Hi Chris,Thank you and all the others for the help! I would be very happy if you send me further feedbacks. ^_^Best regards,Jonathan

Hi Chris,Thank you and all the others for the help! I would be very happy if you send me further feedbacks. ^_^Best regards,Jonathan

Well since you asked....lolI tried it out the last couple days and here is what I got, mind you I still fly the FS9 version:Tokyo-Anchorage FDX60 3050nm, reserves stuff isn't important, but, It calculated that my TRIP fuel would be 120,777lbs when using an average altitude of FL320 As it turns out, I needed about 5,000lbs more to get there with the needed reserves. It seems that when I enter a lower starting altitude, like FL290, i get that extra 5,000.Then I did a route from Taipei to Anchorage EVA606 4800nm, and it calculated that my trip fuel would be around 184,000lbs TRIP fuel and this time I put FL290 as my starting altitude since I was at MTOW. However, this time, I needed to lower the fuel load by almost 10,000lbs to get at destination with correct reserves. When using the higher average altitude of FL330 this time, I get 174,844 trip fuel, which was about what I needed.So, it seems that when doing a mid-range flight, it's better to use a lower, or starting altitude to get better trip figures, and when doing a long haul, it's better to use the higher average altitude.Having said this, it may seem that I don't like the calculator that much, but this couldn't be farther from the truth! I REALLY like it. It takes a lot of the guess work out when I look up flights to fly, and having to guess how much payload I can use on the load manager, wondering if I have enough fuel to make it. ~Will~

Hi Will,

I tried it out the last couple days and here is what I got, mind you I still fly the FS9 version:Tokyo-Anchorage FDX60 3050nm, reserves stuff isn't important, but, It calculated that my TRIP fuel would be 120,777lbs when using an average altitude of FL320 As it turns out, I needed about 5,000lbs more to get there with the needed reserves. It seems that when I enter a lower starting altitude, like FL290, i get that extra 5,000.Then I did a route from Taipei to Anchorage EVA606 4800nm, and it calculated that my trip fuel would be around 184,000lbs TRIP fuel and this time I put FL290 as my starting altitude since I was at MTOW. However, this time, I needed to lower the fuel load by almost 10,000lbs to get at destination with correct reserves. When using the higher average altitude of FL330 this time, I get 174,844 trip fuel, which was about what I needed.So, it seems that when doing a mid-range flight, it's better to use a lower, or starting altitude to get better trip figures, and when doing a long haul, it's better to use the higher average altitude.

Thats very interesting what you have found out here! However I think I know why this occurs. The problem I had here when I designed this calculator was that I had only four .jpgs available (from the Swiss pax MD-11) which showed 2 pages of required fuel for the route and 2 pages off additional data containing how much fuel we need to the alternate. However, the route fuel tables are only up to 2000 NM. I had no data for 2000+ NM nor I had the information what to do with step climbs. What I did there was to interpulate linearly how many fuel we need at 3000 NM. However due to the fuel burn characteristics of a plane in the climb phase and the following cruise this data is off. Probably it is very far off.I haven't any clue what to do against it, because until today I wasn't able to find any tables for a greater distances nor any tables for the freighters. And without them it is very difficult for me to build a better matching planer. If you have any of those tables or know where I find them, I would really appreciate if you send me a PM!

Having said this, it may seem that I don't like the calculator that much, but this couldn't be farther from the truth! I REALLY like it. It takes a lot of the guess work out when I look up flights to fly, and having to guess how much payload I can use on the load manager, wondering if I have enough fuel to make it.

That was the same reason why I started to work on this planner. I was just messing around with the load manger / FMC to load a fuel amount which will probably bring me to the destination. However I often had to do a holding to burn some fuel... I thought someone has to do something here and after several hours of work this fuel planner was born.I try to improve it as much as I can, however to do this I need feedbacks like yours Will. Thank you very much again! Best regards,Jonathan

yeah I remember you mentioning the limited data early on in this topic. No idea where to find them, and if one of us were to find them on the internet, they would be there illegally. Maybe one day boeing will release the info.

