This is an autoland gauge for various aircraft.

Published with permission from:
Stefan Liebe who is the original author.
Francois Dore who developed it further.
I have just adopted it to the various parameters of each aircraft.


INSTALLATION


Very easy, just copy the folder "autoland" from the corresponding aircraft and paste it to the panel folder of your aircraft.

Then edit your panel.cfg file, found inside your aircraft's panel folder, like this:

under [Window00] (or whichever it is for "main panel") find the last gauge and after it add the following:

gaugexx=autoland!A_AUTOFLARE, 0,0,0,0


[Project Airbus users read further instructions found inside the PA folder of this package.]



OPERATIONS

[REMEMBER the following apply ONLY for ILS approaches with the "approach" button activated. They DO NOT apply when handflying the aircraft
or when you approach by inserting inputs to the autopilot (heading, vertical speed). So if you handfly or manipulate with autopilot inputs
even an ILS approach (by just following the ILS signals (Localiser, Glideslope)) the following do not apply.]

Like in real life, this one operates in order to fully autoland (ILS CAT II & III) your aircraft. Autoland provides a good (some may say fair) touchdown but not the best possible (even in real life). If you want a really smooth touchdown you have to do it manually.
During ILS approaches, after establishing the usual settings (com frequency, course, approach active etc.) for an ILS approach
set your speed, arm speed brakes, auto brakes (if you want) and then wait till the aircraft touches down. You don't have to activate the gauge because it is active by default.
You will observe the nose going up slightly (at about 30 ft AGL) for a smooth touch down (the front landing gear following), the autothrust being disengaged (about 20-15 ft AGL),
and at 50 knots the autopilot being disengaged.

If you wish to disengage the autopilot at your own and hand fly the aircraft till touch down, the gauge will just disengage the autothrust, so you do not have to adjust thrust.
If you disengage the autothrust, the gauge will still bring the thrust levers to idle the same way it does when fully functional (about 20-15 ft AGL).
However if you feel that you still need some power before touching down you can eigher hit "F3" default button or use your thrust levers if you have some hardware for flying (e.g. Logitech's set, or a joystick with thrust manipulation etc.).
BEWARE that whatever you do the thrust will be brought to idle anyway (about 20-15 ft AGL) - your application of thrust will take place immediately after.
This way you can have autoland performed by the gauge while you manipulate the thrust.

TIP 1: if you want to manually land at an ILS approach and want to manipulate pitch and thrust at your own until touchdown, then you have to FIRST deactivate "approach" (by clicking/unselecting the "approach" button - which in effect disengages the autoland gauge)
and THEN deactivate the "autopilot" (by default "Z" button on keybord) and the "auto-thrust" (by default "Ctrl + R" buttons on keybord). This way you choose when to lift nose and bring thrust to idle at an ILS approach.
I recomend this way instead of trying to apply power after the system has put the thrust levers to idle.
However this way you cannot have autoland performed by the gauge, you have to do the landing completely manually.

TIP 2 [limited to a few aircraft-see NOTE]: you can apply the above (TIP 1) but you DO NOT deactivate the "autopilot". The gauge will allow some form of pitch up movement of the nose and the aircraft will
autoland while you manipulate the thrust. It has been tested and it works although you don't get so obvious nose up attitude change. In this way you have to manually disengage the "Autopilot" after touchdown.
NOTE: Tip 2 applies only to Overland SMS A319/320/321, A330, A340, MD11 and CLS DC-10. It should work with Overland SMS B737 and B777 but it has NOT BEEN TESTED on these aircraft.

Make sure you keep right attitude for each aircraft approaches for landing, i.e. how high is the nose during approach and touch down.
Here is the necessary info on this:

Airbus

Usually airbus aircraft approach at about 2.5 - 3.0 degrees nose up and touch down at about 5.0 - 6.0 degrees nose up.
However the A321 , A340-500/600, due to a long tail, approach at 2.5 degrees nose up and touch down at about 4.5 - 5.0 degrees nose up.
The A300 series, due to a different landing gear configuration, approach at 2.0 - 2.5 degrees nose up and touch down at about 4.0 - 5.0 degrees nose up.
This applies especially to the A300ST (Beluga), due to lower height of the fuselage, which should approach at about 2.0 and land at about 4.0 degrees nose up.
The A380 approach at 2.0 - 2.5 degrees nose up and touch down at about 4.0 degrees nose up.

Boeing

Usually boeing aircraft approach at about 1.0 - 2.5 degrees nose up and touch down at about 2.5 - 4.0 degrees nose up.
B777 is different with 1.0 - 1.5 degrees for approach and 2.5 - 3.5 degrees touch down.
You should apply the B777 restrictions if you use the POSKY B747-400 file with POSKY B747-800, again due to a long tail.

McDonnell-Douglas & Lockheed

Usually large MDs (MD-11, DC-10) aircraft approach at about 1.5 - 2.5 degrees nose up and touch down at about 2.5 - 4.0 degrees nose up.
The same applies for the Lockheed L-1011 Tristar.


So when approaching you should set your speed so that at the usuall descent rate (of about 700 ft/min) your aircraft has the correct attitude.
This will allow for a smouth touch down either this is performed in autoland mode, or handflying.

If you are not so comfortable with landings then by using this gauge you will be able to observe how the autopilot handles the aircraft
and you will be able to apply what you will have seen (attitude, pitch, when to lift nose, how fast, when to stop lifting nose etc.) in manual mode.

All aircraft have been tested again and again at CYVR (Vancouver Intl) and LGAV (Athens Intl) till they were fine tuned.
Although all perform well I have to mention that the POSKY 747-400 v3 and v4 and Tom Ruth A330 and A340 do not perform as well as the rest of the aircraft.
Also it was completely impossible to use it with Tom Ruth A300/A310 series.
I have not tested the gauge with the POSKY B747-800 (although I do mention the restrictions above), however it should work like the POSKY 747-400. The same apllies for POSKY B747-100/200/300 v3 and v4.
If you are using my updated pack (v2) for Overland SMS A330 and A340 then you do not have to use this gauge because it is already integrated into the pack.

You can use any one of these files for any other aircraft at your own risk, but remember that each one of them has been modified for the particular aircraft it was intented.


Enjoy your blind, zero visibility landings!


Dimitrios Moschos
dmoschos6@gmail.com

P.S. Feel free to use, change, modify, upload with another pack etc. no need to ask for permission. Don't make money out of it and mention my name.