FS2Crew PMDG 747 X Edition

By Gustavo Mercado
23 September 2008

INTRO

There are many types of customers in our virtual world. I think it's fair to say that once you get into our hobby for a long time you will discover that the flightsim world is like reading the divine comedy.

Dante's portrayal of the afterworld is basically composed of rings, all circling around the vision of hell, heaven and purgatory. I find that our virtual world is pretty much the same. Many rings that circle around simulating flight, but all of them are a world of their own. I think must of us who love and appreciate this hobby can find one particular ring that pretty much turns into our niche, and it is where we feel more comfortable. Don't get me wrong, every once in a while it's nice to leave our ring of interest and explore some of the other stuff, but at the end of the day (at least in my case) I always come back to my nest.

This particular product I got to review this time around is pretty much the Rolls Royce of my ring. FS2Crew is probably king in the ring where all the big iron and real world airline ops imitators live. FS2Crew has been around a decent amount of time, and they don't kid around when they tell you they use real life SOP (standard operating procedures) protocols. Everything from receiving the aircraft from engineering, all the way to giving it back after shut down; this product takes the line "as real as it gets" to a whole new level.

These people have custom made software for bringing to life, and I mean real life, pretty much every major (and important) aircraft add-on on the market. I was introduced to this product with their version for the Level D 767. I think we all pretty much agree that this is one of the most complex, well made add-ons ever made for flight simulator. Then FS2Crew came along, and squeezed up to the last bit of realism out this aircraft and then some. This time around they came up with the PMDG 747 Queen Of The Skies X and did a great job as well.

TECHNICAL STUFF

The download version of the software comes in a 115 mb zip file that gets quickly downloaded after the usual credit card swipe. Installation is about as easy as it gets for a payware. There is no online activation, just your straight download get your code through email and install. All in all the installation process should not take more than 15 minutes.

The software comes with your usual start center that you need to set certain basic parameters for the software to work. You will need to assign certain FS2Crew functions to your keyboard or joysticks, and you have the ability to choose the voices that will be used for checklists and interactions between the pilots. The installation, start center, and voices are about the only things that are the same between the 767 FS2Crew and the PMDG 747 X FS2Crew. After these three functions everything else is new, and custom designed for the 747.

FS2CREW IN ACTION

In many respects the PMDG version of this product is superior to the 767 version. To start, the 767 version has an old fashioned flow structure which works with a button you choose, but does not let you know graphically in what part of the flow, or checklist you are at. As a result, it is easy to forget which checklist you are on, which one is next, or which one you previously did. The 747 version fixes this in a very clever manner. With the PMDG version you get a gauge that sits below the overhead panel, in which you see buttons to each flow, and checklist necessary for flight.

To begin you can enter dispatch information in the start center. This is a nice option the programmers give you so you won't have a lot of generic information in the stages before the flight. You can enter your departure airport, arrival, initial altitude, call sign, etc. This is not 100% necessary for the flight, but it is a good option if you are seeking true realism.

When you load the aircraft for the first time, FS2Crew already pre-installed a saved panel state for the PMDG especially to use with FS2Crew. You just load the plane, select the FS2Crew startup situation and you get the aircraft just like it has to be for a FS2Crew flight.

To activate all FS2Crew controls you need to click on the 747's magnetic compass. Once you click on this spot you will get the main selector panel. This panel is the most important part of the software and you will be using it more than any other feature. The panel is set up so you know in what checklist you are at all times, so you can select and go back to a checklist in case you need to do it over again, and to instruct you on the items you need to take care of and the ones the FO has to take care of.

The first option is the flight plan option. It will bring up a dialog on the screen in which you have to enter some basic information about the flight. You can choose to skip the 45 minutes it takes from receiving the plane from engineering to blocks off. You enter your flight time, flight level, takeoff performance, takeoff runway, and other factors for the departure. Once you have filled everything, and made your selections you click on start and the flight officially starts.

The first checklist is the pre-flight checklist. Another important factor is that the checklists that have a red line under the abbreviations, means that you need to execute them, the ones that don't are the ones the FO is responsible for. If you choose to do the entire sequence you will spend 45 minutes in which you will be getting paperwork from engineering, dispatch, etc. simulating real world airline ops. You can choose to skip directly to pre-flight and before push checks without affecting the flight.

