The 747 stands on the shoulders of the NGX and T777. So it would be fair to say I have high hopes for this aircraft and I'm not disappointed. I'm a massive fan of the 747, she was my first love and even today, greet each one I see by saying 'hello gorgeous'. You're kind of a bit in awe, but at the same time, you've got to be fair. Summing up, the PMDG 747 Queen of the Skies II is much like interviewing your favourite celebrity. The Same effect can be seen on takeoff and landing. Coupled to this, PMDG have modified the cockpit head movement, so your view 'bobs around' as you taxi anytime you hit a taxi light or bump. Taxiing, the sound of the engines fill the speakers and sounds from around the cockpit once again add to the ambiance. Pushback can be sorted from the FMC, though it's still limited to you having to guess how far back you want to go if you want to be on the taxi line when you're finished. The whole sound set is incredibly good, with recordings taken from the cockpit, then mastered for surround sound. Fans whir, switches and relays click and trip. As the aircraft starts up its worth mentioning the sound environment. If you don't fancy running a cold and dark setup every flight, you can always load up a specific panel state that range from power on to ready for taxi. Starting at the gate I run though the checklists and get the aircraft set up. However, with good FPS, the aircraft is a joy to fly. Add in traffic and a bit of bad weather and mid teens is more apt. Around EGLL, even on a clear day, FPS struggles to hit 20. Switching to three screens and it's a different matter. I do need to turn down my AI though to keep the figures up. In standard 1920 x 1080 resolution, performance remains in the high 30's, even in poor weather. You will need to adjust your settings to get this running nicely. This is a heavy aircraft in more ways than one. With everything sorted behind the scenes, it's the inflight performance that counts. There's plenty to get your teeth into there. Alongside the main installer, you also get a comprehensive set of manuals for the 747, including a nice introduction manual, a great tutorial and full versions of the FCOM and QRH manuals. Introduced with the 777 a few years ago, the ops centre is a pretty cool feature. This is a one stop shop in keeping all your PMDG Aircraft up to date, as well as allowing you to look through, download and install new liveries for your 747. Along with the aircraft itself, PMDG installs their very own 'Operation Centre'. Once downloaded the aircraft installs with ease. Versions for Prepar3D v3 and v4 join the new FSX, with the Prepar3D v4 version being 64bit. This new version offers a substantial update for the original FSX edition. For the sake of this review, let's stick with the acronym QOTS II, or maybe just 'the new one'. It's also the second version of the QOTS edition, first published for FSX. This is indeed the third version of the iconic Boeing, the first being released for FS2004. Confused? In truth both titles are correct. It's even called that by the boss himself. The release of the 747 QOTS II is actually the PMDG 747-400 v3. For example, I'm typing this on my iPad Air 2, or an iPad 6, which is not an iPad Pro, which of course is now new and improved so the new iPad Pro isn't the original iPad Pro, more like an iPad Pro 2, wait what was my point? Ah yes, naming confusion. With any new version of anything, numbering can be confusing. I was once told I couldn't improve on Mozart, can PMDG improve on their original? The arrival of the new QOTS II for P3D v4 made my heart beat a tad faster. I learnt a lot from that add on, mostly that my system was too poor to get a decent frame rate. Despite its looks, under the hood the 747 QOTS was pretty advanced, with many of the complex systems in place to challenge any would be pilot. To say the old girl looked tired by today's standards would be an understatement. When PMDG announced they were remaking their classic 747 Queen of the Skies (QOTS), well a little shout of glee came out! I still have the FSX version I got as a birthday gift in 2008. Aged 8, I stood in the cockpit of the mighty beast and saw the Atlantic at 30000+ feet. My first flight was onboard a classic 747. As you may have gathered, I'm a huge fan. Now in the twilight of her career, the 747 continues to fly today, 50 years since it first left Everett. From the original plan to create a cargo aircraft for the Air Force to the construction of its own factory as they built the first models, the 747 has plenty of stories to share about itself. It's certainly interesting, defiantly unique, and absolutely special. but only a handful of aircraft ever reach icon. There are the interesting, the unique, even the special. There are few aircraft in the world that truly deserve the title of icon.
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