DC-7B questions

[reed0427]

I'm using the DC-7B in FSX. Couple of things I've noticed.
1. I always have the low oil quantity warning. How do I correct that?
2. When starting, the props spin backwards. Once airborne they seem to be turning correctly though.
3. Is there a panel fix? In 2D cockpit view, I can only look straight ahead. If I try to look anywhere else, I just get a closeup of some wall.

Thanks!

[Tom/CalClassic]

1. There are two ways to refill oil tanks.
a. Click on the Total Fuel line in the CalClassic Planner when the value is green (on ground, engines off, parking brake applied). Note that this will also adjust your fuel load to this value (which you can set beforehand).
b. Go to the overhead panel (upward arrow icon) and click on each fuel gauge until they are full. The same requirements apply as in step a.

2. The inverted rotation is probably due to the FSX conversion process. I never noticed it, and will probably fix it when I get time. It's not hard to fix with ModelConverterX if you want to do it - Import the dc7.mdl file in the plane's model folder. In the Hierarchy editor search for "still". For each ModelPart that has a prop_still animation, right click on the word Animation and choose Reverse Animation. Export Object back into an FSX MDL file, overwriting the original. Repeat with the dc7_interior.mdl file. If after conversion the plane looks messed up, Import the new MDL file back into MCX and Export Object again. This usually fixes it.

You can also do this with the slow and blurred props, just search for those terms. In this case, it is the SceneGraphNodes that have the animations. Just don't reverse anything that is not prop_still, prop_slow, or prop_blurred animations! (each of these will have the engine number included in it).

3. I don't see this - I get the various views of the interior of the cockpit. If I look left, I do get the wall next to me, but that's the only one.

[reed0427]

Thanks, I'll give all that a try

[Tom/CalClassic]

I have uploaded a "fixed" version of the Domestic DC-7B Base Pack if they want the prop rotation fixed.

Hope this helps,

[johnhinson]

For item 3 there are a choice of settings under [views] in the aircraft.cfg file. For users of Virtual Cockpits, an unrealistic position as far back as possible is often set to give a wider view of the panel. For a conventional "2D" panel, this is too far back for a decent side view.

In your aircraft.cfg you will see something similar (but not identical) to this:
[Views]
// eyepoint=28.154533,-2.004209,4.066102 //normal screen VC
// eyepoint=28.154533,-1.804209,4.066102 //wide screen VC
eyepoint=29.954533,-2.004209,4.066102

Lines with // in front of them are inactive. Try making your active entry read as the bottom line above and see if that solves the problem. It does for me!

The first figure in the line is the critical one. It is the distance forward from the defined centre of the aircraft. You can play with that figure to get exactly what you want. (The other figures are distance from the centre line and height). But remember you need to reload the aircraft to see the effect.

John