AKD G550, An In-depth Look

January 28, 2023
Developer

The Gulfstream G550 is a luxurious business jet that has become a favourite among corporate executives, VIPs, and government officials. With its advanced technology, spacious cabin, and long-range capabilities, the G550 offers a level of comfort, convenience, and performance that is unmatched in its class. In this article, we will take a closer look at the recently released G550 for X-Plane that has been developed by Antek of AKD. 

Developed by AK Design, this aircraft features custom flight dynamics, custom systems, modelling, and high-resolution textures. The cockpit is around 80% functional and includes most of the avionics and equipment found in the real aircraft. With its detailed representation of the Gulfstream G550, the AKD G550 for X-Plane 11 offers pilots a great option for their business jet fleet. 

External Visuals: 

The external visuals of the AKD G550 in general are good, I hesitate to say exceptional when compared to other business jets available for X-Plane but they are acceptable for the most part. My Issue with the external visuals is the lack of detail up close, the aircraft lacks the attention to detail on the fuselage we have come to expect from a $31 payware aircraft. 

The aircraft is fitted with two Rolls Royce RB710 engines and in my view, these are lacking any real depth in terms of visuals. The engine model is very plain although the fan blades are adequately modelled. On deploying the thrust reversers the bland-ness continues to expose itself with a more or less blank model here. 

The landing gear of the G550 is quite well done, this is one of the high points in terms of the exterior model. All in all, as a paying customer I would rate the exterior of the aircraft a 5/10. 

Cabin visuals: 

The interior of the G550 has almost certainly received a bit more attention than the outside. The Cabin is fairly well modelled with functioning light controls, an In-flight entertainment “sky show” system and a working toilet seat/ interior baggage door. Also featured are the signature G550 oval windows.

Flight Deck/ Avionics: 

The flight deck of the G550 is fairly well-modelled, it has some nice functionality and features which aren't often seen in addons. Such nice features include a functional printer which can print METAR information from the aircraft EFB. Unfortunately, the poorly modelled Heads up display system does not work at the moment, despite being in the aircraft it is not functional. 

Avionics-wise, the aircraft is neither bad nor good. Antek has done a good job in adapting a mix of custom and default systems to feel more like the G550 and overall has done quite a good job of that. The aircraft features plenty of different menus which provide most of the information one could need while flying including custom built-in MFD checklists. It is important to note that the aircraft utilises the stock X-Plane FMS. 

Flight Modell: 

The AKD G550’s flight model is quite good, it handles similarly to how you would expect a G550 to fly. Initially, after release, there were some things I found a little peculiar but as the updates and fixes rolled out most of these have been addressed and fixed. I don't have any major complaints about the flight model and I think it's one of the aircraft's strong points. 

Performance and FPS: 

The aircraft generally, does not impact FPS too much but I have noticed a very annoying fluctuation in frame rates when turning to look out the side cockpit window or behind and back into the cabin. This is probably the only time my frame rates drop, and it's quite a significant drop from around 55fps to 23fps. The drop usually lasts 5-7 seconds. 

Sounds: 

Unfortunately, this is where the G550 is a major letdown. The sound set included with the aircraft from stock is absolutely terrible. The APU sound is a loop every 5 or so seconds with the engine sounding the same from both in the flight deck and outside! The aircraft does not currently boast the quality FMOD sound system we have come to expect from most payware aircraft and in my view, this area needs a huge amount of work. 

Overall Impression and conclusion: 

In general, I think the AKD G550 is an alright aircraft, at $31 I think it's probably a little overpriced for its current state. This aircraft Is not even close to being the most detailed business jet available for X-plane but at the same time, it doesn't exactly claim to be which is an admirable act of honesty from the developer. The aircraft does receive frequent updates and community engagement from AKD seems to be relatively good which is a strong bonus for the aircraft. Overall I would suggest this product to someone who is interested in business aviation flying but not in Study level aircraft. It is not an aircraft for the hardcore flight sim pilot who demands in-depth systems and a flawless product. 

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