X-Plane 9 up on the App Store! [Archive]

bluelondon

Sep 13, 2008, 05:52 AM

To practise technique and see what it's like to fly planes you wouldn't normally fly.

Also, re fighters, dashing around the sky shooting **** out of all that moves is also kinda pointless and boring (to some). ;)

but ofcourse, everyone has different tastes :) i'm just saying on a smaller device like the iphone, i think a fast pace flight sim where we are given missions, to bomb targets, have dog fights with enemies, and so on would be more fun. hopefully we'll see something like it soon.

TimothyB

Sep 13, 2008, 07:38 AM

Does the game have options take off an airport, or to instantly set you up for an approach to land? Or does the game just start you off midair with no take off or landing abilities?

opticalserenity

Sep 13, 2008, 09:00 AM

Are you guys kidding who are doubting this? X-Plane is the gold standard of Mac apps. I'm too excited to keep typing...time to go play :)

Also, here is the direct iTMS link:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=290619945&mt=8

ibanana

Sep 13, 2008, 11:21 AM

nice apps indeed BUT:

- no tutorial, frustrating for beginners like me even if the controls are quite straightforward
- no map so no choice but to fly randomly
- "only" 4 small planes available (no Airbus/Boeing)
- only 1 location (major problem in my opinion, can be boring after a while)
- noise bugs ? (no noise when new flight after a crash)

I would give a 8/10 and advice you guys to buy it if you like flight sim

ibanana

Sep 13, 2008, 12:09 PM

by the way what does the green lines mean ?

sneeks

Sep 13, 2008, 12:15 PM

Is this worth buying? I've always enjoyed flight sims but how well does this run on the iPhone and is there enough content to keep me interested?

opticalserenity

Sep 13, 2008, 04:31 PM

I bought it, and it's way worth it. Of course, I'm an X-plane zealot, but it's great. You don't need a tutorial, it's very simplistic. Just raise throttle and left side, lower flaps, turn off brakes, off you go, lift off, raise your landing gear, raise flaps.

I love it, I'm sure they'll put out updates quickly. If you know anything about X-Plane you'll know they are very pro-customer developers.

Mr. Giver '94

Sep 13, 2008, 06:22 PM

aethelbert

Sep 13, 2008, 06:49 PM

I am sooooooooo tempted to buy this App, but I want to make sure that it will be updated. I don't want it to be something that gets boring fast. Does anyone know how X-Plane developers are with updating their programs. I would love to see cities, more planes to choose from, planes that fly in the air with you, etc.
While that is possible, the app would be huge. All of that data takes up a lot of space. That would easily go over the 2GB limit if there was a full-flung flight simulator in there.

dolbinau

Sep 13, 2008, 06:50 PM

This is so awesome. I hope we also see updates! Personally I'd like to get rid of the generic HUD. I would not care if the App size was 5GB either :P. Would be more interested in the implementation of systems rather than pure number of cities/airports/planes etc..

SolRayz

Sep 13, 2008, 07:05 PM

Man this is truly amazing. Controlling the plane is very fluid and straight forward and I am sure Laminar will add more features in future updates. This is definitely worth the money and they are worth supporting. :)

dolbinau

Sep 13, 2008, 07:24 PM

from x-plane.com forums:

DUDE.. you have only seen the START.
We are going to have airliners, helicopters, gliders... this is only the BEGINNING.

Also (and there is no way I should mention this) X-Plane AUTOMOTIVE is SCREAMING fun.. I will be ready to release it, hopefully, within 7 days.

When you see me issue a post about how I am morally opposed (or something) to an automotive version of x-plane with ferraris and corvettes and KRAZY tracks, you will know that we are within about 48 hours of release.

I hope to have it for desktop AND iphone shortly!

austin

Mr. Giver '94

Sep 13, 2008, 07:31 PM

While that is possible, the app would be huge. All of that data takes up a lot of space. That would easily go over the 2GB limit if there was a full-flung flight simulator in there.

I think it would be quite possible to add the features I listed considering that the App is currently only 6.2MB.

from x-plane.com forums:

That is great news. I'm looking forward to the update. I downloaded the App, btw.

Bowlerguy10

Sep 13, 2008, 07:37 PM

Fantastic application, simply ASTOUNDING. I never thought I would see anything like this on a device such as the iPhone and the touch. It's an amazingly fun and realistic application!

sneeks

Sep 13, 2008, 08:21 PM

Downloaded this. Not bad at all but selecting the Cessna usually results in the app crashing.

bubbagumpshrimp

Sep 13, 2008, 08:52 PM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

I know it's on the iTunes store on the computer but can't find it on my phone in the app store. Anyone?

TimothyB

Sep 13, 2008, 09:26 PM

sushi

Sep 13, 2008, 09:39 PM

Does the game have options take off an airport, or to instantly set you up for an approach to land? Or does the game just start you off midair with no take off or landing abilities?
You can set to either 06 or 24 heading the following:
- Take off
- Final Approach - Long
- Final Approach - Short

by the way what does the green lines mean ?
Lift vectors. It tells you how much lift the wing and other surfaces are generating.

You can turn it off.

from x-plane.com forums:
An automotive version would be interesting.

The app works very well.

Personally, I would like to see a map function added.

opticalserenity

Sep 13, 2008, 10:12 PM

To those asking about updates, the X-Plane for Mac is one of the most updated and well developed apps out there. I didn't even have to look at screenshots before knowing I'd buy it. We are a very loyal customer base.

dolbinau

Sep 13, 2008, 10:14 PM

You can set to either 06 or 24 heading the following:

Personally, I would like to see a map function added.

The compass is a bearing to the Airport so, since there is really nothing else AFAIK in the 'world' I can't see how a Map would be useful :).

sushi

Sep 13, 2008, 10:16 PM

The compass is a bearing to the Airport so, since there is really nothing else AFAIK in the 'world' I can't see how a Map would be useful :).
If you want to fly somewhere for example.

Or maybe they can add some other airports, then the map function would be very nice.

To those asking about updates, the X-Plane for Mac is one of the most updated and well developed apps out there. I didn't even have to look at screenshots before knowing I'd buy it. We are a very loyal customer base.
Thanks for the feedback.

After being impressed with X-Plane for the iPhone/Touch, I may just go out and buy the Mac version.

viggen61

Sep 13, 2008, 10:59 PM

by the way what does the green lines mean ?

