Ariane's aircraft, it's own merits

[crvm 0]

I suggest that a thread concerning just the aircraft and how it performs be listed without all the personal %$#%, which of course does somehow find it's way into these types of threads, hopefully we can deal with the facts eh? Some postive notes for me1] Night panel lighting, great job on this.2] Main panel has a nice appearance3] CDU looks real4] Exterior and icing on windows. Some issue I see1] LVL CHG does not hold the set speed in a climb, in fact blows at least 30 knots in a climb and then settles back. Needs some tuning bad.2] Blurry text on the overhead is so bad you cannot even read the "new" IRS panel.3] No altitude alerts whatsoever. 4] No callouts5] No cabin altitude selection6] Unlike Hollywood's claim, this AFDS does not have CWS, VNAV ALT,ALT INT, SPD INTV. How can this be the "most advanced ever made"? 7] Has "large" CWS P when you deselect ALT HOLD, or disconnect the A/P, wronga: CWS doesnot work on this bird, either in ptch or roll, in fact there is no CWS ROLL even on the PFD, again superior to what?b: CWS P is not large and not located in the "center" of the PFD, anyone can llok at a real PFD and see what I am talking about.8] And the worst is the incredibly slow refresh rate on the displays. One must use the pop ups to get a descent refresh rate.9] No rolling Digits on the PFD speed and Altitude tapes10] Is there a way to ARM the speedbrakes here? 11] ONE LIVERY, 12] NO CABIN13] twice the amount of the "other sim" Has anyone been able to engage VNAV? FMC is far behind the "other" sim, this is simple fact. I will spare you all and will let Ariane patch before further comment. Now, Arine has promised a patch, great, like others they are entitled to that and I hope they do well. The bird has a nice something about it, I believe there is potential, but certainly does not come close to it's price for it's condition or close to PMDG by a mile in Systems, the lack if AFDS modelling is clearly evident, and for those of you who are hard core NG flyers and KNOW about the NG aircraft, I say you yourselves will agree with everything I have stated. That said let's hope it goes further, without claims based upon wind but by writing the code needed to get this bird up to the level it's claimed, not too much to ask for such an expensive toy now is it? Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4][h3]P M D G's 747-400[/h3][h4]coming to a runway near you[/h4][/font color]Caution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro | Windows Xp Pro 64 |

[Guest SoarPics]

I'm not on either side of the fence here, Randy... but I do have a question (based upon some of the posts I've seen in the new Warrior thread).Do you own the Ariane package?Thanks,Greg

[Bob Scott 7,745]

I'm on neither side of the fence myself, but I have to say that allowing such a post by Randy Smith, a well-known self-appointed PMDG shill who frequents these forums and normally signs his name above a PMDG banner the size of Wyoming, is rather one-sided.Please Tom, let's close (and even better delete) this thread, as we should all be smart enough by now to not be starting any more threads on this tired old annoying topic.RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC

[crvm 0]

Two posts dealing with the very thing I hoped would not. If you only see it's you who are not dealing with the subject line and moving this into a personal battle and then blame you behavior on my character like you could not help yourself. Maybe you need some help Bob, this thread is dealing with the aircraft, deal with the facts of the thread and leave your personal bias towards me at the door. Who cares who says what here? If you state something then you should expect me to deal with what you say and not who you are. But you seem to delight in name calling like "Shill" and other non post related remarks. Come 'on Bob what do you have to say about the aircraft? Anything? If not take the dog for a walk will you? Best Wishes,[h4]Randy J. Smith[/h4][h3]P M D G's 747-400[/h3][h4]coming to a runway near you[/h4][/font color]Caution! Not a real pilot, but do play one on TV ;-)AMD 64 3200+ | ASUS KV8 DELUXE | GFORCE 5700 ULTRA @535/1000 | Maxtor 6Y080M0 SATA 80 GIG | 512 DDR 400 | Windows Xp Pro | Windows Xp Pro 64 |

[Guest Paragon]

I see a lock in this threads future. :)...and I realise I'm not contributing myself, but I do have a question. Do you have the Ariane aircraft Randy, if not how can you discuss it, except by screenshots and hearsay?-Mikkelp.s. this is just one of those PMDG is better than Ariane threads imo. Which it is...:D

[Guest SoarPics]

Hmmm... still no reply from Randy regarding his ownership of the Ariane package. Pretty much his brief review meaningless.Time to move on,Greg

[Guest Len]

I bought it when it first came out and purchased the livery set. Good assessment by the way. The plane has a lot of potential. My problem is related to two things you mentioned.How the heck do you engage the Autopilot? The VNAV and LNAV light up but it won't follow the flight path programmed on the FMC. The fact of the matter is that the autopilot refuses to engage. Everytime I push the button the light goes on then off. I've flown Dreamfleet's 737 and all of PMDG's fine 737s from cold and dark onwards. But this autopilot business has caused me to shelve the plane for now until someone can tell me what's up.Secondly, I agree completely that the graphics on the overhead panel MUST be improved. Not acceptable for an approx. $120.00 (Canadian) 1 liveried plane.On the other hand the lighting in the plane is very nice. The window frosting, the external power cart and pushback trucks, smooth flight dynamics (at least to me) and generally nice interior cockpit are some of its positives. As I stated, has potential which hopefully some of the things you mention and my concerns above will be addressed by Ariane.

