Elevator hanging like flaps..

[Ioan92 63]

Hi fellow captains, as I was flying today from Johannesburg to Frankfurt, I noticed over the late stages of my flight that the elevators were both pointed down, hanging like flaps. I do not know for sure if this was either a bug, an error on my part or a countermeasure by the A/P to keep the aircraft level.I have disconnected the A/P and used the yoke to stabilize the elevators to find out the aircraft would start climbing like a rocket. Knowing this, it's not a bug but could either be an error on my part or the A/P trying to keep the aircraft on route.Before anyone asks; I did set the the trime prior to takeoff :(Here are some screenshots showing what happened:It seems it returned to normal after descending past FL100.I would like to pint out the presence of extremely turbulent weather over nothern africa all the way to frankfurt, I've had crosswinds of 123 kts, could this be the cause?Also, this doesn't happen everytime I fly. Today was a first.Any pointers will be gladly appraciated!

[Ioan92 63]

anyone?

[lovetofly28 0]

I see the same thing on my flight(s). I think its real... :(-Spencer Hayes(Lovetofly28)

[PropPro 0]

I've had the same problem with the 747 (FSX only) and ive posted about it too before but with no luck. I doubt it's supposed to be that way.

[royski 0]

I also have observed this in my a/c... I'm not sure though if it should like this in real life...

[clipper759 4]

Clarify for me if you will. When you disengage the autopilot does the aircraft fly normally? Can you fly level?The elevator in your picture is commanding a very powerful nose down @ 484 KTAS. That would be B A D in the real world.

[Ioan92 63]

Clarify for me if you will. When you disengage the autopilot does the aircraft fly normally? Can you fly level?The elevator in your picture is commanding a very powerful nose down @ 484 KTAS. That would be B A D in the real world.

No, the aircraft would shoot up and i had to push the yoke to fly level. This didn't happen at the beginning of the flight.Also, I observed a very powerful angled crosswind coming from below the plane. I asked a physics teacher about this and he says that it could make sense.We could see it as the crosswind gives a certain rotational force on the direction of the aircraft which orients it towards the crosswind, it becoming a sort of headwind, and since the headwind if very powerful, the resulting lift generated makes the aircraft shoot upward unless a large ammount of elevator intervetion is applied.I'm willing to believe its something real, but it just looks too weird, doesn't the 747's A/P automatically trim the stabilizer in flight?

[clipper759 4]

Yes, the A/P does trim the stabilizer when its engaged. A 123kt wind at FL380 is not unusual and transport jets are designed to operate in this environment routinely.If you can not disengage the autopilot and retrim the aircraft for level flight then I would suspect an aft CG issue. Are you loading fuel with the PMDG menu only? FSX of FS9? Are you using FSUIPC for weather smoothing? Have you calibrated your controller to eliminate any noise issue?

[Ioan92 63]

Yes, the A/P does trim the stabilizer when its engaged. A 123kt wind at FL380 is not unusual and transport jets are designed to operate in this environment routinely.If you can not disengage the autopilot and retrim the aircraft for level flight then I would suspect an aft CG issue. Are you loading fuel with the PMDG menu only? FSX of FS9? Are you using FSUIPC for weather smoothing? Have you calibrated your controller to eliminate any noise issue?

PMDG menu only, the load manager. FSX. Using ASE for weather. Controller calibrated.

[El padrino 2]

PMDG menu only, the load manager. FSX. Using ASE for weather. Controller calibrated.

But not FSUIPC weather smoothing! Maybe that's the cause... :(

[Ioan92 63]

But not FSUIPC weather smoothing! Maybe that's the cause... :(

You got me curious, we could make a poll about users having this issue if they use FSUIPC smoothing.What I can say is the before using ASE my weather was nothing short of .. jovian. Almost lost control twice due to all sorts of X-winds, even screwed up an approach into LFML when there was that hurricane emma was it? Anyways. After getting ASE I never had that happen again, so its smoothing winds no?

[aceridgey 330]

i have this issue and dont use fsuipc registered version

[plodgeface 0]

can you give us a screenie of the EICAS 'status' page. the one where it shows control surface positions

[aceridgey 330]

certianly,just taken this right now

[plodgeface 0]

see how the elevator is at full down position. looks like a weight issue. Try different payloads; front heavy, back heavy, no payload etc. Also try different payloads on the cargo variant, see if the 'issue' arises there.