Just purchased the ATR a couple of days ago thru the Marketplace. Been flying the FBW A320 exclusively for almost 2 years now. Manually entering the flight plan on the MCDU (using a simbreif plan) is very close to the FBW. However a couple of things are coming up. For example: KMSY to any destination requires a first fix after departing and Simbrief specifies that fix.(Actual f/p was KMSY GCV HOBBT2) Looking at all the youtube videos it appears that you click on the discon to get to "next fix", but that's not happening. Clicking on the departure airport(KMSY) doesn't get you to a "next fix" either.  Where am I going wrong.

Other issue : manually entering target airspeed in the climb out(170kts) doesn't seem to work and for that matter neither does "auto". the plane will, if I don't lower the nose, enter a stall while climbing thru higher altitudes. I'm wondering if it might be a throttle calibration issue. I use the logitech 3D pro, so I've got it set to single axis and no reverser axis. I think thats correct When setting for "NOTCH" and RAMP" I assumed that you calibrate it to the middle of the white for notch and middle of the red for ramp. But I can never get it to stop at the middle of the areas defined on the throttle stack. I can get it to calibrate at the begining or the end of the white(notch) and red(ramp) color line. I did see one video from British AvGeek concerning throttle calibration, but he did not actually do it showing the position of the throttles during the calibration. All this being said, surely there is documentation on these issues by Asobo or whoever produced the aircraft. I just cant find it. I hope I've described the issues in a matter that provides for solutions. Thanks for your replies in advance.

Ok, got entering a fix figured out. You gotta type the fix then press the discon button. Puts it right in there

 

12 hours ago, Jeff D said:

Just purchased the ATR a couple of days ago thru the Marketplace. Been flying the FBW A320 exclusively for almost 2 years now. Manually entering the flight plan on the MCDU (using a simbreif plan) is very close to the FBW. However a couple of things are coming up. For example: KMSY to any destination requires a first fix after departing and Simbrief specifies that fix.(Actual f/p was KMSY GCV HOBBT2) Looking at all the youtube videos it appears that you click on the discon to get to "next fix", but that's not happening. Clicking on the departure airport(KMSY) doesn't get you to a "next fix" either.  Where am I going wrong.

Other issue : manually entering target airspeed in the climb out(170kts) doesn't seem to work and for that matter neither does "auto". the plane will, if I don't lower the nose, enter a stall while climbing thru higher altitudes. I'm wondering if it might be a throttle calibration issue. I use the logitech 3D pro, so I've got it set to single axis and no reverser axis. I think thats correct When setting for "NOTCH" and RAMP" I assumed that you calibrate it to the middle of the white for notch and middle of the red for ramp. But I can never get it to stop at the middle of the areas defined on the throttle stack. I can get it to calibrate at the begining or the end of the white(notch) and red(ramp) color line. I did see one video from British AvGeek concerning throttle calibration, but he did not actually do it showing the position of the throttles during the calibration. All this being said, surely there is documentation on these issues by Asobo or whoever produced the aircraft. I just cant find it. I hope I've described the issues in a matter that provides for solutions. Thanks for your replies in advance.

For your speed issue: You need to explain what you are actually doing after takeoff, AP modes, where are you „entering target airspeed“ actually etc. Especially the following: Did you set the speed knob left of the PFD to „auto“ (speed target should be magenta on the tape)? Did you engage IAS mode after takeoff? It climbs perfectly for me, actually at 170kts since this is the default climb speed on managed/auto speed mode.
Also the „detent“ is indeed at the beginning of the notch and ramp part, not in the middle. This is working correctly. Throttle should be set to notch on takeoff and not touched anymore until descent.

Regarding the stall: did you enter the initial trim in the MCDU? You can most conveniently do that using the tablet.

