Installation Problem

[Jimhall]

Hi Piper,

Thank you for your continued interest. I am going to take some time to put all the facts together and try to resolve whatever issues I find and only then will come back here to ask for help. I hate to be unprepared for help here. I should be able to do what I need to do in a week and then will come back here with informed questions.

Thanks again,

Jim

[Jimhall]

I'm back already. Firstly I can't see the Avionics switch because the yoke is in the way. As you said there is no 2-D view. Also, the engine won't crank. When I turn on the battery the ammeter goes -30 and that is all I can see move. No other instrument movement. When I first tried to start the engine it cranked for half a second and did not start. I think I'm following the Start engine checklist on page 53 correctly but I can't evaluate the problems unless I can start the engine.

[Piper_EEWL]

Hi Jim,

Is your plane fit for flight? Did you do the walkaround? Go to the maintenance hangar shift+7 and see what your mechanic has to say. I'm guessing your battery is empty. If it say battery low click on it. You'll hear a ratchet sound. Click till the battery low writing is gone.

Then try to start her again.

Oh and while your in the hangar you might want to fix everything else Also make sure there is enough oil and fuel in the plane (shift+4)

[Nick - A2A]

Hello Jim,

Just to add to Sebastian's reply, the yoke shaft can be clicked to 'hide' the yoke and allow easier access to those buttons behind. However, on the ground you can also just move the yoke to bring them into view. For instance, to reveal the avionics master switches, you can push the yoke forward and all the way to the left.

It does sound like your battery is flat! With a ~30 amp load, it also sounds like there's quite a lot of 'stuff' switched on. Have you got landing and taxi lights on for instance?

Cheers,
Nick

[Jimhall]

Piper & Nick,

Once again thank you for your advice. I downloaded and printed all 101 pages of the C-172 Trainer manual and have begun reading them and am red-faced at the realization of the difference between FSX Cessna 172 Skyhawk on "EASY" and the shock of A2A Cessna 172. I have a question though before I plow on: Are the settings on FSX Buttons/Keys the same for both the FSX Cessna and the A2A Cessna? I need to know all the operations assigned to keys on the keyboard for the A2A. And thanks for the tip on hiding the yoke: I'll have to figure out how to do that but in the meanwhile will move the yoke forward and to the side. The A2A Cessna seems to me at this moment to be like a dangerous animal waiting to play "gotcha".

Jim

[Piper_EEWL]

Hi Jim,

To soften the blow you might want to look for some tutorial videos on YouTube about the C172 Reading the manual will of course be the best source for reliable information. And I can only recommend reading because you'll understand more easily what consequences your actions have.

And yes the keymappings in your simulator will not change with the aircraft. You might however try. To make use of A2A's input configurator that allows you to assign keys and joystick or yoke axis to certain operations in the sim.

Oh and the yoke can be removed by clicking on the control column of the respective yoke like Nick said. There's a clickspot where the control column disappears into the dashboard.

[Nick - A2A]

Jim,

Yeah, the A2A version of the Cessna 172 will probably be a little bit more testing in some areas than the default MS rendition, but it shouldn't be intimating once you've spent some time with it.

In terms of handling you'll probably need to use the rudder a bit more than with the default version to counteract engine torque at high power settings. The avionics are also a lot more realistic, and for systems like the KAP 140 autopilot, the real world manual is actually the best reference source. There are some other pinned topics you should check out too. For example, the avionics video tutorials in this thread are really helpful.

The main thing is just to take things at your own speed and have fun!

Nick

[Jimhall]

Well, guys, all my initial problems with A2A and the Saitek Instrument Panel are solved due to your recommendations above. I have read the manual and have advanced enough to begin training on the Cessna now. All systems seem to work. Thanks again.

[Piper_EEWL]

Perfect. I'm sure you will enjoy the simulation just as much as we all do. If you have any further questions just as here on the forums. Someone will be able to help for sure.

Happy flying