Project Dornier Do-17z2

[Ivan]

Hello Smilo,

I just did a bit of poking around for a period Autopilot.
So far, the most common version that I have found is something called the "C-1".
From looking at the operating instructions for the instrument, the capabilities seem to be fairly primitive and operation is quite cumbersome.
Are you SURE this is the kind of thing you are looking for?

I can probably program such a beast though it may take a while, but I am not sure I really want to do something with such low capabilities.

- Ivan.

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Smilo,
On my setup, bombs come out just behind the ventral gunner, at about CoG level, I think.
As for Ivan´s gauges, in the Do-17z2 panel.cfg there are 2 RPM and 2 Boost Gauges with the syntax.
While I´m at it, I suppose it´s quicker to paste it here!
gauge18=CFS.Bf109e-Tach!Engine1, 482,335,60
gauge19=CFS.Bf109e-Tach!Engine2, 559,335,60
gauge23=CFS.Bf109E-Boost!Engine1, 488,394,50
gauge24=CFS.Bf109E-Boost!Engine2, 566,394,50
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

[smilo]

thank you Stephan...i finally got it
with a little help from Ivan.
i renamed them KWP.xxx
so they could be easily located
later in the gauge folder.

no, Ivan, i am NOT SURE
this is the kind of thing i'm looking for?
i may be mistaken, but,
i believe people would sacrifice authenticity
for much more practical auto pilot operation.

i have one called the SPERRY.MKIII
it looks very cool, but, is a pain to operate.
if i knew how to reprogram the switches
and knobs and keep the gauges, i'd do it.
so, instead, i'll put together a bomb panel
with gauges that work for me
and hope you all like it.

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Smilo, Hello Ivan,
Fine! The only difference with Schnellbomber Version 9 posted yesterday
and the latest one is the turning head on the bombardier.

As further improvements and/or corrections are not to be ruled out,
I won´t post another version until then, unless of course you need
the Bombardier to face you when he tells you what´s on the menu
in the officer´s mess.

As regards the AP choice, feel free to decide for yourselves!

Have a nice Sunday! Contrary to the weather forecast and consequent
popular belief, today there´s light clouds with sunny spells here, as opposed
to rain- and thunderstorms! So we are going into the forested mountains for
some local food, which will be nice. We have already had our Sunday morning
fight, so it will probably be quite peaceful too! Ha ha! Black Humour is the best.

Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

[smilo]

....already had our Sunday morning fight.
too funny.
if i'm not in trouble,
i'm not awake.

have a nice day in the woods.
mine are right outside the door.

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Smilo,
We have the woods on mountains at 10 minutes by car to the north and also to the south.
Actually there was a rainstorm, although it had been called off at the last moment it still happened, but only for 20 minutes, while we were in the restaurant! After that it was like they said, cloudy with sunny spells! Island weather is a laugh!
Now we are back for tea and cake - as it´s father´s day one daughter made a victorian sponge cake with whipped cream and strawbery jam... wow! The other one has to study but was skiving playing Leage of Legends - and having tea and cake now too!
Cheers!
Aleatorylamp

[smilo]

sounds like a very nice family day...enjoy

[aleatorylamp]

Your´re right, thanks!
Hope yours was nice too!
Cheers!

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Smilo, Hello Ivan,
My Autopilot setting capacity leaves a lot to be desired, and I hope you are not using the Schnellbomber´s .airfile to test any AP´s, because the AP settings in it have some options disabled. Not that I disabled them, but they were disabled in the .air file I took over. That may be why the AP was of limited use when I fine-tuned the engines. However, even correcting the option settings, there is still no significant improvement in its effect.

I noticed the mistaken settings while making the CFS1 .airfile for the FW-200A Condor. It has similar, though less powerful engines, to the Schnellbomber. The Condor AP is quite strange, and I can´t find the wing leveller, so I tried another one for the tuning, but also plays up, so I have reverted to my usual procedure with the manual trim gauge, which is is good enough.

Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

[smilo]

thankfully, i've been using a different aircraft
as a panel test bed, so, i hadn't noticed
any issues with the auto pilot.
all i can say is, i hope it gets straightened out.
a stable ap is critical to making a good bomb run.
i'm sure it will.

work is progressing in the panel shop.
most of the time has been spent
digging around in dusty alcoves
trying to find gauges long buried
in some forgotten memory bank.
then, if and when found, testing
to see if, just maybe, they will work for us.
a lot of time has also been spent,
relearning the dark secrets
and subtle nuances of panel configuration.
so many entries...so much information,
so much to remember.

