Evening all- I have been really enjoying getting to know the J41. I finally can run through the startup procedure with causing burned up engines - hurray! It wasn't too bad once I followed the directions. However, here is a question. What am I missing to bleed off hydraulic pressure to put the props into a feathered state? I have pulled the condition levers all the way back (including the release buttons) but the props appear to stay in the un-feathered state. I want to actually see the pressure bleed off and props drop to feathered... I am missing something simple - just don't know what it is. Shutting the hydraulics? Back to the AOM.

G'day Benjamin. She's a great bird isn't she. If you are shutting the engines down correctly, the props will go onto the "start-locks" and stay unfeathered as they need to be in that state for the engine startup. To see them in the feathered state, you will have to get them off the "start-locks". This needs to be done after engine start. See the tutorial for the correct proceedure. Then, while shutting the engines down, do not put the power levers into reverse - do not press F2 in other words. Now you will see the blades go into the feathered mode. To start the engines though, you WILL NEED TO put the props back on the "start-locks" again, (see the tutorial again) or you WILL burn the starters. Have fun. Pete.

Hey Pete - thanks for the response. Yeah, I am having a lot of fun learning this sucker. I haven't done a full flight yet as I am just poking around and getting familiar. There is a lot of good information in the tutorial and AOM indeed. So let me get this correct - if you shut down the engines correctly the start locks will be engaged and no feathering will occur? This is how I read your first sentence. Converrsly, if you shut down incorrectly they will feather? As I read the AOM (section 8.6.3) I see this -

B. Propeller Feather and Unfeather1. FeatherThe NTS/auto-feather system will automatically feather a propeller when anengine is being shut down. This system is only available when the AutomaticPerformance Reserve (APR) system is armed.

If the APR is on, and you print power back to idle when below 50%, the props should feather? Thanks again for the effort. It's hard to learn these things by reading, trying, posting, reading, trying, posting. Without the help of you guys that have it dialed in, it would be far more difficult - so thanks. Benjamin.

"So let me get this correct - if you shut down the engines

correctly

the start locks will be engaged and no feathering will occur? This is how I read your first sentence. Converrsly, if you shut down incorrectly they will feather?"

That's right. Pages 60 to 62 of the PMDG J41 Tutorial, explain how to and why you need to get the props off the "start-locks". Pages 75 and 76 of the PMDG J41 Tutorial explain how to get the props onto the "start-locks" during NORMAL engine shutdown procedure. The APR, when armed, will (should) in flight, auto feather the prop on the failed engine so that it will not "take you to your crash site". The other thing the APR does when armed, is to increase fuel flow to the "Good" engine to (hopefully) keep you flying!! Any clearer? Cheers ... Pete

Thanks Pete- I have it nailed now. I don't know what my issue was before. I think it was because I wasn't hitting the "stop" button to shut down. I do need a clarification however - what is truly considered beta range? Is it the hashed marks or simply ground idle (just above the hash marks?). I think I am still shutting down incorrectly as the props still feather and don't catch the start locks. I simply put the start locks back on by going full reverse and toggling the unfeather pumps and then returning to ground idle. As you note, if shut down correctly, the engines should not go into feathered state. Am I pulling the power too far back and that causes the feathering? Thanks again! Benjamin.

Ok - I got it. Beta range while the plane is winding down and the props stay unfeathered. Thanks again.

That's great Benjamin. What I do is wait for the RPM to drop below 50% and then HOLD DOWN the [F2] key. The props always stay on the start locks for me that way. Happy flights mate.

Yeah, it drops so fast below 50%, I just wasn't on the ball. As soon as I dropped to beta with F2, bingo. Thanks