Most Expensive Addon in MSFS - is it worth the price? | Leonardo MD-82 "Maddog" Full Flight Review
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In this video, we take a look at the Leonardo "Fly the Maddog X" for Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS).
We'll be putting the aircraft through its paces on a trip from Rome (LIRF), over to Palermo, Sicily (LIJC).
Has a "study level" jet finally arrived in MSFS?
Please note this video and all its contents / materials, is for entertainment / simulation purposes only.
PC Specs
MSI B550M
AMD Ryzen 7 5800x 4.7GHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
32GB DDR4 3600MHz
Hardware
Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog
Saitek Pro Flight rudder pedals
HP Reverb WMR headset
TrackIR5
Earthquake Shell Shoxx transducer
Enjoy the flight! - Hry
Real life B717 pilot here (essentially the same flight controls as the MDs) The heaviness of the controls is pretty much spot on. They're tab operated so at low speed the aircraft becomes very sloppy and heavy. The response time to inputs is quite long at slower IAS. Flying this felt very similar to the real thing. Definitely takes some getting used to!
Flew the MD-80 family for 2 years. Big sweeping movements of the yoke were absolutely required. Everything but the rudder should feel heavy on a desktop sim.
Do you think for the purposes of simulation you could just it as a 717? I want to fly 717 routes, but there's no 717 available for MSFS yet.
@@holobolo1661 717 is essentially an MD. It's just rebranded after Boeing bought them out.
Thanks allegiant alex
well well well
Excellent review and I share many of your takes on the addon. Thank you for your contirbutions to the flight sim community.
Q8Pilot, lovely to see you here on the channel!
Ive actually been enjoying some of your vids recently, whilst I “work the night-shift” with our newborn baby haha. Enjoyed the outing in the Rotate MD-11 and also the LES Saab Flybe hop (I’m always eying up that LES Saab for purchase haha). So likewise, thanks very much for the content.
Now. . . given that this was a review of a McDonnell Douglas aircraft, let’s hope that MD doesn’t file a lawsuit against me!! XD
My pleasure on the video, glad you enjoyed it! All the best : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Congratulations on the new baby, enjoy, they grow fast.
Oh I didn't know, I am humbled and glad you enjoy the content I create. Coming from a real airline pilot, you just made my day.
On the lawsuite, hahaha, that's the fun part of the hobby I guess =)
All the best captain! stay safe.
Get a room you two 😂😂😂
Nice to see a Maddog in MSFS. I have such great memories of flying on MD-83s in the early 2000s with the now defunct Jetsgo, they were a Canadian low cost airline that operated a fleet of MD-83s and Fokker 100s. It's those little memories that make an aircraft. In my opinion.
Indeed Mark! I think only flew on an MD80 once as a fairly young kid, but I was already aviation obsessed at that point and remember it clearly haha. The MD80 certainly has bags of character and Leonardo have done a very nice job of putting that across overall; it's just a shame that standards aren't uniform throughout the product.
Thanks for sharing! All the best : )
The first jet I ever rode in was a Fokker 100, and the second was a Mad Dog! Love and miss both of them, and I'm really looking forward to JustFlight's Fokker 28.
For me, the price of this add-on has passed the point of reasonable. The prices of add-ons are now getting unreasonable. I understand that developers need paying for their work, but there is a limit. Given that sales of MSFS2020 appear to be MUCH better than for P3D then the unit price for add-ons should be coming down, not going up. Much as I would like the MD82, I will not be purchasing due to the price.
Jerry
i feel this too.. also, in game marketplace review section is garbage. you won't find anything useful other than stars
Totally agree! I will not spend this amount of money for a module even if we talk for the best one! It is just unreasonable and IMO bad commercial decision from the developer. MSFS is a quite popular sim and a lot of people would buy it for lower price. Volume is what the developers should aim for at least for MSFS!
the catch is, people keep buying it so the market continues
@@dimasrahadian and that is exactly the problem, people keep buying so the prices remain high. It is not that I do not have the money but I have decided that the price of this add-on is unreasonable and that it is not value for money.
Jerry
Many of us paid 120 GBP for PMDG addons in P3D.
They were THE best study level addons. They can be addictive.
If study level is not your bag, don't bother with them.
It really is horses for courses.
Yes!! The review I've been waiting for.
Haha, cheers Scorpian, I hope it was of use then! Thanks and all the best : )
Fantastic review with realistic comments and thoughts. Great job!
Thanks very much David, I appreciate it! Really glad you found the review to be of use.
Cheers and all the best! : )
You reviewed the lighting! Thank you! Wonderful review, as always!
Haha, I did manage to remember for once! - forgot again with the C310 though XD
The lighting in the MD82 is very nice actually, so I’m glad I did manage to cover it.
Anyway, my pleasure as always! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching and all the best : )
Great video and review as we have come to expect from ITBS. I can add a couple points that may shed some light on things. As far as flight control input, the aircraft is pretty heavy on the controls, particularly in pitch axis. This is primarily due to the fact that unlike a traditional aircraft where your yoke inputs directly control the elevators, on the DC-9 series of aircraft you are actually "flying" the elevator with the yoke as your inputs control the elevator trim tab, not the elevator directly. Combine this with fairly small ailerons on a very stiff wing and it will feel a bit sluggish.
Addressing the lack of acceleration, the MD-82 was equipped with the -217 variant of the JT8D engine and the later MD-88 had the option for the -219 variant with increased thrust. Again a combination of engine thrust and many lift surfaces deployed on the wing at takeoff like the large slats and flaps induce a fair bit of drag. Once you get the Maddog cleaned up she accelerates nicely as seen in the video. Side note, I am a little surprised you didnt mention the unique dial-a-flap and elevator trim wheels. They are quite interesting systems, especially for those "spoiled" by the automation found in the Airbus and Boeing products we typically fly.
Lastly, many folks like to complain that they cant hear the engines very well in the cockpit, and the P3D version even had an "audio upgrade" by another vendor to increase the engine noise in the cockpit. The cockpit of the MD-80 is generally very quiet as it is literally as far from the engines as it can get so wind and equipment noise will be much more noticeable in flight. Even on the ground, at max power, the engines are rather quiet in the cockpit. I did a couple years doing C checks on DC-9/MD-80's in the late 90's and did quite a few engine runs so do have first hand experience with this. I will agree that the external sounds are truly a disappointment and have been for the life of the Leonardo Maddog product.
If anyone is on the fence about this product rest assured that Leonardo have a proven track record of long term support and improvement of the aircraft. While I have not been able to afford to pick this version up, I have had the P3D version for years and will agree that the external setup method that Leonardo uses is clunky at best and should be integrated into the EFB as much as possible. Hopefully we will see this happen as time goes on now that the product is released. One final note regarding the Simbrief flightplans, if you dont already have it there is a Simbrief Downloader app that you can install to automatically download your flightplans and put them in the correct folders which I highly recommend. For those that want to know everything they can about flying the Maddog, here is a link to the "Chucks Guide" for the Maddog. It is written for the P3D version so not everything applies yet but the systems and operations are covered very well and you can learn a lot about how to operate this aircraft in the proper manner. www.mudspike.com/chucks-guides-p3d-leonardo-md-82-maddog/
Thanks again for the great, and honest review of this wonderful product. This reply was certainly longer than I thought it would be. 😂I hope it helps folks out.
Nice one, thanks for the info, cheers!
Thanks for the extra bits
Hi CG, thanks ever so much for the detailed and very informative post!
I did actually have a few MD-80 / 717 guys reach out and concur with your point about the flight controls. I've also subsequently watched a few videos myself and it's quite surprising / amazing just how heavy the aircraft is (even hearing the captain groan during the flight control check haha). I'm more than happy if Leonardo got things true to life though!
The performance issues make sense. Someone else pointed out that I was a bit slow in retracting the flaps as well, so I wasn't doing myself any favours there; I was just quite surprised by the performance, as "rocket" and the MD80 often seem to be two words you hear in the same sentence haha. I didn't fiddle around too much with with "dial-a-flap", since I wasn't all that familiar with it going into the review - I've been spoilt over the years as you say ; )
I concur on your point re the engine sounds and I think I made mention of that during the review. I thought the internal sounds were great for the most part (a few bugs + the GPWS and RAD ALT callouts were very quiet etc), but the external sounds really don't match up with the quality of the rest of the package. The texturing actually didn't bother me personally, but the sounds did for sure.
It's certainly a good point that you bring up about product support and I have heard the same thing about Leonardo (though I have never owned any of their products personally in the past), so hopefully the Maddog will continue to be improved upon. I think it's a little bit of a shame that they priced the product so high though - they've probably shot themselves in the foot somewhat by doing that. . .
