B377 Captain Of The Ship

Transcription

AVSIM Online - Flight Simulation's Number 1 Site!
AVSIM Commercial FSX Aircraft Review
(B377 COTS)
Product Information
Publishers: Air to Air Simulations
Description: Add-On Aircraft And Crew Environment .
http://www.avsim.com/pages/0112/A2A/B337.html (1 of 26)29/01/2012 3:16:49 PM
Download Size:
B337 191 MB
SP1 138 MB
COTS 271 MB
Format:
Download
Simulation Type:
FSX
Reviewed by: Ted Gold AVSIM Staff Reviewer - January 28, 2012
Additional thanks to the helpful folks at VATSIM and A2A’s Scott Gentile! All images shot on the
reviewers system. No retouching beyond crops as needed.
“112 Cylinders Of Raw Power-Checklists Redefined!”
Back in December when I was contemplating possibilities for my next review piece, my thoughts kept returning to the
Air To Air Simulations B377 Captain Of The Ship (hereafter referred to as A2A B377 COTS). About a month earlier my
5-year old son and I were watching an episode of “MegaMovers” featuring a rather peculiar aircraft nicknamed the
“Pregnant Guppy” which was carrying out the movement of a NASA station module and both my son and I were
giggling away at the size and outrageous shape of the plane. Don’t ask me why we were watching the program…more
interesting than SpongeBob…but the airframe stuck in my head.
Digging a little deeper I soon discovered the Pregnant Guppy was a derivative of the C97/B377 which themselves
traced their design right back to the B-29 SuperFortress of WWII. Whew! Now before I go diving down the historical
rabbit hole AVSIM contributing reviewer Ray Marshall is currently polishing a piece specifically regarding the A2A
“Guppy” model leaving me free to provide a quick Wikipedia grab and concentrate on the actual A2A B377 COTS
experience within FSX.
Obligatory Wikipedia B377 Notes:
Released in the late-1940s, the aircraft was powered by four piston engines, driving tractor propellers. The aircraft had
surprisingly low fuel consumption for the era and was able to cruise at about 32,000 feet. It also had a pressurized
cabin, which was a relatively new feature to transport aircraft at the time. At cruising altitude the cabin altitude was
5,500 ft (1,700 m).
Airlines were able to make transoceanic flights easier and faster with the new aircraft, which enabled easier
international travel. The aircraft often made transoceanic flights to places like Hawaii that were much harder to get to
before it. Nevertheless, they did not have great reliability (chiefly due to chronic problems with the extremely complex
28-cylinder R-4360 engines and the associated propellers), and only 56 were built for airlines.
The aircraft also had two decks. The upper deck was for economy class customers, while the lower was a VIP lounge
and bar. Passengers could walk down and get a drink on the long flights, once the plane leveled off at cruising altitude.
Most Stratocruisers had economy seats on both decks.
When jet airliners were introduced in the late 1950s, propeller planes such as the Stratocruiser became uncompetitive
for major airlines, and many were sold off to feeder lines. Others scrapped, while some were converted by Aero
Spacelines to Guppys, which were versions of the Stratocruiser with an enlarged fuselage and turboprops.
Now while Wikipedia is a great resource we shall learn during the course of this review that some of the information
provided is not quite correct especially regarding cruise altitudes.
Where was I? Ah yes-thinking about tackling the A2A B377 COTS model within FSX. I am sure that most of you
readers will have figured out by now that I am really not much of an “airliner” guy and am usually found noodling
around in Beaver’s, Twin Otters, C208’s, PC-12/47’s, and Husky’s.
I venture into the ATR72-500 from time-to-time and even dare take up the odd jet flight but that’s as far as it goes
with heavy iron. I love props - they have “soul”!
After pondering further the possibility of reviewing the A2A B377 COTS, watching a couple of the wonderful JaggyRoad
clips and sneaking around the A2A forums, I could not stand it anymore. It was an itch that needed scratching and I
decided to step outside my personal sim flight comfort zone…..and I mean way out!
Here is a little note to Robert Whitwell-AVSIM Reviews Editor:
From: Ted G
Sent: December 19, 2011 5:00 PM
To: Robert
Subject: Next Piece
Hi Robert,
I think I will do a 180 and try something completely different for me.
Would you like me to cover the A2A B377/Captain Of The Ship for FSX? I find it absolutely intriguing
.
My only caveat being that if it runs like crap on my system (which I should know pretty quick) and I find myself unable
to fairly review the beast I could hand it back for someone with a super-dooper system to run with?
I must be crazy-honestly! But it will be ever so much fun to do.
Hooo boy….can I handle the challenge? Let’s find out!
