After months of tantalizing previews, Flight One Software, inc. (Flight1) finally released the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS into Early Access. It was a somewhat stealthy release, with Flight1 stating in a comment on their Discord that they were opening up sales to “test the functionality of their payments within the launcher.” Of course, the floodgates have opened, and so we must ask in this review: Being an “Early Access” product, is the iFly Boeing 737 MAX 8 for MSFS worth buying now?
The iFly Boeing 737 MAX 8 certainly has much more going for it than other Early Access releases we have covered. In many ways, in fact, it exceeds all expectations. However, there are definitely areas where this feels like an Early Access product and places where I believe iFly has yet to “modernize” into the MSFS development environment. Furthermore, the specter of MSFS 2024 lingers heavily over this release. In less than a month, you’ll be able to buy an entirely new simulator, which includes a 737 MAX 8, for less than iFly is asking for their first shot at MSFS glory. I believe iFly & Flight1 have come out of the gate swinging hard, but they need to keep swinging (and swinging quickly) to keep up.
Table of Contents
iFly 737 MAX 8 Early Access Review Setup
Flight One Software, Inc. (Flight1) was kind enough to provide a copy of the 737 MAX 8 to FSNews for this review, but as always, all opinions and conclusions herein are my own. It is fair to make absolutely clear that this is an Early Access release and thus may change in significant ways since the time of this review’s publication. If and when significant improvements are made to the iFly 737 MAX 8 that address criticisms in this review post-publication, I will note as such with edits. Of course, when it exits Early Access, expect a comprehensive review of the finished product.
My sim journey began with the release of MSFS in 2020, and I hold a U.S. Private Pilot’s license with an Instrument rating. To contextualize performance, I sim on a high-end PC with an AMD Ryzen 7800X3D, RTX 4090, and 64GB of RAM. I use a 5120×1440 ultrawide monitor. I use the Honeycomb Bravo throttle quadrant (which will be important later) and the Thrustmaster Boeing yoke. I recently added the Honeycomb Charlie pedals to my setup – stay tuned for a review on those!
Minimal Effort, MAX Problems
The Boeing 737 MAX is a storied aircraft for all the wrong reasons. Inextricably tied to the decline of Boeing, the 737 MAX series was actually built on a very good idea, as a quick response to the Airbus A320 NEO: Take the most commercially successful airframe in history, and give it a targeted refresh to bring it in line with modern standards for efficiency, performance, and comfort. Essentially, “Remastering” a classic aircraft – and by doing so, create a modern fleet without the need to retrain pilots and flight crews.
But as most “simple” ideas go, the engineering challenges of the implementation clashed with the ruthless cost-cutting culture of Boeing’s ex-McDonnell-Douglass leadership, resulting in the two highest-profile aviation accidents in recent history. This will not be a comprehensive summary of the woes befalling Boeing or the 737 MAX line as a whole, but suffice it to say that the MAX lineup has remained under scrutiny and very much in the public eye, even as hundreds of MAX aircraft complete flights safely every day.
Currently, two variants of the Boeing 737 MAX are in service: the MAX 8 (The refreshed 737-800) and the MAX 9 (The refreshed 737-900). The MAX 7 and MAX 10 await FAA certification. Each variant is powered by powerful and efficient CFM International LEAP engines, and the design changes from the 737NG are significant, while superficial on the surface. A redesigned wing, tailcone, vertical stabilizer, winglets, and nacelle are all apparent from close visual inspection, but the 737 MAX also incorporates new construction techniques and materials. Avionics remain largely the same as the NG series in order to remain familiar to pilots. The infamous MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) was included as a form of flight stabilization to make all of these changes “invisible” to seasoned 737 pilots, in a bid to further ease the transition to a new fleet of aircraft.
As of 2024, over 1600 MAX aircraft have been delivered and are operated by over 70 airlines around the world. Despite its flaws, the 737 MAX has garnered a reputation among passengers for comfort, especially compared to the older NGs and Airbus CEOs it usually replaces. Seating approximately 165 passengers (or almost 200 in the high-density MAX 8-200 variant), the MAX 8 is the most popular in the lineup.
iFly 737 Max 8 for MSFS Installation and Features
Purchasing the iFly 737 Max 8 for MSFS is done through the iFly Manager launcher, and it is available for $69.95. A 40% discount is offered for owners of the P3D version of the MAX, and Flight1 states that “All first purchasers will get a free upgrade to an MSFS2024 version,” although they are very clear that they do not know what differences there will be for a future upgrade. As far as I can tell, the Flight1 Manager is different from the Flight1 Agent, which, up until this point, has handled all MSFS transactions. While it feels clunky compared to modern launchers or storefronts, it works seemingly without issue.