That is the amount of lit that particular "section" of the airfoil is generating. X-Plane works by actually calculating how the plane should fly, based on the airfoils and other shapes.

:apple::apple:

spyker3292

Sep 13, 2008, 11:19 PM

An automotive version would be interesting.

The app works very well.

Personally, I would like to see a map function added.

I hope it isn't a separate app! But... know it will be :D. A map would be very helpful to find the airport once you fly too far :). And maybe some more areas. Hey, if this is only 6mb I'm sure they can add a ton of more terrain without even going over 50mb!

I've always been thinking about getting X-Plane 9 but just never did. But this, I knew I had to buy. It's great, and the updates will continuously make it great..er.

Anonymous Freak

Sep 13, 2008, 11:26 PM

i'm sure the graphics are stunning, but to fly around aimlessly without purpose or some kind of goal seems to me...........kind of pointless and boring. but i'm sure this app is a nice cool "showpiece" app.

Just remember, "Microsoft Flight Simulator" is one of the top selling game franchises of all time. There's something to be said about a "game" that has truly unlimited replayability, and is just relaxing.

opticalserenity

Sep 13, 2008, 11:44 PM

Just remember, "Microsoft Flight Simulator" is one of the top selling game franchises of all time. There's something to be said about a "game" that has truly unlimited replayability, and is just relaxing.

I agree 100%.

I will say this though, X-Plane is not a game. It is a real simulation application. To me, X-Plane is the gold standard in simulation apps out there.

dolbinau

Sep 14, 2008, 12:04 AM

I hope it isn't a separate app! But... know it will be :D. A map would be very helpful to find the airport once you fly too far :). And maybe some more areas. Hey, if this is only 6mb I'm sure they can add a ton of more terrain without even going over 50mb!

I've always been thinking about getting X-Plane 9 but just never did. But this, I knew I had to buy. It's great, and the updates will continuously make it great..er.

The compass points to the bearing towards the Airport so just follow it and you won't get lost.

I agree 100%.

I will say this though, X-Plane is not a game. It is a real simulation application. To me, X-Plane is the gold standard in simulation apps out there.

Out of the box I would agree X-plane is a better simulation than MSFS, however, with some realistic add-ons e.g LDS 767, X-plane cannot compete at all - (except for the flying department, but you are inherently limited to have a realistic flying experience on a computer). so I wouldn't consider MSFS a game.

MSFS:

http://www.leveldsim.com/images/panel/2.jpg

http://www.leveldsim.com/images/panel/ohd.jpg

http://www.leveldsim.com/images/panel/fmc4.jpg

Mostly simulated.

LostLogik

Sep 14, 2008, 07:13 AM

yoman

Sep 14, 2008, 07:18 AM

I believe the max size permitted for an individual application is about 2 Gigabytes. This will allow the developers to add much more content if they desire.

ibanana

Sep 14, 2008, 09:04 AM

what are the differences between 02 and 24?

LostLogik

Sep 14, 2008, 09:23 AM

what are the differences between 02 and 24?

(06 and 24) About 18 ;) or 180 degrees. Is the direction you're heading.

Roller

Sep 14, 2008, 09:33 AM

I believe the max size permitted for an individual application is about 2 Gigabytes. This will allow the developers to add much more content if they desire.

I can't imagine that anyone is going to want to sell apps that are anywhere near that size. The largest app I know of is aSleep, which is 172MB. Things may be better with 2.1, but installing/updating the app took forever before. AFAIK, there's no way for developers to deliver apps in a modular fashion, so you don't have to replace anything just to fix one data file.

I've been playing with the iPhone version for a couple of days. It's very impressive that LR was able to get X-plane running, but for now, I view it as a very cool tech demonstration. Among other things, I'd like to see:

1. More than 1 airport, so you can actually go from A to B.

2. Option to turn off the HUD (or at least have a simplified version that doesn't block so much of the view).

3. Since you're not directly moving the control surfaces, the app is a bit more like a game than a flight sim. So how about adding virtual pathways in the sky to guide you to the runway, other destinations, and so on?

4. An ultralight, and maybe an airship.

5. Adjustable control sensitivity.

ibanana

Sep 14, 2008, 09:38 AM

thanks, are they random numbers? what are the meaning?

Roller

Sep 14, 2008, 09:47 AM

Out of the box I would agree X-plane is a better simulation than MSFS, however, with some realistic add-ons e.g LDS 767, X-plane cannot compete at all - (except for the flying department, but you are inherently limited to have a realistic flying experience on a computer). so I wouldn't consider MSFS a game.

For sheer realism in a Mac flight sim, Terminal Reality's Fly! was amazing. Sadly, work on it stopped in 2002 because the lead developer, Richard Harvey, was dying of cancer (he died in 2003).

Luap

Sep 14, 2008, 10:15 AM

This is another app I can't see in the UK app store :(

For sheer realism in a Mac flight sim, Terminal Reality's Fly! was amazing. Sadly, work on it stopped in 2002 because the lead developer, Richard Harvey, was dying of cancer (he died in 2003).

I remember this app very well. Now then, I dont wish cancer on anyone, and thats a sad story.. But it has to be said that in 14 years of Mac use, Fly! was by far the worst software i've ever used on a Mac. Very buggy and updates were slow to non existent. Maybe the PC version was better? But on Macs it was clearly running in some kind of emulated PC mode.

Anyway, would love to get my mits on X-plane for iphone..

sushi

Sep 14, 2008, 10:55 AM

thanks, are they random numbers? what are the meaning?
One runway will have two headings depending on the direction of landing.
In this case, the runway headings are 06 (60 degrees) and 24 (240 degrees). The last, or third digit. is always zero and is not listed.

So when you contract approach control or the tower, they will clear you to land on runway 24 for example.

ibanana

Sep 14, 2008, 10:59 AM

Thanks Sushi.
I would have liked to have this explain in a help section in the game though.

sushi

Sep 14, 2008, 11:06 AM

I would have liked to have this explain in a help section in the game though.
That would be helpful.

For fun, here are two diagrams.

One is the approach end for runway 90 (90 degrees). The opposite approach would be 27 (270 degrees). Oh, and the "R" stands for Right. This means that there are two parallel runways heading 09 (90 degrees). One is 09 Left and the other is 09 Right.