Air To Air Simulations (A2A)
I have continually seen references to A2A regarding their highly-praised Spitfire, B-17, and especially the J-3 Cub
models among others. Founded by Scott Gentile in 2003 and progressing from combat sims to the present day work
within the FSX environment the mission statement is clear:
“We continue to strive for the enhancement of realism, immersion and entertainment in everything we do.”
The basic description of the B377 COTS:
“A2A Simulations has crafted and pioneered many new technologies for this aircraft which has become the flagship of
the Wings of Silver line for Microsoft Flight Simulator X. Never before has the team worked so diligently to produce
what we feel, and you may agree, is the most accurate representation of a true “classic” airliner.”
“Real pilots will tell you that no two aircraft are the same. Even taking the same aircraft up from the same airport to
the same location will result in a different experience. For example, you may notice one day an engine is running a bit
hotter than usual and you might just open your cowl flaps a bit more and be on your way, or maybe this is a sign of
something more serious developing under the hood. Regardless, you expect these things to occur in a simulation just
as they do in real life. This is Accu-sim - it puts the gauge back in the game.
Realism does not mean having a difficult time with your flying. While Accu-sim is created by pilots, it is built for
everyone. This means everything from having a professional crew there to help you manage the systems, to an
intuitive layout, or just the ability to turn the system on or off with a single switch. However, if Accu-sim is enabled
and the needles are in the red, there will be consequences. It is no longer just an aircraft, it's a simulation.”
Keep the bits I underlined in mind as you read further!
Installation and Documentation
Installation of the A2A B377 COTS was an easy and painless affair. There are three separate downloads: the initial
B377 package, the B377 service pack, and finally the COTS package each checking in at 191Mb, 138Mb, and 271Mb
respectively.
I followed my usual FSX procedure where I install-reboot-install-reboot-install reboot in order to ensure all registry
values are happily updated. The DRM is unobtrusive and individual to each user.
During the installation, the B377 package will prompt for either FSX SP2 or FSX Acceleration. I use the latter having
FSX Gold that includes Acceleration. The same prompt comes up when installing the service pack. During the
installation of the COTS package a DirectX checker appears.
Given the size of the package I went ahead and ran a defrag once everything was installed.
While the defrag was running, I transferred the two accompanying .pdf manuals to my second PC for initial reading.
The first 67-page manual deals mainly with the B377 background including history of A2A’s production, a basic
introduction to engine theory (and when I say basic I really mean quite detailed easy-to-read and comprehend
information about the inner workings of the piston engines), and an overview of what you should expect).
The second 160 page manual is the POH covering everything from recommended FSX settings and checklists to where
everything is and what everything generally does.
Do NOT be put off by the size of the manuals. They are of exceptional quality, entertaining, informative, and utterly
vital to having a great experience. Another great source of information is the A2A forums under the dedicated B377
section.
I would also strongly recommend printing off pages 79-108 as this is the full normal and emergency procedure
checklist.
Installation Splash Screens
A2A Recommended Realism
Settings-Mine were already set
like this (crash damage off as I
fly mainly online).
A2A does mention some features
may not work properly if the
above settings are not followedyou do want to fly realistically
right?
There is also a joystick Input Configurator tool added under the A2A Program menu. I did not use this as my stick/
HOTAS and rudder pedals were already configured to my satisfaction for control and I was quite happy using the VC
animated controls for non-programmed items. Control with a single throttle is easy as the engines can be individually
selected with a pop-up window in the sim or ganged as required in real time.
First Impressions And Liveries
The Pregnant Guppy!
Included in the package are liveries featuring Aero Spacelines for the “Guppy”, Pan Am, BOAC, Northwest, AOA, and a
dedicated A2A paint job. Sir Richard Branson would be envious of the A2A tail section pinup! All textures are crisply
detailed and I really appreciated the artistic effort displayed when I noticed the feathered-in discoloration of the
different bare-metal panels.
A2A, AOA, and NorthWest Liveries. Don’t worry-Clipper and Speedbird will be along later on!
And then I started hearing voices! And sounds! Really amazing sounds! Now I am used to having a bit of “bitching
Betty”, altitude and glide slope callouts, and even flap/climb power callouts. What I did not expect was to be greeted
as the captain by multiple individuals including Heidi (well-known to the A2A J-3 Cub pilots), Thurston my co-pilot
(yeah I gave him the name…pick your own!), and the all-important wizard….errrr….flight engineer Fredo (A2A calls him
Larry). Then you have passenger sounds and the ground crew guy (I have not thought of a name for him yet)
suddenly coming to life too.
