Ronald Prindle

This 1964 Cessna 336 Skymaster Enhanced G-1000 Twin-Trainer Project, stems from the development of Mike Stone's C337 Super Skymaster, to a 336 Skymaster, the predecessor of the Super Skymaster, that flew with fixed landing gear and a lower rated set of Continental Engines. Expanding on the Cherokee 160C G-1000 Trainer, the desire to cross the state of Pennsylvania a bit quicker, the old C337 Super Skymaster G-1000 came to mind, an airplane I tried to master and had little success. I saw a nice panel for the C337 in FS2004 by Michael Gurezka and a texture that I liked by Gregory Paul, and then I wondered if a non-complex C336 could be done based entirely on the Mike Stone Super Skymaster?  What you see attached is a modernized late '70's Skymaster with the Enhanced G-1000 by SCUMARI Tec 2013.  A project by Ronald Prindle

This 1964 Cessna 336 Skymaster Enhanced G-1000 Twin-Trainer Project, stems from the development of Mike Stone's C337 Super Skymaster, to a 336 Skymaster, the predecessor of the Super Skymaster, that flew with fixed landing gear and a lower rated set of Continental Engines. Expanding on the Cherokee 160C G-1000 Trainer, the desire to cross the state of Pennsylvania a bit quicker, the old C337 Super Skymaster G-1000 came to mind, an airplane I tried to master and had little success. I saw a nice panel for the C337 in FS2004 by Michael Gurezka and a texture that I liked by Gregory Paul, and then I wondered if a non-complex C336 could be done based entirely on the Mike Stone Super Skymaster?  What you see attached is a modernized late '70's Skymaster with the Enhanced G-1000 by SCUMARI Tec 2013. This version has the Cessna Cargo Pack option for your weight and balance load calculations.   A project by Ronald Prindle

FSX Piper PA-28-160C Project Update stems from the development of Mike Stone's C337 Super Skymaster, to a 336 Skymaster, the prediseror of the Super Skymaster, that flew with fixed landing gear and a lower rated set of Continental Engines.  While going through service ceiling tests and the requirement of ground leaning practice of today, I found that a PERCENT LEAN digital meter was a better training gauge when leaning the engine(s) in that understanding the place of an EGT, just simply wasn't enough to get peak performance to estabilsh the figures, on the ground or at altitude.  I dug into my pilot manuals and found that at any altitude, the deisred ratio of fuel to air mixture was 8.2% a number I have yet to disprove.  The Piper PA-28-160C had a Percent RPM meter, this update changes it to the Percent Lean meter I believe does the trick, much better than a Percent RPM gauge.  A project by Ronald Prindle

FSX Piper PA-28-160C Project represents another Rien Cornelissen Cherokee, brought up from FS 2000 to FSX, this time as a 160 HP trainer for the Enhanced Garmin G-1000 for the average single engine pilot.  Locally, we have no equipped trainers like this, hence FSX airplanes with the G-1000 panel, is about all the exposure we will ever get of a "glass panel."  My take on this project was more of a practical nature, the 160 HP Cherokee, to support a G-1000 panel, had to be converted to a 28 volt D.C. buss and an entire panel reconstruction, allowed the G-1000 panel mod to take place.  I was looking for a platform I could read and fly that never worked out well, in other equipped FSX airplanes.  I believe if there were a rental, converted over to a more modern panel, it would still have engine gauges, with backup "sacred six" gauge sets that could be used if the G-1000 system failed during training. Hereto, true engine leaning with altitude, needs to be demonstrated along with the G-1000, having turned ìauto-leaning offî I hope makes this trainer unique and will encourage others like myself to get use to modern displays and new navigation methods not yet available to rent. A project by Ronald Prindle

This Update is for the twin engine (piston) Piper Pocono, which adds two annunciator lamps to the panel, to warn the pilot of manifold "overboost" conditions, found mainly during take-off situations.  
 
