Heavy Jet ILS Glide Slope Problem

Quote: 'Make sure you are set up properly for landing.' This means: correct speed, correct flaps, NAV radio(s) tuned to ILS freq, When & Where to disconnect AP (threshold? 1/4 mile out? You decide.). Then when you disconnect EVERYTHING AP (EVERYTHING!) then you are on your own and have to deal with cross wind, traffic on runway, land long?, when to deply spoilers, when to brake and, of course, landing on your main gear and not your nose wheel. The mouse won't help you here-you are the Captain and there are 200+ souls on board. #1 is getting them safe on the ground - by whatever means. Practice makes perfect. No guessing. No decision making at decision point - when in doubt: GO AROUND.

Chuck B

Napamule

PS: the joystick on the right, at 45 degrees, and not on desk, allows you to work with other programs without having to move the joystick out of the way. SLAM BANG - THANK YOU MAAM! A bigger desk in pointless when joy is there, ready to use, 25/7, with '0' footprint on desk space. Think about it.

Thanks for that screenshot .

Please try the Hdg Hold on autopilot as shown below and advise if it works OK ,

Once your aircraft/autopilot settles down at the set , speed , altitude , and heading ,

then ;

1. change the Heading value and observe , then ,

2. change the altitude value and observe .

If that works and you want me to run through an ILS ,then please advise ,

- Airport name and ICAO ident

- the Runway that has an ILS fitted .

Cheers Karol

Thanks for that screenshot .

Please try the Hdg Hold on autopilot as shown below and advise if it works OK ,

 

Once your aircraft/autopilot settles down at the set , speed , altitude , and heading ,

then ;

1. change the Heading value and observe , then ,

2. change the altitude value and observe .

 

If that works and you want me to run through an ILS ,then please advise ,

- Airport name and ICAO ident

- the Runway that has an ILS fitted .

 

Cheers Karol

All of the settings you mentioned are working fine. We're just trying to figure out a way to edit the aircraft.xml in a gauges cab or the aircraft.cfg file so that the Alt Hold does not turn off when AP Master is turned on. This would allow the Alt Hold to interact with AP Master as per nearly every other FSX aircraft. I've been able to open the aircraft.xml but haven't had time to look through it. There is probably a line of code where this can easily be revised. If not, it's no big deal.

The C5 is a joy to fly. It's set up to feel nice and sluggish probably like the real deal is. When you first start to taxi, it takes a few seconds for the C5 to move. The C5 audio is fantastic. I run my FSX through my large professional audio speakers in my video production suite & turn up the volume as loud as I can bear so I can literally feel vibration from the plane. The VC is amazing as well. There's a camera view set up in back of the flight ops section of the cabin so you can look forward to the pilots. And then on the ground, the C5 kneels as you lift the huge front visor and rear cargo doors.

OK .

This comment that you made is what interests me ,

" ...... so that the Alt Hold does not turn off when AP Master is turned on. This would allow the Alt Hold to interact with AP Master ..... "

That should not happen !

Did you do it in exactly this order ?

1. set an Altitude in the Altitude window at "D" ( for example 7000' ) .

2. set "#3" to HDG .

3. set AP master to ON at "#1" .

4. set ALT hold to ON at "#10" .

... and if you did what happens , does the value in the ALT window change ? and does the ALT hold turn to OFF ?

If the above happens then the Autopilot is faulty .

Could you provide download details of your C-5 , I could then load it and look at the AP xml and see if I can fix the code for you ( I only have FSX on my computer )

Cheers

Karol

OK .

This comment that you made is what interests me ,

" ...... so that the Alt Hold does not turn off when AP Master is turned on. This would allow the Alt Hold to interact with AP Master ..... "

That should not happen !

 

Did you do it in exactly this order ?

1. set an Altitude in the Altitude window at "D" ( for example 7000' ) .

2. set "#3" to HDG .

3. set AP master to ON at "#1" .

4. set ALT hold to ON at "#10" .

... and if you did what happens , does the value in the ALT window change ? and does the ALT hold turn to OFF ?

 

If the above happens then the Autopilot is faulty .

 

Could you provide download details of your C-5 , I could then load it and look at the AP xml and see if I can fix the code for you ( I only have FSX on my computer )

 

Cheers

Karol

Yes, that works but that's not what I'm trying to do. Here's a link to the Aircraft.xml file. See if you can see if there's a way to keep the Alt Hold from turning off when Master AP is turned on. You can do that with nearly all other FSX aircraft.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h6d3ybjji5gqwpm/AUTOPILOT.xml?dl=0

I'm using the Alpha C-5 as modified by Michael Pook. Here's link to it. It's worth your while to fly this plane anyway. It's a blast!

https://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/23870/fsx-lockheed-c5-galaxy-with-updated-panels/

You'll see some suggested tweaks in this thread that make it easier to land and be sure to keep your landing speed to 142 if you use the default fuel and payload.

Hi Gregory

Still testing the C-5 and Autopilot .

