FSX-SE CLS DC-10 Airspeed 0 Problem

[AirShow 12]

Hello,

Just started flying the DC-10 HD by CLS, and I noticed that in some weather, the airspeed will go down to 0. I have fixed this issue before on the 737, by turning on the heating, but doing the same here does not seem to help. I have attached screenshots of my panel settings below, as well as of the airspeed indicator.

Is there another setting on the panel that I also need to change?

Thanks

 

Edited February 24, 2018 by AirShow

[scianoir 610]

You need to turn on the pitot heat. The drop to zero is most likely due ice forming in the pitot tube which measures airspeed.

Bill

[AirShow 12]

Just now, scianoir said:

You need to turn on the pitot heat. The drop to zero is most likely due ice forming in the pitot tube which measures airspeed.

Bill

Hi Bill,

Thank you for the answer. Isn't the pitot, what I have enabled in the screenshot above though? I made sure that it's not set to OFF, but I am also not sure what all the other options are either. I currently have it set like in the screenshot, to the second notch, which is labeled PITOT CAPT. Is that correct?

[scianoir 610]

Hi

I'm not very familiar with the DC-10 and I must admit that I didn't notice what appears to be the pitot control in the screenshot which in most aircraft is one or two switches! I gave my answer on the basis that a sudden drop to zero is usually the result of pitot icing in most aircraft. From your screenshot, if that is the pitot heat control, it looks as if it can only be turned on for one pitot tube at a time which seems odd! I am assuming it is set for the pitot on the captain's side but not on on the first officers side (if that's what CAPT and FO stand for). It may be worth having a look on the panels to see if there are any other individual pitot heat switches or check the manual (if there is one) to see if it explains the function of the pitot heat controls. As I have said though, I am not particularly familiar with the DC-10 and maybe someone with more knowledge of that aircraft can clarify the issue for you. 

Bill

[ubersu 78]

SHIFT+ H ought to do the trick...

DJ

[scianoir 610]

I just remembered I had a CLS DC-10, which I rarely flew, installed in my old FS9 setup which I still have on my computer so I went back and checked that out. That rotary knob certainly seems to be the only pitot heat control so all I can suggest is perhaps switching it between the CAPT, FO and AUX settings and leaving it on each for a few minutes if the zero IAS reading crops up again. It would be a bit of a strange set-up though if all the pitot heaters cannot be turned on at once so perhaps I am misinterpreting how this control functions!

Bill

[AirShow 12]

8 hours ago, scianoir said:

so I went back and checked that out.

Thank you, sir, for the detailed replies, you are very kind. Thank you as well for confirming that the pitot switch is all I need to worry about. I remember when the bug was happening, that I switched that pitot knob a couple times, and airspeed indicator would start working for a couple seconds, then go back to 0 again.

I have not had it happen again since last night. Maybe there was some funkiness with the software since I had stopped and restarted my engines a couple times on the ground before taking off? By the way, I am using Active Sky 2016 for weather.

 

@ubersu Thank you for your suggestion as well. I did actually Shift+H a couple times while it was happening, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Nor did the pitot knob move when I was pressing that key combination. I'll have to double check to make sure that I didn't unset that key shortcut by mistake in the past.

Going to hope it was a fluke, and at least I now know for sure, how I should be able to resolve it.

[scianoir 610]

No problem - you're welcome! I also use AS2016 for weather and occasionally find my airspeed has dropped to zero, usually because I have forgotten to turn on the pitot heat in certain weather conditions! AS2016 is a very good weather engine and it can replicate icing conditions very well which is good for realism although can cause some surprises. 

CLS airliners do not always come with the deepest systems (although I understand the DC-10 is one of their better products) so it's possible it could be a bug but hopefully someone with a little more knowledge of the DC-10 might read this thread and clarify how these rather unusual and complex looking pitot heat controls should be used.

Bill

[ubersu 78]

FSX actually has two anti-icing commands (didn't know that) "H" is anti-ice and SHIFT+H is pitot heat. I've never used "H" but you might try it. SHIFT+H won't cause any knobs or buttons to move, but it's working - it should be used, once, before you ever leave the ground.

DJ

Edited February 25, 2018 by ubersu