OnCourse Software

I've searched the forum, and searched for the word 'flaps' in all the FDC pdf documents (so many entries!) before posting here - if the answer is there somewhere, please do tell me, but I can't find it and my head is spinning now!

Can I specify how flaps are called on an aircraft by aircraft basis? For most a/c, the way I have things set is fine, but, for instance, with MD-11s the a/c itself has its own wav files which call out, 5, 15, 28, 35, 50 (correct) as flaps are set... but as it is I am getting duplicates with FDC calling out 5, 15, 30, 35, 40 (incorrect) a few seconds later. I don't want to disable flap calls globally, but just for a/c which come with their own flap call wav files in this way. Looked in 'Select Aircraft', 'Flightdeck calls', 'Performance editor' for options but can't see a way to do this. I can't uncheck the flaps in Performance Editor, for instance, or I'll get error messages when I try to connect FDC of course. Help appreciated.

Thanks - I think I have most issues in FDC sorted now and things are working really well. Just some further tweaking to do, like as per this query..

Martin

Hi Martin,
Best thing to do is use fdc profiles. If most of your aircraft use gdc flap calls set everything up as you want out and create a profile named ' general' or whatever you wish.

Then turn flap calls off and create another profile named 'md11'

That's it. Next time you want to fly the md just load the md profile, otherwise load the ' general' one

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S

Thanks for the quick reply, but I am not sure I really understand it I'm afraid.

When I click 'Options' on the main screen and click 'Select Aircraft', I get a two or three dozen a/c in the drop-down box to choose from, including one for 'User: Skysims MD11' - which I can use as the MD11 profile to edit. But that page only contains options for choosing the checklist and setting Auto mode, so that's not what you meant I think.

So what I did was to go to Options/Flightdeck Calls and unchecked 'Flap Calls' under Pilot and Co-Pilot. I then clicked 'Save Profile', entered 'Skysims MD11' in the box and agreed to overwrite the profile with my edited one with no flap calls. Was that what you meant? Will the flap calls now happen in all a/c apart from the MD-11?

I'm not sure this is right though because now when I start up FDC and go back to Options/Flightdeck calls, the Flap Calls boxes are unchecked. Have I turned off flap calls for all aircraft now?

If this is wrong, could you kindly explain in a bit more detail how to do what you suggest. I am confused as to what you mean by a 'general' profile - as I say, I have dozens of them for different aircraft (most by Dave Leesley I think).

Thanks again,

Martin

LATER ... Yes, I have no flap calls in any aircraft now....

Most issues solved now (many my own fault of course - I don't want anyone to think I am knocking this great addition to FS!), but I am still having real problems with flaps. Just flew PMDG 737NG and (as so often) the speeds at which FDC raises and lowers the flaps bears little relation to the figures in that a/c's Performance file: I am getting 40degs of flaps at 190KIAS (at the weight I was flying), whereas the performance file shows 40degs of flaps only below 160KIAS. As a result the flaps scale on the flight instruments goes way down into the red zone (i.e too fast for that degree of flaps). I have checked that the a/c profile I load at startup has the correct "CurrentProfile=" set in the .pro file, so I am 99.99% sure that here the error is not of my doing. (I also change speeds gradually, as you suggested here weeks ago, Dave).

As I said before, I really would appreciate an option in any revision to disable FDC controlling flaps (I have the flaps programmed to my Saitek X52), but without my having to disable any of the other callout functions (baby and bathwater and all that). Otherwise/meanwhile, what would be the best way to do this with the current version? If I set all flaps in the performance files to, say, 500KIAS for take-off (i.e a speed that the a/c won't reach - don't want flaps coming down at 300KIAS!) and zero (?) at landing, would that prevent FDC from changing flap settings? Maybe there's a better way - as it is, letting FDC set flaps is causing a/c to stall at approach - I have to correct things fast. I have double/triple checked the performance files - they look fine, but FDC is just not using the numbers there for some reason.

Does no one else get this problem?

Thanks,

Martin

Can't remember anyone ever reporting this. I'd like to see the black box log for the flight you mention. Also I assume your airspeed indicator is set to ias

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S

Hi. Not sure which black box flight it would be by this stage - I've made a lot of test flights with FDC the past 24 hours, so maybe it's not there now? Are they overwritten eventually?

Since posting last, I've also been editing all the a/c performance files, in respect of flaps (after backing up originals) - putting higher numbers for take-off (so flaps don't go up so soon) and lower numbers for landing (so flaps don't start coming down when I am still too fast) and am now getting flaps up/down closer to the times shown in the performance data that came with the various aircraft.

Reckon I've posted enough problems here - I'll try and sort this out myself!

Thanks,

Martin

martinlest wrote:

As I said before, I really would appreciate an option in any revision to disable FDC controlling flaps (I have the flaps programmed to my Saitek X52), but without my having to disable any of the other callout functions (baby and bathwater and all that).

Hi Martin,

Are you saying you want the calls to be audible for the flaps but you want to actually operate the flaps yourself? That is the way I use FDC, so it is certainly possible.

If you go Options > Flightdeck Calls > Click Here for VCP and VCP-X Options > General, the first option is VCP handles setting your Gear and Flaps. I reckon you probably have this checkmarked. Un-check it and I think this will work as you want it.

Best wishes,

John

If you have an aircraft with its own flap or speed calls and you are getting duplicate flap calls you can remove the wav files in the aircraft sound file...This way all the calls will be FDC and sound the same...

I do this all the time... just an optional choice...

Ray Lunning

Thanks for that John, I didn't know about that (is it in the manual??). I'll give it a try.

Yes, I already replaced some of the wav files with 'blanks' (silences) - thanks again,

M.