I might have a language problem or lack of knowledge in engineering, but I could not figure out so far what is the difference between the "normal" engine parameters and the "reciprocating" engine parameters.Plaese describe it!Gabor

Please rephrase the question. As a pilot with over 30 years of expirience I don't understand it. What are You aiming at with "normal"?From the piloting and maintenance standpoint every engine that works is "normal" ;-), just joking. Reciprocating engine is the first engine used to power the aircraft, could be 2 or 4 stroke, even rotary,a diesel and can be either carburetted, fuel injected, turbocharged, geared and almost any combination of the before mentioned.To the opposite we have a jet engine using a completely different principles to produce thrust, as we probably all know. So, again, what are You aiming at with expression "normal"?

I was asking it from an FS gauge development point of view. There are several FS variables dealing with engine settings. There are two quite distinct settings. Just for example:What I called as "normal":GENERAL_ENGINE1_THROTTLE_LEVER_POSGENERAL_ENGINE1_PROPELLER_LEVER_POSGENERAL_ENGINE1_MIXTURE_LEVER_POS GENERAL_ENGINE1_OIL_TEMPGENERAL_ENGINE1_OIL_PRESGENERAL_ENGINE1_STARTERGENERAL_ENGINE1_FAILUREGENERAL_ENGINE1_GENERATOR_SWITCHGENERAL_ENGINE1_GENERATOR_ACTIVETURB_ENGINE_1_N1TURB_ENGINE_1_N2TURB_ENGINE_1_CORRECTED_N1TURB_ENGINE_1_CORRECTED_N2TURB_ENGINE_1_CORRECTED_FFTURB_ENGINE_1_PCT_MAX_TORQUETURB_ENGINE_1_EPRTURB_ENGINE_1_ITTTURB_ENGINE_1_AFTERBURNERTURB_ENGINE_1_JET_THRUSTTURB_ENGINE_1_BLEEDAIRPSITURB_ENGINE_1_TANK_SELECTORTURB_ENGINE_1_TANKS_USEDTURB_ENGINE_1_NUMBER_TANKSTURB_ENGINE_1_FUELFLOW_PPHTURB_ENGINE_1_FUEL_AVAILABLETURB_ENGINE_1_PCT_AREATURB_ENGINE_1_PCT_REVERSERTURB_ENGINE_1_VIBRATIONand the "reciprocial":RECIP_ENGINE1_ENGINE_RPMRECIP_ENGINE1_MANIFOLD_PRESSURERECIP_ENGINE1_THROTTLE_LEVER_POSRECIP_ENGINE1_MIXTURE_LEVER_POSRECIP_ENGINE1_PROP_LEVER_POSRECIP_ENGINE1_COWL_FLAP_POSRECIP_ENGINE1_CARB_HEAT_POSRECIP_ENGINE1_ALTERNATE_AIR_POSRECIP_ENGINE1_COOLANT_RESERVOIR_PCTRECIP_ENGINE1_LEFT_MAGRECIP_ENGINE1_RIGHT_MAGRECIP_ENGINE1_STARTERRECIP_ENGINE1_BRAKE_POWERRECIP_ENGINE1_PROP_TORQUERECIP_ENGINE1_COMBUSTIONRECIP_ENGINE1_TURBOCHARGER_FAILEDRECIP_ENGINE1_EMERGENCY_BOOST_ACTIVERECIP_ENGINE1_EMERGENCY_BOOST_ELAPSED_TIMERECIP_ENGINE1_WASTEGATE_POSRECIP_ENGINE1_EGT_DEGRRECIP_ENGINE1_TIT_DEGRRECIP_ENGINE1_CHT_DEGRRECIP_ENGINE1_OIL_TEMP_DEGRRECIP_ENGINE1_RADIATOR_DEGRRECIP_ENGINE1_OIL_PRESS_PSFRECIP_ENGINE1_OIL_LEAK_PCTRECIP_ENGINE1_FUEL_AVAILABLERECIP_ENGINE1_FUELFLOW_PPHRECIP_ENGINE1_TANK_SELECTORRECIP_ENGINE1_TANKS_USEDRECIP_ENGINE1_NUMBER_OF_TANKS_USEDRECIP_ENGINE1_FUEL_PRESSURE_PSFRECIP_ENGINE1_COMBUSTION_SOUND_PCTRECIP_ENGINE1_INDUCED_VELOCITYRECIP_ENGINE1_DAMAGE_PERCENTGabor

IF I read this correctly, the first set of parameters, "GENERAL" are useable to both types of engines... basically, instead of having a TURB_ENGINE1_THROTTLE_LEVER_POS and RECIP_ENGINE1_THROTTLE_LEVER_POS, you have a common GENERAL_ENGINE1_THROTTLE_LEVER_POS, the other TURB_.. and RECIP_.... would be engine type specific (Turbine or Reciprocating).Now, IF and WHEN Flight Simulator Dynamics were to allow mixed engine types, then we might see the "GENERAL_ENGINEx_" parameters replaced with TURB_ENGINEx_ or RECIP_ENGINEx_...One can only wish for six turning and four burning (B-36) or 4+2 (C-97G) or even a 2+2 (C-123K)!

Thanks!Just to be sure...TURB_ covers jet and turbopropRECIP_ covers piston engineAm I correct?Gabor

"Just to be sure...TURB_ covers jet and turboprop"TURB_ covers jet engine for sure, but I'm not so sure about the turboprops, depends on what You want, but I would stick to GENERAL as much as possible. Anway some vars are only present in certain section,be it either TURB_ or RECIP_ and that is simple because they are the engine type specific. It would be ridicuolous to look for mixture entry in TURB section or equaly strange would be to have an N1 section in RECIP since they are engine specific entries. Since a turboprop engine is by some parameters both, because it's propeller is driven by a jet engine, it really is hard to say that TURB section will fully cover everything You need, probably You'll need to look in all three sections for proper vars. "RECIP_ covers piston" engine is 100% true

I learnt how to use the nice utils together with the SDK doc in Pete Dowson's FSUIPC SDK package, so it is quite clear by now.RECIP is for piston, but some general data in GENERALTURB is for turboprop and jet and again some data in generalPROP data are for piston and turbopropThanks for all comments! The main trigger for me was that RECIP is reciprocating = piston engine :)Gabor

To be perfectly frank, all of the so-called "GENERAL" type commands and variables are included primarily for backwards compatibility. Wherever you see a GENERAL and RECIP that are identical, that's because they are... ;)You'll notice that some few variables are quite inconsistent, such as COM, COM2, NAV1 and NAV2. MS saw no need to rework the API to make COM into COM1... Some variables are mispelled! If you try to spell them correctly, they won't work at all... :-bang *:-*