Updates are handled through this launcher, and support is provided through their Discord server. The iFly MAX8 Plugin is a required addition to fly the MAX 8 and is installed alongside the launcher and set to run automatically when the simulator starts. If you use Navigraph, it is important to update the aircraft’s navdata before flying.
Airport Maps and Antivirus issues
When you first install or update the aircraft, you will need to run the plugin to build airport maps from the .bgl files for all of your simulator’s installed scenery. This process only needs to run rarely, but some users have reported issues with the airport maps not detecting scenery installed using Simstaller or Addons Linker. However, this issue did not affect me.
Some users also reported that other utilities needed for the iFly 737 MAX 8, such as the Navigraph and Simbrief linking utility programs, were stealthily removed by their antivirus programs after installation, rendering these integrations unusable. I experienced this using Windows Defender. In my case, a complete uninstall followed by whitelisting the manager, then reinstalling, and then whitelisting the folder solved the problem.
Liveries and Documentation
Dozens of liveries are included with the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS, and more are added seemingly every time I open the launcher. The quality is largely excellent, and many are designed by big names in the free livery community, such as JViation. Installation is simple with one click, and livery updates are distributed through the launcher as well. Currently, the cabin is not reconfigurable (it has a business + economy config), but reconfigurable cabins are a promised future feature.
Several documentation supplements are also included as PDFs with the installation, covering everything from basic tutorials to in-depth discussions on normal operation, how to use the EFB, and how to build navdata and flight plans that are readable by iFly’s FMS. While normal operations are explained in detail, non-normal checklists are missing from the documentation. This is sorely felt when trying to experiment with the included failures.
iFly 737 MAX 8 EFB
The EFB (Electronic Flight Bag) included with the iFly 737 MAX 8 eschews the modernity of the iPad aesthetic for the grey, bulky Boeing EFB adorned with buttons on all sides. I think this is neat as it lends a little bit of character to the add-on, even if the Boeing tablet would be out of place in most actual modern MAX cockpits.
The EFB can manage all aircraft settings, weight & balance, charts, ground service equipment, and performance calculations – all things you’d expect from an EFB in MSFS. The EFB can also display airport maps generated from your installed scenery, which is slightly more flexible than just using airport charts, and enables the RAAS (Runway Awareness and Advisory System) baked into the iFly 737 MAX 8.
While functional, the organization of options, settings, and toggles makes some tasks a chore. For example, to release the chocks for pushback you must click into the settings page, then the “Sim Settings” menu, and then “Ground Support,” deselect the chocks, and click “Set.” Many interactions like this are unintuitive and require more actions than should be necessary to perform simple tasks. Additionally, while Simbrief import is supported, it does not automatically import and set payload and fuel. It feels like a functional EFB that is either in need of another User Experience pass, or perhaps it is holding too faithfully to the Boeing interface, to the detriment of usability.
Ground Service Equipment & Aircraft Options
A selection of service vehicles are included with the iFly 737 MAX. Fuel trucks, catering, lavatory, air, and more are all modeled and can be called via the EFB, though they are very simply made. The GPU truck has an associated generator sound, but no other vehicles as far as I could see had sounds, lights, or animations that made them feel alive. A simple pushback tool is also included and can be operated via the EFB.
A number of aircraft options can be configured via the EFB. Imperial or Metric units can be selected, as can airline-specific options such as the HUD, RAAS & GPWS callouts, antennas, and more. I believe these configurations are saved per livery; however, none of the liveries I had downloaded had anything pre-set, such as units, requiring me to go in and change them almost every time. Panel states can be saved and loaded via the EFB, but by default, there is only a cold and dark preset, requiring you to create every option and configuration you’d like to see.
Textures and Modeling
iFly has created a faithful and accurate representation of the 737 MAX 8, down to minuscule and seemingly unimportant details. To me, this indicates passion and dedication to the product and deserves praise, even if some aspects of things like texturing are not setting the bar for a product this late in MSFS’ lifecycle. Of note, since many included liveries are made by third parties, the specifics of each may vary. I based the following discussion on the base iFly livery since that is the baseline from which the paintkit was created.
The aircraft is modelled extremely well with things like 3D lights in every enclosure, engine EPR probes, and highly detailed landing gear bays. Netting and straps in the cargo bays are also present, and above all, everything is accurately placed and proportioned. One or two drains on the underside of the fuselage have some corners cut, but in places that are very difficult to see. The overwing exits don’t look like they would “fit” when opened, as they open with a piece of the fuselage panel that does not align with the doorframe.