Today I just updated the site. Okay, not a real update, however more an announcement for further updates! (Okay, it will take some time, and I am really looking forward to get the FCOM and other data needed (like MTOW, MLW, ZWF) to make this possible, when PMDG releases the 777. I have collected some other necessary data, however it is far from complete yet. ) :(

Today I just updated the site. Okay, not a real update, however more an announcement for further updates! (Okay, it will take some time, and I am really looking forward to get the FCOM and other data needed (like MTOW, MLW, ZWF) to make this possible, when PMDG releases the 777. I have collected some other necessary data, however it is far from complete yet. ) :(

sweet! I will check out the announcement.

Hello gentelmen (and ladies?)

 

It has been pretty quiet the last few month here. For my taste a little bit to quiet and so I wanted to show you something and also I wanted to ask for your help.

First I want to show you this screenshot.

 

 

It shows the next major "upgrade" to the MD-11 fuelplanner. As you can see this isn't a web based version anymore. As I want to include new features over the time I have seen myself forced to change to C++ instead of PHP. It made many things more difficult for me, but hopfully not for you.

However, as the programm is in an alpha stage at the momment I need your help. No, don't worry you won't have to do much.

 

Just download the latest version of my fuelplanner from this link. As always it is 100% free. Extract the zip file to any location you want and start the programm.

 

At the momment it can do the same things as the online version can, so you won't loose any features. However, after you set your cargo and passengers for the MD-11, the fuelplanner can now load the weights automatically if you wish.

 

It would be really kind of you if you can give me some feedback. Like if you like the programm and the design, if I should change something or a bug report.

Note: My first tester unfortunatly had some problems with the programm, which messed up the design and made it not workable. If you see a big diffrence between the screenshot above and your programm, please be so kind and post a screenshot here. I am working hard to fix this issue, however due to lack of information I am not able to fix it at the momment. I don't even know if that happens on any other system or just on my kind tester's one.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Jonathan

I will try it next time I'm on my computer, thanks!

If you see a big diffrence between the screenshot above and your programm, please be so kind and post a screenshot here. I am working hard to fix this issue, however due to lack of information I am not able to fix it at the momment. I don't even know if that happens on any other system or just on my kind tester's one.

 

Jonathan

 

Your image didn't show up in the above post. I have attached a screenshot of the first page after I ran the .exe file. Does not look too good. Plus I can't get the FSX directory set on the options page.

 

Michael Cubine

Hi Michael,

 

Thank you very much for the screenshot. Okay, that's the same problem which occurred on other systems too. I wasn't able to recreate this problem on my test systems, but I try to fix it in the next few days.

Have you pressed the "Set" Button on the options page? If you do, and everything works as it should, a dialog should open, where you have to locate your fsx.exe. Then the path should show in the box left of the "Set" button.

 

Best regards,

 

Jonathan

How about this program Jonathan?

I have been using this webpage. So far I have reached all destinations with different airplanes and with not to much fuel left..

http://fuel.aerotexas.com/

Hi Michael,

 

Thank you very much for the screenshot. Okay, that's the same problem which occurred on other systems too. I wasn't able to recreate this problem on my test systems, but I try to fix it in the next few days.

Have you pressed the "Set" Button on the options page? If you do, and everything works as it should, a dialog should open, where you have to locate your fsx.exe. Then the path should show in the box left of the "Set" button.

 

Best regards,

 

Jonathan

 

 

Works just fine for me, Jonathan...nice little program, thanks.

 

Hello,

 

@Jia-Hsing Fu

 

I am still trying to troubleshoot why the programm doesn't work for you. It is not very easy.

 

@Wayne

 

Thanks, glad it works for you and you like it!

 

Best regards,

 

Jonathan

 

@Jonathan That's fine,just curious how is the program.