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Trim For The Sim


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Why didn't anyone tell me about this? Maybe no one knows? So I want to share something about trim in FSX that has REALLY helped me.

 

As you all know it's rather hard to adjust trim in FSX just right. For most of us we have to pull our joystick or yoke to the point we want to trim for and then hit the trim button. BUT in a real plane the yoke has the pressure removed when it's trimmed right. Not so in the sim. We are left to hit the trim button and then let go of the stick. We end up doing this a lot until the plane stays at about the right spot when we let go the last time.

 

But this method is very much guess work and hard to get just right. So I've considered getting feedback yokes, and when I saw the price I tried to make a freaking pulley system to hold the joystick in place (failed). But now I can adjust trim perfectly and AUTOMATICALLY.

 

When I pull the joystick to the point I want to trim for I can let go and it doesn't budge. Then when I want to change pitch I push forward (a little further than normal but not bad) and when I get to the point I want I let go and boom, I'm trimmed again. I suggest holding it in position a few seconds before letting go of the stick though because it takes a second for it to lock the trim in place.

 

So, want to know how I did it?

 

Go into the C drive > users > the admin folder (whatever it's named) > AppData (this folder is a hidden folder so you will have to unhide it) > Roaming > Microsoft > FSX > fsx (open the configuration file in notepad).

 

Once you open it find AutoTrim=False under the [REALISM] heading. Change it to True and save. Now open FSX and try it out!

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That's great if you want EVERY aircraft to be self trimming. If you just have a few that are real kamikaze nose divers, there is...

 

FSX Automatic Elevator Trim Gauge

by Chuck Dome

 

in the library that you add to the individual panel.cfg

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As you all know it's rather hard to adjust trim in FSX just right. For most of us we have to pull our joystick or yoke to the point we want to trim for and then hit the trim button.

 

I do trim closer to the way I do in real aircraft, that is, I add some back pressure, then trim, then relax my back pressure (or forward pressure) slightly to see how close I am, then repeat if needed. So I don't have to guess where I should pull the stick to, just go in increments as I do in real aircraft. It's a lot easier that way AND, you can start your trim a little earlier and not have to try to hold pitch attitude in position all at once. And as the aircraft speeds up (as I level off) or slows down (as I bring the nose up) I can trim in increments as the airspeed changes, not wait until it's stable in my new attitude.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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I use key presses to do 'auto trim' (manual but with assist). How? I press 'Z' key (activates AP) then press 'Ctrl+Z' (activates 'Set Alt at Present Alt') then wait 5 seconds and you're done! You do have a little 'leeway' (nose up/down) using joy or yoke BUT NOT MUCH or AP will 'let go'. Do it in reverse order to go off AP and take over with manual control. Trim is vital and very useful if used right so learn how to use it properly and the sim will be a pleasure and not a pain.

Chuck B

Napamule

i7 2600K @ 3.4 Ghz (Turbo-Boost to 3.877 Ghz), Asus P8H67 Pro, Super Talent 8 Gb DDR3/1333 Dual Channel, XFX Radeon R7-360B 2Gb DDR5, Corsair 650 W PSU, Dell 23 in (2048x1152), Windows7 Pro 64 bit, MS Sidewinder Precision 2 Joy, Logitech K-360 wireless KB & Mouse, Targus PAUK10U USB Keypad for Throttle (F1 to F4)/Spoiler/Tailhook/Wing Fold/Pitch Trim/Parking Brake/Snap to 2D Panel/View Change. Installed on 250 Gb (D:). FS9 and FSX Acceleration (locked at 30 FPS).
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I use key presses to do 'auto trim' (manual but with assist). How? I press 'Z' key (activates AP) then press 'Ctrl+Z' (activates 'Set Alt at Present Alt') then wait 5 seconds and you're done! You do have a little 'leeway' (nose up/down) using joy or yoke BUT NOT MUCH or AP will 'let go'. Do it in reverse order to go off AP and take over with manual control. Trim is vital and very useful if used right so learn how to use it properly and the sim will be a pleasure and not a pain.

Chuck B

Napamule

 

First, learn to use the `center all` control assignment, which centers not just the control surfaces, but also the trims. Preferably assign it to a single, unusual button press (I use the `5` button on the keyboard numpad).

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That's great if you want EVERY aircraft to be self trimming. If you just have a few that are real kamikaze nose divers, there is...

