[Nik Efimov]

OK gents, let's be honest with each other.

There is a lot of speculation on possible release date and project status lately. I would like to address key issues.

Number 1: Are we on vacation? Have we stopped working?
This could not be farther from the truth. We are in full swing, and just had a pleasure of welcoming new dev. team members to the company. We will definitely not be getting any vacations until after the release.

Number 2: Why can't we announce the release date?
We are not going to announce a release date until perhaps 1-2 weeks away from it. We will not be giving any 'timeframes' as unforseen circumstances tend to arise and ruin the plans (let's note it's the first project of this kind and complexity for our company). Lots of these 'circumstances' arise from the fact that we want to provide maximum realism - and sometimes we need to re-do a system once or twice to make it good.

Number 3: What state is the project on? What major systems are left to do?
Because everything is so tied together, many major systems won't be 100% complete until the last stage of development (for instance, we cannot finish off EIS without having fully functional FMGS, we can't finish ECAM until we've finished all the systems it covers (and that's essentially the whole airplane)). Does this mean that EIS and ECAM are at Zero State? No it doesn't. Are they finished? No they aren't. We are now concentrating on FMGS, FAC, FBW (which will be Mk III for us, as we want it to be perfect), and small items (TCAS, COMM, FIRE, COND...)

Number 4: So, the release will be in 2029?
Please understand that we are a business. We want to get our A320 out as soon as we can. It is not in our interest to hold the release off until 2029, or even 2009. I am also pretty sure it's not in the interest of the consumers either.

Questions? Let's hear em.

[OSA330]

Thanks for the update, Nik, it's very appreciated. Mk. III of FBW? Man, that's going to be one seriously good simulation.

I can't believe you actually gave us a status report -- now that's customer support at it's best!

A question, though: Are you still planning on releasing the manuals before the release? IIRC, you mentioned they were going to be released ~4 weeks before the release. Is this still the plan?

[panos95]

Thanks for the update! I just hope you manage to release it before September, because in September schools start and I won't have time to play with the flight simulator

[carl]

Nik Efimov, on Jul 4 2008, 07:36 AM, said:

Questions? Let's hear em.

Can't think of any at the moment.

Statement: Thankyou for the update!

Carl

[luca90]

thank you nik

[Nik Efimov]

Manuals are scheduled to be released from 1 to 2 weeks before release.

[jaguado]

Thanks for the update Nik.

[Tim Herman]

Thank you for the update, Nik! Sounds fantastic!

Tim

[James]

Thanks, Nik!
Just a question: how is the weather radar development going? Are you managing to get a realistic behaviour, where the areas drawn on the wxr screen match the areas outside with rain and then with clouds?

[thepilot]

Thanks for this update Nik
Hope you can release the bus within the next 6 months. Wish you all the best.

James:
It was said that they can only go as far as FS permits it (perform a search for details).
My idea would be that the weather radar interacts with ActiveSky for a more precise weather representation on the ND.
Just a thought for the future, though
Don't want to slow down the development by any means

[rondon9897]

I'm waiting for a birthday present, so hopefully the 'bus will be a pleasing gift for me.

This is an excellent project and looks utterly superb.

3 questions:

1) Will the Virtual cockpit be ready by the first release?

2) Will emergencies and failures be simulated (such as engine fire systems) by first release?

3) Will the PFD colours be changed by first release ( I'm a real world A320 pilot and they look a little 'off-colour')

Thank you so much for the update, it's really appreciated.

All the VERY best to you Airsimmers guys.

I am a RW A320 pilot, so if the Airsimmers guys do need any info/help/data, I'm ready to help and/or look up in my FCOM.

CJ

[thepilot]

I'll give a try.

1) Yes
2) Partly yes, more to follow in future updates
3) Was recently discussed, should be corrected in time.

[OSA330]

rondon9897, on Jul 5 2008, 12:19 PM, said:

I'm waiting for a birthday present, so hopefully the 'bus will be a pleasing gift for me.

This is an excellent project and looks utterly superb.

3 questions:

1) Will the Virtual cockpit be ready by the first release?

2) Will emergencies and failures be simulated (such as engine fire systems) by first release?

3) Will the PFD colours be changed by first release ( I'm a real world A320 pilot and they look a little 'off-colour')

Thank you so much for the update, it's really appreciated.

All the VERY best to you Airsimmers guys.

I am a RW A320 pilot, so if the Airsimmers guys do need any info/help/data, I'm ready to help and/or look up in my FCOM.

CJ

Read this post for more info on the failure engine.

Here is a picture of the updated colors on the PFD.

[Avion-airfrance]

Thank you very much for this update Nik

No questions , I let you work on the most beautiful plane in the World : Airbus A320


Bye

Avion-AirFrance

[Jason D'Ambrosio]

Are you guys Planning a Electronic Chart viewer like most Airbuses have now days?

[Matt]

Jason D, on Jul 7 2008, 03:32 AM, said:

Are you guys Planning a Electronic Chart viewer like most Airbuses have now days?

From the posts I've seen here and from the website feature list, some of the functions of that device will be programmed as stand alone apps, but I don't believe they will be accessed from within FS itself. Nik may wish to correct me on that though.

FS doesn't lend itself to being a 'shell' for other complex applications, which is why you often need a good machine to run a given advanced add-on, as it is effectively a program within a program. If you add an Electronic Chart view to the A320 itself, you now have a program running within a program running within ANOTHER program, the processing demands would be pretty high as a result, unless it were done through the native FS kneeboard maybe.

Rendering a PDF of a chart in the VC, say for example, would be a very big drain on most machines!

[Kazin]

Nik Efimov, on Jul 4 2008, 04:36 AM, said:

It is not in our interest to hold the release off until 2029, or even 2009. I am also pretty sure it's not in the interest of the consumers either.

Questions? Let's hear em.

Hello Nik, by this we can assume that airsimmer intend to release this year, but can be longer than expected (2009 or 2010 for example).

So we can assume that your team will give all your efforts to release until december 31 2008?

Right? Sorry but you ask for questions and my english skills give me some doubts about the meaning of this sentence.

Thks.

[jaguado]

Kazin, on Jul 7 2008, 06:37 AM, said:

Nik Efimov, on Jul 4 2008, 04:36 AM, said:

It is not in our interest to hold the release off until 2029, or even 2009. I am also pretty sure it's not in the interest of the consumers either.

Questions? Let's hear em.

Hello Nik, by this we can assume that airsimmer intend to release this year, but can be longer than expected (2009 or 2010 for example).

So we can assume that your team will give all your efforts to release until december 31 2008?

Right? Sorry but you ask for questions and my english skills give me some doubts about the meaning of this sentence.

Thks.

What he is saying, in plain words is that the sooner they release it, the sooner the investment in money and time will start to pay off. It's not in their interest to delay it so long.

[thepilot]

Basically it's just like before!
They try to get it out ASAP but I think it's obvious that this won't happen 'very' soon.

[team32S]

Thank you Nik for this update, appreciated.