Kennair

Hi Terry,I use FS Panel Studio to do this sort of thing as it takes the headache out of panel editing/creating, however if you don't have this, you'll need to manually create a new window and insert the Autopilot for your particular aircraft into this new window. This is all contained in the panel.cfg file within your aircraft folder. Make a backup of your original cfg first, then give it a go. Make the new window the next number up from the highest that already exists, find the autopilot gauge details in one of the other window entries (probably window0 or 1) and copy it into your new window. You'll have to fiddle with the screen placement numbers associated with the guage as they will be putting it into the screen position for the original window. The numbers you'll see correspond with the pixel position for the gauge. I'm sorry I can't remember how to decipher these as using FS Panel Studio you don't need to worry about it. Of course once you've got the new window created, within FS, select it from the Instrument view menu, undock it, and move it wherever you like.No doubt there will be other gurus who can answer more questions regarding panel editing. There are also many tutorials on how to do this within the FS community. Google it :)Good luck,Ken.www.kennair.com

Hi Bruce,Yes I flew my nav about a month later on a beautiful sunny day without issue. Passed my PPL sometime later on an equally sunny and uneventful day. Not instrument rated as yet, but on the list.I also tried contacting flightwatch to ammend my flightplan but couldn't raise them due to my low altitude. It was certainly a case of 'up there wishing I was down here'!Ken.http://www.kennair.com

OK, scariest moment for me by far was my final solo nav flight prior to doing my PPL test. It was winter and I took off in marginal weather for an intended 4 hour flight. As I had cancelled the flight several times already due weather, I found myself pushing on with a thick cloud base at 3500 feet. Very quickly the back door was closed! and I was dodging cloud down to 1000ft AGL. After an hour I turned due west back toward my home port sighting the only familiar mountain peak I could see. Had to dodge several low cloud layers during my 30min return to base. Got back on the ground to a very thankful instructor who realised with hindsight he shouldn't have signed me out. Really, really stupid move to press on and one I'm lucky to have learnt from and lived! As my instructor said, you can't buy experience like that.Ken.http://www.kennair.com

Take a look at Tom's Hardware's Spring VGA Sharts for 2007. Very informative for directly comparing the 88 series to the 79 (and all other current cards). Not really much difference between them depending on what graphics configuration you run in FS, which is handy when one is $500 cheaper than the other. In some cases the 79 series comes out on top! Of course the 88 series offers the future proofing when DX10 does have support.http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics_2007.htmlKen.http://www.kennair.comSYSTEM: PC1-AMD Athlon XP 3200, 2Gb RAM,NVidia 6600GT 256Mb AGP, NVidia 6200 128Mb PCI,2x17" LCD's, 3x17" CRT, Triple Head 2 GoPC2-AMD Sempron 2400, 1Gb RAM, ATI 9200 256Mb AGP.

Louie,Yeah sorry, the Real Air is only for FS9. However as I said, the Flight1 model comes a close second and there is an FSX version. I run it in my sim and there is little impact on FPS even with my moderate AMD XP3200 system, so go for it.I also agree with the other poster who advised not looking at the gauges all the time. In my initial training I was continually being told to look outside. This is VFR after all! You need to learn what the attitude of the aircraft looks like relative to the horizon so you should be able to conduct straight and level flight along with all degree turns just by looking at the horizon. Unless you have a full cockpit sim, this is hard to achieve on a screen. As was mentioned, simming is better for learning systems management, emergency procedures and navigation training. Use the real thing to learn how to fly the real thing :)Ken.www.kennair.com

Hi Louie,As a Cessna pilot myself I find the RealAir C172 to be about the most realistic to fly. It's been tweaked by Rob Young from Real Air who is well known for his accurate flight models and was designed for an Australian flight school with the same intentions as you have. And best of all, as has already been mentioned, it's free!! I also own the Flight1 C172 and this comes in a close second, but has far better panel graphics. If you combine the Flight1 panels with the Real Air aircraft config file, you'd feel like your in the real thing. :)Real Air also have a similar aircraft tweak for the default C182 when you advance in your training.Here is the link to the free download:http://www.realairsimulations.com/list_box...?page=downloadsGood luck,Ken.

Yes preliminary testing with the trial version, allbeit with only one extended screen, I see a noticible performance hit. Looks like WideView has got it.Ken.http://www.kennair.comSYSTEM: PC1-AMD Athlon XP 3200, 1Gb RAM,NVidia 6600GT 256Mb AGP & NVidia 6200 128Mb PCI,2x17" LCD's, 1x20" CRT.FS9 & FSX, IOCards, FSUIPC,PC2-AMD Sempron 2400, 512Mb RAM, ATI 9200 256Mb AGP.ASv6.5, RC4.2/4.3, WideFS.

