Hey, had pretty big problems on my last flight...

[Guest Daniel Pimentel]

Hey:So, today I did my 2nd flight with the 772LR. I had the following (huge) problems...1. Despite the route being correctly set up, engaging LNAV and VNAV resulted in TO/GA thrust being maintained (causing overspeed) and the aircraft nosediving. I had to use HDG hold, VS and IAS hold to reach my T/C.2. After I reached cruise and tried to engage LNAV and VNAV again, ALT hold and IAS hold still had authority over LNAV and VNAV. The T/D did not show on the route anymore.3. The FMC pointed to RESET MCP ALT (despite having no visual T/D), so I did, and the plane started spinning out of control and raising the nose radically, at idle thrust. Besides almost killing myself, I had to enter a hold and descend manually.4. ATC told me to d/m 3000, and the plane was extremely erratic holding the altitude, bouncing up and down, gaining and losing about 200ft in the process. And guess what: I had to do the full approach manually! So, overall, I flew the whole flight using ALT and HDG hold, almost killed myself trying to descend, and in the end, ALT hold didn't even work. Now, before anyone tells me how I did X or Y wrong, I fly just about every add-on that has an FMC perfectly. If it doesn't have an FMC, I don't fly it. So in a nutshell, I kind of know what I'm doing. :) There is something VERY badly broken here, I don't know what it is... Here's some more info on the flight just in case it helps: - 777-200LR - Flight from Cancun (MMUN) to Miami (KMIA). - Route: MISIS UG765 MAXIM G765 FIS B646 MTH DVALL1 KMIA 8R - Load: 21% fuel. - Cruise altitude: FL370.Any help would be appreciated.Daniel P.http://www.precisionmanuals.com/images/forum/747400.jpgMember of SJU Photography. [A HREF=http://www.jetphotos.net/showphotos.php?userid=9004]Click Here[/A] to view my aircraft photos at JetPhotos.Net!The official psychotic AA painter. :)

[Guest draknar]

I used to have extreme problems like this with the 300ER until I switched to the 200LR and spent some time testing various systems. I actually found the biggest problem to be (this will sound stupid) the Elevator Trim, and (this will make me sound stupid) me not reading the manual close enough.First of all, I found that the BIGGEST problem for my system was the Elevator Trim settings jumping to EXTREME positive or negative values at random times. At first I thought it was my mouse 'jumping' around the screen when I used Active Camera & the scroll-wheel to pan around the cockpit. However, the Trim problems persisted even wouthout using the mouse or Active Camera. Is the Elevator Trim buggy? No one else in any forum seems to think so, but I do (don't even waste your time searching).The next biggest problem was not setting the CG (CG% or center of gravity) properly. Some people are livid about how Phoenix didn't include a proper CG calculator (there's a spread sheet to calculate it in the 200 aircraft folder), but just use 30% while setting up, and the FMS will actually tell you what Elevator Trim setting to use prior to take off. With the trim settings scewed up, I ofund that I flew the first few flights like you...fighting with the yoke all the way. This ultimately screwed up my VNAV, speeds, etc.The last problem was me not reading the Beoing FMC manual close enough. This may sound like a lot of work, but try reading the PMDG manual for the 747-400 (see their website for a FMC manual), and ALSO search for "PDMG tutorial 747_1_EN.pdf" on Avsim, etc (the author is Jean-Michel Mabille if you want to try searching by his name). I learned far more from that manual than from the Phoenix manual on how to program the FMC correctly...it's a VERY good tutorial! I used it almost all the way through my first sucessful flight.If all else fails, make sure you set up the FMC as follows after the APU is running and you have power:1) POS INITSet reference airport & gate, but copy the GPS position to Set Inertial POS (5R).2) ROUTEEnter or load your route. This should be easy for an FMC'er like you. Remember to ACTUVATE & EXEC (execute)! Did you do this? Really??? If you forget to then, well... enjoy flying on manual.3) PERF INITHonestly, the simplest thing to do here is hit PERF INIT REQUEST (5L) unless you already know this stuff. Enter 5 for your RESERVES, whatever flight level you want (FL220) and 80 for a cost index (as examples, or what ever you like to use).4) THRUST LIMUse 40 IN 1L. This'll give you a higher take-off thrust.5) TAKEOFF REFHere set flaps 15 and you'll see the V speeds fill in. CG% to 30 (like I said above), and you'll imediately see TRIM (right beside CG%) say 5.00 (or whatever). Confirm the Vspeeds.Be sure to check your trim settings for the rest of the flight!!! For me, this is the point where this plane went from almost being uninstalled, to where it became the absolutely most amazing computer controlled plane I ever studied in FS!!! Seriously, The FMC is completely mind boggling on approach when using STARS. You WON'T believe your eyes how remarkable it is to program the FMC to fly STARS on VNAV and LNAV. What's that? ATC changes it's mind and gives you 8L now instead of 8R on approach. Within seconds, the FMC can be changed (DEP/ARR on FMC) to give you a new route (remember to EXEC the changes). Watch out when the FMC says VECTORS between the transition from the STAR into the Approach (I'm still working on this).Drop me a line at therude@hotmail.com (Subject: Phoenix 777) if you have any questions. Realy, try reading E - V - E - R - Y word in both the PMDG & Phoenix manuals. It's soooooo worth it.TheRUDE

[Guest Midnight LS1]

>ALSO search for "PDMG tutorial 747_1_EN.pdf" on Avsim, etc (the >author is Jean-Michel Mabille if you want to try searching by his >name).Tried that, not there except the 737 series manual.