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KevMac

Auto-Thrust in Airbus Planes

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In reading the A330/340 manual, I came accross the Auto-Thrust section where it states that the user has the option to control thrust manually in the airplane if the thrust lever is kept in the IDLE detent with autopilot off.. However, is this possible in the real airplane? How does one control thrust manually in the real airbus if there are only detent slots for thrust options?Thanks,Kev

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Guest Phoenix_7

ground thrust is selected by moving the thrust levers betweenforward idle and climbin the simulation this is accomplished by pressing F2, F3John PSS SUPPORTsupport@phoenix-simulation.co.ukhttp://www.avsim.com/pss/phoenix.jpg

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Thanks John. However, does this mean that an Airbus pilot can only control manual thrust while on the ground? Can he not control thrust while in the air?Thanks again,Kev

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Hi,when you in the air and your current speed is enough not getting into ToGA mode, you can disconnect ATH, select IDL of the thrust-lever and than you can move and control manualy your thrust as long no ToGA situation comes.

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To use autothrust with thrustlevers in climb detent or with one engine out in FLX MCT detent you need to have the A/THR-button (on glare shield) pushed.Autothrust is armed on ground and in takeoff until the thrustlevers are retarded to CLB thrust after takeoff. Then autothrust becomes active.To change to manual thrust, move thrustlevers so that the green circles on EPR display (A330) or N1 display (A340) corresponds to the actual thrust shown by the needles. Then push one of the red buttons on the throttle levers. Then you are in manual thrust control.If you don

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Guest vrandar

Yes that might be fine in a real world A330, but unless I am mistaken (the usual state of affairs) the red buttons on the thrust levers have not been simulated by PSS!

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Guest Niels_C

Hi All,I think the nearest you come "simulating" the red buttons on thethrust levers is simply by disconnecting A/THR. On the ground as wellin the air, the pilot can of course assume control, long as 'safeconduct' is observed. More or less.

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Everyone, thanks for your comments! However, I am still a little confused. So, in the REAL airbus A3XX, you can push the red buttons on the throttles and they will go to a manual mode? So, do the throttle levers move all the way forward and aft for manual operation? I just want to fly the plane the way it is meant to be flown. If the REAL airbus pilots never use manual thrust because the plane won't allow it then that's fine, or they do use manual thrust because the plane does allow it, then that is fine also.. I am just trying to simulate how the real pilots fly the plane.Thanks again!-Kev

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Guest Charlie Delta

Yes, (in RL) you can move the throttles and control the engine thrust manually just like a conventional jet. It's still fly by wire so the computer wont let you go beyond the calculated TOGA limit. I have seen some pilots use manual thrust, but I think most of them leave the autothrust in, it works wel.hakhal is right, because the thrust levers don't move in autothrust unlike Boeing's autothrottle, you have to put the levers in the corresponding position before you take the autothrust out. Believe me if you forget you will know :-) Mazzl,Joost

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That answer's my questions! Thanks Charlie Delta, and to all who replied to this thread!-Kev

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Actually, the functional equivalent of an A/T disconnect (the red throttle-mounted buttons on the real McCoy) is to bring the throttles back to the idle gate (0) in the pedestal subpanel using the +/- keys and then use your joystick throttle as a normal throttle. As long as the throttle gate selected on the pedestal subpanel is idle, your joystick throttle position is passed straight through to control the power setting.I've actually gone a step further and written a flight control pre-processor for my PFC throttle quad that sends either keyboard commands or throttle movements to the panel based on throttle position/movement...including a functional equivalent of the red buttons using one of the unused axes on the quadrant to simulate the A/T disconnect. Jose Oliveira just released a fairly similar utility, but it only works with DirectX joystick input devices, and does not simulate the disconnect.RegardsBob ScottATP IMEL Gulfstream II-III-IV-V L-300Washington, DC


Bob Scott | President and CEO, AVSIM Inc
ATP Gulfstream II-III-IV-V

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Guest AJ

On the real world Airbuses, how pronounced are the detents/gates on the power levers? Are they jsut small bumps, or are they hard detents like those on the shift lever of an automatic car? When in manual mode are these detents still present, or do they disappear somehow? Just curious, for it seems like it would be hard to control power precisely in manual mode if the power levers keep snaping into the varous gates as you move them.

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Guest Niels_C

Hi there,The detents are "pronounced" enough to feel, and "stick" the levers indesired postion. I've never had any experience in autogear cars, socan't relate to that. The Levers can move from REV position all the wayup to TO/GA. In between IDLE and CL detent (and any other detent for thematter) there is free movement, and power is "read" by the system as thepilots move the levers. Even between FLEX and TO/GA, there is a "dynamic"or "progressive" thrust. You just don't slam it into TO/GA without somepassenger input at the other end of the flight. It's only in a sim buslike PSS', that the detents are "hard", but that's of course from a simconsideration. The A320PIC use all of your yoke's thrust-lever and simu-late detents though audible clicks. Interestingly enough, Airbus cockpitsare quiet enough for you actually to hear the clicks.Hope my incessant ranting and raving helps. Happy flights.

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Guest liew

What is the problem with my PSS A330/A340package if it cannot hold da A/T speeds that arecommanded by the FMC and the entered speeds in theglareshield? Is it my FSUPIC? DOesnt seem to help. Ialready upgraded it.Another thing that has beenoutstanding since the release of the package is theframe rate issue. How come the frame rates are so muchlousier than the A320 PRO? There is not muchimprovements in the cockpit but only keeping intradition with airbus with only minor differences? Isthere a problem with the way the way the new gauge iswritten?Regards,Confused,Victor

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Guest rara_bb

>Yes, (in RL) you can move the throttles and control the>engine thrust manually just like a conventional jet. It's>still fly by wire so the computer wont let you go beyond the>calculated TOGA limit. I have seen some pilots use manual>thrust, but I think most of them leave the autothrust in, it>works wel.I've said that already in the other thread, but here I go again...In real life, as soon as you hand-fly the Airbus, you also immediately disconnect autothrust. It is very uncommon to have AP off and AT on (except in the climb phase). The reason behind this is that you can then coordinate the steering movements with the required thrust. Otherwise, the aircraft would always react to your inputs after a moment of delay, which is quite insufficient.And for the sake of completeness, here an overview of when, in RL, the plane is manually controlled.TAXI - manual control, of courseTAKEOFF - manual steering, thrust is brought to FLX MCT, and autothrust is armed automaticallyCLIMB - plane is handflown as long as the pilots wants to fly it, but at least up to thrust-reduction altitude. I've heard of pilots handflying the Airbus all the way up to FL180.THRUST-REDUCTION ALTITUDE (1500ft AGL), thrust is brought back to CLB detent, and remains at climb power. autothrust engages automatically.CRUISE - autopilot and autothrustAPPROACH - at some point, usually before capturing the ILS, autopilot and autothrust are disengaged (one after another), and the aircraft is hand-flown.LANDING - always manual, except in CAT III conditions.So the point is, even if one tries to fly according to RL procedures, one doesn't need to miss the fun of hand-flying the plane. Real pilots do the same, trust me. ;-)BEn

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