Axis Sensitivty Control program (Freeware)

[when acting as a wave]

I don't know if anyone is interested, but we are currently working on a little bit of code which automatically alters the sensitivity of the flight controls (aileron, elevator, rudder) with airspeed. I know that MSFS does it internally, but it's not overly realistic.  We have it running on a couple of different sims at the moment and have been getting some very promising feedback. At this stage we've made it start altering sensitivity at 50kts indicated, and it keeps increasing at a variable rate up to 350kts (it's about 6 times as sensitive at 350kts).  There's no problem flying faster than this of course, though it's very sensitive on the controls!

We would appreciate a few more beta testers if anyone is keen?  The install file is 614Kb and the actual executable is only 392Kb.

Below are a couple of screenshots of the program in operation. The first one shows the sensitivity multiplier at 212Kts, and the second at 368Kts:





The program starts minimised as you don't normally need to see it, but you can 'un-minimise' it to view what's happening.

Ultimately, the program will also drive a small board which will alter the control force loading at the same variable rate. We already have a motorised 'winch' that tightens the spring tension on our ATR elevator and rudder pedals with increasing airspeed which will be driven from this program.

This program was only really developed for our own purposes, but we are happy to make it available free to anybody who wants it. Any commercial version which incorporates the output controls circuit board and all the rest will be some time away.

If you're interested in this Axis Sensitivity Controls program though, you can download it from the following address:

http://www.cockpitbuilders.com/community/index.php?action=downloads;sa=downfile&id=18

Any comments and/or suggestions you have are most welcome.

Dean.

[Trevor Hale]

Hi Dean,

This is in fact a wonderful piece of kit.  I can't wait to try it, but it would be handy if the multiplier could be changed manually.

In any case, My personal suggestion would be to remove your Link to the file and upload it to the file library so it can be better protected.  At least then we have a way to track it.

Does it matter if it is used in FSX or FS9? 

Trev

[when acting as a wave]

Hi Trevor

Changing the multiplier manually can't be done at the moment but we're hoping to find a way of doing this. If we can, this will certainly be an option. In the meantime we've trialled the equation in a variety of different aircraft, including a King Air, a 737, a Cessna 182 and of course the ATR.

As far as FSX and FS9 are concerned, there shouldn't be any problem. My father's set about testing it with FSX as we speak (he has to load it all up and get it running) and I'll return with the answer shortly!

Thanks for uploading this to the file library too.

Dean.

[jackpilot]

Hi Dean
Very nice soft, thank you.
Will try it.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

I'm a little confused. Control sensitivity should decrease as more artificial feel is fed in.

Are you saying this software will allow you to move the yoke and rudders with the same amount of throw at 280 indicated with less effect, than that same amount of throw at 140 indicated?

[Trevor Hale]

I would imagine he just means less control input would be required when the aircraft is moving faster.  And more input is required when it is moving slower, as when the aircraft approaches a slow speed like Vref, and it is clean, we all know the aircraft gets real sloppy and you need BIG control yoke movements to get any life out of them. regardless It is one heck of a nice software, I can't figure out why nobody has done this before, it seems to me to be the best way to start a control loading package.

When I get in the sim next, I am going to give it a whirl.  I am interested to know how this works when your controls are programmed in FSUIPC instead of inside Flightsim.

Trev

[when acting as a wave]

Trevor is correct in understanding how it works. When flying slowly, you need large amounts of pilot input to the controls, but as you get faster, you need less and less pilot input for the aircraft to respond.  During the takeoff run, the aircraft is not very responsive, but during the climb-out it is slightly more responsive, and by the time you are at cruising speed, it is quite touchy on the controls.  Stick the aircraft into a dive, and the controls are very, very responsive!!!!  Pulling up into a stall (power-on or power-off) everything goes quite slushy.

You can try it initially with the same FSUIPC Joystick Calibrations as you normally use, but we've found that it's better to slightly decrease it, so that normal take-off speed gives you the right feel.

Effectively what happens is that at low speeds (up to about 50Kts) the program does nothing to the sensitivity, but then it starts to multiply the inputs from the controls by a multiplying factor before sending them to FS. By the time you reach 200Kts, the multipying factor is about 1.9, and when your get to 368Kts, the multiplying factor is about 7.6 so you can see you don't need much control input from the pilot at this speed to get the aircraft to react.

We have experimented with a variety of formulas for the multiplying factor, and this is the best we have tried so far. (It increases at a sort of an exponential rate)

We have been looking at the possibility of making it so that the 'user' can put their own into it, but we haven't done it just yet.

Ultimately, we are going to produce a board that will accompany a slightly different version of this program. This will do the same as it does now for control sensitivity, but it will also produce outputs to drive control loading systems such as tightening the return springs or whatever else people might have for their artificial feel. We use a small electric powered winch that stretches the centreing springs on the controls, but if anyone has a different type of system that we can perhaps make allowances for in our design, please let us know.

Dean.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

...By the time you reach 200Kts, the multipying factor is about 1.9, and when your get to 368Kts, the multiplying factor is about 7.6 so you can see you don't need much control input from the pilot at this speed to get the aircraft to react...

I guess what I mean is that I would like the same control feel at high speed as I have at low speed (say, 180KIAS). It is nearly impossible to fly a commercial airliner at altitude by hand with the way the control system artificial feel works in FS.

I don't want more sensitivity at altitude, I want less.

[Trevor Hale]

Well Mike, if they end up making the multiplier "User" configurable, then you could insert negative numbers and it would reverse the process for you to sample.  Then it may work the way you would like to see it work.  I look forward to watching this project progress for sure.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

That would be something to try!

[when acting as a wave]

I know what you mean Mike, but this program wasn't initially designed to work that way. We've had pilots of smaller aircraft say that the feel of our program as it stands seems to be quite realistic in its response, but we're actually waiting for our friendly 737 captain to have a fly with it in the next couple of weeks so we can get some further opinions.

Dean.

[Boeing Skunk Works]

Please let us know what he thinks of it. I'm very interested.