• Official Post

    Hello everyone,

    I hope you are as excited as I am when I hear a title like this one :D
    Over the weekend I've been busy and made the my first modification for the Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator: a cold and dark capable Cessna 172 mod.

    Not only can it do engine start/stop, you can also set the master battery, alternator and avions to off and enjoy a dark cockpit. Plus you can turn off individual panels like the COM1, NAV1 panel.
    I also included a lot of small gimmics like opening doors and windows (they create drag when opened in the air) and also moveable sunshades. Almost all instruments in the cockpit are now working, including fuel flow and egt and so on. Their indications are faked at the moment but I am sure you could improve them a lot if you put in more time and effort. I was really impressed that all these things are possible in the Aerofly FS 2 and it wasn't any harder than I was used to from the previous Aerofly simulators.

    [Blocked Image: http://www.aerofly-sim.de/wp-content/ima…0705-211725.jpg]
    [Blocked Image: http://www.aerofly-sim.de/wp-content/ima…0705-211417.jpg]

    This mod only requires the Aerofly FS 2 Flight Simulator Steam edition to run and I will try to update this Cessna mod for future version that will come.

    I hope you will have a lot of fun with this mod, here is your download link from my personal website:
    http://www.aerofly-sim.de/af2_c172_download


    Cheers,
    Jan

  • there you go, first global add-on. Thanks Jan for sharing.


    Looks promising.
    seems mixture stab and most controls work with scroll wheel and not with mouse click?


    I also wanted to ask you for a favour. Can you find out how to get the mouse view working without holding the button?

    and the scroll wheel for zooming. it works when in exterior view, but not inside.

    • Official Post

    [...] seems mixture stab and most controls work with scroll wheel and not with mouse click?[...]


    Why would you want to click the mixture? Click and drag maybe but that is not yet implemented in Aerofly FS 2.

    The mouse control in the cockpit cannot be changed by the aircraft files. IPACS will need to change that, its out of the range of outside developers.

  • Some questions regarding the modeling of the features you have successfuly implemented Jan:

    - Does mixture actually work requiring leaning with altitude ?
    - Is it possible to, either through config file editing or SDK, modify temperatures, pressures, cloud cover, time of day / date ? And, regarding temperature and pressure, does Aerofly model density altitude ?
    - I believe in the present version there is no fuel consumption, but I wonder if the necessary hooks are available for more detailed modeling of fuel systems, starting with basic fuel consumption, and affecting weight & ballance ?

    Thx!

    Limited by Main Thread...

    • Official Post

    Does mixture actually work requiring leaning with altitude?


    As mentioned on the download page: no.

    - Is it possible to, either through config file editing or SDK, modify temperatures, pressures, cloud cover, time of day / date?

    Time of day has a slider in the simulator settings and a key assignment ("T" and "Shift+T").
    Clouds are currently cirrus and cumulus, you can set their densities...

    Temperature is standard ISA, I've not seen any setting for that yet in any config file. Same with pressure.

    And, regarding temperature and pressure, does Aerofly model density altitude?


    I never got why people want to use density altitude. When I have the density for given temperature and pressure, why do I need anything else? Its like saying the airplane stalls because its too slow when the real issue is an angle of attack that is too big...

    Air density, pressure and temperature in the Aerofly reduce with altitude.

    - I believe in the present version there is no fuel consumption, but I wonder if the necessary hooks are available for more detailed modeling of fuel systems, starting with basic fuel consumption, and affecting weight & ballance ?


    That is such an important feature, its just a matter of time. Currently you could accumulate the fuel used by the engine and kill it at some point, you could shift the center of gravity but you can't make the airplane lighter yet (except dropping a finite mass).

    Cheers,
    Jan

  • I never got why people want to use density altitude. When I have the density for given temperature and pressure, why do I need anything else? Its like saying the airplane stalls because its too slow when the real issue is an angle of attack that is too big...

    Air density, pressure and temperature in the Aerofly reduce with altitude.


    That is such an important feature, its just a matter of time. Currently you could accumulate the fuel used by the engine and kill it at some point, you could shift the center of gravity but you can't make the airplane lighter yet (except dropping a finite mass).

    Cheers,
    Jan

    Thx for your answers, and sorry for not having glimpsed that one about mixture in the D/L page...

    Apart from temp and pressure, moist is the other ( important ) factor in density... Moist air is less dense, temp and pressure being equal, and, it does play an important role irl...

    There's also geopotential height variation due to cold / hot air, for identical QNH....

    Very few flight simulators I have used model both, or even just one of these "weather features"...

    Limited by Main Thread...

  • Hi,

    I have the mod installed and running, I can remove the virtual yoke etc.

    I understand there's not yet a possibility to start cold and dark. However, I tried to switch off the engine after landing. I switch the starter to off - engine still running. I switch the Master off - the propeller is still rotating. Only pulling the mixture lever fully out using the mouse does stop the engine/propeller finally.

