Fantastic new freeware 747 !!

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

If there are any of you who, like me, can't afford the new PMDG 747, help is at hand...!

A new freeware 747 has just appeared on Avsim designed by a Chinese development team. I've downloaded it (a hefty 63MB or so) and taken her out for a little spin around Hong Kong and I'm gobsmacked !

The quality of the panels, VC and systems modelling is amazing - there are many options for setting failures and working fire control systems etc. It's got all the bells and whistles available on many payware aircraft plus a very comprehensive 330 page manual !

I'd really advise any 747 fans to check it out, search under "iFly 747" on Avsim. Happy flying !

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Thanks Dominic !

If it really worth we might replace our "old" Melvin Rafi model. Poor Melvin, he also working hard on his own PMDG quality level freeware 747...

[EHM-1670 Bill]

The file is fly74710.zip at both avsim and flightsim. I have the PMDG 747 but this is a very nice aircraft. It would make a great addition to the fleet. There is a well written 332 page manual with decent illustrations which is easy enough to follow if printed out.

It is commendable to see a group do this as freeware when it is certainly good enough to be payware and a lot better than some payware I have owned in the past.

[EHM-1358 Tim]

The panel is just amazing, its complete! But not as good as PMDG.

Review here: http://www.fs2004.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65372

[EHM-1343 Jonathan]

Originally posted by SirRoberto

If it really worth we might replace our "old" Melvin Rafi model. Poor Melvin, he also working hard on his own PMDG quality level freeware 747...

It is worth merging the panel with MelJet or POSKY..because to be honest, the model aint as good...

My 747 is either PMDG, or a combination of this panel, MelJet model and default Flight dynamics, and some sounds i picked up somewhere and it works a treat

[EHM-1001 Robert]

Hehe, I have downloaded but have not tried it. But what Razza said reminds me an old package I downloaded from somwehere, where the PSS 747-200 (FS2002 only) payware panel and dynamics were combined with POSKY freeware visual model

[EHM-1358 Tim]

BSMP have made an Saab 2000, this has got to go in the fleet, its blimin mint!

http://www.bsmp.co.nz/

[EHM-1001 Robert]

I cannot enter weights into the 747 FMC It always tells me invalid entry for any formats (it seems though numbers needed in tons instead of lbs), and insufficient fuel message always popup ?!

[EHM-1617 Iain]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread. Would Razza or anyone else has managed it mind giving a few more details about how exactly to merge the iFly panel with the EHM model? I suppose it's not just as simple as copying the panel folder across is it?

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Iain,

What I've done (and it works ok on my setup) is to copy the iFly 747 panel folder across and also the iFly .air file (and you'll need to insert the name of this file under "sim=" in the aircraft .cfg file. Then to ensure the panel works ok with the aircraft you'll need to copy/paste most of the aircraft.cfg file parameters from the iFly 747 to the EHM one.

There are some sections of the aircraft.cfg file that need to stay the same as these are directly related to the visual model - these are from memory (I'm at work at the mo...) the [lights], [contact points], [weight & balance] sections. You also need the [fltsim.0] section too!

The rest of the aircraft.cfg relates to flight behaviour and therefore needs to be from the iFly version so that the flight behaviour matches the programming of the panel and FMC.

I did this some time ago and there have been updates to the iFly 747 since I started this thread so make sure you've got the updates!

I'll check the aircraft.cfg info when I get home later (after 0100!) and post again if I've left any important sections out.

Good luck - I think it's well worth using the panel as it makes the fleet 747's much more realistic to fly!



EDIT (08/01/07 at 12:30):

On checking the aircraft.cfg I see that the sections I left unchanged from the default EHM cfg are -
1. [SMOKESYSTEM]
2. [LIGHTS]

These both need to stay the same so your external lights and engine smoke appear in the right places on the model.

Everything else has been changed to the values from the iFly 747 including [weight_and_balance] and [contact_points] as I think when I left the old values in it led to the dreaded 'bouncing on the runway' problem.  The contact points are a tiny bit out for the wheel height I think but otherwise they work really well.

The other issue with this merge is that as our model has no VC you don't get any side cockpit views... If you're happy with merging panels generally I'll assume you know how to import side views from another panel to correct this. If not, just say and I can give you instructions for this too.

Enjoy the new 747 Iain, it's worth the effort!

