Amelia Earhart's last flight 75th Anniversary.

[striker63]

Fred, I'd be pleased to take a look at an RE modified Electra. Email me a link to it. My initial thought was that AE was very careful to fly her Electra correctly... but I remembered Elgen saying that her plane averaged a failure every 10 hours of flight, so to the extent that RE can induce "random" failures similar to those AE suffered, we should have some fun with it.

Dave B

[NikeHerk67]

Alright. I just completed a "quick" flight from Lae to Howland. A couple of hours here and there, saving and restarting. My DRing was showing too far south from my sextant shots all the way, kept turning left a couple of degrees every waypoint. Near 70miles or so out, I turned 10 degrees left to get north of Howland, then the next sextant shot showed I was at Howland, I looked and saw nothing. Just water. Now I am getting worried. So I start down from 10000ft to get under the clouds. After about 5min, I finally see a lighter piece of water directly in front of me, and getting a little bit lower, I can see a spot in the water. After another minute, an island comes into view. Thank god. I found it. From now on, I trust Daves sextant completely and my DRing needs work.

Good job Bob

Did you fly it in FSX?
Do you remember which stars you used to take shots during your flight?

Just some thoughts since you're very interested in celestial navigation..........As I’d mentioned previously, FN probably would have used stars at an azimuth of between perhaps 30 and 210 degrees and an altitude of between perhaps 6 to 60 degrees while taking shots out the windscreen and right side window. The Electra didn't have an astrodome like planes developed later, where the navigator could look around 360 degrees and even dircetly overhead, so he was probably restricted to both azimuth and elevation of the stars, planets, sun and moon that he used. Although the moon was available up until around 1400GMT, since it set in the west, most likely they wouldn't have turned back for a moon shot.


Here are a couple of shots I’ve taken during test flights at 1700 and 1800 UT (GMT) using the planet Venus and the star Achernar.

Celestial Navigation Data for 1937 Jul 1 at 17:00:00 UT
For Assumed Position: Latitude S1* 03.0’, Longitude E175* 35.0’
Object, Hc , Zn
VENUS +12 52.7 , 71.7
ACHERNAR +28 11.2 , 160.0


Second Star shot 1800GMT Celestial Navigation Data for 1937 Jul 1 at 17:50:00 UT
Latitude S0* 40.0’, Longitude E177* 10.0’
VENUS +26 29.1 , 70.0
ACHERNAR +31 20.8 , 167.6




These two star shots fit the criteria for acquiring a fix by being near 90 degrees apart, which is what we’re looking for. Notice that the vertical and horizontal lines are nearly crossing each other perfectly. That’s what we’re looking for when taking more than a Single LOP shot.

I wonder if you've tried Teson1's RE (realengine). I believe it can be used to modify the Electra in FSX as well as FS9

I hope you are having a great time at Oshkosh

Fred

[NikeHerk67]

Fred, I'd be pleased to take a look at an RE modified Electra. Email me a link to it. My initial thought was that AE was very careful to fly her Electra correctly... but I remembered Elgen saying that her plane averaged a failure every 10 hours of flight, so to the extent that RE can induce "random" failures similar to those AE suffered, we should have some fun with it.

Dave B

Yes, it is located right here in the Library files, just search realengine.
Name: realenginev11.zip

It's so easy to understand I even figured it out!!............just imagine how easy!


I'm experimenting with it in your L10E Electra modern AP for test purposes, so I don't need to multitask.

Just place the folder containing the XML files into the aircraft folder you want to use it with instead of the gauges folder.
All you do is add a window into the panel folder and the cfg files for up to 4 engines....of course we only need 2.
We only need to modify engine 1 and the rest will follow the XML program the same.
You can experiement with different settings right in the window that comes up then, once you like what you see, modify it in a couple of XML files located in the folder.

Here's my original settings that I have for now.
I'm sure the Rich and Lean figures should be different.

