Modifying the FDE

[mongo44]

Hi Guys: I have the flysimware Beech 18 and Milton Shupe's Beech.  I compared the fde entries for these two planes and the Caranado Beech 18, and searched the internet for additional info on the Beech.  I made some changes to the Carenado fde, and it flies much better now.  I don't have a lot of knowledge about fde's, but the plane is no longer twitchy and a lot more stable. I'll share my changes after I find out whether this is proper.  Mike Gutierrez, North Hollywood, California.

[aentwis]

Anything to deal with its fighter-aircraft-like agility at the moment... thanks for looking into this - what were Carenado thinking of?

A

[z06z33]

Tailspin45 is a real world twin beech pilot he’d be a good tester for this FDE if you wouldn’t mind sharing your changes Id love to make the beech 18 actually fly decent

[mongo44]

I sent an email to Carenado asking them if I could post my changes.  In the mean time, if you sent me a message, I will sent you a text file with the changes I made.  Mike

[tailspin45]

Gulp, I hope they say yes. I posted mine elsewhere here already.

Don't see where it's any different than creating a repaint. I'm not selling the AIR and CFG files, after all.

[mongo44]

I asked Carenado if I could post my changes, but they answered by merely thanking me for my feed back.  So, here are the sections I changed in the Beech 18 FDE.  Mike Gutierrez

[weight_and_balance]
max_gross_weight =              8750
empty_weight =                  5527
reference_datum_position = 0.0, 0, 0
empty_weight_CG_position = 1.5, 0, 0
empty_weight_pitch_MOI =       6776
empty_weight_roll_MOI  =       7623
empty_weight_yaw_MOI =         13700
empty_weight_coupled_MOI =         0
max_number_of_stations =           9

station_load.0 = 170, 2.9, -1, 1, Pilot
station_load.1 = 170, 2.9, 1, 1, co-pilot
station_load.2 = 170, 1.5, -1.3, 1, p1
station_load.3 = 170, 1.5, 1.3, 1, p2
station_load.4 = 170, -2, -1.3, 1, p5
station_load.5 = 170, -2, 1.3, 1, p6
station_load.6 = 150, -5, -1.3, 1, p7
station_load.7 = 150, -5, 1.3, 1, p8
station_load.8 =   0, -0.5,  0, 0

station_name.0 = "pilot"
station_name.1 = "copilot"
station_name.2 = "1st rowL"
station_name.3 = "1st rowR"
station_name.4 = "2nd rowL"
station_name.5 = "2nd rowR"
station_name.6 = "3rd rowR"
station_name.7 = "fwd 600lbs max"
station_name.8 = "aft 300lbs max"

[pitot_static]
pitot_heat=1.0

[flight_tuning]
cruise_lift_scalar=0.4
pitch_stability=1.5
roll_stability=1.5
yaw_stability=1.2
parasite_drag_scalar=0.4
induced_drag_scalar=0.3
elevator_effectiveness=1.7
aileron_effectiveness=1.2
rudder_effectiveness=1.4
elevator_trim_effectiveness    =1.0
aileron_trim_effectiveness    =1.0
rudder_trim_effectiveness    =1.0
hi_alpha_on_yaw          = 1.0   
p_factor_on_yaw          = 0.5      
torque_on_roll           = 0.5         
gyro_precession_on_yaw   = 0.5          
gyro_precession_on_pitch = 0.5     
gyro_precession_on_roll  = 0.5  

[GeneralEngineData]
engine_type =         0
fuel_flow_scalar =  0.9
Engine.0 = 5.5, -6.5, -1.0
Engine.1 = 5.5,  6.5, -1.0
min_throttle_limit=   0

[piston_engine]
power_scalar =               1                  //Piston power scalar
cylinder_displacement=     109                  //Cubic inches per cylinder
compression_ratio=         6.1                  //Compression ratio
number_of_cylinders=         9                  //Number of cylinders
max_rated_rpm=            2300                  //Max rated RPM
max_rated_hp=              450                  //Max rated HP
fuel_metering_type = 1                          //0=Fuel Injected, 1=Gravity Carburetor, 2=Aerobatic Carburetor
cooling_type=                0                  //0=Cooling type Air, 1=Cooling type Liquid
normalized_starter_torque= 0.3                  //Starter torque factor
turbocharged=                1                  //Is it turbocharged? 0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
max_design_mp = 36.5                     //Max design manifold pressure, (inHg)
min_design_mp=               4                  //Min design manifold pressure, (inHg)
critical_altitude= 8000.0                  //Altitude to which the turbocharger will provide max design manifold pressure (feet)
emergency_boost_type=        0                  //0=None, 1=Water Injection, 2=Methanol/Water injection, 3=War Emergency Power
emergency_boost_mp_offset=   0                  //Additional manifold pressure supplied by emergency boost
emergency_boost_gain_offset= 0                  //Multiplier on manifold pressure due to emergency boost
fuel_air_auto_mixture=       0                  //Automixture available? 0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
auto_ignition=               0                  //Auto-Ignition available? 0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
max_rpm_mechanical_efficiency_scalar=  1        //Scalar on maximum RPM mechanical efficiency
idle_rpm_mechanical_efficiency_scalar= 1        //Scalar on idle RPM mechanical efficiency
max_rpm_friction_scalar=     1                  //Scalar on maximum RPM friction
idle_rpm_friction_scalar= 0.3                  //Scalar on idle RPM friction

