Question is the Airbus A320 Broken or not

[tiger1962]

You need to engage the Flight Director and Localizer as well as the Autopilot.

[gazeb]

You need to engage the Flight Director and Localizer as well as the Autopilot.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

I've got the FD engaged but surely I shouldn't have the Localizer engaged shortly after take off? However, even with Localizer engaged it still doesn't follow the flight plan.

[tiger1962]

Yes, the Airbus needs LOC engaged to follow the flight plan. Are you using the FlyByWire A32NX mod by the way? It's pretty much essential and Asobo are considering building it into a future update: https://flybywiresim.com/a32nx

[gazeb]

Yes, the Airbus needs LOC engaged to follow the flight plan. Are you using the FlyByWire A32NX mod by the way? It's pretty much essential and Asobo are considering building it into a future update: https://flybywiresim.com/a32nx

 

I'm not using the FlyByWire mod. I'll give it a go and see if that helps.

 

Edit: I've installed the FlyByWire mod but the A320 still isn't following the flight plan I've loaded. I'll test with different flight plans to see if that is the problem.

Edited December 13, 2020 by gazeb

[mjhopkins]

I tried it with FD -- no dice and then with LOC, also no good will try with both selected at takeoff. I am using the A32nx mod hoping it would fix the same autopilot problem I had with the original A320. Edited December 13, 2020 by mjhopkins

[gazeb]

I tried it with FD -- no dice and then with LOC, also no good will try with both selected at takeoff

 

I've tried with both selected at takeoff and it still doesn't work for me.

[mjhopkins]

Just tried a take off with LOC and FD selected; aircraft turned towards selected flight path then after about a minute, executed a tight right turn that left the aircraft at a 90 degree bank nose down.

[gazeb]

Just tried a take off with LOC and FD selected; aircraft turned towards selected flight path then after about a minute, executed a tight right turn that left the aircraft at a 90 degree bank nose down.

 

Exactly the sort of behaviour I am experiencing. It makes the A320 unusable for me currently and I'm tempted to revert to XPlane 11.

[tiger1962]

Try adjusting your controller sensitivity settings, I found that setting the dead zones to 10 for each axis cured this issue for me.

 

Sent from my KFDOWI using Tapatalk

[Disneyflyer]

Im having the same probs although I think it is my CH Flight Sim Yoke. I took off and engaged auto after initial climb and had the right turn spiral start. I pulled the USB for the yoke and it straightened up and flew the plan for me. Figure Ill plug it back in about 15 mins before landing while working the approach.

 

I wonder if the newest update with the CH profiles updated have cause this.

[gazeb]

I increased the dead zone on my joystick to 10% but am still having the same problem. The flight plan is ignored and the plane crashed! It must be one of:

 

1) I'm doing something fundamentally wrong. Very possible as I've just switched over from XP11

 

2) There is a bug in MFS2020 that is affecting my set up

 

3) My very old Saitek rumble force joystick is the cause of the problem

 

Looks like I need to investigate further but currently the A320 is completely unusable and broken from my perspective.

[NonCon]

There are two versions of the FBW a320, make sure you use the Developmental version. I believe the Stable version still uses the less than stable Asobo autopilot. Whereas the Developmental version uses an autopilot developed by the FBW team.

[floundy]

Gazeb,

How are you engaging the auto pilot? In other words what are the steps you are taking? I fly the 320 frequently and have not encountered any of the issues similar to what you are experiencing. Here's how i engage the autopilot every time without fail.

Choose route VFR, IFR high/low

add any waypoints or choose available approaches in drop down destination tab

Manually set desired altitude, flaps, trim etc.

engage auto throttle and begin your roll

after rotation and gear up fly runway heading to about 1000 give or take

retard the throttle into the CL position *important*

engage the auto pilot (red button on yoke for me)

move the mouse to speed and click managed

move the mouse to heading and click managed

move the mouse to altitude and click selected (allows you to manually control altitude by dialing in the desired target altitude.

retard the flaps sit back pour yourself a cold one and enjoy the ride.

 

Ive flown an RNav approach into Bali recently and auto landed that thing almost perfectly to about 100ft from touchdown where i kicked the AP off and lifted it over the threshold as autoland wanted to send me swimming.

 

Hope this helps.

Mike

 

Asus lappy win10 64bit i7 nvidia GTX 1060

Edited December 20, 2020 by floundy

[shb7]

Yesterday I flew from Burbank to Las Vegas. I didn't use any fast sim rate. Autopilot and auto throttle all the way. When I was trying to climb, it was constanly oscillating between 18,000 fpm and -200 fpm. Also, you can still move the throttle manually when in auto throttle. That is strange. On takeoff you get absurd climb rates like 5,000 fpm, and auto throttle doesn't work at first. I wouldn't bother reinstalling the plane, because I doubt that is the problem.

