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Mike Hawkeye Hawkins

Honeywell Bendix/King FMS

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I'm sorry if I'm posting off topic. Not really sure where to put this.

I've become very interested in using an FMS for my flights, and I just recently started using the freeware one that I'm sure most people know about.

Problem is, I'm just not really sure how to use it. I've gone through it's PDF and I've sorta gotten the hang of programming it, though I could REALLY use help with that, too, but once i get the plane in the air, I haven't figured out how to actually USE the darn thing!!

This is sort of a two part question. 1. The problem I just brought up I could use some help with, and 2. Is there a better option out there, somewhere, even if it's payware? I really don't want to integrate panels. I just want to be able to hit "shift-something" to bring it up and use it that way.

Thank you in advance!

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You may be able to find a YouTube video that may give more info on the use of that FMC.  I have seen some other freeware offerings.  A simple Google search for FSX FMC should produce results.


Charlie Aron

Awaiting the new Microsoft Flight Sim and the purchase of a new system.  Running a Chromebook for now! :cool:

                                     

 

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4 hours ago, charliearon said:

You may be able to find a YouTube video that may give more info on the use of that FMC.  I have seen some other freeware offerings.  A simple Google search for FSX FMC should produce results.

You would think. I found one in French, and the same guy doing it in English, but his English one didn't mention how to actually fly the plane with it once it's programmed in.

And I have already google searched the above. I see some options, but a lot of them are integrated into the panel, which I don't think I want, and I don't know how effective they are. Was hoping to speak with someone that has actually used one to push me in the right direction.

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This FMC is very basic, being simply an interface to the default GPS.   What you set up as your flight plan (via the FSX flight plan) will be seen in the FMC.  You can't properly set up this FMC without first setting up a flight plan.

When you're in the air, the FMC may be useful for its Map provision, observing the status of your aircraft's flight path/legs, setting up the ILS for landing, finding out airport information, nearest VORs, radios, etc.  The only thing that you can control is making inputs to the Legs page in regard to Speed and Altitude for each leg of the route (which your autopilot will follow), but the problem arises as to what data should one feed in, as there are no airport/company route charts to refer to.   So, my impression is that this FMC is only useful for appearance sake and as an introduction to Flt. Management Systems.   If you are wanting to do some serious FMC programming and get good functionality, you will probably need to purchase aircraft that have it.   Others here will be able to suggest aircraft/developers that do produce advanced avionics in their aircraft.

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Thank you. I did manage to get it to "work" last night, but just as you said, it's really just an extension of the GPS, and not a whole lot more. Left a lot to be desired. I couldn't even add approach/ILS information into it, unless I managed to do it from the FSX flight planner.

So, now, I guess I need a Southwest 737 to fly with an FMC. I'm on the prowl.

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The ILS selection page can be found by clicking on the "Dep/Arr" button.   After ATC gives you the runway for landing, you can select that runway from that page (whether it is ILS equipped, or you can choose from other options there (e.g. VOR DME, RNAV, GPS, etc.), that may assist you when turning onto Base Leg and Finals).   Of course, you will still need to tune your radio to the ILS frequency, which you can get from the Nav Data > Airport Ident page after typing in the ICAO identifier, and ensuring that your Navigation mode is set to Nav.

Hope this will keep your interest up while awaiting that day you get an FMC equipped B737.

Edited by Angels40

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18 hours ago, Angels40 said:

The ILS selection page can be found by clicking on the "Dep/Arr" button.   After ATC gives you the runway for landing, you can select that runway from that page (whether it is ILS equipped, or you can choose from other options there (e.g. VOR DME, RNAV, GPS, etc.), that may assist you when turning onto Base Leg and Finals).   Of course, you will still need to tune your radio to the ILS frequency, which you can get from the Nav Data > Airport Ident page after typing in the ICAO identifier, and ensuring that your Navigation mode is set to Nav.

Hope this will keep your interest up while awaiting that day you get an FMC equipped B737.

It really didn't. I decided to get and FMC equipped 737, but now I have ALL KINDS of new problems! I'll try to address them here, and if unsuccessful, I'll make another thread.

I went with the Wilco feelthere 737. I like it, but SINCE I bought it, I've learned that the PMDG stuff is better. For now, I'm stuck, though. Gotta get my $50 worth out of this bird.

A couple of things are happening. I can program the MFS very easily. I still cannot FLY with the darn thing. Once I get in the air, I don't know what to do with it. I've seen a million tutorials on how to program it. Nothing on what to do with it once you get it in the air.

Secondly, once I get this payware aircraft in the air, I can't even fly it on autopilot. Sometimes the autopilot lights up as if engaged, but nothing happens. Sometimes, I can't get it to even light up like it's engaged. I don't know if this is a Wilco thing, or if it's something I'm missing out on, as I've never flown a payware aircraft before today.

Hoping you can help me out a little!