My pleasure on the review and again, thank you very much for your post! All the best : )
With the PMDG 737 and the JF Jet, I can't afford the Mad Dog anyway! Thanks for the review, for 90€ I would want a flawless product worthy of the huge price🤔
I suppose it depends on which country you are from for the cost in Euros. In the United States it cost me 75 Euros, not 90. If you hit the SimMarket "i" next to the price it will show you the price you will pay. The UK was priced at 90.
This is true WM, although even 75 euros is perhaps a touch steep given the sounds / textures. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Maddog, but I think Leonardo would have been much better served to price around the 50 euro mark; I reckon people would have been much more willing to overlook the addon's limitations and I think considerably more people would have purchased as well. That's just my take though. . .
All the best! : )
Fair enough David, I think most people would have fallen into the same boat as yourself (ie this one just isn't worth 90 euros, *especially* with PMDG offering their wares at a lower price).
Thanks and all the best! : )
Thanks for the deep review of Leonardo Maddog. Great job and really appreciate it.
My pleasure Juraj! I’m glad the video was of use : )
Thanks very much and all the best!
Great review as usual! I've never seen an Alitalia MD-82 as clean as this one! I spent my youth every weekend at LHW plane spotting and these were always super grimy with the tails covered in soot from the thrust reversers! 😂
Cheers Scotty, glad you enjoyed it!
Haha! I would have to agree with you on that one XD
Still, I guess we can't blame Leonardo for giving it a bit of a clean before release ; )
All the best! : )
Another great review by you, thanks again for the time and care and sense of immersion you bring to the sim. Just a heads up I heard from Milviz marketing: they are releasing the 310 tomorrow, can't wait for your review of that one! My impression of it in FSX: awful twitchy! Still enjoying the Edgley Optica I bought on your recommend, lots of fun with that one.
Thank you ever so much Kiwicomm, very much appreciated! It’s absolutely my pleasure and I’m really glad you feel the content is immersive, as it’s really one of the key experiences that I try to create during my videos : )
I’ve actually just uploaded my review of the MILVIZ C310. I really liked it overall. I agree, somewhat twitchy in pitch, but it does so many other things really well and sets a few “firsts” in the sim, so I’m willing to forgive it that.
Haha, glad you’re still enjoying the Optica! I’ll have to head off on a spot of sightseeing again in that funny little machine one of these days. . .
Thanks once again and all the best!
Thank you for your continued dedication.
Very much welcomed.
Barty
Thank you very much Barty, very much appreciated!
It’s always my pleasure and I’m really glad you’re enjoying the content : )
Cheers and all the best!
Fantastic review. Very professional. Thank you.
Thanks very much Eric, my pleasure! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks very much for watching and all the best! : )
Really love your videos and reviews. I bought both the MD82 and the 146 this weekend, both are a great experience. I do agree with some of the textures looking a little last-gen on the MD82, but I love its systems modelling and I prefer slightly more dated visuals over the very limited FMS the 146 has. Apparently, the MD82 was a brick to fly also in real life, but you can adjust the roll rates using the Load Manager application (advanced tab/menu). Some people are reporting major issues with control deflection on some hardware combinations and that fixes it for them. A few real-world pilots of the MD82 are stating that it is, indeed, true to life due to it being driven by control tabs, but the adjustability is nice.
Thanks very much Ghostdance, really glad you're enjoying the content!
Don't get me wrong, I'm very much enjoying the MD82 myself and on a personal level the texturing doesn't even bother me, but at the 90 euro mark, I think it's fair that others might expect a lot more. The 146 and the Maddog both have their strengths and weaknesses, but I think people are willing to forgive a lot more around the £50 price mark.
I had a few real-world MD80 guys reach out as well; quite amazing that the Maddog actually handles like this, but there you go! XD
Cheers and all the best! : )
Absolutely brilliant intellectual review coming from a real life pilot. With the MSFS bar about to be raised by PMDG's 737 I feel given your points that this will not be a purchase for me. Thanks for all the incredible reviews you do.
Stuart, nice to see you again! : )
Thanks very much for the kind words. Always a pleasure re the reviews! I feel many will have shared you opinion; the Maddog is a very nice offering, but given that it looks more dated than the 737, costs more and there is probably less general interest in the MD80, I think Leonardo were a bit ambitious with their pricing overall.
Cheers and all the best!
Thanks. Appreciate your feedback. Look forward to any tutorial flights you might do in the future.
Thanks very much Paul, glad the video was of use!
As much as I like the idea of making some Maddog tutorials, I'm afraid I'll have to leave that to someone else; it's all I can do to keep up with reviews at the moment (life is busy and there have been so many major addon releases of late!) XD
Cheers and all the best : )
I NEVER knew that the MD-82 had 'Dial-A-Flap'. Exceptionally brilliant review by ITBS!
Haha, neither did I Stewie! Makes sense in hindsight, with it being an MD, but the X-Plane default version doesn't have it and so I had assumed it was just an MD-11 thing. It's quite a quirky system - seems like more trouble than it's worth (having to check about 5 different things, to make sure that you have the correct flap setting) XD
Thanks very much as always, really glad you enjoyed the review! All the best : )
Yesssss was going crazy waiting for this
Haha, I hope it was worth the wait then PS! Cheers and all the best : )
For some reason I was expecting the Maddog to cost around $40. This is just too expensive for me. Glad others like it!
40$ LMAO This is not Captain Sim that uses all the useless default MS systerms.
@@fsx-legend4602 the mad dog has 99% original code
@@benjaminmenken5693 Which was excellent in FSX/P3D.
Hi Dennis,
Yes, I think the Maddog came in at a higher price than most of us were expecting. It is a brilliant addon, but 90 euros is simply too steep, especially when you have the likes of PMDG offering their wares at a lower price. I think the 50 euro mark probably would have been more reasonable for the MD80 in its current state and I think Leonardo quite possibly would have made bigger profits selling at this price point as well (many times more people might have "taken a punt" at that sort of price). Of course at the end of the day though, it's Leonardo's choice to make. . .
Cheers and all the best! : )
Another top review/showcase - my word if I was even 10% as cool in a cockpit as this I'd be happy - and loved the content. Super duper Maddog painting the sky with Leonardo🤪
Haha, thank you sir! Yeah, it doesn't get much cooler than the Maddog and whilst I feel that Leonardo have overpriced the product somewhat, there's no doubt that they have created a great product overall. I do have some future plans for the aircraft at some point ; )
Thanks again, really glad you enjoyed the video : )
Thank you for this review, it definitely helped my decision.
My pleasure Gerald, glad it was of use! : )
All the best!
Great vid! Just some tips to fill in the gaps of your abbreviated checklist,
Max motoring isn’t necessary, just wait for 20% N2 before putting the fuel in.
You didn’t set the pressurization system on the overhead correctly, you need to cycle between standby and primary then click on the blue light to dim it. Otherwise your cabin won’t pressurize.
Don’t use full tiller when taxiing or you’ll need a lot of thrust to push through the turn.
External lights ought to be retracted as soon as possible after take off, don’t wait till 10,000 feet. Use the flood lights and wing/engine nacelle lights instead because they don’t cause drag.
You didn’t set engine hydraulic pumps to low after switching off the transfer and auxiliary hydraulic pump.
If you’re not using the anti-ice you ought to close the pneumatic crossfeed valves.
This one is a bug but when it’s working, the auto brake can only be armed when flaps are set to a landing position, either 28 or 40 and landing gear is down. The same goes for the spoilers if the auto brake isn’t active as an option.
To set altitude on the FCP in 100 foot increments, hold the tab key while scrolling the altitude selector.
Thanks very much indeed for the feedback Filthywings, much appreciated!
I did have someone else reach out with very much the same sort of info; clearly I still have a few things to learn haha, so your pointers are very helpful. I can't believe I didn't pressurize the cabin (though I'm really surprised there was seemingly no warning etc)! XD
I shall try and take onboard your observations (memory permitting haha), the only one I'll stick with is the landing lights, since I like to mirror the SOP's I use in the real world where appropriate.
Thanks very much once again! All the best : )
Thanks for an honest review and I´m glad you´re bringing up the issues instead of pretending they´re not there. One thing I don´t agree with is the sounds being excellent in the cockpit. The airflow should be way louder for sure so sounds are very disappointing not only outside, though the rest of the cockpit sounds seem good. Personally I might buy the Maddog in the future but only if the visuals and sounds are brought up to today´s standards and I hope more people do the same thing as this will be a clear message to Leonardo and other devs.
