Hello All

 

Recently I have been running into problems with my Aerosoft Airbus A319 (my favorite commercial plane) that seems to have started out of nowhere.  Now to be sure I'm pretty much asking the forum to put on your FSX "NTSB" hats.  I can include tons of info regarding my rig and other stuff but, it may not be that complicated to diagnose the problem as it may indeed be my piloting skills:  

 

Set-up

Flying A319 flights from PAHO in Alaska to KPSP in Southern California.  Using a standard flight plan found on Routefinder, I'm trying to get to FL360 for cruising and, in my calculations I should be able to cruise at .79 mach.  Weather is generated by REX and I haven't really run into any crazy weather along the way.  Note***Same problem occurs with "True Airspeed" and  "Indicated" set in Realism Setting

 

Problem

I keep running into to OVERSPEED problems during initial climb beginning around FL200 at about 300-320kts and +2000FPM climb MANAGED.  No flaps, gear up and no warning ribbon on the PFD but, FSX red warning appears.  If I do nothing aircraft over-stress kills the flight.  If I slow down to about 270kts I'm usually OK but I end up having to cruise at about that same speed which translates to about .54 mach at FL360 (a lot slower than expected).  

 

This is a fairly consistent and new issue that I have been dealing with.  In my defense, I have made a number of changes to the FSX.cfg file but, nothing that should have changed flight dynamics for any of the planes.  Nonetheless, the problem seems to be an FSX issue and not piloting - I only believe this because I have never had this problem before with the Airbus A319.

 

Then again, it may very well be that I'm not understanding something about flying???  Just is frustrating because it's a new issue...

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Software included in scenario:

Windows 7 64-bit

FSX:SE

REX Essential Plus Overdrive

Aerosoft Airbus X (A319 CFM)

ORBX Global and Vector

ORBX PAHO

ORBX KPSP

FS Captain

 

 

 

Problem

I keep running into to OVERSPEED problems during initial climb beginning around FL200 at about 300-320kts and +2000FPM climb MANAGED. No flaps, gear up and no warning ribbon on the PFD but, FSX red warning appears. If I do nothing aircraft over-stress kills the flight. If I slow down to about 270kts I'm usually OK but I end up having to cruise at about that same speed which translates to about .54 mach at FL360 (a lot slower than expected).

 

Hi, Cjr60611,

 

I haven't flown that Airbus much or for awhile, but: if you are not getting any warnings from the aircraft's own systems, I would look to see if FSX crash detection is turned on, and if it is, turn it off.  My guess is that you regenerated the FSX.cfg file and that setting changed back to on.   I find crash detection pretty useless -- you will know if you made a hard landing, stalled, overspeeded or went into a nose dive.  In particular, crash detection (in FS9) used to cause on-ground crashes and resets on the ground due to scenery flaws that created invisible objects.  Annoying after an otherwise successful ten hour flight!  The crash/reset function is useless after a crash landing as it usually sets you up about 5-10 seconds before landing -- too late to change to a more stable approach, and too late for complex addon aircraft to initialize.

 

Always use IAS setting, by the way.  Fly it according to the Aerosoft Airbus manual.

 

Mike

I haven't used REX for weather in a long time... but it is probably creating sudden wind shifts that in turn result in overspeeds.  ActiveSky Next is one of the few weather programs that has managed to completely resolve the notorious wind shift bug in FSX.

 

Regardless of what weather program you decide to use, you should disable "Aircraft Stress causes Damage" in the FSX Realism options.  That function has never worked correctly and is creating your nuisance crashes.

 

M.D.

I haven't used REX for weather in a long time... but it is probably creating sudden wind shifts that in turn result in overspeeds.  ActiveSky Next is one of the few weather programs that has managed to completely resolve the notorious wind shift bug in FSX.

 

Regardless of what weather program you decide to use, you should disable "Aircraft Stress causes Damage" in the FSX Realism options.  That function has never worked correctly and is creating your nuisance crashes.

 

M.D.

Hey MadDog

 

You know what, I didn't even think of disabling the "Aircraft Stress" option!  Shame on me - will do that today.  Thanks for the insight!

Have you check the realism settings for displaying Indicated or true airspeed? For realism, you should set it to indicated airspeed.

Dan H.

Have you check the realism settings for displaying Indicated or true airspeed? For realism, you should set it to indicated airspeed.

Dan H.