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Iain,

Further to my last edit, the contact points weren't quite right (wheels stuck in the tarmac!) so if you replace that section with the following you'll get a better position on the ground:

[contact_points]
point.0= 1.000, 58.000, 0.000, -18.200, 2000.000, 0.000, 2.000, 70.000,

1.500, 2.000, 0.980, 9.000, 8.000, 0.000, 220.000, 250.000
point.1= 1.000, -30.000, -19.000, -19.000, 2000.000, 1.000, 2.000,

0.000, 1.500, 2.500, 0.950, 11.000, 9.000, 2.000, 220.000, 250.000
point.2= 1.000, -30.000, 19.000, -19.000, 2000.000, 2.000, 2.000,

0.000, 1.500, 2.500, 0.950, 11.000, 9.000, 3.000, 220.000, 250.000
point.3= 2.000, -75.600, -103.500, 3.000, 700.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,

0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 5.000, 0.000, 0.000
point.4= 2.000, -75.600, 103.500, 3.000, 700.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,

0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 6.000, 0.000, 0.000
point.5= 2.000, -32.000, 0.000, 0.000, 700.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,

0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 9.000, 0.000, 0.000
point.6= 2.000, -257.700, 0.000, 4.000, 700.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000,

0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 4.000, 0.000, 0.000
static_pitch= -1.500
static_cg_height= 16.600
gear_system_type=1

By the way, this is all worked out on the EuroCargo 747F, I assume it'll work for the main fleet one too but I haven't tested that. Let me know if this all works for you...

[EHM-1617 Iain]

Thanks very much for your very detailed instructions Dom. I will try it out when I find time. Personally, I prefer to fly  without side views as it allows for better looking at the landscape.

[EHM-1343 Jonathan]

What he said....I havent used it on the main version either...have the PMDG to cover that department...

[EHM-1617 Iain]

It all works but for the contact points, the aircraft sinks right into the tarmac when I load it. Will the EHM ones work any better?

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Iain,

Just confirm for me you've replaced the EHM weight & balance section with the iFly one - I tried it without this modification and it went bouncing all over the place but with the new weight & balance it was fine...

And when you say it sinks into the tarmac do you mean it's placed too low so the undercarriage is underground or that it won't stay still? If it's too low but stable, you just need to increase the fourth number in point.0, point.1 and point.2 (this is the vertical height of the wheels below the aircraft reference point in feet, point.0 is the nose gear and points. 1 & .2 are the main gear). So as given above the correct figure to change in point.0 is -18.2. If the gear is below ground level, increase this number.

[EHM-1617 Iain]

It was my fault all along;D. I had neglected to remove the line breaks from the contact points you listed above. Done it now and all is working brilliantly. Thank you very much for your help! 'Spose I'd better get on and RTF (300 page) M!

Incidently, does anyone know where I can get a decent set of terminal procedures for the iFly? I can get the AIRACs from Navigraph (it takes PMDG format) but since Terry Yingling's procedures are now sourced from the USFIF, they are US only, which isn't where I do much of my flying.

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

'Fraid not Iain - I was looking for this too only a couple of weeks ago... I think some are available on Avsim where enterprising pilots have written their own procedures but I'm not aware of an all-in-one file for the iFly...

Have fun with her anyway!

[EHM-1001 Robert]

After this long discussion, do you think is it worth to attach the iFly panel by default to our 747, or lets keep the Ken Mitchell panel ?

[EHM-1617 Iain]

I think if we are offering it, it needs to be entirely optional. The panel is very complicated (at least equivalent to PMDG standard on the functionality side of things - the manual is well over 300 pages) and some people might not want that.

I think the best way would simply to put the iFly's panel folder in there but rename it to (iFly optional panel) or something, and include a modified aircraft.cfg for people who want to use the iFly panel. People who do want to use the iFly panel will probably be familiar with operations like that.

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

I agree, it's a great panel for those who want detailed realism without buying the PMDG 747 but it wouldn't be everyone's choice due to the systems knowledge required. Putting it there as an option is a great idea though

[EHM-1617 Iain]

Stop Press!!!

Terry Yingling now has extended his All-in-One database to cover US and UK SIDS and STARS, making it possible to operate transatlantic flights using the FMC in this aircraft.

http://planepath.com/html/ifly.html

[EHM-1465 Dominic]

Great news Iain, thanks for the HU - downloading now