"Steer Lock" in XP's Learjet 25 (v3) versus FSW's 35 (P3D)

[Matt Sdeel 48]

"Not sure if they ever patched it, had a couple of flights in it and went back to the 35 .. .." (Xtreme Prototype Lear25 v4 out - Anyone tried yet? - The Prepar3d Forum - The AVSIM Community)

 @Gazzareth does steer lock work similarly between Xtreme Prototype's Learjet 25 (version 3) and Flightsimware's Learjet 35 (I'm using the last released version in P3D)?  It seems to work differently for me. I find that in the 35 I need to have steer lock on to steer the plane on the ground. On the other hand, it does not work that way in the 25. In the 25, the plane can be steered on the ground even with steer lock off.

Edited February 9 by Matt Sdeel

[Rogen 1,145]

Different developers, different philosophy, different features, and different bugs perhaps ?

XP also service the professional market where as FSW is primarily entertainment (still pretty good though).

XP say they are also devoping for P3D v6, FSW are going the way of MSFS.

 

Philosophy aside, checked the manuals ?

The XP 25 has in it's autostart sequence the following.

• (79 sec.) Nose Wheel Steer Lock Switch ELECTRIC STEERING ENGAGED

Do you only auto start it ?

If so then it may seem different to the FSW Lear given the FSW's manual operation.

There are quite a few other references to steering in the XP 25 manual as the snips below illustrate.

• Rudder blocked when electric nose gear steering is engaged
• Steer lock and AP release buttons animated and functional on both yokes
• Steer lock switch is now spring loaded to conform to the real aircraft. Release button added on yoke.
• Green annunciator goes on when electric steering is engaged

• Nose Gear Steer Lock Switch
  • Click this momentary switch to engage electrical nose gear steering. A green annunciator [14, fig. 4-30] will illuminate on the main annunciator panel. Click the switch again to disengage electrical nose wheel steering (the annunciator will go off). This switch is spring loaded. Nose wheel steering is engaged automatically in the simulator at certain speeds. See also “Wheel Master Button” [2, fig. 4-50].
• Nose Wheel Steering Engaged
  • When illuminated, indicates electrical nose wheel steering is engaged (used for taxiing). When off, indicates nose wheel steering is disengaged. Nose wheel steering is initiated automatically in the simulator at certain speeds (see 7, fig. 4-4 and 2, fig. 4-50, and Appendix 6, page 7).
• Nose wheel steering seems not to work all the time when taxiing
  • In the current simulation platforms, nose wheel steering is initiated automatically at certain speeds only when taxiing. You will need to reduce speed in order to activate nose wheel steering (under about 45 knots). Above that speed, the nose gear will be locked.

Cheers

Edited February 9 by Rogen

[Matt Sdeel 48]

3 hours ago, Rogen said:

Different developers, different philosophy, different features, and different bugs perhaps ?

XP also service the professional market where as FSW is primarily entertainment (still pretty good though).

XP say they are also devoping for P3D v6, FSW are going the way of MSFS.

 

Philosophy aside, checked the manuals ?

The XP 25 has in it's autostart sequence the following.

• (79 sec.) Nose Wheel Steer Lock Switch ELECTRIC STEERING ENGAGED

Do you only auto start it ?

If so then it may seem different to the FSW Lear given the FSW's manual operation.

There are quite a few other references to steering in the XP 25 manual as the snips below illustrate.

• Rudder blocked when electric nose gear steering is engaged
• Steer lock and AP release buttons animated and functional on both yokes
• Steer lock switch is now spring loaded to conform to the real aircraft. Release button added on yoke.
• Green annunciator goes on when electric steering is engaged

• Nose Gear Steer Lock Switch
  • Click this momentary switch to engage electrical nose gear steering. A green annunciator [14, fig. 4-30] will illuminate on the main annunciator panel. Click the switch again to disengage electrical nose wheel steering (the annunciator will go off). This switch is spring loaded. Nose wheel steering is engaged automatically in the simulator at certain speeds. See also “Wheel Master Button” [2, fig. 4-50].
• Nose Wheel Steering Engaged
  • When illuminated, indicates electrical nose wheel steering is engaged (used for taxiing). When off, indicates nose wheel steering is disengaged. Nose wheel steering is initiated automatically in the simulator at certain speeds (see 7, fig. 4-4 and 2, fig. 4-50, and Appendix 6, page 7).
• Nose wheel steering seems not to work all the time when taxiing
  • In the current simulation platforms, nose wheel steering is initiated automatically at certain speeds only when taxiing. You will need to reduce speed in order to activate nose wheel steering (under about 45 knots). Above that speed, the nose gear will be locked.

Cheers

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Very much appreciated.

I almost always use cold and dark starting both planes.

It seems to me that the planes have a different interpretation of how steer lock is supposed to function.
In FSW's 35, steer lock is used to connect the yoke to the nose wheel, and steer the plane using the yoke.

What puzzles me is that in XP's 25, the nose wheel can be steered even if steer lock is not manually activated, ie. "nose wheel steering is initiated 'automatically'* (see 2nd to the last line in your reply above)....which kinda begs the question, if it's automatically initiated what's the point of having a spring loaded steer lock switch? 

It seems to me that 'steer lock' in XP has a different and opposite function: to lock steering while taxing so that yoke manipulation is unnecessary and optionally, free the hands of the pilot to do something else while he is taxing the plane. (If you have the 25, you can try this yourself. The 25 can be steered with and without 'steer lock').

[Rogen 1,145]

22 hours ago, Matt Sdeel said:

What puzzles me is that in XP's 25, the nose wheel can be steered even if steer lock is not manually activated, ie. "nose wheel steering is initiated 'automatically'* (see 2nd to the last line in your reply above)....which kinda begs the question, if it's automatically initiated what's the point of having a spring loaded steer lock switch? 

It seems to me that 'steer lock' in XP has a different and opposite function: to lock steering while taxing so that yoke manipulation is unnecessary and optionally, free the hands of the pilot to do something else while he is taxing the plane. (If you have the 25, you can try this yourself. The 25 can be steered with and without 'steer lock').

Well... different developers, different philosophy, different features I would suppose.

I don't actually have the XP 25 to confirm ops unfortunately.

Cheers

[Matt Sdeel 48]

2 hours ago, Rogen said:

Well... different developers, different philosophy, different features I would suppose.

I don't actually have the XP 25 to confirm ops unfortunately.

Cheers

XP 25 would be THE one plane I would recommend to friends working in software engineering or the computer sciences.  They just love details (I once asked an in-law who was a software engineer a simple question and expecting a short simple answer, but instead he went on to explain the minute details for literally HOURS).  The developers of XP 25 are called "Xtreme Prototypes" for a reason. The plane has lots of very technical info and LOTS of knobs, switches, monitors, etc. It's the one plane that is definitely hands-on.  The plane requires attention which will keep the pilot very busy while flying.