 

FSX Automatic Elevator Trim Gauge

by Chuck Dome

 

in the library that you add to the individual panel.cfg

 

I didn't know about that add-on. I will have to check it out. Yes, it is good only if you want it for all aircraft and I can also see how it can actually defeat the purpose of making it more "realistic" because you no longer have to think about trim.

 

But since I felt like it must not be realistic anyway due to the limitations on simulation vs really feeling the pressure I figured it was a good trade off.

 

Of course, I have not had the chance to fly the real thing so it's just what I gathered from listening to others too.

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I do trim closer to the way I do in real aircraft, that is, I add some back pressure, then trim, then relax my back pressure (or forward pressure) slightly to see how close I am, then repeat if needed. So I don't have to guess where I should pull the stick to, just go in increments as I do in real aircraft. It's a lot easier that way AND, you can start your trim a little earlier and not have to try to hold pitch attitude in position all at once. And as the aircraft speeds up (as I level off) or slows down (as I bring the nose up) I can trim in increments as the airspeed changes, not wait until it's stable in my new attitude.

 

I would have thought feeling the pressure of the yoke ease off would be enough to know when it is trimmed in the real thing. I've never heard of any pilot in training told to do it this way. Sounds like a good way to "bounce" around till you get it right?

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I would have thought feeling the pressure of the yoke ease off would be enough to know when it is trimmed in the real thing. I've never heard of any pilot in training told to do it this way. Sounds like a good way to "bounce" around till you get it right?

 

I've often told students to do it this way. You don't wait until it's almost too heavy to hold before trimming, you do it a little as needed, often a light tweak on the trim wheel. The human hand is great at feeling pressure and at, initially, feeling the "amount of pressure" but when that pressure is fairly stable, not much change, then it's very difficult to judge, thus trimming is appropriate. Besides, why work harder than you have to.

 

So a little here and a little there becomes almost automatic, with little attention needed, even in the sim, if you trim this way.

 

Larry N.

As Skylab would say:

Remember: Aviation is NOT an exact Science!

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I've often told students to do it this way. You don't wait until it's almost too heavy to hold before trimming, you do it a little as needed, often a light tweak on the trim wheel. The human hand is great at feeling pressure and at, initially, feeling the "amount of pressure" but when that pressure is fairly stable, not much change, then it's very difficult to judge, thus trimming is appropriate. Besides, why work harder than you have to.

 

So a little here and a little there becomes almost automatic, with little attention needed, even in the sim, if you trim this way.

 

I'll give it a go. So it's like you trim along the way rather than when you get to your pitch. Question, would you recommend using a button on the joystick or use the trim wheel in the Sim by scrolling the mouse wheel on it? It seems like using the button always had me "bouncing" like crazy so it seems like it wasn't really helpful. I would have to keep hitting the trim button all the time and never get it right.

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What nobody is discussing is the fact that one model will 'handle' differently (ie: require more trim) than another. One C-182 should handle the same as another C-182 but they often don't if they are from different modelers. So, in the Sim, you get what you get. So one size does not fit all. What do I do? I use my method to find out just how bad it really is. Then I tweak it to make it fly right. Only way.

Chuck B

Napamule

i7 2600K @ 3.4 Ghz (Turbo-Boost to 3.877 Ghz), Asus P8H67 Pro, Super Talent 8 Gb DDR3/1333 Dual Channel, XFX Radeon R7-360B 2Gb DDR5, Corsair 650 W PSU, Dell 23 in (2048x1152), Windows7 Pro 64 bit, MS Sidewinder Precision 2 Joy, Logitech K-360 wireless KB & Mouse, Targus PAUK10U USB Keypad for Throttle (F1 to F4)/Spoiler/Tailhook/Wing Fold/Pitch Trim/Parking Brake/Snap to 2D Panel/View Change. Installed on 250 Gb (D:). FS9 and FSX Acceleration (locked at 30 FPS).
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...Then I tweak it to make it fly right. Only way.

Chuck B

Napamule

 

What parameter do you tweak to adjust trim?

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Ok, so I found myself turning off autotrim lol. As was mentioned here it does seem better to make adjustments as you go. But setting the repeat to medium also seems to help rather than faster. It takes more time but seems to put me at the right trim. Learning to take things slowly is my biggest take away.
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