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I can't comment specifically on the Wilco 737, but generally on FMCs.   When you put the inputs into the FMC, are they actually recorded in it?   If you are putting in your figures, for example, into the Legs page, and then moving to the next item on your FMC programing list, without activating/executing it, then there won't be anything recorded, hence the autopilot won't have any commands to follow.   After programing your FMC, do you, for example, see your flight path, with VORs, waypoints, etc., appear on your Navigation Display?

If all that appears okay, then the other question is:  are you in Navigation mode enabling the AP to follow your flight path (whether VNAV or LNAV)?   Or, if you try to fly just with heading inputs from you in the MCP, with HDG SEL, will the AP light up and follow that path?

The above are only a few things to think about and try.   Not knowing how you've programmed the FMC and what you're seeing on your instrument panel makes it a little difficult to suggest much more, without regurgitating all the instructions in your (hopefully included) B737 Manual.   It will take quite some time to properly understand and program the FMC.   But if you follow the steps in the Manual, you should soon get onto the 'right path'.   

BTW, not sure whether this B737 has a working IRS or INS (Inertial Reference System) included, but that of course would be one of the early 'tasks' to be performed when entering the cockpit, so that your aircraft position can be verified and aligned in your systems.

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33 minutes ago, Angels40 said:

I can't comment specifically on the Wilco 737, but generally on FMCs.   When you put the inputs into the FMC, are they actually recorded in it?   If you are putting in your figures, for example, into the Legs page, and then moving to the next item on your FMC programing list, without activating/executing it, then there won't be anything recorded, hence the autopilot won't have any commands to follow.   After programing your FMC, do you, for example, see your flight path, with VORs, waypoints, etc., appear on your Navigation Display?

If all that appears okay, then the other question is:  are you in Navigation mode enabling the AP to follow your flight path (whether VNAV or LNAV)?   Or, if you try to fly just with heading inputs from you in the MCP, with HDG SEL, will the AP light up and follow that path?

The above are only a few things to think about and try.   Not knowing how you've programmed the FMC and what you're seeing on your instrument panel makes it a little difficult to suggest much more, without regurgitating all the instructions in your (hopefully included) B737 Manual.   It will take quite some time to properly understand and program the FMC.   But if you follow the steps in the Manual, you should soon get onto the 'right path'.   

BTW, not sure whether this B737 has a working IRS or INS (Inertial Reference System) included, but that of course would be one of the early 'tasks' to be performed when entering the cockpit, so that your aircraft position can be verified and aligned in your systems.

I'll try to answer in order here.

I honestly haven't looked at the navigation display to even see if they are being recorded. Didn't even occur to me to check that. It shows on the legs portion of the MFC, but that's it, really, that I know of. I'll check that further tomorrow. Do I have to hit VNAV or LNAV to make the plane follow the MFP, because I'm NOT hitting that. I've just tried to use the "normal" autopilot, the way you'd fly freeware or the default fsx planes, but even if the AP light lights up, the plane doesn't respond to any commands I put into the knobs.

The plane does have the IRS, and I "align" it, but I'm not sure really what that's doing or how.

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As you know, VNAV stands for Vertical Navigation and LNAV for Lateral Navigation.   So when you set up your FMC for the various altitudes (and speeds) for each leg of your route and you want the AP to command your aircraft through those altitudes, you would select VNAV and it should follow your inputs for the various Flight Levels.  Some pilots will steer their aircraft manually for quite some time until they hand over control to the AP;  others, soon after take off.  If they want AP to control lateral steering, then LNAV would (also) be selected so the AP knows what it is required to do.   

In FSX default aircraft, selecting AP does the same thing, i.e. it takes your route from your Flight Plan (not FMC, this time) and will only steer if you have NAV or LNAV selected. If you want to steer the aircraft manually, e.g. there's a large storm ahead and you want to avoid it, then you would use HDG SEL to manually change to a new course (which is not in your FMC).  The AP now no longer follows the FMC but will take direction from your input.   Similarly, if you need to descend to an altitude different from what you've inputted into the FMC, first VNAV is disengaged and then the new altitude is set and then manually setting the descent rate in your Vertical Speed.   For Top of Descent to Approach and Landing, you would generally use LVL CHG as the FMC controls the rate of descent that is required.   Of course, all this depends on ATC recognizing your FMC inputs and that you also know both your departure and arrival runways.   The departure runway, of course, you will need to put into your FMC, so the FMC can give all needed aircraft take off performance data.

"the plane doesn't respond to any commands I put into the knobs".  My comments above should answer that in respect to what mode selection you press for the AP to take instructions from.    

"The plane does have the IRS, and I "align" it, but I'm not sure really what that's doing or how".   Your manual should instruct you on this, but basically, you set both IRS knobs to NAV and then put in the required inputs into your FMC Pos Init page.  On real aircraft, this operation can take several minutes.

Anyway, do study your Manual that hopefully came with the download as that should give you sufficient information to get you moving along.

Chris 

 

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11 hours ago, Angels40 said:

As you know, VNAV stands for Vertical Navigation and LNAV for Lateral Navigation.   So when you set up your FMC for the various altitudes (and speeds) for each leg of your route and you want the AP to command your aircraft through those altitudes, you would select VNAV and it should follow your inputs for the various Flight Levels.  Some pilots will steer their aircraft manually for quite some time until they hand over control to the AP;  others, soon after take off.  If they want AP to control lateral steering, then LNAV would (also) be selected so the AP knows what it is required to do.   