Thanks Dan - Yes, I changed to IAS but still had the problem. Read more on line and came to the conclusion REX may have been the perpetrator.  I shut down REX and interesting enough the problem disappeared. Go figure...

 

Cheers 

Do you have the latest Hotfix installed? It's "F" at the moment.

 

Also, do you have the latest Service Pack and Hotflix for REX Essentials? (I take it that's what you are using, if not please let us know what you're using).  Though I've not tested the latest Service Pack, I'm told that it fixed the problems that cause what your describing.

 

Also, the next time it occurs, please post a screen shot of your EFIS and NAV displays, as well as a screen shot of what winds and pressure REX is injecting.

 

Also, if you fly on VATSIM and you're using FSINN, please verify you have weather disabled in your pilot client.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Do you have the latest Hotfix installed? It's "F" at the moment.

 

Also, do you have the latest Service Pack and Hotflix for REX Essentials? (I take it that's what you are using, if not please let us know what you're using).  Though I've not tested the latest Service Pack, I'm told that it fixed the problems that cause what your describing.

 

Also, the next time it occurs, please post a screen shot of your EFIS and NAV displays, as well as a screen shot of what winds and pressure REX is injecting.

 

Also, if you fly on VATSIM and you're using FSINN, please verify you have weather disabled in your pilot client.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks Dave for the response.

 

Not really sure what Hotfilx is but I will look into it as I like realize how much I like flying with REX now that I'm not...  Will try the fixes and get back to you.

 

Thanks again!

 

 

Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Hey Dave

 

Took your advice and updated REX and Hotfix to latest versions.  However, still had the same problem - Airbus A319 reached cruise altitude at FL340 max speed at cruise was 310kts IAS (GS read 340) and I started to get overspeed warning.  Before I could even cut the engines back I lost the flight to Overstress.

 

Has to be a REX issue as I was able to fly the same flight normally with REX turned off and didn't run into the problem.  Can't understand how REX can change the flying dynamic like that but....

 

Looks like I will have to switch over to ASN (may be better anyway, ASN works better with PMDG).

 

Thanks for your help though.

 

PS - Wasn't able to screen shot because it happened too quickly.

Understand.  Sorry to hear you're having difficulties.

 

The latest SP for REX Essentials was suppose to correct some significant problems with the weather engine. I have the complete installer with all the fixes (I'm a Beta Tester for several developers), however I just haven't had time to uninstall REX Essentials Plus Overdrive HD (that's a mouth full) and reinstall.

 

Tell you what, I'll do my very best to give it a shot between Friday and Monday and I'll let you know what I find.

 

Regarding the Aerosoft Airbus A320 Series, I'm also a Beta Tester for that. From time to time there is a problem some people have had with Overspeeding at Cruise, but I haven't seen a report on that since the last two Hotfixes came out, and I haven't experienced it.

 

I'll load the Airbus up and give it a try using both REX and ASN and let you know what i find.

 

As to how a weather engine can effect this... it's usually the failure of the weather engine to adjust for an errant or missing weather station and/or and incorrect injection of pressure at altitude. That will make your indicated airspeed go crazy!  ASN doesn't have that problem (though HiFi has had that problem with past products).

 

I need to get REX tested anyway, so I'll do my best get it done and will let you know.

 

Two favors.. if what you experienced occurred at the same place or flight, would you post that info?  Even an Airbus Flight Plan would help.  The other favor... if you can, would you please test (again) another aircraft under the same conditions to see if the problem occurs?

 

Thanks so much.

 

 

Two favors.. if what you experienced occurred at the same place or flight, would you post that info?  Even an Airbus Flight Plan would help.  The other favor... if you can, would you please test (again) another aircraft under the same conditions to see if the problem occurs?

Hey Dave

 

Ok, took the exact same plan (PAHO - KHQM) in the PMDG 737 around the same time of day with REX activated.  The PMDG didn't respond as erratically as the Aerosoft Airbus A319.  However, indeed I still ran into the same problem once we hit cruise; 

 

1) Top cruise speed .501 Mach w/ speed restriction ribbon showing in the PFD at about 320kts @ FL360 

 

2) Flight did not fail like the A319 because the restriction wouldn't allow the A/P to go beyond 320kts (although the Flight Plan called for .79 Mach cruise).