Electra settings: RE1 MPRPM Climb MP (in Hg)
<!-- Maximum Continuous MP with Lean Mixture (in Hg) --> 31
<!-- Maximum Continuous RPM with Lean Mixture (rpm) --> 2100
<!-- Maximum Continuous MP with Rich Mixture (in Hg) --> 31
<!-- Maximum Continuous RPM with Rich Mixture (rpm) --> 2100
<!-- --> 31 (L:RE1_MPRPM_ClimbMP_Mod,inHg) +
<!-- Climb RPM (rpm) --> 2200
<!-- Climb Time-to-fail (min) --> 30

<!-- Take-Off MP (in Hg) --> 36
<!-- Take-Off RPM (rpm) --> 2300
<!-- Take-Off Time-to-fail (min) --> 5

The settings are those I got off your knee board of course then I just added touch of MP and RPM for each flight stage.

Also, the XML file just below the MPRPM line is where you can set the HP, which I set to 550 for the Electra

This is very amatuer as in me.

I'm sure you can do alot to improve it.

Gunter said he's working on the next version now so don't be surprised if we hear from him here soon.

I know he is very busy these days.

Don't know whey I'm telling you this in such detail? You're probably laughing and thinking....silly guy, I know all this!

I'm just excited you're offering to come on board with it!!!!

The first thing I noticed, which I loved, it that when using the Cambridge gauge, everything above 8 is rich and below 8 is lean.

Awesome! both you guys are impressive!!!!!

Fred

[bm1]

Thanks Fred. I was flying in FS9/GW3, with the default DC3 with a lot of extra fuel. This was just a "quicky" kinda flight. Weather was set clear, I started from Lae at 1100 local time. Trying to fly a direct course to Howland. I made 8 waypoints for the route, about 280nm each. Flying at 10000ft, 30MP, 2000RPM, somewhere around a 150kt ground speed. At each waypoint, the sextant shot was showing too far south each time. I kept turning a couple of degrees north in addition to the 1 degree turn at each waypoint for the great circle, to make up the too far south. I cannot remember what stars I was using, when it got dark, but yes I tried to get as close to 0-180 and 90-270 azimuths as possible.
Interesting that I flew over a lot of land for the first third or so of the flight. More than what I would have thought!
Also interesting that I was so far south with my DRing.
Oshkosh was great. Was there Tuesday and Wednesday.

[NikeHerk67]

An update to the Amelia Project....here at the MP site.

I’m down here in the South Pacific on Tabiteuea North (NGTE), a small island located 529.3nm from Howland, located directly along Amelia Earhart’s flight plan from Lea to Howland Island. We had the Navy’s CB’s (construction battalion) build us a Quonset hut to house the Lockheed AE Electra L10E, while preparing it for the final flight into Howland.

I have an ace mechanic here with me working on the Electra, and the finished product for flying the last leg to Howland isn’t going to be exactly what you might expect from such an expert in aircraft design!

Instead of the usual “perfect aircraft”, she’s going to be a bit intolerant to anyone who’s used to jumping into the cockpit, pushing the throttles to the fire wall, and racing to the finish line. It’s going to require some expert piloting, a knowledge of instruments as well as plain ole seat-of-the-pants flying skills and savy when things go wrong, plus, of course, navigational skills.

Perhaps we may experience some mechanical failures, much the same as Amelia had encountered and had to deal with in previous legs and quite possibly encountered during her attempt to reach Howland safely on that fatal day of July 2, 1937.

Of course with the alotted fuel precisional flying and navigational skills will be critcial, and DR timing are going to be of the upmost importance. That’s all I can say for now, other than this flight may be the toughest adventure you’ve ever tackled as a FS pilot.

Your chances of reaching Howland safely……..somewhere between slim and none.

Please be patient, we're doing a lot of research, taking many variables into consideration, and hopefully the flight will be as challenging as what AE and FN encountered, where Murphy’s law surely applied on that day.

