Precision Manuals Development Group: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Flight simulation company}}

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'''Precision Manuals Development Group''' (often abbreviated as '''PMDG''') is a commercial add-on aircraft developer for the [[Microsoft Flight Simulator]],<ref>{{cite news|title=PMDG 737NGX (review)|url=http://www.pcpilot.net/view_issue.asp?ID=1029|access-date=15 September 15, 2013|newspaper=PC Pilot|date=November–December 2011 |issue=76}}</ref> [[Lockheed Martin Prepar3D]],<ref>{{cite web|title=PMDG 777-200LR/F|url=http://precisionmanuals.com/pages/product/P3D/777LRF.html|publisher=PMDG|access-date=7 February 7, 2015}}</ref> and [[X-Plane (simulator)|X-Plane]]<ref>{{cite news|title=PMDG DC-6 for X-Plane announcement|url=http://forum.avsim.net/topic/463714-03mar15-pmdgs-first-product-for-xplane/|access-date=4 March 4, 2015}}</ref> series. The company was founded by Robert S. Randazzo, who stated that his ultimate goal was to develop the software to the point where it could be used. The company is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada but has several employees in countries such as [[Belgium]], [[South Africa]], and [[Canada]].<ref name="WSJ">{{cite news|last=Ostrower|first=Jon|title=Almost as Cool as the New Boeing 777: The New Flight Simulator|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2013/08/30/almost-as-cool-as-the-new-boeing-777-the-new-flight-simulator/|access-date=15 September 15, 2013|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=August 30, 2013}}</ref> It has eight employees as of 2018, with a collection of [[Software release life cycle#Beta|beta testers]] which include multiple aviation professionals.

==Company background==

Precision Manuals Development Group was founded by Robert S. Randazzo, Senior Developer, in January, 1998. Originally conceived as a small technical publishing company, PMDG's first product, the 747-400PS1 User's Guide was released in February of 1998. This 300 page book was developed specifically to provide users of 747-400PS1 by Aerowinx with a detailed, educational guide to assist non-airline pilots in mastering the complexities of the Aerowinx's 747-400 CBT software. Written to be used by pilots and non-pilots alike, the 747-400PS1 User's Guide was a popular handbook in the PS1 community until it was removed from availability in early 2000.

Looking toward the burgeoning add-on software market for Microsoft Flight Simulator, PMDG launched the FS98 Series Aircraft Operating Manual product line for use with Microsoft Flight Simulator '98.

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Building on the same detailed, reality-driven style used in the 747-400PS1 User's Guide, the FS98 Series AOM product line was a departure from the previous PMDG product in that it also included a plug-in flight model that, when used in conjunction with MSFS98 provided the airliner enthusiasts with a highly realistic flight model. The success of the FS98 Series Aircraft Operating Manual product line was based largely on simulator enthusiasts desire for greater fidelity and detail in the desktop flight simulation.

In August of 1999, PMDG became the first software developer to formally announce support for '''''[[Fly!|FLY!]]''''' by Terminal Reality.  A relatively unknown company at the time, Terminal Reality was endeavouring to produce a flight simulator experience that more closely mirrored the complexities of modern aviation than previously available retail market simulators.  To this end they succeeded at the general aviation level, but PMDG sought to revolutionize the modeling of airliner simulations by using FLY! as a base for future product development.

Described as "the most ambitious airliner modelling project yet undertaken for the desktop PC," PMDG released the FLY! Airliner Series 757-200ER on December 18, 1999, and the product was an instant hit with simulator enthusiasts.  Designed to provide a complete airliner experience, the FLY! Airliner Series 757-200ER modelled approximately 90% of the systems, switches and functions in the cockpit of the 757-200, all in accurately modelled 3D space.  With hundreds of switches and dozens of complicated systems and procedures to learn, the FLY! Airliner Series 757-200ER included a 160 page operating manual, written in the now classic style of the 747-400 PS1 User's Guide.

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The FLY! Airliner Series 767-200/300 was the second product in the FLY! Airliner Series product line, and became the last product in which PMDG used the default autopilot and flight systems display logic included in the stock version of FLY!

Recognizing that a higher level of fidelity could be realized with the appropriate skills, PMDG expanded the development staff to include an additional complement of highly skilled developers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001-10-October 21, 2001 |title=Precision Manuals Development Group |url=http://4.21.248.90/NewHistory.html |access-date=2023-02-February 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011021060411/http://4.21.248.90/NewHistory.html |archive-date=2001-10-October 21, 2001 }}</ref>

On 2014/10/October 25, 2014, it was announced on PMDG's AVSIM forum, that the [[Boeing 777|Boeing 777-200LR]] base package will be available on the [[Prepar3D]] platform.<ref>{{cite news|title=First Glance at PMDG 777-200 for Prepar3D|url=http://forum.avsim.net/topic/454122-25oct14-first-glance-at-pmdg-777-200-for-prepar3d/}}</ref>

With employees and contractors working around the world, PMDG is headquartered in Northern Nevada, approximately 15&nbsp;nm north of [[Reno-Tahoe International Airport]]. On 2012/06/04, PMDG announced that they would move back to Virginia, where the company was founded.

