FBW A32NX seems to get worse instead of better

[tup61 1,572]

Lately the FBW A32NX is giving me more and more problems. Until one or two weeks ago I had no problem loading SIDs and approaches but lately the plan on the ND looks totally screwed up with lines going everywhere. It made editing the plan in the MCDU a PITA. I am better of not using any procedures at all. The plan looks great on SimBrief, in LNM and in the MSFS planner (if I care to load it in there) but the MCDU won't play nicely anymore. Since today I am also having problems with managed NAV disengaging by itself and not wanting to work anymore. Also ALT refuses to go into managed mode. And all that on a regular nothing special flight. The plane is losing its appeal quickly this way...

Am I the only one who is having more and more problems with this Airbus? I am using the latest dev version.

[Silicus 881]

For me it gets better and better. No issues whatsoever with the FBW A32NX. Do you have any mods installed the conflict? I would empty the community folder as much as possible and try again....

[jpe828 624]

I don't know that it gets worse, but I do have issues with flight planning, and the path getting all mixed up. I also find I cannot go into ALT managed mode when in HDG selected mode. Overall though it is useable, just takes more time to sort of the SID, STAR and the transition to the APPR. 

[tup61 1,572]

No, the FBW is the only installed mod. I am on the latest Navigraph. Maybe I have just bad luck choosing my destinations because I did read (in their Discord) that the FBW doesn't support all kinds of legs yet (or something like that). I just tried a flight I didn't dozens of times and it works fine... Odd. Pity there isn't a good working stable version anymore.

[Bernard Ducret 790]

I use the FBW several times a week and have yet to experience what you describe. How to you start your flight Cold and Dark or on the runway? How do you import your flight plan into the MCDU? If you could indicate how you process your flight plan and your start flow your flight perhaps we could help out, for example do you follow this procedure:

1. Start EFB and call your flight plan from Simbrief
2. Go to MCDU and press INIT to get your flight plan activated
3. etc...

Edited December 15, 2021 by Bernard Ducret

[tup61 1,572]

1 minute ago, jpe828 said:

I don't know that it gets worse, but I do have issues with flight planning, and the path getting all mixed up. I also find I cannot go into ALT managed mode when in HDG selected mode. Overall though it is useable, just takes more time to sort of the SID, STAR and the transition to the APPR. 

Yeah, I usually end up removing various odd waypoints to make the plan look a bit more tidy. Shouldn't have to do that though... Just now I finished the flight flying in HDG all the time towards the FAF. Of course it works but that messy ND simply is annoying.

[tup61 1,572]

2 minutes ago, Bernard Ducret said:

I use the FBW several times a week and have yet to experience what you describe. How to you start your flight Cold and Dark or on the runway? How do you import your flight plan into the MCDU? If you could indicate how you process your flight plan and start your flight perhaps we could help out.

Cold and dark at a gate always. Usually use the SimBrief integration. But I also get messy plans with manual input or loading it in the MSFS planner. The MCDU simply doesn't seem to like a lot of procedures...!

[Bernard Ducret 790]

OK I understand, but how do you get your flight plan into the MCDU?

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Bernard Ducret

[tup61 1,572]

Just now, Bernard Ducret said:

OK I understand, but how do you get your flight plan into the MCDU?

SimBrief intergration. INIT > REQUEST INIT etc. and then I have to enter the departing runway, STAR, SID, approach etc.

[hvw 403]

21 minutes ago, tup61 said:

SimBrief intergration. INIT > REQUEST INIT etc. and then I have to enter the departing runway, STAR, SID, approach etc.

It takes some time for the flight plan to get loaded in the MCDU correctly. When you have fueled the plane in EFB and  initiated your flightplan (thru INIT), then start boarding the passengers. The time it takes to get the passengers on board, suffices for the flight plan and waypoints to load in the MCDU. Remember the acronym DIFSRIP? So after you checked Data and entered the correct numbers in The Init page of the MCDU, then and only then go into your MCDU Flightplan page and enter rwy and SID, check all waypoints in he flight plan here and then go to RadNav page, enter if necessary data there and after that go into page two of INIT. Enter ZFW and Block Fuel, let it calculate its data and when finished doing so, go into the PERF page and fill that page out. By then the MCDU should be correctly fed with data. And you're all ready to go.

[tup61 1,572]

Thanks for the advice, @hvw, but that's exactly how I do it already. Only difference is I fuel the plane, then board the pax and then go to INIT. But do you mean to say it actually takes TIME for the MCDU to process everything...? LIke that I should let it 'think' for a few minutes or so? Or do you simply mean to say that it takes time for the pilot to enter all data?

[hvw 403]

8 minutes ago, tup61 said:

Thanks for the advice, @hvw, but that's exactly how I do it already. Only difference is I fuel the plane, then board the pax and then go to INIT. But do you mean to say it actually takes TIME for the MCDU to process everything...? LIke that I should let it 'think' for a few minutes or so? Or do you simply mean to say that it takes time for the pilot to enter all data?

It takes time for the MCDU to load all waypoints of the flight plan. Look at the notifications in the MCDU and you'll note that data is uploaded etc. It takes time till the flight plan has been loaded correctly, and all waypoints are in correct sequence etc.

Just have your passenger sembark the plane (through the MCDU) and wait till the last one is on board, by that time all waypoints should be loaded correctly. So, after the last passenger is on board, check the Data page, load the MCDU's Init-1 page, then go into the Flight plan page, select the runway of departure, select a SID, check the waypoints, etc. etc.

 

PS: I forgot to mention that I load my flight plans in my EFB (Simrbrief) first of course.

Edited December 15, 2021 by hvw
Additional info.

[IcemanFBW 721]

Would you mind posting screenshots of the PFD (specifically the FMA at the top, during the NAV mode disconnect and ALT mode refusal you mentioned), the navigation display (showing the procedure(s) that are causing problems, and the MCDU? This will help in diagnosing the issue.

[rick celik 1,243]

I find it gets better and better I have no issues with it. Just remember you probably might need to adjust the flight plans in the mcdu with the stars and sids.
 

Also the nav mode might disconnect from having FD off or having a discontinuity in your flight plan. As far as I know, the only time there can be a discontinuity is when there is a “manual” waypoint meaning vectors etc. Not sure if this helps your situation or is the cause of the situation but sometimes aircraft systems and logic familiarisation can help.  

[Bdub22 1,612]

The other day I had no airspeed or altitude readings on my PFD. The autopilot and everything else worked fine, but no alt or speed on the tapes. It was strange.