The second one is a picture of the Chicago O'Hare runway diagram. Busy airport to say the least.

viggen61

Sep 14, 2008, 11:08 AM

One runway will have two headings depending on the direction of landing.
In this case, the runway headings are 06 (60 degrees) and 24 (240 degrees). The last, or third digit. is always zero and is not listed.

Not listed - correct, always zero - not correct. Any of the FAA publications that have runway diagrams will list the actual magnetic heading (to 10th of a degree) for the runway. The magnetic heading is rounded to the nearest 10 degrees, and the zero dropped.

What makes things interesting is that as the Earth's magnetic pole moves, the magnetic heading of the runways changes. We recently had a few here in NJ change For example Runway "18" became "19".

:apple::apple:

viggen61

Sep 14, 2008, 11:12 AM

Thanks Sushi.
I would have liked to have this explain in a help section in the game though.

If they put in all the things you need to know to fly, there wouldn't be enough space left for the simulator! Not even the regular X-Plane gives you all that. X-Plane gives you the tools to fly a properly simulated flight, but doesn't give you flight instruction. There are plenty of places on the web to learn that.

Or you could even pop into a local small airport and see if you can get a "Discovery" flight around the local airport. You might just like it!

:apple::apple:

sushi

Sep 14, 2008, 11:34 AM

Or you could even pop into a local small airport and see if you can get a "Discovery" flight around the local airport. You might just like it!
Many years ago (don't ask how many) we used to call it a nickel ride. :)

Great way to experience flight.

Not listed - correct, always zero - not correct. Any of the FAA publications that have runway diagrams will list the actual magnetic heading (to 10th of a degree) for the runway. The magnetic heading is rounded to the nearest 10 degrees, and the zero dropped.

What makes things interesting is that as the Earth's magnetic pole moves, the magnetic heading of the runways changes. We recently had a few here in NJ change For example Runway "18" became "19".
I was trying to keep it simple to understand for the non-aviator types in the crowd.

But yes, you are correct.

Attached is an airport diagram for those who might be interested.

ibanana

Sep 14, 2008, 12:03 PM

This is another app I can't see in the UK app store :(

you can't see it yet but can download it, I'm in the uk as well and enjoy the game

link (http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252Fvi ewSoftware%253Fid%253D290619945%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30%2526partnerId%253D30%2526siteI D%253DpAn7MudBgV8-RRwheCPoplbMysnaeSzaUQ)

dolbinau

Sep 14, 2008, 04:23 PM

I can't imagine that anyone is going to want to sell apps that are anywhere near that size. The largest app I know of is aSleep, which is 172MB. Things may be better with 2.1, but installing/updating the app took forever before. AFAIK, there's no way for developers to deliver apps in a modular fashion, so you don't have to replace anything just to fix one data file.

I've been playing with the iPhone version for a couple of days. It's very impressive that LR was able to get X-plane running, but for now, I view it as a very cool tech demonstration. Among other things, I'd like to see:

1. More than 1 airport, so you can actually go from A to B.

2. Option to turn off the HUD (or at least have a simplified version that doesn't block so much of the view).

3. Since you're not directly moving the control surfaces, the app is a bit more like a game than a flight sim. So how about adding virtual pathways in the sky to guide you to the runway, other destinations, and so on?

4. An ultralight, and maybe an airship.

5. Adjustable control sensitivity.

I agree that just adding one more Airport would make the game immensely better. What do you mean by 3?

Roller

Sep 14, 2008, 06:19 PM

I agree that just adding one more Airport would make the game immensely better. What do you mean by 3?

I mean painting "targets" (rings or rectangles) in the sky to show you the flight path to landing, say. As you approach each one, it gets progressively larger in your field of view until you fly through it (or around it if you're off course.)

Luap

Sep 14, 2008, 06:26 PM

you can't see it yet but can download it, I'm in the uk as well and enjoy the game

link (http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252Fvi ewSoftware%253Fid%253D290619945%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30%2526partnerId%253D30%2526siteI D%253DpAn7MudBgV8-RRwheCPoplbMysnaeSzaUQ)

Many thanks for that :cool: Will try it shortly.

dolbinau

Sep 14, 2008, 06:43 PM

I mean painting "targets" (rings or rectangles) in the sky to show you the flight path to landing, say. As you approach each one, it gets progressively larger in your field of view until you fly through it (or around it if you're off course.)

Hi, I mainly meant the control surfaces comment..

TheZimm

Sep 14, 2008, 08:36 PM

Great app
I've never used a flight simulator, so I don't know what I'm missing. But some things that would be good are:
1More planes, like some army planes and some passenger planes
2more places to fly, more landscapes

Some things that are cool that I found are the accelorometor control, the taking off, the different times of day, how you can go sooo high :)
One thing I can't figure out is how to land, is it just me or when you touch ground you just stop?

Zym

spyker3292

Sep 14, 2008, 09:22 PM

Haha, landing is tricky ;). Go slow and keep trying!

An airport with water and a boat plane would be nice!

TheZimm

Sep 14, 2008, 09:24 PM

Haha, landing is tricky ;). Go slow and keep trying!

Yeah the speed might be my problem I just realized that I kept coming in at full throttle at like 200 =]

Ill update if I get the skill of landing easily for those who havent bought it and are wondering if its worth buying,

Zym

Luap

Sep 14, 2008, 09:50 PM

Just bought this and had a quick play. Its really quite nifty! I like :)

LostLogik

Sep 15, 2008, 04:29 AM

One thing I can't figure out is how to land, is it just me or when you touch ground you just stop?

Zym

Ah yes, landings. ;) always a tricky point of any flight (and I've had a few interesting ones on my hang glider). One thing I'd like to see in this app is a better "crash" detection routine. A number of times I've come in and wondered whether I "walked away".

I did find that it was easy to run out of runway with this but finally cracked it last night. Yay! Flaps are your friend. But I had a very long flat final, so although I stopped on the runway, I'd have scared a few folk on the way in :)

Do the red/white lights on approach indicate whether you are below/above glide angle? I haven't quite work that out yet.

Roller

Sep 15, 2008, 06:53 AM

Hi, I mainly meant the control surfaces comment..

Oh... I meant that you're not directly controlling the amount of deflection of the aircraft's control surfaces when you tilt the iPhone along its axes, at least compared to a desktop flight sim. That's a necessary limitation of the device, but it gives the app a bit of a game-like feel.

