Hydraulic Pressure, Gears and Flaps

[danb12]

Hi all, I couldn't wait until my birthday and bought the P-40 last night, I have the Spit, 17 and P-51 and had a successful flight, very good plane!

My question regards the gear and flaps, do you have to pump the hydraulic pressure to get them to move every time you want them?

I haven't read the manual as I was inpatient but have a general understanding through videos I have watched!

If you could explain that would be brilliant!

Thanks
Dan

[Rammit]

Well first of all, read the manual!!

But to build hydraulic pressure there are three different methods you can use:

1) A button on the very top of the stick, this actuates an electric pump for lowering/raising the flaps and gear, bind this to a key or button on your joystick/yoke if I were you!
2) The manual pump on the right hand side of the seat (NOT the red lever) is your hydraulic 'gauge'. You would normally use this to check the pressure in the system after using the electric pump. If there is no movement in it then the system is pressurized. You can use this separately of the electric pump if the pump is damaged.
3) The RED lever to the left of the normal hydraulic lever. This operates a completely separate hydraulic emergency system if the primary system (operated by the NORMAL lever/electric pump) has lost fluid and is unusable, to use this, click on the red valve on the floor to unscrew the lever in the NORMAL valve and transfer it to the RED emergency valve. Then you can use the same lever, in a different valve, to pump the hydraulics.

[danb12]

Ah-ha! I will eventually! That makes sense, how do I assign it to a button?!

Thanks
Dan

[Pistonpilot]

On your Start menu, in your Programs sub-menu, there should be a folder for A2A's P-40. I'm not at my home machine, so I can't tell you the exact name.

In that folder will be an "input configurator". Use this to assign a button for the electric hydraulic pump.

I'd suggest finding a button that is not assigned to any function in FSX. I use a button on the top of my flight stick, as it matches the one in the sim nicely!

Good luck!

-Ian

[danb12]

Brilliant! Thanks a lot! I'll do that tonight! I already love this plane!

Thanks!
Dan

[seaniam81]

Also the Hydraulic system will store pressure for a little while. It'll take some time to figure out just how long. Good example is on landing you run the pump to drop your gear, and then a little bit longer to make sure they are down, the system will have enough usually to drop all your flaps (or almost all of the flaps) without running the pump again. Even thou it's a good idea to do so anyways.