Here's why I'm sticking with P3D - For Now!

**DaveQ** · January 26th, 2022, 01:58

P-51D-15-NA 44-15666 'Jett Job' of the 361st Fs, 356th FG flown by Lt Shelby N. Jett.

This is John Terrell's, for me at least, definitive P-51D converted to PBR. The MSFS AH one is no doubt beautiful but, like their P-47, comes (understandably because of all the work needed) in one model. And still I don't see paints (brilliant though they may be) that match John's ability to capture the essence of what a wartime Mustang really looked like.

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So, for now at least, I'm sticking by FSX/P3D, call it what you will.

DaveQ

**thunderstreak** · January 26th, 2022, 02:51

Very much like all of John’s work. Accurate to the smallest of details. Really wish he had completed more of his projects for P3D.

**Bradburger** · January 26th, 2022, 07:09

Couldn't agree more!

His Mustangs are the definitive versions developed for any sim to date.

His attention to detail is astonishing, and the fact that you can have any dash number you like (even with subtle variations) which are totally accurate and authentic to the originals is a testament to his knowledge, detailed research, and love for the project.

I hope he has the time to get back to developing sometime in the future.

Cheers

Paul

**delta_lima** · January 26th, 2022, 19:56

Lovely shot, Dave - and thrilled to see you're still around.

I too am on P3D for a while longer, and frankly, no complaints.

cheers, my good friend.

dl

**expat** · January 26th, 2022, 23:17

I too am very happy with P3D V4.5. Seems like there are aircraft and other compatibility issues with MSFS and P3Dv5 to some extent.

**stansdds** · January 27th, 2022, 03:24

MSFS is still a work in progress. It's a high beta and it may be the better platform when finished, assuming it ever is finished. Until then, I am also sticking with FSX and eyeing P3Dv5 as a 64-bit replacement for FSX.

***K5083*** · January 27th, 2022, 08:51

I agree with the OP though, P3Dv4 is worth sticking with just to have access to many brilliant addon planes for the FSX/P3D platform, including both the Warbirdsim and A2A P-51s and many others. Even as more addon planes proliferate for MSFS, the quality is uneven, and MSFS's flight model is still very bad when it comes to the takeoff and landing characteristics of taildraggers. I'll be sticking with P3Dv4 as well for quite a while.

I haven't upgraded to v5 because I think the graphical enhancements are not quite worth the compatibility issues. If I want eye candy, I have MSFS. P3Dv4.5 is the best compromise that I see between reasonably up-to-date graphics and compatibility with a wide range of FSX/P3D planes. If P3D were to lift its graphical game in a v6 to photo-based scenery and better rendering/shading to rival MSFS, I'd consider the purchase, but I still don't think I'd erase v4.5.

August

**musterpilot** · January 27th, 2022, 15:41

I for one will be sticking to P3Dv5.3 a pleasure to fly with MSFS every time you get a update it goes back 2 steps and you never know what will happen, it maybe a long term thing but 2 years in and not much progress, it will either go ahead or fall in a hole like FSX

**BendyFlyer** · January 28th, 2022, 03:29

Can but agree V5.3 is fine and I have had no issues with it at all. Runs all the older addons I have with no problems. It is now smooth, runs at 30 fps constant at 50% of my 8GB GPU and no stutters. I like EA and True Sky (not perfect but close) with good scenery (ala ORBX LC's) or other good quality airport scenery it is head to head easy with MSFS graphically at most altitudes except down low in the weeds. P3D is progressing very well as a serious simulator platform (I have the Professional version and there is a lot of backroom stuff in there now that caters to the real world sim training computing environment) .

Models like the P51 that were 64 bit compatible really are even more impressive with the sim now. MSFS is parked now for me in bin 13.

**expat** · January 28th, 2022, 04:52

Why would I want to move from P3D v4.5 to v5? Is the scenery really that much better to justify the aircraft incompatibility issues and other niggles? Is there better FPS performance?

**Naismith** · January 28th, 2022, 09:11

Any insiders know if a v6 is planned? I'm on 4.5 presently and am loathe to go to v5 as it has been around for a longish while now just in case I waste my $$$'s.

**BendyFlyer** · January 28th, 2022, 11:58

Cannot help our vis a vis 4.5 and V5. I have only been with V5. I get flawless smooth operation (at 60 knots or M 1.04) the installer now sets affinity mask and HT for you based on your hardware specs and it sets my FPS at 30. I leave that alone, if the whole sim performance is smooth and very normal who cares what the FPS rate is or could be not its going to look any different? I have an NVIDIA card so I also get the NVIDIA wave motion in my sim which you don't get if you do not have an NVIDIA capable card.

