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Hmm. I put in a cost index of 200 to cruise at M0.85. Maybe that's what put things out of whack. I think you might have found the solution! I'll try again and report on my findings.

That is definitely not the solution. The plane should be able to descend with any cost index value. Besides, a value of 200 would cause the descent rate to increase compare to a cost index of the suggested 50

That is definitely not the solution. The plane should be able to descend with any cost index value. Besides, a value of 200 would cause the descent rate to increase compare to a cost index of the suggested 50

 

I've just tried a flight with a cost index of 50, and it worked, but I discovered a huge bug in the MD-11. I was descending at 4x simulation rate and it demanded drag. So I gave it 2/3rds spoiler. The instant I gave it full spoiler, it started advancing the throttles! Then I left it at full spoiler and took the FSX simulation rate down to 1x, and the throttles went back to idle. I tried it again and again, and every time I gave it more than 1x simulation rate, it would advance the throttles. This is probably a bug because the simulation rate should not affect the throttle setting! The manual suggests a max simulation rate of 8x so I was within the suggested limits.

 

I guess crazy things happen when you install a plane that attempts to overcome FSX's limitations by replacing parts of FSX with its own programming...

I could not disagree more.

 

PMDG create extremely realistic simulations that are based around FSX's "world of physics" (which aren't always analogous with real world physics lol!), at the standard simulation rate

 

Once you start messing around with 4x simulation rates, you cannot guarantee that any Hi Fidelity product that functions mainly outside of FSX's default abilities, will function normally.

 

Ok, I can't tell you specifically why the MD-11 would command thrust with the spoiler open (speed or thrust references?) under 4x, but I maintain, it's a bit insulting to profess "I've found a huge bug in the MD-11" because it doesn't do what you expect it to do while under 4x simulation rate.

 

Many complex addons are not compatible with artificial simulation rates. To me, it's a bit at odds buying something as realistic as a PMDG aircraft, then wanting to fly it at 4 times the speed it should be at! ..... but I appreciate it may be for practical reasons.

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Many complex addons are not compatible with artificial simulation rates. To me, it's a bit at odds buying something as realistic as a PMDG aircraft, then wanting to fly it at 4 times the speed it should be at! ..... but I appreciate it may be for practical reasons.

Well, he wants to fly direct between the last fix of his SID to the first fix of his STAR as well. Its pretty clear that realism is not the main priority for him.

I could not disagree more.

 

PMDG create extremely realistic simulations that are based around FSX's "world of physics" (which aren't always analogous with real world physics lol!), at the standard simulation rate

 

Once you start messing around with 4x simulation rates, you cannot guarantee that any Hi Fidelity product that functions mainly outside of FSX's default abilities, will function normally.

 

Ok, I can't tell you specifically why the MD-11 would command thrust with the spoiler open (speed or thrust references?) under 4x, but I maintain, it's a bit insulting to profess "I've found a huge bug in the MD-11" because it doesn't do what you expect it to do while under 4x simulation rate.

 

Many complex addons are not compatible with artificial simulation rates. To me, it's a bit at odds buying something as realistic as a PMDG aircraft, then wanting to fly it at 4 times the speed it should be at! ..... but I appreciate it may be for practical reasons.

 

Allow me to reply by quoting paragraph 6 of page 56 of the PMDG MD-11 introduction manual:

Time Acceleration Limit:

Time Acceleration should be limited to 8x to ensure proper autopilot and

fuel system function. On some faster hardware machines, you may find

that the simulation will run faster than 8x, but we cannot guarantee the

accuracy of the computational process at speeds faster than 8x on all

hardware. (The mathematical iterations required for damping and control

law become prohibitive for most desktop machines when run at speeds at

greater than 8x, so we have not tuned the autopilot or fuel system for

operation at acceleration rates faster than 8x.)

 

So technically, anything below 8x is within spec, as stipulated by the manufacturer (PMDG).

 

The error appears when switching from 1x to 4x - the throttles increase when selecting 4x and go back to normal at 1x. If you switch between 1x and 4x again and again the throttles do it over and over, so either it's hard coded or this was a one-time glitch on my PC that doesn't resolve itself without restarting FSX.

 

I'll just limit my simulation rate on descent from now on just to make sure things work as intended though.

 

And to reply to your last comment - I actually fly most planes at 16x! It's only because the PMDG is so realistic that I've limited myself to 4x in this one ^_^. I've even done long-haul flights at 128x with the autopilot disengaged (mainly to test fuel range of my experimental creations). Nothing like keeping a plane on course at that speed to test your reflexes :blink:!

 

Well, he wants to fly direct between the last fix of his SID to the first fix of his STAR as well. Its pretty clear that realism is not the main priority for him.

 

Fouund a solution for that ^_^ - The free online flight planner at http://www.flightsim...ht_planner.html generates flight plans between any two airports and outputs airways and waypoints (which I then type manually into the FMC).

 

I tested it with flights between LMML and HLLT, and the output seems to be remarkably accurate because the real-world airline where I work uses the same waypoints for this route.

 

So... realistic route - check

realistic aircraft - check

1x simulation rate - check

 

All I need now is a monitor with airbags in case of birdstrikes :lol:.