As we all know too well, whatever could go wrong surely did!

Fred.

[NikeHerk67]

Yet another update to the Amelia Project....here at the MP site.

I've just received some of the most awesome news!

The mechanic here on Tabiteuea North (NGTE), has informed me that all the required repairs on the Electra have been completed and that all systems are go and we can proceed with the FINAL LEG of AE’s flight plan from Lea to Howland. (after some preliminary tests flights, just as she did on Lea, before proceeding)

The mechanic has also warned us once again...... When it comes to complex mechanical devicess nothing is forever,

Just to let you know, in case you're as interested in Amelia Earhart's fate as I, that there are some very important facts that we've known but haven't really talked about yet. Just as important as navigation and communication, mechanical failures can cause excess fuel burn, improper wear and tear on the engines, which can also cause excess fuel comsumption and..............who knows what?

I’ve been following the Amelia Earhart portion on the TIGHAR’s web site off and on for years, plus have read and researched many other sources, including the internet and archives at the Purdue University.

Since reading much of Egen Long's book on the subject and others who believe AE and FN must have been forced to ditch the Electra somewhere near Howland Island. I believe I’m in this camp, at least until the TIGHAR’s come up with “smoking gun” solid evidence to prove otherwise.


I’ve covered most of the theories (communication and navigational) here so far, which seems to have generated some genuine interest.

The flight shouldn’t be boring, because not only will we be flying the last 520 or so miles to Howland, the flight simulator pilots will be busy taking sextant readings, using DR techniques, and constantly making wind heading corrections.

That’s not all! Also the pilots will need to carefully monitor the gauges throughout the flight, which is going to add a NEW TWIST to what we’re used to as FS pilots.
We’re now testing a new version of Dave Bitzer’s AE L10E Electra and is about to be introduced here.

This latest version includes some of the instrument failures and a prop. pitch control failures, which AE and FN actually experienced in the Lockheed Electra L10E throughout her flights in Electra. There were several things that had to be repaired even before she left for Howland on July 2, 1937.

The following is a from a word document outlining some context from Elgen Long’s Book “Amelia Earhart, The Mystery Solved”

Elgen Long remarks in his book that since she had started her trip from Oakland to Hawaii in the L10E, she had never flown 10 hours without a failure of at least part of a prop or an electrical or fuel mixture control system. For example, on the 20 hour trip from Bandoeng, AE noted the right Cambridge analyzer and 5 other non-routine malfunctions for the mechanics to fix at Lae. (ref. p 175 of Elgen’s book)

These are just a few more of the things that could have gone wrong and that we rarely discuss during the last flight when attempting to reach Howland Island. It seems most have always just considered blaming it on wind, weather, navigational errors, and miscommunications.

As flight simulator pilots we usually NEVER consider mechanical failures unless we really make a hard landing or a few other obvious things like stress problems that are built into MSFS………..but overall, not too much trouble at all if we’re fairly good pilots. Pushing the throttle to the firewall and over speeding most aircraft is still not a problem in most FS aircraft or add-ons.

The news is that the L10E Electra we’ve just rolled out of the Quonset hut at Tabiteuea North (NGTE) is a much more authentic model and is going to have the potential of having some or all of those mechanical and electrical failures, mentioned above, during the flight. I don't know about anyone else, but for me at least, mechanical problems are one of the things I've been missing ever since starting to fly MSFS back with FS2000.

As you probably already know I've been working on a final leg scenario of AE's final flight plan. We'll be able to fly it using both Duenna and/or Multiplayer.

Personally I'm tired of glancing around at the gauges and always seeing everything being in perfect working order.

How about you?

For all FS pilots here and to those who are simply following this story.

Thank you kindly and Cheers!