    Is this some mistake by me or some kind of bug or limitation?

    Thanks and kind regards, Michael

    Intel i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / Asus MAXIMUS VIII RANGER / Kingston 32 GB DDR4 / Samsung SSD M.2 500 GB + Samsung SSD 1 TB + Intel SSD 500 GB (AeroflyFS2) + WD HD 6 TB / EVGA GTX 1080Ti 11 GB / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb / Win 10/64

    • Official Post

    Hello Michael,

    Switching the master off should theoretically not stop the engine I think.
    Turning off the magnetos should however and it did that last time I checked...
    Edit: I just checked it again with the current beta version of Aerofly FS 2. My engine stopps when I turn the magnetos all the way to off (using mousewheel)

    Cheers,
    Jan

  • Hi,

    thanks for looking into it. Yes I turned the magnetos using the mouse wheel to the left, too.

    I didn't opt in for beta yet because of a warning re Win10 64 somehere, maybe that's the difference. I'll look into it again after the new code was officially released.

    Kind regards, Michael

    Intel i7-6700K 4.0 GHz / Asus MAXIMUS VIII RANGER / Kingston 32 GB DDR4 / Samsung SSD M.2 500 GB + Samsung SSD 1 TB + Intel SSD 500 GB (AeroflyFS2) + WD HD 6 TB / EVGA GTX 1080Ti 11 GB / LG 34UM95 3440 x 1440 / HP Reverb / Win 10/64

  • Hey everyone,

    version 2 of this mod is now available:
    http://www.aerofly-sim.de/download/downl…2_c172_download

    Changes since last version of this mod:
    - used fuel simulation and electical system of the latest Aerofly FS 2 Simulator to its fullest, a lot of code could be simplified because the simulation is now taking care of most of the logic needed.
    - redid the engine starting with more modern techniques that became available with the last version
    - added multiple ways to change the state of switches (left and rightclick as well as scroll wheel)
    - fuel empty should now kill the engine
    - gyro compass adjust added
    - improved the starter key auto-return to both magnetos
    - added parking brake

  • This might not be the correct thread but is it possible to completely remove the map display in the c172. I like to rely on traditional navigation equipment NAV, ADF and such. If not, at least could you make it a real GPS unit. Now it is just some sort of map. Does not belong in a C172.

  • Of course you can disable the map somehow. If you turn off both master avionic switches that should make the display go off, so you just have to tell the display never to turn on in the .tmd code of the c172. In my modified C172 you can just comment out the lines 3339 to 3341 which should look like this:

    Code
    <[string8][object][output]
                <[string8][Input][DisplayBrightness.Output]>
            >

    if you change that to

    Code
    //        <[string8][object][output]
    //            <[string8][Input][DisplayBrightness.Output]>
    //        >

    the display on the right should be off.

  • Thank you for that mod. It seems however to conflict with Saitek Panels, which are now supported by AFS2.

    Without the mod they work almost fine, moving switches and radios.
    With the mod, switches become inoperative and radios dark...

    BR
    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.

  • Interesting because I did not change the switches around as far as I remember. Are you using the latest Beta of the Aerofly FS 2?
    The only thing that I added again to the default version is the ability to turn off the engine.

    Which switches are not working anymore for you?
    I don't have a Saitek Panel on my desk to check it myself...

    Well radios should go dark at some point. If you just leave the engine at low power the generator won't produce enough electricity to maintain the current flowing to all consumers. So the battery voltage slowly decreases until its empty. Then the devices run out of juice and turn off one after the other...

  • Thank you. After some testing, it seems the Saitek driver is somewhat unstable in my case, nothing to do with your mod. Amazingly enough it works very well in the Aerofly FS settings menu, where every switch can be checked, but once the aircraft is loaded the radio panel sometimes remain dark, both with or without your mod.
    BTW nothing to do with rpm, you don't idle avgas engines, or you quickly foul the plugs. You always keep some 1'000 rpm when on ground (except for idle check) which is well enough for the alternator to load.

    Tonight I could make my radio and switch panels work exactly the same with or without your mod. Except 1 small bug (COM1 standby switches both COM1 and COM2 – nothing to do with your mod, I have the same without), only a few switches in the Cessna 172 can be operated from the panel (mostly lights).
    Magnetos key, battery main, alternator, avionics, fuel pump, etc. cannot be operated from the panel, although in Aerofly FS setting menu they are properly assigned and recognized as such by Aerofly FS. Looks like in the mod these switches can be operated with the mouse only... Do you think there is a chance in a next release to have these switches linked to those defined in Aerofly FS Saitek panels menu ?

    Thanks again and best regards
    Antoine

    Config : i7 6900K - 20MB currently set at 3.20GHz, Cooling Noctua NH-U14S, Motherboard ASUS Rampage V Extreme U3.1, RAM HyperX Savage Black Edition 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz, Graphic Card Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB, Power supply Corsair RM Series 850W, Windows 10 64 bit.