Performance flights of the Piper Pocono 470 twin 8-cylinder 720 Cu-In 400 HP airplane and the 570 quad-engine 6-cylinder 540 Cu-In 260 HP engined airplane, I actually found that the 470 should have the designation of a 470T (turbocharged) engine while the 570's remain as they are, non-turbocharged, making them designated 570 as they would have been flown if the 570's would have been producted.  
 
Before you make the simple gauge additions to the 470, check out what the manifold pressure gauge does on a full-power take-off, compared to the four-engine, full-power application.  Too high a manifold pressure, I saw that I had little to no reactions to my Prop pitch changes on the 470, yet the 570 responded as I expected.  A bit of research, I found a Service Bulletin 592, so I looked for and found these annunciator lamps for this airplane, as long as I didn't allow the lamps to light, I had prop pitch control!  However, I could not apply full throttle as quickly as I have done all my hours flying the XPA35-470 Pocono.
 
I believe, very few of us have seen this "boost event" since so few of us had an "altitude engine" available to us to manage.  Going from the turbocharged Piper Arrows and coming back over to the Pocono, I had no knowledge of the possibility of different Overboost levels and hence the annunicator lamp update. They will now warn me of the rapid "spin up" of the 35 InHg limit which in real life, if I exceeded that for as little as two-seconds, I would have to make an engine maintenance logbook entry of said event.  According to the Service Mandated Lycoming "Overboost" Bulletin, applies to all turbocharged piston engines, that do not have a "relief valve?"  These lamps will light 2-inches before the maximum level specified in the AIRCRAFT.CFG file, which still match the 400 HP Comanche IO-720 engine of the time.
 
 Pocono Update by Ronald Prindle

Early in 1967, the Piper Aircraft Company introduced the Piper Arrow, the basic PA-28 design with the 180 HP Lycoming IO-360 four-cylinder engine, but with a constant-speed prop, fuel injection and retractable landing gear.  This is a set of repaints of two of the original factory demo models published in trade magazines at that time, adapted to the freeware Commercial Level Simulations Piper Arrow II PA-28R-200.  The CLS PA28R is free and can be downloaded from their website.  This Piper Arrow set could be considered to be the predecessor to the CLS Arrow II 200 HP simulation however, it will fly on your existing platform without any need for updates to the original CLS airplane.  Textures by Ronald Prindle 

Back in December of 2016, I posted the success story of my D.I.Y. FSX Yoke and Rudder Pedals, which I have been flying for years now. It was based on the MJoy USB Project whereby I learned a lot about exactly what "controls" I really needed to fly, verses what I wanted on my flight control fixture.
 
Recently, I had the good fortune to try out a CH Products Yoke and Rudder Pedals, also both connected by a USB interface, actually I repaired issues in both these well used devices.  As I checked all the features of the CH Products, I grew to like the Point-Of-View HAT Switch and wondered if my homemade controller had such a feature already built into it that I did not take advantage of?  Well, it does!   
 
Thus, came the revision 6 of my MJoy 1.3 Yoke, based on an old Radios Shack "switch-type" joystick and let me tell you, it works fine!
 
The attached zip file contains all the documentation I have on the subject as well as the original firmware MJoy13.ASM file that has served me well all the hours of flying FSX.
 
Enjoy!

Early in 1981, the Piper Aircraft Company made a joint effort to have PZL of Poland, build the production models of the Pocono, designated the PZL M19 series.  It was designed at first, as a turboprop version of the basic Pocono with a more robust airframe and 577 shaft-Horsepower turboprop Pratt and Whitney engines.  An increase in gross weight of 809 pounds, was realized and this variant is pressurized, the "-C" version, was capable of taking 16 passengers from small airfields to airliner hubs, when regional jet were not realized at the time. The design took advantage of recently certified Commercial Pilot's the ability to step in and help keep the large airliners at the time, full of paying passengers, since it remained below the 12,500 pound gross weight threshold. This FSX simulation is a most basic airplane that best shows a large hulled airplane's weight and balance, pressurization and fuel management problems that varied with each flight that all airliners share. This project relys on basic FSX gauges and the gauge package from the original Pocono Project. (FSX_Piper_Pocono.zip)  An FSDS 3.5.1 project by Ronald Prindle 

