A340 makes ATC silent

[Guest IanGrant]

Loosing ATC before the engines are started is still a possibility, since there is no generator power to back up the battery. I would suggest powering up the APU and getting the aircraft set up, and obtaining clearence before programming the MDCU. The main problem was that, for some users, including myself, after ATC failed, it never came back, even with the engines on and the overhead generator switches on. I flew half way from KJFK to KBUF before giving up the first night with no ATC and the gear stuck down. Unfortunately there is not much I can do about the time between when you first turn on the batteries and when you start the engines. The battery drain is strictly an FS limitation.

[Guest pegase]

Hello,I have got the almost the same problem with the PSS A340n so I browsed carefully all this thread but could not find the solution.The configuration is set to cold and dark, engine off with the panel configuration utility. I always start a default fly with the MS default 737 400. From there I can make sure that the battery and instruments are both switched on.Then I select the A340-300 and start the cockpit and MCDU preparation,following the tutorial step by step instruction.From there, various scenarios may occure1) When calling for taxi clearance, the radio is silent and the navigation lights are off. (At this moment the APU is running with generator ON since a while...) It is possible anyway to start the engines but the electric power for radio and nav lights does not come back.2) At moment for push back, I I can get taxi clearance, can taxi to the runway but the radio remains silent and nav lights are off. If I take off anyway, the gears remain down.3) One flight I could take off with everything OK, make all the cruise (more tha 3 hours) but during descent, the radio stops, the nav lights and strobes ore off and I don't have VOR anymore. After visual approach, no way to pull the gear down...4) Once (Shortened tutorial with landing on VVTS) Things went OK from gate to gate. Just a strange thing occured twice during cruise: Silent radio and Nav lights off during 2-3 minutes and comming back by their own...Below, a couple of screenshots of electricity panels while electricity is OK (I took them after the first failure-autorepair in the WSSS/VVTS flight)Below, a couple of screenshots when radios and nav lights failed shortly after engine start. NB: on both situations, the APU Gen was still running.Please, let me know if any other screenshot or logfile may help. During my unique succesfull attempt, I could see that your plane (and my 24

[Guest pegase]

Last flifht, following the tutorial KMIA to KJFK:It was OK about electric stuff, I could take off, retrac my gears and climb following the steps given by ATC. Shortly before cruise level... CLICK !!! electric strike @#?!... No more nav lights, strobe, VOR reception and ATC available, all gone. However the brave airliner keeps on following her flight plan and some ten minutes after electricity comes back with all functions OK (Just the ATC cancelled my flight plan as I remained silent by force for ten minutes). Almost all cruise go fine until KALDA where electricity is cut again. (I insist, I was not fooling around with the overhead buttons but quietly enjoying the outside view while the plane followed gently her flight plan). At some mile before TOD before RADDS, WEEW!! Electricity is back and I start my descent with the hope to finish properly the flight. HELAS... a few minute after, electricity goes away. The planr followed nicely the descent, took the hold pattern at CAMRN at 11000, exit when at 4000 I set in the MCDU to do so, Goes to intercept the ILS following the altitude and speed steps until 2500, align wih the runway but... no glide slope interception (Because ILS signal reception need also the full electric system). Then I switch off the autopilot for manual approach: Useless, no way to get the gears down...End of flight with Ctrl C and a strong bunch of dirty words....PLEASE HELP ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest NormanB]

Pegase,Just so you know you are not being ignored, I thought I would post that Rob, our resident Airbus expert, like the rest of the team, is taking a few days off for the holidays.Once we all return I am sure he will answer you in full.

[Guest pegase]

Many thanks for your attention Norman, and best wishes to Rob for good holidays. Human beeings too need to reload their batteries ;)Pierre

[Guest Cancer]

Hello Pierre (or better salut?)I don't own the A340 but I've read about your problem. The author says it seems to be very important to start the APU (and switch it on the system if it doesn't happen automatically - I don't know) IMMEDIATELY after having switched on the batteries. He writes that you are often able to start your engines with empty batteries but during the flight strange things may happen.And you should start the FS with a RUNNING default aircraft. The Cessna seems to be good enough for this operation as well.And last but not least there is an options in the payware FSUIPC where you can stop to empty your batteries.By the way: I start my A330 without any problems without a default aircraft.Hope you can resolve your problem!Kind regardsRen

[Guest pegase]

Merci

[Guest Cancer]

Bonsoir Pierre,as I told you I fly only the PSS A332 and therefore I can't tell you if the systems are identic in both of the aircrafts. So my "procedure" may not work with the A340. Anyway, that's the way I do it:After switching on the batteries I immediately switch on EXTERNAL POWER (with parking brakes on!!). I can't tell you if this feature is only a dummy or not. But the batteries of my A332 stay loaded. I switch on the APU only for starting the engines and sometimes this happens 20 minutes later!Hope you will be successful!Happy landings - or better happy happy flights!SalutRen

[Guest pegase]

Salut Ren

[Guest Cancer]

Salut Pierre,that's really a pitty! But I can't give you any further advice because I don't really know the A340! I hope you will find a solution!Meilleures salutationsRen

[Guest pegase]

Yhanks for your tries Ren

[Guest vrandar]

Right, I'm now back from my hols in Ireland (sadly the kids made it not v relaxing). I will go through this thread in detail this evening and try to come up with some suggestions.Rob Elliott, EGPE InvernessPSS Airbus Support andAirbus Fleet Training Captain, British Airways Virtual airbus@speedbirdonline.co.ukhttp://www.speedbirdonline.co.uk/airbus.htmlhttp://www.bavirtual.co.uk

[Guest NormanB]

>Right, I'm now back from my hols in Ireland I notice you didnt call in with me Rob :)

[Guest pegase]

Hello,I was worrying to see the topic sinking slowly at the bottom while the problem remains.Is there any reliable solution to get rid of these electric failures? ALthough it is supposed tobe an FS2004 bug, The PSS A340 is the only aircraft on which this problem occures.I still keep the hope for some support to get possibility to fly with the PSS 340 and send you my best wishesPierre

[Guest NormanB]

Pierre,* Start FS. * Choose a default plane. Make sure all the electrics are working.* If you want to have your Airbus Cold and Dark use the PSS Utility.* Change to the Airbus. Stay in 2D cockpit. * Save the flight.Next time you want to do a cold and dark Airbus based flight simply load that flight.