Interesting X-Plane Project

**Major_Spittle** · February 20th, 2009, 12:55

A thread on a project that an X-Plane developer is working on.

http://www.jrollon.com/Forum/index.php?topic=37.0

It is very interesting, also it appears that X-Plane can have some nice virtual cockpits when you look at the youtube of his other creation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcNqs...layer_embedded

It really makes me wonder if X-Plane may be close to passing up FSX but just doesn't have the developers yet. Lord knows Acceleration/sp2 came out for FSX quite awhile back but it took awhile before you started to see the Accusim Planes and planes of A2A's F-16 quality.

**Major_Spittle** · February 20th, 2009, 13:07

Here is a youtube of him testing the wing flex on the CRJ-200.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKtLGbkm2HE

:woot: I have been saving up for an FSX Accusim bird, but now I am thinking I might have to spend some money on X-Plane. Oh, the inner turmoil.

**Lionheart** · February 20th, 2009, 13:14

His work is extremely good.

Yep, X-Plane has a good platform. Just needs to be tuned and filled with some high detail planes and scenery.

**Major_Spittle** · February 20th, 2009, 13:18

Lion- do you know if they have any products/ability in X-Plane to model systems like A2A did with the 377 and Accusim?

**some1** · February 20th, 2009, 13:21

Yep, X-Plane has a good platform. Just needs to be tuned and filled with some high detail planes and scenery.

Yes, but currently, FSX is already tuned and filled with some high detail planes and scenery.

And there will be more of them.

To me the improvements Xplane could bring are not worth changing the whole platform. Not yet.

***Bjoern*** · February 20th, 2009, 13:25

I wonder what it would take to get the hands on the source files for the CRJ-200 (if gmax)...I want it in FSX! Now!

***Kiwikat*** · February 20th, 2009, 13:40

Comparing default FSX to X-Plane is a joke, let alone FSX with addons. FSX's models, textures, and autogen are FAR superior to X Plane's.

That CRJ does look nice, but I have no doubt any good FSX developer could make something just as good if not better. :typing:

**Major_Spittle** · February 20th, 2009, 13:56

Originally Posted by some1

Yes, but currently, FSX is already tuned and filled with some high detail planes and scenery.

And there will be more of them.

To me the improvements Xplane could bring are not worth changing the whole platform. Not yet.

That is what keeps freezing me, I got the demo of X-Plane and it was hit and miss. Certain things were better and Certain things were horrible compared to FSX. But with X-Plane the code is evolving and getting better constantly and other than the game interface and poor ground textures I think I would like it more. So do I dump another $50 or $100 in FSX add-ons and then decide to change when X-Plane 9.x or 10 gets released and is better, but then have no money for add-ons?

I think I would enjoy the A2A 377 with Accusim better now, but in my heart I know that FSX is going to be a legacy sim in no time with X-Plane's continuing development and this project is getting me pretty curious about what is actually out there for X-Plane now. If only I were rich, and $70 didn't matter. Try a new sim and a couple add-ons, or old sim add-on?

**some1** · February 20th, 2009, 14:11

in my heart I know that FSX is going to be a legacy sim in no time with X-Plane's continuing development

Depends how would you define this "in no time". For me it's 3-4 years at least, longer life than it would have with FS11 right behind the corner.

FSX won't get "old" or "legacy" just because MS discontinued the series. There are still plenty of 3rd party developers willing to work on it.

***Bone*** · February 20th, 2009, 14:11

I have X-plane 9, but it can't compete with FSX for the time being, IMHO. The X-Plane line will commercially evolve in strides, whereas the FS line is dead and FSX will only see tweak improvements. The result being that somewhere down the road, we will all most likely migrate to X-plane (unless something better pops up).

**Major_Spittle** · February 20th, 2009, 14:14

Originally Posted by Kiwikat

Comparing default FSX to X-Plane is a joke, let alone FSX with addons. FSX's models, textures, and autogen are FAR superior to X Plane's.

That CRJ does look nice, but I have no doubt any good FSX developer could make something just as good if not better. :typing:

Do you use X-Plane 9 and know what add-ons are out there? I never knew X-Plane could have Virtual Cockpits like the ones made by the guy doing the CRJ-200 until I stumbled across his site. Wing flex and suspension looks great and I thought the X-Plane 9 models seemed to fly better when stalling and slipping/crabbing than what FSX did.

I really don't think either game is anything to write home about when it comes to graphics. Flying through clouds in FSX is horrible. Completely unrealistic an not immersive. Look outside of flight sims and see what graphics could be with smoke and fire effects, damage modeling, physics. Two words: Volumetric Smoke

FSX is graphically comparable to Grand Tourismo 3 for PS2 that was released back in 2001ish.

**Major_Spittle** · February 20th, 2009, 14:22

Originally Posted by some1

Depends how would you define this "in no time". For me it's 3-4 years at least, longer life than it would have with FS11 right behind the corner.

FSX won't get "old" or "legacy" just because MS discontinued the series. There are still plenty of 3rd party developers willing to work on it.

I don't think it will last 1-2 years because X-Plane's core code is evolving still and being taylored to todays hardware and customers wants (or could be).

FSX's code has been frozen since the release of Accelleration.

X-Plane's only competition now is a 2 year old product. I think X-Plane will soon (if not already) surpass FSX's ability to simulate flight physics and surpass its graphics.

***JT8D-9A*** · February 20th, 2009, 14:30

Holy sh### after seeing that: http://x-plane.indexf1.hu/an2/
i'm in a serious conflict :help:

***Bone*** · February 20th, 2009, 14:33

I've read that X-plane is used in University level Aerodynamic Engineering courses, and the U.S. Air Force chose X-Plane over MSFS for AE research. Now that MS has ditched the FS program, X-Plane is virtually guaranteed to be the ascendant flight sim program. The die-hard hold-outs will most likely use FSX for Eons, but there will be something far better in the future for those that don't mind change.

**Lionheart** · February 20th, 2009, 14:37

The main thing that freaks out FS guys when trying out XP9 is;

* Controls are totally different. Flaps, throttle, tuning elevator trim, landing gear, click points, panning view around a plane, panning view in VC, etc, is totally diff and requires a chart or memorization. Also, XP9 probably has 3 or 4 times more controls and options then FS. For tuning, if you start going into everything, you can access anything anywhere with what ever key strokes you wanted....

* They also have only two really good planes that match FSX technologies; the Cessna 182 and the Avanti. The rest are more like FS2002 era or earlier. But there are quite a few addons now for XP9, some payware, and a zillion are freeware.

Bill