Please develop an Accusim ATR 72-500 - would be a PMDG kille

[AKar]

ATR has much the same things to pre-flight that any FMS-equipped airliner has. Systems are pretty straightforward for most part, albeit it has some French touch, if you know what I mean. I'd say it is somewhat simpler than Q400, and arguably somewhat easier in design.

Starting it up is very simple and pretty fast too. Starting is electrical, preferably by ground power, which is 28 VDC for ATR (115/200 VAC ground power connector is also there, but is only really necessary for tech, being supplied by prop shaft wild frequency generators in regular ops for certain larger loads). Battery starting is also doable, if GPU is not available or stalls during starter load, which happens sometimes with diesel units. There is no APU, but there is a propeller brake in the #2 engine, which can hold the prop shaft still while the engine core, or gas generator, is running, providing air conditioning and electrical power to 28 VDC and inverter buses.

-Esa

[ClipperLuna]

Starting it up is very simple and pretty fast too. Starting is electrical, preferably by ground power, which is 28 VDC for ATR (115/200 VAC ground power connector is also there, but is only really necessary for tech, being supplied by prop shaft wild frequency generators in regular ops for certain larger loads). Battery starting is also doable, if GPU is not available or stalls during starter load, which happens sometimes with diesel units. There is no APU, but there is a propeller brake in the #2 engine, which can hold the prop shaft still while the engine core, or gas generator, is running, providing air conditioning and electrical power to 28 VDC and inverter buses.

-Esa

That's kind-of like how it is with the Q400 too in that you have three options: GPU-assisted, APU-assisted, or Battery. I'm told the preferred method is ground power. It's APU has a reputation for iffy reliability, or at least that's what they said about it as of roughly 10 years ago, not sure if it's better today. Regardless of method, the batteries always provide a good chunk of the power needed for starting; the GPU/APU supplement them.

[AKar]

Yeah, so I recall. I've only met Q400 a few times in reality. No much recollection of it as a type, seemed somewhat flimsy.

-Esa

[ClipperLuna]

it [the ATR] is an airplane no one really likes but it does the job pretty well
-Esa

I meant to ask about this in my last post. Do people really not like it? Because of the CoG issues?

[AKar]

Many don't. It is noisy, slow, flies among the weather...technically, well, it is French. Not that anyone I know would say it is not a fine aircraft, but it hardly is anyone's favorite. As a type, it is somewhat underrated, it is a good workhorse.

-Esa

[MarcE]

There is something that repeatingly bothers me concerning this „jump im and fly“. Sure, it‘s just personal feeling but Esa‘s explanation is exactly what I need for flying any airplane: knowledge. I don‘t know anything about ATRs but I know, that there are type ratings required to fly it. So it can‘t be a jump in and fly - plane like eg a C172 where you just need some instructions. Many people on the forums say they don‘t buy the PMDG 777 as it was too automated and boring. Sure, every kid can enter an a to b route and press LNAV and VNAV. Kids of the magenta line... but what I love about te 777 is to understand its systems. To know what happens in the background when I press this button, why do I have to turn on the hydraulics in this special order? How do I properly decend on the vnav path and manage my potential energy? What is etops and how do I plan and execute it? And so on. The 777 has a lot more to offen than simply pressing 3 buttons and it will land itself. And so does the ATR if we had a study level aircraft. Yes, you can fly an ATR VFR out of the swiss alps where you have no ATC radar and if you wish you can fly it like an airbus (at least a little)... but there is so much more to understand about every airplane, just as Esa said about the right engine.

[AKar]

Yes, I agree with MarcE.

Even more than simulating flight, or recreating one, the thing for me in flight simulation is to study aircraft in an intuitive way. I mean, you can learn a lot by dissecting the manuals but at least my brain works so that I need to play around a little to gain an intuitive feel on how systems work and interact. Even if having a chance to learn an aircraft type up close and personally in real life, one still misses the chance to fool around with the airplane as one wishes. Or most of us do, at least!

Every aircraft, even as simple as a bit complicated GA airplane, is an interesting machine, created by people and altered in design over time. Our simulations are becoming so good that it actually starts to matter that one learns a little bit about the physical design of an airplane. How system works, and so on. It is also interesting to go down the rabbit hole, study the aspects of the design and ask people who work with the type. While I've had a few months off from flight simulation (I need to re-install my P3D and stuff before getting back to it), I can't properly express how much I've enjoyed FSL A320 for latest.

but there is so much more to understand about every airplane, just as Esa said about the right engine.

Yeah, if we keep that as an example, and go down the rabbit hole so to say, that prop brake thing may seem like a simple switch for a trivial function, but it actually is a thing not taken lightly. When the #2 is running, it is prohibited to use the catering door (right rear door) for aft hold (un)loading, while it can be done if one conveniently forgets that. But worse than that, it is actually rather dangerous piece of equipment, because the engine core is under high idle power, and if the prop is released, either inadvertently or by system failure, it spins up very fast, even being feathered. Immediately around #2 propeller is any possible heater or air conditioning unit connected to the aircraft, and its presence may prevent the use of "Hotel mode". But it is also very convenient: should there be issues with GPU availability on arrival for instance, it is only a quick hand signal to the pilots to engage the prop brake, and deboarding and unloading can start while ground power is arranged from somewhere.

What is it, why is it there, how's it used and so on. Every airplane is at least some kind of a journey to learn.

-Esa

[propwash40]

Yes.....please !

Gaping hole in the market waiting to be plugged.

WHY? More warbirds wanted! So boring flying an ATR around.

[Tomas Linnet]

I would prefer a twin piston trainer, a Mossie and a Lanc. Then A2A are free to do a turbo prob sim