With the new release of MaxiVista v3 I was wondering if anyone has had experience with it on a multimonitor setup? Looks promising. I've just downloaded and run the demo which works well, however it only supports 1 extended monitor. You have to purchase to get multimonitor support!It's pretty cheap and, unlike WideView, doesn't require FS to be loaded on the network PC. Just drag windows to the network monitors for an extended panel. However what is the FPS hit?Ken.http://www.kennair.comSYSTEM: PC1-AMD Athlon XP 3200, 1Gb RAM,NVidia 6600GT 256Mb AGP & NVidia 6200 128Mb PCI,2x17" LCD's, 1x20" CRT.FS9 & FSX, IOCards, FSUIPC,PC2-AMD Sempron 2400, 512Mb RAM, ATI 9200 256Mb AGP.ASv6.5, RC4.2/4.3, WideFS.

Hi David,You might get some ideas from my website as I am building a sim based (loosely) on the PC12. I don't think there is any commercial site offering panels specifically for the PC12, they usually stay with the more popular Boeing and Airbus series, so you'll most likely have to resort to self building as indeed I did. One thing you might find valuable is my zip file containing cockpit measurements. This sort of info is very difficult to find but I had the fortune to sit in the cockpit for a couple of hours with a tape measure.I don't know about modelling the AOA as I haven't gone into that much depth. I have just completed the Autopilot controller which talks successfully to the Flight1 model via Opencockpits hardware and FSUIPC. One thing that doesn't work is the Altitude selector, as it seems this is modelled within the Flight1 software itself and not via FS9/X. This is also the case for the Aeroworx Kingair. It does operate the default FS aircraft however.Regards and good luck,Ken :)http://www.kennair.comSYSTEM: PC1-AMD Athlon XP 3200, 1Gb RAM,NVidia 6600GT 256Mb AGP & NVidia 6200 128Mb PCI,2x17" LCD's, 1x20" CRT.FS9 & FSX, IOCards, FSUIPC,PC2-AMD Sempron 2400, 512Mb RAM, ATI 9200 256Mb AGP.ASv6.5, RC4.2/4.3, WideFS.

Hi Alberto,It sounds like you have a serious system going on. I can highly recommend IOCards to enhance your experience. I know there are other systems equally good out there, but I found the Spanish experience quite simple and very flexible (also quite inexpensive). Once you start using their SIOC programming application you will find that there is nothing beyond your reach as far as recreating the realism. Good luck.Ken.http://www.kennair.comSYSTEM: PC1-AMD Athlon XP 3200, 1Gb RAM,NVidia 6600GT 256Mb AGP & NVidia 6200 128Mb PCI,2x17" LCD's, 1x20" CRT.FS9 & FSX, IOCards, FSUIPC,PC2-AMD Sempron 2400, 512Mb RAM, ATI 9200 256Mb AGP.ASv6.5, RC4.2/4.3, WideFS.

Dean,There is no option but to shell out some cash by the looks of it. However you might pick up a second-hand PCI card at a computer salvage? CRT's a pretty cheap these days also.The other option, as Ian mentioned, would be to use a second PC. You would need to use something like WideView to run FS on both PC's, which is payware, but you can download a limited time trial version to evaluate. This option would take the load off you single PC and maintain good frame rates. I run anything I can on the second networked PC in order to free up as much as possible on the main.Ian, thanks for info on running NVidia an ATI together. I wasn't aware that was possible, or at least it would cause problems. That should open up the options for cheap second hand hardware for Dean. BTW, how is Tassie? I'm a Perth boy.Ken.

Hi Dean,You'll need to buy a second (probably PCI) video card.My setup uses 3 monitors running off one PC and this is achieved using two video cards. I have an NVidia 6600GT 256Mb AGP card and a 6200 128Mb PCI (the fastest PCI card available). Both have two monitor outputs therefore capable of running 4 monitors, but on my system 4 monitors would grind it to a halt.My system is a much lower spec than yours and I tend to achieve around 10-15 FPS while taxiing on the ground (often with major stutters however!) but once flying it gets up to 18 (where it is locked). Your system should handle it OK, but don't be surprised by the performance drop once you start dragging windows around, regardless of what they are displaying.Unless your PC has two AGP or PCIE ports, I think you will have to buy a similar PCI video card to run the other 2 monitors, and it is advisable to purchase the same platform card, which in your case will be ATI. I'm not sure it's possible to run the NVidia drivers and ATI on the same system.Setup is the same as you have done for the current 2 monitors, plug monitors 3 & 4 into the second video card, setup all the monitors in the ATI Catalyst control panel and undock/drag your required FS windows into the monitors. Once your happy, save your flight so you don't have to go through the process every time you start (you are probably already doing this though!).Happy flying,Ken.http://www.kennair.com"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements" - Charles Lindbergh.

