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System Requirements for the X-System
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows CPU
Macintosh CPU
RAM
Disk Space
CD ROM
Video
Monitor
Joystick/Yoke
X-Plane 5.52
Pentium 300
Power Mac 200
96 MB
80 MB
2x
Open GL Compatible
with at least 8 MB of
Video Memory (VRAM)
800x600
Optional
X-Plane Classic
Pentium 150
Power Mac 100
32 MB
20 MB
2x
Any
800x600
Optional
The Lowdown:
X-Plane 5.52 is a 3-D accelerated program, which means that it needs a decent CPU and a 3-D accelerator card to run. 3-D accelerator
cards are designed specifically to do high-speed graphics, so they work many times faster than your CPU ever could. The three
languages of 3-D accelerator cards are OpenGL, Direct-3D, and Glide.
X-Plane Classic is an older version of X-Plane that does not have the modern 3-D graphics, so does NOT require a 3-D card with
OpenGL. Both X-Plane 5.52 and Classic come on your X-Plane CD, so you can use version Classic now if you have an older machine,
and switch to version 5.52 later when you upgrade machines or get an OpenGL 3-D accelerator card.
The faster your CPU, the better the frame-rate, so get a fast Pentium or Power-Mac if possible. Pentiums are OK, Pentium-II's are nicer,
Pentium -III's are great.
In the Mac world, Power-Mac's are nice, G-3's are really nice, and G-4's rock incredibly. I-Macs with the Rage-PRO cards are OK, and
I-Macs with the Rage-128 cards are great!
X-Plane will be better if you install speech synthesis on your machine. This will give verbal Air Traffic Control!
Windows Users:
Get speech synthesis: Microsoft Speech Engine (40 meg!) (ftp://ftp.prisidian.net/links/microsoftspeech4.exe)
Mac Users:
Install the Apple Speech Manager, using the apple system installer on your system CD...you can opt to install the speech manager
ONLY.
Check our website for news on the latest and recommended graphics cards, and use X-Plane CLASSIC if you do not have a required
3-D card.
Some remarks about peripherals
On Apple systems you can use any joystick you like with X-Plane 5.52, or stick to CH-Products, Gravis, or Thrust-Master joysticks if you
are using X-Plane CLASSIC. If you have no joysticks then you can simply fly with the mouse (click in the center of the windshield) or
keyboard (using the numeric keypad).
On Windows you can use any joystick, yoke, or rudder pedals that you can calibrate in Windows. (On your desktop, go to “My
Computer” / “Control Panel” / “Game Controllers” to calibrate your joystick).
You can also use the "Fly-It" instrument panel if you want a panel for your PC. Call Fly-It at 760434-1940 or see: www.flyit.com.
For helicopter controls, Flight-Link makes a cyclic stick and collective control, and can be reached at 530-891-4987 or
www.flight-link.com.
For throttle quadrants, Flight-Link makes one that works with X-Plane, and can be reached at 530-891-4987 and www.flight-link.com.
For a hydraulic chair that pitches and rolls as the aircraft does in X-Plane, check out www.tvcknride.com.
This is what you'll see on your X-Plane CD. (Windows users will see the same files but in different orientation).
Installation
Windows Users:
Insert the CD into your CD ROM drive and choose one of the following install options to install X-Plane.
1. If your CD ROM drive has AutoPlay enabled, the launch screen will appear automatically. Click install and follow the on-screen
installation instructions.
2. If AutoPlay is not enabled, double-click on the “My Computer” icon on your desktop. Double-click on the CD ROM drive icon.
Double click on “Setup” icon. Click install and follow the on-screen installation instructions.
3. You may also install X-Plane directly from the self-extracting executable files on the CD. Double-click on the “My Computer” icon
on your desktop. Double-click on the CD ROM drive icon. Double-click on either the “X-Plane 552 Windows” icon or the “X-Plane
Classic Windows” icon. The version you choose to install will be based on your system. Please read the System Requirements for
more information. These files will automatically extract to their own directories on the hard drive you choose.
