My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

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Gypsy Baron
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My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by Gypsy Baron »

In preparation for release, after a few more tweaks and tests, here are 4 videos that
demonstrate the features and operation of the A2A L049 with the VFEX scripts
controlling the Manifold Pressure, RPM and BMEP.

I am not pleased with the reduction in clarity of the videos that occurred after
uploading them to YouTube but they should give you an idea of what is coming
in spite of the 'fuzzyness'.

I'm just posting the YouTube links as the method that I used before to post my
previous L0490Start videos no longer seems to work. Use HD setting to view.

First the L049-Start.lua operation that has changed since my initial video and posting
a couple of months ago:

https://youtu.be/A5qkWt6KsmQ

Here is a demo of the TakeOff and initial climb:

https://youtu.be/aLWkJzVj6rk

Next, Climb and Cruise modes:

https://youtu.be/5rzPRlIbtAw

Finally Descent and Landing:

https://youtu.be/BFyF6sHXQsU

Paul

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CAPFlyer
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Location: Wichita Falls, Texas, USA

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by CAPFlyer »

I've only watched the first video so far, but a few minor things -

1) I'm pretty sure the avionics are supposed to be off until after start. Prevents surging the radios.

2) Primer needs to be "ON" prior to turning on the Mags. This is part of why the engines are taking until the starter is nearly wound down before starting. This should result in faster and more reliable starts for you. The mags shouldn't come on for at least 6 blades, but you should start priming immediately.

3) Is it possible to use something other than the transponder? Maybe the ADF2? The reason I ask is that using the transponder to control the scripts means you can't use this with any online ATC program (like VATSIM, IVAO, or PilotEdge), nor can you use some of the addon Traffic programs like Radar Contact.

It's good work though!
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alan CXA651
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Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by alan CXA651 »

Hi Capflyer.
If radio master not on prior to starting , how do you contact ATC for permission to Push/Start the aircraft , this is a requirement of vatsim/ivao.
regards alan. 8)
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CAPFlyer
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Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by CAPFlyer »

Also, just watched the 3rd video - the power chart in the manual calls for 2160 RPM @ 120 BMEP for cruise, why are you using 140 above 20,800?
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CAPFlyer
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Joined: 03 Mar 2008, 12:06
Location: Wichita Falls, Texas, USA

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by CAPFlyer »

alan CXA651 wrote:Hi Capflyer.
If radio master not on prior to starting , how do you contact ATC for permission to Push/Start the aircraft , this is a requirement of vatsim/ivao.
regards alan. 8)
Well first, you don't "push" a propliner. ;)

Second, you turn the radios on, call for clearance (and start if you have to, although there's only a few places in the world, including Europe that actually require clearance for engine start), and then turn them back off again. As these are all crystal radios (i.e. have vacuum tubes), they are very sensitive to surges in power and in the real world, you can really damage them if you do your start procedures with them active. Even modern radios can have their memory flashed if you're not careful. Only aircraft which use air to start the engines allow you to keep the avionics online during start because the start procedure doesn't affect the GPU/APU power supply.
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Warbirds
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Location: Iowa

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by Warbirds »

Really cool concept Gypsy Baron :) Could this be done for the B 377 as well?
Always amazed at your knowledge of aircraft procedures CAPflyer.
Paul Grubich 2018
Professional texture artist painting virtual aircraft I love.
Be sure to check out my aged cockpits for the A2A B-377, B-17 and Connie at Flightsim.com and Avsim library
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Gypsy Baron
A2A Master Mechanic
Posts: 3396
Joined: 02 Aug 2008, 17:04
Location: San Francisco

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by Gypsy Baron »

CAPFlyer wrote:I've only watched the first video so far, but a few minor things -

1) I'm pretty sure the avionics are supposed to be off until after start. Prevents surging the radios.

2) Primer needs to be "ON" prior to turning on the Mags. This is part of why the engines are taking until the starter is nearly wound down before starting. This should result in faster and more reliable starts for you. The mags shouldn't come on for at least 6 blades, but you should start priming immediately.

3) Is it possible to use something other than the transponder? Maybe the ADF2? The reason I ask is that using the transponder to control the scripts means you can't use this with any online ATC program (like VATSIM, IVAO, or PilotEdge), nor can you use some of the addon Traffic programs like Radar Contact.

It's good work though!
Thanks for those inputs.

I can move the primer operation easily enough. The avionics master as well.

The transponder is the easiest thing to 'tune'. A single right-click on the '0' or '3'
Prior to popping that panel up I save the users ATC setting and then restore it immediately after
the response. The ADF tuning code offsets are rather klutsy to use, split between 2 16-bit offsets,
plus I would need to generate new audio announcements for that change.
CAPFlyer wrote:Also, just watched the 3rd video - the power chart in the manual calls for 2160 RPM @ 120 BMEP for cruise, why are you using 140 above 20,800?
On you observation on Cruise settings, I just used the pilot's notes data. I'll have a look at this
and see what I can do to change that. I have an 'altitude adjust' function that reduces the RPM above
20,800' so I should be able to make the change in that function.

Just as a note, this 'little project' started out when I wanted to get around a flakey #1 engine throttle
that was difficult to set so I created a lua script to disco the #1 input and use the #4 throttle input to
also drive the #1 MP. That then evolved into Taxi power, Climb power and 'Cruise power' scripts.

At some point I decided to consolidate all those scripts into one Lua file along with my previously
released L049-Start.lu, but seeing how large that file became I combined just the MP and RPM sections.
After some tests I saw I needed to have those functions running concurrently and the only way to do
that was split them into 2 separate Lua files. All along the way I saw need to make changes like adding
checks for 'FSX Paused state' since bad things happened when the lua scripts continued to run when the
sim was paused. Somewhere along the way I decided to include the supercharger control and after
struggling to get a decent sounding 'voice' I opted for a test-to-speech app. Even then I had to
tweak the frequency response and amplitude of each of the 89 wav files using the Audacity program.