I distinctly remember the huge grin spreading across my face as I realized this was NOT your average add-on.
And then having my grin fade when I started looking around the cockpit. Actually it’s less of a cockpit and more of a
mobile home in the shape of a goldfish bowl and it is enormous. And filled with more 1940’s and ‘50’s electromechanical stuff than a B-movie spaceship.
I love prop aircraft and steam gauges but owwww….my brain! And how on earth am I supposed to man all these crew
stations and fly the aircraft as a one-man band?
The question of how can one individual sim pilot fly this monster was recently posed on the AVSIM forums. I hope the
poster will be illuminated as I was. You’ll see!
To cut a long story short, once I got my breathing re-established and a fresh cup of tea made, I proceeded to start
examining the 4 crew stations in detail using the POH as a reference. Once I started making sense of the fact that
despite the complexity, all stations are arranged logically with regard to controls and the actual workflow involved in
operating the model became quickly apparent.
Some instruments will be initially unfamiliar (the pilot’s compass repeater was initially driving me crazy until I stopped
confusing it with a heading indicator) and others are no different to what you find in a typical GA prop aircraft….
although there are a LOT more of them given there are 4 engines! And some just have different names (Master Prop
Synchronizer lever is to my mind the standard prop lever with a fancy name).
Lets take an initial look at the various crew stations:
The Captain view and my preferred co-pilot viewpoint for easy
access to the all-important fire controls. You can reach everything on
the overhead from the PIC seat; however, I found this view made it
easier to manage. From the left seat all center console and
complementary engine controls (namely the Mixture Control Levers)
are easy to “look” behind to use as needed.
In yet another reviewer aside, I need to mention I upgraded my graphics card in the middle of this review. See if you
can spot the difference between the old nVidia GT430 1Gb and my new ASUS GTX550 Ti 1Gb Direct Cu….much
improved AA for starters.
The center console featuring the communications and autopilot. And
on the right the Flight Engineer’s station. Did I mention that
everything on the flight deck is fully functional?
A further view from the FE’s station and a close-up at the Nav
position
I feel obligated to point out this
less-than-pleasant fuse panel. A
strange oversight given the
exceptional quality everywhere
else within the model; however,
it is the only visual discrepancy I
observed. And frankly it’s not
used and unless you actually go
looking for it you won’t even
know it’s there.
I spent plenty of time just sitting at the various stations examining the controls, flicking the switches (yes the gang
bars work too), and referring to the POH to get a general feel for everything and what view angles worked best for me.
I then proceeded to work slowly through the normal checklist procedure and things started to fall into place. It was
with a great sense of accomplishment that I finally managed to get the engines started from complete cold and dark.
And with the engines started you can start to see the effects of various engine controls on the gauges (adjusting cowl
flaps and so forth).
Thus far we have touched very lightly on the systems modeling. During my initial flights to get a feel for the aircraft I
tried to do everything and I found it quite exhausting as the systems complexity is fully (and superbly) modeled. It is
quite hard to actually fly the aircraft when you continually have to check temperatures, flows, super and turbo charger
settings, cowl flaps as well as navigate and communicate. Then I remembered:
“Realism does not mean having a difficult time with your flying.”
I have a flight crew! My job as the COTS is to manage that crew and fly the airplane responding as needed to
situations along the way. With this in mind it was time to step away from the systems micromanagement and start
experiencing the B377 as the Captain Of The Ship.
Thanks to an A2A forum member that posted a link to a real 1950 Pan Am schedule, I always had it in mind to
recreate certain flights for this review. In addition, I planned to make it even more difficult and fly the main multi-leg
segments on VATSIM. So let’s move on to the actual flights and get a feel for what Accusim and the Captain Of The
Ship is all about.
Formal Flights:
“But first, are you experienced?
Have you ever been experienced?
Well, I have”
Jimi Hendrix
Parked Cold And Dark KSEA
For the inaugural flight of my COTS career (oh yes-not satisfied with an ultra-realistic aircraft and procedural model
the A2A folks are putting YOU to work!) I decided upon a historic Pan-Am run from KSEA up to PAKT. This was for a
couple of reasons:
1-I love flying in the PNW area
2-I wanted to stress the hell out of the B377 COTS in a horribly demanding area with full AI traffic.
With a planned dawn departure the routing looks like this:
KSEA BF CL YPW YZT MS PR ANN PAKT planned for FL240 for the 620nm trip.
The B377 navigation systems (or lack thereof!) assume the pilot is capable of handling basic VOR-VOR and NDB
navigation principles. There is no GPS but not to worry….your navigator has a full chart suite at his disposal to assist
you and as we shall see it works very well. In addition, the autopilot is incredibly simple - essentially you can turn
right, left, pitch up, pitch down, and hold current altitude.