You’re absolutely right. Especially for the astronomically high price. For 90 euro this aircraft should be as close to real as MSFS allows, and it just isn’t there yet. Maybe in the future with updates this will be in my hangar, but for now, it’s a pass for me.
My pleasure David! I always aim to be honest and whilst I don't enjoy deriding people's work, I don't feel I am unfairly critiquing a product, as I am simply demonstrating what is / isn't there. I agree that the air noise should be louder, although please bear in mind I do often have to reduce the volume levels of the addon, for the sake of the commentary.
I gather Leonardo is a dev that continues to put the work in over the years, the MD80 is their only product, so it stands to reason that it will continue to be improved; the sounds never got improved on the P3D version though, so we may be stuck with them on the MSFS version (unless one is willing to fork out yet more money, on the inevitable 3rd party sound pack).
You're right though, 90 euros is too much for what the product currently offers and I suspect a lot of people will have spoken with their wallets. . .
All the best! : )
Indeed TRTGL. The product doesn't currently offer 90 euros worth of value. This may change to some degree, but it is going to be very hard for Leonardo to justify the price, when even the likes of PMDG are selling at a lower cost etc.
All the best! : )
Great review !! 🤩
Thanks very much Dyeahna! Glad you enjoyed it : )
All the best!
Looks like a great aircraft, but damn.. way to expensive for my tastes at this stage (over $110 AUD). Might grab it in the future but between the 146 and the 737 I think I'll be full up on learning new planes for quite a whilte.
Hi ML,
That's it; the Maddog is a great addon, but it's just overpriced as it stands. As you say, maybe one that is worth picking up in the future, perhaps once Leonardo have addressed some of the issues. There is indeed plenty to keep everyone busy at the moment at any rate! XD
All the best! : )
Have to say the interior colour looks like a Russian military jet!! Great, detailed review that I was waiting for. Thank you. For me, it was between this and PMDG's release - think i'll just go PMDG. I do like this however and may succumb in the future but given I have just bought the BAE146 and will buy PMDG I better hold back the spending or my better half may string me up!!!! lol :-) Thanks again ITBS.
Haha, it does rather doesn't it James; I've always liked the blue interior of the MD80 / DC-9 (which is good, because I still have no idea how to actually change the colour of the cockpit, as we should be able to do XD).
I'm really enjoying the Maddog, but it's very hard to justify the price, as compared with PMDG and Just Flight's output. Hopefully the addon will be improved going forwards (it sounds like it probably will) and then maybe it will look and feel a little bit more like a 90 euro product.
Cheers! : )
Excellent review!
Thanks very much Gareth - glad you found it to be of use! All the best : )
Always liked the MD-82, stunning aircraft from yester-year. Review was on nose; it is extremely pricey which is a shame. Otherwise, looks like a beautiful module, the wing view on this aircraft during landing was great and the wing flex was on point at touch down. Great flight 👍🏻 would be interesting to see you do a video on what aircraft you have flown IRL and now 👌🏻
Thanks again Sibzy!
Yeah, the MD80 is undoubtedly a cool aircraft and generally speaking Leonardo have done a great job with it - they've just really overpriced it unfortunately.
I do plan on doing some sort of video along those lines, probably some time down the road (maybe for 20K subs or something). Seems like the Fenix 320 will be the next big addon to come out, so I should at least be able to offer up some decent input on that one : )
Cheers and all the best!
excellente video, don"t forget that during cockpit prepartation the standby horizon needs to be pulled to reset it.
Thanks very much Ricardo, glad you enjoyed it!
Haha, yeah. It wasn't on my checklist and I missed it initially, I did manage to pick it up during the pushback though ; )
Cheers and all the best! : )
Re texturing: I keep getting told that it was built from the ground up for MSFS, but the texturing seems ported right over from P3D.
I've heard the same Obriets. I've no idea myself, but I can't imagine that's entirely true. I suppose it depends on one's definition of "newly built" haha. The aircraft may well have been started from scratch, but I'd be surprised if it didn't make use of previous P3D assets, given the textures and the sounds etc.
Either way, the Maddog is a really good addon! It's just overpriced for what it is. . .
Cheers and all the best! : )
I bought it and have mixed feelings. The external applications are suboptimal. Systems are excellent and I had no issues so far. The textures are average and really not good in certain areas in the cockpit. External sounds are simply bad period. 75 euros + vat is too much compared to the 146, which is very good imo and much cheaper. And we all know the PMDG 737 will be released soon.
Hi Ramba,
Yep, I generally very much agree with your take and I suspect many others did too. I'm sure Leonardo lost a tonne of sales to PMDG by pricing the jet as high as they did. A shame, as it is a really great addon in many respects, but not really worth the asking price.
Cheers and all the best! : )
Hi @@IntotheBlueSimulations! I think the same about their sales numbers, as the PMDG is in fact cheaper, even much cheaper for europeans due to tax.
I love your content, please keep going! Thank you.
Absolutely beautiful plane inside and out, the cockpit is an amazing combination of analog and digital, and you do a great job showing it off, especially with the head tracking. I want to like it so much, as I love this era of jets and have flown on these Mad Dogs (and their older DC-9 cousins) many times in real life, but like you said, the price (even without VAT) is a bit much when PMDG, JustFlight, and Fenix are reducing their prices for similar quality aircraft. I'll probably wait for JustFlight's Fokker 28 and/or PMDG's 737-800 (the version I've been in the most) for my next airliner.
Hi bwc,
Yeah, the Maddog is an awesome aircraft and indeed the Leonardo version of it is a very nice addon - it's too expensive for what it is though. . . It's a real shame, as I want to see the Maddog do well, but Leonardo are really shooting themselves in the foot I fear, when you have the likes of Fenix and PMDG selling their products at significantly lower prices.
I'm definitely looking forward to Just Flight's F-28, their BAE 146 is a great little analogue jet as well. If you have any interests in an Airbus, I can't recommend Fenix's A320 highly enough!
Glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks very much for watching and all the best : )
Great aircraft, too expensive for me. And I’m more casual with my aircraft experience, but the details to this aircraft is fantastic
The Maddog is indeed a great addon Jadin, but too expensive for most I would say haha - especially with its current flaws.
Cheers and all the best! : )
Hmmm. I am a fan of the MD family of aircraft (the MD-11 being a favourite, despite the fact it is notoriously difficult to land, but I digress) and I do like this. It's just a bit cost-prohibitive. And if I'm being harsh, it doesn't look that great either. It looks like a direct port from P3D.
Fascinating plane though, and I have a soft spot for the MD's, as I say. I think because they are flawed in their design, it's like they have some character and soul.
Lovely video as always, sir.
Unfortunately all the high end addons will be around this price or higher. I’m not sure why he says 90 euro when it’s 75 but
@@RyanVince because people have to pay sales tax so it is 90/93€ depending on where you live
@@fetzie Yikes that’s a lot of tax, I only paid the 75
@@RyanVince PMDG has stated that their aircraft will be priced a lot lower than their previous ones. They even went as far to say that "we will be very surprised when we see the prices". If that is the case and their aircraft are at the standard they have always held previously, perhaps the price of the 146 and 737NG3 can force Leonardo to lower its price a bit. After all the Bae 146 was priced pretty high until they were met with a bit of criticism from the community where they eventually lowered their price. If the 146 were able to do it, so can the MD80
@@pilot.sergio4 It’s going to be lower because you’re going to buy each variant. It’s not going to be cheap because the $99 discount code that was given to P3D customers means it will be at least that much for the variants but I would assume more
Me every time I watch your videos: "I'm definitely gonna try that in game."
Me in game: "Ah LEEEEROOOOOOY ah JEEEEEEEEEEENKINS!"
Haha! XD
Well at the end of the day, so long as you're having fun!! ; )
I bet it is. That think is a study level.
Nice review. My only comment would be that nearly no one gets 90 FPS with any aircraft in MSFS, much less a study level aircraft.
Thanks very much Jimmy, glad you enjoyed it!
Haha yes, a fair comment for sure. My point wasn't so much about the fps itself, more about the number of frames I lost; that way people with lower end systems / lower fps, have some idea of whether or not the addon is going to be workable for them. As you say though, study level addon, of course we are expecting to take a hit whilst running it.
Cheers and all the best! : )
Excellent plane. Bought it today and it is really Study Level, as it is called nowadays. Super fun 90s plane with digital and analog instruments. Sound could be a little better but will find a soundpack somewhere. Yes, the price tag is a bit steep. But I love study level planes and money isn't an issue, so why not.
