Search the Community

/images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetl0601.jpgChangelog v1.2Minor update for Sim Update 6 compatibility, plus minor changes to dialog and addition of Flight Duration in briefing screen. About FS Academy - JetlinerJetliner is an all-new, study-level mission packageto introduce you to airline operations and jet aircraft. Brought to you by a real A320 captain, Jetliner provides anauthentic and realistic environment to learn how to handle the bigjets, using genuine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) andtechniques used by the professionals. Commence your journey into airline flying first by joining us on afull sector from London Gatwick to Barcelona. The trip is divided intodedicated missions to discuss and demonstrate each phase of flight,from Taxi-Out to Taxi-In. We then move on to explore abnormals andmore complex scenarios. /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-1.jpg /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-2.jpgGuided step-by-step by your Airbus Captain, learn how to handle apassenger jet authentically so you can go forwards and apply realprocedures to your airline flights, knowing you're doing it asrealistically as possible. Each mission has accompanying theory, found in the comprehensiveground school manual. Learn the theory before you take to the skiesand practice it for yourself by performing a complex departure fromone of the world’s most challenging airports. /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-3.jpg /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-4.jpgPurchase FS Academy - Jetliner for MSFS See other FS Academy add-ons for MSFS 2020

/images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetl0601.jpgJetliner is an all-new, study-level mission packageto introduce you to airline operations and jet aircraft. Brought to you by a real A320 captain, Jetliner provides anauthentic and realistic environment to learn how to handle the bigjets, using genuine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) andtechniques used by the professionals. Commence your journey into airline flying first by joining us on afull sector from London Gatwick to Barcelona. The trip is divided intodedicated missions to discuss and demonstrate each phase of flight,from Taxi-Out to Taxi-In. We then move on to explore abnormals andmore complex scenarios. /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-1.jpg /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-2.jpgGuided step-by-step by your Airbus Captain, learn how to handle apassenger jet authentically so you can go forwards and apply realprocedures to your airline flights, knowing you're doing it asrealistically as possible. Each mission has accompanying theory, found in the comprehensiveground school manual. Learn the theory before you take to the skiesand practice it for yourself by performing a complex departure fromone of the world’s most challenging airports. /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-3.jpg /images/notams/notams21/jetl0601/jetliner-4.jpgPurchase FS Academy - Jetliner for MSFS See other FS Academy add-ons for MSFS 2020

DC-8 Series 50 To 70Publisher: Just FlightReview Author: Meng YuSuggested Price: $29.99/images/fsc/wbicons/store-buy-now-button.pngHeralded as one of the first commercialjetliners, the Douglas DC-8 was certainly a popular sight at airports formost of the late 20th Century. Originally developed by Douglas AircraftCompany to compete with Boeing's 707, the aircraft was hugely popularamongst airlines, with a staggering 556 examples built. Like several aircraft models from its era, the reliability of the DC-8allowed it to operate with several cargo companies for a very longtime. Engine replacement programs by Grumman further extended the DC-8'sservice life. In fact, UPS only retired its DC-8 fleet as recently as2009. /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-landing-03.jpgSeveral DC-8s are still in service today, although large scalecommercial use of the aircraft has ceased. Quoting directly from Wikipedia: As of July 2018, one DC-8 remains in commercial service with Trans AirCargo Service. In addition, several DC-8s are in use as private aircraftalong with one in use by NASA for air quality testing as of October 2017. As of 2017, Skybus Cargo Charters based in Las Vegas, Nevada lists threeDC-8 Super 70 series aircraft in its fleet including a DC-8-72 in VIPpassenger configuration, a DC-8-72CF combi aircraft capable of transportingboth passengers and cargo on the main deck and a DC-8-73F cargo aircraft. Disaster relief organization Samaritan's Purse, based in North Carolina,also operates a DC-8 for flying disaster relief supplies and staff. Just Flight has recreated this beautiful aircraft for both FSX and P3D,splitting the entire package into two add-ons: Series 10 to 40 and Series 50to 70. As another reviewer