With FS2004, I Hope . . .

[pdmike]

I am looking forward to FS2004 and am glad to see a forum at this early date.

I hope FS2004 corrects several things that I do not like about FS2002.

I hope they make it so I do not have to go in and change the cfg file of each aircraft in order to have the aircraft turn left or right manually.

I hope they make it so that, when I am flying in spot plane view and want to change the angle at which I am viewing the aircraft, the altitude of the view remains the same rather than reverting to zero elevation in the view.

Finally, I hope that, when I install FS2004, it does not shut down my computer.

Nice Flyin' With Ya!
pdmike
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WestWind (Virtual) Airlines Pilot

[DaveKDEN]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-18-03 AT 12:12PM (EDT)[/font][p]>"I hope they make it so I do not have to go in and change the cfg file of each aircraft in order to have the aircraft turn left or right manually."

I assume you mean after engaging the autopilot? That tweak (though common) is actually an INCORRECT function for a majority of autopilots. I've never flown an aircraft that has an autopilot that works like that. You ALWAYS need to either engage some type of Nav hold or Heading hold or turn using a separate AP control knob (like the old 727). You can't just turn it on and manually fly it using the yoke. After all, what's the point of having an AP? Funny how things get twisted around because "that's the way it was before." I think there's going to be many hopes with FS2004, many of which won't be realized. Many have too high an expectation for a $55.00 piece of software. What MS gives us is actually quite amazing when you consider the price.

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[pdmike]

Dave:

Thanks for the comments. I am at work, so I may get this wrong, but let me try to describe in a little more detail what I am talking about.

In any of the "big heavies," you are flying on autopilot with HDG, ALT and IAS engaged. You decide you want to remain on autopilot insofar as altitude and speed are concerned, but you want to disengage the heading and turn the plane manually.

In default FS2002, when you disengage the HDG feature, LVL automatically comes on to replace it and you are unable to turn the plane. Get rid of LVL, and HDG automatically comes on again. You are forced to use one or the other and neither one of them allows you to turn the plane manually.

If you disengage autopilot altogether, you are STILL unable to turn the plane manually.

The only way I know to correct this is to go into the cfg file for each aircraft you want to change and make an entry under autopilot - I cannot recall the exact wording of the entry.

You say "you can't just manually fly it using the yoke." Is that really true? I can't believe that.

It just seems to me we should not have to be messing with the cfg files on planes in order to accomplish something that was automatic in prior versions of FS. This problem never arose in FS until FS2002.

Any more thoughts on this subject? I find it most interesting.

Nice Flyin' With Ya!
pdmike
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WestWind (Virtual) Airlines Pilot

[DaveKDEN]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Jun-18-03 AT 12:57PM (EDT)[/font][p]>"If you disengage autopilot altogether, you are STILL unable to turn the plane manually."

That's a new one to me. I've never encountered that problem. Once the AP's completely disengaged, you should have full manual control. The only caveat is speed control. Many times you need to ensure the autothrottle is disengaged and the speed function is disengaged. Those functions might remain on with a simple AP disengagement (as is the case in many real AP's).

>"You say "you can't just manually fly it using the yoke." Is that really true? I can't believe that"

That's correct. With any AP I've flown, you need to use either HDG, NAV, or turn using an AP control knob. If you try using the yoke (stick) it will disengage the AP after a certain amount of force is applied (usually ~25 lbs).

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[cliffhawker]

<<The only way I know to correct this is to go into the cfg file for each aircraft you want to change and make an entry under autopilot - I cannot recall the exact wording of the entry.>>


use_no_default_pitch=1
use_no_default_bank=1

?

[pdmike]

Yup - that's the one, C-Man. Thanks.

Nice Flyin' With Ya!
pdmike
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WestWind (Virtual) Airlines Pilot

[Tabs]

pdmike - absolutely true that real autopilots don't work the way you've described - you can't engage a vertical mode without also engaging a lateral one. There are ones that are "single axis" and have only a lateral mode, but not ones that would have only vertical.

[Jeff S KDTW]

I just got back from a real flight and that's how it worked--if AP is on, you automatically get wings leveler engaged.

Regards,

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[ilove2ski42]

I did not know this (I never use the 1-axis A/P in the Archer I fly, and it's only 1-axis anyway), but it doesn't surprise me.

This is one of the things that must be hard for MS though, when they design their sim. Customers are always complaining about a "bug" here or there, since it "doesn't work like it used to". I'm sure this isn't the only case in which this is true, MS finally addressed a problem, fixed it up realistically in FS2002, with the result of it being hailed as a "bug". Oh well, they do a pretty good job overall if you ask me.

pdmike- Sorry if that seems offensive in any way to you. As I said, I didn't know that real A/Ps worked like that until I read the posts. I'm just talking generically about the "bugs" that people report.

Besides...that's why we have forums!

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[ladamson]

Within FS2002, at least for GA, since I seldom fly the heavies,

I use the "heading bug" to manually change course, just like in the real thing. It works great, as well as being faster & more accurate. Just move the bug, and let the auto-pilot change the heading.

Ladamson