Starting the DC-3 Part 2

[Guest shanwick]

Hi Bill and MarkI've started a new thread in the hopes of solving my problem.OK, this is what I have just done.Deleted fs9.cfgLet FS2004 rebuild fs9.cfgSelect default BEA flightSelect 2D panelSelect Spot ViewSelect prop pitch fullSelect full rich mixtureSelect battery switch onSelect both generators onIgnition master switch on by defaultRight and left magneto switches on by defaultThen, for each engine in turn:Select oil switch onSelect fuel boost switch onSelect prime switch onSelect start switch onSelect vibrator switch onBoth engines fire up OK.Stop enginesClose prop pitch and mixture leversSelect all switches offMove to airport of my choiceSave flightClose FS2004OK, so far so good.Now when I start FS2004 again, select my saved flight, select spot view, select 2D panel and go through the whole engine start sequence nothing happens. This is the same whether I have the NVidia 6800 Ultra or the ATI 9800 XT card installed.Any clues or suggestions, please?David

[Dark Moment 0]

Are you priming several times? A single 'on' click may not cut the mustard.And I note you change airports, and AFTER you have shut down. Wonder if that has something to do with it. What happens if you DON'T change airports?MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cathayhk.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/maamlogo2.jpg[/a]

[Guest shanwick]

Mark>Are you priming several times? A single 'on' click may not>cut the mustard.A single click does it for me at the default start up flight but I'll try several primes with my own saved flight.>And I note you change airports, and AFTER you have shut down. >Wonder if that has something to do with it. What happens if>you DON'T change airports?Ok - something else to try !! I'll shut down everything without changing airports and then see if I can start up again. I'll also change airports before shutting down the engines and see what happens.Thanks for the suggestions.David

[StoneC0ld 5]

Just to make sure..... The aircraft has fuel in it?Check the fuel tank switches... Are they set to the fullest tanks?Try advancing the throttles a bit. I'm assuming you have a joystick with a throttle control on it here, but when you do get it running however you get it running, advance the throttle until the engines are at or very close to 1200rpm. This ensures you have enough fuel and oil pressure when not using the fuel booster, and might also help get the engine started at the times you're unable to restart it....What happens? Do you get the engine starter motor sound at all? Does it turn the engine and just fail to catch?If the starter does nothing, just to make sure, does the aircraft have power when you turn the master battery back on? Maybe the battery is dead if the engine doesn't even turn...Another "just to make sure".... Are you turning off the ignition master during the shutdown and forgetting to turn it back on during the restart? Same with magnetos?Try lowering your locked framerates to 25? (Mine's locked at 25)This has got me a bit confused.... It starts for me every, whether I load the aircraft seperately after loading a flight, select the aircraft in create-a-flight menu, or load the aircraft as part of the default flight (which, in my case, is the "previous flight"). I've never had a problem with it, and I have a Radeon 9800XT....My normal start procedure:Master battery ONBeacon light ONNAV Lights ONFuel onboard CHECKFuel tank selectors FULLEST TANKS (usually left main on left engine, right main on right engine with the way I usually load the fuel)Ignition master ONRight fuel boost pump ONRight Magnetos BOTHRight Prime 2 OR 3 CLICKSRight starter ONRight Prime 1 OR 2 MORE CLICKSRight Vibrator ONRight mixture FULL RICH (I have the CH throttle quadrant so doing this while holding the vibrator switch is easy. Otherwise, put this on FULL RICH same time as you set the right misxture to full rich)Right engine should start.Right fuel boost pump OFFRight throttle 1200RPMRight generator ONSame procedure from the fuel boost pump onward to start the left engine.Radio Master ONInverters ONSometime between after-start and takeoff, Pitot heat switches ONetc..This is a bit abbreviated from the "official" checklist, but it does the job every time for me. I hope it works for you... :) Also note that once the starter motor is turning, I don't necessarily wait for the primer switch to recenter before clicking again... I might just quickly click on it a few times then go for the vib switch...Sorry for all the "obvious stuff" questions, but sometimes those can be the hardest problems to solve.... :( (been there, done that!)Hope you get this working....

[Dark Moment 0]

>Also note that once the starter motor is turning, I don't>necessarily wait for the primer switch to recenter before>clicking again... I might just quickly click on it a few>times then go for the vib switch...That's an important point, thanks for highlighting that ....MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cathayhk.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/maamlogo2.jpg[/a]

[Guest shanwick]

Thanks for your extensive post and help.However, there is a limit to how much time I want to spend trying to solve a problem which does not exist on any other aircraft I have ever downloaded for FS98, FS2000, FS2002 or FS2004 and which did not exist on the DC-3 version for FS2002 - that version worked flawlessly for me.Maybe there is a problem with my system, who knows? But, if so, then it's strange that this does not happen with any other aircraft I have and that others are experiencing the same problem. There again, the DC-3 is complex and there might be just one small, obscure thing in all of its coding that is the culprit.Perhaps it will be one of those problems that we will never know the answer to. Meanwhile, I have to move on.David

[Guest P.Heimdal]

I am having the same problem, it wont start and the only way is to use slew.

[Guest SPOFF]

I had this same starting problem with the B-25. NO AMOUNT OF DIDDLING WORKED. Somewhere I read to knock down the FPS lock to a lower setting. I had been locked at 45 FPS. I cut the setting back to 30 FPS locked. IT WORKED. I've been starting the engines manually ever since. After a few weeks, I set the FPS UP to 35 FPS and it still worked so that's where I left it. Follow all the "procedures" as prescribed. I prime 3 or 4 clicks on a cold engine. Advance the throttle a little. NO other "tricks" or "Work Arounds" are required such as spot views, other airports, default planes, different runways, etc. I have a Dell 8300, 3.0 Ghz, 1.5 Gb RAM, and a Radeon 9600XT video card with whatever driver came with it. I have never upgraded the drivers. "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie". Now that it works, the plane is almost always the one I choose to fly. IT IS FABULOUS! Unlike the first two weeks which were an absolute nightmare.I hope this helps someone. SPOFF

[Dark Moment 0]

>I hope this helps someone. SPOFF It certainly helps MAAM and MAAM-SIM, when you say such good things about the product! Thanks for that. Glad you found a solution to this elusive little issue that works for you.MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cathayhk.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/maamlogo2.jpg[/a]

[Dark Moment 0]

Well, this li'l ol' engine start glitch has actually surfaced first hand when flying with our chaps in multiplayer at DC-3 Airways. One of our pilots was unable to start his MAAM-SIM DC-3 on the ramp. Checked with him whether he was set to unlimited FPS: he was. Told him to set it to a fixed number, such as 30FPS: he did. Result: he was able to start the aircraft, and properly.Why does this work for those who have experienced this problem? I just don't know, I fear, but it does seem to. One day, perhaps Bill Gates and his team and MSFS will explain all this to us!MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cathayhk.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/maamlogo2.jpg[/a]

[Guest SPOFF]

Check B-25 Upgrade Question for further: SPOFF