Coolsky DC 9

[ADFGVX 5]

One question about the interactive tutorial (I am going through it right now) , is there a way to turn off those 2D panels popping up? It was quite helpful for the before start items but now at takeoff it's not exactly pleasant.

And also: How does the AT work?, because clicking the handle does nothing

Edited April 12, 2022 by ADFGVX

[coastaldriver 915]

ADFGVX - you can turn off the panels with the main menu selection window. This will still bring up a small red box on the left of your screen so you can then access or bring up any 2D pop ups as required. 

The Autothrottle in this is a primitive control system and can only be use in Approach mode. It cannot be used for climb out or cruise. The operation is covered in the manual at Section 14 Page 5 - Auto Flight Systems. Basically you have to be in approach phase effectively from the first approach fix - you have to activate the speed command system from the autopilot panel then use the pedestal to select the Autothrottle function. If you select it in any other way or any other mode of flight will effectively disconnect the AP and give you a bunch of master warnings (you cannot do that lets say is what it is saying). I know it is there but never both to use it as it is only good for smoothing out your approach speed control and if you have power and atttitude set correctly you only need to make small adjustments to pitch and power to keep on profile for the approach to landing. Basically it is not worth the effort to set up and use so I don't bother! I think you will find it was little used in real life as well. 

Hope that helps!

[ADFGVX 5]

Thank you!

[CaptKornDog 281]

The CoolSky was just the -30 variant right?  Not a 50, or anything else?

[coastaldriver 915]

CaptKornDog - correct Coolsky only ever did the DC9-30. Sky Simulations were the folk that did all the DC9 variants for FSX.

Flight1 it seems took over the Coolsky (or bought the rights who knows) and there were two additional variants the Super 80 and Super 80 Professional that had been done that were added in. The difference is not the technical performance, the Super 80 and Super 80 Professional are both to the same high standard as the DC9-30, they are just a little wanting in the internal VC texture department (not bad though).Somehow in all this the CoolSky-McPhat relationship went belly up or the businesses did I am not sure which or the arcane niceties there so. Flight1 got the rights to the CoolSky but not the other McPhat stuff (graphics and textures - they did a lot of stuff for Capt Sim stuff as well). McPhat have not come to the party and are now out of business as well. Flight1 got it all working and ported across to P3D but there will be no further development as I understand it (From the relevant Forum). That is why you get dead links all over the web for both Coolsky and McPhat stuff. 

[ADFGVX 5]

Hey I've got another question, the overhead textures in the DC 9 seem quite blurry, now that I've seen some videos where this is not the case I have to ask: Is there some kind of texture pack, does this have to do with P3D?

Also, I have discovered that the 2D circuit breaker popup panels seem to be skewed

Edited April 15, 2022 by ADFGVX

[Reader 2,009]

 

Quote

Flight1 it seems took over the Coolsky

You may be right but there still seems to be a working website:
DC-9 Classic (coolsky.no) with a link to Flight 1 as their retailer.
I remember that the "porting" was indeed done by Coolsky, redeveloping the complex gauges
from 32 bit to 64 bit for P3D v4 would be well beyond the remit of Flight 1, who are, as far as
I am aware, just an online retailer.

Quote

Coolsky, together with Flight One Software, is proud to announce the availability of the Super 80 Classic, the Super 80 Professional and the DC-9 Classic on the Lockheed Martin Prepar3D platform. This has been a highly requested move and we are happy to finally be able to offer our aircraft on P3D for your enjoyment.

Indeed the links to the McPhat textures do appear to be dead 
and their last Facebook post was in 2016.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Reader

[coastaldriver 915]

11 hours ago, ADFGVX said:

Hey I've got another question, the overhead textures in the DC 9 seem quite blurry, now that I've seen some videos where this is not the case I have to ask: Is there some kind of texture pack, does this have to do with P3D?

