B744 Stuck Right Rudder

[downscc 1,327]

I diverted a KPHX-EGLL flight into KOKC last night, everything was okay after a hold at FL230 and fuel dump. Approach was normal using autoland. However, landing and taxi was corrupted with a stuck right rudder. I reloaded FS2004, and created a new flight at a JFK gate and noticed I again had a stuck right rudder. I played with it for an hour, resetting FSUIPC, recal joystick, inhibiting joystick; but, even without joystick the keyboard input for left rudder would only cause it to shake and not center. I noticed nose and rear mains also deflected.I shut down the aircraft, loaded a cold and dark state, started everything back up and rudder was normal.I have looked the past years posts to this forum concerning the same problem and did not find a definitive answer. I've never had this happen in the B737 although others seem to have. However, there are a lot of posts and in all cases the problem just goes away.I think it is something in the PMDG, rather than pilot error, because it occured on a new flight... and cleared after I reloaded a dark panel. Haven't seen this mentioned in the past posts.The symptoms are: Rudder and steering return to hard right after any control input, with or without game controls, regardless of FSUIPC settings... the EICAS Status screen shows the full right deflection as well.The big question is: Has anyone figured this out?

[MELKOR 5]

No, but I can make some suggestions.1) Are you using FSUIPC for your joystick axes and buttons? If so, then ensure that you have joystick input turned OFF in FS9.2) Ensure that you only have one axis mapped to rudder.3) If/when this problem occurs again, and you're sure (1) and (2) are covered, then run your joystick calibration to see what is going on with the axis you're using for the rudder. If it's in the "hard right" position, then perhaps you have a hardware and/or driver issue.Good luck!- Bill

[downscc 1,327]

Thanks for the suggestions, Bill.During the time I had to troubleshoot, I removed joystick input both FSUIPC and FS9, and XP Control Panel... to ensure only keyboard was providing input. The XP Game Controller interface was behaving normal (no rudder deflection at midrange).I am convinced the B747 was doing this on it's own, and resetting the panel state cleared the problem.Note that I have used the same hardware for 14 mos on 737NG without this happening.However, I am looking for suggestions and I appreciate yours. Thanks.

[Tabs 2,790]

Dan,AP disconnected after landing? One of the side effects of the way you have to implement runway centerline guidance during the ROLLOUT phase of the autoland is that the plane will turn after passing the point where FS stops the localizer signal on the runway. If you don't have the AP disconnect bar pulled and the FD cleared off it'll still try to track it and do weird things.

[downscc 1,327]

That most certainly could be it. Thanks for explanation. I read about AP disconnect but it didn't click until you made it simple. It's interesting that the bug carried forward from my botched landing to the new situation, but once I reloaded the panel state it cleared. Hopefully, I'll never run into this one again.

[Guest D17S]

Brings to mind a real situation I encountered several years ago. A 741 rolled in for 1 hour "quick turn." The job was to turn a fully loaded / unloaded, then reloaded 747. I wandered up to the cockpit to check the logbook. There was one. It said:"Full left control wheel deflection required to maintain wings level on approach."The winds were dead calm that night. Now what? I read it again. It began to sink in. WHAT!! I looked forward and sure 'nuf, the control wheels were (both) rocked over full left. I then stumbled on down stairs and looked at the ailerons. They were faired. This really didn't say much because the flight controls are hydraulically powered and might have crept back to neutral once hydro was shut down. Probably not, but maybe. I went to find the crew. They were cool as usual, but deadly serious in explaining that their write up was deadly accurate. My initial guess was that the aileron trim actuator had initiated an, ahhh, unscheduled aileron trim movement. I passed my guess along to the boss. I had to wait for the unload to finish before I could fire up hydraulics. (Those ADPs tend to scatter the rampers!) I powered up hydro, expecting to see the control wheel and the ailerons stay "disagreed." No such luck. The control wheel returned to centered, but the ailerons stayed put, faired. The system operated normally. UGH. Now, I didn't know what was wrong. The only thing I knew for sure was that I did NOT know what was wrong. Back to the boss with the new news. I had no idea, except it is NOT the aileron trim actuator. The experiment (troubleshoot) had NOT proved my theory. It was clear I would have to continue the troubleshoot and that would take time. But the rumor of my initial guess about the aileron trim actuator had spread at that point. The boss suggested that I take a break. The company assigned another, more willing soul to change that aileron trim actuator and off the airplane went. (You understand the potential consequences of this problem, I assume?) The same thing happened at the next station. I never could get a peep out of anyone about what had happened. It was an eye-opening personal recognition that the pursuit of commerce had clearly trumped the potential of an impending disaster.A bit (but only a bit) like that 737 uncommanded rudder deflection problem that rolled one in over in Colorado several years back. Sometimes these sims present situations that are more real that we think.