The Problem:

Of late I have been having quite a few issues with MSFS 2020. After about ten minutes some aircraft, early jets and such, simply lose power resulting in a forced descent and abrupt termination of the flight. However, while flying the DC-3 (and other twin-engine propeller aircraft), after about twenty minutes the propeller controls go wonky, with the left engine control still working, but maxing out at 1500 RPM. The right engine rpm locks at 1000 RPM and no control input changes it. Saw a number of comments about this type of issue, but none had any conclusion fro the problem.

Losing altitude, I recall the real life necessity for resolving the problem of losing an engine. KEEP THE NOSE DOWN! If at altitude, stop the windmilling propeller or feather the prop if you can, while checking for solutions to the problem, fuel, ignition etc. Look for an open field (none in the mountains). If no solutions are found, on final approach, keep the nose well down while positioning the undercarriage for the terrain. Then fly straight ahead, avoiding obstacles if possible, until contact is made with the ground.

Although I once broke all the rules to make a 180 at 400 feet in a Super Cub with a windmilling prop (too low to pick the nose up) and returned to the field after waggling the wings and then kicking off the glider I was towing when the pilot did not respond to my signal. There were too many moments such as these in my flying career.

During the “great war” the British army high command forbade the issuing of parachutes to pilots. Not cricket you know. Tragically, Microsoft makes the same blunder, refusing to issue pilots parachutes like the one I wore while serving as a jump pilot and while skydiving. I bail out all the time in IL2 as my burning aircraft is shot to pieces. Anyway, the upshot of this is that I cannot fly much past twenty minutes in MSFS without loading in a new flight.

Random thoughts on sim flight:

I grew up in the Air Force. My father was a navigator and observer. My uncle was a Navy pilot that flew an SBD at Midway. He later transitioned into the jet age as the CO at Pax River. I was one of those kids that ate, breathed and slept dreaming of airplanes and flying. All I ever wanted to do in life was fly. How bad was it? I wanted to know everything about airplanes, so after mustering out of the Marines, I began my aviation career as an A&P mechanic.

Today I am a long time retired pilot with 2700 hrs PIC, much of it in various aircraft modeled in the MSFS sim. I really love sim flying as it affords the love of flight without all the rules, regulations and expenses one has to put up with in the non-virtual world. However, lately things have been changing.

I also have well over twenty years of professional work with computers that began in the late seventies, before my flying career. I continued that profession after quitting aviation in disgust. Now I find myself becoming fed up with sim flying due to the multiplicity of problems I encounter with the hardware and software. As in real life, I spend more time on the ground resolving software and hardware issues in the effort to get the sim ready to fly than I do in the VR cockpit. The old military saying went: “The weight of the paper work must equal the weight of the airplane before take off.”

I am getting to the point that dealing with the multiplicity of problems associated with VR flight is just about putting me out of the sim business. I quit flying because I finally got fed up with all the regulations and general BS. It was the FAA's “ramp check” that finally led to my exit from the real world of flight. The regs were just as bad, if not worse, when I began my aviation career as an aircraft mechanic. Never was much for following arbitrary rules imposed by others, but I was blinded by the desire to fly. Now I find almost as many, if not more problems getting off the ground in VR than I did in the real world. Successful simming is a nightmare with all those software layers from different vendors attempting to interact with each other.

It has become one problem after another. Fix one problem and another pops up. Perhaps you have noticed how almost everything today in this “New World Order” no longer functions properly – if ever. Funny, when I was a kid we were still using things my grandparents had purchased when my parents were kids. Today they cannot even get paint to stick to new cars and one counts themselves lucky if they get five years out of a home appliance.

Presently I have around seventy dollars worth of software addons I am spending an inordinate amount of time trying to fix so they work properly, addons that are a royal PITA. The xEnviro program I bought is a $42 cyber nightmare and I cannot get any tech support. Every time I started MSFS, I would get their screen asking for an insane 22 alpha numeric serial number that cannot be pasted in, but must be manually entered. I would dutifully enter the number, but to no avail. I finally uninstalled the program as it never worked from the get go. xEnviro canceled a ticket I submitted for the problem I had with their program without ever taking any action or even notifying me. This software has all the earmarks of a ripoff. Of course I never thought I would find myself buying overpriced clouds to begin with, but that's the NWO for ya' where not much works as advertised.

My comment to xEnviro:

Why was this ticket closed? After two weeks I never received any response of any kind. I am very, very dissatisfied with your software and even more dissatisfied with your support. I have spent hours trying to get your software to work to no avail. That is why I opened this ticket.

I used to be a systems tech support analyst paid for such system troubleshooting, now I pay you $42 dollars for having to do it. I paid $42 dollars for this worthless software that doesn't work and now I receive no support for my money, not even an email saying you closed the ticket. I have nothing to show for my purchase but a program that insists I manually type in a monstrous serial number every time I start MSFS. I would like a refund on my purchase. If I do not receive a full refund I will dispute this charge on my credit card.