So far the autopilot works wonderfully , still testing , but it appears to work perfectly .

Have flown on AP changing both Headings and Altitudes frequently during the flight and it obeys all inputs .

I examined your Dropbox code of the AP and it is correct , no changes need to be made to the autopilot code to get what you are after .

The instrument that needs to be changed to get what you are after is in fact a separate instrument ,

it is the ALT Hold button which is to the Left of the autopilot on the panel .

That's the one that I need to see in the Dropbox .

EDIT ; I think it's called " AUX NAV PANEL " and it contains both the (HDG CRS ) and (ALT HOLD) buttons .

Cheers

Karol

PS

Please avoid making any changes to xml code unless you are experienced in instrument creation as the tiniest errors or spaces can screw things up and cause headaches .

I've been doing that for just over 10 years and I'm still learning .

Further to Previous post .

Always create a backup insurance copy of instrument or Cab before making any changes .

At the very end of the AUX NAV PANEL xml you will find this code ,

Change FROM ,

(>K:AP_PANEL_ALTITUDE_HOLD) (>K:AUTOPILOT_ON)

Change To ,

(>K:AP_PANEL_ALTITUDE_HOLD)

Notice that this (>K:AUTOPILOT_ON) is being removed .

You will then need to test the function in flight to ensure it's what you are after .

Please advise if that is satisfactory .

Cheers

Karol

Karol - Just an FYI, it looks like Gregory has taken his conversations over to the Panel and Gauge Design forum. It seems like you have worked very hard to see this thru and are very close to giving Gregory what he is looking for! Just thought, I'd butt in here, to hopefully get you two back together in the conversation.

Thanks Karol, and have a super day!

Rick :cool:

Hi Rick

Thank you .

As a person who creates custom instruments for a custom panel to satisfy my own style of flying I can understand that others also have their own preferences .

The main thing is that we enjoy our flying in the simulator however and whatever we choose to fly.

With regards

Karol

Further to Previous post .

Always create a backup insurance copy of instrument or Cab before making any changes .

 

At the very end of the AUX NAV PANEL xml you will find this code ,

 

Change FROM ,

(>K:AP_PANEL_ALTITUDE_HOLD) (>K:AUTOPILOT_ON)

Change To ,

 

Change To ,

(>K:AP_PANEL_ALTITUDE_HOLD)

 

Notice that this (>K:AUTOPILOT_ON) is being removed .

 

You will then need to test the function in flight to ensure it's what you are after .

Please advise if that is satisfactory .

 

Cheers

Karol

Thanks, Karol... that did the trick! I knew there had to be an easy fix for this. Thanks for your patience and understanding. I began flying sims with FS 95 on probably Windows 95 or 98... I forget. Then I took about a 15 year haitus. About six weeks ago I got the FS bug again and have been really enjoying it. There are some really nice improvements with FSX and of course, my computer is much better now.

I had to laugh when someone said I should learn to "hand fly" when actually I have several of hours of student flying time in a Cessna 152. IMO it's easier to steer a real 152 than the sim version, especially when it comes to lining up with a small rural runway.

But again, thanks for all of your help. It is much appreciated!

Whenever I fly a large jet such as a C5 Galaxy, the aircraft engages the ILS OK but the autopilot approach hold has trouble adjusting to the slope. After entering the slope, the plane is slow to react and then will have to take a rather deep dive to get down to the slope, then it overshoots and has to dive up to catch back up to which it then overshoots again. By that time, I'm over the runway & way too high to land.

 

Is there a way to adjust the autopilot settings in the aircraft.cfg file so the plane can adjust more quickly to the slope? I've tried the various recommended approach & landing speeds but that doesn't help.

Tons of perfect advice here from the "ones who know" so I imagine you have this under control. I'm really new, but have already hit this same situation in a very heavy loaded C-17. The plane starts porpoising, and you cant get out of it. The more you try to help, the worse it gets.

Most here mentioned speed, the correct altitude, and a couple mentioned airfoil configuration.

Well, those are the things I used to tune it up and get it right. But, having said that - this (IMO) is one of those areas that keeps flying an art form as well as a science. And, you gotta know your plane cuz the same thing doesn't work everywhere.

So, I don't know nothing, this is just what worked for me.

What finally got me out of that porpoising hell in the Virtavia C-17 loaded very heavy:

Avoid the last minute climb

- Leave the plan a little fast (maneuvarable) upon entry, knowing it is going to try to climb looking for that GS intercept. If you have the plane all the way slowed down to Vref it won't be able to climb up there and get it.

- come in a little high, so it does not have to climb so far to find it.

Avoid the radical nose down

- have your airfoils configured way in advance so that once it catches the GS, it will not nose down on you. It will a little anyway , but not much if you get flaps and speed stable a few miles out. It will try to pick up speed on descent, but it will still be floating down with a good attitude. Throttle it back to kill that speed, expect the nose to come up when you do that -- that is when you add your last flap (3/4 to full) and that nose will go right back where it is suppose to be.