X-Plane 9.40 Beta-6 is here now!
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
This is an optimized build again, o it should run fast!
 
Grab it and let me know how it goes!
 
austin
 
New stuff:
 
Autopilot:
Alt will not arm when you do the arm-alt command if the glideslope is  
already engaged.
This is as most real airplanes behave.
 
New engine-failure mode: Thrust-reverser accidental-deploy... can be a  
tricky one to deal with.
 
If you do NOT have the 'altitude tracks aircraft when CWS is held'  
checked in Plane-Maker, then X-Plane will NOT track
your altitude when CWS is held... but it WILL track your vertical  
speed! This as the way some real autopilots behave.
 
Improved EGT, TIT, and engine-braking modeling based on flight-test in  
the real plane.
 
No more NAV signal wandering around near the edge of reception range.
It seems that most modern systems can filter this out, in reality.
 
Fuel burn should go with ground coverage speed now.

New X-Plane USB key available for $29!
 
OK a number of people are tired of having an X-Plane DVD in the drive  
for copy protection.
SOOOOOOO, I have introduced a new product for you: The level-1 X-Plane  
USB key.
 
When X-Plane finds this USB key in a USB slot, it will NOT check for a  
DVD, but instead accept the USB key as proof-of-purchase.
The keys are only $29, so I am making this affordable.
 
Get the new X-Plane level-1 USB key from the X-Plane store... http://www.x-plane.com/pg_store.html
 
 
austin

First of all: Our re-supply cost on the level-1 USB keys to avoid the  
DVD-copy check is running about $30 per unit (!!!!!!!) so I have  
pulled the product until we can get our cost-of-goods down a little  
below $29... if we can do that, then I will re-introduce the level-1  
USB key option at the $29 price-point to avoid having the DVD in the  
drive. I don't want to raise the price of the USB keys to be HIGHER  
than the DVDs, but the DVD duplication costs run about $7 for a copy  
of X-Plane, and the USB keys run about $30 per unit... so the $29  
price-point on the keys is.... problematic.
 
Of course X-Plane is worth $99/copy or more (a price-point at which I  
could easily include a USB key with each copy!), BUT the retail  
outlets only accept low-price-point software (for us, $29!!!!), so  
THAT is what has driven X-Plane pricing so absurdly low. And a $29  
price on a piece of software don't work too well for a key that costs  
me $30 to buy from the manufacturer! I am seeing if I can get a better  
deal on the keys now so I can make this work at the $29 price point..  
once you have used a USB key to unlock X-Plane, it is really clumsy to  
go back to that DVD!
 
(Note: To anyone that might suggest that I move my production to  
China, farm out tech-support to India, or out-source shipping to  
Mexico to lower the cost: DON'T. We get our USB keys from Maryland,  
DVDs from Fort Mill South Carolina, Tech Support from Randy Witt in  
Kansas, and shipping from Mike Brown in Columbia, South Carolina. And  
as for the price: You can afford $29 to $59 easily. This product will  
continue to be made in America, despite any ill-conceived advice to  
the contrary).
 
So, enough ranting there... I just want to point out the fallacy of  
any suggestion (which has been made) that I move my production to  
China (it ain't gonna happen), and say that I am working to get the  
manufacturing price point down as low as I can get it here in the USA  
so I can re-introduce the level-1 keys at the low $29 price-point.
 
And now, on with the show!
 
X-Plane 9.40 Beta-7 is here for Mac, Windows, and Linux!
 
Grab it at:
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
AND JUMP ON THE TESTING! THIS BUILD IS GETTING VERY CLOSE TO RC-1!!!!  
NOW IS GETTING CLOSE TO YOUR LAST CHANCE TO TEST BEFORE WE FINALIZE!
 
austin
 
NEW FEATURES:
New plane-maker autopilot option: Adjust alt hold when pitch buttons  
on autopilot pushed. If you have this option, then the nose up and  
nose down commands will adjust the held altitude if you are in  
altitude-hold mode when you send them.
 
New Plane-Maker option: Auto-feather the prop on mixture-pull, as used  
in some prop planes.
 
New plane-maker autopilot option: Go to pitch mode on altitude arm.  
Some old autopilots do this.
 
