Pilots advice please

[Guest dmelia]

Hi all... first of all... great bird, nice work. Second... I'm struggleing with it and need...guidance!1) shortly after take-off, I really struggle keeping airspeed and rate of climb stable... I think its something to do with stab pitch, which seems a bit over sensitive to me, but it might be that I'm using the PDCS incorrectly. Any thoughts?2) PCDS, I've read the manual, but will it actually control the throttles? ie should I be pressing something to engage T/O thrust, or do I just open the throttles to the EPR bugs? Oh, and how do I switch it off? I have awful trouble slowing her down - even on the runway after landing.3) the INS... if I need more than 9 waypoints, can I simply re-program '0' as '10', '1' as '11' and so on? Once I've passed them, of course.Appreciate your help.Drew Melia

[Guest dmelia]

Oh, couple more things... Altitude changes... with ELEV and AIL autopilot switches ON, but ALT HOLD OFF, should I be able to use pitch up/down to increase/decrease alt, then just hit ALT HOLD when I get to my cleared level, or do I have to switch ELEV A/P off first? With the ELEV A/P up (on) but ALT HOLD off, when I try and decrease height using pitch, it noses down for a while, but then levels off again - or even climbs back up to the previous alt.And throttle control - REALLY struggling with that. I understand the self test mode, I can set the T/O mode, engage CLB, CRZ, but HOLD mode, I cant set the speed myself can I? Is it always 210 IAS? I seem to remember its got a throttle hold/trim function, but how does it work? Do I just use the EPR bugs for reference and set the thrust myself? At the moment I'm using manual thrust - like in the dreamfleet 727. In CLB mode, how does it control speed? With pitch?I really want to learn to fly this ship. Any advice and assistance is greatly appreciated.DM

[Guest CaptainCernick]

I'm in no way an expert, but I'll try to answer a few of these questions.1) shortly after take-off, I really struggle keeping airspeedand rate of climb stable... I think its something to do withstab pitch, which seems a bit over sensitive to me, but itmight be that I'm using the PDCS incorrectly. Any thoughts?

From the FAQ:"This is the control acceleration glitch common in advanced panels on MSFS. The only known cure is the "fix control acceleration" feature in FSUIPC (registered payware version, MISC tab). Because FSUIPC is so deeply integrated into many of the advanced features of this panel, we indeed are evolving towards a requirement to have both FS9 and a registered copy of FSUIPC as prerequisites to running the panel. Future versions of the panel are likely to make even more use of features only available on the registered version of FSUIPC."

2) PCDS, I've read the manual, but will it actually controlthe throttles? ie should I be pressing something to engage T/Othrust, or do I just open the throttles to the EPR bugs? Oh,and how do I switch it off? I have awful trouble slowing herdown - even on the runway after landing.

You must manually control the throttles. After you've configured the PCDS, press the "engage" button and the EPR bugs will set themselves. Align the needles on the EPR gauges with these bugs by moving the throttle.

3) the INS... if I need more than 9 waypoints, can I simplyre-program '0' as '10', '1' as '11' and so on? Once I'vepassed them, of course.

If I recall correctly, the "0" waypoint is actually your current position and you won't be able to alter that. But indeed, you'll have to reprogram the waypoints -starting at WP 1- if you have more than 9.

Oh, couple more things... Altitude changes... with ELEV and AIL autopilot switches ON, but ALT HOLD OFF, should I be able to use pitch up/down to increase/decrease alt, then just hit ALT HOLD when I get to my cleared level, or do I have to switch ELEV A/P off first? With the ELEV A/P up (on) but ALT HOLD off, when I try and decrease height using pitch, it noses down for a while, but then levels off again - or even climbs back up to the previous alt.

I'm not if this is the correct procedure, but to change altitude, I always first set climb/descent power with the throttles and then disengage the big, white ELEV switch altogether. I then control the descent rate manually.

And throttle control - REALLY struggling with that. I understand the self test mode, I can set the T/O mode, engage CLB, CRZ, but HOLD mode, I cant set the speed myself can I? Is it always 210 IAS? I seem to remember its got a throttle hold/trim function, but how does it work? Do I just use the EPR bugs for reference and set the thrust myself? At the moment I'm using manual thrust - like in the dreamfleet 727. In CLB mode, how does it control speed? With pitch?

The PCDS will not control anything for you, it's just used to compute optimal EPR settings for your engines. You have to control the throttles and speeds yourself!Also, when I enter a custom speed into it, it always gives me bogus EPR readouts, so I don't use that option.

[Guest dmelia]

Sir, Thats brilliant! I just took her for a test flight - Dubai to Bahrain... Went OK...except for the initial climb, I'll mess about with FSUIPC, as you suggested. The rest of it I prety much flew her as you suggested and didn't have any real problems. Of course, I can use FSNavigator to control the autopilot in a similar way as on the more modern boeings... and of course I can let it fly the route, (curiously, it is able to set and hold IAS or Mach).. but I see that as cheating. If I'm going to do it that way, I might aswell fly a 737 800, and its just not the same.Thank you again, you've been a big help. I might write a "Tinmouse for dummies" tutorial, when I finally get the hang of her!

[Guest CaptainCernick]

I'm glad to have helped. My own first flights in the Tinmouse were... interesting, to say the least :)About letting FsNavigator control your Flight being cheating, I'm sure that the few 737-200's still flying today are using advanced autopilots and FMC's, so you could just imagine flying one of these. Personally, I seem to like using the more "primitive" systems of the Tinmouse a lot.There was someone working on a manual for the Tinmouse, but that project seems to have gotten stuck somewhere along the road. Pity, I could really have used one.Have fun,Jef

[Guest Bill Hinton]

Jef,"There was someone working on a manual for the Tinmouse, but that project seems to have gotten stuck somewhere along the road. Pity, I could really have used one."Many others can also use one! How about it, Bob?Thank you,