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Smilo,
I´m glad you are coming along fine with the panel and gauge testing, and that I haven´t put a spanner in the works.

The good news is that thankfully I´ve been able to fix the AP, and made it usable applying Ivan´s -0.8 Trim setting.

Performance Question for Ivan: Hmmmm...I don´t really know where to ask this question
- which thread would be more fitting?, but here goes:

The performance specs available for the civilian FW-200A, seem to be
226 mph (365 kph or 197 Kt), without altitude specification.
MTOW: 26000 lb, 4x750 Hp single speed supercharger engines.

FW-200 C-3: Militarized version: Maximum speed: 224 mph (194 Kt, 360 Kph) at 15000 ft.
MTOW: 50000 lb, 4x1200 Hp single speed supercharger engines.

Given the lighter weight and despite the lower power, the civilian version seems to have been faster. It also lacked the ventral gondola.
The problem is the lack of information as to the altitude, so my question would be: Is it reasonable to go with the specified speed at the same altitude - i.e. 15000 ft?

Thanks very much in advance.
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Folks,
It´s OK, I finally found the information on the lower powered engines of the civilian FW-200A
No problem. Now comes the balancing act. After setting HP at SL and critical altitude, then
try and get the desired performance ceiling.
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Folks,
After doctoring up the bitmaps of the default FSFS Cessna182 oil and egt-cht gauges into metric and German, the engine instrument quatrant for the Schnellbomber on my provisional panel is now more complete and looks quite nice.
The extra instruments now match the style of the new RPM and ATA gauges made by Ivan.
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Folks,
I am doctoring up the faces of some more FSFSConv Gauges so as to get a more German look on them, and make their faces display metric instead of imperial values. I´ve done dual L/R fuel tank and dual suction/amps gauges for the panel, and it should go quite well.
As soon as I´ve got a better layout for them I´ll post a new screenshot.
This way my provisional Dornier panel will look... more German!
Jawohl, meine Herren!

Update:
Here´s the Screenshot. (further suggestions welcome...)
As Magnetos and Starter are only for Engine-1, I´ve taken them out - it will be better to press key "E".
Also, now there´s a 3-wheel landing-gear gauge instead.

Tchüss,
Aleatorische Lampe

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Smilo, Hello Ivan.

I´m just giving the Dornier Do17-z2 some finishing touches for upload using my improved "look-alike" panel, with Ivan´s new RPM and Boost (ATA) gauges, and some other FSFSConv gauges that I modified the bitmaps for, to obtain German, metric instruments, as seen on the screenshot in my last post.

Now, the metric cockpit instrumentation led me to think about the Bomb-aimer´s panel:
Possibly I´d have to change the gauges and the scale here to metric as well, but I have y doubts, as there isn´t a metric Autopilot. However, if the Autopilot is in imperial units, the bomb-aimer´s scale and gauges would really have to be imperial as well, and not metric. What do you think?

Another issue was the large, high resolution bomb-aimer´s panel that was giving me screen-switching problems, so I lowered the resolution to that of the smaller main panel, and now it´s working fine.

So, metric or imperial units on the Bomb-aimer´s scale and gauges for the Do17? I wonder.
Cheers
Aleatorylamp

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Folks,

I managed to get the .air file to behave a bit better and now the diving tendency is gone, and it won´t need so much up-trim to keep a level flight. The fact that the model´s flight envelope fits that of the original aircraft so satisfactorily is due to Ivan´s indefatigable help and coaching, and Smilo´s testing.

Then, the bomb aimer´s panel has 2 scales and duplicated gauges, because of the Autopilot´s imperial readouts, and being a plane with metric instruments, I felt the metric instruments and scale should be present as well. At any ate, it´s useful.

The main panel boasts Ivan´s great Engine 1 and 2 RPM gauges and Boost (ATA) gauges. Restly engine instruments are default FSFSConv ones for which I prepared Germanized, metric dial bitmaps with old-fashioned gauge frames. At least they look a bit better than the unmodified lot.

I have just uploaded the Schnellbomber for the simming community to enjoy.
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=19&id=22669
All the gauges are (or should be) included in the upload.

As usual, any complaints or feedback will be very much appreciated.

Cheers,
Aleatorylamp