Originally Posted by
GarageYears
Generally you are spot on here, except some considerable work has been done to support the use of aircraft code directly within flight simulators - particularly with the adoption of ARINC standard 610 (currently at RevC) "GUIDANCE FOR DESIGN OF AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE FOR USE IN TRAINING DEVICES"
The latest commercial simulators for 'new' aircraft all use the aircraft binaries - this is for multiple reasons including accuracy (but I also suspect protection of IP rights is high on the list, as is being able to charge $8 million for a data package from Boeing or Airbus, but that's a different discussion).
- GY
Also spot on, BUT. ...
These days, and for simulators representing Brand-B aircraft, starting with the MAX, it's not just the "aircraft binaries", it's the ENTIRE vehicle simulation INCLUDING malfunctions that is delivered to the sim manufacturers (essentially just integrators now) as a binary. To be fair, both Big Brands are now operating this way, Brand-A has been for several years already.
The "different story" as you put it is the main reason for this. You wanna train for Brand-X airplanes, you'll do it on a Brand-X sim, using Brand-X software, Brand-X training program in a Brand-X training centre. IP protection was the excuse used to launch the approach, but it's always been about the training $$$. Smaller manufactures are being Hoovered up rapidly to gain control of those markets too... Bombardier / Embraer. Wanna place bets about bizjets and helicopters for the future?