Flight computer is really cool

[Vedexent]

I ran through Uboat's navigation training mission, which is very helpful, and then starting futz'ing around with the flight computer tonight.

 

It's pretty neat!

 

It reminds me of the SU-25 flight director, although being able to integrate it with the VOR/TACAN systems (and not just pre-programmed waypoints) makes it's much more flexible.

 

Like the SU-25 you just "chase the needles" around the artificial horizon, although - at least with altitude hold - if you get too far off beam, the system will just give up on you and shut that function off.

 

I'm sure that if I'd picked an approach course to Tblisi which lined up with the active airport, I could have flipped the flight computer over to "Glidepath" and made a smooth ILS landing.

 

Sadly, I don't know the runway headings s by heart, and there's no kneeboard yet, and no ATC Comms, so I couldn't look up the runway headings in flight, or get the runway clearances from ATC.

 

With relatively simple, yet flexible avionics (at least so far), and "pretty good" although not acrobatic levels of performance, I think this would be a very good plane for students to learn on - go figure! :P

 

I think AvioDev has really done a good job on this one, and I can't wait to see this evolve over its release cycle.

[Tango]

not acrobatic levels of performance

Are you sure...? :D

 

Thank you for the comments!!!! 8)

 

Best regards,

Tango.

[NeilWillis]

although not acrobatic levels of performance

 

You're not trying hard enough if you think that, the C101 can pull pretty high Gs, so in my book it isn't exactly shabby where aerobatics is concerned!

 

I agree with you about the flight computer though, it looks very good.

[Tango]

I agree with you about the flight computer though, it looks very good.

 

The best part is it actually works like it should. Just about every other simulator fails to model them properly.

 

Best regards,

Tango.

[Aeons]

 

 

Sadly, I don't know the runway headings s by heart, and there's no kneeboard yet, and no ATC Comms, so I couldn't look up the runway headings in flight, or get the runway clearances from ATC.

check out the "DCS_GND_Charts.pdf" in the DCS Folder. All the Details u Need

 

 

i did a few ILS landing last night, seems to be good although on one airfield the Glideslope is so shallow i almost took at the NAV Equipment on the ground.

[Vedexent]

OK - no - I'm not sure it's not suitable for high-G acrobatics :P I know I can black the pilot out doing high-G horizontal turns, so I know the plane will perform - that wasn't a criticism.

 

I also know that I'll probably have to reset the ADI gyros after I try.

 

I'm aware I can print out the airport information, and there are a bazillion resources online, I just didn't have any information source in sim - or at least not yet.

 

I watched Bunyap Sims initial impression of the C-101EB, on YouTube, and I have to agree this is an excellent plane to learn or practice radio navigation.

 

I don't know how all the flight computer functions work yet, but it doesn't appear to be rocket surgery - just will take some experimentation.

 

The only niggling small issues I've found with the flight computer/director - and this may a real life issue, not the Sim - is that there's no way to toggle (at least some) individual settings on and off. If I have VOR Heading and Alt Hold both on, I can't just turn off Alt Hold. I have to set the whole system to Standby Mode and then re-select VOR Heading.

 

[Kelevra9987]

My solution for problems with Frequencies, RWY Headings etc. looks like this :smartass::pilotfly::joystick:

[Tango]

I watched Bunyap Sims initial impression of the C-101EB, on YouTube, and I have to agree this is an excellent plane to learn or practice radio navigation.

:D

 

I don't know how all the flight computer functions work yet, but it doesn't appear to be rocket surgery - just will take some experimentation.

It is fairly straight-forward. Basically you can only engage 1 lateral and 1 vertical mode at any time, and ARM VOR/LOC, or ARM APP mode to auto-engage when you're within parameters. Once they are active, they remain so, even if you lose the signal.

 

The only niggling small issues I've found with the flight computer/director - and this may a real life issue, not the Sim - is that there's no way to toggle (at least some) individual settings on and off. If I have VOR Heading and Alt Hold both on, I can't just turn off Alt Hold. I have to set the whole system to Standby Mode and then re-select VOR Heading.

 

Correct. If you need to cancel e.g. ALT mode, just climb/descend more than 450 ft, or push STBY and then re-engage the lateral mode you want. It is easy once you realize it has no brain whatsoever and won't stop you doing what you want. :D

 

Best regards,

Tango.

[IvanK]

Tried a TACAN into ILS at Kutasi. TAC44X ILS Rwy 07 109.75 QDM 064.