I wonder what is the overall FPS advantage on FS9 or X when running ActiveSky via another PC using WideFS? I am designing a sim running multiple screens and want to shed the load as much as possible. As I haven't committed to purchasing ASV6.5 just yet I wondered has anyone done any tests to determine the increase in FPS by getting programs like AS and Radar Contact onto another PC on the network?Any help would be appreciated.Ken.http://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic3.JPGwww.kennair.com"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements" - Charles Lindbergh.

Just place the v4.2.exe file in the main RC folder (probably "c:program filesrcv4") which will replace the v4.01 file. The upgrade is a replacement executable file not an install file. Run RC and all will be found.Ken.

John,Staggering stuff. Having tried my hand at some panel editing/creating I can appreciate the work that you've put into this one. Keep it up, I can't wait to have it installed.http://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic3.JPG"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements" - Charles Lindbergh.

Jaime,You might try visiting this site (if you haven't already) http://www.simpits.org/. It has some great engineering drawings for the 737 with dimensions. Go to 'Database' and then 'Graphics'. There you will find a section 'Boeing 737 Instrument Panels'.Ken. ;) http://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic3.JPG"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements" - Charles Lindbergh.

Onya Roger, I've done my bit also. Now we need another 6000 Aussies to balance the books!http://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic3.JPG"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements" - Charles Lindbergh.

Whoops, it wasn't Marty Schultz it was Alan Kaiser, I just checked my reams of documents at home. Marty has written some handy documents about scenery editing and creation. Alan wrote the Fly to Fly2 conversion doc.Ken Brandhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.

Thanks Colin,Just tested it and it worked fine. All of us downunder thank you.:-beerchug Ken Brandhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.

Thanks Alejandro,I'd love to get hold of the Mooney files. I'm a bit like you, 3D modelling is a little out of my field, so I'll have to get my head around Truespace before getting much further. Are you able to email the files to me or do you have other means?Ken Brand (YPJT)http://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.

Tony,I printed off a detailed document from the web a couple of years ago written by Marty Schultz which spells out the whole process of converting Fly planes to Fly2. I recall that you have to remodel items such as the prop and spinner as Fly2 animates them separately whereas Fly used a simpler modelling process. There's also quite a lot of changes required to the .prop, .svh, etc files but again these are all spelled out. Having said that, I haven't actually tried to remodel an aircraft as I have no experience in modelling and animating. I wanted to convert the Fly C152 as I was training in one at the time and Fly2 doesn't have one (even though it is the most common ab-initio training aircraft on the planet!). I'm doing Nav training in the C172 now so I've put it on the back burner, however in the near future when I graduate to the Mooney it will be back on the table as Fly also had this aircraft whereas Fly2 doesn't.I can't remember where I found it on the net but if you need it, I could see about getting a copy to you.Regards,Ken Brandhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.

Hi Roland,I've finally been able to test SB3.1 at home via dial-up and it works fine. I am intrigued however about the timeout issue through my office server (not that I should be testing this at work, but you've got to live dangerously). My email address is kennair@ozipilotsonline.com.au if you would like to send me a fix version.Thanks,Ken Brandhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.

Thanks for the work around Colin, I'll give it a go. It's still a great tool.:)Ken Brandhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.

Ah! I should have been a bit more specific, you see I left out a very important point. I live in Western Australia so my Lat/Lon are South & East respectively. When you put in these values this is what you get: (see attached)As you can see, the Latitude value for Position 2 is way off scale. Thanks Colin for your reply and I hope a resolution can be found for us in the southern hemisphere. (I still don't rule out an error on my part though).Ken Brandhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.

Help from Colin or Randall (or anybody),I just downloaded the Fly Bearing & Distance Calculator and am coming up with strange results. I am trying to determine the coordinates of two runway ends given the centre position and runway length, but the result I get for Position 2 Latitude doesn't make sense. Here's the numbers and results:Position 1 - 33 22.60' & 115 40.90'Bearing - 247.5 (True)Distance - 507.5m (Half runway length of 1015m)Results:Position 2 - 33 3982.70'(!!) & 115 40.5968'As you can see the resultant latitude is certainly not a valid coordinate reference (is it?). I'm certainly doing something wrong but I don't know what. I have tried other coordinates and distances and each time the position 2 results contain a latitude with this errant figure. I have followed Colin's instructions to no avail. Can someone please help, as this tool solves lots of my country runway problems??:-hmmm:-hmmm:-hmmm Ken Brandhttp://members.optusnet.com.au/~kmbrand/mypic1.jpg"Aviation combines all the elements I love:Science, Freedom, Beauty, Adventure.As a pilot we must be at least proficient in all elements"- Charles Lindbergh.