Texturing is not as strong, but certainly acceptable. Overall, the aircraft lacks weathering inside and out, contributing to an overall flatness or lack of character. The lower resolution is noticeable when looking at line work and text that is not part of a decal – which, to be fair, are extremely crisp. PBR and material textures are also lacking in places such as the APU exhaust, where it lacks heat discolouration. However, this is present nicely on the engine exhaust. The tire tread is remarkably excellent, but overall “crispness” is lacking.
Bump/normal mapping is inconsistent. Rivets on the fuselage, for example, look excellent, but the wings and empennage look flat and often featureless. There are occasional texture wrapping issues where the halves do not properly align, or are “pinched.” Some features of the fuselage, such as the APU shroud/hydraulic drain and some greebles on the APU exhaust, seem to lack the tricks typical to make them look like part of the model, and instead appear disconnected or “floaty.” If it sounds nit-picky, it’s because all of these issues are minor, and only visible on close inspection. These are all aspects that could be improved, yes, and they do sting every now and then considering the price of the add-on. However, in operation, the iFly 737 MAX 8 still looks excellent and provides plenty of screenshots for my wallpaper collection.
Cockpit and Cabin
The cockpit of the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS has a lot of similar ups and downs. While fabric textures look fabulous (and those seats look incredibly comfortable), the textured grips on the glare shield don’t have nearly the same depth. The overarching grey panel texture is great, but any lit or emissive button or knob is flat, and the textures on the trim wheel, eyebrows, and dash, in particular, are noticeably blurry. There is some light bleed on certain components.
Visors look like a photograph of a plastic foil visor but reflect and morph light in a believable way. The glass door for the smoke goggles is simply a photograph, as is the mirror on the cockpit door. There are a few reports in the Flight1 Discord that proportions are slightly off in the cockpit, especially with the glare shield. With my level of experience, I cannot confirm or deny these statements, but they are coming from 737 pilots with some level of authority on the topic.
Let’s move on, now, to the cabin of the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS. It is here that I think iFly has gone completely overboard in a really endearing and fanatically detail-oriented way. Some may say that the cabin experience in a simulator is irrelevant because “Pilots never see the cabin in flight unless it’s to go to the restroom!” iFly, I suspect, took this statement completely literally, responding instead by saying, “Okay, cool, so you can go to the restroom now.” Because yes, you can, in fact, use the restroom.
But beyond this attention-grabbing headline, the entire cabin is just thoughtfully designed. We’ve seen extensive lighting options in an airliner add-on before, but none this comprehensive. Boeing’s Sky Interior has been faithfully recreated like never before in a simulator. Every business-class tray table can be extended, and every window shade can be individually adjusted. But if set to “automatic” behaviour via the EFB, these shades will move on their own with the whim of the “passengers” in your aircraft – resulting in the shades mostly closed on the side of the plane in sunlight, a staggeringly unnecessary detail.
Lighting, Animations, and Performance
Internal and external lighting on the iFly 737 MAX 8 is excellent. Every light, including dome lights, has a clear “source” instead of illuminating the entire cockpit as is strangely prevalent in flight sim add-ons. Cockpit lighting is warm and crisp, and point sources such as the parking brake and warning lights cast lights on nearby switches and knobs. Cabin lighting is exceptional, with a lighting console in the fore and aft galleys to individually control every zone in the aircraft.
All internal and external doors, as well as cockpit windows, are animated. Gear and control surface animations are smooth and accurate, as are control animations in the cockpit. The doors are locked to lower framerate animations, but that did not bother me. Engine/fan animations look nice as well. There’s a little bit of a jolt when they transition from slow to high-speed spinning, but that is not out of the ordinary in MSFS. The main fan also starts spinning quickly as soon as the start sequence begins, which is incorrect since it should spool up slowly. I also detect some artifacts in the fan animations when using DLSS3 frame generation, but more on that when we talk performance in a moment. Finally, wing flex could use some improvement – I saw only extremely subtle to no wing flex when in the air, which is disappointing, and only “unlocking” when the nosewheel touches down.
Performance is a tricky topic for me to discuss in detail with a high-end rig. I use frame generation and, with it turned on, never encountered a hitch in the performance of the iFly 737 MAX 8. My settings are generally maximum, with things like lens flare turned off. However, with frame generation turned off, I noticed an immediate drop to sub-30 FPS, even in cruise. Additionally, I encountered a bug in which my PFD and ND occasionally dropped to single-digit FPS at seemingly arbitrary moments. This has been addressed in a recent patch, and although my personal issues are gone, I see others in the Discord still reporting this issue. It seems, overall, that the iFly 737 MAX 8 is not easy on performance.