David E. Myhr's Foster 511 RNAV and the Narco 860 RNAV for FSX is a unique two-waypoint RNAV Computer that really does NOT need a guidance indicator to fly.  Unlike most RNAV units that feed their flight data out to a flyable indicator, the Foster simply adds a DME to an existing navigation radio and reads out both BEARING TO and DISTANCE to fly in digital gas-tube displays.  This RNAV package is more than just the David E. Myhr Foster 511, this is the final day production units that also drive indicators of your choice (RNAV-tested) and gives Ground Speed and Time-To-Station results as well as DME-coupled ILS approach data where marker beacons are being removed these days. It is an expanded form of the Foster 511 by David E. Myhr updated and aligned with published specifications by Ron Prindle, for General Aviation Pilots who want a user-friendly RNAV.
 
Notes:  I highly recommend that you "pickup" and install "LOGGER" by Robbie McElrath that is found on this website.  Why?   There are a lot of thumbwheels to spin for two-waypoints, I frankly can’t get use to sitting in the “run-up area” setting up GPS units these days and spinning a lot of wheels takes time.   Whatever I can do to speed up getting off the Checklist the better.   It’s much quicker to use the LOGGER option and use a simple text editor BEFORE my flight and update the FOSTER.TXT file with the waypoint data I intend to fly.   Don’t get me wrong, the thumbwheels work fine and in the air, changes are easy to make and in a cruse, I can fly to the one waypoint while changing the other.  Two waypoints in a simple RNAV is a great thing!
 
Indicators?   I recommend you read the Word.DOC file that comes with this package whereby an existing King KNS-81 RNAV HSI indicator works just fine with these Nav #1 RNAVs.  You can find it on this website under “FSX King KNS-81 RNAV Update” the N1HSI version is what I use!  The VOR indicators I like with these units would be the ones supplied with the Nav #2 introduction Fosters as well as the the one Nav #1 Narco 860 RNAV indicator I brought over from the “FSX Narco NS-800 RNAV” file on this website.  A standard VOR head with glide slope needle and is RNAV compatible with the Foster Nav #1 projects.   
 
How do you get a “good fit” of these gauges?  I recommend still, software like FS Panel Studio to make the process effortless.
 
RLP 5/12/2023

In 1968 until 1971, Piper Aircraft Company built and flew the one and only experimental PA-35-470 Pocono.  It was designed to be a gasoline-powered piston engine airline feeder, capable of taking 16 passengers from small airfields to airliner hubs, when regional jets were not even thought of at the time.  Since both the 470 and 570 HP engines were never produced a twin-engine 400 HP airplane was built and flew (FSX_Piper_Pocono.ZIP).  The design of the twin-engine Pocono was soon judged to be "under-powered" for the task at hand, so Piper put down on paper, but never built, the four-engine Pocono to demonstrate a 570 HP airplane.  The most logical solution at the time was to select four 260 HP Lycomings already found on the assembly line that gave the airframe 1,040 HP, as near the 570 would ever get to flying at its rated horsepower.  This is that concept aircraft in FSX.  An FSDS 3.5.1 project by Ronald Prindle   

Turbodak's Piper PA-22-135 Tripacer N5459Z upload runs fine in FSX, I configured the panel for my cross-country flying and I thought other FSX Tripacer owners would like the same.  Simply unzip the three files in this zip file into the Tripacer's FSX \ Panel folder, no I did not add a flap indicator, nor a fuel cutoff lever, I simply like the airplane as it it, hope you will too!
Panel by Ron Prindle