Then there is “Fsrealistic Pro”. This program is airplane noise. That's right, I purchased the very noise I once wore ear protectors to block out, but that didn't work either as I am now seriously hearing impaired. I know, for a moment there you thought I might actually be sane. After the seven day trail period, I liked the noise so much I purchased a copy only to have a bear of a time installing the software as I transferred the files from one computer to another. Then I discovered it would not take the serial number that my purchase provided. So I had to uninstall the software and then reinstall the software before it would take the serial number. Now it works, but every time I fire up MSFS I get a message that my trial period has expired, so I have to stop and X out of the message every time I load the sim. At least it works - kinda. I know X-ing out of a popup screen is no big deal, but it takes time to troubleshoot, time I was once well paid for. Now I find myself paying to troubleshoot their computer issues. At seventy one, I am beginning to wonder if I want to keep spending this much time paying to troubleshoot other peoples' IT problems.

Hardware: I'll skip pot issues I had with the Saitek throttle quadrant. Suffice to say right after I bought another Saitek quadrant, I began seeing the incipient signs of the pot's ghosting again. Not long after that I discovered the Vpril SharKy50 control panel for $300. Worked great - for about a month; just long enough to get me snapped in to using it before one of the four controllers quit working. However, I still have my Honeycomb setup to fall back on.

Lest you think I am bit addled, I purchase a lot of sim software and hardware ~ a lot ~ I write off as support for advancing the technology. But what is being advanced is often buggy and nonfunctional technology. For years after I quit flying, I would try to avoid even driving past an airport the memories of my burnout there were just too painful and exasperating. I hope it doesn't get that way for simming, as it is much easier to avoid turning on a computer than it is to avoid airports.

Waldo: “I'm a flyer! Newt.”

CAA agent: “Not anymore I'm afraid.”

 

- The Flyingwrench (retired)

I have no problems at all with Power loss it sounds like your controllers are not set up correctly or you might need to do a complete re - installation of MSFS and {fresh install windows } if its been a long time since it was installed I know its a pain but its often worth the time.

My VR also works great , there are lots of great set up MSFS VR tutorials on Youtube.

I also use to fly I did my PPL in 1997, flew a PA28 Warrior for 8 years

How is any of that VR's fault?

Crikey that was hard to read on a mobile device, top tip, don't change the font size.

2 hours ago, MarcG said:

Crikey that was hard to read on a mobile device, top tip, don't change the font size.

Sure wasn't fun on desktop either.

I used the default font.

Read the entire posting and you will find that it is the constant tweaking and upgrading of the sim that is the problem, just like keeping up with the voluminous amount of time consuming FAA regs was the problem in the real world. It's not the fault of VR it is the nature of a beast that is getting worse with each new technological increase in function. The problem should be more than obvious to anyone that has spent hours and hours researching simming technical issues on websites just like this one. What amazes me is how often I cannot find anyone suffering the same problem I am trying to resolve. There's a clue for ya.

Reinstalling MSFS takes around twelve hours on average and that is the kind of time consumption issue I have problems with. I was well paid for my time trouble shooting and resolving the very same type of system problems I am dealing with in simming. Again, this is due to the layers of software interfacing complexity. Let's see now, there is the Windows 10 OS (or worse 11. I upgraded and de-upgraded to and from Win 11 twice),  MSFS, Asobo, Blackshark AI, six different hardware inputs and god knows how many addons and upgrades and it's all supposed to make flawless column movements on command, when in fact it looks more like the Keystone Cops marching in parade review. 

My wife has the very same type of issues with her proprietary health care program. I'll bet you can't guess who ends spending time troubleshooting her computer software nightmares. Hint: It ain't the software's tech support. So its not just a simming problem. As I said, it's the nature of the beast.

I used to reload a program at the first serious sign of trouble. Now it is the very last solution I turn to given the trouble it is to accomplish. The point  I am making is that the functionally of VR is now reaching at a point where it is becoming more and more unmanageable. The problem I listed at the beginning with the RPM and MAP mysteriously disappeared when I flew the same route in the same airplane. What if I had started to alter all sorts of parameters chasing after an answer to a problem that (hopefully) no longer exists?

I found out the problem I was having with The BR Goose engine's pouring out black smoke came from the engines being on fire.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your viewpoint) the black smoke was the only indication of the problem, as the airplane flew fine just leaving twin trails of black smoke belching out behind the Goose. This is the first time I have ever had an engine fire, two no less, that wasn't a dire emergency totally consuming one's immediate attention.

Co pilot: "Uh Captain I believe both engines are on  fire."

Pilot: "I know that, but stick with me and you will find burning engines are not a problem. It flies just fine in the flaming configuration. Although we might have a visibility issue when taxiing with a strong tailwind.  A couple of barrel rolls over the field and folks on ground will think we're putting on an airshow display. And you thought Bob Hoover had a good act with his Shrike."

The problem has something to do with engine mismanagement and despite the fact there is a fire suppression system on board, the devs decided not to enable it.  While I have never flown a Goose, I have plenty of hours beside twin P&W 985s, so I am not sure how I am mismanaging the Goose's engines. (The last time I mismanaged a goose I got my face slapped hard. Trump seems better at managing his Gooses). In fact this is the only aircraft I have the problem with and it happens infrequently. That said, I am gong to keep going with VR until other the system or myself finally goes dark for good.