Sounds
iFly has worked with Boris Vanian on the sounds for the 737 MAX 8. That name may sound familiar to some of you, and it should: Boris Vanian of Boris Audio Works has created some of the most well-liked sound packages for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Here, he delivers another sonic masterpiece. There are some tweaks needed: the trim wheel needs rework (and this has been acknowledged by Boris himself), many of the switches sound like they’re using the same sound, and there are some problems with cabin sound placement depending on your location (as in, from some internal pre-set “showcase” views, you hear external sounds instead).
The external sounds are a little quiet in flight, but Boris has stated that he has made this choice intentionally since he didn’t want to blast peoples’ ears out. I respect this decision as it was consciously made. And as a side note: Boris has been very active in the pre-release forums, passionately discussing feedback and making improvements, with a significant sound update reportedly dropping soon. I love to see passion like this from a developer involved in a project like this! I can confidently say you’ll have a great time just taking in the “atmosphere” thanks to the excellent sounds of the iFly 737 MAX.
Sounds Examples
Systems, Flight, and Bugs
iFly promises a high-fidelity flight model and detailed systems that you would expect from an airliner at this price point. Everything necessary to simulate a complete flight is implemented, as well as some failures and non-normal operations. Using an external plugin to simulate the aircraft’s systems, the iFly 737 MAX 8 can free itself in large part from the “default-isms” that hold other aircraft back. While I have not yet had time to dig into failures (A task for the post-release review!), I never encountered any game-breaking inaccuracies or omissions. However, several minor, and some serious, bugs impacted my experience and are worth keeping in mind if you are considering a purchase.
Normal Operations
Everything that you will interact with during a typical A-to-B flight works as expected. Flight plans and winds can be imported through Simbrief, and flight plan copy/secondary flight plans (RTE 2) work as well to start planning for diversions early. Performance calculations can be made in the FMC and the EFB, and I found the fuel burn calculations in the FMC to match actual flights, and fuel burn overall to match what I was able to research. The iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS also supports modern procedures, including RF legs, and holds work well in my experience. RNAV approaches using LNAV/VNAV and the IAN (Integrated Approach Navigation) modes work flawlessly in my experience, never letting me down during critical approach segments.
Electrical, hydraulic, and air systems all work as expected in normal operations. I was able to complete cross-bleed starts, single-engine taxi operations, fuel cross-feeding, and other interesting normal operations without issue. One thing that I did not see simulated is the 737’s tendency to exhibit a duct pressure split both in flight or on the ground – the left and right ducts stayed pretty much locked together. The only system essential to normal operations that is not simulated is the weather radar. Here, it seems that iFly has the same opinion as other developers: if the Asobo weather radar isn’t any good, it’s not worth implementing at all.
Additionally, engine spool times are far, far too quick right now, taking approximately 1-2 seconds to spool from idle to 40% for takeoff. In reality, the CFM-LEAP engines are known for their sluggish response at low power settings. Instead, they should take approximately 7 seconds to reach 40% N1 from idle. This problem is known and being worked on by the iFly team.
Flight Model
Hand-flying the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS is a joy. Though I don’t have any time on type, my experience in this regard seems echoed online by those who do – and I can see why. Control responses are excellent and it exhibits the strong pitch-power coupling that is to be expected with such relatively large underwing engines without fly-by-wire controls to automatically counteract this. Another side effect of having part of the engines above the wing is that the Center of Lift has moved farther forward as compared to the NGs, resulting in less-stable takeoff characteristics, especially in Flaps 1 or Flaps 15 configurations, and this behavior has been faithfully represented.
While values for pitch, speed, and throttle position largely match values I was able to dig up in FCOMs (Flight Crew Operations Manuals) available online, it appears there is slightly more drag modeled in iFly’s rendition than in real life, which manifests in slightly steeper descents and the ability to hold slower speeds without needing to extend flaps quite as much. When landing, the aircraft should be flown in for a “positive” touchdown, using a very small (Approx. 3 degrees) and smooth flare to avoid floating, which is very easy to do if you flare just a little too aggressively.
While hand-flying the iFly 737 MAX 8 is a great experience, taxiing it is not. Your mileage may vary based on your control scheme, but using the rudder pedals to steer on the ground highlighted extremely sensitive and twitchy movement, even with sensitivity turned all the way down in the EFB. Airliners in MSFS have a tendency to feel disconnected from the ground and skid their front tires quite easily already, but the iFly 737 MAX 8 feels worse than other add-ons in this regard. Taxiing, then, is often a tense experience.
