Twin Otter ( Premiere Aircraft Design) cockpit project

[compuzed]

OK. I am brand new at this, and I tried searching the forum for this before posting:)

I have been flying the twin otter for awhile now, and have started to build a home cockpit around it.

I am using the GoFlight Hardware, and trying to use the T8 module as a start point for various functions...lights, etc...

However, I am having a challenge trying to match up the left and right generators; in the sim, with corresponding targets either in FS itself, or in the FSUIPC...

All i can find within FS2004 or FSUIPC , is the master alternator toggle, which is a poor substitute.

I don't even know if the battery will eventually drain after 8 hours in flight........me thinks that the battery should provide the intital powere to start the engines, then once started, the generators take over to power systems, then the battery can be shut down....yes ?

thanks

Rick Cloney

Edmonton, AB

Canada

[Pete Dowson]

I am having a challenge trying to match up the left and right generators; in the sim, with corresponding targets either in FS itself, or in the FSUIPC...

All i can find within FS2004 or FSUIPC , is the master alternator toggle, which is a poor substitute.

FS does actually implement up to 4 separate generator switches internally, though the controls which operate them do refer to "alternators". The term is used interchangeably it seems.

I don't think you could have looked very far because there are "TOGGLE ALTERNATOR1", "TOGGLE ALTERNATOR2", "TOGGLE ALTERNATOR3" and "TOGGLE ALTERNATOR4" controls listed that I can see.

I don't even know if the battery will eventually drain after 8 hours in flight

The usual experience with FS is that the battery drains far too fast, unrealistically so (e.g. in FS2002 the 737 it drains too fast to do a realistic overhead check and so on before starting the APU). FS2004 is better than FS2002, but the whole problem was the reason for the "magic battery" life extender provided in FSUIPC.

Some add-on aircraft "cheated" and maintained the battery at full voltage forever even when not being charged. If yours does that then I'm afraid there's no fix.

Note that once the battery is allowed to drop below a certain voltage, it becomes a system failure and requires a full repair (aircraft reload or menu failure cancelling) -- merely getting the generators or APU going doesn't help then.

..me thinks that the battery should provide the intital powere to start the engines, then once started, the generators take over to power systems, then the battery can be shut down....yes ?

None of the aircraft I know of are normally flown with the batteries switched off. They get charged by the alternators/generators whilst still in circuit, same as in a motor car. You don't switch your car battery off whilst driving do you?

Regards

Pete

[compuzed]

Hi, and thanks for the reply so quick...!!

I guess I was not totally thorough in my question(s). I saw the toggle Alternator items, however I was hoping to allow for use on a GoFlight switch, rather than using a button on a joystick; as there is no indication of what state the switch would be in without a visual of the panel; which I am endeavoring to not have in view. You see, the goflgith T8 module has indicator lights over each of the switches , indicating an on or off state.....

So I think your answer is that I need to access Alternator 1 and 2, however the shortcoming now seems to be the T8's lack of ability to access that FlightSIm object....correct ?

Rick

[Pete Dowson]

I saw the toggle Alternator items, however I was hoping to allow for use on a GoFlight switch, rather than using a button on a joystick; as there is no indication of what state the switch would be in without a visual of the panel

Okay. there are two ways of getting over that.

First way is to always start and end your flights with the cockpit in the same state -- normally a parked, cold and dark state with all switches correctly off. That way even toggles stay synchronised.

The only real problem with that is that if you crash or have any other interruption which causes you to revert to a different state you are again out of sync.

The second way is to use the facilities in FSUIPC as make switches write to internal locations in FS, via the "Offsets". There are offsets corresponding to each of those switches, and there are Offset Byte/Word/Dword Set controls in FSUIPC's dropdowns which can be used to write stuff to them -- 1 for on, 0 for off.

To see the full extent of what can be done that way you'd need to download the FSUIPC SDK and check the offset list in the "Programmers Guide."

which I am endeavoring to not have in view. You see, the goflgith T8 module has indicator lights over each of the switches , indicating an on or off state.....

Driving the indicators on any GF module isn't automatic. FSUIPC itself has no hardware output facilities. I did produce a freeware module called "GFdisplay" which can drive LEDs from Offset values. Check that out.

Regards

Pete

[compuzed]

Thanks again for the reply. I was thinking I was going to have to either look at the GoFlight SDK or the FSUIPC SDK. You have given me enough ammo now to be dangerous..... :)

thanks a bunch