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Post by Radio Ranger on May 22, 2009 9:13:39 GMT -5
First of all, thanks to all for pointing out how to switch the mixture levers to manual. Now I can manually lean - at least it looks like I can do it. A new problem has cropped up on my maiden flight from Paris to New York. Over Ireland, I noticed some storm clouds building in the distance (I use Active Sky and highly recommend it for the graphics if nothing else). Cruising at about 132000 pounds at 14000 feet in High Blower with engine power set according to the graph in the manual (Long Range Cruise Speed about 190 knots), I flew into some light rain. Noting that the engine power had begun to fall off, I momentarily activated Carb Heat by pressing the "H" key. Looking at the FE panel, I also noticed that this turned on the Deicing boots as well as the prop deice (in addition to providing hot air to the carb.) Engine power was promptly restored. As I continued in the icing, I noticed that the airspeed was decaying significantly even with intermittently 'clearing' out the Carb Ice. I increased power to max cruise -- 44"MAP/2400 RPM only to see my airspeed decay from 180 to a stall at around 135 knots. I also noticed in the status panel that the APPR DRAG was bouncing around in the light to moderate turbulence in a range from 0 to about 6.5. I double checked and the cowl flaps were at 10% (minimum drag), the gear and flaps were retracted and the passenger door was closed No additional drag. I tried decreasing altitude to around 12000 feet and that didn't help. Oh, and the engine status panel showed that the engines were producing over 2400 Horsepower each! That airplane should have been flying with all that power. So what's up with this? Any ideas? Thanks again, Al
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Post by capflyer on May 22, 2009 9:35:54 GMT -5
You failed to leave the boots and prop de-icing on continuously. Pressing "H" by default turns on all de-icing equipment. You either need to re-map your keys to separate carb heat or use the panel to control it. If you are in icing conditions and your surface anti-icing components aren't on, you will loose lift and altitude.
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Post by Radio Ranger on May 22, 2009 9:40:35 GMT -5
Capflyer-
I've never had icing affect anything other than the pitot static system and, of course, the engine power. I didn't know that the 'icing gauge' was included as part of this package - and didn't see any documentation as such. If the icing gauge is included in this aircraft, is there a secret hotspot where I can monitor the amount of airframe icing?
Thanks,
Al "Autolean" Greene
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on May 22, 2009 10:36:39 GMT -5
Hi,
All aircraft in FS will undergo icing in certain weather conditions and can then be deiced (unless they suffer from the piston aircraft deicing bug, like some of the default aircraft!). This is a simple increase in aircraft weight with time. If not removed, eventually the plane will not be able to fly at any power. However, the ice removal is quite fast, once you invoke it.
I've looked at the gauge code, and it appears that you will not invoke structural deicing just by pressing H. You must actually click the Pneumatic Control switch to invoke it. Either normal or extended should work but when the switch moves by itself (after pressing H) it doesn't appear to actually invoke FS structural deicing.
Hope this helps,
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Post by sunny9850 on May 22, 2009 11:20:23 GMT -5
Hi Al,
glad you have the mixture sorted now. Tom is correct that the FE controls for pneumatic de-icing need to be switched on the panel and not with the keyboard shortcut.
That said I have had a few flights where conditions were just right (using ASV6 as well) and the built in system could not get rid of the ice weight.
The only option available at that time was to descent into warmer air...luckily this happened to me over relatively flat terrain.
Stefan
p.s. I was using a little external program to monitor the FS ICE weight (AFSD) and it was around 2000lbs when the airplane ws in real trouble. Total weight was well below MTOW so FS must do more than just add weight.
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Post by sunny9850 on May 22, 2009 12:53:21 GMT -5
I just checked the FS variables for Prop-De-Ice and Structural-De-Ice and both are being activated when the switches on the panel are selected. So I guess there was just too much Ice in those clouds ;D ;D
Stefan
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Post by Radio Ranger on May 22, 2009 21:34:58 GMT -5
Learning new stuff every day! I've been flying in all kinds of weather with MSFS since version 1.0 and have never noticed an icing problem. Maybe because until recently I've been turning on the carb heat "H" and leaving it on. I like the fact that one must manually invoke the deicing boots in the Connie. I'll be paying attention to that more now.
Thanks guys,
Al
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Post by Radio Ranger on May 24, 2009 14:42:41 GMT -5
Fired up AFSD and reset the flight (as saved) to where I had started to have icing problems.
Sure enough - I had over 1800 pounds of ice on the airplane, so I manually turned on both the prop deice and the pneumatic boots on normal. I then unpaused and monitored AFSD and to my surprise, the ice continued to accumulate on the airplane - even with the deicers on.
I guess I was in one of those conditions where it was either too much ice. Oh well. I'll descend to 4000 feet for the initial part of the Atlantic crossing and see if I need to stop at Goose or Gander.
Al
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on May 24, 2009 16:35:14 GMT -5
Hi,
It's possible that the AIR file does not have one of the sections required for piston deicing - this is the problem with the default Baron, for example.
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Post by ashaman on May 24, 2009 17:51:47 GMT -5
Hi, It's possible that the AIR file does not have one of the sections required for piston deicing - this is the problem with the default Baron, for example. Could you explain or link perhaps how to find if this is the case and hopefully find a solution? I've still to fly her in a strong icing condition, but really wouldn't like finding myself up s**t creek with a defective paddle with her. ;D
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on May 24, 2009 19:09:24 GMT -5
Hi,
Yes, the AIR files are missing section 1513, which gives power to the deice system.
Using AirEd:
1. Open the AIR file of the default DC-3. 2. Scroll down to section 1513. 3. Right click the number 1513 and choose Copy to Clipboard. 4. Open the 1049G or H AIR file. 5. Right click any number and choose Add from Clipboard. 6. Save the file. 7. Repeat with any other AIR file desired.
I just checked with AFSD and this fixes them.
Hope this helps,
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Post by sunny9850 on May 24, 2009 22:12:24 GMT -5
You da man Tom....I had been playing around with this since Al brought it up without getting anywhere. Thanks ....I'll also send this over to Luis our air file man so it can hopefully be included in the future. Stefan ps. I have made a G and H air file based on Tom's instructions and they are available here: www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=ef88dcdc79c3813961d4646c62b381cbe04e75f6e8ebb871
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Post by flugkapitan on May 24, 2009 23:44:26 GMT -5
Stefan,
Thanks for making the files available!
Cheers, Scott KJMS (or thereabouts)
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Post by tcreed on May 25, 2009 1:17:02 GMT -5
many thanks Stefan..!!
rgds t.creed
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Post by ashaman on May 25, 2009 4:49:01 GMT -5
Thank you both for the solution ( applied on the run, as I have sufficient ability) and the corrected files ( I added to my personal archive soon to be burned on a CD). PS I have noticed that a section 1513 is absent in the Starliner as well. Should I add it?
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