In FSX default aircraft, selecting AP does the same thing, i.e. it takes your route from your Flight Plan (not FMC, this time) and will only steer if you have NAV or LNAV selected. If you want to steer the aircraft manually, e.g. there's a large storm ahead and you want to avoid it, then you would use HDG SEL to manually change to a new course (which is not in your FMC).  The AP now no longer follows the FMC but will take direction from your input.   Similarly, if you need to descend to an altitude different from what you've inputted into the FMC, first VNAV is disengaged and then the new altitude is set and then manually setting the descent rate in your Vertical Speed.   For Top of Descent to Approach and Landing, you would generally use LVL CHG as the FMC controls the rate of descent that is required.   Of course, all this depends on ATC recognizing your FMC inputs and that you also know both your departure and arrival runways.   The departure runway, of course, you will need to put into your FMC, so the FMC can give all needed aircraft take off performance data.

"the plane doesn't respond to any commands I put into the knobs".  My comments above should answer that in respect to what mode selection you press for the AP to take instructions from.    

"The plane does have the IRS, and I "align" it, but I'm not sure really what that's doing or how".   Your manual should instruct you on this, but basically, you set both IRS knobs to NAV and then put in the required inputs into your FMC Pos Init page.  On real aircraft, this operation can take several minutes.

Anyway, do study your Manual that hopefully came with the download as that should give you sufficient information to get you moving along.

Chris 

 

The manual it came with is pretty good, but simply just doesn't cover these topics. At least, not in terms of what I'm having trouble with.

So, I tried it again last night, and I got two messages on my FMC that revolved around the IRS. I can't remember exactly what one said, but the other one was "IRS in motion". I pulled up the IRS and it showed a negative number on the screen. I took off and had to do a completely manual go around and land at KMCO because, again, the autopilot did absolutely nothing. I couldn't click the autopilot buttons, or VNAV or LNAV for that matter. As a reference, my flight director was on, I was over 1000', and I made sure I tried these at times where I had no pressure on the yoke.

So, I'm assuming that my autopilot problems now have something to do with this IRS. How, exactly, do I align them, and more importantly, how do I know if it is aligned at all? I assume there should be no movement from the plane until such time. Correct?

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Sending you a link to a video about setting up the IRS in a Wilco B737.   In fact, you can probably learn much from searching the internet for answers that your Manual may not give:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTmRs4B_Op4

What is concerning is that none of the buttons on the MCP work/light up in spite of your checks with FD, etc.   Not sure if anyone else has reported this:  there's a Wilco Forum here at Avsim.   It could be an IRS alignment problem or maybe that the FMC hasn't been properly set up, but if you are in flight and select HDG SEL and click on AP and nothing happens, then there could be some other problems with installation of the aircraft, conflict with an add on, etc.    Hope you can find out the source of this problem.

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18 hours ago, Angels40 said:

Sending you a link to a video about setting up the IRS in a Wilco B737.   In fact, you can probably learn much from searching the internet for answers that your Manual may not give:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTmRs4B_Op4

What is concerning is that none of the buttons on the MCP work/light up in spite of your checks with FD, etc.   Not sure if anyone else has reported this:  there's a Wilco Forum here at Avsim.   It could be an IRS alignment problem or maybe that the FMC hasn't been properly set up, but if you are in flight and select HDG SEL and click on AP and nothing happens, then there could be some other problems with installation of the aircraft, conflict with an add on, etc.    Hope you can find out the source of this problem.

I appreciate your responses, as you've been more than gracious and helpful. I'm pretty much a youtube junkie! I'll check this video out and try to seek out some more. Thanks for your continued advice!

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19 hours ago, Angels40 said:

Sending you a link to a video about setting up the IRS in a Wilco B737.   In fact, you can probably learn much from searching the internet for answers that your Manual may not give:   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTmRs4B_Op4

What is concerning is that none of the buttons on the MCP work/light up in spite of your checks with FD, etc.   Not sure if anyone else has reported this:  there's a Wilco Forum here at Avsim.   It could be an IRS alignment problem or maybe that the FMC hasn't been properly set up, but if you are in flight and select HDG SEL and click on AP and nothing happens, then there could be some other problems with installation of the aircraft, conflict with an add on, etc.    Hope you can find out the source of this problem.

IT'S WORKING! That video was the trick! I've seen at least 20 other ones, but that one was the one that showed me what the problem was. It WAS an IRS functionality setup that I was doing wrong! Now, my plane's in the air. I hit LNAV/VNAV and it started towards KMCO! I'm not even having to adjust the speeds! I think I've got it from here, but much appreciated, Angels40!

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I've got other issues, but I'm going to try to work them out on my own. For the moment, can I just safely assume that if I take off LNAV and VNAV, I can override the MCU by putting my own inputs into the other "traditional" altitude, heading knobs and activating them?

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