Orbx Pac 750

[Killbilly]

Anyone flying this in MSFS 2024? If so, how is it. I'm considering it for my next purchase.

 

[jmig]

I had never heard of it. I had to look it up. Orbx makes quality addons.

 

[Javis]

I bought it for MSFS a couple years ago.My only gripe was that it was not the Pac Cresco because at that time i had become heavely interested in New Zealand aerial topdressing. I mean what is not to love about this kind of hill dodging flying. (not sure if there's any impact on the environment using this way of fertilizing farmland..)

Apart from hauling pax and skydivers you can still have at topdressing as well with this newer Pac 750. When i was employed overthere in beautiful NZ i can't remember any sort of animated fertilizer loading facility (a special truck delivers the fertilizer powder right on top of the fuselage into a compartiment aft of the cockpit. The pilot opens and closes the lid from within his office) but if you ask me it's about time Orbx gets on to that asap. Should be fun, right ?

The Pac 750 model is done very well, inside and out, and IIRC it flies very well too. On the Orbx page it says "MSFS 2024 compatible" so i guess it's about the same as the MSFS version which i did like very much. Been topdressing away in NZ with great enjoyment !

Here's a topdressing session of a real Cresco filmed in external view (Ok. its the forerunner and original Fletcher FU-24 but the operation is exactly the same as with the Cresco and Pac-750) :

I'd say get to work ! You'll love it !

 

[DennyA]

It works okay in FS2024, but it's an FS2020 plane. It's decent but not exceptional. There have been a number of nice updates to it since release. I don't think we ever got the promised enhanced sound pack, but the one it has is inoffensive.

It's not amazing, but if you're interested in the plane, it's pretty good.

 

[Killbilly]

Well, I bought it, customized it, flew it, and unfortunately regretted it.

THE GOOD: it is a really nice model inside and out with lots of features and four great variations. It looks great and performs as expected. In fact, it's basically perfect for what I intended to use it for (getting in and out of just about anywhere -- even fully loaded). Some pics . . .



THE BAD: There is no sound difference when the doors are open, no visible copilot in cockpit view, and (of course) the inability to fly as a male -- stupid random 2020 avatars.

THE UGLY: This has the WORST heatblur effect I have ever seen! It's just out of control. While flying, it distorts your glareshield and cockpit in dizzying waves, and it completely negates the advantage of the dropped-corner windscreen for forward and down visibility. From outside, it looks like the front end of the plane is passing through some sort of space-time distortion out of a sci-fi film. Basically, it renders the plane impossible to enjoy flying. Some pics . . .



FINAL THOUGHTS:



If anyone knows how to completely remove an effect, please let me know.

 

[tankerguy72]

Is it a marketplace purchase or do you have access to the model xml?

 

[DennyA]

It's available from OrbX direct (where I got mine), so the xml files are available.

The only other issue I've seen reported is fuel feeding, which isn't handled realistically compared to the real plane. According to posts over on the MS forum, OrbX fixed it at one point, but the fix broke in 2024 (and maybe an SU on 2020??).

 

[Killbilly]

Is it a marketplace purchase or do you have access to the model xml?

Unfortunately, I bought it in the Marketplace (I didn't want to deal with OrbX's management software. I downloaded it in MSFS2020 to get access to the textures, but no model.xml file. Sigh.

If anyone has access to it and could create a mod, it would be very much appreciated.

 

[Killbilly]

Is it a marketplace purchase or do you have access to the model xml?

So, let's say I buy this again from Orbx. What would I need to modify in the model.xml file to remove the heat blur effect?

 

[DennyA]

If anyone knows the file that would need to be modified, I could make the change in my OrbX version and create a Community folder patch for Killbilly that I assume would still override the file in the Marketplace version.

 

[tiger1962]

I don't have the Pac 750 myself, but I know that the effects are called in the aircraft.cfg file, so it's a simple text edit with Notepad that's needed.
In the [EFFECTS] section, look for two lines similar to these:

effect.0=fx_exhaust_left#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930
effect.1=fx_exhaust_right#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:2, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930_R

You can either delete these two lines to remove the effect altogether, or you can replace the effect itself (FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930 & _R) with a smaller one:

effect.0=fx_exhaust_left#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_TBM930_EXHAUST
effect.1=fx_exhaust_right#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:2, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_TBM930_EXHAUST

Or:

effect.0=fx_exhaust_left#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_HEAT_SMALL
effect.1=fx_exhaust_right#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:2, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_HEAT_SMALL

The effect files can be found here (MS Store version):

C:\XboxGames\Limitless\Content\Packages\fs-base-effects-legacy\effects

 

[Killbilly]

I don't have the Pac 750 myself, but I know that the effects are called in the aircraft.cfg file, so it's a simple text edit with Notepad that's needed.
In the [EFFECTS] section, look for two lines similar to these:

effect.0=fx_exhaust_left#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930
effect.1=fx_exhaust_right#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:2, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930_R

You can either delete these two lines to remove the effect altogether, or you can replace the effect itself (FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930 & _R) with a smaller one:

effect.0=fx_exhaust_left#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_TBM930_EXHAUST
effect.1=fx_exhaust_right#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:2, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_TBM930_EXHAUST

Or:

effect.0=fx_exhaust_left#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_HEAT_SMALL
effect.1=fx_exhaust_right#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:2, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_HEAT_SMALL

The effect files can be found here (MS Store version):

C:\XboxGames\Limitless\Content\Packages\fs-base-effects-legacy\effects

Thanks very much. I'll probably re-purchase and give that a try in the next week or so. I appreciate the help.

 

[keithb77]

Current effects are
effect.0 =fx_exhaust_INOP#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930_R
effect.1 =fx_exhaust_INOP#(A:GENERAL ENG COMBUSTION:1, boolean)#FX_ASOBO_M_REACTORHEAT_TBM930_R

 

[TiAr]

The best solution is probably to delete the effects in the aircraft.cfg files if the effects are causing problems.



None of the suggestions made so far have helped. It is probably better to edit the effects directly.

 

[Killbilly]

Thanks for all the help, Gents. After getting the non-marketplace version, I was able to remove the offending effect, and as a bonus, I was able to switch the pilot and copilot avatars so my male self is in the left seat.
Now I can really enjoy this unusual and very capable plane!

I hate the marketplace.