I’m really glad you’re enjoying the Maddog Malti!
It is indeed an excellent addon and I have a lot of fun with it myself; it’s nice to fly something a bit different and with a little less automation etc. I still think Leonardo missed the mark on the price (and must have cost themselves quite a few sales as a result) but price aside, it’s an excellent offering. Check out the FTSim soundpack, if you haven’t done so already, it offers a significant improvement over the default sounds.
Happy flying and all the best! : )
Great review. I feel like this should be 40% off to make it really worth it.
Thanks very much MTR, glad you enjoyed it!
Yeah, that was my thought exactly. Around the €50 mark, the whole story probably would have been very different. People would have been more willing to look past the texturing etc, so as to enjoy what is otherwise a quality jet. I think Leonardo would have a sold a tonne more units if they’d priced the product lower.
Cheers, all the best! : )
Agree with everything you said. This is the 3rd review I've seen with serious simmers like you and you all had to struggle with the cockpit click spots! Other companies fixed this problem on msfs a long time ago. In my book, it should be the base of a "study level" aircraft for a simulator which uses to fly... a mouse!!!
Cheers O6L, I'm glad you felt I broadly hit the mark (always try to).
I could have articulated myself a little bit better on that one actually; it wasn't the clickspots themselves that I had issues with (lens correction generally tends to be the culprit there), but rather the rate at which the parameters changed. It was very hard to set any of the selections accurately, as the numbers would tend to jump quite rapidly, often through the selection that I was looking for. It's great that Leonardo has tried to address the sim's overly slow scroll rate for these sorts of things, but they rather overcooked it unfortunately.
The issue wasn't a showstopper, but I would imagine it might get quite tedious quite quickly. . .
Cheers and all the best! : )
They are proud of this jet!!!
Well I think there are some things Leonardo can be proud of; the Maddog has the best systems modelling in the sim hands down and arguably the best flight modelling as well. The textures really do let the side down somewhat though and the same for the external sounds.
As with all of these things, some will enjoy it, dependant on what they are looking for. It’s certainly not a bad product, but a little overpriced in my opinion.
All the best! : )
Interesting video!
I just purchased the PMDG DC-6A/B and I appreciated the level of detail, their use of the tablet, and so forth - so I was looking for something like that for the MD-80 for MSFS. (I bought the Rotate MD-80 for X-Plane, BTW).
However the price was a bit off-putting at nearly $100 USD when I looked at it, so I wanted to know what I was buying *_before_* I bought it - and someone suggested this video.
Based on what I've seen with the PMDG DC-6, and other planes like this elsewhere, I agree that the price is a bit steep. Another point that was not mentioned in the review was that, in the case of the PMDG product, (which was about half the price of this when I bought it), is that PMDG provides a whole series of CZcams videos that walk the user through the entire process of managing, flying, landing, as well as use of their "automagic flight crew" features - all of which features are available *_from the tablet_*. Not to mention that you can set the plane to start at any one of three different stages in the startup sequence.
With PMDG providing such an excellent aircraft experience, as well as before-purchase videos and training, your experience with the Leonardo MD-80 is, (IMHO) very disappointing. Especially since I have a lot of history with that aircraft - especially building and maintaining the avionics and FQGS, (the cockpit view of the fuel "CDU" tugged at my heartstrings), I was looking forward to adding a detailed MD-80 series aircraft to my hanger.
Sadly, that doesn't seem to be happening since I feel the price is just too high for what you get, and they should really take a good, hard, look at the competition and their pricing models when they release an aircraft - especially one that is as poorly integrated into the sim as this appears to be. (Having to use an external application to do basic aircraft configuration is essentially a deal-breaker for me - I've never encountered that in any simulator I've ever flown before and seems to be a real kludge.)
Sorry Leonardo - no sale today.
Hello Jim,
Thanks very much! I’m glad you found the video interesting and that it helped give you abroad overview of what the product has to offer.
Most of your takeaways are correct, at least based on my own experience with the product. It is worth mentioning that Leonardo do also offer a tutorial series for the Maddog - it’s recorded in P3D to be fair, but of course it still gets the job done (it’s what I used to prepare for this review).
The Leonardo MD-80 is indeed somewhat dated in terms of its implementation and lacking in some areas given the price. I certainly feel that Leonardo missed the mark with their pricing and should reconsider what they’re charging. All of that being said, it is still a good addon (for those willing to look past the price) and one of the jets I’ve come to most enjoy flying in the sim.
I hope that clarifies a couple of things. Cheers and all the best! : )
Thanks -
My fav airliner classics for now: Wing42 - B247D, and PMDG DC6. -- Maybe not a study level, but CRJ is a fun challenge with a nice workload through flight, and supports SID and STAR
With PMDG 737 coming (this weekend?) , unfortunately MD-82 is a no buy for me right now. Came 6 months too late.
But I hope Leonardo will be supported by other simmers.
Hi øystein, a pleasure as always!
Yes, sadly I think many will have felt the same way as you. The Maddog is a great product in many respects and an aircraft that is loved by a lot of people; Leonardo overpriced it though and I suspect many just decided to bypass it and wait for the 737 as a result.
I hope Leonardo continues to work on the addon and gets it up to a point where the price is justified eventually. It's such a fun aircraft to operate and I want to see it do well in the sim.
All the best! : )
I use render scale to 160 in full hd to have a good cabin experience…i hope Leonardo team will improve the cabin texture… i found system complete and efficient
Ok, thanks for the info Cialtron! I actually didn't mind the passenger cabin too much on the aircraft, it has more detail than the 737 for example. Even the cockpit I think looks ok personally, but of course it could be better. Systems are excellent without a doubt though and as an aircraft to fly / operate, the Maddog is really top notch!
All the best : )
Another great video, thank you. I’d like to ask you a question if I may, in that are you using an IR head tracking type device? If so, what are you using for MSFS and if not, what would you recommend? Thank you.
Hi SP2K,
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!
I am indeed using a head-tracking device - TrackIR to be precise. It's the only head tracking device I have tried to be fair, so I can't really say whether or not it is the best; but I have owned one for about 15 years now and never sim without it (unless I am using VR). It's pricey, but I've had many 100's (probably 1000's) of hours of use out of it and am a very happy customer overall.
I hope that helps a little. Cheers and all the best! : )
It's funny to me how many people have been complaining about FS 2020's "style over substance" and that it's all just eye-candy, and they're happy to stick with P3D and X-Plane. Now we have a truly Study Level addon that falls down a bit on the looks and everyone's STILL complaining! SMH...
I'm just the opposite - if the aircraft works correctly, I can live with "merely" decent graphics (it looks WAAAAAY better than it does in P3D) and a higher price (I'll wait for it to go on sale), esp given the simulator's stunning graphics.
Great review, as always, and much appreciated!
Haha, well I somewhat have to agree Urgent. As I say, the graphics don't bother me personally (I actually really like the look that Leonardo has created, even if it is a bit rough when you inspect things closely), the sounds did mind you. I can understand people's frustrations though; one of the big draws of MSFS is the graphics and if people only wanted decent systems etc, they simply could have stuck with P3D.
I do think the Maddog is an excellent offering, though somewhat overpriced currently. Hopefully Leonardo will continue to work on the aircraft and bring it up to a point everyone is happy with.
Glad you found the review of use! Thanks very much for watching and all the best to you : )
Very nice review indeed. I think you forgot to ARM the altitude after selecting FL290. That might be the reason for VNAV acting a little weird and not holding the speed. Thanks for sharing with the community.
Thanks very much TSP, glad you enjoyed it!
I may well have done; arming an altitude is not something I ever have to do ordinarily, so I often tend to forget in addons where it is required haha and that may well have accounted for the speed yeah (I've no doubt it was a user error issue at any rate).
My pleasure! Thanks for watching and all the best : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations that is absolutely understandable. I guess there's a good reason why aircraft are operated by two pilots in real life :) Thanks for all honest reviews and videos.
the downsides can be corrected if they want to. FT sim will probably release a sound pack which was excellent for the rotate in xp11. Textures can be upgraded im sure, even by 3rd parties. This is a great release.
Hi Jonathan,
I agree, overall it is a great addition to the sim. The textures don’t bother me personally, but some improvements would be nice of course. A sound pack would be great, but then Leonardo could just have easily commissioned a sound pack for the aircraft themselves, rather than the customer having to cough up for another addon.
Either way, I enjoy the aircraft and in many respects it certainly raises the bar of what has been achieved in MSFS!
