FSX-MS A2A C172 Trainer, elevator response: “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature”

[Scott - A2A 164]

A few have had questions about the elevator response.  Here’s a little video I just made, that should help those see how nicely our plane simulates the elevator from very high to very low speeds.  This is being modeled in Accu-Sim btw, not FSX:

 

 

 

Scott.

[ryanbatc 12,833]

I think it's a tradeoff though.  In real life the yoke provides more travel than the typical flight simmer's yoke or stick.  So the reason some of us say it's over sensitive is because the limited travel of our hardware does not equal a linear movement in the real plane.  It in fact would be an exponential movement which exacerbates the pitch of the acft in FSX.  It's also easier to trim in real life (even over a saitek trim unit in fsx).  So if the plane is way out of whack in FSX (some users probably don't have it trimmed correctly) they'll notice it the touchiness.  Finally there may be something up with the CG in the sim version...  just doing some personal flying tests.

[ellington 6]

Scott: I've been enjoying your product thus far as a PPL holder who flies 152's and 172's. I have a saitek yoke and the elevator response seemed somewhat normal to me - though I'm not the picky type. I've flown a few different variations of 172's and all have felt different to me anyway...

 

I must say it's not often we find a developer hopping in a real-world aircraft the day after release with a video-camera to fly around in order to further demonstrate his product. Kudos to you on that. 

[Guest]

 

 

I must say it's not often we find a developer hopping in a real-world aircraft the day after release with a video-camera to fly around in order to further demonstrate his product.

 

Well, actually that video was apparently recorded in November 2012 ^_^ and edited together with FSX footage 'just' now, but nevertheless it is great to see (as in previous video's) how a dev jumps into the modelled airplane himself to check things. I also heard he DID jump into the airplane after release to check some things which of course is also great!

[vgbaron 3,590]

Btw - for anyone who might have forgotten - there is a OLD 'tweak' that solves most of the yoke and joystick problems with FSX;

 

in the FSX.CFG file under CONTROLS add:

 

STICK_SENSITIVITY_MODE=0

 

This converts the input from the yoke into a linear response

 

Try it.

 

Vic

[ellington 6]

Well, actually that video was apparently recorded in November 2012 ^_^ and edited together with FSX footage 'just' now, but nevertheless it is great to see (as in previous video's) how a dev jumps into the modelled airplane himself to check things. I also heard he DID jump into the airplane after release to check some things which of course is also great!

Oops! Didn't notice the footage date. I did hear he was flying to check some things as you mentioned so I just assumed. Anyway - great to have a response from them on this so soon.

[Kaboki 437]

Hmmm, My yoke it is far more sensitive than this video, I only have to move it like 1mm!! to get the same response as the video...

If I had  moved it like in the video I would have looped in my c172. :huh: I might have to try those tweaks being mentioned somewhere to get it to look like that.

[wlix261 79]

Interesting watching the plane stalling !!. 

[Lewis B 14]

Hmmm, My yoke it is far more sensitive than this video, I only have to move it like 1mm!! to get the same response as the video...

If I had  moved it like in the video I would have looped in my c172. :huh: I might have to try those tweaks being mentioned somewhere to get it to look like that.

 

Try recalibrating your Yoke and making sure the null/dead zones are set to your own controller (Everybody's controller is different) and also if its super sensitive it suggests maybe you need to turn the sensitivity down a bit.

[Kaboki 437]

Yeah, it's probably hardware related. Problem is I have set up the controls in FSUIPC and can't find out where to tune the sensetivity... Think I have to dig into the FSUIPC manuals.

[Ponk 51]

Something must be wrong with my install or my hardware.

 

5000ft, full pax and fuel.  70kts inverted!  Aircraft flies normal, as if in normal flight, not much throttle required, trim set, hands off controls, flies level...inverted.  Full forward on the stick, 2 secs to complete and inverted half roll and now normal level flight again.  Maybe an RC aircraft can do this, but not a real aircraft.

 

Update...

 

Q400 suggestions of elevator effect = 1 fixes this problem.  I tested with default 172, inverted, 100kts, stick forward, sluggish repsonse, luck to get nose above horizon, now the same with A2A.  

[pmanhart 176]

Yeah, it's probably hardware related. Problem is I have set up the controls in FSUIPC and can't find out where to tune the sensetivity... Think I have to dig into the FSUIPC manuals.

Try setting your slope up correctly.

 

1. In the Axis Calibration tab, in the Elevator Axis box, select the Slope button.

2. You will see a line that starts in the lower left and goes to the upper right of a graph.

3. Press the down arrow to curve the slope to cause LESS sensitivity at the initial axis response, or press the up arrow to cause MORE sensitivity at the initial axis response.

 

What you will be setting is a curve in the response from the simulator, instead of a linear movement of the axis. In effect, the axis will start out less sensitive then gradually return to full sensitivity the close it gets to fully actuated.

 

I always use a setting of -2 on my CH Yoke's elevator, and -1 for the aileron axis.

[Kaboki 437]

Thanks alot Philip :smile: Now it is like it suppose to be, just like the video :biggrin:. Who need manuals when the communety is so helpful, you saved me alot of reading 

[Alec 370]

Very nice video! I like your approach to making a addon. Instead of making the .cfg read like the values on the manual, which of course would never work since FS isn't a perfect simulation, you go up there, fly it, record it, send it to your team and let them do their stuff to get it to fly the same way!

 

I'm glad there's a team like A2A behind this project, I believe the future is going to bring wonders to this C172!

 

Edit: Edit this post because some of the stuff I said here isn't happening after some more careful testing. Don't want to accuse these fine people of a bug that I'm not reproducing here!

[Q_flyer 766]

I think it's a tradeoff though.  In real life the yoke provides more travel than the typical flight simmer's yoke or stick.  So the reason some of us say it's over sensitive is because the limited travel of our hardware does not equal a linear movement in the real plane.  It in fact would be an exponential movement which exacerbates the pitch of the acft in FSX.  It's also easier to trim in real life (even over a saitek trim unit in fsx).  So if the plane is way out of whack in FSX (some users probably don't have it trimmed correctly) they'll notice it the touchiness.  Finally there may be something up with the CG in the sim version...  just doing some personal flying tests.

 

+1

 

I watched the video and thought exactly what Ryan has written here, then scrolled down, and I didn't have to type it, as Ryan has exaplined my exact response to the video.     

 

There will always be a subjective element to translating real flight into pixel movement on a screen, and for me, the elevator just feels too pitchy compared to real world experience, and also the nose just feels too light on landing/power off (CoG)...