I just had my first half hour messing around with XP9. So far I am highly impressed. It seems a significant step forward from version 8. Using the 3D pits with TIR makes a huge difference to the feel of the sim.
I was pulled away to go and do some real flying, so I will post more observations after I spend more time with it. Seems to run nicely on my aging system too.

Still plugging away with XP9. One of the things that I find fiddly in X-Plane is tuning the radios. I found a neat plugin that lets you type the freqs rather than mess around with the mouse and small radio knobs...
http://www.xpluginsdk.org/command_line.htm

Works great.

Really interested to hear your thoughts as you delve deeper into X-Plane, Paul. Thanks for the link to the radio tuner - fiddling with instrument dials using a mouse is a pet peeve of mine in both FSX and X-Plane and I sometimes find myself pausing the sim just to zoom in or arrange a more practical view of the instruments which obviously kills the sense of immersion.

One area that seems to be getting a lot of attention by the developer in the 9.4 betas is systems modeling, so I'm hopeful that we will start to see more complex add-ons released.

That said, the Stinson L5 - about as simple a plane as you can get - has been added as a default plane in the 9.4 betas and is a lot of fun to puddle jump around the BC and WA coast and islands.

Alan, I will post observations in this thread as I go along. With regard to tuning the radio's, in a real aircraft it is a very simple and fast process, so IMHO it should be just as quick and simple in a sim (or at least the option should be there for a quick and simple method rather than twisting virtual knobs on the panel using a mouse pointer).

Yep..I've always found that to be the case too Paul. No matter how good TrackIR is, it still can't replicate the ease with which switches, buttons and dials can be manipulated in the real cockpit. Just trying to keep your head steady enough during those minute tasks in a virtual cockpit can be frustrating.

This weekend I have been browsing iTunes App store (I am getting an iPod Touch for my birthday :D). I went to the Laminar Research Apps page and apart from the iPhone 'mini-X-Plane' apps, there was an interesting app called X-Plane Remote. This allows you to use your iPhone or Touch as a mini instrument panel, remote joystick and most interestingly (to me) as a dedicated moving map display. I will probably have to give this a try.

Link

Chris, with regard to keeping your head still when trying to tune the radios, I found that mapping the F9 key to a HOTAS button works wonders (although I think I prefer the command line for quick and easy tuning).

One area I have real problems with X-Plane is control harmony and trying to find the right balance between pitch, roll and yaw sensitivity and response. I often find that planes are particularly (overly?) sensitive in pitch which leads me to over-control the plane and I end up with PIO. Is this a problem for others or is it a controller/configuration issue on my side?

I've noticed that too - all aircraft, by default, seem to be keyed in such a way that they are very sensitive in pitch, which led me to think that this is by design, which meant adjusting the pitch curve. It does still feel a little strange though, because if you push and pull you can get some very high pitch rates without actually departing.

I picked up the X-Plane Remote app for my iPod Touch. It is a nice addition for $5. The instrument panels are rather pointless IMHO but the moving map display is great. Austin just needs to add a little more functionality, such as adjusting the map scale and some form of declutter option would be nice (small grass strips are not of much interest to me if I am flying a large jet).

Overall I think it is well worth the asking price for the moving map alone. Anyone else tried it?

Is X-Plane 9 still AI-traffic-free? What about ATC traffic?

pfunk

There is some canned ATC that is played in the background and a rudimentry ATC system that I have never used. As for AI aircraft, you can have a few of them out there but it doesn't compare to MSFS in that department.

MSFS gives a superior overall 'pilot experience'. Where X-Plane still excels is in flight modelling and fluidity of cockpit instrumentation. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve with your sim time I guess.