Help a n00b!

[ryanbatc 12,770]

General topic title... but yeah I did the first sample flight and it went fine.  I then started watching some you tube videos for cold and dark startup (up to ready for takeoff).  Thought I had this down.  Oh this is P3D v4.1 the Pro version of the Q400.

Went to fly tonite.  Problem #1 - can't get the APU started.  EXT power is on ac/dc and the generator is visible outside the window.  I run the self test then start it.  It actually does start as I can hear the little jet running, but the GEN button stays amber WARN and when i press the button it won't go green.  What's the deal with that?  

P2: I just tookoff and everything was going well, did the usual 90% takeoff, and then around 500 ft agl, the left engine decided to feather (I think, well I lost thrust and it recovered a few times), then both engines totally quit.  For fun I managed to put it down on a road (maybe survivable).  I did run anti icing on for the takeoff though.  As here in duluth its icing conditions in the winter.  I use a CH throttle and all the power levers appeared to be correctly, props were at max for departure.  Is there something I may have missed on departure?  I did the same things as when I flew from MSP to DLH (the screenshot thread), except I turned on anti icing.

P3:  Earlier when I did that same screenshot flight, for the RNAV approach I loaded - does this plane only support LNAV minimums?  I thought it would fly the approach with vertical guidance (AP engaged of course).  But I noticed the glide path wasn't even close to what it should have been.  Do I need to enter vnav alts after I load the approach? I guess what I'm asking - does the FMS actually have GPS with waas or not?

P4:  One more thing - I can get the xpndr page to expand, but I can only place the mode to TA.  I see no way to advance it to TA/RA - how to do that?  I didn't do the tcas test maybe that's why?

 

[regis9 3,997]

P1 if external power is connected the APU will not supply power.  Air yes, power no.

[Guest]

P1: Do you see RUN appear on the APU starter button?

P2: If there actually had been icing you should have seen that on the ED (ICE DETECTED). I don't really have a clue but for the moment being, while I am learning this plane, I disabled all failures. I am not a failure guy but specially not during the learning process where enought things go wrong already due to my own stupidity. ;)

BTW In order to disable failures, edit the mjc84.ini and set WearOffFactor=0.0

P4: you probably were on the ground when you tried that? On the ground I can turn the transponder on by pressing and holding the button next to the entry but that's it: I also can't cycle through the three options. While flying it is no problem at all though. I suppose that on the ground the plane TA ONLY.

[HUSSAR 257]

She's a fun bird to fly when you get everything down pat Ryan.  Majestic has a so-so decent tutorial in the docs section which can be found in the sim root location.  That should get you pretty familiar with things.

[ryanbatc 12,770]

For my engine failure... I know what happened but I don't know why.

I ran out of fuel.  Not sure why but it appears the load to fsx config app isn't working.  I have the correct fuel but it's loading about 1% to each engine lol.  So for now I'm manually loading it in P3D with approx fuel weight in pounds.  Grrrr.

And yes I accidentally had ext power connected so the apu works now.  Still not sure about vnav departures and arrivals and if the fms will calc vpath for rnav gps approaches????

Oh gosh, what a neat plane...  the graphics are SUPERB, as well as the fps.  And the flight model is amazing too.  Why did I wait this long hehe?  I think here I'm really pushing it - looks about max torque for this temp and altitude... but I'm not paying for gas lol!

amazingplane by ryan b, on Flickr

[Guest]

Concerning the TCAS: just read in the SmartCockpit document about Navigation that TA ONLY automatically switches to TA/RA above 1100 AGL after departure and back again below 900 AGL during approach.

Concerning VNAV: the Q400 can only use VNAV for descents and you have to set it up manually in the FMS. Simple explanation: click on VNAV (on the FMS), click left of TO, pick a waypoint you want to descent to, click ENTER to accept it, enter a disctance (the cursor will be at the middle column) at which you want to be at the desired altitude, click ENTER, (or click ENTER without entering a distance which will skip this step), enter the altitude you want to be at (the cursor will be at the right column), click ENTER, (or click ENTER right away if there is already an altitude entered like from a STAR), accept the advised -1800 descent rate or enter your own one and click ENTER. A TOD will be calculated and show on the FMS VNAV screen (distance and time) and on the MFD.

After all that set the desired altitude using the ALT knob and press ALT SEL. Then wait until you are close to the TOD and press VNAV to arm it.

Having said all this I doubt if the FMS will calculate the vpath for rnav approaches...

[ryanbatc 12,770]

So it won't manage a vnav climb SID?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, ryanbatcund said:

So it won't manage a vnav climb SID?

No. Afaik climbs usually are done using IAS and (L)NAV. VNAV is only for descents.

[Mike62 29]

On 11/25/2017 at 11:52 PM, J van E said:

Concerning the TCAS: just read in the SmartCockpit document about Navigation that TA ONLY automatically switches to TA/RA above 1100 AGL after departure and back again below 900 AGL during approach.

