PMDG 777X and FSUIPC ground friction modification

[JohnsonPBX 8]

Hello all. Having bought the aircraft less than two days ago and still reading the documentation, I was told about Pete Dowson's FSUIPC ground friction mod ("patchsim1friction=Yes" if it rings any bell), and tried it. So far I did like it as taxiing seems more realistic and the break-away thrust required to get the aircraft moving is lower (guess that's how it's supposed to be in real life). In light weights it only takes up to 1-2% of N1 thrust above idle to get the aircraft moving, and if returned to idle thrust, the aircraft keeps mover for way longer than it did on the default friction model.

 

Now, leaving aside the fact that in FSX all airports are flat (as far as I know there's zero slope in either aprons or runways), and considering that all the 777X development team and beta testers are well experienced people (and some even real pilots), in your personal opinion, how realistic (or unrealistic) do you consider this mod? I would like to read opinions and decide wether to leave it installed or just delete it since even though I've flown in a real A320 cockpit twice and watched the process closely, it's not the same being and observer than actually driving the plane. That and the fact that we're talking about two totally different planes. 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

P.D.: Yes, I did use the search function but all posts I found are from the time the mod was just released, so I didn't find a solid, concluding opinion derived from exhaustive testing. Didn't find any regarding the 777X specifically either.

[jcomm 5,919]

Yes !

 

Using DynamicFriction LUA script too with the best results :-)

[EmileB 15]

I haven't purchased the 777 yet, but will most certainly do so once I consider myself sufficiently proficient with PMDG's other marvels the 737 NGX and the JS4100.  But thank you very much for drawing attention to this feature.  I've already installed the frictions lua plug-in and will try it out with the NGX first.  Of course I don't know how realistic the feature is, but if it alleviates the problem of having to apply considerable break-away thrust then that alone will be worth it - not to mention the all-too-quick slowing down after reducing thrust to idle again once moving.

[ozflyer 2]

Where do I get Pete Dowson's ground friction mod ?.

 

I already own a licensed copy of fsuipc.

[spearmint_flyer 579]

I would like to get this as well

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[krazyk 157]

Don't have it myself but a quick search on Google provided this download link : http://fsuipc.simflight.com/beta/Lua_Plugins_07July.zip

Extracted from : http://forum.simflight.com/topic/68257-latest-lua-package-for-fsuipc-and-wideclient/

[hopskip 253]

How does it affect skidding sideways in a crosswind at touchdown?

 

brake effectiveness?

 

Takeoff performance?

 

My experience in FSX is if you fix one thing, you break other things. Paint me skeptical.

[3-2-1-Now 126]

How does it affect skidding sideways in a crosswind at touchdown?

 

brake effectiveness?

 

Takeoff performance?

 

My experience in FSX is if you fix one thing, you break other things.

You are correct. Landing distance is increased, takeoff distance is reduced.

 

What really needs fixing is the drag of a shutdown engine. Single engine taxi thrust is stupid compared to two-engine taxi. MS must have based the physics upon the atmosphere of Mercury. Same applies to the MD-11 - two engine taxi requires more overall thrust than three-engine taxi. :huh:

 

Best regards,

Robin.

[Tabs 2,790]

We did not code the aircraft to use any friction hacks. If you mess with that you're potentially going to see things that don't behave the way we intended as far as braking, takeoff distance etc.

[NGXfanatic 85]

We did not code the aircraft to use any friction hacks. If you mess with that you're potentially going to see things that don't behave the way we intended as far as braking, takeoff distance etc.

Thanks for the reply to the OP's post Ryan.  I was holding off on using this edit until I heard what PMDG had to say.  I was afraid it would mess up something in the already finely tuned flight and ground dynamics, and sure enough my suspicions are confirmed. 

 

I will say, it appears PMDG have addressed the FSX friction bug, as I find this addon requires less constant thrust adjustments to maintain taxi speed, and I swear it's so much easier to taxi during turns and maintain 5 kts when I pull into a gate parking spot.  Anyone else notice a marked improvement in the ground friction model in the 777? 

[3-2-1-Now 126]

Yes. The 777 handles beautifully on the ground. B)

 

Best regards,

Robin.

[tcas_climb 45]

It is indeed a joy to taxi, I find myself crawling around on the taxiways at 10 to 15kts whereas in the NG, pshh I'm doing 20 to 30 on straight taxiways with my shades on and an arm out the Window, they definitely made the 777 feel big.

[jcomm 5,919]

Well, I am sure PMDG designed the T7 with the limitations imposed by MSFS's default friction scalars in mind, but the fact is that using that DynamicFriction lua script - it comes with FSUIPC in the library of example LUA scripts, and you just have to enable it in the FSUIPC.ini file - is causing no problems at all, at least as far as my testing goes.

 

The T7 correctly moves at lower GWs when I relase the parking brake, and requires a touch of throttle when heavier. The fact that this friction "fix" also corrects the sideways friction turns, not only for the T7 but for any aircraft in FSX, operations under crosswinds more plausible.

 

I am yet to find any incompatbility between this fix, in it's "dynamic" mode, and the T7, or any other add-on I use :-)

[ArjenVdv 190]

Here's an idea.

PMDG includes this ground friction model within the installer just like they did with RAAS, and develop the take-off and landing distance and everything else involved, with this tweak in mind.

Currently we break something else if we install this, but of course there's a way to get both...

[tcas_climb 45]

Is there a way to measure how much this fix would change the takeoffs and landing distances?