During the pre-flight progress you will be responsible for setting up the FMC and inputting all pertinent information on it. If you do not know how to operate the aircraft's FMC this software will not help you. The FO will be doing the walk around while you take care of programming the FMC for the flight. For the briefing modules they are similar in the sounds to the 767, but they changed since now they are included in the checklist flow and it is easy to determine when you need to execute them.

Once everything is ready for flight you can call the before start checks which the captain has to execute and you will be ready for the push. Once before start checks are done you can call for the push, just like the 767 this program brings a pushback module which is simple and straight forward to use. You click on it and input distance and angle, and the program takes care of the rest for you.

Everything else in the flight follows its normal course in the order in which the buttons are on the main selector panel. On the same panel you also have the FO commands page, the intercom panel (used to communicate with the flight attendants) and the public announcement page.

One of the main differences with the 767 is the items discussed in the prior paragraph. On the 767 you could actually hear the flight attendant messages to the cabin, on the 747 version it seems you can't. You can interact with the flight attendant in the same manner as in 767, but you are limited to informing them of certain aspects of the flight, or when they inform you that the cabin is ready for takeoff. Interactions between the flight attendants and the passengers are not for you to hear. I think this might be a minus since it is always nice to hear the flight attendant's greeting the passengers.

It is important to point out that on the main selector panel you will get everything you will need during the whole flight to interact with the program and to execute the flight in a professional manner. This is a major improvement from the 767 version that had special buttons all around the cockpit you needed to press in order to get where you needed it to go. This time around FS2Crew did a great job at integrating everything you need to get the flight done in a single gauge.

The flight with FS2Crew is normal and uneventful. You will do your checks and flows as you need, when you choose them, and they seem to interact great with FSX. The fact that you control when the checks and flows are done makes it a very flexible product. There is nothing more annoying than getting a checklist to pop out right when you're trying to program the FMC for the arrival.

Once you land and taxi to the gate you will perform the shutdown checklist and hand over the airplane to engineering. The engineer will enter the cockpit and ask how the flight went and if you had any issues with the plane. Once the engineer takes over that is your cue that the FS2Crew experience has finalized. To make some of your flights more interesting FS2Crew has included certain situations that will change your plans dramatically. You might get a sick passenger and have to land immediately, or your windshield might get cracked.

The entire program is a definite success. Its main job is to bring an already complex simulation, and make it more real. In the process of making it more real to you, it also makes it simpler to operate. The software acts like a real FO helping you out with the aircraft when you really need to or when you are preoccupied with other tasks. The program also does a great job at letting you choose the degree of realism you want, and what parts of the real world operating procedure you want to skip. The program comes with a 60 page manual which describes in great detail (much better than yours truly) all the features of this product. The tutorial flight is perfect for getting familiar with the software, and costumer support is top notch.

For all of you out there who already have the Level D 767, and use it with FS2Crew, you should be able to familiarize yourself with this version very quickly; it should not take you more than three flights to be up and running 100%. You will find the same captain's voice in both versions, and the same flight attendant. Other than that you will be able to visualize how the 747 version is an improved version, that clearly learned from the mistakes (very few) of the previous versions.

ALL SAID AND DONE

HIGHS - Great program to bring the level of realism of your PMDG 747 to the max. Very easy to use, great manual, very professional setup. At certain times you feel like you really are at the cockpit of a 747.

LOWS - More cabin announcements by the flight attendants would have been nice.

THE VERDICT - FS2Crew has done another marvelous job for the flightsim world. Great product interacts flawlessly with FSX no issues whatsoever. If you already paid the big bucks for the PMDG 747 this is cheap. Most importantly, it is evident that the company seeks to improve their products when compared with the Level D 767 FS2Crew version. Great job!

Requirements

PMDG 747 for FSX with the latest updates installed
An original copy of FSX with no cracks
Authentic copy of Windows Vista
Joystick

As Tested

Microsoft Flight Simulator X (SP2)
Windows Vista
2.16 Dual Core II processor
4 GB RAM
526 MB Nvidia graphics accelerator
CH Products yoke, throttle quadrant, and pedals.

Gustavo Mercado
gusifer@gmail.com

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