Dash 8 questions

[Guest janpfs]

Hello.I am trying to build a Dash 8 simulator, but I need some information about the Dash 8. Does anybody know where to get good information / manuals about this aircraft?I`m in a little doubt about some handles. Maybe someone here knows that:The 2 black/yellow handles in front of the throttle quadrant. What are these? One of them says 'Roll Disc' but I don

[Guest washburn_it]

You are facing my same problem: we want to build a cockpit that is out from the usual B737/A320 etc. so we need information that are difficult to find.I'm building a cockpit based on the ATR72-500 and I had the luck to find a real ATR pilot who gave me the info I was looking for (even included the real size of the instruments for my glass cockpit).So I suggest you the same thing...find as many flightsim forums as you can and ask there what you want to know...sooner or later someone who loves your aircraft will answer.Regards,Bob

[Guest PoRrEkE]

Or for a turboprop we could just all build Fokker50 aircraft ?I got training software on CD-ROM.I got AOM.I got quick reference guide.I got a bunch of real parts for dimensions.I have experiance with a static and a motion trainer to share.I have contact with an instructor.I have 2 real pilots in my msn.The good thing about all turboprop fans building the same plane is the posibility that FDS or DS or whatever one day will offer these panels. If we all spread out, no one ever will make them.

[Guest janpfs]

Hello Bob and Philippe.Ahh, good to hear from other turboprop fans. Makes you feel less alone. :-)Anyway, thanks for your reply

[Guest washburn_it]

Well...concerning the glass-cockpit since I'm a programmer, I developed my own glass-cockpit freely downloadable from AVSIM (direct link on http://digilander.libero.it/washburn_it "download" section)...it's still under completion, a couple of instruments are to finish (EHSI and VOR/ADF indicator) but since my daughter is born (last friday) the thing as you can imagine has temporarily stopped.The I/O board is the IOCard from Opencockpits (cockpit logic programmed with SIOC) and I'm currently building the autopilot module that I plan to complete (daughter permitting eheh) in a very few months.Regards,Bob

[Guest janpfs]

Hi Bob.Ok, you have an advantage in your programming-skills.I want "as easy as it gets / plug & play", when it comes to I/O.I might go for the FlightDeck Technology boards, or the FDS-ones.On the other hand, I`m working with cnc-programming and manufacturing, so I can make all my hardware, tq etc. by myself. Well, maybe not the d... backlit panels!But thats the exciting thing about this hobby, we all have special skills in one thing or another.(Btw. congratulations with your daughter.) :-)Jan

[Guest washburn_it]

Thanks for your congratulations.I think backlight panels are not so complicated to build...I made some experiments and I got a good result using an inkjet/laser thin sheet of transparent paper on which I printed a black square (or whatever color you like) with white text (resulting transparent on the printed sheet).I then attached the printed sheet to a 3 mm panel of plexiglass and used white LEDs for the backlight.The result is pretty good but the "secret" is to have a covering color that is able not to let the light go through (I printed that black square two times to better fix the color).You can find some other ideas at this link: http://home.hccnet.nl/jwopdenakker/ section "building tips".Hope it may help, regards.Bob

[Guest PoRrEkE]

