Project Tupolev Tu-154M
review
The Tupolev Tu-154 is a medium-range tri-jet airliner and was developed to replace the Tupolev Tu-104. The Tu-154 first flew on October 4, 1968. The first production model was delivered to Aeroflot in 1971 and began commercial service in February 1972. The most successful version was the Tu-154M, a modification that uses more fuel-efficient Soloviev D-30KU-154 turbofans. Together with significant aerodynamic refinement, this led to much lower fuel consumption and therefore longer range, as well as lower operating costs. The Tu-154M first flew in 1982 and production began in 1984. More than 900 Tu-154s have been built when the production ended in 2006.
Project Tupolev's Tu-154M is a very complex and detailed aircraft for FS2004. The package comes with an easy to use installer and includes one (S7 Siberia Airlines) livery. The exterior is very detailed and looks exactly like the real Tu-154M. It has all the usual animations plus many custom animations such as very realistic landing gear behavior, opening passengers/cargo door and APU doors, engine covers when in cold/dark mode, moving pilot heads, smoothly animated wingflex and more. You can choose between a vc and non-vc model and also between a wingtip and non-wingtip model. Unfortunately, the wings/engines are not modeled in the vc mode.
The realism level of this package can be a bit intimidating, especially for new simmers. Almost all systems are simulated and all of them are powered off when you load this aircraft. On top of that, all buttons and switches have Russian text on them. There are English popup tooltips for most of them, but it's still almost impossible to startup the aircraft without reading the manual. This PDF manual counts 262 pages, but it is well written (in English). There is a chapter for a quick start of the aircraft, but that still takes several pages and quite some time.
The panel is very well designed and looks exactly like the real thing. You can access the cockpit systems via several sub-panels. You can also access them in the detailed virtual cockpit. You can save one panel state, so you can save yourself the trouble of starting up the aircraft each time again.
Two tools are included: a navigational calculator and a load manager. The sound package includes many crew voices, all cockpit sounds and the engine sounds. Those engine sounds are great, both internal and external. The typical engine smoke of the Tu-154 seems to be missing, see the notes below for an alternative. Extra liveries are available on the FS Pro Team website and many other are available in the AVSIM Library. The quality of this package absolutely of payware level, it's great that they released it as freeware!
--
the good
the bad
License |
: | Freeware |
Panel |
: | Yes |
Virtual Cockpit |
: | Yes |
Wingview |
: | No |
Sound |
: | Yes |
Developed for |
: | FS2004 |
Compatibility |
: | FS2004 |
Wingflex |
: | Yes, lift based |
Landing gear |
: | Realistic |
Rudder effect |
: | Realistic |
Links
notes
https://www.protu-154.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=138660
on 02/10/2009 at 16:32:06
Wingviews are available separately from avsim.su for example, although don't see why this is bad.There is actually panel load/save function, please read manual carefully. And PT team released v 2.02 version with more realistic and functional FE panel. All in all it is the best freeware product available I have ever seen. And it is better than many payware addons. It can compete with PMDG, LevelD products. Do not recommend it to non-serious simmers. The aircraft itself is very different from western models. It needs to be piloted, not programmed. Also the great feature is that joystick input is processed by its own JOY Service Tool(read manual, ingame msfs joystick should be disabled, configuration of the Joystick Service Tool is mandatory). It adds great realism. Control surfaces depend on hydraulics pressure and also their have totally different response just like in real thing. Also it gives ability to simulate engine thrust in totally different way bypassing MSFS limitations. It gives great experience, you can feel what the job is like to pilot classic era jetliner. And it is very difficult for non-russian simmers. Although it has Checkoslovakian version panel available, at least you won't need to know Cyrillic alphabet.
And smoke effect is not missing. Tu-154M has improved Soloviev engines compared to older and noisier Tu-154-B2 Kuznetsov engines. So it's normal that you don't see smoke trails like it is normal for modern planes.
on 02/10/2009 at 17:36:34
The manual has been read carefully, but no panel state save function has been found. Perhaps you care to share this info with us?The tu-154M is producing more smoke than the 154 version. Clearly visible smoke trails are typical for the 154M.
on 02/11/2009 at 1:33:37
I was wrong about engine smoke of Tu-154M, I apologize for mistake. It generates even more smoke than Tu-154-B2. Smoke effects problem is discussed on support forum, they provide you with advice how to correct that.Panel state Save/Load function is available. Please refer to chapter "5.5ight Load/Save Mode" in manual. In two words, panel state can be stored and loaded via small subpanel that can be accessed via small clickspot between windows.
Highly recommend to download latest 2.02 version as it is much nicer than version 1.
on 02/11/2009 at 6:31:08
Agreed, the Tu-154M is a smoker.Thanks for the info, I've overlooked that chapter. The review has been corrected.
What about those wingviews? I don't see how anyone can mod that since the wings are not modeled in the vc model.
on 02/11/2009 at 15:15:07
Yes, you are right. Previous version of Tu-154M contained Wings in VC. Author of 3D model Denokan removed them in new visual model version. He did this because virtual cockpit became a lot more detailed and complicated and he had to remove them because, as he said, of sim limitations. Here is , for example, one of the threads where this moment was discussed https://www.protu-154.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9950Unfortunately I could not find URL of the previous visual model version with cabin. So you are right, latest version does not have wing views. I did not notice that change since I rarely use wing views.
on 02/15/2009 at 22:46:56
Hi, could you tell me please where do I find the Czech panel for the Tu-154M ? Thanks and regards.on 02/15/2009 at 23:37:03
I wish to make it very plain that I give this Tupolev extremely high marks for detail.HOWEVER....if the Tupolev factory obtained a contract to sell its aircraft to....oh, lets say Delta , can anyone out there HAZARD a GUESS as to the language / labels that Tupolev would be more than happy to put in to its cockpit ???? That is CORRECT.....it would be ENGLISH, on the basis that ENGLISH speaking pilots dont have the REMOTEST idea how to read Russian. For the record, ALL manufactureres do this. And therefore, I would ask for panels that I CAN READ, as I have a 114 that I love but have to fly by BRAILLE !!!!
English IS the international ATC communications language. Airbus do NOT make their cockpits in bleeding FRENCH, so lets have and ENGLISH PANEL .
Many thanks. Toz ( a frustrated Boeing pilot )
on 02/16/2009 at 2:20:46
Yes, Andrew, I agree with you. It would be great if this model had English panel though it would be not realistic. It would increase popularity of this great addon worldwide. You can suggest it on international support forum here, maybe they would agree with you: https://www.protu-154.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2As for the Chezh panel. it is available on PT team official Tu-154M product page here: https://fs-proteam.com/products.html?op=one&id=16&pw_patt=catalog
on 02/19/2009 at 15:39:20
There is another page that project tupolev sponsers that contains links to their forum as well as older versions of their IL-62 and Tu-154B2. One of the threads on their forum is an additional page of liveries a few of which are older versions of the liveries they have posted on FS-Proteam. One of the recent ones i downloaded is a neat looking Communist Era Aeroflot livery which is way different than the current one.I totally agree with everyones comments about the aircraft being freeware....long live project tupolev!!
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