 

3) Also noticed something new that I didn't realize during the A319 flight(s) - REX seems to also be causing the A/P to malfunction in both planes.  Simply, with REX activated neither plane followed the VNAV set in the Flight Plan.  Both planes climbed at high rates (+4000 - 5000 FPM) even though the plan didn't call for it.  I can imagine those climb rates at takeoff but, the PMDG was at +5000 through FL300 - I had to disconnect VNAV and set VS to cruise FL.  That was strange!

 

Below, please find the Airbus flight plan I used (*note: PMDG followed the exact plan):

 

WUXAN Q17 MDO J804R FRIED TR19 YZP J523 TOU J501 HQM 

 

Finally, I tried the same flight with same plan in the Carenado Hawker 850XP.  I'm not as familiar with the flight dynamics of that plane and the A/P takes some getting used to.  Likewise, I was getting Overspeed warnings at aroung 340kts at FL355.  Further, in the Hawker I noticed a decrease in power at the same speed and flight level - engines were at 99.8% and the plane seemed to be struggling to make 340kts.  Again, I'm not as familiar with the Hawker but, I have flown with REX deactivated and didn't have a problem with engine power at all.  Hmmmmm....

 

My REX Essential+Overdrive Version Build is #3.8.2014.1211  Yesterday I installed SP3_hotfix_20141211 from the REX site.

 

Hope you can work with the developers to fix this problem because I really like the REX environments - just can't fly in them (going to try to fly the PA31 in REX now, will let you know).

 

Thanks!!!

Okay, I can tell you with a high degree of certainity what's happening.

 

Weather engines read data from weather stations, and to one degree or another they massage it so that we get a complete, smooth weather environment.

 

Well, there are no weather stations over the pacific (or any other ocean, unless the flight plan includes an island that has one).  REX and past versions of ActiveSky had problems when they encountered an area without a weather station (so they had no data) or when they encountered a weather station that was sending out bogus data (it happens).

 

The end result is what I already mentioned, winds and pressure data that made no sense and when at cruise altitude this would throw the Air Data Computers into the Hallucinate Mode, followed by the Spasm Mode.  All softs of incredible and unbelievable stuff occurs to the tune of exactly what you're experiencing.

 

The good news... it's not the Airbus.

 

In order to resolve, I would recommend purchasing ActiveSkyNext, which is a superior weather engine.  I've used all of the weather engines out there, and if you're flying commercial airliners then ASN is what I'd use.

 

Your REX is still very valuable, because there is nobody, NOBODY who makes weather textures like REX.  Many people (me included) have used REX textures and ASN for the weather engine.  Just load the textures and exit REX (and don't restart it unless you want to change textures), and then run ASN.

 

NOTE:  From what I'm told, REX Weather Direct (an upcoming product) will not suffer from any of the problems of past REX Weather Engines.  My team is slated to test this product, and I'm looking forward to doing so.  It would be nice (and overall less expensive) to see REX on top where weather engines are concerned.

 

 

I hope this helps.

 

P.S.  If you run REX Essentials Plus Overdrive HD (man, what a name... they ought to pay me from typing that out), and you want the most accurate texture settings I've EVER experienced (espceially where rain and thunderstorm based precipitation on a weather radar (in other words, the visuals match the weather radar and vice versa) them PM me and I'll give you the REX Texture Settings that my test group uses.  They were developed and tested over hundreds of hours in many different weather situations.

 

Best of luck my friend.

 

 

Okay, I can tell you with a high degree of certainity what's happening.

 

Whoa!

 

You may indeed have a valid point.  Long story short, I have recently purchased ORBX Global, Vector, Southern Alaska and a number of airport add-ons in that area (beautiful flying country).  Before flying these routes I was an East Coast flyer hooping from city to city and never ran into this issue with REX.  Now that I'm flying in more remote areas including oceans your point makes all the sense in the world, this issue never came up because I was flying heavily populated and traffic'd air space - lots more weather stations or REX to work with I'm sure.  

 

I flew a short jump from Homer (PAHO) to Middleton Island (PAMD) in the Carenado PA31 and had no problems with REX.  However, it was a slow flight over a relatively short distance.  I think the problems are indeed occurring over open water.

 

Great info nonetheless and I'm glad you took the time to help me here.  Will be PM'ing you to get those REX texture settings.  You're right, REX is beautiful and I'm thinking I will start flying different routes that way I can keep using the system.

 

Cheers!  Have a great weekend! 

You are most welcome.

 

I've seen your PM and will send  you the texture link in an hour or two.. have to get to something else first.