TheZimm

Sep 15, 2008, 07:05 AM

Ah yes, landings. ;) always a tricky point of any flight (and I've had a few interesting ones on my gang glider). One thing I'd like to see in this app is a better "crash" detection routine. A number of times I've come in and wondered whether I "walked away".

I did find that it was easy to run out of runway with this but finally cracked it last night. Yay! Flaps are your friend. But I had a very long flat final, so although I stopped on the runway, I'd have scared a few folk on the way in :)

Do the red/white lights on approach indicate whether you are below/above glide angle? I haven't quite work that out yet.

By any chance is it possible to land on somewhere that isn't the runway?
:cool:

Zym

Screenshots:
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p339/Zymman/IMG_0203.png
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p339/Zymman/IMG_0204.png
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p339/Zymman/IMG_0207.png
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p339/Zymman/IMG_0208.png
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p339/Zymman/IMG_0209.png
http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p339/Zymman/IMG_0210.png
( I landed in the last one yay!!! )

spyker3292

Sep 15, 2008, 07:53 AM

Yup, you can land on the ground. Runways are easier...

TheZimm

Sep 15, 2008, 07:59 AM

Yup, you can land on the ground. Runways are easier...

Yeah I just tried that this morning, the score is land 80 plane 0 =]
I've only landed on the runway twice, other times I went down too early or late, or fast, or the angle was too steep, or forgetting to put the gear down (=])a lot of stuff to keep in mind just to land, while taking off you just take off the brakes, put up the throttle, and then slowly put down the flaps, much easier. I'm going to review this later today, if you guys would like to look at i(the review)*(on my blog-Zym Blog, zym5.wordpress.com ).

Zym

jhkaplan

Sep 15, 2008, 09:52 AM

Does anyone know what the number at the bottom of the Altitude reading is?

Luap

Sep 15, 2008, 10:14 AM

Does anyone know what the number at the bottom of the Altitude reading is?

Rate of ascent/decent?

capnjiggins

Sep 15, 2008, 11:05 AM

any videos of this game in action on the iPhone?

bwshockley

Sep 15, 2008, 11:26 AM

I'm very happy to see the Cirrus SJ50 included!

sanPietro98

Sep 15, 2008, 12:19 PM

Austin has done it again!

5 stars from me. My one request for future updates would be NAVAIDs. But well done!

matperk

Sep 15, 2008, 12:30 PM

I am sooooooooo tempted to buy this App, but I want to make sure that it will be updated.

I'm sure it will be. This app is constantly being updated on the mac side of things.

jogales

Sep 15, 2008, 01:29 PM

Does anyone know what the number at the bottom of the Altitude reading is?

Vertical speed. The number below the speed tape is the mach number.

psionmark

Sep 15, 2008, 02:06 PM

It's an awesome little app, isn't it?

I've written a review here (http://www.flightsimx.co.uk/xplane/iphone-x-plane-review/) for anyone interested.

Cheers,

Mark

bubbagumpshrimp

Sep 15, 2008, 02:10 PM

iJed

Sep 15, 2008, 04:31 PM

To me this is the most amazing iPhone app to date. I'm already an X-Plane user (as well as a private pilot) and was pleasantly surprised when I came across this on x-plane.com yesterday. From X-Planes constant update track record we'll hopefully see some interesting updates to this in the future.

dolbinau

Sep 15, 2008, 04:41 PM

I've had this app for a few days now(Thanks to this thread) and love it! Only app I've found worth paying for.

Question for the sim experts: the flaps are a bit confusing to me still, when do I put them up and down? thanks

During takeoff, approach and landing. (In increments though, not just full - the App doesn't fully simulate how flaps work as they usually are controlled in segments rather than 'freely' like the throttle) However, it's not necessary for all aircraft - in reality the Cessna 172 often lands flaps fully up.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flap_(aircraft) for an explanation of why.

Basically, flaps increase lift so you can fly slower (but also increase drag so you must apply more throttle). And obviously during takeoff/landing you want to be flying as slow as possible so the takeoff/landing roll is as short as possible.

dolbinau

Sep 15, 2008, 05:33 PM

Oh... I meant that you're not directly controlling the amount of deflection of the aircraft's control surfaces when you tilt the iPhone along its axes, at least compared to a desktop flight sim. That's a necessary limitation of the device, but it gives the app a bit of a game-like feel.

You aren't? I thought you are, albiet very sensitively (so it's not exactly like GTA where you hit a button and there is maximum deflection).

bradl

Sep 15, 2008, 05:37 PM

Do the red/white lights on approach indicate whether you are below/above glide angle? I haven't quite work that out yet.

They do. All white means that you're too high above the glidepath. Too red, you're too low. Generally, you'll want half of each. That will put you at the proper descent rate.

BL.

dolbinau

Sep 15, 2008, 05:50 PM

Once you have two red/white PAPI lights decend around -800 FPM and you should stay on the correct glideslope, if I remember correctly.

Trip.Tucker

Sep 15, 2008, 06:02 PM

The compass points to the bearing towards the Airport so just follow it and you won't get lost.

Out of the box I would agree X-plane is a better simulation than MSFS, however, with some realistic add-ons e.g LDS 767, X-plane cannot compete at all - (except for the flying department, but you are inherently limited to have a realistic flying experience on a computer). so I wouldn't consider MSFS a game.

MSFS:

http://www.leveldsim.com/images/panel/2.jpg

http://www.leveldsim.com/images/panel/ohd.jpg

http://www.leveldsim.com/images/panel/fmc4.jpg

Mostly simulated.

MSFS is still just a game, and does not compare to the realistic characteristics in X-Plane.

Please, do some reading first and if you aren't a Flitsim nut, be careful about throwing out nonsense without thinking first.

liptonlover

Sep 15, 2008, 07:30 PM

this is something I'm looking forward to getting if I get a touch... I have xplane for my computer and love it. And to those who are worried, Austin Meyer is great about updates and his customers. If you want it, it'll probably be there soon if physically possible.

bradl

Sep 15, 2008, 07:35 PM

MSFS is still just a game, and does not compare to the realistic characteristics in X-Plane.

+1

Let's also keep in mind that X-Plane is endorsed by the FAA to be used for training and count as actual pilot certification hours; MSFS does not.

Please, do some reading first and if you aren't a Flitsim nut, be careful about throwing out nonsense without thinking first.

