The PMDG tutorial1 ( Gatwick to Amsterdam ) explains several methods to take off:

 

After reaching 40 % N1 do:

 

- Press CTRL + SHIFT + G  

- Click on the TOGA button on the thrust lever. I find this is hard to do as the button is hidden when the

  throttle advances.

 

I found that I can advance the throttle to 40 % of N1, then advance it to the maximum and to my surprise the

take off excutes.

 

Threfore I wonder what the most realistic method is.( say in the real world )

 

Is it possible the TOGA button only works when actually doing a go around ?

 

Hubert Werni

 

 

 

 

After advancing the trottles to 40% N1 (and if you have autothrottle on) press CTRL + SHIFT + G and the thrust levers will automatically advance to reach the take off N1 value. there is also a hidden clickspot on the MCP, somewhere just lef to the flight director switch (the left one) which does the same thing.

 

Hope that is clear

In the real world you would press the button that you know is hidden..... because you can reach it

 

So the best way in the simulation I find is to use the hidden clickspot (X) just left and below the course knob... hover your cursor and it will appear

 

Best of luck

 

Dave Cook

Or assign a joystick button, that way you don't have to move your hands to the keyboard...

 

- Press CTRL + SHIFT + G  
- Click on the TOGA button on the thrust lever. I find this is hard to do as the button is hidden when the
  throttle advances.

CTRL + SHIFT + G is the default FSX keystroke for TOGA.  So you use that or the hidden clickspot (finding the real TOGA button on the throttle is extremely difficult) or the actual switch on the throttle. You don't need to do all three.  The tutorial is giving you three different ways to achieve the same thing (activate TOGA mode)

 

You can simply manually increase thrust, but using TOGA is the more realistic method.  Also the tutorial sequence might not work properly if you don't use the TOGA method.

Or assign a joystick button, that way you don't have to move your hands to the keyboard...

That is how I roll. Best solution in my book when using the HUD, don't have to take my hand off the stick and don't have to look away from the HUD.

I assign a little button on my saitek pro x52, it is amazing  

I press the click spot just to the left of the left course knob on the FMC and then jam my throttles forward (in the hope that autothrottle won't kick off :(...which it does about 40% of the time).  If I don't manually advance the throttles on my rig the airplane pretty much just sits there.

Same here, TOGA, then manually push my hardware throttle to the full forward stop.

In that way you get TOGA or derate thrust as set in the FMS (say 98%N1)

 

If you don't move the Throttle forward, then when the aircraft passes 80 knots, a control spike or movement of your hardware throttle may reduce thrust back down to where the hard throttle is set to (ie 40% if you havn't pushed it forward).

 

If the TOGA doesn't get pressed and you just jam the throttles to full you're gonna be looking at 104%N1.

 

The Autothrottle in this situation will probably be "armed" rather than in an actual active mode (ie TOGA or N1). This means that the reduction to Climb Thrust passing acceleration altitude (~1500ft AGL) may not happen.

Isn't it you advance the throttle to 40% N1 and after that push the TOGA. I perform this ritual every time I perform a take off using TOGA. Usually I advance everything manually, like it better that way.

The whole 40% thing is to ensure symmetrical thrust throughout the spool up..., its not a requirement in order to make the aircraft engines run up to take off power.

 

The TO/GA, Take Off, Go Around switch, is there in order to provide the AT the command sequences it needs prior to execution...I believe its set to the context of the MCP, but the avionics geniuses flocking around the forum can probably make a better decision about it.

 

Now, technically the take off sequence here hasnt been fully established, just how to run the engines up.

 

If you read the Flight Crew Training Manual that came with the bird, read the take off profiles.

 

For example, pitch up to no more than 8 degrees after VR, within 3 seconds, lift off, once passing through 1000 FPM + VS, raise the gear. Maintain V2+20 until you reach acceleration height. Follow the flap/slats retraction schedule, and then call it good.

 

Usually, Autopilots wont be engaged until well after acceleration height, which is carrier specific. UAL-1200 feet AGL. Upon reaching acceleration height, you will want to be between 11-15 degrees nose up, and gently accelerate until hitting 250 knots or whatever speed/height restriction you are coming up to.

 

Hope this helps.

 

(in the hope that autothrottle won't kick off ...which it does about 40% of the time)

 

Take a look at your aircraft settings.  You can tell the systems to ignore your physical hardware, which helps avoid the random disconnects from spikes, etc.  You can set it to ignore your hardware in all cases, or all cases except (I forget their names, but essentially "whenever you can move the throttles while still on A/T in the real world anyway").

I usually take off with the autothrottle (40%N1, then TOGA).

However on a manual thrust take off (autothrottle not armed) the TOGA should still be pressed. This should trigger some important functions, like the postion update for the IRS/FMC at the beginn of the runway.

Can you assign joystick controls without FSUIPC Full version?

 

Can you assign joystick controls without FSUIPC Full version?

 

Yes but using FSX for controls is loaded with problems.  If you have more than one control (e.g. yoke and peddles) FSX often confuses them.  Also, you don't get nearly the flexibility with FSX.  You can't create null zones, ranges.  Finally, FSUIPC has some nice features that deal with wind problems, battery life.