Concerning VNAV: the Q400 can only use VNAV for descents and you have to set it up manually in the FMS. Simple explanation: click on VNAV (on the FMS), click left of TO, pick a waypoint you want to descent to, click ENTER to accept it, enter a disctance (the cursor will be at the middle column) at which you want to be at the desired altitude, click ENTER, (or click ENTER without entering a distance which will skip this step), enter the altitude you want to be at (the cursor will be at the right column), click ENTER, (or click ENTER right away if there is already an altitude entered like from a STAR), accept the advised -1800 descent rate or enter your own one and click ENTER. A TOD will be calculated and show on the FMS VNAV screen (distance and time) and on the MFD.

After all that set the desired altitude using the ALT knob and press ALT SEL. Then wait until you are close to the TOD and press VNAV to arm it.

Having said all this I doubt if the FMS will calculate the vpath for rnav approaches...

Jeroen,

Thanks for the explanation about this function.  I was flying the tutorial flight yesterday and was trying to follow but must have done something wrong earlier because it kept saying "inv wpt altitude".  I finally determined that I needed an altitude in the flight plan for the waypoint in the tutorial but by the time I found this out I was I was to far along in my flight and was getting tired so i decided to try again later.  I too just purchased this and am enjoying this wonderful aircraft but will take my brain some time to learn all about it.  I purchased the first Airline2Sim training but I wish they had made one before the "Cadet" lessons because they talk fast and I have trouble following the lessons after the Flight Deck lesson.  It will get better after I watch them several more times.

 

Mike

[Guest]

On 3-12-2017 at 8:12 PM, Mike62 said:

I too just purchased this and am enjoying this wonderful aircraft but will take my brain some time to learn all about it.  I purchased the first Airline2Sim training but I wish they had made one before the "Cadet" lessons because they talk fast and I have trouble following the lessons after the Flight Deck lesson.  It will get better after I watch them several more times.

Yes, I am still having problems completing a flight without errors. Specially keeping the speeds right is a huge challenge for me (being used to an Airbus when it comes to the bigger planes).

Yes, they talk fast indeed in those video's and imho the video's aren't lessons (not a tutorial): you just go along for the ride and you may pick up some interesting things if you pay attention but they don't take you by the hand and teach you things imho as in a regular tutorial: you still have to read the manuals. If I hadn't read the manuals (and those from SmartCockpit too) and already flown the aircraft for a week I would have been totally lost after watching the video's. For instance I seem to recall that they started to use the FMS without saying anything about it which I found disappointing. I sort of enjoyed watching it but still haven't finished the last video because it got too boring and it was all repetition from earlier stuff. After seeing them go through all the checklist for the third time I really had it with that. Can't say I look forward to watching them again to learn more from it. Too much chatting. Oddly enough I am still thinking about getting the second 'course' because it contains some advanced items I am interested in, haha! It's not bad but also not as good as I thought (after reading the raving reviews here).

[Mike62 29]

Thanks, I wish I had not been so quick to purchase the first set of lessons but i own them now and will just have to live with it.  I should have done more research first, I was looking for more professional tutorial training instead of what they provide.  After becoming more comfortable with this aircraft, I might return to them.

 

Mike

[Guest]

14 hours ago, Mike62 said:

I should have done more research first

I doubt if that would have helped because it seems 99% of the people out there adore the video's so you might have bought them anyway.  So far I seem to be the one of the only ones who posted less positive about it. I did get a PM though from someone who warned me that 80% of the content was rather useless. Seems somehow it is not done to talk less positive about Airline2Sim on forums.

[ckyliu 1,749]

I've picked up the aircraft just fine using the supplied documentation and tutorials, and then I got FS2Crew to force me to stick to SOP more! I'm sure A2S has lots of useful tips and hints and is definitely more autorotative than most stuff on YouTube, but I wouldn't have said it is essential and it seems to require a certain basic level of competence and understanding on type. Might help you keep out of bad habits though!

More complicated stuff such as VNAV and LNAV approach I've generally relied on guides posted online, SmartCockpit etc, although as I already had experience of similar FMS fitted to other aircraft the learning curve was not steep for me.

I think most of your points have already been answered by others but I will just add some additional info in regards to P1: if you have a GPU available, there's not really any point starting the APU (note the engine starters are electric so a high pressure air source such as bleeds is not required). Use the GPU to start one engine and get that generator going, then disconnect GPU and start the other engine. IIRC the APU GEN will not go green if you have power available from a GPU source, that's a system logic thing.

As regards being on max torque for prolonged periods, don't worry about it. The aircraft is designed to be operated with throttles in the RATING detent until you reach cruise speed and altitude, the MCL (climb) and MCR (cruise) rating buttons or adjusting prop RPM to suit your phase of flight will set the correct limits and maintain them. Obviously you reduce power from the RATING detent if you're going too fast.