[Kapitan]

Yesterday I flew from Burbank to Las Vegas. I didn't use any fast sim rate. Autopilot and auto throttle all the way. When I was trying to climb, it was constantly oscillating between 18,000 fpm and -200 fpm. Also, you can still move the throttle manually when in auto throttle. That is strange. On takeoff you get absurd climb rates like 5,000 fpm, and auto throttle doesn't work at first. I wouldn't bother reinstalling the plane, because I doubt that is the problem.

 

did you operate as Mike (floundy) suggested?

 

to all people that find huge vertical speed discrepancies...

Autopilot applies feet per minute (fpm) depending on the plane SPEED

 

if speed is programmed in the fmc (managed) it will use that speed

if managed is chosen but no speed is input in fmc > problem!

autopilot will first think speed is unlimited skyrocketing fps, but since its not as soon as speed below 250 it reduces fpm to 200ft, and repeats this bouncing glitch

 

Either set your speed parameters on fmc or use "selected speed" in mouse option autopilot

 

Hey, i have been away from Sim since October, before 3 updates and problems with operating Airbus autopilot had endless threads both here and msfs forum

and its still going on!!

 

And it will go on because people come into the sim or first try this realistic Airbus every single day and the fact is no one bothers to learn how autopilot works in a real airbus.

 

In a real Airbus IF you take off without every single speed and waypoint programmed in fmc not only the plane will go crazy up and down not knowing what fpm to apply, you would also be sacked and go to jail, even if there is no accident because your colleague pilot manages to control the plane.

There's is no point crying and saying autopilot doesn't work

 

You can watch YouTube video tutorials by Real Airbus Sim a320 pilot

 

its all about proper programming fmc in climb waypoints with target altitudes and speed, keeping throttles in CLIMB position, or if you don't want to follow fmc exactly, keep altitude and airspeed in selected mode and choose a desired vertical speed

 

be sure> you must learn how to fly Airbus autopilot, and if you think you know and you are having problems...you dont

Edited December 20, 2020 by Kapitan

[Michaelt]

Does anyone know why the miles remaining and time code on the FMC don’t update in real time?

[gazeb]

After the latest MFS2020 update the auto pilot has started working for me. Not doing anything different so goodness knows what has happened.

 

However, the FlyByWire plugin appears to have stopped working. Is that expected when there is an upgrade to the base sim?

 

https://flybywiresim.com/a32nx

[tiger1962]

Yes it's to be expected, it usually takes the flybywire team a day or two to release an updated version of the mod. All the Working Title mods are updated already: https://github.com/Working-Title-MSFS-Mods/fspackages

[daspinall]

Well in this last update they addressed Autopilot bugs just to mention one aspect of this very substantial update, I noticed the difference flying and landing the 747 now, it suddenly feels more real.....

[gazeb]

New problem...

 

Set-up the A320 flight plan at the start screen and then begin the flight. Press Ctrl+E to start the engines....MSFS20 crashes out. I've tried rebooting the PC and restarting but to no avail. What a fiasco this product is turning out to be for me.

[tiger1962]

Are you using the new a32nx mod, released today?

[Ian61]

Since the latest update, I cant get the MFDs to work regardless of whether I have fuel in the centre tank, start cold and dark from a gate or fired up at a runway. I have deleted and reinstalled the a32nx files that had previously fixed all the issues. Now I can't fly the 320 at all. Ctrl + E will start the engines but nothing I do makes the MFDs fire up!

 

I have display on A320 Landing training, take off training engine shuts down on runway and all electrical lost, Rio trial landing trial, engines shut down at about 500ft agl.

 

i have submitted a ticket to Zendesk.

[gazeb]

Are you using the new a32nx mod, released today?

 

Thanks. Updated and working again.

 

One thing I've noticed is since the update it appears the A320 requires virtually no throttle at all to begin taxiing. Even at idle the plane continues moving forwards.

[tiger1962]

Thanks. Updated and working again.

 

One thing I've noticed is since the update it appears the A320 requires virtually no throttle at all to begin taxiing. Even at idle the plane continues moving forwards.

 

That's one of my pet hates, fortunately there's a simple fix if you don't mind editing the engines.cfg file with Notepad.

In the engines.cfg file, copy and paste these two lines over the same two lines at the bottom of the [TURBINEENGINEDATA] section:

 

low_idle_n1 = 12 ; 19.5

low_idle_n2 = 36 ; 58.5

 

This reduces the idle rpm so that some thrust is required to taxi again.

[gazeb]

That's one of my pet hates, fortunately there's a simple fix if you don't mind editing the engines.cfg file with Notepad.

In the engines.cfg file, copy and paste these two lines over the same two lines at the bottom of the [TURBINEENGINEDATA] section:

 

low_idle_n1 = 12 ; 19.5

low_idle_n2 = 36 ; 58.5

 

This reduces the idle rpm so that some thrust is required to taxi again.

 

Thanks for this. I've updated the file and it still seems to taxi very easily so I may try reducing further.