Landed: PMDG Releases Boeing 737-700 for MSFS
After a long period of development, PMDG's most eagerly awaited product - the Boeing 737-700 - finally became available for purchase yesterday. Shortly after its launch, PMDG had to stop sales due to immense customer demand and increased server load. While several users complained on various social channels that they had to wait several hours before they could finally download their aircraft or access the website after purchase, PMDG admitted that there were technical difficulties and sincerely apologized. Issues have now been fixed and PMDG's store is back online as usual, while the team at PMDG is still eagerly assisting users who encountered download, authentication or transaction problems.
We are still holding off on turning sales back on as I have requested additional data points from our back-end vendor to ensure their system will correctly scale under the anticipated loads. I am hoping to have those results shortly, and will let you know once we have the whole system back live and running.
The aircraft is available in the PMDG store for $69.99 while its price will later increase to $74.99. Those relying on its launch on the Microsoft Flight Simulator Marketplace will have to wait a bit longer. The complete package comes with the 737-700 body type, including the passenger variant, a BBJ variant and also a cargo variant. PMDG also plans to release other models, namely the Boeing 737-800 at a price of $74.99 on August 01, 2022, the Boeing 737-600 at a price of about $50.00 on June 20, 2022 and Boeing 737-900 at a price not yet known on September 12, 2022. These are only estimates and can change at any time.
For those who want to learn more about the various features and the attention to detail that the PMDG team has put into this aircraft, they have released a YouTube series that includes everything you need to know about the aircraft. "Created by the most recognized and experienced team in desktop flight simulation, the PMDG 737-700 is an incredibly detailed, feature rich simulation of the ubiquitous Boeing narrow body. Representing years of work to to leverage the very best that Microsoft Flight Simulator can offer, the PMDG 737-700 is as technically rich as it is visually stunning. All new models, entirely new textures, a completely new sound environment and tens of thousands of changes, adaptations, improvements and fixes, the PMDG 737-700 is the ultimate realization of flight simulation, forty years in the making", PMDG proudly states on their sales page.
Features
- Fully customized system simulation for all major and minor aircraft systems and components.
- Highly sophisticated logical simulation of onboard information systems and aircraft management.
- PMDG's customized, flight model with enhanced physics augmentation.
- Rigid body physics for wing and tail surfaces.
- Fully customized flight control systems with normal, standby and reversionary capability.
- Accurate resolution cockpit displays
- Interchangeable equipment options for cockpit instrumentation
- Numerous user configurable options from throughout the global 737 operator fleet.
- Updated 737 options packages reflecting operational improvements and changes to the global 737 fleet.
- Full featured failures simulation to cover nearly all QRH scenarios as well as real-world mean time to failure simulations model.
- Native PMDG datalink simulation compatible with simBrief integration.
- Incandescent and LED lighting packages, as well as fully dimming flight deck lights and annunciators.
- Driveable pushback tug.
- Customized sound package that leverages advanced sound recording and playback technology for incredible realism.
- Sound environment built using recordings from a purpose-instrumented airplane recording effort.
- Highly integrated exterior, interior cabin and flight deck sound environments.
- Includes the 737-700 in passenger configuration with both blended winglets and split scimitar winglet configurations.
- Includes the Boeing Business jet in with both blended winglets and split scimitar winglets configurations.
- Includes the 737-700 BDSF freighter with main deck cargo door with blended winglets.
- Full set of ground equipment for each aircraft type, including passenger servicing vehicles, VIP vehicles for the BBJ and cargo handling equipment for the BDSF.
- Virtual cockpit model, with ultra high detail textures, 3D rendering and reflective properties.
- Advanced animations techniques leveraging the new MSFS engine to truly bring the 737 flight deck to life.
- Cockpit differences between the passenger, cargo and BBJ airplanes are accurately rendered.
- PMDG Operations Center 2.0 for easy livery installation and ease of receiving free product updates from PMDG.
- A full featured tutorial will guide you through proper operation of the 737 from power up to power down.
- PMDG Simulations Official youTube content to aide new PMDG 737 pilots in getting the most from their purchase.
- Free customer support both at our customer forum and directly from our support team if necessary.
Limitations
However, there are still a few limitations that PMDG plans to address in future updates.
- The PMDG-EFB (cockpit tablet) remains in development and will be added during summer'22 in a free update.
- High resolution cabin models and landing gear bay interiors for all 737 variants remain in development and will be added during maintenance updates.
- New features added to Microsoft Flight Simulator will be made available within the 737 via free updates. (Weather radar, for example.)
The Boeing 737-700 already includes a few liveries that can be installed via the PMDG Operations Center. If you need more, you can already find first liveries from community creators here on Flightsim.to. What are your thoughts on this plane? Did PMDG meet your expectations? Let us know in the comments!