All the best : )
this excellent your precision work in cokpict md82. and moreover I admire your tranquility takeoff and landing congratulations, I imagine you are real pilot =). good job your video
Thanks very much Santiago, I’m really glad you enjoyed the video! I do indeed fly in the real world; I’m on the Airbus, so not quite as exciting as the MD80 unfortunately haha ; )
Cheers and all the best to you! : )
Excellent review, very thorough. Will be purchasing this one. One of the benefits of being single with no children lol
Cheers Marshie!
Haha, that gave my wife and I a good chuckle when I told her (as we’ve both been spending a lot of time changing dirty nappies recently XD).
Well enjoy the Maddog then! I guess another benefit of your situation, is that you’ll actually have the time to do so ; )
All the best! : )
airliners are like buses, they all come at once lol !!
I will probably buy them all lets be honest about it. I just got the 146 on Friday, next will be the 737 and then when I'm a bit richer MD. Thanks for the review, from what I'm getting from a lot of your reviews is that maybe it's the sim that is letting the aircraft flight modelling down
Haha, indeed Steelmush and it sounds like we have the Fenix A320 on short final now as well! XD
Yeah, that would be my general assertion at the moment. There is no doubt that the flight models are getting better and better in MSFS and X-Plane isn't perfect either, but generally when I jump back into X-Plane, I really notice how much better it feels (at least for the heavy jets).
My pleasure on the review, I'm glad it was of use! Cheers and all the best : )
how come an addon is more expensive than the platform itself sometimes i wonder.
Pr3d costs €50 but the fslabs a320 goes on sale for well over €100...and no one complained...
Well that's not necessarily unusual in flight simulation Katze (for better or worse, it's been the case for many generations of sims now), but usually people expect a certain level of quality for this sort of price and sadly the Maddog just doesn't meet that level of quality at the moment.
All the best! : )
I love this plane - used to fly one in fs2004 but ninety quid? I'll have to wait for a sale in a couple of years I think.
Hi Crunchie,
Yeah, I never had the older versions of the addon, but I've always liked the Maddog. It's a shame, the product definitely has some really good aspects to it, but Leonardo have clearly overpriced it in its current state.
All the best! : )
A nice aeroplane to be sure but for E90 (NZ$146.00) it should be next to perfect. I don't know what PDMG's upcoming 737 will cost but I suspect it will be a lot less and the quality will be as good if not better. I certainly can't afford that sort of money. I mean it costs double for me - If I spend NZ$146.00 on an aircraft, I have to give my wife $I46.00 for something she wants too!!
It is a USD50 plane at best. Those graphics and sounds in MSFS are awful. Nice plane and systems are good. JF 146 is top notch.
I searched it and PMDG said that the -700 and the -600 variant will be 25 USD or 35 AUD and that’s for the 737 and it will be released this weekend I asked a dev for that btw
@@Mista_Spicy If that turns out to be true and I really hope it does the Maddog will be dead in the water from the -700 release date except to people who already had it in P3D !
@@ceegnz yup
@@Mista_Spicy The PMDG DC-6 is $60. What in the world makes you think they'd sell the 737 for less?
I upgraded the MD82 software today, and bought the expansion pack, so now I have MD83 and MD88 as well 🙂 25 Euros, not a bad price for two more aircrafts in the same series 😅
Haha, I was very tempted by the expansion pack Ronnie, but decided that the MD83 / 88 were similar enough to the MD82, that it wasn’t really worth it for me in the end (not to say that I won’t change my mind at some point though haha). I would have loved to have seen an MD87 / 90. Perhaps later we will. . .
Happy flying! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations You haven’t missed much mate :) MD88 a lot more powerful engines, rest is cosmetics. It’s like with CRJ, nice to have all models…guess I’m a hoarder
Haha, I may well cave eventually but then again, I’ve always found there’s something kind of appealing about flying an “underpowered” aircraft haha. I also don’t tend to do longer flights, so the extra range wouldn’t serve much benefit. Maybe I’ll save my pennies in the hope that we’ll get that MD87 / 90 eventually ; )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations For the extra money, don’t get much. Now there’s a rudder issue with latest version, restricted movement…well at least with mine. Other aircrafts fine in FS2020, you get like 5° both ways, when it should be like 30-40° Support ticket lodged
There’s a free mod on the mod site that makes pushbacks much better in my opinion… might be worth looking into if you want better pushbacks.
Cheers TRTGL! I'm forever meaning to check that mod out haha XD
Thanks for the heads up. All the best! : )
Great review and demo thank you for for your effort. If you are in US and don't pay VAT. at 79USD it is worth the purchase without too much of a stretch. Sounds and texturing notwithstanding. First aircraft to actually do what it is supposed to do without going bonkers following VNAV and LNAV. I would ding them 5-10 bucks for sounds and external management app though. Neither of those are really up to the par. Especially if you are coming from Xplane sandbox and used to self contained environment. But overall it's a solid airplane as far as flying and learning.
Hi Matrosov,
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!
Yeah, for sure you chaps in the US have it a bit better than us haha. I really like the Maddog, but I do think it has been overpriced. 79USD -$5 for sounds, -$5 for textures and -$5 for the heavy use of external apps is probably about fair. I'm not one of these guys who doesn't want to pay for anything, but I think Leonardo have probably shot themselves in the foot by pricing the aircraft as high as they have, especially considering the quality and the pricing of the competition.
All of the above being said, I really enjoy the MD80 and it does do a lot of things well, it is also arguably the most fun study level jet available in MSFS.
Happy flying! : )
Those green screen FMS units are like something from 1980's computing, can't imagine learning how to add all the data. Interesting to watch though.
Haha well, they probably are 1980’s computing, Rahman. Aviation always tends to lag behind the rest of the tech industry - reliability trumps functionality. I love this sort of tech though, at least in the sim.
I’m really glad you found the video interesting. Thanks very much once again for watching! : )
Always an honest review, yes price is steep but it is iconic. Am interested how Pmdg stands up quality vs price. I already have my favourite old school jet in the Bae146 and am curious do I prefer the MD or 737. This is where the MD developers may loose a few sales.
I have to agree. I feel like I’m not getting the company line like you get from other reviewers who get their planes for free and feel obliged to the developer.
Thanks Obriets. I'm glad that comes across, as I always try and produce an honest and fair review (occasionally to the detriment of any relationship with a developer). I take no pleasure in deriding peoples work, but my critique is never given out of malice etc, I simply try and accurately portray what the product has to offer. I value the channel's integrity over any freebies ; )
Cheers and all the best! : )
Cheers Jim!
For me, the MD80 is much more my cup of tea to fly without a doubt (I prefer my retro jets over my modern ones). Currently though, it has to be said PMDG's 737 does offer better value - it's both cheaper and finished to a higher standard. If the textures / sounds don't bother you too much (and they don't me) then the Maddog is an excellent addon, but I think Leonardo would have been much better served to price it cheaper and sell significantly more units.
All the best! : )
Another terrific fair review, price seems a bit steep certainly potential wallet melt down, certainly a dilemma as what to go for 146/ MD .Thanks again great flight. Cheers for now Charlie
Thanks very much Charlie!
Yes, the price is overly steep to be frank. The Maddog is a nice product in many respects and arguably the most fun to fly of all the airliners we've seen in MSFS to date, but the aircraft doesn't offer value for money vs the competition. That being said, I am still enjoying it. . .
Which one did you decide to go for in the end then? : )
All the best!
I went for the Just Flight BAe 146 professional, also now thinking about the PMDG 737-700, at this rate I’ll have to come out of retirement!
Great review as always. One question - what was going on with the number readout on the IAS? I get there was a glitch with it jumping, but the readout made no sense to me 😐
Had to ask the same question. If you look closely, there's a white . next to it. It's Mach number.
I'ts the Mach number
@@Krampfader123 @JoeMarkowski - ah, thank you!
Hi Adam,
Seems the other chaps have you covered there haha.
Also for what it's worth, I've been watching some MD80 videos subsequent to making the review; the ASI needle and Mach number behavior is actually true to life of the aircraft to be fair (ie it does jump around a bit and the Mach number only goes up in increments of .02 for some reason).
Cheers and all the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Wow... My apologies to Leonardo! To model that sort of quirky weirdness is actually very, very impressive!
The textures look total drek - no other word for them - we're back in FSX here?
Mind you the FMC looks very functional.
Haha, well thank you SW for teaching me a new word! XD
The textures certainly aren’t the best, but personally I think it’s the price that’s the real issue. If Leonardo had sold this at somewhere around the €50 mark, a lot of people would have been willing to look past the textures and as you say, textures aside, the aircraft does actually offer quite a functional and high fidelity experience. It’s the first jet I’ve flown in MSFS, where it didn’t feel like there were any “MSFS-ism’s” going on behind the scenes. A shame. . .