Fred

[TX_3306]

The news is that the L10E Electra we’ve just rolled out of the Quonset hut at Tabiteuea North (NGTE) is a much more authentic model and is going to have the potential of having some or all of those mechanical and electrical failures, mentioned above, during the flight.

The suspense just keeps building, Fred. I have a question though. Will the new rolled out L10E Electra work in both FS9 and FSX?

TX_3306

[NikeHerk67]

The suspense just keeps building, Fred. I have a question though. Will the new rolled out L10E Electra work in both FS9 and FSX?

TX_3306

Yes Mike, Great question! Thanks for asking!..........it is nice to see it has generated some interest!

The mechanic says the prop and gauge failures should work in fsx as well as fs9......test flights will be made in fsx as well.

L10E fsx, in the library here, has included the AE flight plan and the Howland Island (KHAQ) Scenery.
I'll set up a flight plan, just as I have for FS9, and we'll be able to include it in the package.

The flight plan will include the weather conditions and limited fuel required to fly from Tabiteuea North (NGTE) and reach Howland......with great piloting skills.....test flights have been about 50 50.

The sextant is included in the fsx package as well. It's the older version but you should be able to add the graph........I believe. I recall someone saying the sextant didn't work for them in fsx.....I'll do a check ride using that as well.

Don't have a release date yet.

Hopefully everything will be together soon.

Fred

[TX_3306]

The sextant is included in the fsx package as well. It's the older version but you should be able to add the graph........I believe. I recall someone saying the sextant didn't work for them in fsx.....I'll do a check ride using that as well.

I think the old sextant gauge might work, but the graphing part doesn't work. It just plots horizontal lines. However, I'm not familiar enough with sextant use yet to determine if the old gauge is actually working properly in FSX either.

The L10E FSX file that was mentioned...is that the only FSX version with the filename lockheed_l10e_fsx.zip in the library? If so, there seems to be panel texture problems with that plane in the VC.

[NikeHerk67]

Please bare with us folks.............perhaps in 1937 it would go something like this.

CQ..........DAH DIT DAH DIT, DAH DAH DIT DAH
TELEGRAM TO: FS Community
FROM: Tabiteuea North
AUG 28 2012

AMELIA EARHART PROJECT UPDATE
LOCAL AIRPORT
TABITEUEA NORTH

WE HAVE ROLLED THE AE ELECTRA L10E BACK INTO THE HANGER FOR SOME LATEST RELALISM UPGRADES AND RETROFITS STOP

REVISED DATA FOR PROJECT JUST RECIEVED
RE (REAL ENGINE) V1.4 JUST RECIEVED
INSTALATION AND TESTING TO BE PREFORMED ASAP STOP

FSX VERSION LOADED AND TESTING IN PROGRESS STOP
PROBLEMS INCLUDE FUEL SWITCHES STUCK IN LEFT POSITION........PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED EASILY BY MECHANIC STOP
SEXTANT NOT DESPLAYING A VALUE READING UNDER N.MILES........PROBLEM WAS SOLVED SOME TIME AGO BY A DESIGNER AND WE'RE GETTNG IN TOUCH WITH THEM AT THIS TIME STOP
PLEASE BE PATIENT STOP

END MESSAGE


A multiplayer fight in TS may sound something like this.

Pilot1: I just lost prop pitch control on number 1 engine must go into optimum fuel preservation mode.
Pilot3: Cambridge gauge malfunction on number 2
Pilot4: Fuel flow indicator on number 2 has pegged to zero......
Pilot2: Sextant reading shows us 10nm north of FP, turn to heading WCA 060 for correction to next hour's shots.
Pilot5: What are you all talking about?

Does this sound like something you'd like to be involved with?

TELEGRAM TO: FS Community
FROM: Tabiteuea North
AUG 28 2012 4:00PM EDT
LATEST NEWS: SEXTANT FIX HAS BEEN SENT STOP
LOADING TESTING RESULTS TO FOLLOW STOP

END MESSAGE

Cheers,

Fred