Hi guys.

 

It's been a while since I've flown JS41 after spending so much in NGX. However, I've found that sensitivity of my yoke is quite horrible. I followed suggestion froms Tabs for NGX that I should leave sensitivity at about one third for NGX and it works perfectly. I can really feel the plane but when I came back to JS41 I notced that the elevators are quite a problem. Movement of just a little bit would result in a couple of hundreds of ft/min change. I was wondering, what is the right setting for flight controls sensitivity in FS and FSUIPC to get the most acurate feeling how the real bird behaves?

Hmmm, I haven't ever adjusted the sensitivity of my yoke in between ACs. The feel of the J41 is unfortunately very dependant on your stick and what you like. If you have FSUIPC, I would program the axis' through that instead of FS. That way you can set up AC specific settings.

I believe you can make profiles with FSUIPC, as well, so you can easily switch between aircraft. I could be wrong, though (sim rig is dead at the moment)

Thanks for answers guys. Could somebody tell me if in general JS41 is more sensitive to yoke input than other aircrafts or not?

Thanks for answers guys. Could somebody tell me if in general JS41 is more sensitive to yoke input than other aircrafts or not?

 

I can't say I've noticed that compared to other aircraft. I do have FSUIPC and have created a profile for the aircraft, though the only sensitivity slope I changed was to prop sensitivity on my setup.

 

Gregg

I haven't noticed and extra sensitivity, either.

In theory it should be. in real life, J41 has cable operated control surfaces. Therefore, regardless of speed, the control surfaces always move in direct relation to the movement of the yoke. Plus as it is smaller, it is naturally more nimble. Meanwhile, the NG operate with hydralic control surfaces. These surfaces are smart and have different degrees of movement based on flight speed. At low speed, the NG is much more responsive than at cruise speed in order to prevent damage to the airframe or control surfaces.

In theory it should be. in real life, J41 has cable operated control surfaces. Therefore, regardless of speed, the control surfaces always move in direct relation to the movement of the yoke. Plus as it is smaller, it is naturally more nimble. Meanwhile, the NG operate with hydralic control surfaces. These surfaces are smart and have different degrees of movement based on flight speed. At low speed, the NG is much more responsive than at cruise speed in order to prevent damage to the airframe or control surfaces.

The NG's controls aren't "smart". They may be hydraulically powered but the link to pilot control movement is direct and more or less linear, regardless of airspeed.

The NG's controls aren't "smart". They may be hydraulically powered but the link to pilot control movement is direct and more or less linear, regardless of airspeed.

 

You are correct that the controls move the same. The 737 is one of the few jets remaining which have redundant cable controls. However,"feel" is a different story. Ailerons and elevators are augmented by the Aileron Feel, Elevator Control Computer, and Centering unit computers. These change the force needed to be applied to the control column based on the speed of the aircraft. Further, roll is not linear as you think it would be because of the, "Spoiler Mixer". The Spoilerons are controlled hydralically and dependant on control wheel movement in ratio with the ailerons based on speed.

 

The "Feel" of the jet is very much based on flight peramiters. This is built in for safety. Without such assists you could apply full control surface diflection without much effort at cruise and cause damage resulting in a crash.

 

The J41 will get stiffer as it accelerates as well. However, this is caused by aerodynamic forces at speed.

You are correct that the controls move the same. The 737 is one of the few jets remaining which have redundant cable controls. However,"feel" is a different story. Ailerons and elevators are augmented by the Aileron Feel, Elevator Control Computer, and Centering unit computers. These change the force needed to be applied to the control column based on the speed of the aircraft. Further, roll is not linear as you think it would be because of the, "Spoiler Mixer". The Spoilerons are controlled hydralically and dependant on control wheel movement in ratio with the ailerons based on speed.

 

The "Feel" of the jet is very much based on flight peramiters. This is built in for safety. Without such assists you could apply full control surface diflection without much effort at cruise and cause damage resulting in a crash.

 

The J41 will get stiffer as it accelerates as well. However, this is caused by aerodynamic forces at speed.

Control feel is very significant of course, but this makes no difference to FSX where the only control feel you get is from the springs in your yoke or joystick. So the control sensitivity then becomes a matter of the gearing between the control input and the control surface. Also the whole intent of the artificial feel system of an airliner with powered controls is to replicate the aerodynamic feel forces unpowered controls provide. So apart from Airbus airliners with sidesticks, elevator forces increase with dynamic pressure (q), very much like in the J41 with manual controls. Ailerons and rudder often don't have any speed related artificial feel changes. The rudder has a pressure limiter which doesn't change force v pedal but limits the maximum deflection.

 

Roll spoilers in the 737 are also fairly linear, apart from not moving for small wheel inputs. There's certainly no major speed related changes other than blowdown at very high speed. This is unlike airliners such as the 747 and 767 which have additional outboard aileron surfaces for low speed control. The main reason for this is to allow better control at low speed with flaps extended without providing potentially damaging excessive roll moments at high Mach. Pilot feel remains unaffected, but sensitivity does change. Flap extension reduces roll rate for a given wheel deflection and this is the case for all non FBW aircraft regardless of how their control feel is generated.

 

Because the 737 has manual reversion and no speed related control configuration changes it's control feel is very similar to a manually powered aircraft. It has the least "smart" control system of any airliner with powered controls I know of. Any "smartness" is there either for artificial stability (as with the mach trim and yaw damper), safety (the rudder limiter) or to get as close as possible to unpowered, well harmonised, control feel.

 

The reason people complain about control sensitivity in FSX is precisely because there is no force feedback to prevent them putting in sudden large control movements. It has very little to do with whether control forces are from aerodynamic feedback, artificial feel or a combination of the two. People need to learn to use small, smooth control movements. Reducing "sensitivity" using the FSX sliders only adds lag to the surface response and so the aircraft response.

I have not noticed that much difference. Of course its not a 737.

Thanks Kevin for a detailed answer.

 

People need to learn to use small, smooth control movements.

 

Yeah JS41 has thought me that, I was just too "spoiled" by the 737 I guess <_<