PMDG 737NGX and the Fulcrum yoke

[tutmeister 709]

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Talk about frustrating.

Always the way with anything pc related!

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

Arrgghh! When I departed EHAM the ailerons were fine. On final approach to LIPZ I disconnected the AP around 6 miles out for a manual landing.

It was then I noticed the aircraft pulling to the right and I had to apply left aileron to bring her straight. This screenshot is when on manual approach and without my hands on the yoke. What is causing this? I can't believe it's the Fulcrum. Seems more likely to be the PMDG737. This is not normal behaviour.

 

[tutmeister 709]

15 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Arrgghh! When I departed EHAM the ailerons were fine. On final approach to LIPZ I disconnected the AP around 6 miles out for a manual landing.

It was then I noticed the aircraft pulling to the right and I had to apply left aileron to bring her straight. This screenshot is when on manual approach and without my hands on the yoke. What is causing this? I can't believe it's the Fulcrum. Seems more likely to be the PMDG737. This is not normal behaviour.

Ray if you manage to replicate that again, pause the sim and look at the joystick calibration and check it is showing in the middle.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

1 minute ago, tutmeister said:

Ray if you manage to replicate that again, pause the sim and look at the joystick calibration and check it is showing in the middle.

I will Chris. I’ve left the aircraft powered up at the gate with the ailerons in the same position. Just finishing lunch.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

Hi Chris,

Attached are two screenshots showing the status of the calibration in FSUIPC. The first is with the yoke in a central neutral position similar to that when I took the earlier screenshot of the PMDG System gauge. It looks okay to me.

The second shows the settings after I manually moved the yoke to centre the ailerons on the PMDG. As you can see there is quite a difference.

I'm going to check my USB devices all have power management turned off as that could be a factor.

[Ron Attwood 3,464]

It looks to me as thought the centre figures (512 etc,) should read 0. while you set make sure the yoke is truly centred. Jiggle it until the 0 appears.

2c

[tutmeister 709]

I'm guessing other aircraft don't behave this way?

I don't have the 737 installed on this machine and can't remember. Are there any control settings in the pmdg part of the fmc?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

Ron,

The central figures of -512 and +512 are effectively a null zone set by FSUIPC.

The numbers you need to look at are below the word Reset.

56 in the first image shows the yoke is centred as far as FSUIPC is concerned but if I move the yoke until the aileron markers are centred in the PMDG System gauge that number increases to 2448 or a 15% movement which equates to around 5-10 degrees. It's that which is baffling.

I saved the scenario and have just reloaded it. The aileron markers are still in the same position.

I then loaded another C&D panel state whilst still at LIPZ and the aileron markers are now central and the value of the ailerons reads 100 in FSUIPC.

So the readings in FSUIPC are consistently accurate but the PMDG positions on the System gauge aren't. This is leading me to believe there is something wrong in the PMDG737. I'll load another aircraft and check what happens there.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

6 minutes ago, tutmeister said:

I'm guessing other aircraft don't behave this way?

I don't have the 737 installed on this machine and can't remember. Are there any control settings in the pmdg part of the fmc?

I posted at the same time as you. I have always had failures turned off but went into the PMDG menu and selected for a full maintenance and Service All. Never done that before. Maybe there's something lurking in the background causing it.

I checked Device Manager and no important devices had power management option checked. Now to try another aircraft.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

I hand flew a circuit at LIPZ and that was fine. Did the same with autopilot engaged and although the approach and landing were okay I noticed after taxiing off the runway the ailerons have the offset back. Something to do with the a/p it seems but what?

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

I’d appreciate it if anyone else with the Fulcrum and the PMDG 737NGX (not u) could test this scenario and report back. In short, the ailerons are moving from a central position to a right wing down one after the autopilot is disengaged.

Not sure precisely when as I’ve only performed one autoland but it is definitely associated with the a/p as the problem doesn’t occur during taxi out or takeoff. Only in the latter stages of a flight.

I’ll try another aircraft tomorrow that has indicators for ailerons.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

I came across a post in the PMDG 737 subforum here in which the user was having problems with the ailerons hard over to one side on engine start. The reply suggested looking at the .sav file in the [Flight Controls] section and the AilTrim value.

I looked at the sav file for the Panel I saved at LIPZ and it shows 212 whereas the centred Rudder trim shows 200.

The advice was to edit them to 200 and then save that panel. I'll do that tomorrow. Here's what mine were showing:-

StabTrimSnd=213
StabTrim=212
MachTrim=200
AilTrim=212
RudTrim=200

[tutmeister 709]

Interesting. I was going to suggest looking at trim. Might be worth seeing how that .sav file compares to others you have without that issue.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,952]

Chris, given the aileron trim was fine for a manual circuit and landing but wasn’t when the a/p was engaged I’m beginning to think the problem occurs at the moment it’s disengaged. Another test tomorrow and it should be easy to spot when it happens.

I’ve cleared out a whole load of sav files and will just leave one there. Do you have the 737NGX? It would be helpful if you could load it and try a circuit on a/p and see if the same happens to you.

[tutmeister 709]

I do have it but do not have p3d v4 installed. Currently v5 and the ngxu. Will the 737ng for prepar3d work in v5?