Wilco/FeelThere Boeing 777-300ER

The Boeing 777 is one of the most advanced jetliners out there, with a fully glass cockpit and two of the most powerful jet engines. It can carry over 400 passengers and is the largest twin-jet in the world. It is also renowned for it's fuel efficiency on long hauls. Let's see how well this amazing aircraft is modeled by Wilco Publishers. (Specifically, the airplane is modeled after the 777-300ER.)

Exterior Model:
The exterior model is overall very nice. Two doors can be opened, including the main cargo doors and passenger door. The gear animations are very impressive, some of the best seen in many payware models. No detail in the gear is spared, even the individual spokes of the wheels can be seen. Gear droop is also modeled. The 777 is known for being unique in that it both the fuselage and engine are fully circular. This is shown. Flaps, airbrakes, and slat animations are also modeled very well, and with full flaps the interior of the wing can be seen as in reality. Flaps also extend at a realistic speed and the individual sections can be noticed moving seperately. Overall, absolutely no detail was spared in the modeling of the exterior.

This section receives a 10 of 10











Flight Characteristics:
The flight characteristics of the plane seem to handle realistically as a large jet like the 777 would. I was happy to see that flight computers were not changing my every input to something else. Rather, inputs, even when direct and quick, are received well. Rotation at takeoff is smooth at approximately 170kts. Stall speeds also are modeled well and the 'spin/stall' glitch which often happens in FSX did not result. The GPWS and TCAS, along with other on-board computers, were quick to alert me at the smallest mistake.

This section receives a 9 of 10

Cockpit/Virtual Cockpit:
The cockpit and virtual cockpit are complete with an FMC, overhead panel, weather radar, TCAS, EICAS screens, and fully glass instruments. The EICAS screen has multiple warnings, all the way from door openings to overspeed. Graphics are nice and well modeled. There is no passenger cabin behind the virtual cabin. The unfortunate thing which I noticed was that the overhead panel does not have a huge amount of complexity to it like some of the PMDG models.

This section receives a 7 of 10

Sound:
The sound is modeled well. It is just perfect, not too loud but not quite a quiet hum. The GPWS adds a lot to the flight experience. Also, there are multiple alert sounds which are a nice addition.

This section recieves a 10 of 10

Frame Rates:
I was very happy to see that absolutely no FPS loss was experienced during the flights. This is surprising due to the high quality of the graphics and the amount of processes things like the weather radar take up.

This section recieves a 10 of 10

This aircraft also comes with optional downloads of about 10 liveries, including Delta, Aeroflot, and British Airways.
Overall, it earns 45/50. This aircraft is worth the money to anyone who loves heavy jets.