I have installed a variety of V4 models into the sim (I use a registry hack due to the fact that many developers stopped providing updates support etc past V4) There may be the odd model that had some underlying software incompatibility (I think FSL and PMDG are prone to these issues but I do not use them anyway). All my FSX era scenery is up and runnning and I just use the ORBX updates for V5 when I installed them. Same deal for scenery as for models there are some that have not updated installers and require work to get them where they should be but so far none have failed to be useable or seen in P3DV5.

So I have a smooth, stable and glitch free flight simulator with V5.3 HF2 EA is great and so is the True Sky Volumetric Clouds. Note I make extensive use of the addon process including for each and every bit of scenery addon and I am sure that LM redesigned the sim to work that way. Once stuff gets dumped into the main simulator program directories is where I find my problems start or are created. Sloppy or stupid installers created by people that have not understood the basic construction of the sim and the reasons why addon process works and is supposed to work (Everything I use in the sim is an addon now the weather engine, FSUIPC, all the models and all the scenery). My sim is pristine and I know some addon has not messed with the way it works and believe me they can do that in ways you would least expect. And I get a message error log from the sim at the completion of a session that tells me what did not work with any addon and why (effects issue, gauge issue some parsing irregularity etc) So actually P3D will tell you why some particular model or effect or guage failed to work or has issues - sure exposes the sloppy work of some let me tell you. And there in lies part of the problem with older stuff into V5 on most of the developers (not all) were used to the old MS FSX way of putting everything into corresponding folders in the main simulator program - P3D can operate like that if you do it but you risk some legacy dll or xml script over writing or corrupting what LM have done - hence so much grief for so many. P3D is not FSX or MS it may be capable to use the older ESP and hence run older models or newer or both but it demands you have a tight well ordered and properly constructed addon.

If it is packaged right LM will run it right! So I have 108 different simulator models (including a large contingent of MS2004 and FSX port overs) and over 660 external scenery packages (including all of ORBX) all my other addons (FSL Spotlight, AS and FSUIPC also are via addons) and P3D runs perfectly! You could never have done that in FSX and you never will in MSFS! Or how about I put it this way I have 200GB of sim models and 500GB plus of scenery data in addon directories and the main P3D program (about 80GB) has no problem with working with that at all!

***kremin*** · January 30th, 2022, 12:13

Originally Posted by DaveQ

P-51D-15-NA 44-15666 'Jett Job' of the 361st Fs, 356th FG flown by Lt Shelby N. Jett.

This is John Terrell's, for me at least, definitive P-51D converted to PBR. The MSFS AH one is no doubt beautiful but, like their P-47, comes (understandably because of all the work needed) in one model. And still I don't see paints (brilliant though they may be) that match John's ability to capture the essence of what a wartime Mustang really looked like.

So, for now at least, I'm sticking by FSX/P3D, call it what you will.

DaveQ

Hi Dave,
I very much agree with your sentiments. Would you tell me whether this PBR version is available anywhere - thanks.

**thunderstreak** · January 30th, 2022, 19:24

I have 5.3 HF2 and I am very pleased with how well it works.
I never had any success using Affinity Mask and/or Hyper Threading with FSX or P3D.
I always ended up with stutters or instability.
Even with 5.3 HF1 when the Job Scheduler section was added by LM to the .cfg I had issues with stuttering.
I figured “same old, same old”, so I deleted that section and carried on without any issues.
With this latest update I gave it another shot and after reading a few posts in the P3D forum I also enabled HT.
Wow! I have completed a few flights and it’s working great.
I’ve been monitoring core usage and was very surprised at how well it was using all 8.
My last flight was, late evening, numerous complex cloud layers, moderate snow and most sliders to the right.
Rex Sky Force, Active Sky, ASCA and Reality XP GPS all running in the background.
Up until now this scenario would have brought my system to it’s knees.
Not now, smooth as butter and easily maintained 30 FPS (my chosen limit).
Visually it was stunning as well.

**DaveQ** · January 31st, 2022, 01:46

Originally Posted by kremin

Hi Dave,
I very much agree with your sentiments. Would you tell me whether this PBR version is available anywhere - thanks.

Sorry Kremin, no. This is my own modification of payware still available and thus all I can do is let people see how PBR would work on Warbirdsim models. If John and Albert ever wanted to revive development, this is where it would go. If there were serious interest I would be willing to talk to John about it.

DaveQ