cormacshaw
17th Sep 2004, 01:16
Hi,
Among my pasttimes, I design aircraft and scenery add-ons for the cross-platform desktop flight simulator X-Plane (yes, there are other sims out there other than Microsoft's!). These are distributed for free (its purely a hobby) from my website, _XPIH - The X-Plane Irish hub (http://homepage.mac.com/cormacshaw/xpih/).
Now, I recently released a model of a Casa CN235-100MP maritime patrol tuboprop. My query, which I am sure someone here has the expertise to answer, involves the proper throttle/mixture/prop controls for the plane. I have had complaints from users that the aircraft is missing engine rpm/prop pitch controls. I am not an expert on aircraft systems so while I do have better than average layman's knowledge, i know I made have made an error. I do appreciate that most (but certainly not all) free-turbine constant-speed turboprop aircraft have controls per engine (usually pedestal-mounted levers on large aircraft) for Throttle, Fuel Mixture and Max Prop/Eng RPM and that the pilot selects a max rpm and that the prop pitch is adjusted automatically to match that rpm. However, all pictures of the Casa's cockpit that I have seen show just two pairs of levers on the central pedestal. One pair is obviously the throttles. I have assumed that the other pair is the fuel mixture (I can't read the markings clearly in any picture I have) as I can't imagine it otherwise plus I have read vague references to a 'fully-automated' prop control system and I have interpreted this to mean that there is no fine manual control system for the prop rpm and pitch, just High and Low Idle settings and reverse pitch. Am I totally off the wall? Would anybody care to clarify how the plane's controls are set up?
FYI:
http://homepage.mac.com/cormacshaw/xpih/aircraft/cn235_iac/pics/poster.jpg
Among my pasttimes, I design aircraft and scenery add-ons for the cross-platform desktop flight simulator X-Plane (yes, there are other sims out there other than Microsoft's!). These are distributed for free (its purely a hobby) from my website, _XPIH - The X-Plane Irish hub (http://homepage.mac.com/cormacshaw/xpih/).
Now, I recently released a model of a Casa CN235-100MP maritime patrol tuboprop. My query, which I am sure someone here has the expertise to answer, involves the proper throttle/mixture/prop controls for the plane. I have had complaints from users that the aircraft is missing engine rpm/prop pitch controls. I am not an expert on aircraft systems so while I do have better than average layman's knowledge, i know I made have made an error. I do appreciate that most (but certainly not all) free-turbine constant-speed turboprop aircraft have controls per engine (usually pedestal-mounted levers on large aircraft) for Throttle, Fuel Mixture and Max Prop/Eng RPM and that the pilot selects a max rpm and that the prop pitch is adjusted automatically to match that rpm. However, all pictures of the Casa's cockpit that I have seen show just two pairs of levers on the central pedestal. One pair is obviously the throttles. I have assumed that the other pair is the fuel mixture (I can't read the markings clearly in any picture I have) as I can't imagine it otherwise plus I have read vague references to a 'fully-automated' prop control system and I have interpreted this to mean that there is no fine manual control system for the prop rpm and pitch, just High and Low Idle settings and reverse pitch. Am I totally off the wall? Would anybody care to clarify how the plane's controls are set up?
FYI:
http://homepage.mac.com/cormacshaw/xpih/aircraft/cn235_iac/pics/poster.jpg