Can anyone list a few example Q400 routes used in real life? These can be anywhere in the world, USA/AUS etc. I mainly fly around the UK but want to fly in a few different locations.

 

Hi Karl,

 

If you look in the FPL Flight Plan page of the FMC, you'll see that the Q400 comes with about 20 stored flight plans, from everywhere from UK to Canada ..... I'm working my way through them all, and they're acting as a good inspiration for real life Q400 flights.  :smile:

I have fallen in love with the aircraft, a few tiny bugs to sort out [spot view 'locked camera', juttery movement on the ground, switch from full screen to windows causes the aircraft to freeze].

 

I think the like sof PMDG have a lot to learn from this development and I hope they do so!

Hi ciaran

 

no, thats not the problem...as we who run XP64 units do not have admin problems,

 

this is a messed up download..coupled with the registration not matching as far as I

can see....as all the downloads were from JF and it is the same for each install,

 

looks like I bought it too soon...should have waited a week or so,

 

My mistake ..as everyone who has it running OK thinks its great,

 

I could tell you how I feel......but that is not for here in the forums,

 

Greatly dissapointed !

 

Cheers Don Nelson

Thats a shame, I hope you get it fixed soon, as your temptation to fly this plane is probably hitting the roof by now.

 

At-least you didn't buy it three times without knowing

Can anyone list a few example Q400 routes used in real life? These can be anywhere in the world, USA/AUS etc. I mainly fly around the UK but want to fly in a few different locations.

 

United Express: KDEN-KABQ (lots of Rocky Mt scenery)

Olympic Air uses their Dash 8-q400 in quite many flights from Athens to Greek islands, many of them covered with good quality sceneries too, though there's no livery for Olympic Air yet. 

I had the sound problem every time I made a flight yesterday. Late in the night I considered what was the difference from my first flight (the tutorial) when no sound problem was detected. I found out that the only difference was running OPUS after the first flight and that I used the flight planner in Fsx after the tutorial. With or without OPUS did not change anything, but when I start my flights by only set up the location and not use the flight planner I have not experienced any sound problem. Now three troublefree flights with full sound all the way. Before I did this the sound crashed every time.

 

I can now also confirm that I had no issues if I left the FSX flight planner alone. I have not tested it as thoroughly as you, having only gotten one flight down. Still, it is an encouraging start. I am not always able to fly online, so I am still hopeful this problem could be rectified (particularly if more people find that this "solution" works). I'm trying to figure out what it is about the flight planner that messes with the aircraft.

 

As best as I know, a flight plan utilizing ATC shouldn't interact with the aircraft except at two points: 1) autotuning the comms radios and 2) attempting to set the transponder after obtaining clearance.  For the rest of it, the flight plan should stay on the FSX side of things while the 8Q4 should stay on the Majestic side of things.

 

Addressing 1) I did autotune PHL tower to get ATIS information on the way in and still did not lose sound, so it would seem this is not an issue. I have no way of testing 2), but as some may have noticed the autosetting of the transponder after obtaining clearance does not work in this aircraft (that's fine, it's more realistic). I wonder if there may be something happening there when FSX tries to set the transponder, as that is the only other interaction with the aircraft I can see for those using the flight planner. As a side note, B does not automatically set the altimeter (again, more realistic, so no arguments).

Yep. Or I just set the aircraft to C&D and saved, and set that flight to default, and when I loaded, it was C&D.

 

The normal loaded state for the aircraft is batteries ON, but engines and APU off, so beware of flat batteries while you're sitting on the ground drooling at her!

When I fire her up from the default Trike, all I get is a bid wide black band lower half. Is there a way to get her into normal 2D or VC view like when loading other aircraft after the default Trike screen? I am loathe to set her as the default from the demo flight in case it screws up other aircraft.

 

Where exactly is that demo flight because I do not see it in the normal place?

 

EDIT:Okay, managed to work my way through to start-up, but why does the aircraft go backwards with my MS Force Feedback2 throttle set to zero? And can it be steered conventional way with a yoke?

Low ;-)

Thanks

Yes, you're quite right - I meant SHIFT+E for the door commands, not CTRL+E.

 

........ I wouldn't have said it was that funny, but hey, whatever floats your bought mate :wink:

 

For some reason i just had visions of someone trying to open the doors with Ctrl E in some default aircraft that Ctrl E would work on and instead of the door opening the engine starts...

Thanks all for the suggestions.

 

 

I'm still very impressed with this aircraft. A couple of little niggles to sort, and need to get my head around the available VNAV, but otherwise a very competent craft  ^_^

Well, as I've gotten going with the aircraft, there's still a lot of learning left.  Still, here are some of my early impressions (overall very good) and my hopes for future improvements.

