A340 Professional Add-On for FS 2002/2004 (PC CD)

This is a rather detailed add on for Microsofts FS2002/FS2004. It models both the Airbus A330 and 340 aircraft which is because the cockpits and systems are mostly the same. These planes are aimed at serious simmers rather than the Flite type of package that Just Flight also provides which is less systems intensive (the Airbus 340/500 & 600 are available in Flite form). This add on is from the time when you got printed material rather than pdf files. The manual is detailed but at 68 pages too short to give a little background into the various systems described. There are no references to commands in FS2004 or the practical application of many of these systems. There just isn't enough explanation for my liking and it is rather tedious. There are pdf tutorials for four flights however. This means there is a long and difficult learning curve that may require research on the internet. Like many but not all FS2004 add ons it is possible to start with all systems running and fly. These aircraft use fly-by-wire systems in which the pilots inputs are monitored and may be overidden if he attempts unauthorised manoeuvres and this is modeled. Unfortunately this product has a few problems. One area that feels wrong to me is the stall behavior. Sometimes after the stall the aircraft seem to behave very oddly with violent pitching and nose down motions. This is difficult to believe as realistic especially with high fuel loads (100 tonnes of fuel) on the A340. One of FS2004's features is the ability to save flights. Unfortunately with this add on panel states are not saved. If you save a flight and then reload it later, the aircraft loads but the glass instrument panels are now blank in the 2D and 3D cockpit. Since the Airbus is a modern aircraft virtually all the information is in these panels. This does add to the realism in that effectively you have to fly the whole flight in one go. This might not bother some who just leave their PC on overnight but I prefer saving flights for learning and experimentation or due to lack of time. If you try accelerating time the autopilot and fly by wire can't keep up which leads to a stall/crash. This add on is a qualty product and simulates the A330/340 very well and is far better than FSX's default Airbus but has elements that detract from the overall enjoyment.For:Detailed systems modelling of Airbus A330 and A340Detailed external modelsAttempts to model fly-by-wireAgainst:Panel states not savedStall modelling questionableRequires large user effort to understand

I have just recently bought this game and installed it onto my FS2004, its a dream, loads of added liveries and the A340 and A330 are brilliant aircrafts to control. I'll say it again recommended add-on for either FS2004 OR FS2002, however if you do get a problem with your FS after installing the game you may need to either update your FS or update you FSUIPC, or perhaps even update both. Both can be found on the internet very easily and once I personally installed these the game worked fine and the add on worked fine.

This is just right for the airline pilot who, after being forced to quit the job through illness, seeks to recapture the magical tedium of programming a flight computer (something that can take longer than the actual flight)."The preferred route for our flight is:ARTHR V320 ECK J94 FNT PMM4For those not familiar with this format [!], ARTHR is the first waypoint or intersection after takeoff from TorontoV320 is a low altiude airway which joins ARTHR to the ECK VORhowever in between ARTHR and ECK along the runway are several waypointsCEFOR,,HENSL,,FRUMP,,ECK23between ECK and FNT is J94 which is a high altitude airwaythe Airbus MCDU allows for LAT REV from waypoints..."- from page 16 of a 42 page tutorial flight. The plane finallyleaves the runway at page 30.I'm sure that all this could be very useful to someone who plans to earn a living flying advanced wide-bodied passenger jets.TERRAIN! DON'T SINK! RETARD! RETARD!

Exactly what it says in the title, professional! An outstanding and frilling add-on for Microsoft’s Flight Simulator (FS2002 and FS2004 ONLY!).If you are like me and you are not a pilot in reality but have a big interest in the Airbus A340 and A330 series, I recommend you get this. Though you will find that you will have to motivate yourself in reading the manual to work out how to navigate and use the on board computers to put in your flight plan and work out where your heading has to be set.If you are a pilot in reality and have some background knowledge or even if you actually fly this aircraft then you will easily get straight into flying it.Before buying this I was hoping to get an aircraft where you have to do that little bit more in flight, rather than just sit back and watch the auto-pilot do just about everything else for you.When I had finished installing it (which didn’t take long), I went straight into a flight from Los Angeles to Seattle, flying past St. Helens. Stuck at the gate I had no idea where to start. So got the manual out, looked around the views of the cockpit (left, right, Up at the top panel) began to wonder what each and every switch did. Found it easy finding all the instruments but when looking on the top panel, it gave me things like ‘Bleed’, ‘X-Feed’. These were things that I as a non-commercial pilot was not familiar with. From reading the manual it did explain about the ‘X-Feed’ having something to do with the fuel transfer system, and then ‘Bleed’ having something to do with the airflow around the plane.The thing that I liked best about this package is that it interacts with Flight Simulator in ways you wouldn’t normally get from aircraft you can download or even those that you buy on CD. I found that the flight plan could be interacted into the on-board computer, and from there you are able to plot headings and even fly a straight ILS approach with the touch of one button on the panel you get given.In the main cockpit you find that the views are like the default accept for the top panel where you are able to control the lights, fuel flow and consumption, and others like the airflow around the aircraft. You can also find the controls for the wipers here, which are animated and do actually get rid of the water droplets on the windows when it rains. You are able to zoom primary instruments so you can see the data more easily, which I found helpful – especially when on final at your landing destination.Summary: If you want a challenge then buy it, it is defiantly worth the price and has more advantages than disadvantages (one being that you may want to consult the manual to get an idea of where all the controls are and how to use the computer system fully).The animation of the flashing lights, wipers, engines and gear is outstanding. The graphics are well done and designed bringing out all 41 liveries in true colour. The cargo and passenger doors can add the excitement of loading and unloading while you go through the shut down procedure.The only disappointment which I thought brought this down to 4 stars was that Just Flight forgot to include the References and Checklists AGAIN!– This I have found them to do occasionally and they need to do some research and get them put into the add-ons!I downloaded some checklists here:[...]Has both A330 and A340!If not then please get in contact with me: Tall_Guy_Pete@hotmail.com