Cool new command: Reset last flight... Available in the advanced  
buttons settings. This resets the last flight you did.
 
REFINEMENTS:
 
Vacuum system gives annunciator lite and lo-vac flag if the vacuum  
system falls below the lo-end vacuum REDLINE, not the green arc!
Set the lo-end vacuum redline accordingly in Plane-Maker.
 
Better weather reports for airports that you click on in the Low  
Enroute map!
We now scan the METAR file, if you have it, for weather at that  
airport, and give the clouds, visibility, wind, and baro pressure!
 
If you do not have carriers or frigates selected, then the IOS will  
show the autopilot entries in that space instead...
better for pro training!
 
Sim-time and ground-speed multiplier both give on-screen text warnings  
now.
 
Back course and APPROACH annunciators and modes tuned a hair.
 
If you have 2 Garmin 430s in the panel, each can have it's own GPS  
destination. HSI, etc, will follow GPS #1.
 
BUG-FIXES:
 
Airplanes should not appear backwards on the glideslope view in the  
map screen when heading back along on downwind to the ils-intercept.
 
Simulated Garmin-430 commands should all work now.
 
No water tiles shown in orbital view, and less pause when coming out  
of orbit, while we are on the that topic.

X-Plane 9.40 RC-1 is here Mac, Windows, and Linux
 
Grab it here:
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
Now, be advised: This is LABELLED as RC-1, because it is getting VERY  
close to final, but a few more tweaks are likely.
But, if you want to find any bugs to get them solved before the final  
release, THEN YOU ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME... GET THIS RC NOW!
 
As well, I am asked about the TECHNO I listen to while coding, from  
time to time... check it out here!
 
http://www.x-plane.com/adventures/48_techno.html
 
And now the new stuff for RC-1!
 
Oil and fuel pressure modeling improved: Now we simulate both the pump  
and the over-pressure regulator.
This should lead to more accurate simulation of these systems. Be sure  
to set the low and high oil and fuel pressure
green-arc limits in Plane-Maker to really get the best use out of  
these systems, since the simulation I wrote does
tune the pumps to try to keep the pressures in the green-arc range!
 
New instrument: Select/engage vvi/alt, in the autopilot sel/engage  
folder... This is used on the Bendix-King autopilots that used to be  
popular.
 
Making the aircraft out of 1 obj in Plane-Maker will auto-position the  
landing gear for you (rather than making you find the right dataref
to place the gear), which makes things a bit easier to generate  
aircraft objects for airport scenery and the like, with the landing gear
already in the right place.
 
The 'x-mapped file ran out of memory' error that a few of you got  
sometimes should be solved... give it a try now!
Memory use while flying is reduced as well.
 
Airplane named lights can be used for static aircraft - they will stay  
"on" when used for a static plane rather than copying what the user's  
plane does.
As well, there are new datarefs for airplane lights.
 
Panel drawing optimized slightly for a hair more speed.
 
OK grab it and test it!
 
austin

If you are getting crashing on the windows version of X-Plane RC-1,  
then just delete all your EXEs and run the installer again.. we are  
backing it back down to Beta-7 until these issues are resolved. Let  
the installer over-write all files to back you down to Beta-7 in this  
case.

OK LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN!
 
X-Plane 9.41 RC-2 here now...
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com
 
This one SHOULD NOT give any 'x-mapped files out of memory' errors...  
give it a try and let me know!
 
austin

X-Plane 9.40 RC-3 is here for Mac, Windows, and Linux!

http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta

We continue to enhance and refine... this is really getting good now!

We have never been this serious about perfecting and refining the IOS
and map for flight training, and tuning aircraft performance and
instruments to let you make them perfect for flight-training. Grab it
and tell me how it goes!

X-Plane 9.40 RC-4 is here!
 
Mac, Windows, and Linux!
 
Get it here:
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
We are really tuning the heck out of everything to get it all running  
smooth as silk, and totally bug-free, with all the UI tuned and  
perfected, perfecting little details like storing ALL the planes in  
the replays, making buttons for ALL the autopilot functions (if you do  
not have a joystick to assign buttons to get to those functions), and  
things like that... we are really just getting everything tuned to  
perfection for FAA-certification and general use as well!
 