Bugs Big and Small
Unfortunately, there are some very noticeable bugs that, while not show-stopping, reminded me that this is still an Early Access release and not yet a complete experience. Let’s start with small bugs and move up to more serious ones. First, when using the pushback, if you forget to remove the ground pin, you can still turn on the ground, but the nose wheel steering does not animate. A few textures on ground equipment are missing, but these will certainly get fixed before release.
A number of small issues are present with the VNAV system, most noticeable during descent. For example, if descending in V/S mode and above profile, selecting VNAV should change to VNAV SPD mode and the aircraft should maintain speed with pitch and descend gently toward the profile; however, it instead goes into VNAV PTH and begins to dive toward the profile instead (According to a post on the Discord, this is how things used to work on older NGs, but should not behave like this on the MAX). When the Autothrottle is in “RETARD” mode, it should only go to ARM when the autothrottles move to idle, but it switches to ARM after a set duration whether the throttles are idle or not. This can result in idle descents on a geometric path, and the aircraft pitching to compensate which results in getting below the calculated path. VNAV PTH will also happily allow the aircraft to overspeed and often does not respect FMC speed constraints at all. In an early flight, I was also unable to get the VNAV to respect altitude constraints as well, though I have not encountered this since.
LNAV has some small issues as well. The most apparent of these is a noticeable “hunting” of course during turns, consistently overshooting waypoints. It is not severe, and the hunting oscillation is damped and quickly returns to the proper course. It also never manifested during approach segments; it was just cruise and descent when the aircraft was fast. I have seen others report some issues with waypoints drawing “loops” to get to the next, as well as some sequencing issues, but never experienced either one personally.
By far, the biggest issue with the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS, though, is the lack of hardware lockout and how that affects control binding. The aircraft is always polling control positions, and this means that if there is any noise in your controls, things like the autothrottle and autopilot sometimes simply will not work since they’re always trying to match the physical control positions of your devices. This happens as well when moving other axes on the same device: For example, moving the spoilers axis on the Honeycomb Bravo will result in the throttle “waking up” to the position of the throttles and moving the throttle in the aircraft to attempt to match it.
The only solution to these issues right now is to either physically disconnect noisy controls during automatic flight or set larger-than-normal or abnormally positioned deadzones. I have to set a throttle deadzone both at 100% and 0%, something that is unnecessary on every other aircraft. That way, on takeoff, I can move the throttles through to 100% while hitting the TO/GA (Take Off/Go Around) button and hit the deadzone before the autothrottle has a chance to catch up. If the throttles are out of the deadzone at all while the autothrottle is engaged, manipulating the flaps or spoilers axis will cause them to jump around erratically. Now, imagine this happening on your Elevator, Aileron, and Rudder axes as well. While my controls are accurate enough to fortunately not require this, many people report having to set extremely large dead zones so that the aircraft doesn’t see tiny noise spikes in the input and disconnect the autopilot at seemingly random times.
Conclusion: Buy or Wait?
It is fantastic to have another developer throwing their hat in the ring and giving us a high-fidelity airliner for Microsoft Flight Simulator – and a Boeing no less. Although iFly’s 737 reputation has been well-established due to their excellent P3D release of the same aircraft, not every once-reputable developer has been able to translate previous success to MSFS. There are some rough edges, but I think iFly has managed to make the jump with aplomb.
So much about the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS is incredibly polished for an Early Access release. The cabin, sounds, and many aspects of the flight model are at a level that we don’t often see even after many updates from established developers, even as the textures might not set any new standards. While the bugs and control binding issues are an issue, there’s nothing that I wasn’t able to overcome or work around, leading to enjoyable flights every time. This is, by my reckoning, a good add-on, maybe even an excellent one – but right now, I do not recommend a purchase outright.
Unless you want a 737 MAX in Microsoft Flight Simulator right now, there is nothing to be lost by waiting a month from the time of this article’s publication. A 737 MAX 8 will be included as part of the base package for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Although we know very little about the level of detail that will be present in this aircraft, it is likely that the level of detail present will satisfy at least some simmers. That aircraft will be available for $10 less than iFly’s offering, and include an entirely new simulator to boot.
If you do want an excellent 737 MAX now, or you just don’t agree with that line of thinking, then the iFly 737 MAX 8 for MSFS can be purchased now via the iFly Manager for $69.95. But good things come to those who wait, as they say. Although this aircraft is great now, it will get even better by the time MSFS 2024 hits the market – and then we’ll know for sure. Stay tuned here for when that time comes, and join our Discord to let us know what you think about the iFly 737 MAX!
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