Cheers and all the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Yep, absolutely agree with you on that; €50 would have probably clinched it for me too. But this looks like an almost Captain Sim Cash-Grab - knowing the big boys are about to wade in - PMDG/ Fenix, etc. A bit shameless really, tbh. Ultimately a disappointment - it could have been so much more and certainly, for the money they're asking it should have been. In summary; over-priced and under-achieving. Don't get me wrong; I think Leonardo TRIED really hard - but have failed to deliver; (Port-Overs of P3D/ FSX stuff - just will not do it - if they retain and do not reinvent textures and FDE's)
You got that across succinctly in your video. Thank You.
Yeah, I think there are a few devs coming into MSFS, who are a bit “stuck in their ways”. They were at the top of their game in the FSX / P3D days, but they haven’t really moved with the times. Perhaps Leonardo is one such dev. This being said, apparently Leonardo is very proactive when it comes to product enhancements (it is their only product after all), so perhaps they will bring it up to scratch eventually.
I’m glad the video told you what you needed to know anyway! Cheers and all the best : )
on one hand that price is insane... on the other hand it is sort of making me interested in the plane.
i dont even play fs2020 that much and i really do not spend the time learning the systems, but when i do fly i find myself getting lost for hours...
msfs2020 in VR can be an absolutely amazing experience, even therapeutic, im exited for what the next couple decades got to offer!
although the price is insane i would rather pay for the quality than get ripped of on a 30 euro plane that has a disappointing flight model.
the pmdg dc6 was the first plane i purchased and i love it, i do not mind the price! i have since bought a couple 30 euro planes and just felt ripped off! im not sure on this one thought, if the price was a little lower id jump on it, had it been a dc3 i would have payed the 90 euros, but im not really in to jets... but i am interested!
Haha, well there are probably other addons out there that might perhaps suit your requirements a little better Ralph.
The Maddog is a great addon overall (though overpriced), but I'm not sure it would be the best aircraft to use in VR, since some of the cockpit modelling is still 2D etc. You might enjoy the Just Flight 146 or the PMDG 737 a little more - both are cheaper and done to a higher quality in most respects. There is a DC3 on the way soon as well, so you might want to hold fire on other purchases for now (although the quality of said DC3 remains to be seen).
As you say, MSFS can be a brilliant way to relax, especially in VR! Happy flying : )
Thx for a great and much appreciated review! A little bit of topic: what chatter are we hearing, during the cockpit preparations? Add-on or included in the Maddog?
I used to fly Falcon Business Jets: F2000 F900 EX and while simming I apparently miss the usual radio chatter..👍
OFF topic OF course ... 🥴
Hi Evert,
My pleasure on the video, glad you found it useful!
The ATC is real-world recordings (from LiveATC.net), which I’ve then edited into the video (as you say, I find just having that little bit of chatter in the background, helps ramp up the atmosphere). There is actually an ATC chatter app available for MSFS though, if that’s the sort of thing you’re after : )
I hope that helps. Happy flying and all the best!
Haha, no worries, I’ve come across far more egregious spelling / grammar mistakes in the comments : P
Still dont have this one in my hanger. We have so many aircraft to choose from today. I havent even flown all of the planes I have purchased, much less study them. Ive spent month learning a handful of high fidelity aircraft and systems. Have noticed that the more I learn the easier the next plane is though. Will likely get this one at some point, but it is pricey
Haha, I think many of us are in the same boat there, Jay. The Maddog is an excellent addon, despite its shortcomings but yes, the aircraft is still very expensive for what it is / vs the competition. Most aircraft are indeed quite similar in terms of their systems design so yes, once you’ve learnt one, the process generally becomes easier the next time around (it’s usually the automation that throws up a few question marks, if anything haha ; )
Happy flying and all the best!
The missing ILS is a Navigraph glitch. It is the same in X-Plane.
Ahhh, thanks Paul! Funnily enough, I remembered after the fact that I had experienced the same issue going into Palermo in X-Plane. That was a fair old while ago though, so it must be a fairly long-standing issue! It’s strange that Navigraph gives the correct chart, but yet the NAV database isn’t correct. . .
Cheers for the info though, much appreciated! All the best : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Forgot to say that I liked your video. Thanks for sharing! I am tempted. The Rotate MD-80 was a lot of fun. I even did two videos about it. But there is so much else of interest for MSFS now. The recent Boeing 737 looks like a lot of fun too. I am waiting for the A32NX to mature. Then there will be an A320 I heard. X-Plane seems to fall behind slowly. I did your flight in default X-Plane 11 in the Zibo 737. The scenery is nothing to write home about.
Not my kind of plane, but I still enjoy the reviews. Would really like to watch a DCS review if you did it, just as far as procedures and flight go.
Problem with that is it would probably be 5H video with how in depth his reviews are 😂 ... Reapers do break downs of each module too
For DCS lookup Casmo, an Apache pilot
Haha, mayyybe Brandon, aaand? : P
Cheers PF! Glad you enjoyed the video, if not so much the aircraft : )
I'm forever meaning to cover a wider range of sims, including DCS. I'm not very skilled up on the combat side of things though (at least not the modern stuff), which does tend to limit what I can do in the sim. I'm sure at some point though, there will be some DCS content (I actually have a Huey video pre-recorded, but not yet uploaded).
Thanks for watching and all the best!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations haha no offence mate, just DCS modules are pretty insane, you'll be there all month !!
Definitely a wait for sale for me.
That’s probably the most prudent course of action HMcH. Hopefully waiting will also give the dev time to fix up some of the aircraft’s issues (it sounds as though a lot of patches / updates were provided throughout the lifespan of the MD82 in FSX / P3D).
All the best! : )
just bought this and after 15 minutes i am still waiting to load in the game lol it usally takes 2 minutes with my rig. Bought the one from just flight yesterday and that plane works like a charm! really love what just flight did there just hope maddog x won't dissapoint ( edit i give up this plane for today, can't load it in to any airport atm i might have clicked something wrong in their app ima try again tomorrow)
First time can take 20 min, after that normal load time
Thanks for offering up the help Jep! Much appreciated : )
Hi GD,
Hopefully Jep got you onto the right tracks, but yeah, this is essentially normal behaviour with the Maddog. It will take a long while to load on the first attempt (and indeed when loading a new variant etc), but thereafter things should be normal.
I hope that helps. All the best! : )
It felt a bit heavy to me too, but like most of us have never flown one in real life, so it's hard to know.
I did actually have a couple of 717 / MD80 drivers reach out in the end and it sounds like the aircraft really is that heavy on the controls! : O
Certainly gives the aircraft bags of character, must be a good arm workout to fly on a daily basis as well XD
Cheers Jarrod! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Nice one, that is good to know!
The weirdest thing for me on this video was the Portuguese ATC while you're flying over Italy hahaha
Haha! Yes, alas I couldn’t find any Italian ATC recordings. A real shame, as it would have been the icing on the cake, to have some “sing-song” Italian ATC enroute. The Portuguese had to fill in for the day I’m afraid XD
Cheers and all the best! : )
Hi ITBS, great video thanks, what is the ATC I am hearing in the background?
probably stick and rudder studios fs etc chatter
Thanks for offering up the help Fetzie, much appreciated! : )
Hi Malcfwatt,
Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed it!
In my case, I take real-world recordings from LiveATC.net and then edit them into the video. As Fetzie very helpfully points out though, there is also an MSFS ATC chatter app available, if that's the sort of thing you're after : )
Cheers and all the best!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Also what did you use for the passenger cabin chatter?
I don't mind paying 90 Euros for an addon but everything has to be almost perfect (including textures and sound). I'd probably have got this, if the PMDG and Justflight 146, weren't coming so close to it's release. I'll check in maybe during a sale in the future at some point.
That's exactly it Exile. There are very few addons I'd be willing to fork out that sort of money for and if I'm going to do so, they need to be close to perfection.
The Maddog is great addon, but Leonardo has significantly overpriced it. I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't shot themselves in the foot a little by doing so; I think a lot of people will have done the same as yourself, bypassed the MD80 altogether and simply waited for the 737.
Cheers and all the best! : )
Is one of the few expensive aircraft add-ons that I'm willing to invest in. I would not be buying everyone at those prices, maybe only this one and the PMDG B737-700 or -800 (one of the two)
Fair enough Eduardo. It's certainly not that I think the Maddog is bad, indeed I think it's a brilliant addon; but you have to be offering something pretty special to be charging more than even the likes of PMDG. Personally I feel that Leonardo overestimated on the pricing, but that's not to say I am unhappy with my purchase.
