Aircraft alignment to runway

When selecting an aircraft and an airport specific runway to start my flight I have one specific aircraft, the Alphasim B-52, that does not line up with the runway heading. It is about 3 degrees to the right and in order to have a straight run down the runway, I have to slew it back to a straight path. Just wondering what setting, and where, needs to correct this mis-alignment.

When selecting an aircraft and an airport specific runway to start my flight I have one specific aircraft, the Alphasim B-52, that does not line up with the runway heading. It is about 3 degrees to the right and in order to have a straight run down the runway, I have to slew it back to a straight path. Just wondering what setting, and where, needs to correct this mis-alignment.

 

Wind aligned with runway? The B-52 has crosswind landing gear so don't bother realigning anything. Use the compensating landing gear properly.

The wheels are aligned with the aircraft which is heading about 3 degrees to the right. If I don't make a correction at the start off the roll, the plane accelerates and goes off the runway.

Do you not have a rudder control? A little rudder applied as you start to roll should correct things. Chances are the "offset" you see is set either in the aircraft.cfg or in the aircraft model itself.

Do you not have a rudder control? A little rudder applied as you start to roll should correct things. Chances are the "offset" you see is set either in the aircraft.cfg or in the aircraft model itself.

 

Yes, I have rudder control. It is just mystifying to me why this aircraft is not positioned directly on the centerline after selecting a runway in the menu.

Yes, I have rudder control. It is just mystifying to me why this aircraft is not positioned directly on the centerline after selecting a runway in the menu.

 

Might be easier to start on an airport parking position and taxi to the runway (You know, like real life) and turn onto the runway when you have been given clearance.

Might be easier to start on an airport parking position and taxi to the runway (You know, like real life) and turn onto the runway when you have been given clearance.

 

LOL! That is the hard way out! No problem at all doing that. Just wondering why this aircraft is different than any other. The wheels are perfectly aligned to the fuselage but the whole aircraft is offset from the center line. Maybe the pilot needs new glasses! :)

LOL! That is the hard way out! No problem at all doing that. Just wondering why this aircraft is different than any other. The wheels are perfectly aligned to the fuselage but the whole aircraft is offset from the center line. Maybe the pilot needs new glasses! :)

 

From the aforementioned Wikipedia page: notable feature of the landing gear was the ability to pivot both fore and aft main landing gear up to 20° from the aircraft centerline to increase safety during crosswind landings (allowing the aircraft to "crab" or roll with a sideways slip angle down the runway).

More learning needed. Like taking off INTO the wind, not cross-wind.

For the last time: What was your crosswind component?

It very well could be something in the model itself that tells FSX wrong about placement.

Well, I was going to take a pic of what I have described and now I can't get it to replicate the condition. Tried it on the opening selection of FSX and not loading the default flight first. So I apologize for all the fuss and I guess I just have to chalk it up to a fart by FSX.

Are you saying that you always load the default flight first? :confused:

Are you saying that you always load the default flight first? :confused:

 

How do you interpret "default" flight? If you mean the Air Creation...never. If you mean what I have selected as the opening aircraft at a particular airport...always. In my case right now, that is the Project Fokker F28 at KORH, Gate 5.

OK, maybe I misinterpreted what you said. Looks like you are starting off with a "saved" flight not the default.

OK, maybe I misinterpreted what you said. Looks like you are starting off with a "saved" flight not the default.

 

Yes, that would be the case.

It's been said a million times that the default flight should be the C-172 for best results. But some people don't believe it. Or rather don't realize WHY so they do what they want .... and then complain that the stupid FSX is malfunctioning when 'xyz'. What can you do?!

Chuck B

Napmule

I like to fly around the world. I'll fly for about an hour or till the next landing airport, land, taxi and save the flight. Next day I resume from that saved flight and continue on to the next destination. This process creates lots of saved flights. In my experience I have noticed that due to this things can get wonky after say the twentieth saved flight or something. Where the aircraft will start acting weird or I'll take off and notice things that don't work right which means I now have to end the flight, go into my FS save folder under the "My Documents" folder and delete all the previous saved flights. Now start again at that airport at the parking ramp or gate.