It developed a life of it's own it seems :) All along the way it was a learning experience and new possibilities
came to light.

Once again, thanks for your inputs. I'll make what changes I can this week and then release the files
and gather further inputs after that.

Paul

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Gypsy Baron
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Posts: 3396
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Location: San Francisco

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by Gypsy Baron »

alan CXA651 wrote:Hi Capflyer.
If radio master not on prior to starting , how do you contact ATC for permission to Push/Start the aircraft , this is a requirement of vatsim/ivao.
regards alan. 8)
I'll look into turning the Avionics Master on during the pre-start setup and then turning it off
just prior to start. Then turn it back on at the conclusion of the start sequence.

Paul

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Gypsy Baron
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Posts: 3396
Joined: 02 Aug 2008, 17:04
Location: San Francisco

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by Gypsy Baron »

Warbirds wrote:Really cool concept Gypsy Baron :) Could this be done for the B 377 as well?
Always amazed at your knowledge of aircraft procedures CAPflyer.

Hello Paul,

I think this COULD be adapted for the B377 however I haven't looked at that aircraft in
a very, very long time. Also, my time to 'tweak' and develop 'little projects' like this is
limited to the times I am not traveling....mostly the late fall and winter months. I spend
the summer in Europe and Nova Scotia and travel somewhere almost every month.

Anyone with 'lua scripting ability' and a desire to do so, could use my L049 Lua files as
a start and modify them for the B377. I have lots of 'comments' throughout the scripts
to assist in understanding what is being done, and why, where necessary :)

Paul

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CAPFlyer
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Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by CAPFlyer »

Thanks for that Paul.

As for the cruise power - didn't think about that. The PN's are ultra-simplified for the "easy" guys, but with the chart available and the power setting only determined by altitude, it'd be nice to use that instead. It will result in better fuel economy at the least. :)

Understand on the transponder. I think it'll be okay for all the preflight stuff as long as it immediately reverts (i.e. not long enough to really cause a problem for a controller), I was just concerned about setting the transponder as assigned by ATC and then having to reset it back to 1201 or 1300 just to command the LUA.
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P*Funk
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Joined: 18 May 2017, 06:34

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by P*Funk »

The transponder is my concern too as an online flyer on vatsim.

Gypsy Baron
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Posts: 3396
Joined: 02 Aug 2008, 17:04
Location: San Francisco

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by Gypsy Baron »

P*Funk wrote:The transponder is my concern too as an online flyer on vatsim.
The only time it is used is during the ground operations...the pre-flight set up
and the engine start and loading of the L049_MP-set lua file.

And even when it is used, the user setting is saved, the 2D radio panel opens with 1200 set,
when the reply is entered, the panel closes and the user ATC setting is restored. We are
talking a mater of seconds for each occurrence.

The longest time it remains with 1200 set is during a possible hold after engines 3 & 4 are started
and while passengers and cargo are continued to be loaded.

Trying to use the ADF2 is just to cumbersome both in the implementation and the user's ability to
quickly set a response.

Paul

Gypsy Baron
A2A Master Mechanic
Posts: 3396
Joined: 02 Aug 2008, 17:04
Location: San Francisco

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by Gypsy Baron »

CAPFlyer wrote:Also, just watched the 3rd video - the power chart in the manual calls for 2160 RPM @ 120 BMEP for cruise, why are you using 140 above 20,800?
I just finished the initial re-coding of the BMEP vs. RPM according to the Power Chart in the manual.

It looked good from 13,000' up to 24,000'. I am going to perhaps extend the operation from about 10K
going up and move my High Blower switch to around 14.3 K for the Climb and Cruise modes. The only
thing that didn't follow the chart was fueel burn. That was high, around 600-610 lb/hr until I was up
to around 21K or so. Then it fell in line with the chart. I'll have to re-fly that with no wind.

I think I will maintain the 145 and 140 PSI BMEP modes with some adjustment to RPM (decreasing as
altitude increases to keep the throttles from maxing out) so those modes can be used when more power
is needed when climbing very heavy or encountering strong headwinds.

I flew the test hop today with the takoff weight up around 90K lbs and the climb rate and IAS was
very sluggish. So, when weight and the factors that influence IAS allow, the Climb and Cruise
modes will follow the power chart.

I also moved the 'primer on' to happen a couple of seconds after the inertia starter is engaged. I'm
not sure why I put it where it was before. In any case the engines fire up much quicker now. Thanks
for that input.

I'm also still thinking about some way to allow the user to input a MP/RPM/BMEP configuration. Without creating an additional 'button or switch, I think I'll have the user hit 'Abort' followed by the user
setting the desired MP/RPM/BMEP, then selecting 'TakeOff' mode. This would be ,used ONLY in the
air and the code would interpret the TakeOff mode to signal a user input. The current MP/RPM/BMEP would
be read in and used until such time as the user selected another mode.

Paul

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P*Funk
Airman
Posts: 34
Joined: 18 May 2017, 06:34

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by P*Funk »

I like how you're refining things and I didn't realize there'd be no use of the transponder in the air so consider my concerns allayed. Ultimately flexibility for the user is of great interest to me as I hope to become more and more knowledgeable about power settings for regimes of flight and would like to be able to adjust the scripts to accommodate it.

doksas
Airman
Posts: 32
Joined: 25 May 2018, 09:35

Re: My Virtual Flight Engineer Extension (VFEX) demo videos

Post by doksas »

Grat Paul !
Where to download this scripts please?

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