Baron 58, What is the blue switch to the right of Bat, L Alt, and R ALR

ChuckMcPhuck · March 5, 2026 at 3:08 AM

In the Baron 58, what is the blue unlabelled switch to the right of bat and alt switches? What does it do

ApfelFlieger · March 5, 2026 at 8:28 AM

I checked in the FS 4 in the b58.tmd and controls.tmd. It should be SwitchIcing.

Code

            <[input_switch][SwitchIcing][]
                <[string8][Message][Controls.Icing]>
                <[string8][Events][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[string8][EventsRelease][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[float64][Value][1.0]>
            >

Jet-Pack (IPACS) · March 5, 2026 at 9:11 AM Official Post

Quote from ApfelFlieger

I checked in the FS 4 in the b58.tmd and controls.tmd. It should be SwitchIcing.

Code

            <[input_switch][SwitchIcing][]
                <[string8][Message][Controls.Icing]>
                <[string8][Events][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[string8][EventsRelease][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[float64][Value][1.0]>
            >

Yeah but that's probably not correct. Icing is the entire panel below the switch.

I think this switch is not doing anything right now.

ApfelFlieger · March 5, 2026 at 9:27 AM

Quote from Jet-Pack (IPACS)

... I think this switch is not doing anything right now.

Correct.

ChuckMcPhuck · March 7, 2026 at 1:33 AM

Quote from ApfelFlieger

I checked in the FS 4 in the b58.tmd and controls.tmd. It should be SwitchIcing.

Code

            <[input_switch][SwitchIcing][]
                <[string8][Message][Controls.Icing]>
                <[string8][Events][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[string8][EventsRelease][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[float64][Value][1.0]>
            >

So IRL is this switch nonexistant and was a mistake? Maybe they saw an extra battery switch and thought it was for the icing system? Or does this switch IRL turn on and off the entire icing system?

ApfelFlieger · March 7, 2026 at 8:36 AM

There is no function assigned to the switch:

In the file controls.tmd the operation is programmed:

Code

            <[control_cylinder][SwitchIcing][]
                <[string8][Type][switch toggle]>
                <[tmvector3d][R0][ 0.76705 0.36113 0.27278 ]>
                <[tmmatrix3d][B0][ 1.0 0.0 0.0  0.0 1.0 0.0  0.0 0.0 1.0 ]>
                <[tmvector3d][Direction][ 0.0 0.0 1.0 ]>
                <[float64][StepDistance][0.01]>
                <[control_message][OnStep][]
                    <[string8][Message][Controls.Icing]>
                    <[string8][Qualifiers][step]>
                    <[float64][Value][1.0]>
                >
                <[float64][Radius][0.003]>
                <[float64][Length][0.017]>
            >
            <[control_cylinder][SwitchIcingBase][]
                <[string8][Type][switch toggle base]>
                <[tmvector3d][R0][ 0.775 0.36113 0.27278 ]>
                <[tmmatrix3d][B0][ 1.0 0.0 0.0  0.0 1.0 0.0  0.0 0.0 1.0 ]>
                <[tmvector3d][Direction][ 0.0 0.0 1.0 ]>
                <[float64][StepDistance][0.01]>
                <[control_message][OnStep][]
                    <[string8][Message][Controls.Icing]>
                    <[string8][Qualifiers][step]>
                    <[float64][Value][1.0]>
                >
                <[float64][Radius][0.006]>
                <[float64][Length][0.002]>
            >

Display More

In the file b58.tmd, however, only the function (DynamicObjects) for the operation and the graphical display (GraphicObjects) is programmed but no actual use:

Code

<[file][][]
    <[modelmanager][][]
        <[pointer_list_tmuniverse][DynamicObjects][]
...
            // main bus start
...
            <[input_switch][SwitchIcing][]
                <[string8][Message][Controls.Icing]>
                <[string8][Events][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[string8][EventsRelease][ SwitchSoundLeft.Trigger ]>
                <[float64][Value][1.0]>
            >

            // main bus end
...
        >
        <[pointer_list_tmgraphics][GraphicObjects][]
...

            // icing switches
            <[hingedbodygraphics][SwitchIcing][]
                <[uint32][PositionID][Fuselage.R]>
                <[uint32][OrientationID][Fuselage.Q]>
                <[string8][GeometryList][ SwitchIcing ]>
                <[tmvector3d][Axis][ 0.0 1.0 0.0 ]>
                <[tmvector3d][Pivot][ 0.775827 0.360798 0.272743 ]>
                <[float64][Scaling][0.5]>
                <[uint32][InputID][SwitchIcing.Output]>
                <[string8][InputIllumination0][PanelLighting.Output]>
            >
...
        >
    >
>

Display More

If there was a use, this would be in the segment DynamicObjects.

In reality, there is always the fact that a control element is installed, but it is not connected.

Overloaded · March 7, 2026 at 9:03 AM

I haven’t seen a Baron’s flight manual and they do vary with time and specification anyway but that switch is physically directly above the high current electrical heating functions so presuming that it is based on a real instrument panel layout, could it have been a sort of heating sub-bus master switch? In the event of a heating device short circuit it could allow a master switch style isolation for rapid alternator re-sets restoring lights and navigation-aids in an emergency?
Perhaps there was a switch label that did not make sense to the (presumably external?) simulator developer so it was left out through unaware ignorance?

Small Planes · March 7, 2026 at 9:47 AM

I found this:

https://ninelima.org/poh/Beechcraft/B58%20Baron/Beechcraft-Baron-POH.pdf

The switch in question is not on the instrument panel in this manual.

ApfelFlieger · March 7, 2026 at 11:49 AM

Exactly, someone installed the switch in the shipyard - and then realized that it was superfluous. And before there is a hole in the panel, he left the switch inside. As in real life.

Small Planes · March 7, 2026 at 1:19 PM

IPACS could have bought itself some coffee with the price of this switch.

ChuckMcPhuck · March 8, 2026 at 12:00 AM

Quote from Small Planes

IPACS could have bought itself some coffee with the price of this switch.

When my passengers complain about my rough flying ill be like “oh let me go into stabilization mode” and flip the placebo switch