REALISTIC TURBOPROP ENGINE START SYSTEM 

***** FOR FS2004 ONLY *****

By Doug Dawson and Tom Gibson

Version 1  6/2010

This set of gauges will provide unprecedented realism during engine starting.  It is for FS2004 ONLY, since the RPM control gauge will CRASH FSX.  There is no gauge planned for FSX, since the technique used to control RPM has been removed in FSX.


DESCRIPTION:

There are 4 gauges involved in this engine starting system.

1.  The Engine Control gauge.  This C++ gauge by Doug Dawson receives commands from the XML gauges below and controls prop RPM directly.

2.  The Engine Starter gauge.  This creates realistic RPM during manual engine starts using the overhead panel.

3.  The Engine Autostart gauge.  When you press Ctrl-E (start all engines), it creates a realistic engine start sequence, complete with the starting order 2-1.

4.  The Aircraft Reload gauge.  Due to a quirk in the Engine Control gauge, the plane must be reloaded once after the sim has loaded before engine control is properly achieved.  This gauge performs that task automatically.

All required gauges will be installed upon the use of the installer in this package.  The gauges are "commented out" in the panel.cfg files, inactivating them.  You will activate them using Notepad or Wordpad.

First, you have to make a choice.  Do you want the panel to automatically reload the plane upon loading the panel to "fix" the RPM gauge?  While convenient, if you plan on using the engine start system only rarely this auto-reload will delay the panel loading process each time you load the plane.  If you do not activate the Aircraft Reload gauge, you will need to reload the plane manually when you want to use the engine start system after starting up FS2004.  If you have already loaded another plane or reloaded the same one, this is not necessary.  

You may manually reload the plane two ways:

A.  Use the menu - Aircraft/Select Aircraft/OK.
B.  Assign a key to the Reload User Aircraft command in Options/Controls/Assignments and use that key combination (I use Ctrl-Shift-P).

************ See the instructions on how to perform a realistic engine start below the Installation section. *************


INSTALLATION:

WARNING!  THIS IS FOR FS2004 ONLY!  IT WILL CRASH FSX INSTANTANEOUSLY!

WARNING!  YOU MUST HAVE FSUIPC INSTALLED OR FS2004 MAY CRASH!  Get the FS2004 versiion from: http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html

1.  Open the panel.cfg file in the FS2004/Aircraft/580panel folder by double clicking it.  If a window comes up asking what program to use, choose Wordpad.  Notepad is also acceptable.

2.  At the very bottom of the file, you will see the last gauge listing with three lines starting with // - these are the inactivated gauges.  They will look something like this (the gaugenn numbers and autostart gauge line may be different):

//gauge40=CC_Engine_Control!Engine_Control,  8,8,5,5
//gauge41=cv340!cv580_autostart,  5,5,11,11
//gauge42=Z_DC6KMTG!AIRCRAFT_RELOAD,  10,10,11,11

3.  If you want to activate all three gauges, remove the // in front of each one, making it look like this:

gauge40=CC_Engine_Control!Engine_Control,  8,8,5,5
gauge41=cv340!cv580_autostart,  5,5,11,11
gauge42=Z_DC6KMTG!AIRCRAFT_RELOAD,  10,10,11,11

4.  If you do not want to activate the Aircraft Reload gauge (see above), then make it look like this instead:

gauge40=CC_Engine_Control!Engine_Control,  8,8,5,5
gauge41=cv340!cv580_autostart,  5,5,11,11
//gauge42=Z_DC6KMTG!AIRCRAFT_RELOAD,  10,10,11,11

5.  Save the file (File/Save) and reload the plane in FS.

Now enjoy your realistic engine starts!


ADAPTING THIS SYSTEM TO OTHER AIRCRAFT

You can use the *automatic* engine start system (using Ctrl-E) in many other twin engine turboprop aircraft as well.  

1.  Add the three lines below to the VC section of the plane's panel.cfg file (if there is no VC add them to the main panel section):

2 engines (you must have installed the Sierra Pacific CV-580):

//gauge40=CC_Engine_Control!Engine_Control,  8,8,5,5
//gauge41=cv340!cv580_autostart,  5,5,11,11
//gauge42=Z_DC6KMTG!AIRCRAFT_RELOAD,  10,10,11,11

2.  Change the gaugenn numbers so they are in numerical order with the rest of the gauges.

3.  Activate the gauges as described in INSTALLATION above.

4.  Change this line in the upper section(s) of the plane's aircraft.cfg file to:

prop_anim_ratio=0.9


HOW TO PERFORM REALISTIC TURBOPROP ENGINE STARTS USING THIS SYSTEM

If you press Ctrl-E in outside view (use the S key) you can watch an automatic and realistic start sequence.

If you want to do it manually, go to outside view (use the S key) and press Shift 2 to bring up the overhead panel.  Then follow the checklist below:


GTC Start Procedure:  

Click red Run/Stop cover at right of GTC section to raise cover 

Click the switch underneath to RUN, then click the START switch.  

Start switch will engage for 3 seconds, then STARTER light will come on for about 9 seconds then go out.  

WAIT!!!!  Do nothing.

After an eternity (about 30 seconds) the green READY light will come on. You now have starting power.


Engine Start Procedure:

Next, go to starter panel at left side of overhead.  START ENGINE #2 FIRST (Right engine), using procedure below:

Click the right hand silver knob just above the colored annunciator lights to put engine #2 into LSGI (low speed ground idle)(button pushed in).  Click to throw the overhead SELECT knob to "GTC", the #2 Fuel/Ignition switch to ON, the #2 fuel boost pump to #1, and click to "push" the RH START button.  Wait for a few moments for the engine to start spooling.   Verify start by observing climb in T.I.T. and  HP gauges.  If the START button will not click, note the problem in the button tool tip and fix it.  The RH START button will pop out when the start sequence is complete.

After #2 stablizes,  go down to the annunciator panel and click the #2 LSGI/HSGI knob on the annunciator panel to "pull" it out to the HSGI (high speed ground idle) position.  This is to provide bleed air to start the engine #1 turbines.  (The GTC unit is mounted inside the right engine (#2), and while it can be used to start #1 also, it takes a lot longer because the the system generates a lot less air than a running engine will, and it has to travel a much longer distance to get over to #1.  Plus  usually, there are so many air leaks in the old lines, that it takes forever).  The HGSI position on #2 is also required to build hydraulic pressure for ground braking in real life, however in the sim, to control taxi, both engines will be placed in LSGI (knobs in) once started, to control taxi speed.

Click the left hand LSGI/HSGI knob to put engine #1 into LSGI (button pushed in).

When HGSI has been established in engine #2, Turn GTC unit off.

Going back to the engine starters,  Start Number One as follows:

Throw the SELECT lever from "GTC"  to "BLEED", the #1 Fuel/Ignition switch to ON, the #1 fuel boost pump to #1, and press the LH START button.

You should now have two running engines.

At large airports, you can use the GROUND setting for both engines if you wish, simulating you have ground air available.

Tom Gibson 6/2010
