Ultimate Airlines Super MD-80 review

by mark.avey on May 2, 2008

This is a review of Flight 1’s Ultimate Airlines Super MD-80 by Jessica Bannister-Pearce.

Airliners are complex creatures. There’s a reason that it takes years of training and thousands of flight hours to be fully proficient in any given airliner. Yet as avid flight simmers, we demand the same level of complexity that a Captain experiences on a daily basis, brought to our home computers. From start up to shut down and all points in between, we seek to emulate the Captains and co-pilots without any of the costs and training. That’s where Ultimate airlines Super MD-80 comes in.

The MD-80 was simply the old DC-9 stretched and renamed, so called because the aircraft was to be in service by 1980. Technically it was designated the DC-9-80. To confuse matters, the model that replaced the MD-80 was the DC-9-50. It was an extremely popular aircraft with pilots and airlines, which offered high levels of reliability and a wonderfully quiet cabin thanks to its rear mounted engines. Ultimate Airlines Super MD-80 gives us all of that.

So where do we start? Lets begin with the packaging. What you get for your money is the usual DVD box, CD and several printed books. One is simply a catalogue of current releases, but of more interest were the installation manual along with a handy A3 size, double sided poster showing every switch on every panel, with a description of each one. (Believe me, this will be a godsend later on). Also included is the full 284- page aircraft operations manual in PDF format. You can find this tucked away in the Flight 1 folder in the start menu. Installation was simple and painless, with the installer giving us the option of both FSX and FS2004 versions of the aircraft.

Once flight sim has started, choosing the MD-80 is a little different than normal. Instead of the usual selecting of the aircraft from the front menu, we have to first load a default aircraft like the old Cessna 172, shut it down and then change the aircraft via the aircraft settings on the menu bar. This has something to do with the loading of the 2D panels within flight sim itself. Once done, we’re presented with a welcome screen telling us how to get started. This can be switched off once you’re used to the aircraft, but annoyingly the menu pops up every time you start a flight for the first time.

Welcome aboard!

The Cockpit

The CoolSky/Flight 1 team have thought about a great many things when producing this add-on, and one of the things they’ve thought about is how to select the various panels. Traditionally we use Shift+1, +2 etc, to select the overhead panel, or we use the various buttons on the flight deck, just like the default aircraft. CoolSky/Flight 1 have gone one better however by giving us a sidebar menu on the left of the screen. Normally hidden from view, bringing the mouse to the top left hand corner shows a little blue arrow, and by hovering over it, the side bar menu is displayed. Panels are graphically displayed as large thumbnails, making it much easier to select the right panel. This is a great idea in my opinion, and it does reduce the need for the keyboard. Also included in the menu, are several extra options, including V-speed charts, training centre, (more on this in a moment) and the dispatch centre. All are shown as thumbnails, just like the panels. The dispatch centre is certainly comprehensive.

Pick your panels from the menu on the side.

Rather than the standard weight per crew, per passenger and fuel, you’re given near ultimate control over your passengers, baggage and cargo. Increasing the number of passengers decreases the number of seats available. The seat assignments are random (just as in real life). There’s a handy randomise setting to help load out the flight if you haven’t really got a clue how many passengers you want to carry. You can also do the same thing to the fuel tanks, although randomising the fuel load seems like playing Russian roulette to me! The number of passengers and amount of fuel of course are extremely important to the Centre of Gravity calculations, more so than the old reliable B737. You’ll need the C of G to set the rear stabiliser for take-off. The figure is shown on the bottom of the dispatch centre screen.

Seat 25a Sir, May I take your coat?

There are problems here however. Using the dispatch centre can be a little hit and miss, with random crashes of flight sim happening when clicking the update FS button. This, I’ve discovered has to do with loading flight plans prior to choosing the MD-80 from the menu. To get around this, you need to select your airport without loading the flight plan until after the Dispatch centre has updated flight sim. Also, Vista users will need to turn off the User Account Control, or the new figures won’t be loaded in and you’ll be left staring at the screen waiting for the 2D panels to reload.

The Panels are all faithfully recreated, to a good standard, however some of the switch labels seemed a little blurry, requiring a closer look at the screen. There are also a myriad of internal views to choose from, including both captain and co-pilot views from two angles, plus an all over view from the back of the cockpit. The Virtual Cockpit is beautifully rendered, and is for flying a visual approach. Frame rates were surprisingly good, considering my middle of the road graphics card (A 256Mb Radeon HD2600XT) with figures generally exceeding 30 fps even in VC mode, dropping to around a still flyable 14-16 fps near the ground.

Waiting for the passengers

Exterior

The exterior of the aircraft is excellent, with moving panels such as flaps, slats, spoilers and gear all moving smoothly and realistically. A personal favourite are the reverse thrust buckets. Seeing the large buckets deployed just looks great. One grumble however is the lack of liveries for the MD-80. There are just 5 supplied, only 3 of which were familiar to me. FS2004 pilots get a few more from the CD-Rom. Thinking of this though, CoolSky have given us a repaint program for FS2004 (An FSX version can be downloaded from Flight1’s Website) so at least we get to add our own. The really good news is there are more than enough repaints out there on the web to satisfy anyone. Still it would have been nice to have few more liveries to choose from on the disc.

Exterior surfaces doing what they do best

Getting Started

This is not an aircraft that you can simply jump in and go, and as such you’d think that the novice pilot may be frightened off before even attempting a flight. CoolSky/Flight 1 have again given this some thought however, so off to the training centre we go.