No RNAV, no VNAV….the PIC needs to navigate via the instruments and map position (or ATC instruction) and this will
take practice for those entirely too used to “flying the magenta line” and punching buttons on your FMS! I would
strongly recommend reading up on the basics of VOR/NDB navigation prior to commencing serious flights and
especially if you plan to fly online!
Holding short and a dramatic turning climb from KSEA. Note the
Shockwave landing light effect.
From the moment you step into the cockpit as the captain, A2A fully immerses you in a way you have never previously
experienced within FSX. On this particular flight once the greetings have been made I turn over full control of the FE
station to my main man Fredo who immediately begins prepping his station for flight leaving me free to concentrate on
setting up comms, navigation, and turning on the defrosters (if you don’t the windows get foggy - seriously!).
And you had best allow FE Fredo to finish his work as a crucial part of getting ready is to get passengers on board.
They do not like a cold cabin and FA Heidi will let you know about it. A pop-up window allows you to select various realtime loading options for both passengers and fuel and the ground crew captain (GCP) cheerfully advises what actions
he is performing. And in the meantime, the FE works through the checklist out loud and in sequence with all
appropriate sound effects like moving switches, cowl flap adjustment, and starting the APU. When you hear something
along the lines of “Ooo that warm air feels great” you know you can begin boarding the flight.
Air stairs appear and the baggage handling equipment docks at the loading doors correctly oriented to the hatch
opening. And then you notice the lovely mechanically rotating beacon on the tail (part of the Shockwave lighting….I
love it!) as the plane creaks and rocks as passengers and baggage get loaded in real time. You can skip the real time
ground effects if desired - but why would you want to? You hear the FA greeting individual passengers as they board
and they chunter away in the background settling in.
Then it’s time for push and start. For this flight I used the FSX ATC in conjunction with UT2 for maximum system
stress. Another pop-up panel gives an “autostart” option and the FE cheerfully cranks the engines that open up with a
throaty vibrating roar and settle into an idle rumble coupled with FE informing you “oil pressure coming up” and
“Captain we need to increase our idle” (this to prevent fouling the spark plugs). Seat belt and no smoking signs trigger
the FA briefing while you, in the right seat, continue running through the checklists for the PIC. The FO does his part
by calling out flap assignments as you set them to 25 degrees takeoff.
The first time I touched the brakes it sounded like the Titanic sinking! And revving the engines during taxi firmly fixes
just how much waiting power is there at your command in those 4 engines. After running through the final checklists,
including a run-up, it’s time to get flying! The FO calls out “we’re rolling” as all the horses get unleashed (on the
numbers or you will likely break something) and provides additional V-speed and rotation calls as the plane thunders
down the runway.
Once in the air the B377 is delightful to fly by hand. It is very easy to trim for climb but be aware that it is a rather
ponderous aircraft to maneuver even with the rudder boost enabled. In any event, it’s time to snap on the autopilot
and start following the instruments as we climb through the dark and clouds under ATC control.
PIC and FO views as the sun comes up enroute to PAKT. The gauges
are fluid and flight deck is crisp in detail-and huge!
The mechanical tail beacon and sunrise as Clipper 01 makes her way
north. Yes…she is definitely a “her” rather than an “it”!
The full view from the navigator’s station and a look at the
navigation map as we get close to Port Hardy. Note the good
progress from a ground speed perspective in spite of rather
unpleasant headwinds. The nav map is a huge help as your imported
flight plan will be present as a thin red line and you can calculate
your wind drift and ensure your VOR/NDB instruments are pointing
where they should be. It is a moving map but no little airplane icon….
remember this is plotted by your navigator to assist you and
precision navigation was not quite there in the late 40’s and early
50’s!
PAKT comes into view after the approach from Annette Island and
just short of the threshold before touchdown. Note the early model
ILS indicator…its not coupled to anything and I was hand-flying the
complete approach. Best practice per the A2A forums is to stay
under the glide slope indicator….the B377 will float a bit high on
final otherwise. You will want to ensure a long gentle approach as
there is a lot to do.
Just wait until you hear the baby start to cry if you drop altitude a bit
too fast!
Of course the wipers work!
Parked at PAKT after a very
scenic flight.
Onward and upward. After this first real formal flight, I developed a 5-leg trip based on real 1950’s Pan Am B377 ops
to be flown exclusively on VATSIM taking us from New York to Geneva by way of Boston, Gander, Shannon, and
Heathrow.