Fair skies and following clouds, or something like that.

The Flyingwrench

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Flyingwrench said:

 

Read the entire posting and you will find that it is the constant tweaking and upgrading of the sim that is the problem, just like keeping up with the voluminous amount of time consuming FAA regs was the problem in the real world.

What you write doesn't make any sense at all. LOL You came to sim forum to rant about FAA regs? 

Your original sim problem with "quitting engine" most likely has to do with controls conflict/fault or accidentally set up failures.

Just FYI everyone in professional flying world "consume" FAA regs just fine . Yes there are some ambiguous rules - nothing is prefect.  You should really try to fly outside US so at least you can compare "rules" you complaining about. LOL

Quote

for a moment there you thought I might actually be sane

The thought never crossed my mind😉

 

 

You will be able to connect the dots if you quit watching television for a few years - If we have that long left. I did not come hear to rant about FAA regs. I came to comment on the state of current technology of which simming is a very small part. I observe how this "progress" is affecting virtually everything we do. The tangle of technology is linked to the tangle of bureaucratic legislation.

The problem with Americans is that few, very, very, few are free of the programmed chains that bind their minds. Therefore they look at everything through the eyes of a prisoner that has been imprisoned in narrow mental confines since the very beginning of their life.

When someone bothers to point this out, they are either confused or they become indignant. The title was "Random thoughts on sim flight." The idea was to compare the problems of sim flight with real flight. Two areas with which I am very familiar.

So my question is how many wrenches have you turned on engines and airframes?  How many hours do you have in the cockpit? How long have you been working on computer systems? How long have you been treading this earth?  

As for current flying, pilots today are little more than monitors overseeing computerized systems. I know, I flew some very sophisticated aircraft where I spent little time actually flying the aircraft.

Instead I twiddled knobs and spent much of my time boning up on new airspace restrictions and other highly regulated requirements. Jets are flown by the book, so one must learn and know the book by heart. The days of stick and rudder work in commercial flying has virtually disappeared. So who wants to sit in the front of a high tech bus flying through the skies on electronic rails?

First went the radio operator. Then went the navigator, then the flight engineer. How much longer before the human element disappears altogether from the front of the airplane? How much longer will there be airplanes? At the rate unmanned flight is progressing, it is only matter of time before there is no longer a cockpit to climb into.

"And when I get to heaven, to St. Peter I'll tell, another Marine reporting sir, I've served my time in hell."

The Flyingwrench (retired)

 

 

 

 

Edited February 25, 20242 yr by Flyingwrench
submitted by accident before I was finished editing

Wha….?

The xEnviro serial number will only register if it is keyed in correctly.
It does not tell you that it is incorrect, it simply keeps offering a blank
line to enter it into.
It is not difficult to enter the letter O when the correct entry should 
be a zero (0), or vice versa.
Of course, the correct email address must also be used.
It has been working in this respect since 2022 and it does not require
20 years of IT experience to achieve success.

8 hours ago, Flyingwrench said:

...

So my question is how many wrenches have you turned on engines and airframes?  How many hours do you have in the cockpit? How long have you been working on computer systems? How long have you been treading this earth?  

...

An additional question might be, how long did it take you to type all that?

Seriously though, apart from postulating on the general ills of society,  it's not clear what your point here is other than the integration of some add-ons into MSFS is not always seamless.  But it's also not much different than turning wrenches, albeit virtually in this case, on most anything else out there whether it's an aircraft or plumbing or a vehicle or whathaveyou.   Foozle's Law of Shade Tree Mechanics applies: "Bolt-on parts, many times don't".  Most people who read your post(s) are going to be willing to assist you with something, if that's what you're after, but not if you can't concisely identify something specific you need assistance with.

Cutting through to, I think, your specific questions:

Engine Failures, etc

The sim will generally crash or stutter if there is a major hardware or software clash and so the issues with your engines on fire are more likely to be a designed-in failure condition which, in the real aircraft, may well result in an engine fire.

In the 'Assistance Options' of the Options menu, you can change 'failure and damage'  to off, or to on but milder than real life, or to real life.  It's worth checking your settings and set that particular section to 'Easy'.  If that stops the fires, then try the mid setting.  If all still good, then internet search/read up what conditions in the Goose in real life result in an engine fire and follow the recommendations in the sim and try the settings at 'Hard'.  The options I'm talking about are here:

 

You may well find that this also sorts your other controls problem.  If not, then that particular issue might be your physical joystick/throttle block.  Try using keyboard controls and, if that works fine, then check out your normal control equipment.

VR

Ref the VR, check Youtube, Google, etc for advice about recommended graphics settings - especially for your own level of equipment.  VR takes a HUGE amount of processing and, even with the most powerful equipment mean significantly lower settings than for screen use.  It can still look fabulous...

Edited February 25, 20242 yr by AJZip