Some very good panel lack some basic info...

**saturn05** · 02-01-2004, 02:16 PM

Lots of freeware panel are very nicely executed but lack some basic components, to mention few: trim (for elevator, and rudder) amount info (I have to switch to external view to check that...not very realistic....) for propeller planes, mixture gauge or control, propeller feather, one very common problem is the lack of fuel and generator control to cut off the engine and the air conditioning system..
It's a shame because this panels, as I said before, are very nicely designed so that means the their developers were very aware of the aircraft cockpit and systems, so why they omitted such basic controls???
One example is the nicely appointed MD-80 panel of Marco Spada, where I check the amount of trim???
Or the Flying Racer P-51 panel, where I check my engine mixter amount and propeller feather???
How you cope folks with the lack of basic engine and control surface info during yoru flight with such panels??
Thank in advance for yoru kind answers!!!

**saturn05** · 02-01-2004, 02:29 PM

Is Marco Diaz and not Marco Spada panel.....

**heyer** · 02-02-2004, 06:36 AM

Well, quite often it's just "Error 30".

**bilbo** · 02-02-2004, 05:52 AM

If I absolutely need to try to fix a glaring omission, I may email the panel author and discuss it with him in a kindly and respectful way or (often easier to do) I may drop a gauge in myself. Before I make a big deal out of an omission, I would check as best I can to see if it is accurate that the real aircraft actually has that type of gauge and where it is located.
At times, I dn't even bother because you may get feedback in other ways like the trim of the aircraft is reflected in the way that it flies and the gauge may not be necessary. Same goes for the mix / prop levers. You can see how the aircraft engine power is doing in the prop RPMs gauges and the manifold pressure gauges.
So it depends.
Bilbo