Posts by dvc1716

I made another A320 flight today using SID/STAR/APP for KSAN-KSFO.

1. The AP followed the Lateral Nav very well. AP was turned on at +500 ft to see if it would capture the very close to airport SID waypoint.

Altitude was maintained at FL320 and speed was at expected value.

2. The AP failed to follow a sufficient descent to IF CEPIN and as such the aircraft was too high to capture the GS.

3. After ILS was alive on the MCDU I could then see both the Freq and Course on RAD/Nav page.

4. Using HDG a go-around was completed and a final at CEPIN resulted in ILS/GS capture.

The plan:

Aircraft near CEPIN waypoint (too high) should be about 2000ft

I have just completed a test flight of the A320 from KLAX to KSAN using only waypoints and an ILS Approach to I09.

The system seemed to automatically decide the cruise altitude and fuel required for the flight along with flap settings, etc.

After takeoff I engaged AP1 and cleaned up the aircraft for climb to FL200. I could see a TOC maker and the aircraft followed the lateral flight plan as well as the Vertical nicely. It climbed to cruise and the A/T set the speed.

I checked the MCDU for an indication of TOD and I did see one; however, it was only 6nm from where I was but the ND seemed to suggest it was further; nonetheless, I began my descent and watched the aircraft begin its descent. After a while I concluded that maybe the rate of descent was not enough so I manually increased to -1800 so that I was about 10,000 fmsl at the 30nm position. I did eventually see the GS indicator on the PFD and reduced my climb accordingly. When I was turning to final I engaged LOC and as I was a bit low for intercept of GS I waited until the marker was just above the line and then engaged APPR. The aircraft did capture GS and followed it all the way down. At 200ft AGL I disengaged AP and made a smooth manual landing on R09. It landed like a little puff ball.

My only concern on this flight was whether or not the auto-descent would get me to my 2000 ft target in time. I sensed that it would not; hence, my manual intervention.

I also wonder about how the RadNav is supposed to display the ILS hdg/freq. When I looked the freq was there but no heading so I added one where I could. Was the course somehow assigned but hidden? Did I put the heading where it should be?

MCDU:

On my next test I will include a SID and a STAR. (Note that I am not using any Orbx add-on airports with this install)

I just tried the A320 again using the same flight plan as used for previous tests.

This time the AP followed the waypoints and also those associated with the Arrival and Approach.

The ILS worked as far as the localizer once I entered the course into the MCDU. Perhaps it should have been there already as the frequency was there and I see the course/freq in other sims.

When I activated Appr it seemed to start to follow the descent but then stopped following and I had to manually track the glide slope.

Usually when this happens once the marker is close then the bus starts to track the GS but it did not.

Getting better.

I have added the flight plan to my last post. It is the same one used for previous tests.

I tried the A320 with the latest update today.

1. Now I do see the F-PLN in the MCDU but where I expect to see SPD/Alt I seem to see distance and I cannot seem to find how to change that.

2. Departing airport on a straight course from R26 to a fix....MCDU does not seem to trigger at that waypoint and keeps flying straight.

3. The altitude for the flight seems to be fixed at FL320. How am I supposed to change that? I tried using the Init page but the entry is simply rejected out of hand.

Flight Plan Route:

I updated to the new Alpha today.

One of the things I wanted to explore was the new navigation (flight plan) setup with STARS and Approaches and how that might work with the A320.

I fly the A320 in X-Plane and P3D (Aerosoft) so I am quite familiar with its workings or at least how the MCDU functions in those sims.

I was able to create a flight plan with a STAR and an Approach to KSAN.

When the A320 was loaded I could see the plan was shown in the ND; however, I could not see anything like I expected to see in the MCDU F-PLN. I should see the departure, waypoints and the STAR as well as the Arrival Runway (I09).

I did not see anything like that in the MCDU. After takeoff turning on the AP did manage to handle the climb and speeds; however, the aircraft did not follow the flight plan and I could not seem to find a way to do so.