has already reviewed the Series 10 to 40 package(read it here).I'll be taking a look at the Series 50 to 70 package, arguably the morepopular DC-8 variants. As this package contains eight models of the DC-8, I'll focus my review onthe DC-8-55 to provide comparisons between this and Aerosoft's DC-8(Review Here).Nonetheless, I will still cover the Super 70's FMC and glass cockpit inthis review as it differs significantly from earlier DC-8s. Installation ProcessInstallation from the FlightSim.Com Store was a hassle-free process. Iwas able to download the 900 MB file in about the time it took me to take aquick shower. The entire add-on is contained within a 964 MB zip file. Upon opening theinstaller, I was greeted with a pop-up that prompted me to enter theprovided serial. Using the "License Manager" from the store, I was able toactivate the product without drama. Installation was also extremely quick,and it took me at most 5 minutes to get everything up and running. DocumentationDocumentation for this add-on is contained entirely within a single109-page PDF document. This document contains useful information,including an overview of the models and liveries contained within thispackage, a quick familiarization with the position of all the knobs,buttons and switches in the virtual cockpit (this model is not equippedwith a 2D panel) and perhaps most importantly, a tutorial flight for theSuper 70 series that details the use of Just Flight's FMC. Curiously, there also exists a text file titled "manual.txt" and withinit contains just one line: "placeholder - replace withmanual.pdf". Evidently, they did not do that, but I'm entirely nitpickinghere as the additional text file has no detrimental impact to yourexperience using this add-on. Exterior Modelling And LooksMoving on into the simulator, we'll take our first look at thisaircraft. I find this aircraft to be adequately modelled, though there isno particular "wow" factor associate with the model at firstglance. Nonetheless, I'll allow you to make judgments yourself. /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-01.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-02.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-03.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-04.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-05.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-06.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-07.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-08.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-09.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-10.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-11.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-exterior-12.jpg Whilst the modelling may not be the most beautiful in the world, it is,however, accurate to the real DC-8. Besides the standard animated surfacesand crisp textures, Just Flight has modelled and animated the fuel dumpnozzle at the rear of the aircraft. As noted in the manual, reverseranimation is also unique to the individual engine options on the DC-8. /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-reversers-01.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-reversers-02.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-reversers-03.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-reversers-04.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-reversers-05.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-reversers-06.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-reversers-07.jpgMore interestingly perhaps is the thick black smoke emitted from theengines when the engines are spooled up. While it may initially seem thatJust Flight has overdone it with the amount of smoke being emitted from theengines, comparisons with period photographs confirms that Just Flight hasperhaps actually erred on the conservative side of things when it comes tosmoke. Furthering our discussion on the smoke, Just Flight has also correctlymodelled the smoke effects when the reversers are deployed. As theseearlier engines did not use the cold stream reversers we see today, thefull effect of the exhausts can be seen coming out of the side of theengines. Thankfully for the virtual environment though, such smoke is notpresent on the CFM-56 engines on the DC-8 Super 70 series models, as theyshouldn't be. Moving on, Just Flight has included a "Performance Switcher Tool",located in the JustFlight folder in your root simulator directory and isaptly named "DC8_Switch2.exe". This tool allows you to switch between ahigh-quality model with one that is more performance oriented. Additionaloptions in the tool allow you to disable the smoke effects of the aircraftshould that cause you fps issues and gives you the option to replace theannoyingly loud default fuel pump sound with one that is more realistic. However, from my testing, I found no significant