Self calculating navigator's log

The "Queen of the Skies"
MD-82
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Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MD-82 »

Thank you MATS !!

A new small bug on the Flight Plan sheet. The schedule sheet allows you to insert a Local Time for departure, together with an associated GMT offset.
When your local ETD is less than the difference between LT and GMT (meaning GMT time turns back to the previous date), the ETD field on the Flight
Plan sheet defaults to hashes.

For example, flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo. ETD 06:00 local time. Since Hong Kong is UTC+8, the ETD in GMT is 22:00 (of the previous day). In this
scenario, the Flight Plan sheet return hashes instead of a corrected GMT time of 22:00.

I don't know Excel too well. But my suggestions would be:

1. Add a time unit to the Flight Plan ETD field (e.g. E.T.D. (z)

2. Make the ETD in LT instead of Zulu time or,

3. Let the cell correctly count backwards from 24:00 to correctly compute times where GMT < 00:00. An added feature would be that when this happens
the flight date automatically turns back one day ;-)

MD-82
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Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MD-82 »

It seems the Plan G to Flight Plan process is still partly broken. The alternate field name is properly copied. The distance to alternate on Flight Analysis as well.
However only the first waypoint appears on the flight plan. Same for v20. Tested the same route on v19 and there, the route completely ports to the Flight Plan
sheet as it should.

Cheers ...

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MatsH
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Joined: 20 May 2011, 05:34

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MatsH »

MD-82 can you please show me screenshots of the flight plan issue?

MD-82
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Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MD-82 »

MATS,

so I insert the aircraft in the hangar, then I insert the schedule with that aircraft

Image

Heading over to the Flight Plan page, you see the dashes. I used 07:59 departure to highlight the fact that any time less than 00:00 GMT will return dashes.
If I change my departure time to 08:00 instead of 07:59, the dashes change to 00:00. (Which as correct)

Image

Moving on I create my flight in Plan-G

Image

And insert it into the relevant sheet

Image

You see here that only VHHX is inserted into the Flight Plan sheet. In v19 the whole route appears here as it should. For me, not so in v20 and v21.

Image

Again, the alternate airport name in the Flight Plan page and the alternate airport distance in the Flight Analysis sheet are now fixed. Hope this helps.


Cheers !

MD-82
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Joined: 13 Apr 2019, 10:33

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MD-82 »

MATS,

disregard. THe Flight Plan sheet completely populated once Performance has been collected. That was my bad. Skipped steps....
All seems good op to now.

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MatsH
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Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MatsH »

The following changes has been made or must be taken into consideration:
- Flight plan page shows departure time and date in LOCAL TIME!
- The nav log page shows departure date in ZULU TIME!
- All time entries on the log page are ZULU TIME!
- Make sure to add 24 hrs to the entries if your ZULU time enters a new day!

Latest version: MEGA

tekrc
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Posts: 36
Joined: 21 Apr 2013, 23:44

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by tekrc »

I cant get the file to load. I tried it with both open office and google drive. Older versions used to work but this one wont open.
It just sits on infinite load in open office and fails to load on google drive.

awralls
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Joined: 08 Nov 2004, 04:59

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by awralls »

For MatsH - somewhat belatedly I can confirm that all my 1004 problems have been fixed with beta .22. Thanks for your brilliant dedication in continuing to develop this wonderful tool.

Moving on, I wonder if you could drop a few hints on user-created aircraft. I want to enter details for the DC-4, Argonaut and Hermes. OK, a little esoteric, I know. What I really want to know is: what is the absolute minimum information required for a new aircraft type to enable a functioning nav log?

Thanks,

Andy

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MatsH
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Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MatsH »

That's great to hear awralls!

First go to the hangar page and enter the basic data for each type. Second go to the column for each type and enter the registration an operator of each type. Third is you go to the schedules page and enter the details of your flights. You select your flight on the flightplan page and your aircraft type is automatically selected, the individual aircraft must be chosen by the user!

That is all simple!

Automatic performance data calculations on the flight analysis page are only available for the 377, 049, DC-6 and DC-3. And just a limited amount of data has been entered! You could overwrite one of these types with your aircraft's performance. Finding, recomputing and entering all that data is really tedious. If you want automatic calculation I suggest you just fly using your favourite settings and enter data into the performance pages as you go! All the data has been calculated from graphs and a lot of interpolation has been necessary. I should have done a set of formulas instead. Very little has been test flown! I really spend to much time working on this sheet and to little time flying!

Entering data into the power settings manually works just fine if you know your favourite settings or have performance data available elsewhere!

Good luck!
/Mats

awralls
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Joined: 08 Nov 2004, 04:59

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by awralls »

I'll give it a go.

Thanks!

Andy

awralls
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Posts: 16
Joined: 08 Nov 2004, 04:59

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by awralls »

MATS,

I've tried creating my own aircraft type - a DC-4. I find that if I do that I cannot get the spreadsheet to work. The absence of the performance charts like there are for the aircraft you created seems to render the calculations impossible. Specifically, without BHP figures in the drop-down in the Flight Analysis page, the spreadsheet can't finalise fuel calculations.

When I create my own aircraft, I'm not able to provide this data. If I change the aircraft type back to, say, the B377, in the schedule, the flight then calculates just fine.

Any clues?

Andy

awralls
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Joined: 08 Nov 2004, 04:59

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by awralls »

Ah, ignore me. I re-read your reply above. As long as I can use the NavLog page, I'm happy.

Cheers,

Andy

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MatsH
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Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MatsH »

Great Andy!

If you would like you could test fly the DC-4 for me at all altitudes, weights and power settings! Don't forget to do in on three and two engines as well! :wink:

I have the DC-4 in my hangar as well but it has only been airborne for minutes!

I did the test the L-49 on three engines at 1100 hp. What turns out is that the specific fuel consumption is marginally higher with three engines at 1100 hp than on four engines! That took me one evening!

Here is the latest version of the log: "Beta 30"

Mainly I have fixed some bugs. Among them a problem that you could not have more than one WP between departure station and TOC. That is now possible!

awralls
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Joined: 08 Nov 2004, 04:59

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by awralls »

Mats,

Sure, I'd be delighted to help, but we'd better establish which DC-4 you're using. I use the CalClassic JBK here: http://www.calclassic.com/files/DC-4_Op ... edures.zip

I have the Flight Replica's attempt, but to me it flies like a pig and seems to bear very little resemblance to the real world figures, unlike the example I linked to.

What exact figures do you need to know?

Andy

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MatsH
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Joined: 20 May 2011, 05:34

Re: Self calculating navigator's log

Post by MatsH »

Andy,

I got the Flight Replica DC-4 as well. But it is a hangar queen.

I added an empty performance sheet for the DC-4. Complete the details on the "Hangar" page. Then go to the "DC-4" page and enter all the performance you like! Either you test fly at different weights and power settings or you enter data from performance charts. It is tedious work! I would recommend just adding the data for your favorite climb and 4- & 3-eng cruise settings first. Then add the data as you try other settings.

Here you go: Beta 31!

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