A Rough Guide to Russian Flight Sims

[Rallymodeller]

In this thread I am going to use the new Samdim Antonov triplets to give a rough tour through Soviet/Russian aircraft systems. As I have mentioned before, some of the systems are not that intuitive to the Western sim pilot, and can be confusing (especially when the labels and the only manuals are in Cyrillic). However, I have found that for the most part the Soviet sims are of quite high quality, in some cases rivalling or surpassing payware, and are a delight to fly once you get the hang of it.

So with that in mind, let's take a tour through the cockpit and see what's what.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/PilotMain.jpg
The left seat. Not too bad, but no secondary panel icons? Not unusual in a Russian sim. They use a lot of...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/PilotMainClickspots.jpg
...Clickspots. This is pretty much the norm, although some sims have many, MANY more, sometimes up to 20 (the PT Tu-154M is a good example of that). Before we start touring the other panels though, a few explanations: The KLN-90B GPS is fully functional, and I mean FULLY. Go to the Bendix/King website and download the manual from there. The Russian sim version works exactly the same as the original, and is quite impressive. Also, the slide rule is also exactly as advertised. It's used when using RSBN stations for navigation, but that's another story.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/PilotMainLabels.jpg
The primary instruments are pretty self-explanatory but remember they are in metric, and generally electrically driven. The artificial horizon, for example, has a startup procedure of it's own that must be followed or it doesn't work -- and since it's linked to the AP the autopilot won't work if the AHI isn't synchronized. More about that in the startup post. The Grozy weather radar is, like the KLN-90, a surprisingly good freeware gauge that works completely well as long as you have FSUIPC. It has multiple modes, can perform ground mapping, and looks amaziing in operation. I'll do a separate post showing it's use. It's genuinely cool.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/CopilotMain.jpg
The right seat. All duplicated, but bear in mind that the AHI over here must be synched as well on startup (more anon).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/Engineer.jpg
The engineering panel. Pretty logical, bearing in mind that everything is electrical. For quick flight, all the switches in the "battery" section at top left must be in the ON position (except the two at the bottom right, they're the de-icing equipment) during any flight for stuff to work right.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/RadiosLabels.jpg
The radios, etcetera. Russian aircraft of a certain age have four separate navigation systems: VOR, ARK (like NDB), RSBN (uses offset beacons and triangulation) and GPS. The transponder/TCAS is the third of the great Russian gauges, and again works well. Right click on the left knob to turn it on, right click then left click on the right knob to change modes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/NavInst.jpg
The navigator's station. Russian aircraft up until recently were forced to have a nav station by the old Aeroflot navigator's union, even if not needed. Tu-154s flown by Aeroflot had a four-person flight deck crew, while those flown by other Easterm Bloc nations (Czech and East German, for example) ditched the navigator entirely. The navigation station is the most complex part and deserves an entry of it's own. We'll just leave this here for now.

In any event, over the next few posts we'll start him up (Russians use the masculine for ships and planes) and show how to use the (gulp) autopilot.

[SSI01]

PRICELESS!

Keep them coming - I'm saving every one!!:salute::salute::salute:

[aeromed202]

As you said, wonderful renderings, and actually oriented from the pilot seat no less!

[SgtT]

Great Job thanks!

T.

[Wing_Z]

...And I'd really like to see this stickied in the FS2004 Tips & Tweaks Subforum, please!

[PeteHam]

Thanks for the guide. :jump:

Good stuff :applause:

Keep this up and I'll be tempted to try my hand again at the Russian monsters.

Pete.

[Rallymodeller]

Thanks for the guide. :jump:

Good stuff :applause:

Keep this up and I'll be tempted to try my hand again at the Russian monsters.

Pete.


Thanks, everybody. I certainly hope that you do get back into some Soviet Iron, as they can be rewarding in their own right because of their difference.

The other thing that needs to be remembered is that while the difference in the products of the Soviet-era manufacturers can be quite marked (every company uses their own autopilots, for one) there are a lot of similarities in how they work and by becoming familiar with one type that can cross over. The nav systems are pretty much standardized in how they are aligned, for example. Sure, some are more complex than others and they have some frustrating omissions but that can be worked around. The Antonov triplets are certainly not Dash 8s (or even F-27s) by any means but they have their own strengths that you can come to appreciate. Don't let the Cyrillic throw you off. Think of it as a turboprop or a jet with avionics from the 40s and you get the idea.

[SSI01]

I've always been fascinated by these aircraft, the An-12 in particular is a favorite. If you fly it you'll find yourself in agreement with everything Rallymodeler has to say. I think I've got that one's panel fairly well figured out, but moving into anything more advanced or complex (IL-86 or 96, for example) defeats me. Little things like switch positions can trip me up, too (turning something on - switch up, or down?)

Looking forward very much indeed to additional instruction!!:salute:

[Rallymodeller]

Vlad Zhigulskiy's planes are actually really, REALLY simplified. Considering the real Cub has a flight crew of five, it stands to reason. These instructions relate more to the sims found on Russian websites, such as the products of Samdim and Project Tupolev.

​In the first part of this series (listen to me, getting all haughty) we took a look around the cockpit of the newly-released Antonov An-26-100 v3 by Dimitry Samborsky et al (note that all these steps are for the An-26-100, the most recent convertible cargo/pax version, but other variants in the -24/-26/-30 family are similar). Now we're going to start up, going from cold and dark to taxi-ready.