[propeller]
thrust_scalar           =    1                  //Propeller thrust scalar
propeller_type          =    0                  //0=Constant Speed, 1=Fixed Pitch
propeller_diameter = 8.25                  
propeller_blades        =    2                  //Number of propeller blades
propeller_moi= 27.5                  //Propeller moment of inertia  
//propeller_moi           =   25                  //Propeller moment of inertia  
beta_max = 65
beta_min = 15                 //Minimum blade pitch angle for constant speed prop, (degrees)
min_gov_rpm= 500                  //Miminum governed RPM
prop_tc= 0.1                  //Prop time-constant
gear_reduction_ratio    =    1                  //Propeller gear reduction ratio  
fixed_pitch_beta        =    0                  //Fixed pitch angle of fixed pitch prop, (degrees)
low_speed_theory_limit  =   80                  //Speed at which low speed theory becomes blended in (feet/second)
prop_sync_available     =    0                  //Prop synchronization available? 0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
prop_deice_available    =    1                  //Prop de-icing available? 0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
prop_feathering_available=   1                  //Prop feathering available?  0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
prop_auto_feathering_available= 0               //Prop auto-feathering available?  0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
min_rpm_for_feather= 700.0                 //Minimum RPM for prop feathering
beta_feather = 88.5                 //Feathering pitch angle (degrees)
power_absorbed_cf = 0.9                 //Coefficient of friction for power absorbed by propeller
defeathering_accumulators_available= 0          //Defeathering accumulators available? 0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
prop_reverse_available  =    0                  //Prop reverse available?  0=FALSE, 1=TRUE
minimum_on_ground_beta= 1.0                  //Miminum pitch angle on ground, (degrees)
minimum_reverse_beta= -14.0                  //Minimum pitch angle in reverse, (degrees)
propeller.0        =  6,  3, 2
Propeller.1        =  6, -3, 2

[electrical]
max_battery_voltage = 24
generator_alternator_voltage = 28
max_generator_alternator_amps = 100.0
electric_always_available = 0

[gear_warning_system]
gear_warning_available=1
pct_throttle_limit= 0.10
flap_limit_power=     26
flap_limit_idle=     0.0

[hydraulic_system]
normal_pressure=0.0
electric_pumps = 2
engine_map = 1,1

[vacuum_system]
max_pressure=5.0
vacuum_type=1
electric_backup_pressure=4.5
engine_map=1,1,0,0

[airplane_geometry]
wing_area =               345
wing_span =                47
wing_root_chord =           7
wing_dihedral =             6
wing_incidence =            0
wing_twist =                0
oswald_efficiency_factor =  0.2
wing_winglets_flag =        0
wing_sweep              = -1.0                   //Degrees, wing leading edge
wing_pos_apex_lon       = -1.8
wing_pos_apex_vert =        0
htail_area              = 67.1
htail_span              = 18.75
htail_pos_lon           = -21.0                 //Feet, longitudinal distance from reference point, negative going aft
htail_pos_vert          = -2.0
htail_incidence =           0
htail_sweep             = -0.4
vtail_area              = 23.2
vtail_span              = 6.2
vtail_sweep             = -0.4
vtail_pos_lon           = -21.0                 //Feet, longitudinal distance from reference point, negative going aft
vtail_pos_vert          = -2.0
elevator_area = 28.9
aileron_area = 25
rudder_area = 23
elevator_up_limit =        35
elevator_down_limit =      25
aileron_up_limit =         38
aileron_down_limit =       20   
rudder_limit =             25
elevator_trim_limit = 18
spoiler_limit =             0
aileron_to_spoileron_gain = 0
min_ailerons_for_spoilerons = 0
min_flaps_for_spoilerons = 0
spoilerons_available =     0
auto_spoiler_available=    0
spoiler_extension_time=    0

positive_g_limit_flaps_up  =  4.0               //Design G load tolerance (positive, flaps up)
positive_g_limit_flaps_down=  2.0               //Design G load tolerance (positive, flaps down)
negative_g_limit_flaps_up  = -1.5               //Design G load tolerance (negative, flaps up)
negative_g_limit_flaps_down= -1.5               //Design G load tolerance (negative, flaps down)

[Reference Speeds]
flaps_up_stall_speed    = 68.0                  //Knots True (KTAS)
full_flaps_stall_speed  = 60.0
cruise_speed=          150
max_indicated_speed=   225

[HawkDsl]

That's not the FDE, that's the .CFG file. The guts of the FDE is in the .AIR file. It requires a reader program to see and change. (AirEd.exe/freeware)

[FDEdev]

8 hours ago, HawkDsl said:

That's not the FDE, that's the .CFG file. The guts of the FDE is in the .AIR file. It requires a reader program to see and change. (AirEd.exe/freeware)

That's incorrect. A lot of important info is in the cfg file. The FDE consists of both files. However using an airfile with a different cfg file is usually a very bad idea and in case of the above 'modification' the D18 is way overpowered, untrimmable at high cruising speed, the props are located well ahead of the whole a/c etc.

[HawkDsl]

On 7/13/2018 at 1:27 AM, J35OE said:

That's incorrect. A lot of important info is in the cfg file. The FDE consists of both files. However using an airfile with a different cfg file is usually a very bad idea and in case of the above 'modification' the D18 is way overpowered, untrimmable at high cruising speed, the props are located well ahead of the whole a/c etc.

That is correct, I kinda flubbed it in the explanation.