 

The Highlights:

1. I think the WXR came out very well and I'm glad somebody decided to make a close approximation even if it isn't "real" (neither are the pixels I'm flying).

 

2. Sounds are very nice, although I'm hoping to see some work on solving the issue some have with them cutting out (I've had this issue and it seems to be related to using the FSX flight planner).

 

3. Very gentle on FPS!

 

4. Flight dynamics seem very smooth.  She's a handful on approach, but I hear the real bird is as well.

 

5. Overall presentation is very clean and nice.  Great overall.

 

Things I'd like to see:

1. Keyboard shortcut for TOGA - quite awkward to look down and click with the mouse.

 

2. Stronger/larger detent between DISC and REV for throttles - most of us don't have true hardware detents, so it is quite easy while taxiing to slip from DISC in to reverse thrust without warning or knowing.

 

3. "Random" Load Generator - just to add variety, pick random numbers of passenger and cargo weights.

 

4. Easier way to pick some options - currently, things like automatic differential thrust while taxiing are hidden in an .ini file controlled by 1's and 0's.  Would be nice to have a page in the configuration manager.

 

5. Some better way of managing panel states - primarily, it would be nice to have a smoother way to go cold and dark than clicking all the switches to off.

 

6. Option to print load report.

 

// 7. ? Option for 2 seperate FMS versus copying FMS 1 -> 2 - I don't have a copilot to program his FMS and I'm not going to do it twice.  So far, I've just been leaving it off, but perhaps FMS1 could just be cloned to FMS2?  This really isn't too bothersome, hence the reason it's last on the list.

 

EDIT: I'm retracting point 7.  Apparently this is what the X-fill option does essentially.  I had not realized that previously.

Here is manuals for the Q400:

http://www.smartcockpit.com/plane/BOMBARDIER/DASH-8-400.html

Well, as I've gotten going with the aircraft, there's still a lot of learning left.  Still, here are some of my early impressions (overall very good) and my hopes for future improvements.

 

The Highlights:

1. I think the WXR came out very well and I'm glad somebody decided to make a close approximation even if it isn't "real" (neither are the pixels I'm flying).

 

2. Sounds are very nice, although I'm hoping to see some work on solving the issue some have with them cutting out (I've had this issue and it seems to be related to using the FSX flight planner).

 

3. Very gentle on FPS!

 

4. Flight dynamics seem very smooth.  She's a handful on approach, but I hear the real bird is as well.

 

5. Overall presentation is very clean and nice.  Great overall.

 

Things I'd like to see:

1. Keyboard shortcut for TOGA - quite awkward to look down and click with the mouse.

 

2. Stronger/larger detent between DISC and REV for throttles - most of us don't have true hardware detents, so it is quite easy while taxiing to slip from DISC in to reverse thrust without warning or knowing.

 

3. "Random" Load Generator - just to add variety, pick random numbers of passenger and cargo weights.

 

4. Easier way to pick some options - currently, things like automatic differential thrust while taxiing are hidden in an .ini file controlled by 1's and 0's.  Would be nice to have a page in the configuration manager.

 

5. Some better way of managing panel states - primarily, it would be nice to have a smoother way to go cold and dark than clicking all the switches to off.

 

6. Option to print load report.

 

7. ? Option for 2 seperate FMS versus copying FMS 1 -> 2 - I don't have a copilot to program his FMS and I'm not going to do it twice.  So far, I've just been leaving it off, but perhaps FMS1 could just be cloned to FMS2?  This really isn't too bothersome, hence the reason it's last on the list.

 

I agree here, but please add a door interface in the FMS Service page.

Anyone know where the TCAS switch is situated? Cant seem to find it anywhere... 

Anyone know where the TCAS switch is situated? Cant seem to find it anywhere... 

 

On the radio panel where you see ATC1 (bottom right), hold that LSK for 2 seconds. That turns it on off.

 

Single press then "EXP" key brings up all the options.

Anyone know where the TCAS switch is situated? Cant seem to find it anywhere... 

 

I assume you're talking about the switch to display traffic on the MFD NAV display?  If so, this is located on the MFD settings panel.  There's a left and right one on their respective sides on the forward pedestal.  It's one of the panels on the furthest left (or right) column just a bit in front of the throttle housing.  One of the flat push buttons says TCAS.

 

If you're talking about turning on the transponder (technically not TCAS), then press and hold the bottom right LSK on the ARCDU for 2 seconds.