I will admit to being somewhat apprehensive about attempting this - especially the North Atlantic segment; however,
several folks at the VATSIM forums provided useful guidance and encouragement giving me more confidence that I
could make this work.
KLGA-KBOS-CYQX-EINN-EGLL-LSGG
"Quentin: The Flemish Cap? Went there once... in '62. Lots of fish...
and lots of weather..."
“The Perfect Storm”
The flight plan to Boston showed a late morning departure and the following routing:
KLGA CMK HFD PUT NZW KBOS at a planned FL190 for such a short hop.
I did not take many screen shots during this leg as within 15 minutes after takeoff the aircraft hit severe turbulence not only was the plane violently shaking but I could hear the screams of terrified passengers in the back! I was also
notified by the crew of multiple injuries!
Now having flown in real life out of La Guardia, Kennedy, and Newark on multiple occasions, I can firmly attest to the
horrible conditions at altitude and having this happen on a simulated flight with all the A2A effects working in the
background left me simply managing the situation and keeping the B377 on course to destination to get the injured
safely on the ground.
Sadly there was no local controller on VATSIM at the time or I would have considered requesting permission to
perform an emergency landing at Hartford or Providence - in this case I went ahead and carried on through rough air
finally getting the bird down safely in Boston. That’s the Captain Of The Ship’s call to make and it turned out to be the
right one!
Holding short for traffic KLGA
Turning Final RWY33 at KBOS
A speedy taxi to waiting Boston
emergency services
Remember my mentioning a
career mode?
The post-flight feedback is very
cool!
After the near-disaster on the run up to Beantown, I was hoping the next leg would go off a bit smoother heading on
up to Gander in preparation for crossing the North Atlantic.
KBOS ENE PNN YQM YYG YGR YJY YQX CYQX was planned for by the navigator and me for the 830nm trip at
FL250 leaving late in the morning.
Taxiing to the KBOS active. Looks like pretty clear skies although the
forecast is somewhat less pleasant for arrival into Gander.
Holding short while a 737
performs a tailwind takeoffNaughty!
Climbing in smooth air
A well-thought radio tuning
shortcut popup. While the radios
themselves look great they can
be a bit fiddly to a djust
especially when dealing with
online flight and rapidly
changing nav points.
Navigating VOR-VOR enroute
Cruising majestically and beginning the descent into Gander as the
sun goes down
And of course on arrival into Gander I found myself in a howling
blizzard. While this makes navigating at night very difficult and
challenging without the usual “hit APP” etc the A2A B377 handles
beautifully in foul weather. Notice the 19kt crosswind as I get close
to touching down-she is rock steady even at low speed and those
barn door flaps deployed.
Just after touchdown and parking up. The visibility was terrible!
Notice the aircraft lighting-it looks spot on and just adds to the
overall atmosphere. I should mention that the landing lights feature
animated rotation when deployed.
Are you kidding me? Allergies?
An ok landing?
In those rubbish conditions?
There is no pleasing some people!
And now for the main event - my first ever non-stop crossing of the North Atlantic from Gander over to Shannon. After
much thought and consultation of the forecast charts, the actual flight route itself was fairly easy to plan. There are no
navigation references once out of Gander VOR range until one arrives off the coast of Ireland. But knowing the
navigator would have the general course plotted, all I had to do was track it with the wind until picking up the
Shannon VOR….in theory! I did include the CRONO and DOGAL waypoints just to make life easier should a controller
need some reference.
The plan:
CYQX CRONO 5250N 5440N 5630N 5520N DOGAL SHA EINN at a planned cruise of FL270. I found myself really
enjoying the buildup to the flight despite it being the longest I have attempted. And I was looking forward to seeing
what surprises A2A might throw my way.
As part of pre-flight planning I checked the B377 into maintenance
and had the two “good” engines overhauled despite the low hours.
Why tempt fate with an 1800nm trip over open water right? The
right hand image shows the real-time loading in progress. I went
with the default heavy/heavy passenger and fuel loadout. Notice the
CG display in real-time and just how close I am going to be to MTOW.
This screen is also where oil, CDI, and CO2 get refilled. You don’t
want to forget this stuff….its on the checklist! And you cannot
replenish in flight either. Measure twice-cut once!
And here is your first glimpse of Heidi all ready to welcome the
passengers onboard. And per the common thread with all the flights
thus far the departure weather at Gander was utterly rubbish!
After an extended takeoff run and a climb through blowing snow we
got to our initial cruising altitude to find clear skies and a tailwind
This flight really showed off everything the A2A B377 COTS has to offer in terms of technical and atmospheric
immersion and quality.