All the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Thanks for your comments. Please also remember the Maddog comes with different variants, and the PMDG B737-800/900/600 will also come in several packages with different pricing, so probably at the end the Maddog will be cheaper
a MD82 will be flown to the ground with throttles, dont cut it and pull or you always float
Thanks for the tip Mike! I haven't had a chance to fly the Maddog again yet, but I will have to give that a go on my next landing then ; )
Cheers and all the best! : )
Thank you for your excellent review. I was very disappointed with the standard of the modelling and texturing. It's been an expensive Bank Holiday what with the BA146 and this. Just the 737 to go and my bank account can begin to recover.
Thanks John!
I have to say, the modelling / texturing didn't bother me personally, but I knew it would a lot of others and quite rightly so frankly (there's nothing egregiously wrong with it, but when you're charging 90 euros. . .).
Haha, it has indeed been a very expensive couple of weeks in the world of MSFS (and with the Fenix A320 coming as well soon by the sounds of it)! I hope you have started on your path towards financial recovery XD
All the best! : )
To be fair to the Maddog, it's 75 Euros, it's not their fault Europe loves its VATs.
Yes I wish people would be more clear on pricing. Not to be harsh, but most of us over on this side of the pond don’t know about or care about the VAT taxes, so saying it is 90 euros is a little disingenuous since that isn’t the list price.
@@Briggie Exactly. It's getting a lot of unfair heat, especially with the recent release of the JF 146 and the impending release of the PMDG 737. "Why's it worth almost 2x the 146?" Well it's not almost 2x the 146, it's 15 Euros more. If that's too high or you don't think the value is there (textures, sounds, etc.) that's fine, but it's not almost twice the cost.
@@joemarkowski4465 also I see a lot of people adding the VAT to MD-80 and not to the BAE 146.
@@Briggie It cost him 90 Euros, what part of that don't you understand? Whether 75 or 90, it's probably too much!
@@Rage-td9wv cause it is not the price for everyone. What part of that are you not understanding?
Great video .. the question is, how did you get the green cockpit? I have the same airplane and all liveries (no green cockpit), and also I got the Alitalia (grey cockpit color)
Thanks very much Mohammed, glad you enjoyed it!
I'm afraid I have no idea how to change the cockpit colour haha. The manual states it is a function of the livery, but that seems not to be the case. . . The cockpit was blue when I first loaded the aircraft and indeed it is blue on all of my liveries. Luckily for me, the blue cockpit has always been my favorite, but I'd still like to know how to change it - have you figured it out yet by any chance?
Cheers and all the best! : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I found it, there are two Alitalia livery, one with blue and one with grey, and now I got them both 😎
I'm still on the fence about this airplane. I was excited about its release and planning to purchase it, but now I'm wondering. The grainy textures probably wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me. But the sound is a bigger concern. I've been spoiled by the top-notch FlyByWire A32NX sounds, which add a lot to the experience of flying for me.
The biggest concern I took away from your review was the difficulty you had adjusting the heading, speed, and altitude knobs. You mentioned the click-spots were difficult to hit reliably, but it also looked like the acceleration effect when spinning the knobs was exaggerated, making it difficult to set a specific value without overshooting it multiple times. The combination of tiny click-spots with excessive knob acceleration could be REALLY annoying and turn me off from flying. Is it bad enough to be a deal breaker? I don't want to spend $80 to find out.
Hi Smoky,
It’s an excellent addon in many respects, but hard to recommend for the money. The textures don’t bother me personally, I think the cockpit looks pretty good and the internal sounds are great in some respects (buggy in others). As you say, sounds are definitely important. From what I hear, Leonardo is the type of dev who will put out update after update, so perhaps worth holding off and seeing how the aircraft looks in a few months time.
I don’t think I articulated myself very well regarding the clickspots (I saw quite a few posts regarding my comments on Avsim haha); the clickspots themselves are absolutely fine, but the rate at which the knobs turn is a bit all over the shop. They rotate faster than default in the sim which would be great (as generally rotaries in the sim are really slow), but I was having real trouble selecting parameters accurately as a result (as you may have noticed during final approach). Probably not a deal-breaker per se, but definitely something that could get very frustrating quite quickly!
As I say, my advice would be to hold fire and see how things pan out in a couple of months or so : )
Cheers and all the best!
Wanted this to be good, sad it dont justify my money. I will keep my money until pmdg releases and keep on flying flybywire a32nx :D
Hi Oskar,
Overall I think the Maddog is good, but yeah, the quality doesn't justify the price at the moment (especially when we have the likes of PMDG selling at a lower price). The FBW A320 is excellent though and I'm sure will only continue to get better!
Cheers and all the best : )
I agree that no aircraft these days shouldn’t be overly relying on external applications. I was disappointed when I bought it and the first thing I saw was the app. Apps can be nice for configuring one time settings but having to remember to open it on every flight totally kills the mood. Even for installing the liveries you need to go to the forums to download and then use the external app to install …sigh. At least PMDG let’s you download and install the liveries right there in the app with just 1 click, and you don’t need the app running for anything in the sim.
Exactly Hartbreak. At the end of the day it isn't a massive issue, but I think most of us have become used to convenience and why not make things more convenient where you can - I'd rather just "jump in and go" were possible and most modern MSFS addons will allow one to do just that.
Certainly an area I hope Leonardo will work on going forward. . .
All the best! : )
Great review - i noticed at the very beginning of the video your colours where over saturated - too bright. Did you upgrade your drivers recently?? As for the price NZ$132 - will take a rain check on this sadly - waaayy to expensive. I did have this aircraft both in FSX and P3D and really enjoyed flying it - was looking forward to this - but at that price Nope!!
Love the McDonald Douglas approach to automation and this aircraft offered a 3rd variety to the Airbus and Boeing Autopilots
The JF BAE 146 is definitley worth it. Blows Mad Dog away with graphics and sound and price. System depth fantastic. It has a Air NZ livery too.
Thanks very much Ray, glad you enjoyed!
Yes, I'm not quite sure what was going on with the saturation there, but it didn't look great did it. For sure the weather and the time of day play a part, but I feel as though the sim has always suffered in this area and appears to have gotten worse of late - it's a shame that the eye adjustment effect can't be turned off (and I will have to check my graphics setting I guess).
I agree that the Maddog is really a bit too heavy on the pricing. I wonder how many more units Leonardo would have sold, if the aircraft was priced around the 50 euros mark - I suspect more than enough to offset the cost of the reduced price. Ah well, it is what it is I suppose, it's their choice after all. . .
I find the Maddog's automation a little bit strange, but I'm sure it's just a question of getting used to it. It certainly makes for a nice change of pace at any rate. As Daz mentions, you might enjoy the 146; similarly retro and with its own quirky automation as well etc.
Cheers and all the best! : )
Hope someone does a 747 100/200 like this.
I'm sure that will probably happen one day RT2000. Maybe Felis will bring theirs across from X-Plane at some point. . .
All the best! : )
Thanks for yet another fantastic balanced review. Fair call on the pros and cons when taking the price into consideration. Really would like an MD-80 but there really is a lot going against it. The fact that simbrief has to be downloaded first as well sounds very clunky. And from what i have heard in various reviews the external sounds are pretty horrible as you mention.
But the overall look and cockpit do as you say look very atmosheric. I think i need to try and be strong and wait for the 737 or cave for the 146 lol.
Simbrief won't download on the 737 either just FYI. I can't remember exactly why but its a security thing. The reason it works in the FBW is that its a hack and apparently a security risk from what I understand.
@@FlatOutMatt Yup takes me not even 30 seconds.
Cheers Matt,
I vaguely recall reading the security thing somewhere and also that it's simply not possible on webassembly built aircraft (I'm not sure whether the MD80 falls into that category or not). It's hard to believe that in this day and age, there wouldn't be a way of working around such restrictions (safely), but perhaps that is genuinely the case.
All the best : )
Fair enough Matt. It's good to know that once it's been set up, little work is involved.
All the best! : )
Cheers Coenraad!
The MD80 is excellent in many areas and really good fun, it's just very hard to justify the 90 euro price point in its current state, especially when the competition are all offering their addons at a lower cost. The external sounds are definitely one of the products weaker areas yeah. . .