My plans:Panels: For the panels I collect as much real ones as I can get. The others will be hand made. I'll take an old table and drill a hole. Trough the hole from underneath will be my dremel. A few rulers will help me route my panels from 5 or 6mm plexi. Once that is done I will hand sand them to have round eges. After that comes a bunch of layers of white paint. Final step is the grey coating. Since I got real panels I'll visit a paint shop and have them analyse the exact color. Then, in time I'll bring all those panels to a laser engraving or CNC engraving shop and have the text & lines cut out.Switches: I am still looking into that. I might go for the DakenSky switches, or else make my own.Gauges: I got a bunch of IOcards on USB for servo's and steppers which I'll use. I am not quite sure yet if I'll make the engine gauges or simply use a glass-cockpit panel for those. Should save a good couple of bucks, but doesn't look real .. however, does look more modern ...Displays: As most people know by now, I am a big fan of text LCDs, so by now I should have the USB-LCD kits from IOcards delivered. I got 10 small 2*8 negative backlite LCDs.Yokes: For the yokes I'll re-build the setup like I got it on my site. Then for the force I got a new plan since I visited the moving simulator. I'll conect something that looks like a slage-hamer to the controls "behind the panels". Imagine you got a slage hamer in 1 hand. The head is hanging down. If you hold the handle as far away from the head as possible and you twist your hand, you'll need great force to twist. Then the closer you put your hand to the head of the hamer, the less force you'll need. So there's my plan. The hamer will go down as speed increases making harder forces required on the controls. I'll have 1 hamer for pitch and 1 for bank. A couple of stepper motors will pull up/down the hamers. And I'll have a system which twists the hamer a bit for trim. I hope you can folow this explanation without drawings ;)Software: For the software I'm not there yet. I'll try to put as much logic in SIOC. At this moment I am making a F50 Training software in VB.Net code. Just to have a little praktise in coding the logic. I hope it'll help me later on in SIOC. The primary flight displays, I don't know yet if I'll continue programing my own in OpenGL or use whichever are available for free later on.

[Guest janpfs]

Thanks for your inputs.I`ve got some inspiration, and can move on.But, what about those little handles in front of the pedestal that says 'roll disc'- what do they do?I have read some documentation, but haven

[Guest PoRrEkE]

The 2 handles in the forward pedestall have text "pitch" and "roll disc"No idea what they're fore. I suspect it might be some sort of "flight controll locks" ?Here's 1 answer to your 2 questionsOn the quad, from right to left:rudder trim disk, flaps lever, fuel levers (witch prop blade pitch controll as well), power levers, parking brakes lever (yellow & black), rudder trim disk.Check out this picture:http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0811930/L/ On this you can see that they are flying and thus, the parking brake lever is forward. Another important thing is that you can see the ground range selectors. On the power levers themselves you can see 2 little handles below the main knobs. These are probably the same as with the Fokker50. They have to be pulled upwards to be able to move the power levers backwards beyond flight idle. Behind the power levers are again 1 lever. That reads "Rating" and "Control lock"Check this picture:http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0910956/L/ No idea what that's for. But it might be that this one is the "flight controll lock" which thus can only be selected "on" when the plane is in "ground range power setting". If this is the case the 2 yellow/black levers on the fwd pedestall can't be "flight controll locks" ... I guess we'll need a real pilot/instructor to explain these functions.

[Guest janpfs]

Thank you very much, Philippe!This was exactly the answer I was looking for. Can

[Guest PoRrEkE]

I might have good news for you. One of my contacts told me to visit www.airwork.nl and log into the forum. Ask there whom is D8 pilot. Once you got some gathered you can ask any question you like.I am looking myself, turns out it's in dutch .. if you need help, ask me !

[Guest jprj]

Sounds great, Philippe.I appreciate your help. I will dig into it, and if(when) I need help, I will ask you.Maybe it would be easier to contact you on your website, if so?Regards

[Guest PoRrEkE]

Those handles are respectively "Pitch" and "Roll Disconnect Handles."On the Dash both elevators are moved separately. Left pilot has the left elevator, right pilot has the right side. Normal situation, the system is interconnected such that both columns make both elevators work. Whenever one of the elevators get stuck, the other can be operated separately. The side which works becomes the pilot flying.The Dash has ailron and roll spilers which are also operated separately but normaly interconnected. The spoilers for the left side, the ailrons for the right side. When a jam occurs they can be operated separately with that handle.Thanks to Don David for this reply on this questions.CheersP.

[Jack C 8]

Hey guys. If you need a few Q's answered I can try and help you. I was flying the 100/300 for Air Canada Jazz. Just for your info, the dash does have spoilers but dont think of them in the sense of a jet's spoilers. They are not speed brakes. They are just roll spoilers for in the air and lift dump spoilers for on the gound. Jazz ( and maybe all airlines) disabled the lift dump spoilers on the 300.Jack