On the atmosphere side you have the passengers being served lunch and dinner and the lovely FA Heidi coming on to
the flight deck with:
“Gentlemen I have coffee….tea….Sanka?” Sanka! “Very hot….don’t spill…on your right”
“Thank you darling” I heard my alter ego reply. I even had an in-flight meal from the chef. The CHEF!
And in the background the FE Fredo grumbling away as he babied the aircraft systems….opening and closing
intercoolers. It really is HIS airplane and I’m just the driver!
And on the technical side the aircraft performs “by the book”. You WILL be step climbing this baby with this kind of
load and it takes over an hour to get to final cruise altitude. One of the cool little nuances I discovered on this leg was
the art of “getting on the step”. In a nutshell (and fully explained as an aside within the checklist) the step is “the
range of the B377’s AOA where the plane is at its most efficient lift/drag ratio”….if you own a boat you would get this
immediately.
When I finally crept up to FL270, I throttled back and adjusted for autolean settings and immediately noticed a loss of
airspeed, power, and the nose was creeping up in level flight. I peeked outside and could definitely see the B377
cocked at quite a high AOA for level flight. I quickly scanned the checklist again and found the segment dealing with
the “step”. I then applied full climb power again, climbed another 800 feet or so and then descended to FL270 where
she stabilized quite nicely and easily entered the expected cruise speeds and correct attitude.
I had not seen this before due to the short ranges flown but with the heavy fuel load onboard, the impact was felt…
subtle…but there. I did have to keep a bit more than the standard cruise power applied (autolean and props per
checklist) until the center tank emptied out.
Another detail to be aware of is making sure you whack that “d” key every so often or your gyros will take you
wandering right off course. Sure you might eventually hit the coast of Ireland but probably better to be in the vicinity
of your destination.
Enroute tracking via VATTASTIC and VatSpy
Astute readers may have noticed a distinct improvement in the
quality of the screenshots during this flight. Replacing a failing
graphics card and resetting Nspector makes this beautiful aircraft
shine even more. Notice the tremendous detail on the
cowlings…fully animated too.
Looking back over the PIC shoulder to the FE station. I guess Fredo
is off for a couple minutes as we cruise high over
the North Atlantic. There was a reasonable amount of traffic behind
me but only got passed once. Not that it’s a race or anything-more of
a testament to the power and speed of an aircraft built 60 years in
the past.
Getting closer. As you can see the navigator is already tracking the
SHA VOR.
And in typical fashion the weather starts to deteriorate as the sun
goes down. I hope the folks in the back have finished eating
as I flip on the fasten seatbelt signs and start the long slow descent
into Shannon.
With no controller online I was on my own to manage the VOR
approach to RWY 24. Visibility was practically zero and twice I came
very close to stalling-good thing FO Thurston was on the ball and
called the stall warning both times saving us from pancaking into an
Irish bog short of the runway. Again the primitive ILS is helpful but
you are still flying the approach fully by hand and with the flaps
deployed any serious mistake in heading cannot be easily corrected
due to lengthy turn times. I almost stalled out again in the time it
took to grab the right screen shot…but look at those lighting effects!
I’ll admit I clattered the landing! I heard a big “oomph” from
somebody on the flight deck and I don’t think the passengers were
terribly pleased either. Ah well…down and safe which is the goal. As
you can see plenty of fuel in the tanks as the passengers
departed and the aircraft unloaded.
That’s more like it! Sloppy
landing aside the passengers
apparently enjoyed the log trip.
After the mandatory crew rest period it was time to prep the B377 for the fairly short hop into some of the world’s
busiest airspace - Heathrow.
Sporting the BOAC livery I could
not resist using the Speedbird
call sign. You can count the
individual rivets if so inclined.
In planning this leg I needed to be mindful of traffic volumes and the standard STARS to avoid conflicts with RNAVequipped aircraft.
EINN CML STU BCN BSO BNN EGLL was planned with a 5 minute leg tracking the outbound 120 radial from BNN (or
the same time frame tracking the inbound LCY NDB) before a final right turn to intercept the 27R ILS. I basically
planned as if no control will be present to avoid scrambling around and the weather forecast seemed pretty solid with
west winds for the day.
The flight was quite short and I was so busy actually flying, I barely had time to get screenshots. Plenty of jet traffic to
keep me on my toes and the workload in the cockpit for a short flight is pretty intense. The FA did manage to sneak in
a lunch service and even the hard working folks on the flight deck were treated to: “Excuse me gents-here’s some
crackers and cheese”!
Ready to roll from EINN and after the short hop and dripping Ritz
cracker crumbs all over the console (“Everything tastes great on a
Ritz!”) RWY 27R is all lined up after a very busy approach over west
London. I think I was coming in a bit slow and really should have the
airspeed on final closer to 120 IAS; however, no stall warning from
the FO and I greased the landing for the first time.
