325: GPS Navigation Fix for VOR1

Trevor Bagnell in Canada recently reported that when NAV1 radio is controlled by the GPS signal under a filed flight plan, the Standalone C172 VOR1 gauge (Integrated as well) doesn’t respond accordingly.

With no flight plan, he said, the localizer needle on the VOR1 of course remains centered when the NAV/GPS Switch is toggled to GPS.

But when a flight plan is active, the NAV1 radio will be controlled by the GPS signal.  The localizer needle on the VOR1 should deflect accordingly.

The virtual panel gauge localizer needle reacts to being off the centreline of the flight plan.  The FIP gauge does not, he added.

Trevor submitted a video explaining the case as follows: Continue reading

324: Make Your Aircraft Invisible

It’s still true that I mainly flightsim in one of the following cockpit views reported in my Post 181.

1. Landing/Takeoff — showing the hood from the pilot seat on the left
2. Cruising — showing outside scenery only
3. Normal Cockpit — used only when FIPs are turned off

To implement the Cruising View, in particular, I used to disable the 2D-Cockpit in the camera.cfg first, and then create a specific CameraDefinition for it.    Recently, I found Prepar3D has a hidden feature which makes this customization process totally unnecessary as shown in the video below:

Two steps only are required: Continue reading

294: C172 Wet Compass

Some friends asked me what would be the next gauges to fill up their “post-11th” FIPs after the C172_CMP_resize10 Standalone plus the one Integrated Fuel Gauges.

Alright, here is the newly done full-size Wet Compass designed to match with the Standalone Gauges, in which the OMI Markers and Signal Sound Indicators are included.

Followings are two videos Continue reading

News: Cockpit Videos and Photos Submitted

I’ve thought about making a video for the new C172 Standalone Gauges as I did for the earlier Integrated Series.   However, I wasn’t sure how to do it because I don’t have enough FIPs myself.

Luckily, Markus Anderson in Sweden just sent me his videos showing the Standalone Gauges with his newly bought BEH Force Feedback Yoke in his cockpit setup.   Looks pretty good to me.

P3DSaitekTest
Click the image to see the video.

Do note that Continue reading

283: My Integrated Gauges Video Show

Some friends are curious about how my C172 Integrated Gauges all together look in real simulator.   Here are four quick videos showing how they perform from Engine Startup, Taxi, Take-off to Maneuver.    Background airport is Bowerman KHQM in the United States.   Simulator is Prepar3D v25 with the free Bowerman airport addon from Orbx.

Truly, since my one hand Continue reading

237: P3D v2.2 Part 2 – Video Preview

Regarding the autogen and texture problems reported in last post, the issues actually had been solved.   I was just splitting the story into 2 or 3 episodes to arouse sharings and suggestions, from which I might possible push the result further for the sweet spot.

Unexpectedly, I have some priorities to deal with in the next few weeks.   So I made the following movie clip as a Preview to Part 2 (or to be Part 2 itself).

It is also my first attempt to include video in FSX Times.  The clip was taken by iPhone over Vancouver with most autogens Continue reading

News: A2A C172 Trainer Development Videos

Came across these two videos from A2A Simulations on Youtube.   Quite impressive.  Worth a look if you haven’t seen them.

Continue reading