Hi there,
So I'm looking into addon aircraft, and realistically, there are 2 that jump out. One is the Aerosoft Airbus A32x package, and the other being the Precise Manuals (PMDG) 737NGX. Both seem incredibly detailed, and while the NGX seems more system 'intense', the 'bus is meant to be just as good. Any opinions? I can pick up both for around the same price, so it really does come down to quality and feel. I'm more likely to do smaller, 'hopper' flights, so I could ideally do with something that feels best suited for that purpose.
Many thanks,
Jacob
I've tried both, I'd definitely go for the 737, it's definitely the one I enjoyed the most. Airbus X isn't at the same level study sim as the PMDG aircraft. If it's simplicity, go for the Airbus X. They have a co-pilot which essentially does all the checks for you, which is kinda cool, and pretty quick way of getting around learning systems. But system complexity, immersion and realism, for me it's the 737.
I'm biased towards the Boeing, I prefer the FMC layout they have, as well as the flow and cockpit layout. In terms of quality, PMDG wins hands down in terms of system simulation, I remember Airbus X was sort of a decent stop-gap until the FlightSim Labs A320 came out. In terms of likability, I find the 737 much more of a pilots aircraft, with switches, and knobs rather than the A320's push buttons, as well as being more enjoyable to fly. The 320 just feels very sterile.
For some reason me and Airbus didn't really see eye to eye, I found it was sometimes a little buggy. But that was a little while ago now, so perhaps they've fixed errors. I joined Virtual Ryanair, to get real life routes, and I can't be happier. I've stuck to the PMDG 737 because for me it's as complex or as simple as I want it to be. Of course, PMDG also has the option for service-based failures, so the longer you fly the aircraft the more likely you are to have a failure of sorts [always keeps things interesting], whats more Ryanair has some really odd airports which don't have ILS facilities, so its either visual or VOR approaches.
Plus, at the moment there is a great YouTube channel called FlightDeck2Sim, he's a real world Ryanair pilot who makes really good tutorials on real procedures in the PMDG 737.