Also, I have discovered that the 2D circuit breaker popup panels seem to be skewed

ADFGVX - My VC textures are crisp and clear including the overhead and  I have no misalignment of the fuse panels either.  I can only think that It may be your display settings. Have a look at the  DC9 Flight Centre y Menu that you get by selecting the ops centre from the bottom of the red left hand button. Go to options you will see a variety of items you can switch on or off or select. This includes the screen display settings, you have there  Standard 4:3, and Widescreen 16:9 and 16:10 screen setting formats to choose from, select the one that you have your main P3D Display set at. Coolsky put this option in FSX days to cater for the new monitors (widescreen then) being introduced as opposed to the normal or small size PC Monitor. This can cause a distortion or strange look in the way the VC is displayed depending on your monitor size and display settings and what is selected there - I think from memory it goes to widescreen. When I originally bought the DC9-30 from Coolsky ( I later got the upgrade via Flight 1) the installation and setup it used to go through a select your monitor and screen display dialogue on installation first but it appears that with this updated version it no longer does that!.  Other than that maybe a reinstall would be the next option if checking the display settings does not fix it. There are no textures available any more for the VC's. McPhat used to offer a number of alternative VC textures sets as a purchase option but they are no longer available in the market nor from Flight 1 - it is a copyright issue with McPhat I am afraid.

[ADFGVX 5]

https://imgur.com/a/r0w5jF9

This is how it looks like, at least I got the CB panel aligned correctly now.

[coastaldriver 915]

Yep - not perfect but ok overall to my ageing eyes. I find the 2D overhead is very crisp and clear and prefer that for some functions just due to the limitations of panning and mouse movement in a tight VC. The real DC-9 cockpit was wide but very short lengthwise which gave a steep raked baked overhead you really have to crane you neck and reach to get to stuff in real life so I guess the VC in this one is a good approximation. 

I have found overtime that VC arrangements are all quite variable. I use the same technique to set myself up in any VC that you would use in a real aeroplane of this type. First pan down and shift forward using the key controls until you are about at the last third of the seat pan being visible, then pan up and check you eye spot the level focus should be 1/3 up the windscreen - I will then shift up or down to get that perspective. A lot of aeroplane's of this type have a couple of markers or balls at the windscreen divide point they are there to align yourself and get the view and seat position correct. In the DC-9 in that position you should have most of the side window at your left or shoulder elbow level. You can zoom in or out using the mouse from there. I find this also gives me a proper scan perspective on the instruments. That's all I can suggest. 

[ADFGVX 5]

Yes I agree wholeheartedly, the 2D panels indeed look nice, but to clarify: your 3D overhead looks the same as in my picture, because then it has something to do with P3D v5, as I have, like I wrote in a previous post, seen a video where the plane was flown in P3D v4 and the textures were just so much better.

[CaptKornDog 281]

On 4/14/2022 at 4:13 PM, coastaldriver said:

CaptKornDog - correct Coolsky only ever did the DC9-30. Sky Simulations were the folk that did all the DC9 variants for FSX.

 

Thanks.  Would have loved to see it compatible with the other variants.  Oh well.

[coastaldriver 915]

CaptKornDog. I originally got the SkySimulations Dc-9 for FSX. It was as good as the Coolsky at the time in fact very good but with the variants. I had a glitch with it (actuall a HD failure on my rig at the time) and the original supplier went bust so I could not get a fresh download copy and all I will say was SkySimulations just refused to come to the party and give me a fresh download in fact could not get them to answer any correspondence- so I went then went the Coolsky route, it was more expensive. Never touched a Skysimulations product since. Just my experience others may be different! Very glad I did though the Coolsky DC-9 is the gold standard!

[BlueStar 323]

Is this the "Iron Knuckles" DC-9 that originally came out for FS2004?

 

[SWVA4420 8]

Is this the "Iron Knuckles" DC-9 that originally came out for FS2004?

No, it's a completely different product, well worth the $$.