Introduction
===========-
This freeware Fuel Load/Dump gauge (FLD) for FSX can be added to any aircraft.
It provides (in-flight) refuelling and fuel dumping, with a pilot-settable rate.
This package ALSO requires prior installation of FSUIPC:
- FSUIPC.dll (v4.0.7 or newer, registered or unregistered).
If not yet installed, you can download the lastest version of FSUIPC at:
http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html
This XML gauge uses Doug Dawson's dsd_fsx_fuel_dump.gau as an interface to FSUIPC.
Detailed Functionality
======================
The gauge has a bitmap with the following (clickable) area's; see also tooltips:
- A 3-position switch:
- UP: Add fuel
- CENTER: Off
- DOWN: Dump fuel
RightClicking the switch changes the Units you prefer.
- Light above the switch: Fuel load indication.
- Off: gauge Off.
- Flashing Green: fuel loading is active.
- Red: fuel dumping has stopped, because:
- All tanks are full.
- Altitude is below 1000 ft AGL while the aircraft is moving (groundspeed > 2 knots).
- Light below the switch: Fuel dump indication.
- Off: gauge Off.
- Flashing Green: fuel dumping is active, total fuel level is still greater than 10%.
- Flashing Amber: fuel dumping is active, total fuel level is between 5% and 10%.
- Red: fuel dumping has stopped, because:
- Total tank contents is below 5%.
- Altitude is below 1000 ft AGL while the aircraft is moving (groundspeed > 2 knots).
- Fuel load/dump rate, in 'Units'PerMinute.
The user can set this rate (default: 500, min: 10 'Units'PerMinute) by clicking the rate field:
- Leftclick: in-/decrease in steps of 100 units.
- Rightclick: in-/decrease in steps of 10 units.
- Total fuel, in 'Units'. (tooltip: as a percentage of total capacity).
Note that, after Fuel Load/Dump stops automatically (light becomes Red), the switch
must be set Off manually.
The main bitmap is transparant; so the background color, except the clickable (functional)
area's, is determined by the color of the underlying panel window.
For aircraft with a multi-tank configuration, fuel load/dunp is handled the following way.
Fuel dump:
The tanks (whichever is available) are emptied in the same sequence that FS9 aircraft use
fuel for its engines (provided no fuel transfer switches are used of course):
1. External 1/2 tanks.
2. Tip L/R tanks.
3. Aux L/R tanks.
4. Main L/R tanks.
Notes:
- The next paired tanks are only used when both paired tanks are empty (and/or not defined).
- The Center tanks (whichever is defined) are sequentially emptied, in parallel with
step 2,3 and 4; in the order Center3, Center2 and Center tank.
- The amount of fuel dumped (=rate) is equally distributed over the selected tanks.
- It's assumed that paired tanks have the same capacity, which should always be true.
- The total fuel level can never be below 1%.
Fuel loading: the opposite direction as fuel dump.
Known "problem" with fuel load:
Because of the solution XMLgauge --> DSDgauge --> FSUIPC --> FS9 (delays in read and write),
the fuel loading rate becomes inaccurate when the load rate is near or even lower than the
enigines fuel consumption. Not really a problem for normal load rates ( >500 GPM) since even
a 747 at full power uses less than 400 GPM :-)
Copyrights and Disclaimer
============================
This package is freeware (NOT: public domain), and is available for your
personal use only.
Without my explicite written permission, it may NOT be sold, modified, copied, re-distributed
and/or uploaded to another website or bulletin board in ANY shape or form.
(except changes as described above, for your personal use).
If you want to bundle this package with your (freeware) aircraft, you may ONLY
do so AFTER my explicite permission and inclusion of this documentation file.
And obviously, installing & using this package is at your own risk.
However, if you execute the Installation instructions properly, this package
should NOT crash you PC or FS, nor should it have any substantial impact on
performance.
Although most of the testing was done on Windows-XP platforms, I don't expect
any problems with other Windows versions (provided FS2004 itself runs OK).
Credits
=======
- Doug Dawson, for his great gauge that allows for versitile fuel load/dump
scenario's coded in an XML gauge.
- Peter Dowson, for creating/maintaining FSUIPC.
As with all of my gauges, I'm always open for questions, or suggestions for
improvement. But PLEASE !!, READ this manual properly before mailing me.
Enjoy, and fly safe .....
Rob Barendregt, The Netherlands
Email: rc.barendregt@planet.nl
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