Hi all!I don't know how to start the engines of the great Tupolev Tu-144D v1.11 by Nikita Konstantinov, Mihail Mitin, Thomas Ruth and Claudio Messmer (this one on AVSIM.ru - don't have it? Get it!). :( There seems to be a good flight manual included but I don't speak Russian... :( I already tried Google translator but it didn't help much. :( It would be great if someone who speaks Russian could translate the engine start procedure and post it here (please also put a screenshot to show the switches you're talking about). B) Any help would be really appreciated! Thanks!

JollyRoger,AvSim does not have the TU-144 base packs, but FSCom does. It has them all. The 2004 (47.5 mb-20,214 downloads) base pack and the 2008 'Version 2' (122 Mb-11,746 downloads) base pack. Plus a couple of patches/updates and a couple of repaints. You must be registered to download. They seem to have left out the bmp for the switches on engineer panel. But they have a txt which names switches in start up proceedure. I guess you could use tooltips to sort them out (if implemented for panel gauges). Seems like you could get a Concorde (friendlier) panel to use. I would. Why struggle.There is also a zip for upgrade of cfg and air to give it more power. But I doubt if it will improve things. These 'canard' types are hard to configure. I am downloading v2 right now. I have the Concorde in FS9 and I tweaked the FDEs and it lands at 125 kts, and handles really nice now. No tail strike on landing and still does M 2.0 (so far-will have it going M4.4 soon-too busy doing complete re-installs after wipe of hard drives to clean things up). Haven't worked on it since March 9. Also have it working in FSX and flys good. Only getting 15 FPS so no good there. I am sure I can 'match' Concorde FDEs to TU-144. We shall see. I'll Be Baaaaack.CBNapamulePS: I include a picture of txt (in case you can't download file) for start up sequence. The the best I can do to help you. Good Luck.

Jollyroger,Found the bmp with the switches and the other switch mentioned in the doc (the one that will auto-center on it's own). I used to have dial up and I passed up many a 'too large' zip files in the past, so I understand. But, I will be using the default 747 panel, to makes things simple. A complicated panel is 'fun' but who has time to learn the whole thing. I want to fly NOW (hehe). The zip is 70% gauges-CHEESH. No thanks.CBNapamulePS: You can 'copy' these pics with by doing left mouse click with cursor ON the pic (for context menu) then choose 'Save Picture AS' and browse to folder and click 'Save'.

Hi napamule! :( Thank you very much for your explanations and screenshots.I fear we're not talking about the same Tu-144. I use the one by Nikita Konstantinov, Mihail Mitin, Thomas Ruth and Claudio Messmer. It looks like the two Russian guys took the exterior model from Thomas Ruth and Claudio Messmer (the one you're talking about) and added their own panel to it. This panel is more complicated (and looks much better IMHO) than the one from Thomas Ruth and Claudio Messmer. There are similarities though. So I'll try out what you suggested as soon I'm back home and tell you if I got it started. :( I use this one here:http://www.avsimrus.com/f/fs2004-aircrafts...&hl=tu-144dThis package is only available on avsim.RU, you won't find it on flightsim.com or here on avsim.net or .com! You really should give it a try, the panel is so nice, just a bit complicated... but we like it "as real as it gets", don't we?! :( Greets

Jollyroger,Oh, ok. Downloading it now (47 Mb). Will work on translation on those switches for start up. There must be a source on the net (Google it) concerning the panel switches. Will look. It will give me something to do. I imagine lots of USA simmers get stuck with that so they don't fly it. Too bad.But like I said, I will be using the 747 panel and my own sound so I can find out how it flys, first. Looks good. Should be fun. Catch you later.CBNapamule

I have a question regarding the "new panel" version: you say they took Thomas Ruth's model, but does that include the VC too, or is it only a exterior?

