Mark, thanks for your prompt response. However, I now realize that I inadvertently posted this in the wrong section of the forum. My question related to the B727, not the 757. However I was looking for an existing thread related to weights and ACE and assumed the 757 ACE was the same as in 727’s. Obviously not. The 727 ACE does NOT show a total GW, but only the actual payload weight. However, in the FSX Fuel and Payload window, the payload weight shows only 510 lbs (crew weight), but NOT THE PAYLOAD WEIGHT. Here is an example:

In the 727 ACE, I select the B727-200 version (Air Canada) and load full passengers (125) and 4 ULDs @ 1200 lbs for a total payload of 27,300 lbs. Then I load up the same A/C in FSX, select it again (as I found required due to the sound issues), then look up the fuel/payload info. It shows up the following (all lbs):

Empty Weight:      100,700
Payload:             510 (crew weight only)
Fuel:             51,445
Total GW:      152,655

However, if it included the passengers and cargo, it should read as follows:

Empty Weight:      100,700
Payload:       27,810 (27,300 + 510)
Fuel:             51,445
Total GW:      179,445

So you see my question: does FSX use 152,655 or 179,445 for GW? Big difference! If your answer still stands, that it uses Fuel and Payload window numbers, then the problem is a lot worse than the 757’s: it is ignoring the bulk of the weight as opposed to merely the crew. If so, for some reason, there is no connection between the 727 ACE and FSX.

Just in case I am doing something wrong, here is the process I follow:

1.      With FSX closed, I start the 727 ACE.
2.      Select the aircraft and payload numbers I want.
3.      Close ACE (or leaving it open produces the same results)
4.      Start FSX
5.      Select the same aircraft from the main FSX window.
6.      Load up the flight.
7.      Re-load the aircraft from the menu.
8.      Check the Fuel and Payload window numbers, and the results are as described above.

I also looked in the aircraft.cfg file, and the only weights I found were the max and empty weights in the Weights and Balance section. This file is dated 25/12/2009, so obviously it has not been updated since I bought it (December 2010).

Out of curiosity, I also checked the C-130 and B-52 ACEs. The C-130’s ACE does show the Takeoff Weight, and it nearly matches the GW shown in the FSX Weights and Balance section, short 998 lbs (crew weight is 1,000), so it looks like it has the same problem as the 757. However I am not worried about this since 1,000 lbs does not materially affect aircraft performance compared to the passenger/cargo weight, which is in the tens of thousands lbs.

As for the B-52, the ACE does not allow loading anything. The only payload weight is the crew’s weight. So the operator is wasting thousands of dollars of fuel just to carry a crew around!

If CS are going to do anything, I hope it will be to address the B727 and B-52 ACE issues. Those are the worse situations, by far.