Thank you so much for the reply. As I continue flying this aircraft, I learn a little more each flight. I have been strictly a FBW A320 user, so I tend to think the climb out and eventual enroute altitude reached would be almost the same. But I now know it's not. Here's what I've been doing. I depart in heading mode most of the time because the flight plan usually calls for a first fix. If there is a SID,  using an RNAV to first fix, then I depart in NAV mode. Altitude is preselected. and speed is AUTO. Flight mode is set to TO. I then advance throttles to NOTCH. (my joystick is single axis no reverser on axis(logitech 3d pro).I lift off at v2+5. I normally see around 138 in magenta at this time. I reach 600AGL and select CLIMB on the pwr mgmnt knob. I then see 170 in magenta. I never can get it to maintain 170. It will shoot thru it and end up having to use VS to maintain 170. The rate of climbs seems very sluggish(around 800fpm above 10000) However the plane does level off at the selected altitude. At cruise alt airspeed goes to 245 in magenta, but actual indicated airspeed stays at 200-202. Never reaches 245, which is what the plane should be accelerating to. I think. I do not select CRUISE in PWR MGMNT. As far as trim, I sometimes see where at the PITCH on the panel display can be adjusted by moving a pink bug to where it's supposed to be. but I don't see that every time. When I dont see that, I adjust it to whatever the flypad says. I hope this gives you enough info to give you an idea of what I'm doing wrong. Again, thanks. I really like this aircraft and I need to get a handle on this.

16 minutes ago, Jeff D said:

I never can get it to maintain 170. It will shoot thru

Are you in VNAV or IAS HOLD?

Quote

Are you in VNAV or IAS HOLD

VNAV. Should I be in IAS HOLD. I think I may be not understanding what VNAV does in this acft. Again, I may be relying on the FBW VNAV knowledge. It appears VNAV means something different than the FBW vnav. I assumed that if I see LNAV and VNAV IAS on my display, it means the aircraft will fly the route and when I see TOD and have the lowest altitude to descend to entered( I start descent by pressing VS and begin a small descent) the aircraft) the aircraft should pickup the descent profile. 

52 minutes ago, Jeff D said:

VNAV. Should I be in IAS HOLD.

You can use both. You must be doing something wrong if the aircraft overshoots that speed even though it is set.

2 hours ago, Jeff D said:

VNAV. Should I be in IAS HOLD. I think I may be not understanding what VNAV does in this acft. Again, I may be relying on the FBW VNAV knowledge. It appears VNAV means something different than the FBW vnav. I assumed that if I see LNAV and VNAV IAS on my display, it means the aircraft will fly the route and when I see TOD and have the lowest altitude to descend to entered( I start descent by pressing VS and begin a small descent) the aircraft) the aircraft should pickup the descent profile. 

Try PITCH HOLD until reaching IAS target, then turn on IAS mode, it has worked well for me (and according to another user is a real TO technique). Hit IAS on the FCP twice and it will bring up the FD bars, you can then adjust the pitch as you would VS - 7.5 degrees on the ATR72 works well, I think the ATR42 can go a little higher.

This will give you a nice, smooth acceleration through 800ft to 160 or 170 depending on the model you're flying - enable IAS or VNAV once you're close to the target speed.

VNAV is simpler than a complex jet, but not overly so. It climbs exactly like a Boeing or Airbus - sets a target speed and hits that. For VNAV descent, the profile is not based on idle descent speed, but instead on target descent rate. You can descend at a speed you feel is appropriate - the airplane will bleed off speed at an okay but not impressive rate. Important to remember that you don't have speedbrakes, and you can't really use the props as speedbrakes as you could in say, the King Air.

This airplane is not a jet. Climb rates are slow (800-1000fpm at altitude is not unexpected, particularly if it's hot), the airplane itself is slow, and at cruise, you should not expect to be indicating 245kts. Depending on what altitude you're at, you'll max out around 200kts or 190kts indicated. I'm doing an 800nm flight right now, at FL210, and with the PLs in the notch, CRZ power set, and a TAT right at 0, I'm doing 201 indicated for 283 over the ground, burning 635lbs/hr per side, which is all about correct.

This is the easiest turboprop to learn if you're familiar with an Airbus though, because the notch is analogous to CL detent, if CL/TOGA/FLEX were all the same detent. Basically never move it out of notch until it's time to descend, unless you need to cruise at LRC cruise, in which case you move out of notch to get the TRQ value on the table.

Quote : Try PITCH HOLD

Did not find any Pitch Hold selection. I'm sure it's there, but really dont see it

Push a second time IAS HOLD and you have PITCH HOLD.

Ok. I found it. Toggling IAS sets it to pitch mode. Yep, doing it that way seems to smooth things out and I see where the a/p selects the speeds as the phase of flight changes. Good deal. Thanks