Throttle and Flap problems in FS9

[DeMuth-Olsen]

Hello Peter,

Forgive my ignorance, but I read through the FSUIPC manual looking for instructions how to set a couple of things and was unsuccessful:

FLAPS: I'm having difficulty getting the flap increments to work with my real 737 throttle quadrant. It has 9 positions of course, and configuring the first 3 worked fine, but then I got confused. To clarify, I could only get flap settings 0 deg, 1 deg, and 2 deg set under axis assignments tab in FSUIPC. It was easy to figure out because your menu of functions under the axis assignments tab showed "flaps up, flaps 1, and flaps 2. Unfortunately, I could not find Flaps 5, 10, 15, 25, 30 and 40 under the that same menu...I guess I was looking to consistancy. In my given situation, could you explain how I should configure my other 6 flap settings? I am using a real throttle quadrant that used slider pots for this process. Now, I did try other options, such as selecting "Flap Incr" setting under the drop down menu in the axis assignment tab for flaps 5. And when I tested it, the simulator went from flaps 2 all the way to flaps 40 and not to flaps 5?

THROTTLE: I've spent over 5 hours straight trying to figure out how to prevent reverse thrust from engaging when the two thrust levers on my real throttle are pulled back to idle (when on the ground). I know it has to do with the joystick calibration in FSUIPC, and maybe I'm not setting things in sequence, but this is what I did:

1) Clicked "reset" on both throttle axis

2) Moved both levers simultaneously to max then back to idle to calibrate

3) While levers are back to idle, I clicked the "set" button under the "idle" setting once for both levers.

4) I moved both thrust levers to max then clicked "set" under the "max" setting.

5) Went back to FS9 and tested and came across the following problems:

a) Eng 1 and Eng 2 N1 were not in sync

b) When at idle, thrust reverse engaged

6) Repeated steps 1 - 5, but this time I clicked twice when setting the "idle" setting in step 4 above. No improvement.

7) Repeated steps 1 - 5, but this time I clicked the "reverse" setting when thrust levers were at idle.

I've figured out how to use the other functions in FSUIPC, but for some reason, I'm really having difficulty getting the Flaps set and the throttle configured correctly. Assistance with this process would be much appreciated.

REQUEST: Peter, I have two requests to make, and maybe it is already in FSUIPC, but here is what I'd like to see if possible:

1) A function that syncs N1 for all engines within limits when both levers are moving together at the same time. Meaning, I'd like to ensure my engines remain close to each others N1 speed.

2) Ad Flaps 0 deg, 1 deg, 2, deg, 5 deg, 10 deg, 15 deg, 25 deg, 30 deg, 40 deg, settings under the axis assignment tab so that users can simply associate their potentiometer position with a particular flap setting. Can I manually enter the offset for each flap setting in the FSUIPC.cfg file, and if so, where do I find the offsets for these flap degree settings?

Well, I think I gave you a handful, but I want you to know that I worked hard at solving the matter before I submitted these questions on the forum. I also searched for any similar questions and could not find any, so either no one has had this problem before or it hasn't been brought up.

Thanks,

Chad

[Pete Dowson]

I could only get flap settings 0 deg, 1 deg, and 2 deg set under axis assignments tab in FSUIPC. It was easy to figure out because your menu of functions under the axis assignments tab showed "flaps up, flaps 1, and flaps 2. Unfortunately, I could not find Flaps 5, 10, 15, 25, 30 and 40 under the that same menu...I guess I was looking to consistancy.

You are misunderstanding completely I'm afraid. It is perfectly consistent. FSUIPC has no idea whatsoever what YOU or /your aircraft calls your flap positions. All it knows it that for the current aircraft there are N detentes, including the full up and full down positions. These are simply numbered 0 to N-1. Your "0, 1, and 2" are not DEGREES but numbers. They continue 3, 4, 5 etc. Completely consistent and exactly the same for all aircraft, only with a different end number.

In FS the value FSUIPC has to set to get to each flap positon is completely independent of the angles too -- the range of values is simply equally divided by the number of positions.

I've spent over 5 hours straight trying to figure out how to prevent reverse thrust from engaging when the two thrust levers on my real throttle are pulled back to idle

Have you an idle notch with a reverse zone, or don't you want any reverse on the throttle levers at all?

2) Moved both levers simultaneously to max then back to idle to calibrate

Movement is irrelevant to FSUIPC -- it is only when you click the buttons that anything is recorded.

When you say "back to idle" where is that in relation to the lever movement?

3) While levers are back to idle, I clicked the "set" button under the "idle" setting once for both levers.

If you are using the FSUIPC page for separate throttles, the "Idle" setting is the CENTRE setting, and there are TWO buttons. Both need to be pressed, with a range for idle. But before you do any such thing you should start with the full reverse button, setting that.

Why don't you just follow the numbered steps in the documentation, like many before you, instead of inventing your own steps and taking 5 hours to get them wrong?

1) A function that syncs N1 for all engines within limits when both levers are moving together at the same time. Meaning, I'd like to ensure my engines remain close to each others N1 speed.

Use throttle sync. That syncs the lever position to give the same input values to FS for each, please check the user documentation.

2) Ad Flaps 0 deg, 1 deg, 2, deg, 5 deg, 10 deg, 15 deg, 25 deg, 30 deg, 40 deg, settings under the axis assignment tab so that users can simply associate their potentiometer position with a particular flap setting.

Can't be done -- these are all different for different aircraft, and as far as FS and FSUIPC are concerned they are simply sequential positions, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,etc. Such a method suits ALL aircraft and is surely easy to understand. If you don't please use a pieve of paper and nymber your flap position names.

Pete