Status

What is missing

Everything not done yet, every known limit, what still has to be seen in MSFS, and the questions that wait for a decision.

Not done yet#

What Detail
Sounds None of Zibo's sounds. That includes the GPWS and TCAS voices ("PULL UP", "TRAFFIC", "CLIMB"), the altitude callouts, the autopilot disconnect wailer and all system sounds. Alerts show on the PFD and ND only
EFB Zibo's tablet (options, ground services, loading, fuel and weight) is not rewritten. Options are L:vars until it is
Fire detection Not rewritten. The APU fire failure has no effect
HUD (HGS) Not drawn. Its cockpit controls do nothing
Liveries Only the base textures of the objects. LevelUp's livery folder is not converted
Checklists clist.txt is not converted
Random failures Only the seven APU failures can be triggered. Zibo's other failure items are not rewritten

Known limits#

Terrain#

  • No peak elevation numbers on the ND.
  • No look-ahead TERRAIN / PULL UP. Both need terrain heights, which MSFS does not give an aircraft. The plan is to read public terrain tiles (see open questions).

Weather radar#

  • The real antenna tilt, which scans a cloud at its height, cannot be modelled. MSFS gives no cloud heights.
  • Gain, the magenta turbulence cores in auto mode and the ALT knob are approximations.
  • No predictive windshear from the radar.
  • No lightning. The 737's radar does not show it, and MSFS does not expose its own.

GPWS#

  • TOO LOW GEAR, TOO LOW FLAPS and DON'T SINK are Zibo's code, but not compared with the oracle. They need Zibo's takeoff / go-around state, which the recorded scenario did not reach.
  • The GPWS INOP and BELOW G/S lights on the panel are not wired.
  • GLS is not modelled.

TCAS#

  • No aural alerts.
  • Other aircraft do not coordinate their RA. MSFS's AI traffic does not manoeuvre.

PFD and ND#

About 21 of 230 PFD values and 160 of 1,050 ND values are not Zibo's own numbers yet:

  • the HUD;
  • the display control panel switch;
  • GLS and LOC failure flags;
  • ANP;
  • the destination runway ICAO flag;
  • the terrain peak numbers.

Cockpit controls that do nothing yet#

  • Glareshield and pedestal: N1 SET and SPD REF knobs, part of the six-pack, COMM radios and audio panels, HGS controls.
  • Standby altimeter (the analog option).
  • Aileron and rudder trim work through MSFS's own trim, not Zibo's.

This list is from the build 28 audit and builds since have wired more. It needs a recount (AFDS audit section B).

Flight model#

  • Thrust, drag and handling are MSFS's tuned tables, not Zibo's X-Plane numbers.
  • The reverse range, the spool times and the fuel flow at altitude are still estimates.
  • The 15 tuning targets (idle, takeoff N1, rotation, climb, cruise, stall, approach) are plausibility targets from public figures, not certified data. See Flight model tuning.

Zibo options without a setting yet#

Most of Zibo's EFB options keep Zibo's default and cannot be changed until the EFB is rewritten. The counts and the full table are on Options.

Still to check in MSFS#

These passed the tests and have not been seen in the simulator.

Build What to look at
72 PFD flight path vector, runway symbol, expanded localizer. ND heading-bug line, EFIS disagree
73 TCAS with MSFS traffic, the transponder knob and the TCAS test, MSFS's transponder state
74 GPWS alerts on the PFD, the GPWS panel, the stall test buttons
75 Terrain and weather radar placement and colours, the radar panel's knobs, the NDs' loading time (the map adds about 1.3 MB to each ND's script)

Open questions#

Question State
Public terrain tiles (AWS Terrain Tiles) over the internet, for the terrain peak numbers and the look-ahead TERRAIN / PULL UP Proposed and recommended. Waiting for the owner
Real-world lightning (Blitzortung). Only meaningful with MSFS live weather, off by default Proposed. Waiting for the owner
The VS indicator looks wrong in MSFS (owner's report). In the offline render the needle matches Zibo's. The suspicion is that MSFS's display engine clips the needle differently from a browser Waiting for a screenshot from MSFS
More side-by-side comparisons with Zibo Need screenshots of Zibo in X-Plane at the same moments, or MSFS screenshots of what looks different