performance issues withthis aircraft and whilst it certainly has a lower frame rate than defaultFSX aircraft, there is nothing too alarming regarding the FPS Ireceived. As such, I found no need to switch from the high-quality modelthat is installed by default. In terms of liveries, the base package contains plenty of options foryou to choose from. According to the store page, the following liveries areincluded for free: DC-8-53 Aeronaves de Mexico (XA-SID)Air New Zealand (ZK-NZF)United Airlines (N8065U)DC-8-55 Jet Trader Air Canada Cargo (C-FTJP)Iberia (EC-BMV)KLM Royal Dutch Airlines Cargo (PH-DCZ)DC-8-61 (The first of the 'Super 60' series)Japan Airlines (JA8043) (Early and later version cockpits included)Nationair (C-GMXB) (Early and later version cockpits included)DC-8-62 Rich International Airways (N1805)Swissair (HB-IDL)DC-8-63 Icelandair (TF-FLV)Sterling Airways (OY-SBK)Worldways Canada (C-FCPS)DC-8-63 CF ONA Overseas National Airways (N8635)Trans International Airways (N4863T)DC-8-73 F (The 'Super Seventies') DHL (DHL Airways) (N805DH)DC-8-73 CF Air Transport International - ATI (N604BX)Lufthansa Cargo (D-ADUE)United Parcel Service - UPS (N814UP)DC-8-EC-24A United States Navy (163050)Should the above be missing your favorite livery, there are two liverypacks available for 12 dollars apiece that encompasses 40 more historicalliveries. There is even a fictional livery pack that allows you tovisualize how the plane would've looked in the liveries of airlines thatnever actually owned a DC-8. Overall though, I am rather pleasantly surprised by the amount of detailJust Flight has included in the exterior model of this aircraft. From theanimated fuel dump nozzle to spoilers that refuse to deploy when in theair, this was certainly no rushed job. I did feel that the aircraft had anoverall matte look to it, which seems to be too exaggerated, though that ismy opinion. Nonetheless, as a whole, I feel that Just Flight has done asuperb job recreating the real aircraft. Interior Modelling And LooksMoving onto the interior, we are greeted with a full set of customgauges. I'll include two sets of screen shots, one of the older DC-8-55, andone of the glass cockpits found on the DC-8 Super 70s. DC-8-55: /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-01.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-02.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-03.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-04.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-05.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-06.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-07.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-early-cockpit-08.jpgDC-8-73: /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-mod-cockpit-01.jpgThe modern cockpit only has noticeable differenceswith regards to the main panel. On first glance, I found the cockpit to be rather well made. Unlike someadd-ons which reuse default flight simulator gauges, the gauges here arefully custom and 3D modelled. The colors and general feel of the gaugesaccurately reflect the atmosphere of the DC-8. A pity here is that theweather radar is non-functional, though there are several add-ons availablethat add that functionality into the cockpit. Detailed instructions on howto replace the placeholder with an actual weather radar gauge are outlinedin the manual. In the cockpits of the Super 70s, there exists an FMC that simulates thefunctions of the Honeywell Trimble HT9100 Global Navigation/FlightManagement System found in real DC-8s. Taking a look at the real FMS(from this video at the 1:24 mark),it seems that Just Flight has taken several liberties with theirrepresentation of the DC-8's FMS. Nevertheless, the FMC itself appearsrather functional, and even has its own AIRAC cycle from Navigraphavailable. Further discussion of the FMC will be made under the "SystemsSimulation" section of the review. Another positive aspect of the cockpit is the insignificance of its fpshit. Despite the complexity of the cockpit, frame rates were at more thanacceptable levels and compared to add-ons of similar complexity, the JustFlight DC-8 yields no fewer frames than its competition. One disappointing aspect of the cockpit though is the absence of soundsfor several aircraft components. A prominent example of this is the lack ofsounds from the air system. When viewing Youtube videos of other DC-8add-ons, they have turbine sounds when the cabin compressors are turned on,something that's noticeably absent in Just Flight's representation.Moreover, the switches sound rather unrealistic in my opinion, and thesounds from systems such as the recirculating fan lack proper build-up. Itfeels that the switch controls whether or not the sound file is played,rather than actually affecting a system on the aircraft. Finally, several gauges on the flight engineer's panel also feel likethey were