Startup charges and compass

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vino
Airman
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Joined: 30 Oct 2016, 03:08

Startup charges and compass

Post by vino »

I have few problems operating my new Spit. First I don't know how to rearm my startup charges. I used all 3 allready. Second, I have no idea how to read the compass. I didn't find answers by reading the manuals.

Cheers

//Vino

TreeTops
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Joined: 07 Apr 2010, 06:13

Re: Startup charges and compass

Post by TreeTops »

The charges are refilled by using the SHIFT 4 screen. This is in the manual.
I will let other explain the compass but I'm sure if you searched this forum you will find what you need.
Cheers
Trev

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Killratio
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Re: Startup charges and compass

Post by Killratio »

G'day Mate,

1. Startup charges are reloaded from Shift 4 Payload Manager..on left hand side IIRC.. (quite a while since I've flown the Spit II)

2. Read a P8 Compass????? https://youtu.be/r21CMDyPuGo?t=1s

The P8 is only placed into the aircraft to counterbalance the 52 bolts that hold on the tailplane!!
:) :) :)

Seriously though...

What you do is to rotate the compass ring (the outside bit with the course numbers) until the desired course is at the top of the compass..you will see the Lubber Line at the 12 o'clock position of the P8. Line up your course with that. NOW turn the aircraft until the "T" of the compass spider (the moving "arrow" in most compasses) lines up at NORTH. You are now on heading.

http://terminus434.blogspot.com.au/2009 ... mpass.html will give you a visual reference.


Actually, the P8 in the A2A Spitfire is pretty easy to use. I've flown with the real thing (in the Tigermoth) and it dances around by anything up to 20 degrees at the slightest provocation. In rough air it is completely unusable and in clear air it takes literally minutes to settle after having previously been jostled by turbulence or aerobatics.

One of the top PRU pilots, Taylor, famously maintained that he could fly it to within 5 DEGREES of course with "some" accuracy.


regards

Darryl
<Sent from my 1988 Sony Walkman with Dolby Noise Reduction and 24" earphone cord extension>


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vino
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Joined: 30 Oct 2016, 03:08

Re: Startup charges and compass

Post by vino »

Thank you for your quick answers. :)

clarkejw
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Location: Maitland, NSW Australia

Re: Startup charges and compass

Post by clarkejw »

Darryl, I was flying a Tiger from Luskintyre NSW, to Mudgee a few years ago, no GPS, only the P8. We were around Bylong, when all of a sudden the P8 started spinning like a centrifuge. I've never seen anything like it. I joked to the bloke in the front seat that we should come back and see if there was any land for sale. Might have been something valuable in the dirt!
It all settled down after a while, and, don't forget, if all else fails, there's always the iron beam!

John

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Killratio
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Re: Startup charges and compass

Post by Killratio »

clarkejw wrote:We were around Bylong, when all of a sudden the P8 started spinning like a centrifuge. I've never seen anything like it.
It all settled down after a while, and, don't forget, if all else fails, there's always the iron beam!

G'day John,

I can't say, at its worst, that I've seen that! It doesn't really surprise me though. Being a naval compass, they were never really intended for aircraft anyway.
At least at 70mph you can't get TOO badly lost.... Glad you made it home :)

The Spit I Pilot's Notes recommend flying "absolutely straight (their emphasis) for three to four minutes" to allow the compass to settle. I'd like to know how many hours the rocket surgeon who wrote that, had !!!! I wasn't able to implement the pitching of the Spider in the Sim, so I just mounted my spider on a 20 or 30 degree "lean" on the stepper motor just to remind myself how much fun it is to crane your neck and cross your eyes, just to try to actually get a good read off the thing. Parallax errors are so much more interesting when the object of your affection is also moving in three axes....


Over this way, we have the "big blue compass" which always shows you West. Of course, sometimes, you may need to fly at 200ft to read it properly :) :) :)

cheers


Darryl
<Sent from my 1988 Sony Walkman with Dolby Noise Reduction and 24" earphone cord extension>


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