I agree. And there are TONS of discussions on this very issue in too many flightsimming forums. Until MSFS gets the same accreditation as X-Plane (http://www.x-plane.com/FTD.html), the sims won't be on an even level.

BL.

bubbagumpshrimp

Sep 15, 2008, 07:46 PM

How does FSX compare to MSFS and X-plane? I see a lot of comparisons of these three on the net.

spyker3292

Sep 15, 2008, 07:59 PM

How does FSX compare to MSFS and X-plane? I see a lot of comparisons of these three on the net.

MSFS= Microsoft Flight Simulator = Flight Simulator X = FSX

Unless you mean something else...

bradl

Sep 15, 2008, 08:04 PM

MSFS= Microsoft Flight Simulator = Flight Simulator X = FSX

Unless you mean something else...

A Lot of people are still using Flight Simulator 2004 than FSX, so they could mean that. FSX, while available, isn't as mature as FS2004 (FS9).

BL.

bubbagumpshrimp

Sep 15, 2008, 08:11 PM

MSFS= Microsoft Flight Simulator = Flight Simulator X = FSX

Unless you mean something else...
:D k, i can see where I went wrong now.

Alright, so after playing this on my iphone than watching this video on youtube I really want this on my imac!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WPy4JQ6FjE

dolbinau

Sep 15, 2008, 08:36 PM

MSFS is still just a game, and does not compare to the realistic characteristics in X-Plane.

Please, do some reading first and if you aren't a Flitsim nut, be careful about throwing out nonsense without thinking first.

I am a very big flight simulation nut. The flight model of the airplane is only one part of simulation and with some ga flying myself I am confident that it is very hard to have a realistic flying experience on a personal computer, even if it is x-plane.

So, I am not disputing x-plane is more realistic in modelling actual flight however, for pure systems simulation - a big part of flying airliners, x-plane is extremely limited in terms of realism with msfs. Do systems such as the fms,
IRS and INS ring any bells? As far as x-plane goes, probably not.

And regarding FAA certification - this is only in very elaborate hardware setups, you couldn't train On your desktop sim ;)

IRS,

happydude

Sep 15, 2008, 09:05 PM

man, i used to love the flight simulators before i got a job and have a family and all sorts of other grownup things keeping me from gaming. this might be something nice to keep the bus/train commute interesting and return to my roots. looking forward to it!!

dolbinau

Sep 15, 2008, 09:15 PM

macbookairman

Sep 15, 2008, 09:31 PM

i bought the iphone versin of xplane the other day and i love it. but (of course) i wanted more. just read a post on the x-plane forums by the creator/developer of the game/sim (Austin)...here is what he said..... DUDE.. you have only seen the START.
We are going to have airliners, helicopters, gliders... this is only the BEGINNING.

Also (and there is no way I should mention this) X-Plane AUTOMOTIVE is SCREAMING fun.. I will be ready to release it, hopefully, within 7 days.

When you see me issue a post about how I am morally opposed (or something) to an automotive version of x-plane with ferraris and corvettes and KRAZY tracks, you will know that we are within about 48 hours of release.

I hope to have it for desktop AND iphone shortly!

austin

he also later mentioned

...oh yah and the next (FREE) update to the iphone version will have a handful or airports, not just LOWI

austin

link: http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?s=&showtopic=33718&view=findpost&p=379613

MattGTO

Sep 15, 2008, 09:44 PM

I am extremely tempted to buy this, but would much rather spend my money on a very realistic automotive sim...so hopefully it will come out sooner than my temptations force me to buy X-Plane.

TheZimm

Sep 15, 2008, 09:46 PM

I am extremely tempted to buy this, but would much rather spend my money on a very realistic automotive sim...so hopefully it will come out sooner than my temptations force me to buy X-Plane.

Definitely get X-Plane. I have asphalt 4 and X-plane is much more realistic. Its not a game but a great simulator. Just much much better

Zym

Anonymous Freak

Sep 16, 2008, 12:02 AM

Fantastic application, simply ASTOUNDING. I never thought I would see anything like this on a device such as the iPhone and the touch. It's an amazingly fun and realistic application!

I had X-Plane back in 1996 when I was in college (pursuing an Aerospace Engineering degree, appropriately.) It was absolutely astounding. The fact that I could take my AE projects, draw them CAD-style, and then fly them as they would really fly was just amazing. I was lucky to only pay the student price of $100. Back then, it was completely a "serious engineering tool", not a "fun game" the way Microsoft Flight Sim was. The full "commercial" version was $599 (http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.simulators/browse_thread/thread/faa7ae0cbf795376/499369dd3d31e5d1)!

And, yes, I have had every version of both Microsoft Flight Simulator, and X-Plane through the years.

Just bought the iPhone X-Plane, haven't had a chance to play with it yet.

edit: Okay, played a little. This rocks. It's amazing playing this on my cell phone; where it's noticeably better than it was on my first machine I played it on; my Pentium 90 with 48 MB of RAM.

pimentoLoaf

Sep 16, 2008, 02:07 AM

Fantastic application, simply ASTOUNDING. I never thought I would see anything like this on a device such as the iPhone and the touch. It's an amazingly fun and realistic application!

My feelings exactly, though I know of at least one person with a completely different (http://www.forumammo.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10071/picard-no-facepalm.jpg) take on the app.

I now have a very strong desire to get an iPTouch just to run this thing.

RollTide

Sep 16, 2008, 03:24 PM

Like a lot of you I love flight sims and if you are wanting to try something new give IL-2 1946 a whirl, it's like 10 bucks and has about 320 planes. It is a WWII flight sim but there are sooooo many quality add ons that make this game so much fun. usually about 800-1000 people playing in hyperlobby as well. X-plane is very fun as well, but the specs to run it are pretty high ya?

Trip.Tucker

Sep 16, 2008, 03:28 PM

sanPietro98

Sep 16, 2008, 04:38 PM

In case Austin reads this forum, here is one suggestion for an otherwise fantastic App:

For the throttle, I sometimes want to "nudge" it higher or lower. But wherever you touch, it sets it as an absolute setting. And it is often hard to see where it's current position is. So my suggestion is:

If you "slide" on the throttle, you "nudge" or "offset" its current setting.
If you tap on the throttle, it behaves as it does now (sets its value).