Thralni,Well, I don't know that they 'took' (or 'stole') the model. It seems to be 'legit' as they have models (panels) for 'with VC' and 'with NO VC'. I do believe this model is considered 'newer' (ie: Version 2) but I can't seem to make out exactly which one of T. Ruth's model they are using. Looks too much like ported over (from FS2000/2002-and made 'new' with a technically complicated panel). At any rate they sure don't know how to do zip files (folder structure). What a mess. You have to hand copy/paste FILES from their folders to the folders you create for each aircraft version. Bogus. And it don't fly worth a darn. No speed, no brakes, negative spoiler 'lift' (nose does STEEP dive toward ground so it's un-useable), etc. So-needs (LOTS of) tweaking. I'm almost done with the dynamics. May do an 'update' for it after this weekend's 'SPRING BREAK!!' (ie: have to pull weeds and mow the lawn-hehe). Cheers.CBNapamule

May do an 'update' for it

Hi!Oh yeah, please do it and let me know. :( I don't know how it flies as I haven't been able to start the engines yet.Thanks for your help! :(

Thralni,Well, I don't know that they 'took' (or 'stole') the model. It seems to be 'legit' as they have models (panels) for 'with VC' and 'with NO VC'. I do believe this model is considered 'newer' (ie: Version 2) but I can't seem to make out exactly which one of T. Ruth's model they are using. Looks too much like ported over (from FS2000/2002-and made 'new' with a technically complicated panel). At any rate they sure don't know how to do zip files (folder structure). What a mess. You have to hand copy/paste FILES from their folders to the folders you create for each aircraft version. Bogus. And it don't fly worth a darn. No speed, no brakes, negative spoiler 'lift' (nose does STEEP dive toward ground so it's un-useable), etc. So-needs (LOTS of) tweaking. I'm almost done with the dynamics. May do an 'update' for it after this weekend's 'SPRING BREAK!!' (ie: have to pull weeds and mow the lawn-hehe). Cheers.CBNapamule

Okay thanks. I'll leave their Tu-144 and go with Thomas's... Anyway I have plenty of aircraft to learn, so I won't bother with this.

Okay thanks. I'll leave their Tu-144 and go with Thomas's... Anyway I have plenty of aircraft to learn, so I won't bother with this.

I've been pretty happy with the Thomas Ruth and Claudio Messmer Tu-144 - its the best one out there so far. A lot of the 3rd party updated versions have major flaws. If you are fluent with the Project Tupolev Tu-154 you'd find it easier to adapt to the Tu-144 panel, although different there are a lot of similarities (especially in the engineer panel).

I've been pretty happy with the Thomas Ruth and Claudio Messmer Tu-144 - its the best one out there so far. A lot of the 3rd party updated versions have major flaws. If you are fluent with the Project Tupolev Tu-154 you'd find it easier to adapt to the Tu-144 panel, although different there are a lot of similarities (especially in the engineer panel).

That's what I figured. I have been wanting to learn the Tu-154, but there are other, Western planes, I want (well, have to, actually) to study first. After that I'll either go with the PT Tu-154 or SD Yak-40. I'm undecided which to do first, because both have a great amount of pros and roughly the same amount of cons that all end up being of roughly the same importance to me. Although I will say that one huge pro of the Tu-154 is the ability to save the panel state...

Hi Guys,I've been flying the first version of this fabulous TU-144D "Concordski" by Thomas Ruth and Claudio Messmer in my FS9 ever since it was posted more than a year ago and still enjoy it very much. I purposely only flew the "D" version because I was not interested in the other versions which evidently had built in technical failures so that the FS pilot could experience the actual causes of it's historic crashes, etc. However, I never did actually try them and deleted those versions in my FS9 right from the beginning.The newer TU-144 version posted later on the Russian site does have a very much more complicated panel (and impossible to read) Russian manuals so I took only the new model/texture (and newer sound) files but kept the original panel, including the original flight engineer's panel because it worked correctly and without any problems. The newer model (DA) also has thrust reversers instead of brake chutes which for me was also a good reason to choose this newer DA model. I now have four external textures (must sooner or later decide which ones to keep), the two old ones and the two new ones but with some texture copy/pastes from the new textures to the old ones so that the animated reverse thrusters are now also visible and active on my two older TU-144 versions, which now use the newer DA model file. However, I do admit that this whole thing did take some juggeling around with combinations of model, texture and panel files, together with some changes in the aircraft.cfg file. But the old panel as is, does work correctly with the new TU-144.Now then, your question about starting the engines from a cold and dark situation via the engineer's panel.I have translated three of the original older manuals from German to English some time ago while at the same time rewriting them into a more explanatory style. They are: "TU-144 Flight Engineer's Panel and full Cold and Dark starting", "An introduction to the TU-144's Autopilot" and "TU-144, How to fly". They are in WORD format and if you post your e-mail address I can send them to you. However, you must somehow get hold of the old panel first and use that instead of the new one.CheersHans

