This is probably a stupid question, but I can't seem to find the answer in any type of search.

 

Other than waiting until I get to a "goal" altitude and hitting ALT to hold it, how do I set the altitude at which I want to fly while, for instance, still on the ground? I read lots of stuff about setting the altitude and "arming" the ALT, but I don't see any way to alter whatever is displayed.

 

I am trying to move over to X-Plane and am enjoying the experience, but this is one I can't seem to figure out.

 

Thanks in advance for the help I know will be coming my way.

 

John

Hey John

 

Regardless if it's XPlane or MSFS, the act of pre-setting your ALT in an aircraft is usually similar in many aircraft, but in all honesty really does come down to what aircraft you are flying. Also, the other issue is that sometimes, the autopilot created for the aircraft in question may not be programmed to work as it really does in real life. As such, I will give you an example for how it works in the real LJ45.

 

Up on the Flight Guidance Controller (known as the Mode Control Panel in Boeing aircraft) there is a knob called ASEL- Essentially it is the Altitude Select knob. Once you turn that knob clockwise/CC then you should see an altitude selection value increase/decrease respectively and this value is typically over the altitude tape in a typical glass cockpit/EFIS aircraft. This is how it is in the LJ45. Now that you have your altitude preselect value set, you would have to command the aircraft to enter a Vertical Speed Mode, meaning that the aircraft needs to climb or descend to approach the preselected altitude value you have selected. In the LJ45, you do this by either engaging VS (which captures your current vertical speed and maintains that value unless you adjust it) or you can press FLC (Flight Level Change). FLC simply has a pre-determined vertical speed value vs. the crew manually selecting once. The last method would be to use the SPD hold function (again, the LJ45 in the real world- not sim). The SPD hold in the LJ45 causes the FD/AP to pitch the aircraft to hold the forward speed at the time of engagement (not use auto throttle as the default LJ45 in MSFS does). Which ever method you choose of the three listed above, once the aircraft gets within about 250 of the preselected altitude, it will begin to level off and then once it reaches the preselected altitude, it drops the vertical speed or FLC or SPD mode and then ALT hold is engaged automatically.

 

It varies from aircraft to aircraft, but the idea is the same. If the autopilot has a ALT knob on it, then try adjusting that knob and look for a changing value. Once you identify it, then take off from the runway and turn on the AP master. Once done, then press the VS button and the aircraft should climb at a specified rate. You can likely change it with a VS knob and I'm betting that your aircraft will level off at the preselected altitude value.

 

All the Best,

Thanks Eric,

 

I basically fly the Baron and other GA aircraft, and there does not appear to be any adjustment knob.

 

I appreciate the detail into which you have gone and will find that helpful as I progress to heavier aircraft.

 

Thanks again,

 

John

John,

 

I am away from my X-Plane PC now :-( but as soon as I can I'll give you feedback.

 

I believe the problem has more to do with the way the AP has been "implemented" on the C90 and Baron58 panel... I know what you mean very well - I have had the very same problem :-)

 

Everything works "perfectly" on the panels having a vsi adjustment window/know and / or an FLCH button ...

 

Some add-on GA also have the AP Up/Dwn Trim buttons just like, for instance, on the KFC 250 AP... making it a lot more realistic.

 

I recommend this particular Piper Archer III

 

http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=8870

Thanks jcomm,

 

I will try that sometime this weekend (wife has plans). Looks pretty good. Yes, I fly mostly the c-172 and the Baron but have purchased the DC-3. It has no autopilot. I also purchased the CRJ-200 (I am at work - think that is right) and it has a much more complicated panel which I will have to learn. So much fun for an old man!

 

John

have purchased the DC-3. It has no autopilot

 

:-) It has John! A Sperry model, with pitch / bank / heading modes. No altitude capture though... but used in TAP's (the Airline of Portugal) dc-3 fleet :-)

 

Appart from the dc-3 I just have the Archer III (freeware), the Sundowner (X-Aviation too), the Carenado Seneca and the default aircraft (bought the An-24 but haven't installed it yet...).

 

I still hope I can get my hands on the PC tonight and test the Alt modes on the Baron58 and C-90.

 

Nice you're enjoying X-Plane10 :-)

Oh yeah. Sperry...

 

By the way, I had downloaded the Piper earlier, but had parked it because of the 2D only cockpit. I miss my tracker IR5 and am (I admit) spoiled...

 

Off to take care of the wife's special weekend - Oh yeah - just remembered; today is our anniversary...... better go now!

 

John

Off to take care of the wife's special weekend - Oh yeah - just remembered; today is our anniversary

 

Congratulations!!!!! Have a nice weekend :-)

John,

 

I can't set the VS for the C-90 either. The VSI gauge with adjustment knob is on the co-pilot side of the Inst Panel but the knob does not work properly.

 

On the Baron we have those trim rocker switches that allow for adjustment of VS during capture of a givem preset altitude.

I hope they fix the C-90 on a future release. I really enjoy both default Beeches :-)

Thanks jcomm,

 

I have searched over and over and had not found anything. Thanks for confirming that these old eyes just were not seeing properly. I am enjoying x-plane more each time I use it. I have made many attempts to figure it out in the past, but it just seemed too counter-intuitive. I am really making an effort this time and, overall, it is paying off. I am trying to get the hang of IFR and am making some progress, but little things like this drive me nuts as I figure that I am just overlooking something.

 

John

hang of IFR and am making some progress

 

I don't like the limitations of the Map View, the long / rather interfering ILS feathers, nor being limited to a reactangular area around your aircraft's present position.

 

I would like to have a Lat / Lon grid too....

 

The Global Planet positioning interface is not easy to use either...

 

I don't know if X-plane10 finally implemented a proper World Declination algorithm, like this one linked at one of my prefered sourceswhen I was an FS9 / FSX user: Hervé's site

 

On previous versions of X-Plane, including the last I had (X-plane8), we had a rather unrealistic "jump" in magnetic heading because the simulator used the same declination at a whole tile... I strongly hope that while still tile-based (I believe), X-Plane10 finally implemented a coherent / robust magnetic declination algorithm like the one mentioned above...

 

And, I also really don't like how out-of-sync with the real world the Sunset/Sunrise times are right now... The Moon phases are another thing I really don't like because have simply nothing to do with the RW... All of these will certainly get addressed somewhere in the future, most probably still during X-Plane10's evolution cycle :-)

 

Overall the default AP, which can be adjusted from within Plane-Maker for each aircraft model, is as bullet-proof as the ones in ELITE. The FD also does a good job, provided the scale of the panel is adapted to my vanishing close distance visual accuracy :-/

 

Also on the positive side, X-plane10 allows for proper positioning of ILS LOC and GS antennas, although the later are identified as GLS in the Edit menu...