Auto prop pitch on Piglet's Pilatus PC-7

[NikkiA 7]

I really love piglet's pilatus pc-7, but it feels so wrong having to manually control the prop pitch, since there is no such control in the real aircraft. Leaving prop pitch at 100% results in the aircraft rocketing off when starting up, even with p.brake on, due to the massive torque.

 

Is there something I'm missing ? or does everyone have to control the prop pitch manually?

 

If 'that's just the way it is' then maybe I could automate some kind of 'if throttle < 5% then pitch = feathered' logic via FSUIPC...

 

And yes, I know about the IRIS PC-9 being free, but it's a fairly big FPS hit for me.

[pocketwatch50 6]

I don't have that sim, I have the Flight 1 version however if you reduce the condition lever that should slow you down on the ground.

[mslim 12]

I've flown Piglets PC7 quite a bit and never had this problem. it is perhaps my favorite freeware.

 

I have attached two screenshots. The wide shot shows the parking brake is on. The closeup of the panel shows the torque and fuel flow gauges. Your gauges should look similar with the power lever retarded completely and the parking brake on.

 

Don't know what's going on w/ yours. Delete the file and try another download and re-install.

 

Regards,

Slim

[mslim 12]

it feels so wrong having to manually control the prop pitch,

 

does everyone have to control the prop pitch manually?

 

Hi Nikki,

 

I just reread your question after a cup of coffee and I was wondering what you were using to control prop pitch? Are you using keyboard or joystick control for your power lever/throttle? Are you controlling it thru FSX or FSUIPC? I do have ground creep on several other turboprops and I use the condition lever to control it but I have not had any problem at all with Piglet's PC7.

 

Slim

[NikkiA 7]

Hi Nikki,

 

I just reread your question after a cup of coffee and I was wondering what you were using to control prop pitch? Are you using keyboard or joystick control for your power lever/throttle? Are you controlling it thru FSX or FSUIPC? I do have ground creep on several other turboprops and I use the condition lever to control it but I have not had any problem at all with Piglet's PC7.

 

Slim

 

I'm using FSUIPC + Saitek X52 for everything control-wise, and *normally* have separate throttle, condition/pitch and mixture controls, configured to go through the fsuipc calibration. I had the same issue, + engine explosion, on the IRIS PC-9, but found that by making a specific profile without any pitch or mixture controls (ie, just throttle on a real controller) fixed that one, but it hasn't done anything for the PC-7.

 

I tried sending the throttle control 'direct to FSX' from FSUIPC, which *sometimes* fixes up these stubborn planes that don't work properly via fsuipc (eg, FBW airbuses).

 

I'm loathed to pull apart my (working) fsuipc config to try and see if it works properly by just letting FSX handle the throttle, but it might be worth it to get an idea of what the problem is. But now that I know that the auto-feathering/condition/prop-pitch *should* be working, it gives me more motivation to try and find the cause and a workaround. When I posted the thread I had no idea if I was even chasing something that should be working 'right' or if everyone else was just using the condition/prop-pitch to tame the torque at startup.

[mslim 12]

Sounds like you are more FSUIPC enabled than I am. I think your idea to let FSX handle the throttle directly is a good one. If that "fixes" it, then you have isolated the problem to FSUIPC. Just for my education, when you say "configured to go through the fsuipc calibration." does that mean calibrating them as an axis rather than direct to FSX?

 

One last thought on your problem, make sure your autofeather is off for take-off if you haven't done it already.

 

Slim

[NikkiA 7]

Just for my education, when you say "configured to go through the fsuipc calibration." does that mean calibrating them as an axis rather than direct to FSX?

 

Yes, FSUIPC has it's own calibration system that allows you to apply null zones and response curves to most of the FSX axes, It's a little more painful to setup, but it grants you a little more flexibility over controls, especially throttle where FSX often insists on you using half of your effective control region for reverse thrust (which it doesn't even model properly anyway... what a waste)

[mslim 12]

Yes this is something I'm interested in. I have several turboprops (TurboCommander, Bronco X, BT-67, FSD PC-6) and I want to enable reverse thrust on the throttle control. I am also going to get Saitek Combat rudder pedals and I'm sure FSUIPC will be necessary to get these to function properly. If you'd be willing to share your PC-9 settings with me via PM, it would give me a starting point to understand the calibration process.

 

Regards,

Slim

[NikkiA 7]

Slim,

 

Just out of interest, how are you starting the plane? Ctrl-E or doing the startup procedure manually? Because ctrl-e seems to do some step that I'm not doing, (which stops the plane from having too much torque when the engine starts) and I suspect that step is setting the 'condition lever' to 50%

[mslim 12]

My default flight has the engine started. If not I usually use Ctrl E to get it going. I am fairly lazy but I am going to learn the complete Bronco cold and dark start.

 

Slim