rushed. As an example, when flipping the low-pressure pneumaticswitches, the gauge for manifold air pressure instantly jumps to a higherPSI, without the proper response one would expect from an analoguegauge (with the needle taking some time to move to their respectivemarkings. Overall though, the interior of the aircraft is still modelled to amoderately high standard. Whilst there are issues that leave something tobe desired of the aircraft, as a whole, the virtual cockpit is passable,and I did still enjoy using it during my testing of the add-on. DC-8 Super 70 FMCThe DC-8 Series 70 features no additional aerodynamic improvements overthe Series 60 planes, but are instead upgraded versions of the Series 60aircraft. Prominent upgrades included the replacement of the Pratt andWhitney JT3D turbofans with more fuel-efficient CFM56 turbofans and generalmodernization of the cockpit. /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-fmc-01.jpgSuch changes are reflected in the Just Flight model, with the DC-8Series 70s featuring a brand new exterior model, several glass gauges inthe cockpit and, most importantly, an FMC to aid you in flying. Whilst the actual DC-8-70s mostly had a Honeywell Trimble HT9100, JustFlight's FMC is, shall we say, a custom variant of that. Nevertheless, I'mrather surprised to find that the included FMC is capable of creating andexecuting flight plans independently of the default FSX flightplanner. Flying holds about a waypoint is also possible with this FMC. Infact, Navigraph provides a customized AIRAC cycle update for the JustFlight DC-8! The default AIRAC cycle included is cycle 1405, which wascurrent about five years ago. Nonetheless, as previously mentioned, aNavigraph subscription will easily solve this. Whilst Just Flight's FMC is a huge upgrade over the navigation systemsin their previous products, there are nevertheless still some features thatI'd like to see in the FMC. Do note that I'm not familiar with thecapabilities of the Honeywell HT9100, so treat these as more ofobservations rather than judgements or complaints about the inadequacies ofJust Flight's FMC. That being said though, the FMC is unable to calculateV-speeds, and the "VNAV" button directs me to the performance calculationpage. When clicking the buttons on the FMC, they flicker up and downseveral times before registering the click, which some users may findhighly disruptive, especially when entering extended amounts ofdata. Several buttons, such as "ATC" and "BRT DIM", don't appear to haveany effect on the operation of the FMC either. All things considered though, I feel that the FMC is quite the stepforward for Just Flight in creating a more comprehensiveaircraft. Ultimately, as this is a "Jetliner" series product, systemssimulations may be a little light, but I hope to see the FMC be furtherfleshed out perhaps in a future "Professional" DC-8 add-on. Until then,we'll just have to make do with the current one. Systems SimulationAs a whole, I'm positively surprised by the systems simulation on thisaircraft. Details such as the inability for pilots to utilize spoilersduring flight and an engine start system that actually requires the correctswitches to first be pressed before the starter kicks in are features thatindicate a departure from default systems as with previous add-ons. The FMCfor the Series 70 planes is also rather functional, unlike previousadd-ons, which had a non-functioning FMC. I believe that these areindications that Just Flight is progressing towards increasingly complexadd-ons that will be much more fun to fly in the future. Flight DynamicsAfter examining the looks of the aircraft, let's see how it flies. Aspreviously mentioned, I'll be focusing on the performance of the DC-8-55,though I've checked if any issues noted are specific to the Series 55, orare present on all variants. Weight And Balance: By default, the DC-8s carry full fuel and are seatedto capacity, though I'm sure a full load of fuel and passengers isn't whatyou'd carry for a short regional trip. This is where a payload utilitywould normally come in handy, as there are several confusing payloadstations on the DC-8. For the series 55, there exists a station titled"Potable Water", with no explanation given as to the capacity or the watertank nor its location. Nevertheless, I made do and managed to empty somestations to obtain a payload configuration that came in under the MTOW. Taxi: During taxi, this aircraft certainly feels heavy, and significantthrottle is required before the aircraft can get moving. Nonetheless, onceit gets moving, the aircraft does not feel too different from any othermid-sized jetliner that I've flown before. Takeoff: It is reported that early DC-8s had engines that were ratherunderpowered and losing an engine on take-off spelt almost certaindoom. Though the Series 70 has no such issue, the Series 55 did acceleraterather slowly with a full load and took up a significant portion of therunway before I was able to lift the plane into the air. Climb: With the DC-8 series 50, there is no IAS/Mach hold mode for theautopilot, so I had to resort to the V/S mode for my climb-out. Otherwise,the aircraft performs rather decently once it gets off the ground and I hadno issues climbing at a reasonable V/S to my cruising altitude. /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-departure-01.