This version is really starting to get PERFECT. There are TONS of new  
FEATURES still to ADD AFTER 9.40, of course, but the feature-set THAT  
WE HAVE NOW is being tuned to perfection!
 
Have at it!
 
austin
 
PS: New stuff:
 
Ever-so-slight tuning of a few bits and pieces of the low enroute map.
 
Subtle difference in Plane-Maker, Engines screen, second tab over: The  
top number is the number of ENGINES, the bottom number is the number  
of PROPS...
This is not QUITE what we had before, where the bottom number WAS the  
number of 'thrust points'... but this is a bit more intuitive, and  
clear, I think.
A few really really ODD designs MAY require updates in Plane-Maker.
 
Improvements in the flight-replay: The flight should be properly saved  
and re-playable no matter how many times you enter and exit replay mode
at various different points in the replay. As well, the flight-replays  
should include ALL the planes that were in flight at the time,
so replay of entire 20-plane formations should be possible!
As well, replay for your flight now lasts about 85 minutes (up from  
about 35 minutes in earlier versions).
BUT, that is assuming you are flying by yourself!
The more planes you have flying with you, the shorter the replay  
duration!
 
New autopilot buttons: Altitude ARM and TOGA... kind of nice!
 
A few more failures in the g-1000 failure-list... lo and hi generator  
and battery voltage...
They live in the g-1000 page for now, but do in fact work for everyone.
 
A few more failures in the failure types tab in the failures screen  
for various engine indications
Now your challenge: can you find any failures that DON'T WORK?
Try failing every indication in that page, and check every engine  
instrument in the sim...
Do all the indications fail, as they should?
And do all SYSTEMS continue to FUNCTION normally, as they should?
 
Gear indicator failure is a bit better... it just fails ONE bulb, as  
is typical in the real plane.
 
Distances and times enroute on the FMS should update just fine.
As well, the plugin APIs for the GPS and FMS have been fixed.
If your GPS, FMS or flight planning plugin does not work in RC4, but  
worked in 931, please file a bug immediately!
As well, a number of other datarefs have been fixed.
 
Annunciator on the screen if FROZEN (different than paused!)

X-Plane 9.40 RC-5 is here now!
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
We continue to fine-tune, and do everything possible to eliminate all
confusion from the aircraft-entry process, and test everything
carefully, tuning and perfecting for a process from aircraft-entry to
FAA-certification with a minimum of confusion or questions, and a good
solid flight and systems model as well.
 
test EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF IN THIS VERSION AND LET ME KNOW HOW
IT GOES!
 
austin
 
Tiny new refinements for RC-5:
 
Small refinements in carb-heat model.
 
Failures-page re-organized a hair... It is really nicely-organized
now, with no redundant failures, but plenty of nice failures to have!
 
Specify the number of batteries, generators, and inverters in the
system window in Plane-Maker... No more guessing based on the number
of switches on the panel! specify if the starter is electric or air-
driven in the systems window in Plane-Maker... No more guessing based
on the starter amperage!

X-Plane 9.40 RC-6 is here now!
 
Only a TINY change from RC-5: It does a better job of deciding the  
number of batteries and generators and inverters for you if you have  
not specified them directly in Plane-Maker Systems screen.
 
It is a tiny change, but one that is needed to make all planes work  
right out of the box without modification. This will solve the problem  
with the electrical systems in some panes being dead in RC-5: Those  
planes had not yet had a number of batteries or generators yet  
specified.
 
GET ON IT AND LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES!
 
austin

X-Plane 940 RC-7 is here Mac, Windows, and Linux!
 
Same as always for 940: I am tuning to get everything we have working
PERFECTLY!
 
grab it here!
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
austin
 
More tuning on DEFAULTING the number of batteries, generators, and
inverters to decent values,
no matter what version, format, and method of controlling these things
you used in the old ACF
files.
 
Prop "feather on fail" a hair better... If you have various 'feather
on engine failure, prop control at min, mixture pulled'
options in Plane-Maker Systems screen checked, the props will fail to
feathered pitch at no oil pressure,
whether on a single or twin, as you probably intend.
 
