying too… We seem to hand fly more than some. Just a cultural thing I guess, though I like the automation philosophy.
You’re behind the curve - the PMDG update was pushed out a week ago for non-Marketplace customers.
Ok thought you’d all be on top of it already. I just noticed it yesterday. Ps. The 777 preview video shows an efb with ground services in it. I do hope they get around to adding it in for the 737 sometime soon after the 777 release.
I believe that is the plan. Whatever UFT improvements the 777 gets, it will trickle down to the 73’s.
(Above is based on the latest PMDG Q&A)
After two years of learning and enjoying the 737, I decided it was time for a change. After reading about the Fenix Block 2 update for their A320, I went over to the dark side. Before you guys start slagging on me, this isn’t a “Fenix is better than PMDG” post. It’s more of a “Holy sh_t, the Airbus way of flying is completely alien”. I had no idea how opposite in philosophies these two jets are. It’s much harder than I would have ever imagined trying to understand all the features of the Bus. In some ways, it makes the pilot’s job much easier but in many others, you almost need to press Pause and try to figure out what the jet is trying to do. All in all, it’s quite a bit of fun learning the new way of flying and honestly, it makes going back to the “Jurassic Jet” much more enjoyable as well (the PMDG product was starting to get a bit stale). If anyone feels that they are starting to burn out on the 737, maybe give Fenix a shot. If you are worried about frame rates (one reason why I avoided the Fenix product for so long), all I can tell you is that I’ve got a mid-range PC (16 gig RAM, 3060Ti) and have most of my graphics settings at High, with a few set for Ultra. I haven’t observed any FPS hit.
I’m with you! I flew the included and FBW A320 quite a bit, and a bit of the Fenix v1; when the 737 came out I went fully with that for a very long time.
When block 2 came out I reinstalled the Fenix and…wow, am I BAD at it. I have to relearn and readjust so much; even something as basic as landing I goof up.
To me, the Boeing - now that I’m very comfortable with it -seems much more intuitive; the knobs and buttons have specific labeled functions, as opposed to push-pull (for example).
That said, the Airbus is undoubtedly more modern and better suited to trying to prevent you from killing yourself; I just need to spend the time relearning its way of doing things.
And I find it the exact opposite!
I find the A320 much more streamlined with a better layout and organizational method while the 737 looks like they sent a group of kids to Radio Shack to pick out components and make them work 
Don’t get me wrong, I love and fly both daily for the VA along with the CR9 (currently in the air in the 738) but when it comes to flows I find the A320 much more efficient.
Boeing and Airbus are totally different in handling. I fly both and sometimes it’s hard to switch in between. And if it wasn’t enough I restarted flying the BAE and those is way of both. 