Flight Sims
After several years in development, QualityWings has released its Ultimate 787 Collection. Based on Boeing’s latest high-tech flagship, the project is best described as ambitious, as PC Pilot’s Richard Benedikz finds out.
What’s new in flight simulation software.
In terms of technological innovation, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is ground-breaking. More than half its airframe is made from composite materials, resulting in a weight saving of around 20% compared with traditional aluminium designs.
Many of the systems traditionally powered by bleed air from the engines have meanwhile been replaced on the 787 with an electrical architecture, which includes wing ice protection, hydraulic pumps and compressors to pressurise the cabin. In fact, bleed air is only used for the anti-ice on the turbine intakes.
Boeing claims this approach reduces load on the powerplants by up to 35%. To meet the demand for the increased electrical output, the aircraft is equipped with six 250kW generators – two in each engine and two on the auxiliary power unit (APU) – which also function as starter motors, further reducing the aircraft’s weight. The result is impressive: the Dreamliner can produce 1.45MW of electricity, enough to power 400 homes.