Clicking on the training centre from the sidebar menu brings up 3 choices. Firstly we have the Checklist trainer, followed by the Procedures trainer, and finally the automatic aircraft configuration selector. Selecting the Checklist trainer, we’re presented with several choices, from Pre-engine start to Post flight shut down. Starting at the beginning we’re taken to the 2D cockpit. In the bottom right hand corner sits a new window displaying the appropriate checklist item with a description of what setting to place the switch or lever into. In the cockpit, a yellow arrow also points to the required switch or lever. In general this works well, but in trying to look good and be somewhat atmospheric, the font style is similar to an old typewriter. This means that the text display in the checklist window can be difficult to read at times. You can however select a different font from the options menu that is much easier to read. The Procedure trainer works in much the same way as the checklist trainer, taking you through the procedures from the Originating Pre flight checklist (Set aside around 10 to 20 minutes for this one!) to Engine shutdown. Finally the Automatic aircraft configuration menu lets you set the aircraft to any phase of the flight without the extra work of checklists. So for those who’ve only got time for a quickie, this is for you.

Follow the yellow Arrow, for it shall show you the way

Navigation

For pilots of the newer heavies, the MD-80 may seem a little different. There’s no FMC. Two separate computers control navigation and performance. The PMS (Performance Management Computer) deals with the fuel, weight and speed of the flight. This can be used in conjunction with the autopilot in lieu of the IAS hold button. Meanwhile the ONS (Omega Navigation System) is more like the forerunner of today’s FMC. There aren’t any flight plans pre-loaded into the computer as standard, So each individual flight plan needs to loaded from an existing plan in Flight sim. This differs a little from normal. You first need to create a flight plan as normal, but when you save it, it must be done with a specific file name. (E.g. EGFF-EGLL-12345) the last set of numbers being the flight number, to a maximum of 5 digits. (If you don’t save the plan like this it won’t be found.) Then, entering the Departure and destination airports in the ACARS control unit, along with the flight number, primes the ONS for switch on and loading of the plan. From there it’s the same as flying with an FMC via the autopilot. Think of the MD-80 as a Hybrid, stuck between the steam-powered aircraft like the old B727, and the modern Jets like the B777.

Autopilot

The autopilot or Digital Flight Guidance System is both familiar and seemingly more complex than the standard B737 system. The standard buttons are still there, but there are several functions that were new to me. The ‘Perf’ button for example engages the PMS in flying the aircraft, with it determining cruising speeds, climbs and descents. I found I preferred using this function as opposed to the standard ‘Alt hold’ ‘Vert Speed’ and even the ‘speed hold’ buttons. Of course you have to program the unit first to use it. The ‘Nav’ Function works with the ONS and the ILS and autoland systems work well, Mirroring today’s VNAV and LNAV functions.

The exterior modelling is second to none

Flying

Once you’ve gotten used to the procedures, checklists and other such things, the actual flying seems like a relief. When finally the time comes for take off, you advance the throttles and a welcome whoosh from the Pratt and Whitney engines greets your ears. CoolSky/Flight 1 recommend a top quality sound card, such as the excellent Soundblaster X-Fi, to get the most out of the built in sounds. And they’re not wrong. As you accelerate down the runway, your co-pilot calls out your speed, before you lift of a V2 and accelerate to V2+10 (again all called out by your friendly neighbourhood co-pilot) the gear comes up and at 1000 feet you retract the flaps and slats as you continue to climb. My favourite sounds come when deploying the speed brakes in the air or lowering the gear. The roar of the air over the wings sounds great. What struck me was how stable the whole aircraft felt, along with the sheer amount of power available to you. At full power the aircraft can easily accelerate to over speed, even in a climb, so watch that ASI. The Cruise is simple and quiet. Once you begin your descent you’ll need to watch your speed again, as in a clean configuration the aircraft is quite like a greasy weasel. It’s at low speeds though, that the MD-80 impressed me. With full flaps and slats, gear down and the throttles at ¾’s the MD-80 remains gentle and easily controllable. Even at full throttle the airspeed doesn’t reach over 200 knots. The result of this is one of the easiest, smoothest landings I’ve ever made, and with full reverse, full spoilers and brakes the MD-80 stops well before a trip through the grass. One thing to beware of is that when switching from reverse to Idle, the aircraft will move forward as the reversers lock back into place. (So Brakes are a must, especially if getting push back via reverse thrust. A legitimate manoeuvre I might add.)

Now that’s a great view. It just shows the level of detail Flight 1/CoolSky have put in to this aircraft

Conclusion

So what do I think of the MD-80. I can sum it up in one word - Excellent. CoolSky/Flight 1 has done an excellent job of providing on of the most complex simulations I’ve seen. Every aircraft system is modelled, and yet it never allows the complexity to overwhelm you, providing you with guides and help all along the way. Some things have to be done a little differently than we’re use to, but Both Vista and FSX run differently than many developers were used to, so the workarounds here allow us to enjoy this classic aircraft. The inclusion of the full aircraft manual is a real bonus, and I urge you to print it out and study it to really get the best out of this fantastic aircraft. Added to this package, although not mentioned yet, is the fantastic support provided by CoolSky. The forums are friendly and the development team provides support quickly. Personally I liked this aircraft so much, it’s now my default choice amongst my fleet. Flying in the 1980’s never looked or felt so much fun.

Pros