 

So to help elevate this real pain in my rear, after my tenth flight or so I'll make sure to clear the junk out of the FS directory in the "My Documents" folder. Doing this regime I have yet to encounter a problem resuming from a saved flight.

 

Just note that you don't accidentally want to delete your previous saved flight or the default flight. Keep the last .FSSAVE, .WX and .FLT files. That's what I do. Everything else you can toss. (Or archive and backup if you want I guess)... Utilize Windows' right click context menu of ordering items by date...

 

The other possibility.

 

That nice yellow center line you see on down the runway? That's just superficial and for appearances. The real center line is etched into the airport AFCAD. This center line is what AI will follow and what your plane WILL be placed on if you start on the runway. So, if this issue only occurs at one airport, assume the internal (so to speak) center line is off center.

 

I'm thinking your issue is a clogged up Flight Simulator X Files folder in the "My Documents" folder. It could of course be the aforementioned crosswind loading bearing capable wheels. But you'd have to check if that capability is programed into the model you're using.

 

 

Have fun, and remember.

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by CRJ_simpilot

Well, nothing like having to eat my own words:) I fired up FSX this morning (saved flight mode) selected the B-52 and placed it at a newly installed scenery of KCEF at runway 05. What I got can be seen in the B-52 pic. Notice the misalignment of the main gear wheels. I then selected a 727 from the aircraft menu drop down and look at it in the 727 pic. Perfectly aligned on the center line. Why the 727 and not the 52? Is it the aircraft boot order in FSX?

I am going to take Napamules2 comment and advice in regards to loading the default C-172 on a clean boot of FSX. First the C-172 and then the B-52 and see what the results are. Stay tuned!

You know, that difference is so minuscule, I wouldn't bother trying to fix it! :rolleyes: I would taxi forward a few meters to straighten out before takeoff!

Yeah, I'm not seeing what the issue is either. During takeoff I generally need to steer a bit based on weather-vaning into the wind.

 

Cheers!

You know, that difference is so minuscule, I wouldn't bother trying to fix it! :rolleyes: I would taxi forward a few meters to straighten out before takeoff!

 

Sure. Easily done. But my question is why this happens. OK, so I did a clean boot of FSX selecting the default C-172. See the pic. Perfectly aligned with the center line. I then selected the B-52 and lo and behold, it is also perfectly aligned. Now, on a second clean boot of FSX at a different airport, I selected the B-52 as my start up aircraft. The B-52 was perfectly aligned this time. (?) I am next going to do a reboot of my PC, then execute FSX, to see if there is stored data somewhere from FSX that is causing different results. Yes, I am retired and have WAY to much time on my hands :)

OK, so I did a clean boot of FSX selecting the default C-172. See the pic. Perfectly aligned with the center line.

IMO the Cessna isn't aligned either from what I see.

If it was, the white line wouldn't be slanted as in the pic.

 

Probably it's just more obvious with the BUFF, as it's a much larger aircraft.

 

Wim

Did you read my post? Specifically the last paragraph where I talked about cleaning up the FSX save directory in the "My Documents" folder?

 

1) If after you purge your saved flight files in the way I instructed,

 

and

 

 

2)The same airport gives this same (but very minor) center line offset or another airport does the same thing,

 

then

 

You should,

 

A) Assume it's the model,

Edited May 19, 2022 by drobson

Ok, did what you suggested by clearing out the Flight Simulator X folder in the Documents folder so that the only entry in the folder was the saved flight data, no other data. I selected the same airport that I have been using as reference in this post and the 52 gear was now aligned with the center line. Tried another airport and the results were the same. All OK. I will now add some additional saved flights at different airports using different aircraft so that the folder will now contain multiple data entries. Will see what happens.

Just be cognizant in the fact of having all those saved flights and whatnot can and will cause the Sim to goof. Reread what I said again about a once in a while purge of that data.

 

I'm glad it worked out, now you know.

Just be cognizant in the fact of having all those saved flights and whatnot can and will cause the Sim to goof. Reread what I said again about a once in a while purge of that data.

 

I'm glad it worked out, now you know.

 

 

Good advice that I will follow.