Otherwise, this app is fantastic!

bluelondon

Sep 16, 2008, 05:59 PM

speedand altitude readings would be nice too

macbookairman

Sep 16, 2008, 06:18 PM

speedand altitude readings would be nice too

you can already see that information in the HUD mode, but it would be nice to have that in the other views too.

spyker3292

Sep 16, 2008, 06:20 PM

speedand altitude readings would be nice too

You mean the green bars on the side?
http://img.skitch.com/20080916-g2djb2bre4fies1ia5kd6as6hq.jpg

dolbinau

Sep 17, 2008, 12:41 AM

You mean the green bars on the side?
http://img.skitch.com/20080916-g2djb2bre4fies1ia5kd6as6hq.jpg

Yes? What else would they be for?

dolbinau

Sep 17, 2008, 04:48 AM

Any ETA?

bacaramac

Sep 17, 2008, 09:46 AM

This will be great, the app seems very solid and I am glad the dev put out a great version with little content vs. all the content implemented poorly.

Looking forward to some type of "route planning" and excution of the route. It would be nice to fly from NY to FL with life like condtions along the way. Maybe even have some type of wether forecast so you can choose a few different routes, etc.

Overall very excited I bought this.

tooshaggy

Sep 17, 2008, 04:41 PM

tooshaggy

Sep 17, 2008, 04:42 PM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

I bought it, and it's way worth it. Of course, I'm an X-plane zealot, but it's great. You don't need a tutorial, it's very simplistic. Just raise throttle and left side, lower flaps, turn off brakes, off you go, lift off, raise your landing gear, raise flaps.

I love it, I'm sure they'll put out updates quickly. If you know anything about X-Plane you'll know they are very pro-customer developers.

don't use flaps in take off!!!!

TheZimm

Sep 17, 2008, 04:44 PM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

I have used x-plane on my mac for years now, and having it on the iPhone is awesome. I assume Austin will add more features soon. Won't you, Austin??!

Yup he's adding, DUDE.. you have only seen the START.
We are going to have airliners, helicopters, gliders... this is only the BEGINNING.

Also (and there is no way I should mention this) X-Plane AUTOMOTIVE is SCREAMING fun.. I will be ready to release it, hopefully, within 7 days.

When you see me issue a post about how I am morally opposed (or something) to an automotive version of x-plane with ferraris and corvettes and KRAZY tracks, you will know that we are within about 48 hours of release.

I hope to have it for desktop AND iphone shortly!

austin
And also about the next update
...oh yah and the next (FREE) update to the iphone version will have a handful or airports, not just LOWI

austin

Zym

TheZimm

Sep 17, 2008, 04:46 PM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

don't use flaps in take off!!!!

I do and it works just fine

spyker3292

Sep 17, 2008, 04:52 PM

I do and it works just fine

So you push the flaps bar all the way down? Or leave it in the default location (on top of the screen). Lowering it down lowers the flaps, which makes you go down ;). So it makes it harder to take off.

dolbinau

Sep 17, 2008, 05:08 PM

don't use flaps in take off!!!!

So you push the flaps bar all the way down? Or leave it in the default location (on top of the screen). Lowering it down lowers the flaps, which makes you go down . So it makes it harder to take off.

You obviously don't use full flaps, It isn't a very accurate way to use flaps (I'm sure it's fine on the desktop version which has aircraft-specific notches etc..) but I use about 1/4 flaps on take off.

LostLogik

Sep 17, 2008, 05:30 PM

So you push the flaps bar all the way down? Or leave it in the default location (on top of the screen). Lowering it down lowers the flaps, which makes you go down ;). So it makes it harder to take off.

Not quite. Flaps deflect down thus generating additional lift (useful at takeoff given additional weight of fuel) although the primary purpose for flaps is to reduce landing speeds.

You don't need as much flap at take off as TO speeds tend to be faster than landing speeds, and lift is related to the square of velocity.

spyker3292

Sep 17, 2008, 06:28 PM

TheZimm

Sep 17, 2008, 10:16 PM

Oh, ok ;). I don't know that much about flying. Just some sims every now and then. I just used flaps mainly for landing. Thanks for the tip.

I don't no very much about flying either so I'm a newb just like you =]

Zym

cschmelz

Sep 18, 2008, 12:09 AM

Not quite. Flaps deflect down thus generating additional lift (useful at takeoff given additional weight of fuel) although the primary purpose for flaps is to reduce landing speeds.

You don't need as much flap at take off as TO speeds tend to be faster than landing speeds, and lift is related to the square of velocity.

A SIMPLE (overly simple) rule of thumb is PARTIAL flaps generates more lift than drag and CAN be useful for takeoff. In my Mooney 231 (turbocharged, high performance 4 seater) I use 10 degrees of flaps in take off (shortens take off run, especially at high density altitudes) and once I get 100ft off the field I retract them (positive rate of climb, gear up, 100ft, flaps up)

On landing you want MAXIMUM drag and some increased lift, hence full flaps which creates and excess of drag for the added lift.

opticalserenity

Sep 18, 2008, 01:17 AM

Someone who is familiar with Austin, could you make sure he gets a link tot his thread so he knows he has a following that's strong?

TheZimm

Sep 18, 2008, 05:20 PM

Someone who is familiar with Austin, could you make sure he gets a link tot his thread so he knows he has a following that's strong?

I've emailed him, and he hasn't emailed back, hopefully he gets the email

Royal2000H

Sep 19, 2008, 08:32 AM

I'm confused.
retracted = flaps up or flaps down?
take off with 10% up or down?

Big Bad D

Sep 19, 2008, 11:37 AM

Retracted is flaps up. Flaps are extended or lowered partially during takeoff and more fully during landing to primarily increase lift at lower flight speed. They do also have a consequential increase in drag which is more useful in landing.

sushi

Sep 19, 2008, 12:05 PM

Some general flap comments.

Flap settings:

Flap settings vary based upon the AC being flown.
Flap settings also very depending on the type of Take-Off or Landing you are doing.
Flap settings are usually expressed in degrees.
Retracted --> Fully up. For example, zero degrees flaps.
Extended --> Partially or fully extended. For example 10 degrees or 40 degrees flaps.
Full Down --> The maximum degree setting. Sometimes pilots will refer to this as maximum flap setting.

Some planes have mechanical flaps. There is a lever like a parking brake that the pilot uses to set the flaps. This mechanical system is very effective for doing some very interesting effects. Due to the nature of mechanical flaps they are limited to small aircraft.

