747-400 Load Manager improvements request

[Richard McDonald Woods]

Calculating the take-off weight and performance accurately is a major part of the flying experience for me. The current Load Manager makes things difficult in specifying exact take-off weights. Whilst the interface of graphical choice of passenger and cargo configurations is excellent, it assumes a fixed basic operating empty weight/dry operating weight, it enables only 'lumpy' specification of passenger and cargo weights, and the fuel guage is difficult to use accurately. I would like to see the ability to be able to manually modify the values of dry operating weight, passenger and cargo weights, and fuel on board.In addition, would it be possible to enable the Units field to be set as a user option default value within a .cfg file?Many thanks, Richard

[cavaricooper]

Richard-Yes- I agree, esp with the preset Kgs/Lbs option. In addition it would be lovely to be able to change the ZFW from inside the sim- that way, if you needed to trade for additional fuel on ZFW limited flights, you could do so without exiting- the same way you can currently change the fuel load.Best-Carl F. Avari-Cooper BAW0225http://online.vatsimindicators.net/980091/523.png

[Mats_J]

Gents,I can agree with you on certain points regarding the LM interface. But I would also like to point out that real-world loading and balancing isn't as accurate as you might believe. When was the last time you and your hand luggage got weighed when you checked-in? Airlines are using assumed values for passenger and cabin luggage weight. I bet there is a significant difference between reported and loaded weights, and lumpy figures, in real life as well. Lastly I would believe that the DOW is fixed and a base figure used for the dynamics and cg calculations of the aircraft itself (The way FS aerodynamics modelling is set up). Cheers,

[Richard McDonald Woods]

Hi Mats,I don't doubt that there are small variances in the take-off weights occurring in the real world. However, the Stevens VA fleet of 747-400s have DOWs ranging from 164871 kgs to 189220 kgs. This is a rather large variance of over 24 tonnes, and I know this makes a significant difference in the calculations that I am referring to. In particular, at our home base, EDDK, I am often juggling with the cargo weights in order to get a valid take-off performance from TOPCAT!Thus my requirements on LM!Cheers, Richard :)

[Mats_J]

>However, the Stevens VA fleet of 747-400s have DOWs ranging>from 164871 kgs to 189220 kgs. This is a rather large variance>of over 24 tonnes, and I know this makes a significant>difference in the calculations that I am referring to. That is exactly my point. Do you know the variance in CG as well? Changing the DOW could potentially change the flight characteristics in unwanted ways as these are separately semi-hard coded into the air file.Cheers,