For those who missed this announcement ....

[calypso]

A great simulation of a wonderful classic is about to be further improved.

Among the countless improvements, it will also be possible to select special cockpit bitmaps for those of us using wide screens.

One of the best freeware add-ons is just about to get even better.

http://www.protu-154.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8804

[ravilamir]

Yuppi! That's the best news for sometime!

To add to the list of features, there's an interactive checklist, all engineering systems are modeled and a Czech version. All bundled with a 250 page manual in English! That makes the TU-154M the most sophisticated plane for FS.9.

Here it is a teaser on You Tube:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EpTlpWf0YgI

Soft landings!

[cstorey]

What a horrible misuse of Smetana's music!

[calypso]

What a horrible misuse of Smetana's music!

Huh!?

Czech poster on youtube using music by a Czech composer.

Your volume control is your friend.

[ravilamir]

What's wrong with the music? :dance:
Here it is another about the older Tu-154b2:http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oDTpevBl15E :flying:

[Nigel H-J]

That looks absolutely wonderful but.......think I will be struggling to come to terms with trying to decipher what's what on the panels....unless there is an English version without having to resort to the manual every time I need to select something!!

Nigel.

[ravilamir]

Hi Nigel,

You don't need to know what's written on the panels, only what is their function and when to use them. I don't know a word of Russian, I only memorized when to use a certain switch and the order they should be used.
There will be an English manual (250 page) and there is already a 200 page one for the TU-154b2. If you read it, you'll find that to learn how to operate this aircraft, and any other, is just a question of training. The 3 Navigational Systems (an aspect that distinguishes Russian planes from others), that is VOR (both NAV 1 and NAV2 can be used by the autopilot, a feature not seen in western planes), GPS (fully customizable) and NVU (Autonomous Navigational System, uses measured distance and "fork", that is True heading) are very easy to use once you know their basic functions.
And remember that a Tupolev Captain was not made in one day... ;-)

Soft Landings! (possible with the help of your 3 man crew!)

[Nigel H-J]

Many thanks Ricardo, looks like it is going to be a very long OCU course but what the hell, that is one nice looking aircraft with brilliant panels

Nigel.

[calypso]

And a very helpful forum in case you get stuck.

[Gypsy Baron]

That looks absolutely wonderful but.......think I will be struggling to come to terms with trying to decipher what's what on the panels....unless there is an English version without having to resort to the manual every time I need to select something!!

Nigel.

A couple of years ago, in FS9, I was struggling with this same issue
on a Russian aircraft I had D\L'd. ( May have been an earlier version
of this one ). -- just looked...PT TU-154 B2

My solution was to make copies of the cockpit bitmaps and using
PSP add English translations or notes. I then created pop-up
windows in the panel.cfg file that allowed me to "call up" these
"cheat sheets" at the touch of an icon ( also cutom made ).

One that was particularly handy was the "check list" in the form
a numbers placed on the various switches\controls in the order
they were called out in the text version.

This method got me flying an otherwise very daunting aircraft

Paul ( looking forward to the FSX version! )

Ahah....here it is in JPG form.....

http://www.cris.com./~pstrogen/temp/Check_List.jpg