Most airplanes have actuated flaps. The pilot selects a setting and the actuator moves the flaps to the desired setting. This will usually take a few seconds after the pilot changes the setting. This lag exists for both extending or retracting flaps.

Flaps change the effective camber and angle of attack of the wing. When extending or retracting flaps the attitude of the aircraft will vary. For example, when adding flaps (increasing the degrees) the nose of the aircraft will generally drop.

On many aircraft low flap settings are used for Take-Off. For example 10 degrees of flaps. Full flaps are not used for normal Take-Off.

Flaps add drag to the wing. At low settings the additional drag is overcome by lift so there usually is a positive lift effect. At high flap settings the opposite is true. Depending on the aircraft flaps can be used as an air-brake.

There are different types of flaps based upon their construction. Two common types are slotted and fowler flaps. I've attached a picture of a slotted flap.

For those who are not pilots, the next time you fly an airline plane, try to get a seat just behind the wing and you can see how the control surfaces work. It's really fascinating on the large jets like 747s.

On a side note, there is only one simulator that I have tried that did accelerated stalls correctly and that was A-10 Attack.

macbookairman

Sep 19, 2008, 08:13 PM

just a quick note, x-plane 9 v. 9.01 has been submitted by Austin (the developer) to the App Store. It was submitted a few days ago, so it will be available in a few more days probably.

here is a link to the "X-Plane for iPhone" website (http://x-plane.com/iPhone), which has an interesting article about the story behind X-Plan for iPhone and his trip to Apple HQ to develop it.

This update includes:

X-Plane 9.01 for iPhone is out now, and has a number of cool improvements over 9.01:

25% frame-rate improvement! I REALLY like the increased fluidity of the sim in 9.01 thanks to this increase.
Calibration screen for phone tilt! One guy writing a review at the AppStore said he likes to fly on the couch, and wants VERTICAL to represent neutral-elevator: Fly on, couch-dude! Just go to the SETTINGS tab in the interface and set any phone angle as neutral! Now you can relax in bed or on the couch, with vertical being the reference-point for neutral-elevator, or sit up holding the phone in your lap with HORIZONTAL being the reference-point for neutral elevator, or anything in between! Set the center-point as you see fit!
Higher-contrast interface! One person said his eyes are a little weaker these days, so we contrasted the interface a bit more to make it easier for all to see! I managed to do this without making the interface look too harsh, I think.

Power and flaps set for you on the final approach selections. One guy writing a review at the AppStore was rather paniced that he had to move his thumbs 1/4" to set the power and flaps on final.. the horror! So, X-Plane now sets 25% power and flaps automatically when you set yourself up in flight, to be more closely configured for your landing! Kind of convenient.
The interface screens are organized a hair differently... much better I think. This lets volume-control and neutral-elevator control be in their own system-config screen, with a different screen dedicated to setting your location! Kind of nicer organization.

opticalserenity

Sep 19, 2008, 09:09 PM

thanks for the heads up, that's excellent news, can't wait for 9.01. I loved the read.

I'm surprised that it had to get "approved." I'd expect instant approval for a company that is using their offices.

brendanryder

Sep 19, 2008, 09:31 PM

I've emailed him, and he hasn't emailed back, hopefully he gets the email

do you mind PM'in me his email?
i would like to send him an email.Thanks :P

TheZimm

Sep 19, 2008, 09:32 PM

do you mind PM'in me his email?
i would like to send him an email.Thanks :P

PM you? sorry I'm not up on that hip lingo =]

I could send you a message, or an email of his email, that what you mean?

Zym

bubbagumpshrimp

Sep 19, 2008, 11:33 PM

though I'm happy about the future update I was kind of hoping to see some new planes added, hopefully soon.

macbookairman

Sep 20, 2008, 12:12 AM

though I'm happy about the future update I was kind of hoping to see some new planes added, hopefully soon.

i totally agree. the update sounds nice, but i would love to see some new planes or locations if at all possible. I know it will come eventually, because the developer has mentioned more planes in a future update. I'm just not sure how long i can wait! :eek:

bluelondon

Sep 20, 2008, 12:48 AM

boeing 747 'jumbo' would be so cool :)

spyker3292

Sep 20, 2008, 09:29 AM

Cool update. I can't wait for the updates with planes :D.

TheZimm

Sep 20, 2008, 09:51 AM

i totally agree. the update sounds nice, but i would love to see some new planes or locations if at all possible. I know it will come eventually, because the developer has mentioned more planes in a future update. I'm just not sure how long i can wait! :eek:

He said that he will be adding 2 more planes, not too much longer until this happens he said.

Zym

sookainian

Sep 20, 2008, 02:59 PM

boeing 747 'jumbo' would be so cool :)

Complaint: "There are no jets in this sim! I want to take the 747 in Microsoft and fly it into space, like I do in Microsoft! You only get 1 star out of 5!"

Reply: What propulsion system do you believe the Cirrus-Jet uses? And do you have a bat handy?

http://x-plane.com/iPhone

TheZimm

Sep 21, 2008, 08:17 AM

9.01 can't be much longer, considering he's been in and out of apple a lot recently.

Zym

spyker3292

Sep 21, 2008, 09:02 AM

9.01 can't be much longer, considering he's been in and out of apple a lot recently.

Zym

Huh. Are you talking about the X-Plane story? That was a few months ago :P.

TheZimm

Sep 21, 2008, 09:04 AM

Huh. Are you talking about the X-Plane story? That was a few months ago :P.

yeah but still apple probably favors him, like they favor ea and stuff, da got to know when spore would come out

Luap

Sep 21, 2008, 09:50 AM

yeah but still apple probably favors him, like they favor ea and stuff, da got to know when spore would come out

What?
If you mean by 'favour' that they trust big name developers more than they do bedroom developers, then yes, why wouldn't they.

Amt

Sep 21, 2008, 10:04 AM

probably the best $10 I've spent on a game.

sushi

Sep 21, 2008, 10:06 AM

probably the best $10 I've spent on a game.
I don't regret the purchase one bit.

Looking forward to receiving the desktop version as well.

TheZimm

Sep 21, 2008, 11:30 AM

What?
If you mean by 'favour' that they trust big name developers more than they do bedroom developers, then yes, why wouldn't they.

I don't just sayin...

