newbie - single prop planes and airport landing procedures.

Hi all.

 

Just a few dumb questions - I can't find these online.

In X-Plane, single prop planes tend to roll left except for the Stinson L5 which rolls right.

I thought the problem was my joystick calibration, but double prop planes seem to fly strait. Jet planes run silk-smooth.

For takeoffs, I get the slipstream effect and yaws left - just turn the rudder to compensate and the yaw movement stops at cruise speed. So I don't think slipstream is causing the roll problem.

Any ideas? I thought most planes naturally fly stable because of the lateral stability/ dihedral effect. Can this be simple engine torque?

 

I can seemingly take off without problems, find an airport using a radio, then land. What I don't know is how to do I ask for permission to land, land from the correct side of the runway, etc. How to do this? I can't just land anyplace at anytime for any reason (in the real world).

I'm just looking for the correct terminology and please point me in the right direction so I can search for this my self in both the sim and the real-world. I think it's possible in X-Plane.

 

Last dumb question. How can I refuel at an airport? Or just change my "Weight and Fuel" settings and pretend it was an airport refuelling?

 

Thanks!

BTW, I read "Stick and Rudder" by Wolfgang and "Student Pilot's Flight Manual, From First Flight to Pilot Certificate" by Kershner.

There are others more familiar with the ATC in X-Plane than I am, but I think the general consensus is that it isn't working quite right in X-Plane 10 yet. But to hear tower, find the frequency and tune your Com 1 radio.

 

Single prop planes will drift left on takeoff power due to the directional rotation of the prop. Twins and jets are "counter-balanced" and don't display that characteristic. The Stinson L5 most likely has a rotation in the other direction which accounts for its right bank. Most singles will bank left.

 

I don't think there is a refueling feature in X-Plane. I'm an FSX convert and I know you could pull up to the pumps in FSX and refuel. I think the only way in X-Plane is to use the menu.

Thanks for the post!

I'll read more about the ATC.

For the left/right banking, I'm guessing it's engine torque or just some XP 10 problem.

This means I can't just point a single prop in the right direction, cruise, then walk away. But if I want to "fly", then I should avoid the jets and the auto-pilot.

 

I found this thread http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showtopic=55518, but there seems to be no problems with torque - even on a Cessna 172.

Thanks for the post!

I'll read more about the ATC.

For the left/right banking, I'm guessing it's engine torque or just some XP 10 problem.

This means I can't just point a single prop in the right direction, cruise, then walk away. But if I want to "fly", then I should avoid the jets and the auto-pilot.

 

I found this thread http://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?showtopic=55518, but there seems to be no problems with torque - even on a Cessna 172.

 

Andy's reply at the org...............something like "more than you need to know", explains it best. Under the Flight School forum.

 

BTW--- hooking up my Cray (type) super computer today. GTX 980 :). Will be getting back into flight simulation soon. X-Plane, FSX, Prepare (what ever it is), Rise of Flight and a few more. I've missed it for the last 1 1/2 years.

You'll love it, @ladamson. I just built a new machine with the GTX 970 4GB Superclocked EVGA card feeding an overclocked Intel 4790K at 4.8GHz. You can pretty much set the sliders wherever you like. Enjoy!

You'll love it, @ladamson. I just built a new machine with the GTX 970 4GB Superclocked EVGA card feeding an overclocked Intel 4790K at 4.8GHz. You can pretty much set the sliders wherever you like. Enjoy!

 

Downloaded XP-10 demo last evening. Looks good so far. Need to dig out my controls.

This computer already had a I7 3960X six core in it. From looking at comparison tests, it does well with multi-core applications, and a bit less than the Intel 4790 with single core programs, such as FSX. Just have 16 GB RAM at the moment, and not over-clocked yet.

I went with CPU speed rather than cores because I fly FSX and X-Plane (though I'm flying more X-Plane lately). I don't do much with AI, cars and such, and eye candy is not as important as accurate flight dynamics. The i7 4790K is hyperthreaded (8 cores) but I don't think X-Plane knows much about how to use virtual threading. I pushed my CPU to 5.0GHz with apparently total stability, then backed it down to 4.8GHz just to be safe. My CPU/GPU usage is in the upper teens with framerates varying from mid 20's at extremely dense airports and dense clouds, to over 100 in sparse landscapes. FSX framerates are so high I won't publish them because no one would believe me - although admittedly I do not have any HD mesh in FSX yet. I'm running the HD mesh in X-Plane 10.31 64-bit with 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM and some complex Carenado aircraft with absolutely no problems, although I do get an occasional (apparent) scenery loading hitch (see other threads on this). All my approaches have been smooth as glass as you slow down and your required scenery and cloud draw distance decreases (I assume).

 

Sorry, OT here.