Hans,What a mess. But, hey, these guys did a lot of work on those models, so they deserve an 'E' for effort. I now have downloaded 4 or 5 'tu144' zip files plus the one from the Russian site. One is zip for update of panel's 'engineer bmp'. I guess (did not try) that would be the one with the 'runway view' (which comes with the 'Classic' version panel)? I like this feature-neat stuff. They also say that 'most of the tu-144 gauges are modified tu-154 gauges'. Are you ready for more 'mix ups' to render you 'stuck at the gate' (hehe)? Then there is zip with new model (for a 'No VC' version)? How confused am I? Plenty.So I guess that is ONE reason I did not install them before. And after all that, the dynamics suck (miserably). Why didn't they fly it first? Or did they? Don't make sense when there are plenty of simmers who would beta test it for them. It's a dirty shame.But I got MY TU-144 'D' flying good (with 747 panel and Hanley (Concorde) sound, that is). I hate to say it but the cfg and air files entries/values were all wrong. NO model could fly with those files. So I 'transposed' the CONCORDE FDEs to make it flyable. And the Russian sim engine can't be that much different from USA sim version(s) that would account for 'bad dyamics'-I don't 'buy' it. Also, they used 'Tab' formating (for text alignment) in cfg file lines, as if it was some kind of 'Word Processing' doc). It is a CONFIGURATION file-Hello!! (hehe). Just goes to show. I can imagine them falling all over themselfs trying to rush to put out the model, the panel, the sound, and the docs/pics, etc. Then (WHAT?) they forgot the dynamics? (I guess you get my point).CBNapamule

Napamule,Thomas Ruth, Claudio Messmer (the non English speaking XML expert) and the rest of the developement team(s) certainly deserve a lot of credit for their efforts at making all the different TU-144 versions and including some of them in a complete historical sequence of events concerning this beautiful but in real life, sadly ill fated bird.However, with their first D version I didn't have any of the troubles which you have evidently had. In fact it flies very much like the Aerosoft (payware) Concorde, both faithfully utilising the pinnacle of analoge instrument and supersonic delta wing flight dynamic technologies, known towards the end of the 50s era. All this was then crammed into a partially unwilling FS9 which must also have been a great effort. But I agree that a definite point of critism could be that some of their manuals were, well let's just say that they seem to have been suddenly thought of right at the end of the whole project. I translated some of them from German to English for my own use while at the same time spending very many "trial and error" flying hours at trying to get them as correct as possible.My own real "troubles" were purely related to my own personal efforts at selecting a normally flying D/DA version with a 2D/VC panel and building into it most of their newest additions and/or updates. The only unresolved "little trouble" I still have, concernes some of the TU-144's autopilot functions, the most important being that when so called "target" values are entered, e.g. for altitude, (vertical) speed and heading, they automatically revert back to "actual" values when those functions are switched on. However, as I'm no XML expert I've got used to this by now but my passengers do keep complaining when, e.g. "altitude hold" is switched on and the plane suddenly levels off at it's actual altitude.I sent an e-mail to Claudio about this "issue" but he only passed it on to the developement team who said it would be "taken care of in their next update". I'm now going to have another good look in teir latest version.My overall opinion about this TU-144 is that it's a fantastic piece of machinery and ...... don't forget ........ it is freeware. Admittedly it remains a handfull to fly, especially because of the metric instruments and the "special" autopilot but once you've got the beast tamed it remains a great addition to anyone's long range FS9 fleet.Cheers and happy TU-144 landings.Hans

Hi all! :( Ok, after a lot of tryouts I finally managed to start all four engines of the avsim.ru-variant of the Tu-144. :( The engines are running at idle power but I can't apply throttle. And it seems that I don't have hydraulic pressure as the control surfaces just hang and won't move on command input. :( Any clues? B)