Taxiing to the ramp and parked up for offload. Notice the ground
equipment offloading precisely in the right spot. Details. details!
Pardon me while I pat myself on
the back! I’ll have to chat with
Fredo and the crew though.
Performance
Before we follow the last leg of the trip over to Geneva I want to talk about the overall performance of the A2A B377
COTS on my relatively modest FSX system. Remember this snippet from my note to Robert?
“My only caveat being that if it runs like crap on my system (which I should know pretty quick) and I find myself
unable to fairly review the beast I could hand it back for someone with a super-dooper system to run with?”
I needn’t have worried and neither should you. I am pleased
to report that regardless of the A2A B377 COTS complexity
and immersive depth, the model has absolutely ZERO
impact on frames. The performance is actually extraordinary
and I can state unequivocally it is the best flying experience
I have EVER had within FSX.
Not a stutter, pause, frame drop, crash…this is what FSX
should be like with ANY aircraft. As we have seen, the plane
was flown under demanding conditions including 100% AI
traffic injected by Ultimate Traffic 2 at KSEA surrounded by
ORBX PNW scenery and covered in REX clouds. I even get
minor issues from time-to-time with my usual GA aircraft in
this region; however, the A2A B377 COTS was silky smooth.
A2A’s Scott Gentile had this to say when I asked how A2A
manages to pull this off:
Test System
Intel Core2 Quad [email protected]
ASUS GTX550 1Gb Ti Direct Cu with driver set
285.58
ASUS P5P41TD board
4Gb RAM (3.5 enabled)
WIN XP 32b SP3
WD Caviar Black HDD
**Note**Gfx card was updated in mid-review from
nVidia 430 GT 1Gb
Flight Test Time: ~35 flight hours
Other Add-ons Used:
Rex2+OD, UT2, FSInn, ORBX, UK2000 and FS
“This is the difference between a 3D modeler and a
Commander.
professional 3D simulation modeler, as its one thing to make
a nice model, but quite another to make a nice model,
frame-rate friendly…… We do everything we can to not bypass FSX, but things become interdependent on each other,
so many times we have to turn off entire sections of the code. I don’t think anything you see in that cockpit in terms
of systems and gauges is FSX – you are seeing directly into our Accu-Sim engine. There may be a button or
something that is still using FSX, but off hand, I can’t think of one.”
Wait-what? Scott elaborates further:
“Our entire group is also obsessed with writing solid, clean, efficient code. Accu-Sim is huge, but it runs fast.
The flight model is FSX, but modified. The systems, however, are all being run in Accu-Sim. Every dial and switch in
that 377 is linked and controlled by our own, independent code. The crew’s intelligence, captain’s log, etc. is also all
controlled and processed within Accu-Sim. Our new single-engine fighters (Spitfire and soon P-40) take it a bit further
by completely turning off the FSX aircraft engine and slave it to our own engine. The 377 is a bit of a hybrid,
considering it is a 4-engined beast. This keeps it running fast too.
It is easier for us to work when we spend most of our time in our own engine environment. Our sound engine runs
alongside FSX’s sound engine, so when we want to add a certain sound like rattles, wind, switches, levers, etc., we are
working in our own engine.
FSX is still King in terms of being a solid, opened, quality platform by a long shot for what we do as well. These are
good times for flight simulation for sure when two independent flight sim engines can work seamlessly as one.”
One thing is for sure-I would re-purchase every single one of my current payware aircraft if the A2A magic was to
work on them! I’ll state it again in case you missed it the first time-the A2A B377 COTS from a system performance
standpoint is simply extraordinary!
“I love my aeroplane ‘cause she’s got style”
Stephen Stills-“Treetop Flyer”
Back to the flying as Clipper 01 continues on her final leg to one of my favorite European airport - LSGG Geneva.
Depending on the winds it can be a very tricky approach, quite similar to Ketchikan (PAKT) with surrounding high
terrain and a big lake in which to splash if the approach is muffed.
Departing EGLL is no picnic either given the volume of traffic. With a wind-directed departure from Heathrow calling for
using RWY 27L, I was able to slightly modify the DVR5F SID to accommodate task loading on the flight deck.
EGLL WOD OCK DVR BNE CTL RLP FRI SPR LSGG was the planned routing to Switzerland and based on the
weather, I was anticipating a RWY23 arrival via the FRI 1T STAR making for a very busy arrival providing all went well.
While I had a full flight I made a slight error and probably loaded too
much fuel for the 2 hour flight. After pushback smoke erupts from
the exhaust as FE Fredo calls turning engines.