Zym

brendanryder

Sep 22, 2008, 02:56 AM

great application.
i feel its just lacking something. i dont know what, but theres just something more i want, but am not recieving.

deffinatly a fun game none the less.

opticalserenity

Sep 22, 2008, 06:23 PM

This is not a game. This is a simulation. So yes, it's missing a lot of compared to games, but again, let's keep this what it is.

Red Sox

Sep 23, 2008, 01:37 AM

So, what's the highest altitude you guys have reached so far? I got up to 40,000 in the Cirrus before I lost patience and went for a nosedive to see how fast i could go.

Mr. Giver '94

Sep 23, 2008, 01:49 AM

So, what's the highest altitude you guys have reached so far? I got up to 40,000 in the Cirrus before I lost patience and went for a nosedive to see how fast i could go.

LOL I made it to 45,000 and then did a nosedive and got up to 500mph. The plane was shaking. :D:D

bubbagumpshrimp

Sep 23, 2008, 11:10 AM

So, what's the highest altitude you guys have reached so far? I got up to 40,000 in the Cirrus before I lost patience and went for a nosedive to see how fast i could go.
Did the same thing. has anyone gotten higher than 45,000 feet?

sookainian

Sep 23, 2008, 05:51 PM

Where's the new 9.01 update ???

More then 3 days already. :mad:

opticalserenity

Sep 23, 2008, 06:20 PM

How many business days has it been? I don't see Apple doing much app store activity on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday nights.

macbookairman

Sep 23, 2008, 09:59 PM

9.01 is showing up as an available update for me now.
EDIT: I installed it, here are some screenshots.

The pictures show the menu for setting the accelerometer, the new features in x-plane 9.01, the reorganized menus, and a screen capture of what the flaps and power automatically set themselves too on approach.

spyker3292

Sep 23, 2008, 10:14 PM

9.01 is showing up as an available update for me now.

Yay! me too.

bubbagumpshrimp

Sep 24, 2008, 12:02 AM

The frame rate is greatly improved and the controls feel much more smooth after the update.anyone else notice the latter? very impressed, cant wait for more planes now!

sushi

Oct 2, 2008, 11:39 AM

The frame rate is greatly improved and the controls feel much more smooth after the update.anyone else notice the latter? very impressed, cant wait for more planes now!
Yes, it does seem more smooth.

BTW, just received the desktop version today in the mail. Due to my workload, it will be a week or so before I have time to install and try it out.

Dang.

bubbagumpshrimp

Oct 6, 2008, 12:26 AM

Any news if or when the dev plans to add more to this sim? (More planes, extra features).

Mr. Giver '94

Oct 6, 2008, 12:35 AM

Any news if or when the dev plans to add more to this sim? (More planes, extra features).

I'm hoping soon is the answer.

TheZimm

Oct 6, 2008, 07:05 AM

I'm hoping soon is the answer.

Let him take his time, and make sure that all the planes and what not are there and lookin awesome =]

Zym

Lincolndrive

Oct 21, 2008, 02:33 PM

the latest update came out yesterday. Nice additions but I wish there were better instructions for how to use the new tools on their website. I'm no pilot but I love this game and use it more than any other application. Just wish I had more instructions.

jhkaplan

Oct 21, 2008, 03:03 PM

spazit101

Nov 20, 2008, 11:24 PM

has anybody heard anything from Austin lately regarding updates? It has been awhile. Hopefully he is working on something big (more locations, planes, etc.)

TheZimm

Nov 22, 2008, 10:34 AM

has anybody heard anything from Austin lately regarding updates? It has been awhile. Hopefully he is working on something big (more locations, planes, etc.)
Yeah, I've been looking for updates of it every morning when I get up. I go into Byline, check the appstore updates, and I always end up disappointed cuz its not there =]

Zym

aawil

Jan 14, 2009, 10:13 PM

Looks like a big update tonight. I believe I read 4 different flying environments. Quite a big file size difference as well. I would imagine it should make some people a little happier.

LostLogik

Jan 15, 2009, 04:33 AM

Looks like a big update tonight. I believe I read 4 different flying environments. Quite a big file size difference as well. I would imagine it should make some people a little happier.

Well I'll look forward to this though I can't find anything on it. Thanks - you've now got me set for constant App Store visits. Very productive! ;)

EDIT - OK, got the update now, 9.06. Time to review the new :)

Four areas to fly in, 3 new; So Cal, Hawaii and San Fran, though disappointingly, no Golden Gate Bridge to buzz :(

jhkaplan

Jan 15, 2009, 10:17 AM

Well I'll look forward to this though I can't find anything on it. Thanks - you've now got me set for constant App Store visits. Very productive! ;)

EDIT - OK, got the update now, 9.06. Time to review the new :)

Four areas to fly in, 3 new; So Cal, Hawaii and San Fran, though disappointingly, no Golden Gate Bridge to buzz :(

Yeah, I noticed that. The terrain in San Fran was pretty lacking. Also, where is Chicago? I have all 3 (XPlane, Heli, and Airliner). XPlane was the only one that received an update yesterday, but I don't see the Chicago environment on there. Sucks, I wanted to buzz my apartment.

KidneyMerchant

Jan 15, 2009, 12:33 PM

X-Plane on the iPhone is great, and I love how they keep churning out updates, but sometimes things seem a bit rushed. They keep breaking things. This time, the elevators don't animate and the Columbia seems to have...airbrakes! (Which aren't visible but affect the lift). The planes they added recently in .05 were not what I was expecting; they're cool but somewhat redundant, and the detail isn't on the same level as the Cirrus- the gear just clips through the fuselage without so much as gear doors.The new scenery is nice but maybe a bit bland, and the screen is getting a bit crowded with all the views and now a pause button. Just to whine a bit more, the water (that's now much more prominent) isn't quite legit. I want mah reflections!

The flight dynamics rock though, the most fun since .03. Planes seem to slow down to a crawl with flaps down now, although I can't tell if this is accurate or not.

You guys remember when Airliner came out and only one spoiler would animate? Well it's fixed in .05 and they seem to have made no mention of it at all... Neither have the retards in the App Store. There was one comment about that and about eleventy bajillion going, "WUT NAO X PLAIN SUX I WANNA MORE PLANEZ ITZ TOOOO HARD11". I wonder what they'll break (and add) when .06 Airliner lands (ha, ha).

What do you guys think about the barrage of updates?