FIP

Flight Instrument Panel

194: An FIP Display Order Setup Guide

| Tom Tsui

TechLevel02W

I keep receiving questions from friends asking why the display order of FIPs are different every time when they start up FSX.  Followings are two of the most recent examples:

I have built a Saitek cockpit with 6 FIP’s so far.  It works great until I reboot.  It seems the USB ports start in a different sequence on each boot up.

When I added additional FIPs [using a single 10 port USB hub], they no longer would come up in the SaiFlightSimX.xml order.

Evidently, Saitek’s customer support is still lousy even after the product has been marketed for many years.   Anyway, here’s the revised FIP Display Order Setup Guide based on my Posts 28: Flight Instrument Panel Tweak – Part 1 and 118: Loading FIPs in Desired Order, and many replies I gave in various Comments.

Continue reading →

193: Revised T210 AirSpeed Gauge

| Tom Tsui

T210_AirSpeed_W1NThis is the enhanced gauge face of my Centurion T210 AirSpeed Indicator.  Not only it is less colorful but also incorporated with frame and screws graphics.   All existing features remain unchanged.

Current users are not required to send me notes for the download link.  Just click here or click the image on the right to download the new background directly.   Remember that the file must be saved and kept in the original *.bmp format.

To install, simply overwriting the old background with this new one will do.   Have fun!

192: Cessna Citation AirSpeed Gauge

| Tom Tsui

This new Airspeed Gauge is requested by Ray Marshall who would like to have an analog indicator that
Citation_AirSpeedWNgoes up to about 400 knots with corresponding digital display for his favorite Cessna Citation.

The bugs, supposed to be movable, are static due to inherited limitation of the FIP.  If time allows in the future, will see if they could be controlled via the two knobs of the FIP itself.   If not, will consider adding other features to go with them.

FSX Times Subscribers could ask for the download link via COMMENTS section below.Citation_AirSpeedW

In the package, an earlier version that uses a thicker needle as shown on the right is also provided.    But note that the thicker needle could block the digital display when the aircraft is running below 70 knots.

As always, requests from non-FSX Times subscribers will be ignored.

188: Cessna 172 AirSpeed Gauge

| Tom Tsui

This Cessna 172 Airspeed Gauge has been requested by many fans of FSX Times.  So it finally arrives.  Despite its simple look, it did take me quite some time to layout it properly, however.C172_AirSpeed_BackgroundW

The TAS knob on the bottom left corner, unfortunately, is still a decoration.   I haven’t figured out how to make it function yet.   Besides that, it is fully functional.

Subscribers of FSX Times who are interested in this gauge could send me a request via the COMMENTS section below as usual for the download link.

Others who aren’t subscribers yet could enter their emails and press the [Enter Your Email to Subscribe] button on the right hand column to become a subscriber first.   Otherwise, requests will be ignored.

187: Adding New Gauges to FIP

| Tom Tsui

TechLevel02WT210_AltimeterW

Although my previous Post 28, Post 29 and Post 30 already talk about the basics, installation and tweaks for Saitek’s Flight Instrument Panel (FIP), there are still many friends asking for direct instruction on how my Centurion T210 gauges be installed.

So, here is a step-by-by tutorial in which I am using my Altimeter Gauge wide version as an example:

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Download the T210 AlimeterW.rar from the link you received  —  Note that only subscribers of FSX Times are eligible to get my files (Edit: No More Available)

Continue reading →

180: Centurion T210 Man/Fuel Gauge

| Tom Tsui

Here’s the Manifold Pressure / Fuel Flow Gauge for the Centurion T210.   It is the sixth gauge I’ve created for the T210 and it’s probably the last one specific for the aircraft.

Actually it’s been done quite awhile ago.   But I’ve been looking for solutions to make the fuelflow gauge to rotate in a nonlinear (nonproportional) anitclockwise manner possible on the FIP as shown in the aircraft.

Unfortunately, after numerous attempts and helps from friends on the FSDeveloper forum, it seems that Saitek’s FIP doesn’t support nonlinear  anticlockwise rotation.

Already sent a note to Saitek for help.   They did responded quickly but no follow-up action for more than 3 weeks now — not even a reply to the two subsequent emails I sent.   (Edit: just got a reply and let’s see how it goes.)

Anyway, this one is fully functional.   Any subscriber of this blog who is interested to get a copy of it could send me a request via the COMMENTS section below for the download link.

Others who aren’t subscribers yet could enter their emails and press the [Click Me to Subscribe] button on the right hand column to become a subscriber first.   Otherwise, requests will be ignored.

Edit: This instrument is no more available.

175: Engine Hours Patch for RPM Gauge

| Tom Tsui

I thought at least one of those who are using my Centurion T210 gauges would have noticed and asked me why the RPM gauge they are using doesn’t have the Engine Hours display as I showed in my Post 173.  Obviously, all of them have been busy flying instead.    Haha.

The Engine Hours update patch is now ready.   It will show the current numbers of hours an aircraft has flown and update constantly during a flight session.

Subscribers of FSX Times can write me a note to get the patch via the COMMENTS section below as usual for the download link.

Others who aren’t subscribers yet could enter their emails and press the [Click Me to Subscribe] button on the right hand column to become a subscriber first.   Otherwise, requests will be ignored.

As said, there will be no more new gauges coming out in at least a couple of months.   But the current five gauges should bring good enough fun.

173: Centurion T210 Gauges Wide Version

| Tom Tsui

Up to now, I have created 5 gauges (AirSpeed, Altimeter, Attitude, RPM and Vertical Speed) for the Centurion T210.

As mentioned, the wide version (260 x 240) of the previously released Attitude, RPM and Vertical Speed gauges have been revised and ready for download.

Any subscriber of this blog could send me a request for the download links via the COMMENTS section below.   Edit: These Gauges are no more available.

For the next release, it will take a longer while as the creation of these gauges are quite exhausting.   Also, I would like to work on some other topics too.    But I will keep doing it for the Centurion T210 and then other aircrafts, such as C340.

172: Centurion T210 Altimeter Gauge

| Tom Tsui

Here’s the Altimeter for the Centurion T210 I’ve been longing for.    I saw a similar one at a gauge discussion forum many years ago.   I desperately requested a copy of it but got no reply from the developer at all.

Now, here’s the one I created.

Anyone who is interested could send me a request via the COMMENTS section below.   I will definitely reply and share it with a download link.   Edit: This instrument is no more available.

But note, you have to become a Subscriber of this blog first.

You could enter their emails and press the [Click Me to Subscribe] button on the right hand column to become a subscriber.   Otherwise, requests will be ignored.