During my test flight of the four-engine Pocono, I found that my electrical panel was missing fuel pump and right magneto switches.   Since I simply copied the shared panel from the recent upload, I found that a few items didn't make the "zip process" and that I am deeply sorry about.  If you noticed the lack of switches in your XPA35-470 Pocono, this zip file is for you.  Simply unzip them into your existing \PA35_Gauges folder.    Thanks for your time, Ron Prindle

In 1968, Piper Aircraft Company built and flew the one and only experimental PA-35-470 Pocono.  It was designed to be a gasoline-powered piston engine airline feeder, capable of taking 16 passengers from small airfields to airliner hubs, when regional jet were not even thought of at the time.  Furthermore, gasoline in smaller airfields where Jet-A (kerosene) wasn't available made the concept airplane a desirable connection aircraft.  The design took advantage of recently certified Commercial Pilot's the ability to step in and help keep the large airliners at the time, full of paying passengers.  This FSX simulation is a most basic airplane that best shows a large hulled airplane's weight and balance problems that varied with each flight that all airliners share.   An entry-level experience for all Private Pilots who thought they understood weight and balance solutions.  An FSDS 3.5.1 project by Ronald Prindle

FSX Cherokee External VPanel Kit. After many hours of flying the Cherokee 140 2K2 airplanes, having the internal static panel replaced by the dynamic projection from (Panel_Projection_Kit_Cherokee_2K2.ZIP), I found a way to replace the outside view of that static panel, with Horst Paetzold's (hpcherok.ZIP) panel, so when I look inside, the panel is correct and functioning. This optional update affects all three Cherokee 2K2X Project airplanes (Legacy_Cherokee_2K2X.zip), the basic airplane, PA-28-140 with the Canadian Variants, (Cherokee_2K2X_Float.zip) the floatplane version of the PA-28s-140 as well as the Turboprop Trainer PA-28-440 (Cherokee_2K2_TProp.zip). The enclosed \Model.1 MDL files allow this new view as well as takes care of some cosmetic blemish issues I noticed while flying these aircraft. Installation is just over-writing the existing files to gain the External Dynamic Panel effect. Enjoy! A project by Ronald Prindle.

FSX PA-28s-140 Update. This Piper PA-28s-140 Floatplane Project update adds the missing water rudder animation for those who want to look outside and verify the positions before take-off or landing. The original Cherokee_2K2X_Float.ZIP did not have any code to run this animation, now it does. This update includes all propeller and Virtual Panel updates you have, (FSDS version _018.MDL) by simply unzipping (Models; _019.MDL) the Model.1 folder into the Airplanes; FS PA-28-140 Cherokee 2K2 Float folder for the effect for your PA-28s-140 Seaplanes. Update By Ronald Prindle.

FSX Piper Cherokee 2K2X Dynamic Internal Panel. This optional upgrade kit for (LEGACY_CHEROKEE_2K2X.ZIP) contains both Panel and Model folders for the three Cherokee 2K2X projects, but with added dynamic interior instrument panel gauges. The internal static panel view is now a projected image of the 2D panel, that which Horst Paetzold's (HPCHEROK.ZIP) designed. I found during my development of the Piper XPA-35-470 Pocono, that my interior instrument panel was a lot nicer to fly than the static image I used in the PA-28-140 airplanes. I therefore found a way to place the FSDS VPanel into the 140 airplanes in separate folders (.1) so I could switch back at any time if the new panels didn't seem to work out. It's been weeks and I like the projections well enough to keep them. This kit also contains the model upgraded prop fixes and I included in the Textures.zip file the missing left widow portal. It is your option to add them if you want it as well. Simple copies of the \Panel.1 and \Model.1 folders will get you the projection screens and to activate them, tell your AIRCRAFT.CFG which folders to use, refer to the README.TXT file for details. Enjoy! A project by Ronald Prindle.