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-departure-02.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-departure-03.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-departure-04.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-departure-05.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-departure-06.jpg Cruise: Cruise is one of the phases of flight whereby the lack of anauto-throttle is really felt. I found myself constantly adjusting thethrottle to keep the aircraft cruising at an acceptable speed. While I havenot tried a long-haul flight in this aircraft, I do wish those who attemptsuch a feat the best of luck managing their speed. Descent: Once again, there is no automation to aid with your descentplanning. In the absence of any aid, I reverted to simply initiating mydescent based on my flight level, taking the first 2 digits of my flightlevel and multiplying by 3, giving me a rough idea when to initiate mydescent. During descent though, the V/S mode on the autopilot was more thansufficient to get the aircraft down in a controlled fashion and evenbrought back memories of flying freeware airliners. Approach And Landing: Soon enough, I was on the most exciting part of theflight: landing. Instead of using any ILS system, I opted to fly theapproach manually as the weather conditions were perfect. I noted that onapproach, quite a bit of throttle input is required to keep the aircraft onthe glidepath. If left to its own device, the aircraft has a tendency tosink rather quickly below the glidepath. Otherwise, the DC-8 is nodifferent from any other airliner when it comes to landing. /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-landing-01.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-landing-02.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-landing-04.jpg /images/reviews/justfdc8/t/Just-Flight-DC8-landing-05.jpgTools And UtilitiesOne major area of complaint from me regarding this product is the lackof any tools or utilities for the operation of the aircraft. Whilst ananimation control panel may be a luxury, for an add-on of this price, I didexpect at least a fuel and payload utility. Instead, we are forced to useFSX's default fuel and payload utility to configure our aircraft. Whileit's certainly not the end of the world, it gives the feeling that JustFlight may have rushed this product to market. Additionally, the lack of a panel-state utility is yet another complaintI have for Just Flight. Sure, it is not a tremendous hassle to first loadthe default Cessna 172, then turn off the switches before loading the DC-8or perhaps even save a flight with the cold and dark panel state, but forthe price of the add-on, I feel that it is not completely unreasonable toask for something as commonplace nowadays as a panel-state utility for theaircraft. Final Thoughts - Series 10 To 40 Or 50 To 70?In the end, despite some of the complaints I have, I believe that theJust Flight DC-8 Series 50 to 70 is an excellent package for any lover ofthe Douglas DC-8. Compared to other add-ons, I believe that Just Flight'sbiggest advantage is their comprehensiveness in covering the entire DC-8lineup, from the first ever aircraft to the latest the great Super 70s. Having said that, though, I do have several complaints regarding theaircraft as outlined above. Whilst functional, the aircraft itself doesn'tseem to exude quality from the get-go. Whilst I've learnt to appreciate thework that's been put into the aircraft, that appreciation didn't comeeasily. For users who are on the fence about the aircraft, a sale wouldmost certainly resolve your worries. At this point, I'm sure many users have a pertinent question on theirminds: Whether to choose the Series 10 to 40 package or this one. Having flown both the Series 10 to 40 and Series 50 to 70, I do feelthat the latter has a slight edge over the former. Whilst I personallyfound no additional complaints for the Series 10 to 40 package, I do feelthat the availability of the Super 70s in this package gives the user avery different experience flying this aircraft compared to the variantscontained in the Series 10 to 40. Hence, should you have no preference forwhich variants of the DC-8 you're interested in, it is my personal beliefthat the Series 50 to 70 will yield a more varied experience for you. /images/reviews/justfdc8/JFD-750-dc8-50to70.jpgMeng Yu Purchase Just Flight - DC-8 Jetliner Series 50 To 70 Purchase Livery Packs