==Aircraft==

PMDG has created nine aircraft for [[Flight Simulator 2004]] and ten aircraft for [[Flight Simulator X]], two of which are extensions of the [[Boeing 747-400|747-400X]]. The PMDG Boeing 737 NGX is for Flight Simulator X and Prepar3d only and is currently available in 737-800/900 winglet/non-winglet models. The 737-600/700 winglet/non-winglet models are a continuation of the base package and are available as an expansion. The 777-200LR and accompanying 777-300ER expansion were the first PMDG products for Lockheed Martin's Prepar3D V2 which was released on February 7, 2015, as well as Flight Simulator X (the NGX was patched to P3D V2 compatibility after the 777).

On January 6, 2016/06/01, PMDG released the [[Douglas DC-6]] simulation, marking the first aircraft by the company for the X-Plane series of flight simulators.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.x-plane.com/2016/04/explore-3d-cockpit-pmdgs-douglas-dc-6/|title=Explore the 3D cockpit of PMDG's Douglas DC-6|date=2016-04-April 21, 2016|website=X-Plane|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-September 11, 2019}}</ref>

With the arrival of P3D v4, the 747, 777 and 737 aircraft are being freely upgraded from P3D v3 (32 bit) to P3D v4 (64 bit). On 2019/02/February 24, 2019, it was announced that no new products would be developed for 32-bit platforms (not precluding updates to existing products).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fselite.net/news/pmdg-cease-development-for-fsx-p3dv3/|title=PMDG Cease Development for FSX/P3Dv3|last=Martin|first=Calum|date=2019-02-February 23, 2019|website=FSElite|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-09-September 11, 2019}}</ref> Thus, the B747-8 was the last release for 32-bit platforms, notably marking the end of 13 years of FSX support.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}} On 2019/August 11/08, 2019, the PMDG NGXu was released. It is a version of the upcoming NG3 product for the Prepar3D platform, and offers the BCF, BDSF, BBJ1, and BBJ2 variants as expansions to the base product. The NG3 itself will only be available on the new Microsoft Flight Simulator due in 2020, with expansion packs covering the entire NG, BBJ, and MAX product lines. PMDG announced the previous day that all development for the X-Plane platform as well as all 32-bit platforms would be cancelled.<ref>{{cite news |last1=John |first1=Alex |title=PMDG Announces End to X-Plane Development {{!}} Threshold |url=https://www.thresholdx.net/news/pmdgxd |access-date=November 12, 2019 |work=www.thresholdx.net |date=November 7, 2019}}</ref> On 2020/10/20, PMDG announced the development of the [[Boeing 777X|777X]] family of airliners was in an early stage.<ref>{{Cite web|title=[20NOV20] Various Project News Updates, 777-200ER Beta and P3D Hotfix notes|url=https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/general-discussion-news-and-announcements/93737-20nov20-various-project-news-updates-777-200er-beta-and-p3d-hotfix-notes|access-date=2020-11-November 30, 2020|website=PMDG Simulations|language=en}}</ref> In mid -June 2021, all products for X-Plane and FSX were retired ahead of the release of their first product for the new Microsoft Flight Simulator. On 2023/08/August 24, 2023, the PMDG 737-800 was released for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

On 2023/10/October 21, 2023, PMDG broke the long-awaited silence upon the release of the much -awaited EFB for the Boeing 737. In a forum post, Robert S. Randazzo stated that the free update would releasebe released on 2023/10/October 30, 2023, and would feature revolutionary features such as Data Entry via an attached keyboard, conversion between Metric/Imperial units, Independent tablets for the captain and first officer, and even a day/night setting. Creating such an intelligent tablet was not easy, as stated by Robert S. Randazzo, the initial development timeframe of 2 months was a vast underestimation, due to limitations with the simulator and the interface between C++ with WASM, which would allow for the tablet software to interface with the aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |last=randazzo |first=Robert |date=2023-10-October 21, 2023 |title=[21OCT23] Introducing the Universal Flight Tablet for PMDG's Microsoft Flight Simulator Airliner Fleet |url=https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/general-discussion-news-and-announcements/268165-21oct23-introducing-the-universal-flight-tablet-for-pmdg-s-microsoft-flight-simulator-airliner-fleet }}</ref>

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|February 26, 2021

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|''In Development''{{CN|date=December 2023}}

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|Early development stage, no platforms announced{{CN|date=December 2023}}

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| [[Douglas DC-6]]

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|May 8, 2020

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|''In Development''{{CN|date=December 2023}}

| style="text-align: center;" | Includes 400, 400D, 400M, 400ER, 400F, 400ERF

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| style="text-align: center;" |May 9th9, 2022<ref>{{cite web |title=PMDG releasing the 737 for msfs on may 9th |url=https://fselite.net/content/pmdg-releasing-the-737-for-msfs-on-may-9th/ |website=FsElite.net |access-date=21 January 21, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

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