As well, refinement of things like propeller-rendering and reverse and
beta and reverse pitch
on unusual planes that have a different number of engines than props.

X-Plane 9.40 RC-8 here for Mac, Windows, and Linux!
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
We are continuing to tune and tweak and organize the code to filter  
out any bugs, and making sure that all the EXISTING plugins work with  
the NEW internal structures.
 
New stuff listed below.
 
austin
 
More refinements to the GPS-FMS-Garmin-430 model to make plugins work  
as they always have,
even in the new improved internal organization of the code.
 
Goodway Plugin can program GPS
CAX FMS plugin can program FMS
 
Yet a few more tony enhancements in the "autopilot/autopilot select/  
ott_seldisp_ALT_VVI.png" instrument,
as we make it EXACTLY like the old KAS-297.
 
3-D Panel will animate for complex aircraft like the EC120.
 
Fixed crash on quit on some machines.

X-Plane 9.40 RC-9 is here now!
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
As always, I am doing the job for you for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
 
As with the last 9 RC's, this one further tunes the UI to remove any  
point of confusion anyone has had, and streamline the aircraft-design,  
simulator-build, and simulator-install of any complex, FAA-certified  
copy of X-Plane.
 
This is helping everyone out, of course, because the UI is getting a  
bit more clear, and I am re-organizing the code internally to be more  
robust an have less chance of bugs moving forwards.
 
Here are the specifics for RC-9!
 
austin
 
Planet-map zoom does not affect map zoom, as is probably desired.
 
A hair more internal code re-organization to avoid bugs in the future  
involving many different planes all flying at once.
 
A nice new interface on the serial-port selections on the joystick and  
equipment screen, for things likeGarmin 430 and PFC hardware...
The text indicating what serial device you are listening for flashes  
in the lower-right of the screen if data is coming in to that device.
This is all about getting certifiable sims quickly developed, tested,  
installed, and running... And being able to quickly hook up and
test serial devices is needed for this in many cases, with a nice UI  
showing which serial devices are talking and which ones aren't.

X-Plane 9.40 RC-10 is here now!
 
http://wiki.x-plane.com/Beta
 
I continue to perfect the sim... NOT just in the way it LOOKS, but  
even the code behind the scenes that you DON'T see.... read on!
 
austin
 
OK the FMS and GPS is now really awesome... better than anything you  
have seen before with X-Plane.
Here is the deal: Enter any plan you like into the FMS... The distance  
and time enroute will display at the bottom
from your CURRENT position to whatever the final destination in the  
FMS is... So as you scroll through waypoints in the FMS,
you will see the distance and time from your current location to the  
displayed fix.
Now, while this is going on, if you have a GPS in addition to the FMS,  
the GPS will always display the distance and time
to THE NEXT FIX YOU ARE FLYING TO... No matter what fix you have  
selected in the FMS!
In other words, you can set your FMS to the last fix in the plan to  
see when you will really arrive at the final destination,
while the GPS is displaying the time and distance simply to the next  
fix. All of this runs at the same time, no problem.
As well, you can enter a full FMS plans into the FMS, or, if you like,  
enter direct->to routes into the GPS... the FMS will simply
display that single-leg plan that you just entered into the GPS!
We have had GPS's and FMS's for a long time, but now all the pieces  
fit together just PERFECTLY. This is lots more important than it sounds:
This is what will allow us to easily add even MORE GPS and FMS detail  
in the future! (Something, obviously, we have planned!)
 
Various 'prop feathers on engine-fail/prop-pull/mixture-pull' and  
other odd engine-reverse cases should be perfectly operational.
Emergency engine power is available only after engine failure,  
regardless of how many times you have flown since you started X-Plane.
Spool time for jet engines is back... I THOUGHT we could get by  
without it, but it hurts the SHUT-DOWN spool-down times to take it  
away... so it is back!
Radio altimeter decision-height selection should always move in steps  
of 10, as is probably desired.
Idle-speed switches should be operational in all types of craft.
A few little engine-sync/prop-sync issues should be sorted out... the  
systems should be good for jets, turboprops, recips, etc.
172 autopilot now operational.