Load a default plane and get it all shut down. Then load the Antonov. The systems will be off, ready for startup. All set, tovarisch? Then let's begin.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/StartupProcedure1.jpg
Switch on the batteries(1), the generators (2) and the inverters (3). Next, openthe main fuel valves (4), and finally turn on the anticollision light (5).

To start the engines, first make sure that the propeller pitch control is set to “Low” (5a, in the “down” position). Next, go to the starter panel and move both switches marked “6” (Ignition) to the up position. To start the engines, move the engine selector (7) to either ЛЕВ (“Lev”, Left) or ПРАВ (“Prav”, Right). Once this is done, press and hold the starter (8, "ЭАПУСК") until the RPM gauge (9, marked in percent) shows movement. Release the starter and let the RPM gauge rise to a steady idle, and then repeat from Switch 7 for the other engine. Return the engine selector to the center position when both engines are running.

Once the engines are ticking over, time to make everything work. Switch on instrument power (10), the TCAS transmitters (11), Nav lights (12),the altimeters and vertical gyros (13), the imperial altimeter (13a)... basically everything in the green boxes. Close the engineering panel by using the clickspot to the left of the starter panel.




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/StartupProcedure2aligningnav.jpg
Before we can go anywhere, though, we need to align the horizontal navigation gyrocompass. To do this, open the navigation panel by clicking the clickspot below the weather radar, marked with the Cyrillic character "Ш", kind of looks like a W. Once it is open, use “shift+Z” to get your current position and heading (a). Switch the gyro unlock (b) to the on position ("ВКЛ"), and rotate the latitude adjustment dial (c) until it is at your current latitude or thereabouts. Once this is done, press and hold the synchronization button (d) until the center of the large compass comes around to your current heading (at arrow “e”). This has to be done for two reasons: Soviet primary nav compasses are gyroscopic instead of magnetic, and they have a sort-of inertial deviation system. This affects all your navigation equipment, since the DME and such are slaved to this master gyro. Some airliners have two separate systems and each must be slaved independently until they agree. Flip switch (a) back to the Off position and the systems are set. An interesting note is that Soviet aircraft usually rely on True North rather than Magnetic North, as from the majority of the Soviet Union these are pretty close (except parts of eastern Siberia). While we're on the topic, the Soviets used QFE (airfield altitude) instead of QNH as the barometric altitude standard. How about that?

OK, back to the startup. Return to the main console by clicking the clickspot under the “КВС”


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v426/Rallymodeller/Flight%20Sim/StartupProcedure3gyroalignandTCAS.jpg
Last steps before taxi – setting up the attitude indicators and the TCAS. Because the primary horizontal gyro has an effect on the vertical gyros driving the attitude indicators, this step has to be performed last (at least on the An-24 triplets). Press button (f) and watch for the little flag to flicker on and off. A warning light will go on below that button, and to extinguish it press button (g) for a few seconds until the horizon stabilizes. Take a second and jump to the copilot's seat, and find the identical button below and to the right of the att. Press it as well; the light may or may not go out but as this is the backup it shouldn't matter either way as far as FS is concerned.


Open the overhead radio panel and switch on the transponder/TCAS by right-clicking on switch (h). Set the mode by first right clicking on(i), then left clicking until it reads TA/RA or TA ONLY. Then go to the TCAS/VSI and click button (j) to put it in standby; your transponder is now working but not alerting.


To switch on the taxi lights, find the two right-most switches on the lower panel. The left of these two switches (marked "ВЫП") will be down, and the right (marked "ФАРЫ", Lights) will be centered. The left controls the landing lights, and the right switches them between “taxi” (down), “landing” (up) and “off” (center). Click ВЫП to extend the lights and switch ФАРЫ to down for taxiing.

The last pre-taxi step is optional – on Russian aircraft the nosewheel has three, sometimes four modes (Castering, Locked, 15° steering angle,and 55° steering angle), and while some sims replicate this it doesn't seem to be working on the Samdim Antonovs although the switches are there. They are located on the bottom right of the main panel. The left switch unlocks the nose gear steering, and the right switches between 15°(down) and 55° (up). The warning lights above them will light up to show the status of the wheels. Generally speaking, while taxiing to the runway they are set at 55°, on a normal takeoff they are set at 15° for the departure roll, and locked before the gear is raised and for landing. But as the switch seems to have no effect on this sim ,use is completely up to you.

Anyway, we are now ready to taxiout to the runway. Stay tuned for Flying the Beast, including a primer on the Antonov autopilot system. FYI, the Ilyushin one is absolutely bizarre, and might be profiled just for a laugh.

[SSI01]

I wouldn't care to call it a "lecture" - I rather think of you firmly esconsed in your overstuffed leather chair, in your smoking jacket, brandy snifter in one hand and the other holding a laser pointer while your lovely assistant changes the PP slides on the huge background screen and you enlighten us, courtesy of the pointer, to the mysteries of Russian aircraft panel technology.:salute:

[SSI01]

:bump:

Hoping nothing untoward has happened. We are looking forward to the continuation of the series!

[Rallymodeller]

Nothing untoward -- my ADHD has forced a short break from Russian sims (and locale -- I'm simflying in Africa these days).

[SSI01]

Perfectly understandable.

I have a very good friend who has ADHD. His initials are (no kidding) ADD.

I'm heading into the hospital tomorrow for a heart catheterization. My cardiologist can't believe no one's put the 'scope in there since my heart attack in 2001, so he wants to peek into some corners to check things out. I should be home tomorrow night with some news and, maybe, some cleanout being done as well. :icon34:

[hawkeye52]

Good luck, SSI1

- h52