FSX Piper PA-28 Cherokee 2K2X Project Update comes from a problem identified by Turbodak, whereby prop rotation and a stutter has been rectified, which I found in all my 2K2X Project files. You will find the three active Legacy PA-28-140's that need updated are within this zip file. How I found the solution, came from Piper's experimental "proof-of-concept" airplane that lead to the Seneca we know today. While developing the Piper XPA-32 3-Engine Cherokee Six, I found I had a lot of engine animation examples which gave me the answer to the Legacy Cherokee problems. The updated model files should fix this issue. Update By Ronald Prindle.

FSX Piper Turboprop Trainer. So you've trained in your Piper Cherokee 140, gotten your ticket, worked your time up in the London Flying School's rentals and walking the flight line, you see the training school has a new "sports car" that has a smell of Kerosene about it. You've heard about high "TBO times" of turbines, they are lightweight, produce high horsepower ratings and burn cheaper fuel. The local instructor says there's a lot to learn, as in higher fuel consumption rates, burning "heavier fuel" weight per gallon, you'll fly faster ground speeds and learn "funny" ground handling practice (engine controls). Still interested, he goes on, a real fuel management problem exists to get the range (and reserve fuel) you may be used to seeing in a gasoline 140, as seen by four fuel tanks (less useful load). The intrigue continues when "Full-Power" take-offs become rare to keep passengers comfortable. After all, this is still a (Rien Cornelissen) Cherokee PA-28 airframe. You'll have to fly carefully so as not to bend the wings. In the spirit of the FSX Mooney Turbine, here is a Piper Turboprop trainer, for use in your higher altitude long cross-country trips. A project by Ronald Prindle.

FSX Floatplane Trainer PA28-140. A new addition to Piper PA-28-140 "trainers" that are not well represented these days, would be the "floatplanes." Having flown (ex: CESSNA150FLOATFSX.ZIP) A.F. Scrub's floatplanes, I always wondered what "sitting on the wing" over the water, would look like? Building apon the Cherokee 2K2 Project, here would be my choice to "rent one" from my Piper dealer's fleet! The FSX stock seaplanes, I found are a handful to fly and several forum discussions tell me I am not alone, hence the floatplane Cherokee 140. I hope this helps to you better appreciate the meaning of a Seaplane Rating. Project By Ronald Prindle.

FSX Canadian PA28-140's. Legacy (PA28_140.ZIP) by Ken Ettie for FS2002 and Daniel Mandato Alves, represent the Piper PA-28-140 "trainers" that were flying in the London Flying Club, London, Ontario, Canada, as they appeared in 1979-1980. I tried to keep them as they were presented back in FS2002, with only the necessary changes to these texture files, to work in the new FSX airplane. They are an addition to the existing Cherokee 2K2 Package found in (Legacy_Cherokee_2K2X.ZIP) and a simple copy of these files will get you the airplanes in FSX and another "red" Cherokee of my own paint, again in "red" (the scheme I recall was on most of the trainers in our local Piper Dealer's fleet) at that time frame. The POH in PDF format, is found in this zip file for your referenace and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Aircraft.CFG By Ronald Prindle.

FSX Piper Chrokee 140. Legacy (CHEROKEE.ZIP) by Rien Cornelissen for FS2000, (PA28_140.ZIP) by Ken Ettie for FS2002 and Daniel Mandato Alves's (PA28AACSP.ZIP) for FS2002 have all come alive once again, now in FSX. The Piper PA-28-140 "trainers" we all knew in the '70's and '80's flew well and were favorites, not usually seen now in FSX "freeware fleets." Along came Horst Paetzold's (HPCHEROK.ZIP) 2D panel and a perfect/completed set of pieces arrived, if only they were all in one pacakge? This PA28 Cherokee trainer package is a compiled set of those pieces and represent what I believe you might still find today on most airfield rentals, only now you can fly them in FSX. A project by Ron Prindle, Thanks to Rien Cornelissen!

