Project Description
Plugin page on X-Plane.org : http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=16221
X-FMC is a freeware and you can support us by visiting this page : http://www.x-fmc.com/projects/xfmc
This project was started end of December 2009 and it took us nearly 3 years to get a fully working FMC that could work with almost any plane with defaut AP from X-Plane
The project is still very active and we try to keep it like that.
The current development is now X-Plane 10 focused and we will try to keep it like that as much as we can.
Don't hesitate to look at the X-FMC Manual and videos ...
The main specifiactions:
Fully designed FMC
Included sounds for more realism
Configurable behavior for each plane (via config files)
Direct integration to X-Plane & Updatable Navdata (using x-plane navdata and navigraph)
Include SID / STAR
Even more...
How it works:
Longitudinal navigation
The FMC does not interfere in the autopilot of Xplane, but is "using" the xplane autopilot. By doing so, it avoids interfering with other systems or plugins... X-FMC can directly interact with Speed, Heading, vertical speed and altitude to reproduce LNAV and VNAV while taking engines specs into account !Take-off, climbing and cruise phases are then fully configurable. X-FMC can be disabled at any time by clicking on the "AP" button and removed from screen easily by hitting F9 key. Even if deactivated,the X-FMC continues to calculate the course/speed/fuel/ETA so you can easily resume on navigation.If you decide to change route or are doing radar vectoring, the X-FMC will then need you to confirm again the flight plan by editing or removing passed nav points... SID and STAR procedures can be easily inserted given you have the latest available data !
Vertical Navigation
XFMC calculates a dynamic Optimal Climb Speed and Rate depending on the thrust, the weight and altitude. Depending on winds and actual data, the FMC will continuously calculate the V/S to give the best N1 rate ! X-FMC will estimate a TOC and TOD. The TOC is not exactly used for a purpose only to shift the VNAV from CLB mode to CRUISE mode. The TOD is used to calculated a point where X-FMC should start his descent to reach the airport altitude in a normal and safe way.For the descent phase, the plane is held at a glide slope of 3 degrees. This means that starting at a high altitude the V/S will be higher than at low altitudes but always in reasonable limits. If descent could not be made in a safe way, the FMC will refuse to comply... During the Cruise phase, X-FMC just continues to calculate the ETA and fuel left at ETA.
Hope this project will bring you much more pleasure to fly in X-Plane !