Clipper 01 performing an engine run-up at the hold-short point just
prior to taking the active runway for departure. The visibility from
the flight deck is tremendous. I almost forgot to mention the
independent nose steering wheel too!
Climbing out south of London while tracking the DVR VOR. My error
with the fuel load bit me later in the climb as it
took ages to get to planned cruise altitude hauling all that
unnecessary weight. Oh well…if I had to divert I could probably
make it to Moscow!
My confidence in managing the navigation and using the autopilot
steering had increased steadily during the previous flight. The AP
handle can either be turned L/R with a manipulator “hand” or for
more precise control mouse wheel clicks. Just remember to
anticipate the turns as the radius is large and the B377 is not
exactly….nimble!
Cruising over the English Channel and looking out over the right
wing.
Following the FRI 1T STAR avoiding the terrain. There was actually a
fair bit of traffic and had to work with an inbound 757 that caught
up. I was able to slow down enough to give him space to get ahead
and he landed about 4 minutes in front of me. I had taken manual
control of the B377 turning from the FRI VOR and was pretty busy on
the flight deck with assistance from FO Thurston.
I dropped the gear just over SPR and had FO Thurston begin
dumping flaps. The gears down movements always sound like a train
wreck in progress! FO Thurston always sounds vaguely bemused
when I call for flaps…almost like he is implying “are you really sure
about this?”
You’ll have to hear it for yourself. Up ahead Geneva comes into view
under low clouds (naturally) as I turn final to RWY 23 over Lake
Geneva.
Once again I wound up approaching a little bit high resulting in some
overcorrection on final. That darn baby in the back let me know
about it along with the “oooof” from somewhere on the flight deck!
And our last look at Clipper 01 as she taxi’s to the stand with the
mountains serving as a fine backdrop.
And the all-seeing A2A eye takes
note of yet another rough
landing. And again with the
allergies!
I certainly hope you have enjoyed the ride and now have a taste of the flight experience offered by the A2A B377
COTS package. The routes were selected to mirror real flight schedules into interesting and tricky environments as well
as put the model under as much pressure as I could within the sim and the constraints of my system. Give the routes
a try with either AI or online ATC - you should find them enjoyable.
“Oh I want to get away
I want to fly away”
Lenny Kravitz-“Fly Away”
I am recommending the Air To Air Simulations B377 Captain Of The Ship package for the AVSIM Gold Star Award. In
my eyes, A2A has created a powerhouse of unique technical innovation, superlative performance, staggering system
modeling of a rare aircraft, and unparalleled immersion to the FSX simulator pilot.
Frankly, I am blown away. Every flight was a pleasure to make and a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience. The
decision to system micromanage to the nth degree or allow FE Fredo to deal with it leaving me to concentrate on being
the captain and navigation. The crew and passenger audio immersion coupled with the various wonderful aircraft
grumbles, howls, squeaks, squeals, whines, and whooshes will rattle your windows if you dare crank it up on external
speakers, like I did (sending the poor dog scurrying away under the bed and my son onto my lap gazing in wonder at
Daddy’s latest flying machine!).
The only visual miscue I noted was the aforementioned fuse panel. Some of you may point out the lack of a virtual
cabin - I have one in another payware aircraft and the amount of time I spent looking around within was
approximately 3 seconds overall. Just for the sake of completeness, I did ask A2A’s Scott Gentile about a virtual cabin:
“Every project is like a bucket, and at the end of the project, that bucket should be just about full. We certainly could
have made a virtual cabin, but we would have to take something out of the bucket. It’s just a matter of priorities and
there was always a feature that took priority over making a virtual cabin.”
Use your imagination folks. With the depth of immersion involved in flying the A2A B377 COTS you will have no trouble
picturing what’s going on behind you. Believe me you will certainly hear it!
The A2A B377 COTS is, simply put, the very definition of what flying in FSX should be all about. I loved it….and so will
you.
What I Like About The B377 Captain Of The Ship
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Stellar performance
A very unique detailed and fully animated aircraft
Amazing yet accessible systems and flight modeling
Awesome audio and immersive environment
Career Mode
The Shockwave lighting adds significant punch
Well-supported and an exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful
forum community.
The “fun” and learning environment are well worth the price of
admission
What I Don't Like About The B377 Captain Of The Ship
●
You must be joking!
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The review above is a subjective assessment of the product by the author. There is
no connection between the product producer and the reviewer, and we feel this
review is unbiased and truly reflects the performance of the product in the
simming environment as experienced by the reviewer. This disclaimer is posted
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B377 Captain Of The Ship

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