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*** MD-11 PANEL FOR FS2004 *** VERSION 2.41 / November 2003 ***
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FOREWORDS OF DOC AUTHOR (Alain Capt)
------------------------------------
To really get 100% of what this sophisticated package has to offer, please
take time to read carefully this documentation. I know you may suffer,
with my "Frenglish" and the abundance of informations, sorry about that!
It take, to the french-speaking guy I am, a considerable time to build
this documentation. But it contain ALL WHAT YOU NEED, to master this
panel like I master it myself. Therefore, be patient, come back to it
often and you will soon be a great virtual MD-11 pilot !!!
DESCRIPTION
-----------
This package allow to install/uninstall the ACS MD-11 2d panel for FS2004
automatically on any Mike Stone or iFDG MD-11 aircraft installation, with
the help of a powerful custom "Install.exe" program.
"Install.exe" program take care of all problems. With a simple mouse click
you will link the panel to the aircaft installation. "Install.exe" will
backup all original data's, then it will edit all required aircraft files,
according to the adaptation required for the specific model.
"Install.exe" can also install into the aircraft directory the appropriate
version of ACS LoadEdit for the MD-11 (payload editor), choosen by the user.
Finally, "Install.exe" can restore your aircraft directory to the original
state with a simple mouse click, at any time.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS
-------------------
ATTENTION !!! To work properly, this panel MUST BE INSTALLED on host
SUPPORTED MD-11 aircraft, with the "install.exe" program included within
this package. This program will not only make "aircraft.cfg" file fully
compatible with the panel, but will also tune the fight dynamic. Read
"TUNINGS" chapter for more details.
IF YOU DO NOT RESPECT the previous point, the panel will most probably
have several malfunctions. The reason is that panel rely on certain
parameters settings within the file "aircraft.cfg", which might be missing
or set to a different value. The auto-landing feature is also only
certified with the flight dynamic tuning and will not work as expected,
with other flight dynamic models.
ATTENTION !!! If you want to get the 100% of this package, it is also
important you respect all the flight simulator settings as described
into chapter "OPTIMUM FLIGHT SIMULATOR SETTINGS".
If you encounter abnormal simulation behaviors, before to call my help,
read chapter "TECHNICAL INFORMATIONS" to be sure the explanation of the
problem is not here.
This panel DO NOT REQUIRE the installation of FSUIPC module.
This panel has been designed to work in full screen mode with 1024x768
resolution.
For now, "install.exe" only has one model, based on the Swissair PAX 3
classes data's, for each supported aircaft (Mike Stone & iFDG). In the
future, I hope to be able to generate different model with specific
data's for all different types of MD-11. In particular for iFDG aircrafts
which exist in all available type (MD-11, MD-11 F, MD-11 Combi, with
both General Electric anf Pratt & Whitney motorization).
In the same way, actual MD-11 presets of ACS LoadEdit are accurate only
for the MD-11 type PAX 3 classes. Other type have correct passengers
seats capacities, but some other parameters were extrapolated from
my reference Swissair datas. Some more work for the future !!!
INSTALLATION
------------
1) Unzip into the installation root directory of your FS2004, with option
"Use folder name" activated (IMPORTANT !!!)
File: ACSMD11panel_xxx.zip.
REMARKS: "Use folder name" is an option ANY "unzip" tools has. When
activated, this option will allow the "unzip" tool to build
the destination path for all unzipped file(s) with the
initial "unzip" path you specify (in our case: FS2004 Dir)
PLUS the path specified for each file into the archive (in
our case: all emplacements where should our files go, like
"Aircraft", "Gauges, "Sound", etc...).
Unless you are a FS+PC specialist, avoid to do this operation
into a temporary directory instead of the FS2004 directory and
then, install yourseft manually the material into your FS2004.
Almost 100% of E-Mail I receive from peoples saying: "I don't
understand why it does not work" have used this method and
realized an incorrect manual installation.
2) Go into the "Aircaft\ACS MD-11 panel" directory and launch the program
"Install.exe" you will found there.
Click on the button "Choose MD-11 aircraft" and with the requester
which will open, seek into FS2004 aircraft directory, the root
directory of the MD-11 aircraft you want to set the panel for and
then click the "Open" button of the requester.
If the aircraft you have chosen is recognized, the "Install" button
and all ACS LoadEdit version selectors will be enabled.
Select the appropriate ACS LoadEdit version or deselect this optional
installation if you prefer.
Finally, click on the "install" button to install the panel.
REMARKS: If the aircraft is not recognized, you won't be able to
install the panel.
If the panel was already installed on the selected aircraft
the "Uninstall" button will be enabled instead. If you click
the button, the aircraft will be reversed to the original
state.
"Install.exe" is compatible with aircaft installation with
more than one livery (multiple [Fltsim.x] section), as far
as only one single panel directory named "Panel" exist and
all version use the same recognized "AIR" file.
See chapter "TECHNICAL INFORMATIONS" for more knowledge on
the behaviors of the "Install.exe" program.
3) I warmly recommend that you download and install too, all available
optional sound packages.
WHAT'S NEW IN FS2004 VERSION
----------------------------
This version goes far beyond a simple adaptation to FS2004. Apart
numerous gauges corrections to make them compatible with FS2004, the
panel work now with all required FS200X internal variables and fully
support all Microsoft navigation systems.
Pratically, this mean you can now fly with this panel totally like with
a Microsoft aircraft, taking advantage of all Microsoft features, like
ATC, AI, Garmin GPS, Microsoft flight planner. You will even have the
choice to use either ACS-GPS navigation or standard Microsoft navigation.
On previous version, if it was possible to call the Microsoft GPS map,
navigation with this GPS was not supported. Now you will found the
required GPS/NAV button, to link the autopilot to the Microsoft GPS.
But if you prefer, you can also use ACS-GPS, because the Data Manager
upgrade, included in this package, allow you now to import FS flightplan.
The new ACS-GPS V4 gauge, also included, will anticipate waypoint turns,
in order to better stay on the airway (see after for more details).
The Flight Director (FDI) used is now the internal Microsoft FDI and not
anymore the ACS version of it, which was developed in the time this
function simply didn't existed if FS.
The NAV light button on upper panel is now a true NAV light button (will
only lit aircraft navigation lights) and is placed on the true aircraft
location. Lever button previously used for "NAV" become "Taxi lights".
A new separate "Panel lights" mouse spot is implemented on the ovoid
button which allow to set panel light in the true aircraft.
Panel also feature now a custom night enlightment.
Upper panel also implement now true "Beacon lights", "Logo light" and
all three engines "Anti-ice" button.
All gauges are now linked with appropriate FS200X variables, when it
is possible. The best example is the "Battery power" variable. Now, if
you switch off the "battery", the internal Microsoft battery will also
be switched off. This mean, for example, that all external lights will
be off, ATC will be off, Garmin GPS screen too, etc...
This version even solve the terrible "exhausted battery problem" which
still exist in FS2004, because this version still do not offer an APU
nor an external power source. This is done WITHOUT requiring FSUIPC
module to artificially maintain the electric power. My APU has become a
true APU with a very tricky programmation, which use engine No 2 in an
"hidden" very special way, to make it the missing APU. So now, when you
start my APU, electric power will be furnished and you will even have a
small fuel consuption !!!
With the new "BUS" voltage indicator, you will be always able to check
the actual available voltage. If you don't start APU, you will see this
voltage going down quite quickly. When tension goes under 20 volts, the
indicator color will turn to yellow. It will turn to red colors at 17
volts and if you still don't start the APU, at 16 volts, you will loose
power and have no other solution than to reload your flight !!!
Aircraft implement now "payload stations" and all weight characteristics
are nominal to the true MD-11 aircraft. A payload editor program is
included to allow you to edit the default payload configuration in a
very convenient way (see chapter LOADEDIT PROGRAM for more details).
For now, all "payload stations" do not influence the center of gravity
(just allow to play with different weight configurations, involving fuel
load and payload). Influence on the center of gravity will be perhaps
introduced in a futher upgrade, if I succeed in implementing a fuel
transfert to balance the aircraft, like in the reality.
Auto landing code in gauge "ACS.Autopilot-MD11.gau" was fully rewritten
for more fine control and better aircraft behaviors during rounding and
flare phase.
Pushback gauge has been modified to use now the FS internal pushback
commands instead of the "slewing mode" (see after for more details).
Both security altimeter & attitude "standby gauges" are now linked to
the power and therefore don't stay lit all the time. At last, we have
a fully dark cockpit, when power is off !!!
VERY IMPORTANT !!! This panel is designed with a "pixel to pixel" technic
and require therefore a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 in full screen mode
exclusively, to render 100 % accurately everything. In this mode, you will
be able to read clearly and without any problems, even the smallest text
label. Using the panel with other resolution (even larger) or in windowed
mode will lead to inferior results.
Pay attention the outside view is sized correctly. This is important with
this aircraft, if you want to have a correct outside view feeling. Zoom
factor is also very important for real outside look feeling. It must be
set to 0.75 for optimum results.
The dynamic flight model expect your joystick is calibrated the following
way: Control Surfaces gauge tips reach full scale almost exactly when your
joystick also reach his own full scale.
The dynamic flight model is also optimized for the following FS flight
realism settings:
Cursor "General" full to right
Cursor "P-factor" full to left
Cursor "Torque" middle
Cursor "Gyro" middle
Cursor "Crash tolerance" middle
Other realism settings are to your taste except you must avoid to use
option "Display true airspeed" and should use instead the real world
setting: "Display indicated airspeed".
ACS-GPS
-------
This package will either install a minimum ACS-GPS version 2.10 or upgrade
a pre-existing installation of ACS-GPS the following way:
New version of the Data Manager:
This new version allow you to import flightplan in FS Microsoft format.
When you select "Load Program", the standard file requester support now
an additional format "MS flightplan (*.pln)" which you can select with
the file type pull-down list.
To load a Microsoft flightplan you have generated with the FS2004 flightplan
manager, select this new file type, go to the directory where your plans
are saved (generally "Documents\Flight Simulator files") and load the
desired flightplan.
New version of ACS-GPS V4 gauge:
This gauge, devoted to the MD-11, has the following enhancement: When
flying in the "Tour" mode, the automatic switching to the next leg will
not anymore occur when you fly just over the waypoint. The switching
will now be anticipated in function of the turn to make (angle of turn)
and the speed of the aircraft, in order the aircraft to better stay
on the airway.
!!! IMPORTANT !!! Technical warning:
Avoid to install a version lower than 2.10 of ACS-GPS package, after you
will have installed this package, or you will loose the enhancements
just described.
LOADEDIT PROGRAM
----------------
If you install it, you will found into the aircraft directory a program
called "LOADEDIT.EXE". This program allow you to reconfigure all stations
load in a very convenient way, by simply setting the number of passengers,
plus cargo and baggage. The program also calculate for you the maximum fuel
load you can use with the configuration you have set, to respect MTOW. It
can work either in [lbs] or [kg] units.
This program must be used BEFORE to load the MD-11 aircraft, if you want that
your settings are taken in account for your flight.
On this matter, notice that you can use new internal FS2004 "playload editor"
feature to modify these settings, even if I do not recommend this, because
this function allow to set totally unrealistic weights. You should know that
if you use it, the modifications you may do, will NOT modify original settings
made into "aircraft.cfg" file (and edited with LOADEDIT.EXE). New settings
will just affect your actual flight.
!!! IMPORTANT !!! Technical limitations:
Actually, it is not possible to know, from within a gauge, the true gross
weight of the aircraft at any time. Maybe the FS2004 SDK, when it will be
published, will change this situation.
Several gauges parameters extrapolate the actual aircraft gross weight from
the fuel load only (payload is a constant). You will found more details on
this matter into chapter "PFD / SPEED RELATED PARAMETERS".
The extrapolation will be 100% correct, if you set the total payload to the
exact weight limit, where you can just still load 100% of the fuel capacity.
More the total payload will be different from this precise value, more these
parameters are to be incorrect.
FUEL MANAGEMENT (iFGD model only)
---------------------------------
On any true airliner aircraft, the fuel is managed in a way to:
1) Reduce as quickly as possible load on wing.
2) Balance the aircraft center of gravity.
To balance aircraft center of gravity, pilots often tranfert fuel from
one tank to another. Unfortunately, this is apparently still not possible
with FS2004. Almost by using standard SDK variables.
To compensate this lack, my iFDG tuning implement the following trick,
which "simulate" not so badly the maintenance of a good center of gravity:
The two auxiliary fuel tanks are volontary defined "outside the aircraft"
behind the wings, in order to maintain a good center of gravity position
with heavy fuel load.
Because auxiliary fuel tanks are the first tanks to be used, the fuel
consumption will "automatically" maintain a good center of gravity
position, while the aircraft reduce his weight.
Because of this trick, it is really important to respect the following
method to refuel your iFDG MD-11:
When you have determined the total fuel you need, divide this quantity
by 3 and see if the third is lower or greater than the capacity of main
left/right tank.
In case the third is lower or equal to main left/right tank capacity,
fill main left/center/right tank each with a third of the required fuel.
When the third exceed left/right tank capacity, do first the same as
before and then, divide by three the remaining required fuel. Fill
both left/right auxiliary tanks with 1 third of this remaining quantity
and finally, add the last third to the main center tank.
TUNINGS
-------
Let me first congratulate Albaro Villegas for his good job with the
original flight dynamic of his model. The first time I flew this
model, I immediately remaked it was close to what I expected for
a MD-11. This fact was a great part of my motivation to start an
adaptation of my panel, without using my very old FS98 "AIR" file,
which actually give much more problems than advantages with FS2004.
A remanent problem with Microsoft FS, is that clean and dirty stall
speeds, which are computed from other aircaft parameters, are always
wrong, especially for "heavies", as long as you take these other
parameters conform to real world parameters. This has very bad
consequences for aircraft behaviors, in critical flight phases,
like landing and takeoff. Unfortunately, it seem that, with FS2004,
the situation on this matter is worst than with previous versions.
To my view, iFDG model has the following weakness:
- Induced drag, in landing configuration (full flaps + landing gear)
is too low.
- Aircraft effective power in MTOW conditions is too high.
- Several momentS of inertia are too low.
- Pitch command effectiveness too vigorous, especially on low speed.
Speaking of the flight dynamic, it is these matters that my tuning
try to improve. Apart this, load station are re-designed to be
compatible with ACS LoadEdit. Aircraft contact points are refined,
in order to better "set" the aircraft on ground and give the typical
"hanging" tail feeling with heavy load. Fuel tanks are re-designed
for the "trick" described in chapter "FUEL MANAGEMENT". Finally,
several parameters are set to the appropriate value, to insure a
full compatibility with my gauges. All this is done with modified
version of original iFDG material ("aircraft.cfg", "AIR" file).
For the Mike Stone model, only aircraft 3d model and textures are
used. The rest ("aircraft.cfg" and "AIR" file) are an adapted
version to FS2004 of my "Swissair MD-11, the full package" and
is therefore still using the famous ACSMD11c.air file.
VORTEX GAUGE (iFGD model only)
------------------------------
The iFDG aircraft tuning include a XML gauge "ACS.vortex.xml", which
command FS "smoke" system, to produce automatically vortex vapor
trails effects, during landing and takeoff phases.
Vapor trails are induced by vortex, because of the heavy depression
it cause. If the air is suffisently satured with humidity, conditions
where the air become over-satured may arise. This is because the
maximum quantity of humidity the air can contain, depend on the
air temperature and pressure. If vortex conditions overpass the limit,
the excess of humidity will condense into vapor. To be complete, air
temperature and depression into the vortex depend of aero-dynamic
factors, where parameter like aircraft speed and weight play a role.
Unfortunately, not all required parameters are available to truly
determine if vortex will produce vapor trail or not. Therefore, for
now, function is enabled with the following conditions:
- Flaps are set to position 4/7 or over. (if lower, flap vortex
vapor trail would seem to initiate from nowhere. Low weight
takeoff can be made with 3/7).
- External temperature is greater than 0 degrees Celsius. (introduce
some randomness for the trails to appear or not, including the
altitude where it may appear).
- Barometric pressure at see level is under 1020 millibar/30.12 inHg
(introduce some randomness for the trails to appear or not, in
function of the meteorological conditions).
When all these conditions are met, gauge will take control of FS
"smoke" system and vortex vapor trails will appear, when aircraft
speed is under 200 knots and the aircraft is not on the ground.
In this case, you cannot control manually vapor trails with the
keyboard "I" key (gauge will overrule you).
When any of these conditions are not met, gauge does NOT control
FS "smoke" system, which mean you have the full manual control of
this feature with the keyboard "I" key.
EXTENDED UPPER PANEL
--------------------
On the extended overhead panel you will found following functions:
PushBack function:
Please read dedicated chapter to pushback function.
Ignition group:
Two buttons A & B, almost one of them must be active to be
able to start engines.
Power Group:
Ext This button suppose you take power from ground. It is a fake
function and will always turn to red (mean not available)
when activated.
Batt This button give initial electrical power required to bring
to life the panel. Can be turned OFF when aircraft receive
power from APU or Engines.
APU This button will start/stop APU generator. When started,
button first lit in yellow color and you will hear progressively
the APU sound. When APU is operational button color will turn
to green. With no engine started, APU is required to have air
for the air conditioning system or for the Engines startup
procedure. APU also furnish required electrical power.
Air Cond group:
Rot knob Just a fake button simulating the setting of air conditioned
temperature.
ON/OFF Start/stop air conditionned for the whole aircraft. If air is
available, will turn to green, and you will hear the air cond
sound. If not, button will lit in red color. ATTENTION, to be
able to start engines, you will have to turn air conditioned
OFF, in order to have enough pressurized air to launch turbine.
Anti-ice engines:
Those 3 buttons are coupled with the same FS2004 function.
Anti-ice wing & tail:
This is just a fake function which will do nothing within FS
simulator. But these button are coupled to the logic and not
simply turn black to green when activated. They will need some
time to be active (turn yellow first) and will refuse to activate
(turn to red) if aircraft is only powered with Battery. The first
group of three buttons concern engine 1 to 3, button "W" concern
wings and finally, button "T" concern aicraft tail. This is exactly
all the buttons existing in the real aircraft for this function.
!!! IMPORTANT !!! Technical limitations:
A panel window, when closed, has his gauges turned to an idle state. APU sound
is produced by one of the upper panel gauge. Therefore, when turning OFF APU,
please wait until the button turn from red to black, before closing the window.
This will insure the APU sound is really stopped and unloaded. If you do not
respect that, this has no consequences for the game, except gauge is still
playing a sound for nothing. When you start APU, also wait until button turn
to green, before closing the window, or the APU will finish to start the next
time you open the window.
PUSHBACK FUNCTION (EXTENDED UPPER PANEL)
----------------------------------------
RESET Button: Will initialize heading to current aircraft heading
and reset pushback distance to default value. Will also
abort immediately an eventual active pushback sequence.
START button: Start a pushback sequence according to parameters set.
Aircraft must be stopped for this cmd to be accepted.
First 3 digits: Desired heading after pushback.
Can be inc/dec with mouse like usually in FS, but only if
a pushback sequence is not active.
Will turn green when a pushback sequence is started.
Arrow buttons: Will compute heading to be pushed back with a 90 degrees
turn, in the arrow direction. Will work only when a pushback
sequence is not active.
Second 3 digits: Allow to set a distance the aircraft will be pushed straight
forward before eventual turn start. Can be inc/dec with
mouse like usually in FS, but only if a pushback sequence
is not active. Will turn green when a pushback sequence
is started.
Pushback use the internal FS2004 pushback function. This as the advantage the
world is not frozen, like it was the case with pushback realized with the FS
slew function. On the other hand, pushback movements and behaviors are those
Microsoft offer to us.
Because internal FS2004 pushback function is not able to turn more than 90
degrees for one single push command, pushback settings which imply a greater
turn angle will be accomplished with two consecutive push commands. This mean
that the aircraft will go straight backward for a short while, after having
turned 90 degrees abd then, turn again for the ramaining angle.
Timing between message who request the ground to work a bit before to call, are
randomly set within a realistic timing range.
The initial ground call might be automatically repeated, if ground crew do not
answer within a reasonable delay.
!!! IMPORTANT !!! Technical limitations:
A gauge is idle, when the window which carry it is not anymore active (shown).
This mean you must avoid to look the pushback from outside, use lateral views,
or even to close the extended upper panel window during pushback. Therefore,
stay concentrated on your checklist !!!
CREW FUNCTION
-------------
Two mouse spots are used to manage this feature. They are located on the full
right of panel auto-pilot console, where are located buttons to toggle Starter
window or CRT screen's modes (see "see-me.gif" picture).
Here, the last button down, with label "AR" and the "Arrow" button, immediately to
the right of "AR" button will be used for Crew function.
"AR" button: This button is used to start/stop Crew function. intitialy, label
of this button is, as usualy, white colored.
When Crew function is started color will turn to green.
When stopped (understand paused) color will turn to yellow.
This button might blink in green color to indicate Crew function
is waiting Captain to click the button to run next action.
"Arrow" button: Arrow color turning to green, mean that user can click this
button to skip current active step.
When Crew function is stopped ("AR" button in yellow), clicking
on this arrow button will reset Crew function. In this case,
"AR" button will return to normal white color.
In all other cases, clicking arrow button will have no effect.
Crew function can be started at any time, on ground or in flight. By looking at the
aircraft situation, Crew function will know what to do.
Crew function use following FS variables to determine aircraft situation:
Parking brake state.
On Ground state.
Airspeed.
Altitude to ground.
And Special custom internal variable OGS (On Ground Speed).
Here follow the fully description of the logic for this feature:
Suppose you are at parking and you start Crew function. Logic will, in this case,
examine Parking brake state. If parking brake is set, Crew function will start
normally with the boarding sequence.
If parking brake is not set, logic will examine aircraft speed to determine
probable situation. Under 50 knots logic will suppose you are taxiing or maybe
just after engine startup, or just before take off. Logic will therefore jump
to "Security message", the message said during taxiing, before the takeoff.
In case your speed was over 10 knots, Crew function will start immediately the
"Security message". Now, if you are under this speed (maybe stopped just before
take off) and you don't want this message to be said as soon as you will go,
you can use Arrow button to skip this step.
When started normally, with parking brake set, logic will ramdomly choose a
boarding time in the range of 3 to 9 mn and start immediately the "asceptic
music". From time to time, you will hear Flight Attendant messages. Finally,
the First Flight Attendant will announce to you that boarding is done. At this
stage, "AR" button will start to blick. When you will click it, you will hear
"Cabin crew, doors on automatic". You are ready to pushback now.
Now you have started your engines and begin to join your runway. Like aleady said,
as soon as your speed is over 10 knots, Crew function will start immediately the
"Security message". "Aseptic" music will start again just after it, to keep cool
your passengers. In the same time "AR" button will start to blink. When Captain
click the "AR" button, he will say "Cabin crew, takeoff in two minutes". Music
will stop soon after this action.
For takeoff, as soon as speed is over 50 knots, logic will enter into takeoff
phase where copilot will say the three message V1, Vr and V2. These speeds are
calculated in function of the weight of aircaft (fuel weight is used here). In
case V1 is higher than V2 (mean you can abort takeoff at any time before the
aircraft weels quit the ground), copilot will ignore V1 announcement. If during
this phase, takeoff is aborted (speed fall down under 50 knots) Crew function
will terminate immediately.
Now you are in the climb sequence. As soon as you pass over 12'000 feets, "AR"
button start to blick for a maximum of three minutes. You will also hear a
reminder bell sound. If you click the button, Captian will say to passenger his
traditional welcome message with some info's about the flight. But this action
is not mandatory. Logic will skeep automatically this step after the blinking
period or if logic detect aircraft climb seem to be not anymore established.
After this step and, of course, supposing aircraft has continued a normal climb,
logic will simply always check altitude and memorize the highest altitude
reached. This altitude is used during descent to compute an arbitrary altitute:
12'000+((AltMax-12'000)/2), where the "AR" button will start again to blink for
three new minutes. Here Captain will tell to passenger about the started descent.
Blinking period might stop before the three minutes, if 11'000 feets border is
passed before.
In case aircraft do not climb over 12'000 feets limits (which is really not
probable for a MD-11), logic will consider it is a very short flight and both
climb and descent Captain announcement are just skipped.
During descent on destination airport, logic will open an "altitude window" where
the pre-landing announce is allowed. But announce will not be produced until both
No Smoking/Fasten seat belt are ON. If you forget to activate these buttons or do
it too late, you will not hear this announce. If you activate them before the upper
altitude (9'500 feets) of the "altitude window", announce will occur obviously as
soon as 9'500 feets are reached.
Before landing, "AR" button will start to blink again. If you click the button,
the Captain will say "Cabin crew, landing in two minutes".
"After landing" message will occur when speed on ground fall under 30 knots. But
if you miss you landing and abort it, if "After landing" message has not been
already played, logic will wait on next landing to produce this message. If you
accelerate over 50 knots after this message was played, logic will terminate
Crew function ("AR" button turn to white).
As soon as the "After landing" message has been played, the "asceptic music"
will start to play again. When you reach your gate and stop, as soon as you will
set No Smoking/Fasten seat belt to OFF, the "AR" button will start to blink.
Until you do not click "AR" button, music will continue to play. When you click,
music will be stopped immediately and the Crew function will be terminated
("AR" button turn to white).
!!! IMPORTANT !!! Limits of the crew feature logic:
If abnormal situation is detected (this can occur if you have paused a long time
Crew function or if you use Slewing or replay etc...), logic will immediately
terminate Crew function ("AR" button turn to white).
It can also occur in these extreme situations, that the logic will be fooled.
This will, for example, happen if you start a replay just after landing.
Flight Attendant will start her "After landing" message !!! In this case, you
always have the possibility to reset the Crew function.
When you takeoff with strong wind having violent gust, copilot saying V1,Vr,V2
simulation may be fooled and will announce a speed, when in fact aircraft is
just receiving a strong positive gust. A strong negative one may also result
in an abort of crew feature, because logic will believe pilot is aborting
takeoff.
FDI: HOW IT WORK
----------------
In this FS2004 version, Flight Directory use now the internal FS function
and not anymore the ACS custom function. Therefore, refer to FS user
manual to know how FDI work.
OGS/TAS INDICATOR ON E-HSI CRT
------------------------------
When on ground, indicator show what I call OGS, "On Ground Speed". This
indication IS FULLY INDEPENDANT of wind.
When aircraft is not anymore on ground, this indicator will start to display
TAS (True Air Speed). This speed is calculated from both Mach speed and
external temperature FS variables, like done in ACS-GPS.
PFD / SPEED RELATED PARAMETERS
------------------------------
On the right of vertical speed band of PFD, you will remark red speed
limit bands. In any circumstances (with or without slats/flaps deployed),
they will indicate the available speed envelop. These speed limits take
in account the aircraft weight, extrapolated from fuel load.
On the same place, originated in the middle of the speed band, on the
actual speed indicator, you will see the accelerometer. When you have
a positive acceleration, you will see a thin yellow band going upward.
Length of this vector indicate acceleration value. In case of negative
acceleration, this small band will go downward. On constant speed, you
just don't see anymore this yellow vector.
Version 2 of the PFD will also help you to avoid deploying slats/flaps
at too high speed. This will be indicated by color changes of the
central digital speed display. When you are over 290 kias, this
indicator will be green like usually. Now, if your speed fall under
this limit, you will enter into "Deploy slats/flaps warning mode".
Speed display will turn to orange color. This mean you are NOT
ALLOWED to deploy slats/flaps at this speed. When color change to
green, then you can deploy first slats/flaps notch. When done, speed
display color will immediately turn again to orange, until you will
reach the next correct speed to deploy next notch. This process
continue until you have fully deployed slats/flaps.
During takeoff, you will see three small triangles, which will indicate
respectively: V1 (yellow color), Vr (green color) and V2 (light blue
color). These speeds are also calculated in function of the aircraft
weight, extrapolated from fuel load. Of course, V1 (must takeoff speed)
is an approximation, based on a standard runway length.
All these functionalities exist on the real MD-11 PFD. I tryed to
represent them as much close as possible to the real gauges, but
I had to make some concessions, in order to obtain good readability.
The main one, is the usage of color change on digital speed display.
SOME FLYING TIPS AND INFO'S
---------------------------
The best way to be able to load the MD-11 with all engines OFF and a
cold panel, is to create a "flight" files with these conditions, for
all your favourite locations and to use these files to load the MD-11.
You can either use one of these files as you default start situation.
Left computer ON/OFF mouse toggle is on the left of his white button
(cannot be on white button, because of mouse spot conflict with the
airbrake lever). For right computer, use normally the white button.
If you want to make an auto-landing controlling yourself the power, you
just need to deactivate the auto-pilot speed control. Now your problem
is to know the optimum time to cut the power. Just survey the auto
throttle state on the auto-pilot or better on the PFD. On the precise
time the auto-landing feature would have cut the power, state of auto-
throttle will toggle.
During the critical phase of auto-landing, just after auto-landing has
cut the power and until aircraft touch the ground, if you want to abort
landing, you don't need to worry about the state of auto-pilot (if active
or not). Just put power again with throttle command and auto-landing will
be immediately cut as well as auto-pilot, if it was still ON. Before
this phase, you must cut auto-pilot to regain manual control.
On the PFD gauge (CRT no 1) or the auto-pilot console, you can set the
DH (Decision Height). This parameter is used by the radio-altimeter and
the GPWS. It will determine the altitude where the radio-altimeter will
change display color. Over DH altitude, radio-altimeter will have green
color. It will turn to orange close to DH and then turn to red color
at DH. GPWS will say "Approaching Minimum" when RA turn to orange and
"Minimum" when it turn to red.
You can refer to GPWS98 documentation for the GPWS featured by PFD gauge.
All ground proximity warning system features of this nice and popular
application are included with almost 100% the same behavior and logic.
This panel feature a full auto-brake, including the RTO mode for take off.
RTO don't need to be activated in some way, it will automatically start
to brake aircraft if you cut power during takeoff. On landing, auto-bake
is coupled with auto engines reverse. A yellow indication will lit on
CRT No 3, when auto-brake is braking. Adding power again will immediately
shut down auto-brake. For your information, real MD-11 only have manual
engines reverse. Speaking of auto-brake. MD-11 has an assisted brake
system, rather than the classical auto-brake function.
On upper panel, you will found, in addition of classical functions for
this location, the Yaw Damper (also located here in the real MD-11).
Notice that the Pitot heat is both manual and automatic. It will be
turned to ON when external temperature is closing zero degrees and
turned to OFF when this temperature return to about over 5 degrees.
But at any moment you can overrule this automatic setting with a
mouse click on button.
If you press on "Baro set" button (click on center of button), you will
reset to standard baro pressure immediately.
CRT no 3 and 4 dual screen can be toggled not only from most right buttons
stack on auto-pilot console, but also in the up-left corner of each screen.
You can not only toggle the FDI function of PFD gauge with a click on
the appropiate button, but also directly on the PFD screen, on a spot
located up-left the attitude indicator (see "See-me.gif").
You can set different throttle power for each engine with mouse drag
command using in the same time the keyboard key "CTRL".
On CRT No 2, most down left, you have the timer function. You have four
timers available, each with a different color. A mouse click on the left
part of timer string will reset it to zero. Click on right part will
toggle between all four timers.
When CRT No 2 display ACS-GPS, you found over the timer the time
compression factor setting.
Please don't forget to watch the picture "see-me.gif" where you will
see precise location of all "special" mouse's spots.
ADDING SOUNDS SETS
------------------
Pushback and Crew functions use two series of sounds, prefixed respectively
"PB_" and "CD_". These sounds are organized, internally, in 6 different
categories, representing:
For each of these categories, you may add independently, up to 10 more
file sets. Independently mean it is NOT required to add a complete serie
of "CD_" & "PB_" sounds files, you can just add a file(s) set to one or
more categories. Now, speaking of the category itself, here you MUST
add ALL sound(s) within this category or you will have missing sounds
during dialog simulation.
Panel will determine automatically the presence of multiple category sets,
by testing on the basis of the FIRST sound file name (marked: REF Sound,
in the list just written before). But panel will NOT verify the presence
of other files of the category.
Then, panel will choose randomly, for each category, an existing set. This
mean you will obtain a random combination between all possible voices you
may have implemented. For the music, panel will choose up to 3 differents
musics, if available.
This random composition of the crew and the music program is done during
the panel loading.
To create a new category set file name, you simply add to the appropriate
file name as documented before, the postfix "_X", where X is a number
from "0" to "9".
For example: PB_ByeBye.wav
will give: PB_ByeBye_0.wav, PB_ByeBye_1.wav, PB_ByeBye_2.wav, etc...
It is warmly recommended that you download all optional soundpack available
on my site, especially all additional musics, so you can benefit of the
variety introduced by random choice features just described before.
In case you would build yourself some additional music files, note that
you must prepare a sound file which can be looped perfectly, to give the
illusion of a continuous music play.
TECHNICAL INFORMATIONS
----------------------
ATTENTION !!! Loading a "Flight" file and then, changing to a different
aircraft and different panel, CAN BE HAZARDOUS, especially with a complex
panel like ACS MD-11 panel. A "Flight" file has backup's of a lot of FS
variables, in the state they were, when the file was created. But this
configuration of FS variables, if it was perfect for the aircraft/panel
belonging originaly to the file, MIGHT BE NOT SO GOOD FOR THE NEW
AIRCRAFT/PANEL you are loading. As a result, you may hit unexpected
simulator behaviors.
ATTENTION !!! For the same reasons, to apply an upgrade for any aircraft,
which will change the "AIR" file and/or change "aircraft.cfg" contents
(it is the case of this package), invalidate all "Flight" file(s) made
previously for this aircraft. In other words, you cannot be sure that
the aircraft will fly 100% with the new parameters, when using one of
these "Flight" file. However, you can upgrade your "Flight" files the
following way: Just after loading the "flight", set the pause. Go to
aircraft load menu and just click "OK" button to reload the same aircraft.
Now you can save the updated version of your "Flight" file. For my
eventual further upgrades, I will try to not forget to mention if the
upgrade invalidate or not "Flight" files.
Avoid to switch between full screen mode and windowed mode, or when
in windowded mode, to resize the window, because this will reset all
gauges. In our case, this mean that you will loose timer count, ACS-GPS
if activated, will be desactivated, Crew feature will be shut off, etc...
Never forget that a gauge will be idle, if the window which carry this
gauge is closed of not visible on the actual display. This mean you
must avoid to quit the cockpit view or even to use lateral views, during
the auto-landing phase (under 200 feets over the ground) or during
a pushback. For the same reasons, if you navigate with ACS-GPS, avoid
to quit the cockpit when you are close of your next waypoint.
The GPWS feature is fully located into gauge ACS.PFD-MD11.gau. It use the
same filenames as the very famous GPWS98 and is therefore fully compatible
with the whole warning sounds set of this application. The set of files
included in this package are original GPWS98 sounds, just resampled to a
lower level (-4 db) for a better all together sounds balance. Only one
exception: "-apdisco.wav" is a different sound.
This panel has been designed with a "pixel to pixel" technique. This mean
all gauges have been designed in a way that all included graphic material
is expected to be sized 1:1 on display. In this case, FS stretching graphic
routine DO NOT act on this graphic material, which is therefore represented
"pixel to pixel". This technique allow high precision panel design and usage
of very small texts and labels, remaining sharp and therefore fully readable.
The cost of this technique is that the panel MUST BE used in the resolution
it has being designed for (in this case 1024x768 full screen).
ATTENTION !!! Because of Global Logic Control introduced in this version 2.x,
almost every gauges may be not fully functional, if used separately into an
other panel.
"Install.exe" program use the following method to identify the aircraft:
First, it will extract from section [Fltsim.0] of the original "aircraft.cfg"
file, the name of the "AIR" file. Then, the presence of the "AIR" file is
checked and if the name and the file size is appropriate (Mike Stone: name
"md11.air" size 10015 / iFDG: name "MD-11.air" size 8336), the program will
consider the aircraft to be identified. Panel installation identification
use the same method, but based on the tuning version of "AIR" file installed.
The tuning of "aircraft.cfg" accomplished by "Install.exe" is performed the
following way: the program expect to found first, one or more [Fltsim.x]
sections and will edit, for all of them, the "sim=" parameter only (all other
parameters remain unchanged). After the last [Fltsim.x] section, the program
expect to found the [General] section and will take it as is. Then all the
rest of the "aircraft.cfg" is generated by the "Install.exe" program. If
[General] section do not follow immediately the last [Fltsim.x] section,
the installation will be aborted.
"Install.exe" program expect to found into [Fltsim.x] section(s) the parameter
"sim=" before the parameter "panel=". All section [Fltsim.x] must have the
same "sim=" parameter value (usage of only one "AIR" file) and all "panel="
parameter(s) must be empty (no multiple panels nor a single panel directory,
using a name with a name extension), otherwise the aircraft detection will
abort with an error message.
CREDITS
-------
Tanks to Albaro Villegas and all the iFDG team for all marvellous MD-11 models
they have produced. Without this model, I would probably not have found enough
motivation to start the production of this package, with the complex "Install.exe"
program to facilitate the life of all MD-11 fans.
Tanks to Andi Jaros for his A320 PFD gauge. This gauge was my first reference
and inspiration when I started to build my own MD-11 PFD.
Thanks to Wilco van Deijl for his GPWS98, which was used as a reference for
this package.
Tanks to Ron Beal, and the other peoples who lend their voices for the crew
and the ground man recordings.
THIS PACKAGE IS FREEWARE AND NO MONEY SHOULD EVER BE MADE WITH IT !!!
WRITTEN PERMISSION OF AUTHOR'S IS NEEDED TO COPY THIS PACKAGE OR PART(S) OF IT,
ON EVERY MEDIA LIKE CD-ROM, DISKETTE, BBS, INTERNET SITES ETC..., IN THE CASE
USERS MUST PAY TO ACCESS THIS MEDIA OR HAVE TO BUY IT.
NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT, WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHOR WRITTEN PERMISSION, TO USE ANY PART
OF THIS PRODUCTION, IN ITS ORIGINAL STATE, OR MODIFIED WITH UTILITY SOFTWARES,
INTO ANY OTHER APPLICATIONS INTENDED TO BE PUBLISHED, EVEN IF PUBLICATION WILL
BE A FREEWARE. THIS DO NOT APPLY TO "ACS.CtrlSurfDisp-MD11.gau" GAUGE, WHICH
IS A RENAMED BUT UNMODIFIED ORIGINAL MICROSOFT GAUGE.
ANY REQUEST CAN BE ADRESSED TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
Alain Capt
35 ch. des Passiaux
CH-1008 PRILLY
SWITZERLAND
Tel + Fax: 41-21/ 648 38 37
E-Mail: acapt@worldcom.ch
URL: http://www.acsoft.ch