Macintosh Users:
Just double-click on the file on the CD for the appropriate version of X-Plane. The version you choose to install will be based on your
system. Please read the System Requirements for more information. When asked what directory to extract the file to, simply choose
the hard drive of your computer or wherever you want X-Plane to be installed.
Macintosh and Windows users:
If you are running X-Plane 5.52 and experience a crash at runtime, you probably need up-to-date drivers for your video card. Go to the
website of the manufacturer of your video card, and follow the instructions carefully for installing their latest drivers. The driver that
came with your video card is probably obsolete already (because of the high advance time on production).
The latest version of Microsoft Direct-X at www.microsoft.com is also a common solution for PC users.
Do not change the names of the "additional nav data" folder or the folders within it. Ditto this on the "airfoils", "flaps", "planes",
"bitmaps", "textures", and "sounds" folders. X-Plane needs these folders to get to it's scenery, graphics, airplanes, and sounds.
The "additional nav data" folder contains ".env" files, (scenery files), "apt.dat" (airport data), "nav.dat" (NAVAID data) and "fix.dat"
(fix data) files, as well as any custom objects and textures. Most of the scenery for the world is on the X-Plane CD in the form of
thousands of ".env" files, but any ".env" files in the "additional nav data" folder overrides the data on the CD. This allows you have
your own custom-edited scenery that overrides the default scenery on the CD.
World-Maker will allow you to edit scenery, and the scenery files that you edit will be in the "additional nav data" folder where they can
over-ride the standard scenery on the CD.
Part-Maker will allow you to create and edit airfoils and flaps, which sit in the "airfoils" and "flaps" folders.
Plane-Maker will allow you to create and edit airplanes and helos, which sit in the "planes" folder.
Note: X-Plane reads scenery data from the CD-ROM periodically as you fly and checks the disk for copy protection. You must
therefore leave the X-Plane CD in your CD ROM drive. Removing the CD will put X-Plane in demo mode!
YOUR FIRST FLIGHT
Windows Users
Click on the “Start” button in your Windows toolbar. Select “Programs” / “X-Plane” / “X-Plane 552” or “X-Plane Classic” (Depending
on the version you installed.)
Macintosh Users
Double-click on the "X-Plane" icon on your hard drive, thus launching X-Plane. X-Plane will be in your "X-System" folder, which is
wherever you just extracted it to.
Quick Flight
X-Plane begins with a “Quick Flight Options” window. From this menu you can set your weather options, choose your airport as well
as your aircraft. For this demonstration, choose the default Cessna 172 which is spinning in the menu. After you have made your
option selections, click “Go To This Airport Now”.
Wait until you are settled on the runway in a Cessna 172.
Disengage the brakes. (Click the red brake button.)
Operate the throttle with the mouse or joystick. You can configure your joystick in the “Settings” “Joystick Axis…” and “Hardware &
Flight Mode” menus. (The throttle is the gray knob on the lower-right... drag it up all the way to go to full power.)
Pull the joystick lightly to rotate and take-off at about 60 knots.
Upon reaching 3,000 feet or so throttle back to 75%.
Fly the plane for a few minutes with the joystick.
Now you can fly the simulator.
Select "Quit" from the "File Menu".
Open "Plane-Maker". Plane-Maker is located in the same location where you found X-Plane. Go to the "File" menu and select "Open".
Select the Cessna 172 from the "General Aviation" folder. Select "Wing 1" from the "Design" menu. Reduce the length a bit, and/or
make any other changes you want. Select "Save As" from the "File" menu. Type in "Modified Skyhawk" for your new modified
airplane after backspacing over the earlier name and press Return.
Now you know how to edit your own airplane designs.
Select "Quit" from the "File" menu.
Open "X-Plane" again.
Select "Open Aircraft" from the "File" menu.
Choose the airplane that you just saved in Plane-Maker.
Fly it. (If you still can!)
Now you are an aircraft designer and test pilot!
Note:
Don't ever change the name of the "Airfoils", or "Flaps" folders! Always keep your airfoils and flaps inside these folders.