Haha, did you manage to hold out and make it through to the 737's release in the end? XD
All the best! : )
The aircraft looks amazing but I'm not paying for an add on that cost more than the game itself
The MD80 is indeed a very nice effort AGX and great fun also; massively overpriced though unfortunately (when compared against the competition). I don’t think you will have been the only person put off by the cost of the product (which is a shame, as I’d like to see Leonardo do well, but I really don’t think they’re doing themselves any favours on the pricing).
All the best : )
How do you get the blue cockpit textures and also the flash cards in between the two FMC?
Hi Synatra,
I'm afraid I'm not sure how to change the cockpit colour, mine was blue when I loaded the aircraft up. The manual states that the cockpit colour is a function of the selected livery, but that doesn't appear to be the case. . .
The takeoff and landing data cards can be brought up, simply by clicking on the area between the two FMC's (there is a clickspot somewhere in that area).
I hope that helps a little.
Cheers and all the best! : )
What do you use as the background ATC audio track, sounds great.
Hi CJM,
The ATC is real-world recordings (from LiveATC.net), which I’ve then edited into the video. There is actually an ATC chatter app available for MSFS though, if that’s the sort of thing you’re after : )
I hope that helps. All the best!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations think it adds a great background. Will have a look for the app
That’s what I figured, it makes everything sound that little bit more immersive, having some ATC chatter in the background (VATSIM would work also of course, but not everyone wants to be using that).
Cheers : )
Wow this aircraft is slow to climb and accelerate. Be prepared to work twice as fast on the 737-700 when it comes, especially with the 24k thrust rating :) nice to see this Icon being represented in the new sim. I’ll wait for a discount but I’m sure this will find a place in my hangar one day.
Yeah, she's not in a massive hurry on the initial departure it seems haha - it does get quite a bit more spritely once you have the flaps in though. Things do tend to happen a little bit more quickly in the 737, but then one does have better automation to help them stay on top of things.
The Maddog is a great addon and with a discount, one I could highly recommend!
Cheers Rico, all the best! : )
I've tried chasing some of those 737's in multiplayer as they climb, and it's definitely more of a challenge than I expected!
How do you get the cockpit to blue? Is it based on liveries? I've downloaded the USAir, American and Delta liveries from their site and they are all brown? I think the blue looks more satisfying for learning this aircraft!
Hi Daniel,
I believe the cockpit colouring is based on the livery, yes. I prefer the blue myself also and it's a bit frustrating that the colour selection can't be made via the Maddog config tool. If you're familiar with basic .cfg file editing, you should be able to change the cockpit colour, otherwise you'll have to select another livery.
I hope that helps a little. All the best! : )
Great review, thank you again for your time and dedication. The price tag is a little high for my taste being a pensioner I need to be a little frugal in my purchases. That said, great job overall for the Leonardo MD-82 "Maddog" could live with the minor texture issues externally she still looks good if you squint a bit lol.
Thanks very much Valstom, my pleasure!
Yes, personally I actually don't mind the textures; I think they look ok unless you really pick them apart, but I can see why people aren't happy, especially at this price point.
It's a shame, I'd like to see the Maddog do well, but I think Leonardo have really limited the product's appeal at this sort of cost. I'm sure many more (like yourself) would have been tempted to pick the aircraft up, had the price been more reasonable.
Cheers and all the best! : )
pension/that should be more reason to buy it
Hey guys, is anyone else having issues with the in-game default ATC stuttering when flying the Mad Dog in MSFS2020?
Hi NFR,
Haven’t experienced that one myself, as I don’t tent to use the default ATC much these days, but I have seen that others are indeed having the same issue with the addon - a current bug I guess. . .
All the best! : )
I'm starting to enjoy this aircraft more and more, challenge to learn ! Your tutorial has been great help ! How do you set hundreds of feet for altitude ? I can get on thousands :(
Cheers Ronnie! There are certainly one or two errors in the video (I was still learning the aircraft myself at the time), but I’m glad it’s been useful to you at any rate (I think the basics are more or less there). Annoyingly, to change the altitude selection by 100’s of feet, you have to hold down TAB whilst using the scroll wheel (a very clunky way of doing things haha).
The MD80 is indeed a nice challenge to learn and great fun to operate! Happy flying : )
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Thx mate ! My MD82 experience getting slightly more enjoyable. Still feel little stressed in certain conditions, when you’re not in control…same applies to everyday life :)
@@IntotheBlueSimulations Do you have Mudspike MD82 PDF ? It’s actually created for Prepa3d but it’s super useful, explains in detail. I also bought POH for MD88/MD90, quite similar :) It helps you to understand, if you have good documentation :)
I don’t Ronnie, but I shall have to check it out if I get a chance. I do have another flight with the MD-80 pre-recorded and I shall upload that at some point; I think my 2nd attempt was somewhat more successful overall haha ; )
Cheers!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations I can probably send you a link to the document, if needed. Unfortunately hardware issues, so I'm unable to fly. I believe PSU, GPU or MoBo cactus :( Anyway, happy flying !
He did like flow in air
I believe you need to be either in flaps 28 or 40 to be able to arm the auto breaks.
Ahhh ok, that explains it! Thanks very much EM, very much appreciated : )
All the best!
@@IntotheBlueSimulations
Is there any aircraft in the world that you don't run circles around its checklist?
Haha! The joys of a "misspent youth" playing flight simulators XD
I don't get everything right for sure, but I have a fairly decent idea of how most popular aircraft operate; buying a new addon and figuring out how it works, was always a little challenge that I really enjoyed.
All the best! : )
Real shame about the price of this one as I’ve been a passenger on these (with SAS) several times in my childhood and even got to visit the cockpit once :) Although I absolutely respect the time and effort it takes to create an addon of this quality, I’m just not personally that into vintage airliners that I’m willing to spend €75. Still, another great video!
especially when "only" the systems are great and everything else seems like a complete port. modeling isnt up to todays standards, texturing is a joke and sounds are the same bad ones from the p3d version. coupled with the poor efb, no simbrief integration, no Navigraph and having to use an external program not to mention having to download the liveries separately in their forums to keep the installer small in size (its around 360mb... Nvidia drivers are bigger in size ffs.
All valid points I think Fetzie. The Maddog is a nice addon and it's great fun to fly, but these are all issues that don't bring it close to its current 90 euro asking price I would say (especially when we now have the likes of the PMDG 737 coming in at a lower price).
All the best! : )
Completely agree Øystein. I think it's a real shame that Leonardo have priced the aircraft as high as they did. It's an aircraft a lot of people are fond of (like you, I have childhood memories of taking a trip on one) and I think many times more people would have picked the Maddog up, had it of been sold at around the 50 euro price point (and Leonardo probably would have made more profits overall as a result).
As you reasonably point out, clearly a lot of work went into the addon and it's great fun to fly, but it's overpriced in its current state I think.
Thanks for watching and all the best! : )
GREAT review and flight. It's not the price - it's what you get for your money. Fortunately I only add GA to the hangar so I do not have the delima of deciding to pay that much money for the product. Carpe Deim! !! !!!
Thanks very much Mark, glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely true, although for me there is an upper limit of what I think an addon can reasonably be priced at. I know some people would be willing to pay almost anything for the most accurate addon they can lay their hands on and that's totally fine, but personally I draw the line at around the £100 mark - I just don't feel comfortable otherwise.
Haha, enjoy the GA life! One thing I have noticed now that the "study level" jets have started arriving; the GA side / audience of the hobby is definitely much "gentler" haha. Things seem to be getting pretty heated in the comments of late XD
All the best! : )
The BAE146 is where it’s at for me !
it is the best product between both
Not with an incomplete fmc...
Haha, fair enough James, the 146 is certainly a really fun little jet! I think both products have their strengths and weaknesses, but the 146 is certainly the more polished product and probably offers better value for money overall.
All the best : )
Question, I keep hearing you say 90 Euro's but the price on Simmarket is 75 Euro's. Is there a price difference between what I see and what you see? I can also change anything I want (with the external application) on the fly without resetting the flight.. I do agree however that the default liveries are low resolution and probably ported over, some of the textures can be better done but yeah, minor nitpicks.
Sales tax. in Germany it's 90€, other places 93€, US is usually excluding sales tax because those depend on where you live in the US
@@fetzie Ah, got it.
Hi Matt,
Yeah, that's what I had to pay in terms of the UK price (obviously pricing will depend on additional taxes and also exchange rates though); I wish I could have paid 75 euros haha.
Don't get me wrong, whilst there are certain areas that can be improved, I really enjoy the Maddog overall. For 75 euros it's getting closer to a reasonable price, 90 is just a bit too steep in my opinion.
Cheers and all the best! : )