FSX Panels And Gauges--Unified Panel For PA24. Piper PA-24 Comanche Unified Panel Project is an optional upgrade suggested by my real-world Instrument Instructor (R.O. Finley) to "merge" all the 2D panels found in the Comanche collection into one, clear view. I have grown to enjoy the simpler operation and I believe if you have the recent downloads of my FSX vesrion of Mike Stone's Comanches, you'll like this conversion as well. Panel.CFG's and Aircraft.CFG's by Ronald Prindle.

FSX Piper PA-28-151 Cherokee Warrior is based on the existing (WARRIOR8.ZIP) by Rien Cornelissen done in FS2002/FS2004. Historically, the Piper Cherokee Warrior (150 HP) represents the leap from "Hershey Bar" wings to the tappered wings for all the future low-wing Cherokee lines that are still flying today. The Warrior was built during the 1974 to 1977 time fuel prices were high and the Lycoming O-320-E3D was designed to run on low-octane (80) leaded fuel. This was also a departure from a history of high-octane, high-powered four-cylinder engines. I wanted to bring the Rien Cornelissen airplane to life in FSX as a representative of that time which closes the gap from the constant-cord wings to the tapped wings, speed fairings and the vertical fin updates along with the extended stabiltor lengths seen on almost all the PA-28 series from 1978 on. I tired to stay true to the Rien Cornelissen airplane from FS2002/FS2004 as much as I could, including his instrument panel. I made up two repaints (textures) that show how they looked back then, one is still flying today and the other from the Piper Standard Catalog image that imspired me to try this project. FSX Updates By Ronald Prindle.

FSX Piper Comanche & Cherokee Six Prop Update. Piper PA-24 Comanche and PA-32 Cherokee Six "Propeller" Updates, are optional replacements to those AIRCRAFT.CFG files you have flying today. The Piper airplanes that were "tuned up" (by AIRCRAFTEDITORV1-1.ZIP) was an effort to bring performance data within published V-Speeds, etc. The Piper Commanches and the Cherokee Six's (uploaded by me) have been re-evaluated again, from the original configurations and test flights were better than those provided in their original form. These refinements are getting the simulations closer yet, to those published by Piper in their Standard Catalog. Installation of these tune ups; just select the airplane you'd like to update and copy the Aircraft.CFG files over your existing files. MOI and properller tune ups by Ron Prindle.

FSX Piper Comanche And Cherokee Six MOI Update. Piper PA-24 Comanche and PA-32 Cherokee Six "Moments Of Inertia" updates, are optional replacements to those AIRCRAFT.CFG files you have flying today. The Piper airplanes that were "tuned up" (by AIRCRAFTEDITORV1-1.ZIP) was an effort to bring performance data within published V-speeds, etc. The Piper Commanches and the Cherokee Six's (uploaded by me) have been re-evaluated from the original configurations (which are also provided as AIRCRAFT_Org.CFG files) and test flights were better than those provided in their original form. For example; the Comanche 400 now cruses at published 185 Knots (212 MPH) which earlier I found difficult to achieve. Another thing I discovered while "tuning up" the constant-speed airplanes was the need to "Square up" the manifold pressure on the PA-32 Cherokee Six's as in 2,500 RPM and a manifold at 25-Inches gave the best speed and fuel rate burn within reason (18 GPH). The Piper Comanches (PA-24's) I found the PDF Checklist suggested 21-Inch manifold pressures to a tach readings of 2,500 - 2,600 gave the best speed and fuel (17 GPH) burn rate. Installation of these tune ups, just select the airplane you'd like to update and copy the Aircraft.CFG files over your existing files. If you liked what you had, remove AIRCRAFT.CFG and rename AIRCRAFT_Org.CFG to AIRCRAFT.CFG. MOI Tune Ups by Ron Prindle.