[Guest ba747heavy]

Cue music - dun dun dun, another one bites the dust! Any bets on how long it takes before this gets locked :)

[Guest bigun]

Unfortunately, as said above, this thread will I'm sure be locked shortly. Randy is indeed, as am I, a very big supporter of the PMDG737. Why? Because it is that good! I also believe that comparisons between the Ariane and the PMDG are to be expected. After all, Ariane's own advertising claims they are light years ahead of the PMDG. They set the bar and now have to reach it if they plan on ever gaining any credibility. As far as the argument of Randy owning or not owning the Ariane goes. That doesn't hold any water with me at all. The pictures, various comments and advertising are more than enough to base a comparison. (After all, I don't and never have owned a Yugo. But I sure know it's a piece of trash) For a company like Ariane with it's past history to make the claims of their aircraft that they have made and to charge the price they are charging, they should be required to put out a superior product, and from what I have seen, they haven't. Randy's initial post did in no way attack anyone but subsequent posts in this thread have. That is unfortunate.

[Guest SoarPics]

"As far as the argument of Randy owning or not owning the Ariane goes. That doesn't hold any water with me at all."Sorry, George, but for most folks it is important. People want to hear, good or bad, from owners of a product. "Reviews" by owners of a competing product will more often than not be dismissed by prospective buyers.Cheers,Greg

[Guest bigun]

Greg I agree 100% for a "review". I just don't clasify Randy's comments as a "review" but simply as observations on his part. My real point was that calling Randy a "shill" was uncalled for. I guess I'm a "shill" also for owning and enjoying the PMDG737 and for having reservations about a very high priced add-on with such a dubious background as Ariane.

[Guest PaulL01]

Greg you are 100% right here, if you don't own it then don't make comments pretending as if you do or especialy post a new thread as if you do, that was a big mistake plane and simple.I think "shill" was pretty close as posing to own and therefore be knowledgeable about a certain product to lure folks away from it...It fits.

[Guest bigun]

Wow Paul,Didn't realize that you were the producer of the guidelines of what could and couldn't be started as a new thread. I stand corrected.:-jumpy :-jumpy

[Guest PaulL01]

>Wow Paul,>Didn't realize that you were the producer of the guidelines of>what could and couldn't be started as a new thread. I stand>corrected.:-jumpy :-jumpy Think its funny when trolls come in here every time MSFS has a new release badmouthing it while not yet own or have even tried it?Heck, I bad mouth it, but I also own it.What part don'y you get?Or are you into letting this forum degrade into meaningless post?Keep it real george!http://www.frontiernet.net/~pleatzaw/images/Eyes.gif http://www.frontiernet.net/~pleatzaw/images/Eyes.gif

[Bob Scott 7,745]

Randy Smith spewed forth thusly:> Two posts dealing with the very thing I hoped would not. If>you only see it's you who are not dealing with the subject>line and moving this into a personal battle and then blame>you behavior on my character like you could not help>yourself.>Randy;"What you are speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say." Randy, your history of emotional advocacy for the PMDG cause necessarily introduces a great degree of bias into the discussion from its very onset. Even a precursory review of your posting history leaves me with little doubt that you are extremely unlikely to provide an unbiased comparison of this, or possibly any other product, with the PMDG add-ons. Anyone who doubts me on this need only do a search through your posting history to verify what I say has merit. This in no way reflects upon PMDG, whose work I greatly respect, except to the extent that they continue to let you run amok throwing their name about as if you speak for them. Well...do you speak for them??? Mr. Randazzo, tell us please, does Randy Smith speak on behalf of PMDG?> Maybe you need some help Bob, this thread is dealing with the>aircraft, deal with the facts of the thread and leave your>personal bias towards me at the door. Who cares who says what>here? If you state something then you should expect me to deal>with what you say and not who you are. But you seem to>delight in name calling like "Shill" and other non post>related remarks. Come 'on Bob what do you have to say about>the aircraft? Anything? If not take the dog for a walk will>you? As has been asked previously, Randy, do you have a legally licensed copy of the subject add-on (I refuse to utter their name here lest I be smitten down), or are you commenting only on second-hand hearsay?My only interest here is not in defending the maker of this add-on, which has already bitten me once with a previous poor-quality product. I'm rather more interested in keeping some sense of balance...and when a historically biased pseudo-spokesman for a competing product comes in and exploits the fact that he can get his licks in, knowing the thread will quickly be locked up, and leave it there for anyone to see, I sense something less than fair going on.Personally, I wish that Tom would find a way to summarily close and delete any posting containing the "A" word without further review...RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC