Regional turboprops

[rhysb]

Ok simple question as obviously this gets lost with the vast majority of people building jets but if for example you are building a turboprop sim in fsx for example a Saab/dash/atr what would you use for the avionics etc? Project magenta or what? As far as I can see project magenta does not have CDU information for anything other than jets?

Just wondering as messing around with the new fsx pc and was looking for a short hop idea?

Rhys b

[DaveK]

Rhys,
I downloaded a file called dhc8-q400_x.zip and used that for a while.
Its not bad for short hops. Not very comprehensive from a systems point of view but not too bad to fly.
It might give you an idea if you like that sort of flying
cheers
Dave

[mikeh]

I am building ATR72 on back of flight1 ATR
Using OpenCockpits for the hardware side of things.
I have been using Alexis Ramos's / Roberto G's captains panel to keep me flying
but have used the OC software Gauge Composer for the central panel (engines, flaps, gear, fuel and standby alti, artificial horizon etc). I have the captains panel finished for an Altimeter, VSI, Air Speed Indicator, and RMI, and have 65% of the PFD and HSI completed. The solftware links to IOCP server used by SIOC used to control the OC hardware and it all works over the wideFS network without issue
I looked at the PM stuff but having spent a little time getting into Gauge Composer, decided to stick with it because of the ability to produce 100% realistic gauges. If you can use basic Photoshop elements, and follow very simple logic then GC is a good option for rendering analog and digital gauges on screens. PS I shall uae a 4 x 20 LCD for the ATR MCP

[rhysb]

Thanks guys,

I'm not going to go nowhere sioc unfortunately as I don't have a spare millennium to figure it all out!

I use project magenta simply as I bought it years ago and I might as well use it. When the sim is in 737 mode I use prosim as I think that's better but I'm curious to see if pm will work?

Pm's website states that the regional glass cockpit works with the Boeing mcp and cdu and I can see that yes I'm sure they will work but I can't see that pm supply fmc data for anything other than big jets so surely that will produce some very weird results?? As a small turboprop having fmc data of a 737 etc will just not work??

Frustrating!!

[blueskydriver]

Just curious here, but couldn't you edit the TXT file for PM and make it more related to your regional? You could edit the weights, speeds and etc to reflect your aircraft type. Otherwise, the other data in the CDU is based on the Navdata, which is not aircraft specific.

Could be wrong, but the PM CDU can handle the 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 and Airbus models. So, if the TXT can be edited, it should be somewhat doable?

BSD

[NeoMorph]

There is a guy in Italy that is working on the ATR GNSS HT1000 code (the MCDU in the 72-500).

You can see his work in progress at HT1000 GNSS simulation

Regarding the PM Regional software... isn't it actually for a Regional Jet and not a Turboprop?

Mikeh will probably tell you, SIOC isn't that hard to work with as it's completely event triggered. This means that you tell SIOC to watch a switch and when it changes it runs the commands you tell it. So say you flip the battery switch, SIOC sees that it has changed state and then runs a little program that sends a command to FSUIPC which then turns the battery in FSX/FS9. I was surprised how easy it is to use. The editor is the only bugbear imho... it's kind of a bit clunky... but it does work.

Eventually in concert with a few other ATR fans we are hoping to (eventually) get a better version of the logic than the Flight 1 ATR (which is the one I'm using at the moment). Dominik (the guy working on the GNSS) is already doing well with the MCDU. Next will be getting the ADU linked in.

[mikeh]

I was lucky enough to be given a series 1 VRInside CDU and have interfaced it wihout issues. The VR device only hase 2 line display at present but by showing up the flight1 cdu it works 'ok'
I'm not a big FMC fan really - like VOR/ADF navigation flying so limitationsa are small at present - though the lonbg term aim is to use the VR Insight hardware to drive an OC system on an small display to look realistic
am in discussions with EGKKman and must admit his 737 solution of using simple SIOC to capture a variable then have prosim pick up the variable and do virtually any action seems eminently simple - but hey I thought we were all masochists anyway in this sport

[NeoMorph]

You'd hate the 72-600 if you hate FMCs then Mikeh... It's gone all glass cockpit. At least the one in the 72-500 controls the radios and you can even forget the FMC and go by VOR like you say.

Seems that most flying these days is done by computers with the pilots just watching in case they mess up.

[Hessel Oosten]

Rhys,

The Dash, earlier mentioned in this thread, has also a professional counterpart, which has (as far as I know) it's  own avionics software suite on board. I believe it's also used in a professional setting (the more expensive version).

http://www.majesticsoftware.com

Hessel

[Bob Reed]

You can edit PM's text file to represent any aircraft you like. There is even  hidden (don't remember how to get to it) turbo prop mode for the engine gauges. All you need to fix the text file are the numbers for the AC you are trying to use. PM used to have a tutorial on how to do it.

[litinoveweedle]

Hi all,

actually I am not from Italy ( NeoMorph how could you do this to me? :-) ) but it doesn't really matters.

I am coding HT1000 GNSS used in regional turboprops as ATR -500 are. GNSS is standalone SW running outside FS, connected via standard IOCP (SIOC server). Right now I am able to produce EHSI RNV MAP image - check this: http://atrproject.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/gnss-ht1000-is-moving-forward/



I am currently looking for beta testers AND for someone, who will be able to inherit my RNV MAP into Gauge Composer built EHSI gauge.

Please leave me PM, or email me.

BR
Litin

[phil744]

That looks cool, welcome to the site

[litinoveweedle]

Ok, here is update on HT1000 GNSS FMC development.

HT1000 GNSS functions preview

Currently there are two important issues I work on:

    How to follow LNAV track (i.e. guiding AP to intercept and follow constructed track)
    How to construct VNAV descent path.

For LNAV navigation I am currently playing with FSX autopilot commanding it in HDG mode, to follow LNAV track. I am also working on track intercepting logic. Regarding the VNAV I analyze possibility to use Dijkstra graph method to construct descent path.

When I will finish these two challenging issues, there will be first beta release. Meanwhile in the time I am too tired by trigonometry functions, I am checking page by page, function by function functionality of GNSS against Honeywell manual and videos made in real ATR and certified FTDH simulator. I am still finding some minor discrepancies, but most of them are just cosmetic issues. :-)

    Pages finished:

IDENT
POS REF
RTE1 & RTE2
RTE LEGS
RTE DATA
WINDS
HOLD
PERF INIT
DEP/ARR INDEX
DEPARTURES
ARRIVALS
DATA INDEX
NAV DATA
PROGRESS
POS REPORT
USER ROUTES
USER WAYPOINTS (all - PBD, PB/PB, LAT/LON, LAT/LON CROSS, ALONG TRCK)
NEAREST (all - AIRPORTS, VOR/DME, ADF, WAYPOINTS)
FIX
MAINTENANCE
MESSAGE RECALL
SV PAGE

    Pages work in progress:

DESCENT

    Pages to be done:

CONFIGURATION

[Trevor Hale]

Welcome to the site.  I would love to Beta test for you, but by the time I am ready to test it, you will likely be on the 4th release of the software

[litinoveweedle]

Hi Trevor,

thank you. But I think you are too pessimistic (about your time) and to optimistic about my development schedule. 

Hopefully the beta will be released this year, but that is all, I can say right now. 

Anyway I will welcome right now any input, on how coupling with autopilot should be done. Please have anyone faced similar problem? - i.e. tried to command autopilot to follow some track? Thank you for any hints.

BR
L.

[Bob Reed]

Any news on this? I am getting close to thinking about needing something like this.

[litinoveweedle]

Hi Bob,

I still missing some information about VNAV, but good news is, that I manage possibility to regularly access Mechtronics FTDH ATR simulator again, starting next week.

Regarding the AP, I've programmed part of autopilot functionality, based on Flight Gear source code. You probably know, that it is easy to write PID controller (heart of the AP) but it is not so easy to tune it to work properly. So I am still messing with it. The plan is to simulate whole Honeywell AP as it is present on ATRs

If you are interested in testing, I can send you latest stage of the GNSS. (just send me PM with contact)
But I have to tell you, that product is not ready to be released yet. 

Also are you planing to implement EHSI by Gauge Composer? I will welcome someone who already did some gauge creation in it.

P.S.: Meanwhile waiting for test on simulator, I've started to play with EGPSW terrain display mode on EHSI. 

BR
Dominik