Flight Parameters - AIR Files

[Ivan]

Hello All,

I was going through some AIR files with both FDE (Flight Dynamics Editor) and with AirEd a few days ago and encountered Records 523 and 524 which specify the power source for the Landing Gear and Flaps.

Neither AirEd nor FDE gave any detail beyond guesses as to what the values 0 through 4 meant except to note that an Extra 100 had a certain value for flap power.

The "Guess" from AirEd was that 1 meant that the mechanism Always worked while 2-4 probably indicated the power source was hydraulic.

It occurred to me that the stock CFS aircraft had a variet of power sources for these two mechanisms:
The FW 190A uses electric motors for LG and Flaps. Its values for both records are 0.
The P-51D uses hydraulics for both LG and Flaps. Its values are 1 for both records.
The Spitfire uses compressed air for Flaps. Its value for Flap power is 2.
The Messerschmitt 109s use a wheel rotated by hand for Flaps. Its value for Flap power is 3.

I could not find a stock aircraft with a value of 4 in either record.

Thus (on the assumption the stock AIR files are correct here) the following appears to be the case:
0 - Electric
1 - Hydraulic
2 - Pneumatic
3 - Manual
4 - Don't know if this is a possible value.

I will use these values until better information comes along.
- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

Hi Ivan,

I just checked in AirEd and, right-clicking to get info on the entries, here is what I got;

523- CFS+
0=Electrical 1=Hydraulic, 2=Pneumatic, 3=Manual, 4=None
Extra=3

524- CFS+
0=Electrical 1=Hydraulic, 2=Pneumatic, 3=Manual, 4=None
Extra=4

The Extra 300 has "stiff legs". So 523 should read "4" for 523. Does it have flaps?

[Ivan]

Hello Hubbabubba,

I guess I have an earlier version of AirEd. Yes, the Extra 300 does have flaps and I believe they are manual. I was somewhat surprised when I didn't find what was so obvious in either AirEd.ini or Fdectrl.txt.

BTW, where did you get the Extra 300 AIR file? My FS98 version doesn't have these records.

- Ivan.

[hubbabubba]

BTW, where did you get the Extra 300 AIR file? My FS98 version doesn't have these records.

I don't have the Extra 300 installed, these comments are within the "info" window of AirEd (version 1.52), they can also be found on the aired.ini file of the same version.


BTW, where did you get the Extra 300 AIR file? My FS98 version doesn't have these records.

FS98 AIR files do not have sections 523 - 524. I must presume that the commentator was referring to a CFS1 + version, maybe FS2K. Anyway, this commentator had his gears and flaps power sources mixed-up.

[Ivan]

Hello Hubbabubba,

For this examination, I would not go with anything other than MS stock aircraft. Anything else depends on folks like us getting things right when we don't know what the various parameters mean.

I actually have FS98 installed on my machine. The main reason is that I have so many aircraft installed on my computer (about 300) that FDE doesn't function with CFS. It functions fine with FS98 becaue there are only about 25 aircraft installed there.

Next task is flight testing of my P-47D-27. The shape isn't exactly right (Canopy looks too big) which is what got me to check out this aircraft again. Back when I first built it, I didn't have any consistent testing standards.

- Ivan.