PMDG 737-NGX for FSX SPECIAL REVIEW!

The PMDG 737 NGX

Finally after 3 years in the making the team at PMDG have finally released the 737 NGX for FSX!

It is hard to explain the amount of detail that has gone into each and every part of this aircraft as a whole this is why I am making it a special reivew to go into the ins and outs of this aircraft - however if you are interested in learning more about this aircraft post purchase check out the AoA video's to be released soon!

What's in the package?

So what exactly do you get for the $79.99?

You get the 737-800/800WL and the -900/900WL aswell as the most well written manuals,checklist and tutorial flights that come with the software to give you  a better understanding about how the aircraft systems work. Like many others I had a bit of background understanding on how this aircraft performed due to the fact that I owned a copy of the PMDG NG series for FS2004 before the release of this. However even I couldnt prepare myself for what was coming in this add-on.

To cut to the chase... This addon allowed you to control everything! And I'm not just saying that you can literally click every single switch,button, levers you name it.... Aswell as this PMDG have factored in the fact that not every aircraft is the same on the inside. For example some 737 have the Honeywell MCP and others the Colins, so what have PMDG done? Allowed you to choose between the 2 MCP's aswell as other flight controls for example the HGS (Heads-Up Guidance System) and the Eyebrow windows. I don't think that they have left any rock unturned for this add-on

The Livery Manager

So to start with this a new feature on the PMDG models that we are used to. The livery manager allows the user to easily 'manage' the free add-on liveries that you can download from the PMDG Website. This is really an easy process you simply download the livery that you want from the website then unp-zip it into the folder of your choice. After opening the manager and choosing the correct variant of aircraft all you do is browse for the downloaded file and let the installer run - after this has finished it appears on the aircraft in game and on a list showing the airline name in the livery manager. For removing the livery from your portfolio all you do is simply click the name of the aircraft and press remove and the installer runs once again and removes it from the aircraft. In my opinion it is alot harder for the initial installation of the livery to the aircraft because on the other PMDG models you downloaded a .exe file that installed the livery onto to model however when it comes to removing your livery it allows the users greater ease than accessing each Add/Remove programmes list every time so there are some initial pro's and cons to this aircraft.

What's to come for this aircraft?

As with the B747 from PMDG they are planning to release some more 'expansion packs' for the base pack that you have just bought. This includes the rest of the series the 600/700 and also some military variants including the wedge tail etc etc.  So what are we expecting to get from these. If the base pack is anything to go by alot in terms of actual aerodynamics, I am guesing the cockpit and VC are going to be very similar.

Inital thoughts

After installing this aircraft I opened up the PMDG livery at Seattle KBFI to see what she actually looked like on my system. I first found out that she has to go under for a 20 second system start sequence - this saves the user from opening up the default Cessna C172 to set the systems up before the departure also you can get the aircraft to remember the fuel and payload from the last flight you flew. For example if you fly a flight and you have 9000kg in the tanks when you shut down the simulator for that model - PMDG's magic software wont only remember the aircraft configuration for example for MCP you used but it will also load up with the 9000kg that you ended your last flight with. I think this add's alot of realism that has lacked in past addon's by this and many other developers. Looking outside of the aircraft the shape and animations are nothing less than beautiful. I am very suprised that I am able to get about 50FPS with the external model with such detail on the aircraft.

      For the picture below I decided that I was going to install the airstairs version from her. The funny thing is there is no need for keyboard key assingments this is all done in the PMDG Options page under the main FMCand see what she looked like when passengers are going to be loading and unloading  unit a very neat feature. Likewise the DOORS feature is also located within the CDU/FMC unit allowing the pilot to select which doors he/she would like open including the airstairs!

More to come soon...