A320 flight sim

[Linton]

What is the most realistic Airbus A320 flight sim on the market?

[Skybird]

I'm not up-to-date with the latest releases, even less with stuff for FSX, but this one seems to be the closest you can get.

http://www.wilcopub.com/index.cfm?fu...n=prod_airbus1

Realism I cannot judge (don't know the package), here is Avsim's review:

http://www.avsim.com/pages/0507/Airbus/Airbus.htm

Airbusses always have been less prominent objects for getting simulated in FS, they are more difficult to be simulated, they say. The real functionality and realism blockbusters I know for FS9 all feature planes by Boeing or others, but no Airbus. I mean, models and cockpits you can get, but as far as I can say they all are inferior in complexity and realism to the PMDG and Level-D blockbusters.

[Linton]

Thank you for the info skybird.

[Skybird]

I have had an Airbus A320 for FS2002, by PSS. but it was simplified and some minor bugs there were, too. Didn't use it often, since superior packages were available, with other planes.

If you want a "realistic" complex cockpit environment, try the

PMDG 747
http://www.avsim.com/pages/0805/pmdg...47_review.html

or the Level-D 767
http://www.avsim.com/pages/0505/lvld_767/lds767.html

or the Flight-1 ATR-72-500.
(cannot be linked, find the reviews yourself in the Avsim review archive, under A (ATR...)

All of them have been redone and released as dedicated FSX packages, too. the FS9-versions all won maximum points and maximum scores around the comnunity's websites.

For small though complex planes , watch out for the Piper Cheyenne by Digital Integration.

[Linton]

It has to be a 320,Skybird.I was thinking of renewing my 320 rating,as it expires if you haven't used it for five years,and I thought that a 320 flightsim would be good practice just to get used to the layout of the 320 again before I spend a lot of money in a real flying box.

[Skybird]

Well, then check the review archive at avsim for anything that has to deal with "Airbus" or planes whose cockpits come close to the A320. The reviews at avsim I have learned to trust. Just take care of the date of the package in question, and FS version.

[FIREWALL]

@ Linton Skybird covered it all with good advice.


Just curious but, what type of Flight controllers do you use ?

[Linton]

I am not sure what you mean by flight controllers. I used to fly the 320 family professionally but I now fly the A300. The 320 family rating is more marketable if you need to find a job.

[Ubergeek87]

I believe Airsimmer just released a 320. I've heard that its buggy, but then again I've heard the same about PSS and Wilco.

[Linton]

I ordered the wilcopub version and I will let you know what I think of it in a month or so.I am going to fly it using my airlines procedures etc.

[Skybird]

That should make a good comparison "simulation versus reality" from an expert! Waiting for it, if it is good things you have to say, I may buy the package. I always missed an airliner with Airbus philosophy in my collection.

[Skybird]

I just learned about the Airsimmer Airbus Übergeek has mentioned. You may want to check their site, Linton. Many videos there, screenies, forum, etc.

http://www.airsimmer.com/

It seems to be buggy, while other people report satisfaction. The developer admits that it is buggy and that they are aware of the bugs, but that they will adress them and that it was economic troubles forcing them to release it a bit early. Well at least they admit the situation without glossing over it. They plan to release an even more complex version. It is FS9 currently, FSX is already advertised.

I will not buy it right now, but I definitely have set my sights on this thing. I will monitor the way the handle patching, and probably also wait for the advanced version (90 dollars instead of 40 for the basic version: beware). If they really patch it thoroughly, I will accept to risk a "financial investement".

[Linton]

Initial review of Wilco Vol1.
I would give it a B+.
I am new to flight sims however and have nothing to compare it to apart from the real thing.I would also say that I have only been playing it for a few days and I am missing some of the hardware such as a throttle quadrant and the trackIr hich may make it easier.
I did manage to get it airborne in beginner level on fsx and complete a route back for an autoland.I have been keeping a gripe sheet and I have so far recorded 26 items where ithe sim is not perfect.Most of these however would not be noticed by your average sim flyer or somebody not very familiar with the aircraft.
It is a reasonable simulation .Most of the buttons work the same way as they do for real and the aircraft is flyable.However the manual leaves a lot of the fine detail missing,which is why I had to use my own flying experience to get around it,a bit like trying to learn tma in subsim!This is not a sim for somebody who does not have a lot of jet sim experience behind them.
I would buy it again as it fulfils the need I have for it and I will communicate my findings to the developer to see if they can correct them.
If anybody does buy this sim and needs any help please send me a pm and I will try and help you.

[Skybird]

So are Airbus-specifics like Alpha protection and the way it's autothrottle is handled, reasonably well modelled? This has been a problem with modules for FS since many years, since it is difficult to simulate these correctly due to inherent limitations of FS7, 8, 9 - that'S why there are so many Boeings but so few Airbusses only for FS.

[Linton]

The throttle is well modelled as are all of the cockpit panels.I have not tried to explore all of the flight envelope to see if the fly by wire protections work.Most of my gripes are with the fmgc and the autoflight system.