State of Sparky 747

[mSparks 2,092]

update is up

https://github.com/mSparks43/747-400/releases/tag/3.2

 

[jcomm 5,967]

1 hour ago, mSparks said:

update is up

https://github.com/mSparks43/747-400/releases/tag/3.2

 

Thx Sparks!  Have to give it a new try ;-)

[jcomm 5,967]

Gave it a fast try 🙂

- The best hand flying qualities I find among different versions of the 744 I tried for either XP(11,12), FSX and P3d, and also the default 748i in MFS. Not yet to the "level" of Aerowinx PSX, but much better than other models for sure.

Unfortunately both XP and even MFS apply way too much sluggyness / inertia to the controls. I know Sparks has carefully designed the control surfaces AND their actuator systems, in such a detail that renders them closer to reality (having only PSX for comparison OFC), but still it feels way too slggish in response to control inputs...

- Haven't fully explored the systems, FMC, etc... but I did notice little details like:

-- In the ND, changing to "Rose Mode" we loose the heading cue when adjusting headings in the MCP

-- In the FMC, clearing a sequence of an hold at a waypoint, followed by that same waypoint, persists in introducing the hold again? Might be a Navigraph-injected database update quirk ?

-- "drag required" FMC message during climb out, actually in takeoff / go around mode ?

These are surely just a few etails, and I should find the time to further test & report, but truth is my knowledge about  the 744 has dropped substantially since I quited using PSX... Maybe I should reinstall it 🙂

[mSparks 2,092]

4 hours ago, jcomm said:

-- "drag required" FMC message during climb out, actually in takeoff / go around mode ?

Whoa, erm...

I'll pick this apart, because no?

B747DR_speedbrake_lever < 0.3 and simDR_ind_airspeed_kts_pilot > (simDR_autopilot_airspeed_kts + 10) and
			simDR_ind_airspeed_kts_pilot > last_airspeed and
			simDR_autopilot_vs_status >= 1 and
			B747DR_ap_vnav_state > 0

No speedbrake lever applied

airspeed is greater than 10kts above the bug

airspeed is increasing

its in VS mode (VNAV descent)

VNAV is active

Then

if simDR_allThrottle > 0 
  and B747DR_toggle_switch_position[29] == 1 
  and B747DR_autothrottle_active == 0 
  and simDR_radarAlt1 > 1000
	then
		simCMD_ThrottleDown:once()

if throttle is applied, AT switch is on, its not in SPD mode and radar alt > 1000 feet

just throttle down

else

B747DR_fmc_notifications[9] = 1 --DRAG REQUIRED

pop the DRAG REQUIRED notification on the FMC

clear it when the initial conditions (high, increasing airspeed in VNAV VS) no longer exist and speed has changed.

Could it have been left over from earlier from earlier in the flight? Otherwise my best guess is TOGA isn't clearing previous VNAV/VS state flags.

4 hours ago, jcomm said:

but I did notice little details like:

basically, yay.

I know they are annoying, but it's been a major fight to get past huge details like FPS being unusable, key systems being completely whack and various other issues that were like, "meh, I have to rip all that out and start from scratch now".

It will be lovely to reach the point the only thing left are little details and tuning, sure it's not quite there yet, but certainly feels closer now.

4 hours ago, jcomm said:

In the FMC, clearing a sequence of an hold at a waypoint, followed by that same waypoint, persists in introducing the hold again?

I have a lot of grumpy related to XPs FMC waypoint handling, its "just" usable, the only way I've found to clear a hold after a go around is to just delete the whole flight plan (which I hacked in for this release - DELETE on the source airport), but I kinda dug my heals in and be like "meh, Laminar can sort them", AIUI, they recently employed Amy Parent from FlyJSim/X-crafts for that task.

Main thing I'm moving to now is finishing up AutoATC for XP12 and the ACARs stuff

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by mSparks

[jcomm 5,967]

5 hours ago, mSparks said:

 

pop the DRAG REQUIRED notification on the FMC

clear it when the initial conditions (high, increasing airspeed in VNAV VS) no longer exist and speed has changed.

Could it have been left over from earlier from earlier in the flight? Otherwise my best guess is TOGA isn't clearing previous VNAV/VS state flags.

 

 

Could be. I'll give it further testing and will report back!

[mSparks 2,092]

On 8/6/2023 at 8:00 PM, jcomm said:

Could be. I'll give it further testing and will report back!

Any luck?

I just merged the changes from last week into a new release, same download link, just swapped the .zip

https://github.com/mSparks43/747-400/releases/tag/3.2

[JETPETER2 166]

engaging autopilot for me always results in an immediate roll suddently over to one side, spin and death... what's wrong with it?? Only plane that does this so it's unusable

[mSparks 2,092]

10 hours ago, JETPETER2 said:

engaging autopilot for me always results in an immediate roll suddently over to one side, spin and death... what's wrong with it?? Only plane that does this so it's unusable

In each livery folder folder you fly with it creates a file called "flight_data.jdat"

share one of those on the discord channel and we can do a crash investigation. 

Edited August 16, 2023 by mSparks

[JETPETER2 166]

curious , I deleted the default 747 by laminar, is that required for the sparky 744 to work properly?

[mSparks 2,092]

1 hour ago, JETPETER2 said:

curious , I deleted the default 747 by laminar, is that required for the sparky 744 to work properly?

not at all, its entirely separate.

in fact copying it over the old one was a fairly common cause of issues. It says don't do that in the readme, but it seems I'm not the only one who never reads the readmes