 

Mission Editor lists the Rwy QDM as 075 but in Sim its 064. Used 064 for the ILS course setting. Flew outbound using TACAN to establish on the inbound course then Changed the NAV push-button to the left of the HSI to VOR and pressed the FD ILS mode button.

 

Flight Director Localiser steering bar worked well though I believe like other aircraft in DCS its too reactive to small bank changes in that as soon as you put in a corrective control input the roll steering bar reacts immediately "hysterisis like" (away from the input) super smooth input however gets you reasonable steering. I accept that a True FD should lead any rollout datum command but this reacts instantly to any command. As I said I think this is a core DCS issue.

 

The Glide slope bar was way off in comparison to the raw data Glidesope pointer on the ADI. Following the FD Glide slope steering bar has me flying 2 or more dots below the gideslope. Raw Data ADI glideslope versus DME were correct. FD pitch bar for Glide slope was unusable

 

GO AROUND MODE

Tried that (though without a manual I am not sure what it really does. It did command nose up but I have no idea what its meant to do for lateral steering. Initially it seemed to maintain existing heading ... however as soon as I passed the Localiser antenna in the go around the lateral steering bar went full scale deflection.

 

HDG and ALT HOLD

These FD modes work brillantly

[Tango]

Flight Director Localiser steering bar worked well though I believe like other aircraft in DCS its too reactive to small bank changes in that as soon as you put in a corrective control input the roll steering bar reacts immediately "hysterisis like" (away from the input) super smooth input however gets you reasonable steering. I accept that a True FD should lead any rollout datum command but this reacts instantly to any command. As I said I think this is a core DCS issue.

Hmm - intriguing comments.

 

The FD will lead the turns. It only responds instantly to bank angle (the FD is commanding roll angle, not turn rate). As a result, if it wants you to roll to 30 degrees of bank, and you roll to 35 degrees, as you roll it will center, and as you pass 30 degrees, it will continue to overshoot "away" from the roll direction.

 

Commanded roll angle is proportional to heading offset, and target intercept heading (used for computing the roll angle) is determined by cross-track deviation.

 

So, if you are 3 nm to the side of the desired course, it will command roll to get you onto a 45 degree intercept heading, then as you approach the centerline it will command roll in order to fly you on-course.

 

The Glide slope bar was way off in comparison to the raw data Glidesope pointer on the ADI. Following the FD Glide slope steering bar has me flying 2 or more dots below the gideslope. Raw Data ADI glideslope versus DME were correct. FD pitch bar for Glide slope was unusable

Known issue, but I don't know why. I think the commanded pitch angle is too low, putting the aircraft below slope. I will tweak it, but I don't want to make it too good (I'm told the real thing is so poor they don't use it).

 

I think this is a core DCS issue.

The flight director is totally custom programmed.

 

GO AROUND MODE

Tried that (though without a manual I am not sure what it really does. It did command nose up but I have no idea what its meant to do for lateral steering. Initially it seemed to maintain existing heading ... however as soon as I passed the Localiser antenna in the go around the lateral steering bar went full scale deflection.

Correct. It will command +14 degrees of pitch (fixed), and will maintain the last lateral mode (if any were engaged) OR will command wings level if none.

 

The lateral roll bar hid because it lost the localizer signal. This is expected behavior. If you check, the mode remained engaged; the system waits forever for the signal to return.

 

Best regards,

Tango.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Tango

[IvanK]

Struggled through the Spanish manual to try and understand this operation a little more ... Light bulb moment when I saw the APP ARM mode. Re flew the ILS this time in ALT HOLD and HDG FD modes with APP armed (in RED) Captured the Localiser and GS just fine with. I started from 2000ft. initially Glide slope tracking seemed OK. However once inside around 4nm the FD pitch bar drove me below the glide slope.

 

Then tried the GO AROUND mode. it commanded around 15 degrees nose up and maintained the HSI course. At station passage the localiser steering bar oscillated full scale left and right but then sorted it out and gave steady correct steering commands once the CDI on the HSI settled down post station passage.... as you indicated in your post.

 

Image below shows what I saw close in:

 

Tango thanks for the info ref FD steering logic.

[Tango]

Hmm - that is totally wrong. It should be commanding a "fly up".

 

Tango thanks for the info ref FD steering logic.

You're welcome!

 

Best regards,

Tango.

[Vedexent]

Definitely noticed the same thing on ILS approach to Kutaisi.

 

Best bet to is to follow the raw ADI altitude needle closer than the outer marker.